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anthony @ 21:30 GMT
Steve Watson | Infowars.net | Thursday, Feb 21, 2008
San Francisco Chronicle article outlines Homeland Security ENDGAME
George Bush has declared himself to be dictator and to have supreme power over and above the limitations of the US Constitution. Bush administration officials like Alberto Gonzales have declared Bush to be "above the law." White House advisors are openly discussing the legality of crushing a child's testicles as part of the war on terror. Preparation for the internment of thousands of Americans who are 'disloyal' in times of emergency are afoot.
An article co-written by a former Congressman and carried by the San Francisco Chronicle has gained much attention recently as it shines light on a coordinated federal government program to build detention camps at undisclosed locations within the United States.
"Since 9/11, and seemingly without the notice of most Americans, the federal government has assumed the authority to institute martial law, arrest a wide swath of dissidents (citizen and noncitizen alike), and detain people without legal or constitutional recourse in the event of an emergency influx of immigrants in the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs." write Lewis Seiler and former Congressman Dan Hamburg of the watchdog group Voice of the Environment, Inc.
Voice of the Environment's mission is to educate the public regarding the transfer of public trust assets into private, mostly corporate, hands.
The article continues:
Beginning in 1999, the government has entered into a series of single-bid contracts with Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) to build detention camps at undisclosed locations within the United States. The government has also contracted with several companies to build thousands of railcars, some reportedly equipped with shackles, ostensibly to transport detainees.
According to diplomat and author Peter Dale Scott, the KBR contract is part of a Homeland Security plan titled ENDGAME, which sets as its goal the removal of "all removable aliens" and "potential terrorists."
Seiler and Hamburg also warn of the alarming and numerous freedom killing pieces of legislation that have been passed recently, dovetailing with the build up of infrastructure of tyranny inside the US.
We have previously highlighted the shocking details behind this shining example of modern day corporate fascism.
The issue gained national attention two years ago when it was announced that Kellogg, Brown and Root had been awarded a $385 million dollar contract by Homeland Security to construct detention and processing facilities in the event of a national emergency.
The language of the preamble to the agreement veils the program with talk of temporary migrant holding centers, but it is made clear that the camps will also be used "as the development of a plan to react to a national emergency."
Following the story, first given wide attention by Prisonplanet.com, the Alternet website put together an alarming report that collated all the latest information on plans to initiate internment of political subversives and Muslims after the next major terror attack in the US.
The article highlighted the disturbing comments of Sen. Lindsey Graham, who encouraged torture supporting then Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to target, "Fifth Columnists" Americans who show disloyalty and sympathize with "the enemy," whoever that enemy may be.
It is important to stress that the historical precedent mirrors exactly what the Halliburton camp deal outlines. Oliver North's Reagan era Rex 84 plan proposed rounding up 400,000 refugees, under FEMA, in the event of "uncontrolled population movements" over the Mexican border into the United States.
The real agenda, just as it is with Halliburton's gulags, was to use the cover of rounding up immigrants and illegal aliens as a smokescreen for targeting political dissidents. From 1967 to 1971 the FBI kept a list of persons to be rounded up as subversive, dubbed the "ADEX" list.
According to author Naomi Wolf, the National Counterterrorism Center today holds the names of roughly 775,000 "terror suspects" with the number increasing by 20,000 per month.
Discussions of federal concentration camps are no longer the rhetoric of paranoid Internet conspiracy theorists, they are mainstream news.
Halliburton, through their KBR subsidiary, is the same company that built most of the major new detention camps in Iraq and Afghanistan. KBR have been embroiled in a human sex slave trade that their representatives have lobbied to continue.
We have a company that has been handed a contract to build prison camps in America that is engaged in trafficking young girls and women. Can this horror movie get any more frightening? Sadly, yes.
A much discussed and circulated report, the Pentagon's Civilian Inmate Labor Program, has recently been updated and the revision details a "template for developing agreements" between the Army and corrections facilities for the use of civilian inmate labor on Army installations."
The plan is clearly to swallow up disenfranchised groups like prisoners, immigrants and Muslims at first and then extend the policy to include 'Fifth Columnists,' otherwise known as anyone who disagrees with the government or exercises their Constitutional rights.
Respected author Peter Dale Scott speculated that the "detention centers could be used to detain American citizens if the Bush administration were to declare martial law."
Daniel Ellsberg, former Special Assistant to Assistant Secretary of Defense, called the plan, "preparation for a roundup after the next 9/11 for Mid-Easterners, Muslims and possibly dissenters. They've already done this on a smaller scale, with the 'special registration' detentions of immigrant men from Muslim countries, and with Guantanamo."
George Bush has declared himself to be dictator and to have supreme power over and above the limitations of the US Constitution. Bush administration officials like Alberto Gonzales have declared Bush to be "above the law." White House advisors are openly discussing the legality of crushing a child's testicles as part of the war on terror. Preparation for the internment of thousands of Americans who are 'disloyal' in times of emergency are afoot.
Under the enemy combatant designation anyone at the behest of the US government, even if they are a US citizen, can be kidnapped and placed in an internment facility forever without trial. Jose Padilla, an American citizen, spent over four years in a Navy brig before being brought to trial.
In 2002, FEMA sought bids from major real estate and engineering firms to construct giant internment facilities in the case of a chemical, biological or nuclear attack or a natural disaster.
Okanogan County Commissioner Dave Schulz went public three years ago with his contention that his county was set to be a location for one of the camps.
Furthermore, in May 2006, we exposed the existence of a nationwide FEMA program which is training Pastors and other religious representatives to become secret police enforcers who teach their congregations to "obey the government" in preparation for the implementation of martial law, property and firearm seizures, mass vaccination programs and forced relocation.
A whistleblower who was secretly enrolled into the program told us that the feds were clandestinely recruiting religious leaders to help implement Homeland Security directives in anticipation of a potential bio-terrorist attack, any natural disaster or a nationally declared emergency.
The first directive was for Pastors to preach to their congregations Romans 13, the often taken out of context bible passage that was used by Hitler to hoodwink Christians into supporting him, in order to teach them to "obey the government" when martial law is declared.
It was related to the Pastors that quarantines, martial law and forced relocation were a problem for state authorities when enforcing federal mandates due to the "cowboy mentality" of citizens standing up for their property and second amendment rights as well as farmers defending their crops and livestock from seizure.
It was stressed that the Pastors needed to preach subservience to the authorities ahead of time in preparation for the round-ups and to make it clear to the congregation that "this is for their own good."
Pastors were told that they would be backed up by law enforcement in controlling uncooperative individuals and that they would even lead SWAT teams in attempting to quell resistance.
Though some doubted the accuracy of this report at the time due to its fundamentally disturbing implications, the story was later confirmed by a KSLA 12 news report, in which participating clergy and officials admitted to the existence of the program.
Watch the video:
What could the government be contemplating that leads it to make contingency plans to detain without recourse millions of its own citizens? ask Lewis Seiler and Dan Hamburg in the conclusion to their article.
The answer clearly lies in the fact that over the past decade we have witnessed an extreme acceleration of the physical implementation of a framework and infrastructure ready to receive those who will not go along with a coordinated destruction of traditional American values and freedom.


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I took the same old route down East Capitol and through and down the Capitol grounds and up Pennsylvania Avenue. There were many bicyclists out, include at least one woman on a Bikeshare who wore a winter coat, which in my opinion, is a bit too much as it is not yet winter. But #coats, right? It might have just been too much in a comparative sense rather than an objective sense because I was wearing shorts and short sleeves and I have a difficult time believing that both of our attire choices could be weather-appropriate given the temperature. But then I remembered my old maxim of "don't care about what clothes other people on bikes wear" and I was assuaged. It'd amazing what apathy and ambivalence can do for your well-being. It's less amazing what apathy and ambivalence can do for other things, like house plants or other things that need care and attention to remain not dead.
Speaking of care and attention towards things remaining not dead, the District Department of
|11th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue
Speaking of alternatives to complete disasters, it would have been nice had someone removed this from the Pennsylvania Avenue cycle track.
I rode up 11th to R and took R, which was replete with cyclists, across town. Near R and New Hampshire, the woman on the bike behind me asked me about some kind of helmet that has a hat built in that folds up and I talked to her for a little and showed that my hat and helmet were, in fact, two separate articles and separable. She then mentioned something about how my hat would be better if it had earflaps for when it's cold and I told her that some cycling caps do have ear flaps.
R to Massachusetts and the hilly slogfest that is the second part of my commute. Before that, I saw Kristen and yelled "Kristen" at her. I followed that with a "woo!" Nothing more I love than yelling people's names at them. I wish I lived in medieval Venice so I could've yelled Marco Polo at Marco Polo and then blindly tried to tag him and he so wouldn't have got it and I'd have to explain and he still wouldn't get it because my medieval Italian is horrible.
There is a new Nelson Mandela statue in front of the South African Embassy, but I didn't stop to take a picture. There were no new statues in front of any other embassies, but of the three statues I can think of along the hillier parts of Mass Avenue (Nelson, Winston Churchill and Queen Margaret of Norway), all of them are sculpted with the one holding one arm aloft. Now, that's a pointless and mundane observation.
Speaking of pointless and mundane observations, this concludes Tales From The Sharrows. Thanks for reading.

