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If your side lost the election, time to secede from the Union?
That will never happen, but people on the losing side of the presidential election are venting via a petition, on a White House website, to have their state secede from the Union. Petitioners in Texas lead the pack.
Are they just sore losers? Or are they, rather, champions of free speech exercising their right of protest against a president they didn't vote for?
The answer, like the outcome of the 2012 election itself, may lie in the eye of the beholder. Either way, an attention-getting, post-election petition drive is under way online from people in 30 states who say they want their state to secede from the Union. Most come from states that went for GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney in the election, with Texas leading the way.
So far, they've flooded the White House website with their petitions – a move calculated to provoke some kind of reply from the executive branch. So far, the White House has said nothing.
Secession, of course, has been tried before (the Civil War springs to mind) and is outlawed by the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. That's probably not the real intent of most petitioners, says James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas in Austin.
"It's a form of acting out in which people are expressing deep antipathy toward the president and his policies and him as a person," he says, "and things like this do resonate among traditionalists in Texas who are very wrapped up in Texas history and a sense of Texas independence and a sense of Texas exceptionalism."
Most of the petitions feature identical wording for each state, and ask the Obama administration to allow the states to create a new government that would operate independently of the United States. They cite what they perceive as the federal government's failure to reduce spending and its unspecified attack on civil rights.
"Given that the state of Texas maintains a balanced budget and is the 15th largest economy in the world, it is practically feasible for Texas to withdraw from the union, and to do so would protect it's [sic] citizens' standard of living and re-secure their rights and liberties in accordance with the original ideas and beliefs of our founding fathers which are no longer being reflected by the federal government," reads the petition for Texas, which at time of writing had garnered 72,558 signatures, the most of any state. An individual in Arlington, Texas, created the petition on Nov. 9, three days after the presidential election.
According to the White House, petitions that are signed by at least 25,000 people are reviewed, and the White House will eventually e-mail a reply to every signatory. So far, that has not happened.
Of course, no state would launch a plan to secede on the whim of signatories to an online petition. Besides, the 14th Amendment, crafted after the Civil War, forbids states from declaring independence from the Union. A state cannot "abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States," it states.
"The 14th creates a national model of citizenship and how it is enforced, and it's not been seriously questioned since [the Civil War]," says Mr. Henson. "The notion of citizenship is state-driven, but the 14th, in law and in constitutional thought, and the Civil War in action, really settled the question," he says.
The Obama administration introduced "We the People," at petitions.whitehouse.gov, in September 2011 in a bid to create "an unprecedented level of openness in government," according to the website. Signatories need leave only their first names, the first initial of their last names, and the names of their locations.
Similar petitions are also posted on Change.org, but the number of supporters for each is minimal.
Besides Texas, other states represented in the secession drive are Louisiana, Utah, Ohio, West Virginia, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, California, New York, Delaware, Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, Michigan, Tennessee, Colorado, New Jersey, Montana, Indiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Florida.
The secession furor on the White House site has been met with opponents who offer petitions of their own: "Strip the citizenship from everyone who signed a petition to secede and exile them" (1,796 signatures) and "Deport everyone that signed a petition to withdraw their state from the United States of America) (2,347 signatures).
The high volume of signatories for the Texas petition prompted a spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry (R) to say in a statement to the Dallas Morning News Monday that the governor does not support the drive.
"Governor Perry believes in the greatness of our Union and nothing should be done to change it. But he also shares the frustrations many Americans have with our federal government. Now more than ever our country needs strong leadership from states like Texas," said spokeswoman Catherine Frazier.
In April 2009, Perry raised the secession issue in a speech, saying, "Texas is a unique place. When we came into the Union in 1845, one of the issues was that we would be able to leave if we decided to do that.… We've got a great Union. There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, who knows what may come of that."


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Discover Historic Corolla Park with its wide open green spaces and scenic views, Historic Corolla Park is the heart of Currituck County in Northeastern North Carolina. It's a great place to take in a seasonal event or simply take a walk, and is home to three unique landmarks — The Currituck Beach Lighthouse, Whalehead in Historic Corolla, the Currituck Maritime Museum and the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education. Outdoor activities such as fishing, crabbing and kayaking the Currituck Sound are welcomed, as are bicycles, kites and leashed pets.
One coupon per person. Not valid with other offers. Expires May 2024

subset: commoncrawl


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THE Post today enthusiastically urges the election of Sen. John S. McCain as the 44th president of the United States.
McCain's lifelong record of service to America, his battle-tested courage, unshakeable devotion to principle and clear grasp of the dangers and opportunities now facing the nation stand in dramatic contrast to the tissue-paper-thin résumé of his Democratic opponent, freshman Sen. Barack Obama.
McCain has been in Washington for many years now, but he is not of Washington. He knows where the levers of power are located – and how to manipulate them – but he is not controlled by them.
McCain's selection of the charming, but rock-solid, outsider Sarah Palin as his running mate underscores the point.
Neither plays well with others.
And this is an unalloyed asset at a time when special interests – lobbyists, lawyers and organized labor chief among them – wield enormous influence in the nation's capital.
McCain's Democratic opponents, Obama and Sen. Joseph Biden, lead a party constructed of special interests – public-employee unionists in particular.
There are many reasons to support the McCain-Palin ticket. Here are but a few:
* National security: The differences between McCain and Obama are especially stark.
McCain says 9/11 represented a two-decade "failure . . . to respond to . . . a [growing] global terror network." He understood that Iraq is a critical front in the war on terror – and he urged perseverance even in the dark days that preceded the success of "the surge."
Obama backed policies that would have abandoned Iraq to its fate, he bitterly opposed the surge, and once insisted that US forces invade Pakistan in search of Osama bin Laden – seemingly without regard for the potential consequences of attacking a nuclear-armed nation, ally or not.
Regarding a nuclear Iran, McCain has pushed for the strongest possible international sanctions and diplomatic pressure. Obama opposes sanctions.
And, when Russia invaded the former Soviet republic of Georgia, threatening a return to the Cold War, McCain reacted with stern disapprobation: "We must remind Russia's leaders that the benefits they enjoy from being part of the civilized world require their respect for the values, stability and peace of that world."
Obama called for UN action – unaware, apparently, that Russia's Security Council veto would have prevented any.
* Taxes: McCain knows that when government absorbs ever-larger shares of national income, the economy suffers.
High tax rates diminish investment, killing jobs and stunting growth.
And while Obama promises tax cuts for "95 percent" of Americans, what he actually is proposing is some $650 billion in tax-credit-driven hikes in entitlement and other spending, to be paid for with heavier imposts across the board, but especially on investment – like a sharply higher capital-gains tax.
This is bad news for the millions of ordinary Americans who own stocks, either personally or through pension funds or who plan someday to sell their homes or other real property.
McCain, wisely, vows to keep capital-gains taxes at 15 percent and to keep the Bush-era tax cuts in place – understanding that new growth will boost revenue, and promising to make up the rest with spending restraint.
And he's called for a one-year freeze on most discretionary spending and an end to pork-barrel giveaways.
* Trade: "I object when Senator Obama and others preach the false virtues of economic isolationism," says McCain – noting that "globalization is an opportunity" for US workers. He adds that while emerging economies like those of China and India are worrisome, the answer is competition informed by education and innovation – not protectionism.
* Energy: On the economic issue most vexing Americans today – energy prices – McCain is aggressive
He is a strong convert to offshore drilling: "We have trillions of dollars' worth of oil and gas reserves in the US at a time we are exporting hundreds of billions of dollars a year overseas to buy energy."
He also strongly backs nuclear power – a carbon-free form of energy that America can produce relatively cheaply.
Obama, meanwhile, hews to the Democratic Party line on energy: no nukes, no drilling and no comprehension of the consequences of such policies.
None of this implies an iota of disrespect toward Obama. It took a formidable candidacy to defeat Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton – a candidacy, by the way, which we strongly supported earlier this year.
And the intelligence, the organizational skills and the ability to communicate that Obama demonstrated from the beginning dramatically underscore the history that is being made by the first African-American to head a major-party presidential ticket.
He should be around for a long time, and we hope that he is.
In the end, though, sound security, economic and energy policies – plus allegiance to principle – are critical to keeping America safe and strong.
On all counts, John McCain and Sarah Palin understand this – and that's why we're in their corner to the finish.


