text:
This is cross posted by Simon Plosker of Honest Reporting
In Feb. 22, Irish "journalist" David Cronin attempted a citizen's arrest of Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman at the start of a press conference at the EU in Brussels. Cronin shouted: "Mister Lieberman this is a citizen's arrest. You are charged with the crime of apartheid" while accusing Israel of being an apartheid state. Video footage of the incident can be viewed below:
According to The Guardian's report of the incident:
Cronin, a freelance journalist who has written for the Economist, the Inter Press Service news agency and the Guardian's Comment is Free, was restrained by security guards and escorted from the building, shouting "Free Palestine".
Can Cronin really be described as a "freelance journalist"? These are not the actions of a credible, honest media professional. Cronin's actions are an abuse of the access granted to him and others with press credentials.
Perhaps it is unsurprising to see that Cronin contributes to The Guardian, a newspaper that has itself blurred the lines between journalism and activism with its coverage of the Palileaks.
We were also surprised when we saw the story on our Google RSS Reader, which we use to keep track of articles from so many media outlets. Take a closer look at the authors of the article.
Could it be that The Guardian allowed David Cronin to co-author a news item about an incident in which he was the key player? There is no evidence of this on The Guardian's website. Yet, an RSS feed does not make errors independently from the original source material that it reproduces.
Which leaves us with one question: Innocent slip up that required a swift correction or an intentional cover-up of an unethical piece of reporting?
Update – 25 Feb: David Cronin himself has added the following in the comments section below: "I can confirm that I did NOT co-author the article in The Guardian to which you referred."
At what point does journalism become activism? In this case, Cronin clearly crossed the line. Indeed, the Arab-Israeli conflict is one prime example of two competing narratives where not only have many journalists accepted one of those narratives but are actively promoting one side over the other.
We hope that The Guardian and other mainstream media outlets will not publish any of David Cronin's writing on any subject related to Israel. With The Guardian, however, we suspect that Cronin's outburst will only endear him to the paper's editorial team.


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8. ICE (Internet Commerce Enabled)
ICE is Ingres' proprietary gateway to the Web. Basically, it is a CGI program that can talk to an Ingres server through the native Ingres API. ICE supports a couple of macro commands which you can embed in HTML documents. When rendering such a document, ICE first executes the macros then outputs the resulting web page.
On other platforms you can configure ICE as a server extension to the Spyglass web server which is bundled with Ingres. The Linux version of Ingres does not include Spyglass. Therefore, in this section I will show you how to setup ICE as a standalone CGI program under Apache, the world's most popular web server.
You need the ingvalidpw program for ICE to work. See subsection ingvalidpw on how to install it.
8.1. Configuring Apache
Building, installing and configuring Apache is beyond the scope of this HOWTO. (You had better learn Apache if you are putting your databases on the Web, with ICE or otherwise.)
I suggest to download the newest stable version of Apache in source and build it yourself for maximum flexibility. I also suggest you keep a separate Apache installation just for ICE.
In this subsection I will only cover those parameters of Apache that are important from ICE's point of view.
Things to watch out for:
The installed software should be owned by the ingres user. This is not strictly necessary but will make things easier.
Compile the mod_env module into the server, preferably statically (do not use DSOs unless you have to: they make Apache slower).
After you have compiled and installed Apache, set the following parameters in httpd.conf:
Port 8000 -- must be greater than 1023 User ingres -- all server processes run as ingres Group ingres -- the ingres user's group PassEnv II_SYSTEM PassEnv LD_LIBRARY_PATH
The last two lines must be added to httpd.conf. These variables will be passed from the environment of the ingres user to the environment of CGI programs started by Apache (specifically iceinst and ice, the two executables of ICE).
8.2. ICE Setup
Now you can configure ICE and its Tutorials. You can do this with a browser and the iceinst program. Let us suppose that your CGI directory is /opt/ingres/apache/cgi-bin and Apache is listening on port 8000. Let the name of your machine be ingserv1. Then you can start iceinst in the following manner:
$ iceinst -d/opt/ingres/apache/cgi-bin -u/cgi-bin -shttp://ingserv1:8000 -b/opt/netscape/netscape
Option -d is the full path to the CGI directory, -u is this directory's address within the site, -s is the Internet address of the server, while -b is the full path to the browser. If you omit option -b and write -remote instead, then iceinst will not try to start the browser. You can configure ICE from another machine then, directing your browser to http://ingserv1/cgi-bin/iceinst.
First the program asks for the value of II_SYSTEM. Then you should visit every screen and set all parameters presented on them. Have iceinst install the Dynamic SQL Tutorial and the Macro Processor Tutorial as well. These show the usage of ICE via applications and a database (icedb by default).
It is important to create a directory under Apache's DocumentRoot where ICE can store the output it creates for clients' requests. ICE will not start until you create this directory and specify its name in iceinst.
After you have completed every form, choose the Install option. If you have set everything properly, the configuration of ICE and the installation of the tutorials take place. ICE is ready to use.

subset: commoncrawl


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3net Announces the Formation of 3net Studios to Develop Native 3D and 4K Content
Global Production and Distribution Arm Brings Together Creative and Sales Teams To Develop Native 3D and 4K Content for Platforms and Partners Worldwide
3net, the joint venture from Sony, Discovery and IMAX – has formed 3net Studios, a new global television program production and distribution division, it was announced today by Tom Cosgrove , President and CEO, 3net. 3net Studios – based at both Sony Pictures headquarters in Los Angeles, CA and Discovery Communications headquarters in Silver Spring, MD – employs a team of creative personnel, utilizing the world-class technology and production expertise of the parent company's joint venture partners to produce the highest quality native 3D content available. Additionally, the studio will be employing a revolutionary production strategy, whereas select projects will be completed in what the company has coined "TotalD" – native 3D 4K, 2D 4K, 3D 2K and both 3D/2D HD formats – effectively providing a global suite of content solutions for both current and future entertainment platforms and partners worldwide.
"From television, mobile, computer and tablet companies, to broadcast channels and digital content providers, the global demand for a high quality, native 3D programming pipeline has quickly become one of the most vital elements within the 3D ecosystem," said Cosgrove. "With the industry now struggling to keep pace with the rapidly accelerating consumer demand for 3D programming across multiple platforms – and now with the evolution of 4K – the formation of a world class production studio to help fill both the 3D and ultra high definition content voids became a logical next step in our evolution as a global player in the entertainment arena."
3net, which has been actively producing native 3D content for several years and launched the first fully-programmed 24/7 3D television network in the United States in early 2011, has amassed the world's largest and most diverse library of native, original 3D programming. The formation of 3net Studios will allow the company to further build upon the award-winning library that fuels its flagship 3net channel service in the United States, while also offering existing and new partners around the world a vibrant, top quality 3D and 4K content source. The Studio's distribution arm will offer original, native 3D and 4K long form and short form content across a diverse spectrum of programming genres. Projects the company is producing under the new 3net Studios banner will begin to be announced in the coming weeks.


text:
The Lip Jewels have a "crystal floral bouquet" scent and contain moisturising ingredients like almond oil and rose extract. They have a flocked sponge applicator.
For Jill Stuart members in Japan, if you spend at least 70,000yen from April 2010 to March 2011, you will receive the exclusive Beauty Tray Collection below sometime in April 2011. Isn't it gorgeous?


text:
David Crane has given us a magisterial portrait of one of Britain's greatest heroes and explorers, acclaimed as the 'masterpiece' on the subject. Reissued for the 100th anniversary of Scott's doomed expedition.
'It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more...For God's sake look after our people.'
These were the final words written in Scott's diary on 29 March 1912, as he lay dying of exhaustion, starvation and extreme cold, in his tent on his return journey from the South Pole. Since then he has been the subject of many books. Yet in all the pages that have been written about him, the personality behind the legend has been forgotten or distorted beyond all recognition.
David Crane's magisterial biography redresses this completely. By reassessing Scott's life and his substantial scientific achievements, Crane is able to provide a fresh and exciting perspective on both the Discovery expedition of 1901-4 and the Terra Nova expedition of 1910-12. The courage and tragedy of Scott's last journey are only one part of the process, for the scientific enquiry that led up to it transformed the whole nature and ambition of Antarctic exploration.
Written with the full support of Scott's surviving relatives, and with access to the voluminous diaries and records of key participants, this definitive biography sets out to reconcile the very private struggles of the man with the very public life of extremes that he led.


text:
While most birds are flying south for the winter, I feel a pull to head north for the fall -- or at least for a couple of days. I always feel drawn to Tennessee this time of year, so I am thankful for an opportunity to visit Middle Tennessee this weekend. I will be speaking at a ladies day Saturday morning at the White Bluff, Tenn., Church of Christ. We will be exploring the topic "It's Good to Be Home," so I hope we will all leave with ideas and inspiration for tending our nests. Please join us if you live nearby!
This sweet little birdie has been gracing my front door for the past few weeks -- the wreath a thoughtful gift from a family friend when we lost my mother a month ago.
"Where we love is home,
Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts."
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.


