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Camera-Phone Photos You'll Love to Scrapbook
Using these photo tips and with a little bit of practice, you'll take scrapbook-worthy photos using your camera phone!
Add Sunny Sparkle
Photo by Maggie Holmes. Supplies: iPhone, Snapster app, LensLight app.
Capture the look of a sunny day even when clouds are gray. Maggie Holmes took a snapshot of her sons from everyday to exceptional by adding a little after-the-fact bokeh, or out-of-focus areas filled with light, with the LensLight app. These soft-edged shapes frame her subjects without overwhelming them, guiding the viewer's eye straight to the boys' faces.
Print a Perfect Frame
Oregon Wine Country by Molly Newman. Digital Supplies: Software: GIMP; Frame: Miss Pickle. Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper and WorldWin Papers; Patterned paper and die-cuts: Crate Paper; Flowers: Hero Arts; Washi tape: MT; Stamp: Papertrey Ink; Ink: Tsukeniko; Pen: Sharpie; Font: Luna Bar; Other: Adhesive, button, and embroidery thread.
Combine flexible digital accents with patterned paper straight out of your stash. Print a bold frame directly onto patterned paper, then trim closely around the printed shape. You'll get a custom look with no die-cutting required. Skip printer jams by using your printer's rear output feed, and test your print on scrap paper before cutting into the good stuff.
For more tips on getting great photos even on a cloudy day - and details on how the Oregon Winery photo (above) was captured and edited using camera phone - see the January/February 2013 issue of Creating Keepsakes.
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10 Winter Dry Skin Busters From Your Pantry
I recently moved from warm and humid Asia to America, and my skin is screaming protest to sudden temperature changes. My once supple facial skin becomes extremely dry and flaky, and I also get a few really ugly scaly patches on my legs during the winter months. I have a real hard time finding moisturizers that will help retain moisture and improve dehydrated skin. Can you tell me what products can I put on my dry itchy skin to keep it looking radiant in cold weather?
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5 Surefire Ways to Keep Your Grocery Bills Low
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Dublin based consultancy client looking to add an IT Data Analyst to their team on a permanent basis.
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Publications: Williams, Sandy
Williams, S., Arnold, P. and Mills, J. (2005) Coping with stress: A survey of Murdoch University veterinary students. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 32 (2). pp. 201-212.
Lim, L., Nathan, P., O'Brien-Malone, A and Williams, S. (2004) A qualitative approach to identifying psychosocial issues faced by bipolar patients. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 192 (12). pp. 810-817.
Williams, S. and Mills, J. (2000) Understanding and responding to grief in companion animal practice. Australian Veterinary Practitioner, 30 (2). pp. 55-62.
Maddox, S. and Williams, S. (1998) Cannabis-related experiences and rate of cultivation: would they change under a policy of decriminalization? Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 5 (1). pp. 47-58.


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1998 Jeep Cherokee XJ: Long Arm...
...Of The Law (And The Suspension)
Normally when you see flashing lights in your Jeep's rearview mirror, you know that you can expect a lecture on mudflaps, fender coverage, and side mirrors. Or worse, you'll be getting a ticket. If Geoff Marshall pulls you over in Douglas County, Nevada, and you aren't driving like a blockhead, he probably just wants to check out your Jeep. Geoff has owned five Jeeps in the last ten years, and all of them have been modified to tackle trails like the nearby Rubicon. His last Jeep was a CJ-5 on 42s, but when he found out that his wife Brandy was pregnant with their first child, he traded the CJ for a four-door Cherokee.
After owning a Jeep with a real frame, Geoff knew that his first order of business was strengthening the Unitbody on his '98 XJ. He plated the Unitbody rails with 0.375-wall angle iron that was rosette- and stitch-welded to the Unitbody. A Rubicon Express three-piece crossmember mounted with 3/4-inch bolts provides further rigidity and support. The 2-inch, 0.250-wall chromoly control arms fitted with Rubicon Express Super-Flex joints are mounted to the crossmember, although only one 1.5-inch DOM upper control arm is used. It's mounted on the Rubicon Express axle truss in order to allow greater articulation and less binding. A 1.5-inch DOM track bar is capped with 3/4-inch rod ends and mounts to a Rubicon Express track bar bracket to control lateral axle movement.
Cherokees aren't known for accommodating the largest tires, and most guys run a 4.5-inch lift just to fit 33s. Since Geoff runs 38.5-inch Super Swamper SXs, he needed a whole lot of lift to fit them. The front is lifted 7.5 inches thanks to the Rubicon Express coils, Teraflex coil spacers, and Rancho shocks. Out back, Off Road General Store 10-spring leaf packs are used with 4-inch blocks and Teraflex shackles. "I know that the blocks are hack," Geoff admits, "but they let me match the height of the front end." High on the list of future modifications is a traction bar to help prevent axlewrap, and keep the leaf springs, Doetsch Tech shocks, and rear driveline alive. The leaf springs have been flipped so the centerpin is offset to the rear, resulting in a 113-inch wheelbase that allows Geoff to gobble up steep climbs like doughnuts.
The big rubber is turned by a stock steering box which was drilled and tapped to work with the PSC power steering pump and 8-inch hydraulic cylinder ram. The ram is mounted on the 1.5-inch DOM drag link. A master cylinder from a Ford E-350 van provides additional stopping power for the Swampers.
Hard Facts
Vehicle: '98 Cherokee XJ
Engine: 4.0L I-6
Transmission: AW4 four-speed automatic
Transfer Case: NP231
Suspension: Rubicon Express long-arm (front), Off Road General Store leaf springs (rear)
Axles: '78 F-250 Dana 44 (front), Ford Dana 61 (rear)
Wheels: 15x10 steel US Wheel
Tires: 38.5x14.5-15 Super Swamper TSL/SX
Built For: Family wheeling
Geoff knew that the stock Dana 30 and Chrysler 8.25 axles weren't going to cut it for the wheeling he had planned, so they were sold to offset the price of other components. Up front, Geoff added a full-width, high-pinion Dana 44 out of a '78 F-250. The eight-lug axle has 5.38 Yukon gears, a Lock-Right locker, Warn hubs, and stock shafts with tack welds to keep the 760X U-joints from spitting out the caps until Geoff can afford Superior chromoly shafts and Longfield U-joints.
In the rear, Geoff thought that he nabbed a Dana 60 from the junkyard, but it ended up being a Dana 61. This Ford housing has more pinion offset than a standard Dana 60 to allow the fitment of gear ratios higher than 3.54, and no one makes gears for them lower than 4.10. Unfortunately, Geoff didn't want to run that tall of gears, so he had to use a ring gear spacer to fit the 5.38 Yukons on the welded carrier. The axle still has the stock 1.31-inch, 30-spline shafts and drum brakes, but the good news is that Geoff won't have to bore the spindles to fit 1.5-inch, 35-spline axleshafts.
Above the Unitbody, the rest of the drivetrain was retained. The 4.0L engine breathes easier thanks to a Turbo City cold air intake and Flowmaster muffler. An Optima Red Top battery ensures that it cranks over every time. The NP231 received a slip yoke eliminator, but the AW4 four-speed automatic transmission is bone-stock.
Body and Interior
Even with all that lift, Geoff had to cut a lot of sheetmetal to fit the Super Swampers. After smashing in the rear corner of the cab at Moon Rocks four years ago, Geoff cut off the sheetmetal behind the rear doors with a Sawzall. Fortunately, he already had an eight-point interior cage from T&J Performance to stiffen up the Unitbody. "It would have been a lot easier to install the cage after I cut the top off!" Geoff joked. He added Loud Liquid wakeboard boat speakers to the cage to pump out the tunes without taking up floor space. When the hatch went away, so did the taillights, so Geoff added some boxes from Full Size XJ Gear to keep the Cherokee legal. The front doors come off as well, but they easily go back on and Geoff wired them with connectors so that all of the power accessories still work when the doors are installed.
A naked Durango 4x4 bumper sits up front. "My neighbor let me borrow his winch for years," Geoff explained, "but he recently asked for it back." We have a funny feeling that Geoff's neighbor might find himself getting cited for disorderly conduct before too long, but that is just a hunch. The front bumper was notched and narrowed to allow greater clearance for the tires and extended wheelbase. Custom 2-inch square tube rock rails protect the rocker panels and hold cheapo rock lights, while a gas tank skidplate installed by the previous owner brings up the rear.
Good, Bad, and What It's For
Nobody becomes a deputy sheriff to get rich, so Geoff had to build his Jeep on a budget. Having another mouth to feed definitely doesn't help with Jeep components, but the fact that his brother-in-law C.T. Eckstrom worked at Rubicon Express certainly did. Geoff has done a great job combining low-buck junkyard components with the right aftermarket parts, and turning most of the wrenches himself on his days off. His Cherokee isn't going to win any show-and-shine awards, but it does a great job of safely carrying his family across all of the beautiful and challenging trails that are close to his home in Gardnerville, Nevada.
Why I Shot This Feature
This isn't the prettiest Jeep I have ever photographed, but it is incredibly capable on the trail. I think the thing that stuck with me the most was the fact that Geoff didn't even think twice about giving up his huge CJ in order to ensure that his daughter Faith and wife Brandy could safely enjoy the trail with him. To me, that is what Jeeping is all about.
-Harry Wagner