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Wednesday, October 28, 2009
U.S. Delegation Media Availability at the 20th U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade
Hangzhou, China
United States Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk: Thank you ladies and gentlemen. It's a pleasure to be here in lovely, and historic Hangzhou for the 20th session of the US-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade.
We made solid progress on a series of important trade issues that can help both of our countries achieve balanced and sustainable growth. Let me name some specific examples.
First, on the issue of intellectual protection and government procurement, we really believe that the government of China [inaudible] reenergize [inaudible] accede to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement. And China, more importantly, committed to submitting a revised offer to the WTO as early as 2010.
Also within the procurement context, a context of great interest to American producers of that product, produced in China by foreign investment enterprises will be treated as Chinese domestic products and China will issue a rule to this effect. China's progress on this important issue moves s closer to creating significant new markets and opportunities for American-based companies in China's sizeable government sector.
A second issue I'd like to address briefly is in the area of intellectual property rights protection. Here we made important progress in three very important areas.
First, China gave assurances today that it will impose maximum administrative penalties on Internet pirates, and has also begun a four-month campaign to clamp down on Internet piracy.
Second, we were very pleased to learn that just yesterday, China announced that it has published written notice conveying to state-run libraries the importance of protecting intellectual property of academic and medical journals.
Finally, China agreed that it will continue to work closely with the United States to resolve our concern about a new Ministry of Culture Regulation relating to on-line music distribution which creates very serious challenges for the American music industry.
At this time I would like to turn the podium over to my co-chair, United States Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke.
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke: Thank you very much, Ambassador Kirk, and I want to thank you for your incredible leadership and the work of your staff in helping organize this 20th JCCT.
I echo Ambassador Kirk's assessment that this was a very successful 20th session of the JCCT.
We had a very candid discussion with the vice premier and other Chinese officials on a wide range of very important issues. Issues raised by the Americans and issues raised by the Chinese.
To sum up, we made very significant progress on a number of issues raised by the Americans. In the area of clean energy, which is of utmost concern, and to the president, Americans and indeed a challenge facing the entire world, we're pleased that China has agreed to remove global content requirements for foreign participation in China's wind farm market. This will open up China's energy market to American companies and create jobs for Americans.
In response to concerns raised by our government, Vice Premier [Wan Jishan] also confirmed and indicated that China's Ministry of Health and the State Food and Drug Administration would be the relevant authorities regulating medical devices and that American devices would not be subjected to duplicative or redundant regulations or agencies.
On pharmaceuticals, we were very encouraged by China's initiatives to strengthen its oversight of the production and sales and marketing of what is called active pharmaceutical ingredients. This will significantly reduce the production of counterfeit medicine.
We also agreed to several cooperative initiatives in the areas including transparency, the environment, green building and various industry standards.
We also signed several agreements. I'm particularly proud of the signing of the MOU that establishes the U.S.-China Energy Cooperation Program. This program administered by the Trade Development Agency is a public-private partnership involving 21 major U.S. companies and will be focused on the commercialization of clean energy solutions in China. This is a very important effort to help drive and foster U.S.-China commercial cooperation in the sector of clean energy. Through this collaborative effort it's our hope that China and the United States will join together in solving the energy challenges for the world and to avoid catastrophic climate change.
In addition, we noted issues of concern that are still being discussed in the JCCT working groups, and we're committed to continuing to discuss these issues with the aim of resolving them as soon as possible.
I want to note that the working groups that are part of the JCCT deal with very complex issues and significant progress was made in each of those working groups. Their efforts resulted in the announcements that we're able to make today.
We want to thank all the staffs and all the people involved in all the ministries and the U.S. agencies for their incredible hard work and dedication throughout the entire year leading up to the agreements and the progress that were reported as part of the JCCT.
We believe that this productive meeting of the JCCT, this 20th meeting, builds a foundation for a most successful visit by President Obama in the next few weeks.
Now I'd like to turn the microphone over to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for his announcements.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Vilsack: Thank you, Secretary Locke. Let me first of all thank you and Ambassador Kirk for your leadership as co-chairs of the American delegation to this JCCT meeting.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank our Chinese hosts for a very gracious reception. We at USDA recognize that two-way trade in agriculture, fish and forest products between the U.S. and China has grown in recent years to over $21 billion a year. This trade relationship creates important connections and benefits for farmers, workers and consumers in both countries.
Recognizing the importance of that relationship, Minister Sun and I signed a reaffirmation of a Memorandum of Understanding between our two countries in agriculture.
I must say that we were encouraged by statements made by Chinese officials today of China's intent to reopen the Chinese market in United States pork and live swine, consistent with science-based international standards. We look forward to the official announcement soon. China's intent to remove the H1N1-related ban on U.S. pork marks an important step forward in cooperation between the countries on agricultural issues. It is reflective of a constructive friendship and relationship [inaudible].
Kirk: Thank you, Secretary Vilsack.
Just a few closing words. We believe that this first JCCT in which the Obama administration has participated comes at a critically important time, just two weeks before President Obama's visit to meet President Hu here in Beijing. We are all greatly encouraged that the good work that we did here today will help to strengthen the engagement of trade issues and help forge a closer trade relationship between the U.S. and China.
It is quite fitting, perhaps, that we met here on the historic shores of Westlake in Hangzhou, where our leaders first opened the door for future economic, commercial and diplomatic relationships. So as we conclude this meeting, we are proud and inspired by our accomplishments in the past, but we're also proud and inspired by our shared commitment to a future of even greater economic growth and opportunity for the people of the Republic of China and the people of the United States of America.
Thank you. We're happy to take your questions.
Question: My name is Zhou Yulin, from China Central Television (CCTV). I have a question for Secretary Locke.
Among the nine agreements signed today [inaudible] there was a lot of mutual investments in both countries. I'd like to know how helpful will this agreement be to Chinese companies who want to establish [inaudible] in the United States.
Locke: We believe the United States is one of the most open countries in terms of trade as well as investment. We support foreign investment, whether from Europe or from Asia or from China. In fact, there are several forums planned in the next few weeks on foreign investment, Chinese investment into the United State,s and we believe that these agreements will help facilitate that and provide more education and more information to any Chinese that are interested in investment in the United States.
Question: My question is for Secretary Vilsack.
In regards to both exports, U.S. port exports to China, do you have any feel of the timeline in which they may resume? Definitely whether that is a permanent resumption and whether any further restrictions may be placed on those efforts?
Vilsack: In my conversations with Chinese officials, the indication was the formal announcement would come very soon, and I would expect that is probably the case given that the statements were made today both during the plenary session and during the small-group session.
We were heartened by the communication of the interest on the part of the Chinese to recognize the appropriateness of abiding by and utilizing science-based international standards. We think that is the appropriate way to approach this issue and we were heartened by that.
Question: [Inaudible]. China wishes that the U.S. can recognize China's position as a market economy and [inaudible] on that. And what do you propose for China to do to prove itself as a market economy?
Locke: Actually China is, under the terms of its accession to the WTO, China will be declared a market economy in the year 2016. So the issue is whether or not there is an opportunity for China to be recognized as a market economy sooner or earlier than the year 2016.
Under our U.S. laws there are very specific criteria that must be examined, that must be satisfied before China can be declared a market economy, and that applies to any country, not just to China. So we're pleased that the working group will reconvene and then China will have the opportunity to present the various data to address those criteria that are laid out in U.S. law. We know that much progress has been made since the last time China submitted information and documentation to the working group, and we look forward to receiving that information.
Question: Elaine Kurtenbach, Associated Press.
We were intrigued by the timing of the announcement overnight about China beginning a probe into U.S. auto exports. It seemed a bit odd during [inaudible]. Can you just tell us if it had any impact on the atmosphere, how you dealt with it, and [inaudible].
Kirk: I can tell you that we shared your intrigue. [Laughter]. The reason that we can sit here before you and I think enumerate such progress I think is evidence of the fact that it did not stand in the way of what was a very productive and necessary JCCT.
One of the observations that Secretary Locke made during our interventions today was that as governor of the state of Washington, both he and I as mayor of Dallas, as well as governor Vilsack, all supported China's entry into the WTO and being granted permanent normal trade relation status.
The reason that we did so is we realized the extraordinary benefits that would accrue to the United States and China by being involved in a global rules-based trade relationship. We recognize the strength of such a rules-based system is that there will inevitably be disputes and in a mature trade relationship as there is between the U.S. and China, there will obviously be disagreements. But the good news is now we have a way to resolve it.
Question: I'm from the 21st Century Business Herald. My question is for Secretary Locke.
The China-U.S. Energy Cooperation Program is an innovative new public-private partnership involving China-U.S. governments and companies. What is the intent of this program? You just mentioned there are 21 countries involved with this program. What kind of companies are they? Can you give me some examples?
Locke: These are companies that encompass a wide range of different sectors from technology to green energy, but even aviation. There's interest in using green fuels, renewable fuels, non-carbon-based fuels in aviation. So these are a whole range of sectors, from information technology to traditional technology that would be associated with green energy.
Question: My name is Connie Shay Young, Market News. My question is for Gary Locke.
Both you and [inaudible]. The Chinese [inaudible].
Locke: Actually, that did not come up. I think Secretary Geithner has made the position of the United States government pretty well known, and I think it's pretty well understood by the Chinese, and of course Vice Premier Wang had the discussion with Secretary Geithner that was part of the Strategic and Economic Dialogue. So that issue did not come up.
Question: James Areddy with Wall Street Journal. My question is for Ron Kirk.
I'm interested what seems to be a tit for tat approach to trade relations, trade in China [inaudible] fallen. Can you talk about the pattern of [inaudible] trade [inaudible] these countries? And can you tell us [inaudible] on both sides [inaudible] trade [inaudible]?
Kirk: First of all let me say I'm not that comfortable with your characterization of the United States or China, frankly, acting on their legitimate rights under the World Trade Organization to enforce our trade rules and trade [inaudible].
As President Obama commented in Pittsburgh, enforcement of our trade law is not only a necessary part of maintaining the public's belief in the wisdom of our trade policy, but it's also necessary to ensure that America's farmers, ranchers, businesses, get full access of these trade agreements that we negotiate.
As for the decline in trade between the United States and China, I think it evidences the fact that as great as these two economies are, we aren't immune to the global economic conditions. Our trade flows were restricted just as trade flows were among all countries during this recent economic crisis.
We do believe there may be some silver lining in this and that is it calls China to have a healthy and necessary debate, we believe, over a manufacturing and export policy that's dependent perhaps too heavily on the consumptive appetite of American consumers.
So we think there can be great promise for not only continued trade flows, but in a new examination of the China industrial policy that leans as much on creating a middle class capable of consuming some of what China produces, and as well challenges the United States to invest again in our export capabilities.
Question: This is for Ambassador Kirk.
I'm wondering if you could expound a little bit on Chinese [inaudible] in response to the WTO case. Can you talk a little bit more about the Internet pirating [inaudible] for a long time now. [Inaudible].
Kirk: [First portion of answer inaudible.] But we are encouraged that China has agreed to continue to engage us and America's music industry of our concerns with this particular [inaudible] regulation.
On the issue of intellectual property rights and Internet piracy in particular, this was an area where we did make substantial progress in today's discussion. We were especially pleased with China's announcement of two important initiatives in this regard. One is a four-month campaign to focus on and clamp down on Internet piracy.
Secondly, in concert with that, China also committed that it would pursue the maximum administrative penalties, including [inaudible] revocation of licenses or secondly, enforcement of criminal penalty where appropriate.
I would say in closing that we think it's important that China now recognizes that it is very much in the interest of Chinese entrepreneurs, creative artists, and others to have the strongest possible intellectual property rights regime for their own domestic industry as well. We see the announcement by the vice premier and the president of China today as a very welcome sign.
Thank you all for being here. Thank you for your attendance. We look forward to welcoming you to the United States for the 21st JCCT.


