text:
Our SoundClouders of the Day this week
February's flying by! Each week, we have five new SoundClouders of the Day for you. Here are the five we chose this week:
On Valentine's Day, we posted some lovely jazz music from Sunray*, a father-son duo from Palm City, USA. Their sound is constantly expanding – so check it out below!
Anders Bjørn Rørbæk Pedersen is Audiolog, a Copenhagen-based techno producer. His style is inspired by old-school industrial to modern techno and house. Check out his style!
Greg Gibbs
A home-recorder/songwriter living in Chicago who likes to put up his tracks as free downloads is the one and only, Greg Gibbs! Hear – and download – his music below.
Thursday's SoundClouder of the Day was a folktronica project infused with lots of great things that your ears will love. The project is called LoFeye and you can check it out in the player below.
Frequent People
Frequent People are an Australian band, now writing and producing in London. Their debut album was released in 2010 worldwide along with a top 10 club hit called, "Superhero".
To hear all our SoundClouders of the Day, check out the group here!


text:
Sec. 2112. [42 U.S.C. 1397ll] (a) In General.—Subject to the succeeding provisions of this section, a State may elect through an amendment to its State child health plan under section 2102 to provide pregnancy-related assistance under such plan for targeted low-income pregnant women.
(b) Conditions.—A State may only elect the option under subsection (a) if the following conditions are satisfied:
(1) Minimum income eligibility levels for pregnant women and children.—The State has established an income eligibility level—
(A) for pregnant women under subsection (a)(10)(A)(i)(III), (a)(10)(A)(i)(IV), or (l)(1)(A) of section 1902 that is at least 185 percent (or such higher percent as the State has in effect with regard to pregnant women under this title) of the poverty line applicable to a family of the size involved, but in no case lower than the percent in effect under any such subsection as of July 1, 2008; and
(B) for children under 19 years of age under this title (or title XIX) that is at least 200 percent of the poverty line applicable to a family of the size involved
(2) No chip income eligibility level for pregnant women lower than the state's medicaid level.—The State does not apply an effective income level for pregnant women under the State plan amendment that is lower than the effective income level (expressed as a percent of the poverty line and considering applicable income disregards) specified under subsection (a)(10)(A)(i)(III), (a)(10)(A)(i)(IV), or (l)(1)(A) of section 1902, on the date of enactment of this paragraph to be eligible for medical assistance as a pregnant woman.
(3) No coverage for higher income pregnant women without covering lower income pregnant women.—The State does not provide coverage for pregnant women with higher family income without covering pregnant women with a lower family income.
(4) Application of requirements for coverage of targeted low-income children.—The State provides pregnancy-related assistance for targeted low-income pregnant women in the same manner, and subject to the same requirements, as the State provides child health assistance for targeted low-income children under the State child health plan, and in addition to providing child health assistance for such women.
(5) No preexisting condition exclusion or waiting period.—The State does not apply any exclusion of benefits for pregnancy-related assistance based on any preexisting condition or any waiting period (including any waiting period imposed to carry out section 2102(b)(3)(C)) for receipt of such assistance.
(6) Application of cost-sharing protection.—The State provides pregnancy-related assistance to a targeted low-income woman consistent with the cost-sharing protections under section 2103(e) and applies the limitation on total annual aggregate cost sharing imposed under paragraph (3)(B) of such section to the family of such a woman.
(7) No waiting list for children.—The State does not impose, with respect to the enrollment under the State child health plan of targeted low-income children during the quarter, any enrollment cap or other numerical limitation on enrollment, any waiting list, any procedures designed to delay the consideration of applications for enrollment, or similar limitation with respect to enrollment.
(c) Option To Provide Presumptive Eligibility.—A State that elects the option under subsection (a) and satisfies the conditions described in subsection (b) may elect to apply section 1920 (relating to presumptive eligibility for pregnant women) to the State child health plan in the same manner as such section applies to the State plan under title XIX.
(d) Definitions.—For purposes of this section:
(1) Pregnancy-related assistance.—The term "pregnancy-related assistance" has the meaning given the term "child health assistance" in section 2110(a) with respect to an individual during the period described in paragraph (2)(A).
(2) Targeted low-income pregnant woman.—The term "targeted low-income pregnant woman" means an individual—
(A) during pregnancy and through the end of the month in which the 60-day period (beginning on the last day of her pregnancy) ends;
(B) whose family income exceeds 185 percent (or, if higher, the percent applied under subsection (b)(1)(A)) of the poverty line applicable to a family of the size involved, but does not exceed the income eligibility level established under the State child health plan under this title for a targeted low-income child; and
(C) who satisfies the requirements of paragraphs (1)(A), (1)(C), (2), and (3) of section 2110(b) in the same manner as a child applying for child health assistance would have to satisfy such requirements.
(e) Automatic Enrollment for Children Born to Women Receiving Pregnancy-Related Assistance.—If a child is born to a targeted low- income pregnant woman who was receiving pregnancy-related assistance under this section on the date of the child's birth, the child shall be deemed to have applied for child health assistance under the State child health plan and to have been found eligible for such assistance under such plan or to have applied for medical assistance under title XIX and to have been found eligible for such assistance under such title, as appropriate, on the date of such birth and to remain eligible for such assistance until the child attains 1 year of age. During the period in which a child is deemed under the preceding sentence to be eligible for child health or medical assistance, the child health or medical assistance eligibility identification number of the mother shall also serve as the identification number of the child, and all claims shall be submitted and paid under such number (unless the State issues a separate identification number for the child before such period expires).
(f) States Providing Assistance Through Other Options.—
(1) Continuation of other options for providing assistance.—The option to provide assistance in accordance with the preceding subsections of this section shall not limit any other option for a State to provide—
(A) child health assistance through the application of sections 457.10, 457.350(b)(2), 457.622(c)(5), and 457.626(a)(3) of title 42, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect after the final rule adopted by the Secretary and set forth at 67 Fed. Reg. 61956-61974 (October 2, 2002)), or
(B) pregnancy-related services through the application of any waiver authority (as in effect on June 1, 2008).
(2) Clarification of authority to provide postpartum services.—Any State that provides child health assistance under any authority described in paragraph (1) may continue to provide such assistance, as well as postpartum services, through the end of the month in which the 60-day period (beginning on the last day of the pregnancy) ends, in the same manner as such assistance and postpartum services would be provided if provided under the State plan under title XIX, but only if the mother would otherwise satisfy the eligibility requirements that apply under the State child health plan (other than with respect to age) during such period.
(3) No inference.—Nothing in this subsection shall be construed—
(A) to infer congressional intent regarding the legality or illegality of the content of the sections specified in paragraph (1)(A); or
(B) to modify the authority to provide pregnancy-related services under a waiver specified in paragraph (1)(B).

subset: commoncrawl


text: Snow_Owl_Cinemagraph_National_Adubon_Society 1-in-3 Advertising Campaign to help the National Audubon Society bring awareness to the declining number of common birds. Animated cinemagraphs along with still print images were created to support the campaign. Images of birds were provided by various photographers who entered their pictures into the Audubon Photography Awards annual photo competition. All retouching, motion and animated effects created by Weston Fuller Photography to help bring the conceptual idea to the campagin.


