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Is Your Teenager Ready for a Smartphone?
posted by admin on Cell phone safety, connect safely, Cyber Safety, Cybersafety, Internet Predators, Internet Safety, mobile phone safety, Online activity, Online Safety, Online Security, Parental control, Parenting, Parenting tips, Social Networking, Teens and Technology
The holidays are here and many tweens and teens are asking for cell phones and Smartphones. But are they ready for the responsibility of having one?
- Do children really need Smartphones?
- Can Smartphones be beneficial to their learning alongside school?
- Are Smartphones a fashion statement?
- Is it fair if all families cannot afford them? Peer pressure to those that can't have them?
Pew Internet tells us 77% of US 12-to-17-year-olds now have cellphones and 23% Smartphones, so if your 12-year-old tells you "everybody has a cellphone," s/he's less and less far off the mark. But when to get a kid his or her first cellphone is very individual too, based on how s/he handles technology, people, and responsibility!
Cons: Smartphones can be used to bully other children through advanced messaging features which are available on smartphones and also apps which can be downloaded.
Pros: Parents can track their child to make sure they are safe while they are out playing with friends or going to school.
An excellent article was recently written: Five things to do before giving your teenager a Smartphone – definitely worth the time to read if you are considering purchasing a phone for your child this holiday season.
Cellphone Safety Tips from Connect Safely:
Cellphones are increasingly full-blown handheld computers, and everything that can be done on the Web via computer – photo-sharing, Web browsing, game playing, tune-swapping, real-time text chat, and (oh yeah) talking – can be done on a phone. Here are some basic ideas for keeping mobile phone use safe and constructive:
Smart socializing. Use the same good sense about what you post from your phone as from a computer. Once they're posted, text, photos, and video are tough to take back, can be copied and pasted elsewhere, and are up there pretty much forever. Think about the people in them (including you!). Reputations are at stake – even more so if racy photos are involved. Just best not to go there.
Phones are personal. Letting other people use your phone when you're not around is like letting them have the password to your social network profile. They can impersonate you. Which means they can play tricks on you that could really become a problem. It's a very good idea to lock your phone when you're not using it.
Bullying by phone. Because people socialize on cellphones as much as online, cyberbullying can be mobile too. Treat people on phones and the Web the way you would in person, and the risk of being bullied goes down. Be aware, too, of people randomly taking pictures at parties, in locker rooms, etc. – you may not want to be tagged in their social-network photo albums!
Sexting: The vast majority of kids – 99% – are smart and don't take, send, or post or even store nude photos of themselves or peers on their phones. People who do so can be charged with production, distribution, or possession of child pornography, a serious crime. They can also be subjected to jokes, bullying, blackmail, expulsion from school, loss of a job, etc. and the images can circulate forever. Just don't go there.
The value of "presence." If you do a lot of texting, consider the impact that being "elsewhere" might be having on the people around you. Your presence during meals, at parties, in the car, etc. is not only polite, it's a sign of respect and appreciated.
Down time is good. Constant texting and talking can affect sleep, concentration, school, and other things that deserve your thought and focus. You need your sleep and real friends understand there are times you just need to turn off the phone – harassment can happen between midnight and morning too.
Social mapping. Most cellphones now have GPS technology and there are a growing number of services that allow friends to pinpoint each other's physical location. If you use such a service, do so only with friends you know in person, and get to know the service's privacy features!
No texting while driving! Research shows that texting while driving can significantly increase the risk of a crash or near-crash situation. Silence your phone in the car, pull over if you need to use it, and of course follow your state's hands-free laws for mobile phones in cars.
Tags: cellphone safety, Cybersafety, Internet Safety, Online privacy, Online Safety, Parenting, Smartphones, Social media, social networking, Teens and cellphones, Teens and technology, Texting, texting and driving


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Emerson to build NBN facilities
Ten data centres, 12 months, $AU100 million
Emerson Network Power has become the latest company to sign on for major National Broadband Network contracts, with a $AU100 million contract to build network facilities centres.
The ten facilities Australia-wide will house network management, core network equipment, and NBN staff, with two facilities in each of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
The facilities will also terminate backhaul arriving at capital cities from locations serviced by NBN Co backhaul. These will be limited to a small number of remote locations; in most circumstances, retail service providers need to secure their own backhaul from the NBN point of interconnect (POI) to their own networks. However, where NBN access networks don't have competitive backhaul available, NBN Co will ship the customer traffic back to the capital city facilities.
The centres will also act as aggregation points for NBN Co's on-network signaling and network management.
Emerson is to supply the facilities' structures, power, cooling, and will be responsible for design and construction.
The contact to Emerson is the latest of many, as the NBN project gathers pace. In June, Ericsson and Silcar were awarded rollout contracts for the network worth nearly $AU900 million in total, and back in March, IBM won a contract worth $AU200 million for operational support systems. ®
Sponsored: How to Process, Wrangle, Analyze and Visualize your Data with Three Complementary Tools