subset: commoncrawl


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I get a strange thrill out of stumbling upon albums that sound exactly like what their cover suggests -- in this case, the ancient decaying photo of a pioneer-era buiding, probably from Belong's hometown of New Orleans; the spaces where the color saturates and the many spots where all color and image have been wiped away by time and the elements. October Language is the aural equivalent.
Compared to electronic frontiersmen like Fennesz and William Basinski, Belong (composed, for this recording, of conspirators Turk Dietrich and Michael Jones) make sounds that seem to be in the process of disappearing even as they first appear. The opening track, "I Never Lose. Never Really." begins with a tone like hearing an orchestra muted through the walls of a building, as if the swelling adagio would come through crystal clear if someone would just open the right door. Then it all begins to descend beneath an increasing tide of swirling static.
I find the whole album to be, essentially, meditational. There is a profound silence at the center of it, not unlike modern classical compositions by the likes of Arvo Part, Toru Takemitsu or Henryk Gorecki. The focus on electronics and instruments more often associated with Rock makes October Language more immediately reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine's Loveless than anything within the Classical tradition.
There are very few vocal tones on the album, another factor that pulls it away from the Rock genre, and the pure focus on the build and wane of the sound and atmosphere places it among my favorite listens of the last few years.
Look around for it. For now, you'll find it cheap. If they keep producing albums of this strength, I don't imagine their out of print work will remain so for long. Belong also released two vinyl-only works in 2008, the one-sided, etched 12" Same Places (Slow Version):
and the 4-track 12" ep Colorloss Record:


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Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple
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Bert and Ernie - not gay
Photo: AP2001
They've lived together for 42 years and share a bedroom, but the people who produce "Sesame Street" made it clear on Thursday: Bert and Ernie are not gay.
Nor are they heterosexual. They just are.
"Bert and Ernie are best friends. They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves.
"Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics, they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation," Sesame Workshop said in a statement posted on Facebook.
The explanation about Bert and Ernie came after increasing online chatter that the producers of the popular, long-running children's show should allow the characters to marry.


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Effect of Adalimumab for the Treatment of Uveitis in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (ADJUVITE)
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01385826
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : June 30, 2011
Last Update Posted : December 21, 2017
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|Uveitis Juvenile Arthritis
|Drug: Anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha monoclonal antibody Drug: placebo
|Phase 2 Phase 3
20% of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) develop usually bilateral, chronic anterior uveitis, dependent on steroid eye drops and sometimes systemic steroid therapy, with a risk of complications such as cataract, band keratopathy and glaucoma, usually responsible for loss of vision. No maintenance treatment has been demonstrated to be effective. Methotrexate (MTX), the maintenance treatment most commonly used in JIA, could have a beneficial effect, but this effect is not sufficient to stop progression of uveitis in most patients. Our preliminary experience and that of other teams based on small series of patients is in favour of the efficacy of anti-Tumour Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFalpha) monoclonal antibodies (Ab) in JIA-associated uveitis. An international multicentre randomized trial of a humanized monoclonal antibody, adalimumab, in JIA has demonstrated its efficacy on joint lesions and its good safety as monotherapy or in combination with methotrexate. However, children with active uveitis were excluded from this trial.
The investigators propose a French multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of adalimumab in JIA-associated uveitis in patients over the age of 4 years. These patients must have active uveitis (Laser flare-cell meter score of at least 30 photons/ms) despite topical steroid therapy, with intolerance or failure to at least 3 months of MTX therapy. The dose of adalimumab will be 40 mg eow for children age 13 and over and for children younger than 13 adalimumab 24 mg per m2 BSA (up to a maximum total body dose of 40 mg). The activity of uveitis will be evaluated by laser flare photometry, a recently validated technique for follow-up of the efficacy of treatments of anterior uveitis. Seven hospital ophthalmology departments in France are equipped with laser flare photometry and have a sufficient experience to participate in this trial (Paris-Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris-Cochin, Nantes, Lille, Grenoble, Bordeaux and Lyon). Several teams of paediatric rheumatologists and hospital rheumatologists working with these ophthalmology departments will also be able to include patients. The primary endpoint is an at least 30% reduction of ocular inflammation after 2 months of treatment, quantified by laser flare photometry, considering the more severely affected eye in the case of bilateral uveitis. Based on the hypothesis of a response rate of at least 50% with adalimumab versus a maximum of 10% with placebo, comparison of two groups of 19 patients would be sufficient to conclude on a significant difference for a two-sided alpha risk of p=0.05 and a power of 80%. The investigators therefore plan to include 40 patients with randomization to two equal groups, one receiving 4 subcutaneous injections of adalimumab and the other receiving 4 injections of placebo on D0, D14, D28, and D42 with assessment of the primary endpoint at M2. The planned duration of inclusion is 2 years with a total duration of the trial of 3 years. From visit M2 onwards, all patients will be treated by adalimumab injections every 2 weeks and will be followed for 1 year of treatment. Clinical, laboratory and ophthalmological evaluation including laser flare photometry and conventional slit lamp examination will be performed at each visit (pre-inclusion, D0, D14, M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M9 and M12). Deterioration of ocular inflammation during the first 2 months will justify decoding for the patient concerned who will be considered to be a treatment failure.
A study will be conducted in parallel: gene expression profile studies on whole blood by a team experienced in the study of JIA and other inflammatory diseases (Dr Pascual, Dallas, USA).
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|34 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Crossover Assignment
|Double (Participant, Investigator)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|Evaluation of the Efficacy of Adalimumab for the Treatment of Uveitis in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Randomized Double-blind Placebo-controlled Trial
|Actual Study Start Date :
|June 29, 2011
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|November 4, 2014
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|August 27, 2015
Experimental: adalimumab
Anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha monoclonal antibody
Drug: Anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha monoclonal antibody
The dose of adalimumab will be 40 mg for children age 13 and over and for children younger than 13 adalimumab 24 mg per m2 BSA (up to a maximum total body dose of 40 mg).
Placebo Comparator: placebo
Drug: placebo
Patients will receive 4 injections of placebo on D0, D14, D28, and D42 with assessment of the primary endpoint at M2
- To demonstrate that a higher proportion of subjects will have an improvement of uveitis on adalimumab versus placebo after 2 months relative to baseline [ Time Frame: Final visit could occur at any point up to 78 weeks ]
The primary objective is to demonstrate the efficacy of 2 months of treatment with adalimumab versus placebo on reduction of ocular inflammation in JIA-associated uveitis.
By defining response to treatment as a reduction of at least 30% of ocular inflammation quantified by laser flare photometry in the initially more severely inflamed eye without deterioration of cell count or flare protein on slit lamp examination, we formulate the hypothesis that at least 50% of patients treated with adalimumab for 2 months will respond to treatment versus a maximum 10% of patients on placebo.
- Evaluation of adverse events [ Time Frame: 12 months ]To evaluate the safety of treatment at 2 months then at 12 months
- Proportion of subjects at each study time point with an improvement of uveitis [ Time Frame: 2 months ]To evaluate the response of the treatment on ocular inflammation quantified by slit lamp examination and laser flare photometry at each visit comparatively between the adalimumab arm and the placebo arm during the double-blind period (until M2, as a complement to the laser flare photometry evaluation performed for the primary objective) and then descriptively on adalimumab. Analyses will be performed on the eye evaluated for the primary objective and for the fellow eye in patients with bilateral uveitis.
- Eyes with active uveitis [ Time Frame: 2 months ]To compare the proportion of eyes with active uveitis on inclusion improved after 2 months between the adalimumab arm and the placebo arm
- The efficacy of treatment on juvenile idiopathic arthritis [ Time Frame: 2 months ]To evaluate the efficacy of treatment on JIA, particularly the joint lesions at each visit, comparatively between the adalimumab arm and the placebo arm until M2 then descriptively on adalimumab
- Decrease topical or systemic steroid therapy [ Time Frame: 12 months ]To evaluate the possibility to decrease topical steroid therapy and when applicable systemic steroid therapy between M2 and M12
- Transcriptome modifications on whole blood [ Time Frame: 12 months ]To evaluate possible transcriptome modifications on whole blood in the context of a collaboration with a team experienced in analysis of cytokine signatures associated with JIA and other inflammatory diseases in children (team directed by V. Pascual in Dallas).
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|4 Years and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Active uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, with the exclusion of systemic JIA, juvenile-onset rheumatoid arthritis, and enthesitis-related JIA
- Uveitis resistant to well conducted topical steroid therapy comprising either dexamethasone or rimexolone at a dose adapted to the patient's situation as validated by one of the investigating ophthalmologists.
- Failure of systemic treatment with methotrexate at a dose of 0.3 to 0.6 mg.kg (without exceeding 25 mg) once a week for at least 3 months (except in the case of methotrexate intolerance).
- Patient who can be evaluated by laser flare photometry.
- Patient at least 4 years old on initiation of trial medication and weighing a minimum of 15 kg
- Signed informed consent both parents and/or patient's agreement
- Patient has a social security or similar
Exclusion Criteria:
- Systemic JIA, juvenile-onset rheumatoid arthritis, enthesitis-related JIA (with a risk of red eye uveitis).
- History of treatment with anti-TNF alpha monoclonal antibody (either adalimumab or infliximab).
Any contraindication to administration of immunosuppressive therapy (immune deficit, opportunistic infection, other severe chronic disease)
- History of cancer or lymphoproliferative disease other than successfully and completely resected squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer,
- Any uncontrolled disease: unstable diabetes with documented history of recurrent infections, unstable ischaemic heart disease, moderate to severe heart failure (NYHA stage III/IV), recent stroke and any other disease or condition inducing, in the investigator's opinion, a risk for the patient related to his/her participation in the trial,
- Positive hepatitis B or C serology indicating active infection,
- History of positive HIV serology,
- Persistent infection or severe infections requiring hospitalisation or IV antibiotic therapy during the 30 days prior to inclusion in the trial or oral antibiotic therapy during the 14 days prior to inclusion in the trial,
- History of clinically significant alcohol or other substance abuse during the previous year,
- Previous diagnosis or signs of demyelinating disease of the central nervous system,
- History of active tuberculosis, histoplasmosis or listeriosis,
- Signs of latent tuberculosis (based on a history of nontreated contamination, or an opacity greater than 1 cm on chest x-ray, or a positive intradermal reaction to 5 IU of tuberculin ≥ 5 mm).
- Negative urine pregnancy test in girls with childbearing potential
- Chronic rupture of the blood-aqueous barrier with marked flare on the initial examination but not modified by one month of anti-inflammatory therapy.
Impossibility to monitor flare:
- Children < 4 years
- False flare due to the presence of giant cells on the surface of an artificial lens or in an aphakic child.
- Children presenting complications such as refractory glaucoma or cataract rapidly requiring surgery.
- Phthisis bulbi with hypotonia and atrophy of the ciliary body.
- Any other situation raising problems for maintenance of stable doses of steroids and immunosuppressive drugs during the period between 4 weeks before D0 and the M2 evaluation. Authorized immunosuppressive therapies that must be maintained at stable dose are steroid eye drops, systemic steroid therapy and once weekly oral or subcutaneous MTX at a dose of 0.3 to 0.6 mg (without exceeding 25 mg).
- Any ophthalmologic contraindication
- If female and childbearing potential should have an appropriate contraceptive method during all study period and 5 months after last adalimumab dose. Abstinence with no oral contraception can be considered.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01385826
|Hospital of necker Enfants malades
|Paris, France, 75015
|Principal Investigator:
|Pierre Quartier dit Maire, MD, PhD
|hospital Necker Enfants Malades
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|Responsible Party:
|Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|June 30, 2011 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|December 21, 2017
|Last Verified:
|December 2017
Juvenile arthritis
Anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha monoclonal antibody
Arthritis, Juvenile
Joint Diseases
Musculoskeletal Diseases
Uveal Diseases
Eye Diseases
Rheumatic Diseases
Connective Tissue Diseases
Autoimmune Diseases
Immune System Diseases
Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological
Antibodies, Monoclonal
Immunologic Factors
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Antineoplastic Agents
Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Antirheumatic Agents


