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SALT LAKE CITY – Al Jefferson scored 25 points and Paul Millsap had 21, leading the Utah Jazz to a 114-110 overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.
Utah scored the first six points in overtime after blowing a 97-89 lead with 2:44 left in regulation. Gordon Hayward coughed up three turnovers to Indiana's George Hill in the final minute of the fourth.
Paul George scored 24 points, David West added 23 and Hill had 22 for Indiana (26-18), which lost for the third time in four road games. The Pacers outrebounded the Jazz 41-28.
Hayward scored 15 points, but had the ball stolen from him three times on the final three possessions for Utah in regulation.
The Jazz held a 98-94 lead when Hill stepped in front of Hayward's attempted pass to Jefferson and took it in for layup to cut the lead to two. Hill picked Hayward's pocket again a few seconds later, leading to Paul George's tying free throws with 9.5 seconds left.
The Jazz still had a time for a potential winning shot, but never got a chance to run a play after Hill stole the ball from Hayward a third time to force overtime.
Utah bounced back by making five consecutive baskets to open the overtime period. The final one, a long jumper from Jefferson, gave the Jazz a 108-102 lead with 1:51 remaining.
The Pacers pulled within three on a 3-pointer from George with 30.6 seconds left. Hayward blocked George when he tried another 3 on Indiana's next possession. Randy Foye then sank a pair of free throws with 6.4 seconds to seal the win.
After a listless second quarter, the Jazz bounced back in the third. Utah neutralized Indiana's advantage on the glass by attacking the rim and forcing the Pacers to settle for outside shots.
It paid off when the Jazz put together a 9-0 run capped by Derrick Favors' dunk off a lob pass from Earl Watson, putting Utah in front 69-59 lead late in the quarter.

subset: commoncrawl


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Brilliant Device Allows You To Watch New Movies And TV Without A Monthly Subscription?
With TVBox now for sale worldwide, this is a great solution to watch your favorite movies and shows for free!
We all know how frustrating overpriced cable bills and subscription services can be.
You pay for cable, movies, and sports on demand… it adds up.
And of course there is all this hardware. Your receiver, AppleTV or Firesticks, DVD Player and often expensive Smart TVs.
So it doesn't come as a surprise that more and more people are searching for cheaper, simpler solutions to cut cable bills and get rid of all the hardware.
Thankfully, there is a solution to legally watch anything for free!
A Netherland-based startup company has come up with a new innovative and inexpensive gadget that is changing the way people consume media.
What is it?
It's called TVBox. It is a state-of-the-art Home Theater box that can be easily connected to any TV. It comes with everything already installed and is up and running within minutes. No technical know-how needed.
It is a all-in-one entertainment center that allows you to get rid of all your other hardware and remotes. All the apps we know are already pre-installed like you might know it from products like AppleTV, Amazon Firestick etc. But there is a main difference – it allows you to watch anything for free. With no subscriptions and completely legal.
How Does it Work?
It's easy! Just connect TVBox with any TV or monitor you have. All cables are included in the package. Press the power button and done. No seriously, it literally takes 10 seconds and you are able to watch anything you want.
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text: Russian city in the government of Kovno. It has (1897) a total population of 6,370, of whom 4,277 are Jews. Among the latter are 445 artisans and 48 day-laborers; 60 pupils receive instruction in the Talmud Torah, 240 in the thirty ḥadarim, and 18 in the private Jewish school (opened 1897). Among the charitable institutions are a biḳḳur ḥolim and a loan association for aiding poor Jews. There are in the town one synagogue and five houses of prayer.


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Do you believe Rep. Paul Ryan when he says we only have a few years left to get our fiscal house in order, or we're going to face European-type austerity? How about the co-chairmen of the bipartisan deficit commission, Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, who have essentially issued the same warning?
Have you taken a hard look at President Obama's 10-year budget with a view to whether it would marginally address the crisis? Are you aware of the gargantuan deficits it projects — averaging some $1 trillion per year — and that this is before considering the Congressional Budget Office's scoring that revealed that its projected cumulative deficits were understated by a staggering $2.3 trillion?
Did you know that entitlements — mainly Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — are the primary drivers of these deficits but that Obama has yet to come to the table with a genuine entitlement reform proposal? Or that congressional Democrats, for the first time since 1974, did not pass a budget and all of the current wrangling over continuing resolutions and government shutdowns is a direct result of their dereliction?
Can you explain why President Obama, touted as the finest orator in the modern era, didn't exercise leadership over his Democratic lieutenants in Congress to quit playing fiscal Russian roulette? Or why those Democrats proposed just $6 billion in further budget cuts for the remainder of this fiscal year — and then, only under GOP pressure — when the budget is $3.8 trillion? Or why they are characterizing the GOP's proposal of $61 billion in cuts (1.6 percent of the budget) as "Draconian"?
You surely know that President Obama has ceaselessly dodged his fiscal responsibilities by blaming his budgets on the $1.3 trillion deficit he "inherited." But how about that he was instrumental in ensuring the passage of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, which contributed heavily to that then-extraordinary deficit number, and that even so, the actual number is substantially lower when you factor in the TARP repayments?
Regardless, don't you think it's fair that we hold him accountable for what he's done since he assumed office? Or should we just let him run against President Bush's record again in 2012, blithely pretending he's been an impotent bystander for four years?
Consider Obama's audacity in scapegoating Bush for deficits that he was instrumental in creating and then proposing, as a solution, an $800 billion pork-laden stimulus bill and trillion-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see.
You'll remember his boastful promises that if we would just indulge his "stimulus" idea, he would jump-start the economy and ensure that unemployment would not exceed 8 percent. Despite getting his way, he has managed to achieve the worst of both worlds: He'll double the national debt in five years and triple it in 10, yet unemployment is just now — after two years of hovering between 9 and 10 percent — dipping below 9 percent.
So Obama came into office during very difficult economic times and, instead of implementing policies to truly stimulate economic growth, further smothered the private sector by ratcheting up government spending and onerous regulations, and he has deliberately compounded our national deficits and debt at a time when we are on the brink of a financial catastrophe. Though his own bipartisan deficit commission told him entitlement reform is imperative, he continues to kick the ball farther down the road without so much as an overture toward a nod of a pretense of a good faith effort to tackle it.
This very week, he and his Democratic colleagues are lying in wait for congressional Republicans to refuse to approve the Democrats' reckless budget for the remainder of the year so they can blame the mean GOP for another government shutdown. They'll pretend they have no role in such a shutdown and hope this fraudulent narrative turns the political tide in their favor — all while the fiscal crisis remains unattended. They'll doubtlessly employ a similar strategy to ambush Republicans as heartless scrooges when Rep. Ryan unveils his long-term budget and proposes real economic growth and authentic entitlement reform.
When you take politics out of the equation, there is a consensus that we are on a collision course with national financial disaster. When you put politics back into the equation, only one party is trying to do something about it.
But here's the rub. Some Republican congressmen are horrified that if they stick to their guns in the upcoming budget battles, they'll lose the PR war, just as Republicans supposedly did in 1995-96. For reasons I'll address next time, 2011 is not 1995 (we have a nation-threatening emergency, folks), and Republicans must remain strong. Honor your mandate, ladies and gentlemen. We've got your back.


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It seems that Google might have a lovely new offering for us soon: A web-based VoIP client. According to CNET, we'll be able to access this client through our Gmail inboxes to make and take calls on the spot.
Meet Microsoft's New Surface Laptops
This web-based VoIP client appears to be the reason Google acquired Gizmo5—a company who offered a similar product—and could make life just a bit simpler by letting us use the Google Talk box in our web-based Gmail client to make calls.
Google has not given any further information regarding this service at this point, but I just hope they hurry up and release it. [CNET]