subset: commoncrawl


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Nov. 25, 2007
The NCAA Volleyball Tournament Selection Show lasted one hour, but it seemed more like an eternity for the Lipscomb Lady Bisons.
In one of the final brackets announced during the show on ESPNU the Lady Bisons, making their first ever appearance in the tournament, found out they were going to Dayton, Ohio to play Dayton, a first and second round host school.
"Apparently someone paid ESPN to drag it out," said Lipscomb coach Brandon Rosenthal. "My heart was beating harder and harder as the show went on."
The Lady Bisons, 20-11, will play Dayton, 32-1, Friday night. Also playing in Dayton are Kentucky (22-9) and Michigan State (19-13). Second round matches are Saturday.
"It is great to be going to the NCAA Tournament, but our players aren't content with that," said Rosenthal. "We are ready to go and ready to play.
"It is only a five-hour drive from Nashville. Two words come to my mind...road trip. Hopefully, a lot of you guys can come and cheer us on."
Approximately 100 fans, family members and students munched on pizza and other snacks in Shamblin Theater Sunday night as they watched the show on the big screen. Included in the crowd was Lipscomb President Randolph Lowry III and athletics director Steve Potts.
"I want to thank the Lipscomb administration for making all of this possible,' Rosenthal said. "I want to thank the families, friends and fans for everything they have done."
Rosenthal thought the Lady Bisons were given some respect by the selection committee as the Atlantic Sun Conference Champion. This season the Lady Bisons played teams Pepperdine and Tennessee State, two teams that earned NCAA berths.
"Some of it has to do with the way we scheduled, who we played all year long and the teams we beat," Rosenthal said. "Beating Belmont and Florida Gulf Coast really set the tone for us. We had a win over TSU. And we played teams like Pepperdine and Arizona pretty tough.
"We have always felt like playing a tough schedule is what we needed to do so when we got to this point we would be ready to go. This is a good step for us."
The Lady Bisons have never faced Dayton in a volleyball match. Rosenthal is familiar with the Dayton program. He planned to spend most of Sunday night on the telephone with various coaches that have faced the Flyers.
"I like the draw," Rosenthal said. "Dayton is a great team that has played really well. They are ranked 15th in the tournament. It is going to be a really tough match."
Rosenthal has never been to the NCAA Tournament, but two of his players have been a part of it. Senior libero Ann Mullins made one trip with the University of Tennessee and junior outside hitter Sarah Snider played in two first round matches with the University of Alabama.
"It is a big deal, but we have to go into it and play it like any other match," Mullins said.
Snider has a friend who plays for Dayton so she is looking forward to the match.
"We have to make sure we are competitive in practice this week," Snider said. "We have to talk to each other across the net. We have to make sure that everyone is motivated to have a positive attitude. We have to build confidence that we can do this."
There were 324 schools playing Division I volleyball at the start of the season. There are 64 still playing.
"I want to thank our players for giving me one amazing season," Rosenthal said. "This is a real tight-knit team. They are proud to wear Lipscomb on their jerseys. We are going to go and give it everything we have."
The Lady Bisons are one of six teams making a first trip to the NCAA Tournament. The others are Cleveland State, Delaware, South Dakota State, Tennessee State and Nevada-Las Vegas.


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Too young? YMS Clothiers steps in
For generations, Charlottesville men have headed to the Young Men's Shop for their conservative suits and Oxford shirts. It was even mentioned on an episode or two of The Waltons.
The store's traditional fashions haven't changed, but the name has. In a moniker that bears resemblance to Yves St. Laurent's abbreviation, the name is now YMS Clothiers Ltd. So what gives?
The 77-year-old Charlottesville institution has become a casualty of growth. A lot of people new to the community think it's a boy's clothing store, says owner Harry Marshall, who notes, "We're exactly the opposite."
In another break with tradition, the shop formerly known as Young Men's has turned over 1,800 square feet of space to women's fashion retailer the Parrot, which opened there in March. That pairing, according to Marshall, is going great.
The store, which moved from downtown in 1997, has a new sign at its Zan Road location. Marshall has run a few ads about the name change, and sent out 3,000 post cards notifying customers, but he says it's too early to tell if the renaming has had an impact on business– or on old customers.
"It's the only place I shop," says bowtie-wearing Jim Camblos, Albemarle commonweath's attorney. He declares himself "not a clothes horse" and estimates he's been shopping at the Young Men's Shop for 30 years.
Camblos is not bothered by the name change. "The only thing that would turn me off is if they didn't carry extra long," he says. "They're the only ones who carry my goofy size."
Longtime customers like Camblos were never confused by a name that implies the store's clientele is much, much younger than it really is, "I never thought of that," says Camblos. "It gets to be like an old shoe."
Marshall is upbeat about the future of YMS Clothiers Ltd. "I think it's going to be a good transition," he says.
And any YMS Clothier fashion tips for summer? "Bright colors are in," advises Marshall.
Young Men's Shop no more: Charlottesville institution bows to growth.


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If you still need more insight into the moveset Phoenix Wright will use in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 after we had fighting game legend and Capcom special consultant Seth Killian play for us, then dig on this Assist Me! video featuring the Ace Attorney and Marvel's Iron Fist. It's narrated again by tournament vet Maximillian, who ran through the changes coming to UMvC3 in a previous clip. He's joined by a few, um, special friends this time. I've always been a huge Iron Fist fan and can't wait to get my fight on with the one-time Hero for Hire.
Assist Me! - Ultimate MvC3 tutorials for Phoenix Wright and Iron Fist [Capcom Unity]
You can contact Evan Narcisse, the author of this post, at email@example.com. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page.


