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Before the 2012 season started, Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey published his memoir, Wherever I Wind Up. It was the best baseball book I'd read in ages. And now that literary surprise dovetails with a baseball one: Dickey, after back-to-back one-hitters, is pitching better than anyone else in baseball.
Dickey has apparently discovered a glitch in the game. He's not the first knuckleballer to have success, but he's doing things knuckleballers have never done before. He leads the National League in strikeouts. Phil Niekro, in all his years, led the league just once. And Niekro got the strikeout crown while also leading the league in walks. Dickey's walk rate is the third-lowest among National League starters. And he has—get this—zero wild pitches on the year.
The basic Dickey pitch is a fast knuckler. The classic knuckleball is usually described as a matter of the pitcher surrendering control, setting a butterfly free to flutter no-one-knows-where, as frustrated hitters try vainly to club it. What Dickey throws has more zip and aggression to it, like an angry hornet buzzing the plate, the ball darting unpredictably sideways and a bit downward, missing bats. When a hitter does put a bat on it, it usually dribbles harmlessly to an infielder. Here's Nick Johnson trying to catch up with one, succeeding only in adding injury to insult:
Dickey will slow all the way down and throw an eephus knuckler, too, to keep hitters' timing off. And he throws at speeds in between, keeping them flustered. A few pinpoint fastballs ensure that he stays on top of the count. He is, for this superlative not-quite-half-season so far, in total command.
And Dickey is doing this all at age 37, and not a perpetually-injured-player-with-surprisingly-little-mileage-on-him 37 or a where-did-those-extra-20-pounds-of-muscle-come-from 37 (although Dickey's copped to a fondness for Toradol, a strong anti-inflammatory shot), but a wow-he's-past-his-physical-peak 37. He shouldn't be thriving in baseball right now. So why is he?
Wherever I Wind Up doesn't answer the question immediately. It doesn't consider itself a baseball book so much as it considers itself a book about a man who happens to play baseball. This isn't modesty: When Dickey published the book, he was merely a soft-spoken semi-surprise who relied on an unusual pitch and gave a good interview. He was coming off an 8-13 season. Last night's dominant outing against Baltimore finally bumped his career record above .500.
But because of 2012, we can now read the book as the tale of a man on the cusp of greatness. And what do we learn? Faith and family matter to him more than the game does. He concludes both the narration and his acknowledgements section with prayers.
These aren't the usual pieties. Church is plenty applicable to what Dickey does out there. A knuckleballer engages in outwardly mystical rituals, like obsessive nail-filing. A few wise old men retain the wisdom behind the pitch. And there's no guarantee that the pitch will work out. Even Dickey's sharp knuckler depends on faith; no two are alike, he says. He just does his best and pushes the ball toward the plate.
Dickey's prose in the book isn't flowery. He writes in vernacular with occasional references to Star Wars and the Bible. His ghostwriter, Wayne Coffey of the New York Daily News, presumably gets the better of him at points, and turns Dickey's voice into that of a newspaper columnist. But Dickey is, broadly speaking, a storyteller who easily taps into his emotions and sparks the reader's, too. Consider the passage when he attempts to swim across the Missouri River and flounders:
It occurs to me that if I just open my mouth underwater, I can apologize to God in person.
I am sinking fast now, well below the surface. I am ready to die, and as I spend the final moments of my life engulfed in sorrow and regret, I feel solid ground beneath my flip-flops.
I have hit bottom. Literally.
This is how Dickey writes, always in the first person, questioning himself, atoning for mistakes he's made in the past, even though he seems to be a better human than most of us are.
Much of the book is quite sad. We learn about how R.A. was molested as a child. We learn about his alcoholic mother and distant father. We learn about his wife's miscarriage. We learn about when he cheated on his wife and wanted to kill himself, and then we learn about that river crossing, where he nearly does kill himself, unintentionally. He seems like Job. The resemblance is more than passing. Of the sexual abuse, Dickey writes: "How could a loving God let this happen to me? How? Can you tell me that? I was only eight! Why didn't He do something?"
It would have simple enough easy for Dickey to write a formulaic book about making it in the majors. He grew up poor, became an All-American in college, lost his first-round signing bonus because his elbow looked weird on a Baseball America cover, and languished in the minors for many years before reinventing himself as a knuckleballer. Even then, he languished some more before striking it big with a mess of a franchise. That's enough for a good story and a Dennis Quaid movie down the road.
Yes, those longing for baseball-specific wisdom will find some of it here. Dickey befriends Phil Niekro, Charlie Hough, and Tim Wakefield, and all three refine his knuckleball. (Knuckleball!, a documentary about Dickey and Wakefield and featuring glimpses of the other two and Wilbur Wood, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. One imagines the filmmakers now wish they had focused on Dickey rather than Wakefield's sad, surly chase for 200 wins.) Dickey explains that the knuckleballer must pitch as though contained in a doorframe, because flailing limbs generate spin, the knuckleball's enemy. Niekro teaches Dickey that he must bound off the mound, pushing the knuckleball with all the force he has (rather than throwing it). Dickey also explains proper fingernail care—an injury causes him to hit a Korean manicurist in Flushing hours before a start—and knuckler grip.
And, sure, Dickey talks a little bit about his teammates. He tells a nice story about Jeff Brantley, who bought him a suit, shirts, and shoes when he was a rookie and had nothing to wear. He raves about the moral fiber of Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran, two great Mets smeared by the local media for the last half-dozen years. He talks about field-goal-kicking hijinks with Mike Pelfrey, who hits them from 50 yards. He has a couple negative anecdotes about his rookie year in Texas, but he doesn't mention any names. He's not like his fellow knuckleballer-turned-author Jim Bouton, who exposed the big-league clubhouse in Ball Four.
R.A. instead writes about his personal triumph, how he wound up being a better father, a better son, and a better husband. In one scene from 2011, he takes his daughter to the doctor after she fractures her arm. It's 3:30, and he's pitching at Citi Field at 7. His 9-year-old daughter tells him to run along to work, but he stays at the doctor's, out on Long Island, until she gets treated. He doesn't get to the stadium until after 6, after the gates have opened and many fans have arrived, but Dickey doesn't really care. He writes, "It was a day when I showed up. It was a day when I took a big step to break the dysfunctional cycle of my own experience as a kid. This is how families become healthier, how lives can change and children can be nourished."
Yet Dickey doesn't sound arrogant about the man he's become. He credits those around him for helping him find his way. Yes, he was always contemplative. But as a teenager he broke into vacant houses and slept in them for solitary reflection. He connected with no one. As an adult, he examines his life through extended dialogues with his wife, pastor, and therapist. He gets results. His book offers the reader the possibility of transformation.
Dickey knows he's imperfect. At the book's core is the story of his struggle to become a better man. Thankfully for Dickey, he's chosen a baseball craft—knuckleballing—that gives a player a reprieve from time. All he must do is keep struggling. He can't be perfect, no. But he can get damn close.


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It's normal for babies to cry, even when you are trying to comfort them. Some babies cry more than others or for longer periods of time. This is normal too. It is also normal for a caregiver to become frustrated. No matter how stressed, tired, angry or frustrated you feel, you must never, ever shake a baby. Shaking a baby can kill or cause serious injuries.
The message is simple:
- Make sure the baby's basic needs (food, diapering, appropriate clothing, etc.) are met.
- Try swaddling, tightly wrapping your baby in a blanket for warmth and security.
- Offer the baby a pacifier.
- Lower the lights and noise to help calm the baby.
- Walk the baby around holding him or her close to you.
- Take the baby for a ride in a stroller or a car.
- Call a friend, relative, neighbor or medical provider for help.
- Take a break - sit down and count to 10 or 20.
- If all else fails, put the baby in the crib on his or her back. Close the door and check back every five minutes or so. Don't pick up the baby until you feel calm.
If you are a child care provider and cannot handle a crying baby, please let the parent know.
Remember, a baby will outgrow crying, but shaking a baby may cause permanent damage.
Shaken Baby Syndrome is a serious brain injury that occurs when a frustrated caregiver "shakes" an infant, usually to stop him/her from crying. It is considered a form of child abuse.
Some parents, siblings, or caretakers who would not consider hitting a baby, think that shaking a baby is okay. THIS IS DANGEROUS!
Shaking a baby can cause bleeding inside the brain which may lead to:
- Death
- Brain damage
- Retardation
- Blindness
- Paralysis
- Seizures
- Developmental delays
Protect our future by handling infants with the loving care they deserve!
And remember, some play activities also can be dangerous, such as:
- Vigorous, repeated tossing of a baby into the air
- Jogging while carrying an infant on the back or shoulders
- Bouncing an infant on an adult's knee or swinging the baby on an adult's leg
- Swinging the baby around by the ankles
- Spinning an infant around
- Constant crying
- Stiffness
- Sleeping more than usual
- Unable to wake up
- Seizures
- Dilated pupils
- Decreased appetite
- Vomiting
- Difficulty breathing
- Blood spots in eyes
If for any reason the baby has an injury, take him/her to the nearest hospital emergency room or call 911. The baby will not get better without receiving medical treatment.
If you are feeling stressed, call the Family Helpline:
24 hours a day, 7 days a week