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STRONG ISLAND, NY—With recruitment down sharply, and the prospect of being held back by the nation of millions appearing once again likely, top-ranking Public Enemy officials issued an order Monday for all retired Security Of The First World personnel to return to active duty.
"In order to come to the aid of the hip-hop nation, we must regrettably ask those men who heroically served the Black Planet to once again don their fatigues and take up their plastic arms," S1W Chief and Public Enemy Minister Of Information Professor Griff said. "We have no more options. It's not as though we can simply call 911. That would be a joke."
"Some see this as a sign of defeat," Griff added. "Don't believe the hype: We will come out triumphant in this Mess Age."
S1W comprised the paramilitary security wing of the Public Enemy forces from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. Their intimidating martial presence and synchronized dance steps routinely struck fear in the hearts of concertgoers hoping to enjoy a Beastie Boys or Big Audio Dynamite performance.
Although successfully deployed during the ongoing power-fighting that marked much of Public Enemy's existence, doubts have been raised, even among S1Ws themselves, of their current effectiveness.
"I am proud of my service to Public Enemy," said retired S1W Roger Chillous, 41. "I was right there in the front of the stage for the First London Invasion tour of duty right before I retired. But I can no longer effortlessly execute the complex choreographed maneuvers that were once required of me. I wasn't called up for the East Coast–West Coast conflict, so I don't understand why I was for this."
Others adopted a militant stance evocative of their younger days, claiming that they have already done their fair share of cold lampin'.
"I got a letter from the P.E. the other day," said James Bomb, 46, also a former S1W. "I opened it, and read it, and said they were suckers. They want me for their army or whatever? Picture me giving a damn—I said 'Never.'"
"Then again, I could use the money," Bomb added.
John "Pop" Oliver, 52, said that commitments to his wife and children make returning to the S1W life much more difficult.
"How is my family going to feel when they turn on the news to find out that the Bomb Squad has been sent into action again?" Oliver said. "I'm like, comatose walking around. I just got my life back, I'm not ready to leave it behind."
Public Enemy leader Chuck D admitted that he had "greatly underestimated" the strength of the power in the late 1990s, having called it "contained" and discharging all but a small force of S1Ws. Despite numerous campaigns to create a broad, multi-racial coalition in order to increase recruitment, such as joint actions with Anthrax, U2 and Gang of Four, recruitment has been less than half that of pre-1992 levels.
In addition, there has been some question about the conditions to which the S1Ws will return. The Jeep Beat Troops were decimated in the Revolverlution of 2002, and the S1Ws' once-proud fleet of 98 Oldsmobiles have fallen into disrepair, lacking the armor plating that would keep them safe under fire.
Though the initial recall order was for just six S1Ws, speculation ran rampant that this was just the first of many such recalls. One high-ranking member spoke on the condition of anonymity.
"No one is happy to execute this order," the source said. "Unfortunately, so long as the show is under siege by a constant stream of potential bum-rushers, there seems to be no end in sight for this conflict. We may have too much posse, but we still require the critical support of the S1Ws. Yeeeeaaaaaah, boyyyyyyy!"
Sister Souljah could not be reached for comment.


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The Walla Walla County Democrats hold meetings on a regular basis. Newcomers are always welcome! You will find specific dates listed on our calendar, but the meetings are held the second Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. The meetings are both in person and virtual. We meet in person in the board room of the Walla Walla School District Building, 364 S. Park St., Walla Walla. Zoom meeting links are regularly sent to our email list. If you would like to be added to our list or simply join one of our meetings virtually, please contact us for details or sign up for our mailing list here.
Subscribing to the calendar: Click Subscribe just below the calendar on the right and select your calendar program. If you want to sync only certain kinds of events, select them from the Categories list at the top and then click Subscribe to filtered calendar. (Find detailed instructions here.)
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A Force Field for Astronauts?
June 24, 2005: Opposite charges attract. Like charges repel. It's the first lesson of electromagnetism and, someday, it could save the lives of astronauts.
NASA's Vision for Space Exploration calls for a return to the Moon as preparation for even longer journeys to Mars and beyond. But there's a potential showstopper: radiation.
Right: Supernovas produce dangerous radiation. [More]
The most common way to deal with radiation is simply to physically block it, as the thick concrete around a nuclear reactor does. But making spaceships from concrete is not an option. (Interestingly, it might be possible to build a moonbase from a concrete mixture of moondust and water, if water can be found on the Moon, but that's another story.) NASA scientists are investigating many radiation-blocking materials such as aluminum, advanced plastics and liquid hydrogen. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Those are all physical solutions. There is another possibility, one with no physical substance but plenty of shielding power: a force field.
Most of the dangerous radiation in space consists of electrically charged particles: high-speed electrons and protons from the Sun, and massive, positively charged atomic nuclei from distant supernovas.
Like charges repel. So why not protect astronauts by surrounding them with a powerful electric field that has the same charge as the incoming radiation, thus deflecting the radiation away?
Many experts are skeptical that electric fields can be made to protect astronauts. But Charles Buhler and John Lane, both scientists with ASRC Aerospace Corporation at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, believe it can be done. They've received support from the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts, whose job is to fund studies of far-out ideas, to investigate the possibility of electric shields for lunar bases.
Above: Artist's concept of an electrostatic radiation shield, consisting of positively charged inner spheres and negatively charged outer spheres. The screen net is connected to ground. Image courtesy ASRC Aerospace.
"Using electric fields to repel radiation was one of the first ideas back in the 1950s, when scientists started to look at the problem of protecting astronauts from radiation," Buhler says. "They quickly dropped the idea, though, because it seemed like the high voltages needed and the awkward designs that they thought would be necessary (for example, putting the astronauts inside two concentric metal spheres) would make such an electric shield impractical."
Buhler and Lane's approach is different. In their concept, a lunar base would have a half dozen or so inflatable, conductive spheres about 5 meters across mounted above the base. The spheres would then be charged up to a very high static-electrical potential: 100 megavolts or more. This voltage is very large but because there would be very little current flowing (the charge would sit statically on the spheres), not much power would be needed to maintain the charge.
Right: How the voltage would vary above a lunar base for the sphere configuration shown above. You can learn more about this and other configurations in the report Analysis of a Lunar Base Electrostatic Radiation Shield Concept.
Placing the spheres far overhead would reduce the danger of astronauts touching them. By carefully choosing the arrangement of the spheres, scientists can maximize their effectiveness at repelling radiation while minimizing their impact on astronauts and equipment at the ground. In some designs, in fact, the net electric field at ground level is zero, thus alleviating any potential health risks from these strong electric fields.
Buhler and Lane are still searching for the best arrangement: Part of the challenge is that radiation comes as both positively and negatively charged particles. The spheres must be arranged so that the electric field is, say, negative far above the base (to repel negative particles) and positive closer to the ground (to repel the positive particles). "We've already simulated three geometries that might work," says Buhler.
Right: One scenario for how an electrostatic radiation shield could be deployed for mobile lunar exploration vehicles. Inverted green cones denote regions of partial radiation protection. Image courtesy ASRC Aerospace.
It sounds wonderful, but there are many scientific and engineering problems yet to be solved. For example, skeptics note that an electrostatic shield on the Moon is susceptible to being short circuited by floating moondust, which is itself charged by solar ultraviolet radiation. Solar wind blowing across the shield can cause problems, too. Electrons and protons in the wind could become trapped by the maze of forces that make up the shield, leading to strong and unintended electrical currents right above the heads of the astronauts.
The research is still preliminary, Buhler stresses. Moondust, solar wind and other problems are still being investigated. It may be that a different kind of shield would work better, for instance, a superconducting magnetic field. These wild ideas have yet to sort themselves out.
But, who knows, perhaps one day astronauts on the Moon and Mars will work safely, protected by a simple principle of electromagnetism even a child can understand.
Author: Patrick L. Barry | Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA
|More Information
Analysis of a lunar base electrostatic radiation shield concept -- NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts web page for the research discussed in this article
NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts -- an independent entity funded by NASA
Active Radiation Shielding for Human Space Exploration Workshop -- experts gathered at the University of Michigan in 2004 to discuss radiation-deflecting force fields.
A New Kind of Solar Storm -- (Science@NASA) Going to the Moon? Watch out. A new kind of solar storm might take you by surprise.
Sickening Solar Flares -- (Science@NASA) NASA researchers discuss what a big proton storm might do to someone on the Moon.
Mysterious Cancer -- (Science@NASA) Researchers agree that space radiation can cause cancer. They're just not sure how.
Blinding Flashes -- (Science@NASA) Years after exposure to space radiation, many astronauts' vision becomes clouded by cataracts.
Have Blood, Will Travel -- (Science@NASA) The radiation astronauts encounter in deep space could put vital blood-making cells in jeopardy.


