text:
"For every life saved by breast cancer screening up to 10 women 'have unnecessary treatment'," the Daily Mail reported today.
The news is based on a study that looked at the impact of screening in Norway, and how often it led to "overdiagnosis". Overdiagnosis is the phenomenon where women are correctly diagnosed but given treatment even though it will not improve their survival. This could be because the tumour identified would not have progressed to a clinical stage (would never have caused symptoms) or because the woman would have died from another cause, such as old age, before the cancer reached a clinical stage. Using nearly 20 years of data, researchers estimated that Norway's screening programme had an overdiagnosis rate of 15–25%. This equated to 6 to 10 women being overdiagnosed for every 2,500 women invited for screening. In comparison, 20 in 2,500 women screened were diagnosed with breast cancer that was not overdiagnosed. Screening 2,500 women was estimated to prevent one death from breast cancer.
The issue of screening is of key interest to many people, and this study provides further data that could be relevant to the UK's current review of breast screening, which was announced in late 2011. This independent review will look at both screening in the UK and the type information that is given to women when deciding whether screening is right for them.
Where did the story come from?
The study was carried out by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health, Bringham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School in the US, the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, and Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet in Norway. It was funded by the Norwegian Research Council and Frontier Science.
The study was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
This story was widely reported, and most news sources provided accurate coverage of the research.
What kind of research was this?
There are several key considerations surrounding the use of routine breast cancer screening. These are primarily the need to ensure it can detect cancers and save lives, and that it does not cause unnecessary invasive treatments. In particular, there is currently a great deal of debate over the extent to which screening leads to overdiagnosis. This is where a woman is diagnosed and treated with no survival benefit, either because the tumour identified would not have progressed to a clinical stage or because the woman would have died from other causes before the cancer reached a clinical stage.
In late 2011, it was announced that the UK's breast screening policy would be independently reviewed after some people questioned the overall benefit of the programme. The review will be performed by independent researchers but led by Professor Richards of the Department of Health and Harpal Kumar, chief executive at Cancer Research UK. The publication date for the review has not yet been announced.
This research compared the incidence of invasive breast cancer in women with and without screening. It estimated the percentage of overdiagnoses that might be attributed to mammography screening. It did this by comparing the number of cases of breast cancer found in screened women to the number of cases in matched unscreened women in Norway, where mammography screening was rolled out over a decade by geographical region. The researchers took into account the improvements in breast cancer care and changes in new breast cancer rates that have occurred over time.
The researchers stated that a randomised controlled trial with a lifelong follow-up of participants assigned to screening or a control group with no screening would be the ideal way to estimate the rate of overdiagnosis in research terms, but that due to practical reasons such a trial is unlikely ever to be performed. In this study, the researchers tried to take into account the many variables that affect the calculation of overdiagnosis, including changes in breast cancer incidence over time and "lead time", the variation in length of time when a breast cancer can go undetected, between the groups.
What did the research involve?
The researchers retrieved details on the female population from the Statistics Norway national database, and information on all women with a first diagnosis of invasive breast cancer between January 1 1986 and December 31 2005 from the Cancer Registry of Norway.
The women were divided into four groups:
- current screening group – a group of women living in counties with screening between 1996 and 2005
- historical screening group – women living in these counties between 1986 and 1995, before screening
- current non-screening – women diagnosed in counties without screening between 1996 and 2005
- historical non-screening – women living in these counties between 1986 and 1995
By comparing current groups against historical groups, the researchers accounted for changes in breast cancer incidence over time. The researchers then used two different approaches to account for lead time, where an earlier diagnosis is made when women are younger in the screened group. The researchers also analysed the results by stage of cancer.
What were the basic results?
The researchers included 39,888 patients with invasive breast cancer diagnosed over twenty years, between 1986 and 2005. There were 18,708 cases in women aged between 50 and 69 years old, the age range invited for screening, and 7,793 of these women were diagnosed after the screening programme started, making them part of the "current screening group".
Combining the two statistical approaches, the researchers calculated that the estimated rate of overdiagnosis due to the mammography screening programme was 15–25%. In other words, this proportion of women were diagnosed with breast cancer and potentially received treatment unnecessarily. They also estimated that over the 10 years of biennial mammography screening in Norway, for every 2,500 women invited for screening:
- 6 to 10 women were overdiagnosed
- 20 women were diagnosed with breast cancer that was not overdiagnosed
- 1 death from breast cancer was prevented
How did the researchers interpret the results?
The researchers concluded that "mammography screening entails a substantial amount of overdiagnosis".
The benefits and risks of breast cancer screening have come under much scrutiny in recent years, not just from the press and the public, but also within the medical community. Many of the key arguments centre on the rates of legitimate treatment and treatment that would have otherwise proved unnecessary following screening. The issue is highly complex as it relies on finding high-quality data that can reliably indicate what would happen with the presence and absence of screening in a particular population.
This study looked at screened and unscreened segments of the Norwegian population to estimate the percentage of overdiagnoses of invasive breast cancer due to mammography screening. Overdiagnosis occurs where a woman is diagnosed and treated with no survival benefit even though the diagnosis is correct. This can be because the tumour identified would not have progressed to a clinical stage (i.e. it would never have caused symptoms) or because the woman would have died from other causes before the cancer reached a clinical stage.
The authors estimated the rate of overdiagnosis due to mammography screening as 15–25%. They calculated that for every 2,500 women invited for screening, 6 to 10 women are overdiagnosed, 20 women are diagnosed with breast cancer that is not overdiagnosed, and 1 death from breast cancer is prevented.
This study has some limitations. It was based on data taken from registries rather than gathered to specifically assess screening. Also, the researchers could not adjust for all factors that could have influenced the results, some of which might have offered alternative explanations for the results. In addition, another type of breast cancer called ductal carcinoma in situ was not studied.
However, despite its limitations, the study's findings are similar to those in other recent publications, including some that have prompted a UK review of breast cancer screening and the type of information offered to women. This review is currently being conducted, although its expected completion date has not yet been announced.
Analysis by Bazian
Edited by NHS Website
Links to the headlines
Breast cancer screening resulting in 'unnecessary treatment'
The Daily Telegraph, 3 April 2012
For every life that is saved by breast cancer screening up to TEN women suffer 'unnecessary treatment' including breast removals
Daily Mail, 3 April 2012
Breast cancer screens leads to 'unnecessary treatment'
BBC News, 3 April 2012
Breast cancer patients are being 'treated needlessly' as X-ray screening spots symptoms that would not affect woman in her lifetime
Daily Mail, 3 April 2012
Links to the science
Kalager M, Adami HO, Bretthauer M et al.
Overdiagnosis of Invasive Breast Cancer Due to Mammography Screening: Results From the Norwegian Screening Program
Annals of Internal Medicine. 2012;156:491-499
Further reading
Gøtzsche PC, Nielsen M.
Screening for breast cancer with mammography
Cochrane Library. Published online January 19 2011