text: Kabuto Yakushi last edited by Greyback993 on 01/30/21 11:28PM View full history Known Early LifeKabuto's life is steeped in Mystery. The first Mention of him, he was found wounded at the batttle of Kikyo pass. He was taken in by a Konoha Medical-nin, who taught him everything he knew. Kakashi's first statement when he sees Kabuto in the hospital with an unconscious Sasuke at scalpel point was "Oh, you're that medic's son" , making Kakashi seem more knowledgeable about Kabuto than he had previously shown.At some point, he was put under the mind control of Sasori of Akatsuki to spy on Orochimaru. Orochimaru discovered this and freed Kabuto from Sasori, seeing that Kabuto may have had some useful jutsu for him to take advantage of.Orochimaru, Kabuto's father figureSasori however, would never find out that his jutsu had been broken by Orochimaru, as he would be killed by Sakura and Chiyo and then tell them where to go to meet a spy that he was supposed to meet up with, only to be impersonated by Yamato, who had no idea what Kabuto knew about Sasori.Somewhere along the line, Kabuto joined Orochimaru in Otogakure (the Village hidden in Sound) and became somewhat of Orochimaru's right hand man, and was always Orochimaru's first choice when sending someone on a spy mission, as Kabuto was one of the few people in the Naruto universe who's true thoughts were never revealed anywhere, not in battle, not in speech. It is implied that even Orochimaru doesn't know Kabuto's true allegiances, as when he tells Kabuto to go capture Sasuke, who was in the hospital, that now would be the only chance he would have to stop him, as though he were pndering what Kabuto would do next. Yakushi was next seen as a member of Konoha, attempting to beat the Chunnin Exams along with the "rookie nine", consisting of Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, and Shino, Kiba, and Hinata. This was supposedly his 7th time in attempting to pass the exams.His first mention and appearance in the series, he is seemingly quite a nerdy kid. Upon hearing Naruto Uzumaki proclaim to the rest of the aspiring chuunin in the room that he would one day beat every one of them, he was forced to react to stop him from getting hurt, possibly as another way to force them into thinking he was their friend. Talking to them like a cocky superior, he asked them if they needed any help with the specifics as this had been his seventh time apparently in taking the exams. They were astonsihed to think that he was actually taking this exam again after all of it had gone by, but he told them that it was harder than they thought. He asked anyone if they wanted information on any of the new ninja, and of course Sasuke was the very first to ask him about Rock Lee and Sabaku no Gaara, but he wondered how Kabuto would possibly know about them.Sabaku no GaaraHe pulled out a deck of cards that he infused with his own chakra, and told them that with these he was able to carefully analyze his enemies and collect information on them. He also commented that sasuke knowing their names made this a much easier process, and first went ahead and told him abotu the one from the village that they were familiar with, Rock Lee. Lee was a specialist in taijutsu, but nothing else and had gone on multiple C-Rank missions with his team of Guy, Ten Ten, and Neji Hyuuga.Gaara, however, the mysterious ninja from sand was a different story, he had done multiple D-Rank missions, several C rank, and even one B-Rank mission with his team of Temari, Kankuro, and his sensei. Kabuto commented that there are very few genin that ever go on B missions, as often they're just simply far too tough for them. The thing that scared Kabuto the most though, and the others around him, was the condition that he had come out of all of these missions : unscathed. With this, Sasuke and Naruto felt slightly chilled, until kabuto quickly changed the subject, talking about how there was also a new village in the midst of their ranks, Otogakure, aka the Village Hidden in Sound. Kabuto stated that the three genin from there (Dosu, Kin, and Zaku) were simply just representatives of the no name backwater country of Sound.Dosu strikesUpon hearing this, the three became violent, and attacked Kabuto where he stood. He dodged the kunai thrown from one, and wehn one blow was thrown towards his face he was able to carefully but swiftly move out of the way, his glasses broken. Looking at them, he wondered what had happened, in a slightly amused fashion, until he felt sick and began to vomit. The sound ninja bandaged up told him the secret to this, the amplifier on his arm, the sound from it had been directed by Dosu's chakra into Kabuto's ears, and thus disrupting the flow of some of the water and causing him to lose his balance and just go nausious. Kabuto picked up his glasses, and simply walked away after being told by the three patriotic genin that they would be the "next big thing" and that he would be killed if he got in their way again.Little did the genin know, Kabuto was more in on their plan than they werem as compared to their relationships with Orochimaru, Kabuto was second to none. It was unrevealed what or how Kabuto did in the first part of the Chuunin exams, the written section, other than that he passed it, as he was able to assist Naurto and his friends in the Forest of Death, the second part of the exams. He had apparently strayed away from his team, which had already gotten their scrolls it would seem. Since he had no idea where they had been split up, apparently, he decided that he would help out Naruto and co. while they ran through the death filled woods on their way to the tower in the center of the forest with their scrolls. Along the way, Kabuto and Sakura noticed that they were going around in circles, as there had been the same branch pattern and rocks for the past few miles...it took the others a while to understand what this meant, but Kabuto knew what they were doing immediately : another genin was attemping to confuse them with genjutsu, to wear them out without fighting for their scrolls. A sly movement, if it weren't for them discovering what was going on due to Kabuto's smarts and the genin's miscalculations...they had thrown their kunai too early to try and take them down, and it was quickly stopped.Red EyesNaruto went out and called out their opponent, only to be warned by Kabuto that this was not a good idea, as there appeared to be a lot of them. In reality this was just another trick from the genjutsu using genin, and the multiple kunai were simply being thrown from one point in synchronization with his clones to make it seem as though there were many of them, from one point. Kabuto was about to tell them a plan to devise in order to make their strategy fall apart, when suddenly from out of the blue a kunai was thrown into his face, he was quick enough to dodge it, but it still scraped his face, and broke his glasses. It was in this moment that Kabuto's character went in depth, as his eye color changed to red, and he looked enraged with a passion. He has only mentioned this red eye technique once since this instance, only a few chapters later, saying that it was too dangerous for him to be a part of the third round of the chuunin exams with his red eyes. We still don't know if there was some truth in this statement, but for the most part Kabuto only left the exam to fulfill the orders of his true master...Orochimaru.He met up with Orochimaru in an uninhabited area of the Leaf village at the moment, and discussed their plan. Sasuke was ill stricken in the hospital because of the curse mark set upon him by Orochimaru, and that now was the time to take him with them. Kabuto's mission was to kidnap the young boy and then bring him back for good. He also noted that if Kabuto was ever going to try and stop him, that the only way he could would be to kill Sasuke now, meaning that Orochimaru didn't even know what side the young boy was truly on. Kabuto froze for a moment at these words and looked at him with a very strange look in his eyes, only to tell him that he would never betray him. Upon arriving at the hospital he murdered all of the Anbu Stationed out side of Sasuke's hospital room, who was still quite fast asleep from the effects of the attempted curse mark seal from the elite jonin Kakashi, also his master. Finally, after all of the Anbu were actually dead, he came up to Sasuke, with a scalpel at his unconscious throat, ready to clip the tube that was over his mouth. Right when he was about to take him (or so we assume, he may have been trying to kill him and stop Orochimaru, or just do something else altogether, we still don't know his true motives) , he was suddenly stopped by Kakashi. Kabuto commented that maybe next time they may want to leave about ten anbu as opposed to six, as it was far to simple to kill them. Kakashi began fighting Kabuto in hand to hand combat, but it turned out that what Kakashi was fighting was an animated Anbu corpse made to look like Kabuto, using one of Kabuto's signature techniques it would seem, the Art of Dead Souls. In actuality the real Kabuto had been postering as one of the many dead Anbu on the ground, and when given the chance and Kakashi realized that he was just a shadow clone, Kabuto leapt out of the window, revealing the face under the anbu mas to be his.The Search for TsunadeKabuto accompanied Orochimaru to ask for Tsunade's help, at which they gave her a few days to decide. When the meeting between Tsunade and Orochimaru took place,Kabuto was sent to kill anyone who'd interfere, but got scared and left when he saw Jiraiya. He then stopped Tsunade and Orochimaru, being a medical ninja he saw that Tsunade's technique was fatal, not healing. He decided to retreat to a more opened location to fight her, and she followed.The two fought and Tsunade started to gain the upper hand, to which point Kabuto used his trump card... knowing her phobia of blood, he cut himself. Before he could kill her however, Jiraiya, Naruto, and Shizune appeared. He fought with Shizune and Naruto and was winning, but Naruto hit him with the Rasengan which put him down.During a ruined assassination attempt by Orochimaru and Kabuto to kill Sasori, Kabuto was faced by Yamato and Sakura while Orochimaru fought the 4-tailed Naruto. Knowing that Orochimaru didn't want them dead because of their usefulness, Kabuto decided to heal Sakura who was struck violently by the out of control Naruto.Becoming OrochimaruAfter Sasuke absorbed Orochimaru, Kabuto would later meet with Naruto and co. to give them all of the information gathered on Akatsuki and it's members, he then revealed that he used his medical skills to graft portions of Orochimaru's body onto himself. When explaining why, he compared himself to Naruto and Orochimaru to the Kyuubi within Naruto. Kabuto said that he was always dependent on Orochimaru's power but he's going to make Orochimaru's power his own... he later claimed that Orochimaru's trying to take over and he's trying to resist. Before he left, he stated that he will seek revenge on Sasuke.Kabuto is later seen in the Waterfall village attacking Waterfall ninjas, he has also left behind corpses for the Leaf village to find which baffles Anko. He then finds Tobi's hideout and confronts Tobi. Since Kabuto worked as a double agent against Akatsuki, Tobi accuses him of being a traitor and attacks but Kabuto keeps his distance, using Resurrection to the Impure World to summon: Deidara, Itachi, Kakuzu, Nagato, and Sasori.Zombie AkatsukiRather than attack, Kabuto insisted that he wants to join Tobi. Tobi was weary, wondering why Kabuto wanted to join him, Kabuto said that in return for providing soldiers for Tobi's war that he wants Sasuke. Tobi initially refused, but Kabuto resurrection someone that Tobi couldn't say no to, so Tobi agreed on the condition that Kabuto can't have Sasuke until after the war and he'll be supervising Sasuke at all times. Meanwhile, Anko and her group were following the trail of dead bodies Kabuto left right to Tobi's hideout and decided to report back to the Leaf village right away.Tobi then reappears with a new mask and clothes, and once again wields his war fan. Kabuto mentions that the eyes he got from Nagato are nice, but Tobi says they were his to begin with. Zetsu interrupts revealing that they got Kisame's info, to which Tobi states that it's time to go after the Kyuubi. Kabuto suggests that he foes to get the Hachibi and Kyuubi.Tobi wonders what Kabuto's trying to do, but Kabuto insists that it's his way of earning Tobi's trust... but wants to be compensated with Hashirama's tissue, but will settle for a Zetsu. Tobi agrees to give Kabuto one Zetsu if he succeeds. Tobi then wanted to show Kabuto something. They go deeper into Tobi's lair which reveals a massive plant growing all through it, and Tobi reveals that it was grown using tissue that he stole from Hashirama. He then reveals vast legion of Zetsu clones. Kabuto then departs with Deidara on one of Deidara's flying clay creations.Manda 2Kabuto and Deidara closed in on the island turtle that Naruto and Killer Bee are on, but is intercepted by Onoki whom ambushed Kabuto and punches a hole in Kabuto's chest, but it's Deidara's clay clone which explodes. However it wasn't the real Onoki either, it was a rock clone made by Akatsuchi, and they were accompanied by Kurotsuchi. While they're engaged, Kabuto reveals that he has made a bigger, more powerful clone of Manda which finds and attacks the island turtle. Deidara detonated some of his clay bombs beneath the island turtle trying to make it topple over, but it didn't. Kabuto went off to find Naruto and Killer Bee while Deidara kept the others busy, but Kurotsuchi chased after Kabuto. Kurotsuchi used Congealing Caustic Blast but it missed, then Aoba, Yamato, and Motoi arrived and Kurotsuchi told them to capture Kabuto as she sends him their way with Water Trumpet, that too misses but it made Congealing Caustic Blast that was on the ground expand and snare Kabuto in a cement-like material, she then covered Kabuto in more.Swallowed WholeYamato created a wood board for Aoba to go over and read Kabuto's mind without getting stuck himself, but Kabuto leaped out of his own skin, revealing himself as a hideous giant snake, and escaped after he swallowed Yamato whole and unsummons Deidara. He then presents Yamato to Tobi and saying that since capturing Naruto and Killer Bee was impossible, he captured Yamato to augment Zetsu, and Tobi told him to get to work. After strengthening the Zetsu clones, Kabuto revealed more Edo Tensei summonings: Han, Utakata, Yugito, Fuu, Yagura, Roushi, 3rd Raikage, 4th Kazekage, 2nd Tsuchikage, Hazashi, Dan, Asuma, Hanzo, Chiyo, Kimimaro, Haku, Zabuza, Shin, Chuukichi, Pakura, and Gari. Tobi asked if Kabuto could handle it, Kabuto said that it'll be difficult to control so many but he can do it. Kabuto ordered them to set out, but after leaving Tobi's lair he spotted and attacked Anko whom was spying on them.Tobi saw Anko's unconscious body with Kabuto and started accusing Kabuto of trying to get him and the alliance to kill each other, and demanded that he kill Anko. Kabuto refused, saying that he needed her alive. Tobi made him an ultimatum, to show Kabuto's loyalty he had to reveal the secrets of Impure World Resurrection to him. Kabuto hesitantly complied,so Tobi brought forth Fu and Torune to use.Kabuto later revealed that he has also brought back the previous Seven Swordsmen along with Zabuza; Fuguki, Mangetsu, Jinin, Ameyuri, Jinpachi, and Kushimaru. To make things worse for the alliance, Kabuto later revealed the 2nd Mizukage as well as Kinkaku and Ginkaku.The Ascended SnakeWhen Itachi and Nagato crossed paths with Naruto and Bee, Kabuto decided to capture them in order to have more leverage against Tobi. This didn't go as planned and Itachi was coincidentally freed from Kabuto's control, in the mean time Kabuto decided to unveil his bargaining chip to the alliance that he used against Tobi... Madara Uchiha. While Kabuto was having his fun, Itachi and Sasuke confront him, Itachi wanting to stop Edo Tensei and Sasuke wanting to talk to Itachi. Kabuto tried to enlist Sasuke's help against Itachi, calling him a common foe, but Sasuke saw things differently. The two brothers attacked Kabuto, but he proved too tricky and revealed a few surprises such as attaining Karin's healing ability and Suigetsu's liquifying ability, but also that he had ventured to Ryuchidou and learned Sage Mode. He started the fight using White Violent which created a bright explosion which momentarily blinded and deafened the brothers and Kabuto went to abduct Sasuke but was faltered by Itachi. Itachi decided to use a forbidden Uchiha clan jutsu, Izanami, to get Kabuto to undo Edo Tensei, but it takes a while to use once prepped. The brothers then counter attacked in unison, but their efforts failed. Itachi decided the only way to defeat Kabuto would be to use a one-time only jutsu, Izanami, which would decide fate at the cost of the user's eye. Kabuto pressed the brothers with another powerful attack, Inorganic Transmigration, making the cave itself come to life and impale Itachi with stalactites; Itachi survives thanks to being one of Kabuto's unkillable zombies, but Sasuke used Amaterasu to stop Kabuto from re-taking control of Itachi. During this fight, Itachi tried to appeal to Kabuto, causing him to recollect his past which led him to this point. Kabuto begins his attacks again, showing the bodies of those whose power he took for himself appear out of his torso. He used the Sound 5's abilities to subdue the brothers and then used Orochimaru's ability to try and absorb Sasuke, but the brothers helped each other and managed to stop Kabuto, until Kabuto sliced Itachi in half and was about to put a new control seal in Itachi, but Sasuke managed to stop him. At this point Izanami takes effect and Itachi loses the vision in one of his eyes as a cost, and Kabuto's placed in a genjutsu loop which he must figure out how to end.Powers/TechniquesKabuto is enshrouded in mystery. He is also extremely unique in the way that he fights, using techniques that are not only unique to him but also very tactical and innovative for a shinobi."Chakra Scalpel" where he creates an aura of chakra around his hand that can cut like a blade."Dead Soul" where he can temporarily control the recently deceased."Mystical Hand" where he can heal the wounds of others and himself."Secret Healing Injury" where he focuses his chakra to heal himself from the inside- out. And"Temple of Nirvana," an illusion technique that induces sleep in his opponents."Mole Hiding" where he's able to swiftly travel underground.Now that he has integrated Orochimaru into himself and further augmentation, he has displayed:"Snake Authority Spell" where gigantic snakes emerge from his body to attack or bind the opponent."Many Hidden Shadow Snakes" where a dozen snakes emerge from his body to attack or bind the opponent."Resurrection to the Impure World" in which Kabuto sacrifices the living to resurrect the dead as his servants."Chakra Draining Seal" is able to drain away a person's chakra that is inside the seal's placement."Snake Summoning" is able to summon huge snakes to obey his bidding."Snake Form" Kabuto is able to shed his skin and become a large snake with arms and legs, appearing similar to a dragon."Uzumaki Healing Chakra" which allows him to rapidly heal himself."Hydrification" which allows him to convert his body into liquid and back again."Sage Mode" where he harnesses natural energy to greatly augment all of his abilities and gives him great sensing abilities."White Violent" where he spits a dragon which explodes, creating a blinding light along with bone wrenching sonic vibrations."Inorganic Transmigration" which allows Kabuto to bring inanimate things to life and control them. Font-sizeParagraphHeader 4Header 3Header 2 Quote Link Img Table TweetClean sizeSMLpositionLCRUDchangeCreditDeletesizeSMpositionLRUDchangetitle 1title 2captiondelete×Edit Image TitleTitle: CancelUpdate×Embed ImageWhat size image should we insert? (This will not affect the original upload) Small Medium How do you want the image positioned around text? Float Left Float Right CancelInsertGo to LinkUnlinkChange× Link to Comic Vine Content AllWiki Arcs Characters Companies Concepts Issues Locations Movies People Teams Things Volumes Series EpisodesEditorial Videos Articles Reviews FeaturesCommunity Users You can search for any Comic Vine content. CancelCreate Link×Link to a pageAllWiki Arcs Characters Companies Concepts Issues Locations Movies People Teams Things Volumes Series EpisodesEditorial Videos Articles Reviews FeaturesCommunity Users You can search for any Comic Vine content. Disable this feature for this sessionpositionUDchangeDeletepositionUDchangeDeletepositionUDchangeDeleteInsert Row UpInsert Row DownInsert Column LeftInsert Column RightDelete RowDelete ColumnbordersonheaderonpositionUDtablemax-widthdelete×Insert TableRows: Columns: CancelInsertpositionLCRUDchangeDelete×Embed tweetEnter the URL for the tweet you want to embed.CancelInsert


