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Pattern of cognitive risks identified in some children with cochlear implants
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Children with profound deafness who receive a cochlear implant had as much as five times the risk of having delays in areas of working memory, controlled attention, planning and conceptual learning as children with normal hearing, according to Indiana University (IU) research published May 22 in the Journal of the American Medical Association Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery.
The authors evaluated 73 children implanted before age 7 and 78 children with normal hearing to determine the risk of deficits in executive functioning behaviors in everyday life.
Executive functioning, a set of mental processes involved in regulating and directing thinking and behavior, is important for focusing and attaining goals in daily life. All children in the study had average to above-average IQ scores. The results, reported in "Neurocognitive Risk in Children With Cochlear Implants," are the first from a large-scale study to compare real-world executive functioning behavior in children with cochlear implants and those with normal hearing.
A cochlear implant device consists of an external component that processes sound into electrical signals that are sent to an internal receiver and electrodes that stimulate the auditory nerve. Although the device restores the ability to perceive many sounds to children who are born deaf, some details and nuances of hearing are lost in the process.
First author William Kronenberger, Ph.D., professor of clinical psychology in psychiatry at the IU School of Medicine and a specialist in neurocognitive and executive function testing, said that delays in executive functioning have been commonly reported by parents and others who work with children with cochlear implants. Based on these observations, his group sought to evaluate whether elevated risks of delays in executive functioning in children with cochlear implants exist, and what components of executive functioning were affected.
"In this study, about one-third to one-half of children with cochlear implants were found to be at-risk for delays in areas of parent-rated executive functioning such as concept formation, memory, controlled attention and planning. This rate was 2 to 5 times greater than that seen in normal-hearing children," reported Dr. Kronenberger, who also is co-chief of the ADHD-Disruptive Behavior Disorders Clinic and directs the psychology testing clinic at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health.
"This is really innovative work," said co-author David B. Pisoni, Ph.D., director of the Speech Research Laboratory in the IU Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. "Almost no one has looked at these issues in these children. Most audiologists, neuro-otologists, surgeons and speech-language pathologists -- the people who work in this field -- focus on the hearing deficit as a medical condition and have been less focused on the important discoveries in developmental science and cognitive neuroscience." Dr. Pisoni also is a Chancellors' Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at IU Bloomington.
Richard Miyamoto, M.D., chair of the IU School of Medicine Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and a pioneer in the field of cochlear implantation in children and adults, said this finding augments other research on interventions to help children with cochlear implants perform at a level similar to children without hearing deficits.
"The ultimate goal of our department's research with cochlear implants has always been to influence higher-level neurocognitive functioning," Dr. Miyamoto said. "Much of the success we have seen to date clearly relates to the brain's ability to process an incomplete signal. The current research will further assist in identifying gaps in our knowledge."
One possible answer may lie in earlier implantation, Dr. Miyamoto said. The age at which children are implanted has been steadily decreasing, which has produced significant improvement in spoken language outcomes. Research shows the early implantation is related to better outcomes in speech and understanding, and it is reasonable to believe that there may be less of a deficit in executive functioning with earlier implantation, said Dr. Miyamoto, who is the Arilla Spence DeVault Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and medical director of audiology and speech language pathology at the IU School of Medicine.
Preschoolers in the IU study were implanted at an average age of 18 months, and they had fewer executive function delays than school-age children who were implanted 10 months later, at an average age of 28 months.
Children in the study were divided into two age groups: preschool (3 to 5 years) and school-age (7 to17 years). Using an established rating scale, parents rated executive function in everyday life for children with cochlear implants and for the control group with normal hearing.
"We compared parent ratings and looked at the percentage of children in each group who scored above a cut-off value that indicates at least a mild delay in executive functioning," Dr. Kronenberger said. "In the critical areas of controlled attention, working memory, planning and solving new problems, about 30 to 45 percent of the children with cochlear implants scored above the cut-off value, compared to about 15 percent or less of the children in the normal-hearing sample."
Dr. Kronenberger said the research also shows that many children develop average or better executive functioning skills after cochlear implantation.
"These results show that half or more of our group with cochlear implants did not have significant delays in executive functioning," Dr. Kronenberger said. "Cochlear implants produce remarkable gains in spoken language and other neurocognitive skills, but there is a certain amount of learning and catch-up that needs to take place with children who have experienced a hearing loss prior to cochlear implantation. So far, most of the interventions to help with this learning have focused on speech and language. Our findings show a need to identify and help some children in certain domains of executive functioning as well."
"We are now looking for early markers in children who are at risk before they get implants," Dr. Pisoni said. "It will be beneficial to identify as early as possible which children might be at risk for poor outcomes, and we need to understand the variability in the outcome and what can be done about it."
Note: Material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.
Indiana University press release
William G. Kronenberger, Jessica Beer, Irina Castellanos, David B. Pisoni, Richard T. Miyamoto. Neurocognitive Risk in Children With Cochlear Implants. JAMA Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Published Online May 22 2014. doi: 10.1001/jamaoto.2014.757


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By Michael Doyle and David Lightman, McClatchy Newspapers –
WASHINGTON — The future of health care hangs in the balance, as do some political fates, with the conclusion Wednesday of Supreme Court arguments that showed the justices divided but clearly willing to rule on the major questions at issue.
Longer than any since the 1960s, the arguments that ended Wednesday afternoon both clarified and clouded the potential outcome, with justices on the last day assessing whether most of the 2010 health care law could survive even if its most controversial provision — the individual mandate — were struck down.
Over a total of nearly 61/2 hours this week, the justices suggested that:
—They will almost certainly rule on challenges to the Obama administration's signature health care law, rather than punt on technical grounds.
—They could very well strike down the health care law's central requirement that individuals must buy insurance, and the law's dictate that states expand Medicaid coverage, or even the law in its entirety.
—They will be sharply divided in whatever they do. And because opposing sides won't be reconciled, it's more likely that the court itself could become campaign fodder in the fall elections.
Taken together, the arguments foreshadow, by the end of June, a set of binding decisions on one of the country's most ambitious social programs ever, rendered right in the middle of an election year.
"We cannot avoid decisions simply because the case has political implications," Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. said Monday morning, speaking of another case but with an unmistakable nod toward the health care cases.
The constitutional validity of the entire 2,700-page Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was not in question this week. Instead, Florida and 25 other states as well as business groups were challenging several specific provisions concerning mandatory individual insurance coverage and Medicaid expansion at the state level.
On Wednesday, though, the court considered whether the entire law must fail if the central insurance coverage requirement were struck down. Several conservatives think so.
"My approach would say, if you take the heart out of the statute, the statute is gone," Justice Antonin Scalia declared.
From the liberal side, Justice Elena Kagan suggested that often "half a loaf is better than no loaf," while some of her colleagues agreed that the court should not move too drastically.
"It's a question between a wrecking operation and a salvage job," Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said. "And it seems to me the more conservative approach would be salvage rather than throwing out everything."
The 90-minute argument Wednesday morning will really matter only if the court decides, separately, that the health care law's so-called individual mandate violates the Constitution. At that point, justices also would have to decide whether the damage to the law can be contained or whether the whole ship necessarily must sink.
"If the individual mandate is unconstitutional, then the rest of the act cannot stand," insisted attorney Paul Clement, representing Florida and other states challenging the law.
The Obama administration agrees that a few additional provisions of the law are inextricably tied to the individual mandate and must live or die with it. One is the ban on denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions. Without an individual insurance-buying mandate, this requirement would drive up rates.
But with many provisions of the law already in effect, the administration and advocates maintain that total repeal would throw many Americans for a dangerous loop.
Twenty-six different provisions took effect in 2010, the law's first year, and 17 went on the books last year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Nine new provisions are taking effect this year.
Lawmakers designed the phase-in, in part, with the thought that the public would become more supportive of the law once certain provisions took hold.
Among the most popular is a temporary program to provide health care to people with pre-existing conditions who have lacked coverage for at least six months. Another widely praised provision, which took effect in September 2010, allows parents to keep children on their insurance policy up to age 26.
"Think of the millions of Americans whose children are on their parents' policies," said Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, at a news conference this week. "They'll take away this benefit for them?"
Even Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who insists he will try to repeal the health law given a chance, conceded "there are a couple of things that you'll be able to point to" in the sweeping law that might be popular. Democratic Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., acknowledged "there's discussion quietly among some people about the what-ifs" should some or all of the law be struck down.
But the White House insisted there were no contingency plans and that it was "fully confident" the court will uphold the law.
"We remain fully confident in the belief that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional," said principal deputy press secretary Josh Earnest. He added that the administration is instead "focused on implementing the bill."
The most controversial provision requires that taxpayers obtain a minimum level of health coverage by 2014. With some exceptions, the uncovered must pay annual fees that start at $95 in 2015 and rise to $695 by 2016; alternatively, the fee may be set as a percentage of household income.
Sharp questioning Tuesday made clear that the court is narrowly divided on this so-called individual mandate, with conservatives and perhaps a key swing justice prepared to strike down the provision as exceeding Congress' constitutional authority.
"This is a step beyond what our cases have allowed, the affirmative duty to go into commerce," Justice Anthony Kennedy — the court's key swing vote between liberal and conservative blocs — said Tuesday. He added that this poses a "heavy burden of justification" for the administration.
Conservatives Scalia and Justice Samuel Alito sounded squarely opposed to the individual mandate. Justice Clarence Thomas stayed silent, but is presumed to oppose the mandate.
On the liberal side, Ginsburg, Kagan and Justice Stephen Breyer sounded sympathetic.
This appears to leave the big part of the case in the hands of either Kennedy or Roberts.