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I have been asked to talk about what I consider the most important challenge facing mankind, and I have a fundamental answer. The greatest challenge facing mankind is the challenge of distinguishing reality from fantasy, truth from propaganda. Perceiving the truth has always been a challenge to mankind, but in the information age (or as I think of it, the disinformation age) it takes on a special urgency and importance.
Want good coverage? Tell a good story. When your business is under siege, you can't hope to control the situation without first controlling the story. The most effective form of communication is a compelling narrative that ties your interest to those of your audience. This is particularly critical when you're caught in the spotlight; it doesn't matter if you have the facts on your side if your detractors are framing the story. So, don't just react. Take some time now to define your company story. Then you'll be ready to build a response into that narrative should something go wrong.
Hi Michael [Mann],I'm a DeSmogBlog writer [Richard LIttlemore] (sic) (I got your email from Kevin Grandia) and I am trying to fend off the latest announcement that global warming has not actually occurred in the 20th century.It looks to me like Gerd Burger is trying to deny climate change by "smoothing," "correcting" or otherwise rounding off the temperatures that we know for a flat fact have been recorded since the 1970s, but I am out of my depth (as I am sure you have noticed: we're all about PR here, not much about science) so I wonder if you guys have done anything or are going to do anything with Burger's intervention in Science. (Emphasis added)
"I've personally stopped responding to these, they're going to get a few of these op-ed pieces out here and there, but the important thing is to make sure they're loosing (sic) the PR battle. That's what the site is about. By the way, Gavin did come up w/ the name!"
Because in the end, science offers us the only way out of politics. And if we allow science to become politicized, then we are lost. We will enter the Internet version of the dark ages, an era of shifting fears and wild prejudices, transmitted to people who don't know any better. That's not a good future for the human race. That's our past. So it's time to abandon the religion of environmentalism, and return to the science of environmentalism, and base our public policy decisions firmly on that.
The "site" is the web site Realclimate, named by Gavin (Schmidt). But science doesn't need PR, so why do climate scientists use it?
Typical warmist, no integrity, hides behind shadows taking potshots. Isn't that right, David Appell?
Anthony Watts says:
November 6, 2013 at 8:33 pm@ Gunga Din, yes, you have it right http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/07/24/david-appell-denies-he-has-any-class/
Gunga Din says:
May 31, 2012 at 3:28 pm(I still didn't do the whole song but I revised the second verse to fit the situation better.)To the tune of "Stuck in the Middle with You"Well I don't know why I caused such a fright,
I had the feeling that something ain't right,
I made a scare of some emails out there,
And I'm wondering how my rep now will fare,
Clowns to the left of me,
Jokers to the right, here I am,
Stuck in Yamal on a yew.Yes I'm stuck in Yamal on a yew,
The "threats" were against kangaroos,
It's so hard to keep this egg off my face,
Damage control, yeah, "Someone invaded their space,"
Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in Yamal on a yew.
Isn't Dr. Tim Ball an author of Slaying the Sky Dragon… the book which denies the existence of the greenhouse effect?
RockyRoad, "CO2 is not a Greenhouse Gas that Raises Global temperature. Period!"
Max Hugoson says:
November 6, 2013 at 8:06 pmDr. Walter Elsasser: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_M._Elsasser
which allowed them to use the day's Radiosone balloon measurements of pressure,
A miniature radio carried aloft by an unmanned balloon to broadcast the pressure, temperature, and relative humidity of the upper air and to automatically transmit that information to the ground.
kretchetov says:
November 7, 2013 at 1:12 amThe question I would like to ask – is there ANY reputable scientific institution that stood the ground and survived the assault? Russian Academy of Science, maybe?
Monckton Rebuttal to Skeptic magazine article:
http://heartland.org/sites/default/files/moncktonskepticreplylong.pdfThe Professor goes on to say: "Every major scientific organization in the world has endorsed the conclusion of anthropogenic climate change as well." Three problems with that. It is the logical fallacy of argument from consensus; it is the logical fallacy of the argument from appeal to authority; and it is not true.Members of the Japanese Academy of Sciences have described the true-believers' position as being no better than a belief in astrology; the Russian Academy under Dr. Illarionov, having heard both sides, rejected the alarmist position as politically motivated; the former director of the Dutch Meteorological Institute has rejected the alarmist view of "global warming"; the Royal Society, having relieved itself of the Marxist president under which its original and embarrassingly absurd statement on "global warming" had been published, has rewritten it from top to bottom to take out nearly all of the extremist nonsense to which the Professor appears uncritically to subscribe; and a Norwegian expert group has recently issued a report saying that proper attention must now be paid to determining the influence of natural variability on recent climatic change.
"A danger sign of the lapse from true skepticism in to dogmatism is an inability to respect those who disagree" – Dr. Leonard George.
Aside from the end-Permian, the PETM, and the thawing of Snowball Earth?
Anthony Watts says:
November 7, 2013 at 7:58 amBrian H says:
November 7, 2013 at 1:34 amThe site RealClimate is owned and (richly) funded by the activist PR firm Fenton. Just try tracing its connections!Indeed, I'm reading some emails to that effect right now.
CodeTech says: @ November 7, 2013 at 6:07 am…I'm searching for an effective, quick summary of the theory and science that I can send people to. Although there is a wealth of knowledge and references at WUWT, there's still no clean, simple summary that would start a believer on the path to knowledge.


