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Conditions may be affecting Keppinger's cold start
CHICAGO -- Robin Ventura pointed to the cold and windy first-week weather conditions as part of the reason for Jeff Keppinger's 1-for-21 start and 0-for-19 funk. Aside from pulling the ball a little more than he usually does, Ventura believes that Keppinger looks normal at the plate.
This slump also could be a bit more heightened with these being Keppinger's first at-bats of the season, instead of coming in June or July.
"When it happens in the middle [of the season], you kind of have something to base it on," Ventura said. "You were swinging it good before. They are never fun. They are never good to go through, but again his track record with the way he swings the bat, you just wait for it to turn.
"You kind of go from that. Again, it's not easy to hit right now. So maybe going out on the road will be a good change and will help on the psyche.
Keppinger got the day off Sunday, with left-handed hitting Conor Gillaspie moving into the lineup. Gillaspie played every day at the Minor League level over the last four years, but is adjusting to a reserve role for the White Sox.
"It's tough, but it's something I'm going to have to get used to and do my best at that role," Gillaspie said. "Obviously, the days I'm not playing, I can do a little bit more as far as in the weight room and extra work and things like that. That's just part of life."


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New Hampshire at 2 p.m.
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To reach the photo department, call 617-357-8106. AP stories, along with the photos that accompany them, can also be obtained from http://www.apexchange.com. Reruns also are available from customer support at 877-836-9477.
The e-mail address for member contributions is apconcord(at)ap.org
CONCORD � Broken bits of pottery and other artifacts unearthed during modern construction might be worthless to the builder but tell a story to an archaeologist. New Hampshire has no state law governing what happens to artifacts unearthed in private developments, but a bill has been filed to give communities a say. By Norma Love.
NEWPORT, N.H. � The New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police plans to give away 31 firearms, including several semi-automatic weapons, in a raffle to raise money for a youth training academy.
�HIKERS RESCUED � Six college students are OK after being rescued in New Hampshire's White Mountains, where they took a wrong trail during their return.
�UNH-SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT LAW � The University of New Hampshire School of law is launching a new sports and entertainment law institute.
�MEMORIAL BRIDGE-MOVE � Builders say a new, 300-foot-long span of the Memorial Bridge connecting New Hampshire and Maine will be moved into place Tuesday.
�COMPANY RETURNS � A computer networking company has completed its move from Massachusetts back to New Hampshire, bringing with it 600 jobs.
�GOVERNOR-NH � A ball is being held in New Hampshire's North Country to celebrate Gov. Maggie Hassan's inauguration.
�VINTAGE SNOWMOBILE RACES � The Great North Woods Vintage Snowmobile Race is taking place this weekend for snowmobiles built before 1973.
�HKC-HOCKEY EAST - It was a lackluster night for northern New England's Hockey East teams as Maine tied, but New Hampshire and Vermont lost.

subset: commoncrawl


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Another noble attempt was made this week to help what is arguably the most dysfunctional country on the planet, Somalia. But until the international community honestly faces why past efforts have failed, it is destined to repeat its mistakes.
British Prime Minister David Cameron hosted this week's effort, an international conference in London on Feb. 23. The 55 nations and international organizations that attended the one-day summit promised to help Somalia fight piracy and terrorism – but also insisted that a stable, inclusive government replace the provisional one in this country at the Horn of Africa's tip.
Somalia has been without a central government since 1991. Confronted with terrorism, famine, piracy, corruption, and inter-clan conflict, Somalis may have the least enviable lives on Earth.
Why this latest attempt by the British? It may be a response to recent reports that 50 British citizens, most of whom are of Somali origin, have joined al-Shabaab, the Islamist group terrorizing the southern and central regions of Somalia. The fact that 250,000 Somalis currently reside in Britain in one of the world's largest diaspora communities has pushed it to take a pro-active role in the affairs of the African state. However, with at least 14 unsuccessful international attempts to put Somalia back together since 1991, this latest effort may suffer a similar fate.
To avoid the sins of the past, Britain – and the international community generally – must recognize why earlier efforts have failed, and then develop a realistic agenda and goals for its efforts. Most importantly, the world needs to acknowledge that international actors are greatly limited in what changes they can expect to achieve as outsiders in the country.
Past initiatives, led by the United States, the United Nations, and other members of the international community, have repeatedly attempted to impose a centralized bureaucratic governing structure on the country, a structure ill-suited to Somali society. Such efforts have never been effective and have only aggravated domestic tensions.
Decentralization is the key.
The population of Somalia is divided into four major clans and a number of minority groups, all of which consist of sub-clans and extended family networks. Loyalty to these groups overrides any sense of a common identity. Although these ties are not as strong as in the past, social relationships and customary law still have much greater relevance to Somalis than any government in Mogadishu.
While the country would benefit from some central institutions – such as a central bank and a mechanism to resolve disputes between clans – Somalis have no successful experiences working with these entities.
Therefore, Britain and others trying to help Somalia must focus more on the local or regional level. Clans have helped destroy Somalia's centralized governments, but clans can be instrumental in helping rebuild national governance. Indeed, the few places in Somalia where there is some semblance of workable rule depend on traditional systems of governance rather than on a centralized authority.
Somaliland, the breakaway northeastern section of Somalia, is the best example. It is an island of stability in the midst of chaos. Somaliland has held a series of free elections unprecedented in the Horn of Africa, and attracts migrants from around the region.
In eastern Somalia, Puntland and Galmudug have established local peace deals and set up self-governing administrative districts. Despite – or, perhaps, because of – a dearth of assistance from the international community, these regions have been able to provide their residents with some public services by taking advantage of traditional Somali concepts of rule by consultation and consent.
Given the realities discussed above, assisting countries and international organizations should follow a multi-pronged approach.
First, they should focus on strengthening the capacity of the autonomous, self-governing units to maintain order and foster progress within their boundaries.
Second, they should provide incentives so other groups will form similar entities elsewhere in the country. An offer to empower sub-clans or independent factions would give local leaders – including warlords and moderate Islamists in the violence-torn south – an opportunity to participate in government. Flexibility over who qualifies for such aid might even encourage al-Shabaab's less radical supporters to switch sides.
Finally, they should bolster the foreign forces from the African Union, Kenya, and Ethiopia who are fighting the terrorists.
The violence and chaos that plague the country will take a long time to dissipate. Patience and on-the-ground intelligence are necessary to discern how best to enhance local governance and weaken the opponents of stability. Stitching together even a modest central government will be difficult given the country's limited national social cohesion.
But if the international community aims for slow, incremental progress that builds on Somali strengths, it could play a pivotal role in bringing about change. Somalis certainly deserve – and are ready for – an end to the violence and war that plague them.
Seth Kaplan, author of "Fixing Fragile States: A New Paradigm Development" (Praeger Security International, 2008), writes and consults governments on state building issues. His next book, on poverty and state governance, will appear in 2012. He blogs on development and governance at the Fragile States Resource Center.


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Wearable displays systems
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How TI DLP Pico technology fits within wearable display systems
Wearable displays with TI DLP Pico Technology
There are quite a bit of system considerations to design a wearable display. We designed this training based on the questions that product development managers, product marketing managers, and systems engineers are asking themselves about this attractive application.
Wearable displays systems
Wearable displays systems, including a general understanding between augmented reality and virtual reality, optical architectures used, and system design considerations.
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This section categorizes wearable displays, explains each category, and showcases what popular applications are used for each category. The categories covered are: immersive virtual reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, augmented reality, and personal theatre.
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Learn how DLP Pico technology benefits a wearable display system; topics included are: block diagram, DLP technology overview, benefits of DLP Pico technology, and product selection.
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A first and more firsts
My last visit to Singapore comprised of a lot of firsts which I'll be sharing in a series of #SingaporeInvites posts. I joined a photo contest sponsored by STB last year and I was one of the Lucky 25 winners who won a trip to SG. This was the first time that I stayed in the Eastern side of Singapore at Joo Chiat / Katong. Being Singapore's first heritage town, Joo Chiat is an interesting area to explore. It has its distinct vibe that both locals and tourists love. I have obviously overlooked this part in my previous trips, but I am glad to have had the chance to experience Katong and its rustic charm a couple of months ago. There aren't skyscrapers around. There's not much vehicles, too — at least that's what I recall. What you'll see are these beautiful, Instagram-worthy preserved Peranakan shop houses that line the streets and a lot of small yet interesting food places to go to. It is in Joo Chiat that I had my first-ever spicy and steaming bowl of Peranakan Laksa.
I'm no Laksa expert, but one thing I'm sure of is that Laksa may not be for everyone. In my family and in my circle of friends, there are a few of us who enjoy this flavorful, super spicy, creamy coconut-based aromatic soup-noodle dish. Most people I know shun spicy food, the same way that they do not like anything coconut-based. However, if you like gastro-adventures and dig that burning feeling on your taste buds, you're definitely in for a treat with a hearty bowl of Laksa.
Our STB Singapore Invites tour guide, Wai Keong took us to the best Laksa place in Joo Chiat, 328 Katong Laksa. Wai Keong shared with us that 328 Katong Laksa is THE go-to restaurant for authentic Peranakan Laksa. Not only that, the guys here beat master chef Gordon Ramsay several years back for SingTel's Hawker Heroes. This certainly made 328 Katong Laksa a huge hit. It got foodies curious. Tourists would go out of their way to try their Laksa. I got to talk to this French dude and he admitted that he almost got lost going to Katong district taking the subway and the bus so he opted to go to Joo Chiat using Grab. After devouring his bowl of this popular Peranakan dish, he said it was so worth the extra bucks he had to shell out for the ride. Aside from this, its history makes this dish more interesting.
"The descendants of these Chinese traders were called the Peranakans, and the tradition of Laksa was born out of the Peranakan desire to marry Chinese food with existing Southeast Asian flavors like coconut milk, and those brought over by South Asian traders, like chilis. Often, the desire to marry cuisines resulted from literal marriages between Peranakans and locals. In Indonesia, for example, the origin story of Laksa traces back to the Chinese coastal settlements. Chinese sailors set out to find local wives, and these women began incorporating chili peppers and coconut milk into Chinese noodle soup." [ Read more: How inter-marriage created one of the most delicious food ]
Believe it or not, this is the first time that I've had Laksa in Singapore. Today, we got to try one of the superstars of the Peranakan dishes at the place whose owner beat Gordon Ramsay in the SingTel Hawker Heroes in 2013. Girlfriend Tip: You don't eat this with chopsticks. Noodles are cut so you can easily eat it with a spoon. #SingaporeInvites #VisitSingapore #YourSingapore #FoodTrip #Foodie #russgirltravels #ExploreSingapore
If you get the chance to travel to Singapore in one of your future trips, don't forget to visit the Joo Chiat / Katong district for an authentic bowl of Peranakan Laksa. Want the best Laksa? You know where to go. Peace + ❥_Love + Good Vibes. RUSS.
The SingaporeInvites Series
» Lucky 25. #VisitSingapore #SingaporeInvites
» The build up of anticipation