subset: commoncrawl


text: After thirty years, the internationally renowned conference on computer music ICMC (International Computer Music Conference) is returning to the Netherlands. The conference is organised by Gaudeamus Muziekweek and HKU Music and Technology, and will be held in Utrecht from 12 to 16 September. On Tuesday September 13 ICMC invites Thomas Ankersmit & Tarik Barri for a special performance of 'Homage to Dick Raaijmakers' and 'Versum' at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht. For this electronic music performance, sound artist and composer Thomas Ankersmit delves into the ideas and instruments of a Dutch titan of electronic music, Dick Raaijmakers (1930–2013). Ankersmit's homage was commissioned for this edition of Sonic Acts Academy 2016 and premiered during the opening night at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. As a work of contemporary music in its own right, Ankersmit's homage re-evaluates Raaijmakers' concepts of sound, composition and spatial experience in a technologically more advanced era. Ankersmit mainly uses similar means as Raaijmakers: tone and noise generators, modulators, filters, mixers, amplifiers and speakers. However, instead of Raaijmakers' usual method of editing with magnetic tape, Ankersmit uses computer software. Tarik Barri is an audiovisual composer based in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Reflecting his interests in programming, drawing and composing into a coherent multimedial discipline, he developed and uses software that merges audio and visuals into a new audiovisual reality. Together with Monolake, Tarik Barri was part of Sonic Acts XIII: The Poetics of Space and took place in 2010. Tonight Barri will presents his solo multimedia work Versum. More information and tickets Homage to Dick Raaijmakers is commissioned by Sonic Acts Academy 2016. It will go on tour in the Netherlands and Belgium. September 13 - International Computer Music Conference, Utrecht, Netherlands - solo, Homage to Dick Raaijmakers November 11 - November Music, Den Bosch, Netherlands - solo, Homage to Dick Raaijmakers November 12 - Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium - solo, Homage to Dick Raaijmakers


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On September 26, the new movie from the creators of "Facing the Giants" arrives in theaters.
"Fireproof" is a story about a firefighter husband and his wife who are going through very difficult times in their marriage. The various issues they face may seem familiar to many of us, so this movie may hit close to home. The story goes on to show the attempt to work the marriage out before following through with the divorce. From what I've seen of comments about "Fireproof", it is ultimately a message of hope in God's power to restore what was thought to be lost.
"Facing the Giants" is one of my top ten all time favorite movies. That being the case, along with my obvious passion for trying to help others have the great marriage God intended for them, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing this movie.
If you haven't heard of it yet, go to Fireproofthemovie.com and watch the trailer. Also check out their companion site, FireproofMyMarriage.com, to find additional marriage resources.
Leave a comment below and let us know what you think about the upcoming movie "Fireproof", or tell us about other great marriage sites you may have come across.
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Talk:US Special Forces counterinsurgency manual analysis
From WikiLeaks
Bad, but overblown
As a member of the united states military, I believe your selected emphasis are both misleading and biased. For example, the Destruction Notice is a common phrase added to almost all military publications, even unclassified ones. This gives guidance to personnel using the documents on what to do if the information is about to fall into enemy hands. While I'll concede that the actions proposed in the manual are reprehensible, kindly note that they apply only in foreign countries under hostile conditions. While all this would certainly be unconstitutional in the United States, these actions may very well be legal in the operating country. You would do a greater service to the community to let your readers decide for themselves the significance and importance of this manual. A more worthwhile read would be how such rights are being stripped from citizens here at home.
--Blue-shirt in the Navy
Why is McCain mentioned in the title but not linked anywhere in the actual 'article' to the document itself?
- I agree, but for different reasons. I think that in most places these would be illegal, and that illegality in their host country doesn't completely bar any of these tactics from being used. But, as the manual says, "This measure must be taken as a last resort, since it may provide the insurgents with an effective propaganda theme," showing that though it gives such options, they're always to be used only in last resort, because of the backlash they could have by making them a boon to insergent propagana. Besides, the unconsitutional suggestions only take up a small section, and the rest is mostly instructions and I'd wager good advice for counter-insergency.
- Also, I agree that the article title is kind of silly. It's original title was "US Special Forces counterinsurgency manual leaked", and that sounded more descriptive and neutral. Might I be allowed to move it back to its original name?
- Finally, it links to "New York Times Magazine" though the link is obviously Newsweek, and I read that article. It's pretty much all blind speculation, ending with the part "when asked whether such a policy was under consideration, [Donald Rumsfeld] replied, "Why would I even talk about something like that?" The part that talks about "The Pentagon's latest approach" is completely uncited, and quite frankly, kind of absurd. Kvn8907 07:59, 8 February 2009 (GMT)
- Anywho, I'm moving it back to the Neutral title, "US Special Forces counterinsurgency manual leaked". If anyone has a good reason to keep the current title "McCain's real Petraeus doctrine", feel free to comment, and if the reason is good, we can move it back. Kvn8907 18:58, 8 February 2009 (GMT)
- Note: "US Special Forces counterinsurgency manual leaked" already existed as a redirect page so it wouldn't let me move it there. Hence the current title. Kvn8907 19:06, 8 February 2009 (GMT)
Other Versions
The 1994 version of this document is available at: http://calldp.leavenworth.army.mil/mhi/2005051007132363/31_20_3.pdf
The 2007 version of this document (renamed to FM 3-05.202, Special Forces Foreign Internal Defense Operations) is at: http://www.army.mil/usapa/doctrine/31_Series_Collection_1.html
U.S. is now being subjected to Counterinsurgency Tactics
The methods described in this manual are being used now in this country by its own government against the people of the United States. We, the people of the United States, are now our own government's "enemy."
- How long until they use these tactics here in the US? Will you fight?
This has nothing to do with General Petraeus
Just google the man, he does not support or endorse anything like this. The "Petraeus Doctrine" is a outline of how future conflicts - not a step by step instruction like this. I can't believe you even labeled this document this way. David Petraeus has done a fantastic job serving this country.
The Petraeus Doctrine is free, available here: http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm3-24fd.pdf
This is a terrible reflection of Wikileaks.
I agree -U.S. is now being subjected to Counterinsurgency Tactics
The manual looks
These tactics are even used in Blogs
To discredit well-intending groups from accurately spreading information. These "divisive programs create dissension, disorganization, low morale, subversion and defection within the [groups]." Squashing movements before they are launched. "Eliminating the infrastructure within an area achieves two goals: it ensures the government's control of the area, and it cuts off the enemy's main source of intelligence."
Petraeus Naive?
The above comments suggest that General Petraeus is somehow outside of the tactics outlined in this document. But it is an enormous stretch of the imagination to suggest that Petraeus doesn't have knowledge of these activities.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court has ruled against the arbitrary idea that the Constitution ends at the U.S. Border.