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United States: To improve efficiency, cities collaborate — and competePublished at Apr 14, 2014
source: Midwest Energy News
Advocates in Chicago want their city to be the most energy efficient in the nation. But they'll need a little help to get there.
United States: Wind 'competitive with gas' in USPublished at Mar 31, 2014
source: Wind Power Monthly
UNITED STATES: Wind energy is competitive with natural gas in the US when a number of previously unconsidered factors are taken into account, according to...
United States: How's wind energy doing compared with other forms of renewable energy?Published at Mar 26, 2014
source: The Ridgefield Press
Hydroelectric sources of power dwarf other forms of renewable energy, but wind power has been a dominant second for years, and continues to show "hockey...
United States: Study: Clean energy sector remains strong in IllinoisPublished at Mar 20, 2014
source: Midwest Energy News
Almost 100,000 Illinois workers are employed in clean energy jobs, more than the state's real estate and accounting sectors combined, according to a new survey.
United States: US Solar Market Grew 41%, Had Record Year in 2013Published at Mar 5, 2014
source: Greentech Media
The U.S. installed 4,751 megawatts of PV, according to the Solar Market Insight Year in Review report.
United States: America's 1st Offshore Wind Farm May Be Commissioned By 2016Published at Mar 4, 2014
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Cape Cod is one step closer to getting its first offshore wind farm, a project that's been trying to get off the ground for more...
United States: Renewables Account For 99% Of New U.S. Generation In JanuaryPublished at Feb 26, 2014
source: Renew Grid
Non-hydro renewable energy sources accounted for more than 99% of all new U.S. electrical generating capacity installed during January for a total of 324 MW,...
United States: World's Largest Solar Plant Now OperationalPublished at Feb 19, 2014
source: Energy Matters
After three years and 8.5 million man-hours, the world's largest solar power plant was officially opened last week in the USA's sun-scorched Mojave Desert.
United States: Midwest sees big gain in solar jobsPublished at Feb 12, 2014
source: Midwest Energy News
Solar installers, manufacturers, and suppliers added employees in the Midwest last year at a rate more than double the national average.
United States: U.S. WIND POWER GOT BUSY IN THE 4TH QUARTERPublished at Feb 6, 2014
source: Earth Techling
The U.S. wind power industry didn't put a whole lot of new generating capacity into operation in 2013, but it laid the groundwork, beginning construction...


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30 Elegant White Kitchen Cabinets Decor and Design Ideas
HomeyLife.com are really concern to Provide Home Design and Decoration. We are Gathering and Collecting photos from lot of source on internet. If some of them are yours, please don't be shy to contact us immediately, we are so pleased to add some credit to them.


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This is my 3rd tutorial; how to draw the head of a male lion. I know a lot of people have trouble drawing lions because of the nose and the mane so I hope this helps you all. Also, let me know in the comments if theres anything you want me to do a tutorial on (especially with animals, I'm working on those at the moment). I've only been working on lions for a few days so this may not be the best, but I hope you enjoy this nonetheless!
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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1-24-2016 AM Service SERMON ONLY from First Baptist Church Dandridge on Vimeo.
You can now watch On-Demand video of our previous services within hours of a service ending thanks to our new service provider, LiveStream.
Services are now available On-Demand within minutes or hours. Click the image below to watch.


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NFL Need To Sign This Security Guard: Crazy MLB Fan Gets Rocked!
"Drunk Guy Ran On Field During Red Sox Game ". Submitted by Phil
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Briefcases for every occasion - from the casual modern cross-body Messenger Bag to the formal boardroom Traditional style, we have a great selection of leather briefcases to choose from.
The Messenger Bags and leather briefcase ranges come in various sizes and colour shades and the larger ones are usually dedicated laptop bags too. Most of our Business / Laptop Bags are from a selection by award winning Rowallan of Scotland - a name guaranteed to give you a quality leather item.
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MLK program aims to reduce 'digital divide'
Families in the Hawthorne neighborhood of north Minneapolis got a chance to mark Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday Monday in a 21st century fashion -- with technology.
An event in the neighborhood marking the holiday was sponsored by the Digital Divide Initiative, which is trying to get computers into the homes of low-income families with young children, to help close the technology gap between rich and poor.
In the basement of the Church of St. Philip, Ken Nelson is excited to see Rhonda Gaetano and her five children walk into the MLK Day event, lugging an old computer CPU in an IKEA shopping bag.
Nelson founded the Digital Divide Initiative in Minneapolis four years ago to get more people in this community to participate in technology. He offers to carry the heavy bag for Gaetano, so a technology volunteer can do some troubleshooting.
"It says 'low virtual memory' a lot on our computer, so I wanted someone to take a look at it," Gaetano said.
The event offered Hawthorne families free computer help, electronics recycling, and plenty of games, art, science projects and cake.
Nelson hoists Gaetano's heavy bag onto his shoulder, and leads the kids over to a table of computers where he fires up a memory game called "Suspect Sketch."
"You'll see a face on the screen. Remember everything about that face," he instructs the kids. "Look at the hair, look at the eyes, look at the nose. Then we have to recreate that face."
The kids are shy, and no one quite remembers the features of the face.
"It was that one!" Nelson points out to them. "So that's the idea. You have to click through and find the pieces, and you put those pieces together. Every time you see a new face, your brain creates these maps. It actually expands and grows, so that's where diversity really comes in."
Digital Divide has given 200 laptops loaded with IBM educational software like this to families who complete volunteer work and training. Nelson says they need programs that work in an urban setting, otherwise giving computers is like giving people paperweights.
"So often with our urban kids, if there's been any trauma, if you've been moving a lot, you have gaps in learning," he said. "So this software lets us go back and address those gaps that a lot of kids have. You just see them light up, and once they kind of figure something out, it leads to the next thing and the next thing."
One of Digital Divide's partners is Nellie Stone Johnson school, a K-8 community school across the street from the Church of St. Philip.
Nicole Randolph is a parent and community liaison there. Randolph says she sees a big need for computer competency.
"The biggest part of something that's impacting the divide, that we're not talking about, is all of our testing has gone onto computers. But yet our children have not been adequately trained on how to take tests on computers," said Randolph.
Upstairs in the church sanctuary, volunteers are getting ready to show some of Martin Luther King's famous speeches. Mitch Johnson had the day off from his job at United Health Care, so he came to volunteer.
"There's this opportunity to volunteer so I figure, why not?" he said. "This is such an important thing, I think, ushering kids into using technology, or people who are not familiar with technology at all to be able to learn how to do it."
Waiting behind Johnson is Didier Mukusu, who moved to Minneapolis from Congo six months ago. His laptop sits in a zippered case next to him. Ken Nelson introduces him to Michael Kingbird, a college student who's here today debugging computers.
"He's got his laptop with him, and his laptop has some issues. We don't know what they are yet," said Nelson.
Mukusu labors to explain that his laptop is infected with viruses.
"If you start ... much risk," he said.
Nelson shows Mukusu a computer lab in the basement of the church, which is one of 11 Twin Cities labs run by Digital Divide.
"You put on the earphones, and you speak back and forth to the computer," Nelson explained. "It'll really help you practice your English."
Mukusu seems relieved someone can help him. Then, he explains that today is a holiday in his native Congo, too. It's Heroes' Day.


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At National General Insurance, we understand the importance of vehicles to business owners. After all, our roots are in the automotive industry. We have the coverages and services to accommodate your commercial vehicles, nearly 70 years of experience in providing automotive insurance, and specially trained experts who will handle your claims quickly and professionally.
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I sometimes see the iMac copying files from the PC wirelessly at a rate of 1.5MB/s and sometimes 2.5MB/s (by visually examining, because Mac doesn't seem to show what the speed is in the copy dialog).
Is there a way to find out whether my iMac is connected to the wired PC through the wireless router using Wireless-G or Wireless-N? Can some app show and/or the terminal app show?


