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It's time we faced it: The Year of the Linux Desktop, long foretold, isn't coming.
Year after year, breathless pundits announce that the open source OS is on the verge of a tipping point, a critical mass that will see businesses abandoning Windows in droves. And year after year, nothing happens. Is it too late for desktop Linux to matter?
[ See why desktop Linux makes a better successor to Windows XP for most business users than Windows Vista or 7 -- if only businesses would give it a chance. | Discover the eight questions to ask to see if you can adopt desktop Linux. ]
The issue isn't whether Linux is "ready for prime time." Modern desktop-centric Linux distributions -- including Mandriva, Novell Suse, Ubuntu, and Xandros -- have made impressive strides in aesthetics, usability, management, and hardware support. Major hardware manufacturers ship systems with Linux pre-installed, and Dell reports that customer satisfaction rates are just as high for the Linux models of its Inspiron Mini 9 netbooks as for the Windows models. Today's Linux really is reliable, polished, and full-featured enough for mainstream desktop use.
Even Microsoft admits it. After years of denial, the software giant's latest SEC filings acknowledge mounting competitive pressure from Linux, and not just in the datacenter. Addressing Microsoft investors in February, CEO Steve Ballmer went as far as to suggest that the open source OS could be a greater threat to Windows than Mac OS X. That same month, Microsoft began actively recruiting a director of open source desktop strategy, a position whose responsibilities will include "influencing multimillion dollar marketing campaigns."
Enterprises aren't buying the Linux promise, nor are vendors
Yet if Microsoft is willing to spend millions on desktop Linux, the enterprise plainly is not. Even given the backlash against Vista and uncertainty surrounding Windows 7, there has been no mass exodus. By Ballmer's own figures, the greatest threat to Windows remains unlicensed Windows, not Linux. In fact, according to research from Net Applications, Linux's market share has declined in recent months, despite the breakout success of low-cost Linux netbooks.
Meanwhile, leading Linux vendor Red Hat has "no plans" to deliver a mainstream desktop Linux distribution. At the recent Open Source Business Conference, Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst admitted that he doesn't know how to make money on it. And even Novell, which markets a commercial desktop Linux distribution aimed at enterprise customers, says building a market for the OS among consumers will take years.
If major Linux vendors aren't ready to put their full faith behind Linux on the desktop, who will? More importantly, what will it take for Linux to overcome the barriers to mainstream acceptance and realize its full potential -- if it's even possible?
FUD for thought: Desktop Linux's No. 1 enemy
It's tempting to look for easy answers. Ask an open source advocate why enterprises are reluctant to adopt Linux and other free software, and the answer often comes down to three letters: FUD. Fear, uncertainty, and doubt -- the result of contradictory or even misleading information spread by proprietary software vendors -- have dogged the open source movement since its earliest days.
But simply crying FUD may hinder open source adoption more than it helps. Potential Linux users (and customers) aren't the enemy. Telling them that they've fallen prey to FUD -- in essence, calling them idiots and cowards -- can only alienate them.
Are businesses wary of Linux because of actual fear? Doubtful. Because of uncertainty and doubt? Certainly. For risk-averse enterprises in a bear market, wanting doubts assuaged and uncertainty eliminated is standard operating procedure. They would demand as much of any vendor. When the open source community reacts in a way that appears thin-skinned or defensive, it sends the message that open source is unprepared to compete against proprietary software.
It is true that resistance to open source is sometimes motivated by intuitive, emotional factors, rather than rational decision-making. But if rationality is to prevail, vendors and open source advocates must provide potential customers with the hard information necessary to facilitate the decision-making process. Merely providing an alternative isn't enough; they need to demonstrate that the alternative represents a superior value.
The danger of falling back on "the FUD defense" is that it makes it all too easy to dismiss or overlook concerns stemming from genuine customer concerns. Any product that falls short of meeting its customers' needs will ultimately fail in the marketplace. For client-side OS customers, those needs are varied and complex -- and whether Linux is truly capable of meeting them is an equally complex question.
Mac OS X is desktop Linux's real competition for user attention
Linux isn't the only alternative OS to Windows vying for a spot on the enterprise desktop. Apple has made slow but steady inroads in recent years, with some studies suggesting it now commands an unprecedented 10 percent share of the total OS market, and 23 percent of businesses have at least some Macs in use. Virtually all of those gains have come at Microsoft's expense. So why is Mac OS X enjoying such success while desktop Linux has seemingly stagnated?
Apple is known for its savvy marketing, but its campaigns seldom target the enterprise. Its core customer base consists of students, educators, creative professionals, and individual consumers, whom it courts with a brand message that's equal parts Porsche and Picasso. Far from being a business darling, Apple paints the Mac as the anti-corporate PC: You either "think different" or shop elsewhere.
Ironically, however, Apple's iconoclastic image may be precisely what has driven its recent gains in the workplace. Apple is one of the world's most successful brands. Its customers are notoriously loyal -- so much so that its following is often derisively described as a "cult." When businesses purchase Macs, it's often in response to pressure from employees who use Macs at home and would prefer the same at work.
The same won't happen for Linux. Linux has rabid fans, certainly, and it's definitely iconoclastic. But saying you're a fan of Apple is like saying you're a fan of U2; saying you're a fan of Linux is like saying you're a fan of rock 'n' roll.