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dR. rANA
Providing Parkinson's medications to those patients who can't afford to buy them, Providing canes, walkers & wheelchairs to prevent falls, Parkinson's educational brochures in 15 languages, Free electronic educational newsletter, Free Parkinson's clinics, Chapters of World Parkinson's Program & Parkinson's Education Clubs in various parts of the world.
Our mission is to improve the quality of life of individuals with Parkinson's disease and their caregivers by education and providing other supportive services
The Annual Gala of World Parkinson's Program was held on April 6 at the Crystal Fountain Banquet Hal in Markham, Ontario, Canada.More than 500 guests including various Canadian federal, provincial and local politicians, people with Parkinson's, caregivers, physicians, healthcare professionals and members of Parkinson's community attended this Gala.
Rasheda Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali, the boxing legend, and John Baumann, a US attorney who is a motivational speaker were guest speakers of this event. Dr. Rana, founder of World Parkinson's Parkinson's Program also gave a lecture on increasing number of Parkinson's patients globally and lack of resources to help increasing number of Parkinson's patients. Representatives of media and other partner organizations were also present. Mr. Armand Gilks, Shaheer Aziz, Nadeem Hussain, Shelly Sedighi and other board members emphasized on the importance of providing free medications to Parkinson's patients who are not able to afford buying medications.They also provided educational information about Parkinson's disease in multiple languages to participants.
Mr. Shabbir Razakazee, the executive director of World Parkinson's Program highlighted how unique are services of World Parkinson's Program. He also mentioned that World Parkinson's Program is much different in its mandate than other Parkinson's organizations. World Parkinson's Program is the only Parkinson's organization which provides free medications,walking aids and educational literature about Parkinson's disease in more than 20 languages to neediest Parkinson's communities globally. The seminar was well perceived by Brampton Community.
World Parkinson's Program held a Parkinson's seminar in Brampton, Ontario on February 25 with a Q& A session to raise awareness of Parkinson's disease. A large number of caregivers to Parkinson's patients, healthcare professionals, Parkinson's patients and members of general public attended the seminar. The seminar was held at the Richard-Gibson Community Center in Brampton, Ontario. MP Ruby Sahota, MPP Jagmeet Singh, Canadian Actress Ordena Stephen-Thompson attended the seminar. Dr.Rana, a renowned Parkinson's expert delivered a lecture on Parkinson's disease and its complications. He spent a significant amount of time answering questions of participants about Parkinson's disease. Ordena Stephen-Thompson who is also a carpenter to Parkinson's patients shared with people her experiences in taking care of Parkinson's disease. Mr. Nadeem Hussain, the president of World Parkinson's Program gave a welcome speech highlighting why education about Parkinson's disease is necessary. MP Ruby Sahota also spoke on how important is to educate the members of various communities in Canada about a disease like Parkinson's, the number of which double by 2031. Mr. Razakazee, the executive director of World Parkinson's Program discussed how World Parkinson's Program is different than other Parkinson's organizations which are focussed mainly on research. World Parkinson's Program aims on providing daily treatment related necessities to Parkinson's patients around the world. He said indeed, World Parkinson's Program is the only organization which provides medications, walking aids and educational literature in more than 20 languages.
The seminar was well perceived by Brampton Community.
World Parkinson's Program held a memorial seminar in Toronto to pay tribute to Muhammad Ali, the world renowned boxer and the most famous Parkinson's patient. This event was held on Saturday, November 5 from 1:30 – 3:30 PM at the Bendale Library hall, located at 1515 Danforth Road, in Scarborough, Toronto. John Baumann, a motivational speaker from Florida gave motivational message via web link in this event. A large number of Parkinson's patients, caregivers and other members of Parkinson's and healthcare community attended this event. This seminar not only helped to raise awareness about Parkinson's disease, but also provided motivation to Parkinson's patients to fight the disease with the same courage as Muhammad Ali. Dr.Rana, a renowned Parkinson's expert delivered a lecture on Parkinson's disease and its complications in particular constipation. He also answered questions of participants about Parkinson's disease in Q & A session. Various caregivers shared with people their experiences in taking care of Parkinson's disease. Mr. Armand Gilks, the chair of World Parkinson's Program gave a welcome speech to participants. He also spoke how important is to educate Canadians about Parkinson's. Mr Shabbir Razakazee, the executive director of World Parkinson's Program discussed how World Parkinson's Program is different than other Parkinson's organizations which are focussed mainly on research. World Parkinson's Program is the only organization which provides medications, walking aids and educational literature in more than 20 languages.
World Parkinson's Program's held a very successful event of Parkinson's GALA DINNER on Friday, April 29, at the Estate Banquet Hall, in Toronto, This event was attended by more than 300 people including patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. John Baumann, a motivational speaker from Florida delivered an inspiring speech to participants and emphasized how keeping a positive attitude, exercise and complying with treatment can help in managing Parkinson's' disease. Dr.A.T.Ghouse associate Professor from McMaster University, Hamilton gave a lecture on various symptoms of Parkinson's disease and treatment strategies. Shaun Chen, Toronto MP applauded efforts of World Parkinson's Program in enhancing education, delivering treatment and literature in many languages to people around the world. Mr.Shabbir Razakazee, the executive director of World Parkinson's Program said World Parkinson's Program is reflective of true spirit of Canadians who care about other humans suffering with this illness around the world. The Gala Dinner was a very successful event in bringing Parkinson's community together.
Parkinson's educational brochures in over 15 languages used in more than 50 countries.DOWNLOAD Brochures
Providing medications free of charge to
patients who can't afford it.
Providing walkers, canes and wheelchairs to those patients who cannot afford.Request walkers and Canes
Parkinson's disease affects all races, thus effective educational and supportive programs are need of every community, each country, and in various languages.READ MORE
Some patients belonging to certain minorities may not have access to educational literature about Parkinson's disease in their native language. Thus due to lack of eduation they are not able to learn sufficiently about Parkinson's disease.READ MORE
It can hit anybody anytime - It is a daily struggle experienced by more than 6 million individuals around the world. About 100,000 Canadians and more than 1 million American people are affected with this disabling condition. Although most people affected are over the age of 55 years, it can also occur in young individuals as well.READ MORE
Get involved in life changing activities for Parkinson's patients affected with poverty in all
corners of the world. You can make a difference by helping even one person.
"Your donations go to improving lives of Parkinson's Patients Globally"
Those who fight Parkinson's with knowledge always find solutions - DR. Rana


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Clad in gas masks along with their formal white school uniforms, tens of thousands of students in Hong Kong boycotted the first day of classes Monday as part of a citywide strike following a violent weekend of demonstrations.
High school students added gas masks, goggles and hard hats to their traditional uniforms, while university pupils crowded into a square at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Workers also participated in their own rally at a public park, braving strong winds and storm clouds as a typhoon threatened.
Nearly three months of youth-dominated protests — calling for democracy and an independent inquiry into police conduct — will be tested as classes resume with the end of the summer break in the semiautonomous Chinese territory.
The young protesters strove to demonstrate their continued determination with Monday's school boycott, the first of a planned two-day strike.
Jacky So, president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong's student union, said 30,000 students attended a rally on campus. They dressed in black and wore face masks, waving banners for their student associations and black signs with the Chinese character for "Strike."
Separately, high school students who were skipping class rallied in Edinburgh Place, a public square in Hong Kong's central business district. Teenagers spoke to the crowd from a stage with a backdrop that read: "With no future, there's no need to go to class."
At St. Francis' Canossian College, uniformed students kneeled in a line and held up hand-painted signs that read, "The five major demands: Not one is dispensable." The elite girls' school is where Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam was educated.
Hong Kong Education Secretary Kevin Yeung said he hoped students would stay in class.
"Schools should not be used as places for political demands or exercising pressure," he said at a government briefing.
The protesters' demands include dropping charges against more than 1,000 people who have been arrested and formally withdrawing an extradition bill that would allow Hong Kong residents to be sent to mainland China to stand trial. The appeals are undergirded by a sense among some Hong Kong residents that the Communist Party-ruled mainland government has been eroding the autonomy and civil liberties promised when the former British colony was returned to China in 1997.
Some demonstrators disrupted the morning commute on Monday by blocking train doors, attempting to evade riot police who were hot on their heels by moving quickly between multiple public transit stations.
Officers at Lok Fu station hit protesters with batons and arrested one. Three others were arrested at Lai King station.
On Sunday, the MTR Corp. suspended train service to the airport after several hundred protesters gathered there following calls online to disrupt transportation. They blocked buses arriving at the airport but police in riot helmets kept them out of the terminal. Some protesters hurled bricks and metal poles onto the tracks of the Airport Express rail line, police said, prompting train services to be suspended and forcing some travelers to walk some distance to the airport.
Late at night Saturday, video from Hong Kong broadcaster TVB showed police on the platform of Prince Edward subway station swinging batons at passengers who backed into one end of a train car behind umbrellas. The video also shows pepper spray being shot through an open door at a group seated on the floor while one man holds up his hands.
Police officers said at a briefing Monday that they rejected accusations that they "beat up" ordinary citizens without first confirming their identities. They said they specifically targeted those who they believed to be rioters, including those who had changed out of their black protester outfits, and arrested 63 people on suspicion of illegal assembly and possessing explosives and offensive weapons.
Radical protesters have "hijacked the name of justice," Assistant Commissioner of Police Mak Chin-ho said Monday. "The biggest victims are the citizens of Hong Kong."
Clashes between police and protesters have become increasingly violent, as the self-described "front-line" demonstrators use gasoline bombs and throw rods at officers. Authorities in turn have employed water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets and batons.
The protesters say that a degree of violence is necessary to get the government's attention after peaceful rallies were futile. Lam's administration, however, maintains that the violence must first end before any fruitful dialogue can begin.
"We always say that we must stop the violence right away, and then kick off the dialogue," said Administration Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-Chung.
Associated Press journalists Alice Fung and Raf Wober in Hong Kong and Yanan Wang in Beijing contributed to this report.