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Expert's Rating
Our Verdict
Razer has been in the business of computer-gaming accessories for years, but most of the company's efforts have focused on input devices: mice, keyboards, and even mouse pads. These days, the company also makes a few audio products, such as the Mako (which the fine print on the package calls the "Mako 2.1 Advanced Desktop Audio System"). While aimed at gamers, the Mako offers performance, features, and a design that will likely appeal to non-gaming media-lovers, as well.
The Mako is a 2.1 speaker system, which means it uses relatively small left and right satellites for treble and most midrange frequencies along with a larger subwoofer/amplifier component for lower frequencies. But the Mako's design is unlike that of any other 2.1 system we've seen. Each piece is shaped like a thick mushroom head, with the only visual differences between the subwoofer unit and the satellites being size and the connections in back. Each piece is made of thick, rock-solid ABS and sports an attractive, matte-black finish. Instead of a front-mounted speaker and grille, each cabinet is almost entirely closed, with just a ring of black-metal grille around the base of each speaker to allow sound to escape—2.8 inches high on the subwoofer unit, 0.6 inches high on the satellites. (Just below this ring on the front of the satellites is a second grille, 3 inches wide and a quarter-inch high, for directional treble output.)
This odd design is a result of the Mako's use of THX Ground Plane and Slot Speaker technologies—the Mako was designed jointly by Razer and THX. Inside each enclosure, the speaker drivers are oriented face-down and close to the bottom, forcing sound out the grille ring towards, and reflecting off of, the desktop or ground. (This approach requires space around each speaker—Razer recommends at least 6 inches—and produces better results on hard, reflective surfaces than on softer ones.) The advantage of this design, according to THX and Mako, is a larger ideal listening area: sound quality doesn't degrade dramatically if you move farther away from, or too far to either side of, the speakers. To some extent, it actually works, although there are tradeoffs I'll get to below.
Inside the chunky subwoofer, 12 inches in diameter and 8.5 inches tall, is an 8-inch driver, the largest I've seen in a set of computer speakers, along with a 300-Watt, six-channel amplifier, also highly unusual in a 2.1 system. (More on this in a bit.) That power is split evenly between the the subwoofer and each satellite. The system's power supply is also housed inside the subwoofer unit, so there's no bulky external power brick; you just connect the included power cable.
On the back of the subwoofer, near the bottom, are a 15-pin connector for the system's wired control pod; two audio inputs (a stereo minijack—a 6-foot minijack-to-minijack cable is included—and a set of left/right RCA connectors); jacks for the left and right satellites; a hardware power switch, and the power-cable jack. Interestingly, the satellites connect to the subwoofer unit using Ethernet-style cables, so the satellites and subwoofer sport RJ45 jacks. (Razer warns not to use standard Ethernet cables, however.) I like that the included speaker cables aren't permanently attached, but the cables are flat, rather than round, so they're difficult to keep neat.
The satellites are also chunky at 5.25 inches in diameter and 3.5 inches tall—each a miniature version of the subwoofer. Inside each are a 0.75-inch tweeter and a 3-inch midrange driver. Unique among speaker systems we've tested, the Mako's satellites are bi-amped, which means that instead of a single amplifier unit for the left speaker and another for the right speaker, each driver of each speaker—in this case, the tweeter and the midrange driver—gets a dedicated channel of juice. In total, each satellite gets 100 Watts of total power, which is unheard of in computer speakers.
Finally, the Mako includes a wired control pod, which connects to the subwoofer unit via a 6-foot cable. The top of this 3.2-inch-wide disk is a glossy, blue-backlit, touch-sensitive surface that provides a good deal of functionality. Touch and hold your finger on the Razer logo in the middle to put the system to sleep; touch and hold again to wake it up. An arc of backlit ticks along the left side of the pod control volume or bass level; touch any point along the arc to set the level. (The ticks along the top third of the arc are backlit in red to warn you about high listening levels.) Touch-sensitive areas around the central logo let you choose the audio input (Line 1 or Line 2), toggle mute mode, and choose whether the volume/bass control affects overall volume or just bass level. And the pod's backlights blink if either speaker cable is unplugged, making it easy to diagnose cable problems.
Overall, the pod's touch-sensitive controls works well, although unlike with an iPhone's screen, your finger isn't recognized instantly; you need to hold it on the desired sensor area for a second or so before the touch is recognized. Although a bit frustrating at first, this approach keeps you from accidentally activating a control—or setting the volume to the max—if you brush your hand across the pod while reaching across your desk.
Finally, the front edge of the control pod hosts a headphone jack and a third audio-input jack. Unfortunately, you can't listen to more than one source—say, a computer and an iPod dock—simultaneously; you must choose either Line 1 or Line 2, and connecting an audio source to the control pod's audio input automatically mutes the other two, regardless of which is selected.
The Mako's sound quality isn't as accurate as I expected, given the system's price, but it's also very enjoyable, and suitable for uses where other computer speakers fall short. The Mako is lacking some top-end detail, resulting in a slightly muffled sound that I attribute, at least in part, to the fact that you're hearing reflected treble rather than direct sound. (The effect is even more noticeable if your desk area is such that you can't push the satellites far enough away from you to get a good "listening angle.") Similarly, there's a bit of richness missing in the midrange. Finally, because the speakers sit low on your desk and fire downwards, the soundstage is closer to your desk rather than directly in front of you.
On the other hand, the system excels at bass performance. I'm not talking about the upper-bass frequencies that most computer speakers use to produce some bass "kick." I mean real, honest-to-goodness bass—stuff below 70Hz that you can feel in your chest. The Mako's bass performance doesn't begin to roll off significantly until somewhere around 65 or 70Hz, and you can still hear—and feel—frequencies in the 40s, even if they don't have as much force as those in the 60s and 70s. The Mako capably pumped out bass notes on Everything But The Girl's "Beyond Today" and Massive Attack's "Angel" that no other computer speaker system I've tested even attempts to reproduce with any authority. And Bob Marley simply jams better when you can hear (and, again, feel) the full range of bass.
The surprising thing about this bass is that it's rarely boomy. With a few exceptions in the upper bass, and on specific tracks, bass frequencies are surprisingly tight. The Mako's bass output is also not one-notey; there are clear differences between various low-frequency notes. And did I mention how much fun it was to watch action movies and play first-person shooters with the Mako handling the audio?
Razer claims the downward-firing design of the satellites enlarges the system's "sweet spot"—the position at which you get the best full-range response and stereo imaging. Based on my testing, I don't think that's the best way to put it, as I found that location to be just as small as on other speakers (maybe even smaller—the best sound quality, for me, was obtained with my ears close to the desk, where I could get the best reflected treble). And the Mako's wide-dispersion effect didn't produce the sort of pinpoint stereo imaging some people will prefer.
What the Mako's satellites do deliver is an enormous "sounds good spot." Unlike many speakers, where walking too far outside the boundaries of the speakers results in considerably degraded sound quality, the Mako's audio sounds good from anywhere in the room. Combine this trait with the Mako's bass performance, and you get a killer system to hook up to the latest iMac for movie watching and game playing, or to pair with an AirPort Express for room-filling, full-range audio via AirTunes. And, of course, the system has enough power to reach ear-damaging levels without breaking a sweat.
In other words, if you're an audiophile looking for the most true-to-life audio, the Mako isn't for you (although its bass output is quite accurate as long as you don't crank the bass level too high). And at $300, the Mako is pricey compared to many computer speaker systems. But its authoritative audio presence, range of useful features, impressive build quality, and unique design make it a standout system if you're looking for big sound.