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The mission of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center is to provide awareness, education, opportunities, and support resulting in enduring healthy lifestyle habits.
Guiding Principles
We strive to enrich the quality of campus life by promoting and offering opportunities for physical and mental growth as well as social interaction in healthy surroundings and superior recreational facilities. The SRWC's innovative co-curricular programs and offerings serve to provide a connecting link between students and the Washburn University experience.
Please visit our links above in the 'in this section' menu to learn about all of the opportunities that exist at your recreation center!
If you have any questions about the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, please call 785.670.1314 or email us: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Who owns Free Software?
Conceptions of ownership
Software is an intangible thing. It can be thought of as a set of ideas, and as such, traditional ideas of ownership which affect objects like food and land do not apply to it. Therefore when we talk about intangible things like software, different conceptions of ownership apply. These can be split into four categories:
- Authorship
- Patents
- Copyright
- Usage rights
Authorship relates to the original creator(s) of an idea, and allows authors to prevent their work from being used in a way which would damage their reputation. Patents are a separate system which relate to industrial processes, and generally only affect the activities of companies and manufacturing. Copyright is a set of laws which grants exclusive rights to creative work such as illustrations, music, literature, and software. It is a government imposed exclusive monopoly on ideas. Usage rights determine what a person is allowed to actually do with something, like whether they may copy or sell a particular thing. They are a way of understanding how legal restrictions affect a single person, and what rights that person does or does not have.
Copyright ownership
Generally copyright has the greatest impact on what we can and can't do with software. Software copyright is owned either by the person who wrote the code, or by the organisation that paid for it to be written. This copyright may be privately bought and sold. The only exception is software that is in the public domain, which has no owner and no restrictions on its use 1 2. Most Free Software is not in the public domain. Different Free Software projects have different policies concerning who may be the software copyright owner.
The Linux kernel, for example, has thousands of owners, each of whom hold the copyright to the particular code that they have contributed to the larger project. The Linux kernel's policy is that code contributors retain copyright ownership of their work, but it also requires that all contributions use a Free Software license 3. Other projects take a different approach. OpenOffice, for example, requires that the copyright ownership of all contributions are shared with the company that publishes it (Oracle). Other projects require copyright to be assigned from the author to the sponsoring organisation. In these cases all rights concerning copyright are permanently given up by the author to the organisation. This is true of all GNU projects 4, for example.
Free Software does have copyright owners therefore. Who owns the copyright of Free Software is important for legal procedures, such as updating the Free Software license to a new one (eg. from GPLv2 to GPLv3), and ensuring that the license is complied with (and the right to take legal action when necessary). Once software is Free however, changes to who owns its copyright do not affect your rights to use it, as these are guaranteed by Free Software licenses.
Usage rights
Free Software licenses are unique in that they use copyright law to grant to the public freedoms that are usually reserved for the copyright owner. The 'PL' in 'GPL' stands for 'Public License'; the license hands the most important rights ('The Four Freedoms') to everybody. Critically, Free Software licenses are also irrevocable. Once software has been published under such a license it will forever be publicly available, and no change of heart, corporate merger, or legal argument can further restrict access to it 5.
Everybody 'owns' rights to Free Software therefore; we all have inalienable rights to use it as we wish in a way which is traditionally associated with legal copyright ownership. In this wider sense of ownership we all "own" Free Software. Some Free Software advocates refer to Free Software as being "publicly owned". Non-Free software is often referred to as being 'proprietary', which highlights this distinction in who "owns" rights to the software in question.
Whoever owns the copyright to Free Software always has the most rights to that software. Owners of Free Software choose to use their rights to share their rights as widely as possible. Therefore in a narrow legal sense Free Software is privately owned by software developers, foundations and companies. In a wider sense however we all own Free Software, because our freedom to use, modify, share, and improve it are guaranteed.
- Though there are no copyright restrictions on works in the public domain, there may be other restrictions, such as restrictions on the distribution of software deemed to post a risk to national security in the United States, or restrictions from related software patents, for example.
- Executable files which are in the public domain do not necessarily have their source code similarly available.
- Specifically, the Linux Kernel is licensed as GPLv2.
- See the GNU project's statement on copyright assignment.
- Only a fundamental change in international copyright law could affect the public's rights to Free Software for the worse. Currently this looks unlikely to occur in the foreseeable future.