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Today there are a wide range of industries where OEMs are incorporating vision technology into their products for increased reliability, control and throughput using smart cameras and embedded vision products.
- Life sciences and clinical chemistry
- Medical devices and medicine dispensing
- Document handling
- Postal management
- Ticketing kiosks: airline, lottery
- Printers and labelers
- ATMs and voting machines
- ID card readers and passport scanners
Refresh your systems by adding functionality that offers your customers better throughput, quality control and reliability using machine vision and code reading technology. Advantage smart cameras and embedded vision products go beyond reading barcodes to enhance your product's ease of use for your customers.


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Generate a Solar Permit Package for a design using Sunpower SPR4200p-TL-1Sign up Learn More
With SolarDesignTool, you can create a design from scratch and generate a full PV permit package in as little as 15 minutes.
This page contains information about the Sunpower SPR4200p-TL-1 inverter. To compare this to other PV inverters, click here.
DC Electrical Properties
- Maximum Input Current 32A
- Start Voltage 200V
- Max DC Input Voltage 600V
- Peak Power Tracking Voltage 140V - 530V
- Number of MPPTs 1
- Operating Voltage Range 200V - 600V
- Polarity of Ground Floating
- DC Disconnect Yes
- DC Terminal Quantity 2
- Includes Fuses for String Inputs No
- Max Rating for String Fuses data not available
- Rating of Included String Fuses not applicable
- DC Input Wire Gauge Range data not available
- Integrated DC Arc Fault Protection No
AC Electrical Properties
- Rated Power Output 4200W
- Compatible Utility Voltages 208V, 240V, 277V
- Peak Efficiency 97%
- Weighted Efficiency 96%
- Maximum Output Current 20A
- Max OCPD rating data not available
- AC Disconnect No
- AC Input Wire Gauge Range data not available
- Sleep Consumption 0W
- Maximum DC-AC Ratio data not available
- Standby Consumption 0W
Mechanical Characteristics
- Height 33.8in (859mm)
- Width 12.8in (325mm)
- Depth 8.7in (222mm)
- Weight 47lb (21.3kg)
- NEMA Enclosure Rating NEMA 3R
- Cooling Method Natural Convection
Environmental Constraints
- Ambient Temperature Range -4°F - 140°F (-20°C - 60°C)
Warranties and Compliances
- Compliances UL 1741, IEEE 1547
- CSI Listed No
This web page is not the manufacturer's official data sheet and is not endorsed by the manufacturer in any way. For an official data sheet, please go to Sunpower's website.


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Journal of Corporation Law, Vol. 33, No. 2 (Winter 2008), pp. 447-495
According to conventional wisdom, a supermajority independent board of directors is the ideal corporate governance structure. Debate nevertheless continues: empirical evidence suggests that independent boards do not improve firm performance. Independence proponents respond that past studies reflect a flawed definition of independence.
Remarkably, neither side in the independence debate has looked to Delaware, the preeminent state source for corporate law. Comparing Delaware's notions of independence with those of Sarbanes-Oxley and its attendant reforms reveals two fundamentally different conceptions of independence. Sarbanes-Oxley equates independence with outsider status. An independent director is one who lacks financial ties to the corporation and is not a close relative of management. Delaware's approach to independence, in contrast, is situational. As different conflicts arise in different contexts, the focus of concern -- the influence from which we wish to insulate directors -- varies as well.
There are at least two lessons for corporate reformers. First, the definition of independence should be refined to address the conflict at hand. For example, if the area of concern is executive compensation, the question is not merely whether the director lacks financial ties to the corporation and familial ties to corporate executives, but also whether the director lacks financial ties to the executives being compensated. Current independence rules overlook this obvious hole. Second, and more fundamentally, independent directors are useful only in situations where a conflict exists. An independent director -- a part-timer whose contact with the corporation is necessarily limited -- is not inherently better suited to further the interests of shareholders than an inside director. Current rules thus over-rely on independence, transforming an essentially negative quality -- lack of ties to the corporation--into an end in itself, and thereby fetishizing independence.
Repository Citation
Usha Rodrigues,
The Fetishization of Independence
Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/fac_artchop/423


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Check your storage
Before you move to a new device, check how much storage your current device uses. If all your data fits on the new device, you can transfer your data to the new device without removing anything.
If you're moving to a lower-capacity device, you might need to optimize or remove some of your existing content. Find out what takes up the most space on your device in Settings > General > and tap [Device] Storage. Learn more about data usage on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
Manage your storage
There are a few ways to manage or reduce the storage on your device.
Audio, movies, series, and books
Learn how to delete music, movies, TV shows, and books from your device.
Photos and videos
To reduce the space that your photos and videos use, you can import photos and videos from your camera roll to your computer. To delete photos from your camera roll after you import them:
- Tap Select.
- Select the photos that you want to delete.
- Tap the Trash button .
If you want to view the photos on your device after removing them from your camera roll, sync them from your photo library. When you sync your photo library to your computer, it optimizes synced photos, saving space. You can also sync a smaller selection of your photo library to save space.
To reduce the storage space that your apps use:
- If the app stores data on the device, see if it can store its data in the cloud. Check the app's documentation or contact the app developer for more information.
- Delete some of the app's content.
- Delete apps you don't use anymore.


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McCollom's Column*: Discerning a Solution to the Immigration Question
The Cathechism of the Catholic Church teaches that prudence is the "charioteer" of the four "cardinal" virtues. (CCC 1806). Prudence is the virtue that enables a person to discern true good and the right way to achieve the true good.
Webster's Dictionary teaches us that the word "cardinal" is derived from the Latin cardo, meaning hinge. Therefore, Webster's first definition of "cardinal" is: 1. on which something hinges or depends; fundamental; principal; chief.
St. Antony the Great defined intelligence as the quality that permits a person to judge what is good and what is evil. An intelligent person thus avoids what is evil and harms the soul and cares for and practices what is good and profits the soul, greatly thanking God. St. Antony the Great was a "Desert Father." He lived as a monk in Egypt in 250-350 AD.
The word "discern" may be specially used to describe a process of thought, analysis, meditation, contemplation, and prayer in arriving at a solution to a question. One supposes that any larger question in one's life may be "discerned." It goes without saying that in the process of the discernment, you seek the counsel of others. But ultimately it is the one person who discerns God's will in arriving at an answer, or, in secular terms, in discerning the truth.
In contemporary society, the agnostic questions the notion that there is a "true good" or that one may distinguish "good" from "evil." This notion that there is no "true good" may be disproven in the way people deal with the very tribulations that befall us every day. Peace arrives through an ordered and reasoned response to these perceived difficulties. A virtuous person is equipped to meet these challenges with equanimity.
Prudence guides the judgment of our conscience and enable us to act accordingly. A hallmark of prudence is the lack of timidity or fear in applying moral principles to particular cases for the good.
But how does one arrive at the right thing?
St. John of the Cross, the Spanish mystic of the 15th century, teaches in "The Ascent of Mt. Carmel" that if you do a good action, you must do it for the glory of God in order for it to be truly good. If you are aware of yourself doing a good action; or if you are doing a good action so that others may see you do a good action; then the action is not perfect.
Why is it that some people are so aware of this larger perspective and are great humanitarians and others are not? Why is it that some great social problems go unsolved year after year? Is it because prudence cannot be discussed in a sound-bite?
In the Civil Rights movement, great Americans took courageous action on behalf of African-Americans. Bobby Kennedy, for example, spoke as no other politician since Lincoln in framing contemporary problems in a larger perspective.
The alien has no vote and no influence. Where will we find the leader who stands up for the impolitic?
The United States is a deeply religious country. And even where there is no stated religion, there are deeply spiritual forces at work.
The Congress may yet find the courage and farsightedness to discern a solution to the question of immigration.
It would be refreshing to hear a leader speak in terms of the four cardinal virtues as Bobby Kennedy spoke unabashedly of love.
"For the LORD, your God, is the God of gods, the LORD of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who has no favorites, accepts no bribes; who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and befriends the alien, feeding and clothing him. So you too must befriend the alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt." (Deutoronomy 10:17-19)
*In its sports section, the Bee-Picayune in Beeville, Texas published my father's McCollom's Column in the 1950s