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Friday, December 31, 2010
"The first motorcycle/scooter built in Pakistan by Hamid Omar, inspired by plans found in Popular Mechanics." Via: Off Road Pakistan
Thursday, December 30, 2010
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Via: Kids Europe
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Artist unknown, picture from an exhibition 2002 in London. Via:Wikimedia
Monday, December 27, 2010
Episode 1 of the Flash animated Joe Bar Team series. Via: Rocket Garage
Mondo Spider "The world's first zero emission walking vehicle"
Motorcycling prehistory: A chronology. Via: Motorcycling Memories
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Via: Silence Televison
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Peace on earth and good will towards all. Via: Quenched Consciousness
Riding into Damnation. Via: EnvyDream
Please Santa. Via:
Via: ZZ Chop
Friday, December 24, 2010
Gimmie shelter: A French motorcycle and sidecar "tank" (year unknown) Via:
The scale art of Cosmos Factory
The city must roll: tmcsweeney's Lego Monowheel city wanders the lunar landscape
Via: Otaku Gangsta
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Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
At Lusher Alternative Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana, principal Kathleen Hurstell Riedlinger works closely with a team of classroom teachers and arts specialists on curriculum and policy decisions. She sees the group as an effective way to strengthen and protect the school's mission and commitment to arts-based learning.
In this program, you will sit in on a Leadership Team meeting as they discuss the days diverse agenda.
In their classrooms, Leadership Team members reflect on the benefits of serving for the school as a whole and for their own teaching practice.
Riedlinger says: I call the Leadership Team in on almost every decision I make that deals with things that will really impact policy. ... There is not one person running the show. Everyone begins to say, I feel good about voicing my opinion.
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Four LCM High School students accepted as Mirabeau Scholars
According to a press release from the Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD Community Relations Coordinator Sherry Combs, four LCM High School seniors were recently accepted into Lamar University's prestigious Mirabeau Scholars Program.
Jimmy "Trey" Mathis, Jacob Martin, Aaron McCoy and Levi "Kent" Morris all received full four-year scholarships covering tuition, fees, room and board and books. In order to qualify for the program, applicants must be first-time college freshman with minimum SAT scores at 1250 or above or ACT scores of 28 and above. Candidates are considered based academic excellence, leadership, service and/or creative endeavors.
According to Stephen Doblin, provost and vice president for academic affairs, "Mirabeau Scholars are held to a higher level of academic and extra-classroom performance because these students are among our best and brightest.
"Each scholarship carries a value of more than $75,000 over eight semesters of support and covers all expenses. Any scholarships or awards the student receives from sources independent of the university are applied to their account and used first, allowing students to use the Mirabeau funds for academic-related expenses such as research, study abroad, or extended learning with the approval of their department chair, college dean and the provost."
While in the program, the scholars are expected to participate in the University Honors Program and should be active in student leadership activities, including the student government and peer advisement, and/or in college or departmental undergraduate research or special programs. Housing is provided for scholars at LU's Cardinal Village residence halls.
LCM High School Principal Terri Estes said she is proud of the students accepted into the program.
"Lamar University requires that the recipients of the Mirabeau Scholar Program demonstrate excellence in academics, leadership, service and/or creative endeavors. These young men have certainly demonstrated these qualities," Estes asserted. "We are proud of each and every one of them. They are fine young men who have worked tirelessly to sharpen their academic skills and serve as leaders on our campus. To have so many students receive this award in one year is a wonderful testimony to their hard work and determination. They should each be commended on this great accomplishment."


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A Classic
Dallas Green, in his Phillies Wall of Fame induction speech in pre-game ceremonies, talked about the passion of Phillies fans. Well, passion was there tonight in a Citizens Bank Park classic, a 6-5 Phillies win in 14 innings.
Aaron Rowand sent everyone home happy with a bases-loaded one-out single to right-center. He was mobbed by his teammates at first base. The Phillies continue to hang in the National League wild card race.
Rowand was just one of many Phillies heroes in a dandy of a game.
Jon Lieber pitched well again, Jimmy Rollins hit a game-tying two-run homer in the eighth and Pat Burrell followed with his first triple since, July of last season, a blow over Ken Griffey's head that capped a three-run eighth and gave the Phillies a 4-3 lead. Burrell pumped his right fist in the air after sliding into third base. The Phillies copied his emotion.
Tom Gordon proved he was human when he gave up a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to pinch hitter Javier Valentine, putting the Phillies down, 5-4.
But, Chris Coste doubled to start the Phillies ninth, Chris Roberson pinch ran, took third on an errant pick off throw by David Ross and scored on a sacrifice fly by Shane Victorino, sending classic into extra innings.
Other Phillies heroes were veteran relievers Arthur Rhodes and Rick White. They pitched out of a bases loaded jam with one out in the eighth.
The classic also featured:
**The Reds used nine pitches, including their 12-game winner, Aaron Harang, in the 13th and Saturday's scheduled starter, Elizardo Ramirez in the fateful 14th.
**The Phillies used seven pitchers, with a six-man bullpen giving up just two runs over the last eight innings.
**Ryan Howard was intentionally walked three times, one moving the winning run to second with two out in the 10th inning and again in the 14th, loading the bases with no out. How many times has that happened? Aaron Fultz had a chance to be the hero. He lined a 2-2 pitch to short for the first out. Rowand followed and it was "put this one in the win column."
**Randy Wolf struck out as a pinch hitter in the 12th.
**Eric Milton, Cincinnati's Sunday starter, got an infield single as a pinch hitter in the 13th.
**Todd Hollandsworth, struck out as a pinch hitter, remained in the game, fanned twice more and then made a spectacular diving catch in the 13th inning, robbing Rollins of a game-winning hit.
**448 pitches were thrown.
**The Phillies are the only undefeated team when leading after eight innings, 50-0.
**An advanced sale of over 35,000 was swelled by 5,786 walk-ups, producing a crowd of 41,461 on a perfect August evening. It was a game many will be talking about for a long time.


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This section provides references and links to multiple sources of information on Health Careers. View resources about health careers, including licensure, scholarships and financial aid and testing.
Universities and colleges require different prerequisites for their programs. Find out the entrance requirements for health professions degree programs for transfer across the state of Texas.
Find out information about program accreditations, certification information with organizations, and licensure and registration information for the state of Texas.
Learn about careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
DCCCD colleges offer financial aid for qualifying students. Also, find general and program-specific scholarship opportunities for students.
DCCCD colleges offer tutoring for students. Also, find other tutoring sites.
See a list of resources for finding and interviewing for jobs in health careers.
See a list of resources with their phone numbers.
You can safely store your immunization records at no cost to you.
This will give you a wealth of information on careers available, internships, and other valuable resources.
Parkland Health & Hospital System's Rise to Success Youth Program is designed to provide both an educational and employment opportunity for recent high school graduates who have an interest in pursuing a career in the health care arena.
See a list of volunteer opportunities in health care related fields.
One-half block from the DART West End rail station