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to the Community Music School at Salem College. We hope to enrich your life through music in one of our many excellent and innovative programs. Lessons, classes, and workshops are available throughout the year for children through adults.
Let the music begin!
The mission of the Community Music School at Salem College is to serve students of all ages, interests, and diverse backgrounds by providing excellence in music education. We seek to assist students in realizing their goals and dreams of music-making.
We believe that every person has musical abilities that can be developed. Our programs are geared towards both hobby and professional musicians.
Lastly, we want to contribute to the larger cultural community by providing artistic, educational, and recreational programs.
Fill out the information form on the Contact Us! page.
To speak with someone, please call 336-721-2636 during business hours.
Our mailing address is:
Community Music School
601 S. Church St.
Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27101


text: Explore your surroundings in Women's Hiking & Walking Boots from Sportsman's Guide. Browse through low, mid and hi-top hiking boots that fits your preference. We have top tier Hiking Boots brands including Merrell, Hi-Tec, Ad Tec, Reebok and more! Browse our popular Camo Hiking Boots and Camo Hiking Shoes below! So go ahead and grab a pair of hiking boots for low prices.


text: The Perfect Setup - Debian Sarge (3.1) "quota problem" I folowed great howto for The Perfect Setup - Debian Sarge (3.1), but i use Debian 3.1 r2 netinstall cd. Installation went find, but when i did come on Page3 to "quote" installation i get some problem and cant get it working. Hier is what i have done: /etc/fstab look like this: I must sey that i switch to Kernel 184.108.40.206 dont know is there quota support added, but i think i have tried on vanila Debian and it was the same error? Thnx


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Hawaii: In Real Life ~ B&D Butchery
A couple of months ago, I got to attend the first collaboration "table to farm" dinner at Moke's Bread and Breakfast, presented by B&D Butchery and Shinsato Farm. Award-winning chef and charcuter Doug Kocol and Brett Robinson, both known for their work at Salt, now work directly and exclusively with Shinsato Farm and wanted to showcase the products the farm has to offer to the public.
The dinner, as you will see in the gallery below, was fantastic on many levels. For one thing, you got to eat things that were fresh and local. Glenn Shinsato was on hand to talk about the farm, and says he hopes to raise the awareness in Hawaii people for eating good food — really good food, not simply quantity over quality.
They are having another collaboration dinner on May 27, so I thought I'd let you meet some of the people behind the effort: Kocol, Robinson, and Keola Warren of Moke's. (The Shinsatos were not available, but be watching for a future episode with them.) The dinner series is just $55 and is BYOB. I didn't realize that the relationship now extends farther than just these dinners, so if you miss the event, you can still taste the talent of B&D Butchery and Shinsato Farm on the menu at Moke's.
We talked story some more about B&D Butchery; their love of pork, pickles and sandwiches; delve into their philosophy of life from working on the farm; and of course, what's next for B&D and their signature line of products. To see more, visit HawaiiIRL.com. For more information on the dinner and to see the menu, click here.
Here's how the last dinner went down:


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Jon Polito, the prolific and raspy-voiced character actor whose many credits ranged from "Homicide: Life on the Street" and "Modern Family" to the Coen Brother films "Barton Fink" and "The Big Lebowski," has died.
Polito died Thursday at City of Hope Hospital in Duarte, California, according to his manager, Maryellen Mulcahy. Polito was 65 and was being treated for multiple melanoma, Mulcahy told The Associated Press on Friday.
A native of Philadelphia, the short, mustachioed Polito was among the busiest TV and movie actors of the past three decades, averaging several projects a year since the mid-1980s. Mulcahy said he was working right to the end of his life.
He played a private investigator in "The Big Lebowski."


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LAS VEGAS—Chinese phone maker Huawei is subscribing to the "bigger is better" school of thought. Its latest smartphone, the Ascend Mate, is positively massive. Its 6.1-inch, 720p display is the largest on any smartphone to date, dwarfing even the Samsung Galaxy Note II in stature.
With a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 8-megapixel camera, the Huawei Ascend Mate doesn't feel out of place next to other current top-of-the-line smartphones. In order to power all that beefy hardware, the Ascend Mate comes with a 4050mAh battery, which the company says will keep the phone running for over 20 hours of use on a single charge.
The Ascend Mate ships running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), which Huawei has customized with its proprietary Emotion interface. Huawei believes that Android is too complicated for regular folk to use, and hopes that its overlay will make the phone accessible to more people. The overlay includes tweaks such as floating windows that allow you to run multiple apps at once (much like on the Galaxy Note II), and a one-handed control scheme that shifts the keyboard and keypad depending on which hand you're holding the phone in.
I managed to get some hands-on time with the phone while at CES and was impressed with what I saw. The phone's curved back allows it to rest comfortably in your hand, and prevented the phone from feeling overwhelming large. The phone's quad-core processor had no trouble keeping up as I flipped through menus and apps, though it didn't feel quite as fast as phones running on Qualcomm's quad-core S4 Pro processor.
Unfortunately, it'll be a while before you at home get a chance to experience this behemoth of a phone. Huawei plans to launch the Ascend Mate in China next month, and the phone maker didn't make mention of the handset making its way stateside. Perhaps they are saving that announcement for Mobile World Congress.
For more blogs, stories, photos, and video from the nation's largest consumer electronics show, check out our complete coverage of CES 2013.


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Giving coconut to your pet is an excellent health decision and can improve your pet's quality of life, but there is a right way and wrong way to start supplementing your dog or cat's diet with coconut oil.
Start slow and increase gradually.
When beginning to supplement your pet's diet with coconut oil, start slow and increase gradually. Giving too much coconut oil too soon can cause digestive and detox issues.
Because coconut oil kills bacteria, viruses, parasites, yeasts, and fungi, your pet may respond negatively to the detox aspect of taking coconut oil. Signs of detoxing too rapidly may include lethargy, headaches, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, and diarrhea.
Large amounts of coconut oil given to a dog can cause diarrhea or greasy stools while his body adjusts to the change in diet. Start with small amounts, such as ¼ teaspoon per day for small dogs or puppies and 1 teaspoon for large dogs, or even just a dab if your dog's constitution is sensitive. If your dog seems tired or uncomfortable or has diarrhea, just cut back the amount temporarily. Gradually increase the amount every few days. If your dog seems tired or uncomfortable or has diarrhea, reduce the amount temporarily. It may also be helpful to give the small amounts of coconut oil in divided doses throughout the day.
Coconut oil is best given with food. Solid or liquid coconut oil can be added to food at any meal. Solid coconut oil can easily be melted quickly in hot water.
Feeding Guidelines
A general guideline for the optimal dose for dogs is about 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight daily or about 1 tablespoon per 30 pounds, but don't start with these amounts in the beginning!
Most cats also love the taste of coconut oil and will eat it without a problem. As with many similar supplements, if your cat won't eat it in her food, just put a dab of coconut oil on her paw before or after meals. She'll lick it off and get it that way.
We humans can benefit from coconut oil by using it for cooking in place of other oils. It is also taken orally by mouth as a diet supplement and used on skin. A good strategy for humans is to use coconut and palm oils for cooking, and olive (a heat-sensitive oil with a low smoke point) and flax oils for cold dressings. This trategy will help increase your levels of healthy Lauric Acid, Omega-3, and GLA fatty acids while lowering your intake of Omega-6 and junk oils. Some experts recommend that we consume a 3:1 ratio of Omega-6s to Omega-3s. The average American diet provides a ratio of 15:1 and often 30:1. Some oils, such as olive, create harmful substances as a result of overheating.
If you cook your own pet food, coconut oil would be an excellent addition to the recipe.
Most dogs like the taste of coconut oil so you won't have trouble feeding it to them.
Coconut Oil for Pet Skin Problems
If you wish to apply topically to use coconut oil to treat a rash, wound or dry skin, but they try to lick it off, try wrapping the skin in a rag or towel for a few minutes to let the oil soak in before they get a chance to lick it off.
Different brands of coconut oil will have different tastes ranging from a bland taste, to a strong coconut taste, to a more buttery taste. You can experiment with the oil your pet finds most pleasing.
Read the Full Article Here: http://www.allnaturalpethealth.com/how_to_feed_coconut_oil.html
Learn More about Pet Steaks with Coconut!