text:
Start your Disney Vacation with a bang! We're excited to announce a new WDW Foodie Fest event that will take place in Epcot on the evening of October 4th, 2011! Join me and other Disney Food Blog readers for an evening of…
Fun, Food, and Fireworks!
The Snack Attack, Featuring DFB Favorites, is an event like none other! On October 4th, our guests will arrive at a private Illluminations Fireworks viewing location in Epcot (psst…it'll be in the UK pavilion!) and get down to business — the business of eating, that is!
This dessert party doesn't just offer a few generic cannoli and brownies. No sir. We've worked with Disney to provide a menu that will excite even the biggest Disney food fan! The menu of the evening will include a buffet of…
Starring Rolls' Butterfinger Cupcakes
Classic Disney Popcorn
Animal Kingdom Lodge Zebra Domes
Mickey Ice Cream Bars
Norway's School Bread
Writer's Stop's Carrot Cake Cookies
Boardwalk Bakery's Cheesecake Brownies
Starring Rolls' Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes
And MORE!
What a great way to start the evening!
But that's not all!! Once you've had your fill, relax and enjoy a fabulous view of Illuminations: Reflections of Earth, Epcot's outstanding fireworks spectacular, from our private viewing area! That's right — no jostling for the best view, no saving seats. You've already got a great view, so just sit back and take it all in.
Cost for this event will be $40 per person. Tickets will be limited! Ticket information will be announced soon on the Disney Food Blog Newsletter, our WDWFoodieFest.com website, and right here on the Disney Food Blog, so stay tuned.
Please note that this event will in addition to our Oct. 2nd Beach Club Resort event. You can see the WDW Foodie Fest schedule of events here!
Also — wanted to add that I got this great idea from a Mother's Day event created by fellow blogger Mark D.! He's written up a review of his event for Disney Food Blog that I'll be sharing soon!


text:
Did Rosie Leave Trail of Trash, 'Staches?
Rosie O'Donnell may have burned whatever bridges she had at "The View," after her ballistic blowup with Elisabeth Hasselbeck, allegedly trashing her dressing room in anger.
And that's not all: Her chief writer, Janette Barber, reports Page Six, was escorted from ABC studios after she was caught drawing mustaches on photos of Elisabeth hanging around the building. Indeed, ABC confirmed to the Post that "photographs at 'The View's" offices were defaced," though it adds that Rosie wasn't around when it happened.
As for the dressing room meltdown, ABC denies it. Still, Rosie continues to be cryptic about whether she's coming back next week, with her latest blog posting saying, "There is a point u must step away from the canvas as the work is done."
Jessica – I Ignore My Fears
It's unclear what she's talking about, but Jessica Simpson has taken to the Internet airwaves to dispense some wisdom she gained while traveling in Europe for the Cannes film festival and elsewhere. She tells us on her personal website that she spent plenty of time in museums, and read about Michelangelo, which inspired her to write something that she herself reads over and over to "find new strength." And it goes a little something like this: "Can facing our fear be what walks us to somewhere better? ... In my life, I ignore my fears too often, but then I'm left with nothing to challenge the best of me ... There is no discovery." After reading it over and over, and, again, we're not quite sure what she's talking about.
Paula Pussyfooting Around Dog-Breaks-Nose Story?
Did Paula Abdul's nose look suspiciously un-broken after her supposed trip and fall over her Chihuahua last weekend? Page Six thinks so, reporting that Paula's toying with the truth, and that what really happened was, according to their source, "She pitched a fit, threw something into a mirror or glass object, and a shard of glass struck her in the face." Ouch. Hence, it wasn't broken, and didn't look as swollen and out of joint as noses generally do. Paula's rep says the story is "absolutely, categorically untrue."
Party Favors: Brangelina Makes Sly Getaway in Cannes ... Doc Martens Apologizes for Kurt Ads ... Could "Pirates" Make $200 Mil This Weekend?
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie -- and Brad's castmates in "Ocean's 13" -- escaped the crush of post-premiere admirers by pulling, as FOX News reports, an elaborate bait-and-switch on partygoers in Cannes. ... Doc Martens is apologizing to Courtney Love for the ad it ran in a UK publication showing Kurt Cobain wearing its shoes in heaven, calling the ad "offensive" and "a mistake." ... The third "Pirates of the Caribbean" could be the first film to gross over $200 million over the Memorial Day weekend, say the people who watch -- and care about -- such things.