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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Coalition for Responsible Transportation (CRT) today announced that three of its members, BestBuy, HP and Lowe's, were honored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as recipients of the 2012 SmartWay Excellence Award.
SmartWay is the U.S. EPA'S flagship program for improving fuel efficiency and reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution from the transportation supply chain industry. EPA's SmartWay Excellence Awards recognize high performers that are leading the freight industry to a clean, efficient and more sustainable future. The awards honor SmartWay partners that are helping set efficiency benchmarks for how shippers and their carriers are moving products and goods in the North American freight sector."The fact BestBuy, HP and Lowes were selected for this prestigious award from a group of nearly 3,000 SmartWay Partners demonstrates these companies' industry-leading commitment to environmental sustainability," said CRT Executive Director James Jack. "These three companies exemplify the commitment that all CRT members have made to drive significant and permanent improvements to our nation's air quality."
Best Buy earned the 2012 SmartWay Excellence Award through demonstrating top environmental performance by effectively hauling all freight with environmentally and energy efficient SmartWay carriers.
In addition, Best Buy has implemented several initiatives in an effort to reduce fuel consumption and lower carbon dioxide emissions including: Increasing our use of Clean Trucks for all drayage shipments from the ports in Los Angeles/Long Beach, the elimination of idle time at all Best Buy Distribution Centers and Stores; and reducing empty miles by implementing backhaul programs that result in more efficient truck movements.
To earn the 2012 SmartWay Excellence Award, Lowe's implemented initiatives that resulted in reduced emissions and less overall highway congestion which led Lowe's to become one of only two companies, and the only retailer, ever to receive four consecutive EPA SmartWay awards.
"These honors reflect the dedicated efforts of Lowe's employees across the company as we continue to reduce our environmental impact while championing energy efficiency," said Michael Chenard, Lowe's director of corporate sustainability. "The recognition reinforces our long-standing partnership with the EPA to promote sustainable practices and programs."


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Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Another losing streak is finished
Five and a half back, five back of the Wild Card. Last place in the AL East. And while it is not exactly late, it's scarcely early in the season either.
Before finally busting out with a three-run tenth last night, the Jays had gone 31 innings without pushing across a run. Take a look at the team offensive totals, and you see the Jays languishing near the bottom of almost every category with the likes of the Giants and Royals and Padres.
This is a really bad team offensively. Not one that just needs to get on track either. It's just bad, and after six weeks of play, we're not sure when the moment of great clarity is supposed to occur, when the Jays pull themselves out of this funk.
We're coming to a sad realization: that 2006 was the aberration, not 2007.
5 comments:
- the ack said...
tao....you're bringing me right down, dude. with big bats like Velandia and Scoot-aro in the lineup, wre're sure to bust out of this. right? right???
- May 13, 2008 at 9:39 AM
Sometimes, when I'm drunk, I like to pretend that Inglett (LF) and Scoots (DH) are our own little pocket versions of Manny and Papi. Then I sober up and weep, mostly for the children - who will never get to see a game-winning home run, or a 5-run comeback win.
- May 13, 2008 at 9:49 AM
- eyebleaf said...
keep the faith. the yanks are where we are, as are the tigers and indians, and our bats have been way worse. we've got the pitching, and like JP, i believe we will turn this ship around.
- May 13, 2008 at 10:34 AM
- Tao of Stieb said...
We'll never hop off the bandwagon.
We're just a little dizzy and nauseated from it going backwards for the past season and a quarter.
- May 13, 2008 at 11:07 AM
- Andrew said...
suck it up buttercup.
Go Jays!
- May 13, 2008 at 11:41 AM


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The Saturn V rocket used for Apollo moon landings weighed about 3000 tons at launch and included three chemical-propellant rocket stages. Its 33-foot-diameter S-IC first stage carried 4.6 million pounds of kerosene fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer for its five F-1 rocket engines, which together generated 7.5 million pounds of thrust. Its second stage, the 33-foot-diameter S-II, carried 930,000 pounds of liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer for its five J-2 engines. They generated a total of one million pounds of thrust.
The 21.7-foot-diameter, 58.4-foot-long S-IVB third stage (image at top of post), manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, carried 230,000 pounds of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen for its single J-2 engine in a single tank divided by a common bulkhead. The long upper section of the tank carried the low-density liquid hydrogen.
Bolted atop the S-IVB stage was the Saturn V's "electronic brain," the IBM-built, ring-shaped Instrument Unit (IU). After the S-IVB separated from the spent S-II second stage, its J-2 fired for two minutes to place stage, the IU, and the Apollo Command and Service Module (CSM) and Lunar Module (LM) spacecraft into a 115-mile-high parking orbit. One and a half orbits later, the engine fired a second time for five minutes to boost the assemblage toward the moon.
From November 1965 to July 1966, Douglas and IBM studied a way of making the S-IVB/IU combination even more useful for lunar exploration. Their concept, which involved soft-landing S-IVB/IUs on the moon, was called Lunar Applications of a Spent S-IVB/IU Stage (LASS). The study team estimated that the first LASS lander might reach the moon in 1970 or 1971.
LASS grew from a NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) proposal to outfit spent S-IVB/IU stages as temporary Earth-orbiting "workshops," perhaps beginning in early 1968, as part of NASA's Apollo Applications Program. For its Earth-orbital role, the S-IVB/IU would reach Earth orbit as the second stage of the Saturn V's smaller cousin, the two-stage Saturn IB rocket. (The image at the top of this post shows an S-IVB stage being lowered onto the cylindrical adapter that will link it to an S-IB stage, the Saturn IB rocket's first stage.)
A crew in a separately launched Apollo CSM would dock with an airlock module mounted to the front of the S-IVB (that is, attached to the top of its liquid hydrogen tank, and extending through the center of its IU ring). They would deploy solar arrays attached to the airlock module, purge the hydrogen tank of residual gaseous hydrogen, then enter it through a "manhole" hatch. After preliminary space-suited experiments inside the spent stage, the astronauts would fill the hydrogen tank with gaseous oxygen stored in the airlock module, enter it in shirt-sleeves, and install within it lights, handholds, floor panels, and experiment equipment from the airlock module.
In their LASS final presentation to MSFC, Douglas and IBM explained that the "voluminous interior of the S-IVB hydrogen tank can provide considerable living and working space on the lunar surface, much as it will in earth orbit." The study team added that "sustained exploitation of basic elements of the S-IVB [would provide] a considerable economic advantage over the development of new systems."
The study team examined five possible LASS lander configurations before settling on one with four landing legs attached to the base of the S-IVB stage and a shelter mounted atop the liquid hydrogen tank in place of the Earth-orbital airlock module. The legs would fold flush against the interstage adapter that linked the top of the Saturn V S-II stage with the bottom of the S-IVB during ascent through Earth's atmosphere. The legs would unfold just after S-II burnout, then a dozen solid-propellant separation thrusters on the adapter would fire to slow the S-II and ensure a clean separation of the LASS lander.
The LASS lander's J-2 engine would then ignite to place stage, IU, streamlined payload faring, shelter, and cargo on a direct course to the moon (that is, with no loitering in Earth orbit). At J-2 ignition, the LASS lander would weigh about 150 tons. Two steerable, throttleable RL-10 rocket engines mounted on either side of the J-2 would also ignite.
During the 4.5-day translunar coast, flight controllers on Earth would command the IU to point the LASS lander's legs and engines toward the Sun. This would warm the liquid oxygen stored in the lower part of the stage, preventing freezing, and would place the liquid hydrogen in the upper part of the stage in shadow so that it would not readily boil and escape.
Between 10 and 20 hours after launch, the IU would reorient the LASS lander to perform a course-correction burn, then would turn its legs back toward the Sun. Only the RL-10 engines would be used for the course corrections because the standard J-2 engine was rated for only two starts, and the second start would be reserved for the lunar landing. If necessary to help to ensure a pin-point landing, a second course correction using the RL-10s could occur between 60 and 100 hours after launch.
Landing operations would commence when the LASS lander was 15,000 nautical miles from the moon. The IU would jettison the streamlined shroud, exposing the shelter module and external cargo to space for the first time, then would command the lander to turn its landing legs toward the moon. "Phase I Retro Braking" would begin at an altitude of 60 nautical miles. The twin RL-10s would fire at full throttle along with the J-2 engine to slow the LASS lander's fall and steer it toward a pre-landed radio beacon.
At an altitude of 25,000 feet, the J-2 would shut down and "Phase II Vernier Descent" using RL-10s only would begin. The RL-10s would throttle off 10 feet above the lunar surface. Crushable metal honeycomb in its legs and landing feet would absorb the impact as the LASS lander touched down moving at a speed of 10 feet per second.
At touchdown, the LASS lander would have a mass of about 32 tons. Of this, either 13.7 tons or 11.7 tons would comprise cargo. Cargo capacity on a given mission would depend upon whether the LASS lander's liquid hydrogen tank was intended to serve as a habitat.
If a LASS lander's hydrogen tank was not meant to serve as a habitat, then it would need no supplementary insulation or shielding. Only the LASS lander's shelter module would be habitable and its 13.7 tons of cargo would include no hydrogen tank furnishings.
The habitat version of the LASS lander would include about two tons of supplementary thermal insulation and meteoroid shielding around its hydrogen tank. This would reduce its cargo capacity to 11.7 tons. Of its cargo, some portion would constitute furnishings and equipment for installation in the hydrogen tank.
Within a few weeks of the LASS lander's arrival on the moon, two astronauts would land near it in an Apollo LM with an ascent stage designed for long-term quiescent storage. The study team was not specific about how the crew would climb to the shelter located atop the LASS lander, some 60 feet above the ground, though a rope ladder was a possibility. If the LASS lander were configured as a habitat, the astronauts would purge the liquid hydrogen tank, fill it with gaseous oxygen, and lower into it through the manhole hatch furnishings and equipment from the shelter module. After they outfitted the tank, they would lower a rover and other externally stored exploration equipment to the moon's surface. The Douglas/IBM team estimated that the habitat version of the LASS lander could support two astronauts on the moon for more than 14 days.
The Douglas/IBM design team also proposed a mission scenario in which the astronauts would tip a LASS lander on its side, turning its liquid hydrogen tank into a long single-story horizontal habitat similar to a quonset hut. The shelter module would be redesigned with a large roof-mounted hatchway that would, after tipping, open directly onto the surface so that the tank could become a garage for lunar rovers. Another horizontal stage might be converted into an astronomical observatory. The study team suggested that a cluster of LASS landers, some upright and some tipped on their sides, might eventually be joined together using pressurized passageways to form a modular lunar surface base.
Lunar Applications of a Spent S-IVBV/IU Stage (LASS), presentation by Douglas Aircraft Company Missile & Space Systems Division and IBM Federal Systems Division, September 1966.