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I have a lot of friends asking me of whether they should install Ubuntu 12.10 or Linux Mint 14, which is also Ubuntu - but a bit refreshed. Given that I reviewed both of them on the same system - Asus K54C, 2.4 Ghz Core i3 processor with 2 GB RAM, I thought a comparison between the mother distro and it's most famous derivate deem rational.
Results - table
|From Ubuntu 12.10 Comparison
|From Linux Mint 14
|Ubuntu 12.10
|Mint 14 Cinnamon
|Size of ISO
|Booting time (post installation)
|9 sec
|20 sec
|Unity with Gnome 3.6
|Cinnamon 1.6.7
|Linux kernel
|CPU Usage (post installation)
|RAM usage (post installation)
|Installation time (with 1 MBPS connection)
|30 min.
|30 min.
|Wifi detection
|Touchpad detection
|Ease of use
|A bit on the slower side
|Really smooth to use
|Eye candy factor
|Looks awesome!
|Looks good with application colors matching the ash colored theme
|Ubuntu Software Center 18.104.22.168
|MintInstall 7.4.4
|File Manager
|Nautilus 3.4.2
|Nemo 1.1.2
As evident, the results highlight Unity makes Ubuntu a bit slower compared to Linux Mint with significantly higher RAM consumption. Cinnamon 1.6, on the other hand, gets it right.Ubuntu 12.10 is ahead in terms of booting time. Linux Mint, conventionally, take a bit of time to boot.
On aesthetics department, Unity looks simply awesome but a bit buggy and crashes often. Also, Unity is not customizable. Cinnamon 1.6 is more customizable and looks good with Nemo file manager the grey and dark colors complementing each other. Especially Nemo is way ahead of Nautilus in terms of looks. Linux Mint has some cool new wallpapers as well. Still, I'll keep Ubuntu marginally ahead in terms of looks.
|From Ubuntu 12.10 Comparison
|From Linux Mint 14
|From Linux Mint 14
|From Linux Mint 14
|From Linux Mint 14
|From Ubuntu 12.10 Comparison
|From Ubuntu 12.10 Comparison
This is my final verdict:
- Performance: Linux Mint 14 is miles ahead
- Aesthetics and Attractiveness: Ubuntu 12.10 is marginally ahead though Mint aesthetics are really good.
- Applications: Linux Mint applications work out of the box.
- Social Media Integration: Ubuntu 12.10 is miles ahead
You can read my reviews of the above mentioned distros from here:
- Review: Ubuntu 12.10
- Review: Linux Mint 14
Read more!


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Apple investors brace for more turbulence
Apple Inc's results will be dissected more closely than ever next week, after a share swoon raised concerns on Wall Street that the stock's gravity-defying rally may be losing steam.
Five straight days of stock losses for the world's most valuable company sparked fears it had ventured into dreaded bubble territory and was overdue for a strong pullback. Shares reversed course on Tuesday, gaining 5 percent.
Between major legal challenges across several continents, increasing competition from Google Inc's Android -- now the world's most-used mobile software -- and confusion over what its next groundbreaking product will look like, more cautious investors are re-evaluating their positions and cashing in some holdings ahead of Apple's second-quarter earnings next Tuesday.
There's reason for caution: Apple's shares surged nearly 60 percent to a high of $644 this year. The slightest sign of trouble in the earnings report may prompt further profit-taking.
Any disappointment in Apple could lead to a significant selloff in the short term, said Channing Smith, co-manager at Capital Advisors Growth Fund. Are we long term believers in Apple? Absolutely, but as we move forward...you get up here to over $600 and you say, 'Hmm, this is getting pretty frothy, expectations may be getting out of line.'
Apple shares fell 7 percent when the company missed Wall Street expectations for the first time in years last October.
Should investors choose to park their cash elsewhere, many believe they will eventually return.
Most investors remain bullish on the longer-term -- 45 out of 53 Wall Street investment banking analysts still have Buy or Strong Buy ratings on the stock, citing robust iPhone and iPad sales and new products from a TV to a 4G iPhone coming down the pike.
They argue that Apple will again reveal a bumper quarter, attributing the nearly 9 percent slump in the stock since last Tuesday to a combination of pre-earnings caution and profit-taking, and successive strings of sell orders triggered as the lofty shares retreated.
In the days leading up to the selloff, at least two analysts predicted the stock will vault over $1000. Wall Street analysts on average expect it to touch $675 in the next 12 months.
Apple, riding on strong iPhone and iPad sales, has smashed consensus estimates in recent quarters. But any dissatisfaction with the numbers could weigh heavily on its shares, which have quadrupled over the past two and a half years.
Major challenges for the California firm this year include the lawsuit against it by the U.S. Justice Department for alleged collusion on ebook prices and a potential hit on gross margins if key contract manufacturer Foxconn is able to pass on increased labor costs.
The world's most valuable company is expected to present a positive short-term picture when it reports earnings. Apple is estimated to have sold between 30 million and 35 million iPhones and around 13 million iPads on average last quarter, according to Wall Street analysts.
Monstrous sales of the iPhone -- 37.04 million -- accounted for more than half of Apple's first quarter revenue and assuaged investors' worries about the company's size slowing it down.
It's going to be a blowout quarter, just like the last one, but there's been a big move in the stock and to trim back on your position a little bit makes imminent sense, said David Rolfe, chief investment officer at St. Louis-based Wedgewood Partners Inc, who manages $1.6 billion.
Over the past week Apple's stock found itself in relatively unknown territory, declining 9 percent to $580 before bouncing back over 5 percent to nearly $610 on Tuesday. It had touched an all-time high of $644 on April 10.
There was some nervousness probably that perhaps everyone that wanted an Apple product already bought one, said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer for Harris Private Bank in Chicago.
The downdraft in the stock and updraft is significantly driven by machine trading, which had an amplifying impact that was much more than profit taking, Rolfe said.
Despite the stock's steep run-up and with earlier catalysts such as dividend and a new iPad already priced in, many investors are looking to a new iPhone later this year to fuel more growth.
Rumors that Apple may produce an actual television to go along with all the media content it sells are also gaining steam, along with a potential iPad with a smaller screen size to rival Amazon.com's Kindle Fire, which has cornered the lower end of the tablet market.
Apple is famously conservative with its forecasts, but may be more cautious this time around as anticipation of a new iPhone caused a slowdown in sales during the quarter prior to the release of the iPhone 4S, investors said.
The California company typically introduces new iPhones during the summer but broke the trend last year when it launched the iPhone 4S in October.
Apple is expected to report earnings of $9.94 a share on revenue of $36.48 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
It could beat these numbers due to a possible build in iPhone channel inventory and stronger gross margins due to falling component costs, Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi said in a note.
(Additional reporting by Noel Randewich; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner)
© Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023. All rights reserved.
Armenia And Azerbaijan: Ex-Soviet Neighbours And Enemies
One Of Britain's Most Famous Trees 'Deliberately Felled'
Sony PlayStation CEO Ryan To Retire
Trump's Business Empire Threatened By Judge's Ruling
US, India Raise Concerns Over Chinese Research Ship's Potential Visit To Sri Lanka
World Bank Chief Pledges To Reform 'Dysfunctional' Development Lender
India's Foreign Minister Hits Back At Canada, Slams 'Organized Crime, Violence, Extremism' In The Country
Rich Nations, China Must Accelerate Race To Net Zero: IEA
'Are We Safe?' Mixed Emotions For Venezuelan Migrants Reaching The US
Taiwan Should Aspire To Make Itself 'Indigestible' To China, Says Expert
Hi, Robot: Machines Take Over At China's Asian Games


text:
Dear visitor, welcome to SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers. If this is your first visit here, please read the Help. It explains how this page works. You must be registered before you can use all the page's features. Please use the registration form, to register here or read more information about the registration process. If you are already registered, please login here.
Tuesday, August 27th 2013, 7:28pm
Wednesday, August 28th 2013, 7:43am
Tripp Knightly
Thursday, August 29th 2013, 11:45am
Location: USA
Friday, August 30th 2013, 1:07am
Sunday, September 1st 2013, 5:37pm
Sunday, September 1st 2013, 7:50pm
Which RB valves were you using?I made the switch to the Hunter Valve this year after the Fiasco of valve problems with Rainbird last year.
Monday, September 2nd 2013, 4:41pm
Location: USA
Tuesday, September 3rd 2013, 2:20pm
Tuesday, September 3rd 2013, 4:44pm
It seems that visible close-in spray is the point of these nozzles, even when it's unnecessary or harmful.I'm not a fan of the blue nozzles. I don't have a lot of experience with them though. The first time I tried them it looked like to me there was more puddling around the head so I switched them out to the red nozzle and I've been using only red ever since.
Tuesday, September 3rd 2013, 9:23pm


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There Is One Dress Only Celebrities With The Hottest Bodies Can Pull Off
Not all dresses are created equal and, according to Dispatch, there's a dress that only the hottest celebrities can wear.
It requires a specific body type: long, thin legs, a slim waist, and just the right amount of hip to create a perfect "S-line."
Known as a "bandage dress", it's an iconic piece designed by French fashion house Herve Leger and worn by celebrity elite.
AOA's Seolhyun, who blew up the internet when she wore it for a photo shoot, is one of the few Korean celebrities to pull off this dress, as the dress emphasizes her proportions perfectly.
T-ARA's Hyomin has just the right amount of curves to pull off the glamorous look!
HyunA is known for her skintight dresses but it was one of these bandage dresses that made her famous for her killer curves and perfect body shape.
Model Yoo Seung Ok wears the dress often since it totally flatters her mega small waist, wide hips, and long legs.
After School's Nana is also known for her advertisements for GLAMM, in which she totally rocks a sparkly designer dress with sexy heels and a bed-head look.
Finally, actress Kim So Yeon turned heads with her off-the-shoulder bandage dress that emphasized her S-line figure while showing just the right amount of skin.
It really is a hard dress to pull off, but these celebrities have the perfect body for it!