That's because there's no such thing as a single "desktop Linux" -- and there's not likely to be a clear Linux leader. The design, layout, and UI of your Linux desktop will vary based on whether you use Fedora, Mandriva, Suse, Ubuntu, Xandros, or some other distribution. Some will be based on the Gnome desktop, while others will use KDE -- and even then, most distros add their own, unique customizations. Users who sit down at a random PC running Linux won't necessarily be able to say, "This is Linux, I know this." Even if they have used Linux before, the desktop may seem completely unfamiliar.
The lack of software for Linux that caters to the consumer market is a further barrier to mainstream adoption. The dearth of games for Linux may not be a business concern, but it means gamers won't want to use it at home. Neither will those who want to use their PCs to manage their home businesses; there's no professional tax preparation software for Linux. And multimedia support, a longtime Mac OS specialty, sometimes requires Linux users to jump through extra hoops, owing to intellectual property constraints. Until Linux can overcome such stumbling blocks, it will never garner the kind of user loyalty that Mac OS X enjoys.
Finally, don't underestimate the significance of the fact that Mac OS X, like Windows, ships pre-installed on laptops and desktop PCs. By comparison, the selection of consumer-level hardware that ships with Linux pre-installed remains small. Even Linux netbooks are increasingly difficult to find. Adding insult to injury, manufacturers often subsidize Windows PCs through third-party software bundles. As a result, prebuilt Linux systems may carry higher price tags than comparable Windows machines, despite shipping with a free OS.
Desktop Linux's existential question: What's my motivation?
Mainstream adoption of Linux on the desktop, then, faces a kind of chicken-and-egg problem. The major commercial Linux vendors have adopted a desktop strategy that targets the enterprise first and consumers second (if at all). But until Linux catches on with consumers -- and there are few signs that it will do so soon -- don't expect to see grassroots pressure to bring Linux into the workplace, as exists for Mac OS X. Any initiative to adopt Linux in the enterprise must therefore arise entirely from within the business -- which means it must address some key business objective.
This implies that customers who adopt Linux on the desktop will almost always do so out of a desire to reduce costs. Like it or not, Windows remains the de facto standard for business computing. Choosing Windows ensures maximum compatibility with customers, vendors, and partners. Absent significant cost savings, businesses have little incentive to look elsewhere for their desktop software needs. Therefore, a business case for Linux on the desktop must answer two key questions:
1. Can it do everything that I need it to do? (That is, can it do everything that I could do with an equivalent Windows system?)
2. How much money will I save?
Unfortunately, Linux vendors have had a hard time answering either question to enterprise customers' satisfaction. Each customer's usage profile is different. What case studies of desktop Linux's large-scale success have emerged have typically come from governments, law enforcement, higher education, and other noncommercial entities, often in emerging markets. Such organizations typically have greater leeway in setting standards of practice than traditional enterprises do. So it's chickens and eggs again: Until more enterprise customers can demonstrate success with Linux on the desktop, enterprises will remain reluctant to take the plunge.
It's the apps, stupid
Another problem that arises when customers evaluate Linux on the desktop is that they often do so with unrealistic expectations. The desire to replace Windows is itself worth examining. Asking Linux to duplicate every quirk and feature of the Windows environment is not only misguided, it's also self-defeating. If Windows is the benchmark of success, then Microsoft gets to set the terms. Seen through that lens, the competition between Windows and Linux starts to look like one of Zeno's paradoxes: No matter how much progress Linux makes, it can never reach the goal.
Further complicating the issue is the fact that, to a desktop user, "Linux" implies far more than just an OS. Choosing Linux means adopting an entirely separate ecosystem of software and applications than what is available for Windows. It's in for a penny, in for a pound: Good-bye Internet Explorer, hello Firefox. Good-bye Microsoft Office, hello OpenOffice.org or Lotus Symphony. And while many open source applications are perfectly adequate replacements for their proprietary equivalents, others may not measure up.
If proprietary software vendors would port their major applications to Linux -- if Adobe offered a Linux version of Photoshop, for example -- the decision to switch to Linux on the desktop could be much easier. Unfortunately, there's little incentive to do so. Because enterprises adopt Linux to save money, common sense suggests that commercial Linux software is inherently a low-margin business. Actual sales would be unlikely to offset the cost of developing and supporting the Linux versions.
A successful migration to Linux on the business desktop therefore depends almost entirely upon the ability of the organization in question to weather the disruption that will inevitably result. For some, the pain may be minimal; for example, organizations that conduct most of their business using standards-based Web applications may have little trouble making the transition to Linux. Companies that rely heavily on proprietary products such as Microsoft SharePoint or Exchange, however, will find it difficult or even impossible to switch without major adjustments to business processes.
The cost issue: "Free" Linux isn't the whole story
Having weighed all that, then, a potential desktop Linux customer's second question -- how much money will I save? -- can often be simplified even further: Will it be worth it?
Answering this question, however, can be incredibly difficult. The factors involved in calculating TCO (total cost of ownership) for an entire desktop OS environment, applications and all, are so numerous and complex that you might as well read tea leaves.
Just knowing when to switch can be tricky. Jumping ship to desktop Linux often means abandoning proprietary software licenses that have already been paid for. Depending on where an organization is in its normal upgrade cycle, that license issue could represent a significant hidden short-term cost.