text:
SAN FRANCISCO -- Honey bees can become the unwitting hosts of a fly parasite that causes them to abandon their hives and die after a bout of disoriented, "zombie-like" behavior, San Francisco State University researchers have found.
The phenomenon, first observed on the SF State campus, may help scientists learn more about colony collapse disorder (CCD). This mysterious ailment has drastically increased honey bee colony losses across the United States since its discovery in 2006.
So far, the fly parasite has only been found in honey bee hives in California and South Dakota, said SF State Professor of Biology John Hafernik. But the possibility that it is an emerging parasite "underlines the danger that could threaten honey bee colonies throughout North America, especially given the number of states that commercial hives cross and are deployed in," Hafernik and colleagues write in the January 3, 2012 issue of PLoS ONE.
Hafernik, who also serves as president of the California Academy of Sciences, didn't set out to study the parasitized bees. In 2008, he was just looking for some insects to feed the praying mantis that he had brought back to SF State's Hensill Hall after an entomology field trip. He scrounged the bees from underneath the light fixtures outside the biology building.
"But being an absent-minded professor," Hafernik joked, "I left them in a vial on my desk and forgot about them. Then the next time I looked at the vial, there were all these fly pupae surrounding the bees."
The fly, Apocephalus borealis, deposits its eggs into a bee's abdomen. Usually about seven days after the bee dies, fly larvae push their way into the world from between the bee's head and thorax. But it's the middle part of this macabre story that may be the most scientifically interesting to those studying the dramatic and mysterious disappearance of honey bees.
After being parasitized by the fly, the bees abandon their hives in what is literally a flight of the living dead to congregate near lights. "When we observed the bees for some time—the ones that were alive—we found that they walked around in circles, often with no sense of direction," said Andrew Core, an SF State graduate student from Hafernik's lab who is the lead author on the study.
Core won first place at the 2011 California State University Research Competition and the Geraldine K. Lindsay Award for excellence in the natural sciences at the annual meeting of the Pacific Division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for his presentation of the bee research.
Bees usually just sit in one place, sometimes curling up before they die, said Core. But the parasitized bees were still alive, unable to stand up on their legs. "They kept stretching them out and then falling over," he said. "It really painted a picture of something like a zombie."
Bees that left the hives at night were more likely to bear the parasite than those who foraged during the day, the researchers found. Genetic tests of parasitized hives also showed that both bees and flies were often infected with deformed wing virus and a fungus called Nosema ceranae.
Some researchers have pointed to the virus and fungus as potential culprits in colony collapse disorder, and hive abandonment is the primary characteristic of the disorder. It may be time, Hafernik said, to consider how the fly parasite fits into the CCD picture.
He said the next step is to find out exactly how the parasite is affecting the bees' behavior. It is possible, he said, that the parasite is somehow interfering with the bees' "clock genes" that help them keep a normal day-night rhythm.
The researchers also don't know if the infected bees are leaving the hive of their own accord, or whether they give off some sort of chemical signal that provokes their hive mates into throwing them out. "A lot of touching and tasting goes on in a hive," Hafernik said, "and it's certainly possible that their co-workers are finding them and can tell that there's something wrong with them."
The scientists will deploy a range of tools -- from tiny radio tags to video monitoring -- to help them answer these questions and discover ways to protect the hives.
"We don't know the best way to stop parasitization, because one of the big things we're missing is where the flies are parasitizing the bees," Hafernik noted. "We assume it's while the bees are out foraging, because we don't see the flies hanging around the bee hives. But it's still a bit of a black hole in terms of where it's actually happening."
Genetic analysis of the parasites confirmed that they are the same flies that have been infecting bumblebees, raising the possibility that the fly is an emerging and potentially costly new threat to honey bees.
"Honey bees are among the best-studied insects in the world," Hafernik noted. "So at one level, we would expect that if this has been a long-term parasite of honey bees, we would have noticed."
Colleagues in this study, "A new threat to honey bees, the parasitic phorid fly Apocephalus borealis." include SF State students Jonathan Ivers, Christopher Quock, Travis Siapno and Seraphina DeNault; SF State Assistant Professor of Biology Christopher D. Smith; graduate student Charles Runckel and Professor of Biology Joseph DeRisi from the University of California, San Francisco; and phorid expert Brian Brown from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
PLoS ONE


text:
Goodbye Wunderlist. Hello Outlook.
Up until I started typing I didn't realize how difficult it would be to write this post. Today, after four and a half years, I am officially saying goodbye to Wunderlist. At the beginning of August, we're going to move to New York where I'll join the Outlook team as Director of Product Design for iOS, Android and Mac. And I'm beyond excited. Joining Wunderlist When I met Christian and the… →


text:
"More than four years after Maryland first moved to regulate its largest poultry and livestock farms, nearly 30 percent, or 169 operations, still do not have required state permits mandating measures to control polluted runoff from their chicken houses or feedlots."
"An environmental watchdog group, the Center for Progressive Reform, contends the state is lagging in protecting the Chesapeake Bay from pollution from such large-scale farms. The Washington-based center said in a new report that the state's regulatory effort is hampered by a lack of staff and skimpy inspections. The report maps out every farm's location and how long it's taken to get a permit.
'They're Dragging Their Feet on This for Reasons That Are Not Clear,' Said Rena Steinzor, the Center's President And a Professor at the University of Maryland's Law School. 'None of This Is Backbreaking in Terms of What Is Required.'"
Timothy B. Wheeler reports for the Baltimore Sun's B'More Green blog November 19, 2013.
"Farm Pollution Rule Withdrawn" (Baltimore Sun)
"Maryland Falling Behind in CAFO Pollution Control" (Center for Progressive Reform)
"Falling Behind: Processing and Enforcing Permits for Animal Agriculture Operations in Maryland is Lagging" (CPR)


text: Browse our extensive selection of high-quality Vorapaxar products available in a range of purities and quantities to meet your research and development needs. Each product is meticulously tested for purity, potency, and quality, ensuring accurate and reliable results. We offer competitive pricing and fast shipping to meet your project deadlines. Explore our Vorapaxar products and find the perfect solution for your needs.


text:
Maine – Alternative Methods to Distribute Title I Funds Policy Letter
May 20, 2002
Honorable J. Duke Albanese
Maine Department of Public Instruction
23 House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023
Dear Commissioner Albanese:
We are approving your State's continued use of its current alternative method to distribute Title I, Part A Basic, Concentration, and Targeted Grant funds to "small" local educational agencies (LEAs) with fewer than 20,000 total residents. Maine's alternative method would be based primarily on the use of Free Lunch data. We had approved this method in 1999.
The use of an alternative method is authorized in sections 1124(a)(2)(B), 1125A(a)(4), and 1125(d) of the Title I statute. At this time, however, it is not clear whether you may use this alternative method to distribute Title I Education Finance Incentive Grants authorized in section 1125A of the statute. We may regulate in order to permit States to apply this small LEA flexibility to the Education Finance Incentive Grants program. We hope to make a decision soon and will keep you informed.
As it applies to Basic, Concentration, and Targeted Grants, this approval remains in effect for the duration of the current Title I authorization. However, you must update those portions of the data that change every year in order to use the most current data. If you wish to change your alternative method for distributing Title I, Part A Basic, Concentration, and Targeted Grant funds at a later time, please resubmit a request for approval.
Please note that any small LEA that is dissatisfied with the State's determination of its grant under your alternative method may appeal that determination to the Secretary. If you have any questions concerning our approval, please contact Joseph F. Johnson, Jr., Director, Compensatory Education Programs at (202) 260-0826.
Susan B. Neuman, Ed.D.
Assistant Secretary,
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education


text:
China hacked the Wall Street Journal, too
Hackers infiltrated the newspaper to monitor its coverage of China.
It looks like those Chinese hackers really don't want American journalists doing any, you know, journalism in China. Less than a day after The New York Times revealed Chinese malware experts had cracked into its employee computer system, The Wall Street Journal said Thursday afternoon that it, too, has been "infiltrated ... for the apparent purpose of monitoring the newspaper's China coverage."
Wednesday night's Times report had suggested that the attacks on its China bureau and its journalists' passwords were part of a "broader computer espionage campaign against American news media companies that have reported on Chinese leaders and corporations." And now it would appear that's exactly what's been going on. The FBI is investigating the attacks on both papers' networks by hackers — though the "methods that some consultants have associated with the Chinese military" cited by theTimes sounds like a government link, and the Journal's report mentions hacks at Google and EMC: "People familiar with those breaches said they were connected to the Chinese government."


text:
1-Mattis Justo Quam
1-consectetur. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor. Praesent commodo cursus magna, vel scelerisque nisl consectetur et. Duis mollis, est non commodo luctus, nisi erat porttitor ligula, eget lacinia odio sem nec elit.
CANCELLED: Writing the Book on "How to Be Black"
CHESTERTOWN, MD—On Wednesday, March 26, the Sophie Kerr Lecture Series welcomes New York Times-bestselling author, comedian and satirist Baratunde Thurston to the Washington College campus for a lecture and reading on How to Be Black — the book, that is. Thurston will speak at 4:30 p.m. in Hynson Lounge, Hodson Hall. The event is free and open to the public.
Published in 2012, How to Be Black is a satirical how-to manual that weaves anecdotes, interviews, and social commentary into a portrait of 'blackness' in contemporary society. From "How to Be the Black Friend" to "How to Speak for All Black People," Thurston's examination of racial issues in America is both hilarious and thought provoking. The book was chosen as the 2013-2014 common reading for students in the English Department, and they will have the opportunity to talk with Thurston about it at an informal meet-and-greet to be held before the lecture. While on campus, Thurston also will visit a nonfiction class and join the editorial staff of The Elm student newspaper for lunch.
Baratunde Thurston is the CEO and co-founder of Cultivated Wit, a "digital storytelling" company, and the former digital director of the satirical news outlet The Onion. He has contributed to the MIT Media Lab as a director's fellow and has advised the Obama White House on digital strategy and public engagement. A monthly columnist for Fast Company, Thurston co-founded the political blog "Jack and Jill Politics" and has more than 10 years of experience in standup comedy.
– Kimberly Uslin '14


text: I'm an pro landscape and nature photagrapher. I offer photo tours and photo guidance. I also publish photo books and usually have one photo exhibition every year were the subject is Icelandic landscape and nature. I started taking pictures 2007, first I bought Canon 400D and 2010 I upgraded to 50D. Spring 2012 I upgraded again my camera to 5D Mark III and again in autumn 2016 to 5DM4. I was living in the north part of Iceland, Skagafjörður where I was surrounded with beautiful nature and landscape for seven years, 2005-2012. I had my first exhibition in summer 2009 in Hofsós, Skagafjörður. Since then I have had several exhibitions alone or with others. In the spring 2011 I published a photobook; Light and Nature of Skagafjörður. Included with the photobook is a CD with my wife Alexandra Chernyshova. In December 2013 I published my second photobook "Light and Nature of North west". Now I live in Keflavik where I operate my photographic business - photo tours, photo guidance and publication.