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WASHINGTON, DC—Though critics have argued that he does not understand the futility of his current situation, President Bush announced today that he has no plans to remove his head from its current position: wedged painfully between two balusters on a White House staircase.
"Setting a timetable for withdrawal of my head would send mixed messages about why I put my head here in the first place," Bush said at a press conference on the Grand Staircase. "I am going to finish what I set out to accomplish here, no matter how unpopular my decision may be, or how much my head hurts while stuck between these immovable stairway posts."
Democrats, emboldened by electoral victories that gave them control of both houses of Congress, are calling for Bush to begin withdrawing his head from the banister immediately.
"Why does the president refuse to pull his head out of that banister?" House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a speech yesterday. "Hasn't he had his head in there long enough? We'd all like to know just how the American people are being served by him keeping his head in that banister."
Entering its fifth day, the president's incursion into the banister is now widely considered a quagmire. Bush initially told the nation that he was going to stick his head through the banister in order to secure stockpiles of cashews on the other side. Though intelligence reports cited by the president seemed to indicate the presence of these cashews, a comprehensive probe by White House personnel revealed that no such nuts existed.
"If the president truly believed there were cashews, why didn't he ask a staffer to go around to the other side of the staircase and check for cashews first?" Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) said. "Or even just look through the banister before slamming his head in there in such a way that it can't be extricated."
Many Republicans who supported Bush early this week are now publicly criticizing the president for the way he got into the banister.
"I stood by the commander-in-chief's decision to stick his head in this banister from the beginning," said Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE). "But now I'm beginning to think he may have rushed into this without thinking through all the consequences of his actions."
Voters are also voicing concerns about this latest predicament. Chicago resident Peter Colby, 41, who recently took part in a tour of the White House, said he thought Bush's actions were hurting the country's image abroad.
"It's embarrassing to see the president of the United States with his head stuck in a banister," Colby said. "He just looks stupid."
The few supporters Bush has left are privately concerned that he will go down in history as the president who wedged his head through a banister and refused to take it out despite widespread negative public sentiment and political pressure for him to do so.
For his part, Bush has scoffed at such suggestions and accused his critics of exploiting the issue without providing any viable alternatives.
"I hear a lot of criticism from the other side of the aisle, but what is the Democrat plan for victory here?" Bush said. "Some suggest rapid withdrawal, but that will most likely hurt my ears by bending them the wrong way. Others have suggested turning my head from side to side and slowly working my way out, which we all know is a recipe for failure."
In recent days, the Bush administration has been attempting to sell a new plan based on a strong forward surge.
"The only way for the president to successfully remove himself from this situation is not to pull his head out of the banister, but to push his whole body through," White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten said. "We're asking Congress and the American people to give the commander-in-chief a chance to try this new plan, which involves forcing his shoulders, torso, arms, and legs through that banister."
Bush's perceived stubbornness and refusal to accept the intractable nature of the problem only further fanned the flames of opposition.
"This administration needs to face the reality that some places are simply too narrow for the president to jam his head into," Newsweek columnist Michael Isikoff said. "President Bush is acting like a small child who, even after doing something terribly ill-advised—namely putting his head in that banister—still refuses to admit any error."


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Chairperson, International Board of Trustees, ACPF
Mrs Graça Machel is a renowned international advocate for women's and children's rights and has been a social and political activist over many decades. She is a former freedom fighter and was the first Education Minister of Mozambique. Her contributions to the Africa Progress Panel, the United Nations Secretary-General's Millennium Development Goals Advocacy Group and the High-Level Panel on Post 2015 Development Agenda, have been widely appreciated. She is a member of The Elders, Girls Not Brides, Board Chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, African Ambassador for A Promised Renewed, President of SOAS, University of London, Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, Board Chair of the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes, President of the Foundation for Community Development, founder of the Zizile Institute for Child Development.
As Founder of the newly established Graça Machel Trust, she has focused more recently on advocating for women's economic and financial empowerment, education for all, an end to child marriage, food security and nutrition, and promoting democracy and good governance.
Ms Graça Machel is currently the Chairperson of the International Board of Trustees of ACPF.
Eskedar Beyene
Manager, Operations
Tel : + 251 11 662 8192/ 97/98