Once the switch to open source is complete, the days of paying license fees will be over, but most enterprise customers will still want to pay for a support contract. How effective such support is at responding to any issues that may arise will determine how much those issues impact productivity -- and, by extension, the business's bottom line.


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Story highlights
A law enforcement official says passengers may notice additional searches
Intelligence indicates groups have been working on new bomb designs, sources say
They stress there is no specific threat or known plot
A separate source underscores the warning is issued out of heightened caution
The U.S. government has warned airlines to pay particular attention to the possibility of terrorists attempting to hide explosives in shoes, a result of new intelligence, according to two people familiar with the situation.
The officials stressed there is no specific threat or known plot.
Intelligence collected by the United States and other countries has indicated terror groups have been working on new shoe-bomb designs, the sources said Wednesday.
That knowledge prompted the Department of Homeland Security to warn airlines to be on the lookout for explosives hidden in shoes on flights from overseas to the United States, they said.
A separate intelligence official underscored the warning was issued out of a sense of heightened caution.
"This threat is not specific or credible enough to require a specific response. DHS often issues these alerts out of an abundance of caution, but this does not necessarily rise to the level of facilitating a response," the intelligence official said.
A fourth official similarly stressed there is no specific threat and said there is already some puzzlement about why DHS issued the warning.
Yet another intelligence source said the warning went beyond a concern about explosives in shoes to include cosmetics and liquids.
The official added that the threat is unrelated to recent warnings about toothpaste and cosmetic tubes potentially being used to hide explosives on flights to Russia.
Terrorism experts say airlines continue to be a target of terrorists wishing to make a spectacular impact with an attack. The focus on security since 2001 has shifted from hijackings to bombs, especially those that might be hidden in luggage.
In December 2001, just weeks after the 9/11 attacks, passengers aboard an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami thwarted another passenger's attempt to detonate explosives hidden in his sneakers. Richard Reid, a British citizen, pleaded guilty and is serving a life sentence.
A failed attempt to blow up an overseas flight heading to Detroit on Christmas Day in 2009 involved a bomb concealed in a passenger's underwear.
Current Transportation Security Administration policy requires passengers going through security checkpoints to take off their shoes to be X-rayed.
DHS is not making any changes to passenger requirements, though travelers may notice additional searches, including swabs to detect explosives, according to a law enforcement official.
The official added that there are "seen and unseen" measures TSA can take for security and additional scrutiny.
The warning outlined 25 to 30 cities overseas, all of which have nonstop flights to the United States, an airline industry source said. Johannesburg, Paris, London and Cairo, as well as some cities in the Middle East, were on the list.
For carriers flying on those routes, the alert warned there would be increased scrutiny of people who appear on the TSA's "selectee list," which includes people deemed suspicious who could warrant additional screening, as well as randomly picked people.
The warning was meant to give a heads up to airlines about delays, not asking airlines to do anything specific, the industry source said.
CNN's Rene Marsh and Mike Ahlers contributed to this report.

subset: commoncrawl


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Alumni & Friends Reception and Pictorial Show at Mill City Museum–Thursday, July 17
Join us from 6 to 8 p.m. for a very special evening of history, friendship and celebration at the Mill City Museum, 704 S. 2nd Street, Minneapolis, for the Alumni & Friends Reception and Dunwoody College Pictorial History Display.
No RSVP is required. Alumni, friends and the public are welcome.
For further information contact firstname.lastname@example.com, or call 612-381-3064.
Dunwoody College, celebrating its Centennial in 2014, will hold a pictorial show at Mill City Museum highlighting the College's history and the impact Dunwoody has had on the local community – from the founders William and Kate Dunwoody, to the present day. Featuring historic photographs of the past 100 years, the show will run through Oct. 5.
William H. Dunwoody was the primary share holder of Washburn Crosby Company (now General Mills) and his involvement in the greater milling community was instrumental in making Minneapolis the Flour Milling Capital of the World for 50 years – it was Mill City. Dunwoody is delighted to join with Mill City Museum a hundred years later to celebrate this relationship.
William and Kate Dunwoody were prominent citizens of their time and helped build many significant institutions that survive in today – General Mills, Wells Fargo, Abbott Northwestern Hospital, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Northwestern National Bank, and of course Dunwoody College of Technology.
Dunwoody College's influence continues today as a leader in technical education and a producer of alumni who continue to make an impact on the community. Alums such as M.A. Mortenson (Mortenson Construction), Howard Lund (Lund Boats), and Maurice Wagner (Morrie's Automotive) are just a few examples of Dunwoody Colleges continued impact on the community.


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Of the three historic "peace churches" that have included war tax resistance in their tenets, I've paid relatively little attention to the Church of the Brethren, the smallest of the three (the other two are Quakers and Mennonites).
The Elizabethtown College Peace Pamphlet Collection has put on-line a couple of statements from the Church of the Brethren on war tax resistance. Here is an excerpt from the Statement of the Church of the Brethren on War ("As Revised by the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, Ocean Grove, New Jersey, "):
The Church and Taxes for War Purposes
While the Church of the Brethren recognizes the responsibility of all citizens to pay taxes for the constructive purposes of government, we oppose the use of taxes by the government for war purposes and military expenditures. For those who are conscientiously opposed to paying taxes for these purposes, the church seeks government provision for an alternative use of such tax money for peaceful, nonmilitary purposes.