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Doctors Stixrud, Grosswald and Krag answer your questions on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Q: It's common knowledge that children are under more stress than before. Is this contributing to ADHD and other problems?
Dr. Stixrud: I make my living by evaluating kids who are struggling with classroom achievement, behavioral problems, depression and neurological disorders. Stress plays a significant role in all of these problems. I see many children with learning disorders and ADHD—Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder—and there's absolutely no question that stress significantly interferes with a child's ability to learn and perform in school. Related Scientific Research
Q: How do children experience the stress response in school?
Dr. Stixrud: The stress response, also called the fight-or-flight response, presumably evolved over millions of years in order to protect us from predators. When that fight-or-flight response is triggered, you aren't supposed to be able to think clearly. From an evolutionary point of view, if people thought a long time about "What's the right thing to do?" as a tiger approached, they got eaten, and they didn't pass on their genes. Nature has protected us from thinking under stress. Consequently, if a kid is under stress, it's very hard for him to think, to learn, to do school work, to pay attention to the teacher, and to manage his own behavior.
I would say that the main principle that's been most commonly derived from 20 years of applying brain research to learning is this: a child needs to feel safe in school in order to learn, because you can't learn when you're under stress. Related Scientific Research
Q: Can the Transcendental Meditation technique alleviate this stress?
Dr. Stixrud: I think that TM can play an extremely important role in alleviating learning and attention problems. In some schools the Transcendental Meditation technique already does play a dramatic role in helping children overcome learning, attentional, and behavioral problems. Related Scientific Research
Q: I have ADHD and I just can't sit still, not even for a few minutes. How could I ever practice the Transcendental Meditation technique?
Dr. Grosswald:That's a major benefit of the Transcendental Meditation technique. It's very simple, effortless and easy to do. It actually allows the mind to settle down, and when the mind settles down, the body very naturally follows. You're able to sit more quietly, easily and comfortably. As a result of practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique, certain aspects of that quiet, settled feeling stay with you after meditation. Over time you begin to feel more calm and settled, and the restlessness begins to subside. That's why the TM technique is recommended to help adults and children who complain of restlessness. That is the uniqueness of this technique.
Dr. Krag: People with ADHD have attentional variability. In some situations they have trouble focusing and in others they have the ability to hyperfocus. Even with notable ADHD, the Transcendental Meditation technique is not only easy but highly advisable. Although I cannot predict that Transcendental Meditation will eliminate this disorder, I have seen it lessen the symptoms notably. Related Scientific Research
Q: I had ADHD as a child, and still have trouble focusing on any sort of work. Will practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique help me focus better?
Dr. Grosswald: Yes, based on our research, it will. The Transcendental Meditation technique works for both adults and for children. It's easy to learn and to do, and it doesn't require concentration, or focus, or attention. At the same time, it increases the ability to focus outside of meditation, because it enhances brain functioning. When your eyes are closed and you're meditating, the brain connections related to attention and focus actually increase. Then when your eyes are open and you are in activity, focus and concentration are better.
Many symptoms of ADHD are actually the result of stress; stress shuts down the prefrontal cortex in the brain, making concentration and focus difficult. Reducing stress increases your attention, focus, and concentration—as well as the ability to act calmly and to feel more relaxed and comfortable in stressful situations. In our research with children, we found a 20% improvement in attention in just three months after starting the Transcendental Meditation program. There were also significant improvements in working memory and organization, as well as psychosocial measurements of behavior, anxiety, stress, attention, and focus.
Q: One of the really crushing parts of ADHD is lack of impulse control, where a child is constantly interrupting people, saying things impulsively—and that gets people upset. Can the Transcendental Meditation technique help?
Dr. Stixrud: Absolutely. Many researchers think that a lack of impulse control, or a lack of inhibition, is the primary deficit in people who have ADHD. One of my favorite patients with ADHD is a tall kid; he's 14 or 15 years old and he speaks loudly. I always know when he's in the building. Once he was talking in the waiting room, and a woman from another practice came out and said, "When you come here, you're going to have to be quiet." And he snapped back, "If I could be quiet, I wouldn't have to be here." Which is absolutely true.
With the practice of Transcendental Meditation, the nervous system becomes settled and quiet. And when the stress response starts operating normally, you're simply less impulsive. I think there's reason to believe that the process of quieting the mind and body through the Transcendental Meditation technique—which results in increased integration in the electrical activity of the brain, seen through increased coherence between the two hemispheres and the front and the back part of the brain—allows children much improved ability to control their impulses. They get in trouble less; they think before they act; they can inhibit the tendency to get distracted better.
Dr. Krag: Anyone with longstanding problems with ADHD knows that when they are rested and calm they have fewer ADHD symptoms than when they are tired and anxious. Since TM helps create a calm and stable state, it clearly can help reduce the problems of ADHD. Related Scientific Research
Q: It sounds like you've experienced this firsthand.
Dr. Stixrud: In a pilot study on middle school students with ADHD practicing Transcendental Meditation, we interviewed the students after three months of meditating. We asked, "What do you notice after meditating for a few months?" Virtually all the kids said things like,"I feel much less stressed, and I feel more relaxed." Most of them said, "I feel more organized. I feel I can do my homework better. My parents don't need to help me."
One strikingly impulsive boy said, "Before I started meditating, if I was walking in the hallway and another middle school kid bumped into me, I'd turn around and hit him. Now that I've been meditating for three months, if somebody bumps into me, I stop and think, "Should I hit him or not?" To some that may not sound like much, but from my experience in working with impulsive kids and teenagers, this delay in reacting is very hard to achieve. If the Transcendental Meditation technique gives this child a little bit of time between a stimulus and a response—which then allows him to think, to plan, to ask what's the right thing to do in this situation—that's a capacity that he didn't have before he started meditating. Related Scientific Research
Q: Is there other research indicating that the Transcendental Meditation technique can help with ADHD?
Dr. Stixrud: Most researchers think ADHD is a disorder of multiple executive functions. "Executive functions" refers to the functions of the front part of the brain: the mental control and the mental organizational skills that you need to carry out purposeful behavior. When you have to get something done, for instance, you need to be able to plan, to organize, and to hold relevant information in your memory. You also need to self-monitor, to ask yourself, "How's it going?"
And there's good evidence in several hundred studies on Transcendental Meditation that it improves every one of these executive functions. This is probably, at least in part, because the Transcendental Meditation technique increases the coherence of brain functioning, and in part because it reduces stress, which makes all these other things worse.Related Scientific Research
Q: I think meditation's great, but I want my child to be focused. I don't want him to get too passive.
Dr. Stixrud: Sometimes parents are concerned that if their kids get too chilled out from meditation, they'll lose their drive. The common experience is actually the opposite.
While it's true that the Transcendental Meditation technique produces deep relaxation, on the other hand, it's also activating. It's that unique combination of activated brain and deeply relaxed physiology that produces so many of the positive benefits of meditation. The common experience of people who meditate is not that they lose their drive, it's that they find it easier to channel their drive in an effective manner.
They don't waste energy in worrying and excessive anxiety. They become better at planning and become more goal oriented. If you look at the schools where the kids have practiced TM on a regular basis, you'll see that the children are ridiculously successful. They're exceptionally high achieving, in academics, sports, arts, everything. That's why I think there's absolutely no merit to the idea that the Transcendental Meditation technique could make children passive or lose their drive or their interest. It's completely the opposite. Related Scientific Research
Q: How will I ever be able to meditate when I have young children, including one with ADHD?
Dr. Krag: Obviously, you will need some help to accomplish this. But keep in mind that the Transcendental Meditation program is not done for the sake of meditating itself (although it is a very peaceful and pleasant state—a 20-minute vacation), but rather it is rest for the sake of enhanced daily activity. As a parent of a child with ADHD, you need all the energy and clarity you can muster. Transcendental Meditation will help you develop the calm state of mind that will help your child respond to you more effectively. Related Scientific Research
Our medical experts
William Stixrud, Ph.D., is a clinical neuropsychologist and director of William Stixrud & Associates in Silver Spring, Maryland, a group practice specializing in learning, attention, and social/emotional disorders. Dr. Stixrud is adjunct faculty at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
Sarina Grosswald, Ed.D., is an expert in cognitive learning who recently directed the first-of-its-kind research study on the effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on children with language-based learning disabilities. Dr. Grosswald and her work have been extensively featured in the national media, including PBS and ABC News.
James Krag, M.D., is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, president of the Psychiatric Society of Virginia, and former president of the Virginia Association of Community Psychiatrists for four years. He is currently Medical Director of Liberty Point, a residential treatment program for adolescents with psychiatric problems.