text:
Perhaps nowhere is the disconnect between state and federal marijuana laws more evident than on the nation's northern border.
Canadians traveling south from British Columbia — where pot is illegal, but the law lightly enforced — are finding that before they can reach weed-friendly Washington they must first reconcile with the U.S. government, which controls the border and outlaws the drug.
Canadians are regularly busted at the border with quantities of weed small enough to be considered legal in this state, yet illegal in any amount under federal law.
In the past, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials would seize the drugs and block the individuals from the country, requiring them to then seek an immigration waiver if they want to enter the U.S. in the future.
Additionally, they would either be fined civilly by CBP or cited for possession by local law enforcement in the U.S. towns and counties along the border and prosecuted in the courts there.
But with marijuana now legal in Washington under Initiative 502, local law enforcement officials are no longer citing anyone 21 or older for possessing up to an ounce of marijuana, leaving border officials with no other option but to issue civil fines, in addition to the immigration penalties they impose.
"The state initiative did not change federal law," CBP Border Chief Thomas Schreiber said.
And the violations, he said, "are actually not that rare; we see them on a weekly basis."
It's happening much the same way at the state's seaports for those entering on ferries or on the Victoria Clipper.
At Vancouver International Airport, where CBP has pre-clearance operations for people traveling into the states, officials are referring violators to local law enforcement or fining them. Non-U.S. citizens are blocked from entering.
In all instances — whether it's a felony-level quantity over 40 grams of marijuana or misdemeanor amounts less than that — border officials usually contact Homeland Security Investigations officers to inquire if it's the type of case the federal government might pursue.
Invariably, federal prosecutors don't pursue drug cases unless they involve large-scale criminal or drug-smuggling organizations.
Regardless of whether pot is legal in Washington, people who travel back and forth across the northern border usually understand two things: "Going north, the kiss of death is (drunken driving); coming south, it's marijuana," said Len Saunders, an immigration attorney in Blaine.
Brian Fowler, of Surrey, B.C., learned that hard lesson in September when he tried to come to Washington to visit friends, as he's done once a month or so for years.
"They had dogs out sniffing and asked me about it," the 32-year-old said.
He'd completely forgotten about the three joints he had in his pocket until the dog stopped at his car and started pulling on its leash.
A judge in Blaine reduced Fowler's $1,000 fine to $700 and he walked away without a drug conviction on his record.
"I assumed everything was OK, but I still need a waiver" to enter the U.S. again, he said, a fee-based process in which immigration officials use discretion to reconsider cases of those it previously excluded from entering.
The Obama administration hasn't yet decided how the federal government will formally respond to the laws passed in November by voters in Colorado and Washington allowing recreational use of marijuana.
It's still illegal here for those under 21 to possess pot or for anyone to possess more than an ounce.
Driving under the influence of marijuana is also still illegal.
Before the change, many local prosecutors were willing to cut deals, particularly for those with no prior offenses. In cases involving small quantities of pot for personal use, such individuals could often walk away without a drug offense on their record.
Jim Wright, a private practice attorney who is also the prosecutor for municipal court in the border town of Sumas, said he has not prosecuted any cases since the new state law took effect.
"When the law was initially passed, there were a lot of Canadians who didn't know (possessing pot) was still a problem," Wright said. "Obviously the feds have not changed."
Violations at the Peace Arch border crossing, the most popular crossing in the state, are handled by the Blaine Municipal Court, which has prosecuted no Canadians since I-502 passed, although it has handled the cases of two underage Americans possessing marijuana.
Rajeev Majumdar, that court's prosecutor, who is also a private practice attorney in Blaine, said:
"Because many Canadians crossing the border tend to be honest, upstanding folks, they may simply admit to having a few joints."
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text:
SOCR Books
From Socr
SOCR Educational Materials - SOCR Books
Printed SOCR Books
Data Science: Time Complexity, Inferential Uncertainty, and Spacekime Analytics
Dinov, ID and Velev, MV (2021) Data Science: Time Complexity, Inferential Uncertainty, and Spacekime Analytics, De Gruyter STEM Series, Berlin/Boston, ISBN 9783110697803 / 3110697807.
Data Science and Predictive Analytics (DSPA)
Data Science and Predictive Analytics: Biomedical and Health Applications using R, ISBNs 978-3-319-72346-4 (printed), 978-3-319-72347-1 (electronic), (2018) Ivo D. Dinov, Springer International, Computer Science Series. Library of Congress Control Number: 2018930887.
DSPA Reviews
- Mindy Capaldi (2019) Data Science and Predictive Analytics: Biomedical and Health Applications Using R , Dinov, Ivo D. Springer, 2018, xxxiv + 832 pages, $89.99, hardcover ISBN: 978‐3‐319‐72346, ISI Review, DOI 10.1111/insr.12317.
- Amazon Reviews.
DSPA Metrics
Electronic SOCR Books
The SOCR EBooks are community-built, open-access, multilingual, and blend information technology, scientific techniques, modern pedagogical concepts and data-driven demonstrations.
- Data Science and Predictive Analytics, see the DSPA Springer Book.
- Scientific Methods for Health Sciences EBook, ISBN 978-0-9829949-6-2.
- Interactive SOCR AP Statistics Curriculum (Wiki EBook)
- It's Online, Therefore it Exists! 2009 SOCR Continuing Statistics Education Workshop Handbook
- Stats 13: Statistics for_life_and health sciences EBook
- 2007 SOCR Continuing Statistics Education Handbook
- PDF1, PDF2 and PDF3.
- Kalinin, Alexandr (2018) Doctoral Dissertation (University of Michigan) Cell Nuclear Morphology Analysis Using 3D Shape Modeling, Machine Learning and Visual Analytics.
Books Referencing SOCR Resources
The following textbooks utilize SOCR resources and reference SOCR tools as part of their concept demonstrations.
Probability Distributions Used in Reliability Engineering
- Title: Probability Distributions Used in Reliability Engineering
- Authors: Andrew N O'Connor
- Publisher: RIAC, 2011
Introductory Statistics: Exploring the World Through Data
- Title: Introductory Statistics: Exploring the World Through Data
- Authors: Robert Gould and Colleen Ryan
- Publisher: RightsHouse, 2012
Advanced performance improvement in health care: principles and methods
- Title: Advanced performance improvement in health care: principles and methods
- Authors: Donald E. Lighter
- Publisher: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2009
Developing Students' Statistical Reasoning: Connecting Research and Teaching Practice
- Title: Developing Students' Statistical Reasoning: Connecting Research and Teaching Practice
- Authors: Joan Garfield and Dani Ben-Zvi
- Publisher: Springer, 2008, 408 pages.
Cases on Online and Blended Learning Technologies in Higher Education: Concepts and Practices
- Title: Cases on Online and Blended Learning Technologies in Higher Education: Concepts and Practices
- Author: Yukiko Inoue
- Publisher: Idea Group Inc (IGI), 2009
- ISBN 160566880X, 9781605668802, Length 333 pages
Standardsoftware für das Business Forecasting
- Title: Standardsoftware für das Business Forecasting
- Author: Carsten Schmierer
- Publisher: GRIN Verlag, 2009
- ISBN 3640318668, 9783640318667, Length 76 pages
Bacterial and bacteriophage genetics
- Title: Bacterial and bacteriophage genetics
- Author: Edward Asahel Birge
- Edition: 5, illustrated
- Publisher: Birkhäuser, 2006
- ISBN: 0387239197, 9780387239194, Length 577 pages
Homeschool Your Child for Free: More Than 1,400 Smart, Effective, and Practical Resources for Educating Your Family at Home
- Authors: LauraMaery Gold, Joan M. Zielinski
- Edition: 2, revised
- Publisher: Random House, Inc., 2009
- ISBN: 0307451631, 9780307451637,Length 480 pages
Food Security, Poverty and Nutrition Analysis: Statistical Methods and Policy Application
The International Food Policy Research Institute, a publicly funded, not-for-profit international research institution, whose main audience is located in developing countries, used the SOCR T-distribution table in a recently published book.
- Authors: IFPRI researchers, Suresh Babu and Prabuddha Sanyal.
- Book Title: Food Security, Poverty and Nutrition Analysis: Statistical Methods and Policy Application.
- Publisher: Elsevier.
- Publication date: December 2008.
Playful Math
- Author: Arturas Medonis
- Summary: Playful Math is intended as a series of notebook type publications gradually introducing basic math concepts in a playful environment. Examples, grid space for self-discoveries, hands-on activity templates will provide you opportunity to drill the same technique with different numbers. Random numbers here are brought exactly for this specific purpose. On the way, your inner prodigy will be nurtured. 1+3+5=3*3: those numbers are not ordinary numbers. 5-year-old prodigy child discovered them. He had fun with numbers all his life and later was called Mozart of mathematics. You definitely want to follow the discovery.
- Published by Lulu.com, 2006
- ISBN 1847283675, 9781847283672, 116 pages
Handbook of Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists
- Authors: Andrei D. Polyanin, Alexander V. Manzhirov
- Summary: The Handbook of Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists covers the main fields of mathematics and focuses on the methods used for obtaining solutions of various classes of mathematical equations that underlie the mathematical modeling of numerous phenomena and processes in science and technology. To accommodate different mathematical backgrounds, the preeminent authors outline the material in a simplified, schematic manner, avoiding special terminology wherever possible. This concise, comprehensive compendium of mathematical definitions, formulas, and theorems provides the foundation for exploring scientific and technological phenomena.
- Published by CRC Press, 2007
- ISBN 1584885025, 9781584885023, 1509 pages
- SOCR Home page: http://www.socr.ucla.edu
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WASHINGTON (AP) ? Consumers are spending more to fill their tanks, feed their families and pay the rent. At the same time, the number of people applying for unemployment benefits has reached the highest level in three months.
The latest government data show that inflationary pressures and a depressed job market are hurting an economy that barely grew in the first half of the year.
Higher prices could also keep the Federal Reserve from taking major steps to stimulate the growth next week when policymakers meet.
When prices rise, consumers cut back on big purchases, such as appliances, furniture and vacations. Mixed reports on manufacturing Thursday and flat retail sales in August suggest that may already be happening.
A decline in demand forces businesses to put off hiring and even lay off workers. In August, the economy added zero net jobs. Unemployment benefit applications have increased in three of the past four weeks.
"Unless spirits improve soon, businesses will ramp up layoffs, consumers will pull back, and the economy will fall back into recession," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics.
Consumer prices rose 0.4 percent in August, according to the Labor Department's Consumer Price Index. Prices for food, energy, rent, and clothing all increased. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, core prices increased 0.2 percent.
Some inflation can be healthy for the economy because it encourages people to spend and invest rather than sitting on their cash. More spending drives corporate growth, which makes businesses more likely to hire people.
For the 12 months that ended in August, core prices surged 2 percent. That's the biggest year-over-year increase in nearly three years, and it's at the high end of the Federal Reserve's informal inflation target.
Rising inflation is a key reason Macroeconomic Advisors lowered its growth estimate for the July-September quarter from 1.9 percent to 1.6 percent. The economic consulting firm said higher prices will reduce consumer spending.
Economists don't expect prices to rise much further, mostly because employers aren't hiring much or handing out big raises. Still, the spike in prices over the past year has cut into consumers' pay and limited their purchasing power.
"In an environment where you're now looking at zero job growth, it will be difficult to have much success passing on any additional costs," said Tom Porcelli, chief U.S. economist at RBC Capital Markets.
Unemployment benefit applications rose to 428,000 last week, the Labor Department said in a separate report. And the four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose for the fourth straight week to 419,500, the highest level in eight weeks.
Applications need to fall below 375,000 to indicate that hiring is increasing enough to lower the unemployment rate. They haven't been that low since February.
The unemployment rate stayed at 9.1 percent for the second straight month in August. It has been above 9 percent for all but two months since May 2009 ? one month before the recession officially ended.
U.S. factories have helped drive growth over the past two years. But manufacturing began to falter this spring, slowed by supply chain disruptions caused by the Japan crisis and diminished consumer demand.
Overall factory output rose in August for the second straight month, according to a report from the Federal Reserve. The gain was driven by strong auto production. Carmakers have rebounded over the past two months, mostly because supply chains are flowing more freely.
Many economists took that as a positive sign in the otherwise gloomy data.
Still, two regional surveys from Federal Reserve banks showed manufacturing contracted in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic this month.
"The common thread among all of today's data is one of weakness," Porcelli said.
The Fed will discuss additional stimulus measures at its two-day meeting next week. Most economists expect it will announce a plan to shift money out of short-term securities and into longer-term Treasury bonds. The move could lower rates on mortgages, auto loans and other consumer and business loans.
But some Fed officials are worried the Fed's policies could push inflation higher. Last month, three board members opposed the Fed's decision to keep interest rates near zero for the next two years, unless economic conditions changed dramatically. It was the first time as many members dissented from a decision in almost 20 years.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke acknowledged last week that rising commodity prices had pushed up inflation this year. But he said it was likely to moderate in coming months.
There are some signs that core inflation, which the Fed pays close attention to, could level off soon. Cotton prices have come down from the spring, and clothing costs are expected to follow. New-car prices were unchanged for the second straight month in August, after rising earlier this year.
"The combination of disappointing growth but rising core inflation puts the Fed in a difficult situation," said Michelle Meyer, an economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
AP Business Writer Daniel Wagner contributed to this report.