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Although most older Unimogs have spent a life working thanks to their utilitarian design and extreme off road capability, this 1980 406 is a rare example of a vintage 'Mog that has led the easy life.
This Unimog was purchased by a large Illinois Mercedes dealership for lot plowing duty 24 years ago and has a mere 1619 original miles. When it wasn't pushing snow or serving utility duty around the dealership it was sitting in a heated garage and being maintaining by Mercedes technicians.
According to the seller the truck also received a cosmetic restoration around 6 years ago to erase any signs of age the truck was showing. The Mercedes Diesel runs well, the truck shifts well through all eight forward gears and four reverse, and everything else works as it should.
The result appears to be about as close as you will ever get to buying a brand new 32 year old diesel 4x4 Unimog you can get. Perhaps best of all the price of this low mileage Unimog is quite reasonable—bidding has reached $14,275 with slightly less than a day left on the No Reserve auction.
There are no words to accurately describe how badly we would love to be the ones to take this old 'Mog on its first off road voyage in several decades.


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BERLIN- Breaking out the new pink jerseys in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month did not bring Stephen Decatur's men's varsity soccer team much look this week as the Seahawks fell to visiting Bennett, 4-0.
Stephen Decatur's boys' varsity and junior varsity soccer teams sported the pink jerseys during a double-header with Bennett at home on Monday and varsity coach Jamie Greenwood even went with bleached blond hair in the spirit of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but the changes had little effect on the outcome.
In the varsity game, the two teams played a scoreless first half in a hard fought game that featured great opportunities for both sides. However, in the second half, Bennett came out quickly to score two goals to take a 2-0 lead with a lot of time left. Decatur had a lot of great scoring chances in the second half, but could not break through. Meanwhile, Bennett added a third goal with 7:17 left in the game to extend the lead to 3-0 and scored again late to finish the contest at 4-0.


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MCCOMB – (AP) When state wildlife officials decided to expand alligator hunting this year – not once but twice – local officers got a tiny bit worried.
At first, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP
) said the hunt could take place on public waterways across two-thirds of the state, including all of southwest Mississippi.
Then officials expanded the territory even farther, to include waters accessible by boat adjacent to public waterways.
That meant, for example, that Buffalo River at Lake Mary would be open. Though it's not classed as a public waterway, it connects to the Mississippi River, which is.
Maj. Lane Ball of MDWFP said he had some concerns about the expansion.
"The people in Jackson didn't understand how much water that opened up in our part of the state," Ball said, noting it took in lots of water in the Lake Mary area as well the Pascagoula River Basin.
"We had been telling people, `You can't hunt on Buffalo River.' "
As it turned out, though, "the only complaint that I really heard, some of the people that had camps at Lake Mary were a little bit miffed because you had people coming from all over Mississippi putting in there," Ball said.
In one instance, an offshore vessel with twin engines came chugging up the Old Homochitto River, he said.
But then, some Lake Mary camp owners were gator hunting as well.
The lottery hunt was held Sept. 7 to 17. Only specific methods were allowed. The most popular was a deep-sea fishing rod with treble hook. Hunters snagged the gator, pulled it alongside, snared it, then shot it.
The southwest zone – south of Interstate 20 and west of Interstate 55 – yielded 116 gators. The average male was 9 feet long, and the biggest was 13.17 feet.
The south-central zone produced 87 gators, the southeast 95 and the west-central (Delta) 156.
A group of Delta hunters caught one that measured 13-feet, 1-1/2-inch and weighed 697.5 pounds.
"It was a big success," Ball said of the hunt. "A lot of people enjoyed it."
"It benefits everybody because we're getting too many gators," said wildlife conservation officer Jimmy Hutson. "People see them out on a lake and it scares them. We're having to go get them out of swimming pools. Won't nothing kill a gator but another gator – or a human."
The state had already been holding lottery hunts on private lands in 28 counties – including Adams, Wilkinson, Lawrence and Marion in southwest Mississippi.
The expansion into public waterways coincided with a surge of interest in alligators thanks to the TV show "Swamp People."
"When they came out with `Swamp People,' everybody wanted to kill an alligator," Hutson said. "Before that, nobody wanted to kill an alligator."
But Mississippi's recreational season was quite different from the Louisiana hunts depicted in the TV show.
Unlike Mississippi, Louisiana allows hunters to hang large baited hooks over the water.
"I can't tell you the number of cases we've made based on `Swamp People,' baiting their hooks," Ball said.
Art Mott of Lawrence County is a professional gator trapper for the wildlife department and is licensed to buy gators from the recreational hunters. As a result, he saw lots of them.
The biggest he saw was 12 feet, 10 inches and just over 700 pounds, taken in Pearl River just north of Monticello.
"He was just huge as far as girth and all," Mott said. "He was as big an alligator as you want to see."
A lot of big ones, 12 feet and longer, came from the Mississippi and Big Black rivers.
"I skin them and I salt the hides and I sell the hides to an alligator buyer that buys hides," Mott said.
The state doesn't pay him to trap but allows him to work year-round and keep and sell the gators.
"I've caught some big ones this year myself as far as nuisance gators," Mott said.
He caught three at Percy Quin State Park before the lake was drained in September – one more than 11 feet long and two over 8 feet.
He also catches them in Pearl River, Lake Lincoln, Lake Mary Crawford, Lake Columbia, Lake Bill Waller – "all the state lakes. We try to keep everything down to 7 feet or below out of there just for safety purposes," Mott said.
"There's so many of them. That's the reason they had this season. They try to control the population, just like they do deer."