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|Irvine, Calif.
|High School:
|Woodbridge HS
Was granted a medical redshirt after suffering a knee injury in the Gauchos' first match of the season.
In her inaugural season at UCSB, played in all 30 matches and all 119 sets ... Finished third on the team with 223 kills and 1.87 kill per set average ... Led the Big West with 52 service aces, an average of 0.44 per set ... That mark ranked her 25th in the nation ... Her 759 total attempts were second on the team ... Finished second on squad with 327 digs for a 2.75 per set average ... Had 28 total blocks for a 0.24 per set average ... Her seven service aces on Sept. 26 vs. UC Irvine are the most in UCSB rally-scoring history and third-most in school annals ... Had 12 matches where she had more than one service ace ... Tallied five aces on Oct. 30 vs. Cal State Fullerton and four vs. St. Mary's in NCAA Tournament ... Set a career-best with 16 kills on Aug. 29 at New Mexico ... That started a streak of five straight matches with double-digit kills and nine of 10 in double figures ... On Sept. 22 at Loyola Marymount, Leah had 15 kills ... Posted 20 double-digit digs performances ... Set career-high with 20 digs in NCAA Tournament vs. St. Mary's, which led the team ... Had a stretch of nine straight matches with double-digit digs ... Had 19 digs on Oct. 23 at UC Irvine in a match where she also put away 10 kills ... Had four blocks on Sept. 11 vs. Oregon State.
High School
Led Woodbridge High in hitting percentage, kills and digs as a junior and senior...Played for coach Donnie Rafter...Was three-time All-Sea View League selection and was named to the All-City squad as both a junior and senior...As a senior, tallied 26 kills in one match and posted 22 kills in a CIF playoff game...Also played shortstop for the softball team where she was named All-league as a freshman...
Played for the Laguna Beach Volleyball Club...Won a bronze medal in 2009 in the Junior Olympics Open Division...Took home a bronze medal in 2008 in the Junior Olympics National Division...Was also part of the All-Tournament Team...In 2007, won a gold medal in the Junior Olympics open division.
Leah Mychelle Sully was born on June 25, 1991 in Orange, Calif. to Gary and Julie Sully...Has an older sister, Alaina and a younger brother, Zach...Lists traveling, going to the beach, working out and watching movies as her interests outside of volleyball... "Inside Man" and "Slumdog Millionaire" are her favorite movies...The "Twilight" series and "The Kite Runner" are her favorite reads...Calls John Mayer her favorite musician...Most memorable athletic accomplishment came when she won a gold medal in the Junior Olympics when she was 16...Calls coach Bob Yoder her personal hero..."If you do what you've always done, you'll be what you've always been" are her words to live by.


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|Clear tall iced tea glasses (set of 6)
|Clear drinking glasses (set of 6)
|Large mexican friendship bracelet with golden hooks clasp - Style LH0011
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Mexican glassware, ... it all starts with intense heat.
Glass melts at between 2600 to 2900 degrees (F.) or 1425 to 1600 degrees (C.) depending upon the composition of the glass. Glass was discovered by potters about 3000 B.C.E., and the technique of glass blowing was invented about 100 B.C.E. Glass blowing was introduced to Mexico in 1535, shortly after the Conquest, and has been a staple of Mexican craftsmanship ever since.


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The Market Ticker - FUCK YOU MR. PRESIDENT AND MR. GAETZ - [image: by tickerguy] *Fuck you all to Hell.* What sort of *bullshit *are we running here? We have "aviation students" from *Saudi Arabia *in our count...
5 hours ago
Writer's Email: email@example.com
Fone WST... +1318.717.9017
"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws." ~ Gaius Cornelius Tacitus
Posted by wst... at 08:59


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TechnoServe's Work with Tibetan Refugees featured in The New York Times
August 13, 2013
A USAID-supported program is creating sustainable economic opportunities for Tibetans in exile through workforce development, entrepreneurship support, and farming opportunities.
Young Tibetans stand outside a TechnoServe-supported career center in Bylakuppe, India.
More than 100,000 Tibetan refugees live in settlements across India and Nepal. Here, nearly one in four young people is unemployed and those who do find jobs face major economic challenges. As a result, many young Tibetans are leaving in search of better opportunities elsewhere, causing brain drain and threatening the preservation of Tibetan culture.
The Economic Development of Tibetan Settlements (EDOTS) program is working to address these issues by creating sustainable livelihood opportunities within these communities. With support from the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Central Tibetan Administration, TechnoServe is working to promote competitive farms and businesses through new organic farming opportunities, workforce development and entrepreneurship support.
TechnoServe is providing training and support to help 570 young Tibetans find employment opportunities
As part of the program's workforce development initiative, TechnoServe is providing training and support to help 570 young Tibetans find employment opportunities. Amy Yee, a journalist based in New Delhi, recently wrote about this work in a piece for the New York Times.
In a spacious classroom in this northern Indian hill town, 20 young Tibetan men and women sit in front of computers as the summer monsoon rains fall outside.
A woman instructs them in Tibetan on how to use Microsoft Word and Gmail, while other students practice typing by following a keyboard graphic on their screens. They are attending a free computer course at a Tibetan Career Center, opened last year on a busy hillside road in Dharamsala, the exile home of the Dalai Lama and about 12,000 other Tibetans.
The center prepares young Tibetans for jobs through career counseling, mock interviews and résumé writing workshops, and by linking them to potential employers. The program is run by the Tibetan exile administration, which is based in Dharamsala, to foster job readiness and entrepreneurship among Tibetans ages 16 and up. Jigmey Tsultrim, head consultant at the center, said: "Some Tibetans don't realize they have these hidden qualities. We're trying to match them with job opportunities and bridge the gap."


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Marine Deployment to Afghanistan 'One-Time Deal,' Official Says
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2008 - The deployment of 3,200 U.S. Marines to Afghanistan this spring represents a one-time troop movement that partially fulfills a long-time request by NATO commanders for additional forces, a senior Pentagon spokesman said here today.
The deployment "does not reflect any new developments on the ground," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters at a news conference. "It reflects our means and ability to meet what has been a long-standing desire of the commanders there."
About 2,200 Marines from 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and about 1,000 troops from 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, based at the Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, at Twentynine Palms, Calif., are participating in the deployment, according to officials at the Defense Department and Marine Headquarters here.
The Marines will serve in Afghanistan for seven months, Morrell said, noting the temporary plus-up will boost the total number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan to about 30,000 from around 27,000 now.
The deployment "is for a very finite period of time," Morrell emphasized. "We've made it clear. This is seven months. This is a one-time deal; that's it."
Beyond that, "we're going to need our allies' help to either backfill this deployment or to perhaps match us in the numbers we're putting forth," Morrell said.
Senior leaders of NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan have said in the past that they require another 7,500 troops to confront Taliban insurgents and to help train new Afghan soldiers and police, Morrell said.
Marines from 24th MEU should be in place in March to assist in NATO-led anti-insurgent operations in southern Afghanistan, Morrell said, while the 1,000 Marines from Twentynine Palms would be assigned to duty under American command sometime in April to assist in training Afghan security forces.
"Our planners have carefully considered when would be the best time to deploy these additional forces, and by getting the MEU in place in March, they believe it provides more than adequate time for them to be ready for the fighting season" that comes with the advent of spring, Morrell explained.
The temporary deployment of additional U.S. Marines to Afghanistan may inspire other NATO nations to pitch in with more forces, Morrell said. "We certainly hope that us doing so will inspire them to do so," Morrell said. "At the very least, we would hope they would take a serious look at backfilling this deployment after the Marines leave at the end of this year."
*Related Sites:*
24th Marine Expeditionary Unit [ http://www.iimefpublic.usmc.mil/24meu ]
NATO International Security Assistance Force [ http://www2.hq.nato.int/isaf/ ]
Combined Joint Task Force 82 [ http://www.cjtf82.com ]
Marine Deployment to Afghanistan 'One-Time Deal,' Official Says [ http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=48676 ]


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At the "Inception" press conference last week director Chris Nolan took questions about the mysterious veil around his latest creation. Everything from the trailer to the billboards looks delicious and dreamy -- but what's the movie about?
Generally movie hype is pretty sharply defined around a simple concept. See Adam Sandler learn new life lessons with his childhood friends or see a little Monk save the world. "Inception," meanwhile, is a great big, beautiful movie question mark starring Leonard DiCaprio and a host of our favorite actors.
Nolan makes no apology for the mystery. "It's a difficult balance, marketing and keeping a movie fresh for the audience," he said.
But he noted his best movie experiences have always been shrouded in initial mystery: "Going to the theater and lights go down and seeing a movie that you don't know anything about," he said. "I want to be surprised and entertained."
"So that's what we're trying to do with the audience."
While Nolan noted that "secrecy lends itself to its own hype," he also runs the risk of bypassing the mass audience all together. They might not go for the payoff for the movie, which opens July 16. An amazing film is not always going to be enough to drive America to the movie theater.
Still Nolan remains steadfast. "We don't want to give everything away," he said. "I think too much is given away too often in movies."