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There's a new Texas budget on the table, and with barely any drama this time.
A marathon debate over a new two-year, $93.5 billion state spending plan ended late Thursday with overwhelming passage in the Texas House, where Republicans and Democrats brokered deals to diffuse volatile ideological battles and trumpeted a new air of bipartisanship afterward.
Clashes over Medicaid expansion could not be averted, and social conservatives fumed after the House slapped down a school voucher push that is now rendered potentially dead in the Legislature. Yet even those scrapes never escalated into full-on battles, and most House members left satisfied over more money for public schools, college campuses and mental health.
Politics from around the world.
The budget bill passed 135-12 and now goes to a conference committee with the Senate.
"Even when you fundamentally believe that more should be added, there comes a time when you have to recognize that positive steps are taken," Democratic state Rep. Sylvester Turner of Houston said. "I will vote proudly yes on this bill, because there are major accomplishments in this bill."
Critics say the bill doesn't spend enough to cover the needs of a rapidly growing Texas population, but a major spending battle never erupted on the House floor.
The House plan boosts state spending across the board by 7 percent. State employees would see small raises and financially shaky state parks would be spared from closure, symbolic of the Legislature's spending power made possible by a roaring Texas economy.
Voting out the House budget is a significant milestone in a 140-day session that has enjoyed relatively feel-good bipartisanship -- at least compared to the acrimony in 2011, when the Republican-controlled Legislature cut the budget to the bone.
"We've been able to restore significant portions of last session's cuts," said Republican state Rep. Jim Pitts, the House's chief budget writer. "We've not done so recklessly, and we have not replaced every dollar removed from last session."
But dollars didn't set off the most intense clashes.
Nearly 270 amendments were filed for debate, and none flared emotions more than add-ons related to Medicaid and school vouchers. As the floor session approached its 10th hour, conservatives scrambled to make a fresh stand on Medicaid -- after the Republican-controlled House initially adopted an outline of how the state might expand health care to the working poor.
Gov. Rick Perry has vowed not to expand Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act. Approval of an amendment to merely open the door to Medicaid expansion negotiations drew instant criticism from conservative activists outside the Capitol, and Republicans later pulled the vote back.
But one defeat that will stick with social conservatives was passage of an anti-school voucher amendment. The measure passed the House 103-43 and dealt a potential knockout punch to a priority item of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and other Senate leaders.
Many House members are uneasy about vouchers, arguing that giving parents state funds to let them pull their children out of underperforming public schools and enroll them in private campuses siphons money from cash-strapped school districts.
Republican state Rep. Debbie Riddle of Tomball blasted the Democrat behind the proposal, Rep. Abel Herrero of Robstown, for denying parents the choice she said his own family could afford.
"You have the wealth to make that choice, yet you want to keep poor families from making it," Riddle said.
Backroom deals doused other potential fireworks. A bipartisan pact led to the withdrawal of amendments related to women's health and abortion, averting the rehash of another intense political feud in 2011 when the Legislature cut state funding to Planned Parenthood.
Rep. Bryan Hughes, among the leading tea party members in the House, said both sides backed down since funding for women's health would increase and taxpayer dollars are already off-limits to health providers linked to abortion services.
"We were able to get that done without having some divisive debates on the floor," Hughes said.
Combined with federal dollars, the total price tag of the bill is $193.8 billion. The budget plan doesn't restore about $15 billion lawmakers slashed in 2011 -- which included about $5.4 billion cut from public schools. The House budget restores about $2.5 billion to school districts, $1 billion more than the budget passed by the Senate last month.
Sneaking more money into schools emerged early Thursday as one of the Democrats' major concerns.
"It's a huge chunk of money to restore what was cut," Democratic state. Rep. Donna Howard said of the school spending. "Not what we wanted to be, obviously, but it did restore."
Even though nearly every state agency is in line for additional funding under the House budget, there are some exceptions. Neither of Perry's two signature economic development programs, the Emerging Technology Fund and the deal-closing Texas Enterprise Fund, would receive new taxpayer dollars for private businesses.
Replenishing the scandal-wracked Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas is also on hold until sweeping reforms pass both chambers. The $3 billion cancer-fighting agency, known as CPRIT, is under criminal investigation and a spending freeze following the revelation of grants that bypassed the review process.
About $594 million is on the table for CPRIT if reforms are passed. The most significant reform bill cleared the Senate this week.


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Happy Gaming, and Thank You!