text:
Interview with Matthew Dent, the chap who designed the fantastic new UK coinage.
There were plenty of technical issues I had to come to terms with in conjunction with the distribution of metal across the coin and the high-speed striking process. At one point I considered suggesting that half the 20 pence's border — where it met the shield — be removed. It would have still been a rounded heptagon, only its border wouldn't completely surround the coin. There were potential issues with this; I learnt that the distribution of metal wouldn't be balanced, thereby possibly affecting the striking of the coins and the acceptance of them by cash machines. Oh well... this competition was a learning curve. And as someone who was unfamiliar with the technical aspects of coin manufacture - you have to ask don't you?
(via quipsologies)


text:
Recess Appointment Puts Obama At Odds With GOP
This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Linda Wertheimer.
And I'm Steve Inskeep. Good morning.
President Obama's aides have said he will bypass his Republican critics in Congress this year. And yesterday, he did. He named Richard Cordray to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The president made that appointment without the consent of the Senate. He did that through what's called a recess appointment, though unlike in similar occasions in the past, the Senate has not technically recessed. NPR's Tamara Keith explains.
TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: Last month, Senate Republicans blocked a vote on Cordray's nomination. But for more than six months before that congressional Republicans have refused to allow the Senate to recess, because they didn't want to give the president the opportunity to make recess appointments. So, even though Congress has been home for a winter break since before Christmas, every few days, the House and Senate gavel in for a pro-forma session.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: The Senate will come to order.
KEITH: Yesterday's Senate session lasted a grand total of 40 seconds, plus or minus. The White House decided that just shouldn't count. John Taylor, president of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, supports the president's move.
JOHN TAYLOR: He's saying, look, since I can't have the Senate take this very worthy, very experienced and very proven candidate to be director of the agency, I'll make the recess appointment.
KEITH: Consumer advocates like Taylor have long called on the president to push the issue, because without a director, the bureau has not been regulating non-bank institutions, including certain mortgage lenders and payday lenders.
TAYLOR: It's really sad that the American public has had to wait this long to have someone head an agency that was created because of all the malfeasant, terrible banking practices that destroyed the economy.
KEITH: The new director, Cordray, says he'll make supervising non-banks a top priority. But he'll do it in the face of outrage from Senate Republicans and their allies. The American Bankers Association says the president's move puts the bureau's future actions in Constitutional jeopardy. David Hirschman is with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
DAVID HIRSCHMAN: It does put a cloud over anything the new consumer bureau does.
KEITH: Hirschman agrees with Senate Republicans, that the bureau needs to be changed, made more accountable with a board instead of a single director and with Congress controlling its budget. Consumer advocates say this would take away the bureau's teeth. Hirschman says the president should've negotiated with Congressional Republicans rather than acting unilaterally.
HIRSCHMAN: This is bad news for both the bureau, which now has to worry about any decision it makes being challenged in the courts, and for other financial regulators who also have pending nominations that are less likely to get confirmed.
KEITH: Yesterday, the president also recess appointed three members of the National Labor Relations Board, generating more outrage. Norm Ornstein is with the American Enterprise Institute, and a seasoned Congressional watcher. He says the president is risking retaliation from Senate Republicans who could block all of his nominations, but perhaps that isn't such a big risk.
NORM ORNSTEIN: The fact is that there have been, not only dozens, but hundreds of nominees for court positions, executive branch positions, that have been blocked by filibusters or holds in the Senate.
KEITH: Ornstein says for two and a half years the president tried the conciliatory post partisan approach he promised in his campaign. That, he says, wasn't working, hence the new more combative relationship with Congress.
Tamara Keith, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text: Server Help :: View topic - Server / Zone .... ??? Server HelpCommunity forums for Subgame, ASSS, and bots FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Statistics Register Profile Login to check your private messages Login (SSL) Server Help | ASSS Wiki (0) | Shanky.com Server / Zone .... ??? Server Help Forum Index -> General Questions Printable version reliable.txt :: Game Greenlit Author Message PixNewbie Joined: Jul 01 2014Posts: 12Offline Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 9:41 am Post subject: Server / Zone .... ??? I played SS many years ago ... I want my kids to have a go at playing, but ..... I want to host my own server - kinda like a minecraft server. Something where my kids can invite their friends to join them .... There are 2 main reasons Im not keen on them just joining in on a public server ... One: the pub chat isnt really PG Two: we are in rural Australia and we lag so bad, its the reason I gave up I know my kids and their friends would love SS and I would really like to get this running ... can someone point me in the right direction to figure/learn how to set this up ... I have set up minecraft servers/worlds for them ... now I want a SS server .... Back to top CheeseWow Cheese is so helpful! Joined: Mar 18 2007Posts: 1017Offline Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 3:42 pm Post subject: http://www.minegoboom.com/cgi-bin/ryan/download.cgi?subgame14.zip_________________SSC Distension Owner SSCU Trench Wars Developer Back to top PixNewbie Joined: Jul 01 2014Posts: 12Offline Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:59 am Post subject: I found that before I posted but the link is dead ... Is it likely to be down just temporary, or is there another place I could d/l it from ??? Back to top Mine GO BOOMHunch HunchWhat WhatAge:40 Gender:Joined: Aug 01 2002Posts: 3613Location: Las VegasOffline Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:56 pm Post subject: I broke it, I'll fix it soon. Back to top PixNewbie Joined: Jul 01 2014Posts: 12Offline Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 9:02 pm Post subject: Groovy - Many Thanks ! ! Back to top Mine GO BOOMHunch HunchWhat WhatAge:40 Gender:Joined: Aug 01 2002Posts: 3613Location: Las VegasOffline Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2014 12:39 pm Post subject: Should be working now, let me know if you have any more issues. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Server Help Forum Index -> General Questions All times are GMT - 5 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Random Spam----------------AnnouncementsTrash TalkZone Hosting / Advertising Assistance----------------General QuestionsASSS QuestionsBot QuestionsLVZ/LVL Questions Coding----------------ASSS Custom ProjectsMisc User AppsNon-Subspace Related Coding You can post new topics in this forumYou can reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forumYou can attach files in this forumYou can download files in this forum View online users | View Statistics | View Ignored List Software by php BB © php BB GroupServer Load: 38 page(s) served in previous 5 minutes.


text:
A convention center employee shows the Peter Mayer posters.
Hall E in the Minneapolis Convention Center as setup is under way for the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. This was shot at around 11 am on Saturday, August 15.
Hall E in the Minneapolis Convention Center. This was shot on Sunday morning, August 15.
The assembly registration desk, 24 hours prior to opening.
From the left, Linda Lovell, Coordinator for Communication, Delaware-Maryland Synod, Michael McCorkle, Director for Technical Services, Information Technology, Miriam Woolbert, Associate Director for Interactive Media and Networks, and Kristin Koskinen, ELCA Web Manager, prepare the Email Center.
Connie Sletto, Editorial Specialist/Project Coordinator, prepares the "Green Room" where communication staff will gather.
Chairs and podium are almost ready.
Over a thousand packets -- one for each registered attendee.
Setting up over a thousand chairs in the worship hall.
ELCA Web staff work on connecting networks.
Blogging the Bishop.
A new crew of volunteers?
Tour de Revs
Tour de Rev's bamboo bike
Relaxing after plenary.
Kris, Ronney, and Hannah
The Rev. Jon Vehar and future voting member, Hannah
Jon, Hannah, and Cara
Thursday brought a gentle all-day rain to Minneapolis.
Thursday saw a gentle all-day rain with cooler temperatures, but it couldn't dampen the warmth assembly goers experienced from whenever the encountered a local resident of the city.
A rainy Thursday afternoon, waiting for the Service of Footwashing to begin.