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Started this discussion. Last reply by Hoa Giusti Jul 8. 1 Reply 0 Likes
Many of us have a habit of drinking coffee throughout the day but when was the last time you had a cup of coffee that was healthy? When was the last time someone said drinking coffee helped them feel…Continue
Tags: coffeefundraising, coffeethatpays, organogold, healthycoffee
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Hi there and welcome from The Girlz Korner where you'll find light, witty and rather entertaining articles on every topic imaginable from beauty, health, fashion, parenting, recipes and everything else in between. So if you get a chance to kick back and exhale, if only for a brief moment, we'd love to have you. Hope you enjoy your stay :) http://www.thegirlzkorner.com


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I have no problem in highly recommending this company
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Posted 7 years ago
(202 items)
Found this at a thrift store the other day for $5. I bought it on the look alone, because I was 95% certain it was 14k. I didn't see the mark until I was a few miles away though, standing in line at the bank, and sure enough, 14 karat gold... They're older too, probably 1940's-60's. It just goes to show that you CAN still find gold out there, even with all these gold-hounds that have come out of the woodwork since the price shot up.


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Speaking Engagements SPEAKER DATE SUBJECT A UDIENCE Boston GERRISH, SCOTT KELLER, DONALD M. KELLER, DONALD M. Jan. 18 Dec. 9 '64 March 9 Chicago BUETTNER, TOM DAVID, T ED DAVIDSON, H. JUSTIN HARTUNG, GLENN J. HAUSMAN, DONALD HAUSMAN, DONALD FREWERT, WILLIAM SCHWANBECK, WlLLIAM TRUEBLOOD, ROBERT M. Cincinnati BERNSTEIN, BENJAMIN NOVIKOFF, WALTER Cleveland BONI, GREGORY M. GOLDSCHMIDT, ROBERT A Career in Management Consulting Darthmouth College Amos Tuck School of Business Adm.- Profitability Accounting Management Report Nov. 4 '64 Public Accounting Nov. 23 Professionalism in Data Processing Nov. 17 '64 Business Information System Dec. 10 '64 Net operating losses and fillport property tax concept as they affect state taxes Nov. 10-11 Collection of Taxes '64 Feb. 3 Income Tax Clinic for Middle and Small Business People Feb. 9 Income Tax Clinic for Middle and Small Business People Dec. 10 '64 Affiliated Companies Dec. 16 '64 Depreciation April 23 Dec. 2-5 '64 Equipment Leases on the Financial Statements — Are Leases a Sign of Financial Weakness? 1964 Revenue Act Merrimack Valley Chapter of National Association of Accountants Budget Executives Institute, Boston Alpha Kappa Psi, Professional Business Fraternity North Shore Chapter — Data Processing Management Association Management Sciences Institute, Chicago Chapter Illinois Society of CPAs— 10th Annual Tax Conference North Shore Chapter, Data Processing Management Association Electrical Apparatus Service Association (Operating Div. of Electric Association) West Suburban Electric League (Operating Div. of Electric Association) The Illinois Society of CPAs Tax Seminar National Association of Accountants, Seattle, Washington Annual Convention of the Kentucky Society of CPAs Cincinnati Chapter of CPAs Dec. 3'64 The treatment of the federal invest- Federal Tax Committee—TEI Cleveland Chapter ment credit from an accounting standpoint Mar. 3 Feb. 18 Profitability Accounting Budget Society in Cleveland Return on Investment Methods and American Management Association Financial Appraisal and Evaluation 38 T H E QUARTERLY


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My children are always having these conversations right out of Clerks or Big Bang Theory. The kind that make you shake your head and wonder, "What the hell was that?" I can never, ever do them justice, but they surely make me laugh.
JBean: This car is more advanced than Star Trek. It has automatic door locks.
JBear: The door is more advanced than your brain. You can't compare a self-sustaining spacecraft to a car.
JBean: My brain is smarter than...Star Trek..
JBear: Technically, the Enterprise is artificial intelligence, it has a personality. The episode where the Enterprise was going to be destroyed, that's where it was revealed it had an artificial intelligence..blah blah blah Ginger
JBean; No, it doesn't, it's not alive! It doesn't breathe!
JBear: Right,but that's what artificial intelligence means. It's smart, but it's not alive.It's a machine. It's artificial..(launches into a ten minute technical explanation of Artificial Intelligence..blah blah)
JBean: Your brain isn't alive.
circle back to first statement...
at that point...I turned the music up in the car...
T, who really likes loud music, I must since I listen a lot


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Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Not to sound very OCD but it's bothering me a lot to see "Buenas Aries" in the title of this thread
19-20Registration Type: CorporationOwner: Schuman Aviation Co LtdAddress: Kailua, HI 96734United StatesRegion: Western-Pacifichttp://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N6077H.html
55>58. The KPMS poster refers to a political party in Kerala, India. Compare the magnified face (photo source).
#21-23 - Beekeeping seems to play a major role in the socio-economic development of Tanzania
Page created in 0.063 seconds with 33 queries.


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Cadet Camille Renee Ford receives The Scott Vallely Soldiers Memorial Fund award from LTC Chad Carlson, Professor of Military Science in Missoula, MT March 2018.
Teaching the Leaders of Tomorrow
ROTC at the University of Montana has a long tradition of producing exceptional leaders for the United States Army, The United States Army Reserve and the Army National Guard. The ROTC program has been housed in Schreiber Gym since 1926 and has been the home for a long and distinguished line of Cadre. Our goal is to produce ROTC graduates who are leaders, thinkers, and decision-makers. They meet problems head-on and solve them quickly. They know how to adapt to rapidly changing situations and to take charge, traits sought after in a military career and by civilian employers.


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Bungalow Living Aqua & Ivory Geometric Indoor/Outdoor Cushion
About the Designer
Bungalow Living
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Bungalow Living Aqua & Ivory Geometric Indoor/Outdoor Cushion
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Additional Features
|Type: Decorative Cushion
|Shape: Square
|Colour: Blue
|Pattern: Geometric
|Cover Material: Polyester
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|Reversible: Yes
|Box Contents: Cushion cover & insert
|Care Instructions: Cushion Cover - Cold and gentle machine wash and line dry in the shade. Do not iron or tumble dry
|Dry Clean: No
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|Recycled Content: Yes
|Outdoor Use: Yes
|Country of Manufacture: Imported
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text:
A'Salfo: Lyrics for Literacy
The famous singer from Côte d'Ivoire and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Salif Traoré ( A'Salfo ), supports UNESCO's initiatives in the field of literacy.
Savoir. Composed by Salif Traoré himself, this single is dedicated to education, especially in Africa, and the importance of sending children to school.
Artists such as Didier Awadi (Senegal), Pierrette Adams (Côte d'Ivoire/Democratic Republic of Congo), Alif Naaba (Burkina Faso), Barbara Kanam (DRC), Oumar Ndiaye (Senegal), Greg Ingrao (France), Narcisse Sodoua (France) and others have been mobilised by Salif Traoré for this project and gathered in Abidjan to record the single "Knowledge" and the video clip that accompanies this single.
The launch of this single is scheduled to take place at UNESCO Headquarters (Paris) on 9 September, on the occasion of the celebration of International Literacy Day and the awarding of UNESCO's Literacy Prizes that will be honouring programmes implemented in Côte d'Ivoire, Namibia, Chad, Bangladesh and India.
The profits of the single and its video clip will go towards UNESCO literacy projects.
Salif Traoré was designated as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador on 6 September 2012 . He is also the pioneer of the Festival des Musiques Urbaines d'Anoumabo (FEMUA), which is the first international musical festival in Côte d'Ivoire. It gathers over a period of three days the best artists in the world and seeks to play for the disadvantaged in Côte d'Ivoire and all over the world.


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Irish Stout4.2% ABV40 IBU
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This porter is based on malt flavors of roasted nuts, crème brulee, cocoa, and caramel, extracted from English and German roasted and caramel malts. Hotbox Roasters then crashes the party and infuses potent, cold-extracted coffee from Burundi and Ethiopian beans and deals out flavors and aromas of dark plums, chocolate, and hints of blueberry.