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Advanced Search
I have a lot of old computers laying around. If something works, I just can't throw it away. In fact I am still trying force myself to toss out a Win 95 laptop. It doesn't have wireless (and doesn't even have an Ethernet port) so this thing is a Internet-less block of plastic and silicon. But it works, and I'd have to pay a dump or find an electronics drive to get rid of it. And it's my only machine that reads a 3.5 inch floppy.
For this artifact, a new version of Microsoft Security Essentials is, as Dr. Evil might say, inconsequential. For the decade-old XP box my five-year-old Kiley uses to play Candy Land (which is already well-protected by Security Essentials), version 4 of the software is of no consequence to her.
Kiley is old enough to have mastered XP, the iPhone, iPod touch and Nintendo DS (and, of course, the Comcast DVR controller) but she may not fully appreciate the fact that the free Microsoft tool now has the Active Protection Service, which used to be called SpyNet (a far cooler name). This service alerts Microsoft the moment malware is found so researchers can be constantly apprised.
There is good news and bad news for Microsoft. Because it is free and from Redmond, Security Essentials is number 2 tool in the U.S. market.
The bad news? An anti-virus researcher says Microsoft came in last out of 15 tools tested, finding little more than 93 percent of all issues.
Do you use a free AV tool? What are the goods, the bads and the uglies? You tell me at email@example.com.
Posted by Doug Barney on 04/27/2012 at 1:19 PM
Microsoft this month announced that its free Mover cloud-to-cloud migration tool is "now available to Microsoft 365 customers worldwide."
Microsoft announced that its Azure Sphere solutions for Internet of Things (IoT) devices have reached the "general availability" (GA) commercial-release stage.
To test the Windows 10X emulator, Brien needed to figure out how to configure Hyper-V to run on a Windows 10 virtual machine. Here's how he made it work.
Google's Managed Service for Microsoft Active Directory is now a "generally available" service, according to a Thursday Google announcement.
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Island Princess
Island Princess
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"The Panama Canal and The Island was a great combination...."
Cruise Ship: Island Princess Destination: Panama Canal, Central America Cruise Length: 17 days Embarkation: Ft Lauderdale, USA Disembarkation: Vancouver, Canada Cabin: B304, Balcony, Forward Nationality: Aussies (about 23 or so on board) Our Outlook: Make the most of life. Expectations This Cruise: High and pleasantly met. Overall on this cruise: We enjoyed this cruise and loved most of the Ports. We have one regret only. The last 2 days from Los Angeles to Vancouver had a "party feel†as the new guests were making the most of their 2 days on board. We quickly lost that original feeling of being on a relaxing voyage. If we had the choice again, we would have disembarked in Los Angeles. Embarkation: Check in was quick and a breeze. The cruise lines are certainly winning in this area as we do all the work online ahead of time! We had enough time to write emails home before boarding. Fort Lauderdale has free Wi Fi in the terminal if you have your own notebook. Ship: The cruise was sold out however this ship had plenty of hideaways, bars, dining options and recreational areas to help with the crowded sea days. It certainly does not have a smaller ship "feel†and we found areas we could relax in away from the cabin. Cabin: B304, Balcony, Forward Our thoughts before getting on board, was "smaller ship" means "smaller cabin". Not the case here. Our immediate impression was one of "space.†Loads of storage with an open ward robe, several drawers with safe, bedside drawers, table, one chair, one single lounge seat and refrigerator. Our rather big bags went very nicely under the queen bed. Bit tight to move from the end of the bed to either the balcony side or to the cabin door so it was one person at a time. The balcony was a good size with the usual table and chairs. Really took advantage of this during the Canal transit in the heat of the day. OK, nice cabin but... One doesn't live in the shower but if you dropped the soap or anything else then forget picking it up as there is NO bending down without pushing the curtain out. We had a very wet floor a number of times!! Dining Venues: The Horizon Court was our venue of choice the whole trip and we did not visit the "Anytime Dining" room at all. Tried the pub lunches, Sabatini's for a 50th Birthday celebration and pizza on deck. The Horizon came in handy on port days but the rest of the ship felt that way too. However, we met some very interesting people from all over of the globe and it was never hard to find seating. Dinner was always a table for two and never crowded. We had great service and we were always made welcome. Food: The food was varied and non repetitious except at breakfast time. Often we would skip breakfast and head straight for lunch that kicked off at 1130am. Our only negative has been the same on all Princess cruises. The desserts were usually creamy, looked artistic but sadly very little difference in flavour. There was always a range of fresh fruit available though. I did however, love some of the hot desserts served every lunch and dinner. We had to wait for Formal Nights to have ice cream here that promptly disappeared at 900pm.So if you were late by one minute...you missed out. We made up for it with the free ice cream until 700pm at the inside pool. On Sabatini'.... the food was very good, however we thought you could order from the menu. That was the case with the mains and dessert, however ALL the appetizers were brought out round after round.!!! Way too much food and in the end it became too much. Entertainment: This was very good from all aspects. Port days were quiet but the bars and other venues would have something going on. We hit the casino a couple of times but it was too smoky for us. There is a non-smoking section, however smoke travels on frankly calling it non-smoking means nothing. One of us had a couple lucky wins at the Bingo, which they had on non-port days. As always the games are brief so that you can move onto another activity. The pools were crowded when at sea but we found that if you had a swim while everyone was at dinner then you got the pool to yourselves. It worked for us as we dined at Horizon Court. Ports: We didn't feel crowded when getting on or off in port days. Usually the tours went out early and the rest got off as they pleased. Aruba: The arrival was Sunday. Nothing opens except the diamond and souvenirs shops. Princess had not let that one slip to guests not doing tours. We did some walking. There is no beach area near the ship but the blue of the water was beautiful. The town had a deserted feel but we did find a lovely church open. The supermarket was closed as was all the regular stores. Aloe Vera is grown here and we bought some sunburn cream at the port shops. The Princess schedule couldn't have been worse if you didn't do a tour here. The local bus did run to the white sandy beaches further into the tourist zone. Cartagena:Columbia This port was a real eye opener for our first time in South America. The city is amazing and it is very old colonial and colourful. We did a walking tour off the ship. Got the feeling we were not given too much time on our own. The people seemed happy to us and we felt welcome. The tour leader gave a great narration of city life and gave us hints on the local people selling goods in the streets. It's not to discourage from buying but to be selective with prices and quality of goods. There were certainly a lot of them selling the same things. Cigars and silver (if genuine) were the main items. If you politely said no thank you, they would move on to the next person. It's just the way it is here. The town was a maze of old buildings and an old wall surrounding the city. We tried Columbian coffee in the main plaza and watched the life coming and going. It was great! We didn't feel unsafe at all. Still it is best to be aware at all times. Panama Canal:Transit In a word.... Outstanding. A perfect day and the highlight of our cruise. We got up at 500am and went straight to Deck 11 forward without eating first.Only a few people there until the first of the locks and then became crowded as the day went on. This is a great viewing area to hear the narration by the guest speaker from the bridge and to see both sides of the canal at once. We came and went as the day went on. The sun was hot and we did get very sunburned even with sun cream, hats and fuller T-shirts etc. There was some time spent anchored in Gatun Lake and we went eat then. It was hard to tear ourselves away in case we missed something. Headed back to our balcony for a different perspective. The day went so quickly but we made the most of it. Fuertes Amador:Panama We anchored off Panama City overnight here. Our tour next day to the old, colonial and modern parts of Panama City was extremely hot and made it hard to walk any great distance. However, the tour guide was very knowledgeable about her city and made the tour so interesting we almost forgot the heat.... almost! It was just enough time to see the main sights. Contrary to current thought,it is a very wealthy country. New high rises are going up everywhere. The colonial buildings are being restored to their former elegance and costing a fortune. There is a large Duty Free store and shops after tendering to the port and a couple of restaurants if not taking a tour. We don't think we would have attempted the same tour on our own first time. Puntarenas: Costa Rica Went to the Poas Volcano and Sarchi on tour. It was 8 hours with a lovely lunch in the mountains. They had traditional food and their famous strawberry juice. The guide was fantastic and told us all about Costa Rica. He had the time, as it was 3 hours each way. We had some comfort stops in a souvenir store with free, hot local coffee to help keep us awake. The weather was kind to look at the crater then promptly rained. We were very lucky. It was also very cold up there. There were still a few hours to see the port town when we got back. Huetulco: Mexico. Port beach is small but nice, the beach town OK, good bars and shops but our time ran out in the port while we did our tour. Took a bus tour off the ship to a town that is a mile away. The bus took 3 hours to see basically a couple of scenic lookouts, a souvenir shop selling craft from all over Mexico and a VERY quick authentic meal. The bus was old and the air con had trouble with the heat at 40C. Saw a beautiful old church in the town and then wandered round the town square that took five minutes. The rest of the time we were trying to stay cool. On the way back we were told to take just 10 mins to eat a traditional meal as the next buses were lining up behind us. There was also to be a demonstration of making bread that didn't happen.... no time? Couldn't wait to get back to the ship. This port is trying to open up to tourists but didn't get it right with this tour. Princess should be more on top of quality offered for the money. We complained to Princess and cancelled our next tour in Cabo because of our experience and would have been much better off in port. They gave us back 20 percent of the tour the day after letting them know. Acapulco:Mexico We really enjoyed it here. The views along the bay were outstanding It is a tourist trap everywhere but that didn't take away from our enjoyment. We caught an expensive limo taxi to the other end of the bay from the port and walked the length of the bay back. Very hot and tiring but worth the effort. There are cute VW beetle taxies that ply the area and they would be much cheaper if you know where to go and how much. There are loads of tourist shops, a Wal-Mart, hotels and bars. The beaches are fantastic with lovely blue water. Not a cultural thing in sight except the Cathedral and the old fort. This is a hotel, beach and shopping city. Cabo San Lucas:Mexico Lands End is beautiful and we saw it while the ship was at anchor most of the time here. It's a tender port and it has lots of souvenir shops and bars. Did not do a tour but wandered the town. Unless you do something that is water related it's pretty much the shops or the bars. We also found it more expensive here than other Mexican ports. The beaches are much further along into the tourist zone. Overall it was enough time in port to do all the above. It would have been something to be there at night. Los Angeles:USA The Immigration procedure was a nightmare if you were not a US citizen.There were not enough officers to process so many people even those just transiting. It was over 2 hours before we got out of the terminal which took a chunk of our time and the ship left again at 400pm.We spent what time we had left in San Pedro near the port eating wonderful market strawberries and looking at the arts and crafts there.We had great coffee at a little cafe here and it was the best since leaving home. Basically this was the end of the cruise for a high percentage of people.The next part of this cruise was for any guests visiting the north or Canadians coming home again.The new sector was full of happy "new" 2 day party goers which was great for them but a little too noisy for us. Disembarkation:Vancouver Overall Customs here were quicker than Los Angeles. We had an early "non Princess" bus transfer Vancouver to Seattle. The transfers sold by Princess had preference off the ship. At the time we booked we were told that no Princess bus service would run from Vancouver to Seattle so we booked an alternate, non-refundable ticket with Quick Shuttle.Our advice to similar travellers is that due to Customs limitations 'own arrangement' times are hard to get. Once you nominate your time, make any changes as early as possible the day before. We were not given our nominated time and we just made our bus after we changed very late the day before arriving. Princess is not as effective here in this area. Perhaps it's time to allow this procedure online as part of the booking process. As in other cruise lines they are so attentive when you first get on board but dismissive once the bill is finalised and paid. Other than this problem, we had the best time on board the Island Princess. Enjoy your Cruise!!!Read more
- Cruise Name: Island Princess
- Destination: Panama Canal
- Sailed: April 2010
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"Un- touched by the Human Eye!!"
This cruise was not something I would ever dream could be as beautiful as it was. it is still so surreal when I look at the photo's, as photo's do no justice as the real thing. Every single day you wake up to the most magnificent view and wildlife and everyday it seems so breath taking. The island princess is one of the smaller ships, that hold upto 2100 passengers and up to 1000 crew staff. The food is amazing, and you have a good variety of different food for everyone to be happy, to easy quick meals to fine dining to the snacks to get you through till dinner time. There is always things to do and see while on board the cruise, such a seeing one of the world class live shows with live dancers and many activities to see and do. There are daily activities to also keep you occupied during your cruise, with BINGO, shopping in the boutiques to having a nice relaxing massage and then sipping a cocktail or 2 afterwards to wind down after a big day. There is also a tour desk with plenty tour seminars and information to look forward to, to help you organize the tours that best suit your cruise, ex: whale watching, the train through the beautiful mountains where you get to see wild life that you would never dream of, fishing charters and a wide range of casual activities that you could enjoy. Or you can just take it at your own pas and stroll into town yourself and find other activities that they have to offer you. All in all this was definitely an amazing cruise that I would hope everyone gets to see and do once in a life time opportunity to see an amazing place that is untouched by the human hand and is just pure nature. I truly hope you enjoy as much as i did.Read more
- Cruise Name: Island Princess
- Destination: Alaska
- Sailed: May 2010


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Sephardic, Mediterranean food, and California Cuisine dominate in our home, but every once in a while I crave an Asian inspired stir fry. So simple, this dish took me 35 minutes to make, once I realized I had the ingredients on hand.
You will need:
2 (12 ounce) Spencer steaks, which is what my butcher calls a rib steak with no bone
Grated orange zest from one orange [click to continue…]
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The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has designated the week after Thanksgiving, November 26 – December 2, as National Influenza Vaccination Week. This event is designed to highlight the importance of receiving yearly influenza (flu) vaccination, by encouraging greater use of flu vaccine through the months of November, December and beyond. Tuesday, November 27, was specifically designated Children's Flu Vaccination Day, to focus on vaccinating high-risk children.
While many people typically associate the "flu season" with the fall, the fact is that influenza cases usually peak in January or later. This means that if you haven't received the vaccine yet, it's not only not too late, but it's exactly the right time for you to do so. And getting vaccinated against the flu is the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself and those around you from getting influenza this winter (aside, perhaps, from moving to Australia where it's summer, which, for most of us, is not a particularly practical plan).
Why should you get the influenza vaccine? First of all, real influenza, as opposed to the loose, inaccurate use of the term for nearly any viral illness (like "stomach flu"), is a highly contagious respiratory illness that causes serious systemic symptoms including headache, muscle aches, fever and extreme fatigue (aside from the respiratory symptoms of sore throat, coughing, sneezing and runny nose). When you have real influenza, it is, unfortunately, a truly memorable experience (as in one you'd like to forget, wish you never had, and hope you don't ever have again). Every year, about 200,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized (including 20,000 children under the age of five) due to influenza, and about 36,000 people actually die from the illness or its complications.
Had a flu vaccine last year or in years gone by and think you're still safe? Think again. The influenza virus is very, very tricky. It changes from year to year. Sometimes it changes a little and sometimes it changes a lot. Even when it changes just a little, it's enough to make you sick. And when it changes a lot it causes a pandemic (worldwide sickness) and millions of deaths. Immunity to one year's virus does not provide immunity to another year's virus. Fortunately, this is distinctly different from many other vaccine-prevented illnesses like measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, hepatitis, and others. Influenza is the one bug that requires annual immunization.
I'm going to provide you with the official list of those for whom influenza vaccination is recommended, but if you're not inclined to slog through it, here it is in one word: everybody (well, everybody over the age of six months). In the list below I'll highlight some of the more pertinent recommendations, but you'll quickly see it basically includes everyone.
Annual vaccination against influenza is recommended for:
• All persons, including school-aged children, who want to reduce the risk of becoming ill with influenza or of transmitting influenza to others;
• All children aged 6–59 months (i.e., 6 months–4 years);
• All persons aged 50 years and older;
• Children and adolescents (aged 6 months–18 years) receiving long-term aspirin therapy who therefore might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection;
• Women who will be pregnant during the influenza season;
• Adults and children who have chronic illnesses including: pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (except high blood pressure), kidney, liver, blood or metabolic disorders (including diabetes);
• Adults and children who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]);
• Adults and children who have any condition (e.g., cognitive dysfunction, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, or other neuromuscular disorders) that can compromise respiratory function or the handling of respiratory secretions or that can increase the risk for aspiration;
• Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities;
• Health-care personnel;
• Healthy household contacts (including children) and caregivers of children aged <5 years and adults aged 50 years and older, with particular emphasis on vaccinating contacts of children aged <6 months; and
• Healthy household contacts (including children) and caregivers of persons with medical conditions that put them at higher risk for severe complications from influenza.
Don't be foolish (or should I say fluish?), get your influenza vaccine as soon as possible.
There are some people who should not be vaccinated without first consulting a physician. These include:
• People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs;
• People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination in the past;
• People who developed Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine previously;
• Children less than 6 months of age;
• People who have a moderate or severe illness with a fever should wait to get vaccinated until their symptoms lessen.
The CDC website has a wealth of information on influenza and the influenza vaccine.