text:
Top Items:
adCenter Blog:
Advertisers may see high CPC and spend amounts — Some of our adCenter advertisers are seeing high cost-per-click (CPC) and spend amounts in their accounts. I will update this post with more information as soon as I have it, but I wanted to let you know that this issue is now resolved …
Discussion: All about Microsoft
Mary Jo Foley / All about Microsoft: Friday roundup: Troubles in Microsoft Live land
Rustybrick / Search Engine Roundtable:
Microsoft adCenter CPC Costs Spike: Known Bug — Fixed: The adCenter representative has notified us via the two forums and the adCenter blog that the overcharging has been fixed and that they are now working up a plan to reimburse advertisers. — Update: This is a very serious issue.
Discussion: WebProNews
Dan Sharp / WebProNews: Microsoft Adcenter CPC Bug
Barry Schwartz / Search Engine Land: Major Microsoft adCenter Bug Costs Millions
USA Today:
Police, school get failing grade in sad case of Julie Amaro — Imagine you know next to nothing about computers. You're a substitute teacher for a seventh grade class. There's a computer in the classroom and, knowing you're going to be sitting there for a while, you ask a fulltime teacher if you can use it.
Discussion: Download Squad
Grant Robertson / Download Squad: Porn pop-up teacher gets new attorney, PC World outs juror
Regina Lynn / Wired News:
Protect the Children From Porn
Protect the Children From Porn
Discussion: odd time signatures
Drumsnwhistles / odd time signatures: More Commentary on the Amero Case
Phil Windley / Between the Lines:
Google Apps Doesn't Compete — The blogosphere has been abuzz with gushing commentary about Google Apps. Some of it is about how Google is now taking on Microsoft head to head. This couldn't be more wrong. — Google Apps is a completely different beast than Office even though …
Discussion: SeekingAlpha Software Stocks
Abigail Carmel / SeekingAlpha Software Stocks: Google at Cost Better than Microsoft for Free?
Owen Thomas / Business 2.0 Beta: Are Google Apps' Customers For Real?
Don Dodge / Don Dodge on The Next Big Thing:
Why Microsoft will not fall into the Innovators Dilemma
Why Microsoft will not fall into the Innovators Dilemma
Discussion: Scobleizer, Between the Lines and Computers.net
Robert Scoble / Scobleizer: Microsoft has no innovator's dillema?
Larry Dignan / Between the Lines: Will you trust Google with your data?
Saul Hansell / New York Times:
MP3 Patents in Upheaval After Verdict — Microsoft was ordered by a federal jury yesterday to pay $1.52 billion in a patent dispute over the MP3 format, the technology at the heart of the digital music boom. If upheld on appeal, it would be the largest patent judgment on record.
Om Malik / GigaOM: IPTV & the ALU, Microsoft soap opera
Alan Sipress / Washington Post: Microsoft Loses Big In MP3 Patent Suit
Cynthia Brumfield / IP Democracy: Microsoft's MP3 Patent Loss Just the Beginning
Dana Gardner / Dana Gardner's BriefingsDirect: You can taste the irony of Microsoft's patent positions on MP3 and Linux
Kate Zimmermann / SearchViews: Microsoft Loses $1.5B Patent Case
Furd / Furdlog: So, Who's Going To Say It First? — As Larry Lessig repeats, "Software patents — BAD."
David Rothman / TeleRead: eBabler Microsoft to pay $1.52B in MP3-related patent suit?
Todd Bishop / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Microsoft takes $1.52 billion hit in MP3 patent case
Microsoft takes $1.52 billion hit in MP3 patent case
Discussion: Mike Davidson
Richard Waters / Financial Times: Alcatel-Lucent wins $1.5bn Microsoft suit
Putting Our Money Where Our Mouths Are: Boycott the RIAA in March — Alright, we've been following the RIAA's increasingly frequent affronts to privacy and free speech lately, and it's about time we stopped merely bitching and moaning and did something about it.
Discussion: The Uber-Review, Monkey Bites, Consumerist and digg
Ryan Freebern / The Uber-Review: Gizmodo Calls for Boycott of the RIAA
Scott Gilbertson / Monkey Bites: The Nightly Build: Friday February 23
Marguerite Reardon / CNET News.com:
Skype petitions FCC for open cellular access — Skype petitioned the Federal Communications Commission earlier this week to force U.S. mobile operators to loosen controls on what kinds of hardware and software can be connected to their networks. — In a document dated February 20 …
Discussion: Julie Ask, Techdirt, Gadget Lab, biskero.org and O'Reilly Emerging Telephony
Rob Beschizza / Gadget Lab: Friday News Roundup
Bruce Stewart / O'Reilly Emerging Telephony: Skype Asks FCC to Open Up Cellular Networks
Andrew Orlowski / The Register: Closed Skype wants open networks
Anil Dash:
The Old Boys Club is for Losers — A few months ago, I spent a lot of time trying to show the tech community I belong to that diversity is essential to our survival. Not just to the Web 2.0 world being healthy and thriving, but as a matter of life and death.
Discussion: Daring Fireball, Like It Matters, kottke.org and rc3.org
Brian Oberkirch / Like It Matters: identity is a mashup
Rafe Colburn / rc3.org: Women and men — Anil Dash has a good post on why it's …
Exchange / You Had Me At EHLO:
Talking Exchange 2007 SP1... We're wrapping up our Beta of Exchange 2007 SP1 (to be released through TechNet plus this April), and as always we wanted to discuss it publicly here first. We are targeting final release with Longhorn Server 2nd half of this year.
Discussion: Bink.nu, All about Microsoft and Paul's Down-Home Page
Bink / Bink.nu: Exchange 2007 Service Pack 1
Mary Jo Foley / All about Microsoft: Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 gets a due date
Stace / Unwired View:
Netvibes2Go - All Mobile Net in One Place — I have almost never used Mobile Internet services on my cellphone. With the dismal navigation interfaces on the phones, Mobile Internet was just too hard for me. Until I tried Netvibes2Go. Now I use it almost every day.
Discussion: Micro Persuasion, CyberNet Technology News and GigaOM
Steve Rubel / Micro Persuasion: Why the Trust Factor Will Inhibit Web 2.0
Om Malik / GigaOM: Netvibes2Go, Pretty Good Actually
Timothy B. Lee / Ars Technica:
Microsoft and free software movement tag-team the Supreme Court — On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Microsoft v. AT&T concerning liability for patent infringement for the distribution of software outside of the United States. Although the case is officially …
Discussion: The Technology Liberation …
Steve Poland / TechCrunch:
MyBlogLog Bans Blogger; Backlash Begins — Yahoo!'s recent addition MyBlogLog is making news again — and not for another security exploit (that was last weekend) or spammer gaming. Well, it is related to those two topics — Shoemoney, a notable blogger in the affiliate marketing world …
Discussion: Caterina.net, WebProNews and Web Strategy
Scott Boyd / WebProNews: Managing Emerging Brands, Dealing with PR Fallout
Emotion robots learn from people — Making robots that interact with people emotionally is the goal of a European project led by British scientists. — Feelix Growing is a research project involving six countries, and 25 roboticists, developmental psychologists and neuroscientists.
Discussion: Engadget, Joe Duck, Gizmodo and CrunchGear
Aidan Malley / AppleInsider:
3G iPhone could arrive overseas by early 2008 — Even though its vanguard cellphone isn't yet out the door, Apple is allegedly preparing a quick follow-up model with 3G wireless installed. — After threatening to drop a large-scale cellular service contract based on concerns …
Discussion: Gizmodo and Engadget Mobile
Chris Ziegler / Engadget Mobile: 3G iPhone on track for early '08?
Abbey Klaassen / AdAge:
How Google Has Helped Build Brand Advertising Online — Sales Chief Tim Armstrong: Advertise All Your Products, All the Time — NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Google's VP-advertising sales, Tim Armstrong, touted his company's ability to court brand advertisers during a question-and-answer session …
Rafat Ali / PaidContent:
Social Media Monitoring Firm Cymfony Being Bought By Taylor Nelson Sofres — You're reading it here first: Cymfony, the social media market intelligence and research firm based out of Watertown, MA, is being bought by UK-based research giant Taylor Nelson Sofres, paidContent.org has learned.
Discussion: WebMetricsGuru
The Name Inspector:
10 company name types on TechCrunch: Pros and cons — Every once in a while The Name Inspector likes to step back and look at the big picture. This post illustrates ten name categories that account for all the names in the TechCrunch company/product index. Well, almost all of them.
Erick Schonfeld / Business 2.0:
Web TV's top-rated acts — Two-minute YouTube clips were just the start. As television comes to the Internet, dozens of companies are gunning to become the networks of tomorrow, reports Business 2.0 Magazine. — (Business 2.0 Magazine) — Wayne's World, it's not.
Discussion: The Next Net
Erick Schonfeld / The Next Net: Beyond YouTube — As part of Business 2.0's March issue Next …


text:
Beyond the limits of civilization lies an island, a lawless place ruled by piracy and human misery, where your only escapes are drugs or the muzzle of a gun. This is where you find yourself, trapped in a place that's forgotten right from wrong, a place that lives by the principles of violence.
In Far Cry 3, players step into the shoes of Jason Brody, stranded on this mysterious tropical island. You dictate how the story unfolds, from the battles you choose to fight down to the allies or enemies you make along the way. Slash, sneak, detonate and shoot your way across the island in a world that has lost all sense of right and wrong. Beware the beauty and mystery of this unexplored paradise and live to outwit its roster of ruthless, desperate characters. You'll need more than luck to survive.
One of my biggest problems with Far Cry 3 is the complete disappearance of enemies in areas where I've cleared outposts. I really like the sense of constant danger their presence provides. It seems that others feel the same way, as Ubisoft is implementing a patch that will allow us to reset every last one of them, a feature apparently requested heavily by players. Oh, and there's some other stuff too. Read More »
Listen, Ubisoft. I haven't finished Far Cry 3. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm not even close. So, I don't appreciate you dropping DLC with even more stuff to do. As they say in the meme-heavy world of the Internet, ain't nobody got time for that. Well, except all those people that really like Far Cry 3. Read More »
A wave of account hacks hit Ubisoft's Uplay service this week, resulting in a 15-page forum thread of gamers reporting their inability to play games like Far Cry 3 and Assassin's Creed 3. Many claim to have used secure, randomly generated passwords and can't find a way their accounts could've been accessed. Most say they received email notifications that the email address attached to their accounts were changed to a one using a Russian domain, indicating a single hacker or group behind the scheme. In a response to GameSpy, Ubisoft confirmed that "a limited number" of accounts have been "compromised," but that no personal or financial details of customers were exposed. But how did this happen? Read More »
Jeffrey Yohalem, lead writer of Far Cry 3, has divulged that both players and critics alike have barely scratched the surface of the plot's deeper meanings. "It's like a scavenger hunt where people aren't collecting the first clue." Read More »
Some of you may have been turned off by the cluttered Far Cry 3 UI, featuring constant unwanted pop-up notifications telling you what to do. It's fair enough for a new or confused player, but if you're not the type who likes being told what to do, it may've come across as a little irritating -- and there was no way to turn it off, either. But fear not: Ubisoft has heard the gamers' frustration, and they're now working on a patch that will make the UI much more customizable. Read More »
Also known as: FarCry 3, Far Cry III
Also available on: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Online Multiplayer - Cooperative: 4
For more info on these technical requirements and features, please view GameSpy's Specs FAQ.


text:
Welcome to The Woodlands
Tranquil suburban hotel off I-45, north of Houston
Situated a short drive on I-45 from downtown Houston, La Quinta Inn® by Wyndham - The Woodlands North is a serene suburban hotel close to businesses, shopping, and a variety of Houston area attractions. Explore the trails of Sam Houston National Forest, or spend the day shopping at The Woodlands Mall. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is also about 20 minutes away. While you're here, make the most of your stay with free daily breakfast, high-speed WiFi, and our outdoor pool.