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Casey Randberger dropped by to point out that Squeak Smalltalk now has a JIT.
I don't care about Squeak1, but very occasionally I think it would be nice if Perl got a JIT.
However, I don't think it would make sense to develop a JIT for Perl.
- People don't choose Perl for its speed
- The reason folks switch from Perl to a competitor2 is not because the competitor is faster (because it isn't)
- Even for Python, everyone uses CPython rather than speedy implementation
There's a lot of reasons I choose Perl, but a JIT would not increase the number of projects where I reach for Perl over C++.
1. It's not pragmatic enough for me – who would employ me to write Squeak for example
2. Python and Ruby


text:
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On-line version ISSN 1870-9044
Polibits n.44 México Jul./Dec. 2011
Automatic Music Composition with Simple Probabilistic Generative Grammars
Horacio Alberto García Salas1, Alexander Gelbukh2, Hiram Calvo3, and Fernando Galindo Soria4
1 Natural Language Laboratory, Center for Computing Research, National Polytechnic Institute, CICIPN, 07738, DF, México (email: email@example.com).
2 Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan, on Sabbatical leave from the Natural Language Laboratory, Center for Computing Research, National Polytechnic Institute, CICIPN, 07738, DF, México (email: firstname.lastname@example.com).
3 Natural Language Laboratory, Center for Computing Research, National Polytechnic Institute, CICIPN, 07738, DF, México (email: email@example.com).
4 Informatics Development Network, REDI (email: firstname.lastname@example.com).
Manuscript received February 10, 2011.
Manuscript accepted for publication July 30, 2011.
We propose a model to generate music following a linguistic approach. Musical melodies form the training corpus where each of them is considered a phrase of a language. Implementing an unsupervised technique we infer a grammar of this language. We do not use predefined rules. Music generation is based on music knowledge represented by probabilistic matrices, which we call evolutionary matrices because they are changing constantly, even while they are generating new compositions. We show that the information coded by these matrices can be represented at any time by a probabilistic grammar; however we keep the representation of matrices because they are easier to update, while it is possible to keep separated matrices for generation of different elements of expressivity such as velocity, changes of rhythm, or timbre, adding several elements of expressiveness to the automatically generated compositions. We present the melodies generated by our model to a group of subjects and they ranked our compositions among and sometimes above human composed melodies.
Key words: Evolutionary systems, evolutionary matrix, generative grammars, linguistic approach, generative music, affective computing.
The work was done under partial support of Mexican Government (CONACYT 50206H, SIPIPN 20113295, COFAAIPN, PIFIIPN, SNI).
[1] J. A. Biles, "GenJam: Evolution of a Jazz Improviser," Creative Evolutionary Systems, Section: Evolutionary Music, San Francisco, CA, USA. Morgan Kaufmann Publishers Inc., 2001, pp. 165187. [ Links ]
[2] D. Birchfield, "Generative Model for the Creation of Musical Emotion, Meaning and Form," in Proceedings of the 2003 International Multimedia Conference ACM SIGMM, Berkeley, California: Workshop on Experiential Telepresence, Session: Playing experience, 2003, pp. 99104. [ Links ]
[3] S. Blackburm, and D. DeRoure, "A tool for content based navigation of music," in Source International Multimedia Conference. Proceedings of the sixth ACM international conference on Multimedia. Bristol, United Kingdom, 1998, pp. 361368. [ Links ]
[4] T. Blackwell, "Swarming and Music," Evolutionary Computer Music. Springer London, 2007, pp. 194217. [ Links ]
[5] M. Bulmer, "Music From Fractal Noise," in Proceedings of the Mathematics 2000 Festival, University of Queensland, Melbourne, 2000. [ Links ]
[6] T. Cochrane, "A Simulation Theory of Musical Expressivity," The Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Volume 88, Issue 2, 191207, 2010. [ Links ]
[7] D. Eck, and J. Schmidhuber, A First Look at Music Composition using LSTM Recurrent Neural Networks, Source Technical Report: IDSIA0702. Publisher Istituto Dalle Molle Di Studi Sull Intelligenza Artificíale, 2002. [ Links ]
[8] F. Galindo Soria, "Sistemas Evolutivos: Nuevo Paradigma de la Informática," en Memorias XVII Conferencia Latinoamericana de Informática, Caracas Venezuela, 1991. [ Links ]
[9] F. Galindo Soria, "Enfoque Lingüístico," en Memorias del Simposio Internacional de Computación de 1995, Cd. de México: Instituto Politécnico Nacional CENAC, 1995. [ Links ]
[10] F. Galindo Soria, Teoría y Práctica de los Sistemas Evolutivos, Cd. de México, 1997. [ Links ]
[11] F. Galindo Soria, "Matrices Evolutivas," en Memorias de la Cuarta Conferencia de Ingeniería Eléctrica CIE/98, Cd. de México: Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CINVESTAV, 1998, pp. 1722. [ Links ]
[12] A. García Salas, Aplicación de los Sistemas Evolutivos a la Composición Musical, México D.F: Tesis de maestría, Instituto Politécnico Nacional UPIICSA, 1998. [ Links ]
[13] A. García Salas, A. Gelbukh, and H. Calvo, "Music Composition Based on Linguistic Approach," in Proceedings of the 9th Mexican International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Pachuca, México, 2010, pp. 117128. [ Links ]
[14] M. Gardner, "Mathematical Games: White and Brown Music, Fractal Curves and OneOverf Fluctuations," Scientific American, 4, 1632, 1978. [ Links ]
[15] H. Hild, J. Feulner, and W. Menzel, "Harmonet: A Neural Net for Harmonizing Chorales in the Style of J. S. Bach," Neural Information Processing 4. Germany: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers Inc., 1992, pp. 267274. [ Links ]
[16] R. Hinojosa, Realtime Algorithmic Music Systems From Fractals and Chaotic Functions: Toward an Active Musical Instrument, Barcelona: PhD Thesis, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 2003. [ Links ]
[17] H. Järveläinen, "Algorithmic Musical Composition," in Seminar on content creation Art@Science, Helsinki: University of Technology, Laboratory of Acoustics and Audio Signal Processing, 2000. [ Links ]
[18] K. Kosina, "Music Genre Recognition." Diplomarbeit. Eingereicht am FachhochschulStudiengang. Mediente Chnik Und Design in Hagenberg, 2002. [ Links ]
[19] G. Maarten, J.L. Arcos, and R. López de Mántaras, "A Case Based Approach to ExpressivityAware Tempo Transformation," Machine Learning, 65(23): 411437, 2006. [ Links ]
[20] K. McAlpine, E. Miranda, and S. Hoggar, "Making Music with Algorithms: A CaseStudy System," Computer Music Journal, 23(2): 1930, 1999. [ Links ]
[21] M. Minsky, "Music, Mind, and Meaning." Computer Music Journal, 5(3), 1981. [ Links ]
[22] A P. Ortega, A.R. Sánchez, and M. M. Alfonseca, "Automatic composition of music by means of Grammatical Evolution," ACM SIGAPL APL, 32(4): 148155, 2002. [ Links ]
[23] G. Papadopoulos, and G. Wiggins, "AI Methods for Algorithmic Composition: A Survey, a Critical View and Future Prospects," in Symposium on Musical Creativity 1999, University of Edinburgh, School of Artificial Intelligence Division of Informatics, 1999, pp. 110117. [ Links ]
[24] Y. Ledeneva and G. Sidorov, "Recent Advances in Computational Linguistics," Informatica. International Journal of Computing and Informatics, 34, 318, 2010. [ Links ]
[25] P.M. Todd and G.M. Werner, "Frankensteinian Methods for Evolutionary Music Composition," Musical networks: Parallel distributed perception and performance, MA, USA: Cambridge, MIT, Press Bradford Books, 1999. [ Links ]


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exit /B 1
doesn't help. makeimg.exe simply doesn't catch those cases.
But there is a simple solution to workaround that problem: Accidentally I found out that makeimg.exe reports syntax errors. So, why not abuse that. Simply write the following lines in the error label of your scripts:
@ECHO The following lines 'if(...)' are a hack to make makimg.exe stop further processing (exit /B 1 doesn't work) if 1==2( ) exit /B 1Have fun, Jürgen
Read more! Post this to a friend!


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We have had a fantastic year attending events in 2018 including the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, The Al Shira'aa Hickstead Derby Meeting, the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Great Britain, and the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials.
It has been fantastic meeting all of our customers old and new and we are looking forward to another amazing year of events in 2019. Look out for our 2019 event schedule on this page in the New Year!
Our celebrity Ambassador William Fox-Pitt drew the crowds at our stand at Burghley!