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Jesse Lewis, 6, and his father spent part of the evening on Dec. 13 at Stew Leonard's grocery in Danbury where they bought Christmas ornaments for one of Jesse's friends, family members and for his first-grade teacher, Victoria Soto.
To buy the gifts, Jesse spent money he had earned, which came to $37. He was industrious and always wanted to help his father with a job — setting tiles in a bathroom, fixing a tractor or demolishing a wall, said Jesse's father, Neil Heslin.
That night Jesse picked out an ornament that said "Mom" and a similar one that said "brother" for his only sibling, J.T. Lewis, Heslin said. He then picked out a star-shaped ornament that said "teacher" and an apple ornament, both for Soto.
Neither Jesse nor his teacher lived to see Christmas. They were among the 20 children and six women killed Dec. 14 at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Since then, Heslin has become a reluctant but compelling spokesman for his son and other victims in the numerous hearings, committee meetings and forums centered on guns, school safety and mental illness. Wednesday, he'll be testifying before a Senate committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on whether assault weapons should be banned.
A few weeks ago, Heslin sat down with The Courant to share his feelings, his photos and his memories of the little boy he called "my best friend."
The night before he was shot to death by 20-year-old Adam Lanza, Jesse and his dad also went to Wal-Mart so Jesse could show his father what he wanted for Christmas.
"He wanted Nerf guns. He wanted some other action figures," Heslin said. "He loved soldiers. He loved the Army. Anything that looked like it had something to do with the Army, he wanted, or he was inquisitive about."
Jesse spent that night with his father at his home in Shelton. Heslin, 50, shared custody of his only child with Jesse's mother, Scarlett Lewis, who lives in the Sandy Hook hamlet of Newtown. The next morning, Heslin dropped off Jesse shortly after 9 a.m. at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The two hugged, Heslin remembers. They had plans to make gingerbread houses later that day in school with other students and parents.
Not much later that morning Heslin received an emergency notice on his Blackberry about a shooting at the school.
"You couldn't get to the school," Heslin said. "It was evident something very bad was going on … hundreds of police, law enforcement, helicopters … there was SWAT team in full combat gear."
Heslin made it to the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Co. firehouse, where police were sending parents and children evacuated from the school.
"It was very well organized under the circumstances," Heslin said.
There were signs for classrooms, but none for Soto's class. He asked people if they had seen Jesse. Nobody had.
"As the day went on, the hopes grew less and less," Heslin said. "You knew he wasn't coming back, or something had happened. You still hold the hope that he was at a hospital, or he was hiding, or he was injured in the woods, or something."
Standing Up For Change
About six weeks later, Heslin stepped up to a microphone at the state Capitol and onto the national stage. He was holding a framed portrait of himself and his son while seated at the front of a crowded hearing room made up largely of gun rights proponents. The crowd fell silent.
Heslin said he could not understand why anyone needed an assault style weapon or high capacity clips. After looking around, as if for a response, he added that "not one person can answer that question."
Hesitantly, audience members shouted out "Second Amendment" and "Second Amendment shall not be infringed." Heslin paused to look around at them and to say that he supported the Second Amendment, but not high capacity ammunition clips. He believes those magazines should be banned.
"Is it right that I have to lay my boy to rest with a bullet in his head? No," Heslin said.
Heslin does not hesitate to describe his son's fatal injuries. Jesse was shot twice in the head. He was grazed on the side of the head, and he was shot in the forehead at the hairline.
"That wasn't just a killing …. It was a massacre," Heslin said. "He didn't just go in and shoot each victim one time, or to kill them … That's clear from the condition of the victims."
Heslin favors background checks for all gun purchases. He believes that background checks should include an inquiry about the mental status of the gun purchaser and other people in the gun purchaser's home.
He said he supports the Second Amendment, though it is difficult to reconcile his belief knowing that guns in the homes of law-abiding citizens can sometimes lead to deadly consequences. The gunman's mother, Nancy Lanza, apparently was a law-abiding gun owner.
Heslin also believes that schools would benefit from armed guards and bulletproof glass.
Heslin favors anything that would have saved his son and the others at Sandy Hook. He says he'd give anything.
A Hard Worker
One year, Heslin remembers, Jesse wanted to buy his mom a card.
"He said, 'I gotta earn some money,' and, of course, I would have given him the money, or whatever he wanted, I'd take him to get his mom a present," Heslin said.
Instead, Jesse asked a neighbor for work. He picked dandelions from a neighbor's yard for a penny a piece and earned "eight bucks or so," Heslin said.
Jesse's father remembers him as a boy with a strong work ethic, an inquisitive mind and a commitment to work until a job was complete. He wanted to work in construction like his father, who operates large machinery, including bulldozers, excavators and cranes. Heslin also is a residential contractor.
"He'd say, 'We're not leaving until the job is done, Dad.'"
In many cases, the job was half the fun, Heslin said, recalling that he and Jesse were in the process of restoring a 1948 Ford 8N tractor and had even managed to get the engine running.
Jesse also wanted to make his own money by saving bottles to return for the deposit, and even collecting scrap metal to be sold at a redemption center.
When he wasn't helping his father with a job, Jesse played soccer in a league, and he liked other sports, such as baseball and football. He loved dogs and riding horses, like the ones at his mother's small farm in Sandy Hook, Heslin said.
"Every year he used to raise chickens … and he'd give them to his mother for Mother's Day," Heslin said. "We incubate them and we'd get the chicks and he'd raise them. We had the lights set up."
Jesse also liked to fish, whether it was in a stream by his home, at Lake Zoar in Newtown or angling for bluefish off a dock in Long Island Sound. He collected shells found in the sand at Long Beach, a strip of barrier beach along the coast in Stratford.
Jesse was loud and fearless. His father has a photo of Jesse play-wrestling with a pit bull. It's one of hundreds that Heslin keeps on his Blackberry, along with videos of Jesse demolishing a plasterboard wall, riding a bicycle in circles in the driveway and swinging on a swing set.
"He wasn't afraid of anything," Heslin said. "He thought he could conquer the world."
Christmas Memories
Jesse died five years to the day after the death of his paternal grandmother. Heslin's mother, Joan Heslin, was 75 when she died Dec. 14, 2007.
So, on Dec. 13, when Jesse said he thought it was going to be the best Christmas ever, Heslin explained that he is always a little sad around the anniversary of his mother's death. Jesse asked about heaven. Heslin remembers reassuring him, saying: "When you die, I'll be there to come get you."
"We got into the true meaning of Christmas was giving and not receiving," said Heslin, who was raised Catholic and describes himself as spiritual, as well as a believer in heaven for children and an afterlife.
In the days after the shooting, Heslin said, the outpouring of gifts, letters and other signs of support from all over the world confirmed Jesse's belief.
"He was right. It was the best Christmas ever, because people were reaching out to help, and giving to people that needed," Heslin said. "So, he was right. He wasn't here to enjoy it, but, regardless, it was still the best Christmas ever, looking at it that way."