The church recognizes that its members will believe and act differently in regard to their payment of taxes when a significant percentage goes for war purposes and military expenditures. Some will pay the taxes willingly; some will pay the taxes but express a protest to the government; some will refuse to pay all or part of the taxes as a witness and a protest; and some will voluntarily limit their incomes or use of taxable services to a low enough level that they are not subject to taxation.
We call upon all of our members, congregations, institutions, and boards, to study seriously the problem of paying taxes for war purposes and investing in those government bonds which support war. We further call upon them to act in response to their study, to the leading of conscience, and to their understanding of the Christian faith. To all we pledge to maintain our continuing ministry of fellowship and spiritual concern.
And here is the text of Taxes For War Purposes, an undated (circa 1967–8) pamphlet billed as "A Statement Adopted by the Brethren Service Commission":
The Problem
A major and ever-growing portion of the Federal budget is going for war purposes and military expenditures. The Federal Income Tax, Federal Telephone Tax, and other Federal taxes provide the monies for these purposes. The percentage of the Federal budget which goes for war purposes and military expenditures ranges from 60% to 90%. Traditionally, the source for most of this money has been the Federal Income Tax. However, in the Congress restored the 10% tax on telephone bills to help pay for the Vietnam War and the President is now pressing for a 10% Surtax to provide still additional revenue needed to fight the war.
This situation presents a serious and growing problem of conscience for peace-minded people and conscientious objectors to war who put their trust in the power of love, nonviolence, and international cooperation rather than in military might. They are caught in a conflict of conscience between loyalty to their land and obedience to God, between obligation to state and responsibility to Christ.
The Church's Stance
The Church of the Brethren historically has opposed war and participation in war while at the same time it has taught responsible citizenship. The Statement of the Church of the Brethren on War said:
"The American public may come to accept as normal and inevitable the prospect that the nation must be prepared to go to war at any moment, that every young man must spend time in military service, that an overwhelming share of our heavy Federal taxes must be devoted to military needs, and that this country must always be willing to assume the military burdens of weaker allies, actual or potential.
"Because of our complete dissent from these assumptions the Church of the Brethren desires again, as at other times in its history, to declare its convictions about war and peace, military service and conscription, the right of Christian conscience, and the responsibility of Christian citizenship."
The Statement of the Church of the Brethren on Church, State, and Christian Citizenship said, "The Christian should appreciate and support the worthy functions which government performs. He should willingly obey the state in matters on which he has no contrary moral conviction. On the other hand, he should be alert to occasions when government neglects or misuses its trust from God. When he is profoundly convinced that God forbids what the State demands, it is his responsibility to express his convictions. Such expression may include disobedience of the State."
The church recognizes and encourages freedom of conscience regarding war and the payment of taxes for war purposes. Although it recommends alternative service instead of military service, it recognizes that not all members will hold the belief which the church recommends. The same may be said regarding the payment of taxes for war purposes. Although the church opposes the use of Federal taxes for war purposes and military expenditures, it recognizes that not ail members will hold this belief, and that even among those who do, there will be different expressions of that belief.
Present Alternatives
Four positions on the payment of Federal taxes for war purposes are evident:
- paying the taxes
- paying the taxes but expressing a protest to the government
- voluntarily limiting one's income or use of services to such a low level that they are not subject to Federal taxation
- refusing to pay all or part of the taxes as a witness and a protest
1. Payment of taxes. Persons who favor the government's war and military policies willingly pay their taxes for these purposes. Other taxpayers judge the constructive functions of government to outweigh the unacceptable activities. Others feel that responsible citizenship requires the payment of all taxes. Some who oppose the use of taxes for war feel that the risks and efforts involved in opposing such use of taxes are not worth the negligible results.
2. Payment of taxes under protest. Persons who follow this alternative usually file a letter with appropriate government officials protesting the use of any of their tax money for war purposes or military expenditures. Frequently they urge the government to use their tax money only for peaceful and constructive purposes either through the United States Government or the United Nations. Sometimes such persons ask government leaders to amend the nation's tax laws, especially the income tax law, to provide an alternative opportunity to those conscientiously opposed to paying taxes for war purposes to designate the use of their tax dollars for peaceful and constructive purposes either through United States Government functions or United Nations operations.
3. Limitation of income or use of service to non-taxable level. Some persons are led by their consciences to limit voluntarily their income to such a low level that it will not be subject to Federal taxation for war purposes. Likewise they may not install a telephone or use other services which are subject to similar Federal taxation. They may endeavor to avoid participating in all those aspects of economic life which contribute to or support war and military operations. This is a sacrificial position difficult to maintain but which offers a significant witness and form of protest.
4. Non-payment of taxes or portions thereof. Persons who follow this alternative refuse to pay all or part of the taxes asked by the government. They engage in this form of civil disobedience because they conscientiously object to the use of their money by the government for war or military purposes and because they want to make a more vigorous protest against the government's war policy and military policy. Sometimes these persons contribute an equal amount to the United Nations or a private peace agency as a positive witness to their position. The Federal Income Tax and the Federal Telephone Tax are presently the taxes most frequently refused by conscientious objectors.