text:
Welcome to Democrats Abroad South Australia!
DA South Australia is a chapter of DA Australia, the official country committee for US Democrats living in Australia. Watch this space for upcoming announcements of meetings and events - we have events planned throughout the year, and encourage anyone interested in participating to get in touch.
If you have questions or would like to help with Democrats Abroad in South Australia, please contact us.
Chair's Name, Chapter Chair
Democrats Abroad - South Australia
[email protected]
Join Dems Abroad | Follow us on Facebook


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text:
Of mice and men: Lab rodents react differently to male researchers than female
By Sheryl Ubelacker The Canadian PressFeatures Research
April 29, 2014 – It turns out the best-laid research plans involving mice and men have a bit of a wrinkle – the lab rodents appear to react differently to male scientists during experiments than they do to females.
And that could skew results of numerous medical studies in which the critters are used as stand-ins for humans, suggests Jeffrey Mogil, a professor of behavioural neuroscience at McGill University, whose lab set out to test the responses of mice to male versus female experimenters.
Mogil directs a group of scientists who focus on pain, including its
genetic and neurological underpinnings. Part of their work involves
inducing discomfort in lab mice with the ultimate goal of finding drugs
that can relieve pain in humans.
But a funny thing kept
happening: sometimes, the mice didn't react as expected when given an
injection in a limb meant to induce pain and pain behaviours, including a
specific set of facial expressions known as the mouse grimace scale
previously developed by Mogil's lab.
Initially, the experimenters thought there was something wrong with the inflammatory agent they had injected.
when they left the room, the mice would start exhibiting signs they
were in pain, suggesting that the experimenters themselves were somehow
causing pain inhibition – or analgesia – in the animals.
was something that people had sort of whispered about at (scientific)
meetings for years, but as far as we can tell, no one ever tried to
investigate whether it was true," said Mogil, who asked his lab to
conduct dozens of studies to determine whether the suspicion had any
"And to our great surprise it was true, but only
half-true because it was only male experimenters and not female
experimenters (that affected the mice)," he said from Montreal.
In their study, published online in the journal Nature Methods,
Mogil's team showed that lab rodents become stressed in the presence of
male researchers. Stress leads to the release of chemicals in the body
that act as pain suppressors.
And the underlying reason for this rodent response? Males smell different than females.
found that this was olfactory because we could replace the male
experimenter with a T-shirt worn by a male and that also produces
analgesia," he said. "And it has nothing specifically to do with humans,
because you can use bedding from almost any animal, as long as it's
male and has testosterone.
"They're not analgesic to bedding of
mice they know. They're only analgesic to bedding of mice they don't
know or guinea pigs or rats or cats or dogs, it doesn't matter.
driving this effect are olfactory stimuli that are released from the
armpit, specifically ones that are released from the armpits of men in
higher concentrations than in women."
The finding is important
because researchers need to be aware that the sex of an experimenter may
alter the outcome of tests – and that could potentially invalidate
research conclusions.
"There's been a lot of wringing of hands
and gnashing of teeth over the last year or so about the idea that
pre-clinical research doesn't replicate," said Mogil, explaining that
scientists have not been able to reproduce the findings of some
high-profile studies involving animal models like lab mice.
able to repeatedly get the same results when studying an experimental
drug or procedure from one study to another is the gold standard of
medical research.
So when animal research findings can't be
replicated, some researchers conclude they must be invalid, caused
perhaps by false-positive test results.
"What these data suggest
strongly," Mogil said of his lab's findings, "is that there's another
explanation, that they're not false positives at all. What it is is that
different laboratories have slightly different environments where their
studies are conducted.
"So I think this provides a big part of
the reason why it's so hard to replicate. You change any little thing in
the laboratory environment and your results will be different."
Wahlsten, a genetic neuroscientist who has studied mouse behaviour
extensively, says the McGill paper shows "very strong evidence" that
chemical odours emanating from males can influence test results.
Wahlsten, a professor emeritus at the University of Alberta, said
similar studies need to be done using different strains of lab mice, as
well as in different laboratory environments to see if the findings hold
"The way a lab is built and set up, the way the air
circulates… are really critically important when you want to study
odours," he said from Salt Spring Island, B.C., where he now lives.
believes the McGill study will have some influence on other
researchers, and he noted the so-called experimenter effect "needs to be
taken very seriously."
"I think that the gender of the person
doing the test is a factor, and they've shown this," he said. "It's
something we need to be aware of and we need to control for it to the
extent that we can."
Mogil said the study obviously doesn't mean
that scientists should get rid of male experimenters and hire only
females, but should take the gender difference into account when
analyzing data and reporting results.
"This is an example of
things we should be taking into account, but we don't. People simply
don't put in the methods section (of their published studies) what the
gender of the experimenter was.
"But these data suggest that starting now, they really need to."
The goal of studies like this is to show scientists how to do better research, no matter what issue they are examining, he said.
"This is a finding that's going to make scientific research better, more reliable than it's been before."
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text: The Georgia Grappling Championships took place yesterday in Riverdale, Ga and the KnuckleUp team posted another strong performance. In addition to bringing home 2nd place overall in the adults division, the team also took 2nd in NoGi and Gi, as well as 5th in the kids and teens division. And, we accomplished all this with a very small number of fighters! We're on a roll baby! Check out the NAGA site for full results.


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LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
Looking to keep track of all the various projects in development? Click here to visit our newly revamped "Series in Development" charts. Visitors can now filter our listings by network, genre and even development stage (ordered to pilot, cast-contingent, script, etc.). It's updated every day!
AIRLINE (A&E) - The cable channel has quietly confirmed its signature reality series "Airline" will return for its third season on Monday, May 2 at 8:00/7:00c with back-to-back half-hour episodes.
FEAR FACTOR (NBC) - Executive producer/showrunner Matt Kunitz has signed a seven-figure overall deal with NBC Universal Television. The two-year pact calls for Kunitz to develop new alternative series for the studio, NBC and its cable siblings as well as continue in his duties on "Fear Factor," which is widely considered a lock to return next season.
FILMORE MIDDLE (NBC)/RED & BLUE (ABC) - ABC's "Red & Blue" and NBC's "Filmore Middle," both pilots under consideration for next season, have had their respective film dates postponed for the time being. "Red & Blue," about a liberal dad and conservative grandfather vying to win the hearts and minds of their kids and grandkids, had previously been slated to shoot on Thursday, April 28 at Walt Disney Studios while "Filmore," about disillusioned teachers at a rundown public junior high school, was targeted for Thursday, April 21 at Sony Pictures Studios. No reason was given for the delays and it appears neither will complete production in time to be considered for their respective network's fall schedule. (Note: "Filmore Middle" eventually filmed a pilot on an unspecified date.)
KOJAK (USA)/THE SHIELD (FX) - 3.26 million viewers watched "Kojak's" most recent installment on Sunday, including a solid 1.2 rating/3 share in adults 18-49. Meanwhile, "The Shield" served up 2.95 million viewers for its Tuesday, April 12 airing with a 1.4 rating/4 share among adults 18-49.
STRIP SEARCH/KEPT (VH1) - "Strip Search" and "Kept," two of VH1's latest entries into its "Celebreality" genre, have reportedly been scheduled to premiere on Sunday, May 29 at 9:00/8:00c and 10:00/9:00c respectively. The former tracks Australian Billy Cross as he forms an American male dance revue using regular guys from across the country while the latter follows former supermodel (and ex-Mrs. Mick Jagger) Jerry Hall as she whittles through 15 eligible bachelors hoping to win a six figure "allowance" while living in the lap of luxury for a year.
THIRD WATCH (NBC) - Co-creator/executive producer Edward Allen Bernero has inked a new two-year, seven-figure overall deal with Paramount Network Television. The pact, which kicks off in June, calls for Bernero to develop new projects for the studio as well as potentially join an existing Paramount show. Prior to the deal, Bernero had been developing two original projects for 20th Century Fox Television - one at CBS and another at FOX, the latter of which had a put pilot commitment. With Bernero now at Paramount, it's highly unlikely either will move forward.
WILDFIRE (ABC Family) - The cable channel's first scripted drama has been slated to premiere on Monday, June 20 at 8:00/7:00c with encores on Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26 (both also at at 8:00/7:00c). The series, about a troubled girl serving time at a teen detention center (Genevieve Cortese) who is given the opportunity to start a new life when her talent with horses is recognized by a volunteer and local trainer (Greg Serano), will launch with its two-hour pilot followed by 11 weekly one-hour episodes. Micah Alberti, Ryan Sypek, Nicole Tubiola, Nana Visitor and Dennis Weaver also star.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters and Audiences Unlimited