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By Mike Woitalla
THE FIX WAS IN. The coach of an Omaha FC U-13 girls team resigned after it was revealed he instructed his team to allow the opponents, a team from the same club, to score the game-winning goal that would send them to the state final.
Marjie Ducey of the Omaha World-Herald reported that Coach Doug Trenerry's team was out of contention to reach the final so w ith three minutes left in a scoreless tie he had his team intentionally concede a goal.
The Nebraska State Soccer Association ordered a replay of the games among the three teams in contention for a spot in the final to decide who advances to the regionals.
"No matter what the sanction or forfeits, somebody would have been penalized," said Jeff Hulbert, executive director of the state association. "Let the three teams left, for the good of competition, play the game and win or lose on the field, not in a hearing. The coaches have agreed and are moving forward with the competition."
The incident was reported by Jacque Tevis-Butler, the coach of the team that would have benefitted from the gift goal, after Trenerry told her what he had done.
* * * *
TURF WAR. A teacher in Rocky Point, N.Y., who also heads the Rocky Point Youth Soccer Club, is in hot water after sending an e-mail to fellow teachers asking them to not send students home with a flier advertising another league, reports the North Shore Sun.
The e-mail read: "I am asking everyone for a big big big favor. Please please please please... Support Rocky Point Youth Soccer and DO NOT SEND HOME THE SOCCER FLYERS THAT ARE FROM FJS SOCCER or other towns. They are NOT a Rocky Point-based program. Just send home flyers that are only from Rocky Point Youth Soccer Club."
* * * *
FROM THE FIELD: REF WATCH. I've seen refs do this in pro games and don't get it. It made even less sense when I saw it on several occasions during a youth tournament last weekend:
A player goes down and the ref deems it wasn't because of a foul, so he gestures and tells the player to "get up!"
What's the point of that?
There's no rule that players have to hurry off the ground after they fall. And what if the player is hurt? Certainly rushing them to get up isn't wise.
My guess is the youth refs are mimicking the high-level refs without considering how nonsensical this is.
* * * *
HIGH SCHOOL vs. CLUB. Last month's item on elite clubs encouraging their players to skip high school soccer prompted this response from former U.S. national team star and MLS coach Brian Quinn.
Quinn, now a San Diego-area youth coach and girls high school coach, has had five of his children play both club and high school ball.
"I feel that the 'developmental' aspect of the game is a veil for the inadequacy of some of our coaches at the club level," Quinn says. "High School soccer is great for kids. The approach for the three months that the kids play should be to enjoy every minute with their friends -- and if they do, they get so much out of it.
"There are so many more opportunities for kids to become 'leaders' at high school than there are at club level because of the built in hierarchy that does not exist at club level. No one wants to tell their peers at club level what to do or how to do it. At high school the expectation is for the seniors and juniors to lead and mentor and guide the younger players. This does happen!
"There is no magic formula in producing the 'fantastic players' other than the drive, ability and determination of the player. This is why I believe we tend to overrate coaching when in effect we only need to provide the environment for kids to thrive -- it does not matter where it is."
* * * *
... Thirteen people, including children, were injured during a youth soccer tournament in Oceanside, N.Y., last weekend when three inflatable "bounce houses" blew away in strong winds. Most suffered minor injuries but one woman was critical condition, according to the Long Island Press. ...
... AYSO welcomes George Kuntz as its Player Development Technical Advisor. He will remain head coach of UC Irvine's men's team, which he has coached for 17 years. John Ouellette recently retired as AYSO National Coach but steps into another newly created position as AYSO National Coach Instructor. Amid the professionalization of American youth sports, Ouellette's leadership for nearly two decades in AYSO's coaching education program has helped keep the volunteer model alive and ensured that hundreds of thousands of American children still have access to low-cost youth soccer. ...
... Our video of the week features an 11-year-old from Herndon, Va., coolly scoring with a scorpion kick. Watch it HERE ...
(Mike Woitalla, the executive editor of Soccer America, coaches youth soccer for East Bay United in Oakland, Calif. His youth soccer articles are archived at YouthSoccerFun.com.)
Number one ranked girls program in the country (a local club) likes to enter two teams in the same tournament age group, then manipulates the players on each team (mysteriously sitting some out at various times) to ensure the brackets unfold to their advantage. Happened at the U10 level at a local tournament last year. Coach from a team that got nudged out of the semis by this tactic noticed it, told an opposing coach about it (one whose team also suffered from this tactic), and was so affected by the situation and the other team's classy handling of it that he decided to bring his team over to the other team's club en masse the next season so they could find a way to beat the number one team. When you have coaches going to these lengths (legally and fairly, but still extreme)to combat unfair manipulaton of the process, you know you have a problem.
Referees who tell a player to get up are essentially telling the player to "stop pretending you were fouled, I'm not buying it." While this may have some utility (discouraging dives or letting the non-diving team know that you won't be fooled), it had better be used very sparingly (kind of indicating to the player that "I'm not sure enough that you dove to give you a card, but it's pretty close and if I see it again, you will be carded"). When used unwisely, the ref can add insult to injury; nothing like missing a foul and then telling a player who was truly injured by the foul to stop faking it. Such actions generally don't help a refs credibility so I'd generally recommend against it; the reward is not worth the risk.
In youth play, in case of doubt, a referee should regard a player who goes down as injured. However, in their zeal to copy from adults who put a ball out of play when a player is injured in the absence of a natural stoppage, young players may put a ball out to stop play when a player goes down even when the player is not injured. An alert referee who sees that the player down is not injured can forestall such unnecessary stoppages by getting the down player up.


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In its System Error: Fixing the Flaws in Government IT report, the cross-party think tank says that ending the "big business IT contracts" that lock government in will require a new dual approach.
The Institute for Government describes this approach as dividing government computing between 'agile' and 'platform' work. The report says that by implementing both of these elements, the state sector could achieve cost and time savings while delivering more effective and flexible services.
'Agile' refers to a software development methodology, but says that the principles can be applied to all IT projects where development is modular and based on user involvement and feedback.
According to the IfG, the benefits of this more flexible approach is that components are broken down into manageable parts that can be revised or cancelled without major cost.
"Such an approach would make it easier for civil servants to respond to ministers' priorities and feedback on usability," it says.
The 'platform' approach refers to a shared government-wide approach to simplifying elements of IT. The aim of this approach is to reduce costs, duplication and create shared standards. The IfG says this means focusing on the coordinated delivery of common ICT systems and setting common standards to support interoperability.
However, the report says there are tensions between these two approaches and the possible drawbacks need to be carefully managed. For example, treating items as commodities reduces cost but can limit flexibility, and coordinating elements of IT across departments frees up resources but may move them further from frontline users.
To overcomes these problems IfG recommends:
- The government CIO should be responsible for which elements of government IT fall within the platform and which should remain outside for agile development.
- The platform should focus on three areas: commoditisation, rationalising the management of common elements of government IT and setting common standards.
- Delivery of elements in the platform should be undertaken by lead departments on behalf of the government as a whole.
- Clear governance and escalation structures are required to resolve disputes between lead departments and other departments.
- During 2011-12 all government departments should run several new projects using agile development principles.
- Future IT and project management training for government employees should include a significant component of agile methods training and departments should also develop agile 'centres of excellence' to provide support and training.
- All departments should review governance, project approval processes and legal arrangements to ensure that they can be made to work with agile projects.
- Government departments should ensure that all future supply contracts can be made to work with a more flexible and iterative approach to development. This review should be led by the centre in order to avoid duplication at the departmental level.
The IfG recognises that the government has already adopted an agile approach to delivering IT for the forthcoming Universal Credit, and that a prototype will be delivered in June. Otherwise it blames government for often failing to get the basics of IT right and falling behind the latest technology developments which many UK citizens use in their daily lives.
It points to numerous reports which have listed problems with government ICT, such as chronic project delays, suppliers failing to meet their contractual obligations and a failure to reuse existing technology.
"Most attempts to solve the problems with government IT have treated the symptoms rather than resolved the underlying system-wide problems. This has simply led to doing the wrong things 'better'," the report says.
Andrew Adonis, director of the IfG, said: "If a new approach to IT in government is not now put into practice, this will risk further haemorrhaging of public money. This report shows there is a better way that is more flexible and allows for the fact that government priorities continuously shift."
The document is based on observations of live IT projects, interviews with more than 70 IT experts and evidence from international and private sector case studies.
This article is published by Guardian Professional. For updates on public sector IT, join the Government Computing Network here.