text:
Comments on: 2014 Mini Cooper / Cooper S Hardtop
The new Mini still offers the fun we've come to expect, but it has also grown—and matured—in likable ways. Read the review and see photos at Car and Driver.
Anyone moving from the previous Cooper to this new one will really appreciate the bargain and won't complain about the extra $250: the turbo and a dose more power over the revvy, but weedy 1.6 4-cyl of yore and a better engine note to go with it is sufficient to bring the Cooper much closer to the previous S version. It makes the Cooper a much more complete car. I look forward to trying this engine in BMW products, too. Btw, if the engine is modular, what about a 2.5 liter 5-cylinder with a turbo in the 2-series as the new M2? Beat that, Audi.4 Replies
Plus if the bore is slightly downsized from 84 to 82mm [sans liner], does the mean the spacing is tightened up as well? [~87, from BMW corporate 91mm]
Totally would love to have a 350hp 325ft-lb 2.5 liter I5 for the M2. Sure that may be the true power of the N55, but a shorter, lighter package, with a sound that punches Audi in the nose, would be awesome.
Agree, I like the new Cooper, just digging the new style... the Grill and those huge tail lamps... not love them yet, but I just got to build one on the Mini's app and I loved those Leather/Cloth chekered seats. Still I´ll get the 3 banger. with some good remap there's no doubt you can hit 150hp, with a 6speed manual, I want one.
They`d have to improve reliability before I even consider it.
Why would BMW ever want to use the 5-cylinder engine? It's not a very loved engine configuration, and they can squeeze a six cylinder in, in just about the same amount of space. Also, the six is silky smooth, sounds delicious, and has been a part of BMW's brand identity forever. Unless BMW completely overhauls their entire lineup, I will not own one. The new 328i and 335i are disappointingly soft, interior is cheaply put together, and they have taken all of the joy out of the steering. I'm so worried in the way that BMW has been going recently. They have really lost their way.
The old car was cramped, rushed through development and underpowered. Sounds like the new one is class leading on value, features, emissions & economy. What other 40 mpg car gets 60 under 8 seconds? Nothing is perfect but for it's modest MSRP folks could do much worse, wonder what the next clubvan will look like....
the epa estimates are disappointing. i was gunning for 44 or 45 highway and 33 or 34 city. i think in the real world a good driver would still get better mileage w/ the base engine than the 2.0L. the lack of low end torque probably required the EPA cycle to stay in lower gears than you would need to on normal roads. 7.3 sounds quick. i look forward to instrumented testing in michigan.1 Reply
Looking at the tech specs. The_new_MINI_EN.pdf
If you want the stick, get the Cooper S. If you want the auto, get the base. (not the Cooper1-if that ever comes to the US)
I don't want to be that guy but...these need to be faster. Seriously, a $26k WRX is so much faster that it is ridiculous. The higher spec Mini's (faster ones) are priced too high as well.10 Replies
This car is certainly not competing with the WRX in any way, and is not meant to be a dragster. The drivers of each car are looking for something entirely different.
The new WRX? EngineTrend did a test on stick & CVT, both aren't as fast as one would expect because of the weight gain.
Plus they are now officially ridiculously front heavy. 61/39 for the CVT 59/41 for the stick. Front wheel drive cars are less nose heavy. WTH Fuji Heavy Industry?
They aren't fast, don't handle well [that is what the front axle torque vectoring trick is for, to mask the problem], and don't get good mileage. The only upside is that they are four wheel drive, (with actual center differential) which is becoming a rarity in today's world.
Well, thats where mini has always fallen down. They have bmw DNA, and a BMW ego with pricing. Yes the base car starts at just over 20 grand, but you wont find any on dealer lots like that. They will be optioned up near 30 real quick. I agree it doesnt have bang for the buck, and compared the the WRX its down on power. But its also not really competing with that. Plus look at the quality of the Mini, and the quality of the Subaru inside. Subarus are a bargain by purpose, Mini isn't.
The new WRX will, without doubt, handle better than the previous one...(and all reviews agree).
When you say it's not fast and doesn't handle well I don't know what you're comparing it to, but the previous generation WRX beat the following cars around the Lightning Lap....(a pretty good yardstick for handling).
Lotus Elise
G37 Coupe
Mazda RX8
Don`t handle well, aren`t fast? I drove the new WRX in a Subaru sponsored event, both on a track and in the streets and found it to be a very capable vehicle. So did most of the professionals journos who were there. Tell you what. I`ll take their words over yours anytime.
They are still priced too high, are not powerful enough, and don't have as much charm as the original "new" Cooper. Think about it, a GTI has 217 HP, 260 lb-ft of torque, is faster in a straight line, handles just as well, has equal or better quality, has more standard options, weighs about the same and costs the same (less considering that the VW comes with more equipment standard that you'd have to pay for in the Mini). The Mini is just not as competitive as it used to be.
They need at least 200 HP for the Cooper S, mid-200 plus for the GP in my opinion. When I think of a Mini I think of a fun little pocket rocket, not the slow psuedo-luxury cars that BMW is turning them into.
Have you not realized that BMW makes this, and the car is actually put together with solid steel? After owning a MINI, I can say that these cars are built solid. The doors are heavy, everything works with a clunk, and although they have used a lot of plastic on the interior, it looks more expensive. The MINI isn't about being the fastest in a straight line, it's about the connection to the road. The last gen MINI R56 S was tested with an auto, and it ran a6.0sec 0-60. The new WRX isn't much faster than that, especially not with the CVT. You can easily tune this car to get between 30-40 more horsepower for roughly 300 bucks. The MINI isn't a four wheel drive Econobox with a different engine, it's more of a front wheel drive BMW. You pay for what the name gets you, the technology, and the fact that it's extremely fun to drive. While the WRX might be faster from 0-60 since it has 4-wheel drive, my 2011 S Hatch with a BMS JB+ can easily hang with a WRX at highway speeds. Instead of the lag at low rpm, these cars pull hard from 1250RPM. I wouldn't get rid of my MINI for a WRX anyday. I hate the way the WRX looks, it's interior is cheap and already outdated, and I don't like getting 23MPG. I'll take my MINI and it's 36MPG (@85mph) and it's lightning quick steering, ultra firm suspension, and much more appealing body. Also, you can equip the MINI with a million different features. Your argument also basically makes VW GTI's pointless too, even though most C&D staff would own the GTI over the WRX anyday.
What GTI are you getting your specs from? GTI has 210hp and 258lb-ft. Also, the GTI weighs around 300lbs more, is maybe .1sec faster in a straight line, and actually the new MINI has just as much standard equipment maybe more. This new MINI is the fastest, best handling MINI yet. It just also happens to have some creature comforts too. Also, if you haven't realized, BMW usually quotes power ratings for at the wheel numbers. This car could easily be pushing out 200hp. The JCW model is slated to have 231hp. Anymore, and you just start to spin the wheels and have uncontrollable torque steer. Look at the Focus ST and see how it is. Look at the Maxdaspeed3 that has to have its torque limited in the first few gears. It doesn't make these cars any faster than the next. This car is more like an Audi A1 than a VW Polo. It competes against the upmarket cars. It's not a budget brand, thankfully.
I'd agree with you if driving were only about speed. Cornering,braking,steering and overall driving feel are all as important to me. And by the way,have you actually known anyone who actually paid $26K for a WRX?
Their are folks that buy Striped WRX's. Subaru discounts them when they have them in stock (not often). The Mini is a much lighter and responsive car than the WRX. To add more power without adding more weight you must spend more development money. Two completely different cars. The Mini finally has a German quality interior.
I like it, this is the size the old Cooper should have been. The pricing of the Cooper S isn't bad at all, I would actually spend the extra money just to have the 6 speed manual. Overall this seems like a good deal although I think their are some other models out with better performance for the same price but I like this refresh or redesign. I wonder if they'll give the countryman the same or similar face, now that is what I wanna see.2 Replies
Partner GM and the big bore triple:
NA it and put it in the 2dr rwd Chevrolet Code 6M stop-start.
NA the Straight Six from whence it began, an heritage 'Vette Blue Flamer.
that's some pretty good mpg. now only if we could get a diesel car over here with the same displacement as the I3.
At 151 inches long this puts this 2015 Mini about as long as the original Rabbit GTI. That makes it a significantly larger car than my 2006 Cooper S was.Also I definately find the interior more appealing if a bit too much BMW for my tastes. I am intrigued with the 3 cylinder engine. I think in the future there is going to be a lot of room for different 3 cylinder engine variants.I'm also guessing the ride characteristics of this 3rd generation of new Mini has much better ride characteristics than version #1 of new Mini(R53).That was a real problem on bad roads. I ended up switching out the run flats which help to a certain degree.The body is still a box with big head lights.I still like my 2013 Abarth in terms of design over the Mini. However I will concede the 2015 Mini offers a much nicer interior than my Abarth could ever hope for.
So many cars being reviewed by C/D that are painted ugly orange. Three in the past week... Who buys a car painted orange?4 Replies
The car lost its proportions. I don't mind if it's bigger, the proportion of the nose is wrong. Front overhang is too big and the lower central air intake just looks out of place.
I wonder if the JCW will tune the hell out of the 3 cylinder [like the BMW i8: 238hp, 236 ft-lbs], and use the much shorter gearing of the CooperS. That would be a nice front drive offering.
and for those that want "'awd'", uncork the b48, and unleash hell! 300hp!
Don't show me an orange car and talk about maturity.
Seriously though, he said "three-holer," huh huhuh...!1 Reply
It is said that opinions are like a certain bodily orifice because everybody has one, so here is one more. I think that the Ford Fiesta ST is the better buy. Sure it doesn't feel as premium as the Mini, but it has an equally cheeky personality. For me, four doors are an unfortunate requirement, and I can get those too on the ST. In the Mini, I'd have to step up to the heavier and more expensive Countryman. To put the cherry on the cake, The Fiesta was also recently on C/D's Ten Best.
Since I had both a mini cooper s and BMW 128, I can honestly say the quality is so lacking, that I will never get aBMW product again.
My son wants me to get this for him as his first car and we went and sat in it at the LA auto show. It seemed nice enough but I think I will find him less excitement and buy a Prius instead.4 Replies
Car and Driver
Just bought a Mazda 3 5-door for my daughter, who just turned 21, and it's a terrific balance of handling, structural safety, good looks, price, and practicality. Much better handling dynamics than the Prius, while less zoomy and expensive than the Mini. Love the Mini but she wanted more space. She also wanted a 6-speed manual and is very happy with the 155hp engine as it returns 29-40 mpg.
She had a nicely preserved '99 Honda Civic EX that was a perfect college starter car but a relative soda can compared to todays safety standards.
The Mazda checked every box and then some in terms of her driving enjoyment, financial practicality going forward and me resting comfortably with regard to safety.
That will give us a good excuse to go test-drive the new Mazda 3.
My son really liked the BMW i3 when we test drove it in November but that one is too pricey for a first car.
Car and Driver
Try a Grand Touring 6-speed and a Grand Touring automatic with the larger motor. They're both nicely appointed while leaving an impression above their price point. The other thing I didn't mention was how relatively reasonable insurance was considering a young driver and new car.
Good performance and balance with great gas mileage and the highest safety rating. I sound like a car salesman now but we considered a lot of options and the Mazda 3 rang all the bells for us.
Good luck!
As My parents did with me I shall do with my children - they will buy what ever car they want with their OWN money.
Here is my rationalle: they will not have saved a lot of $$$ so they wil lhaev a choice:
1 - get a reliable, small but slow and less exiting car like Corolla
2 - get something extravagant but older like M3 that WILL break and they will spend less time driving and more time fixing
Both decreases their likelyhood in causing accidents. In first case they will not be able to drive fast, in second case they wil lnot be able to drive often.
I just sat in one of these at the Philly auto show and I think a lightly optioned S (maybe 26K or so) is a pretty compelling choice. That 2.0 is probably a little underated so you are loking at 200hp or so pushing 2700lbs. Very similar to the Fiesta ST really so is another 4K or so enough for this?
put the 2.0t from the 328i in it for the works model and i'd strongly consider this car. i loved the last one, looked at the 2-seat coupe s and was really impressed.
Overall i like the new look. Although the grill for some reason, i'm still getting use to. I find these new 3 cylinder power plants from mini, and ford intriguing. Although as mentioned in the article on a grade the life is just sucked out of the car, which is to be expected. As a city car this does make sense, highway commuter on a route with no hills sure, but other than that no. I would have to bump up to the 2 liter if i wanted it to be my all around vehicle. The speedo being moved... cheers from me. I never understood center mount speedos. Overall though, good job mini, good job.3 Replies
Nate, I was going to say those (Soichiro) Hondas you used to love were 1.5 liters. But then I read you hadn't been born...
The problem is gearing [with the stick]. The 3 cylinder car has taller gearing than the 4 cylinder.
If you want a stick, get the 4 cylinder. If you want the auto, get the 3 cylinder.
The point of the center car mounted speedo, was for a tachometer dead center on the steering column.
@Paul Landerman
Im not exactly the biggest import fan, so i dont know where youre going with this. Ok so im only 20, but that doesnt mean a whole hell of a lot. Down sizing, sure its ok for fuel economy, when the engine is at the sweet spot but if you have to really rev the thing that goes away really quick. And the dodge darts multi air proves this also. The gearing for the manual is so tall you have to rev it to 4 or 5 thousand RPM just to get anywhere. Then the economy has gone to s**t and all you have is a weazy car with bad fuel economy. Im always willing to give up a little economy for something i can put my foot to the floor and get goin. So next time you try to insult me, think first. And i dont even know where you got the idea i like small displacement hondas anyways.
Ehhhh... the front end looks like a frog that just caught a hockey puck in its mouth. At least the speedometer is where it belongs now...
I wonder if I'll fit. On the last version, my left shoulder wanted to be in the middle of the door.
I wonder if the 3 cylinder has 120°offsets, and if so, if it is smoother than the 2L 4 cylinder.
82mm is a very small bore. I thought something around 85mm was optimal in a street driven spark ignition DI engine.
And still no US diesel. A diesel, or better a diesel with a small 1kWh or even 0.5kWh battery, flywheel, or supercapacitor would be a real mileage champ and more practical for the stop an go of commuting.
I've always likes Mini but they need to get with the program and put this thing over 200hp. And you idiots over at JCW need to turn their ovaries into balls and build a real performance model that's not in the mid 30's and only has like 215hp. It's a damn Mini! Cut the weight, cut the over-priced BMW amenities , add some real power (north of 250), fix that damn clutch that takes like 50% off to engage...maybe then (MAYBE) you can say it's a performance model.1 Reply
"Growed up" - ugh. Please, you are journalists, use correct English or you diminish the force of the point you wish to make.
I actually quite like it. Yes, the look hasn't changed much, but i still think it looks cool, and sounds like a great all rounder underneath. Only thing I'm not sure about is the BMW like option list.1 Reply
As a current 2011 Cooper S owner, I really hope that this model does look better in person. I also hope the reliability has been significantly improved. I don't know if I love the interior 100%, but it's a more modern approach on the previous 2 generations. One thing I'm happy about, is the added rear seat legroom, shoulder room, and boot space. I'm also becoming more interested in the 1.5L 3-cylinder and it's performance. I think with an ECU reflash, or BMS JB+, the 3-cylinder couod be a righteous alternative to the 2.0L in the S. I'll have to drive one to see how it performs, but from all of the reviews, it seems to be the best iteration so far. I also can't wait to see the F55, and how MINI packages the 5-door model along the lineup. I hope they don't go crazy with the price on the 5-door model. All in all, I think this is going to further increase MINI's market share, and brand reputation.
Long ago when BMW re-introduced the Mini to America, I really wanted one. My feelings have changed since then, since I've read numerous reports of how cheaply it's built and how there's no mistaking its reliability with a Toyota. If I could just grin and bear those 2 factors, I'd be interested in the latest Mini. In the meantime I'll stick with my Fit
To all press people and Mini staff, welcome. Road are not the best, and definitely not for run flat tires. However, I hope you all enjoy Puerto Rico beaches, its rums and the hospitality of it's people.
photo gallery, page two, last photo: doesnt it look like C&D caught the curb with the rims?
I just peed myself with excitement that a 3.0 I6 will be used for BMW. Interested to see that go somewhere, even though it would mean that it would be mounted transversely.
Sounds like a great little car. A lightly optioned 3 cyl car for under $23k would be hard to beat. Fiesta would be the only other contender at that price.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
McHale liked film's tough scenes
Joel McHale has revealed how he got injured on the set of Deliver Us From Evil, but loved every minute of it.
The Community star was left bruised and battered as he shot his scenes as a tough policeman in Scott Derrickson's new horror film, where he stars alongside Eric Bana as his partner Ralph Scarcio.
"In the movie, I tumble down a flight of stairs and smashed my arm into a concrete wall so hard that it busted. I had huge gashes down my arms," he said.
"I had the time of my life, a ball. I loved it. I got to fight with knives and do crazy stuff I never get to do. I've gotten to do a few of them with Community but never at night in the Bronx, which was a whole different, wonderful, experience. I love doing stunts and hurting myself - the director wrote the role for me, he thinks I'm halfway psychotic."
Joel also enjoyed his knife-fighting scenes in the movie.
" I have a personal knife collection at home so that played right into my interests," he said. "I have some samurai swords, some short swords, bullwhips, police asps, billy clubs and brass knuckles. I probably have 50 or 60 of them."
The 42-year-old, who has two children, underwent training to handle the knives.
"It was three-and-a-half weeks of daily training and me standing in my apartment in New York, quietly doing a pantomime of the fight. My kids would come in and say, 'What are you doing, weirdo?'," he said.
"My main concern was making sure the fight looked real. Knife fighting training is going to be the new aerobic workout... It'll make Taibo look like child's play."
:: Deliver Us From Evil is in cinemas now.
PA Media