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Michigan Lawmakers Look To Pass Pro-Wolf Hunt Bill
By David Eggert, Associated Press
LANSING (AP) - Michigan lawmakers on Wednesday are expected to pass a law to keep intact the state's power to allow wolf hunts, overriding two referendums on the November ballot backed by groups that oppose hunting the once-endangered animal.
The pending move not only is sparking debate over whether a wolf hunt should be held for the second straight year. It also is reviving questions over the extent to which the Republican-controlled Legislature should interfere with issues headed to a statewide vote.
In May, legislators approved a minimum wage increase to head off a ballot initiative that would have raised the hourly minimum more, particularly for tipped employees. Election officials later ruled that proponents had not collected enough valid petition signatures regardless.
In December 2012, lawmakers passed a replacement for an emergency manager law struck down by voters in a referendum a month before.
The proposal before the Legislature now - initiated legislation backed by various outdoor and hunting groups that gathered voter signatures - is designed to make moot November referendums on two laws that cleared the way for Michigan's first wolf hunt in decades.
The Natural Resources Commission scheduled the hunt under authority granted by the Legislature last year. Opponents had gathered enough voter signatures to require a referendum on a law approved in December 2012 that designated the gray wolf a game animal.
So Gov. Rick Snyder signed a second law in May 2013 giving the commission the authority to decide which animals should be designated as species that can be hunted, prompting opponents to collect enough signatures this year for a second referendum.
"It's enormously contemptuous of voters," Jill Fritz, director of Keep Michigan Wolves Protected, said of the Legislature's expected approval of the new legislation. "They don't trust the voters to make the decision on whether wolves should be a game species or not. They've basically shown contempt for the intelligence of voters, the very voters who by the way voted them into office."
But Sen. Tom Casperson, an Escanaba Republican who strongly supports the initiated bill, said it was voter-initiated and a lot is at stake for hunting in general - not just the wolf hunt that led 22 wolves to be killed in the Upper Peninsula last November and December. The state had authorized a take of 43.
The measure - like one of the laws subject to referendum - would carry out the wishes of voters who approved a 1996 ballot initiative giving the commission, whose members are appointed by the governor and serve staggered terms, authority to set hunting policy in Michigan based on scientific data, Casperson said.
"The United State Humane Society has an awful lot of money," he said, warning that if the hunting laws were repealed in November, the animal rights group could be emboldened to challenge other hunting-related decisions by the state. "I get concerned that they could pour enough money in with 30-second sound bites ... and I can't say people would get the whole story."
The anti-wolf hunt ballot group has spent nearly $1.1 million on signature gathering and other expenses. The pro-hunting ballot committee has spent more than $700,000.
Pro-hunting and farm groups contend the opposition to wolf hunting is fueled by out-of-state animal rights groups that want to ban all hunting. Opponents acknowledge receiving support from elsewhere but insist their movement is home-grown.
In recent days, there have been reports that four hunting dogs and a cow died after three separate wolf attacks in the U.P. Foes of wolf hunting say farmers and government officials already have the right to kill problem wolves without needing an annual state-endorsed hunt.
The Board of State Canvassers certified the initiative petition on July 24. The Legislature has until Sept. 2 to vote or it will be placed on the November ballot alongside the referendums, according to the nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency.
The Senate's only session day before the deadline is Wednesday. The House meets Wednesday and Aug. 27. Because the bill is a citizens' initiative, it would not need Snyder's signature.
The measure would allocate $1 million for "rapid response" activities against aquatic invasive species such as Asian carp. The appropriation would make the legislation immune from being overturned in a referendum.
Keep Michigan Wolves Protected is not ruling out legal action if the Legislature approves the bill, Fritz said.
© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Singer-songwriter, actor, poet - Johnny Flynn's been earning himself a reputation as a bit of a renaissance man round these parts. But you can banish any thoughts of thesp-ish melodrama right away: Flynn and his band The Sussex Wit impress with their unflashy, unsentimental rootsy stylings, which put them closer in spirit to Bonnie 'Prince' Billy or Two Gallants than the boho shenanigans of the antifolk set. DiS endeavours to find out more...
Your new single is called 'Ode To A Mare Trod Ditch' but there's no song by that title on there. How come?
I don't really place any importance on having an A and a B so we just wanted it to be like an EP where they both have equal standing. Also that's the name of the poem that comes with the CD, and that's the same with the first single. The poem's just like a different angle on the stories. The idea is that the river began in a ditch made by mares treading the ground, it's just the kind of thing I like hearing about, like 'where did the Nile come from?'
You've recently toured the world as lead in two Shakespearian productions by the Old Vic - is there anything you take from your acting which helps you in your musical guise?
You can definitely learn a lot about stagecraft and setting a creative atmosphere, there's this (method acting pioneer) Stanislavskian idea about circles of attention which helps you to stay calm and focus, it's like this massive theory which I couldn't really hope to explain but it's just about protecting yourself really.
Are you conscious of your live performances being an 'act' in some way?
I think of acting as a kind of truth, I guess good actors aren't really acting, they're just being. They're saying somebody else's words but they're recreating them every night, it's much the same when you're playing the same songs every night, you have to refind it and that's a technique. Someone like Jeffrey Lewis seems to be doing something really spontaneous every night, and in a way he is, but it's a technique for keeping things fresh.
You've spent a lot of time in New York and have expressed admiration for the antifolk scene over there. Care to explain?
I really liked some of the antifolk people I saw out there, but more than anything I liked the attitude behind it and the free-for-all, anything-goes vibe. People are very supportive within that community, and when I first came across it was just before things really took off, Jeffrey Lewis was releasing his first album, you had Regina Spektor, Adam Green and people like that. It was a happy accident, we ended up going to these antifolk hootenannies at the sidewalk cafes and just got to know a few of them. The way music is marketed, it's just so aggressive, and they were just all promoting each other. It was quite unlike the kind of competitive thing that happens over here.
Do you not find some of that antifolk stuff a little contrived? I mean, your stuff seems a little more straight-up than that.
I only really like Jeffrey Lewis, Diane Cluck and Langhorne Slim, everything else is a bit contrived or camp. It's not like a conceptual thing with us… About half of Johnny Cash's career was awful, y'know, through the seventies when he had all these big band productions, but he always remained in the public consciousness… and also with just having the rest of the band around there's no room for any posturing or any of that, it's very much down the line. I couldn't write that kind of song if I tried.
The whole singer-songwritey thing seems to have become tarnished of late. Do you ever feel like it's a difficult tag to live down?
I can't stomach most of these singer-songwriter types, you know, James Morrison and people like that, but then there are people I know that sing on their own that I like, people like Vesper. It's cool though 'cause I play with a band and that's becoming more of a dynamic. We're just trying to pleasure ourselves really.
You might regret saying that.
Nope. I'm happy with it.
Do you share a lot of the same influences as a band?
Adam: I suppose the one unifying thing we share as a band is we all listen to old delta blues recordings, Robert Johnston, Leadbelly.
What is it about those blues records that appeals?
I think it's the same thing as with the antifolk, because it's almost as good as self-released, they probably knew that they were only going to be heard locally and they would just go into the radio shacks and cut records, and then people discovered them mostly in the '60s. They're just really pure records.
'Ode To A Mare Trod Ditch' is available now on Young & Lost Club Records. The band is due to start recording for its debut album in autumn. For more information check THIS MySpace. Yes, do.