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It seems like every day you read about another password security breach. It doesn't matter how robust your actual password is; if a hacker makes off with an entire password database, he can potentially access your account.
That's why an increasing number of sites and services are turning to two-factor authentication (also known as two-step verification), which adds a second level of security to individual accounts.
Evernote started offering this option a couple months ago, but only for users with a Premium subscription. Now, however, Evernote offers two-factor authentication for all account holders. Here's how to set it up:
1. Sign into your Evernote account in your Web browser.
2. Click your account name in the upper-right corner, then choose Account Settings.
3. Click Security in the toolbar at left. You'll see a Two-Step Verification option; click Enable. Note the message about updating your mobile apps (if you use any), which is required to take advantage of the feature.
4. Follow the prompts. You'll first need to field a confirmation email, which will include a verification code you'll enter back on the site. (You can also click an embedded confirmation button that'll open another instance of Evernote in a new tab. Either way is fine.)
5. Enter your mobile phone number and click Continue. In a few seconds you should receive another verification code, which you'll need to type into corresponding box on the site.
6. Now for the tricky part. Freebie accounts aren't entitled to verification via text message (aside from that initial one), so you'll need to install and use the free Google Authenticator app, which is available for Android, BlackBerry, and iOS. Once it's installed, click Continue with for whichever mobile OS you use.
7. Evernote will display (in your browser) a QR code you can scan with the Google Authenticator app. Scan it, then enter the numeric code generated within the app. (Whew! I know, a lot of steps, right?)
8. Finally, you should see a list of single-use backup codes you can use in the event you're unable to complete two-step verification. Make sure to write these down or print a copy, as you'll need to type/paste one in on the next screen!
By now you're probably thinking, "Hey, Rick, I came here for fewer hassles, not more," I feel you. This initial setup is a pain. And if you don't have a Premium account, all future two-step authentications you do (like on a new PC or mobile device) are a bit of a pain.
However, they're a one-time pain, and they vastly improve your Evernote security. So suck it up and get it done.
Contributing Editor Rick Broida writes about business and consumer technology. Ask for help with your PC hassles at firstname.lastname@example.com. Sign up to have the Hassle-Free PC newsletter (which is included in the Power Tips newsletter) e-mailed to you each week.


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This kit totally eliminates the problem of broken steering knuckles and studs. The addition of two studs in each arm effectively prevents the steering arm from becoming loose and shearing off the studs. The knuckle housing is also thicker than stock and larger gussets have been added around the outside of the knuckle for extra strength. Precision machined, each knuckle is direct bolt on, heavy duty replacement knuckle.
We're working on getting more reviews for this product. In the meantime, here's what people are saying about 4WD
With over a decade of experience, Trail-Gear has been developing, designing and distributing products for adventurous off-roaders and especially wheelers into rockcrawling. Located in Fresno, California, the company specializes in suspension-related parts and accessories including bumpers, armor, axles and drivetrains. The company's employees live and breathe the off-roading lifestyle and Trail-Gear strives to keep their products affordable without cutting corners on design and quality. When you need suspension systems, recovery and towing accessories or lighting solutions, Trail-Gear can outfit you for the trail and beyond. Shop Trail Gear Now
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Healthy Living Month – We are teaming up to promote healthy living! – School District 64, City of Park Ridge, Park Ridge Park District, Park Ridge Public Library, GoGreen! Park Ridge, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, and the Healthier Park Ridge Commission.
April 1 Low Vision Fair
1:00pm-4:00pm Glenview Senior Center, East Wing, 2400 Chestnut Street, Glenview. Multiple area libraries join together to present this special event offering practical information about new developments in eye care, products, services and a free Diabetic Retinopathy screening. Screening sponsored by the Park Ridge Lions Club. Contact Cathy Thompson at the Park Ridge Public Library with questions 847-720-3280
April 1-15 Advocate Children's Hospital Library – Children's Health Resource Center, 1675 Dempster Street, 2nd floor. A complimentary age-appropriate book will be given to 50 District 64 families when they register online as new patrons of the Children's Health Resource Center Library. Book drawing will be held on April 15. Winners pick up their book on Friday, April 22 at the Children's Health Resource Center. Register online at http://www.advocatechildrenshospital.com/ach-chrc-contact-form
April 4 Healthy Living Month Proclamation!
7:30pm, Park Ridge City Hall, 505 Butler Place. Representatives of School District 64 will be on hand to accept the City's Official Proclamation.
April 4-8 Health & Nutrition Week
Students eat more fruits and vegetables and complete pledge cards for the Healthy Living Month school raffle.
April 5 Five Keys to Organic Gardening Success
6:30pm-7:30pm Wildwood Nature Center, 529 Forestview Avenue. Hands-on advice for gardeners of all abilities. $8 Pre-Register through Park District.
April 7 Bike Helmet Sale and Personal Fitting
4:00pm-6:30pm, Carpenter School, 300 N. Hamlin Avenue.
Co-sponsored by Park Ridge Police Department, School District 64, and Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. Toddler, youth and adult sizes are $11 per helmet; first come-first served.
April 11-15 Neat to Use Your Feet Week
Students walk to and from school and complete pledge cards for the Healthy Living Month school raffle. Also this week, you can be "Caught Being Healthy". Students with a lunch of protein, fruit or veggie, and no junk food will also earn a raffle ticket.
April 13 VA Cards for Hospitalized Kids
3:00pm-5:30pm, Park Ridge Public Library Young Adult Loft,
20 S. Prospect Avenue. Spread hope and joy by making handmade cards that will bring a smile to the face of a hospitalized child. Service hours available. Drop-in. Grades 6-12.
April 14 Natural Lawn Care for Homeowners
6:30pm-7:30pm, Wildwood Nature Center, 529 Forestview Avenue. A holistic approach to lawn care with thoughtful choices. $8 Pre-Register through Park District.
April 16 Park Ridge Community Showcase
1:00pm-4:00pm, Park Ridge Public Library, 20 S. Prospect Avenue. Take advantage of this biannual, one-stop source for information. Connect with people from dozens of Park Ridge civic, cultural, social service, & volunteer organizations. Benefit from their wealth of information and resources. Learn about services available to you and yours, as well as ways to give back to your community.
April 18-22 Go Green! Week
Students engage in activities to protect the environment and complete pledge cards for the Healthy Living Month school raffle.
April 22 Earth Day Work Day
4:30pm-5:30pm, Wildwood Nature Center, 529 Forestview Avenue. Help clean up the Maine Park woodland, pond, and prairie. Free event. Children must be accompanied by adult.
April 24
- 3rd Annual Park Ridge Ministerial Association Day of Service
12:30pm-5:00pm, Mary Seat of Wisdom, 920 Granville Avenue. Information fair followed by outdoor and indoor service projects.
- Recycled Crafts Children All Ages 1:00pm-3:00pm, Park Ridge Library First Floor Meeting Room, 20 S. Prospect Avenue. Create cool crafts from recycled materials! Materials provided. Children of all ages.
April 25-29 Screen-Free Week
Students refrain from screens, enjoy other activities, and complete pledge cards for the Healthy Living Month school raffle.
April 26
- How to Stop A Running Nose
7:00pm-8:00pm, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, 1775 Dempster, Park Ridge, Johnson Auditorium. Nadia Caballero, MD, Ears, Nose & Throat Specialist.
- Wildwood Nature Center Animal Hour
5:30-6:30pm, Enjoy an up close encounter with Wildwood Animals. 529 Forestview Avenue. A free event for all ages.
April 27 Take a Hike Around Wildwood Prairie & Pond
5:30pm-6:30pm, Wildwood Nature Center, 529 Forestview Avenue
A naturalist will lead you down the woodland trail, around the prairie, and to the pond to discover nature.
April 30
- Earth Day Event
11:00a.m.-3:00pm, Maine Park, 2701 W. Sibley. Crafts, eco-friendly vendors, Scales & Tales Animal Show & more!
- Pedals for the Parks Bike and Trike Exchange
11:00am-3:00pm, Maine Park, 2701 W. Sibley. Donate your old bike or pick up a new-to-you one!
Looking Ahead:
The Park Ridge Farmers Market is Celebrating 25 Years!
7:00am-1:00pm, Saturdays, May 28 through October 29.
For more information, visit: www.parkridgefarmersmarket.com