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Here's How Roger Ailes 'Watches the Powerful'
Fat asshole Roger Ailes granted a surprise interview to TVNewer's Chris Ariens this week. Ailes, the president of Fox News, is generally reticent with the press, choosing to emerge only occasionally from his gay-proofed News Corp bunker and defend the ideological histrionics of the news team he has assiduously assembled over his 16 years at Fox when a controversy emerges. Here's what he told Ariens, by way of criticizing what he perceives to be a pro-Obama sentiment among his competitors: "The press is supposed to watch the powerful. And not throw in with them."
Roger Ailes is a grotesque, self-deluded sociopath, someone who relentlessly projects the weaknesses of his own black heart onto his enemies. Someone whose tribal instincts are so powerful that he is unable to view his own behavior through anything other than a binary lens of total war, and who unthinkingly ascribes noble motives to his own base tactical maneuvers while viewing the most innocuous actions of his perceived antagonists as steps in a nefarious conspiracy directed at him.
So: The press is supposed to watch the powerful. And not throw in with them. Ailes offered that critique after ruminating on President Barack Obama's speech at the 2009 White House Correspondents Dinner, in which he announced, "I am Barack Obama. Most of you covered me—all of you voted for me. Apologies to the Fox table." That was, as per the tradition of presidential appearances at the correspondents dinner, a joke. But it wouldn't have been funny if it didn't connect with a kernel of truth—much of the press corps was enamored of the Obama Story in 2008, and many of them were members of a professional, white, Volvo-driving, Ikea-shopping demographic that was perceived to have been vulnerable to his charms. So Obama made a funny.
This is how Roger Ailes experienced that joke, from the audience, according to Ariens:
When I saw the President say, 'I know you all voted for me,' and a thousand people stood up and cheered and applauded and then when the applause died down, he said, 'Oh probably except you guys at the Fox table.' I thought, 'Am I the only guy in this room doing his job?' They set up Freedom of the Press. The press is supposed to watch the powerful. And not throw in with them. And when I watched a thousand people stand and cheer and applaud I thought, 'Uh oh. Somebody better do this job.
I'm sure you know by now, without having to watching the video above, that no one "stood up and cheered" at Obama's joke. They laughed in their seats and applauded, as they would at many points throughout the speech. And as they did five years before, when George W. Bush, at
the same event the Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner, presented a video in which he searched the White House for the fictional weapons of mass destruction that he invaded Iraq to find.
But to Ailes, it was a revelation, concrete evidence that only he, out of this room of thousands, had the guts and the will and the grit to speak truth to power. Only he could forego the blandishments of influence and take the professional risk that comes with reporting inconvenient facts. Only he had the fortitude to exile himself from the tastemakers and power-brokers and report the truth, straight, unfiltered. The press is supposed to watch the powerful. And not throw in with them.
Here is how Roger Ailes watched the powerful during the Bush Administration.
That's a mash note he wrote to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in March 2005, offering her "help off the record" any time. I obtained it via the Freedom of Information Act.
Ailes wrote the note above to Attorney General John Ashcroft in November of 2001, commemorating a rare moment to "share a few laughs" in the heavy wake of 9/11. Also obtained via the Freedom of Information Act.
Below, you will find various invitations that Ailes extended over the years to Ashcroft for the annual Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner and other Washington, D.C., events. Not to mention one for the gala celebrating the 10th anniversary of Fox News Channel.
It should be noted, of course, that it is standard operating procedure in Washington for Fox News and other outlets to invite notable political figures to events such as these. Fox is not acting outside of the norm in this regard. Which is to say: Ailes is correct that his competitors often fall short of the standard of "watching the powerful." He simply fails to subject his own behavior to a similar analysis. Which would be the fair and balanced approach.
Finally: Here is a letter Ailes wrote to Ashcroft in 2005, after the attorney general had stepped down, to let him know what a "great job" he had done for the country.
[Image of Ailes via Getty]


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Pitch Black
by Alex Gray
on Tour: March 20 - April 20, 2017
Synopsis:DCI Lorimer is back in the next gripping atmospheric police procedural by international bestselling author Alex Gray.
When Chief Inspector Lorimer returns from holiday on the island of Mull, he feels a welcome sense of calm. But that doesn't last long. Kelvin Football Club's new star midfielder is found brutally stabbed to death in his own home, and with his wife apprehended trying to leave the country, a seemingly straightforward new case begins. But the grisly murder of a referee after a Kelvin match throws light on some dark secrets. And when the newest player who signed to the club becomes the latest victim in a string of killings, Lorimer knows there's a serial killer on the loose—one that's only beginning to show his true colors. As lies emerge and tensions build, Lorimer must discover the truth before one of the players or managers become the next Kelvin fatality.
My Review:
This novel featuring the police work of DCI Lorimer is a good mixture of police procedure and his personal life. The novel opens with Lorimer and his wife, Maggie, at the end of a much needed vacation. Shortly into the novel Maggie takes in a stray cat. Those elements bring in a personal aspect to Lorimer's police work.
The main draw of the novel is the police investigation. It starts with the stabbing death of a prominent football (soccer) player on a local team. The authorities arrest the wife but Lorimer is not so sure she is guilty. And then a referee is shot at close range and shortly after another footballer is murdered. Lorimer and his team work methodically to uncover the murderer.
I like the Scotland setting of the series. Gray captures the brogue of the locals without making it unreadable. Readers will also get a sense of how much the locals love their football team. It would be a plus for readers to be familiar with and enjoy the sport as it is prominent in this novel.
I grew up on Agatha Christie so I really enjoyed this novel from Gray. I recommend it to those who like reading police procedure when it includes a refreshing amount of the human element. There is not much suspense included but there is a bit of a twist at the end.
My rating: 4/5 stars.
Note: this is a reprint of the novel first released in 2008.
Book Details:Genre: Mystery & Detective
Published by: Witness Impulse
Publication Date: March 7, 2017
Number of Pages: 368
Series: A DCI Lorimer Novel
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
Chapter 3The dust motes swirled round, captured in the one beam of light that filtered through a gap in the blinds. Behind him an insect buzzed drowsily against the window, seeking to escape from the confines of the room. Listening to its feeble struggles, Lorimer felt some empathy for the tiny creature. At that moment he would have given a great deal to walk out into the warm air of the city streets. Before him on the videoscreen were pictures of the deceased, not happy snaps at all. The scene-of-crime photographer had managed to convey each and every aspect of the man's death, from the bread knife sticking out of his chest cavity to the open-mouthed grimace portraying that final scream of agony. Close-ups of blood spatters surrounded the main pictures, adding graphically to the image.
'It was hot,' Mitchison commented, somewhat unnecessarily, releasing the stills and letting the film pan in on the body. The black patches around the wound showed a moving mass of flies. Lorimer could almost smell the scent of corruption and was glad for once that he had not been first on the scene. But now Mitchison's peremptory call had stolen the final day of Lorimer's break and he had to be brought up to speed if he were to take charge of this case.
'We've got the woman in custody and she'll appear in court in the morning,' the superintendent began, 'but there are some problems.'
Lorimer raised his eyebrows.
'She says she didn't do it, of course, despite the fact she drove all the way up to the Hebrides...' Mitchison's drawl tailed off.
'So, the problems are . . . ?'
'We need to have some forensic evidence to connect her to the crime. There's been nothing on her person and we couldn't find anything else in the house. Either she was extremely forensically aware and managed to remove any traces of blood from the scene, or she's telling us the truth.'
Lorimer, fixing his gaze on the images of a man who had bled to death, wondered what had provoked the attack. 'What's your own opinion, sir?'
Mitchison frowned. 'She certainly had the means to do it. There was a huge rack of knives on one of those magnetic strips. It was one of these that was the murder weapon. No prints, I'm afraid. No residual traces, either. And the door was locked. There was no sign of a forced entry.'
'Just circumstantial evidence, then?'
Mitchison nodded and screwed up his eyes in the half-light, then blinked. He'd probably been working through the night, Lorimer realised.
Method, means and opportunity, a familiar voice intoned in Lorimer's head. It had been old George's mantra. A wave of nostalgia for his former boss washed over him just then. Weary or not, George would never have delegated a case like this. He'd have ferreted away at it, looking for something more than the obvious. Though a runaway wife was a fairly obvious place to begin, Lorimer had to admit to himself. The method was straightforward enough and, despite his level of athleticism, the victim might have been taken by complete surprise. His expression alone was testament to that theory. She'd had the means easily to hand. And the opportunity? Who could say? Knife attacks were usually random affairs undertaken in a moment of frenzy.
'What d'you reckon, then? A domestic gone wrong?'
The super made a face. 'Janis Faulkner's saying nothing. No plea for mitigating circumstances. Just a persistent refusal to admit she'd had anything to do with her husband's death.'
'Anything else suspicious?'
Mitchison paused for a moment then looked past Lorimer. 'What would I call it? A strange absence of grief, I suppose.'
Lorimer gave a non-committal shrug. You couldn't charge the woman for failing to mourn her dead husband, but still . . . His thoughts wandered for a moment to the sight of Janis Faulkner's face as she'd glanced up at him on Fishnish pier. Had she been showing remorse? That haunted look had stayed with him since he'd seen her yesterday.
'What do we know about her own movements before she scarpered?'
'Says she was down at the gym. We've checked and her signing in and out times tally with her story. But as for simply setting off afterwards and not returning home first, well that was fairly unlikely, don't you think? A few rounds on an exercise bike then she suddenly decides to leave her husband. It doesn't make sense.'
'So she'll be charged?'
'Yes, first thing tomorrow. There's not another shred of evidence to show anyone else was in the house. I don't care what Janis Faulkner claims; she did it, all right.'
Lorimer looked at his boss. The vehemence in Mitchison's tone surprised him. Or was it simply that he was afraid Lorimer would see things in a different light, take away his prime suspect and cause problems? There was a past between these two senior officers that had never been adequately resolved. Mitchison had been promoted to superintendent when everyone's expectations had been on Lorimer stepping into his old boss's shoes, but it was their different attitudes to police work that had been the real cause of friction between them. Mitchison did everything by the rule book, creating masses of paperwork for everyone, while his DCI preferred a more handson approach. Lorimer remained silent. He was being officially designated as SIO and unless something new emerged, Janis Faulkner's guilt or otherwise remained a matter for the jury.
'Her solicitor is bound to ask for bail to be granted, pending a full investigation. We'll see what happens in court tomorrow, but I have my doubts.' Mitchison passed over the case file. 'Don't expect you'll have too much bother with this one.'
Famous last words, Lorimer told himself as Mitchison left the room. Whether it was that quirk of fate placing him at the scene of her arrest on Mull or the victim's high profile, the DCI had a strong feeling that this case was going to be anything but straightforward.
The woman had been brought back from Mull and placed in the police cells for one more night until she could be brought to court and officially charged with Nicko Faulkner's murder. Lorimer waited outside as the duty officer unlocked the cell and stood aside. The first thing he noticed was the smell. It wafted towards him, a mixture of stale sweat and something more pungent that he recognised as menstrual blood. He'd smelt it before from women banged up over long weekends without any facilities to shower or change their clothes. Janis Faulkner was sitting in a corner of the bunk, feet together, head down and clutching her stomach. A movement as the cell door was opening made him realise she had looked up for a split second but now her expression was hidden under that curtain of damp hair.
'Anyone thought to give her some paracetamol?' he asked the uniformed officer.
'Hasn't asked for it,' the man shrugged. 'What's she want it for anyway?'
'Just go and get some,' Lorimer told him, 'and a drink of cold water.' He let the man close the cell door behind them and stood waiting for the woman to look his way.
'Feeling bad?' he asked, as if she were an old acquaintance and not a stranger who was also his prisoner. He heard the sigh first, then Janis raised her head and looked at him. There was a brightness in her eyes that spoke of unshed tears. Her little nod and a flicker of recognition were all Lorimer needed to know he'd begun to win her confidence.
The door clanged open and the uniform strode in, proffering a tumbler of water and a strip of foil containing two painkillers. Both men watched as she unwrapped them, her fingers shaking as she clutched the glass and tilted back her head, then swallowed.
'Thanks,' she said, her voice hoarse. But it was to Lorimer that she spoke, to Lorimer that she handed back the empty tumbler.
'You'll have been told that we have to keep you here till tomorrow?' he asked quietly, a hint of apology in his voice. She nodded again, but her head had drooped once more and Lorimer sensed she was withdrawing into herself, just as Mitchison had described. 'You can talk to me if you want to,' he told her. There was no response at all this time and as the minutes ticked past he realised that there was little point in trying any longer.
As he turned to leave, the silence inside that cell was redolent of misery.
Excerpt from Pitch Black by Alex Gray. Copyright © 2017 by Alex Gray. Reproduced with permission from WitnessImpulse. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Alex began writing professionally in 1993 and had immediate success with short stories, articles, and commissions for BBC radio programs. She has been awarded the Scottish Association of Writers' Constable and Pitlochry trophies for her crime writing.
A regular on the Scottish bestseller lists, she is the author of thirteen DCI Lorimer novels. She is the co-founder of the international Scottish crime writing festival, Bloody Scotland, which had its inaugural year in 2012.