Refusal to pay such taxes might possibly be considered a violation of Internal Revenue Code, Section 7203, which would be a misdemeanor subject to a fine up to $10,000 and jail up to one year. However, the experiences of conscientious objectors to Federal taxes for war purposes during the past several years indicate that the government is not interested in pressing possible criminal charges, but in trying to collect the taxes here or there with interest. The Internal Revenue Service usually attaches the salary or bank account of the non-payer and collects the tax plus 6% interest from the date the tax was due.
The non-payment of the Federal Income Tax or portion thereof is carried out by those who have payment control over all or part of their income tax return and who refuse to pay all or a portion of the money owed.
The non-payment of the Federal Telephone Tax or a portion thereof is carried out by refusing to pay that part of one's monthly telephone bill and sending with each remittance a written explanation of why that portion is not included. Telephone companies have indicated that refusal to pay this tax will not result in interruption of telephone service. Telephone companies turn over to the Internal Revenue Service the responsibility for collecting such unpaid taxes. The phone company treats refusal as a matter between the customer and the government. Some companies continue to carry the refused tax on the telephone bill as an "unpaid balance," others do not.
We call upon all of our members and congregations to study seriously the problem of paying taxes for war purposes. We further call upon them to act in response to their study, to the leading of conscience, and to their understanding of the Christian faith. To all, we pledge to maintain our continuing ministry of fellowship and spiritual concern.
In order to provide further information, help and guidance to our members and congregations, we make the following recommendations:
- That the Brethren Service Commission provide appropriate information and counsel to our members on all of the foregoing alternatives.
- That the Brethren Service Commission in concert with other agencies continue to seek for and to help secure a provision in the Federal income tax law for a constructive alternative to the payment of income taxes for war and military purposes. As a part of this effort we suggest that an appropriate delegation visit the President and other policymaking leaders.
- That the church oppose any proposed legislation to increase Federal taxes designed specifically to support the war such as the proposed Surtax. This opposition can be expressed by the General Brotherhood Board through testimony before congressional committees, by congregations through policy statements adopted and forwarded to legislators, and by individuals through letters and contacts with legislators.
- That the Brethren Service Commission provide an opportunity for a corporate public witness by those congregations and members led to refuse to pay the Federal Telephone Tax specifically designed to support the Vietnam War. This corporate witness could well include publicizing a list of Brethren congregations and members refusing to pay this war tax and consenting to be on such a list.
- That a similar opportunity for a corporate public witness be provided in respect to any other Federal taxes enacted or about to be enacted specifically designed to support the War, e.g., the Surtax.
- That those congregations and individuals who refuse to pay taxes for war purposes and military expenditures be encouraged to contribute any amount thus saved to the peace program of the church or other peace agencies as a positive witness to their opposition to war.


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Location: North River Road
Historic Stark Park is named in honor of New Hampshire's own hero, General John Stark. General Stark was born in Derry, NH, in 1728. He was kidnapped by the local Abenaki Indians at the young age of twenty four, was forced to run the gauntlet, and was later ransomed for $103. Stark later emerged as a distinguished soldier and indispensable leader in the Revolutionary War by leading the New Hampshire regiments in the famed Battle of Bunker Hill. Unfortunately, Stark was passed over for promotion in the Continental Army due to political enemies. Infuriated with the government, Stark retired from the army for a time and lived with his wife Molly on their farm. However, when the war efforts needed Stark, he was there.
In 1777 General John Stark was given independent command of New Hampshire's forces at the Battle of Bennington with orders to raise forces for the "annoyance of the enemy." General Stark's troops stopped British supplies and troops from connecting with the main army at Saratoga, New York, which led to an American victory later that year. British historian Trevelyan summed it all up when he said, "Bennington proved to be the turning point of the Saratoga campaign, which was the turning point of the war." It was New Hampshire's own John Stark that proved a key figure in America's fight for independence. Stark lived the remainder of his life in Derryfield (modern day Manchester) until his death in 1822 at age 93.
John Stark's fighting spirit gave words to our state motto in 1809: "Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils."
Stark Park is built around the original Stark Burial Plot, on land that was once part of the Stark family farm. This is the resting place of John Stark, his wife, and a few of their children – one can still visit the headstones today. In 1896, this plot of land was expanded to 30 acres and became a neighborhood park and a historic treasure. The "Friends of Stark Park" nonprofit organization is responsible for maintaining the park. In addition to the burial plot, there is a large equestrian statue of the General (dedicated in 1948) and several models of cannons and cannonballs. Recently, the gazebo-style Hecker-Hastings Bandstand was built in 2009, a place where local bands perform concerts year-round (see http://www.starkpark.com for a schedule of performances). Stark Park also pays tribute to a present-day New Hampshire hero with a memorial bench in memory of Officer Michael L Briggs.
History of Stark Park researched and written by: Alysha C. from Manchester Memorial High School Class of 2011.
For directions click here.


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Nuclear reactors generate energy through fission, the process by which an atomic nucleus splits into two or more smaller nuclei. During fission, a small amount of mass is converted into energy, which can be used to power a generator to create electricity. In order to harness this energy, a controlled chain reaction is required for fission to take place. When a uranium nucleus in a reactor splits, it produces two or more neutrons that can then be absorbed by other nuclei, causing them to undergo fission as well. More neutrons are released in turn and continuous fission is achieved.