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Lawyer pumps up S.F. landlords at boot camp
In the Fort Mason Center one recent night, real estate attorney Daniel Bornstein stood in front of a crowd of nearly 400 people.
"Can there be protected tenants in a property built after 1979?" he asked, pointing to the audience. "No!" they shouted in unison.
"If you get rid of an illegal in-law unit and the building becomes a single-family home, what can you do?" he said. "Owner move-in eviction," the audience responded.
In a city known for rallies organized by everyone from Tibetan freedom activists to Folsom Street leather fetishists, this was an unusual demographic: landlords.
Lately, landlords, many of whom feel picked on, are coming together - not only to battle the stigma of renting out property but also to learn how to benefit from the tech-fueled real estate boom. Some have been watching neighborhood rents skyrocket while their buildings sit full of tenants from the early '90s who pay less than half of market rate.
Among themselves, they've talked about the recent bad publicity aimed at landlords and Ellis Act evictions ("up 170 percent, I know, we've heard") and how it's getting them down ("It's like we should be ashamed to be landlords" and "people act like we're evil").
Bornstein, one of the city's fiercest and most prominent landlord-tenant rights attorneys, worked the stage during the recent gathering billed as a Rent Control Boot Camp wearing a sharp pinstriped suit and a dark goatee. "Only in San Francisco has being a landlord been so stigmatized," he said.
Defending the Ellis Act
To the idea of people being outraged about Ellis Act evictions, he asked: "Is there any other profession that the government won't let you leave? As American citizens!"
The law allows landlords to evict tenants when they remove their properties from the rental market. It is often used to remove tenants so the property can be sold.
Largely because of the tech boom, the city saw 68,000 new jobs last year but added only around 120 housing units. Rents have risen nearly 21 percent this year, while the government-approved increase for rent-controlled apartments was only 1.9 percent. A vacant multiunit building can sell for double the price of an occupied one.
Bornstein ran through the rules of rent control and gave examples of how he had dealt with "problems" - long-term rent-controlled tenants - to unlock cash flow. The energy rose to such a pitch that the 46-year-old became engaged in a call-and-response with the landlords.
Better option than eviction
In many ways, Bornstein's advice was surprising: It's far better to pay tenants to leave than to evict them. Part of his job is to help convince landlords that a one-time $50,000 payment to a tenant can be worth it, especially if the tenant is about to turn 60 (and become protected and very hard to evict).
"Every $1,000 more a month in rent is $100,000 equity appreciation in the property," he said.
Bornstein told anecdotes about clever ways of getting buildings up to market rate. One time, he worked with a large home that had seven rooms rented out on seven separate leases. The first thing he did was persuade the tenants to go on one lease, thus changing the classification from multiunit to single-family.
"Then what do you do with seven people who moved into a single-family house in the '90s? Raise the rent to market rate," he said.
He argued that rent control doesn't help the poor. "Rent control doesn't protect the most vulnerable - it protects the longest occupying. It's agnostic as to their wealth. It ossifies the divide between tenants and landlords when we should be providing a path to homeownership."
When Bornstein asked if anyone had questions, dozens of landlords raised their hands. One man asks if he can raise the rent 100 percent to get the tenant out.
"What is aggressive versus what is egregious is a very good question," Bornstein said, before recommending the landlord not do that.
A tall man in graying dreadlocks stood up and shouted: "You are one of the biggest problems of gentrification in this city." He was escorted out, and the audience clapped encouragingly as Bornstein started talking again, a little fazed but still confident.
'I'm a good person'
Bornstein offstage is soft-spoken. A women's studies major from the University of Michigan and father of five sons, he quotes French sociologist Emile Durkheim to describe how eviction rules can make it hard to remove bad actors from a community. He talks about the way he's treated by people who find his job distasteful - "I want to say, 'Call my wife, call my mother, I'm a good person.' "
At the end of the rally, he raffled off prizes - American Express gift cards, corporate branded hats. There were cookies and chips in back. Luisa Henson, who owns 1001-1009 Guerrero St., waited in line as landlords crammed around Bornstein with questions.
"He's the best. He's No. 1," said Henson, who wore a gold headpiece and a long fur coat. "My tenants upstairs are being very disruptive ... and he" - she pointed at Bornstein - "can fix anything."
Bornstein's clients include Wells Fargo and Mercy Housing. He specializes in the carefully executed buyout. Evictions don't look good for anyone - they prevent condo conversion, and they're "politically distasteful," he said. Mercy Housing, a low-income housing complex where he has been the on-call lawyer for five years, has not evicted anyone for the past two.
Sister Lorna Walsh, the senior property manager at Mercy Housing, said sometimes a tenant has to leave, whether for violent behavior or for not paying rent.
"If my gentle persuasion does not work, Daniel provides the big stick," she said. "An eviction is a failure, and he's brilliant. He can stand up and pretend that we're going to be throwing someone out on the street even though we know perfectly well we're not going to do that."
Stigmatized position
Sister Walsh said she feels people in San Francisco treat her rudely because she is managing a building.
"There is a stigma around being a landlord," she said. "Sometimes it can be really, really difficult because people are automatically assuming that I'm a baddie."
As the rally ended, the audience started heading out into the night. The artist Keshav Jiwnani, 44, stood outside. He's been renting in the Mission for 15 years and came to the rally to learn about what was going on. "Even the landlords are real people with real problems," he said.
But he was wary of what he had seen at the rally and in the city in general. "It's a very real thing what's happening here. I see all these buses coming into the city," he said, referring to tech companies' buses. "And I want to know where I stand. Am I next in line?"
Nellie Bowles is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Twitter: @NellieBowles


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Authorities say a teenager is hospitalized after accidentally shooting herself in the leg at a central Florida gun range.
According to the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, the girl was at the Merritt Island gun range with her father Thursday afternoon when her handgun accidentally fired one shot.
A sheriff's office spokesman tells WESH-TV that the teen was struck by a bullet in the thigh. She was flown to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The sheriff's office says the shooting was accidental and there will not be an investigation.
Copyright AP - Associated Press


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IBM XIV Gen3 SSD Caching versus EMC VFCache
Comments (6) Visits (32355)
Have you ever noticed that sometimes two movies come out that seem eerily similar to each other, released by different studios within months or weeks of each other? My sister used to review film scripts for a living, she would read ten of them and have to pick her top three favorites, and tells me that scripts for nearly identical concepts came all the time. Here are a few of my favorite examples:
(I think I made my point with just a few examples. A more complete list can be found on [Sam Greenspan's 11 Points website].)
This is different than copy-cat movies that are re-made or re-imagined many years later based on the previous successes of an original. Ever since my blog post [VPLEX: EMC's Latest Wheel is Round] in 2010 comparing EMC's copy-cat product that came our seven years after IBM's SAN Volume Controller (SVC), I've noticed EMC doesn't talk about VPLEX that much anymore.
This week, IBM announced [XIV Gen3 Solid-State Drive support] and our friends over at EMC announced [VFCache SSD-based PCIe cards]. Neither of these should be a surprise to anyone who follows the IT industry, as IBM had announced its XIV Gen3 as "SSD-Ready" last year specifically for this purpose, and EMC has been touting its "Project Lightning" since last May.
Fellow blogger Chris Mellor from The Register has a series of articles to cover this, including [EMC crashes the server flash party], [NetApp slaps down Lightning with multi-card Flash flush], [HP may be going the server flash route], and [Now HDS joins the server flash party].
Fellow blogger Chuck Hollis from EMC has a blog post [VFCache means Very Fast Cache indeed] that provides additional detail. Chuck claims the VFCache is faster than popular [Fusion-IO PCIe cards] available for IBM servers. I haven't seen the performance spec sheets, but typically SSD is four to five times slower than the DRAM cache used in the XIV Gen3. The VFCache's SSD is probably similar in performance to the SSD supported in the IBM XIV Gen3, DS8000, DS5000, SVC, N series, and Storwize V7000 disk systems.
Nonetheless, I've been asked my opinions on the comparison between these two announcements, as they both deal with improving application performance through the use of Solid-State Drives as an added layer of read cache.
(FTC Disclosure: I am both a full-time employee and stockholder of the IBM Corporation. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission may consider this blog post as a paid celebrity endorsement of IBM servers and storage systems. This blog post is based on my interpretation and opinions of publicly-available information, as I have no hands-on access to any of these third-party PCIe cards. I have no financial interest in EMC, Fusion-IO, Texas Memory Systems, or any other third party vendor of PCIe cards designed to fit inside IBM servers, and I have not been paid by anyone to mention their name, brands or products on this blog post.)
The solutions are different in that IBM XIV Gen3 the SSD is "storage-side" in the external storage device, and EMC VFCache is "server-side" as a PCI Express [PCIe] card. Aside from that, both implement SSD as an additional read cache layer in front of spinning disk to boost performance. Neither is an industry first, as IBM has offered server-side SSD since 2007, and IBM and EMC have offered storage-side SSD in many of their other external storage devices. The use of SSD as read cache has already been available in IBM N series using [Performance Accelerator Module (PAM)] cards.
IBM has offered cooperative caching synergy between its servers and its storage arrays for some time now. The predecessor to today's POWER7-based were the iSeries i5 servers that used PCI-X IOP cards with cache to connect i5/OS applications to IBM's external disk and tape systems. To compete in this space, EMC created their own PCI-X cards to attach their own disk systems. In 2006, IBM did the right thing for our clients and fostered competition by entering in a [Landmark agreement] with EMC to [license the i5 interfaces]. Today, VIOS on IBM POWER systems allows a much broader choice of disk options for IBM i clients, including the IBM SVC, Storwize V7000 and XIV storage systems.
EMC is not the first to manufacture an SSD-based PCIe card. Last summer, my friends at Texas Memory Systems [TMS] gave away a [RAMsan-70 PCIe card] at an after-party on [Day 2 of the IBM System Storage University].
Can a little SSD really help performance? Yes! An IBM client running a [DB2 Universal Database] cluster across eight System x servers was able to replace an 800-drive EMC Symmetrix by putting eight SSD Fusion-IO cards in each server, for a total of 64 Solid-State drives, saving money and improving performance. DB2 has the Data Partitioning Feature that has multi-system DB2 configurations using a Grid-like architecture similar to how XIV is designed. Most IBM System x and BladeCenter servers support internal SSD storage options, and many offer PCIe slots for third-party SSD cards. Sadly, you can't do this with a VFCache card, since you can have only one VFCache card in each server, the data is unprotected, and only for ephemeral data like transaction logs or other temporary data. With multiple Fusion-IO cards in an IBM server, you can configure a RAID rank across the SSD, and use it for persistent storage like DB2 databases.
Here then is my side-by-side comparison:
IBM has the advantage that it designs and manufactures both servers and storage, and can design optimal solutions for our clients in that regard.
technorati tags: IBM, XIV, Gen3, SSD, cache, EMC, VFCache, Project Lightning, SVC, Solid State Drives, Fusion-IO, Texas Memory Systems, RAMSan, System+x, POWER systems, VIOS, DRAM, VMware, Vmotion, Live Partition Mobility, AIX, IBM i, PCIe, PCI-X
IBM Announcements for February 2012
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Well, it's Tuesday again, and you know what that means! IBM Announcements! Typically, IBM System Storage has three to five major product launches per year. Making announcements every Tuesday would have been two frequent, and having one big announcement every two or three years would be too far apart. Worldwide combined revenues for storage hardware and software grew double digits last year, comparing full-year 2011 to the prior 2010 year, and I am sure that 2012 will also be a good year for IBM as well! This week we have announcements for both disk and tape, but since 2012 is the 60th Diamond Anniversary for tape, I will start with tape systems first.
Well, that's the first major IBM System Storage launch of 2012. Let me know what you think in the comment section below.
technorati tags: IBM, TS1140, TS7700, TS7720, TS7740, LTFS, LTFS-SDE, LTO5, Mac OS X, Sync, XIV, Gen3, Elisabeth Stahl, SSD
Did IBM XIV force EMC's hand to announce VMAXe?
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Did IBM XIV force EMC's hand to announce VMAXe? Let's take a stroll down memory lane.
In 2008, IBM XIV showed the world that it could ship a Tier-1, high-end, enterprise-class system using commodity parts. Technically, prior to its acquisition by IBM, the XIV team had boxes out in production since 2005. EMC incorrectly argued this announcement meant the death of the IBM DS8000. Just because EMC was unable to figure out how to have more than one high-end disk product, doesn't mean IBM or other storage vendors were equally challenged. Both IBM XIV and DS8000 are Tier-1, high-end, enterprise-class storage systems, as are the IBM N series N7900 and the IBM Scale-Out Network Attached Storage (SONAS).
In April 2009, EMC followed IBM's lead with their own V-Max system, based on Symmetrix Engenuity code, but on commodity x86 processors. Nobody at EMC suggested that the V-Max meant the death of their other Symmetrix box, the DMX-4, which means that EMC proved to themselves that a storage vendor could offer multiple high-end disk systems. Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) would later offer the VSP, which also includes some commodity hardware as well.
In July 2009, analysts at International Technology Group published their TCO findings that IBM XIV was 63 percent less expensive than EMC V-Max, in a whitepaper titled [COST/BENEFIT CASE FOR IBM XIV STORAGE SYSTEM Comparing Costs for IBM XIV and EMC V-Max Systems]. Not surprisingly, EMC cried foul, feeling that EMC V-Max had not yet been successful in the field, it was too soon to compare newly minted EMC gear with a mature product like XIV that had been in production accounts for several years. Big companies like to wait for "Generation 1" of any new product to mature a bit before they purchase.
To compete against IBM XIV's very low TCO, EMC was forced to either deeply discount their Symmetrix, or counter-offer with lower-cost CLARiiON, their midrange disk offering. An ex-EMCer that now works for IBM on the XIV sales team put it in EMC terms -- "the IBM XIV provides a Symmetrix-like product at CLARiiON-like prices."
(Note: Somewhere in 2010, EMC dropped the hyphen, changing the name from V-Max to VMAX. I didn't see this formally announced anywhere, but it seems that the new spelling is the officially correct usage. A common marketing rule is that you should only rename failed products, so perhaps dropping the hyphen was EMC's way of preventing people from searching older reviews of the V-Max product.)
This month, IBM introduced the IBM XIV Gen3 model 114. The analysts at ITG updated their analysis, as there are now more customers that have either or both products, to provide a more thorough comparison. Their latest whitepaper, titled [Cost/Benefit Case for IBM XIV Systems: Comparing Cost Structures for IBM XIV and EMC VMAX Systems], shows that IBM maintains its substantial cost savings advantage, representing 69 percent less Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) than EMC, on average, over the course of three years.
In response, EMC announced its new VMAXe, following the naming convention EMC established for VNX and VNXe. Customers cannot upgrade VNXe to VNX, nor VMAXe to VMAX, so at least EMC was consistent in that regard. Like the IBM XIV and XIV Gen3, the new EMC VMAXe eliminated "unnecessary distractions" like CKD volumes and FICON attachment needed for the IBM z/OS operating system on IBM System z mainframes. Fellow blogger Barry Burke from EMC explains everything about the VMAXe in his blog post [a big thing in a small package].
So, you have to wonder, did IBM XIV force EMC's hand into offering this new VMAXe storage unit? Surely, EMC sales reps will continue to lead with the more profitable DMX-4 or VMAX, and then only offer the VMAXe when the prospective customer mentions that the IBM XIV Gen3 is 69 percent less expensive. I haven't seen any list or street prices for the VMAXe yet, but I suspect it is less expensive than VMAX, on a dollar-per-GB basis, so that EMC will not have to discount it as much to compete against IBM.
technorati tags: IBM, XIV, Gen3, EMC, DMX-4, VMAX, V-Max, HDS, N7900, SONAS, DS8000, CKD, FICON, TCO