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This is from the lecture: "Beacons of Light" entitled as such due to this being the first time that we had linked up with Shaykh Zaid bin Haadee al Madhkalee and Shaykh Muhammad bin Haadi al Madhkalee (may Allah preserve them both). The two scholars gave advice towards recognising the blessings of Allah, the blessings of knowledge and the importance of spreading this knowledge.
This telelink took place in Markaz as-Salafi, Manchester.
Translated by Abdulillah Lahmaamee
For the full lecture, visit:


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Obama selects Labor Board picks
President Barack Obama will nominate Nancy Schiffer and Kent Hirozawa to the National Labor Relations Board, POLITICO has learned.
Schiffer is the associate general counsel at the AFL-CIO; Hirozawa is the chief counsel to NLRB Chairman Mark Gaston Pearce and would be nominated to the seat on the board that expires in 2014.
As part of the deal to avoid the so-called nuclear option, Republicans agreed not to block the replacement nominees for Richard Griffin and Sharon Block, which were picked Tuesday in consultation with AFL-CIO head Richard Trumka.
The nominees will get a hearing next week, said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Harkin said the two will be approved before senators break for August recess.
"We now have a path forward to having a functioning NLRB for the remainder of Barack Obama's term and even into the next presidency. So I'm very happy about that. so everything worked out," Harkin said,
In return for removing Obama's recess appointees to the board, Democrats won agreement to have a functioning NLRB through 2014, including a nominee for a slot opening on the board next year. In return, the GOP was able to scuttle the recess appointees that have been declared illegal by Republicans and whose constitutionality will come before the Supreme Court later this year.


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Palestinian Financial Crisis Looms
The Palestinians face an economic crisis more severe than the World Bank had anticipated; the Bank fears that the territories may become "ungovernable." This is not actually new, but since the Bank in its panic is considering bypassing restrictions on money to Hamas, it is worth looking at the roots of the "crisis."
The Palestinian Authority's 2012 budget -- produced by PM Salam Fayyad, the West's "go-to man" for economic decision-making -- was a fantasy. It called for $3.5 billion in spending, including $1.1 billion in aid, and showed a deficit of between $750 million and $1.1 billion. The latter has proven to be closer to the truth. The Palestinian economy was expected to generate about $1.3 billion, and the PA planned to spend three times that. (By comparison, Vermont, the smallest generator among U.S. states, produced about $26 billion last year.) U.S. aid ($513 million, not including security assistance) was expected to cover about 20% of actual PA spending, with the Europeans kicking in another 20%.
With planning like that, who could be surprised by a $200-million cash shortage?
The World Bank blames the world economy and Israel. It does not find fault with Palestinian corruption, an outsized security force, an oversized bureaucracy, an overreliance on other people's money, or the failure to find things to do that produce income. It declines to consider whether the ongoing Palestinian war against Israel has had an impact on the Palestinian economy.
There used to be income.
In 1992, 115,600 Palestinian workers entered Israel every day; in 1996, it was 63,000. Why? Because beginning in January 1995 and through the year, a series of Palestinian terror attacks -- mainly suicide bombers on buses, but including a particularly gruesome nail bomb that exploded in the center of Tel Aviv -- killed more than 100 Israelis. Israel responded by permitting fewer Palestinians to enter.
Increased security in Israel allowed the number of Palestinians to rise again, and unemployment decreased from 18.2% in September 1995 to 11% by September 2000. In mid-2000, 136,000 were working inside Israel -- 40% of all employed Palestinians. Another 5,000 worked in the joint Israeli/Arab run Erez Industrial Zone in the Gaza Strip. Thousands more worked in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in Israeli-owned businesses.
Yasser Arafat launched the so-called "second intifada" in late September of that year[1]. Begun at the peak of Palestinian economic integration with Israel, the terrorist war ultimately killed more than 1,000 Israelis and wounded more than 5,600 (comparable U.S. figures would be 40,000 and 224,000 -- factors of 40). Israel's defense included reducing the number of Palestinians working in Israel, and by March 2001, the number had been reduced to 55,000. The Erez Industrial Zone was a particular target of Palestinian terror attacks; after 11 Israelis were killed there, the complex was closed.
Israel re-established security control of the West Bank, and the "intifada" ended in 2004. In 2005, Israel removed its presence from the Gaza Strip. There was no Gaza embargo, no impediment to independent Palestinian economic activity at the time. In fact, the Palestinian new agency Ma'an waxed ecstatic about economic opportunities for the Palestinians in Gaza, particularly with the acquisition of the greenhouses and agricultural equipment the Israelis were leaving behind in a $14-million deal brokered by then-World Bank President James Wolfenson.
Palestinian looters attacked the greenhouses almost immediately, and by early 2006, the greenhouses and the $100 million in annual exports to Europe they had produced were destroyed.
Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007 after a brief and brutal war with Fatah. With Hamas's declared intention to wage war against Israel, rocket attacks that had begun in 2001 escalated dramatically. After more than 9,000 increasingly long-range and accurate rockets and missiles, Israel launched Operation Cast Lead in 2008/09 and the Israel/Egypt blockade of Gaza ensued[2].
It should be noted that the Hamas budget is separate from that of Fatah on the West Bank. In 2012, it showed with planned revenues of $60 million and a planned deficit of $480 million. Hamas "revenues" are derived largely from smuggling -- those revenues will fall dramatically if Egypt opens the Gaza/Sinai border -- and it relies on money from Iran to fund the rocket war against Israel.
"Civil servant" salaries in Gaza are paid from Ramallah using Western money not permitted to go directly to Hamas. Fatah also pays "salaries" to Palestinian terrorists in Israeli jails and pensions to retired terrorists. Both Hamas and Fatah paid an "honorarium" to the terrorists released in the Gilad Shalit deal.
There is a pattern here.
The Palestinians are at war with Israel, and wars have consequences. One is that normal economic activity is impossible within the Palestinian territories and between the territories and Israel. Deliberately. And with the knowledge a) that essential services will be handled by one or more NGOs or charities, with the active assistance of the government of Israel, and b) that Israel will be blamed for the mess.
The World Bank and other donors fall precisely into the trap, treating Palestinian poverty as if it has no relationship to Palestinian government policy -- Hamas or Fatah. If the Palestinians were nearly as worried about poverty (rather than cash flow) as the World Bank, their leadership would figure out how to produce something people in the real world value and for which they would pay.
Or at least stop destroying avenues of economic progress with Israel.
Shoshana Bryen is senior director of The Jewish Policy Center. She was formerly senior director for security policy at JINSA and author of JINSA Reports from 1995-2011.
[1] Contrary to the media, the "intifada" did not being with PM Sharon's traditional visit to the Temple Mount. It began the day before that, with the killing of an Israeli policeman by his Palestinian "partner."
[2] Israel, it should be noted, absorbed the "intifada," the rocket attacks, and the 2006 rocket war from Hezb'allah in the north and spent increasingly large sums of public money on civil defense and missile defense. The Israeli economy bears a heavy burden in defense expenditures even with U.S. assistance (that is largely mandated to be spent in the U.S. and thus does not aid the Israeli economy).