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Traveling is an excellent hobby for huge numbers of people around the world. This provides various benefits of people. Here's why traveling is essential. The opportunity to move about in one place to another place may be the primary virtue it's possible to have. All humans and creatures happen to be guaranteed with this particular ability, but humans will always be one step forward. We humans being, come with an remarkable virtue of seeing, experiencing and gaining knowledge from it, and this is just what makes our traveling as pleasing and enriching.
An individual who continued a lengthy-distance journey came back home after a little years. Till then, his family had either no or hardly any specifics of his situation and well-being. In certain thrilling cases, an individual would not return. In in spite of each one of these barriers and difficulties, people traveled not necessarily because they have to, however, many occasions, also simply because they loved to. Why is this so? Traveling not just takes us to distant lands and explains us with assorted people, however this also removes the dullness in our lives.
This is really very unlucky that many people feel traveling is really a sheer total waste of time, energy and cash. Some also discovery traveling a really boring activity. However, a great most of people around the globe wish traveling, instead of remaining within the partial spaces of the homes. They like to travel to new places, make new friends, in addition to see stuff that they'd not get in their homelands. This is a type of attitude which has made tourism, probably the most money-making, commercial sectors on the planet.
People travel for various reasons. Some travel for work, others just for fun, and a few for locating mental peace. Though everyone might have his/her very own reason to take a traveling, this really is significant to notice that traveling, by itself, has some natural rewards. For just one, for many days escaping everyday activities is really a enjoyable change. This not just refreshes a person's body, but additionally mind and soul. Visiting a remote place and doing fantastic things that aren't considered otherwise, can refresh an individual, who then returns home, ready to defend myself against new and much more problematic challenges in existence and work. This will make an individual forget his worries, problems, preventions, and fears, although for a while. This offer him an opportunity to think wisely and usefully. Traveling likewise helps to heal this could mend a damaged heart.
For most people, traveling is a method to achieve understanding, and possibly, a search to locate solutions for their questions. With this, differing people prefer to visit faraway and lonely places. For believers, this can be a look for God and also to gain greater understanding for other people, this can be a look for inner peace. They may or may not find what they're searching for, but this kind of experience certainly augments their lives.
With individuals, using their culture, opinions and concepts also travel. Once they move from one place to another place, they will likely meet people and share their ideas and encounters together. This is when the exchange of ideas happens, also it certainly broadens an individual's outlook. This will make him/her think in different ways, from the different point of view. Whenever we talk about cultural influences and exchange, food is among the key elements. The meals habits of individuals say several things about the subject. It's very interesting to uncover new and unknown ways and values they add spice to existence.
Traveling also makes lifelong recollections. Whether an individual travels solo or together with family and buddies, the knowledge certainly gives him/her nice thrilling tales, that theyOrshe will tell people home. A great lengthy holiday with family members enables him/her to invest some time together, which, advantages to renew and restore relationships and makes quite strong one-to-one and family bonds. Actually, traveling abroad and getting together with near and dear one(s) may bring the connection a completely new perspective and perhaps, people can start understanding one another in a great way.
Accessory for the above mentioned, traveling and escaping our homes enables us to spend time with this own selves. This will make us subtler and much more tolerant towards others. This causes it to be simpler for all of us to satisfy and mingle with several types of people, as well as explains us to reside existence towards the maximum. A number of them travel from more potent countries to poorer ones in search of cheaper medication many others travel from inferior countries to more developed ones to obtain the right medication. Medical tourism is today, probably the most essential areas of the travel and tourism sector and most 50 countries have recognized it as being a nationwide industry.
Personal health is the reason why travel essential. People here, travel because they do not come with an option generally. One might question that if an individual becomes medical aid once he reaches his/her destination, what importance does traveling hold within this situation? Well, traveling stimulates hope inside a person. Like a person travels and will get increasingly more faster towards the destination, anticipation of having preserved and living a proper in addition to smooth existence ahead continues growing. Thus, traveling constitutes a person well informed towards existence. Traveling can therefore be considered a very enchanting and galvanizing experience that might help recover the caliber of your existence. So, allow the travel bug bite you so you feel the excitement and also the tranquility of existence simultaneously, and arise someone different altogether.


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Byrne Reese, the leader of Six Apart's Pronet and Movable Type development, recently conducted a survey on the most popular plugins for Movable Type. I was very happy to see that MT-Akismet, written by Tim Appnel, placed well in all of the lists.
"If you were only allowed to install one plugin, which one would it be?" Well if you're one of the MT users surveyed, apparently the answer is Akismet.


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Your shopping cart is empty!
Ram Floor Mats are custom designed to cover your floors precisely, providing you with protection against spills, stains, dirt and wear on your factory carpet. Ram Floor mats are available in a variety of materials including carpet and rubber. Personalize your Ram mats with hundreds of embroidery options as well as custom binding. Replace those boring mats in your car with one of our high quality mats from suppliers including Lloyd and Auto Custom Carpets.


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Pete Carroll: Russell Wilson will be "a lot better" this year
If you were impressed with Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson in his rookie year, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has some news: You ain't seen nothing yet.
Carroll said in a question-and-answer session with Seahawks fans that he believes Wilson will be the Seahawk who takes the biggest step forward in 2013.
"I think it's going to be Russell Wilson," Carroll said. "I think he's going to really do well this year. He's going to bust out and will benefit tremendously from his first year. It may be hard to imagine he's going to get any better, but I think he's going to get a lot better, being he was a first year starter, first time in the League."
As good as Wilson was in 2012, the fact that he is -- from all accounts -- an extremely hard worker suggests that he should take well to his first full year of an NFL offseason, and that he should, in fact, be better in 2013. If Wilson really is "a lot better" than he was in 2012, when he had a 100.0 passer rating and led the Seahawks to the playoffs, that's bad news for the rest of the NFL.