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The data are in. Demand for data analytics expertise has skyrocketed. The reason? A convergence of trends—the expanding universe of data, business dependence on faster, data-driven decision-making, the viral spread of social media, and huge strides in technologies that support business intelligence.
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Announced at the same time as
Editors' note: This in-depth hands-on article is based on our companion site CNET Asia's experience with the unlocked HTC One V. Be advised that we have reviewed the U.S. Cellular version of HTC One V.
If you're a fan of HTC's design of the
I like the feel of the handset, and while it's small compared with the larger One X, somehow the One V feels "just right" for one-handed use. It's roughly the same size as the
The One V sports a 3.7-inch WVGA (800x480-pixel) Super LCD 2 display with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass for protection. Viewing angles are generally good, but I don't like the fact that the screen isn't flush with the phone. The edges at the bottom tend stick to out, which mars the overall appearance of the handset. Like the One X, HTC has decided to use physical touch-sensitive buttons instead of the onscreen keys, and these are found at the bottom of the display. I don't mind the buttons, but would have preferred the One V to use software-based keys like the
Weighing just 4.06 ounces, the One V is light despite its aluminum chassis. The smartphone is thin at 0.36 inch, and just slightly thicker than the 0.35-inch One X. The iPhone 4, in comparison, is heavier at 4.9 ounces and has a depth of 0.37 inch.
The 1,500mAh battery is nonremovable -- you're only allowed to slide out the cover located at the back of the "chin," and this gives you access to the microSD port (for storage expansion) and the normal SIM card slot.
Located at the right side are the volume buttons; at the top you'll find the power button and 3.5mm audio jack. The Micro-USB port is found on the left.
Despite being billed as a low-cost handset, the One V comes running Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) with the HTC Sense 4.0 UI layer. Like the
Despite only having a 5-megapixel camera, the One V has a backside-illuminated (BSI) sensor. The One V also as an aperture of f2.0, which should help take better pictures in low-light conditions and should also come in handy with fast action shots. Like the One X, the One V is capable of taking burst images and capturing still images during video recording.
Camera quality was generally not as good as the One X, and while the shutter was fast, the display didn't seem able to keep up -- perhaps it's because of the single-core 1GHz processor. Color balance also was inaccurate under strong incandescent lighting. The sensor didn't seem able to adjust the white balance even when we manually changed to the correct light settings.
While I can't say the One V takes fantastic pictures, it doesn't take terrible pictures, either. The BSI sensor does help with low-light pictures, but we recommend using the flash, which manages to fill up the entire picture easily.
The handset also has Beats Audio built-in, which sounds like a pretty good deal. Like the One X, Beats Audio is now enabled across the board -- the equalizer will turn on when headphones are plugged in and an audio/video track is playing.
Lastly, connectivity options aren't lacking despite the One V being a low-cost device; there's HSPA, Bluetooth 4.0, and Wi-Fi. With only 4GB of onboard storage, you'll also be pleased to know that the microSD card slot allows you up to 32GB more storage.
The single-core 1GHz processor doesn't feel like it's capable of handling the load. While the handset performs smoothly most of the time, I experienced slowdowns and random freezes even while I was doing processor-light stuff like bringing up/hiding the keyboard in WhatsApp. Also, the camera has shutter lag at times, but it is more often the case of the display being unable to catch up. Upon reviewing the images, it seems that the phone managed to snap the picture.
With our usual battery test settings with two Gmail accounts set on push and Facebook and Twitter on push, the One V's nonremovable battery managed to last a full day. Be sure to keep a charger in the office, as you won't be able to swap a fresh battery if you run dry.
There were no issues with voice quality and call reception. Speaker volume was loud enough to be heard.
The HTC One V may be a low-cost handset, but it does have enough incentives such as the BSI sensor and ICS that make it worth considering. Sadly, the single-core processor is a little dated and not up to par, so you may encounter some lag if you like to play games. With a retail price of $317 without an operator contract, the One V seems to be good value for money if you want a cheap Ice Cream Sandwich device that can take semi-decent images.


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48th Annual Piston Powered Auto-Rama
Piston-Driven Perfection
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The indoor car show season always manages to bring a big level of excitement to town with all of the bright lights, creative displays, and amazing assemblages of horsepower guaranteed to shake the rafters. Now imagine just what it takes to fill one of the Top 10 largest convention centers in the world. The I-X Center in Cleveland did just that recently while hosting The Summit Racing Equipment 48th Annual I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama by filling 1 million square feet of its main floor with everything piston powered you could imagine.
The I-X Center itself dates back to 1942 where it was initially built and owned by the Department of Defense to manufacture B-29 bombers for World War II. The plant was operated by General Motors and commonly known as the Cleveland Bomber Plant, employing 15,000 workers in its day. As the years passed it would again assist in the Korean War effort where in the '50s it was dubbed the Cleveland Tank Plant where tanks were manufactured for the Army. As the decades passed the building was sold and it evolved into the I-X Center.
Upon entering the venue a very unique and special offering began to unfold right before your eyes. From every visible point you were able to catch glimpses of everything from hot rods and customs to a restored B-25 bomber and a Sherman Tank, commercial trucks, tractors, restos, muscle cars, and yes even a washing machine. Getting settled in and exploring the massive confines was a snap especially since many of the vehicles were creatively arranged together to make enjoying them simple. There were groupings of antique construction equipment that brought back memories of when you were a youngster watching old backhoes working on a job site and an extra-large display of military vehicles, including a '44 Autocar M16A1 half-track and even a '55 T-28B Trojan pilot trainer.
The centerpiece of the venue was a full-sized Ferris wheel, which was so big the roof of the I-X Center had to be opened up to have a clear dome installed to accommodate it, thus giving riders a full view of the outside when they crested the top. There was plenty of entertainment for the children as well with special areas, including a gravel pit filled with kid-sized construction vehicles to The All American Soap Box Derby, allowing youngsters the chance to pilot real Soap Box Derby cars on a fullsize track. When the time to refuel came there were plenty of food vendors offering loads of tasty options.
Sounds like a pretty full schedule but there was even more. The South Hall welcomed visitors with a combination of Gassers and hot rods, giving them a glimpse of what awaited them. Once inside there was a great feeling of tradition and culture with the room filled to the brim with classic hot rods and customs creating its own personality with more subdued lighting, fewer display barriers, and an old Armory-building type feel. Known as the Hot Rod Asylum, the venue was a classic show-within-a-show that even had its own homemade trophies created by Calculated Custom to be awarded in its very own ceremony. Other exciting happenings included a vintage-styled pin-up contest, searing sets of live rockabilly from bands, including The Jade Idol with Bob Bleed, 45 Spider, Lords of the Highway, The Madison Crawl, Scoliosis Jones, and others. There was also the Krazy Paint Charity Panel Jam with close to 30 of the region's top pinstripers donating their talents on panels and other items to be auctioned off throughout the weekend. This year they raised over $12,000 for The Career and Technical School Foundation.
This one show had it all. By the time the weekend came to a close over 37,000 attendees passed through the doors to take in one of the most interesting piston-powered events you could ever see. Check it out at ixpistonpoweredautorama.com.