text:
UN Has Testimony That Syrian Rebels Used Sarin Gas – Investigator by Reuters (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Tom Pfeiffer)
U.N. human rights investigators have gathered testimony from casualties of Syria's civil war and medical staff indicating that rebel forces have used the nerve agent sarin, one of the lead investigators said on Sunday.
The United Nations independent commission of inquiry on Syria has not yet seen evidence of government forces having used chemical weapons, which are banned under international law, said commission member Carla Del Ponte.
"Our investigators have been in neighbouring countries interviewing victims, doctors and field hospitals and, according to their report of last week which I have seen, there are strong, concrete suspicions but not yet incontrovertible proof of the use of sarin gas, from the way the victims were treated," Del Ponte said in an interview with Swiss-Italian television.
"This was use on the part of the opposition, the rebels, not by the government authorities," she added, speaking in Italian.
Del Ponte, a former Swiss attorney-general who also served as prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, gave no details as to when or where sarin may have been used.
The Geneva-based inquiry into war crimes and other human rights violations is separate from an investigation of the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria instigated by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, which has since stalled.
President Bashar al-Assad's government and the rebels accuse each another of carrying out three chemical weapon attacks, one near Aleppo and another near Damascus, both in March, and another in Homs in December.
The civil war began with anti-government protests in March 2011. The conflict has now claimed an estimated 70,000 lives and forced 1.2 million Syrian refugees to flee.
The United States has said it has "varying degrees of confidence" that sarin has been used by Syria's government on its people.
President Barack Obama last year declared that the use or deployment of chemical weapons by Assad would cross a "red line".
See also
Turkish doctors say no nerve gas in Syrian victims' blood: Doctors in Turkey say initial tests of blood samples from victims of a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria last month are negative for sarin gas.


text:
How do I connect to my personal network drive (fs1, also known as the H: drive) from my Windows 11 computer?These instructions are for:
Once you have completed these steps, you should not need to repeat them. The network drives on fs1 will be for personal, private file storage.
What are network drives or server volumes?
To connect to your H: drive (your personal network drive) for the first time
What are network drives or server volumes?
All students, faculty, and staff at Saint Mary's College are provided with 10GB of disk space on our network to save their files.
This space is accessible from any networked computer on campus, and is commonly referred to as a personal network drive or the H: drive. A student can save a paper she is working on in her room to her network drive; go to a computer cluster; access the paper saved on her network drive; and print it from the laser printers. Network drives eliminate the need to carry files around on disks or flash drives. Also, a backup of all network drives is created every night, which makes it a secure place for your important papers and other files. Saint Mary's College strongly recommends that you save a copy of your work to your network drive.
You may also need to connect to additional network drives or server volumes to access shared department network space. Instructions for mounting these additional drives can be found on the ResNet FAQ and the Helpdesk FAQ.
Last Modified July 31, 2022


text:
In this report we use the terms "Indigenous Peoples", "Indigenous Nations", "Tribal Nation", "Tribes" and "Indigenous or Aboriginal communities, groups and organizations" to describe the First Nations and Métis Nations in Canada – and the Native American Tribal Nations in the U.S. – that we interact with on a regular basis. Which term is used depends on the preference of the group involved and the topic being addressed.
While the substance of this report reflects learning from our ongoing engagement with Indigenous Peoples in North America, we have not directly engaged on this report itself with Indigenous Nations and groups. For this reason we are releasing it as a "Discussion Paper" that will be supported by a process for feedback, engagement and response.
As noted in the following pages, this Discussion Paper is in follow-up to a voluntary commitment made by Enbridge at our 2017 Annual General Meeting (AGM) to provide enhanced transparency about how we are implementing our Indigenous Peoples Policy, and how Indigenous sensitivities are integrated into our internal processes for investment review. We made this commitment in response to a shareholder proposal that was presented at our 2017 AGM by the Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE) and by a Council member from the Standing Rock Sioux in North Dakota.
As indicated by the map in section 1 of this discussion paper, Enbridge is North America's largest energy infrastructure company. We provide products and services that span the spectrum of the transition to a lower carbon economy and include the delivery of oil, natural gas, renewable energy and power, as well as energy efficiency programs for homes and businesses. Our businesses are diverse and their impact on Indigenous Peoples and lands varies significantly depending on the nature of the project or operation involved, and its size, scope and geography. It is important to note that the majority of our natural gas pipelines in the U.S. do not cross Indigenous lands. The content for this report is therefore derived from practices and procedures in place for engaging with Indigenous nations and groups where our activities can affect Indigenous rights and relationships. Most particularly, this involves our liquid pipeline projects and operations in Canada and the U.S., and our natural gas transmission and midstream projects and operations in Canada.
All dollars in this Discussion Paper are Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.
Many workers on the Line 3 Replacement Program in Western Canada are graduates of Enbridge's Pipeline 101 training-to-employment program. Established in spring 2016, this program is designed to teach transferable skills that support future employment opportunities for Indigenous workers across the pipeline industry, as well as related sectors.


text:
The Linux Foundation and the LiMo Foundation issued a joint statement on Wednesday morning to announce the launch of Tizen, a new Linux-based open source mobile operating system. The platform's application stack and third-party developer frameworks will be built around standards-based Web technologies. The new Tizen website says that Intel and Samsung are jointly backing the effort.
The new platform effort will displace the unsuccessful MeeGo project, an open source mobile operating system that was launched last year when Intel and Nokia sought to unify their respective mobile Linux platforms with the help of the Linux Foundation. MeeGo began to unravel when Nokia abandoned Linux in favor of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 operating system.
Rumors began to circulate earlier this month suggesting that Intel would back away from the MeeGo mobile platform and move on to other projects. At the time, the chip maker flatly denied those reports and claimed that it was still "fully committed" to MeeGo. As we suspected, that commitment proved to be shallow.
Intel's Imad Sousou discussed the transition from MeeGo to Tizen last night in a statement on the official MeeGo blog. He contends that the new plan for an HTML-based mobile environment necessitated a clean break. He doesn't believe that MeeGo could have evolved to fulfill the technical requirements of the new vision.
"Why not just evolve MeeGo? We believe the future belongs to HTML5-based applications, outside of a relatively small percentage of apps, and we are firmly convinced that our investment needs to shift toward HTML5. Shifting to HTML5 doesn't just mean slapping a web runtime on an existing Linux, even one aimed at mobile, as MeeGo has been," he wrote. "Over the next couple of months, we will be working very hard to make sure that users of MeeGo can easily transition to Tizen."
It's still not totally clear whether Tizen marks a new beginning or is merely an exercise in rebranding MeeGo to diffuse the stink of rejection that was left by Nokia's departure. Jim Zemlin, the executive director of the Linux Foundation, revealed in a blog entry that some existing MeeGo technologies will be adopted in Tizen.
Zemlin also said that the MeeGo project will continue to coexist with Tizen to a limited extent. The Linux Foundation views Tizen as the way forward for mobile industry stakeholders, but is wiling to leave MeeGo running on life support for the benefit of community members who want to continue driving it forward independently.
Tizen's HTML-focused vision sounds conceptually similar to that of HP's gutted webOS platform or Mozilla's experimental Boot to Gecko project. It's a compelling approach, but it's not clear if it can produce a competitive mainstream mobile platform.
Intel's poor performance with MeeGo so far suggests that the chip maker is comfortable contributing at lower levels of the stack, but is ill-equipped to produce good user-facing software. Samsung's participation adds a lot of credibility to the Tizen project, because the company has a real-world track record producing consumer electronics products.
Samsung's platform strategy is internally fragmented, however. The company is already investing heavily in Android, Windows Phone 7, and its own Bada operating system. It's also worth noting that Samsung was one of the few companies that developed a MeeGo netbook.
It's not entirely clear yet how Tizen will fit into Samsung's future product lineup. Much like MeeGo, Tizen aims to target a wide range of different form factors—including smartphones, netbooks, tablets, set-top boxes, televisions, and vehicle computing systems.
It's possible that Samsung's interest in Tizen is motivated by a desire to provide a unified application ecosystem across the full span of products that the company sells. It's also possible that Samsung is looking at new mobile platforms because it is concerned about how Google's acquisition of Motorola will impact its standing in the Android ecosystem.
Zemlin says that Tizen will have an open governance model and a close alignment with upstream developers—characteristics that MeeGo shared. The opportunities offered by a truly open platform developed in a vendor-neutral environment are promising, but the litany of mistakes and disappointments that have led up to this point make it difficult to have faith in Tizen.
By starting over on the userspace stack and switching to a new set of development tools, Tizen is throwing the existing MeeGo community and a lot of open source labor under the bus. Getting existing contributors and third-party developers who were burned by MeeGo involved in the new effort could prove challenging.