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No shutout, but Nats finish sweep of Marlins
After back-to-back blankings, Zimmermann and Co. give up just one run
WASHINGTON -- The Marlins finally scored a run against the Nationals, but it wasn't enough as Washington won the game, 6-1, on Thursday at Nationals Park.
The Nats start the season 3-0 for the first time since 2008. Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann pitched six innings, allowing one run on eight hits. The run came in the second inning when Justin Ruggiano hit a home run over the right-field wall. The homer snapped a scoreless streak of 19 innings for the Marlins.
Zimmermann was thinking about not giving up a run before the game. Why? Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez didn't allow runs in their first starts of the season.
"[Ruggiano] swings first pitch all the time. I figured if I could throw a fastball down and away and get him to roll over it, I could get a weak fly ball," Zimmermann said. "I kind of left it over the middle a little bit, and he made me pay."
Zimmermann believed he gave up too many two-strike hits, but he managed to get out of jams. For example, the Marlins' best chance to score more runs occurred in the sixth inning. They had runners on first and second with no outs, but Adeiny Hechavarria hit into a double play and pinch-hitter Austin Kearns grounded out to first baseman Adam LaRoche to end the threat.
"I felt good. It's the best I've felt in a long time," Zimmermann said. "It's one of those days where I had to battle and make the pitches when I needed a ground ball."
Left-hander Wade LeBlanc lasted five innings for Miami, allowing three runs -- two earned -- on five hits. Washington scored the first two runs in the first inning, when Ryan Zimmerman doubled over the head of Ruggiano in center field, scoring Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper. At first it looked like Harper was seriously hurt after Rob Brantly's arm hit the right side of Harper's face. But Harper managed to get up and retrieve his batting helmet.
"I actually didn't think it was that bad. But the way he reacted, I thought he got shot or something," Werth said. "I wanted to make sure the little guy was all right."
The Nationals added to their lead an inning after Ruggiano's homer. Denard Span led off and reached base on a bunt single and made it to second on an error by LeBlanc.
"It was kind of spur of the moment when I decided to bunt," Span said. "I saw something and I just trusted my instincts."
Span then scored on a single by Harper, who is now 6-for-12 for the regular season. Harper was humble when talking about his fast start.
"It's a long season. You try to go out there and square things up as much as you can, have good at-bats, just try to work hard and good things will happen," Harper said. "We have three W's in the win column. Hopefully we'll keep going."
The Nationals scored three more runs in the seventh inning. With two runners on, Werth swung at Mike Dunn's 1-1 pitch and hit the ball into the left-field bullpen to give the Nationals a five-run lead.
"That's what happens with young teams, you almost have to play perfect out there," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "If we give them extra outs or extra opportunities, they're going to take advantage of it. They were able to do that today."
For Werth, it was his first home run of the season, and it appears the left wrist that he broke last May is getting stronger.
"Today, it feels like the first real day of the season," Werth said. "I started feeling a little bit better today -- batting practice. As the game went on, I felt like I had my rhythm. It showed up toward the end."
The Nationals' bullpen proved to be unhittable as Henry Rodriguez, Tyler Clippard and Craig Stammen blanked Miami the final three innings.
The Nationals now go to Cincinnati to face the Reds for a three-game series. This will be a big test because the Reds are not rebuilding like the Marlins. The Nats will face a team that won the National League Central last season.
"We have a long way to go. We are definitely starting on the right foot," Werth said.


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A lot of Republicans remain resentful of George W. Bush's perceived betrayal of GOP values. Asked to assess the "best and worst" of Bush, veteran strategist Craig Shirley didn't hold back:
Bush said "yes" far too often at the urging of aides bent on short term political gain rather than the long term interests of the country and conservatism...Bush said "yes" to a prescription drug plan, the largest expansion of the Welfare State since the Great Society, but only done so to attract senior votes in time for the 2004 election...
That 2003 Medicare reform has stuck in the craw of Republicans almost from the moment it was passed (in a notorious arm-twisting vote that was held open on the House floor for more than three hours).
However, a funny little thing happened over the last few years: The rise in prescription drug costs in 2007 was the lowest in 44 years -- causing a reduction in overall growth between 2006 and 2007. Obviously, that hardly means health spending is decreasing, but the prescription drug component is rather remarkable.
The prescription drug law isn't the sole reason for this occurrence -- a greater availability of generic drugs and the move of private sector titans like Wal-Mart and Walgreens to offer cut-rate prices on drugs have also played a significant role.
But the Medicare reform can't be ignored. Contrary to GOP fears, the "expansion" of the Welfare State -- via prescription drugs -- has largely not occurred. Of course, Democrats run the entire federal apparatus - and Obama is promising/threatening to make a health-care overhaul part of his initial trillion-dollar stimulus package. Thus, regulation and private-sector incentives Republicans included when the bill was first introduced may well fall bythe wayside -- thus increasing costs.
So, Republicans, at least, might want to credit Bush for a federal benefit plan that has, surprisingly, not rocketed out of control (Democrats aren't quite likely to see this as a virtue). Alas, there are other parts of the health care system for which that can't be said.
But that's a discussion for another day.
For now, let's count our blessings.
Robert A. George is a New York Post editorial writer. A one-time aide to House Speaker Newt Gingrich, he blogs at Ragged Thots and dabbles in stand-up comedy.