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You want a copie of that Ogre building article? I can zerox you a copy. I am sure SJGames would not mind to much. It is not included in the Ogre books or the Delux Ogre Games.
Sure sounds like fun. My work puts me at an on call schedule, so let me know
Cursed by the GodsUndead Abomination
The 300 (+7)


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Get more overnight hairstyling Ideas with tips from PopSugar!
Sure you can blow-dry or diffuse your strands every morning. But not only does that cut into your coveted snoozing, the added heat can damage your strands. Save time (and your hair's integrity) by shampooing and air-drying at night instead. So get more sleep, along with three nighttime styling ideas, when you read more.
1. Crimps sans iron: Get a soft, subtle version of crimped hair with easy braids. After shampooing, split hair into four even sections. Apply mousse or gel for hold, and braid each section as tight as possible to form S-shaped waves. Take out the plaits in the morning, fluff with fingers, and head out the door.
2. Ringlets sans rollers: Modern, Shirley Temple-style ringlets can be done on damp hair spritzed with a leave-in conditioner, like Ouidad Moisture Lock. First, twist two strands of hair together and then twirl the twist until it's tight. Finish by wrapping the twist in a circular motion at the root and secure. When you wake up, separate your bantu knots into bouncing curls.
3. Waves sans barrel: Create a subtly waved style with a series of twists. Prep the hair by saturating it with a liquid pomade, and create four to six sections vertically across the head. Start at the hairline and work down to the nape, twisting and gathering hair from your scalp as you go. And when you arise, hit the ground running with an effortlessly cool look.
• Turn Your Milkmaid Braids From Summer-Sexy to Fall-Fabulous
• 3 Ways You Could Be Sabotaging Your Hair
• [It Would Be a Sin Not to Try the Sleek Ponytail For Fall


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Cornelius Douglas swallowed hard and shook his head as he struggled tried to explain the why of it all.
The senior cornerback had been at the heart of a four-takeaway performance two months ago against Iowa State in the Big 12 opener, when a ball-hawking secondary (three interceptions) and a relentless defensive line (one forced fumble) led the Red Raiders to a 24-13 victory.
On Saturday, though, that performance seemed more like two years ago, as Tech (7-5, 4-5 in Big 12 Conference play) faced questions about its fifth straight game - and sixth in its last seven - without a takeaway following a 52-45 overtime loss to Baylor.
"You really can't call it," Douglas said. "It's just how the ball plays. If a turnover is going to happen, it's going to happen. Some players are able to make turnovers, and we just weren't able to capitalize on doing that."
As a result, Tech couldn't make wins happen in the season's second half, losing four of its last five games and needing double overtime against Kansas to secure its only victory in that stretch. The Red Raiders forced three turnovers during a 56-53 triple-overtime win Oct. 20 against TCU that pushed their record to 6-1. But during its 1-4 finish, Tech didn't have any takeaways while turning the ball over 11 times of its own.
"I think we set a national record of six games without a turnover," Tech coach Tommy Tuberville said, "and that's pretty hard to do."
Though five consecutive games without a takeaway isn't believed to be a record - a check of the NCAA's online record book didn't reveal the stat - the stretch did put Tech near the bottom of the country, tied for 106th, in turnover margin. The 10 turnovers forced by the Red Raiders this season are second fewest in the nation.
Tech's defense, of course, made strides this season. The Red Raiders rank 39th in total defense at 366 yards per game. That's 75 spots better than where the unit finished each of the previous two seasons. But the inability to change momentum with turnovers clearly hampered the team in the season's second half.
By contrast, Oregon ranks 46th in total defense (382), but the Ducks have forced a nation-leading 38 turnovers, creating short-field situations for its potent offense. It's the same formula Oklahoma State used last season en route to a Big 12 title: A statistically average defense making plays when they mattered most. The Cowboys had 44 takeaways last year, five more than any other major-college team.
On offense, Tech's 22 turnovers were tied for 72nd in the country, but they often showed up at the worst times. Of those giveaways, 13 came in Tech's five losses.
No more was the crippling disparity more apparent than Saturday, when the Red Raiders gave it away four times - and never took one back - in a seven-point overtime loss. It was a game - more than any other this season - that left Tech and its fans to ponder the "what if."
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2559 results found
Visit this unique star-shaped military fortress that has stood guard over Kinsale harbour for over three hundred years.
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The Emigration & Maritime Story is a dramatic exhibition of the origins, history and legacy of Cobh. Themes explored include the Irish famine, emigration from Ireland and the two famous liners, Titanic and Lusitania.
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Take a delightful and quaint step into the past at the West Cork Model Railway Village.
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Experience bygone days in Cork, both inside and outside prison walls, and also discover the impact radio has had since its invention at the Cork City Gaol and Radio Museum Experience. Located within earshot of the famous Bells of Shandon.
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Mizen Head Irish Lights Signal Station is Ireland's most south westerly point and offers visitors an educational and thrilling experience.
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Located in Dingle town in County Kerry on the Wild Atlantic Way, Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium has the WOW factor! It leaves guests in awe and is yours to be explored and enjoyed all year long.
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Your Great Blasket Island experience begins here!
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Derrynane House the ancestral home of Daniel O'Connell, is a public museum commemorating one of Ireland's leading historical figures and arguably the greatest ever Irishman.
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Ross Castle is a 15th century tower house located in Killarney, County Kerry. It is a typical example of the stronghold of an Irish chieftain in the Middle Ages and is fully restored and furnished with period oak furniture.
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This heritage centre tells the story of the Skellig Rocks. Learn about the monks who lived on these desolate rocks, the seabirds, the nearby lighthouses and the marine life of the Skelligs.
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€210 per group (up to 12pax)
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Use promo code TEELING2020 when booking online to get a 10% discount off admission to the Teeling Whiskey Distillery, a saving of up to €6
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Want to know more? Ask a question in our Community, they're the people who know Ireland best.
For more information on travel and accommodation, attractions have a look at our brochures and maps.
If you're a visitor from the island of Ireland you may want to visit one of these sites… Otherwise proceed to Ireland.com
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Tuesday, June 17, 2008
A Cure or a Placebo?
Prior to beginning a pilot program at Bryan Adams High School in Dallas, the student profiled in the report had missed 160 school days out of 185.
Yes, it's very clear the Dallas school system needed a program to enforce the school attendance laws which exist in every area of our country ( I hope), but it is amazing to me that prior to this program a student could get to the point that they could miss that many days which no penalty other than failing their classess. Once the student got to 5, 10, 15, 20 absences was it just ignored?
I do agree with Byan Adams High School Principal Cynthia Goodsell when she states, "We're [the school system and school employees] accountable whether they show up or not, we're accountable for the graduation rate, the attendance. If they're not here, we can't teach them and we're accountable for the coursework."
The story also reminds us when there high dropout rates exist school districts loose money….the Dallas school district in the story loses as much as $10 million dollars a year because they have the highest dropout rate in Texas.
While the GPS program may be working the Dallas area to curb truancy, and I am a rabid supporter for all school systems linking up with the court system to enforce school attendance laws, there's something terribly, terribly wrong about the whole picture painted here.
True, the courts do become involved when students skip school and the student highlighted in the story only received his GPS device due to a court order, but are the true symptoms being addressed?
I say no, and so do many of the comments left once this story was filed.
One comment says it best, "Simple, truant children, those who are routinely late or absent, come from dysfunctional homes. Those homes in my experience are lead by caregivers who are more concerned about their own pleasures and convenience than the welfare of their children. Some may say that this is an unkind assessment. My response to them is simple, visit these homes and you will see that this is not an aberration. While some caregivers have a difficult time because of poverty, work schedules or transitioning to a single parent household; the majority simply refuse to exercise self control or basic order in their homes."
This same comment continued, "…and this assessment is supported by various national studies. Research from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the U.S. Department of Education have found that child neglect and family disorganization are major factors in truancy. The OJJDP also found that "Truancy has been clearly identified as one of the early warning signs of students headed for potential delinquent activity, social isolation, or educational failure via suspension, expulsion, or dropping out."
Another person stated, "This is stupid. PARENTS READ THIS: If you think your child needs to have a monitoring device to make sure they are going to school, then you are pathetic parents and should have your children taken away. This is a parenting issue and nothing else. It is our job to ensure our children get a good education and not the governments…Parents that allow this are worthless parents and shouldn''t even have kids. Turn off the game consoles, computers and televisions and stop being lazy parents and take control of the lives that are supposed to be the most precious in your life right now. Quit depending on drugs, and government control in raising your children."
Unfortunately as we continue to try and solve our education woes we will continue to blame the school, blame the teacher, blame the inept administrator, blame the violence and peer pressure, blame boring teaching methods, blame poverty, and many other reasons why kids are truant.
Our legislators are more willing to compile a long list of situations for blame that contains many of the symptoms of the problem, but are unwilling to point the finger where it really belongs. Our career politicans are more willing to lead us down the road of empty speeches that merely end in cul-de-sacs of platitudes and buzz words than real finger pointing and solutions.
It's easier to blame the education system for truancy issues. It's easier to tie quick fixes for the problem (let's just get the numbers down so things will look nice) to NCLB and federal funding.
It's easier, but until we point the finger where it truly belongs and society begins to look down its nose at those individuals in our society who continually treat their children as accesssories we will continue to have the truant students, violent students, and students and parents who firmly believe consequences don't apply to them.
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While I support the GPS tracking device system, there is a much simpler dropout prevention method that goes to the center of the problem.
As a certified history teacher I strongly believe in history, and as a social worker I believe in personal history. Most of our children have none they are aware of. They do not think of their history and their goals, their future. That is the most common characteristic of dropouts, lack of goals. That fact is why we started a time-capsule, class reunion plan in our middle school 4 years ago. Now the 10th grade enrollments are up 10% at the two high schools our students attend. We have them thinking more of their own goals and their future. They liked the idea of writing letters to themselves that they placed into a 350-pound vault bolted to the floor in our middle school lobby. The last week of 8th grade each Language Arts class poses holding their letters for a photo. Then they place their letters on the shelf, one of 10 in the vault, for their class. They know it will stay there until their 10-year reunion.
Students each get a copy of that photo with project details and the reunion plans on the back.
This simple focus on the future is keeping our inner city Dallas kids in school in greater numbers. See details at http://www.studentmotivation.org.
- EHT said...
Bill, thanks so much for stopping by and letting us know how your school is working on the problem. I agree that many of our students have no personal history and no personal goals. It certainly is part of our job to help to make them aware.
With the use of Facebook and MySpace more and more kids are able to stay in contact with each other through school and on into their college years while I lost contact with many of my friends during my first year of college. Perhaps your classes could set up pages where each class group could check in from time to time, maintain those relationships, and keep each other accountable.
Relationships....student to student, parent to student, and teacher to student are so very important in the accountability department.
- Meredith said...
Ah, such a tricky subject. I'm constantly wondering where school responsiblity and student/parent responsibility lie. For example, a neighboring district has begun day care centers in the High School for their pregranr mother students. Excuse me? Are you just enabling them to get pregnant? I know what you're saying about truency, we DO need to get them to class, but should we also dress them, feed them breakfast and offer a limo service to get to school? It's a conundrum to me.


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Asymmetric Scheduling
Adventures in (simulated) Asymmetric Scheduling - Pantelis Antoniou, Antoniou Consulting
Asymmetric processing, spearheaded by ARM's big.LITTLE architecture, has been touted as a method for solving both the power & performance problem of mobile devices. This architecture requires changes to core scheduling concepts, which are extremely difficult to debug and diagnose, especially since existing tools do not capture useful data for evaluating such a system. A brief overview of the proposed scheduling changes will be presented, with major focus on Paul Turner's load average patches. Methods of simulating an asymmetric system will be described. Additionally a portable process workload capturing method, based on perf, will be presented, i.e. one can capture traces from an Android based system and run it on a standard Linux box.


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2008 Yonex/OCBC US Open Grand Prix Championships Finals Results
In the mixed doubles event, Halim Haryanto Ho / Yun (Grace) Peng (USA) defeated Mike Beres / Valerie Loker (Canada, #2 Seed) 21-13,21-16
In the women's singles event, Lili Zhou (USA) defeated Chloe Magee (Ireland) 23-21,21-16
In the men's singles event, Andrew Dabeka (Canada, #1 Seed) defeated Martin Bille Larsen (Denmark, #8 Seed) 21-14,21-9
In the women's doubles event, Li Ying Chang / Shih Chieh Hung (Chinese Taipei, #3/4 Seed) defeated Pei Ling Tsai / Chia Chen Yang (Chinese Taipei, #2 Seed) 21-19,21-14
In the men's doubles event, Howard Bach / Khan Bob Malaythong (USA, #1 Seed) defeated Halim Haryanto Ho / Raju Rai (USA) 21-14,21-19
Howard Bach, Khan Bob Malaythong, and Raju Rai will be representing the United States in the 2008 Olympic badminton competitions next month.
The 2008 Yonex / OCBC U.S. Open Grand Prix Badminton Championships is a Badminton World Federation World Grand Prix Event with $50,000 total prize money hosted by the Orange County Badminton Club.
The tournament is sanctioned by USA Badminton, the National Governing Body for the sport of badminton that operates under the auspice of the United States Olympic Committee. The 2008 U.S. Open Grand Prix Badminton Championships is sponsored by the title sponsor Yonex Corporation, and by Orange County Badminton Club and K & D Graphics.
Information, draws, & complete match results are available at tournamentsoftware.com:


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Why do California Republicans keep fighting a fight they can't win?
They received plenty of good advice, including right here at Prop Zero (We Told You So!), that their efforts to challenge the new state senate districts drawn by the citizens redistricting commission were a waste of time and money. But they ignored it, and went forward with an expensive referendum.
And today, the Calfiornia Supreme Court ruled that the 2012 elections will go forward under the commission's districts, even if the referendum qualifies.
U.S. & World
What has been the reaction?
While a few wise GOP consultants have tut-tutted and counseled retreat, it's mostly been anger.
The targets have been... Republicans, and especially former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who championed the creation of the redistricting commission (with the support of his party brethren) and the Schwarzenegger-appionted state supreme court chief justice, Tani Cantil-Sakauye, who wrote the decision.
On Twitter, the Flash Report, a conservative blog, asked if Schwarzenegger's name could be removed from the list of former governors.
The Republicans are in a hole, and they won't stop digging. Even as this thing has turned from a waste of time and money -- which the party needs to spend on supporting reforms and policies that would lead the party back to power -- into a circular firing squad.
Mixed metaphor intended.
Some in the GOP are holding out hope that the referendum qualifies and the voters -- more than two thirds of whom are not Republicans -- will vote to block the districts.
Even if Republicans somehow win that referendum, guess who would draw the new districts? The California Supreme Court!
Earth to Republicans: put down your shovels, or you'll never climb your way out.
Let us know what you think. Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @PropZero or add your comment to our Facebook page.


text: Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums :: View topic - Learn Chinese while talk about news! Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in Learn Chinese while talk about news! Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Current News View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message TulipyJoined: 21 Nov 2006Posts: 4 Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 7:25 pm Post subject: Learn Chinese while talk about news! I am a native Chinese girl in Beijing, I can tell you the latest news about China and chat with you both in Chinese and English. Link http://www.echineseonline.com/j.do?sid=Sammi&type=1&personal=1 and see my pictures. There's no better thing than talking with a lovely, friendly Chinese girl! You guys are so interested in what's happening in the world currently, yes? Why not try talking in Chinese? Learning Chinese in this way can be really easy and efficient. Come on! I offer you a 30-minutes free trial online. Wherever you are now, the only things you need are an earphone, a webcamer, a computer and a MSN or Skype account. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Current News All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Student Forums----------------ComputersCurrent NewsCultureEnglish SchoolsFamilyFilm and CinemaFoodHealth and FitnessHelp CenterHobbiesHolidaysLearning EnglishLiteratureMaking FriendsMusicOpinionsPetsScienceSportsThe Strange and MysteriousTOEFL and Other English ExamsTravel You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Dave's ESL Cafe is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Banner Advertising | Bookstore / Alta Books | FAQs | Articles | Interview with Dave Copyright © 2018 Dave's ESL Cafe | All Rights Reserved | Contact Dave's ESL Cafe | Site Map Teachers College, Columbia University: Train to Teach English Here or Abroad Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group


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Pau d'Arco is an evergreen tree grown in the warmth of Central and South America, particularly in the Amazon rain forest. For centuries South Americans have used the tree's inner bark for medicinal purposes.
Researchers continued to be interested in Pau d'Arco and eventually identified more than 20 active chemicals. Laboratory research revealed these compounds to possess antiviral and antimicrobial properties. Further research is needed before specific health benefits can be determined.
Our Pau d'Arco is 100 percent-pure inner bark. It is carefully inspected to ensure the highest-quality product.


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The hottest thing in running is not a new shoe or energy drink. It's mud. And fire. And other things that get in the way of running but manage, for some, to make racing more fun.
Obstacle-course events that send participants into mud pits and under barbed wire, over walls and through flames, across monkey bars greased with butter and into a forest of live electric wires, are popping up like blisters on an Ironman's feet.
While they sound hard core, some of these races appeal especially to casual runners because the obstacles break up the running and take the focus off finish times. A spirit of fun (people wear costumes) and camaraderie (strangers help each other along the way) helps blunt the competitive edge.
And for serious runners, it's something new.
"I've done 5K races since I was little," said Alex Lenz, 27, an engineer who lives in Hampden and plans to do the Warrior Dash when it comes Maryland for the first time this spring. "I ran the Baltimore marathon, the San Diego marathon and a couple 24-hour races. This was just something real different and fun."
Lenz took part in last year's Warrior Dash, a 3.1-miler billed as "a mud-crawling, fire-leaping extreme run from hell." That race was scheduled to be held in Perryville, but so many people signed up that it had to be moved to a larger venue in Quarryville, Pa. Some 13,555 people are registered for the May 21-22 race in Mechanicsville.
The Warrior Dash started with a single race south of Chicago in 2009. Last year, the event went national and attracted 120,000 participants to 10 races. This year, organizers expect about 500,000 people to participate in 35 Warrior Dashes in the United States, Canada and Australia, according to Alex Yount of Red Frog Events of Chicago, which puts on the races.
That sort of exponential growth is happening with other obstacle-course runs with names like Muddy Buddy, The Spartan and Rugged Maniac. Timonium-based Mud Chasers will put on its first 5K April 17 at Oregon Ridge Park in Cockeysville — with plans to stage another dozen races across the United States and Canada.
Tough Mudder, launched last May with a race at Bear Creek Mountain Resort near Allentown, Pa., has scheduled 16 challenges this year. Billed as the most demanding of mud runs, Tough Mudders range from 7 miles to 12 miles and require running up black-diamond ski slopes, dunking in 38-degree water, dashing through flames (participants are sopping wet from that dunk, so they don't catch fire) and enduring zaps from live electric wires (said to be strong enough to jolt, but not injure, runners).
None of that seems to be scaring anyone off. (All 10,000 slots for the April 9 and 10 Tough Mudder in Allentown quickly sold out.) But maybe it should.
"It's like you go to the beach, and I see these knuckleheads running on the sand; I just want to run up behind them and give them my card because they're going to get injured," said Dr. John Senatore, chief of podiatry at Union Memorial Hospital and a lifelong runner. "You're at a higher risk for spraining your knee, your ankle, whatever, without sure footing. When you run, everything's meant to go straight ahead. When you have mud underneath the running shoe, you go not only forward, you go sideways. I just can't believe they do this."
Senatore sees the value of obstacle courses for the military. Not so for weekend warriors.
"The Marines, their lives may depend on going through an obstacle course," he said. "You get some 45-year-old accountant, what's the point? ... I always thought the purpose of exercise is to build one's own health. You're taking a significant risk."
"I just hope there's good liability insurance involved," he added. "It's ridiculous."
Dr. Bill Howard, director of the Arnold Palmer Sports Health Center at Union Memorial, wasn't quite so wary.
"It's kind of fun," said Howard, who last tackled an obstacle course 20 years ago, when he was sent as an Army reservist to Fort Campbell during Operation Desert Storm. "It would be great to say, 'I completed the Mud Dog. What did you do last Sunday? Watch football?'"
Competitors at such events are "pretty evenly split [between] people who are serious and want to prove something and people who want to have a ball crawling through the mud," Howard said. "It takes you back to your childhood. And this time, people are cheering instead of being scolded by Mama."
When it comes to training for mud runs, Howard suggests getting into good running shape and developing upper-body strength with push-ups and pull-ups. And on race day, he advises: "Take it slow" and "Don't worry about your hair because it's going to get messed up."
While the wisdom of competing in them might be in dispute, there is no question that muddy obstacle-course races have become wildly popular. What accounts for that? Theories range from the influence of "Survivor" and other reality-TV shows to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Several of the obstacle courses claim to be based on "special forces" training and some of the events have tie-ins with charities for service members, such as Homes for Our Troops and the Wounded Warrior Project.)
Perhaps the appeal simply stems from athletic ennui. Runners bored with road races are embracing events that provide both silliness and a sense of accomplishment, said Will Dean, chief executive officer of Tough Mudder.
"We definitely get the fitness crowd — triathletes, the marathon runners — and we also get guys who are in the gym all the time but would never do a race — don't want to destroy their knees or the boredom of having to train," Dean said. "We are getting people who are fit, but it's definitely not a competitive event. You're going to fall over and you're going to get muddy and you're going to get beaten by a guy in a 'Borat' thong. If you're the kind of guy who enjoys practicing changing your socks so you can shave 10 seconds in a triathlon, there's no way you're going to enjoy this."
Mike Joyce, a 58-year-old Howard County resident, did the Tough Mudder in New Jersey in November and is signed up to do it in Allentown in April.
"The Tough Mudder is tough, but it's way more fun than doing a marathon or anything," said Joyce. "I don't think … I can adequately explain how people were laughing when someone fell, shoes got lost. We were laughing and kidding around with each other. It is not a competition from that perspective."
Some obstacle-course events do not even record times and purposely describe themselves as challenges, not races. Joyce, who did Tough Mudder with his 28-year-old son, Conor, said participants helped each other complete the course.
"No man was left behind," he said. "Tough Mudder is all about teamwork and working with other people, including complete strangers, to be able to complete such a bizarre event."
Some runners enjoy the party atmosphere and post-race socializing as much as running the course.
"They had great bands afterwards, lots of food and drink," said Lenz, the Warrior Dash veteran, who sampled turkey legs and beer after the race. "Everyone's covered in mud and kind of, like, really having a good time.
"When you do a 5K, a lot of times, the whole race might be a half-hour long," he said. "'Why did I do all this training but it was really only half an hour?'" After the Warrior Dash, Lenz said, he enjoyed "two or three hours of socializing, kind of like a tailgate."
The double-dare aspect of obstacle-course races seems to be a big part of the appeal, said Jim Adams of the Falls Road Running Store. Adams sees the same phenomenon with a conventional 10K billed as "The Dreaded Druid Hills," which attracts people who "look like [they] shouldn't be doing this."
"You get people you would not expect at a 10K, and they're there because they want the challenge," he said.
Adams notes that obstacle-course races call on skills beyond running. "There's strength and agility components in addition to the endurance-running component," he said. "It's an entirely different challenge."
One he's not about to take up, even though it sounds a lot like the training he did years ago with the 82nd Airborne Division.
"Right now, I'm 65 years old and starting to get a lot of aches and pains," Adams said. "I might consider doing that, but at this point, I might be thinking about the next morning, what it would feel like trying to get out of bed."
Muddy races
Muddy obstacle-course races in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region:
Warrior Dash, a 3.1-mile "mud-crawling, fire-leaping extreme run from hell," comes to Maryland for the first time this year. The May 21-22 race takes place in Mechanicsville. The Chicago-based event will go to 35 locations this year in the United States, Canada and Australia. warriordash.com
The Spartan, which stages 5K, 8K and a 48-hour "Death Race" with barbed wire, mud and fire-jumping. Launched last year, the Massachusetts-based organizer has scheduled 34 races this year in the United States and the United Kingdom. While the name of the Death Race says it all, the shorter versions are meant to be approachable. On June 18, the 5K version comes to Pev's Paintball Park in Aldie, Va. spartanrace.com
Mud Chasers, brand-new this year, promises "3-5 miles of off-road running, mud, challenging obstacles, mud again, fun and a spectacular post-race party." The first race, a 5K, is April 17 at Oregon Ridge Park in Cockeysville. The Timonium-based organizers hope to stage another dozen events across the United States and Canada, including one in Ocean City, though only one of those has a firm date (April 22 race in Union Point, Ga.). There is a Mud Chasers Endurance, which has participants run in all five heats of the race, and a Mini Mudders version for 5- to 10-year-olds. mudchasers.com
The Muddy Buddy Ride & Run sends two-person teams mountain biking, running trails and tackling obstacles for 6 and 7 miles. Just before the finish line, teammates crawl through a 50-foot long mud pit. Muddy Buddy, which unlike the many newbies has been around for 12 years, comes to Richmond, Va., on May 1 on its 16-city tour. muddy-buddy.competitor.com
Rugged Maniac takes place May 14 at the Virginia Motorsports Park in Petersburg, Va. A 5K, the race loops through woods and a motocross track bedecked with "barbed wire, fire, tunnels, mud pits, pools of water, barricades, cargo nets … swinging pendulums." There will also be a course for kids under 13. ruggedmaniac.com
Tough Mudder is a 7- to 12-mile obstacle course that claims to be much tougher than the other mud races. "Only 78 percent of participants at our last event in New Jersey finished," says the event's website. Launched last May with a race at Bear Creek Mountain Resort near Allentown, Pa, Tough Mudder plans 16 challenges this year. All 10,000 slots for this year's event in Allentown, on April 9 and 10, quickly sold out. toughmudder.com