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The words of Andy Warhol, "People look at anything' was scrawled across the huge black board that was positioned at the end of the YSL catwalk held at the Sorbonne in Paris. Was Stefano Pilati goading his audience to take note of his brave new statement that was a harder and younger take on the YSL design language.
As Madonna's 'Justify my Love' infiltrated Warhol's spoken sound track Pilati's intention was clear – and so were the clothes. With undercurrents of sex and aggression, Pilati's sharper cut suits were toughened up with hard-edged leather details and ultra-sharp proportions.
The opening look a jacket with lapels in leather was strong, and established the tone for a hugely successful show. Leather played an integral role edging wool coats, super slim trousers and razor knit sweaters. Pilati's precision tailoring was out in full force and the collection exuded confidence. Belts tied around the body enforced the S&M references and shoes shone with metallic straps.
This sublime and self-assured collection was Pilati at his best. The cohesive and masculine vision was appropriately pitched, being both edgy and modern. Set to keep YSL at the edge of cool, the collection wasn't too directional or progressive to it puts off its current customer base - but innately modern and relevant.


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Friday, July 30, 2010
Work in Progress
25 comments:
Started a new project?ReplyDelete
Of course you have!!
You never stop!!!!!
And this one is looking just as gorgeous as its predecessors.
Andi x
Love the colourful look so far - can't wait to see the end result.ReplyDelete
I love the look of small patchwork! This one looks great so far as usual.ReplyDelete
So pretty! You haunt me in a good way! I just love where you go!ReplyDelete
Looks just wonderful. The colours are so fresh. It's a beauty and I can't wait to see the final quilt.ReplyDelete
Rita - I love when you debut a new project! The colors are fabulous! Quick question for you on piecing accurately. I think you prewash your fabric...do you starch when you iron? While I think my 1/4" seam has gotten much better, it seems that my cutting isn't as consistent and I'm having a hard time getting those corners to line up. Advice??ReplyDelete
Another beauty in the works!ReplyDelete
Beautiful! I guess it begs the question...how small are they?ReplyDelete
oh, I have a stack of little scrap squares in search of a project - this is making me think that maybe they should be fourpatches :)ReplyDelete
What defines a "four patch unit"? I tried to figure it out from looking at your quilt but I can't tell.ReplyDelete
This looks wonderful, as all your quilts do! I have to try one of these quilts with mini-squares!ReplyDelete
How small are your squares? 2&1/2"? Do you actually cut each square individually or hurry the process up by sewing 2 strips together and then cutting into 2 &1/2" sewn pairs of squares?ReplyDelete
Lovely fabrics, as always!
As always I love the colours! Gorgeous :)ReplyDelete
you are an unstoppable force of nature!ReplyDelete
Looks great so far!!ReplyDelete
I love the way you mostly used full white, but then sometimes switched and used a white fabric with a little bit of a print showing on it.ReplyDelete
Oh that looks great!ReplyDelete
That's a LOT of little bitty pieces, Rita! Once again, I'm in awe of your skill and your patience!ReplyDelete
Love a good 4 patch xReplyDelete
That is beautiful, so vibrant, I love it!ReplyDelete
Just curious, why four squares rather than long strips of squares?ReplyDelete
Looks lovely and so colourful and cheerful looking.ReplyDelete
My wonderful quilt arrived yesterday - I did send you an email. Thank you so very much it is gorgeous and I love it.
- AnonymousAugust 01, 2010 8:39 AM
Oh my..............How beautiful is your work, your use of colors. Your quilts!!! Such fabulous inspiration. Great photos! Thanks for such a beautiful blog! It all looks so very very perfect!ReplyDelete
Either you have great perseverance, or you are just perseverating (ha ha). Either way, it is going to be a gorgeous and happy quilt.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 01, 2010 10:26 AM
This is really bright and lively Rita. I really like it!ReplyDelete
Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment! I really appreciate it.
Comments are published after review.
Feel free to ask questions and I will answer either here or by email, as is appropriate.


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In celebration of the 25th anniversary year of IBM i, we're joining IBM and many others in reminiscing about our experiences with this fabulous platform which has defined our careers. Check out the IBMi25 Facebook page (bit.ly/ibmi25) - you don't need a Facebook account to see it - for some very clever vignettes and videos about our platform. Join the party.
We are still covering our earliest AS/400 experiences and, so far in the story, we haven't met each other yet. So we're including remembrances for each of us individually - Jon is first this time!
Jon - Joining IBM and COMMON in TorontoAs I mentioned at the end of the previous "history" post, after 18 months on contract I joined IBM full time. The actual hiring was somewhat rushed through as (unbeknown to me at the time) my manager had decided that I was the prefect person to present two sessions on the new COBOL compiler at the upcoming COMMON conference in Toronto. As far as I can tell his decision was based entirely on the fact that my background was as midrange systems user and not a Lab Rat. It certainly was not based on my public speaking skills. The last time I had done any public speaking was more than 5 years earlier.
As the day approached I became more and more terrified. I think I barely slept for the two or three days prior to the event. That terror climaxed as I walked into the room and found myself faced with more than 100 eager faces - all waiting for me. I fumbled my heap of foils - scared silly that I was going to drop them and lose the sequence. "Foils" ? In those days of course there was no Powerpoint (or Keynote in my case) and no laptop connected projector. Just black and white transparencies and an overhead projector. I remember very little about the sessions - way too nervous I guess - but apparently I did well enough that over time I was tasked with more and more presentations at various customer briefings and User Group events.
That COMMON conference was a milestone in a number of ways. For one it was the first to ever be held outside of the United States, second it was the first to feature the AS/400. I'll leave Susan to tell you about the other distinction that this conference held.
It was around this time that I first made contact with the lovely lady who is now my partner in every sense of the word. I was tasked with acting as the liaison between the COBOL team and the Rochester education groups. That included the folks in the Business Partner teams as well as the education groups who were responsible for updating users and the field force on upcoming product releases. This was when I first got to know people like John Sears and Ed Simon who many of you will remember from COMMON and the IBM Tech Conferences. It was in this role that I first communicated with Susan. We didn't meet (and then only a brief corridor introduction) until the subsequent COMMON conference in Chicago. At this point I should note that Susan remembers none of this which merely goes to prove that she is far more memorable than I am!
Susan - Introducing the Latest in
Programmer Tools
In the fall of 1988, COMMON was in Toronto. It was an exciting time for those of us who had eagerly awaited this brand new system, the AS/400. This was the first COMMON conference after the announcement and for many attendees, it was their first chance to see and interact with one.
It was for that reason that a handful of intrepid IBMers (including me) decided to hold an impromptu "hands on experience" for attendees with the new programmer tool on this system - PDM. Since it was impromptu, we had lots of hurdles to overcome, including getting the AS/400 system we were to use down the hall to an appropriate room. Since the system was brand new and much in demand, you'd think we would have been very careful about this move. We weren't. We pretty much shoved the system (obviously one of the smaller boxes - well, small in its day) down the hall, sliding it along the carpet. It fell over a few times in the process. But of course, it got to the other end and IPLed just fine - just one of many stories of the ruggedness of AS/400. We had a few instructor-led exercises for attendees to go through to experience the new PDM tool for the first time. This was the beginning of the notion of holding lab sessions at COMMON - a traditional that carries on still today.
Of course, the irony of the many hoops I jumped through to convince programmers to use PDM in 1988 will not be lost on many of you who know that I'm currently spending a lot of time convincing people to stop using PDM & SEU and use RDP/RSE instead. But it's really not incongruous. PDM & SEU were the latest technology for AS/400 programmers in 1988. RDP is the latest technology for programmers on IBM i today. I'm still doing the same thing, 25 years later!