text:
Vivendi Universal Games And Hip-Hop Mogul 50 Cent Join Forces In 50 Cent: Bulletproof
Rap Artist and Cultural Phenom Expands His Domain Into Video Game World
LOS ANGELES (March 4, 2005) - Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) today announced a deal with multi-million album selling hip-hop superstar and entertainment icon 50 Cent to collaborate in the creation of a new video game that will hit retail shelves in late 2005. 50 Cent®: BulletproofTM, in which 50 Cent will star and provide his likeness and voice, will be unveiled at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles on May 18th, 2005.
"In everything I do, I play to win," said 50 Cent. "I'm out to destroy the competition and my video game is no different. It's a fantasy version of my life. I plan to shake up the video game world like I did the rap world - I'm pulling no punches with my game."
"50 Cent is one of the most talented artists in the recording industry with legions of fans around the world. Everything he touches turns to gold - music, movies, clothes, cars, watches," said Bruce Hack, CEO of Vivendi Universal Games. "We are thrilled to collaborate with 50 Cent and Interscope Records in a video game debut that will deliver extraordinary music, exciting game play, and best of all, 50 Cent."
About 50 Cent: Bulletproof
In 50 Cent's video game, which will be revealed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles on May 18th, 2005, 50 gets caught in a web of corruption, double-crosses and shady deals that lead him on a bloody path through New York's drug underworld. Working with the unlikeliest of allies, the streets heat up as 50 Cent takes on the most dangerous crime families in the city, uncovering an international conspiracy with devastating implications. The streets are watching as 50 Cent blasts his way to the truth.
Further blending the lines between Hollywood, music and games, Sopranos executive producer and Emmy-Award winner Terry Winter inked both the game's script as well as the screenplay for 50's forthcoming film, Get Rich or Die Tryin'.
More information about the game can be found at http://www.the50centgame.com/.
About 50 Cent
Go ahead. 50 Cent wants you to bet against him.
It's that same street-born confidence that led hip-hop dream team Eminem and Dr. Dre to sign the former Jamaica, Queens crack dealer and music industry-shunned MC to their Shady/Aftermath imprint. The same sneering swagger that propelled 50 from underground mix-tape king to the top of Billboard album charts with his 2003 major-label debut Get Rich or Die Tryin', a landmark record that to date has sold well-over 10 million copies worldwide. And the same two-fisted ambition that saw the savvy 'hood entrepreneur lead his infamous G-Unit clique to multi-platinum glory, making 50 Cent's G-Unit record label a major player in the music biz.
Now with the release of The Massacre on Thursday, March 3rd, easily the most anticipated album of 2005, 50 Cent looks to continue his domination of the hip-hop world and beyond. And for the man born Curtis Jackson that means destroying the competition. "They have to survive me going around the country with this record," laughs the self-assured MC whose beef-igniting reputation has become as infamous as his street worn past. "My thought process going into The Massacre took me back to the days when I was hustling. I'm looking to move the competition off the block. I feel like anything less than what I've accomplished with Get Rich is a disappointment. I had time to grow during the last two years, so I just feel like I'm a better artist."
50 Cent, born Curtis Jackson, epitomizes the hustler's spirit. While most artists would have been content with the massive spoils of multi-platinum album sales, high profile magazine covers, sold-out tours and omnipresent coverage on MTV and BET, 50 Cent wanted more. He set up his own label with longtime partner Sha Money XL and presented his juggernaut G-Unit clique with the 2004 quadruple platinum Beg For Mercy. 50 oversaw the immense solo shine of Lloyd Banks (The Hunger For More) and Young Buck (Straight Outta Cashville), further expanding G-Unit's takeover agenda. A clothing deal with Ecko Unlimited for his G-Unit line and an unprecedented shoe endorsement pact with Reebok can be added to his successful resume.
50 Cent's rags to riches ascension did not go unnoticed by Oscar-nominated director Jim Sheridan (In America, My Left Foot), who signed on to direct the rapper in the upcoming motion picture drama Get Rich Or Die Tryin'. And more recently 50 teamed up with Dr. Dre for the Aftermath/G-Unit joint release of West Coast savior The Game, whose no. 1 debut The Documentary sold over a remarkable 500,000 units its first week.
Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games)
Vivendi Universal Games (www.vugames.com) is a global developer, publisher and distributor of multi-platform interactive entertainment. The company is a leader in the subscription-based massively multi-player online (MMO) games category, and also holds leading positions in the PC, console and handheld games markets. Its development studios and publishing labels include Blizzard Entertainment, Sierra Entertainment and Massive Entertainment. VU Games' library of over 700 titles features owned intellectual properties including Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo and World of Warcraft from Blizzard; Crash Bandicoot, Spyro The Dragon, Empire Earth, Leisure Suit Larry, Ground Control and Tribes. VU Games also maintains strategic relationships with industry leading content partners, including NBC Universal and Twentieth Century Fox.
"50 Cent: Bulletproof" interactive game ® 2005 Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. All rights reserved. "50 Cent" is a registered trademark owned by Curtis Jackson. Vivendi Universal Games and the Vivendi Universal Games logo are trademarks of Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.


text:
Try the font. Type text in box. Click "Go."
MVB Mascot®
Mark van Bronkhorst
2012, 2016
Font format
OpenType for Mac & Windows
Character set
OpenType Basic
Get a free set of
six commemorative postcards
with purchase of MVB Mascot®
(while supplies last).
Allow 4–6 weeks for delivery.
Collect all six!


text:
The hacker group Gnosis brought down the Gawker Media empire over the weekend.
As part of their attack, they revealed sensitive data from hundreds of thousands of Gawker users.
For the security specilialists at Duo, this was a golden opportunity to practice their craft.
"As it's not very often that we get a glimpse into the human psychology of password selection, let's dig deeper into the password dump!" founder Jon Oberheide wrote on the company blog.
The result reveals a readership of nerds, idiots, lovers and philistines seriously lacking in imagination.
Here, in order, are the top 25 most common passwords on Gawker.


text:
Eat More to Weigh Less
Christine Avanti, CN, shares how eating more can help us shed unwanted pounds.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Quick Takes
Q: How do you start your day?
A: I pray and thank God for all the blessings that will come throughout the day.
Q: What's your favorite way to unwind?
A: Reading a cookbook on my living room couch while looking out to our flower-filled backyard-it's heaven on earth for me.
Q: If you were stranded on a desert island, what one food and one supplement would you want to have with you?
A: Oranges, because they always make me feel energized, quench my thirst, and are packed with amazing nutrition. The supplement I can't live without is my Simply O-3 omega-3 fatty acid, because it helps me remember things, fights off depression, and reduces PMS, so I won't lose my mind while I'm stranded alone on the island!
To learn more about Avanti, visit her Web site, christineavanti.com.
Do you ever wonder why you can't lose weight, even though you nibble on nothing but rabbit food? Celebrity nutritionist, chef, and author Christine Avanti, CN, just may have the answer. A graduate of the Westlake Culinary Institute professional chef program, Avanti has appeared as a guest nutrition expert and/or a health-promoting chef on the Today show, Dancing with the Stars, and others. She has also coached such celebrities as Chelsea Handler, Jeremy Piven, and Steven Seagal to eat healthfully and to actually eat more to get in great shape. How can they do that and still lose weight? Avanti explains why in her new book, Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salads.
Q:Why don't skinny chicks eat salads?
A: The title is a catchy way to kick low-carb dieting to the curb! I love salads, and there are salad recipes in the book. I just wanted the world to know that you don't have to eat "rabbit food" to lose weight. Not to mention that restaurant salads can be a diet disaster because they are usually well over 1,000 calories.
Q:What is the "PC combo solution"?
A: Eating a lean protein with a high-fiber carb that is not processed or refined-think fresh organic fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. When you combine proteins with carbs, blood sugar levels begin to balance out, and appetite and sugar cravings get under control so you can lose those unwanted pounds.
Q:Why is it important to eat every four hours?
A: It's far better to pay your bills on time than be sent to a collections agency, right? Well, eating every four hours is sort of the same concept. Your body needs fuel, and when you wait too long to pay yourself with a balanced meal, all hell breaks loose: lack of concentration; low energy; headaches; caffeine cravings; mood swings; anxiety; depression; and, ultimately, overeating. It's far better to pay your body with a normal-sized meal every four hours as opposed to suffering the consequences that could have easily been avoided if you just ate some good food.
Q:How important is exercise for losing weight?
A: Exercise and a long, healthy life go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other. If you hate exercise, your body will hate you back by falling apart slowly but surely. I would encourage everyone to find a sport or activity they love and then connect with a group of other individuals who meet on a regular basis.
Q:What's your best piece of advice for someone who has a large amount of weight to lose?
A: Remember that Rome was not built in a day, so don't give up. Patience and consistency will generate large dividends without fail. Surround yourself with people who support you and will hold you accountable.
Ingredient of the Month: Mesquite Powder
Ground from mesquite plant seed pods, this raw, vegan powder has a nutty, molasses-caramel taste. Try in coffee, tea, and smoothies. Available from Navitas Naturals, Foods Alive, and The Raw Food World.


text:
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
There's No Ebola Cure, But Early Intensive Treatment Boosts Survival
Virus launches assault on multiple organs, keeping patients hydrated is often key, experts sayThursday, July 31, 2014
THURSDAY, July 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The Ebola virus currently raging in West Africa has a well-earned reputation as one of the world's most deadly illnesses. But experts stress that early and intense medical care can greatly improve a person's chances of survival.
There's no cure or vaccine for Ebola, which wreaks life-threatening havoc within the body by attacking multiple organ systems at the same time.
Instead, doctors must fall back on the basics of "good meticulous intensive care," supporting the patient and targeting treatment toward the organs that are under attack by the virus, explained Dr. Lee Norman, chief medical officer for the University of Kansas Hospital and an expert on the disease.
"You treat the things that are failing," Norman said. "If a person is dehydrated, you treat them with IV fluid support. If a person has respiratory failure, you put them on a ventilator."
Such medical care has so far helped two American aid workers currently fighting for their lives in Liberia. Each became infected with Ebola while helping stricken patients in the West African nation.
The condition of the two American patients changes day to day. Earlier this week both Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol were reported by the Associated Press to have improved "slightly." But an update Thursday from Samaritan's Purse said that Brantly's condition has "taken a slight turn for the worse overnight,"ABC News reported.
Brantly, 33, is a family physician from Texas who serves as medical director of the Samaritan's Purse treatment center in Liberia's capital city, Monrovia. Writebol is a hygienist who works for a group allied with Samaritan's Purse.
Ebola currently is raging through the West African nations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. As of July 29, the virus had killed 729 people and infected a total 1,323, according to the World Health Organization.
The virus is particularly tough to combat because "once it gets into the human body, it attacks so many different tissues," explained Dr. Bruce Hirsch, an infectious diseases specialist at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y.
In contrast, most viruses tend to target one specific organ, Hirsch and Norman said. For example, influenza goes after the respiratory system.
But Ebola attacks every organ system, including the heart, lungs, brain, liver and kidneys, Norman said. The virus even attacks a person's blood, thinning it and causing Ebola's trademark bleeding from multiple orifices.
And the impact in terms of overall illness is "additive," Norman said. "Every time you add another organ system that's failing, a person's chance of survival goes down exponentially."
The human body responds to this multiple-pronged attack by initiating a massive and intense inflammatory response -- which actually adds to the damage being done, Hirsch noted.
"It's a combination of the viral destruction and the inflammation that takes place in response that's so life threatening to us," he said.
Ebola's ravages are such that even young, healthy patients, who usually can fight off most serious illnesses, have a high death rate, Hirsch said.
Pumping fluids into patients remains the best front-line treatment for Ebola, to limit the damage caused by inflammation, Hirsch explained.
Beyond that, doctors must pay close attention to the patient and be ready to treat whatever organs are on the verge of failure, Hirsch and Norman said.
It doesn't sound like much, but this basic care can dramatically enhance chances of survival.
"If you look at the overall statistics, the mortality rate is around 50 to 60 percent, but if you get out into remote areas the mortality rate increases to around 90 percent," Norman said. "I think that reflects the fact that if more care is given and care is given early, the more survival improves."
Indeed, there was a rare moment of good news from aid agency Doctors Without Borders, NBC News reported Wednesday. In its latest update on the West African outbreak, the group said it was closing its Ebola treatment center in the Guinea town of Telimele because no new cases have been reported for the past three weeks.
"During seven weeks, 21 people with the disease were admitted to the center, with an astonishing 75 percent of patients making a recovery," Doctors Without Borders said. "Without medical care, as few as 10 percent of patients could be expected to survive."
SOURCES: Lee Norman, M.D., chief medical officer, University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City; Bruce Hirsch, M.D., infectious diseases specialist, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, N.Y.; July 30, 2014, NBC News; ABC News
Copyright (c) 2014 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
- More Health News on:
- Hemorrhagic Fevers