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Jenny is in perpetual search for easy, weeknight recipes to attempt to feed her family. When they balk, she just eats more.
Over a 20-year friendship you talk about many things, but the ones I discuss with Steven Lee Myers often seem to center around our three shared hobbies: running, cooking fish, and staring balefully at a work computer screen wishing we were engaged in one of the other two.
So it was with a certain amount of animation that I encouraged Steve to post this recipe, one he recently recited to me as we stood in line for fish at the Bethesda farmer's market after a run. We were discussing, yet again, our mythical restaurant where all of our friends would work, where we'd crack wise about tilefish and flirt genially with the customers, all of whom would be relieved to finally have a wonderful neighborhood haunt in Tenleytown instead of another horrid mattress shop with bright orange signs that seem designed to depress, and thus, induce sleep. So anyway, that's not happening. But still, we must cook.
Steve's wife Margaret is Portuguese-American and has brought a fair number of good food ways into the marriage, including this delicious cod roasted with linguica which he learned to cook from her mother. One of the many things I love about cooking fish is that it is generally done quickly, making it a great and healthy weeknight meal. It also happens to be a protein that takes to spices and herbs like a teenage girl to the lipstick shelf at Sephora. Bring it on!
As Steve explains, this dish begins with sausage in the pan, specifically linguica, a Portuguese smoked sausage that you may or may not be able to easily find, depending on your location. I have happily substituted Andouille and chorizo with good results. Although Steve does not call for onions, you can add a thinly sliced one at this point and saute until soft.
Next you move on to the stage that requires very little measuring or effort – you are adding wine, tomatoes (I've done it with fresh and high quality canned and both worked well) and simmering it all together until it makes a nice thick, robust sauce made so with a grassy white wine, if that's what you have, and whatever herbs are doing well in the garden (I used oregano and thyme) matched with the bay leaf. While the sauce is cooking, you mix up your pepper paste, which you add to the sauce with the tomatoes, though that is not explicit in the recipe instructions.
I am about to say something that will make Steve very sad, the sort of thing that makes a friend really stop and wonder how it is they have managed for so many years to overlook a horribly flawed bit of reasoning in the mind of someone they otherwise like and respect, and ponder if this is the end. (This happened in reverse when Steve told to me, with no apparent shame or self-reproach, that he really liked the novel "Freedom.")But here goes: You can skip the pepper paste.
You will not be making an authentic Portuguese dish anymore, I understand. But you will still be making a delicious one where the two stars – shy, delicate cod and showy, libidinous sausage – carry on with their complex, flavorful show. It is midsummer on the plate -- lazy and slightly sweet, inviting you to sit and linger, and pour another glass of wine.
A note about the fish: you can alternatively roast it on a foil-lined pan for a few minutes then slice pieces individually and cover them with the sauce. Cod really is the right fish for this dish, but you can try halibut as well (also very good). I'd skip wreckfish, which I liked less.
You can reheat this for lunch the next day by removing the fish – which prevents both overcooking and the general hatred of your office-mates who don't really care for your perpetual doings in the office kitchen as it is, and would prefer not to smell reheated fish – and microwaving the sauce, then gently tucking your fish back into the mix.
Roasted Cod with Linguica by Steven Lee Myers
Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oilHalf pounds linguica (or other spiced, smoked sausage) chopped into half-inch cubes3 cloves of garlic, sliced1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)1 cup dry white wine2 large tomatoes or three medium1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and blended coarsely with a half teaspoon of salt2 bay leaves, fresh if possible, or dried1 to 1.5 pound fresh cod, cut into four serving-size chunksSalt to taste1 handful parsley, chopped for garnishSee the full recipe (and save and print it) here.
A New Way to Dinner, co-authored by Food52's founders Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, is an indispensable playbook for stress-free meal-planning (hint: cook foundational dishes on the weekend and mix and match 'em through the week).
See what other Food52 readers are saying.


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Symantec Finds a New Conficker Version
Symantec has found a new variant of Conficker, which they call by its other well-known name Downadup, and they are calling it Downadup.C.
The new variant, they say, has added defensive measures and enhances the domain name scheme for spreading itself. First, it uses a technique common among malware to kill running processes with certain names. Any with these strings as part of their names are terminated:
- wireshark
- unlocker
- tcpview
- sysclean
- scct_
- regmon
- procmon
- procexp
- ms08-06
- mrtstub
- mrt.
- mbsa.
- klwk
- kido
- kb958
- kb890
- hotfix
- gmer
- filemon
- downad
- confick
- avenger
- autoruns
Some of these are Microsoft updates, some are Sysinternals tools commonly used to debug systems.
The original Confickers used an algorithmically-generated domain name system to create web sites through which the botnet could coordinate and update itself. The algorithm was reverse-engineered by the security industry (I believe Kaspersky was first) and protection was put into the main parts of the DNS so that Conficker no longer can easily spread. Downadup.C changes this algorithm to create far more domains on a large number of top-level domains, perhaps ones without the protection.
Symantec didn't buy into the earlier reports of a new variant, also known as Conficker.B++. They claimed that variant was in fact one of the original code variants. The most important implication of this is that there is some deviation now between vendors on the C variants of this worm. Happens all the time.
But the question still exists over how Downadup.C could spread this new code. Symantec says they have no user submissions yet, and of course that proves nothing. Usually new variants of malware spread through the mechanisms set up for the purpose, but that mechanism has been thwarted. Symantec says that more news on this issue is imminent.
Originally posted on the PCMag.com security blog, Security Watch.


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A Weed Whacker has various names: String Trimmer, Garden String Trimmer, Tree Pruner, Brush Cutter, Weed Eater, etc. As other articles have aptly pointed out, An Arborist in Sunninghill these versatile garden tools come with various cc-power levels, electric versus gasoline, and 2-stroke versus 4-stroke capabilities. But what has not been addressed is the use of a "BLADE" on such a tool for all the versatile work a blade can perform in the garden environment.
A circular saw Blade specifically made for and attached to a Weed Whacker gives the following versatility uses in the garden environment:
1. Tree trimming (aka Pruning) which in many cases actually works better than using a cumbersome heavy chain saw for pruning since the circular blade can be wielded at the end of a lighter longer 6 foot Weed Whacker shaft for reaching up into trees. Cost Tree Such a blade can typically cut a tree branch/ limb up to the diameter of the blade provided you cut from both sides of the limb.
2. A blade can be used for clearing large patches or even acreage of heavy thick wood stock brush and sticker brambles (aka: Blackberry sticker bushes) where a common string line spool would be much too weak to cut through adequately.
3. Hedge trimming is a dream with a blade attached to a Weed Whacker; the hedging action is faster and less jagged as compared to a standard hedging tool. So in conclusion, a blade attached to a Weed Whacker augments your common standard string trimmer into a full-on chain saw, hedge trimmer, and large acreage clearer of wood stock weed, saplings, and heavy tall growth brambles (ergo, Black Berry bushes).
Each Weed Whacker on the market is different and so each owner of their particular Weed Whacker will have to contact their respective Weed Whacker Manufacturer to inquire about BLADE attachment hardware. Most electric-powered versions are UNDER powered for handling a Blade so will probably NOT have blade attachment hardware available. On the other hand, most gasoline powered Weed Whacker's will have Blade attachment hardware available. Blade attachment hardware normally consists of a standard blade guard along with a few small metal parts that fit on (slide onto) the little threaded shaft that the String Spool screws onto. These little pieces of hardware will consist of the lower part that will have a raised circle about the size of a common 25 cent piece (quarter) or as small as a nickel (5 cent piece). Proper Tree Cutting this raised circle is how the hole in the center of the Blade fits on, then the upper part hardware piece variously called "the cap piece" is applied on the top of the blade, then a nut that is screwed on top of the cap, followed by a cotter pin.
Tree Trimming - Do It Yourself
3. Eighty (80) to one hundred (100) TEETH Blade: This is the highest level in the Weed Whacker Blade choices. It should be clear now that the more teeth you have cutting, the more aggregate cutting surface area you are applying to the job at hand. In addition, an 80 tooth blade costs more money to make as compared to a blade with half as many cutting teeth as mentioned in (2) above (40 teeth). But the cost is not typically much more if at all for having 80 teeth over 40 teeth. The 80 plus teeth blade offers the most versatility, stays sharper longer and is the best value for the buck. The 100 teeth type blade is the absolute best value since if offers 25% more cutting surface area (teeth) over an 80 tooth blade.
The one main consideration is that the typical 80 tooth blade comes in 8 inch diameter that fits with the safety blade guard ON your Weed Whacker, and the 100 tooth type blade is normally 9 to 10 inch in diameter and therefore will not allow a blade guard to fit. We recommend that the maximum size diameter blade be limited to 9 inches unless you have a very powerful Weed Whacker, otherwise the large circumference of the largest blades can bog down the motor. So in conclusion: 8″ and 9″ diameter blades are best, offer the most aggregate cutting surface, therefore stay sharper longer, and offer the most versatility of jobs in the garden. NOTE: We think Carbide teeth are so worth the small extra purchase cost that we would say a 40 tooth carbide blade would be recommended over an 80 tooth plain steel any day of the week. But the 80 tooth or 100 tooth blade with Carbide Teeth is the absolute best there is.
An Arborist in Sunninghill ?
Trees are all around us without a doubt, and one cannot argue about their importance in our life and environment.
They provide us with shade in the harsh summer heat, and offer us flowers, fruits, and an amazing surrounding to hang swings.
However, odds are you most likely don't put too much effort into how to appropriately watch over your trees. A large portion of us don't consider it by any means until the point when an especially strong hurricane or storm blows one down, expels, or falls on our homes or vehicles.
Knowing how to tend to your plants is vital and it can enable you to avoid these calamities. A tree, just like any other living life form, has a number of requirements to develop and keep up the balance of its own system. A few things that you do with your plants could be hazardous, and neglecting the necessities of your plants can have negative outcomes.
As said already, being aware of your plants' requirements is presumably the most imperative thing you can do to improve its situation. Care will vary depending on different types of species, and this incorporates the best time for pruning.
All it takes is to hire a trusted arborist, and your plants will have a long and healthy life expectancy.
Make a point to teach yourself on what these necessities are and help them through on schedule. One specific factor you need to know about his how tolerant your trees are towards droughts. It is essential to keep them at the best possible hydration level. Planting items that have the power to tolerate the drought season in dry city weather is important for its health.
Left Handed Chainsaw
Cutting down a tree isn't as simple as just whacking away at it with an ax. There are specific techniques that need to be followed in order to preserve the wood and ensure the safety of the people cutting down the tree. In order to predict how a tree will fall, the cutter will need to determine the right type of cut to use. There are three main notch types that individuals can use during tree cutting. They are the open-faced notch, the conventional notch and the Humboldt notch.
The Open-Faced Notch
The open-faced notch is ideal for trees that require a high level of accuracy. If the individual is cutting in a tight spot, where accuracy is extremely important, the open-faced notch is the safest notch to use. In this notch, a large, sideways V is cut into the side of the tree. It is a heavily angled notch. The first cut goes in a downwards motion of at least 70 degrees. The bottom cut goes in at a 20 degree upward angle. Then, a small horizontal cut will be made on the back of the tree, meeting the point in the V. The only downside to this notch, other than the additional time required, is the cutter will need to remove the hinge, so there will be a small amount of wood lost.
The Conventional Notch
The conventional notch is named that way because it is the most common type of notch used. It is the preferred method among loggers and tree removal specialists because it is fast and safe at the same time. It still allows a certain amount of accuracy, though not as much as the open-faced notch. In this notch, the top cut goes in at an angle, while the bottom cut is horizontal.
The Humboldt Notch
The Humboldt notch is another common notch when cutting trees. In this notch, the top cut is made horizontal, while the bottom goes in at an upward angle. In this notch, the kickback over the stump might be larger, so it is not ideal for leaning trees. However, this notch does save a lot of wood, so when the tree is being cut for the purpose of using the wood, then the Humboldt notch is a good choice to make.
In tree cutting, it is important to fully evaluate the type of cut prior to getting started. In all cases, the safest possible cut should be used for the purpose of getting the tree down safely and accurately. For most individuals, this will mean using the open-faced cut in order to get the tree down. However, the individual will need to consider the way the tree is leaning, the health of the overall tree, the obstacles in the tree's way and the size of the tree. In most cases, it is best to cut the tree in a way that goes along with the natural way the tree leans. This isn't always possible. In cases, where the tree is leaning in a way that it can't be allowed to fall, non professionals should consult with a tree removal service in order to make sure the tree cutting is carried out as safely as possible.