text:
No dubstep, no angry men blowing up other angry men. Just a dude enjoying himself in the jungle, while shooting a crossbow and turning invisible and doing other Crysisy things.
The shooter Crysis 3 will be out on February 19 for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. For more, check out Tina's impressions.


text:
– I finally took the Christmas decor down last week and now it is glaringly obvious that there is nothing hanging on the unpainted walls. My living room is basically a sterile environment. If you don't count the Cheerio crumbs and dog hair. I started to pin ideas for the room so if you follow me on Pinterest, I apologize for the recent onslaught of photos of mantels and gallery walls. I would also love to paint, but the room is big and neither Michael nor I likes to paint. Hiring someone isn't in the budget right now so either we suck it up and do it ourselves, or continue to live in the vast whiteness.
– Anyone remember when we watched my mother-in-law's crazy dog last year? I swore it would not be a repeat thing, and yet, here we are one year later and about to embark on 13 days with Lucy. Last year she was skittish and whiny and afraid of men. Which meant that any time Michael would come into the house…she would pee. And then, to add icing to the cake, she freaked out and expressed her anal glands in my kitchen, and I'll just take a moment to let that sink in.
That smell is burned in my memory and so help me, if she does it again I am shipping her off to Florida so my MIL an deal with it. So, SO gross.
– Speaking of my MIL, she bought a cow. Not a whole cow, not even half of a cow. She bought something like a fourth of a cow so we could split it between us. Only, we don't really eat that much red meat. Maybe once or twice a month. She was insistent, however, so now the entire bottom half of my freezer if filled with beef. Because even splitting up a fourth of a cow is still hundreds of pounds of cow. I'm not kidding when I tell you this meat will last us a year, maybe more. There's just so.much.beef. I'm going to have to host a beef party or something just to put a dent in it.
Except a beef party sounds disgusting. No one would come if I cordially invited them to a beef party. Or they would, but they would think it was an entirely different type of party with a whole different kind of beef, if you catch my drift. And that would be awkward.


text:
In Dynamics NAV 2016 Cumulative Update 17 and Dynamics NAV 2017 Cumulative Update 4, the format in which table filter views are stored in the database has changed. This change affects the use of existing stored filters in filter pages that are based on the FilterPageBuilder data type. In particular, this includes the Event Conditions filter page for workflows.
Previously, filter views were stored based on the regional settings (language, currency, data and time format) of the user's device when the filters were created. When the stored filter views were later used in the client, they were parsed by using the current user's regional settings. If the current user's regional settings differed from the regional settings of the stored filter view, the filter view parsed incorrectly. Now, filter views are stored independent of the regional settings (culture invariant, format 9 in C/AL), and the invariant culture is used when parsing the filter views.
For workflow filters, client users can manually update the filters on a specific workflow by opening and saving the workflow as described in these steps:
- In the top right corner of the client, choose the Search for Page or Report icon, enter Workflows, and then choose the related link.
- Choose the worfklow from the list, choose the Edit action, and then choose the OK button.
To identify whether a stored filter view is in the old format or new format, you export the content of the BLOB data type fields that contain the filter views, and inspect the text strings that represent the views. If a string contains the 'VERSION(n)' token, where 'n' is an integer value, then the filter view string is in the new culture-invariant format. If a string does not have the 'VERSION(n)' token, then it is in old format. You should note that the GETVIEW function returns filter view strings in the new format as shown in the following example:
VERSION(1) SORTING(period Type,Period Start) WHERE(period Start=FILTER(2015-01-01)


text:
While asking on the OCaml mailing list about the relative merits of our HLVM project, David McClain described a computation that he had been required to perform in the context of scientific computing in the past:
"I remember dealing with stacks of images taken from an infrared imaging sensor -- perhaps 256 images, each of which is, say 512 x 512 pixels. I needed to obtain median pixel values from the stack and produce one median image..."
This problem is easily solved in both OCaml and F# using idiomatic functional programming. For example, the following is a one-line solution written in OCaml:
Array.map (Array.map (fun gs -> Array.sort compare gs; gs.(m/2))) images
This simply sorts each pixel's sequence into non-descending order and extracts the middle (median) pixel, mapped across the columns and then the rows of the image.
This tiny implementation solves David's example with 226 pixels in 32 seconds, which is fast enough for many applications. However, the performance of this OCaml implementation is heavily degraded by the extensive use of polymorphism at every stage because the current OCaml implementation uses static compilation that can handle polymorphism at run-time and, consequently, requires a uniform run-time representation of all types. This leads to the tagging of integers (which is why OCaml has a 31-bit int type) and the boxing of other types such as float into separate heap-allocated values, both of which are extremely inefficient. This general execution model is always used even if type information is statically available. The only workaround is to inline the Array.sort and Array.map functions by hand.
Fortunately, this inefficiency can be overcome by using Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation instead of static compilation and partially specializing polymorphism away before JIT compilation. This is the intended design for polymorphism in HLVM and the inspiration was drawn from Microsoft's excellent implementation of the CLR.
Consequently, the equivalent F# program is 100× faster than the OCaml:
images |> Array2D.map (fun xs -> Array.sortInPlaceWith compare xs; xs.[m/2])
Moreover, the Task Parallel Library makes it easy to parallelize this implemention to improve the performance even further:
Parallel.For(0, n, fun y ->
for x=0 to n-1 do
Array.sortInPlaceWith compare images.[y, x])
images |> Array2D.map (fun xs -> xs.[m/2])
This parallel implementation is a whopping 821× faster than the OCaml and, in fact, is a superlinear speedup with respect to the 8 cores because it is able to split the data across more caches.