Neutrons produced by fission have high energies and move extremely quickly. These so-called fast neutrons do not cause fission as efficiently as slower-moving ones so they are slowed down in most reactors by the process of moderation. A liquid or gas moderator, commonly water or helium, cools the neutrons to optimum energies for causing fission. These slower neutrons are also called thermal neutrons because they are brought to the same temperature as the surrounding coolant.
In contrast to most normal nuclear reactors, however, a fast reactor uses a coolant that is not an efficient moderator, such as liquid sodium, so its neutrons remain high-energy. Although these fast neutrons are not as good at causing fission, they are readily captured by an isotope of uranium (U238), which then becomes plutonium (Pu239). This plutonium isotope can be reprocessed and used as more reactor fuel or in the production of nuclear weapons. Reactors can be designed to maximize plutonium production, and in some cases they actually produce more fuel than they consume. These reactors are called breeder reactors.
Breeder reactors are possible because of the proportion of uranium isotopes that exist in nature. Natural uranium consists primarily of U238, which does not fission readily, and U235, which does. Natural uranium is unsuitable for use in a nuclear reactor, however, because it is only 0.72 percent U235, which is not enough to sustain a chain reaction. Commercial nuclear reactors normally use uranium fuel that has had its U235 content enriched to somewhere between 3 and 8 percent by weight. Although the U235 does most of the fissioning, more than 90 percent of the atoms in the fuel are U238--potential neutron capture targets and future plutonium atoms.
Pu239, which is created when U238 captures a neutron, forms U239 and then undergoes two beta decays, happens to be even better at fissioning than U235. Pu239 is formed in every reactor and also fissions as the reactor operates. In fact, a nuclear reactor can derive a significant amount of energy from such plutonium fission. But because this plutonium fissions, it reduces the amount that is left in the fuel. To maximize plutonium production, therefore, a reactor must create as much plutonium as possible while minimizing the amount that splits.
This is why many breeder reactors are also fast reactors. Fast neutrons are ideal for plutonium production because they are easily absorbed by U238 to create Pu239, and they cause less fission than thermal neutrons. Some fast breeder reactors can generate up to 30 percent more fuel than they use.
Creating extra fuel in nuclear reactors, however, is not without its concerns: One is that the plutonium produced can be removed and used in nuclear weapons. Another is that, to extract the plutonium, the fuel must be reprocessed, creating radioactive waste and potentially high radiation exposures. For these reasons, in the U.S., President Carter halted such spent fuel reprocessing, making the use of breeder reactors problematic.
The U.S. constructed two experimental breeder reactors, neither of which produced power commercially. The Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station in Michigan was the first American fast breeder reactor but operated only from 1963 until 1972 before engineering problems led to a failed license renewal and subsequent decommissioning. Construction of the only other commercial fast breeder reactor in the U.S., the Clinch River plant in Tennessee, was halted in 1983 when Congress cut funding. Elsewhere in the world, only India, Russia, Japan and China currently have operational fast breeder reactor programs; the U.K., France and Germany have effectively shut down theirs.


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Mom wanted to have supper on the table when Dad came in the door, so the sibling responsible for setting it would have to have everything ready. Mom would be at the stove frying supper--and it was always fried food--usually fried in Crisco or Spry shortening, bacon grease or lard (never oil). We would have boiled potatoes one night and fried potatoes the next night with fried meat--hamburger or pork chops, liver, sausage or ham steak.
Vegetables choices alternated between canned corn, green beans and pork and beans. I never tasted broccoli until I was an adult. The only salad we had was chopped iceberg lettuce with sliced bananas and a dressing consisting of Miracle Whip mixed with a little sugar and milk. We loved it.
On those occasions when we were treated to dessert, it was either canned fruit (called sauce) or cooked pudding with milk. During peach season, however, we had peaches and cream every night because it was my dad's favorite.
When supper was done, it was time to do dishes. One night it would be my two brothers and the next, my sister Karen and I. This would sometimes result in arguments over whose turn it was and who left the crusty pan soaking in the oven.
Years later when my own four kids would fight over doing the dishes, I posted this poem by the kitchen sink for them. (Of course, it didn't do much good.)
Thank God for dirty dishes,
For they have a tale to tell.
While other folks go hungry,
We're eating very well.
With home and health and happiness,
We shouldn't want to fuss
For by this stack of evidence,
God's been very good to us.


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WASHINGTON – Things are slowly getting back to normal after superstorm Sandy.
Most public school systems in the WTOP listening area will be back in session. Schools that will be closed or delayed will be on WTOP's Closings and Delays list
Expect a light shower or sprinkle early on Wednesday. For the most part, it will be fairly cloudy, but less windy and a tad milder with highs around 55.
While it will be dry for trick-or-treating. It will become cold as the sun goes down just after 6 p.m. That's when it will drop into the low 50s and mid 40s.
Thursday will be partly cloudy and 55, while Friday is mostly sunny and in the low- to mid 50s.
Many families and businesses continue to deal with power outages. More than 104,000 remained without electricity at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.
PEPCO estimates that all of its customers will have power back by Tuesday night.
Since its sister company, Atlantic City Electric, has many more customers without power in New Jersey, PEPCO crews will head north to help them once they're done in the D.C. area.
NOVEC expects to restore most customers' service by Thursday night.
Federal agencies in D.C. will be open Wednesday with unscheduled leave/telework in effect.