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So knowledge is the foundation for the correctness of your repentance. This is due to two reasons:
First: For the most part, the misconceptions (you had prior to your repentance) will remain attached to your heart and your mind. So if you do not correct it with beneficial knowledge, you will find yourself accompanied by these misconceptions in your statements, actions and circumstances. Rather, you will find them mixed into your Da'wah (calling to the Way of Allaah), as is the condition of many of those who have leaped from (just) making their repentance to (being active in) the field of Da'wah.
So they have begun calling to the Salafee Da'wah, however this call is mixed with the Ikhwaanee misconceptions of gathering people together (regardless of Creed) or the Qutubee misconceptions of making takfeer (declaring Muslims disbelievers) or the Surooree misconceptions of partisanship (hizbiyyah)! So the image displayed is Salafiyyah, but the taste and the smell derived from it is something else!
Therefore, their call turns into a Salafiyyah, which consists of particular standards that can have their roots traced back to the misconceptions they had propr to their repentance, which still accompany them and which they have not yet corrected.
So you find this person calling to leadership in Da'wah (i.e. that there should be one leader for organizing all the Da'wah in a land).
And that one rejects some of the principles of the Salafee Da'wah, claiming that they cause the hearts to be hardened! Or that they cause the brotherly ties to be broken!
And this one agrees with the Qutubee ideologies!
And that one calls to Hizbiyyah (partisanship)!
And this one carries ideas of instigation and provocation (of the masses)!
And that one pitches the tent for gathering the people together (regardless of differences)!
All of this is done using the name of Salafiyyah, so to Allaah we turn for help! Verily to Allaah we belong and to Him we will return.
Second: Or perhaps you are carried away by the strong current of a misconception, such that your path and road towards repenting to Salafiyyah has changed course. So now you have become confused on this road or you begin calling to it, thinking that it is the truth when it is in fact misguidance!
How many games do these individuals who claim to have knowledge and stand for Salafiyyah play with the youth who seek to repent to Allaah?
And this is due to nothing else except for their lack of seeking knowledge and their lack of asking questions from the people of knowledge from Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah.
So, O repentant brother, may Allaah grant you success, you must seek beneficial knowledge, because it is that which will correct your repentance and set your path straight. With knowledge, you will free yourself from the misconceptions and the dangers, and you will save yourself from the hunting nets and snares, by the Will and Permission of Allaah.
As for the evidences that indicate the virtue of knowledge and those who possess it, then they are many and well known. I will mention from them, for the purpose of reminding:
Allaah's saying:
"Allaah bears witness that there is none that has the right to be worshipped but He. And so do the angels, and those having knowledge. (He is always) maintaining His creation with Justice. None has the right to be worshipped but He, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise." [Surah Aali 'Imraan: 18]
And His saying:
"It is only those who have knowledge amongst His slaves that fear Allaah." [Surah Faatir: 28]
And His saying:
"Allaah will raise in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been given knowledge." [Surah Al-Mujaadilah: 11]
And Allaah's saying, reminding of the blessing He bestowed on His Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) due to what He sent down to him from the Book (Qur'aan) and the Hikmah (Sunnah) and protecting him from people misleading him:
"Had not the Grace of Allaah and His Mercy been upon you (O Muhammad), a party of them would certainly have made a decision to mislead you, but (in fact) they mislead none except their own selves, and no harm can they do to you in the least. Allaah has sent down to you the Book (Qur'aan) and the Hikmah (Sunnah), and taught you that which you knew not. And Ever Great is the Grace of Allaah unto you." [Surah An-Nisaa: 113]
So, O repentant brother, when you come to know the importance and virtue of knowledge, and the danger of neglecting it, then know that the first thing you should start with from the various branches of knowledge is:


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For any business, its website is a business asset with value that accrues over time and should be treated as such. Here are five timeless "worst practices" to avoid:
1) Link buying – Attempting to make your site more authoritative by paying for links (see J.C. Penney).
A major element of most search engines' ranking algorithm (especially Google's) is "link popularity." Simply put, link popularity is a measure of the authority, trustworthiness and number of links pointing to a domain. Authoritative and trustworthy websites (Forbes, The New York Times, PBS, etc.) are able to pass along a significant amount of their authority and trust if they link to a company's website. Not surprisingly, these links tend to be very difficult to get. However, there are also cases where sheer "tonnage" of links suffice to boost rankings and organic search traffic.
Unfortunately, it's very common for sites to try to cheat the system. Instead of creating a remarkable website, stellar services and content, unethical Web marketers try to buy their way to the top by purchasing links. There is no shortage of site owners who would link to a site for a fee. Buying links should be avoided at all costs. It is a violation of any search engine's Terms of Service, and it can get a site banned from the index.
J.C. Penney famously got caught in 2011 for buying large amounts of links. The company was banned from Google's index for 90 days. While losing a full fiscal quarter's worth of profit from organic search traffic is certainly nothing to take lightly, that's not the worst-case scenario. Plenty of sites without the brand clout of J.C. Penney have been banned for much longer periods of time for the same infraction.
If "building links" is a service that an agency or vendor offers to you, have them explain to you exactly how they're building links, and how their methods are within the engines' Terms of Service.
2) Cloaking – Serving different content to a search engine versus a human visitor.
The term "cloaking" certainly sounds dark and mysterious, but the concept is relatively simple. It means that a Web server will deliver different content based on whether the request is coming from a search engine or a Web browser.
Some "black hat" Web marketers use cloaking for very nefarious purposes, serving pages that are radically different to engines and humans. Usually the cloaked version served to the search engines is very text heavy (which engines understand well) and often targets off-topic, popular phrases just for the traffic it might pull in. The version served to humans is typically a conversion-centric page with very little content, trying to lure some fraction of visitors to pull out their credit cards and spend some money.
Not all cloaking is done with malicious intent. A few years ago, I worked with a very large comparison-shopping site, helping the international versions of its sites generate more traffic. One of the interesting things I noticed immediately was that it was cloaking its own home pages! Instead of the version that humans saw with products, photos and marketing copy, the cloaked version was a simple list of links to most of the categories for which the sites had products.
When I brought this issue to light, it turned out that the engineer responsible had knowingly done this. He thought it would be more helpful to search engines to present a simple list of links to enable them to discover the content on the site. He didn't even know that cloaking was against the rules and could get the sites banned!
This kind of oversight, while not done maliciously, could have gotten the site into a penalty situation. Any agency you hire should be checking for cloaking on all of your Web properties as part of a standard technical SEO audit.
3) Keyword stuffing – Cramming page content full of a keyword to make the page appear more relevant for that keyword.
Keyword stuffing is a very old-fashioned tactic that stopped working well a long time ago—around 2005. The rationale was based on the notion that the more times a particular keyword appeared on the page, the more "relevant" an engine would consider that page to be for that keyword. Text on the page would be "stuffed" with the keyword, and it would read terribly.
Search engines have long since moved past basing relevance calculations on simple keyword repetition. While good keyword research is still central to publishing content that performs well in engines, your writers should be writing for the visitors that they have to inform and persuade, not a search engine spider.
4) Hidden text – Using tricks to make different content visible to humans than engines (see BMW Germany).
Hidden text and keyword stuffing often travel hand in hand. Because keyword-stuffed text reads so awfully to visitors, the idea is to hide it from them while still having it as machine-readable text on the page for engines.
BMW Germany was guilty of the aforementioned variety of hidden text in 2006 when it was caught serving pages with pretty pictures and very little text to visitors, but behind the pretty pictures was keyword-stuffed garbage content for search engines.
Some methods of detecting hidden text are easy for search engines (e.g., white-on-white text), whereas others are more difficult (e.g., hiding content with JavaScript). However, you can rest assured that the first time a company catches its competitor with hidden text on the page, that company will likely be filing a spam report with the search engines.
Content should be central to your website. It's how you communicate value to prospective customers. There are plenty of legitimate ways to balance content with aesthetics and conversion, and hidden content isn't worth the risk.
5) Being a seed for spam – If visitors are allowed to create profiles or leave comments on your site, and they create links to "bad neighborhoods" on the Web, your site can suffer as a result.
Social media and community involvement continue to develop as important aspects of a fully realized Web marketing campaign. But while interaction with your customers and peers is undeniably good, it can also hurt your website if implemented and managed incorrectly.
Especially on blogs, a central part of fostering an interactive and healthy ecosystem is to involve your readers. Commenting and discussion should be encouraged, both as a way to strengthen bonds with existing customers, acquire new ones and even address news that may be particularly challenging for your organization.
The flip side of this coin is that the more active and successful your community is, the more it can attract bad actors just looking to exploit your site's popularity and authority by creating profiles and comments that exist only to drive links back to the bad actors' sites.
Ensure that your blog comments are being actively filtered (by software, using "nofollow" on outbound links, and by employee curation) to remove manipulative, promotional posts and the users involved.
Search engines are particularly sensitive to sites that feature links to "bad neighborhoods." These sites are seen as the seeds for Web spam and can be penalized as a result. Engines don't want bad sites in their indexes. Keep your community clean, and you'll reap rewards. If you allow your site to be a seed for spam, you can suffer for it.
With the Web becoming an increasingly important marketing channel for most companies, it's more critical than ever that you ensure your Web marketing tactics are focused on the long-term health and success of your website. The risks associated with outlawed SEO tactics are not worth the reward.
Ethan Hays is Search Director at gyro
Follow him @ethanhays