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Home Loan Basics
Mortgage v. Loan
Homebuying comes with its own language and acronyms, from amortization and title insurance to APR (annual percentage rate), PMI (private mortgage insurance) and many more. Even the words "mortgage" and "loan" can get confusing. These often get used interchangeably, but they're actually two different things.
The lender makes a loan that allows you to purchase a property. You sign a promissory note pledging to repay that money (known as the principal) with interest over a certain period, typically 15 or 30 years.
A mortgage is a legal document you sign and give to a lender. The mortgage provides security for the loan, meaning the lender can take back the home if you stop paying on the loan. In some states, the legal instrument is called a "deed of trust" rather than a mortgage.
Once you pay off the loan, the lender releases the mortgage and has no further claim to the property.
Fixed & Adjustable Rates
Homebuyers can also elect to have a fixed interest rate for the life of their loan or opt for an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM).
A fixed-rate mortgage, true to its name, locks your interest rate for the length of the loan. You won't need to worry about your rate changing with the economy. That means your principal and interest portions of your monthly mortgage payment won't change, either.
An adjustable-rate loan has a variable rate that can go up or down at different times during the life of the loan. There's a host of different types of ARMs, each of which carry their own potential risk and reward.
An adjustable-rate mortgage will typically begin with a lower interest rate than what you'll find on fixed-rate loans. That lower rate means you'll have more money in your pocket, which can even help you qualify for a bigger loan. The rate on an ARM is subject to change depending on a host of outside economic factors. If rates are steady or falling, that can help keep your adjustable rate under control.
The risk of ARMs is rooted in their uncertainty. A traditional 1-year ARM comes with a low interest rate that's subject to adjustment on an annual basis. That adjustment is tied to an economic index, often the one-, three- or five-year Treasury securities. In addition, lenders will tack on one or more percentage points, known as the "margin." So your rate is the sum of the index rate and the lender's margin.
But there are also ARMs that adjust monthly or biannually. In addition, there's an entire class of "hybrid ARMs" that have a fixed interest rate for a certain period before becoming eligible for annual adjustments.
For example, a 5/1 hybrid ARM features a fixed interest rate for five years before adjusting annually. That period of fixed interest gives borrowers an initial degree of certainty regarding their payment.
Adjustable-rate mortgages with government-backed programs provide homebuyers additional protection. A VA ARM features a government-mandated 1/1/5 cap.
Here's what this means:
- The highest your rate can increase on the first adjustment is 1 percentage point
- Each subsequent annual adjustment is limited to a 1 percentage point increase
- The rate cannot increase more than 5 percentage points over the life of the loan
Choosing between a fixed-rate and an adjustable-rate mortgage can be difficult. A lot of homebuyers who opt for an ARM want or need the upfront savings and look to refinance once the loan becomes eligible for annual adjustments. Others don't plan to live in the property for a long time and want to tap into the lower interest rates.
But refinancing or selling your home isn't always easy – or cheap. It's impossible to know exactly what the future holds. Do your best to plot out the hypotheticals before choosing your rate option, and make sure to get your lender's assistance in crunching the numbers.
Mortgage Terms
The mortgage term determines how long you're scheduled to make payments before the loan is paid. The term length also affects how much you pay each month toward the loan's principal balance and interest.
The most common mortgage terms are 30 years and 15 years, although there are other options available. Loans with 15-year terms tend to come with lower interest rates than those with 30-years terms. The chief benefit of a shorter loan term is that you pay less in interest over the life of the loan. The downside is a bigger monthly payment because of that accelerated timeline.
Let's look at a fixed-rate $200,000 loan as an example:
- With a 30-year term and a 5 percent interest rate, your monthly principal and interest payment is about $1,075 and you pay $186,500 in interest over the life of the loan.
- With a 15-year loan term and a 4.5 percent interest rate, the monthly principal and interest payment jumps to about $1,530, but you pay only $74,000 in interest over the life of the loan.
That's a significant savings because of the shorter loan term. But your monthly principal and interest payment jumps by nearly 50 percent.
Consider how long you plan to live in the home, how much of a housing payment you can afford and other factors when thinking about your mortgage term.
In addition, many home loans today don't have any kind of prepayment penalty, which means you can pay off the loan early without taking a financial hit. Tacking on additional money every month or year toward your principal balance can help you build equity faster and pay off your loan sooner, even with a 30-year mortgage term.
Loan Program Basics
Not all home loans are created equal. Some mortgage types will be a better fit for you than others.
Home loans are broadly divided into two categories: government-backed loans (including VA, FHA and USDA loans) and conventional loans (those that aren't guaranteed or insured by the government). They each come with benefits and drawbacks, all of which impact consumers in different ways.
- Credit scores: Credit score minimums will vary based on the lender, the loan type and other factors. FHA loans technically allow for credit scores in the 500s, but you're more likely to see lenders requiring around a 620 FICO score for any government-backed loan, be it FHA, USDA or VA. The credit score benchmark for conventional loans is usually higher. But you'll typically need excellent credit -- more like a 740 FICO score -- to have a shot at the best rates and terms. Conventional loans also tend to be less flexible and forgiving when it comes to things like previous bankruptcies, foreclosures and other derogatory credit.
- Down payments: Down payment requirements also vary by loan type. FHA loans typically require a 3.5 percent down payment. On a $200,000 purchase, that comes out to $7,000. Both USDA and VA loans allow qualified buyers to purchase with zero down, which is a huge benefit. It can take veterans and military families years to save enough for an FHA down payment, let alone the 5 percent most conventional lenders want to see. On a $200,000 loan, that's $10,000 in cash for a typical conventional down payment.
- Upfront funding fees: Unlike the government-backed options, one thing conventional loans don't have is any kind of upfront funding fee or mortgage insurance premium. Those fees are usually tacked onto your loan balance. The upfront mortgage insurance premium for FHA borrowers is currently 1.75 percent of the loan amount, and it's 1 percent for USDA borrowers. Most first-time VA buyers pay a funding fee of 2.15 percent. VA buyers who receive compensation for a service-connected disability are exempt from the VA Funding Fee.
- Mortgage insurance: FHA and USDA loans have annual mortgage insurance premiums that can add $80 to $100 or more to your payment every month. Conventional borrowers usually need to pay for private mortgage insurance unless they can put down 20 percent of the purchase price. PMI fees can vary depending on your credit, your loan-to-value ratio and other factors. It's typically anywhere from 0.2 to 1.5 percent of the loan balance. VA loans have no mortgage insurance.
For so many veterans and service members, the VA loan program represents the most powerful mortgage product on the market. VA loans come with no down payment, no mortgage insurance, more flexible requirements and other big-time benefits.
But a home loan isn't a one-size fits all product. Everyone's homebuying journey is different. When you're talking with lenders, the focus should be on finding the right loan for you – the one that makes the most sense given your credit, your finances and your homebuying goals.
Finding the Right Fit
So what's the best loan for you? Like so many things in life, the answer is: It depends. A good loan officer can help you weigh the pros and cons of all your options.
Generally, FHA loans might be a good fit for buyers with low credit and little cash to put down. USDA loans could be a good fit for buyers looking in more rural areas. VA loans can be a great fit for qualified buyers who don't have great credit or a 20 percent down payment. And conventional loans can offer a lot to buyers with excellent credit and solid down payments.
For veterans and service members, just knowing VA loans are out there is critical. Being able to compare rates, costs and terms across different loan types helps buyers get the most from their dollar.
A VA loan isn't going to be the right fit for every military buyer. Veterans with great credit and enough cash to put down 20 percent would want to take a long, hard look at conventional loans. But that kind of financial picture isn't the norm for many veterans and military families. That's a big reason why the historic VA loan program is more important today than ever.


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I've been so tickled to see other people as equally as in love with vintage aprons as I am. Recently, Stephanie at Mama Unraveled 2 shared one of her beauties. And just this week, Amy over at Angry Chicken posted her beautiful collection of aprons. And I just stumbled on this book at Amazon, which I hope to check out soon. Most of mine come from my grandmother and great grandmother, which for a sentimental gal like myself, is such a treat. I'll show pics of my favorites, and then a group one at the end to save this post from become nightmarishly long.
Love this black and white one with those great retro "star" shapes.
And polka dots are so freakin cool.
This one's wild--it was made by my great grandmother as a child, obviously learning to do needlepoint (I LOVE the "mistakes").
The shape on this one is really fun to wear.
I love the peekaboo pocket on this one.
Isn't this kite one, um ...weird?
And here's the rest of them. The browns on the bottom are a bit much for me to actually wear (am I remembering the 70's perhaps?), but I do like them anyway. Oh yeah, and there are the two that I got last weekend here.
And please forgive the terrible picture quality on this one it won't stop raining here!), but I wanted to show how I've been storing/displaying the aprons. I was so sad to keep them in drawers for years (I mean, you can only wear ONE at a time, right?), so finally I started keeping them out and on pegs in the kitchen like this. I move them around once in a while so I get to see them all.


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Quick upfront confession. Before reading Let's Pretend This Never Happened, I knew who The Bloggess was. I'd even met her at BlogHer '11. I was familiar with her large, expensive chicken & I follow her on twitter. And this book has set in my Amazon shopping cart unpurchased for a while. But I'm not a faithful blog reader of hers.
If her blog is much like the book {& I'd guess it is}, I've been missing out. I finished Let's Pretend This Never Happened last Wednesday & spent a few days really wishing it hadn't ended. I missed her 'voice', her stories in the days that followed. Because she's funny & totally out there on display in a no holds back kinda way that makes you want to run away from all the chaos & yet sucks you right in. I finished Let's Pretend feeling like a friend who'd experienced her memoir right along with her.
I'm thankful my childhood was not spent wearing bread bag shoes in rural TX, but I feel like I missed out that I didn't experience cow fertility lessons amongst other HS classes available to Jenny.
Let's Pretend This Never Happened had me laughing out loud. The HR notes killed me. Her post-its to her dear sweet oh-so-understanding husband, slayed me. I could write the ones able hanging up towels correctly! And the chapter on her pup & the birds made me appreciate friendships while making me glad I life safely in the suburbs!
If you're looking for a funny memoir about growing up TX Southern, check out Let's Pretend This Never Happened. And while you're at it, jump over to our BlogHer Book Club page to join the discussion.


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Diva Reporter Shown Up by Brazil-Bound Competitor
A New York Times reporter left angry, Brazil-bashing Sarah Lacy in the dust; a blogger embarked on a glorious knitting weekend and a Barack Obama supporter cursed out Congressional Republicans. The Twitterati have already checked out.
TechCrunch's Sarah Lacy couldn't get into Brazil this week, supposedly because the country's visa officials are incompetent. And yet somehow the New York Times' Jenna Wortham finagled herself entry into that exact same country. It's enough to make Peter Kafka think Lacy's problems had more to do with her than with the entire nation of Brazil being somehow incompetent!
Lifestyle blogger Terri Potratz will spend this weekend knitting, and she's both stoked and proud.
BlackBook's Tricia Romano wasn't feeling very bipartisan about health-care reform.
Gizmodo's Brian Lam saw his long weekend erode before his very eyes. This frightened at least one of his Gawker Media compatriots!
MTV's Maya Baratz was impressed by nerd gear during a coffee break.
Did you witness the media elite tweet something indiscreet? Please email us your favorite tweets - or send us more Twitter usernames.