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Ford, one of the oldest and most well-known American automotive companies, produces a variety of cars, trucks, and SUVs. Ford places an emphasis on the athletic, powerful, and reliable nature of their vehicles. With a lineup characterized by sleek, dynamic exterior design work and impressive performance, Ford cars are durable and appealing. Ford also prioritizes fuel-efficiency and uses the latest technology to produce low-emission and hybrid vehicles in order to stay on the cutting edge. If you are looking to buy a new Ford, explore CarQuotes.com for access to sophisticated tools that make vehicle research easy. Request a free Car Quote today for immediate discounted pricing on your favorite Ford car, truck, or SUV. Browse through Ford specs, photos, and options and instantly compare new car prices if you're considering multiple models. CarQuotes' state-of-the-art technology makes it easy to buy a new car today.
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Englewood, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - The Denver Broncos released cornerback Champ Bailey on Thursday.
Bailey, who had $10 million remaining on his contract, suffered through an injury-plagued 2013 campaign. He played in just five regular-season games, but returned to play in all three postseason games, including the Super Bowl.
He finished the regular season with 14 total tackles and no interceptions, marking the first time in his 15-year career he failed to pick off a pass.
"This was a difficult decision for our team with everything that Champ Bailey has meant to the Denver Broncos and this community over the last 10 years," said Broncos executive vice president of football operations/general manager John Elway. "Without question, he's among the best cornerbacks to ever play the game and one of the finest players in the history of the Broncos. You couldn't ask for more in a player than what Champ brought to this team. His combination of elite talent, class, leadership and competitiveness made him one of the all-time greats."
Bailey, 35, spent 10 seasons with the Broncos, picking of 34 passes. During his 15-year career, the 12-time Pro Bowl selection has 52 interceptions.
He was drafted by the Redskins with the seventh overall pick in 1999. Prior to the 2004 season, Bailey was traded to Denver.
According to the Denver Post, the two sides agreed to the release on Wednesday as the Broncos were not interested in reworking the deal to keep Bailey with the team.


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I decided to make these cute penguin cupcakes inspired by my friend, Caroline's attempt recently. She followed the instructions from the hello cupcake book and hers looked amazing. I thought it would be fun to give them a go but I underestimated how time consuming and messy it would be!! I am still proud of my final efforts and would definitely make them again. In fact I'm having a little international challenge with my friends and relatives to see who can make the best penguin. If you want to join in, just email me a picture!
I used the Cranberry and Orange cupcake as a base but you can use any cupcake flavour. I then used mini doughnuts for the head and body. I couldn't find any donut holes (round balls of donuts) but I think these worked fine except that my penguin looks like it has a hole in its head! Note to self - fill donut hole with frosting next time! Unfortunately I didn't take many step by step pictures as it was a very messy process!
Once you've formed the head and body of the penguin, place cakes in the freezer for at least 10 minutes so it's easier to frost and decorate.
The frosting proved to be the most difficult part for me. I decided to make my own chocolate frosting but couldn't turn brown into black despite a bottle of black food colouring! I decided to make white icing instead (icing sugar plus warm water) and initially had grey frosting (white + black = grey) but eventually got a nice shiny black frosting with the help of my black food paste colouring. In the hello cupcake book, they suggest using a tub of ready made icing (my friend used the Betty Crocker chocolate fudge icing + 1/2 bottle of black food colouring)
Then came the fun bit of putting the penguin together. Dip the cake into frosting until everything is coated. Cut a piece of marshmallow for the body. Stick half a fruitella for the beak and oreo cookies for the wings. Finally, pipe the eyes on with writing icing.
I had a second attempt at the penguins as a joint effort with my friend Dave. This time I used the Betty Crocker icing as suggested in the book. We also put a lot more icing to shape the penguin's head and body and filled the donut hole. Here they are the Happy Feet Penguins :)
Which one is your favourite?
Do you think the first or the second attempt looks better?


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September 28 @ 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm
One of South East London's most closely guarded secrets has recently emerged from the shadows and is set to take the music industry by storm. Known only as TroyBoi, this multi-talented musician specialises in extraordinarily unique, versatile, and highly musical tracks that fuses various textures from multiple genres and brands it as 'My Style'. TroyBoi is without a doubt one of the top up-and-coming producers in the game right now and it's quite clear from his composition that his influences are vast indeed. He has already produced tracks with some very high profile artists and his collaboration with Flosstradamus 'Soundclash' is arguably one of the biggest anthems in the scene today. His style is undeniably his own, infectious to the ears and beyond stimulating to the mind. He is also one half of the Producer/DJ duo SoundSnobz with one of his best friends, icekream and together they craft the most creative and daring audio paintings you'll ever listen to. Buckle up and get ready to be taken into the world of TroyBoi because once you are in, you will NEVER want to get out.
Get in touch with an agent to start your journey home.


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About Caryl
CARYL "MACK" PARKER is an award-winning, Americana singer/songwriter from Nashville. Native of Abilene, Texas, Caryl's music incubated in the independent music scene of Portland, Oregon before migrating to Nashville in the mid 1990's. Her first record-deal was signed within two years, and thanks to three singles and relentless touring, her music was added on hundreds of radio stations, press interviews, and television networks worldwide (including top videos on CMT and GAC).
A true "singer's singer," Caryl has become a mainstay in the Nashville music scene, working as a session vocalist, songwriter and accompanist with such artists as Vince Gill, Trisha Yearwood, Amy Grant, James Otto, Kevin Welch, Jimmy Hall, Ashley Cleveland, Kim Hill, Jude Cole and Will Hoge. As a staff-writer for Warner/Chappell, Hamstein, and Scream Music, her songs were recorded by artists such as Patty Loveless and for television shows such as The West Wing. She also appears regularly at song festivals and Nashville's most prestigious venues, including the Ryman and Bluebird Café.
Caryl's latest album, Rancho Divine, is a compilation of ten previously unreleased recordings spanning the past decade. Featuring a who's who of Nashville musicians and songwriters, Rancho Divine is an organic blend of spatial soundscapes and stories perfectly crafted as the backdrop for her crystalline voice.


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A division of Toyota, Lexus is Japan's best-selling brand of luxury cars and SUVs. Lexus produces a lineup of vehicles that are strikingly smooth, precise, and aggressive in design. The exterior designs of Lexus cars and SUVs feature strong character lines, stunning contouring, and sharp accents, along with a smart and unconventionally dynamic front grille and bumper design. In a markedly forward-thinking move, Lexus has established a strong selection of hybrid cars and SUVs which demonstrate their devotion to sustainable engineering and advanced technology. If you want to buy a new car and are considering a Lexus, explore CarQuotes' simplified vehicle research tools. At CarQuotes.com, compare new car prices and use our state-of-the-art resources to buy a new Lexus at a discounted, up-front price today. Check out Car Quotes' Lexus specs for updated information on your favorite car or SUV, and browse through Lexus photos and options. Plus, get an instant free Car Quote to make your Lexus purchase hassle-free.
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Michael Stelzner is collecting nominations for the Top 10 Marketing Blogs. You might be interested in nominating your favorite blog here If you want to nominate my blog, that would be very cool. Regardless, let your opinon be heard.
Barry Libert & Jon Spector: We Are Smarter Than Me: How to Unleash the Power of Crowds in Your Business
Timothy Ferris: The 4-Hour work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
Roger C. Parker: Design to Sell: Use Microsoft Publisher to Plan, Write and Design Great Marketing Pieces (Bpg-Other)
Catherine Seda: How to Win Sales & Influence Spiders: Boosting Your Business & Buzz on the Web (Voices That Matter)
Douglas Rushkoff: Get Back in the Box: Innovation from the Inside Out
Tara Calishain: Information Trapping: Real-Time Research on the Web
Chip Heath and Dan Heath: Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
Patricia Seybold: Outside Innovation: How Your Customers Will Co-Design Your Company's Future
Steven Pressfield: The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
John Naisbitt: Mind Set! Reset Your Thinking and See the Future
Michael A. Stelzner: Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged
David W. Galenson: Old Masters and Young Geniuses : The Two Life Cycles of Artistic Creativity
Doug Hall: Meaningful Marketing: 100 Data-Proven Truths and 402 Practical Ideas for Selling More with Less Effort