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It is Easter again, and it has become a blogging tradition (observed here and here and here) to select an Easter theme.
I recently heard someone remark that "there is more evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ than there is for Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain in 55 BC".
This is an intriguing variation of a perennial chestnut: that, somehow, the truth of Christianity can be proved by employing the techniques of historiography. In other words, if we can demonstrate what little evidence exists for other commonly accepted events in ancient history, we must surely accept the existence of Jesus Christ on similarly scanty evidence.
Religion vs. Ancient History
The most recent source of this argument was, I think, the late E.M. Blaiklock, sometime Classics lecturer and Christian apologist, who complained that "Julius Caesar is not thus dismissed, or his rather unsuccessful reconnaissance across the English Channel relegated to legend, despite the fact that our principal informant is Julius himself (in a book designed to secure his political reputation) and that confirmatory evidence of that campaign consists merely of a shield in the river at the Chelsea crossing of the Thames, a few lines in Cicero's voluminous correspondence, and only a handful of later references".
His point was that, if we are willing to believe everything that Julius Caesar wrote, why shouldn't we give the Gospel-writers a similar degree of trust? (As if proof of the mere existence of a man named Jesus contributes anything to a Christian's faith in the existence of a loving God. But that's another question.)
Christianity and the Philosophers
Two-hundred-and-fifty years ago, the philosopher David Hume realised that "some human testimony has the utmost force and authority in some cases ... [for example] when it relates the battles of Philippi or Pharsalia". His point was that we have no reason to dispute the descriptions of the ancient writers who recorded these events (chiefly Appian for the former, and Caesar himself for the latter). Much the same argument holds for Caesar's "rather unsuccessful reconnaissance across the English Channel", otherwise known as the first Roman invasion of Britain.
So, does the same apply to the Gospel accounts of the bodily resurrection of Jesus?
No less a thinker than Dr Samuel Johnson came at the problem from a different direction. Rather than casting doubt on random events from antiquity (whether they involved Caesar or Christ), he realised that it was perfectly possible to cast doubt upon a well-established contemporary truth. The example he selected was the well-known British taking of Canada in 1763, which he demonstrated to be so unlikely as to be doubtful: the French were far more numerous than the British aggressors, for example, and the sources of information on the event were all British. If doubt could be cast on so certain an event, what chance did the Resurrection have?
Returning to Blaiklock's comparison between Caesar and Christ, the intellectual Tom Paine had already considered this, but drew a less favourable conclusion: "The story of Jesus Christ appearing after he was dead is the story of an apparition, such as timid imaginations can always create in vision, and credulity believe," he wrote, with hard-headed pragmatism. "Stories of this kind had been told of the assassination of Julius Caesar not many years before, and they generally have their origin in violent deaths, or in execution of innocent persons".
In Good Company
But Johnson again took a different tack: "As to the Christian religion", he wrote, "besides the strong evidence which we have for it, there is a balance in its favour from the number of great men who have been convinced of its truth, after serious consideration of the question". One of those was the poet and philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who scorned the search for evidence of Christianity. "Make a man feel the want of it, and you may safely trust to its own Evidence, remembering only the express declaration of Christ himself: No man cometh to me, unless the Father leadeth him" (citing John 6:44).
We should perhaps remember the words of the philosopher John Locke, who wrote that "a beneficent Creator has placed some things beyond the reach of human comprehension, but also has endowed us with faculties capable of grasping a few essential truths with certainty and many others with sufficient probability for belief and action". Christianity is not, after all, ancient history. It's a faith.


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Strict new federal fuel-economy and carbon-emission standards made final Tuesday are the biggest technological challenge to the auto industry since the government began regulating emissions in 1970 and mileage in 1975.
According to a report by USA Today, the rule sets the equivalent of 54.5 miles per gallon as the average the auto industry must achieve by 2025, up from 29.7 mpg now and 35.5 mpg in 2016.
The tough "CAFE" standard (for corporate average fuel economy), which was to be announced earlier this month, was announced Tuesday by the Obama administration on the day that Republicans' national convention got underway in Tampa.
It is "a monumental day for the American people," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in announcing the final rules.
And it's the script for a likewise monumental change in the cars and trucks Americans drive. The vehicles will undergo more urgent evolution of current trends so that, in a decade or so, the American streetscape could resemble science fiction, including:
• More gas-electric hybrids and plug-in hybrids. More electric cars. A few that run on natural gas. Maybe a few more hydrogen-fueled cars.
• Smaller cars powered by smaller gasoline engines, most using turbochargers to get back the power they lose as they give up size.
• Dashboards that resemble video games, giving you colorful "atta-boys" when you drive with a light foot.
• More parts made from composites and high-price aluminum, titanium and high-strength steel — metals which have the additional hidden cost of wearing out fabrication equipment in auto assembly plants faster than conventional steel.
• Oval car bodies to slice the air. Sophisticated, many-speed transmissions and CVTs (continuously variable automatic transmissions) that can keep the engines running in their sweet spots where they make the most power on the least fuel.
Will car buyers embrace the new vehicles? "The risk is pushing technological demands beyond the automakers' ability to deliver. The smarter way to approach it is to let the market guide vehicle fuel-efficiency standards," says Jeremy Anwyl, vice chairman at auto-shopping site Edmunds.com.
Trucks get an early break
According to USA Today, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson said trucks get a break initially because they often are work or tow vehicles that need bigger, more fuel-thirsty engines and will be harder to turn into high-mpg vehicles. "Cars are ramping down faster than trucks, and they catch each other at the end," she said.
Automakers, through their lobby group Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, had signed on to back the new regulation, and said Tuesday: "After years of billion-dollar investments by automakers, consumers have a lot of choice in fuel-efficient cars and light trucks, and automakers are working to sell these high-mileage vehicles in high volumes."
The Alliance statement added, "Compliance with higher fuel-economy standards is based on sales," drawing a distinction between what buyers will accept and what automakers might be forced to build to meet the tighter regulations.
The final rule directs the government to review progress in five years. It then could revise the regulations, if necessary. "Automakers will be looking for a rigorous midterm review with periodic check-ins since it is difficult to predict three years in advance, let alone 13 years," the Alliance said.
In another "extra credit" feature of the rule, vehicles that burn natural gas or are powered by electricity are counted more heavily in calculating compliance with the rule than are conventional gasoline-powered vehicles that hit the targets.
Diesels, though more fuel-efficient by nature, however, get no extra credit in the regs. Alliance members VW and Mercedes-Benz, both backers of diesel power, have objected to the rule for that reason.
To read the entire article click here.