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Michael Eisenberg Restores A Little-Known Piece Of SCCA History.
The lonely black '63 Falcon sits on the starting grid at the SCCA 12-Hour Trans-American race at Marlboro Park Speedway in Marlboro, Maryland. Behind the wheel is independent racer Jim Taylor. He is an experienced rally driver and has decided to run his little Falcon against the big boys in a grueling race in which almost half the field of two-driver cars will not finish. Even more unlikely is the fact that there is no truck or trailer sitting in Jim's pit spot. Jim drove the Falcon halfway across the country from his hometown of Oklahoma City, hauling his spare parts and tools in the trunk.
This was nothing new for Jim or his iron maiden. By this time, they'd already competed in the 9th Annual 24-Hour Road Race/Rally sanctioned by the FIA de Mexico, where Jim piloted the first American car ever to complete the race. At Marlboro, Jim and codriver John Walker would finish 15th out of 36 cars, well behind winners Bob Tullius and Tony Adamowicz driving the Group 44 '66 Dodge Dart. Later, the Falcon would take on the Trans-Am pros at Green Valley Raceway in Texas, where it again finished 15th out of 34 cars behind John McComb's Mustang. While the finishing order may have been less than spectacular, the fact that the Falcon never failed to finish a race is the stuff of legend.
After the '66 season, Jim retired the Falcon and the black bandit was eventually passed over in favor of more relevant projects. It sat disused until 1990 when Jim sold the car to vintage racer Mike Durham for $10. Mike's plan was to race a '64 because the SCCA's homologated weight rule for a '64 was a shocking 580 pounds less than for a '63 at 2,160 pounds. The Falcon endured several more misguided owners until Alan Repashy acquired the car. After attending the Coronado Speed Festival at North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego, Alan met and eventually sold the Falcon to Michael Eisenberg, who owns Maeco Motorsport, a shop in Northridge, California. You may remember Maeco from This Guy's Garage in the May '05 issue, where many vintage Trans-Am racers go to be revived.
Michael immediately began a period-accurate race restoration in 2006 that started with a little sheetmetal work to bring the car around to its current condition. This involved more than just a cursory paint job, since the effort is certainly much more pleasing than what you would expect from a road-race-abused machine. It's also tough to shove 15×8-inch wheels and tires under a little Falcon, which is why if you look closely, there's a little subtle flaring action that's occurred on all four corners. The beauty is that it doesn't detract at all from the Falcon's image.
Michael races the Falcon in the Historic Trans-Am (HTA) series that will run at five events this year from Sebring to the final event in San Diego at the Coronado Speed Festival. Within this event, the little Falcon has to run against some pretty big dogs. The rules for the HTA require that each car must have actually participated in a Trans-Am race between 1966 and 1972 and that each car must be outfitted with the proper engine and drivetrain that replicates what it ran during its original outings. This means that even though the Trans-Am rules allowed up to 305 ci (5 liters), the Falcon ran during pre-302 days in 1966 with a much smaller 289 with heads that were far less sophisticated than what the later cars ran.
But don't think that Michael just bolted together some wimpy 289. Back in the early days of Ford's Le Mans push with the GT40s, Blue Oval engineers created a race-special block and cylinder head package that was identified with sacred casting numbers. With bigger valves and larger chambers, these heads were tip-of-the-race-spear stuff literally only two years after Ford introduced the small-block V-8 at 221 ci. The Falcon's current 289 also sports a factory Ford nonproduction twin four-barrel intake manifold that was used on many of the Holman Moody-built rally cars and Shelby Trans-Am cars.
Michael debuted the Falcon at the '07 Wine Country Classic Historic Trans-Am race at Infineon Raceway in Sears Point, California. Unfortunately, a loose fuel line cut short its day, and later, a sticking secondary throttle plate on the rear carburetor at its second event in Kent, Washington, prevented the car from taking the checkered flag. But by the final race of last year at the Coronado Speed Festival, the Falcon took flight, finishing Eighth out of 32 cars. At the awards banquet, Michael was bestowed the prestigious Coronado Speed Festival Founder's Cup for overall performance and presentation.
Beyond its pedigree and obvious strong race performance, it's clear why the Falcon has attracted attention. While most race cars quickly take on that shop-worn appearance, one glance at the interior tells you that Michael and the Maeco crew took their time with this resurrection. Like with any good effort, the details tell the story. With the exception of the red-painted floorpans devoid of carpet, this could easily have been a well-detailed street car. The 8,000-rpm factory-correct Rotunda tach is a cool touch, but so is the Falcon bucket seat upholstery emblem in the driver seat. And how many Trans-Am race cars have you seen with a fully upholstered back seat? While the famous-name cars will always take the spotlight with casual observers and historic note-takers, it's great to see little-guy racers having a chance to see their long-ago efforts recognized in such a spectacular fashion.
Back In The DayJim Taylor's Falcon became a race car almost from the day he bought it. Originally, he drag-raced it for a while and then sent it to Carter Maxwell Sports Car Service in Oklahoma City to convert the car to a road racer, complete with a raft of Shelby Mustang hardware. After a few regional SCCA races, he outfitted the car with the driving lights and went rally racing with some success. During Michael's Internet research into the history of the Falcon, he discovered a gentleman by the name of Don Gwynne from Arlington, Texas, who not only knew of the Falcon but also contributed a few action photos of it at an early Texas SCCA race-before the car was modified for rally racing. The event photos are from June 18 and 19, 1966, with the No. 71 on the door. This was before Jim went racing with the Trans-Am monsters. Michael has also been in contact with Jim Taylor, the car's original owner, who sent Michael the circa-1965 photo of Jim in his open-faced helmet when he was racing an Austin 850 (aka, the Mini), which was a popular rally car at the time.