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Breastfeeding, according to all the trendiest news stories, is the best thing ever — it turns your baby into a super genius with a brain the size of a mutated cantaloupe and all but ensures that child's eventual acceptance into an elite university, either Oxford or the Sorbonne, but maybe Harvard as a back-up. There are drawbacks, of course, but there are drawbacks to eating too much ice cream and nobody's solution to brain freeze is, "Stop all intake of ice cream." The point is, if you're a truly dedicated mother, you'll breastfeed, and if you refuse, the city of New York under Caius Brutus Bloomberg will make it unreasonably difficult for you to procure formula.
Starting September 3, reports the Post with nary a tinge of salaciousness, New York will implement "the most restrictive pro-milk program in the nation." As part of the city Health Department's voluntary Latch On NYC Initiative (which, I think we can agree, is a terrible name), New York's 40 hospitals will give up "swag bags" featuring formula logos (which include branded mugs and bottles), as well as document a medical reason for every bottle of formula that a newborn receives.
Back in April, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen wagged its finger at hospitals for being complicit in unethical marketing of the formula products, and so called for healthcare facilities to "immediately discontinue the distribution of commercial infant formula manufacturer discharge bags." Though New York's latest move to restrict the wanton distribution of formula grab-bags to labor-weary mothers has been applauded by breastfeeding advocates, formula-feeding moms are rightly pissed that they're getting a heavy-handed lecture on how best to fill their infant's squishy little body with nutrients.
"If they put pressure on me, I would get annoyed," said Lynn Sidnam, a Staten Island mother of two formula-fed girls. "It's for me to choose." Latch On won't deny women formula if they request it, but mothers who do ask for formula will be, according to Allison Walsh of the Bethel Medical Center, educated. Lisa Paladino from Staten Island University Hospital took the restrictions on formula one step further, explaining,
The key to getting more moms to breast-feed is making the formula less accessible. This way, the RN has to sign out the formula like any other medication. The nurse's aide can't just go grab another bottle.
Latch On NYC is extremely susceptible to criticism as a restriction on personal freedom, but the idea that formula makers aren't also exerting a similar (if subtler) kind of pressure on new mothers to use formula is naive. Still, nobody likes a lecture and being told that there's only one correct way to care for her newborn is probably the easiest way to anger a mom. "They make formula for a reason," says Roxanne Schmidt, "and the FDA makes sure it's safe." Putting that kind of trust in the FDA might be little too precarious a leap of faith for some people, but Schmidt does have a point — suddenly restricting a mother's choices is the most patronizing way to effect change there is. Besides, it's self-defeating — think of all the times someone reminded you to recycle or quit smoking or not huff so much glue, and then ask yourself if that person's nagging made you really want to change your behavior or, instead, exacerbated it, just to make them understand how paltry few fucks you gave about their attempt to regulate your behavior.
Mayor Bloomberg pushing NYC hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-feed [NY Post]
Image via Rafal Olechowski/Shutterstock.


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New and Improved Kryolan FDA and EU complaint Neon Face and Body Make Up. Kryolan is proud to announce that after lots of research they have finally developed a FDA/EU compliant Neon make up. Because the new Neon pigments have changed in color and vibrancy, there will also be a difference once applied to the skin. In an effort to improve the formula and ensure that every ingredient used in the formula is skin safe, minor color changes had to be made. Kryolan Neons will still glow under a blacklight, however under normal lighting the colors may appear less vibrant than in the past. Please consider the above when purchasing Kryolan's new formula.
Aquacolor liquid make up is a highly pigmented liquid version of the popular Kryolan Aquacolor cake makeup. Aquacolor liquids are ready to use and are ideal for fast face and body art because they require no additional mixing. Kryolan make up is made using the finest minerals and pigments and is safe for all skin types. Aquacolor liquids dry within seconds to a smudge free finish without cracking or staining. Aquacolor liquids are also available in Metallic and Day Glow colors which make them ideal for unique face and body art.
Kryolan Aquacolor UV-Day Glow colors are bright and bold under normal light and they become brighter under Ultra Violet lighting (black light).
Expect 1-100 applications per 1 oz bottle depending on coverage area.
Expect 50-200 applications per 4 oz bottle depending on coverage area. For body painting, one 4 oz bottle will cover an entire body.
To Use: Simply dip your brush or sponge in the paint and apply to skin. Aquacolor Liquid Make Up can also be used with your airbrush. To use through an airbrush mix with mixing liquid (Final seal, Mehron mixing liquid, or Liquiset) or distilled water to a thinner consistency suitable to flow through your airbrush. Typically an 80/20 paint to mix ratio.
To Remove: Use soap and water.
New and Improved Kryolan FDA and EU complaint Neon Face and Body Make Up. Kryolan is proud to announce that after lots of research they have finally developed a FDA/EU compliant Neon make up. Because the...
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There is no time like… NOW!
(Now would be an excellent time to stop making excuses for why you don't eat more pancakes.)
If these pancakes can't be a part of your most immediate NOW, I'd really love for them to be a part of your most immediate weekend.
They're indulgent. They're best made in the late morning in your house-slippers. Allow the stars to align.
Lemon zest and a bit of sugar are key ingredients in this recipe.
I love to rub the zest into the granulated sugar. The essential oils from the zest are released and spread throughout the batter. Fragrance and flavor!
Poppy seeds provide a most alluring crunch and subtle earthy flavor. The lemon and poppy seed combination is my favorite muffin reborn in pancake form.
This recipe makes a hefty amount of pancake batter. Pancake breakfast for four? If not… this batter freezes well. Simply defrost batter in the refrigerator overnight for super fast pancake breakfast. I love this kind of recipe.
The crisp edges of pancakes just slay me. It's my version of romance.
Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes are bright and poppy (no pun intended?). The batter is not very sweet at all, making them the perfect vehicle for pure maple syrup. The pancakes are made with buttermilk, giving the pancakes their fluffy texture and alluring tang. If you can't easily get a hold of buttermilk, I've got all sorts of substitutes.
I want NOW to feel special and really all it takes is a big stack of pancakes. Real.
Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes
makes a lot of pancakes. enough for four. about 24 small pancakes
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
butter, shortening, or vegetable oil for frying
maple syrup for serving
In a small bowl combine granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub together with your fingers until sugar is fragrant. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the lemon sugar. Set aside.
In a separate bowl (or you can use a large liquid measuring cup), whisk together buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients all at once into the dry ingredients. Add the poppy seeds and stir to combine. If a few lumps remain, that's no problem. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes while the griddle heats.
Place a griddle, or a nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add a bit of butter, shortening, or vegetable oil to the pan. A teaspoon of fat will do for a n0nstick saute pan, a bit more fat may be necessary for a griddle. Dollop batter onto hot pan. For small pancakes, I use about 2 tablespoons for each pancake. For larger pancakes, I use about 1/4 cup of batter. Cook until golden brown on the bottom and and bubbling on top. Flip once and cook until golden brown on each side.
Place cooked pancakes on an oven-proof plate and place in a warm (about 150 degrees F) oven until all pancakes are cooked and ready to serve. Serve with
butter and warm maple syrup.


text: Hello, world! That's about all I know about programming, heh heh. I am trying to install Debian on Shuttle XPC (Shuttle I, I think). I have faced several problems, and every time I try to reinstall it, problems seem to go even worse. I am slowly getting frustrated after trying like 20 installs in two weeks or so. So, if you can tell me about next things, or help me where to look at. I have read some of Debian 3.1 GNU/Linux Bible, but it's like hebrew to me, and doesn't tell too much about following problems I am having: Oh, what I want is a computer to use (VoIP/surfing/email/MP3/dvd-burner/ movies) kind of multimedia desktop with least extra confusing elements. 1. Which kernel to choose? 386 or 686, and which version of those? After that... 2. Debian or Ubuntu for newbie like me? I had 1st 3 CD's of Debian sarge, and got GNOME up and running, but after I connected to web and reinstalled there (tried to fix totally wrong screen resolutions by reinstalling), and then trying to install Kubuntu, I have only had problems and I've been unable to start any GUIs. Xserver or something is not working. Seems every time I try something else, I seem to break new things. Can you help me little here? Please! Thanks in advance!