text:
Waiting for pink explosion – GelaSkins
GelaSkins are removable covers for protecting and customizing your portable devices. Stand out in the crowd with personalized protection from GelaSkins.
Now also available as tough, snap-on cases for iPhone.
Available at GelaSkins.com
Patented 3M adhesive make GelaSkins easy to apply with no residue left behind. The adhesive allows you to reposition the skin so you can easily get a perfect fit.
GelaSkins defend your device with a durable anti-scratch and anti-UV coating.
Tags: Cases, GelaSkins, Phones, Skins, waiting for pink explosiontop


text:
The League
Season Four - Episode Descriptions
Episode 12 - "A Krampus Carol" (Airs December 20, 10:30 pm e/p) - Andre and Trixie's relationship is put to the test. Jenny and Pete make special offerings to Shiva. Rupert Ruxin (Jeff Goldblum) has a gift for his son while Taco challenges the Mall Santa. Written by Jeff Schaffer & Jackie Marcus Schaffer; directed by Jeff Schaffer.


text:
Contact UsCSTB500 Fifth Street NWWashington, DCPhone: (202) 334-2605Fax: (202) 334-2318E-mail: email@example.com
Follow CSTB on Facebook and Twitter
CSTB is a part of the Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences.
Sign up for the DEPS newsletter.
Project Scope
This project will examine technical opportunities and trends in networked embedded computing -- the interconnection of microprocessors within dedicated devices for control or communications purposes. It will identify emergent opportunities and applications and plot key research directions to be pursued. In doing so, the study will develop a working definition of embedded computing, examine the range of applications in which networked embedded computers may be used; identify enabling technologies, and develop a research agenda for pursuing work in this field. The project is expected to help guide the development of federal programs in networked embedded computing and to help the research community sort through the range of technical challenges it faces.
Committee Members
Deborah L. Estrin, ChairProfessorComputer Science Department/ISIUniversity of Southern CaliforniaGaetano BorrielloProf. and Associate Chair for Educational ProgramsDept. of Computer Science & EngineeringUniversity of WashingtonRobert P. ColwellDirectorIA32 ArchitectureIntel CorporationJerry FiddlerChairman of the BoardWind River SystemsMark HorowitzProfessorStanford UniversityWilliam J. KaiserPresident and CEOSensoria CorporationNancy G. LevesonProfessor of Aerospace Information Systems and Software EngineeringDepartment of Aeronautics and AstronauticsMassachusetts Institute of Technology
Lynette I. Millett, Program Officer (Study Director after August 2000)Jerry Sheehan, Senior Program Officer (Study Director through August 2000)Suzanne Ossa, Senior Project AssistantMarjory S. Blumenthal, Executive Director
National Institute of Standards and TechnologyDefense Advanced Research Projects Agency


text:
ALEX Toys Alex Jr. Busy Tot
by ALEX Toys
Please check your favorite toy retailer for availability. Prices may vary.
Buy Online:
Product Description
An activity triangle that's fun to play with as they learn and grow. A sturdy, solid wood base provides support for little ones as they learn to sit and stand. Bright colors and bold graphics draw attention and smiles! Four sides of activity with dozens of moving parts stimulate through color and shapes. Blocks that spin with colorful designs help children learn relationships: sun turns to clouds, door is to house, apple is to tree, and many more. A large mirror for exploring facial expressions and pegs that easily move when pushed along a squiggly line provide even more active fun and learning concepts.
There are no reviews yet.


text: Hey, what's hot with the kids right now? Music games, that's what. Particularly the ones where you hit buttons in time with scrolling cues. It's into this receptive market, then, that PM Studios will be publishing DJ Max Fever, with the Korean fave (Fever is a mix of DJ Max Portable and DJ Max 2) due to receive its first ever American release on November 11. If you're a fan of the series, and have been stuck importing it until now, this is good news! If you've never seen nor heard of it, and the idea of Guitar Hero-but-for-DJs-on-a-PSP sounds great, be warned: it's really, really hard. DJ Max Fever Announced [IGN]


text:
No items in the cart.
Refresh your knitwear with punchy colour palettes.
Shop women's
Comfort is confidence
Explore the campaign
15% off* skincare, bodycare & haircare
Shop now
*Selected lines.
20% off*
Shop home
Save €25 when you spend €90 or more
Shop the offer
Keep up with the growth spurts with our value kids range that's kind on your bank balance.
Celebrate the day of love with gifts to fall for.
Shop Valentine's
up to half price*
Shop electricals
Holiday shop
Shop brands A-Z
FREE Standard Delivery on orders €30 or over
FREE Delivery on all Click & Collect orders
Next Day Delivery Find out more
Phase Eight, Party & going out, black
34 products
€35 - 45
€45 - 55
€55 and over
50% and over
30% - 50%
Under 30%


text:
Dutch Sky - Colour Modes II
Mezovská Livia, MgA.
Dutch Sky - Colour Modes II, 2014
60 x 80 cm
silkscreen on paper
About the artist
born in 1985, Piestany, Slovakia
2009 - 2011 Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, Slovakia, Studio of Free Printmaking of prof. Robert Jancovic, akad. mal.
2006 - 2009 Academy of Fine Arts Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, Studio of Free Printmaking of doc. Igor Benca, akad. mal.
2008 The Eufeniusz Geppert Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw, Poland, Studio of Serigraph Printing of prof. nzw. Cristopher Nowicki
Solo Exhibitions:
2015 'Landscapes', Magma Gallery, Piestany, Slovakia
2013 'Untitled', Art Foundation B93, Enschede, Netherlands
2012 'Natural Graphics', Amsterdams Grafisch Atelier, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2011 'Running Away', Kulturpark, Kosice, Slovakia
Group exhibitions:
2013 'The Jubilee Exhibition', Amsterdams Grafisch Atelier, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2013 '116th Anniversary Exhibition of SSA', The Royal Scottish Academy, Edinbourgh, UK
2013 'Re-View', Stredoslovenska Gallery, Banska Bystrica, Slovakia
2012 'Assimilation vs. Original', Gallery of Slovkian Art Union, Bratislava, Slovakia
2011 'Tally-ho', Nitrianska Gallery, Nitra, Slovakia
From the same artist
50 x 70 cm
30 x 42 cm
You might like
50 x 100 cm
23 x 20 cm
70 x 100 cm


text:
Fashion's Night Out Denver: Models, shows and shopping galore
It might have taken Denver area retailers a couple of years to jump on the Fashion's Night Out bandwagon, but judging from last evening's parties, shows and crowds, it looks like they have become FNO fans.
The biggest local bash had to have been at Cherry Creek North, where hundreds of people gathered on Fillmore Plaza for an open-air fashion show featuring outfits from eight stores in the neighborhood. (See the slide show here.) Guests who anted up a minimum of $60 had VIP access to bars, food and seating along the 88-foot runway, while free viewing was available from the sides.
"It was the longest runway I've ever done a show on," said Dahlia Weinstein, who along with Charlie Price, John Tobey and the CCN staff worked on the logistics for the evening. The production included 38 models, seven sets of hairdressers and makeup artists, an LED screen as a backdrop, Denise Plante as the host and a soundtrack that was heavy on 1980s tunes from such bands as the Eurthymics, Duran Duran and Blondie.
The show kicked off with 15 kids hitting the runway in looks from Little Me's. Brands included Paul & Joe and Nicole Miller, and the models wore shoes provided by Little Feet.
Then it was on to the adult portion of the show, and we mean that literally. The presentation began with a lingerie segment of five models in scanty bras and panties, silky nightclothes and other lacy looks from SOL Store of Lingerie. With the audience fully attentive, it was on to the rest of the looks: sportswear and dresses from Alicia the Boutique, Garbarini and Eccentricity; designer men's and women's wear from Lawrence Covell; cocktail clothes from Mariel; furs from Marks-Lloyd; and wedding gowns from Felice. Oster Jewelers accessories were worn with the bridal wear and lingerie.
The VIP part of the event was a hit, with all 500 tickets sold, according to Mike Blake, marketing director for Cherry Creek North. Based on the big turnout and positive feedback, they plan to make FNO an annual happening. "Many guests said Cherry Creek North's show compared with ones they've seen in much larger fashion cities," said Julie Underdahl, president and CEO of the district. "On Monday, we begin work on making next year's event even better."
Earlier in the evening at Park Meadows, 200 swag bags full of samples and discount coupons were snapped up within the first few minutes of the promotion, said Brittin Karaffa, the mall's marketing manager. At the Beauty Lounge, black-clad makeup artists and hairstylists were busy applying eye shadow and lipstick and lending hair help to patrons. The center also had set up displays of "Style Closets" featuring current fall merchandise selected by fashion blogger Glorianna Schinagl. Four themes – Sporty Stylist, Classic Cover Girl, Glamour Goddess and Fearless Fashionista – were featured, with merchandise from stores to go with each on display.
Two fashion shows were held featuring fall looks from such stores as The Children's Place, Dillard's, Eddie Bauer, Sundance and Soft Surroundings.
In between those shows was a segment that has become one of the more fun and entertaining aspects of the night, the Show us Your Style competition. Anyone 18 and old can sign up and compete for $500 or $250 prizes by walking the runway and having their outfit judged.
More than 40 people took the stroll last night, and the one who emerged as the top prize winner was 23-year-old Lexie Spiranac. She was the epitome of preppy chic in an outfit that included stretch khaki jeans from Gap, a navy blazer from Macy's, a plaid shirt she said she found in the boys' department at Target and Steve Madden wedge-heeled lace ups. Looking a little like Jenna Lyons, the creative director at J.Crew, Spiranac said she loves casual, classic style. She owns a froyo parlor in Colorado Springs, Buttercup's Frozen Yogurt.
Second place went to Yuliya Surina, 41, who wore a fur vest over a lace blouse and trousers. And because she also showed great style, the judges asked management for an addition prize for Deja Ames, 25. The stay-at-home mother of two was given an Aveda gift certificate for wearing an on-trend outfit that included a gold Rag & Bone dress and patterned tights.
With all the fashion inspiration on the runways and stores offering specials, it was a good night to shop as well. And some Park Meadows stores are continuing their promotions through the weekend. Eddie Bauer is offering 50 percent off one regular price item through Saturday. Merchants in Cherry Creek North are offering bounceback discounts for return customers.