Tech NotesWho: Michael EisenbergWhat: '63 1/2 Ford FalconWhere: Northridge, California, home of Maeco Motorsport and the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
Engine: In order for the car to race in the HTA, the engine has to be the same vintage casting as was previously raced in the car. That means no roller cam 5.0L motor. The original V-8 in the Falcon Sprint was a 260 ci, but by the time the Falcon raced in Trans-Am, it was fitted with a 289, so Maeco dredged up a vintage block and carefully machined it to Hi-Po 289 specs. All early 289s came with a cast crankshaft, which could be questionable for this kind of track abuse, so Maeco translated that into a 2.87-inch-stroke steel crank along with a set of forged connecting rods. Since this is purely a race car, compression jumped to 13:1 with a set of forged JE pistons fitted with Childs & Albert gapless rings, while the bearings are Polymer Dynamics-coated Clevites. Michael is reluctant to talk about the cam specs, but he did say the flat-tappet mechanical is an Engle custom grind running Crower 1.6:1 rocker arms with Manley pushrods. The very rare C6FE factory race heads on this small-block were used in several different Ford motorsport applications, including the early GT40 289 engine program. The heads were carefully ported by Maeco and fitted with Ferrea stainless 1.98/1.625-inch valves that are a bit bigger than the stock 1.78-inch intake and 1.45-inch exhaust valves that came in the early 289s. Isky valvesprings handle the 7,500-plus-rpm engine speeds where this little motor generally lives. ARP head bolts and Cometic gaskets glue it all together.
Intake: Trans-Am rules allowed multiple carbureted induction components if homologated by the SCCA. This meant Michael could run the factory over-the-counter 2×4 barrel intake (casting No. C6ZZ-6B068-A) with a pair of 415-cfm Holley carburetors. The 110-octane leaded race gas is pumped with a Carter mechanical fuel pump. Maeco fabricated the cold-air package for the twin carbs, since ducting cool air to a tight engine compartment is always worth a few extra horsepower. While everyone now uses an electronic ignition, rules still require a set of dual points in a stock Ford distributor along with an Echlin coil.
Exhaust: Maeco custom-fabricated the four-tube headers that merge into dual 3-inch exhaust pipes and dump just in front of the rear tires. Don't bother to look for mufflers.
Cooling: Race cars make a lot of heat, and it's hard to make horsepower when the engine temp spikes over 250 degrees. An oversize racing brass/copper radiator handles the engine cooling, while an Edelbrock aluminum water pump and Weaver Brothers engine pulleys control coolant movement through the engine. Fluidyne is responsible for keeping the oil temperature in line.
Transmission: Road racing is hard on parts, especially transmissions. While the Falcon would be much more fun to drive with a latest-generation G-Force G-101 box behind that 289, vintage rules calls for a period-correct '64 Ford Top Loader four-speed using a small-diameter Tilton flywheel and bellhousing that covers up a Quartermaster clutch and pressure plate assembly.
Rearend: Here's at least one place where the early Fords didn't have to compromise. Even back in the early '60s, a near-stock Ford 9-inch could easily take the abuse of this high-winding 289. Michael uses a '63-era 9-inch using a full-floater assembly that separates the axle from the hubs. That way, if the axle breaks, the tire and wheel assembly remains on the car. Speedway Engineering parts were used in the conversion, and Speedway also supplied the axles. Depending on which track the Falcon runs, gearing can be anything from 3.70s to as deep as 4.56:1.
Suspension: Unlike today's tube-chassied Trans-Am racers, these early cars were required to retain the stock front and rear suspension and chassis. As a subframe car, this required some serious attention. The front suspension uses Vogtland 620 lb/in front springs and Koni double-adjustable shocks along with a Maeco Motorsport 15/16-inch front sway bar and stock Ford spindles. Back in the '60s, nobody had rack-and-pinion steering, so a blueprinted Lee Manufacturing stock steering box is what is allowed. The rear leaf springs are custom-designed for Maeco by Aldan Springs at a 160 lb/in rate and are designed to minimize spring wrapup with the Falcon's excellent power-to-weight ratio. Roller bearings replace the original rubber spring bushings.
Brakes: State-of-the-art Ford brakes in 1966 called for Kelsey Hayes 11.5-inch-diameter rotors with four-piston calipers, and on the back, massive 11×21/4-inch drums make plenty of friction.]Wheels/Tires: Vintage racing means old-school wheels and rubber, so a set of PSE 15×8-inch Trans-Am aluminum wheels set the footprint mounted with an equally retro set of catalog-fresh Goodyear Sports Car Specials measuring what sounds like a spindly 6.00×15-inch size. Don't let the spec fool you; these tires measure 8.4 inches of tread width with a section width of more than 10 inches.
Body: Maeco performed all the restoration on the Falcon, including the bodywork. The aforementioned tires are the reason for the minor fender flaring; the work is tasteful and even adds to the Falcon's visual impact. The graphics are also a reproduction of how the car appeared in its limited Trans-Am exploits, right down to the original rally headlights.
Interior: The interior is Michael's testament to the Falcon's street/race heritage, and it appears the only thing missing is the carpet. He retained and restored the full rear seat along with the stock passenger-side bucket, using only the Shelby race bucket for the driver. The stock instruments have been replaced with vintage Stewart-Warner gauges and that very cool Rotunda tach on the dash. Even the stock headliner made the trip.