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Funtoo Linux:Copyrights
Unless otherwise noted under the Exceptions section below, the content on this wiki ("Funtoo Wiki") is a collection of works that is copyright 2010-2011 Funtoo Technologies. All rights reserved.
When you contribute content to this wiki, you agree to place your contributions in the public domain. In general, this is the legal norm for small edits, corrections and improvements that do not qualify for copyright protection, which constitute the majority of wiki contributions. For larger full, works or significant improvements that you author and contribute to this wiki, you also agree to place these contributions in the public domain and agree these contributions are your own and you are able to place them in the public domain. All contributions will become part of the larger collection of works known as "Funtoo Wiki" and made available under the copyright and licensing terms defined above.
- Funtoo Filesystem Hierarchy - Currently, these pages are derived from the FHS project and a copyright notice is preserved on the main page per the licensing requirements. The long-term goal is to replace these pages with entirely new, original content that is Funtoo Linux-specific.
This wiki is maintained by Daniel Robbins and the Funtoo Linux Core Team, who take overall responsibility for authoring, editing, reviewing and otherwise maintaining the content on this wiki. Contributions to this wiki are allowed as long as they do not negatively impact the ability of Funtoo Technologies to maintain authorship of and protect the content of this site against unauthorized use.


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The voting will be done electronically, like they did with the disclaimer of interest vote, and it will conclude on Saturday morning at 8AM.
The NHLPA say that they will make an announcement on the results of the vote Saturday morning.
They add that if the deal is ratified then training camp will start the next day and the season will start on 1/19/13.
The owners ratified the CBA yesterday in a vote that went 30-0 in favor.


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Merchants Simply Business Checking
Designed for businesses that maintain a moderate monthly balance with moderate transaction volume.
Account Details
- $100 initial deposit required to open the account.
- $5.00 monthly service charge.
- FDIC Insured
What you get from Merchants Simply Business Checking:
Money Savings
- FREE processing on your first 200 items each month (checks processed and checks deposited.) Each additional item is $0.50.**
- Automatic rebate of the Merchants Bank foreign ATM fee.
- $40 credit toward your first order of checks with Harland Clarke.
Time Savings
- Enjoy the secure and convenient way to check account balances, make payments, transfer money and more by enrolling in Small Business Online Banking.
- Surcharge-free ATM usage at Merchants Bank.
- Online Banking with Bill Payment–bank anytime from your computer and enjoy 20 FREE bill payments per month. Additional payments are $0.50 each.
- Phone Banking with 24/7 access to check balances, transfer funds, make loan payments and more.
Support Where And When You Need It
- Live Online Banking help is also available.
- Customer Call Center representatives are available 6 days a week. Click here for hours.
- Our network of branches and ATMs make it easy for you to connect with your money and us.
Helpful Tools
- FREE access to FinanceWorks, a comprehensive financial management tool, with Small Business Online Banking.
- FREE Business Debit Card for POS purchases anywhere MasterCard is accepted.
- Ability to customize a suite of Cash Management services to meet your business needs–from multiple Sweep programs and Repurchase Agreements to ACH, wire transfers and tax payments.
* The full deposit disclosure is available at any Merchants Bank branch or click here to view the full Commercial Account Disclosure.
**Your account will have free processing on the first 200 items processed each month, and each additional item processed over and above your 200 free items will be $0.50 each. In addition to each item deposited and check processed, each deposit transaction will also be counted as an item processed.
Mobile Banking
Access your account, transfer money, check balances, pay bills and more from your smartphone or tablet. Free with Freedom Checking, Simply Checking, and Growth Checking.
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MasterCard® Debit Card with complimentary fraud monitoring program. Pay bills, buy gas, groceries, gifts and more.
Overdraft Protection
Protect your reputation and reduce expenses. Choose from three levels of personal overdraft protection to help avoid the embarrassment of a declined transaction.