text:
MARIETTA, Ga. -- Usually when a kid is phenomenal at a sport, he will tell you it is his life; eat, sleep, drink baseball. For Bryce Carter, he is more than just a talent on the field.
Carter is from Tulsa, Okla. and attends Cascia Hall Preparatory where he plays baseball, basketball and football.
"I've played (baseball, basketball and football) since I was a little kid." explained Carter. "Since I could start walking (I was) picking up a bat, throwing a football, anything. I'm a really big sports fan. I'm glad that my favorite one I'm going to be able to play in college."
Carter was offered a scholarship from Stanford University, one of the strongest academic institutions in the nation, and has verbally commited to play ball there after he graduates in 2014.
"Ever since I was little I always wanted to play college baseball, and as we progressed and as that dream started to become a possibility my parents really stressed on how the education was No. 1 because baseball only goes on for so long," said Carter about his decision to commit to Stanford. "I talked to many schools and tried to get with the academics ones.
"I called up Stanford when I was a sophomore and they said 'oh yeah we're watching you as well so keep up the good work.' Things progressed (and) our relationship got better, and this past year they offered me a scholarship."
The 6-foot-1 195-pound catcher has been impressing since he was a freshman. Carter hit 11 home runs his first year at Cascia Hall Preparatory.
"I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to play as a freshman," added Carter. "I had a few good pitches here and there and I had some good guys hitting around me, which helped out a lot because I got a few more fastballs to hit."
Carter has been participating in Perfect Game events since 2011. He most recently took part in the 2013 National Showcase which took place in early June where he was the only player to hit a home run during game action.
"That was actually one of the coolest experiences I've had, playing in the Metrodome," said Carter about his experience at the National Showcase. "You don't get to do that every day. Also going there and seeing every big talent, every big name possible was interesting to play against them. I was fortunate enough to play really well that week which made the experience even better."
He also competed in the Rawlings Home Run Challenge.
"That was an experience, that was awesome," added Carter. "I really enjoyed staying after. It was a little relaxed from all the serious time with the scouts. It was just a time where you could go out, the scouts put their books down, and it was just all the guys that made it and we just had fun out there."
Carter is now playing with the Dallas Tigers Hernandez in the WWBA 17u National Championship. He's been playing with this team for a few years and is the only kid on the team from Okla., whereas everyone else is from Texas.
"At first it was a little intimidating because I was 15 when I first started with this team," said Carter about being the only kid not from Texas on his team. "But the guys on this team are great. Our team camaraderie and togetherness is good. They brought me into the family like I was one of them and since it's been great."
"He's a team leader," added Head Coach Tommy Hernandez, "(He's) a really good ball player, (and) catcher/first baseman. (He's) a very solid individual, a great student, a great kid, (and has) a great family. Everybody has a role on this team and he fits his role perfectly, he's a middle of the line-up guy and a fabulous catcher."
Although Carter is committed to play baseball at Stanford, he dreams of the big leagues just like every other baseball player.
"Obviously, that's the ultimate goal," said Carter about going to the Majors. "I have not talked to any pro scouts yet. I've kind of focused on college first because that is the first step in going on in the future. I hope to one day be talking to those guys (whether) it's at the end of this year or the end of three more years"
Carter is just as great off the field as he is on the field according to Hernandez.
"Off the field he's a great teammate, and the kids love him. (He has) a great personality, (and he's) really mature for his age," said Hernandez, "He's going to be a great asset to any college, pro team or office he may be working for. He'll probably end up working for himself, he's that kind of kid."
Carter has goals that go beyond just baseball.
"I want to get my degree, and I want to attempt to be an engineer. I know it's very difficult to do with baseball, but I'm a math and science guy; it's how I'm wired. I just hope I can continue on and be an engineer, get my degree, and if baseball doesn't pan out, I'll be a successful businessperson and go on from there."


text:
UAE Sheikh in Crazy Torture Tape
Look what has 'surfaced:' a video of the brother of the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates torturing a man. The torturer's brother is a great friend to NYU!
The torturer in the video is UAE Royal Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan. His brother is the Interior Minister, and his other brother is the head of the country, Sheikh Mohammed. He's the man whose name is plastered on NYU's Abu Dhabi campus, because he paid for it.
NYU and its Abu Dhabi partners share important perspectives — a mindfulness of history, but a focus on the future; a belief that the evolving global dynamic will bring about the emergence of a set of world centers of intellectual, cultural, and educational strength, great magnets that will draw people of talent and talent-based enterprises (business, educational, and cultural)
NYU President John Sexton's great friend and money source, the crown prince is! This video, obtained by ABC News, shows the crown prince's brother torturing a man, allegedly because he cheated him on a grain deal. He shoves sand in his mouth, shoots a gun next to him, beats him, puts salt in his wounds, and runs him over with his SUV. Not shown in the clip is this part: "He uses an electric cattle prod against the man's testicles and inserts it in his anus. At another point, as the man wails in pain, the Sheikh pours lighter fluid on the man's testicles and sets them aflame."
The torturer won't be prosecuted, because the matter was "settled privately," and the government said "all rules, policies and procedures were followed correctly by the Police Department."


text:
My interest in Ceramics began when I was introduced to clay as an art student. Although I trained as a potter/painter and teacher, the urge to continue working with this fascinating and very versatile material has remained with me. Over the years I have worked in a variety of ways with various types of clay. The main body of my work is hand-building, with most of the emphasis on a sculptural rather than utilitarian way of working.
Current themes have evolved from 1997 onwards. Ideas are developed from both natural and man-made forms. Textures and the apparent effects of the elements and time upon the forms are of paramount importance to me, to try and achieve a timeless contemplative feeling which hopefully encourages the handling of the work.
Reduction fired to 1280 C and in some cases polished post firing with abrasives. In many instances much of it is reworked with oxides and glazes and if necessary re-fired until I am satisfied with the result.
Scale varies, but is generally large and is principally suited to outdoor display
Current work is principally hand-built one-off pieces. Coiling, slabbing and pinching both large and small scale mainly using Crank clay with the addition of porcelain, slips, oxides and dry and semi-matt glazes.
Direct Sales
- Mainly from Ceramic shows, also Cambridge Studio weekends.
- From the workshop, subject to availability.
Gas fired top loader kiln LPG. Mainly reduction fired 1280 C Much of the work is unglazed, relying very much on the textural quality of the clay, slips, oxides and the use of post-firing polishing with abrasives. Some use is made of matt and semi-matt glazes but this is mainly used on the smaller pieces of work.
Trained at Bath Academy of Art Corsham.Taught Art in schools 1957-74.
Lecturer in Ceramics Saffron Walden College of Education until closure 1977.
Set up own workshop initially wholesaling work but eventually moved into direct retailing with hand-built and thrown ware. During the early eighties also taught 3D design to Foundation students at St.Albans College of Art.
Since 1998 have concentrated on individual sculptural work.
Fellow Society of Designer Craftsmen, Professional member Craft Potters Association, Selected member East Anglian Potters Association, Member Essex Craft Society, Norfolk Contemporary Craft Soc.
Burton Art Gallery, Devon.
Bow House Gallery, Barnet.
C21 Norfolk
Dallas Workshops
DFN New York
Guildenburgh Gallery, Peterborough
Gallery Upstairs, Warwickshire
Perse School, Cambridge
Anglia Potters - Ely and Cambridge
Soc. Des. Crafts, Mall Gallery, London
Soc. Des. Crafts, Chelsea, London
CPA at 50, Gallery at Bevere, Worcs.
Solo exhibition Wimpole Hall, Cambs.
Berg Apton Scuplture trail, Norfolk
Bevere Gallery, Worcs.
Art de Jardin, Rutland
Outside Art 09
The Dolby Gallery, Uppingham
The Sanctuary, Notts.
Art in the Garden, Cambridge


text:
Electrical Distribution
Extensive offers for low voltage electrical distribution
Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management, offers solutions to help customers make energy safer, more reliable, efficient and productive. In this area, you'll find our extensive collection of electrical products for the distribution, protection, control and management of electrical systems in low voltage environments.
Our world-class, time-proven electrical products include circuit breakers, switches, meters, enclosures and switchboards. Our products and solutions are designed and built to help individuals and organisations make the most of their energy.


text:
Saturday, November 3, 2012
To pleather or not to pleather?
9 comments:
Olivia always looks so stunning!! Great trend.ReplyDelete
Love from South Africa
I love this look and think you could totally rock it! You have such a great figure, key is I probably wouldn't spend too much money on a pair. I have been eyeing the Club Monaco Pair too, love them!ReplyDelete
I love this look and OP can do no wrong! GP looks fabulous too. I'm going to give it a try (and pray no one laughs at my old self) but how fun for datenight! I'm loving the rock'n'roll vibe.ReplyDelete
I love this look too but you have to find the right pair, some just look so cheap once you get them on. I know you can totally pull off this lookReplyDelete
LOVE IT. I actually ordered some during Shopbop's sale and LOVED them but wasn't sure it was actually going to fit my lifestyle. I can see going out in them...but not running around town in them. Plus, the "pleather" jeans have to be dry cleaned which is another added expense I hadn't realized.ReplyDelete
I actually just bought a pair from Zara, and love the way they look, but can't decide if I'll actually wear them. I'm thinking they'll be perfect for our LA weekend, but I'm just not sure if they'll be realistic for "real life" wear. I'm going to try them on with a few more outfits and try to make the decision soon. I think you can totally pull them off!ReplyDelete
its great to wear for dinner out and holiday parties. not so much when dropping off my 5 yr old at school - LOL!ReplyDelete
I have some and wear them all the time! Gp Pleather :)ReplyDelete
I am a fan of this look, but I think the key is to find a pair that fit perfectly which i a bit of a hunt.ReplyDelete
Stay in the Lines


text:
The ranking, reported this month in CNNMoney, is based on the percentage of students who graduated within three years or transferred to four-year colleges.
"To be in the nation's top three on such a list is an extraordinary accomplishment and a great reflection of the faculty and staff who serve our students," said USU Eastern Chancellor Joe Peterson. "This is a special college with a lot of heart. We think it has everything to do with why our students go on to achieve success."
The survey, conducted by College Measures, a joint venture of the American Institutes of Research and Matrix Knowledge Group, compiled a success rating chart for CNNMoney to help students find the best options. USU Eastern tied with Victor Valley College with an 84 percent success rating.
USU Eastern, with campuses in Price and Blanding, is a two-year, comprehensive regional college and a part of nationally ranked Utah State University.
The two institutions, with a combined educational heritage of 200 years, officially merged in July, 2010. It marked the first time in the state's history that two institutions of higher education joined forces.
According to Peterson, the merger symbolizes an important change in the way the state views its existing universities and colleges. Not all of these institutions necessarily need to operate independent of one another. In some cases, institutions and communities benefit when resources are combined.
He said he has no doubt that is the case with the merger of Utah State University and the College of Eastern Utah.
It is a model that Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr. praised during a commencement address at the college in April. He said he pushed for the merger while he was governor and continues to watch with great interest the resulting progress.
Peterson said the union with USU has bolstered the college and benefitted students who are on track for upper-division studies to more seamlessly make the transition from a two-year to a four-year experience.
He said USU's great strength is its state-wide educational mission as Utah's only land-grant university, while USU Eastern's strong suit is its regional focus on foundational education and job-training. The two combined schools complement each other's far – and near – vision in a way that was not possible before.


text:
All Play, No Pay, Artists Rally for Radio Royalties
Music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora pay musicians every time they play their songs, but radio stations don't have to. That's the way it has always been, under the rationale that radio airplay benefits artists in other ways. But Congressmen Jerry Nadler (D-NY) called it unfair to artists.


text:
Classroom Kids Valentine's Day Cards
Give your kids Valentine's Day cards a personal touch this year, with custom-made cards featuring a photo and/or their name. These one-of-a-kind cards will be the talk of the classroom!
Kids will love handing out these classroom valentines from Pear Tree because they can be absolutely sure no one else at school will have them! Personalized with photos and words of your choosing, you create classroom valentines in minutes that not only fit your child's personality, but also add a personal touch to the tradition of exchanging valentine.
Some of our designs let you add your child's photo with a simple message. Our interactive classroom valentines include lollipop holders, finger puppets and a paper airplane that kids can fold, for lots of fun ways to say "Be Mine." We also have a collection of Valentine's Day personalized stickers and gift tags for Valentine's Day that you can use to personalize treats and hand those out in place of classroom valentines.
At Pear Tree, valentines are not just for kids. When you want to share hugs and kisses and cute photos with the ones you love, you'll want to shop our Valentine's Day photo cards. With dozens of designs that make it easy to say, "Somebody loves you," Pear Tree brings new meaning to Valentine's Day. Don't forget the matching Valentine's Day address labels.
Most of our classroom valentines are printed on our signature card stock made from 100% recycled material, while our photo strip valentines are printed on photo paper. Both are surprisingly affordable for custom valentines your kids will love. Don't settle for the same old off-the-shelf valentines this year. Personalize your own custom valentines at Pear Tree and you can be sure they'll be the best in class.


text:
Shameless Rossum
Hollywood rapes all good things. Emmy Rossum sugar rapes every good thing. And some assholes in Hollywood have decided to let Rossum rape Shameless. Yes. It's an American version of the show for Showtime which will star William H Macy as the Gallagher patriarch and Emmy sodding Rossum as …FIONA.
If you know Shameless you love Shameless, and in loving Shameless I know you must feel the same way. Violent. She makes me feel violent. And now even more so. Because she'll be violating a beloved British import – THIS IS A CRIME, motherf-cker.
I don't need to tell you that Shameless launched James McAvoy. It's where he met his wife Anne-Marie Duff who, yes, was Fiona. And now Fiona's legacy is being doused in saccharine and reduced to sh-t.
I hate people.
Let's feel better with a new round of Would You Rather Rossum, shall we?
Would You Rather:
Be friends with Emmy Rossum, allowing her to sing at you at least once a day
Star in a porn video featuring Jon Gosselin with Ed Hardy tats all over your back.
Before you choose, remember what she sounds like:
Porn. Tats. No doubt.
Source. Thanks Kristina.
Photo from Wenn.com


text:
how whould it be if one of the database engines would be included in the system to handle e.g. ini files such as os2.ini and os2sys.ini?
I guess that the ini procedures that are available now has been based on some early db strategy, why not extend it futher?!
A "problem" though is that the engines MySQL and PostgreSQL produce alot of files and not a tidy one that conatin all the info as Sybase SQL Anywhere that's much better at that, a neat and tidy database.db and the optional database.log if one want to.
Guess that users would be more interested to try them out and see to that they're up to date. Use of it togheter with OpenOffice apps, web servers and of course ordinary database apps wouldn't hurt either. I'm sure there are many more possible ways to use such a solution then.


text:
Holiday Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport North
Holiday Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport North
1515 North 44th Street
1515 North 44th Street
Phoenix, Arizona
United States
Check In: 3PM
Check Out: 12PM
Check-in Age: 21
Book With Us Advantage
- Best Price Guarantee
We promise you access to the guaranteed best available prices, or your first night is free.
- Online Reservation Guarantee
Your room is guaranteed.
- No Booking Fees!
We do not charge any booking fees for making reservations directly with us.
- Data Privacy and Site Security
IHG takes your privacy seriously and works to protect you. All personal information you provide is encrypted and secure.
Welcome to Holiday Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport North
Closest all-suite hotel to PHX sky harbor airport with free airport transportation
Conveniently located just over 3 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, and within minutes from the Metro Light Rail, downtown Phoenix, Tempe and Scottsdale. Our beautiful non-smoking all suites hotel is minutes from Chase Field, Talking Stick Resort Arena and the Phoenix Zoo. Our modern design offers a plethora of amenities and features our luxurious new bedding, free Wi-Fi, and microwaves and mini refrigerators in all rooms. Also offering 21-full kitchen Extended Stay Suites.
Burger Theory, featuring a gourmet burger concept and a variety of local craft beers. Also serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and room service.
Our lush courtyard has a newly renovated pool, whirlpool and gazebo. Our 11,000 square feet of meeting space can comfortably accommodate up to 200 people. Our convenient location places you minutes from Papago Park Golf Course, Pueblo Grande Indian Museum, the Arizona Diamondbacks Baseball, Herberger Theater, Orpheum Theater, Phoenix Convention Center, Arizona State University (ASU), Tempe Town Lake, Old Town Scottsdale, Casino Arizona, University of Phoenix Stadium (Arizona Cardinal Football), Phoenix International Raceway (PIR), minutes from the TPC Golf Course (home of the Phoenix Open) and a variety of local restaurants, shopping and entertainment.
Kids Stay and Eat Free
Kids ages 18 and under stay for free when sharing their parents' room. Up to four kids ages 11 and under eat free any time of the day in any Holiday Inn® on-site restaurant.
|Kids Stay Free
|Kids Eat Free
|United States, Canada, Central America, South America, Mexico, Caribbean
|18 and Under
|11 and Under
Free High-Speed Internet
Standard Wireless Internet service is included for all guests.
Shuttle/ Parking
- Car Parking Available
- Complimentary Daily Self-Parking is available
- We have 229 parking spaces located around the property to conveniently accomodate complimentary in house guest parking. We will happily extend guest's parking beyond their stay for $5.00 a day.
Pet Policy
- Pets allowed
- Service Animals Allowed
- Pets Walking Area Available
- Pet Deposit per Stay: 50 USD
- Pet Fee per Night: 50 USD
- Pets that weigh less than 25 pounds are welcome, with a maximum of 2 pets per room. A 50 dollars nonrefundable pet deposit per pet per stay will be applied. Specific first floor rooms have been designated for guests travelling with pets.
Languages Spoken by Staff
Credit Cards
- American Express
- Visa
- MasterCard
- Diners Club
- Carte Blanche
- Discover
- Smoke-Free Facility
- Number of Floors: 4
- Total Number of Rooms: 228
- Number of Suites: 228
- Number of Non-Smoking Rooms: 228
- Number of Accessible Rooms: 10
- Connecting Rooms Available
- Public Entrance
- Guest Rooms
- Elevators
- Public Restrooms
- Registration Desk
- Exercise Facility
- Business Center
- Pool
- Number of Accessible Meeting Rooms: 10
Accessible Hotel Areas
- Registration Area
- Accessible Guest Rooms
- Business Center
- Meeting Room
- Exercise Facility
- Pool
Hotel Areas with Accessible Routes from Accessible Public Entrance
- Accessible Self-Parking
- Van Accessible Self Parking
- Ramp Access
- Closed Caption TVs
- Telephone with TDD
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Guest Rooms
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Public Spaces
- Communication Kits with Visual Alarms
Provided by Hotel


text:
Working moms spend less time daily on kids' diet, exercise, study finds
When it comes to cooking, grocery shopping and playing with children, American moms with full-time jobs spend roughly three-and-half fewer hours per day on these and other chores related to their children's diet and exercise compared to stay-at-home and unemployed mothers, reports a new paper by a Cornell University health economist.
Male partners do little to make up the deficit: Employed fathers devote just 13 minutes daily to such activities and non-working fathers contribute 41 minutes, finds the study, which will be printed in the December issue of Economics and Human Biology and is posted online at http://bit.ly/NxDohy
The findings are consistent across socio-economic lines measured by the mothers' education, family income, race and ethnicity.
To make up for this time deficit, working mothers are significantly more likely to spend time purchasing prepared foods – takeout from restaurants or prepackaged, ready-to-eat meals from grocery stores – which are generally less nutritious than home-cooked meals.
"It's inaccurate to pin rising childhood obesity rates on women, given that husbands pick up so little of the slack," cautioned lead author John Cawley, professor of policy analysis and management and of economics at Cornell's College of Human Ecology.
The study does not prove that employment alone drives the way mothers spends their time. "For example, mothers who choose to work might be those who enjoy cooking less and who would cook less whether working or not," Cawley said.
He added that working mothers produce additional benefits for children such as more money to provide for family needs.
"It's important to remember that we can take steps to enhance childhood nutrition and physical activity without advocating that women exit the workforce," Cawley said. For instance, the authors argue, parents should be better educated about the nutritional content of restaurant and prepackaged foods. "In order to make more informed decisions, consumers need to have nutrition and calorie information available where they buy their food," said Cawley, who noted that federal health care reform rules will soon require chain and fast-food restaurants nationwide to post calorie counts of the foods they sell.
Cawley noted that schools shoulder a greater burden for supporting healthy lifestyles.
"Our findings underscore the importance of schools offering high-quality foods and physical education classes," he said. "In general, the Institute of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are urging comprehensive changes in school environments to promote healthy eating and active living."
Explore further


text:
|Los Gatos, Calif.
|High School:
|Los Gatos
|House Affiliation:
at Harvard
2012: Made first collegiate start in the opener against San Diego and had four catches for 58 yards ... Had three catches for 59 yards at Brown ... Became the fourth Harvard player with three TD receptions in a game when he did so on the team's first three possessions against Cornell while finishing the game with 10 catches for 132 yards to earn Ivy League Honor Roll honors ... Had three catches for 36 yards and a TD against Columbia ... Had six catches for 70 yards and a touchdown in a win over Yale.
2011: Appeared in nine games and eanred a Major H. Had a 19-yard reception in a win at Columbia.
2010: Appeared in one game at Princeton.
High School:
Lettered in football and basketball at Los Gatos High School … Captain of football team as a senior and was named the school's Senior Athlete of the Year … School record holder for most receiving yards and touchdowns in a single season … Compiled two-year totals of 114 receptions for 2,514 yards and 35 touchdowns while also intercepting seven passes as a defensive back … Northern California Outstanding Scholar-Athlete awards by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame … GoldenStatePreps.com first team NorCal selection … Second team all-state selection ... Two-time San Jose Mercury News first team All-Santa Clara County … Two-time Central Coast Section champion … Two-time All-SCVAL … Two-time San Francisco Chronicle All-Metro … Four-time Principal's Scholar … Earned school's senior scholar-athlete award ... California Scholarship Federation Life member ... 2009 team MVP and Scholar-Athlete awards.


text:
Target Dining Table
Published by midcenturyobsession
My love for midcentury surfaced after inheriting a couple pieces of my very fashionable grandmother's MCM furniture. I'd always loved clean lines...and became obsessed. I'm currently in the process of purchasing my family's forever home in beautiful Washington state, which will be our (my) biggest renovation project yet. I am the wife of a Dubliner, the mother of two adorable boys and a clownish Frenchie named Pearl. I've lived all over Southern California, Dallas, Texas and relocated to Bainbridge Island, WA to escape the heat, crowds and soak up the nature and MCM. View all posts by midcenturyobsession


text:
If you have a blog, someone (usually claiming to be a freelance writer) has approached you to write guests posts for your blog. They claim they just want to help you with free content or they want help promoting their career. Warning: It's a trap, and you're going to get screwed. How? Because most of […]
Tag Archives: banned from Google
Get My Newsletter
We will never, ever release your email.
*Third-party newsletter (Privacy Policy)
*Third-party newsletter (Privacy Policy)
Work With Me
Learn to get people talking about your company, cause, or idea.
Learn more >>
We're the community for social media leaders at the world's greatest brands. Learn more >>
Learn about my keynote speeches >>


text:
- Home
- Editor's Desk
- Features
- Columns
- Arts & Culture
- Special Editions
- Advertising
Saturday January 25, 2020; 07:53 am EST
With trial and error, we've found what trees thrive — and which die — in Chesapeake Country's dense soil
My husband and I have planted more than our share of trees in the soil of Chesapeake Country. We are not arborists by any means, but we have always wanted to plant trees. A cottage in Shady Side gave us opportunity, inspiration and a flat former cornfield, altitude eight feet, just a few hundred feet from the West River.
Over the past 12 years, we have dug wide holes in the yellow clay and put in probably 120 trees. At least half have died, due to drought, deer damage or our irrational optimism.
But the saplings that have survived are starting to caliper up and look like real trees. I share our failures and successes in hopes of saving you money and disappointment.
Now is a good time of year to plant a tree. Cool air temperatures, still-warm soil and lots of rain give the new transplants a fair chance to settle in before the spring growing season. You'll also get a good price; many nurseries have them on sale to put in your hands for overwinter care.
Miss Hazel's Dawn Redwood
Back in 2000, my husband and I fell in love with a 50-year-old cottage on two and a half level acres. It had a circle of big red maples and a huge dawn redwood shading the south side of the house.
The dawn redwood was an exotic surprise. This dinosaur of a tree had been rediscovered in a remote Chinese valley in the 1940s, just before our house was built. Ten or so years later, following a dangerous expedition into the Szechuan interior by a botanist and a San Francisco newspaperman, the trees were made commercially available in this country. My father, an old China hand, had planted a few, as had many another adventurous American tree lover with adequate space. Ours flourished.
Clearly the owners of our modest but solid acquisition, described by neighbors as Miss Hazel's place, had also been paying attention to the tree nursery news of the 1950s.
The remaining trees on our land were mostly tough natives — hollies, willow oaks, silver and red maples and of course cedars — planted in rows to accommodate the riding mower.
Baking South County summers made us grateful to the thrifty tree scouts who, half a century ago, dug up, thoughtfully placed and unfailingly mowed around the hardy trees shading our Shady Side home, and splurged on that one store-bought Paleocene transplant. They left us lots of open space to play with, which inspired us to expand the trees before handing the land over to its next proprietors.
Our big expanse of lawn is now dotted with adolescent natives and a few imports that will provide wildlife habitat, evergreen structure, architectural interest or a color contrast to the dark-green woodsy backdrop. To keep the wide open feeling of the lot — and our big piece of sky — we have stopped planting, except for an annual live Christmas tree.
The Living and the Dead
Our first investment was two additional dawn redwoods. They had a difficult time during the three years of drought that started about five years ago. Both dropped their needles at the end of August, and we thought they were dead. But the next spring they had recovered. In a good moist year these trees can go up three to four feet, topping out at over 150 feet. The heavy clay doesn't seem to faze them.
Their native relative, the bald cypress, has also done well for us. This, too, is a deciduous conifer that doesn't mind wet clay or drought; we have a weeping form as well as the standard type. It doesn't grow as fast or as tall as the dawn redwood, and it loves to be near a pond, which sets it off to advantage.
Next we put in three white Jacquemontii birches. All died within a few years due to drought and defoliation by Japanese beetles. If you want a birch, go with the beautiful native river birch, preferably Heritage, which is fast-growing. Ours hasn't shown any deleterious effects from those three dry years.
Inspired by Italian landscapes, we put in five Lombardy poplars along the road. This was doubtless a mistake, as we discovered too late, since they are subject to a canker that kills them prematurely, as well as many other shortcomings. One, top-heavy, blew over in a storm. We were lucky to get help from two very handy neighbors with a come-along to winch it upright. After that, my husband cut them all off halfway up.
The chopped-off trunks were a favored platform for birds' nests. The poplars recovered briskly from that insulting setback and are thriving, 25 feet tall after 12 years, despite being out of fashion and out of favor. But you can see the skeletons of many dead Lombardies in Chesapeake Country.
Our one blue spruce declined slowly and finally gave up, along with a blue atlas cedar and five deodars. We have one blue atlas cedar and a deodar lingering, but they are clearly miserable. Don't bother with these. If you want something evergreen and silvery blue, go with the Arizona cypress. There are several named kinds (Blue Ice is one), and they are all tough as nails and seem hardy here despite doubts at some nurseries. None of our four has quailed at our adverse conditions.
Male deer have killed or injured many of our saplings by rubbing their antlers against the trunks in fall. We lost a yellowwood (Cladrastis kentuckea) this way, as well as a tupelo, two Virginia pines and a weeping cherry. The tupelo, yellowwood and pines, all native, were doing very well before these attacks, so I would try those again. We now wrap and stake the trunks to discourage deer.
Good Luck with Orchards
Deer devoured all the spring leaves of the cherry and several apple trees. Fruit trees seem to have a difficult time even without this handicap, so if you are going to try them, make sure you physically protect the trunks and emerging leaves until the trees are big enough to survive any loss. Deer repellants and hanging bars of soap from the branches won't do it.
Our original tree inventory included a small orchard of three mature Red Delicious apple trees, which succumbed over five years or so to apple-cedar rust, which is endemic here due to the huge population of native cedars (Juniperus virginiana). We are now trying a few apples bred to resist rust, including JonaFree. So far so good, after three years. Many crab apples are also susceptible to apple-cedar rust.
A few neighbors have mature pear trees, which are supposed to be more tolerant of clay than other fruit trees. Our one try, with a Comice that was not bothered by deer, has now come down with fire blight. So check for resistant varieties online or with your local nursery.
On the magnolia front, a grandiflora dug up in the woods by a generous neighbor seems impregnable and completely at home. There is also the resilient sweet bay magnolia, broken down three years running by rutting bucks but still coming back strong. This year we've finally put up steel stakes to protect the remaining leader. Both trees are native, and their strength shows.
Oddly, a number of impulse buys have done unexpectedly well: a weeping beech, a Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica), a false cypress and an Alberta spruce. The last two are part of what we hope will be our live Christmas tree grove.
Some of these survivors are natives; some are not. Native or not, all appreciate some soil improvement: gypsum to help break up the clay and plenty of organic matter and mulch. Water regularly when it's dry the first few years at least.
No matter how much clay you have, one or more of these trees should fit the bill.