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From Openmoko
Name: Krzysztof Kajkowski; Location: Warsaw, Poland.
Talk to me at my talk page.
- experienced sys admin - Linux, Unix
- python, perl, ruby, C/C , Java, bash, SQL - less or more I know them all ;)
- I have same spare time after receiving my MSc
- MSc at Warsaw University of Technology - 2006. My thesis was about codecs comparison in remote CCTV transmissions
- BSc at Warsaw University of Technology - 2004. My thesis: "Seanux. Remote system for video surveillance". I have made my own distro ;)
- I announced myself as the first Polish translator
- I am willing to test software and development tools for some bugs as I have proffessional experience in that matter
- also I would like to do some minor programming
- In spare time I add content to my polish portal: openmoko.org.pl
- Please visit my homepage: www.cayco.pl


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Until now, President Obama has been vastly outspending Mitt Romney on television ads in the swing states. Those of us who were cheered by Romney's excellent fundraising–he can't possibly equal, but has actually approached the totals achieved by the Obama money machine–have been waiting impatiently to see that money spent in a visible way. With 30 days to go in the campaign, Romney is hitting the air waves in a big way. This ad, titled "Facts Are Clear," is great. It focuses on the debt, and the key line–Obama's not just wasting money, he's borrowing money, then wasting it–is memorable:
Romney is also running state-specific ads. This one is playing in Ohio and is called "Ohio Jobs:"
This one is playing in Nevada and features former NBA player Greg Anthony. It's a terrific ad; Anthony says that he voted for Obama in '08 and thought he was a centrist, but is tired of excuses and doesn't think we can afford four more years like the last four. Knowing what we know about the Obama campaign, I hope Anthony's security detail is on its toes:
These are good ads that focus on Obama's central weakness, his terrible economic record. Let's hope every swing state voter sees them. Over and over.


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Vintage Bow Tie Keepers - November 2013
Readers' Rides
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Ken Santoro – '68 Chevelle and '78 Camaro
You might recognize Ken, since he started Ground Up, the restoration parts supplier for Chevelles, Novas, G-bodies, and Camaros. Ken bought his '68 back in 1980, for the meager sum of $900 from his girlfriend's father. This car helped inspire him to start Ground Up, after hunting swamp meets and shows looking for parts to fix the car. Today he still owns it. He also has the '78 Camaro Z28 he bought brand new and drove cross country, all the way to California and back from Connecticut.
Steve Hornback – '55 Bel Air Sedan
Steve inherited the '55 from his great grandfather in 1975. Currently the car is undergoing a modern restomod rebuild, including an Art Morrison chassis, LS motor, and a host of other custom touches. "I get criticized for bothering to customize a four-door, but the car has been in the family since 1955, so I did not care. Now that I'm 55 years old, my older friends can climb in for a ride a lot easier."
Bill Way – '53 Chevy
As an eager young gearhead, Bill got his '53 by first painting flames on his mother's car, then by lowering her then-new '57 Chevy. To get their son to leave their cars alone, the Ways bought him the '53 to focus his hot rodding tendencies on. Later, Bill would sell the '53 to buy a '54 Corvette.
Mark LeBlanc – '70 Camaro
When he headed off to Tulane University in the late '70s, Mark was behind the wheel of this Camaro. Later on in college (1978) and after the purchase of a C3 LT-1 Corvette, Mark turned the F-body into a show car, bringing home trophies from various events in Louisiana. He traded the car for parts he needed for the Corvette in the '80s. Mark figures the car met its end when Katrina blasted through the area.
Mark and Joe Lunsford – '56 Chevy
Mark sent us this picture of his dad perched on the fender of the family's '56 back in 1960. Mark says, "He was 19 years old when this pic was snapped. When he joined the Army reserves back then, it would make the trip from Indiana to Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri. And since my dad was always a good shade tree mechanic, they would just take those Chevys apart and put 'em back together again just for fun. I came along in '63, and now that I'm 50 years old, I have a '69 Camaro RS that I've had for three years now. Sure wish he was still here to help me work on it. Don't think I'll ever be the mechanic he was."
Terry Nixon – '64 and '68 Chevelles
Terry is pictured with his '64 in 1967, after installing a Duntov cam in the 283. With a four speed, numerous Mustang owners saw his taillights when racing. After that came the '68 SS396 with an L78/four-speed combo. That pic was snapped in '69, after Terry had installed Mickey Thompson Super Scavenger headers, Mallory dual-point ignition, and American Racing wheels. Terry still has the original bill of sale from when the '68 was new.
Mark Harrison – '65 Chevelle Convertible
His first car, this pic was snapped in 1973 with Mark's sister Kristie in front of the ragtop. The 283 was treated to a 350 HP 327 cam, Hurst shifter for the four-speed, a Q-Jet carb, Rocket chrome reverse wheels, air shocks, and dual exhaust.
Harry Henderson – '68 Camaro SS
This was taken in 1972. Originally a six-cylinder car with a three-on-the tree, Harry dropped in a 350 backed by a Muncie four-speed, and repainted it Hunter Green with white Z/28 stripes. Harry later traded it for a '70 GTO.
Phil Veldheer – '55 Bel Air Hardtop & '56 210 Townsman Wagon
Back in the golden age of the NHRA, it wasn't uncommon to see an invasion of flat-towed Tri-Fives show up at the U.S Nationals. Phil Veldheer was one of those in '67, dragging his H/SA '56 wagon to Indy behind his '55 Sport Coupe. Phil still races the wagon today. That's dedication.
Mark Lacey – '67 Chevelle Convertible
Mark's ragtop was one of the few that left the factory with straight-six power that year. He bought the car for $500 in 1980 from the original owner. After replacing the water pump, he drove it every day, including all the way to Fort Bragg when he enlisted in the Army in '82. Then he drove it back to St. Louis in '84, stored it while on deployment to Germany and Korea (twice), drove it again as a daily driver between overseas deployment from 1993-'98. In '06, he started a five-year frame-off restoration.
Tom Field – '69 Camaro RS
Tom has a lot of good memories with his former Camaro. Bought in the spring of '82, Tom slowly rebuilt the car, taking his future wife to their senior prom in style in '83 (they're still married today with two daughters. The larger picture is from July '84, just after he finished rebuilding the car.
Dan Finch – '55 Bel Air & '57 210 wagon
Dan started with a '59 four-door Biscayne, then traded it straight up for a '69 Camaro RS convertible (gotta love the good old days!), and while driving the Camaro spotted a red '55 for sale. He chased the owner down, and traded him the Camaro for the hardtop. Dan added a tunnel ram-equipped LT-1, Super T-10, and a 5.13-geared rear, then went to Cordova Dragstrip and beat on some trailered Hemi cars. While still driving the '55 every day, it returned 4 mpg. He'd park it in the winter and use the pictured '57 to get around. When he left to attend Texas A&M in 1974, Dan sold the '55 and picked up a more economical '66 Nova, which he used to move back home after graduating (pictured).
Roy Benstead – '56 Bel Air Sedan
Roy bought his '56 from Enoch Chevrolet in South Gate, California. It was the first new car he ever bought, and his friends said he'd drive it till it fell apart. Well, 57 years later, the Bel Air hasn't fallen apart, but he still owns it. He just had the engine rebuilt, a new interior from Ciadella installed, along with a few odds and ends from Danchuk.
Robert Beaumont – '63 Impala Convertible
When he got his '63, Rob took the slogan "See the USA in your Chevrolet" to heart. This pic was taken on one of many cross-country trips from Miami to Long Beach, California. As Rob notes, "The only issue I had was an incident of an overheating condition pulling a U-Haul through the Mojave Desert. I hitchhiked off down the desert highway with a water can and then took the thermostat out. We made the rest of the trip with no problems. The wife at the time of the photo was 20. She is now 66."
Milt Volosyn – '56 210 Sedan & '64 Impala
The '56 was Milt's first car (we're honestly wondering how many readers' first cars were Tri-Fives) with a 235 six and three-on-the-tree. Milt says he used to hunt down heavy Crown Vics with the 210, beating them often with two less cylinders. The second photo is of Milt's '64 Impala he bought new. Painted factory Azure Aqua, the car had a 327/three-speed combo, and Milt added dual fours, a Hurst Small H floor shifter, and a diaphragm clutch.
Bill Salzman – '68 Camaro
This vintage pic is from the '80s, and Bill says this is the first SS clone he and his friends ever built. While he doesn't have the '68 anymore, Bill does own a tire-smoking '67 Camaro he has fun with.
Ron Greulich – '69 Camaro SS396
Ron picked up his '69 in 1979 from the original owner for $3,800—a princely sum for a 10-year old Camaro at the time. A factory 325 HP car, Ron was only two years out of high school when he got it. The original owner had just repainted the car, then Ron removed the front clip, detailed the engine bay, and rebuilt the motor. He sold the car in '84. As he puts it, "I don't know what I was thinking!"
Stan Statham – '57 Bel Air
We'll let Stan's son Devin tell this story: "This Sport Coupe has seen a long history with our family since it rolled off the lot in '57. Dad bought it new, a 283-equipped Larkspur Blue car, painted green during the '70s, and today it is red and white with a red and black factory pattern interior.
"The hardtop has had quite a life. Wrecked by a 17-year-old son who is now a 44-year-old lieutenant colonel in the Air Force who has driven it at speed in well excess of 100…a fact which has only recently come to light. Crashed again by a 17-year-old daughter who is now a 36-year-old master's candidate. Fixed up better after each incident, with several quasi-restorations over the past 56 years. The original 283 is still in place and gets put to work regularly. Dad's driven it through his equally storied career as a Rock and Rock DJ, Nightly News Anchor, legislator, and now the CEO of the California Broadcasters Association." – Lt. Colonel Devin Statham
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The median sale price of a home in Lake Norden was $115K last month, down 69.7% since last year.
Lake Norden Housing Market Trends
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In October 2022, Lake Norden home prices were down 69.7% compared to last year, selling for a median price of $115K.
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Organizations running standalone Fibre Channel-based Storage Area Networks may be able to reduce the amount of cabling snaking through their datacenters, thanks to an emerging converged network protocol called Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE).
Last June, the International Committee for Information Technology Standards' T11 Technical Committee finalized the FCoE standard (PDF). Now products are starting to hit the market that will allow agencies to take advantage of this emerging storage technology.
At the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco last week, Mellanox Technologies released the industry's first 40 gigabit Ethernet adapter, the ConnectX-2 EN 40G, which supports FCoE. That single Ethernet cards will soon be able to manage 40 gibabits per second -- and not lose any packets thanks to recent Ethernet refinements -- will make it easier for organizations to pave the way for folding their Fiber Channel-driven storage networks into general-use Ethernet networks.
Elsewhere, Brocade has released a new model of its DCX Backbone switches to specially handle Fibre Channel traffic between two datacenters using Ethernet, the FCoE10-24 Blade. This blade will be available in EMC, Hitachi Data Systems, HP and NetApp storage offerings.
FCoE allows Fibre Channel traffic to be run over an Ethernet network. Using FCoE can reduce the amount of infrastructure in a datacenter because it eliminates the need to maintain a Fibre Channel network dedicated for storage. Instead, the Storage Area Network traffic could be run over the existing Ethernet network, noted Skip Jones, chairman of the Fibre Channel Industry Association.
Technically speaking, with FCoE, the Fibre Channel-encoded data is bundled in Ethernet packets at its source and, after traversing an Ethernet network, is unbundled at its destination. "The Fibre Channel protocol at the link level is exactly the same. All [FCoE] does is allow us to run over a different wire," said Steve Wilson, chairman of the T11 committee. "All the management applications and all the actual operational functionality [are] the same."
Although Fibre Channel networks have traditionally offered a higher line rate than Ethernet, Ethernet's recent jumps to 10 and 40 gigabit throughputs can even the playing field between the two technologies. So the performance difference between natural Fibre Channel and FCoE "should be completely negligible," promised Jones.
To set up an FCoE for an existing SAN, you would need two new types of components: FCoE converged network adapters for the storage arrays and the servers, as well as datacenter bridge exchange (DCBX) switches to connect the end-points. Architecturally, a storage array could be FCoE-enabled, meaning communication with this array would happen directly over Ethernet, with FCoE packets. Organizations running existing Fibre Channel SANs could connect the arrays with a DCBX switch via Fibre Channel, and then route all outward connections via Ethernet, Jones noted.
Although the standard has been stabilized for some time, Wilson said, this final official ratification will bring the assurance of product interoperability among the many vendors selling FCoE gear. It will also allow companies that weren't part of the T11 development committee to purchase the standard specification and implement FCoE support into their own storage products. The FCoE standard has also adapted the worldwide Media Access control (MAC) addressing system for network components, so that all FCoE hardware components will have a seared-in-silicon universal MAC address.
The University of New Hampshire does periodic plug-fests, where different vendors can come together to set up an ad-hoc networks to demonstrate how well Fibre Channel equipment from different vendors could work together. The next one will be held Nov. 16-20.
About the Author
Joab Jackson is the chief technology editor of Government Computing News (GCN.com).
Microsoft this week announced that the new Outlook for Windows 11 is now at the "general availability" release stage for personal account users, but it's also arriving for organizations as a so-called "enterprise ready" release.
Microsoft on Thursday unveiled four new Surface devices for businesses.
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Astronomers have solved a mystery over small, unusually hot blue stars, 10 times hotter than our Sun, that are found in the middle of dense star clusters.
The international team found the so-called blue hook stars throw off their cool outer layers late in life because they are rotating so rapidly, making them more luminous than usual.
"We've solved an old puzzle. These stars are only half the mass of our Sun yet we could not explain how they became so luminous," said team member Dr Antonino Milone, from The Australian National University (ANU) Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics.
"As the star was forming billions of years ago from a disc of gas in the congested centre of the star cluster, another star or stars must have collided with the disc and destroyed it."
The research, published in Nature, gives new insights into star formation in the early Universe in the crowded centres of clusters. Star clusters are rare environments in the Universe, in which many stars are born at the same time.
The team studied the globular cluster Omega Centauri, the only cluster visible to the naked eye, which contains around 10 million stars in close proximity to one another.
The model shows the formation of stars in clusters do not all form at once, said co-author Dr Aaron Dotter, also from ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics.
"These blue stars must form in a second generation of star formation," he said. "Our new explanation is quite simple, and it hangs together really nicely."
Usually the large disc of ionised gas around a newly-forming star locks its rotation through magnetic effects. For the progenitors of blue hook stars, however, an early destruction of its disc allows the stars to spin up as the gas comes together to form a star.
Because its high rotation rate partially balances the inward force of gravity, the star consumes its hydrogen fuel more slowly and evolves differently throughout its life.
The blue hook phase of its life occurs after more than 10 billion years, when the star has consumed nearly all its hydrogen and begins burning the hotter fuel helium. The different evolution processes leave it with a heavier core which burns brighter than typical helium-burning stars.
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By Beth Buczynski
Made from agar agar and cast in different colors as well as flavors, Jelloware demonstrates that disposable doesn't have to be bad for the planet.
Determined to prove that the convenience of disposable dishware doesn't have to come at the expense of the environment, the ladies of THE WAY WE SEE THE WORLD design consultancy in NYC are using jello in ways that Bill Cosby never could have imagined.
Dubbed Jelloware, this unique line of cups completely reinvents the way people experience a beverage, including the way it feels, tastes, smells, moves, and is even disposed of.
The cups are made entirely out of agar agar and cast in different flavors, such as lemon-basil, ginger-mint, or rosemary-beet, each specifically designed to compliment a corresponding drink.
The cups are made entirely out of agar agar and cast in different flavors, such as lemon-basil, ginger-mint, or rosemary-beet, each specifically designed to compliment a corresponding drink.
People are drawn to disposable, single-use, throw-away products and packaging like moths to a flame, simply because it's a way to satisfy a desire without having to worry about the clean up. Unfortunately, these disposables are usually made out of paper or plastic made from petroleum.
Jelloware provides a way to enjoy the no-commitment advantage of a disposable cup without having to worry about the environmental consequences.
Compostable dishware, made from corn or sugar, has grown in popularity, but it still presents a problem in areas where proper composting facilities aren't readily available. (Nope, your home compost pile won't be able to cut it). This means that after shelling out the extra bucks for compostable cups, most of them end up in the landfill anyway.
In a refreshing twist, Jelloware is actually meant to be thrown into the grass after it is used, as agar agar is a seaweed extract and actually nurtures the growth of plants. So next time you have a party, you can encourage your guests to leave their cups all over your lawn.