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June 26–July 1, 2014 in Las Vegas, NV
Here's a look at ALCTS programming being prepared for ALA Annual Conference.
Virtual Preconferences
ALCTS virtual preconferences are composed of three, live one-hour sessions. Recordings will be available.
- Creating Successful Scholarly Communication with an Institutional Repository, June 10–12
- Library Preservation Today!, June 16–18
Fundamentals of Collection Assessment
June 26 (1–4:30 p.m.) and June 27 (8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.)
Event Code: ALC1
Modeled on the popular six-week online course, this preconference introduces the fundamental aspects of collection assessment in libraries. The course is designed for those who are responsible for or interested in collection assessment in all types and sizes of libraries. The course will introduce key concepts in collection assessment including the definition of collection assessment; techniques and tools; assessment of print and electronic collections; and project design and management.
Speakers: Reeta Sinha, Resource Management Librarian, Stanford University Lane Medical Library; Cory Tucker, Head, Collection Management, UNLV Libraries
Co-Sponsors: ALCTS Continuing Education Committee; ALCTS Collection Evaluation and Assessment Interest Group, RUSA CODES
Statistics and Reports: Data-Driven Decision-Making
June 27 (8:30 a.m.–4 p.m.)
Event Code: ALC2
Join the ALCTS Acquisitions Section's Organization & Management Committee as we explore the options for making more decisions based on discoverable statistics and reports. This preconference will seek to answer several questions:
- What data is collected in technical services?
- Why is the information collected?
- How is the data collected and what reports can be generated?
- How can the data be used to analyze collections, workflow and positions?
Speakers include: Michael Levine-Clark, Associate Dean for Scholarly Communication, University of Denver; Beth Bernhardt, Assistant Dean for Collection Management and Scholarly Communications, University of North Carolina, Greensboro; Beth Picknally Camden, Director, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center, University of Pennsylvania
Streaming Media Passes the Tipping Point: Now What?
June 27 (8:30 a.m.–12 p.m.)
Event Code: ALC3
This half-day preconference will present fascinating and unexpected trends on streaming media in libraries from a recent national survey of academic librarians and will take a deep look at acquisition support and challenges in both public and academic institutions. Join us and learn where to purchase streaming media collections, the latest trends in streaming media, how to optimize discovery, marketing and evaluate usage in an effort to prepare for the future of content at your library.
Speakers: deg farrelly, Media Librarian/ShareStream Administrator, Arizona State University Libraries; Kirk Blankenship, Electronic Resources Librarian, The Seattle Public Library; Jessica Hammond, Executive Director, National Media Market
Co-Sponsors: ALCTS Collection Managers for Public Libraries Interest Group; ; OLAC (Online Audiovisual Catalogers); ALCTS/LITA ERM Interest Group, Catalog Form & Function Interest Group; RUSA-CODES Collection Development Planning, Education, and Assessment Committee; Video Round Table
Pricing and Registration
Preconference pricing is available on the ALA Annual Conference Ticketed Events page.
To register, complete the ALA Annual Conference registration form, and enter the preconference event code.
To add the ALCTS preconference to an existing conference registration, please visit your dashboard link, which can be found in your confirmation. If you need additional assistance or cannot locate your confirmation, please call CompuSystems at (866) 513-0760 or email email@example.com.
The Quiet Strengths of Introverts: ALCTS President's Program with Jennifer Kahnweiler
Monday, June 30, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Auditorium Speakers Series
The world of work is changing. It's fast, virtual, and global. The introvert's quiet strengths are keys to meeting the challenges ahead. Introverts (who make up half the U.S. population) can challenge the status quo, provoke new thoughts, and inspire others. Most importantly, they can be highly effective leaders, influencers, and colleagues when they build on their inherent strengths instead of trying to act like extroverts. Hailed as a "champion for introverts," bestselling author Jennifer B. Kahnweiler will talk about how and why.
Kahnweiler has identified six key strengths of introverts and maps out a process for raising your quiet influence quotient (QIQ). Her books, The Introverted Leader:Building on Your Quiet Strength and Quiet Influence: The Introvert's Guide to Making a Difference, have sold more than 50,000 copies and are translated into ten languages. An executive coach, she speaks internationally and has appeared on HuffPost Live and in Forbes, Time, Bloomberg Business Week and the Wall Street Journal. She draws on her experience as an elementary school counselor, university administrator, federal government program director, career coach, and as a learning and development professional with leading organizations such as GE, AT&T, NASA, Pfizer, the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam, Turner Broadcasting and the CDC.
A book signing will follow the presentation.
Sponsored by Elsevier
International Developments in Library Linked Data: Think Globally, Act Globally - Part One
Saturday, June 28, 8:30 - 10 a.m.
Libraries have the potential to make major contributions to the Semantic Web, but are still emerging as global participants. RDA implementation and the BibFrame initiative have drawn fresh attention to the promise and potential of linked data. What are the international developments in linked data, emerging from libraries and other memory institutions? Come hear our speakers address current projects, opportunities and challenges. Part Two takes place from 10:30 -11:30 a.m.; it is not necessary to attend both.
Speakers: Richard Wallis, Technology Evangelist, OCLC; Jodi Schneider, Centre de Recherche; Neil Wilson, Head of Metadata Services, The British Library; (Moderator) Theo Gerontakos, Metadata/Cataloging Librarian, University of Washington Libraries
S( , kjCo-Sponsor: ALCTS/LITA Linked Data Interest Group
International Developments in Library Linked Data: Think Globally, Act Globally - Part Two
Saturday, June 28, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Libraries have the potential to make major contributions to the Semantic Web, but are still emerging as global participants. RDA implementation and the BibFrame initiative have drawn fresh attention to the promise and potential of linked data. What are the international developments in linked data, emerging from libraries and other memory institutions? Come hear our speakers address current projects, opportunities and challenges. Part One takes place from 8:30 -10:00 a.m.; it is not necessary to attend both.
Speakers: Gordon Dunsire, Independent Consultant; Reinhold Heuvelmann, German National Library; (Moderator) Sarah Quimby, Library Processing Manager, Minnesota Historical Society
Co-Sponsor: ALCTS/LITA Linked Data Interest Group
Metadata and Indicators for Open Access
Saturday, June 28, 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
This program addresses metadata needs of open access (OA) materials and the use of visual indicators to help users determine their access rights. Presenters may discuss: use of existing or new vocabularies, schema, and other projects, such as Crossmark, Jisc's Vocabularies for Open Access (V4OA) project, and ONIX-PL in library systems; use of OA vocabularies and schema for faculty consultation and education related to scholarly communication, author's rights, and open access studies of OA indicator use and successes/failures. .
Speakers: Ben Showers, Head of Scholarly and Library Futures, Jisc; Nettie Lagace, Associate Director for Programs, National Information Standards Organization (NISO)
Sponsored by the Metadata Interest Group
Real Leaders in a Virtual World: Tools and Strategies for Success
Saturday, June 28, 1 - 2:30 p.m.
Lead a committee in a virtual environment? Participate with colleagues a thousand miles away? Yes, it's possible, easy, and can be amazingly effective. If you've ever wondered how a virtual leader leads, what tools to use, and how committee members contribute, this program is for you. You'll hear ideas and answers to questions not only about how committee work can be done between conferences, but how to meet deadlines and accomplish goals more effectively.
Speakers: Betsy Appleton, Electronic Resources Librarian, George Mason University; Joni Blake, Executive Director, GWLA; Jennifer Duncan, Merrill-Cazier Library Acquisitions, Utah State University; Anne E. McKee, Program Officer for Resource Sharing, GWLA
Co-Sponsors: ALCTS New Members Interest Group (ANMIG)
Technical Services Collaboration Through Technology
Saturday, June 28, 1 - 2:30 p.m.
As collaboration between Technical Services departments in different libraries increases, technology is there to help with communications. A panel will describe their experiences with different types of technology that have helped librarians to communicate effectively. Experiences include collaboration between Cornell University and Columbia University technical services operations, implementation of a shared ERM across Five College of Ohio, and the BookOps center communications with New York Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library.
Speakers: Jesse Koennecke, Acting Director of Acquisitions and E-Resource Licensing Services, Cornell University Library; Debra Andreadis, Assistant Director for Education & Research Services, Denison University Libraries; Charlene Rue, Deputy Director for Collection Management, BookOps, Library Services Center
Co-Sponsors: LLAMA Systems and Services Section (SASS) Technical Services and Systems Committee; RUSA CODES
Discovering Open Access Articles: Maximum Access, Maximum Visibility!
Saturday, June 28, 3 - 4 p.m.
We hear about Open Access everywhere--green or gold, embargoed or immediate, available from publishers or from institutional repositories. This development raises practical questions for libraries, researchers, and students. How to ensure discoverability of OA content in unsubscribed journals through link resolvers and metadata attributes? What is the impact of OA mandates? Join the ALCTS CRS Education, Research, and Publications Committee to learn about challenges and potential solutions to make article-level content more visible.
Speakers: Mary Ann Jones, Coordinator of Electronic Resources, Mississippi State University; Angela Riggio, Head of Scholarly Communication & Licensing, University of California, Los Angeles; Nettie Lagace, Associate Director for Programs, National Information Standards Organization (NISO)
Co-Sponsors: RUSA MARS-MERS Committee; ACRL
Metadata Beyond the Library: Consultation and Collaboration with Faculty, Staff and Students
Saturday, June 28, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
This program will discuss ways in which metadata experts can share expertise beyond traditional library settings. Presenters will share examples of successful metadata consulting initiatives with their constituent communities, such as training sessions, workshops, boot camps, and other venues for deploying metadata expertise outside the library.
Speaker: Lisa M. McFall, Metadata and Catalog Librarian, Hamilton College; Jason Kovari, Web Archivist and Metadata Librarian, Cornell University Library
Care of Borrowed Special Collections: Playing Nice with Other People's Toys
Sunday, June 29, 8:30 - 10 a.m.
This program will spell out the complexities of borrowing and exhibiting Special Collections from another institution, including legal issues, insurance, transportation, liability, security, display space, environmental issues, lending institution restrictions and policies, selection and publicity. Based on a recent collaboration between the Wayne State University Library System, the Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies at WSU and the University of Michigan's Special Collections Department, material from the Jewish Heritage Collection of UM was exhibited at WSU.
Speakers: Cynthia Krolikowski, Coordinator of Special Collections, Wayne State University; Martha O'Hara Conway, Director, Special Collections Library, University Of Michigan; Rachael Clark, Librarian, Wayne State University; Mike Hawthorne, Associate Director, Wayne State University
E-Books: Discovering the Virtual Backlog
Sunday, June 29, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
The book truck waiting to be cataloged is gone, but backlogs are not; they're just harder to find. E-book packages can be accompanied by inaccurate title lists, front files, unavailable or poor quality MARC records, pre-published chapters, and other issues that complicate discovery and undermine the traditional technical services workflow. When this happens resources slip through the cracks creating a hidden virtual backlog. The creativity of today's cataloger finds and makes discoverable these hidden materials.
Speakers: Sommer Browning, Head of Electronic Access & Discovery Services, University of Colorado, Auraria Library, Denver; Rhonda R. Glazier, Director of Collections Management, University of Colorado, Kraemer Family Library, Colorado Springs
Co-Sponsors: ALCTS Technical Services Managers in Academic Libraries Interest Group; ACRL Technical Services Interest Group; E-Resources Interest Group
Understanding Schema.org
Sunday, June 29, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Schema.org is an effort among major search engines to promote better linking of Web content through the use of metadata attributes in HTML markup, allowing for improved access to digital objects. The ALCTS/LITA Metadata Standards Committee invites you to hear speakers who are active in schema.org development in libraries, and who will discuss initiatives in this area within the GLAM community which promote a broader understanding of the development of bibliographic information among these communities.
Speaker: Dan Scott, Systems Librarian, Laurentian University
Successful Outreach: Celebrating 5 Years of Preservation Week
Sunday, June 29, 1 -2:30 p.m.
A look back over the first five years of Preservation Week. Speakers will highlight successful past programs aimed at educating the public and saving our history both in academic library settings and within the local community. Learn about how and why Preservation Week came to be and take a look with us as to where it might grow in the future. Leave inspired to plan or host your own Preservation Week event!
Speakers: Jeanne Drewes, Chief Binding and Collections Care, Program Manager Mass Deacidification, Library of Congress; Patrica Selinger, Head, Preservation and Inventory Management, Virginia Commonwealth University Library; Ruth Shasteen, Instructional Assistant Professor - Post-Baccalaureate K-12 School Library Media Specialist Licensure Program, Illinois State University; Nancy Kraft, Preservation Librarian, University of Iowa Libraries
Co-Sponsors: LLAMA/PRMS Committee; PLA; Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS), ACRL
Creating Sustainable AV Preservation in Academic Libraries
Monday, June 30, 1 - 2:30 p.m.
A few leading collecting institutions have developed extensive moving image and recorded sound preservation programs, and have reported their own models at professional conferences. However these prominent examples can feel overwhelming to a library or archive that is only just beginning audiovisual preservation. This presentation will give suggestions and guidelines for librarians working in between the two extremes of large-scale audiovisual preservation and zero priority being given to audiovisual materials.
Speakers: Howard Besser, Director, Moving Image Archiving & Preservation, New York University; Siobhan Hagan, Audiovisual Archivist, University of Baltimore Langsdale Library; Stefan Elnabli, Moving Image and Sound Preservation Specialist, Northwestern University Library; Steven Villereal, Audiovisual Conservator, University of Virginia Library; Hannah Frost, Manager, Stanford Media Preservation Lab, Stanford University Libraries
Co-Sponsor: Video Round Table
Articles On Demand: Library Perspectives
Monday, June 30, 1 - 2:30 p.m.
Articles-on-demand, also known as pay-per-view, is an evolving acquisitions model which allows libraries to purchase article content from a variety of journals without having to subscribe to all of the individual titles involved. Different vendors offer different models and options for libraries to participate. Libraries will discuss their decision-making process, successes and challenges along the way, and their current methods for acquiring content. Articles-on-demand options from both publishers and third-party vendors will be discussed.
Speakers: Beth R. Bernhardt, Assistant Dean for Collection Management and Scholarly Communications, University Libraries, University of North Carolina Greensboro; Susanna Bossenga, Electronic Resources Librarian, Ronald Williams Library, Northeastern Illinois University; Mark M. England, Collection Development Librarian, University of Utah
Co-Sponsors: RUSA STARS Sharing & Transforming Access to Resources Section
Other Sessions
Affiliates Showcase
Saturday, June 28, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
You probably attended your state conference this year, but did you make it to events in other states? The ALCTS Affiliates Showcase highlights programs that were presented by ALCTS affiliate members at state, regional, or local meetings. This showcase can cover a variety of topics of interest to ALCTS members, such as preservation, digitization or workflow issues. Come see what your colleagues around the country are talking about in one, convenient place.
Speakers: Amber Billey, Catalog/Metadata Librarian, University of Vermont, Bailey/Howe Library; Cyrus Z. Ford, Special Formats Librarian, University of Nevada, Las Vegas


