text:
Joe Biden snuggles puppies, and Drudge might be using this picture to announce Ana Marie Cox's old boss's new job, but there is also news of bombs, shoes, dodges and Caroline Kennedy to discuss.
ANA MARIE: Gonna try a little experiment and NOT WATCH Morning Joe during our chat.
MEGAN: Well, you're not missing anything. Joe just made fun of Mika for correctly pronouncing Printemps when talking about the French department story bomb and now they are accusing Franken of trying to steal the election and arguing about the supposed LBJ fraud in Texas, but that last bit is mostly Pat Buchanan. Oh, and Erin Burnett has teased the fuck out of her hair this morning.
ANA MARIE: Buchanan nurses old wounds with great care.
MEGAN: But she did just illustrate the rule of supply and demand for Joe Scarborough by crossing her arms in front of her face, which was sort of awesome. Okay, I'll stop now, too.
ANA MARIE: I sort of wish I was watching because — wait for it — I think I'm coming around on Erin. She seems to not take herself seriously which is a rarity for a hot newsreader, who take themselves seriously so that others don't have to.
MEGAN: I mean, she just explained Econ 101 to Joe Scarborough on television with what Joe correctly identified as a cheerleading move.
ANA MARIE: Joe would know.
MEGAN: I think that says a lot about their respective collegiate experiences.
ANA MARIE: Oh, you said "experience"! I say: "Caroline Kennedy" Wait. Something's wrong there...
MEGAN: Apparently, though, according to the New York Post, she's going to bring fashion sense back to the seat by always wearing ball gowns. Just like Daniel Moynihan.
ANA MARIE: Interesting phrasing in the NYT story on her decision:
Yet Caroline Kennedy's decision to ask Gov. David A. Paterson to appoint her to Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate seat suggests that she believes she is as well prepared as anyone to serve as the next senator from New York.
See, I don't actually believe you need a lot of government or elective experience to be a good senator (or president!) but I also think that VOTERS should be the ones to make that decision/take that risk.
MEGAN: That's the thing. Is there any real sense that she wouldn't get elected in a real race? New York does love its carpetbaggers, as long as they have name recognition and aren't Alan Keyes.
ANA MARIE: Then let her run! Let her make her case to the People, not to the Dumb Guv.
MEGAN: Well, but it 's the governor who's deciding.
ANA MARIE: That's my point.
MEGAN: I mean, I stand firm on one point in this: do not appoint Andrew Cuomo.
ANA MARIE: Put in a placeholder, like they did in Delaware, where Beau Biden will, yes, probably win if he runs. But it'll be the voters' fault/decision. In any case, this is going to REALLY piss off Hillary people. REALLY.
MEGAN: I hate the placeholder idea. I particularly hate it when it's done for a political dynasty.
ANA MARIE: Almost as if Paterson (or someone) planned it that way.
MEGAN: But Paterson was a huge Clinton supporter in the primary.
ANA MARIE: I know! That's what's weird! I talked to a Hillary person yesterday and this person was steaming about it. Smoke out of ears.
MEGAN: Wait, so, he's not supposed to appoint a woman? It's so hard to tell with Clinton supporters like that, as they broke down into two camps: there is no woman in the United States remotely as qualified as Hillary Clinton; or it's more important than anything to have women in higher office.
ANA MARIE: He's supposed to appoint a woman that's worked for it, I think was this person's point. Rattled off a few names that to be honest I did not recognize. Which is the problem, I guess.
MEGAN: Well, I'm sorry, there are really not that many women high up in New York politics, and Nita Lowey took herself out of the running more than a week ago.
ANA MARIE: I just hate appointments in general, I think.
MEGAN: I understand the thinking behind Carolyn Maloney, and she's great, but she's not exactly a dynamic person. Which I'm sure Chuckie-boy loves. I'll bet Chuck's pushing for Maloney.
ANA MARIE: He would like to fill the seat himself. His ego certainly could use the extra room.
MEGAN: I mean, in a state where some incumbents won with more than 90% of the vote — and the average is about 70, if I'm eyeballing it — how is it not basically a state of appointments? It's just the appointments are made by local or state party officials.
ANA MARIE: I guess that's why we just keep having national elections, too, even though you can predict those results pretty well sometimes: It's what democracies do. You could cut out the pesky voter-middleman but that sets a bad example.
MEGAN: I guess I'm just agnostic on appointing Senators, since I'm not really sure what the difference is between that and the regular system, at least in New York.
ANA MARIE: Oh, and speaking of bad examples: Shoe thrower folk hero?
MEGAN: Poor guy is probably getting the shit beaten out of him as we type, which totally won't make him any more of one.
ANA MARIE: And it sort of undermines Bush's weird logic that shoe-throwing is just what happens in "free societies." If true, I have missed all the major shoe throwing events in Washington.
MEGAN: I would never throw my shoes unless it was a pair I didn't like anymore, but I usually donate those to Goodwill anyway.
ANA MARIE: Seems to me that shoe-throwing really more of a mark of a DESPERATE society:
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman said he would be watching out for journalists taking off their shoes in news conferences after an Iraqi reporter threw a pair at outgoing U.S. President George W. Bush in Baghdad.
MEGAN: However, if I knew there was to be an official shoe throwing event — perhaps in concert with a dunk tank? — I would totally get a pair.
ANA MARIE: Flip flops! Those size 10s, they seem a little deadly.
MEGAN: I wear a 6 and 1/2 shoe, I think I would fall on my face if I attempted to walk in size 10 flip flops.
ANA MARIE: Wow, TINY feet. You must clean up at sales. They are always out of 71/2s. AND SPEAKING OF CLEANING UP (don't you love how I do that?): Jay Carney, the last employed journalist in Washington. Finally he will earn some money out of flacking for Obama-Biden team ! (Just kidding, Jay!)
MEGAN: Man, he went and got a grown-up job. Some days, I feel like I need one of those.
ANA MARIE: Oh, I don't know how grown up it is. I mean, a large part of any comm director job is schmoozing, which Jay already has ninja-level skillz in. And what with Joe Biden shrinking down the job of VP to "puppy snuggling" and funerals, I'm not sure what's left for Jay to do. But I'm sure he'll do it well.
MEGAN: I am an excellent puppy snuggler, if Jay needs a deputy.
ANA MARIE: He also was totally rocking the suit jacket/buttondown/no-tie look LONG before BHO.
MEGAN: But did you know he was a Democrat, unlike your other colleague Joe Klein?
ANA MARIE: Uhm, yes.
MEGAN: Yeah, I didn't figure details like that would escape you.
ANA MARIE: Maybe I had more drinks with him than Joe did, though that seems unlikely. Ask the McCain people if THEY knew he was a Dem!
MEGAN: The McCain people thought the entire press corps were Dems by the end. If Bill Kristol had been on the plane, they probably would've called him in the tank for Obama.
ANA MARIE: And, obv, the funny part is that the people on the Obama plane were the least tanky. They were, on the whole, the most critical. And, seriously, I think Jay will be great in this job and I've always thought his writing was more elegant than most newsmag stuff (and he's actually quite funny tho that rarely made it into print) but... Don't Rs have every right to be pissed? That might be the wrong way to put it. It just confirms their worst suspicions.
MEGAN: Well, they might except how many of their writers went to work for McCain? I'm looking at Michael Goldfarb here.
ANA MARIE: If you want to equate Time and the Weekly Standard, I'm fine with that but I doubt either of the magazines would be. And, in the end, it comes down to what the written record is.
MEGAN: Well, I'm not talking about the magazine but the writer. Is Goldfarb going to admit that everything he ever wrote was intellectually disingenuous and hacky and aimed at getting someone specific elected? Probably not, right? Then he should shut the fuck up and sit the fuck down.
ANA MARIE: Or if people want to spend a few years going through everything Jay's ever written looking for bias, well, it'll be more enjoyable than reading the ourve of others, and that's pretty much the only way to actually make a serious case out of the argument. Everything else is just generic whining.
MEGAN: And no one likes a whiner.
ANA MARIE: It does tend to go hand in hand with losing.


text:
If you take a peek inside an early series guide to the TV series Lost, it's immediately clear that there are some major differences between that early production piece and the show itself. That's because the document served as a not entirely honest pitch to sell ABC executives on the series.
An early Lost series format guide popped up earlier this week, via Boing Boing, and it contained tidbits like this:
We promise.
Yes - the mysteries surrounding the island may serve an ongoing (and easy to follow) mythology -but every episode has a beginning, middle and end. More importantly, the beginning of the next episode presents an entirely new dilemna to be resolved that requires NO knowledge of the episode(s) that preceded it (except for the rare two-parter).
Yes - character arcs (romances, alliances, grudges) carry over the scope of a season, but the plots will not. Viewers will be able to drop in at any time and be able to follow exactly what's going on in a story context.
This is not lip service - we are absolutely committed to this conceit. LOST can and will be just as accessible on a weekly basis as a traditionally "procedural" drama.
There's also the assurance that "there is no 'Ultimate Mystery' which requires solving." After watching and speculating and tracking speculations about Lost over the years, I think the only appropriate response is: Bahahahahahah. (Repeat as needed.)
Anyhow, there is a reason that the bible doesn't line up with the show's reality. /Film spoke with show co-creator Damon Lindelof, who explained ABC executives saw Alias as too serialized and too much of a genre show, so he and co-creator J.J. Abrams pitched Lost as a very different show:
So, per J.J., we made a very specific effort in this document to say we were not going to be serialized, we were not going to be genre and we were not going to do what Alias had done. So even though I think it was our intention to do all of the above, we needed to put that in the document because the document was essentially a letter to ABC saying 'Here's what the show's going to be.'
And so, despite those promises to ABC, Lost and its island proved a mystery wrapped in an enigma rolled up in making-it-up-as-we-go-along.
Lost: Series Format [via Boing Boing]
Damon Lindelof Explains the Truth Behind Leaked Early 'Lost' Document [/Film]

subset: commoncrawl


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Skyline Church Pastor Jim Garlow's Wife Passes Away After Battle With Cancer
Pastor Jim Garlow of Skyline Church in San Diego, Calif., has lost his wife, Carol, after a five-year battle with cancer, it was revealed on Sunday.
"Forty-two years ago, we ended our wedding vows with the words '...until one of us shall place the other in the arms of God.' I just did that," the senior pastor, who leads a 2,500 member congregation, wrote in a solemn message announcing the news.
Carol Garlow had been battling abdominal cancer for five years and nine months, but after the illness refused to go into remission, she made the decision with her oncologist last week to discontinue treatment.
"Carol and I meet with her oncologist on Tuesday, April 16. When I ask her, 'Are you going to have more chemo?' she replies, 'I do not know.' The reality is, she cannot. If she were to have more (at least in the condition that she is in now), we would have to take her to the ER. There would have to be an enormous improvement between now and Tuesday for her to have more chemo. My sensing is that the oncologist will advise us to begin hospice."
At that time, Carol Garlow had lost substantial weight and was consuming only 300 calories some days.
"Our hearts join Jim's and the tremendous number of others who are mourning the death of Carol Garlow," said Alliance Defending Freedom President, CEO, and General Counsel Alan Sears in a statement. "Her unwavering faith and perseverance was an example to many. She loved God, was a pillar of strength for her husband, and had an immense impact, including upon those of us who have worked closely with the Garlows in support of religious freedom. Our prayers are with Jim and the entire Garlow family."
When they decided to stop treatment, Garlow said that he believed his wife only had a month or two left to live. "I am typing these words through tears and, candidly, in a bit of disbelief and shock," he said in an update to his church.
In an interview with The Christian Post back in March, while promoting a book about miracles titled Real Life, Real Miracles, Garlow revealed that Carol's cancer had returned seven times.
"She has been battling this cancer for five years and eight months – of this kind of cancer, she is in the top 99.99 percent of people with this disease are deceased by now. The topic of miracles is something we need now; we need one desperately!" the pastor said.
"So many Christians label things as miracles too fast," he added. "Conversely, many things we consider natural are themselves miraculous. We thus deal with miracles in one sense all the time and at other times they appear to us randomly as incredible manifestations. God does both for a purpose and we have to decode that purpose."
In tribute of Carol Garlow, Skyline's Facebook page says , "She never lost her praise. Garlow family, our hearts grieve deeply with you today. May the strong arms of Jesus hold you tight. We love you."
Garlow, who has led Skyline Church since 1995, is a leader in the "pulpit freedom" movement which insists that pastors should be allowed to voice their opinions on political leaders and not face charges by the IRS. He also took a leading role in defending Proposition 8, the 2008 amendment in California that established the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.
Garlow has written over 11 books, including New York Times bestseller Cracking DaVinci's Code.


text:
San Francisco, CA – Carlos Gomez's solo shot helped lift the Milwaukee Brewers over the San Francisco Giants, 3-1, in the second contest of a four-game set.
Norichika Aoki crossed the plate twice and had two hits, which included a double, for the Brewers who have five wins in their last nine.
Wily Peralta (8-11) picked up his first win in four games. The right-hander spun 6 1/3 innings and gave up one run and five hits while striking out six batters.
Brandon Crawford went 2-for-4 for San Francisco, which has have lost eight of its last 12 games.
The Giants went with Matt Cain (7-7), who lasted seven innings. He allowed two runs on four hits with six strikeouts. The right-hander received his first loss since prior to the All-Star break, July 10 against the Mets.
Gomez hit the only home run of the game to left field with one out in the second inning.
The Brewers added to their lead in the fourth. Aoki doubled on a line drive to left and advanced to third after Jean Segura grounded out. A throwing error from Giants catcher Buster Posey allowed Aoki to score. Posey's throw on a pickoff attempt sailed past Pablo Sandoval at third and into left field.
Giants broke the shutout in the seventh. Roger Kieschnick followed a Brandon Belt double with a ground single off of Peralta. Belt moved over to third on the play. Kieschnick took second base after Gregor Blanco grounded out. Joaquin Arias, pinch-hitting for Cain, sharply grounded out, allowing Belt to cross home plate to account for the Giants' only run. Marco Scutaro flied out to right to end the inning.
The Giants stranded another runner at third in the eighth inning. Crawford hit a leadoff double high off the brick wall in right field and moved over to third after Hunter Pence lined out to right. Posey grounded out and Jim Henderson got Sandoval to pop out to end the inning.
Jonathan Lucroy hit a sac fly to right to score Aoki from third in the final frame.
Henderson pitched 1 1/3 innings for the Brewers with no hits and two strikeouts to earn his 16th save of the season.
"I want to prove that I can do that though," said Henderson about pitching more than an inning. "Help the team anyway I can, if it's four outs, five outs or six outs. It was a goal in the offseason for me to come in and be able to do something like that."
Game Notes
The Giants have not hit a home run at home in ten games, a span of 92 innings going back to July 20 ... All-Star teammates Segura (31) and Gomez (29) have combined for 60 stolen bases this season which is the most in the majors ... Pence's streak of reaching base safely was stopped at 17 games.


text:
OCEAN CITY – A Pennsylvania man was slashed in the side with a knife this week after breaking into a resort motel room to confront two men he had argued with earlier in the evening.
Stephen Smith, 24, and his friend, Justin Wiker, 24, both of Northampton, Pa. were staying at the Spinnaker Motel on 18th Street when they became involved in a verbal argument with some other men also staying at the motel. Around 3:45 a.m. on Monday, Smith and Wiker climbed over balconies at the motel to reach the room where the men they had argued with earlier were staying. The room, 519, where the other men were staying was four doors down from the room occupied by Smith and Wiker.
After breaking into the room, Smith and Wiker began fighting with the two men in the room. During the altercation, Smith received a slash wound to his side. Shortly thereafter, other guests in the motel broke up the fight and removed Smith from the room. Ocean City Paramedics responded to the scene and Smith was ultimately flown to Peninsula Regional Medical Center via Maryland State Police helicopter.
Wiker was arrested on the scene and charged with second-degree assault and third-degree burglary. Similar charges are pending against Smith, who was admitted to PRMC and is currently listed in stable condition. No charges have been filed against any of the other men involved in the fight in room 519 as of press time, although the investigation into the incident is ongoing.


text:
A federal judge took Apple to task on Friday for showing no contrition about potentially defrauding its customers of hundreds of millions of dollars.
"None of the publishers nor Apple have expressed any remorse" about colluding to fix electronic book prices in 2010, said District Judge Denise Cote, of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District Court of New York. "They are, in a word, unrepentant."
Additionally, Cote expressed dissatisfaction that Apple had not taken any steps to modify its business practices, such as establishing internal compliance monitoring, to prevent it from undertaking similar behavior in the future.
Cote addressed this charge to Apple's attorneys at a hearing held Friday to discuss remediation, or the actions the court would take to compensate consumers and prevent further price-fixing.
Last month, Cote ruled that Apple violated the Sherman Antitrust law when it contracted with five of the six largest book publishers to provide e-books to Apple's book-reading app for its then newly launched iPad .
On Friday, Cote reviewed proposed settlements that were submitted by both Apple and the plaintiffs, namely the U.S. Department of Justice and the 33 state attorneys general. In 2012, the DOJ and the states brought an antitrust case against Apple and Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin, and Simon & Schuster for working together to set prices of electronic books.
The DOJ and the states had convinced Cote that Apple and book publishers had conspired to raise prices in the e-book market in 2010, in an effort to stop Amazon from pricing their best-selling electronic books at $9.99.
The publishers all settled out of court prior to the trial, which began in June, and have earmarked $164 million for restitution.
Narrow oversight sought
Cote did not decide on what a proper remediation should be, but rather set up a series of meetings to be held over the next few weeks among Apple, the DOJ and the attorneys general to determine if they had any areas of agreement to establish a settlement.
Despite Apple's apparent hubris, Cote said she wanted to make the remediation as narrow as possible to minimize unnecessary government intervention in the e-book market.
The injunction should only try to restore competitive pricing in the electronic book market, to prevent Apple from colluding with publishers in the future, and to award appropriate—though not overly punitive—damages to e-book consumers, Cote said.
She stated she would rather not establish an external monitor to watch Apple, expressing hope that the injunction be structured in a way that an external watchdog would not be needed. Nor did she wish to force Apple to change its policies on how it runs its app store.
In their proposed remedy, the DOJ and AGs advised modifying the way Apple contracts with publishers in order to limit the company from dictating terms that publishers would use with other retailers.
They also wanted Apple to allow third-party e-reading software on Apple devices, such as the Kindle software offered by Amazon, to directly link into their electronic bookstores. Today, as a general policy for its app store, Apple requires a 30 percent commission on any goods sold through third-party apps.
In response, Apple chiefly argued that, because it plans to appeal the court's decision, the court should stay all further actions. Apple argued that it has compelling reasons for believing that an appeal would be successful for the company.
Cote declined to place a stay on proceedings, however, expressing doubt that Apple had that strong of a case.
Apple asks for time
Short of being granted a stay, lead Apple attorney Orin Snyder argued that the company would need time to prepare for the upcoming trial to determine damages, which could cost Apple and the publishers hundreds of millions of dollars.
The DOJ had argued that consumers paid significantly more for their e-books from April 2010, when the contracts were signed, until May 2012, when the proceedings for the trial began.
Snyder vigorously argued that Apple needed at least nine months to determine what it thinks proper damages would be. Because some e-books were reduced in price after the move to Apple's agency-model contracts, Apple would need to calculate how much consumers saved under the new model, to offset it against how much they lost previously, Snyder said.
Apple would also need to obtain marketing plans from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other e-book sellers to get an idea of what those companies' plans were prior to Apple's entry into the market, in order to estimate how much money the market would have generated if Apple hadn't entered the fray.
However, Cote insisted on a shorter time frame, giving Apple only until December to conduct this fact-finding and analysis, noting the company already had a year since the trial began to collect preliminary evidence. She indicated that she would like to hold the damages trial within the first few months of 2014.
Cote also offered a potential remedy: Apple would be allowed to sign new contracts with the publishers, one at a time. It would have eight months to sign a contract with one publisher, then the next eight months to sign with another publisher, and so on. In this way, Apple would not be dealing with all the publishers at once, preventing more collusion, Cote said.


text:
Rescinded 1982
SSR 73-23c: Sections 205(b), 216(i)(1) and 223 (42 U.S.C. 405(b), 416(i) (1) and 423)—Disability Insurance Benefits—Workshop Evaluation as Substantial Evidence—Existence of Jobs in Significant Numbers
20 CFR 404.927, 404.928, and 404.1502(b)
SSR 73-23c
Young v. Secretary, U.S.D.C., E.D. Mich, S. Div., Civ. No. 35001 (1/12/72) (CCH, U.I.R., Fed. Par. 16,549)
Plaintiff, age 45, with eight years schooling, had worked principally as a sawmill laborer, spot welder, and machine operator until injured in June 1968. In addition to testimony by vocational counselor received at administrative level, a comprehensive workshop evaluation was obtained by Secretary to determine residual employability. Plaintiff contended that such evaluation was inconclusive and erroneous since it relied upon secondhand information, and no opportunity was afforded to cross examine source of information; even if facts were true, conclusion that significant number of jobs exists is erroneous. Held, (1) evidence gathered by Secretary in course of own investigation can properly furnish basis for his decision, and fact that information may be secondhand does not preclude its consideration in reaching a decision. (2) Where sampling by a vocational workshop of jobs an individual can perform reveals substantial evidence to support decision that jobs in which individual could engage exist in "significant numbers."
GUBOW, District Judge:
This is a civil action brought pursuant to Title 42, Section 405(g) of the United States Code. The plaintiff seeks review of a final decision of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, which decision denied the plaintiff's request for disability benefits provided for by Section 216(i) [sic, §223] of the Social Security Act, Title 42 U.S.C.A. Section 416(i) [sic, §423].
The defendant filed a motion for summary judgment and the plaintiff has filed a cross motion for summary judgment. The Court has heard oral argument and must now reach a decision on the matters before it.
The plaintiff, John E. Young, was born on October 25, 1927. He completed eight years of schooling and now possesses a limited ability to read and write.
Mr. Young was first employed as a laborer in a sawmill, carrying lumber. After ten years, Mr. Young went to work as a spot welder on radiators. After working for two years at this job, the plaintiff became a spot welder at the Chrysler Corporation. One year later, he was laid off and was employed by Borin Building Supply for six years as a machine operator. His duties included the taking of blocks off machines and placing them on a rack. He was again laid off at which time he was employed by Real Block as a machine operator, where he picked up blocks and placed them on racks. He worked there for nine years and his employment terminated in June 1968 when he was injured. In January 1969 and March 1969, Mr. Young attempted to return to work, and did, in fact, work three hours one time and four hours the other. However, his injuries prevented him from performing his job and each time Mr. Young was forced to quit. He has made no attempt to find work since.
The plaintiff received Workmen's Compensation benefits from July 1968 to January 1969, which were terminated for the reasons that Mr. Young was considered able to return to work. He is now appealing that decision. As a married man and a father of nine children, Mr. Young is receiving Two Hundred and Sixty-one Dollars ($261.00) biweekly in ADC benefits.
The injury which the plaintiff suffered occurred when he was caught in a feedbox on a machine which caused him to fall back into a concrete beam and land on a concrete floor. As a result of this accident, Mr. Young fractured his right leg and ankle which necessitated the insertion of two screws to heal the broken bones. Mr. Young has also complained of headaches, loss of grip in his left hand, and a sore back. Mr. Young has recovered from the bone fractures but complains that the headaches, the loss of grip, and the back pains persist.
At the hearing, the hearing examiner received testimony from Mr. Young. Mrs. Beatrice Young (his wife), and Dr. Robert E. Wurtz, a vocational counselor. Moreover, the hearing examiner had the opinion of several doctors on which to base his opinion as to Mr. Young's physical condition. The result was that "[a]fter consideration of the medical evidence in the light most favorable to the claimant, the Hearing Examiner [found] that his work activities [were] restricted with respect to strenuous back movements and possibly prolonged standing or walking."
In support of its motion for summary judgment, the government argues that the burden of proving the existence of a disability is upon the plaintiff. The government contends that in the present case "there is a wealth of vocational evidence showing that despite this impairment the plaintiff yet retains the capacity and aptitude to do various jobs which are compatible until [sic] his background." (Government's brief P. 5) Moreover, the government asserts that the evidence furnished by the hearing examiner in support of his decision meets the "substantial evidence" test. Rose v. Cohen, 406 F. 2d 753 (6th Cir. 1969).
Clearly, the burden of establishing entitlement to disability benefits is upon the plaintiff. Rose v. Cohen, supra. However, in Garret v. Finch, 436 F. 2d 15 (6th Cir. 1970) Judge O'Sullivan noted:
Under a rule of this and other circuits, an applicant makes a prima facie case by showing that he is unable to work at his usual occupation. The burden then shifts to the Secretary to produce evidence that will justify a finding that there is available some other kind of 'substantial gainful employment' applicant is able to perform. Id at 18.
Consequently, in such cases, the burden is upon the Secretary to show by substantial evidence that there in fact exists available employment opportunities to a person with the claimant's specific characteristics and impairments and which the claimant is capable of performing. Baltimore v. Gardner, 271 F. Supp. 273 (W.D. Va. 1967).
Here it is clear that the plaintiff has made a prima facie case by showing that he is unable to work at his usual occupation. The hearing examiner found that "[t]he claimant was unsuccessful in his attempts to return to his former job. This is not surprising in view of the strenuous work he performed." In light of these words, the burden then shifted to the Secretary to show by substantial evidence that a significant number of jobs in the Detroit area were available to the claimant.
In denying Mr. Young disability benefits and in attempting to satisfy his burden of proof, the hearing examiner found:
"However, the test under the disability provisions of the Social Security Act is not whether an individual can perform his usual work but whether he has the capacity to engage in any substantial gainful activity. The comprehensive workshop evaluation at Goodwill Industries clearly establishes that he has such capability. Some 223 light and 57 sedentary jobs were selected from the Dictionary of Occupational Information after considering work limitations in excess of these established by the medical evidence. Information furnished by the Michigan Employment Service indicates approximately 1200 bench assembly jobs were available in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. This sampling alone is convincing evidence that work exists in significant numbers in the region where the claimant resides."
The plaintiff attacks the hearing examiner's decision on two grounds. First, the plaintiff argues that the information received from Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit was inconclusive and erroneous since the information received was secondhand and since the plaintiff never had the opportunity to cross-examine the source of the information, a Mrs. M. Jane Weber. Second, the plaintiff argues that, even if the facts obtained from Mrs. Weber are verified as true, the examiner erred in his conclusion that 1200 bench assembly jobs was a "significant" number of jobs existing in the region where the claimant resides. Therefore, the plaintiff asks that his motion for summary judgment be granted.
Judicial review of a final decision of the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare is provided for, and limited by, Title 42 U.S.C.A., Section 405(g) which provides in part that "the findings of the Secretary as to any fact, if supported by substantial evidence, shall be conclusive . . ." Consequently, although the burden of proving that the plaintiff was able to engage in substantial gainful employment was upon the hearing examiner, this Court's review of his decision is limited to a determination of whether or not the examiner's decision is supported by "substantial evidence". If it is, then his decision must be affirmed. Bailey v. Gardner, 368 F.2d 841 (6th Cir. 1967).
The plaintiff's first contention, that the evidence upon which the hearing examiner based his decision was inconclusive and erroneous because the plaintiff was not afforded the opportunity of cross-examination and because it was secondhand information, is without merit. Section 405(b) of Title 42, specifically provides that the Secretary is "authorized, on his own motion, to hold such hearings and to conduct such investigations . . . as he may deem necessary and proper. . ."
Here, the hearing examiner, finding that the testimony of the vocational expert furnished insufficient evidence upon which to base a decision, found it necessary to conduct his own investigation. The examiner contacted Goodwill Industries which informed the examiner that some 1200 jobs of the type which the plaintiff could perform were available in the area. Clearly, Title 42 U.S.C.A. Section 405(b) authorizes such an investigation by the examiner and the evidence which is gathered in the course of the investigation can properly furnish a basis upon which to found a decision.
Finally, the Court finds that the hearing examiner's decision that jobs in which the plaintiff could engage existed in significant numbers in the region where the claimant resides is based upon substantial evidence. As the hearing examiner indicated, a sampling of jobs which plaintiff can perform revealed that 1200 such jobs were available in the area. This sampling alone furnished substantial evidence upon which the hearing examiner could base a decision that such jobs were available in significant numbers.
It is interesting to note that at the conclusion of his workshop evaluation, Mrs. Weber reported that Mr. Young stated that he felt better working and being on a strict routine; that his headaches were not as bad as they had been at the beginning and expressed a willingness to go back to work if suitable employment could be found.
Here the record is clear and the hearing examiner did find that the plaintiff is impaired to some extent but his impairment is not such as would preclude him from engaging in any substantial gainful activity.
For the above reasons, the Court concludes that there is substantial evidence in the record to support the findings of the Secretary (Hearing Examiner). The Motion for Summary Judgment of the plaintiff is DENIED and GRANTED as to the defendant.


text:
Java Mobile Orbiter
|Date Updated
|Updated By
|PnP, manual setup of screen size
|12th May 2010
|Usage Information
- 1 Introduction
- 2 810 Installation
- 3 Phone Specifics
- 4 See also
- 5 710 Installation
- 6 JavaMO development guide
- 6.1 Preparations
- 6.2 Building the application
- 6.3 Install the application on the phone
- 6.4 Building the documentation
- 6.5 On device debugging with a Nokia N and E series phone and Linux
- 6.6 Java J2ME simulator with real bluetooth hardware access over bluez
The JavaMO is a lightweight Mobile Orbiter client. It receives rendered pictures from the Bluetooth dongle Orbiter and sends keystrokes and pointer events back. The protocol used over Bluetooth is BD.
JavaMO has full support for local/in-house use when connected to a MD , but has limited support for out-of-house mode, when it connects via the Internet. For instance, because of a limitation of Java, it cannot intercept phone calls from LMCE like the Symbian orbiter can.
JavaMO is included in 810.
810 Installation
When your phone is detected, LMCE will ask what type of phone it is. Select "Generic Java phone". The JavaMO should be transferred to your phone, and you have to accept it on the phone when asked about receiving files. If this fails, you need to download the application from the website mentioned above.
Screen Size, UI Variant
There is no automatic screen size detection of the phone yet, so you also need to perform these steps to get the best setup for your phone. Go to the Orbiter in the pluto-admin web interface (select Orbiters in the Wizard on the left) Adapt the PK_UI, PK_Size and resolution values to match your phones display. If you have no touchscreen on the phone stick with symbian for PK_UI, otherwise choose the normal variant.
Phone Specifics
Compatible Phones
To check if your phone is compatible, you might want look in the device list of J2MEPolish. Just click on the JSR-082 bluetooth capability and click search.
The JavaMO detectes the phone model and uses key mappings defined for that model. This maps available keys on the phone to the keys LMCE expects.
You can hide the orbiter by holding the end call key, this will take you to the JavaMO menu. Handy if you want to view the log or exit the application.
Custom key mappings
Sony Ericsson
Phone key - LMCE key Volume down - End call Volume up - Phone pencil Joystick select - Enter
Nokia E61
The Nokia E61 has a full keyboard. To select the numbers you have to hold down the blue function key, and press the number together with it.
See also
LinuxMCE Orbiter Symbian Programmer's Guide
710 Installation
For most phones you need the jad and the jar file. Copy both to the phone and select the jad from the file or application manager.
You have to exchange the libBDCommon.so with the provided one on all 0710 cores or MD's with a Bluetooth_Dongle. Download the replacement libBDCommon.so from http://vt100.at/javamo/ . In /usr/pluto/lib rename libBDCommon.so to libBDCommon.so.old, then copy the new version you downloaded into this directory and reboot.
LMCE 710 Plug and Play detection
When LMCE asks you for the type of phone select "Symbian S60". The application push will fail. Thats ok. Just answer no to the question if LMCE should resend it.
Screen Size, UI Variant
Go to the Orbiter in the pluto-admin web interface (select Orbiters in the Wizard on the left) Adapt the PK_UI, PK_Size and resolution values to match your phones display. If you have no touchscreen on the phone stick with symbian for PK_UI, otherwise choose the normal variant.
JavaMO development guide
Haris initial alpha version can be found on http://vt100.at/javamo/. A beta version can be found at sambucas site.
Checkout the source from the svn tree:
svn co http://svn.linuxmce.org/svn/people/hari/javamo/ cd javamo
Installing Java
First we install the Java SDK. I used version 6 update 6. Download it from the sun download center: http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp
chmod +x ./jdk-6u6-linux-i586.bin ./jdk-6u6-linux-i586.bin
That gives us the directory "jdk1.6.0_06".
Now install the wireless toolkit version 2.5.2: http://java.sun.com/products/sjwtoolkit/download.html
Specify the _full_ path to the "jdk1.6.0_06/bin" directory (this example assumes javamo was checked out to "/home/hari/src/javamo"):
Enter a path to the Java 2 SDK: /home/hari/src/javamo/jdk1.6.0_06/bin
After the installation you should have the following subdirectories in the javamo directory:
- jdk1.6.0_06
Building the application
just run "make":
You will find the "JavaMO.jad" and "JavaMO.jar" file in the "output" directory if the compile succeeds.
Install the application on the phone
That strongly depends on the type of phone and sometimes your mobile carrier.
Nokia Symbian devices
For Nokia Symbian Series with a memory card you can use the "install" target in the "Makefile". Just adapt the Bluetooth address of the phone in the "Makefile" and run:
make install
Then go to the file browser on the phone, switch to the memory card and select the "JavaMO.jad" file. Make sure you have enabled the installation of unsigned applications in the application manager.
Developers in the United States
If you are developing in the United States, the process to install JavaMO on your phone depends heavily on the operator you have for your mobile.
If you have a Sprint or Nextel phone, you can install the MIDlet over the air using | Sprint ADP's OTA content uploader.
On a Nextel phone, you can also install it using a cable downloading the iDEN Java Application Loader. There are mechanisms for cable-loading an application onto a variety of Sprint CDMA phones, but these vary greatly in their reliability/ease of access.
If you are working with a Verizon phone, you will need to have a BREW developer license and toolkit to load an application onto the device. Chances are you don't have this.
If you are working with an AT&T or T-Mobile GSM phone, you should put the JAD and JAR files in a publicly accessible web server, then point the web browser of your phone to the JAD file -- it should begin the download automatically.
Building the documentation
make javadoc
Direct your browser to the file "doc/index.html"
On device debugging with a Nokia N and E series phone and Linux
To get the output from the application running on the phone on a computer screen, do the following:
- Register with Nokia and get the Symbian SDK
- Transfer the "EcmtAgent_MIDP.SIS" application on the phone and run it, uses bluetooth per default
- Go to system - application manager on the phone and install the "RedMIDlet.jar" (shows "not installed")
- Go to the application folder and run the "Sdt.out.redir" application
- do a "sdptool browse" on your notebook with a supported bluetooth dongle (hci device must be up) to find out the rfcomm port. You should see something like this:
Service Name: EcmtAgent Service Description: Bluetooth bearer for EcmtAgent Service RecHandle: 0x10043 Service Class ID List: "Serial Port" (0x1101) Protocol Descriptor List: "L2CAP" (0x0100) PSM: 3 "RFCOMM" (0x0003) Channel: 3 Language Base Attr List: code_ISO639: 0x656e encoding: 0x6a base_offset: 0x100
- run a command like the following after substitution of the Bluetooth address and the rfcomm channel:
while $a; do rfcomm release /dev/rfcomm0 ; rfcomm bind /dev/rfcomm0 00:17:C4:C3:36:24 3 ; cat /dev/rfcomm0 ; done
Example output (process list, system info and the javamo console output):
0x000004380x10204578CPU 191985135 1 DRIVES C 46539776 23182336;D 5629952 5627904;E 2030960640 30343168;Z 20971520 0; RAM 5627904 46137344 20971520 APPLICATIONS JavaMO 692 -1 -1 -1 2654876;EiksrvBackdrop 97 -1 -1 -1 106830749;Menü 163 -1 -1 -1 5559722;EcmtAgent 601 -1 -1 -1 1263824;Standby-Modus 150 -1 -1 -1 16982482;Sdt.out_redir 648 -1 -1 -1 243194;Telefon 146 -1 -1 -1 11353271;Protokoll 394 -1 -1 -1 1592987;Kontakte 330 -1 -1 -1 1927398;MultimediaList 161 -1 -1 -1 510864;SysAp 122 -1 -1 -1 4535278; 77 -1 -1 -1 9002;Anykey 148 -1 -1 -1 290618;blinkingled 240 -1 -1 -1 266265;Player 266 -1 -1 -1 331695;Autolock 238 -1 -1 -1 103759;Galerie 310 -1 -1 -1 1241149;screensaver 154 -1 -1 -1 16530914;akncapserver 97 -1 -1 -1 106830749;btnotifappserver 108 -1 -1 -1 684661;Securitynotifierappserver 106 -1 -1 -1 311309;VolumePopup 266 -1 -1 -1 331695;MPlayerInfoPopup 266 -1 -1 -1 331695;VolumePopup 150 -1 -1 -1 16982482;CTSecDlgAppServer 110 -1 -1 -1 63354;SyncMLNotifierAppServer 114 -1 -1 -1 59234;cconndlgappserver 116 -1 -1 -1 62744;locnotifierappserver 104 -1 -1 -1 63476;0x000000780x1020456c ReceiveLong: long result: 102 Got BD_CP_SHOW_IMAGE
Java J2ME simulator with real bluetooth hardware access over bluez
- Get the mpowerplayer SDK: http://mpowerplayer.com/?cat=6
- Install it
- Either buy (http://www.avetana-gmbh.de) or compile (http://sourceforge.net/projects/avetanabt/) the avetana bluetooth stack
- put the "AvetanaBluetooth.jar" file in the mpp-sdk top level directory
- adapt the path to the mpp installation in the javamo Makefile
- run "make bluezsim" to run JavaMO in the sim with bluez access over JSR082


text:
Trigonometric Functions
Cornell University
PhD. in Mathematics
Norm was 4th at the 2004 USA Weightlifting Nationals! He still trains and competes occasionally, despite his busy schedule.
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Cornell University
PhD. in Mathematics
Norm was 4th at the 2004 USA Weightlifting Nationals! He still trains and competes occasionally, despite his busy schedule.
We're graphing transformations of the tangent function and I've got a really tough example here, y equals negative point 2 tangent of 2x minus pi over 4. This is going to involve some kind of horizontal stretch or compression and a shift. Well it doesn't matter because my method of substituting theta for 2x minus pi over 4 will allow me to figure out what the x coordinates need to be without worrying about transformations at all. I'll write up here theta equals 2x minus pi over 4.
Here as usual I've got my table of key points and here I want to make a table of points for my graph. Minus point 2 tangent 2x minus pi, that's an x, minus pi over 4.
Let's figure out what the x values are going to be. The x values come from this transformation so first I have to add pi over 4 to both sides and then you divide by 2. Theta over 2 plus pi over 8 that's x, so in each case I need to take these values divide them by 2 and then add pi over 8. Let's see what we get. Minus pi over 2 divided by 2 is minus pi over 4, plus pi over 8, minus pi over 8. Minus pi over 4 divide by 2 is negative pi over 8 plus pi over 8 is zero. And these keep advancing by pi over 8.
Then we have to do the y values, now the y values are easy. All you have to do is take the tangent value and multiply it by negative point 2. Undefined times negative point 2 is still undefined, negative 1 times negative point 2, point 2, zero, negative point 2 and undefined. Now we have a really nice table of data for one period of my graph.
First thing I want to do is graph the asymptotes which correspond to these points here. Now we've got a shift here so I have to be a little bit careful. Negative pi over 8 and 3 pi over 8. Let me call this negative pi over 4 here. I'm going to call this positive pi over 4, maybe I should fill some of these up. Pi over 2, 3 pi over 4 and so on, pi, negative pi over 2. Alright, the first asymptote goes at negative pi over 8 which is right here, right in between zero and negative pi over 4, so let me draw that in and the next asymptote goes at 3 pi over 8 which is halfway between pi over 4 and pi over 2, right there.
It may be a little hard to tell but this distance is exactly pi over 2, that's my period. If I just keep advancing that part forward, I'll get the next asymptote, that far backwards the asymptote so I can fill those in without even calculating the values. Of course this assumes that you're drawing a really careful graph and that your spacing is accurate and consistent. It always pays to be careful when you're drawing your graph.
The asymptotes are done, now let me plot my key points. So I have 0, pi over 8, pi over 4, point 2, zero, negative point 2. 0, pi over 8, pi over 4. We'll make this point 2. I'll make this zero and this negative point 2. So I'll write point 2 here. Here's my graph of the first period. And then just duplicate these three points, really easy to duplicate because they line up. That's the second period and back here I'll do the third one. Just duplicating these three over here and we're just about done. There you go. So that's a graph of three periods of y equals minus point 2 tangent of 2x minus pi over 4.
That was a pretty tricky example because it involved not only horizontal stretching, vertical stretching but also horizontal shift, but we did it all without really thinking too much about transformations. There is the result.


text:
From Jaipur to Jodhpur, India's northerly Rajasthan region is famous for its ancient forts, opulent palaces and gleaming marble monuments.
But why stop there? The "Land of Kings" is home to yet another regal travel experience: the Maharajas' Express.
Billed as India's most luxurious train, the opulent hotel-on-wheels winds around the countryside on its eight-day "Heritage of India" route, stopping at key destinations such as Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Ranthambore National Park and the Taj Mahal.
"The romance to it — I would recommend it to anyone for traveling around somewhere like (India) because you get to see so many places," says Joanna Newman, a passenger from England.
"You feel as though you are part of it. You're not flying over it, you're not driving, you are just there."
The royal experience
Chugging across Rajasthan's parched desert landscape, the Maharajas' Express aims to make guests feels like royalty.
Instead of crowded quarters, travelers will find opulent interiors, an on-board chef and a roughly 3:4 staff-to-guest ratio.
In addition to attentive service, the train also delivers opulent Indian aesthetics.
The dining rooms, for example, feature peacock motifs and rich fabrics, while bedrooms are kitted out with gold-hued drapes and linens.
Even with impressive interiors and attention to detail, there are a few drawbacks for first-time train travelers.
"There are some quirks when traveling by train," says Newman.
"Getting used to sleeping at night (can be challenging due to) the different movements — the starting and stopping of the train."
A hotel on wheels
Still, traveling by rail has more pros than cons.
For starters, you can see various destinations without having to repack every few days.
It's also a better way to meet other travelers and create relationships with staff members — an opportunity you might miss if jumping from hotel to hotel.
When it comes to guest rooms, the cabins start from a cozy 112-square-feet in size — each with modern amenities such as LCD TVs, king-sized beds and bathrooms.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Suite stretches across an entire train carriage, featuring two bedrooms, a private living area, bathtub and regal decor.
And with 23 carriages for up to 88 guests — including two dining cars, two bars and a lounge — the Maharajas' Express has plenty of room to stretch out and relax.
But running what is essentially a hotel on wheels has its logistical challenges.
"India's railway network is the biggest in the world. To operate such type of luxurious train in such a big network is a big challenge for us," Hammond Kumar, the train's general manager, tells CNN Travel.
"To leave the station timely, to board the train … it's a big challenge."
On the menu
Naturally, delivering world-class cuisine is essential to the regal experience.
Luckily, the train has executive chef John Stone, who specializes in French cuisine but prepares a wide array of local and international dishes for guests.
"Ever since my early childhood I was very interested in traveling on the trains," says Stone.
"I still remember vividly that, even during the night when you could not see anything through the window, I would still keep on peeping out the window."
For Stone, cooking on a train was a challenge at first.
"I remember for the very first day the train actually went from track A to track B. There was a slight curve and all my pots and pans went (flying) …" adds Stone.
"But by now, I know precisely when we're going to change tracks and where the curves are, so I hold onto my pots and pans."
The right track
The "Heritage of India" route, running from Mumbai to Rajasthan to Delhi, is among the most popular journeys.
The itinerary includes a day in the 'Pink City' of Jaipur — known for its salmon-colored buildings, heritage handicrafts and imposing Amber Fort.
The journey also includes stops in the Thar desert and in smaller villages, where travelers can experience a camel safari or traditional folk dances.
This is just one of seven of the train's routes. A journey to the south, instead, would be a totally different experience.
The eight-day Southern Jewels route, for example, departs from Mumbai before traversing some of southern India's most beautiful landmarks.
The itinerary highlights include the seventh-century temples of Mahabalipuram near the Bay of Bengal, temple complexes of ancient Hampi, beaches of Goa and the Ratnadurg Fort in Ratnagiri.
"It's been a lifelong ambition to come to India," guest Greg Newman tells CNN Travel.
"Trains have this wonderful ability to get you somewhere overnight and wake up the next morning in a different city … without having noticed you moved."
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text: The dFLASH Group wishes to announce release 1.1.0 of the dFLASH electronic mail server. Beginning with this release of the server, we will be supporting the latest release of the GENBANK, PIR and SWISSPROT databases. In particular, users can now carry out searches in GENBANK Release 85 (September 30, 1994) PIR Release 42 (September 30, 1994) --> DEFAULT Database <-- SWISSPROT Release 30 (October 30, 1994) Full bibliographic references can optionally be included with the computed alignments, for all three databases. Notice that a number of necessary changes and additions have been incorporated in the "query language". For example, since we now support a larget set of databases, "target protein" is not a valid directive anymore! The appended help file describes the changes and available functions in detail. NEW FEATURES: o the reported results can now be sorted using a sorting key specified by the user via the "query language" o a smart-email filter has been implemented: various specification errors are now caught and corrected automatically; notifications are sent to the user for all taken actions. It is our intention to update the server with the latest release of each of the above dbases within the first two weeks after it becomes available. The server is accessible through the Internet and is now operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be accessed both directly and through "Grail" of the Oak Ridge National Lab. Sincerely, The dFLASH Group ------------------------------> CUT HERE <----------------------------------- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !! The dFLASH server now supports the GenBank, PIR and SWISSPROT databases. !! !! The supported releases are: !! !! GENBANK Release 85 (September 30, 1994) !! !! PIR Release 42 (September 30, 1994) --> DEFAULT Database <-- !! !! SWISSPROT Release 30 (October 30, 1994) !! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !! N O T A B E N E !! !! The dFLASH server is still under development. If some of the answers do !! !! not make sense it is very likely that this is due to a bug in our code. !! !! Please, email bug reports and comments to dflash at watson.ibm.com with !! !! subject line "bug" or "comments". !! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dear User, welcome to Release 1.1.0 of the the dFLASH server! The dFLASH server is a "homologous sequence retrieval" program for PROTEIN and DNA sequences. dFLASH is a parallel system running on an IBM SP/x architecture. Intra-node communication, evidence integration and alignment are performed in parallel. The system has been implemented using IBM's Concert/C language for distributed programming. The server is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be accessed both directly and through "Grail" of the Oak Ridge National Lab. Incremental changes and improvements made to the server will be reflected in the "Message of the day" at the beginning of this help file: we recommend that users periodically issue a `send help' request for up to date information on the server. For the moment, we can process requests originating from email addresses of the form user@[machine.][subdomain.]institution.type or user%machine@[machine.][subdomain.]institution.type or "string::user"@[machine.][subdomain.]institution.type We plan to further expand the accepted formats, depending on demand. $%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$ HOW TO USE THE SERVER: You can use the dFLASH facilities by sending an email ---------------------- message with the appropriate syntax to the address "dflash at watson.ibm.com" (without the quotes). SUBJECT LINE: It is important that the "Subject" line of your message contain ------------- one of: { dflash, dFlash, dFLASH, DFLASH }. Messages whose subject line does NOT conform to this rule, **WILL BE LEFT UNPROCESSED**. The reason for that restriction is that we want to be able to automatically distinguish between messages that are addressed to the server and those that are meant for one of the group members. $%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$ MESSAGE FORMAT: The typical message-body of an email request looks as follows --------------- BLOSUM 62 (optional | DIRECTIVE) VERBOSE 10 20 (optional | DIRECTIVE) SEQUENCES 100 (optional | DIRECTIVE) ALIGNMENTS 50 (optional | DIRECTIVE) THRESHOLD 30 (optional | DIRECTIVE) KEY XMATCH (optional | DIRECTIVE) SOURCE PROTEIN (optional | DIRECTIVE) TARGET SP (optional | DIRECTIVE) BEGIN (mandatory | DIRECTIVE) >A_ONE_LINE_TEST_SEQ_LABEL (mandatory -- notice the '>' ) a_sequence_of_{amino_acids,nucleic_acids,spaces,tabs} 1 (mandatory terminator) The PAM/BLOSUM, VERBOSE, SEQUENCES, ALIGNMENTS, THRESHOLD, KEY, SOURCE and TARGET directives can appear in any order but they *must* precede the BEGIN directive. The BEGIN line must be followed by the LABEL line which in turn should be followed by the test sequence. The test sequence should contain at least 18(=proteins)/54(=dna) and not more than 1500 amino acid or nucleotide characters. But it may contain ANY NUMBER of CARRIAGE RETURN TAB and SPACE characters; the latter are not of course counted while computing the length of the test sequence. There is NO case sensitivity in the label and the test sequence itself. If the test sequence is longer than 1500 characters, the e-mail filter will truncate it to the first 1500 characters and will send a note to that effect to the originator of the query; the filter will then submit the truncated sequence to the search engine. NOTA BENE: The words appearing on the lines marked DIRECTIVE above can be in ---------- lower case or upper case; in other words, you can have pam or PAM, threshold or THRESHOLD, alignments or ALIGNMENTS, etc. However, something like ThReShOlD will not work. The directive pertaining to the scoring matrix allows the user to specify the matrix to be used for computing the alignment scores. You can use either the word PAM followed by a space and the desired distance, or the word BLOSUM followed by space and the desired distance. Examples: PAM 250, BLOSUM 62 etc. If no matrix directive is included in the message, PAM 250 is used as the default. Depending on the values of the directive TARGET (see below) the matrix directive if present may be ignored. The VERBOSE line allows the sender to also retrieve the data about authors, dates, entries, superfamilies etc. that are contained in the original PIR, SwissProt and GenBank databases. This directive accepts one OR two arguments; for example: verbose 15 25 means "send me the text data for the sequences occupying positions 15 through 25 in the final ranking." On the other hand, verbose 15 means "send me the text data for the sequences occupying the first 15 positions in the final ranking." If no verbose line appears, no citation data is sent. The SEQUENCES line allows one to restrict the reported sequences to the given number. This directive controls the number of entries in the ``short list'' of recovered database sequences only. If no SEQUENCES line is given, the server code will set it to an appropriate default value (100). The ALIGNMENTS line allows one to restrict the reported alignments to the given number. If no ALIGNMENTS line is given, the server code will set it to an appropriate default value (100). The ALIGNMENTS value cannot exceed 5000. Values larger than 5000 are reduced to 5000. The THRESHOLD line allows one to restrict the number of reported sequences (and thus alignments) to only those whose Score exceeds the given THRESHOLD value. If no THRESHOLD line is given the server code will set it to an appropriate default value. The default values are 50 for DNA sequences, and 80 for protein sequences. There is also a *hard* threshold value of 40 for DNA, and 30 for PROTEIN sequences; if the user-requested values are smaller than these hard-thresholds, the requested threshold will be increased accordingly. NOTA BENE: (1) if the THRESHOLD value is too small, you are running the danger ---------- of upsetting your mailer program since chances are that you will receive a very big file as a reply from the server. (2) if the THRESHOLD is too high the list of recovered entries will be empty, or very short; you should decrease the threshold's value and resubmit your query. The KEY line allows the user to specify the key to be used when sorting the results (retrieved sequences) corresponding to a submitted search request. The keyword KEY can be followed by one of { SCORE,score, LENGTH,length, PEAK, peak, GAP,gap, MATCH,match, XMATCH,xmatch }. By setting KEY to one of {SCORE,score} the user indicates that the retrieved sequences should be sorted in decreasing order of total computed score. By setting KEY to one of {LENGTH, length} the user indicates that the retrieved sequences be sorted in decreasing order of their length. Setting KEY to one of {PEAK,peak} will result in the retrieved sequences being sorted in decreasing order of the maximum score value over *any* 18(=proteins)s or 54(=dna) residue window of the recovered match. Setting KEY to one of {GAP,gap} will result in the retrieved sequences being sorted in decreasing order of the maximum gap inserted that will result in a best alignment with the query strand. Setting KEY to one of {MATCH,match} will result in the retrieved sequences being sorted in decreasing order of the total (=conservative+exact) number of matches with the query strand. Finally, setting KEY to one of {XMATCH,xmatch} will sort the retrieved sequences in decreasing order of the number of exact matches with the query strand. If no KEY directive is specified, the retrieved sequences will be sorted in order of decreasing "score". The SOURCE line allows the user to specify the type of the query strand as being a { PROTEIN,protein, DNA,dna } sequence. By setting SOURCE to one of {PROTEIN,protein} the user indicates that the query strand is a sequence of amino acids. By setting SOURCE to one of {DNA,dna} the user indicates that the query strand is a sequence of nucleotides. The TARGET line allows the user to specify the type of the target database to be one of { PIR,pir, SP,sp, GB,gb }. This way the user controls the database in which the search will be carried out. If TARGET is set to one of {PIR,pir}, the search will take place in the PIR database. If TARGET is set to one of {SP,sp} the search will take place in the SWISSPROT database. If TARGET is set to one of {GB,gb}, the search will take place in the GenBank database. Requests for searches in unsupported databases will be *IGNORED* by the server and generate a complaint message that will be sent back to the originator of the request. If *only* SOURCE is specified, then the TARGET will be set automatically: in particular, if SOURCE is set to one of { protein, PROTEIN } then the search will be carried in the "PIR" database, whereas if source is set to one of { dna, DNA } then the search will take place in the "GB" database. If *neither* SOURCE *nor* TARGET lines are given, the server will assume it is dealing with an amino acid strand and carry out the search against the "PIR" database. The LABEL line allows the user to enter mnemonic information pertaining the the test sequence, the time of the day etc. The information of this line will be reproduced in the Subject line of the reply message. Notice that the LABEL line *must* begin with the character '>'. All the submitted messages must be terminated by the number '1' This number can follow the last character of the test sequence or be in a line by itself. $%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$ A 'SMART' FILTER: The email filter that allows for the above message format ----------------- has been improved in this release. In particular, the filter is 'smart' enough to catch inconsistencies in the user's message. The filter will correct them and send a note to the originator of the message. *Unlike* older releases of the filter, this version will submit the corrected message to the search engine. The filter will also send one email note to the originator of the query for *every* change it has carried out; the note(s) will contain information about the actions that the filter has taken. For example, if the user's note contains the following lines sequences 20 alignments 50 verbose 10 30 the filter will reset the value of 'alignments' to 20, and of the 'verbose_to to 20, and subsequently submit the corrected query to the search engine. Since two changes took place, the filter will also send two email notes to the originator of the query detailing the actions it has taken. $%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$ EXAMPLES: Two example inputs follow --------- Example 1: pam 250 sequences 50 alignments 30 threshold 100 target pir begin > HBA_HUMAN STANDARD; PRT; 141 AA. P01922; HEMOGLOBIN ALPHA VLSPADKTNVKAAWGKVGAHAGEYGAEALERMFLSFP TTKTYFPHFDLSHGSAQVKGHG KKVADALTNA V A H V D D M PNALSALSDLHAHKLRVDPVNFK llshcllvtlaahlpaeftpavhasldkflasvstvltskyr 1 Note: all amino acids from "VLSP" through "ltskyr will be used in the search. Not more than the 50 top scoring sequences will be reported in the short list. Also, the alignments for the top 30 scoring sequences will be returned. No reported sequence will have score that is less than 100, and the reported sequences will be sorted in order of decreasing score. The test sequence is declared to be a sequence of amino acids and should be searched against the PIR database. Example 2: BLOSUM 62 KEY XMATCH BEGIN > Sequence sent to dflash on Fri May 20 13:40:17 EDT 1994 VLSPADKTNVKAAWGKVGAHAGEYGAEALERMFLSFP TTKTYFPHFDLSHGSAQVKGHG KKVADALTNA V A H V D D M PNALSALSDLHAHKLRVDPVNFK llshcllvtlaahlpaeftpavhasldkflasvstvltskyr 1 Note: all amino acids from "VLSP" through "ltskyr" will be used in the search. The server code will set the various parameters to appropriate default values. The server will treat the test sequence as a sequence of amino acids (default) and will search against the "PIR" database (default) with a score threshold set at 80 (default). The retrieved sequences will be reported in order of decreasing number of exact matches with the query strand. $%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$ SCORING MATRICES: ----------------- You can use both PAM and BLOSUM scoring matrices for protein searches. These can be requested via the optional { pam, PAM, blosum, BLOSUM } directive. The currently supported distances are for BLOSUM: 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 62, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 100 for PAM: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 300, 310, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 390, 400, 410, 420, 430, 440, 450, 460, 470, 480, 490, and 500. For DNA searches, the PAM/BLOSUM declarations are ignored $%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$ NOTE ON ALIGNMENT: ------------------ The server's alignment code implements the Smith-Waterman algorithm (dynamic programming) to align each of the retrieved sequences with the test input. This is *NOT* to be confused with the indexing method that we use to determine the candidates to be aligned. The meaning of the variables in the listing that is returned by the dFLASH server ..... .... Score Matrix: PAM250 Max Reported Sequences: 1000 Max Reported Alignments: 10 Score Threshold At: 65 Id Label: Score NRes Ex% Tot% Sig Pk ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. HAHU hemoglobin alpha chain - human 655 141 100% 100% 100 89 2. HACZ hemoglobin alpha chain - chimpanzee 655 141 100% 100% 100 89 3. HACZP hemoglobin alpha chain - pygmy chi 655 141 100% 100% 100 89 4. HAGO hemoglobin alpha chain - lowland go 654 141 99% 100% 99 89 5. HAMQP hemoglobin alpha chain - hanuman l 653 141 97% 100% 99 89 6. B27792 hemoglobin alpha-1 chain - orangu 649 141 97% 100% 99 89 7. A25126 hemoglobin alpha-1 chain - Sumatr 649 141 97% 100% 99 89 ... ..... .. is the following: NRes: the number of residues (amino acids) in the recovered match Score: sequence similarity score of the recovered sequence based on the selected mutation matrix Ex%: percentage of *exact* matching residues Tot%: percentage of *total* (=exact+conservative) matching residues Sig: 100 times the ratio between the actual computed score and the score obtained by matching the retrieved sub-segment with itself; the denominator is the maximum obtainable score for the sub-segment in question (all gaps removed). Peak: the maximum score value over *any* 18(=proteins)s or 54(=dna) residue window of the recovered match. $%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$ TO OBTAIN HELP: --------------- You can obtain this message at any moment by sending a message with one of: { dflash, dFlash, dFLASH, DFLASH } in the "Subject" line and a body containing one of { help, HELP, send help, SEND HELP }. $%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$ TO OBTAIN ON-LINE REPRINTS OF PAPERS ------------------------------------ You can obtain reprints (in PostScript) of relevant papers by sending a message with one of: { dflash, dFlash, dFLASH, DFLASH } in the "Subject" line and a body containing one of {flashpaper, FLASHPAPER, send flashpaper, SEND FLASHPAPER } ---> returns to the originator of the request a copy of the FLASH paper that will appear in `CABIOS' one of {dflashpaper, DFLASHPAPER, send dflashpaper, SEND DFLASHPAPER } ---> returns to the originator of the request a copy of a paper that contains a description of dFLASH that has appeared in `IEEE Computational Science and Engineering' one of {concertpaper, CONCERTPAPER, send concertpaper, SEND CONCERTPAPER } ---> returns to the originator of the request a copy of a high-level paper describing the CONCERT/C language one of {bayespaper, BAYESPAPER, send bayespaper, SEND BAYESPAPER } --> returns to the originator of the request a copy of a paper describing a computer-vision application based on similar to dFLASH indexing prin- ciples that will appear in `CVGIP-IU' Notice there can only be *one* such request per message! Also, make sure you do not issue a new paper request until after the previous request has returned to you all of the postscript files and you have removed the latter from your mailbox: the returned messages are rather big (between 1 and 4 Megabytes) and are guaranteed to overflow the disk set aside for mail messages on most systems. $%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$ Thank you for your interest in the dFLASH server. Sincerely, The dFLASH Group $%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$ COMMENTS?? We will appreciate receiving your feedback, suggestions, comments, ---------- or bug reports; all of these can be sent to "dflash at watson.ibm.com" Please, make sure your "Subject" line contains the word "comments" or "bug". $%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$ REFERENCES If you make use of the dFLASH server, please reference ---------- A. Califano and I. Rigoutsos, "FLASH: A Fast Look-up Algorithm for String Homology." In CABIOS. To appear. I. Rigoutsos and A. Califano, "Searching In Parallel for Similar Protein Strings." In IEEE Computational Science and Engineering, June 1994. If you wish to find out more, you can contact Isidore Rigoutsos and Andrea Califano at {rigoutso,email@example.com $%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$ For more information on the Concert/C language, please refer to J. Auerbach, D. Bacon, A. Goldberg, G. Goldszmidt, A. Gopal, M. Kennedy, A. Lowry, J. Russell, W. Silverman, R. Strom, D. Yellin, and S. Yemini, "High-level language support for programming reliable distributed systems." In Proceedings of the International Conference on Computer Languages, April 1992, Oakland, California. or contact Jim Russell (jrussell at watson.ibm.com) $%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$ ------------------------------> CUT HERE <-----------------------------------


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Since we briefly played Uncharted 2 at Gamescom in Cologne recently and were part of the multiplayer Beta, we expected it to be pretty good, but shittin' crikey, not this good.
Sony has searched long and hard for their killer-app - a sole reason to part with your cash - but have come up short. Killzone 2 had good-looks but offered very little in terms of originality. LittleBigPlanet was mega-fun but too niche for many. Ratchet & Clank is great but too juvenile to win over the hardcore masses. Uncharted 2 now fills this void - and then some.
So good are Nathan Drake's new adventures, that unless Lara Croft goes fully nude for the entirety of her next game, then she won't even get a look in over this.
Here's the obligatory gist of the action: It's a couple of years after the events of original game (which is surprisingly, very rarely spoken of). Drake and Elena have parted ways for reasons unknown and a British bloke, named Flynn, ropes Nathan and Kiwi crumpet Chloe, into stealing an antique oil lamp from a Turkish museum.
Above: The Turkish museum heist in action
From here, Drake ends up on the trail of terrorist Zoran Lazarevic and the secrets of Marco Polo's doomed expedition to find Shangri La and the mythical Cintamani Stone. Cue blood-shed, incredible scenes of exploration and of course, tricky puzzles.
But what makes Uncharted 2 so damn near perfect? Right off the bat, we'll say the script and voice acting simply can't be touched. And we're not talking just games here. Most movies and TV scribes struggle to keep up with the quality here. That's why it gets this...
You might not give a toss about the chemistry between the characters right now (don't worry we'll get to the guns and killing soon) but it's hard not to fall for it when you play the game.
The lines are tight and delivered so convincingly you get the sense that the voice actors are really enjoying themselves. It pulls you in and, honest to Jeebus, there are moments when we actually
For all you graphic whores out there (you know who you are, Mr/Mrs High Definition) Uncharted 2 delivers quality visuals by the treasure trove full. From the unbelievably beautiful toucans perched in the jungle trees to the animation of Drake shielding his face with his hand when he gets too close to a roaring fire, it looks stunning.
The scale of just about everything in Uncharted 2 is admirable. Take the opening level for example. As has become fashionable, this is where developers slip in a tutorial - push button to open door and the like. Uncharted 2 teaches you the ropes as you climb a train carriage dangling off a god damn cliff. You can see for miles to as the stunning mountainous landscape spreads out across the screen. No pop-up, just awesome detail.
Above: A real purdy shot from the Borneo jungle level.
It's comparable with God of War, Sony's other powerhouse, in terms of opening up with a bang and continuous epic scale. And boy, it works a treat. Just like Kratos, Nathan Drake isn't afraid to dish out some large portions of death cake either.
The punch of the weapons from the original game is even more satisfying in Uncharted 2. Among the handguns, shotguns and automatic weapons you also get to wield a tranquilizer gun, a pistol that fires shotgun shells and - we couldn't believe this either - a minigun. Yes, just like Arnie's in T2.
Above: Nathan wishes he'd worn a warmer jumper.
There's more than enough fodder for you to mow down with these weapons but Drake has also learned some more unarmed skills to bring the pain. You can now perform takedowns that drag enemies behind cover, so you don't get shot up. You can drag them off platforms or maybe even run up a box and plant boot under their chin. But Uncharted 2 is much more than mindless blood-shed.
One of our single greatest moments is far more sedate.
There's a bit in a Tibetan village where you first meet Tenzin - a non-English speaking Sherpa guide - and as you trudge through the tranquil village you pass a group of kids and two of the little 'uns proceed to hide behind a wall. If you walk up to them and hit Triangle, Drake puts his hands up to his head like moose antlers and goes 'Uggga Buggga Buggga' as they laugh at him. Lovely stuff.
There's no button prompt to tell you to do this. And you could easily finish the game and never know about it (unless you just read about it now) but Uncharted 2 is full of subtle, incidental wonderment to enhance your overall experience.
Now this will sound wanky - and I've previously discussed this with a colleague who agrees - but Uncharted 2 *really* blurs the line between games and films. The rollercoaster actions will make you laugh, scare the crap out of you and make you sad. And this is more than you can say for most big budget movies.
Back to the gameplay then, take a look at some of the new stuff you'll find in Uncharted 2...
360 rope swinging mechanics - You can now use Drake's momentum to swing in any direction from a rope dangling from a ceiling. This is handy for grabbing hidden treasures.
Fluid climbing - You scale walls far more easily than in Drake's Fortune. If a ledge is close enough to reach simply steer him across the surface and he'll reach out and grab it.
Snow effects - Best. Snow. Ever. Even better than Lost Planet.
Create cover - Not only can you hide behind riot shields from time to time, but Drake is adept at turning over tables to create cover too. Handy when surrounded by goons.
Red-dot sight - Like in Modern Warfare, Uncharted 2 has an assault rifle - the FAL - that has a red dot sight to make headshots easier.
Monkey bars - Like an overhead ladder that you'd see on a kid's playground.
Twitter integration - Automatically let your friend's know how far you are and how much you've earned in 140 characters or less.
Armoured goons - These juggernauts come in two varieties: shotgun wielding or minigun blasting. You're going to have to think on your feet when taking these boys one.
Notebook - Hit Select and Drake will delve into his notebook like in the original, but with a twist. Move left and right with the stick and not only will you see clues to puzzles, but an array of in-jokes, photos and even sketches of Sully's powerful moustache.
Plus lots, lots more. And the set-pieces? Just wow! We'd be giving away massive spoilers if we mentioned them but around every corner is a standout moment that you'll be mightily impressed by. Here's one to whet your appetite...
So finally, Sony get its long-awaited killer-app. And what a beauty it is. Uncharted 2 not only sets benchmarks for visuals (the lighting effects alone are stunning), story and sheer fun, but it also sets a worryingly high target for all that follow it to match. Simply put, Uncharted 2 is a reason to own a PS3.


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Steve Gleason, Drew Brees speak at Gleason's Congressional Gold Medal ceremony
WASHINGTON D.C.,— Former NFL player Steve Gleason has received the Congressional Gold Medal — the highest civilan honor bestowed by Congress — for his work as an advocate for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
"This award represents the people of the United States of America and is a sublime honor for me," Gleason, who no longer can speak on his own, said through a computer-generated voice. "It represents some joy, some encouragement and some triumphs for the tens of thousands of families living with ALS and others living with disabilities or experiencing anguish, tragedy or adversity."
Gleason thanked his family for their support since his diagnosis, noting to his wife, Michel, "This is not the life we imagined and it hasn't been easy."
Gleason also said it's his children — son Rivers and daughter Gray — who "give me purpose."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi opened the ceremony.
"We have come to honor a true American hero … who has transformed the lives of so many people living with ALS," Pelosi said. "You bring pride to our nation."
Saints quarterback Drew Brees and his son, Baylen; Saints owner Gayle Benson; NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell; and former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue were among those in attendance.
The 42-year-old Gleason was diagnosed with ALS in 2011. He has since spearheaded efforts through the Team Gleason foundation to develop and provide technology to help ALS patients live longer, more fulfilling lives. Those include devices that track eye movements to help people who are paralyzed type words that can be transformed into speech. Gleason has used the technology to communicate, post messages on social media, address lawmakers from around the world and give motivational speeches to athletes.
Congress in 2018 year approved the Gleason Act, which provided funding to help ALS patients get those devices.
"Ïn the ALS community, he is a rock star, he gives hope," said U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana and a doctor who helped sponsor the legislation to honor Gleason. "Through his example of how he lives, he has changed life for us all. Thank you for inspiring hope even in the face of extreme adversity. Thank you for being a hero."
Gleason played in 83 games for New Orleans between the 2000 and 2006 seasons, emerging as a special teams leader and blocking four punts. His final block occurred against Atlanta on Sept. 26, 2006, the night the Superdome reopened for the first time since it was heavily damaged while serving as a shelter of last resort for thousands who'd remained in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck nearly 13 months earlier.
The play has been memorialized by a bronze statue entitled "Rebirth," on a pu
blic plaza surrounding the Superdome.


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NEW YORK (AP) — PepsiCo gave CEO Indra Nooyi a pay package worth $12.6 million last year, which is down 11 percent from the previous year, as the soda-and-snack food giant changed the way it awards long-term incentive compensation.
The Purchase, N.Y.-based company did away with outright option awards last year and instead gave Nooyi a long-term incentive award tied to the performance of the company's future stock price and other metrics. That figure is not included in the pay summary filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
For the year, Nooyi's base salary was roughly even with from the previous year at $1.6 million. Her annual incentive pay rose 32 percent to $3.3 million, as PepsiCo said it met its financial goals during a year of restructuring.
Nooyi's stock awards rose 20 percent to $7.5 million. All other pay came to more than $149,000 and covered costs for use of a company plane and contributions to retirement plans.
In the filing with the SEC, PepsiCo noted that Nooyi's total direct compensation rose 5 percent for the year as a result of her annual performance pay.
Nooyi, 57, has been CEO since 2006. Last year, she announced a reset for the company after losing market share to Coca-Cola Co. and coming under pressure from investors to improve performance. The reset included job cuts, as well as stepped up investment in the company's flagship brands.
That push so far has included a multiyear sponsorship of the Super Bowl halftime show and with pop star Beyonce.
For 2012, the company's net income fell to $6.18 billion, or $3.92 per share. That's down from $6.44 billion, or $4.03 per share, in the previous year. Not including one-time charges, PepsiCo said it earned $4.10 per share.
Meanwhile, bigger changes could be in store for the company. PepsiCo is reviewing a restructuring of its North American beverage unit and recently said it will provide more thoughts on the matter early next year.
On Friday, a news report said that activist investor Nelson Peltz had taken a stake in PepsiCo and Mondelez International Inc., which makes Oreo cookies and other global snack brands, with the possibility that he could push for the two companies to merge.
PepsiCo Inc. issued a short statement saying it didn't comment on market rumors or speculation and that it didn't see a need for any large deals. Mondelez said it was happy with its current portfolio of products.
The Associated Press formula calculates an executive's total compensation during the last fiscal year by adding salary, bonuses, perks, above-market interest that the company pays on deferred compensation and the estimated value of stock and stock options awarded during the year. The AP formula does not count changes in the present value of pension benefits. That makes the AP total slightly different in most cases from the total reported by companies to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The value that a company assigned to an executive's stock and option awards for 2012 was the present value of what the company expected the awards to be worth to the executive over time. Companies use one of several formulas to calculate that value. However, the number is just an estimate, and what an executive ultimately receives will depend on the performance of the company's stock in the years after the awards are granted. Most stock compensation programs require an executive to wait a specified amount of time to receive shares or exercise options.


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Google decided to extend personalized search to all users, even if they didn't sign up for Google search history. Google uses "information from Google Search History, Google Bookmarks and your personalized Google homepage, among other services that are tied to your Google Account. At this time, your Gmail and AdWords information will not be used to personalize your experience." The only way to see the "public" results is to sign out from your Google Account.
By using information from different Google services, search results could improve, because Google tries to infer your intentions by looking at your previous actions. "For instance for the query [bass], Google Personalized Search may show the user results about the instrument and not the fish if that person was a frequent Google searcher for music information."
User profiles are built from rough lines, as you can see by looking at Google's recommendations for pages, videos and gadgets. That means the targeting is still very imprecise and Google's assumptions could be way off. But this might help Google with word sense disambiguation: Google will pretend it understands something from your query.
8 awesome products we tried in September 2023
2 hours ago


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Lush Color Block | Spice | Sweaters | $58
Fabric & Care: 72% Acrylic. 25% Nylon. 3% Elastane. Dry clean.
The Designer: LUSH Clothing is a women's apparel company dedicated to providing clothing for the uncompromising in style. Based in LA's fashion district, LUSH has spent over ten years designing trendy contemporary pieces that are competitive in quality and style. Our team of designers are committed to producing effortlessly versatile pieces by searching for the highest quality fabrics and staying ahead of the season to provide the latest trends for the everyday LUSH girl.


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Nokia hits back at Google in latest patent war tussle
"Though we have not yet seen the complaint, Google's suggestion that Nokia and Microsoft are colluding on intellectual property rights is wrong," Nokia spokesman Mark Durrant said on Friday.
"Both companies have their own intellectual property rights portfolios and strategies and operate independently."
He also said that some Android devices had "significant (intellectual property) infringement issues" relating to Nokia's patents.
Google, in a formal complaint to the European Commission, said Microsoft and Nokia had transferred 1,200 patents to MOSAID, a so-called "patent troll" which makes money by taking legal action over patent infringements.
Nokia and Microsoft cooperate on smartphones that compete with Google's Android devices. The Finnish phone maker shifted from its own Symbian software in favor of Microsoft Windows in February 2011.
Google's accusations highlight current cut-throat competition in the mobile phone business where companies, including Nokia, are fighting to assert intellectual property rights over wireless technologies.
Nokia's patents have become valuable and stable assets for the company, particularly at a time when falling handset sales and a loss of market share threaten its future.
Nokia has already sued Android device makers HTC and ViewSonic for infringing its patents and is expected to go after others.
Nokia already earns 500 million euros ($618.22 million) a year from its patent royalties in key areas of mobile telephony and some analysts have said a more determined application of its patent rights could boost its income by hundreds more millions of euros a year.
Microsoft said earlier that Google's complaint about antitrust in the smartphone industry was a "desperate tactic" from a company that controls more than 95 percent of mobile search and advertising.


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OIP 121. Cuneiform Texts from the Ur III Period in the Oriental Institute, Volume 2: Drehem Administrative Documents from the Reign of Amar-Suena Markus Hilgert, with contribution by Clemens D. Reichel
Purchase Download Terms of Use
A sequel to the author's Cuneiform Texts from the Ur III Period in the Oriental Institute, Volume 1: Drehem Administrative Documents from the Reign of Shulgi (OIP 115), this volume is the editio princeps of the 605 cuneiform tablets in the Asiatic Collection of the Oriental Institute Museum that were found at the site of the ancient administrative center Puzrish-Dagan (modern tall ad-Duraihim, Drehem) and date to the reign of Amar-Suena (2046-2038 b.c.), the third ruler of the Third Dynasty of Ur (2112-2004 b.c.). Presented in a systematic arrangement that is based on both date and contents, these administrative documents may be considered indispensable primary sources for the study of the socio-economic, political, and religious history during the reign of Amar-Suena.
The volume features an annotated typology of Drehem administrative records from the reign of Amar-Suena, detailed philological commentaries on individual texts and text groups, transliterations of all documents, a complete glossary, extensive analytical charts, as well as illustrations (hand copies, photographs) of selected cuneiform tablets.
The sealing practice as attested on the sealed objects within this corpus is analyzed in an appendix by Clemens D. Reichel.
- Oriental Institute Publications 121
- Chicago: The Oriental Institute, 2003
- Pp. xxxviii + 649; 23 figures, 79 plates
- Clothbound 9 x 11.75 in / 23 x 30 cm
- $140.00


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Find a Park
View Statewide Map
2 Parks Found
Blackwater Heritage State Trail
Blackwater Heritage State Trail, the westernmost state rail-trail, winds through the historic town of Milton and extends eight miles north to join the U.S. Navy's 1.5-mile Military Heritage Trail, which ends at the Naval Air Station Whiting Field.
5533 Alabama St.
Milton FL 32570
Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail
Through the early 1900s, this historic railroad corridor carried cotton from the plantation belt to the coast for shipment to textile mills in England and New England. The trail runs 16 miles from Florida's capital city to the coastal community of St. Marks.
1358 Old Woodville Road
Crawfordville FL 32327


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Berry Glimmer - 3PC Lip Kit
Together these three lip essentials create a flattering, wearable look for day or night. Carefully curated by Sunny herself, each set features a full size Intense Matte Lip color, Liquid Lip Color & Long Wear Lip Liner. Gorgeous when used individually or together, these sets are perfect for creating an illusion of fuller lips
Returns Policy
The following general returns policy is applicable to all items sold on Suncity store. In general, an item may be eligible for return within the 5 days of receiving the product if it only fulfils one or more of the following conditions:
o Was delivered in a physically damaged condition
o Has missing parts or accessories For returns, you have to send an email to email@example.com describing the issue and a picture proof of the same.
We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.
When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.
Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.


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Interested in a bugnet zipper on your Hennessy? See us at www.2qzqhammockhanger.com
A bug net zipper installation makes a terrific enhancement to an already great Hennessy product. The ability to unzip the bug net provides the following benefits:
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4) provides an off the ground area making pack loading much easier.
5) makes top loading entry possible
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Tim 2Questions (2Q) and Donna Zipper Queen (ZQ)
2Q & ZQ Hammock Specialties
New video on our most popular zipper mod - Mod 2


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These listings are brief descriptions of projects we have not researched but that may be of interest to others in the technology for transparency field.
Girigna is a group of young, pro-democracy activists in Sudan.
Documenting the use of online and mobile technology to promote transparency and accountability around the world
"This community aims to catch and punish the state employees who are using state purchases and calls for tender for their own personal gain."
"Bribed? Didn't bribe? Powerless? Victimised?
Pollitika is a collective anti-corruption blog as well as a database of public information.
Learn more · Contact us · Suggest a project · Rising Voices Home ·


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Duplicators and Sanitizers
USB Duplicators and Sanitizers
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CF Duplicators and Sanitizers
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IDE/SATA/SAS HDD/SSD Duplicators and Sanitizers
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M.2 NVMe SSD
M.2 Product Peripherals
U-Reach 1 to 15 MT Ultra Speed series HDD/SSD Duplicator and Sanitizer - MT1600U
1) Speed transfers up to 30 GB per minute.
2) Systems & files copy mode supports Windows(FAT16/32/64, NTFS), Linux(ext2/ext3/ext4/LVM), and Mac(HFS, HFS+, HFSX.)
3) Data Sanitization: quick erase, full erase, secure erase, and DoD erase.
4) Open-platform Design supports multi-interface HDD/SSD.
5) Real-Time PC Monitoring.
6) Supports 2.5", 3.5" SATA HDD, SSD, and IDE HDD via IDE_SATA convertor (1 piece IDE to SATA adapter-TB1529 included)
7) Log report management records all task details for better production management.