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Piercing Ultrasonic Frequencies Attack the mouse nervous system - Mice Flee - You are Free!
Proprietary Sweep Technology Sound Pressure forces mice to give up their source of food and water and move on.
Sweep Technology utilizes Variable Frequencies and Volumes - mice never become use to the variable sound.
Dual Speakers drive 110 Decibels of Output - loud to Mice - and silent to humans and pets - Safe and Effective
The Sweep Technology is also effective on squirrels, cockroaches, fleas, crickets ants and other common pests.
Powerful Dual Speakers cover an area up to 5000 Square Feet. Ideal for Homes, Garages, Barns, Large Rooms.
Gets Rid of Mice and rats - without traps or poisons - Minimizing Contact with Mice and Disease.
Plug-In Adapter Included - Just plug it in to a 110 outlet and its done - Easy Set-Up.
LED on light and Test Button - lets you know its working - Simple to Use.
Laboratory Tested and Proven - and works 24/7 year after year to keep your home mice free.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee - 30 day full product refund - "no questions asked" returns policy.
After years of selling various ultrasonic mice/rat repelling devices, our company has settled on and rcommends the Attack Wave Pest Repeller. The Attack Wave Pest Repeller is guaranteed to get rid of mice, rats, squirrels, cockroaches, fleas, crickets, ants and most of the other common pests. Laboratory research has shown that ultrasonic sound waves attack the auditory and nervous systems of these pests causing them discomfort.
With 110 decibels of sound pressure, pests will give up their source of food, water and shelter and move on to a new location. These high-intensity sound waves are out of the hearing range for human beings and most household pets such as dogs, cats, fish, birds, and farm animals.
We confidently recommend this device to our customers and they are usually very pleased with the results. Many of our customers come back for additional Attack Wave repellers for their friends and relatives who are also fighting with annoying pests.
If you are not 100% satisfied, and the Attack Wave does not get rid of your problem, just email or call us for a Return Authorization Number, and we'll gladly refund your money!
Say goodbye to your rodent problem for good!
How it works:
This is a more advanced rodent repeller with a continually changing frequency! The Attack Wave has an auto-changing and auto sweeping high intensity frequency range above 30,000Hz to 65,000Hz. The unique circuit design of our repeller strikes the auditory and nervous systems of pests strongly. This specially designed function is effective in preventing rats, mice & other pests from producing immunity to a pre-set single sweep rate. This is an improved design over conventional mouse & rat repellers. Rodents & other pests will never get used to the ultrasonic sound waves emitted from The Attack Wave.
The Attack Wave effectively protects an area up to 4,000 - 5,000 unobstructed square feet. In a home with rooms, hallways, and furniture the effective range is closer to 2000 square feet. After plugging the repeller in you will notice a small red L.E.D indicates the repeller is operating properly. The Attack Wave's unique test button on the back panel when depressed causes the unit to shift its output down into the audible frequency range for a reassuring check of its ultrasonic output. The shrill, shock, unregulated siren-like sound simulates the sound that pests hear continually.
The Attack Wave will not interfere with televisions, radios, electronic burglar alarms, fire or smoke detectors, pacemakers, hearing aids or other electronic equipment.
Just plug into an electrical outlet, the Attack Wave can be used indoors at any time. You will notice the effect of the Attack Wave within a few days. There will be an absence of rodent activity. Perhaps you will notice an increase in insects' activity during this period of time as the ultrasonic sound waves drive these pests from hiding. In a short while they will be gone as well. While the pests are being driven away, they are undoubtedly leaving their eggs an larvae behind. Incubation will continue and they will hatch as usual. However, The Attack Wave will send the ultrasonic output continuously to attack their auditory and nervous systems to drive the new generation away. In 4 to 6 weeks the infestation should be over and you will be free of pests. Leave The Attack Wave plugged in for year round, day and night pest control.
"I admit I was skeptical before purchasing the Attack product from you guys. I was catching 2 or 3 mice a night in my kitchen with the wooden traps. I plugged this unit into the outlet above the counter and within days I had stopped catching mice. I would no longer come out in the middle of the night to flip the light on and see a mouse running on my counter along the wall. Cool product, works great. Thanks."
Doug, Eugene OR
Save Money:
It costs only about a 1/2 cent a day to operate. No more dangerous chemicals to buy, no more messy traps to clean when you set up the Attack Wave. Exterminators can cost hundreds of dollars. With the attack wave you'll get an economical solution that will provide years of protection and peace of mind.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I use the Attack Wave in my attic?
Yes. The Attack Wave is a great device to place up in an attic to drive away rats, mice, squirrels and other rodents while prventing them from coming back to nest.
Will my dog or cat be affected by the Attack Wave?
No. The sound waves being emitted from the Attack Wave are above the hearing range of dogs and cats, they will not hear the unit at all.
Are Mice and Rats Dangerous?
Mice and rats are not dangerous in the sense that they will attack or bite (although there have been rare cases of rats biting a person in the night while sleeping). The biggest concern with rodents, is the fact that they carry diseases and can transmit dieseases in their droppings and urine. A common place for mice to infest is the kitchen area as this is the area where they typically have access to food and water. If mice are crawling through your cabinets and drawers they can urinate in dishes, cups, or bowls and the unrine will go unoticed as it is not visible like droppings are. Rodent urine can be very toxic and is a major health hazard.


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Grace Amory
Date: 1859 - 1911
Remarks: She was the daughter of Charles Henry Minot and Marion Josephine (Grafton) Minot of Boston. She was married to Francis Inman Amory on May 12, 1886. The couple, both from prominent Boston families, had four children: Mary Josephine (b. 1887), Charles Minot (b. 1889), Grace S. (b. 1891) and Francis Inman, Jr. (b. 1895)


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Mid-Week News Bomb
Just a few newsworthy items (and comments thereon) that have been making their way through the political universe this past week but may have escaped your attention. Please ponder and maybe chuckle a bit before enjoying a wonderful day!
BREAKING NEWS: By now, everybody should be well aware that Republican Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney is an animal abuser. It is common knowledge that some years ago Mitt(wit) strapped the family dog to the roof of his car for a 12 hour drive to Canada during which the horrified pet was so frightened that it soiled itself to the extent that diarrhea was flowing down the car windows. When Mitt(wit) became aware of the pet's distress did he he help the animal and bring it inside the vehicle? Heck no! He simply pulled over at a service station, washed the dog down with a hose and strapped him right back up there for the remainder of the ride. Not only was Romney's action illegal, but it was also inhumane. Well, the dog's of America are now united against Mitt. They have formed a public interest group known as "Dog's Against Romney" which has its own Facebook page. Check it out here.
THIS JUST IN: Speaking of Facebook, CNN reports that Marine Sgt. Gary Stein who used his Facebook page to criticize President Barack Obama has been given an "other-than-honorable" discharge from the military branch. An other-than-honorable discharge is given to a Marine who commits a "serious offense" that significantly differs from conduct expected of a Marine. Among other comments posted to his Facebook page, Stein called President Obama a liar and suggested he would not follow some orders issued by the president. He also said the President is "the 'Domestic Enemy' our oath speaks about." Good riddance to this creep, the American military does not need this type of undisciplined person endangering the lives of his fellow Marines.
BREAKING NEWS: Former lame and unpopular rocker and current conservative radio personality Ted Nugent was in the news again this week. Last week the shock jock was questioned by the Secret Service for comments he made in a recent NRA speech such as, "If Barack Obama becomes the next President in November, again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year", and "We need to ride into that battlefield and chop their heads off in November." This week Nugent signed a plea agreement with federal prosecutors admitting he illegally shot and transported black bear in Southeast Alaska two years ago. As a result, Nugent will pay a $10,000 fine and create a 30- to 60-second public service announcement about responsible hunting to run on his show every other week. Nugent will be banned from hunting or fishing anywhere in Alaska and on any U.S. Forest Service land nationwide for one year. He will also be placed on two years' probation.
THIS JUST IN: This week's episode of "Republicans With really bad Timing" features Republican gov. Rick Scott of Florida. The ultra conservative pol vetoed $1.5 million in funding for 30 rape crisis centers in the middle of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. State lawmakers had allotted the money to offset an increase in need and a lack of sufficient funding for victim services. This is just another example of the ongoing Republican War on Women.
BREAKING NEWS: Speaking of crazy Republican governors, Wisconsin's soon-to-be recalled Scott Walker is losing GOP support within his own state. The AP reports that Rep. Robin Vos (R-Rochester), Wisconsin State Chairman of ALEC, appears to be abandoning his support of Scott Walker just as the John Doe investigation into crimes committed by staff members during his tenure as Milwaukee County Executive looms ever closer to Walker himself. Vos calls Walker a "whack job". Vos is correct.
THIS JUST IN: Do you need any more proof that Republican Governors are psychotic? Ask and you shall receive. Case in point: Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant who this week said, "their (liberals) one mission in life is to abort children, is to kill children in the womb. It doesn't really matter, they don't care if the mother's life is in jeopardy, that if something goes wrong that a doctor can't admit them to a local hospital, that he's not even board certified." So, the Left's primary mission is the creation of a world where all babies are aborted? The folks who vote for these crackpots are just as delusional (or more) than those they elect.
BREAKING NEWS: The New York Times reports that the defeat of two conservative House Democrats by more liberal opponents in Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary illustrates the strong hold the new health care law still has over committed Democratic voters. Representatives Jason Altmire and Tim Holden both lost in primaries to opponents who joined together with activist groups to pummel the veteran lawmakers over the opposition to the new health care law and climate change legislation — positions they had used to their advantage in the past to show their independence from President Obama and the Democratic Party. Let's hope these primary election victors are also victorious in the general so that the House will have some more "true" Democrats.
THIS JUST IN: Ann Romney is as out of touch as husband Mitt. At a Republican awards dinner last night she actually said, "I love the fact that there are women out there who don't have a choice and they must go to work and they still have to raise the kids." What? She actually "loves" the fact that not all women are rich like her and must both work and raise their children without having "the choice" (like she did) to do one or the other? Yikes!
Please remember to click on the song link below to familiarize yourselves with the tune and to have more fun singing along with today's song parody.
American Woman song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnluciYGFXg
(sung to the Guess Who song "American Woman")
Republican women they've all lost their minds
Republican women, they've really lost their minds
Republican women they've all lost their minds
Republican women they've all lost their minds
Say "R", say "E", say "P"
Say "U", Say "B" Say "L", say "I", say "C"
Say "A" "N"
Republican women they've all lost their minds
Republican women they've all lost their minds
Republican women they've all lost their minds
Republican women, stay away from me
Republican women, from the G.O.P.
You are someone I'll just ignore
I don't wanna see your face no more
I got more important things to do
And I will never be sold on you
Now women, I said stay away
Republican women, listen what I say
Republican women, have no dignity
Republican women, and their tea-parties
Like I told you the time before
Michele Bachmann is just a bore
Mann Coulter I do despise
Malkin has a lazy eye
Now women, I said get away
Republican women, listen what I say
Republican women, it's clear as day
Republican women, they're no Tina Fey
Talk about defending our shores
Their husbands prefer time with whores
Jean Schmidt always makes a scene
Sarah Palin thinks she's queen
Mary Matalin's hypnotized
Ingraham's mouth is super-sized
Now women, from the G.O.P.
Republican women, mama let me be
Go, gotta get away, gotta get away
Now go go go
Gonna leave you, women
Gonna leave you, women
You're no good for me
I'm no good for you
Gonna look you right in the eye.
Tell you what I'm gonna do
You know I'm gonna leave
You know I'm gonna go
You know I'm gonna leave
You know I'm gonna go, women
I'm gonna leave, women
Goodbye, Republican women
Posted on April 26, 2012, in Uncategorized and tagged Ann Romney, Dogs Against Romney, Mitt Romney, Obama, Rick Scott, Sarah Palin, Scott Walker, Ted Nugent. Bookmark the permalink. 12 Comments.
Ann Romney is supposed to be the humanizer. Hmmm….
Hound dog
First day of the draft!
At least Romney didn't eat his dog !
so Obama lied in his book or did Bill Ayers write it and was mistaken ?
Seamus had the nickname 'Mr. Personality' because he was a social dog. A few years after his ride to Canada, Seamus was given to Mitt Romney's sister, Jane Romney of California, who said, "He kept ending up at the pound. They were worried about him getting hit crossing the street. We had more space, so he could roam more freely
Not according to fact Big Pete.