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Peg Leg Trinkets
Peg Leg Trinkets can be collected to help you on your Peg Leg Missions to uncover the secret treasure of Captain Kidd. There is also a Map available for purchase throughout the game that gives the trinket locations on your map.
There are a total of 24 Peg Leg Trinkets in Assassin's Creed 3. They are needed for the Peg Leg Missions and will unlock secret areas such as Fort Wolcott and Oak Island. The Trinkets have fixed locations and spawn at any time. The quest giver can be found at the harbor of the Homestead. Return the trinkets to him to progress in the side mission. You can also buy a map for all the trinket locations at the in-game general store. This will make it a lot easier to find everything.
When you complete the Oak Island mission you will unlock Captain Kidd's outfit and a Shard of Eden which repels bullets away from it.
Trinket Map
A good way to show all trinkets at any location is to go to any General Store and buy a trinket map (There is only one so you don't have to keep buying more).
Frontier Trinkets
Black Creek [ 2 ] -
Diamond Basin [ 1 ] -
This trinket is located almost dead center of the Basin, it's near the only two houses in the region. There is a old mining tunnel just a little southwest of the houses, the trinket cant be found inside.
Mine enterance
Great Piece Hills [2] -
This one is located right on the boarder of Lexington. There is a Cave enterance near the North most house in Lexington. Follow the cave to find your Trinket.
This trinket is located to the southeast of the region. A little east of the borders of the Diamond Basin and Great Piece Hills. There is a cave enterance marked by a fallen log and two rocks.
Map location to climb down.
As Above, but In Game shot.
Cave Enterance
Monmouth [ 1 ]
Troy's Woods'[ 1 ] -' Hidden underground in the region. Need to enter from a cave entrance and behind a water fall. The entrances are on the location of the Connor Icon on the pictures below. The cave sends you underneath that lake looking thing.
Location zoomed out
Cave enterance
Waterfall enterance
Valley Forge [1 ] -


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A precious baby girl has arrived and you couldn't be happier! Surprise the proud new parents with our perfectly-girly pink bouquet. Designed inside a glass vase finished with pink ribbon accents, it's a sweet way to welcome their little bundle of joy into the world.
•All-around arrangement with pink roses, carnations, mini carnations and Matsumoto asters; lime green carnations; white daisy poms; accented with salal tips
•Artistically designed in a clear glass vase accented with pink ribbon; measures 8"H
•Large arrangement measures approximately 19"H x 18"D
•Medium arrangement measures approximately 17"H x 16"D
•Small arrangement measures approximately 16"H x 13"D
•Our florists hand-design each arrangement, so colors, varieties and container may vary due to local availability
Order by 3:00 PM PST for same day pickup or delivery!
* Fee charged in addition to the Standard Delivery Fee
Enter full name. We'll ask for delivery information at checkout.
Add a cute plush from our plush selection. Selected plush will vary.
Card isle test product


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Build your own FST
mop/mop moth/moth pop/pop star/star stop/stop top/top
Each entry can be an input (creates an FSA) or input/ouput (creates an FST).
Separate each entry with space or newline.
If all outputs are ints >= 0 then outputs are numeric (sum as you traverse); otherwise outputs are strings (concatenate as you traverse).
NEXT-optimized arcs (whose target is the next node) are
A bolded arc means the next node is final.
this blog post
for details and examples.


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Baby Supplies at Chattahoochee River Whitewater
Join Lakes Online and tap into 3 million potential customers looking for your lake business.
If you have a business that could benefit being listed in the Baby Supplies category, our advertisement listing rates are affordable. Click here for details.
Add Your Business
Main Category: Shopping
Tags: Baby Supplies, Baby ForumulaDiapersSimilacHuggiesLuvs


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My name is Jacqueline and I am the model seen on the Ashley Madison ad that was recently published in the New York Metro newspaper.
I am the owner and model of the BBW website www.juicyjackie.com. It is tailored to the tastes of those that love big women, their curves, rolls and all the plush softness that comes with being fat.
Years ago, before my modeling career began in earnest, a photographer friend of mine arranged an informal photo session. I was under the impression at the time that people purchasing these photos from the photographer would be doing so for their own personal use. I had no idea that the photographer would endeavor to sell the photos to corporations and/or stock photo companies, who would then go on, repeatedly, to use them in rude and mocking ways.
I am mortified that my image and likeness would be used as advertisement for two things I am so vehemently against: namely cheating and, to an even greater extent, body shaming.
I find the very idea that there exists a business based solely around the facilitation of infidelity appalling. The fact that they are now suggesting that a person's partner not fitting their ideal body size/shape, entitles that person to 'shop around' is disgusting.
There is an enormous problem in this world in regards to female body shaming, and not solely in regard to fat women, but all women. A size 2 woman who sees this ad sees the message: "If I don't stay small, he will cheat". A size 12 woman might see this ad and think "if I don't lose 30lbs, he will cheat". A size 32 woman could see this ad, and feel "I will never find love". It's horrific. Not all women are necessarily insecure, but it's no secret that body insecurity is endemic, regardless of size. This kind of message is extremely damaging to self worth. Eating disorders may have lost their place in the media spotlight, but continue to effect people of all ages, especially teens. This sort of behavior can easily be triggered from the careless cruelty of advertisements like the one in question.
As has been widely reported, teens are committing suicide in shocking numbers all over the world as direct result of this sort of shaming ridicule. Be it directed at race, size, sexual orientation or anything, bullying is a vicious force in this world. Contributing to this widespread and creeping depression by suggesting, blatantly and without pretense, that fat people are patently undeserving of love and loyalty is repulsive. It is incumbent upon advertisers, and society at large, to act responsibly before foisting something like this onto the world.
It's bad enough that a business exists that encourages and profits from cheaters, but, worse still, that they have the gall to blame a woman's body on the act, rather than the man who is incapable of commitment and loyalty. It exists in the same school of thought in which a rapist blames a woman's outfit for his crime.
I am a size 32. I am beautiful. I think women of all sizes are beautiful. Beauty is not and has never been one-size-fits-all. I do not appreciate my image being used, without notice or permission, to tell women I have never met otherwise.
Update: After Jacqueline's message went live, Jezebel received this response from Ashley Madison founder and CEO Noel Biderman:
The best thing that could've happened to this woman is that we used her in our ad. Despite what she may want you to think, she is reaping the press for her own pornography website. She took these pictures and signed the release knowing that they were not just for 'personal use.' However, if she can get great publicity from this, all the power to her.
Earlier: Is Your Wife Fat? Try Adultery!