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This year is going to be the big year where two of the three main console platform holders formally unveil new console hardware; Sony is expected to replace the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft is expected to obsolete the Xbox 360.
It's exciting. We have had this current hardware for much longer than typical for the generation, and the general consensus is that everyone is ready for some change. With that excitement comes the typical rumours about what the new consoles will look like, and what will power them under the hood.
If the current rumours and "leaks" are proven true then it looks like the next generation of PlayStation and Xbox hardware will indeed be a substantial boost in power compared to the previous generations. But here is the thing – as I look at those specs I find myself struggling to care. Not because I do not look forward to new toys to play with, but because I personally don't think better specs will do all that much to enhance the gameplay experience any longer when it comes to console gaming, and I do hope both platform holders spend the time to promote features, rather than hardware, as we move into the "next gen."
No game has shown me this more clearly how little specs now matter in gaming than playing Ni No Kuni. Here is a game that is animated in collaboration the master artists over at Studio Ghibli, and here is a game that could not possibly look better. Even in a hypothetical world where the PlayStation 3's power was doubled or tripled and Level-5 was throwing the best engines in the world at it, it would still be a game that was designed by Studio Ghibli. Previous generations of hardware would not have been able to handle it, but future generations of hardware will not be able to do much more with that art style. In other words we are at the point now where console hardware and the engines sitting on it are enough to produce games that look as good as the very finest animated movies. We have got consoles that give companies like thatgamecompany the creative freedom to come up with such striking visuals as those we saw in Journey. Again, underneath that simple surface is a game that has a visual engine that really needed PlayStation 3 hardware to work, but it's an art style that has reached the natural limits of what it needs to do.
In terms of less-stylised games; Dead or Alive 5 has character models that are, frankly, detailed enough. If Hitomi looked any more like a real person we would be descending into a creepy kind of Uncanny Valley, and to be perfectly frank, I do not really want to head down there. Already the hyper-realism that games like Crysis 3 are afforded on high-spec PCs actually has me looking forward to the console version more. Not necessarily because I prefer the controls or anything like that – it is a simple reality that to my eyes, games already look good enough that I really do not need that extra jump in visual fidelity to emotionally connect with the material.
But all of this is of course a personal reason for not really caring about a next generation of hardware in terms of the raw specs. Let's look at the economic reasons for a second here, and why Sony and Microsoft might well damage the console market by creating an environment where a game needs to be "next gen" in order to stand on the retail shelves next to its peers and have any hope of being sold.
The basic reality is that games are far too expensive to produce. A single commercial failure is enough to sink modern companies. Last year we saw the demise of the likes of Eurocom and 38 Studios immediately after both companies produced a commercial flop. Already this year we have rumours that Junction Point Studios may be dissolved by its parent company, Disney. Here is a company that had a verified hit with the original Epic Mickey, but Epic Mickey 2 failed in the market. And the sharks circled.
There are consequences to having an industry that is so unforgiving on failure, and the main consequence is risk adverse behaviour. When studios can only survive by producing hits, the only thing they are going to invest in is those commercially-proven formulas. Publishers are not going to greenlight experimental games that could leave them footing a developer's ugly red bank balance.
We're seeing this happen already, and that's with current generation hardware. Escalating game development to this "next generation" promised by Sony and Microsoft is only going to exasperate the problem – smaller developers won't even bother with this hardware, not when the iPad is dirt-cheap to work on. Big publishers will release fewer games, and those games will be increasingly sterile and safe. You can all-but forget about that middle tier that publishers like THQ occupied, where a lot of the riskier ideas came from… that's going to disappear entirely. THQ was merely the tip of that iceberg.
So from the point of view of the economics of the games industry, I hope to high heaven that Sony and Microsoft don't push the specs of their respective next-generation hardware. Price escalation is not going to go down well for anyone.
Does this mean that there should not be new consoles in the first place? Of course not! There is a couple of historic trends that would make new hardware a very good idea right now. Historically new hardware also means new IPs. At a time where developers are not expected to maximise a console's hardware, and there is not the same pressure for mid-tier developers to compete with multi-million blockbusters like Assassin's Creed 3… when you are competing with other upstarts like Assassin's Creed; that is the time to be creative and experiment with new ideas. Some will fail, others will succeed, but that is OK when your market is more actively hungry for new games to play and a game that gets a middling reception can sell enough copies to return the more modest development costs.
There are different ways to excite the market beyond mere specs. Nintendo is proof of that with the runaway success of the Wii and the modest (but entirely against the odds) success of the Wii U. And contrary to many people's belief both Sony and Microsoft are innovative companies with the ability to delight beyond "it looks prettier." This is where both companies should be focused on, because that is where the mid-tier is going to want to be developing.
Take for instance SmartGlass. There are so many different things that Microsoft can do by linking people's game consoles with their other devices, and we have barely scratched the surface here. Just one example: numerous times developers have attempted to merge the strategy and FPS genre, but it is almost always been clunky. SmartGlass would allow the iPad/ Surface/ Android screen to act as the tactical map while the player gets 'hands on' in-game. It is possible with the current Xbox 360, but imagine if Microsoft were to make SmartGlass core to the experience, rather than a mere bonus feature?
Sony acquired Cloud provider Gaikai not that long ago. Sony has been pushing towards Cloud services for years now (note: Music Unlimited and PS Plus), but again, it has always been an added feature sitting on top of the PlayStation 3. At best Sony has experimented with Cloud-featured games on the Vita with the likes of Travel Bug. Imagine if Cloud was core to the very experience of PlayStation gaming. For instance, imagine a music game that partnered with Shazam. You hear a track you like while out and about. On your phone you use the PlayStation app, integrated with Shazam, to recognise that song, and purchase it for you ready for immediate play when you get home.
Those are minor features, certainly, but we live in a world where NFC, GPS, Voice Recognition, Photo Tagging, Cloud and WiFi/ 3G, Social Networks and more are all very common technology. Making clever use of these technologies can provide game developers with far more cost-effective and innovative ways to build game experiences. For Sony and Microsoft to focus on those more than mere spec updates would be far healthier for the games industry, and in turn far more beneficial for us gamers.