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I haven't done any programming in since I took CS1100 last year. Now I am taking CS1110 and I don't want to get owned, so I am trying to practice some exercises from the book before my professor assigns anything.
So I am currently stuck with this part of a program--I want to be able to creat an array, the size of which is based upon the input of the user.
This is what I have right now. It doesn't work for obvious reasons but I can't figure anything out to work around it. (I don't know why the indentation is all weird)
Code:cout << "Please enter the number of salespeople./n"; int n; cin >> n; const int * const sPtr = &n; int salaryarray[ *sPtr ];
I have never used pointers until today, and I am very rusty with arrays. I understand that arrays have to have a constant value as their size. But there has to be a way to make that size be specified by the user. Right?


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The Friends of Hylands House
Registered Charity No 1059969
' The objectives of the Friends shall be the preservation and improvement of the listed building Hylands House, Chelmsford, together with its associated park, and the promotion of its use by the public, through the activities of a group of Friends '
Please take a few moments to browse our site. We always welcome new members to join us as Friends of Hylands House. We enjoy many activities such as various entertaining evenings together in the House, outings to places of interest, newsletters and many of us volunteer in our Second Hand Bookshop in the Stable Visitor Centre. If you would like to join us or find out more about our organisation please follow the appropriate links.


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Join a group
ALL TOURS can GO AT ANY DATE!
(Unless specified)
The Calendar only shows tours that are already booked
& which you can join.
If you are already in Laos, just pass by to any of our Branch offices!
Please follow the link to find all our office contact details & map.
See How to book a tour? for more information.
|Ban Chomphet Experience
This fantastic trip combines cycling, trekking and boating in a beautiful scenic area along the Mekong. You will experience local daily life and the unique culture of the local people. Interact with friendly locals of various different ethnic minorities and enjoy the nature. This trip really does provide it all plus more!
(Cycling, trekking and Boating)
Fully booked
Level of difficulty: 3-moderate to difficult


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"Avatar" a Box Office Star in Debut
James Cameron launched his science-fiction epic "Avatar" into a safe orbit as the costly film soared to No. 1 with $73 million domestically and $159.2 million overseas, for a $232.2 million worldwide total.
"Avatar" Gets Blue-Carpet Debut
Will "Avatar" Turn Gold for Cameron?
How ILM Rescued "Avatar" Special Effects
Photos: James Cameron
With that big a start, distributor 20th Century Fox was quick to proclaim it made a good investment with the estimated $400 million spent to make and market the film, which is Cameron's first narrative feature since 1997's "Titanic," the king of modern blockbusters.
"Absolutely. No question," said Chris Aronson, head of distribution for the studio, which reported stellar reaction in exit polls from audiences after seeing "Avatar." "The word of mouth is something that I don't know I've ever seen in this business before."
"Avatar" was a test case for the future of digital 3-D projection, which until now has been a hit with audiences mainly on animated family films.
The film fell short of the record for December debuts of $77.2 million set two years ago by Will Smith's "I Am Legend." But it did break the record for a film opening in 3-D, previously held by last summer's "Up" with $68.1 million.
"What they spent on this movie was totally justified, and they're going to more than earn it back," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com.
"Avatar" stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana in a love story amid human-alien conflict on a distant moon in the 22nd century.
Storms on the East Coast kept many people at home, cutting into weekend movie business.
"The weather really, really hurt," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution at Sony, whose comedy "Did You Hear About the Morgans?", opened at a weak No. 4 with $7 million. Sony had expected the movie to debut at about $8 million.
The movie stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant as a couple whose crumbling marriage gets a fresh jolt after they see a murder and are sent into witness protection.
The overall box office shot up on the strength of "Avatar." Hollywood's domestic revenues came in at $134 million, up 51.5 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Yes Man" opened at No. 1 with $18.3 million, according to Hollywood.com.
The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, Disney's animated musical "The Princess and the Frog," slipped to second place with $12.2 million, raising its total to $44.8 million.
Paramount's recession story "Up in the Air," which led last Tuesday's Golden Globes announcement with six nominations, broke into the top 10 as it widened to more theaters ahead of its nationwide expansion Wednesday.
Photos: Golden Globes Nominees 2009
"Up in the Air" came in at No. 8 with $3.1 million. The film stars George Clooney as a man addicted to the frequent-flyer life as he travels the country firing people at downsizing companies.
Two music-themed films had strong starts in limited release as they position themselves for Academy Awards attention. The Weinstein Co. musical "Nine" opened big with $246,933 in four theaters, for an average of $61,733 a cinema, compared to an average of $21,147 in 3,452 theaters for "Avatar."
Based on the stage musical that was inspired by Federico Fellini's film masterpiece "8 1/2," "Nine" has an all-star cast that includes Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and Kate Hudson. "Nine" goes into nationwide release Christmas Day.
Fox Searchlight's "Crazy Heart," starring Jeff Bridges as a boozy country singer trying to turn his life around, pulled in $84,204 at four theaters in New York City and Los Angeles, averaging $21,051 a cinema. The film expands to four more markets on Christmas Day.
No one expects "Avatar" to be another "Titanic," which started with a modest $28.6 million opening weekend domestically but held on at No. 1 for months. The film finished with a record $600 million domestically and $1.8 billion worldwide.
Before "Avatar" opened, Cameron had said the movie might not have a "slam-dunk opening weekend" but that its profitability hinged on how well it held up in subsequent weekends.
Unlike other Hollywood franchises, which usually are based on comic books, TV shows, toys or other existing stories and ideas, "Avatar" was an original tale whose concept was not pre-sold to audiences.
Much of the action takes place among 10-foot-tall, blue-skinned aliens created by digital cameras that captured actors' performances, with computer animation adding the details of the characters, along with the exotic backgrounds and other effects.
Some reviewers found the story and characters two-dimensional, but critics generally were wowed by the dazzling images Cameron created.
"I think it is the must-see film event of recent memory," Fox executive Aronson said. "I do believe it is a game-changing movie. It will change the way people think about movies, the way they see movies, what they want to see in movies."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Avatar," $73 million.
2. "The Princess and the Frog," $12.2 million.
3. "The Blind Side," $10 million.
4. "Did You Hear About the Morgans?", $7 million.
5. "The Twilight Saga" New Moon," $4.4 million.
6. "Invictus," $4.2 million.
7. "Disney's a Christmas Carol," $3.4 million.
8. "Up in the Air," $3.1 million.
9. "Brothers," $2.6 million.
10. "Old Dogs," $2.3 million.


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In the run up to the draft we will be contesting a pre-season carnival, with those players who have registered so far competing in a series of trial matches.
Two relatively even 13-man squads have been put together, and I am looking for one captain from each of these squads to select their sides for the trial matches.
The trial matches will be played Sept 1st-5th and will consist of a T20 mini-series followed by three 50-over games.
The player draft will immeadietly follow these trial games on September 7th, 8th and 9th - so ideally anyone who volunteers to captain at this stage will also be willing to fulfill this role permanently. Having captains for the draft and beyond is vital, and the commitment would only suit a fairly dedicated individual.
The squads for the trial matches are as follows; remember, I need at least one nominee for captain from each squad, and would ideally like that captain to select an XI for tonight's scheduled matches. Squad captains will be sent further squad information in MS Excel or Notepad format, upon their election.
CWC Trial XI A
E Ames
HT Davis
D Jellett
C Lewis
GIMH Martyn
A Monk
SC Somerset
P Spark
G Sriram
L Townsend
DB Wayne
M Wisney
R Yamadera
CWC Trial XI B
H Beaver
S Delev
O du Toit
A Fagina
J Howe
M Hunt
JD Hurricane
P Ingram
H Mork
M Morkel
I Narang
A Sharma
S Zadran