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Kevin R. Ebbert
Kevin R. Ebbert was killed in action in Afghanistan on Saturday, November 24, 2012. Kevin was born January 23, 1980, and grew up in Arcata.
As a boy he loved backpacking, rafting, drawing and the outdoors. As a young adult he played Ultimate Frisbee, was an accomplished musician, loved learning and was an avid reader throughout his life. Kevin grew into a caring man who practiced his values, lived by his ideals and was committed to helping others.
Kevin graduated from Arcata High School, received a bachelor's degree in music from UC Santa Cruz and became an active duty Navy SEAL and corpsman. He hoped to build on his training as a corpsman to pursue a career as a physician.
On December 31, 2011, Kevin married Ursula (Jansson) Ebbert, also from Arcata. The couple shared a love of the outdoors, recently purchased their first home in Virginia Beach, VA and enjoyed many family gatherings.
Kevin is survived by his wife, Ursula Ebbert, his mother Charlie Jordan and sister Samantha Ebbert Martinez, as well as stepsisters Amy Funk and Kate Renner, stepfather Mark Ritz, mother-in-law Susan Jansson, father-in-law Erik Jansson, and grandfathers Richard Ebbert and James Jordan. He was preceded in death by his father Jeffery Ebbert, a retired Navy SEAL, and both grandmothers, Patricia Ebbert and Marie Jordan Barnes.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to: the "Kevin Ebbert Memorial Fund" established through the Humboldt Area Foundation: hafoundation.org, or to the Navy SEAL Foundation: navysealfoundation.org.


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Willson Williams, a member of Saybrook's psychology faculty, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the New Mexico Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC.
The National Museum of Women in the Arts brings recognition to the achievements of women artists of all periods and nationalities by exhibiting, preserving, acquiring, and researching art by women and by teaching the public about their accomplishments. To fulfill its mission, the museum cares for and displays a permanent collection, presents special exhibitions, conducts education programs, maintains a Library and Research Center, publishes a quarterly magazine and books on women artists, and supports a network of state and international committees. NMWA also serves as a center for the performing and literary arts and other creative disciplines.
The New Mexico Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts is involved in statewide and national art exhibitions, achievement awards, educational programs, sponsorship and lectures, and special events.


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What is the Entrepreneur's Social Contract with their VC's
Posted by Bob Warfield on September 20, 2012
Another great post from Jason Lemkin has me responding again.
Jason seems to be going over all the dark thoughts entrepreneurs and founders have about VC's and blogging about it instead of what most entrepreneurs do which is to keep quiet so as not to offend potential future investors. Good for him, it's about time the rest of the world got some perspectives on some of these goings on. In this one, Jason is haunted by a remark a partner at one of his VC's made over dinner:
I remember at a closing dinner after one of my start-ups was sold, a partner of the VC who invested in me (not the one who served on my board, but his partner) made a sort of haunting comment. His firm had made 6x on the investment, and his comment after some wine was "We [the partners] debated whether to let you sell or not. In the end [because you're a good kid], we decided to let you."
Hmmm. Ok, this guy makes 6x and didn't even lift a finger (he wasn't on the board) — and he gets to decide if the company should sell or not?
I know the feeling well, having been told by one VC I'd never work in the Valley again after delivering his firm a 13x return on one sale. They were completely uninterested. In fact, the Board told us (the two co-founders) to quit talking to the company that wanted to acquire us. When we pointed out that our share of the offer price was real life changing money, one VC bluntly informed us that if we tried to sell we would never work in the Valley again. At that point, my partner and I resolved that we didn't want to be in business with this guy no matter what. Life's too short and he clearly thought of us as sharecroppers on his land rather than as entrepreneurs and founders who he had a social contract to help succeed.
Why would he behave this way? Why would a 6x return in Jason's case let alone a 13x return for my company be treated in what amounts to a lot of disrespect for what should be the relationship between investors and entrepreneurs? Why, in the end of the day, would VC's want their founders to suddenly feel like nothing more than employees?
Before I delve into that, I will say that I worked at quite a few places afterward and the VC who made the threat is still a busy and active VC who is quoted on his bio page as saying his firm is devoted to the entrepreneur. In other words, it basically blew over, though I doubt we'd care to ever do business again. It required the considerable and helpful efforts of our other VC (who I would do business with again in a heartbeat) together with a great deal of integrity from the acquirer to get the deal closed so we could all get on with our lives. I will also say that the VC who spoke to Jason was foolish for having made the remark after the deal was a fait accompli just as much as the VC who threatened me was foolish for having pushed the deal to be a fait accompli without even trying to sell us on a different route. While it asserted their egos over our's, there was really only downside in it to have revealed they ever even considered blocking the deal.
Founders shouldn't think that their VC's won't think this way and behave this way. Clearly Jason's guy was tempted to do something similar to what mine did. It's a lot more common than it ought to be.
F. Scott Fitzgerald is supposed to have said to Earnest Hemingway, "The rich are different from you and me." The same could be said of the VC's. Their principal differences in cases like these are twofold.
First, they have a radically different utility curve and perspective on risk versus rewards. Rewards seem smaller to them because for the most part, they are already wealthy. A few million here or there matters not. Even ten million may not. Their investors expect huge returns. Risks seem smaller too because they have protected themselves from risk via portfolio effect and diversification. From a Founder's perspective, the VC's mission is to make the Founders endure almost any amount of risk in order to generate those few incredibly huge deals that will make each fund's returns. Those equations require them not to settle for a 3x, 6x, or 13x return if they think there is any chance at all for a much larger return. They'll want to keep going and they'll take the offers that come early as ample evidence the deal has legs.
Second, they have a very limited number of ways in which they can add value. Ironically, Jason remarks in another post that they're not much good even at lining you up with other investors, something I tend to agree with. They'll try to add value, they'll give you advice and try to steer you, and it can be helpful. This is one reason why I much prefer VC's who've held operating positions on my boards. But at the same time, make no mistake about where they need to steer you. It may not be the same destination as you want. They're steering to add value to their investment, not to your business. In fact, at a more callous level, they're steering to add value to their own careers. Most of the time, those interests coincide, and that's a very good thing. But when you're getting ready to make a decision about selling, that's one of many points where the interests can diverge. That's where you'll start to hear advice that may or may not be in your interest, in the interest of the business, in the interest of the team, or in the interest of the customers. It's messy stuff to be sure, and something to be absolutely sober about, something to operate only with the highest integrity around, and something to seek good advice and counsel on.
Jason ends his post basically saying that in terms of returns, Founders owe their VC's 3X, because that's what good funds target for their investors and because Founders shouldn't be responsible for the returns of other deals in the VC portfolio. There is a lot of logic in that advice. Just be aware the VC's will probably violently disagree and they will likely have ensured there is appropriate legalese wherever needed to enforce their point of view. Another way to look at Jason's calculus of valuations would be to conclude that Founders should be on the lookout for divergent interests with their VC's whenever there is the prospect of at least 3X return.
Incidentally, this topic may be related to another recent post of Jason's, which dwells on why VC's prefer to invest in the young. One answer is the young are far more altruistic, far more willing to bet on their luck, and far more likely to swing for the fences in the way the VC's require. VC's aren't dumb or evil. They're pretty good at what they do. But, as is always true in business, it behooves the players to understand each other's motivations.
2 Responses to "What is the Entrepreneur's Social Contract with their VC's"
September 20, 2012 at 9:25 pm
I think you right Bob though I would argue there has been a substantial change the past few years, and almost all top VC firms have become much more founder-friendly. The internet has created so much transparency, and the referral business so important, and the fact that later stage deals are so hard to get into, that the pendulum has swung to a much better balance IMHO. In EchoSign, I can't say anything but positive things about our two VCs (Storm Ventures and Emergence Capital) in the end. My prior experiences were certainly more mixed.
October 23, 2012 at 4:05 pm
[…] more time trying to convince you of that truth. I've written about it before, and I have lived it more than once. You may think you're doing your investors a big favor offering them an early 10x return, […]
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The Trip1967 Drama
Roger Corman directed this psychedelic odyssey concerning the curative properties of LSD, with a surrealistic screenplay written by Jack Nicholson. Peter Fonda is Paul Groves, a television commercial director whose estranged wife Sally (Susan Strasberg) is pressuring him to sign their divorce papers. Feeling strain in both his professional and his personal life, Paul talks to a guru named John (Bruce Dern), who suggests that an acid trip will cure what ails him. Paul goes to John's pad and his trip begins -- at first calm and sedate, but when Sally and a sexy blonde hippie enter his hallucinations, it's every man for himself. Paul experiences crazed sexual couplings, paranoiac visions, and even gets to attend his own funeral. After imagining he's seeing John's head bashed in, he runs from the apartment in terror and takes to the streets. He is finally rescued and brought to a beach house, where he completes his trip while making love to a beautiful woman. After the trip subsides, Paul is convinced he has been reborn and is prepared to face the new day.~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide


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ALGOR InCAD Designer/SolidWorks31 Dec, 2004 By: Joe Greco
Flexible FEA program supports mixed elements to speed up analysis.
ALGOR is older than most CAD companies, but at 25, it's just middle-aged in the CAE world. It released its first PC product way back in 1985, and the InCAD series debuted in 1999. Let's take a closer look at this product, now in its 16th release, and evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of ALGOR's philosophy to upfront CAE.
Different ApproachALGOR takes a different approach to upfront CAE when compared with a product like COSMOSWorks, which is fully integrated inside SolidWorks. InCAD Designer is clearly a separate product that communicates with SolidWorks using a process called DMIT (Direct Memory Image Transfer).
Algor Incad designer/solidworks
After installing the software for SolidWorks and then using that program's Add-in command, a new ALGOR menu appears in SolidWorks. It presents two choices: Feature Control and Mesh. The former is for eliminating model features not necessary for the analysis. The latter command transfers the model out of SolidWorks into InCAD Designer, using DMIT's direct CAD/CAE data exchange. This method takes just a few seconds and ensures an accurate model because no geometry translation is done.
According to ALGOR, by moving the model out of SolidWorks, the user gains access to a full suite of analysis tools and options, enabling more sophisticated simulations. For instance, different finite element types, such as bricks (solids), shells (plates) and beams (lines), can be used together to analyze the same model. This is important because when evaluating a pulley system, for instance, the cables should be meshed as beam elements and the pulleys as bricks. In addition to modeling flexibility, ALGOR claims its technique analyzes models much more quickly because often fewer finite elements are created.
COSMOSWorks representatives said that mixing finite elements is useful and they plan to incorporate mixed elements in all three levels of their COSMOSWorks products. Still, with today's computers, the addition of extra elements may not increase calculation time significantly.
Using InCAD DesignerCOSMOSWorks' user interface advantage is that its FEA tools are available directly from the SolidWorks FeatureManager. This is nice because users remain in a familiar environment. ALGOR's answer to this is that it doesn't really matter once you spend about an hour to learn the InCAD Designer interface. I found this estimate of the learning curve to be accurate.
The first time I ran InCAD Designer, I didn't go through SolidWorks. Instead, I launched InCAD Designer directly and used the standard Open icon to load a SolidWorks assembly. This launches SolidWorks in the background and does the memory transfer.
Before the model opened, a dialog box called Model Mesh Settings appeared (figure 1). After I accepted the defaults, a meshed model displayed on the screen in an MCAD-style environment. Navigation shortcut keys are the same as in SolidWorks, and a familiar browser tree on the left shows the separate components of the assembly. At the bottom of this tree are four tabs, with only the first one, called CAD Solid Model, highlighted. Refinement of the mesh is possible at this stage.
Figure 1. An interactive slider sets the mesh density in InCAD Designer/SolidWorks. The program features a single user interface familiar to MCAD users. In fact, the software also works with programs such as Pro/ENGINEER, Solid Edge, Inventor and others.
The next tab, called FEA Editor, is where the materials, loads, constraints and other criteria are added. Looking at the expanded tree, I noticed that each part had three categories underneath it:
- 1. Element Type (brick, shell, beam, etc.)
- 2. Element Definition (Isotropic, Orthotropic, etc.)
- 3. Material (steel, etc.)
Only the material category had an X next to it. By window-selecting the entire model, I was then able to right-click and pick the material for all three parts.
To apply the load to the desired faces, I selected the tool that picks only faces and used it in conjunction with the <Ctrl> key. Next, a right click allowed me to assign the load, and InCAD Designer displayed the visual feedback (figure 2). The constraints (boundary conditions) were added in the same way.
Figure 2. This image shows the setting up of the loads, with the Surface Loads dialog box displayed in the lower right. In this portion of the program, simple sketching, modeling and structured meshing tools are also available to create geometry from scratch or add FEA geometry to the base CAD model.
The next step was to perform the analysis. This took about 20 seconds and also made the third tab, called Results, active. Now the model's deformation, displacement, strain and stress are viewable simply by clicking an area of the tree called Saved Presentations (figure 3). InCAD Designer allows users to cut sections to view what's happening inside, although default cut planes are limited to global axes. Users can also add transparency and annotations as well as create animations. The fourth tab on the tree is for viewing the automatically created report, which is saved in HTML format. PDF would be a nice addition.
Figure 3. This image shows the displacement analysis of the model, complete with an annotation. If edited in SolidWorks, the model would simply need to be remeshed. There is no need to redefine loads, constraints, materials and other data.
Bottom lineWith ALGOR InCAD Designer, you get mixed-element capabilities, which COSMOSWorks currently lacks, and advanced linear dynamic analysis tools, but lose the full SolidWorks integration. If you need nonlinear analysis or fatigue, the more advanced version of COSMOSWorks is not as fully integrated into SolidWorks as is InCAD Designer. If you use other mechanical CAD products in addition to SolidWorks, the InCAD Designer series could be a much better value because it includes support for multiple CAD programs, such as Alibre Design, Inventor, CADKEY, KeyCreator, Mechanical Desktop, Rhino, Solid Edge and SolidWorks as well as reading ACIS, IGES and STEP files. Your choice may depend on which works best with your CAD program, but InCAD Designer is certainly worth your evaluation.
Joe Greco was a freelance CAD writer, consultant and trainer. He passed away on December 7, 2004.
About the Author: Joe Greco
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