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Monday, January 02, 2012
What the Heck was I Thinking? Reevaluating Your Writing Process
Beginnings are great times to reevaluate things. Be it the start of the week, month, year or even the start of a new novel, taking time to step back and ask, "am I doing this the best way I can?" can be incredibly helpful.
Several blog posts over the last month started me thinking while I was finishing up my current YA project. One was this wonderful post by Jami Gold on What Do You Suck At? She urges writers to admit and own up to where our writing skills are weak so we can improve them. Around that same time, the always helpful Kristen Lamb had one of her awesome posts on antagonists. Then to cap it off, YA Highway linked to a remarkable post by Rachel Aaron on writing 10,000 words a day.
I couldn't get these posts out of my head. What did I suck at? Endings. I always have to write them several times to get them right, even though I know what makes a good one. Why did I suck at endings? Typically because I rush them once I get to the end (I just want the book over so I can start revising), but for this particular YA novel, it was because I didn't know my antag's goal well enough. What did this have to do with writing 10K words a day? Because I kept getting stuck in my current project because I didn't know enough about what was going to happen, because I didn't know what my antag was doing, and I didn't really know what he ultimately wanted beyond a vague plot point. (Something Rachel covers in her post)
So it's time to change how I write.
My process evolves all the time, so this isn't a huge deal. Whenever I hear about something that sounds intriguing, I try it out. But I meet frustrated folks all the time who struggle with their writing. They try to do what works for others or they try to write "the right way" and that's not a way that works for them. I'm a firm believer in always striving to improve your craft to tell the best stories you can. Even if everything is going well in your writing, it might be worth taking a minute to think about what you can do to improve.
Here's a 2012 challenge for you:
What aspects of your writing can you work on this year?
Even if it's one small area, take a step to being better. If you're just starting out and have a lot of places to grow, try picking one per month and working on mastering that before moving on. If you're solid in all your craft techniques, try looking at your process, or your story ideas. Make an effort to do something to improve how you write.
This is what I'm working on this year:
1. My endings
2. Writing more in less time
How I plan to do this:
1. Really know my antags and their goals in the outline process. I always have a basic idea of what has to happen in the end, but sometimes that's pretty vague. With my current project, the antag's plan is critical to what the protags do, so being vague here caused me a lot of extra work and revision. (it has a strong mystery plot).
I have a mystery writer friend who always plots out exactly what her killer does before she writes a book. Since the protag is trying to solve that murder, it makes perfect sense to know where the bad guy is at all times and how that affects your heroes. This is a trick that easily translates to other genres with mystery elements.
For stories where the antag isn't so critical, (not working off a plan of their own) I'll spend more time thinking about the ending and what's going to happen--what constitutes that win in a more specific way. (Here's where all that practice writing hook lines will come in handy. If I can't state what the end goal is, I need to do more work)
What I hope to gain from this: To avoid the inevitable slow down I always hit when I get within a few chapters of being done. To have a clearer picture going in of the ending, which will make the rest of the book easier to plot in a first draft. To make early drafts more solid and require less revision after the story gets down on paper.
2. Inspired by Rachel's post, I'm going to go back to my outlines. She talks about doing a pre-writing summary before she starts each day and jots down what's going to happen in the scene she's about to write. Sometimes I do this and sometimes not, and it hit me that when I do, I actually am more productive. So why wasn't I doing this every writing session before every scene?
What I hope to gain from this: To write more in less time, and write more keeper scenes than brainstorm scenes (scenes where I write them to see how it plays out, then revise heavily later).
I know I work better from a plan, and I've veered away from some of the things I've always been successful with. I think being a little more structured is going to make me more productive, and hopefully allow me to write better books.
What about you? Do you have any areas you'd like to work on this year? What about your process? Is it the best it can be for you? Any places you might tweak and see if it helps?
20 comments:
I'm always looking for ways to write more in less time! Your post made me think about my endings, and how I struggle to get them right (or, at least how I'm struggling with the ending of the book I'm revising). Thanks!ReplyDelete
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. For me, my big goal is to enjoy writing again. I've been trying to write what I think others want me to write. I've worried about what people who know me would think if I wrote about certain things. In effect, I stuffed myself into a box and the writing has gone flat.ReplyDelete
I want to remember why I started writing in the first place. And whatever happens after that is pie in the sky.
This is exactly what I've been thinking about lately. I love how you've outlined your goal in concrete steps. When I wrote my first manuscript, I pantsed through it and quickly learned that I really needed to focus on plotting. Plenty of creativity can flow between the stepping stones, but I need those steps outlined/planned in order to be effective. This year, I want to focus on making sure my H/H conflicts are not only strong, but cross paths. I need to make sure they're intertwined.ReplyDelete
Thanks for a great post!
This year I plan to keep working on craft bits I am weak in, but my main focus is my mentality.ReplyDelete
I think our outlook on our writing can sometimes be the biggest thing we need to work on, so this year I am going to work on not putting so much pressure on myself. Some pressure is good, but I tend to go off the deep end with it until I am paralyzed. I am going to make a list of things I can do to combat this, and make a concentrated effort to not let it get to me as badly.
Great list!
Endings. I definitely slow down as the end approaches because I feel my endings are never strong enough, never have enough impact so i hesitate writing them. I need to go over that insecurity and just put words on the page.ReplyDelete
I'm a pantser but I find working out the general direction of a scene like a movie in my head before writing is a great way to sort out events enabling me to churn out words. I'm sometimes amazed that I can get 5000 words out in an hour (rare, awesome moments) but it can happen which makes me strive for that on a near daily basis.
Also, knowing when to take a break and get away from the computer. (Do more of this is my new year's resolution) It's amazing what a quick stroll around the lake with my dog can do for the cobwebs in my brain, clogging up the story mechanics and yet I don't do it as often as I should.
Thanks for the post - inspirational as always!
Thank you SO much for that link to the Rachel Aaron post!!! I really think her suggestions will work for me. I tend to like data, but it's been hard for me to see that kind of analysis as anything but another procrastination tactic. I've read similar sorts of posts, but I've never run across anybody backing it up with the sort of data she has. She's made a believer out of me.ReplyDelete
What do I suck at... This question has gnawed at me most of last year. I participated in an online class where I submitted my novel to an editor, and I point-blank asked for feedback as to where I should concentrate my efforts to improve my writing. All I got were references to general improve-your-craft resources -- what I would have found in just general web-bowsing. Perhaps everything still sucks!! I think my spelling and grammar are halfway decent, so I was disappointed to not at least get a little back-patting there.
I am rewriting that book I submitted for last year's class. I plan to submit a piece to Real Life Diagnostics to get some feedback from you and others here. And I think I really need to look seriously for critique partners/groups this year. I've been nervous about that - if you're still learning craft, how do you know if the people you are working with are giving good advice?? But I suspect I've gone as far as I can on my own at this point. I NEED to trust others in order to improve now.
Yeah, I definitely need to work on writing more in less time as well. Good luck!ReplyDelete
That's a wonderful idea for the new year! I definitely need to sit down and figure out where I need the most work. Thanks for putting that idea out there! Good luck with your endings situation!ReplyDelete
I need to work more on learning to plot and plan--at least more than 1 scene at a time. And to stop rationalizing that I've done other "important writing stuff" when I don't make my meager 1K/day word count. And I need to learn more about marketing and promotion.ReplyDelete
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist--of Mystery
I need to get better at thinking through my characters better - my current WIP has discrepancies I'm going to have to go back and rewrite because of stupid things I didn't consider until later.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous1/02/2012 3:24 PM
I've found that some aspects of writing are counter-intuitive (actually a lot of them are). The best way (in my opinion) to find the beginning of things is to know the end. Can't travel somewhere you don't know exists or are only vaguely aware of. I've also found (through a cool writers group I'm part of run by someone you mentioned above) that starting with the antagonist is a good idea. They are the heart of the conflict and their actions will determine much of what the hero and other characters have to deal with and overcome. Basically, know where the destination is and who stalks the road between.ReplyDelete
As for me, this year is all about productivity, learning to get out of my own way and just write. Trust my instincts and apply all the solid lessons I learned in 2011.
I definitely want to make my writing time more efficient. I've got my launch this year and I want to have the sequel submitted and (hopefully) accepted in time to make it for next year's line-up.ReplyDelete
Andrea, most welcome! I think if we get those endings clarified we'll be better off :) Good luck to both of us!ReplyDelete
Charity, I'm so sorry it hasn't been fun lately :( That's rough. Write what makes you happy. You can always write under a pseudonym if you're worried about it. Then no one will know it's you :)
Rula, thanks, sounds like a good plan. It's so much easier when we take it a step at a time.
Elizabeth, oh you are so right about that. If you're not in the right head space you get nothing done. Good thing to work on!
Xan, wow, great word output there. Breaks are underrated. They're so important to refresh the brain. Don't give up those walks, hehe.
Khanada, most welcome. Amazing what she did isn't it? And it sounds really easy to try. Finding crit groups can be hit or miss, but good feedback often rings true when you hear it. Have you tried the Ladies Who Crit site yet? (I think there's a link to it in the resource tab). That might be a good spot to start looking for crits. I'll keep an eye out for your RLD submission :)
Joe, I think we all do :) Probably holds true in all aspects of life, hehe.
Colene, Most welcome!
Terry, all good goals. I do that same rationalization :) On the other hand, writing isn't all about the word count. Some days it IS good to have gotten that other stuff done.
Tasha, oo, good one! That happens to me too.
Gene, you're totally right there and that is my plan this year. Love that: getting out of your own way and just writing. Wise words.
Paul, efficient is a good way to put that. That makes it more than just "write more" or "write faster." I like that!
Great post, Janice.ReplyDelete
What I particularly loved is that I also read those three articles you linked to, and have been having very similar thoughts. I've just outlined my writing goals and action plans for the year, and part of that includes utilising some of Rachel Aaron's suggestions, as well as following Jami's advice and fessing up to my weaknesses.
In my case, it's planning. Big time. (Yes, I set concrete goals even though I suck at planning. I'm a riddle wrapped in an enigma.) So I'm going to use Rachel's suggestion of writing out what happens in each scene before I write it, and see how that goes.
Good luck with your goals for the year, and I look forward to hearing how this all works for you!
Thanks for the link! Good luck with your process. For me, it seems like every story has a different troublesome spot. :)ReplyDelete
I haven't tried Ladies Who Critique yet - but I know I've been there because I remembered that post you wrote for them! I will take a closer look - thanks so much.ReplyDelete
Loved the article from Rachel Aaron. Good stuff that I have just been starting to recognize, but not really labelled and made into a graphic. Just super...Thanks!ReplyDelete
Jo, they were all such great articles. Good luck with your planning plan (hehe). I know it helps me, so hopefully it'll work for you.ReplyDelete
Jami, most welcome, I loved that post. I've noticed that too about the stories, actually. I wonder if our own trouble spots come out more on certain books? Like we naturally move toward something we're weak at to work on it?
Khanada, good luck!
Amelia, I bet her article changed many a writer's life. Such basic stuff, but so awesome.
I read that post by Rachel and bought her book on it a few weeks ago. Quick, helpful read. Since then I've written down what I want to write BEFORE I start writing, and you know what? It really works. I'm writing more "keeper" scenes, as you put it, in less time. Now on to what else I suck at... :)ReplyDelete
Amy, that pre-planning is so helpful. And you don;t suck--there are just things you could improve on :) Think positive!ReplyDelete


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"It was the best year of my life."
The Churchill Scholar experience completely opened my eyes to new horizons in all aspects of life. Intellectually, I explored the application of mathematics to new and exciting areas. Personally, I reinvented myself, having moved to a new continent where I would find countless new friends. Culturally, it was my first opportunity to experience living in a new culture as a foreigner, which showed me new perspectives on my own culture as well as others. Socially, I was surrounded by brilliant scientists, doctors, lawyers, philosophers, mathematicians, engineers, and artists: many would become life-long friends. It is rare in one's life to experience the kind of freedom the Churchill Scholars find at Churchill College. It is especially profound when coming straight from the high-pressure focus of undergraduate courses. With the time, energy, and freedom characteristic of fellowship at the Churchill Middle Common Room, the historical perspective of the Churchill legacy, and the immersion in the academic community, the Churchill Scholars are in a unique position for personal reflection and advancement. Having embarked on such an unknown adventure and thoroughly loved it, I found a new confidence and appreciation for risk taking. It is an opportunity to get to know yourself and to grow in all areas of life.


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Labour conference: Miliband threatens to tear apart the banks
Ed Miliband concentrated his fire on the banks rather than the Conservatives on the opening day of the Labour party conference in Manchester, with a threat to split them apart if he made it to Downing Street.
In a conference which is being treated as a make-or-break moment for the Labour leader to show who he is to the country, Miliband will pledge to implement the John Vickers banking reform proposals in full, even though they have reportedly been 'watered down' by the coalition.
"Either they can do it themselves – which frankly is not what has happened over the past year – or the next Labour government will, by law, break up retail and investment banks," he told the Observer.
"The banks and the government can change direction and say they are going to implement the spirit and principle of Vickers to the full. That means the hard ringfence between retail and investment banking. We need real separation, real culture change. Or we will legislate."
Last month Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England, raised concerns the Vickers report was being watered down after lobbying from banks.
The ringfencing of retail and investment banking will only apply to their UK operations, despite their vast overseas activities. Furthermore, Vickers plans for banks to hold higher grade assets in their reserves to prevent a future collapse have been written off after banks said they would be forced to pass the £1.3 billion cost onto customers.
Legislation for the Vickers reforms is set to be on the statute book by 2015, although it will not come into effect until 2019.