Non-Emergency Employees must notify their supervisor of their intent to use unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework, according to OPM.
Early voting will resume Wednesday in D.C. at 8:30 a.m. and in Maryland at 8 a.m.
Mass Transit
Metro restored all service.
MARC restored service but the Brunswick station is without power. Customers need to buy one-way tickets with cash.
Virginia Railway Express is operating full service, but the elevator is out of service at Franconia/Springfield. Passengers who need the elevator to connect to Metro must ride to Alexandria.
Amtrak and Airports
Amtrak says there will be no Acela Express service along the Northeast Corridor on Wednesday. Amtrak has resumed some service between Newark, N.J. and points south.
Superstorm Sandy ">grounded more than 18,000 flights across the Northeast and the globe, and it will take days before travel gets back to normal.
Airports serving D.C. and Baltimore began to resume flights Tuesday.
The first incoming flight at Baltimore-Washington International airport arrived Tuesday before 9 a.m. Delta has several flights arriving and departing Tuesday afternoon, and United Airlines had flights arriving Tuesday night, according to BWI spokesman Jonathan Dean.
A limited number of flights at Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport resumed Tuesday afternoon, according to a spokeswoman from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. More airlines are expected to resume operations Wednesday morning.
Travelers should check with their airlines and check their flight status here.
Related Content:
- Hurricane Sandy stories
- Where are the shelters?
- Trash collections
- Utility and cable company phone numbers
- Storm supplies
Follow WTOP on Twitter.
(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)


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• 3-Layer fabric protects, insulates and breathes, optimizing cold weather comfort
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US Army Patrolling, Intelligence and Information Operations, Vol. III, Company-Level Stability Operations and Support Operations, CALL 05-27, Oct 2005
From WikiLeaks
Unless otherwise specified, the document described here:
- Was first publicly revealed by WikiLeaks working with our source.
- Was classified, confidential, censored or otherwise withheld from the public before release.
- Is of political, diplomatic, ethical or historical significance.
Any questions about this document's veracity are noted.
The summary is approved by the editorial board.
See here for a detailed explanation of the information on this page.
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- Release date
- May 26, 2009
This US Army Center for Lessons Learned manual 05-27 is titled Patrolling, Intelligence and Information Operations, Vol. III, Company-Level Stability Operations and Support Operations. Dated Oct 2005 and written at the For Official Use Only level.
- Chapter 1: Company Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefields
- Chapter 2: Tactical Intelligence
- Chapter 3: The British Approach to Counterinsurgency (COIN)
- Chapter 4: Urban Patrolling
- Chapter 5: Patrolling Conduct a Zone Reconnaissance by a Platoon
- Chapter 6: Combat Patrol Planning: Finnish Decisively
- Chapter 7: Better Patrolling
- Chapter 8: Task Force (TF) 1, Situational Training Exercise (STX) 2 (Combat Patrol), STX Lane Observations
- Chapter 9: Combat Patrol Situational Training Exercise (STX) Lane Concept
- Chapter 10: Combat Patrol Smart Card
- Chapter 11: Conduct Negotiations
- Chapter 12: Company Engagement Training
- Chapter 13: Civil Affairs-Respect and Mission Accomplishment-OEF
Further information


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Main Content
Top of the page
Choosing a doctor or another type of health professional to help with your health care is very important. Never before have people had so many kinds of doctors and other health professionals to choose from. The relationship you have with your health professional greatly influences the health decisions you make and, ultimately, your health.
Talk with your health professional about being a partner in your health decisions. He or she will most likely support your desire to take an active role in your health care.
Think about these important things when you are choosing a health professional:
This topic lists many of the specialties and sub-specialties of medical doctors. It also provides listings for other types of health professionals you may see for your health needs. Each listing includes a description of the specialty and information about why you might choose that type of health professional.
Medical specialists are doctors who have completed advanced education and clinical training in a specific area of medicine (their specialty area). Examples of medical specialists include the following:
Other health professionals include the following:
Collect the following information before your visit. Take it with you to your appointment.
Write down:
For more information, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.
Current as of: October 6, 2021
Author: Healthwise StaffMedical Review: Anne C. Poinier MD - Internal MedicineDonald Sproule MDCM, CCFP - Family MedicineAdam Husney MD - Family MedicineMartin J. Gabica MD - Family MedicineE. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine
Current as of: October 6, 2021
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Anne C. Poinier MD - Internal Medicine & Donald Sproule MDCM, CCFP - Family Medicine & Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine & Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine & E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.
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However, Lego's fast running out of marketable licenses. And with its increasingly same-y action-platformers in danger of eventually falling victim to diminishing returns, it's time for theLego brandto defy convention, tap its true potential and branch out in bold new directions. (Unless, that is, you really want to see a Lego Speed Racer game. Based on the 2008 movie. Yeah, that's what we thought.)
We're talking, of course, about adapting other awesome licenses. Here's what we suggest:
Of all the film franchises that Lego doesn't currently hold a license for, this is probably the biggest no-brainer for Lego conversion. It's a trilogy (Traveller's Tales seems to like three-part stories), it's insanely popular among gamers and it's filled with memorable locations and cool action set-pieces that could easily translate intoa great, hacky-slashyplatformer.