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You know what, I haven't turned the knob on my sub up passed halfway on any recording with the Z-560 set. I have turned it down and played with my EQ and it sounds fine. It has plenty of low end is my point. You keep putting words in mouth trying to say that all i'm going for is volume when it's not. I like the bass to fill stuff out, that doesn't mean concert levels with **** falling off the wall. Either way, to each his own, but i'm not going to have somebody tell me the that the Z-560 has the most colored and mushy sound of any PC speaker set, that's insane and wrong.Originally posted by WindsorFox
"And in conclusion, you're about the only "reviewer" to say the bass is mushy on the Z-560 set. Go read some reviews. Mushy, you have to be smoking crack man. Either way I don't like a distorted sub like the one on the Klipsch set. If you think distortion is accuracy, you shouldn't be reviewing speakers."
I read several. Maybe it's because I am the only one who reviewed them who works on the level that I do? My 4.1 Klipsch never "farts" or distorts because I get PLENTY of lowend response out of it without turning it up that high, the Z560's didn't either. The 560's are overly boomy, it's fine if you turn it down, but the sats still do not live up to the Klipsch and never will because they are not two way speakers.


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Long before Tiger Woods became a punchline, the makers of "The Joneses" filmed a scene invoking his iconic name -- as movie-goers can tell, the joke's meaning has changed dramatically since the film wrapped.
David Duchovny, playing a failed golf pro, is seen talking about mistaken identity and gets a laugh at dinner saying that he's often mistaken for Tiger Woods.
Of course, since the movie was filmed, Tiger Woods has become known as much for his alleged mistresses as his golf game. Director Derrick Borte tells PopcornBiz the filmmakers even considered cutting the scene due to the "unfortunate" timing of the Tiger-affair after they had finished shooting.
"Yeah, there was definitely a conversation about cutting it," director Derrick Borte tells PopcornBiz. "It's just one of those things where it used to get a big laugh and it doesn't get a big laugh anymore."
"(The joke) had nothing to do with the personal issues that have been highlighted in the public," he added.
Borte said he decided not to cut the part as a knee-jerk reaction to the Woods' situation. "Too me it's still funny," says Borte. "I don't want to be reactionary. I could care less what Tiger Woods does. I just decided to leave it."


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I almost missed this excellent post on system monitoring by (I think) Yanick Champoux. It's a clever idea. The monitor has a bunch of TAP1 tests that check various parts of the system – e.g. whether diskspace on a particular partition has breached a certain threshold.
The tests are all run with Smolder, "a web-based continuous integration smoke server". This means that the results can be made available via email, RSS or Smolder's web interface. Very neat.


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New York, July 17, 2013--As a court prepares to review the case of Belarusian journalist Irina Khalip on Friday, the Committee to Protect Journalists calls on local authorities to end their persecution of Khalip and allow her return to a free life.
"Despite the injustice of her convocation, Irina Khalip has fulfilled the terms of her two-year sentence, through imprisonment and severe restrictions under house arrest," said CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova. "Rather than extend her persecution, and potentially imprison Khalip again, the court should immediately reinstate her full liberties."
Khalip was convicted on charges of "organizing and participating in mass unrest" in May 2011, in retaliation for her independent coverage of opposition rallies against Belarus's 2010 presidential vote. Khalip's freedom has been severely limited since her initial imprisonment on December 19, 2010. She received a two-year suspended prison sentence in 2011, requiring weekly reporting to the police, a nightly curfew, and mobility limited to within Minsk. Khalip's conditional release expires this week and a court hearing to review the status of her case is now due. On Friday, the court may decide to imprison Khalip for two years or retain the conditions of her release.


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I am writing to you to take action to rescue Indian River Lagoon from harmful algal blooms, dolphins dying covered by skin-eating fungal infections, and beaches slimy with algae. Please enact an ordinance that modifies our lawn care practices to reduce nitrogen pollution of our waterways and coastal waters. We ask for a summer lawn-fertilizing holiday that is no more than what is already the practice of golf courses and agricultural businesses. By taking 3 steps we can have green lawns and cleaner waters.1. Do not spread fertilizer closer to waterways than the County's setback of 25 feet.2. Use at least 50% slow release nitrogen, 100% is better for lawns and waters.3. Grant us a Lawn-fertilizing Holiday from June 1 to Sept 30. Let's not be polluting with fertilizers that feeding algal blooms when waters are warmest and length of daylight longest. This is also a time when lawns don't need it. Lawn owners can save time, money and effort, while cleaning up our waters. Thank you for taking this responsible action to clean up our waters.Sincerely,
Ocean River Institute
This petition closed over 5 years ago
Dolphins are dying at alarmingly high rates in Florida's Indian River Lagoon, a shallow estuary closed off from the Atlantic Ocean by barrier beaches. This place of white sands, seagrasses, and...
Dolphins are dying at alarmingly high rates in Florida's Indian River Lagoon, a shallow estuary closed off from the Atlantic Ocean by barrier beaches. This place of white sands, seagrasses, and abundant wildlife has become over-saturated by harmful nitrogen pollutants, with a black, mucky bottom, choked by algal blooms.
In 2008, 43 dolphins died in the Indian River Lagoon. In 2009, 48 dolphins died. Dolphins are getting sick, exhibiting skin-eating fungal infections, and they're dying. Their waters have become a toxic soup. To save the dolphins, we can easily lessen the amount of nitrogen pollution entering the Lagoon. To do this, county ordinances are needed.
Nitrogen is the worst pollutant of oceans in the world. Dolphin deaths are greatest when chlorophyll and nitrogen levels are highest in the water. The EPA estimates that the Lagoon gets three million pounds of nitrogen per year from the land. This is 1 million pounds of nitrogen over the ecosystem's sustainable threshold. Excessive nitrogen creates toxic algae blooms, ocean dead zones, fish die-offs, harms wildlife, and greatly threatens biodiversity, as well as lessening recreational beach and water experiences.
We have had success in Martin County, one of the six counties on Indian River Lagoon. Rob Moir and Capt Nan Beaver met with the County Commissioners and delivered 10,000 Stop Nitrogen Pollution letters. Martin County responded by passing a new fertilizer rule banning the application of lawn fertilizers during the summer rainy months, a time period when fertilizer does the least good for lawns and causes the most harmful algal blooms. We call this a lawn-fertilizer holiday because it saves lawn-owners time, effort and money. Every dollar in lost fertilizer sales during the holiday is a dollar saved in the pocket of a lawn-owner.
An effective lawn fertilizer ordinance is required to reduce nitrogen pollution and protect dolphins. Your signature will help. We will organize, print, and deliver your letters to each individual chairperson. Act Now to Protect the Dolphins of Florida's Indian River Lagoon from Nitrogen Pollution. We will hand deliver your letters with personal comments to the decision-makers. Your voices mean much to local school students and their families who have been calling for responsible lawn care. Thank you.
Warning the video shows green slime clogging waterways, skin-eating fungal infection on live dolphin, and a dead dolphin.