text:
Using digital tools for journalism
Science journalist Lynne Smit is your guide to the digital research and publishing tools that are changing the working lives of journalists.
The Internet has changed the craft of science journalism dramatically. Although the basics of good reporting remain the same, tools such as Twitter and Storify have opened up new ways of working for sourcing information and publishing our journalism.
But it can be hard to decide which digital tools to use, let alone to keep track of what is out there. To help you choose, in this guide I describe the tools that have changed the way I work and explain why they have become part of my digital toolkit.
Gathering ideas
Journalists need to keep track of what is happening in their areas of interest, and the Internet has given us instant access to information about what's happening the world over, not just locally.
One of the more simple tools to use is Google Alerts, which allows you to keep track of the topics that interest you by specifying words or phrases that appear in news stories and other articles online.
When I am working on a story, I set Google to email me with these updates. For topics in which I have a long-term interest, I schedule a digest of alerts that is delivered once a week. Both of these options can allow you to develop areas of special interest.
But Twitter is by far the best way to find out about most events in the news — and what opinion leaders are saying about them. You can track what is being said by the people or organisations you are following, but perhaps more useful is the ability to track a topic with a hash tag, such as #climatechange. Hash tags are also great for following conferences you cannot attend, such as #AAAS (the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science), as well as tapping into the community of people who are attending or interested in the area.
For breaking news, you will often find lists that contain tweets from reporters or people on the scene, which other Twitter users have created and shared publicly. A recent example is this list, which is keeping track of the situation in Gaza. And, of course, you can create your own lists to help you to organise your sources and interests into groups. You could make a list of people who tweet about a particular aspect of science, or of organisations that tweet breaking news.
Topsy, which describes itself as a social media index, is one of the best places I know to find out what people are saying about a topic. You can search it for tweets, photos and videos. Another nice Topsy feature is a free analytics tool that allows you to compare trends and mentions of subjects, which can be useful in identifying what people are interested in and which topics are hitting the news agenda.
Digital tools can make aspects of journalism easier and faster
Organising your research
So now you know how to keep track of what's happening; but what to do with all this information? Collating it into a usable story can be a problem. Luckily, there are other tools that can help.
First, keep your data safe and accessible. I use Dropbox, a service that allows you to store files remotely 'in the cloud', so I am far more relaxed about my computer being misplaced or breaking down. Because I can access these files from anywhere, I can carry on working wherever I am. There are many other backup services available.
Evernote is a useful tool for planning articles and for organising information. You can use it to store all the photos, audio/video files, web links and notes about an article in one handy 'notebook' during the planning stage, and share these notebooks with others if you are collaborating on a project. You can use it on your computer, smartphone and many other electronic devices, so you can update a notebook wherever you are.
Pinterest offers those who prefer a visual pinboard a great way to store web pages that you would like to revisit when researching an article. Delicious and Pinboard are also popular bookmarking services — as well as allowing you to save webpages in the way you would in your brower's 'favourites', Delicious and Pinboard allow you to 'tag' bookmarks with keywords. This can be useful as you can tag them in relation to specific articles, or to areas of science that you are monitoring.
If you come across interesting articles but struggle to read them at the time, or would rather read them on a different device such as an e-book reader, Instapaper is great. It's one of my favourite ways of storing journal articles.
Storify also offers a good way to collate the information you are working on until you are ready to use it. You can drag and drop information from various sources into a timeline. You can do this simply for your own use while writing an article (like a form of outlining) and also for publication. This Storify timeline gives an idea of how it can work, and we'll talk more about publishing Storify timelines in the 'New ways of publishing' section.
Finding sources
Nothing beats a conversation with an expert source.
When it comes to finding and contacting sources, Twitter wins out. It is often easier to get a quick response from a scientist or organisation by sending them a Twitter message rather than an email. It is a good way to introduce yourself and let them know you are interested in their work. Topsy can also help you to find experts on a topic.
The rise of blogging tools mean that journalists have been set free from editors
The search function in Twitter is excellent, but for me it is more useful to combine the power of several tools to find the sources I need: I often use Facebook and Topsy expert search to find people, and then use Google to find their email addresses and phone numbers.
You can also use tweets to look for experts, and you may find that others retweet your requests so that you reach a much wider group of people than you would have otherwise. I wouldn't do this every time you need a contact though — you don't want to be seen as someone who does not know how to do their own research.
Skype, Google+ Hangouts, Google Voice and even Facebook offer good messaging systems that you can use to cut down the cost of contacting your sources. You can also record your Skype and other VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) calls using a voice recorder, some of which are free. Many, such as Evaer, cost less than US$20, and may offer free recording for short clips.
Skype links to voice recording apps via its shop, where you can read user reviews of app quality.
New ways of publishing
A game changer for journalists is the blog, as it has given us a simple way to publish our own copy. Google Blogger and Wordpress are the easiest and most popular platforms. Africa Files is an example of a good mix of blogging and story writing. Others are Life in Optical and Uganda ScieGirl.
There is rarely much money in blogging, but you may find that you enjoy being free from editors — remember though that you have sole responsibility for fact-checking and considering libel issues.
Twitter also provides a new role for journalists, as many people follow us because we can be 'curators' of content, directing readers towards the important news of the day and other information.
This is also where tools such as Storify and Dipity come in — as well as using them in writing articles, you can also produce a Storify timeline using social media mentions and Dipity timelines of your material, essentially curating the content for your audience.
For example, Ed Yong of Not Exactly Rocket Science produced a wonderful Dipity timeline on reprogrammed stem cells, and here's a great example of a Storify post about the decision to build most of the Square Kilometre Array in South Africa.
Twitter can help you keep track of news, contact sources and curate content
Using audio, video and photos
You can also self-publish much more than written words now too. Smartphones have made recording voice and video, and taking photographs, much easier; you can use them to produce content that's more than good enough for your own blog. And news outlets are increasingly carrying such multimedia reporting, so you can offer them externally too.
Free tools include Soundcloud, for creating podcasts, and Audioboo, which makes recording and sharing soundclips much easier. There are also a number of free picture-editing tools: Instagram and Pixlr are just two of many. You can then embed these multimedia elements into web stories or blog posts.
Checking your facts
The web may have changed the way we do journalism, but fact-checking is just as important, and the old maxim of 'check everything, believe nothing' still applies.
A new tool for checking facts in Africa is Africa Check. This non-partisan fact-checking website is based at the journalism department of the University of the Witwatersrand and uses journalistic skills and crowd-sourced information to hold leaders to account by investigating specific claims. It also provides some great tips on how you can check the facts yourself in the stories you are working on. You might also find this list from the Journalist's Toolbox useful if you're looking for resources that will help you check facts.
A nice tool for checking whether images are genuine are the reverse search engines TinEye and PicSearch. They will tell you where uploaded images can be found on the web, to help you determine whether images floating around social media are what people say they are.
It's also important to remember that while digital tools have opened many doors, they may also compromise your personal safety, particularly if you are reporting on controversial topics. This guide from the media nongovernmental organisation Internews has tips to help protect yourself from 'digital eavesdroppers'.
So, this is what I use in my day-to-day work as a journalist, but I'm sure that I have missed out many great resources. I would be really interested to hear about other digital tools you find useful in your journalism.


text:
Capable of holding a whopping 64 long guns, the Fatboy is one of the largest and toughest safes in America. Buy this gun safe and you'll get:
- 75 minutes of certified fire protection
- 11-gauge steel safe body
- 12 - ¼" thick locking bars
- 4-in-1 Flex™ interior
Fatboys also include features and accessories like the following:
- 3-spoke SURETIGHT handle with SLIP-CLUTCH innovation
- SecuRam BackLit e-lock
- DX-90 MONSTER MECH Over-Center cam mechanism
Additionally, the Fatboy Extreme model also includes these features and accessories:
- 6-in-1 Flex interior
- 3 collector gun racks
- 10 pack rifle rods starter kit
- 60 long gun capacity
- SecuRam BackLit e-lock
PRICE: Starting at $2,299
Payments starting as low as $52.30 for 60 months (14.99% APR) or 12 Months Same-As-Cash! Subject to credit approval.
Looking for something else? View our other safes!
*Made in the U.S.A. from U.S. and Global Parts.


text:
San Diego H2 Hummer Limousine Rental
White H2 Hummer
Karen and I want to thank you for a wonderful limo experience. We were discussing how to rate all the vendors' services for our event, and your company earned an "A+"... - Read More
Thank you so much for everything!!! The driver was great, the limo was SO much fun, and it turned out that a lot of people used the service after the wedding! Im so glad... - Read More
If ever there was a phrase, it is, "Dreams are made of this". Tish was absolutely awesome, A credit to your IMAGE... - Read More
Thank you so much for everything you did for our wedding. The Hummer limo was awesome!...We look forward using the Hummer for the Temecula wine tour soon!!!... - Read More
We had a wonderful experience with your company - you truly stepped in, in a big crunch! You truly helped make our big day even more magical and perfect... - Read More


text:
Ilya Nazarov works as an artist and illustrator at Bethesda. Before that, he's worked at places like Warner Bros. and Nintendo, and has provided art for series like Metroid Prime, Donkey Kong, Tribes and, as you may have guessed by that headline, Lord of the Rings.
Ilya's fantasy landscapes are easily some of the most impressive we've ever featured here on Fine Art, so head over to his personal site to check out some more of his stuff.
To see the larger pics in all their glory (or so you can save them as wallpaper), right-click on them below and select "open in new tab".
Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists, showcasing the best of both their professional and personal portfolios. If you're in the business and have some concept, environment or character art you'd like to share, drop us a line!


text:
Ultra Mini Technique Brush Sets
by Silver Brush
Experience detail painting as never before with these specially created Ultra Mini technique sets. They're ideal for decorative painting, models, doll houses, miniature painting, decorative miniature birds and wildfowl art.
Ultra Mini brushes feature pearl white short handles with the Comfort Grip design, nickel plated brass ferrules, and ultra fine heads that are perfect for tight work spaces. Their Golden Taklon synthetic bristles offer superb control with acrylics, gouache, watercolor, inks, enamels, and oils.
Six Ultra Mini Technique Sets are available.
Dots & Details Set contains three brushes: one spotter (size 20/0) and two tear drops (sizes 10/0 and 5/0).
Long Lines & Curls Set contains three xtra long liners (sizes 7/0, 10/0, and 20/0).
Hobbies & Models Sets contains four brushes: two script liners (sizes 10/0 and 20/0), one monogram liner (size 20/0), and one xtra long liner(size 7/0).
Lettering & Ribbons Set contains four lettering brushes (sizes 5/0, 10/0, 15/0, and 20/0).
Ultimate Rounds Set contains four designer rounds (sizes 2, 4, 6, and 8).
Miniature Arts Set contains four brushes: one filbert (size 10/0), one angular (size 12/0), one script (size 20/0), and one shader (size 10/0).
?Ask a question about this product
Be the first to write a review on this product!
Share this Product
Enter Quantity & Click 'Add to Cart'
Please wait...
You May Also Like...
How to get VIP Club Prices
Anyone can be a VIP Member with:
Only $25/year
Learn More »
Tips For Your Question
Your email will not be shared. We will only use your email address to respond to your question. When asking your question, please be as descriptive as possible, it will allow us to give you the most accurate answer possible.