text:
President Hoover's Views on the Depression
In February 1933, shortly before leaving office, President Hoover wrote a letter to Senator Simeon Fess (R-OH). Senator Fess was the Republican Whip in 1933, but was defeated for re-election in 1934. President Hoover provided a kind of thumbnail history of what he identified as the five phases of the Depression up to that point. The letter also makes clear his continuing disagreements with President-elect Roosevelt and the New Deal. It is interesting to note that Hoover included a separate cover letter to Fess with instructions that his letter not be released unless " . . .at some future time the Democratic leaders should endeavor to mislead the public about the causes of the present situation."
All images courtesy National Archives


text:
Revocation instructions
Consequences of revocation
In the case of an effective revocation mutually received services are to be returned and any to uses
E.g. interest) are. You can the service received us wholly or partly or only in deteriorated condition back,
must you us extent may compensate. This can cause that you must nevertheless meet the contractual payment obligations for the period up to the withdrawal.
The surrender of goods this does not apply, if the degradation of the thing would have been possible
you solely on their examination - as in a shop - is due. In addition, you can avoid the obligation
to value for a deterioration caused by proper use of the item by not taking the thing as your property
and refraining from any actions which might affect their value. Parcel are to be returned at our risk.
You have to bear the cost of return. Not parcel things are picked up. Obligations for refunding of payments
must meet within 30 days. The time limit begins for you with the dispatch of your revocation or the thing for us with their reception.
Revocation instructions
Right of withdrawal
You (consumers in the sense of §13 BGB) can your contractual Declaration within two weeks without indication of reasons in text form (E.g. letter, fax, E-Mail) or - if the thing before the expiry of the time limit is - leave you revoked by returning the goods. The time limit begins after receipt of this instruction in text form, but not before receipt of the goods by the recipient (in the recurring supply of similar goods not before the receipt of the first partial delivery) and not before fulfilment of our obligations of e.g. article 246 § 2 in conjunction with §1 para 1 and 2 EGBGB and 4 BGB-InfoV as well as our obligations according to §312e paragraph 1 sentence 1 BGB in conjunction with §3 BGB-InfoV. The punctual sending off of the revocation or the goods is sufficient to safeguard the withdrawal period. The withdrawal must be addressed to:
Ringstrasse 8
66894 Krähenberg-
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Enter your shipping information.


text:
It does, with me, and the tomato curry I have here, a childhood staple, happened by chance and not by design. This week has not been one of my best, what with inspiration for the blog not striking, my sofa covers not being delivered on time ("This is the 21st century, you know, Mr Draper, women don't sit at home waiting for curtains and sofa covers, they go to work, how would you feel if I didn't pay your bill for the next two weeks?"), the gas cylinder not being delivered on time ("Madam, you booked it on the 10th, it still has not come?" "No, Madam, I booked it only on the 15th and this is only the second reminder, but yes, it still has not come."), and various other irritants small and smaller. But somehow, I was feeling sunny this Sunday morning — The Spouse had brought stuff for Sunday lunch, and we had planned various things and things were going along swimmingly when we couldn't find the curry powder and things went rapidly downhill after that.
One of the dishes I had planned was tomato egg-drop curry but after methi dal, the hunt high and low for the garam masala, and the tomato gravy, I suddenly found myself devoid of the energy to crack a few eggs into it. Well, I had to go back from the kitchen to the fridge, open the door, collect the eggs and carry them gingerly back to the kitchen and crack them one by one into the gravy, didn't I? Nah, too much energy to expend, and I had to go out and shop a bit for the next week, go to the library to see if there were any Harry Potter copies left over (fat chance, so perish the thought) and voila, the tomato curry became a moment of rediscovery!
Not that I hadn't tried to whip up this on occasion, but I would only be faced with tired old tomato mush, the skins curling up and coming apart, more brownish than red, but today (and this past week, actually, when I had tried the egg-drop curry), I realised the trick to this curry is to add a lot of water, finely chopped onions, and cooking for a long time! (Read about another tomato-ey rediscovery here.)
This is a curry/gravy tailor made for puris and chapattis, tastes great with rice too, and can be the base for several curries. In my home, a favourite variation was to add peeled, diced potatoes to it.
This is an as-you-like-it curry, vary the proportions as per availability and taste, experiment till you arrive at the version you like. This recipe is just a guideline:
Tomatoes: ½ a kilo/ 7 medium, chopped
Onion: 1 small, minced
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp
Cumin seed: 1 tsp
Turmeric: A pinch
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Curry powder: 1 tsp
Oil: ½ tsp
Water: (Please see recipe)
Curds/Yoghurt: 2 tbsp, beaten
A frying pan with a lid
1. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds.
2. Add onion, saute till transparent.
3. Add the ginger-garlic paste, fry for two minutes.
4. Add the turmeric, chilli powder, salt and the curry powder. Mix well.
5. Now add the tomatoes, mix well with the spices.
6. Add some water, enough to cover the tomatoes.
7. Cover the pan and let the mixture cook on medium heat for more than five minutes. (Keep checking to see that it doesn't dry out and stick to the pan.)
8. If it's boiling well and has a nice and healthy volume, gently mash the tomatoes with the ladle. If they mash easily, the curry's done. If you feel the volume isn't enough, add a little more water, and simmer. Keep checking for the consistency of your choice – I like it thick.
9. Once you take it off the fire, add the curds to the curry. Do you see the several yellow specks in the curry? That's the curds, which makes it all tangy and nice. Now fry some hot, calorific puris, dip them into this curry and taste heaven!
I'll post a picture later of the tomato egg-drop curry I made sometime ago, but here's how you make it.
For this, at Step 8, when you have a thick gravy, turn the heat down to simmer, crack a few eggs into it (as many as you think the gravy will hold), cover it and let them set. Resist the temptation to poke the eggs or ensure that the curry covers the eggs – if you are worried that the spices may not reach the top of the egg, sprinkle a little salt on the tops. (In that case, make sure you put in less salt in the gravy earlier.) Here's another variation.
I'm sending this off to Kalyn's Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by The Chocolate Lady of In Mol Araan.
Weekend Herb Blogging Curds/Yoghurt Gluten-free Tomato Curry Rediscovering Egg drop


text:
Keith Raniere, the man who headed up a sex slaver cult that required its top-tier members to be branded with his initials – who once imprisoned a young woman for 18 months because she didn't want to be part of his harem – who ordered other members of his harem to run head-first into a tree and to drink from a puddle of ground-water – who doggedly pursued those he perceived as enemies with endless litigation – and who committed all sorts of other despicable acts – is a pussy!
At least that's the conclusion of the other inmates in his unit at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, NY – and the medical staff there – after the man who likes to be called Vanguard nearly passed out when he stepped on a sharp object and cut his foot sometime last Thursday.
Apparently still not seeing very well with his prison-issued spectacles, Raniere turned himself into a human spectacle by the way he reacted to the bleeding that resulted from his self-inflicted wound.
The half-inch foreign object that he stepped on got embedded in his foot – and had to be removed by the MDC medical staff. But the procedure caused a fair amount of bleeding – the sight of which caused Raniere to get queasy and teary-eyed.
In typical MDC fashion, the medical staff slapped a couple of band-aids on Vanguard's boo-boo – and sent him back to his cell.
Raniere is reportedly walking very gingerly now – and looking for sympathy from his fellow inmates. None has been forthcoming.
Those who know Raniere – I mean really know the kind of man he is – will not be surprised to hear about Keith's reaction to a small cut and some blood.
Even his own attorney, Marc Agnifilo – who has only known Raniere for a few months – has described him as a "soft" man (Many of the woman that Raniere bedded also complained about the fact that he was "soft" – but that's another matter to be discussed at another time).
Rather than making a big deal out of a small wound, what Raniere should be worrying about is the possibility of getting a serious infection while he's at MDC. The place is notorious for its general lack of cleanliness – and its high incidence of staph infections.
The "good news" is that those who have been worried that Raniere might off himself while he's incarcerated can stop worrying. He clearly doesn't have the balls to do anything that might cause him any pain.