Taking control of Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Frodo, Gandalf, Pippin, Boromir, Merry, Sam or whoever else the current level demanded, you could hop, shoot and slash your way through the entire trilogy, from the first journey out of the Shire to the siege of Mordor. As unlikely as it sounds.a Lego take on the story could be its most complete, in-depth game adaptation to date -or at least a hell of a lot better than the 2003 Return of the King game.
The Lego angle: Simple-looking characters and current-gen processing power mean that battles like Helm's Deep and Pelennor Fields might finally approach the grand scale seen in the movies.And the series' diverse cast of heroes and distinct villainsis big enough to fill out Free Play squads that could dwarf anything seen in Lego Star Wars.
Also, Legolas' name would take on added significance. We're just saying.
Whether it's a brick-by-brick adaptation of the games or just a straight up Grand Theft Auto: Legoland, this makes so much sense it's almost inevitable. Yeah, yeah - corrupting cute things with adult things is always funny, and vice versa. But that's far from the only reason this should happen. Over the years, the Lego brand has come to represent near-limitless creativity and freedom; so, in its way, has GTA. Combine the two, and you end up with a hyperviolent, unabashedly silly romp through an open world that could theoretically be unmade and remade in any way players saw fit.
2002's long-forgotten Island Xtreme Stunts went halfway there, by creating a Lego sandbox game filled with vehicles to drive. Now it's time to go all the way.
The Lego angle: OK, so a freely transformable Lego city is probably an unrealistic goal, but that doesn't mean the shift to Legos couldn't bring some unique twists to the gameplay. For example, why settle for just stealing cars when you could build your own out of conspicuous piles of bricks? Also, if the cars, buildings and even people you destroy can simply be picked up and snapped back together, you're not actually doing anything that horrible. An E10+ rating is virtually assured.
The Matrix isn t just a movie trilogy -it's a movie trilogy that's never gotten a quality videogame adaptation, despite clearly being perfect for one. A Lego take on the series could change that, and the Matrix movies have all the right elements: a big cast of heroes with complementary talents, just as many memorable baddies and a ton of stylish action sequences that focus on hand-to-hand combat.
Above: Not exactly hand-to-hand combat
Ideally, you'd play as Neo for much of the game, with his god-like Matrix powers being key to solving most of the game's puzzles. Tag-team partners like Morpheus, Trinity, Niobe and Ghost would fill out the rest of the roster, and the addition of bullet time and balletic, slow-motion gunplay would make this unlike any Lego game to come before. Also, all of the nagging guilt that comes whenever the good guys blow away cops would be dulled considerably, because said cops would just beplastic toys.
Above: YES MAKE THIS NOW ALREADY
The Lego angle: Seeing as the Matrix is an artificial world, it s not a huge leap to imagine it being made completely out of Legos, which - assuming Neo retained his special Matrix-altering abilities - could be freely manipulated in whatever waya situation demanded. Also, we're going to repeat what we said above about simpler characters and beefier processing power, because that could make the Agent Smith fights from the last two movies a whole hell of a lot more interesting than they were in Path of Neo.
This dark tale of runaway experimentation in an underwater city would be a perfect candidate for the first-ever Lego FPS. Not only is its retro-future city of Rapture driven by a spirit of unrestrained freedom (making it an excellent philosophical match for the Lego brand), but the experimentation and creative problem-solving that Bioshock encourages could get a whole hell of a lot more creative with Legos at your disposal. Imagine the traps you could devisewithan inventory full of the right bricks and moving parts -LittleBigPlanet couldn't hope to step to this.
Also, we're really curious to see what the Splicers- Rapture residents who've disfigured themselves through rampant genetic tampering - would look like as little Lego people. Probably kinda freaky.
The Lego angle: Did you like upgrading your guns using pre-set kits? How about if you could just slap together a random assortment of Legos you found scattered throughout the world, each with different properties that could create completely different kinds of weaponry? What could the Plasmid superpowers be like if you could augment them by just slapping together some bricks and green studs? There's a potential for depth here that goes way beyond anything seen in the original Bioshock; someone just has to be willing to tap it.
Another trilogy long overdue for a quality game adaptation, Terminator's potent blend of a geek-friendly storyline and high-octane, ripe-for-parody action-stupidity make it a perfect candidate for Legofication. Like in Lego Indiana Jones, you'd play as the title character in almost every scene (except for the adaptation of the first movie, in which you'd flee from ArnoldSchwarzenegger's Terminator while playing as a Kyle Reese/Sarah Connor tag team). Meanwhile, characters like John and Sarah Connor could tag along as puzzle-solving backup, making two-player co-op a balancing act between brains and brawn.
Of course, the game wouldn't have to be totally slavish in its adaptation; extended sequences in the skull-filled, Skynet-dominated future would add a lot to the action, and the game could win a few bonus points from fans by throwing in Cameron Phillips from The Sarah Connor Chronicles as an unlockable character. Also, at least one naked-Lego-Terminator fight scene against a bar full of bikers is a definite must.
The Lego angle: In the scorched-earth future segments, it d be awesome to be able to rebuild and reprogram your own Terminators or T-1 Hunter-Killers, which would then follow you around and wreak havoc on your behalf. Also, unlocking the T-1000 for Free Play would likely make things a breeze, as he could presumably turn into every other character and duplicate their abilities while totally stabbing everyone in the face.


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