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XFiles Friday: The "free will" argument for why there is no evidence of GodOctober 26, 2007 — Deacon Duncan
(Book: I Don't Have Enough FAITH to Be an ATHEIST, by Geisler and Turek, p. 30-31)
Ok, we're 30 pages into the book, and so far Geisler and Turek have worked hard to stack the deck in their own favor whilst confidently boasting that it is non-believers who suffer from that most shameful of disabilities, having faith. You might think by now they'd be ready to start showing us some of the incontrovertible evidence they claim to have, but no, we're still stuck trying to spread the insinuation that non-Christians secretly know that Christians are right, and simply refuse to admit it because they're not willing to live moral lives.
While many non-Christians have honest intellectual questions, we have found that many more seem to have a volitional resistance to Christianity. In other words, it's not that they don't have evidence to believe, it's that they don't want to believe…
The skeptic might then ask, "But why would anyone want Christianity to be false? Why would anyone not want the free gift of forgiveness?" Good question, but we think the answer lies in the volitional factors we touched on earlier. Namely, many believe that accepting the truth of Christianity would require them to change their thinking, friends, priorities, lifestyle, or morals, and they are not quite willing to give up control over their lives in order to make those changes.
Ah, yes, the behavior and lifestyle of Christians set such a high moral standard that non-Christians–who are basically corrupt, immoral people who hang around with their fellow low-lifes and who value sin and selfishness above virtue and obedience–are reluctant to commit themselves to the tremendous amount of self-improvement that would be required to become as good as the Christians. I'm glad to see Geisler and Turek taking such an impartial and non-judgmental approach to understanding why Christians find Christianity less than plausible.
We might be able to prove Christianity is true beyond a reasonable doubt, but only you can choose to accept it. Please consider this question to see if you are open to acceptance: If someone could provide reasonable answers to the most significant questions and objections you have about Christianity–reasonable to the point that Christianity seems true beyond a reasonable doubt–would you become a Christian? Think about that for a moment. If your honest answer is no, then your resistance to Christianity is emotional or volitional, not merely intellectual.
My honest answer is yes, thankyouverymuch. But regardless, Geisler and Turek have made their point: evidence has no power to compel you to believe the Gospel against your will. Everybody got that? Is that point perfectly clear? Good, because they're just about to contradict it.
This freedom to make choices–even the freedom to reject truth–is what makes us moral creatures and enables each of us to choose our ultimate destiny. This really hits at the heart of why we exist at all, and why God might not be as overt in revealing himself to us as some of us would like. For if the Bible is true, then God has provided each of us with the opportunity to make an eternal choice to either accept him or reject him. And in order to ensure that our choice is truly free, he puts us in an environment that is filled with evidence of his existence, but without his direct presence–a presence so powerful that it could overwhelm our freedom and thus negate our ability to reject him. In other words, God has provided enough evidence in this life to convince anyone willing to believe, yet he has also left some ambiguity so as not to compel the unwilling. [Emphasis theirs]
So after spending the first 30 pages of the book insisting that there was so much evidence that no reasonable man could reasonably reject it, and insisting that the evidence cannot compel anyone to believe against his or her will, Geisler and Turek now concede that the evidence is "ambiguous" at best, and claim that God's absence is required in order to avoid confronting us with evidence that will compel us to believe even against our will. So, are they lying when they claim to have objective, verifiable evidence that Christianity is true, or are they lying when they say that God's absence is required in order to prevent the compelling evidence from harming our free will?
Well, both, actually. We know that they're lying about having verifiable evidence, because if they really did have conclusive evidence of God's existence, they wouldn't need to appeal to the idea of free will to explain its absence. And we know they're lying in the second case because the Gospel, and indeed the entire Bible, is little more than the claim that God did show up and did give men the kind of compelling evidence which Geisler and Turek are about to cite as being proof that it takes more faith to be an atheist than to be a Christian. If Jesus was God, and his presence was thus "so powerful that it could overwhelm our freedom and thus negate our ability to reject him," then how to you explain the verses in Scripture that insist he was rejected?
Truth is consistent with itself, and whenever you try to tell a story that's not true, you inevitably end up creating the kind of contradiction we see above. Gospel accounts of what God is willing and able to do are simply inconsistent with what we see in real life, which is that God consistently and universally fails to show up. This is an undeniable fact with an inescapable consequence: in order to believe Christianity, we have to put our faith in the stories told to us by uninspired men, even though these stories are manifestly inconsistent with what we see in the real world. That's not faith, that's gullibility.
So God does not show up and has not given us genuine evidence, but rather has left us to depend on the stories, superstitions, and subjective feelings of fallible men. Honestly, does this sound like a plan to "protect free will"? Or does it sound like a scam? "God loves you and wants you to follow what I teach." "Why doesn't He show up and say so himself?" "Uh, because he can't show up without destroying your free will. Yeah, that's it."
Note that this is not a Biblical excuse for God's absence from real life. Not one verse of Scripture makes the claim that man's free will depends on being kept in the dark about God. Why would it? If you start telling a story about how God showed up, in person, in real life, and taught us the Gospel of salvation, and worked genuine miracles that everyone could see and that no one could deny, resulting in the salvation of some and the condemnation, and then you stop partway through to claim that God consistently fails to show up and act in real life because His absence and silence are required in order for us to have the freedom of choice we need to make the moral decision that will determine our eternal destiny, you're only highlighting the discrepancy between what your story tells us and what we find in the real world.
More than that, the Bible very plainly contradicts the notion that God's absence is somehow required in order for man to have free will. Satan, for example, is supposed to have free will even though he knows that God is real. Adam and Eve supposedly retained their free will even though God was present with them in the Garden of Eden. The apostles and prophets were supposed to have free will despite their contact with God, and the Pharisees and unbelieving Jews continued to have the free will to reject Jesus and the Gospel, despite having resurrection-quality miracles thrown in their faces and even Jesus, God the Son Himself, in their presence. And are we not supposed to retain our free will in heaven, in the presence of God? If not, then what's the big deal about making such an issue of it here on earth? The Bible says that most of God's children will go to hell as a consequence of their free will, which would seem to imply that free will was fairly important, and not something that just evaporates anyway as soon as we're in God's presence (in heaven or on earth).
The "free will" argument is a terrible argument that does nothing to explain the existence of unbelief (or evil). I'm just a poor, uninspired dad, but even I've been able to raise my kids to make responsible choices, through offering them a selection of good alternatives, and through spelling out ahead of time exactly what the consequences will be if they come up with bad alternatives. I didn't need to hide myself from them and set them up with a sneaky trap that would guarantee that at least one of them would suffer for the rest of their lives, and hate me. So it is possible to cultivate free will and moral responsibility without hiding or sending anybody to hell.
If we start from what God is allegedly capable of, and allegedly wants, and work out the most likely consequences, it's fairly easy to predict that God ought to simply skip the part about creating the possibility of evil, and let us develop our freedom of choice by giving us a selection of good alternatives to choose from. As a dad, I don't feel my kids' love for me is diminished in any way by the fact that I've admitted my own existence, spent time with them, and made no provisions for creating a life of misery and torment for anyone who disobeys me. "Free will" is just not something that would require God to hide the evidence of His existence, or to create the possibility of evil and of eternal suffering.
So then, common sense contradicts what Geisler and Turek are saying, the Bible contradicts it, and even they themselves have been contradicting it, up to now. So why make this argument? It's an excuse. God manifestly does not behave as though He believes the Gospel were true. He does not show up for Christians any more than He does for unbelievers, even though the whole point of the Gospel is that He wants to be with us forever, and that His death made that possible. So if it's possible and it's what He wants, where is He? The Christian Gospel just does not match what we find in real life.
Christians need a rationalization, a good (or at least plausible) reason why God can't show up in the real world. The best they can come up with is that it would somehow "coerce" our love if God were to admit that He really does exist. But that's nonsense. If a boy loves a girl, he can't compel her to love him just by admitting his own existence. And granted that God allegedly could put on an impressive display if He wanted to, He still has to be dumber than I am if He can't think of any way to show up in a less-overwhelming form. And if He can't then the Bible is lying about all the times it says He did show up without coercing anyone's love.
The only opportunity God gives us by failing to show up in real life is the opportunity to put our trust in the ones who do show up, in uninspired and fallible men, in their superstitions and stories and subjective feelings (and our own as well). He gives us, in other words, the "opportunity" to be gullible, ignorant, and superstitious. And He's (allegedly) denying Himself His fondest desire–to be with us forever–in order to do it. This is not the behavior of a wise God who wants to give us a moral basis for our free will. It's the behavior of a fictional character in a story told by con men.