text:
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, the man who coined the phrase "push the reset button" in reference to U.S.-Russia relations, stopped by the Kremlin this week to check how the program was loading and propose some upgrades.
Though Mr. Biden's two-day visit to Moscow was unmarked by either controversy or any key achievement, he appears to have assured Russians that the U.S. remains committed to the new relationship.
That confidence boost may be needed, because upcoming challenges include finding common ground on the thorny issue of Eurasian missile defense, inducting Russia into the World Trade Organization (WTO), expanding cooperation on regional problems like Iran and Afghanistan, and what to do about the turmoil shaking the Middle East.
"The reset was a transition from a period of almost no constructive relations under George W. Bush to the normal and fruitful dialogue we see today," says Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russia in Global Affairs, a leading Moscow foreign policy journal. He says the two-year reset brought major accomplishments, including the signing of the first post-cold war comprehensive arms control treaty, New START, a Russian end to arms sales to Iran, and Moscow's help in forging a resupply corridor for the embattled NATO mission in Afghanistan through former Soviet territory.
"The original list of things-to-do in the reset has been completed, and now the relationship must move ahead to fresh tasks," says Mr. Lukyanov. "Biden came to Moscow to set the agenda for the future."
Russia's WTO bid
Biden, who met with President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during his visit, had set trade and economic relations as his priority, including assisting Russia in overcoming the final hurdles to entering the WTO. Moscow's on-again-off-again bid to join the global trade regime appears to be serious this time, and Biden told Mr. Medvedev at a Kremlin meeting Wednesday that the US wants to be helpful in building economic bridges.
A US prod might be the only thing that could persuade Georgia to drop its stubborn objections to Russian membership. Since the WTO requires newcomers to be ratified by consensus, Georgia's stand over Russia's continued sponsorship of breakaway South Ossetia and Abkhazia could leave Moscow's application in limbo indefinitely.
"This is where we'll see if there can be practical give and take in this relationship," says Sergei Strokan, foreign affairs columnist with the Moscow daily Kommersant. "If the American side sends a strong signal to Georgia that it's time to be flexible and let Russia into the WTO, that will be taken in Moscow as very strong evidence that the reset is working."
Trade turnover between Russia and the US was just $23.5 billion last year, less than 4 percent of Russia's external commerce, but Biden told a meeting of business leaders in the future high-tech hub of Skolkovo that he embraces Medvedev's vision of modernizing Russia's economy and hopes the US will find ways to participate.
"We fully support President Medvedev's vision of a nation powered by innovation and human capital, and that we have a deep respect for the pool of talent and the passion of the Russian people," Biden said. "Indeed, we share a similar vision for our own nation."
In the Skolkovo meeting, Biden urged Kremlin leaders to redouble efforts against corruption, which according to some estimates swallows up about a quarter of Russia's GDP. He also called for less red tape, more transparent business rules, and fewer restrictions on foreign investment.
Abolishing visas?
But some Russian experts are scratching their heads over a quixotic suggestion made by Mr. Putin during a Thursday meeting with Biden that the US and Russia take the "historic step" of abolishing visas for travel between the two countries. "This would break all the old stereotypes between Russia and the United States," Putin said.
That doesn't seem to be a practical point for the near-term US-Russian agenda, says Mr. Strokan, since security agencies and powerful political interests on both sides are likely to staunchly oppose it. "What I see here is Putin trying to burnish his image. He knows that he is viewed abroad as a former KGB man, associated with the Iron Curtain and all that, so what better way to dispel that negative view than to publicly advocate tearing down those visa walls and letting people travel freely?" he says. "It's not a bad thing to talk about, but don't look for it to happen anytime soon."
Biden came away from Moscow saying little on the contentious issue of missile defense, but the issue surely got an airing during his meetings with Medvedev and Putin. A joint Russian-NATO commission is due to report in June on ways the two sides might build a joint network to defend Russia and the West from rogue missile attacks, or build two separate systems that share data and exchange inspections. The key problem is to assuage Russian fears that any antimissile system that covers Eurasian airspace could be used to undermine Russia's Soviet-era nuclear deterrent.
"The cold war is over, Russia and the US are no longer opponents, and we have a common interest in protection against threats from third parties," says Viktor Kremeniuk, deputy director of the official Institute of USA-Canada Studies in Moscow.
"But as long as suspicion and mistrust pervade the relationship, we won't come up with practical ways of doing that," he says "It would be good to formally open negotiations, much as we did with New Start, to find a missile defense formula. Setting a concrete goal like that would boost confidence and give us something to work toward, even if the talks went on for years."
Washington backs stronger civil society
One potential controversy emerged when Biden met Thursday with beleaguered Russian human rights activists and assured them of Washington's ongoing support for a strong civil society. Oleg Orlov, head of Russia's largest human rights group Memorial, told journalists that Biden listened carefully to their list of woes, which include a crackdown on nongovernmental organizations, a string of unsolved murders of journalists and human rights workers, and tough restrictions on independent media.
Mr. Orlov said that Biden intimated that the US might punish the Kremlin for the lack of progress on rights. "Biden basically said that in one way or another Russia's accession to the WTO could depend … to some degree on how certain human rights issues are being dealt with," Orlov said. "He was very receptive to our ideas."
But many Russian experts say the Obama administration has managed to remove a major source of acrimony with the Kremlin by creating a "two-track" approach to Russia, in which it engages with civil society activists but does not let that interfere with the official relationship.
"It was a big problem during the Bush years that the US seemed to threaten political or economic consequences because of Russian internal policies," says Strokan. "Now it's generally understood that visiting US officials will balance their official contacts by meeting with oppositionists, but that human rights and democracy issues will not be allowed to hamper the big strategic and economic deals."


text:
Boston – Boston was in mourning Tuesday for three killed and at least 144 wounded in a "cowardly" bombing at the Boston Marathon, leaving the tragedy-wracked city scrambling for answers as to how a terrorist was able to plant two explosive devices on a busy stretch of Boylston Street at a high-security international event.
"This cowardly act will not be taken in stride," Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis said. "We will turn over every rock to find those responsible."
The 2:50 p.m. double bombing shattered the bliss of the sun-splashed marathon, sending frantic runners and fans scrambling for cover and sending at least 144 to the hospital. There were at least three dead _ including an 8-year-old _ and 30 wounded "critically," officials said Monday night.
The FBI took over the investigation Monday night as President Barack Obama pledged to track down the ruthless killer or killers.
"We will get to the bottom of this. We will find out who did this and we will find out why," Obama said. "They will feel the full weight of justice.
"Boston is a tough and resilient town. Residents will pull together, take care of each other and move forward," he added. "The American people are with them every step of the way."
FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Rick DesLauriers said the city should remain in a "heightened state of vigilance" Tuesday as an army of cops patrols the streets.
"It is a potential terrorist investigation," DesLauriers said Monday night. "We will bring those responsible to justice as quickly as possible."
Late Monday night, state police, Boston bomb squad and canine units, as well as FBI, ICE and ATF agents, swooped into an apartment complex in Revere. It was unclear whether the search was connected to the marathon bombings.
Downtown, the city was gripped by fear as revelers who came to celebrate wound up running for their lives. Roughly 15 blocks around Copley Square were "locked down" after the attacks and were slated to remain so Tuesday. Heavily armed National Guard soldiers, state troopers with bomb-sniffing dogs and hundreds of cops patrolled hotels, restaurants and the streets while shaken families huddled inside.
Officials said random bag searches would occur Tuesday on Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority trains.
There were reports Monday night of a suspect in custody, but Davis said they were wrong. He did say there were "people being questioned," but provided no more details.
Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who was hospitalized with a broken leg, checked himself out of Brigham and Women's Hospital Monday night to be at the city's command post, where he met with Davis, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, and federal and state officials.
"The marathon is a great day in the city of Boston, but we had a tragedy," Menino said from a wheelchair at the Westin Copley hotel. "I offer my condolences and prayers to the victims."
Logan International Airport _ the launching pad for two of the planes in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York City _ was shut down for about an hour after the attack. A no-fly zone around Boston was put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration.
In a statement, the Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the marathon, said: "It is a sad day for the City of Boston. … What was intended to be a day of joy and celebration quickly became a day in which running a marathon was of little importance."
Kyle Loehning of Charlestown arrived at Tufts Medical Center to see his sister-in-law, who was injured in the blast.
"She was in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said. "They think she lost her leg."
U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, a South Boston resident, said authorities believe the devices were brought into the area after police did a security sweep. He said city and state officials took "all the appropriate steps," but security efforts in the future "will have to be redoubled."
"There was nothing to lead us to believe that what we were doing, what the mayor was doing, what the governor was doing was less than appropriate," Lynch said. "The staffing was there, the sweeps were there. … They did their due diligence. But … under these circumstances, it was very difficult to stop."
Matt Stout and Tenley Rooney contributed to this report.
Distributed by MCT Information Services
(c)2013 Boston Herald
Visit the Boston Herald at www.bostonherald.com
Briefly, we wanted to update you on where Truthout stands this month.
To be brutally honest, Truthout is behind on our fundraising goals for the year. There are a lot of reasons why. We're dealing with broad trends in our industry, trends that have led publications like Vice, BuzzFeed, and National Geographic to make painful cuts. Everyone is feeling the squeeze of inflation. And despite its lasting importance, news readership is declining.
To ensure we stay out of the red by the end of the year, we have a long way to go. Our future is threatened.
We've stayed online over two decades thanks to the support of our readers. Because you believe in the power of our work, share our transformative stories, and give to keep us going strong, we know we can make it through this tough moment.
We've launched a campaign to raise $42,000 in the next 6 days. Please consider making a donation today.


text:
- Family rate apply for three or more applicants - parents or legal guardians
and their dependent children under age of 21 or up to 25 years if the child is a full time
student or if the child is mentally challenged or physically handicapped.
- Pre-existing medical conditions may be covered after completing a
medical questionnaire. Please, contact our customer service for more information.
- Students, New Immigrants and Foreign Workers can use a Visitors to
Canada plan. For more options call 1-877-838-0020.
Copyright. Easy Links Financial Inc. All rights reserved.
Please Note: The information and content of this site is intended for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to constitute insurance, legal, financial, tax or any other professional advice or services. Insurance policy wordings are subject to change at any time, without prior notice. Please, read the disclaimer page for all legal restrictions and terms of use or call us toll free: 1-877-838-0020


text:
Yesterday we quietly released an exciting new addition to the School Profiles. The new project galleries showcase the work of students, alumni and faculty from each school.
Want to add your work to your school's project gallery? It's easy - just add your projects to your portfolio in your profile, and make sure that your school is indicated in the academic and/or work experience sections of your Archinect profile/resume.
Check out the work from the Pratt community.
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
This blog is intended to keep a brief record of not-so-obvious updates and changes to Archinect.