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Peretz: TNR has gone from 'liberal' to 'leftist'
Count Martin Peretz, the former owner and editor-in-chief of The New Republic, as one of Chris Hughes' staunchest critics.
In a new op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Peretz slams Hughes' "new" New Republic as a leftist magazine adrift from its intellectual moorings.
"The New Republic has abandoned its liberal but heterodox tradition and embraced a leftist outlook as predictable as that of Mother Jones or the Nation. That was hardly the fate I expected for the magazine," writes Peretz, who served as editor-in-chief from 1974, when he bought the magazine, until 2011.
The old New Republic was certainly liberal, especially in its editorials (early support for the Iraq War notwithstanding). But Peretz believes Hughes -- a former Obama campaign staffer -- has let a new, unrestrained leftism bleed into the magazine's reporting at the expense of honest, critical journalism. He even states that President Obama, who Hughes and editor Franklin Foer interviewed for the first issue, has become "an object of fealty at the New Republic."
"Mr. Hughes is not from the world of Herbert Croly and Walter Lippmann, the old-school liberals who founded the 'journal of opinion' in the hope that it would foment in its readers 'little insurrections of the mind,'" Peretz writes.
"There is something strange about Chris Hughes's journalistic vision," Peretz argues. "He has said in public and to me that he intended for the magazine no longer to be known as a liberal journal, for it not to take up only one side of an issue. Fair enough.... But maybe editorials are no longer needed, given the articles themselves. The magazine now seems to live in a space where those 'little insurrections of the mind' are unwelcome."
Peretz's full editorial here. (h/t Byron Tau)