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Story highlights
The drugs are blocks of methamphetamine and cocaine, police say
A U.S. citizen and a Canadian have been charged with drug-importing offenses
The steamroller was tracked down to a storage unit in northern Sydney
Australian police have seized as much as $246 million worth of drugs stashed inside a steamroller sent from China after busting an international smuggling ring in Sydney.
A U.S. citizen, 33, and a Canadian, 34, have been charged with drug-importing offenses in relation to the confiscated methamphetamine and cocaine, Australian Federal Police said Wednesday. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The operation to seize the drugs resulted from a "complex and protracted" investigation over the past two and half years, police said.
The steamroller was shipped in from China, police said, and was tracked down at a storage unit in northern Sydney amid a series of searches. When officers searched the unit, they found the vehicle, dismantling equipment and 13 sports bags containing "blocks of compressed powder and a crystalline substance."
The blocks consisted of 235 kilograms (520 pounds) of methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of up to 174 million Australian dollars ($180.2 million), and 115 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of up to 63 million Australian dollars ($65.3 million), police said.
The Australian Federal Police cited experts as saying that data shows rising use of both drugs in the country.
The seizure comes less than a week after authorities in the Pacific island nation of Tonga found cocaine with a potential street value of as much as 116 Australian dollars ($120 million) in a yacht that had run aground off one of the country's northern islands.
That discovery was the result of cooperation between Australian, U.S. and Tongan authorities, Australian police said.


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Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the world's #1 CRM company and the Intelligent Customer Success Platform, today announced it is continuing its international infrastructure expansion on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud to the AWS Sydney Region in order to support its growing customer base in Australia. The company will leverage AWS to deliver the Salesforce Intelligent Customer Success Platform including Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, App Cloud, Community Cloud, Analytics Cloud and more — which have all been made smarter by Einstein — to customers in Australia. The AWS Sydney Region is expected to be generally available to Salesforce customers in the second half of 2017.
Comments on the News
"In our last quarter, APAC was the fastest-growing region for Salesforce, and we're excited to expand our infrastructure footprint to support our rapidly growing customer base in Australia. By leveraging the AWS Cloud, we will be able to deliver the secure, reliable and trusted services of our Intelligent Customer Success Platform locally," said Mark Innes, General Manager of Salesforce Asia Pacific.
"Organizations use Salesforce to transform their businesses and we are excited that Salesforce has chosen AWS as their infrastructure partner in Australia as they continue to maintain their incredible momentum," said Paul Migliorini, Managing Director, AWS Australia and New Zealand. "With Salesforce available in the Sydney Region, AWS and Salesforce can now help Australian customers to fully leverage the security, and reliability of the AWS Cloud as they scale and transform."
The news was announced today at the Salesforce World Tour in Sydney where customers, such as Transport NSW, Australia Post, ANZ Wealth, L'Oréal, Citi Bank, Kellogg's and Vocus showcased how they are using Salesforce to create deeper, more meaningful connections with customers. At the event, Salesforce also highlighted Einstein AI, which recently became available to all customers. Unlike general AI platforms that require extensive customization and armies of data scientists, Einstein democratizes AI with state-of-the-art algorithms built directly into the Salesforce Intelligent Customer Success Platform and is delivered through the apps and workflows that millions of CRM users rely on every day. Powered by advanced machine learning, deep learning, predictive analytics, natural language processing and smart data discovery, Einstein delivers intelligence directly within the context of business. And, because Einstein is built into the Salesforce platform, customers can customize their AI models for their specific needs.
About Salesforce
Salesforce, the world's #1 CRM company and Intelligent Customer Success Platform, empowers companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. For more information about Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), visit: www.salesforce.com.
Any unreleased services or features referenced in this or other press releases or public statements are not currently available and may not be delivered on time or at all. Customers who purchase Salesforce applications should make their purchase decisions based upon features that are currently available. Salesforce has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM."