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Where The Marijuana Grows: Feds Target Landowners
Federal authorities are cracking down on medical marijuana in California.
In the Central Valley, the nation's most productive farm belt, pot is becoming a more lucrative crop than almonds and grapes. The feds say much of what's grown as "medical marijuana" is actually sold on the black market.
Federal agents have been raiding cornfields and vineyards, yanking marijuana plants. And now they're using a new tool: targeting landlords, threatening to seize buildings where marijuana is sold and farmland where it's grown.
'California Can't Isolate Itself'
From the air, the scope of the marijuana farms is apparent. Neat rows of orange and almond trees form geometric patterns as a Fresno sheriffs' department helicopter lifts into the air.
Lt. Rick Ko points to a bright green patch in the middle of a dense citrus grove, where hundreds of marijuana plants the size of trees have replaced oranges.
There's rampant interstate sales of marijuana that are going, money that's pouring into California from criminal organizations all over the country, places that don't have medical marijuana laws.
"You see the black plastic next to this orange grove?" he says. "You can still see how big these plants are right here. They're well above that 6-foot fence."
There are no doors on the helicopter, and the pungent odor of marijuana wafts up as the helicopter hovers 500 feet in the air.
Growers used to carefully conceal marijuana deep in the national forests. Now, emboldened by California's laws legalizing medical marijuana, they're planting openly on farmland.
"When we're flying over these valley groves, people sit and stare at us, or wave at us," Ko says. "They pretty much ignore us now because of the current state of California state law."
Growers often tack recommendations from doctors on fence posts so they're visible from the air.
But marijuana of any kind is illegal under federal law. And the feds say that California is the biggest source of marijuana in the country, and that state laws are giving cover to interstate drug traffickers.
"California can't just isolate itself and say, 'We're just doing something else,' " says U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner. "There's rampant interstate sales of marijuana that are going, money that's pouring into California from criminal organizations all over the country, places that don't have medical marijuana laws."
Landowners Targeted
Recently, law enforcement agents destroyed 25,000 plants, and the feds are now trying to seize the land. The family who owns it leased its farmland to marijuana growers.
"Our clients did not grow it, they don't sell it, they do not use it," says attorney Don Fishbach, who represents the family. "Here they thought that medicinal marijuana was legal and people had permits, so it was OK for their tenants to grow it."
Several landowners who rent to medical marijuana growers were afraid to be recorded. They all said they didn't make any more profit renting to marijuana growers than they did renting to vegetable farmers.
The collision between state and federal law is creating confusion and panic among medical marijuana users, too. California's attorney general has called on the feds to show restraint in their crackdown, saying she's concerned it could make it more difficult for legitimate patients to access their medicine.
Legal or not, neighboring farmers don't like the way marijuana is transforming this rural valley.
"One of the facilities just down the street from where we're standing here is, I mean, they had a huge guard tower," says Ryan Jacobsen, executive director of the Fresno County Farm Bureau. "At times you could see individuals up there with — whether they were shotguns or rifles or whatever else — there was no secret in what they were protecting."
Jacobsen stands in his vineyard just southwest of Fresno. He points down the road to where authorities raided a marijuana plot because they were able to prove some of it was sold as far away as Boston.
The county sheriffs department says a single plant sells out of state for about $4,000. Jacobsen says that means if pot were ranked next to almonds and grapes, marijuana would be the most valuable.
"Just a couple plants is going to outdo anything else that we grow around here locally on a per-acre basis," he says.
The U.S. attorney's office is giving landowners 45 days to evict marijuana growers and sellers — or risk losing their property.
Copyright 2020 KQED. To see more, visit KQED.


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One of the top DS development houses in the industry doesn't see the DSi as just a DS Lite plus gimmicks.
"It's not just a DS with cameras in it as some might think," video game producer David Nathanielsz told Kotaku in an interview earlier this week. "It's a more powerful platform."
Nathanielsz is the executive producer of the forthcoming Band Hero DS, which is in development at Activision's Vicarious Visions studio. (Check out Kotaku's Band Hero DS interview.) Vicarious Visions has distinguished itself in recent years at being one of the top houses for DS development, pushing the hardware more aggressively than most studios outside of Nintendo.
But Vicarious Visions has released just one download-only game for Nintendo's DSi, which has been on the market in the U.S. since April. The studio's next game, November's Band Hero DS, won't even play on the DSi. One reason for the studio's lack of DSi compatibility for its next project is obvious: the DSi lacks the Game Boy Advance slot that current models of the Vicarious Visions' DS music games — including Band Hero DS — require. It's where the games' guitar-grip peripheral plugs into.
Nathanielsz wouldn't say whether Vicarious Visions has found an alternate method for connecting guitar peripherals to the DSi for future releases, but he did say that not supporting the DSi with Band Hero DS was more than just a matter of the missing GBA slot.
"This is something we've really been thinking about and working on," he said. "What's interesting about the DSi is [that] it's a much more capable system than the DS and DSLite than some may think." He was suggesting that the machine has more horsepower, something I've heard from other DS developers as well but did not have a chance to follow-up on in this interview.
"We want to do it right," said Nathanielsz. "We want to get the best experience for what that platform can deliver."

subset: commoncrawl


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The grandeur of Maggie Norris' couture Easter egg
If anyone could design a couture Easter egg, it's New Orleans born Maggie Norris. Maggie's Rosebud Corset Egg (giant, bejeweled, and red velvet covered), is inspired by Peter Carl Fabergé's Imperial Rosebud Egg. There's no downside as suffered by Fabergé's last royal customer, Tsar … Continue reading
Posted in Event Tagged Anna Kiper, Fabergé's Big Egg Hunt, Maggie Norris, Studio in a School, The Elephant Family. Leave a comment


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A Zimbabwean pastor's wife, who has gone seven years without sex, couldn't withhold her emotions when she appeared before a court and accused her husband Petros Tshuma, a pastor with Zion Grace International, of starving her since 2010.
Instead, she says he sleeps with other women from his congregation.
"Your worship, I'm sexually abused by this man as he last had sex with me in 2010. If I ask him about the issue he would promise to make up for it but when it's time for sex he simulates sickness then claims to be feeling pain in his stomach," she said.
Mary Ngwenya added that her husband would also claim his testicles were swollen but had other partners to sleep with as she literally pleaded for sex in front of the magistrate.
"What I know is that he enjoys sex with three ladies from our church. I have WhasApp text messages to prove that.
I'm a human being. I don't survive on Bible verses and I need my husband to sleep with me. Now I lead a pretentious life telling the women I lead that I'm enjoying my marriage while I'm sex starved," she said in between sobs.
However, Tshuma admitted the blame.
"I love my wife but I have a problem, when I engage in sex my stomach starts to twinge as a result I feel an intense pain and due tothat I had to stop. It's not true that I'm in love with other women. My wife saw text messages from the women who wanted counselling on their marriages, due to that she quickly concluded that I'm in love with them," he said.
The judge Masuku ordered Tshuma to have sex with his wife and not to emotionally abuse her.


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Please welcome back today's author: Nonnie Jules!
Because of the division that's going on in our world right now, the hate that's being stirred up and spewed by these White Supremacist groups, we felt it appropriate and extremely necessary that we share a piece from our President, Nonnie Jules, that needs to be wide-spread.
I am a black woman, and because of the shade of my skin and coarseness of my hair, because of the fullness of my hips, my lips and the bold colors I wear…some don't find me as attractive as my fairer counterparts. You see, I'm no longer your house-maid or here for your sexual pleasure; no longer Mamie to your children, I'm now someone's Mother…a treasure. But, does my life matter?
I am a black man, and because of my dark skin and the boldness of my stance, because of the kinky in my hair, the anger in my stare, and the wear and tear shown on my hands…some still don't see me as a man. You see, I'm no longer your field property or your whipping post. I've freedom papers and own land now, maybe, more than most. You build cages to hold me, guilty or not; where you should build institutions of higher learning, you lock me away for little things, then leave me there to rot. Do you forever see my bed as a cot? But, does my life matter?
I am a white woman, and because of my milk dove skin and cute, pinched nose, thin ruby red lips and fair skin that glows…with my pearly whites and prominent chin…some still look at me and despise the skin I'm in. I was never privy to the pain that was caused. I was born into that hatred…those God-awful laws. So, does my life still matter?
I am a white man, born into privilege and wealth, easy life, perfect health, yet…I'm still persecuted and referred to as "the man." I, too, hate the ways of the Ku Klux Klan. My neighbors are black, white, green and red…still, I haven't fled. To be where everyone looks more like me, is not where I want to be. I, too, would like to one day be FREE. Yes, FREE! It also applies to me! FREE of the labels that bind because of the color of my skin; I've never owned any human or degraded any man. But, does my life still matter?
I am a brown-skinned woman and because of my accented words, you think I should be silent…quiet and not heard. I can do more, than clean your windows and floors. Just ask me what I'm capable of, you'd be surprised, I'm sure. I may have come here via the back of a truck, or even the legal route, if I was blessed with such luck. Maybe I was born here, and my parents, too. In your eyes, would that still make me less American than you? Does my life matter?
I am a brown-skinned man and though maybe a bit stocky, I'm no less in appearance, than your brawn and cocky. I'm not a rapist, a thief or thug…but a man like you, with kids to hug. I'm not ashamed to tend your lawns and trees, but Executive, also a title I wear with ease; whatever it takes…my family to feed. Don't dismiss, or overlook my face; I may not have been born here, but I'm here to stay. And, with that said, does my life still matter?
With all that's going on, there's much racial unrest. It's time to put differences aside and put real LOVE to the test. We can't keep fighting each other, when there are real wars going on. We must come together in love, heal and stand strong. There are real enemies among us, and their names we know not. We must stand on the front lines, together and talk.
The differences between us are fewer than those in our heads; and in the end, until we draw our last breath, we all still bleed red. Yes, that small matter is what makes us brothers, and binds us tighter than any other.
That stream of red flowing thru our veins, is what should force us to…
release all blame,
stop the pain,
forge ahead,
no more blood we'll shed.
Thank you for supporting this member along the WATCH "RWISA" WRITE Showcase Tour today! We ask that if you have enjoyed this member's writing, to please visit their Author Page on the RWISA site, where you can find more of their writing, along with their contact and social media links, if they've turned you into a fan. WE ask that you also check out their books in the RWISA or RRBC catalogs. Thanks, again for your support and we hope that you will follow each member along this amazing tour of talent! Don't forget to click the link below to learn more about this author:


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Hidden object game review
After vanquishing her evil twin, Pandora, Empress Anna must find her lost tribe in Empress of the Deep 3: Legacy of the Phoenix. In a fever dream she learns they are threatened by a cursed colossus on a distant and mysterious temple city, adrift on the waves below.
Helped by the ghost of Jacob and an ancient phoenix she escapes the burning palace in the clouds and finds the beautiful floating city, constructed by her lost people. But where have they gone? Only a sinister two-headed wizard and his cats remain. Can she trust him? Will he help her find the lost tribe before the colossus fully awakens?
Find out in Empress of the Deep 3: Legacy of the Phoenix!


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83-year-old nun convicted of sabotage for breach of US atomic complex
Three activists, including an 83-year-old nun, who broke into a US nuclear weapons facility in Tennessee were convicted on Wednesday of interfering with national security.
In what The New York Times labeled the biggest security breach in the history of the atomic complex, the trio broke into the Y-12 National Security Complex on July 28, 2012 and defaced a uranium processing plant.
The Y-12 facility has been in operation since 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project, and today is responsible for both the production and maintenance of all uranium parts for the entire US nuclear weapons arsenal. Over the years, the facility has also been the target of nonviolent anti-nuclear protests.
Now, a jury in Tennessee has charged the three protesters with sabotaging the plant, with a second charge of damaging federal property.
Defense attorneys for the three activists - Sister Megan Rice,
57-year-old Greg Boertje-Obed and Michael Walli, 64 - maintained
that the prosecution had overreached.
"The shortcomings in security
at one of the most dangerous places on the planet have embarrassed
a lot of people," defense lawyer Francis Lloyd
"You're looking at three
scapegoats behind me," he added
Defense attorneys also noted that, once the three refused to plead guilty to trespassing, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment, the prosecution introduced the charge of sabotage, which carries a maximum prison term of twenty years. They believed the higher charge should have been dismissed.
According to the Associated Press, which provided details of the court proceedings, the three activists have no remorse for their actions, and were pleased to have reached one of the most secure areas of the facility.
Prosecutor Jeff Theodore noted that the trio's fate could have
been far worse, as that area of the facility allowed guards to use
deadly force.
"They're lucky, and thank
goodness they're alive, because they went into the lethal
zone," said Theodore.
The three defendants spent two hours inside Y-12, during which time they hung banners, cut through security fences, strung crime-scene tape and sprayed "baby bottles full of human blood" on the exterior portion of the facility.
Boertje-Obed, who is a house painter from Duluth, Minnesota,
explained why they sprayed the blood.
"The reason for the baby bottles was to represent that the blood of children is spilled by these weapons," he said.
While inside the most secure portion of the facility, the three activists managed to hammer off what is described as a "small chunk" of the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility.
During cross examination, Sister Rice stated that she wished she
had not waited so long to stage a protest within the
"My regret was I waited 70
years," she said."It is
manufacturing which can only cause death."
Prosecutors argued that the breach of security was serious, and
caused the plant to shut down for two weeks as security staff were
re-trained and defense contractors replaced.
Meanwhile, federal officials maintain that there was never any danger of the three activists reaching materials that could be detonated or used to construct an improvised bomb.


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Schieffer Hyperventilates Over Imaginary 'Horrendous...Gargantuan Cuts' in Impending Sequester
Reflecting the typical Washington definition of a budget "cut" – in which a slight reduction in a projected increase is a "cut" and a measurable decrease in the rate of growth is a "draconian" cut -- on Sunday's Face the Nation CBS's Bob Schieffer despaired over how "to stave off these horrendous, these gargantuan cuts in defense and social programs" in the sequester?
In fact, as Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University pointed out, "without a sequester," by 2021, "federal spending would increase $1.7 trillion (blue line). With a sequester, federal spending would increase by $1.6 trillion (red line)."
An accompanying chart shows barely separated spending growth lines. She explained: "With sequestration, defense increases 18% (vs. 20%); non-defense discretionary increases 12% (vs. 14%); Medicare roughly increases at the same rate; and net interest increases 136% (vs. 152%)."
De Rugy outlined how the distortion furthered by Schieffer, and many others in the media, misleads the public:
While the sequester projections are nominal spending increases, most budget plans count them as cuts. Referring to decreases in the rate of growth of spending as "cuts" influences public perceptions about the budget. When the public hears "cut," it thinks that spending has been significantly reduced below current levels, not that spending has increased. Thus, calling a reduced growth rate of projected spending a "cut" leads to confusion, a growing deficit, and an ever-larger burden for future generations.
Just what liberals want and journalists help enable.
From the January 13 Face the Nation:
BOB SCHIEFFER: Do you think that the big fight is going to be over whether to raise the debt ceiling, or will it be over the so-called sequester, and that is to stave off these horrendous, these gargantuan cuts in defense and social programs?
JOHN DICKERSON, CBS NEWS POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I think probably the sequester, although there's a big fight among Republicans about this because the debt ceiling is more powerful because the pain – if we blow the debt ceiling – is real. And so the idea, for some Republicans, is because the pain is so big it will get the White House-
SCHIEFFER: What would be the impact on the Defense Department, Rajiv, if those cuts goes into effect?
RAJIV CHANRASEKARAN, WASHINGTON POST NATIONAL EDITOR: You know what it does? It takes us back to levels of defense spending that we had back in 2006 and '07. Really, you know, it's far more than we were spending in 2001...
-- Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow Brent Baker on Twitter.


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This is a comprehensive reference on state-of-the art controls and systems for measuring and monitoring bulk solid materials. Written by Joe Lewis, Solids Level Measurement and Detection Handbook features:
• Definitions of standard terms and overview of typical problems and solutions in automated bulk materials handling
• In-depth coverage of point level detection technology and instrumentation
• In-depth coverage of continuous level technology and instrumentation
• Explains how automated solids materials can be integrated into inventory management
Storing, handling, and processing of bulk solid materials is fundamental to nearly every manufacturing and processing industry, from the food industry and agribusiness, to the plastics industry, to the mining and cement industries, to coal-fired electric utilities. Automating the handling and processing of solids is rapidly growing, but heretofore little has been published on the latest in sensors and controls used in such applications. This book is intended to meet that need, with full coverage, from principles of measuring solid bulk materials to controlling their flow and movement to help with choosing the right equipment for specific applications.


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Where did Green Stem come from?
Tourism Saskatoon recognizes environmental sustainability to be a fundamental driver of long-term growth in the tourism industry. They also believe they have a unique role to play in developing and expanding environmental stewardship amongst the membership. So to ensure that they understood and were responsive to their members' current realities, Tourism Saskatoon began by asking what their members thought about sustainability, where they were on the sustainability path and how they - Tourism Saskatoon - could best provide support.
The answers, along with a series of recommended actions, are captured in a report entitled Gauging the Green.
In this report, members directed Tourism Saskatoon to focus on three core activities:
- to educate and inform,
- to promote, and
- to influence other decision makers to think green.
Acting on these recommendations, Tourism Saskatoon created the Green Stem initiative - an online resource for sharing information, resources, and best practices pertaining to sustainability in the workplace. This site features local champions and highlights the successes of businesses in our community; elements that are intended to kick start a local dialogue about sustainability and make real and relevant the implications and opportunities for sustainability in Saskatoon. It also extends a call to action for members of the tourism sector with the Green Stem Sustainability Pledge. This simple yet powerful step represents a voluntary commitment to incorporating environmental sustainability into all workplace decision-making and activity.
We hope you like what we've done! We welcome comments and suggestions on how we might grow this initiative to best serve our members. Email us with your thoughts!


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Tyler Perry has good opening with 'Bad'
LOS ANGELES ñ Being bad is good for Tyler Perry, whose latest movie, "I Can Do Bad All By Myself," opened at the top of the box office this weekend with more than $24 million.
The Lionsgate comedy stars Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") as a hard-drinking nightclub singer forced to care for her delinquent niece and nephews. Besides directing and writing the film, based on his stage play of the same name, Perry co-stars as his brash, cross-dressing alter ego, Madea.
It's Perry's second film this year to open at No. 1. In February, "Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail" debuted at the top spot with $41 million, which stands as the biggest opening of his eight films.
"Tyler Perry has a special way of speaking to his audience, and it's unbelievable," David Spitz, Lionsgate's executive vice president and general sales manager, said Sunday. "He always knows what his audience wants, and I never underestimate him."
Spitz said the presence of the popular Madea character, plus a cast that included Henson, Mary J. Blige, Gladys Knight and Pastor Marvin Winans, helped put the movie on top. It also had the best critical reception of all of Perry's films, with 58 percent positive reviews on the Rotten Tomatoes Web site.
Perry, who's known for his productivity, has the sequel "Why Did I Get Married Too" coming out next spring. And in a rare adaptation of someone else's work, he's preparing to go into production on a film version of the Ntozake Shange stage play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf."
Hollywood.com box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian joked that his latest movie should have been called, "Tyler Perry's I Can Do No Wrong at the Box Office."
"Eight theatrical films, five No. 1 debuts ó Lionsgate has a perpetually successful franchise in Tyler Perry," Dergarabedian said. "He is the brand. He's a very rare example of a director-writer-actor who is completely synonymous with his work and with the success of his movies."
Coming in second was the dark, animated "9" from Focus Features, which made $10.9 million this weekend, according to Sunday estimates. Since its Wednesday opening ó on 9-9-09 ó the movie has made about $15.3 million. The voice cast includes Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Christopher Plummer and Jennifer Connelly as hand-stitched dolls who represent the last vestige of humanity after a war between man and machine.
In what is traditionally a slow time at the box office between the summer blockbusters and the fall prestige films, two other new releases had so-so openings. The Summit Entertainment horror flick "Sorority Row" came in at No. 6 with about $5.3 million, while the Kate Beckinsale thriller "Whiteout" from Warner Bros. followed in seventh place with $5.1 million.
Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com.
1. "Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself," $24.03 million.
2. "9," $10.9 million.
3. "Inglourious Basterds," $6.5 million.
4. "All About Steve," $5.8 million.
5. "The Final Destination," $5.5 million.
6. "Sorority Row," $5.3 million.
7. "Whiteout," $5.1 million.
8. "District 9," $3.6 million.
9. "Julie & Julia," $3.3 million.
10. "Gamer," $3.15 million.
I saw "9" this weekend, and loved it!!
Tyler Perry has good opening with 'Bad'


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Mt Rainier
This gallery contains photographs of Mt Rainier as seen from Burroughs Mountain, Paradise, Reflection Lakes, Skyline Trail, Sunrise and Tipsoo Lakes. We have photographs of Mt Rainier in the spring, summer, fall and winter as well as Myrtle Falls, Narada Falls, and Christine Falls. Mt Rainier is famous for its blazing fall colors and colorful displays of spring wildflowers.Read More


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Friday, March 23, 2012
It's Beginning to Look at Lot Like Christmas
Do you remember how Portland didn't have a winter this year...well, that's because it waited until this month to make its appearance.
I woke up yesterday morning to about 1" of heavy, wet snow covering the garden. Now, had this happened a month or two ago, when I expect snow, I wouldn't mind. In fact, I would have enjoyed it!
But it's March(I know...I'm officially a spoiled Portlander)! It's not really even cold out, and the plants shouldn't be too adversely affected by the cooler temps...but the heavy, wet snow just smashes all that delicate, new growth into the ground :-(
Oh well...at least it was gone by lunch time...can we have spring now, please :-)
35 comments:
Eugene was hit horribly, and we are still cleaning up from the 8 plus inches of wet snow that has wreaked havoc. Trees down on our street (two had their water mains pulled up)and the majority of the flowering plums in the city were taken out as they were in bloom. 1/2 of my beautiful, large Japanese maple has been sheared off by a large fir limb that came down. I will try and look at the bright side...maybe if the maple doesn't make it, it will be the spot of a future pond??? Still breaks my heart, though.ReplyDelete
Glad you guys didn't get too much of the white stuff.
La Nina is a bitch!
I really can't stand those heavy snows for the exact reason you stated. Just smashes everything. Fortunately most things recover and spring back up though.ReplyDelete
Cher Sunray GardensReplies
Your totally right, Cher...everything pretty much bounces back...thank goodness :-)Delete
- AnonymousMarch 23, 2012 at 10:20 AM
Hi Scott,ReplyDelete
Oh dear, but at least it didn't last long and the plants will soon bounce back!
Looking forward to more, lovely spring photos :DReplies
Absolutely...it was more an annoyance than anything significate, luckily :-)Delete
Ushering in Spring with some Snow. Good times. :)ReplyDeleteReplies
Hahahaha...I know, right!Delete
I was so perplexed, not only by the snow, but by how warm it was by the evening! I don't know whether to panic that we're going to have a drought this summer or to panic that summer will never come. Oregon, get your act together! We have fretting to do.ReplyDeleteReplies
Haha...I know...it was crazy! It reminded me of the Midwest, how the weather can shift so quickly and dramatically. I'm REALLY nervous about summer...I would love it if we had a repeat of last year, it was so pleasant...I guess we'll see, won't we!Delete
Absolute nightmare! Hope everything is fine!ReplyDeleteReplies
Oh yeah...it wasn't bad, really, I was just feeling a little bit whiny, I guess ;-)Delete
Nasty old stuff. Weather weirdness just keeps going. Your plants will probably raise back up after the snow melts and you get some sun on them. Have a terrific weekend.ReplyDeleteReplies
OMG...for real, the weather these days really is just plain unpredictable! Hope you have a nice weekend too...looks like the weather is clearing up :-)Delete
What a downer. Just when you were looking forward to spring and warmer weather. Maybe the slow melting snow will make your plants grow even faster!ReplyDeleteReplies
hahaha..I know! I think that's the biggest thing, I'm just ready for spring and it feels like we're backsliding at times...but we've had great weather in the past few days, so things are looking up :-)Delete
I saw a few others got far more than you did, so I guess you were lucky. This has been a wild winter and now a screwy spring!ReplyDeleteReplies
OMG...you aren't kidding, just south of us, they got almost a foot of snow, which, especially in the Valley, is pretty rare at this time of year!Delete
Did you see any pictures of the Salem/Eugene area on Wednesday? It was insanity! And guess who was driving through it? Yep...on the way to SF Garden Show and enduring a blizzard in March. Of course the words heavy wet snow have me worried about my plants at home...ReplyDeleteReplies
OMG...I actually didn't see anything about it until I saw Grace's post just after posting this...yikes...seriously made me feel like a big baby for complaining! I bet that was awful to drive through...that's something I DO NOT miss about the midwest, driving in blizzard conditions...TERRIFYING! Hope you made it down to SF safely. On a brighter note, yesterday was beautiful here...seriously a perfect day!Delete
How horrible, but at least your pictures are nice.ReplyDeleteReplies
Indeed! It wasn't too bad, really, I was just feeling a bit sorry for myself, I guess...we all need a good wallow now and then, right? ;-)Delete
How ridiculous. It was almost 90º here the other day and you guys are getting snow?!ReplyDeleteReplies
OMG! That's crazy! I guess I'll take a little snow over a heat wave any day, though!Delete
Oh that is sad!ReplyDeleteReplies
I know! Hahahaha...really, though, it wasn't bad, and no damage was done :-)Delete
That's a real bummer! I am expecting the same to happen here. We always get big storms in March/April. It will really hurt after having a week of 70/80 temps.ReplyDeleteReplies
Exactly! It's not so much that it snowed, but that with our warm winter, things are up and growing so much earlier, that I worry they'll get hit with a late cold snap...let's keep our fingers crossed we can all avoid that!Delete
I'm so beyond ready for spring. The snow this week has just been too much! However, the sun is out today and I'll be soaking as much up as I can :) Cheers, JenniReplyDeleteReplies
OMG...me too, Jenni...wasn't this weekend AMAZING though...and today is great too! Yay for spring!Delete
Hi! Yes, I can't believe the snow in Portland this year. Friends are always posting pics and even saying school was cancelled last week. That is nuts! We are over here east of you in a colder zone w no snow, just rain!ReplyDelete
I mentioned you on my one year blogaversary post just wanted u to know in case you didn't see it. Sorry to mention here but I couldn't find another way to contact you...didn't see an email address. Going to Annie's next week, thanks for that great post!Replies
Hahaha...well, to be fair, I've never lived anywhere where people overreact to the tiniest amount of snow. In general, when it comes to weather, Portlanders have a very low threshold for any extremes ;-) OMG...thanks for the shoutout on your blog...I love that you're giving away a Joy Creek Certificate! Have fun at Annies...I'm hoping to make it down there this fall...fingers crossed.Delete
You never know when nature will throw you a curve ball. At least there was not damage. Nice pictures.ReplyDeleteReplies
Exactly...we emerged from your BLIZZARD unscathed ;-)Delete
Sounds like you have crazy weather like we do here. You just never know!!ReplyDelete
Hahahaha...totally, it's generally so mild that we Portlanders do tend to overreact with the least little bit of "extreme weather" ;-)ReplyDelete


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Thad Cochran and the Ex-Im Connection
In just over a month, September 30th, the Export-Import Bank of the United States will expire, if Congress would just let it.
"Good riddance," say conservatives, who recognize the Ex-Im Bank as an 80-year-old fountain of government-backed corporate welfare.
On the contrary, says Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS):
"The Export-Import Bank has played an important role in keeping American businesses globally competitive against foreign companies whose governments aggressively attempt to undercut U.S. products," Cochran said. "The bank has an important role to play in both protecting American jobs and fostering an environment that helps create new jobs."
The fact is that the Ex-Im Bank's official purpose in existence is to subsidize and guarantee loans for U.S. companies' export contracts, when they supposedly cannot obtain those loans elsewhere. Of course, the problem with this line of reasoning is that if these companies cannot secure these loans on the open market, it means that they are too high-risk for private lender – meaning that taxpayers are getting stuck backing second-rate loans.
Further, the foreign companies which purchase the subsidized U.S. goods can use the savings from the cheaper goods to turn around and undercut their U.S. competitors. Thus, Ex-Im subsidizes American jobs at the cost of… other American jobs (and American taxpayers pay the bill).
But while conservative Members of Congress and outside groups alike have seized upon the opportunity to just let Ex-Im expire at the end of September, Senator Cochran continues to push for its renewal.
Why? Perhaps the answer lies in the financial reports from his recent primary race. Of the top ten companies to receive Ex-Im loan guarantees, four of them donated large quantities of money to Cochran's reelection (Boeing, General Electric, Caterpillar, and Sikorsky). Boeing, which in particular has been the single largest beneficiary of Ex-Im loans in recent years, donated $16,300.
In addition, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has been one of the biggest supporters of reauthorizing Ex-Im, spent $1.2 million in ads on behalf of Cochran and against his opponent Chris McDaniel. The Chamber also dumped an extra $100,000 into Cochran's Super PAC.
Cochran's support for Ex-Im seems like just another blatant example of the "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" cycle of lobbying and corporate welfare that sadly defines much of how business is done in Washington. Senator Cochran gets lots of donations, his wealthy backers get more handouts, and the taxpayers lose.


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Introducing Saint Monday
I now have my very own blog, which I guess means I actually have to start blogging again. I'll be back soon enough with my usual ramblings about work, robots, laziness, out-of-control intellectual property laws, and just giving people money, but in the meantime I thought I'd introduce the blog's title.
As you can see, things have been prettied up quite a bit around here, as Remeike Forbes and Daniel Patterson have stepped up their game once again with a great site redesign.
As part of that revamping, I now have my very own blog, which I guess means I actually have to start blogging again. I'll be back soon enough with my usual ramblings about work, robots, laziness, out-of-control intellectual property laws, and just giving people money, but in the meantime I thought I'd introduce the blog's title.
"Saint Monday" is, naturally, a reference to my ongoing preoccupation with transcending the empty fetish of the work ethic and opening up time for freedom, life and leisure. It refers to a joke from the early days of capitalism, which is recounted by Witold Rybczynski in this essay (and also in his wonderful book of the same name):
Eighteenth-century workers had, as Hugh Cunningham puts it in Leisure in the Industrial Revolution, "a high preference for leisure, and for long periods of it." This preference was hardly something new. What was new was the ability, in prosperous Georgian England, of so many people to indulge it. For the first time in centuries many workers earned more than survival wages. Now they had choices: they could buy goods or leisure. They could work more and earn more, or they could forgo the extra wages and enjoy more free time instead. Most chose the latter course. This was especially true for the highly paid skilled workers, who had the greatest degree of economic freedom, but even general laborers, who were employed at day rates, had a choice in the matter. Many of these worked intensively, sometimes for much more than the customary ten hours a day, and then quit to enjoy themselves until their money ran out.
It was not unusual for sporting events, fairs, and other celebrations to last several days. Since Sunday was always an official holiday, usually the days following were added on. This produced a regular custom of staying away from work on Monday, frequently doing so also on Tuesday, and then working long hours at the end of the week to catch up. Among some trades the Monday holiday achieved what amounted to an official status. Weavers and miners, for example, regularly took a holiday on the Monday after payday — which occurred weekly, on Friday or Saturday. This practice became so common that it was called "keeping Saint Monday."
Saint Monday may have started as an individual preference for staying away from work—whether to relax, to recover from drunkenness, or both — but its popularity during the 1850s and 1860s was ensured by the enterprise of the leisure industry. During that period sporting events, such as horse races and cricket matches, often took place on Mondays, since their organizers knew that many working-class customers would be prepared to take the day off. And since many public events were prohibited on the Sabbath, Monday became the chief occasion for secular recreations. Attendance at botanical gardens and museums soared on Monday, which was also the day that ordinary people went to the theater and the dance hall, and the day that workingmen's social clubs held their weekly meetings.
Or, for a more contemporary take on the issue, there's this:
The just-released new issue of Jacobin has several articles that speak to these themes, including James Livingston's celebration of "postbourgeois" consumer culture and—for subscribers only! — Chris Maisano's insistence on full employment as the key to liberation from labor and Audrea Lim's reflections on the importance of ecstatic spectacle.
There's plenty of other great stuff in the issue as well, of course. Check out Melissa Gira Grant on sex work, Mike Beggs on David Graeber, Seth Ackerman and James Oakes on the Civil War, Eli Friedman on China and plenty more besides.


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A d10 file extension is related to the IRIG 106 and used for its recording directory.
There is one other file type using
the D10 file extension!
.d10 - MicroSim PCBoard NC drill data file
Software that open d10 file
D10 file extension - IRIG 106 recording directory
What is d10 file? How to open d10 files?
File type specification:
The d10 file extension is associated with the IRIG 106, a telemetry standard to ensure interoperability in aeronautical telemetry application, developed by Bob Baggerman.
The d10 file stores recording directory from IRIG 106.
The default software associated to open d10 file:
Company or developer:
Bob Baggerman
IRIG 106 is a comprehensive telemetry standard to ensure interoperability in aeronautical telemetry application at RCC member ranges.
List of software applications associated to the .d10 file extension
Recommended software programs are sorted by OS platform (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android etc.)
and possible program actions that can be done with the file: like open d10 file, edit d10 file, convert d10 file, view d10 file, play d10 file etc. (if exist software for corresponding action in File-Extensions.org's database).
Click on the tab below to simply browse between the application actions, to quickly get a list of recommended software, which is able to perform the specified software action, such as opening, editing or converting d10 files.
Programs that can create d10 file - IRIG 106 recording directory
Programs supporting the exension d10 on the main platforms Windows, Mac, Linux or mobile. Click on the link to get more information about IRIG 106 for create d10 file action.


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Obama Applies PC Band-Aid to Boston Terrorism
April 22, 2013
April 15, 2013 Boston, Massachusetts, the Boston Marathon, one of the only six world marathon majors and the oldest marathon in the world was interrupted by terrorist bombs exploding at the finish line.
Three people are reported dead and between130 and 144 people have been hurt, maimed or seriously injured. Some spectators have lost limbs and early reports said two brothers both have lost their legs.
After promising that the full resources of the government would be brought to bear on the bombings, including the FBI and Homeland Security, Mr. Obama called the terrorist act – a tragedy.
Obama said, "Boston police, firefighters, and first responders as well as the National Guard responded heroically, and continue to do so as we speak. It's a reminder that so many Americans serve and sacrifice on our behalf every single day, without regard to their own safety, in dangerous and difficult circumstances. And we salute all those who assisted in responding so quickly and professionally to this tragedy."
The President was quick to say that "We still do not know who did this or why. And people shouldn't jump to conclusions before we have all the facts." The President's cautionary note was ignored by CNN analyst Peter Bergen who said "al-Qaida often uses hydrogen peroxide explosives – while another explosion might signal that a "right-wing extremist" was involved."
Between the president's use of the word 'tragedy' and Bergen's use of the phrase "right wing extremist," we see a leaning toward excusing any Muslim extremist before anything at all has been determined about who is responsible for planting the bombs in Boston.
In spite of the fact that every major act of terrorism around the world even prior to 9/11 has been planned and conducted by Muslim extremists, it doesn't keep the left and the democratically controlled media from taking their licks against the conservatives, even if it is only a suggestion. Apparently CNN decided not to take the president's warning to move slowly very seriously.
Reza Kahlili, a journalist and contributor to WND, has been warning that Muslim extremists have agreed to attack western targets including sports gatherings. Kahlili has written several articles that explain the Muslim commitment to these attacks and has written a book entitled "A Time to Betray" published by Simon and Schuster.
Fox's Bill O'Reilly has been the only news anchor so far to make note of the president's use of the word 'tragedy' rather than labeling the despicable act as a clear act of terrorism. O'Reilly also said that the president should recognize that the slaughter of children and innocent people is an 'act of war' – not a tragedy.
The historian Tacitus proclaimed that Nero hid himself in a huge house in the center of Rome called the "Golden House" while Rome burned to the ground. He suggested that Nero later diverted the blame for the burning by blaming the Christians who were tortured into confessing to the crime.
Is history repeating itself? As the Commander-in-Chief emerges from the comfort of the White House to proclaim a horrible terrorist act a mere 'tragedy,' and well-watched news sources suggest it was disgruntled Americans who may have been culpable, what's next?
In Egypt and other Muslim nations Christian churches have been bombed. Iran has arrested and tortured Christians including Pastor Saeed Abedini who is an American citizen, but as yet, no one has found churches or Christian ministries anywhere in the world planning terrorist attacks.
It is here we may want to ask if the mainstream media is living in a fairytale world and if Barack Obama is the fairy godmother in charge of sugar-coated words and delightful explanations.
What is reasonable and respectable at this juncture is prayers and condolences for the victims and families of the act of terror. Wimpy, wobbling wordings from the White House and irresponsible journalism given to politicking this attack - are obscene and irresponsible.
Internet Links:
Michael Bresciani is the publisher of American Prophet.org since 2005. The website features the articles and reports of Rev Bresciani along with some of America's best writers and journalists, news and reviews that have earned the site the title of "The Website for Insight." Millions have read his timely reports and articles in online journals and print publications across the nation and the globe. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook!
Visit Rev. Michael Bresciani's website at www.americanprophet.org
See more from Rev. Michael Bresciani at email@example.com


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Golden Mile Heritage Walk with coffee
Cena od AUD 75,00 AUD
- Trvanie: 150 Minút (cca.)
- Poloha: Melbourne, VIC
- Kód produktu: GMWC
The Wonderful Golden Mile walk has been upgraded in 2017 to include a stop for coffee or similar. Indulge in the spaces of a time gone by, the foyers, and laneways where the bold entrepreneurs of the city ventured, as this new nation was finding its feet. Melbourne as the site of the first Australian capital has a rich story often missed by locals and visitors alike.
Join a passionate guide for a 2.5 hour guided tour.
The trail marches along Collins Street and takes you for a sneak peek inside the elegant Gothic interiors of the ANZ bank, the plush European-style hotel spaces and into the austere but commanding inner recesses of Melbourne's boom town city.
This is the week day itinerary
Please note: School and private group bookings are welcomed, please contact us directly on (03) 9663 3358


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Katelyn Danelski '12 [right] spent the fall semester studying at the Center for Global Education center in Windhoek, Namibia. The following is her reflection on the experience, written after her return to Minnesota.
"How was your trip," people ask me. "I hope you had a good time," they say. This past semester spent studying abroad in southern Africa with 14 other university students was so much more than just a "trip" or a "good time." It was a life-changing set of experiences. Homestays, speakers, traveling, classes, and conversations all took me and others to new places and perspectives on spiritual, geographical, and personal levels. It all began with ten days in Johannesburg, South Africa, where we had orientation and first met, then continued on to Windhoek, Namibia, where we studied politics, religion, history, and the "development process," and ended with a week in Cape Town, South Africa, where it was difficult to finally say goodbye.
While we had many good times and experienced incredible travel, we were also challenged to think in new ways and challenged to wrestle with our own identities in regards to race, class, gender, nationality, and religion, among other things. We learned about apartheid and its legacy; we saw the legacy every day. We learned about education struggles, the wealth gap, HIV and AIDS, gender issues, Christianity's role in society, and "western" imposition. We learned about Owambo culture during rural homestays as well as how to pound mahangu (a millet used to make porridge) and cook over the fire. I left Namibia and South Africa with more questions than I had upon arrival.
As is true of most people who study abroad, the experiences further molded my character and changed some of my ideas and understandings. It is the little things that stick out most to me now that I am back home. For example, the majority of Namibians and South Africans I met were very welcoming and always took time to have a conversation. The moment I entered customs at the airport in D.C. I knew I was back in the U.S., where interactions tend to be much more formal and fast-paced than what I'd been experiencing the past few months. The welcoming atmosphere and appreciation of time are aspects I hope to incorporate more of in my own life here.
As far as change goes, I am much more aware of considering my "role" in places. What did it mean for me to study in Namibia? What does it mean for me to have had those experiences and now be back in Minnesota? I don't necessarily have answers for those questions, but I do know that it is important to continue to process them.
My perceptions of southern Africa also changed. Africa, at least from most U.S. media and mainstream society standpoints, is seen as this homogenous continent with poverty and "Lion King" wildlife and scenery. But each country and city and individual person is different from the next. In Namibia alone there are several different ethnic groups, and everything from the capital city Windhoek to deserts, oceans, mountains, and a rich wildlife. I am grateful that many of my preconceived ideas were dismantled and replaced by real life—real people with real stories, and first hand images of Namibia.
This gaining sense of reality is what has truly made a difference to my education. It is one thing to learn in a classroom about being open to others, but quite another to learn from others in their context. The people I met both through the program and otherwise will influence my take on life for years to come. Perhaps it is in the journey home that the journey abroad truly sinks in.


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Jiu Jitsu Gis
Jiu Jitsu Gis
Men Apparel
Kids Jiu Jitsu Gis
Nogi/MMA Kids
Kids Accesories
Vulkan continues its reputation for excellence with the Ultra Light Neo Kids Jiu Jitsu Gi in Red. Excellent durability, exceptional comfort and winning style come together in this high quality BJJ gi for boys or girls. Optimally designed for warm or hot conditions.
You don't need to wonder about sizing: pre-shrunk 100% Brazilian cotton fabric is true fit and made in Vulkan's exclusive ultra-lightweight & soft "Honeycomb Weave." The collar and lapel are made with EVA foam that is easy to clean, durable and very comfortable.
Ultra Light Neo Kids Jiu Jitsu Gi Blue design is IBJJF and NABJJF approved. Also available in Blue, Black, White, colors. This product is designed and manufactured in Brazil.
*Belts are NOT included
Size Chart
Height | Weight LBS | Size | Age
2'0"-2'8" | 20 - 35 | M-00 | 2yrs-4yrs
2'4"-3'4" | 25 - 50 | M-0 | 3yrs-5yrs
3'2"-4'0" | 40 - 70 | M-1 | 5yrs-7yrs
4'0"-4'6" | 60 - 85 | M-2 | 7yrs-9yrs
4'4"-5'0" | 75 -100 | M-3 | 9yrs-12yrs
This size chart is made to help find the right size of gi for each child. However, the variables of each child's size and proportions, such as weight, height, build, arm length, leg length and other measurements will influence the gi size your child will need. Please understand that these estimates are not to be used as exact guidelines, but more of an average reference guide.
This Gi is IBJJF & NABJJF Approved!!!
Vulkan kimonos weight ( approx ) by size:
M0 = 1.6 lbs
M1 = 1.8 lbs
M2 = 2.2 lbs
M3 = 2.4 lbs
Enter your email below to receive about product releases, exclusive discounts, content and news.


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Free games
Epic games
Bad North: Jotunn Edition
A real-time roguelite strategy game where you must defend the kingdom from the Viking invaders who killed the king, and guide the procedurally generated island's people to evacuate
Motorola's bringing their Razr back, and as an Apple user I'm kinda envious
The resurrected Razr is what I've been dreaming of for over a decade- a modern smart flip-phone
At its core it's an Android phone with a 6.2″ screen that folds down like the flip-phones of old, and the media they've released so far is gorgeous
Apparently they've got a special hinge that allows the display to expand into a round curve instead of folding into a crease, allowing the full display to stay completely smooth while it's open
On the downside it looks like there have been some compromises to get us there- the processor is a bit slower than what you'll find on most flagship phones nowadays, but you get a lot of RAM and 128GB of storage.
It also only runs Android 9 at the moment, instead of the current version 10
The front of the phone also has a smaller 2.7″ OLED for notifications, music controls, selfies, and such
The device is expected to launch sometime this January for $1500 USD, which is pretty steep for a smartphone though damn economical for the folding devices we've seen thusfar
It's also launching in the States as a Verizon exclusive, with no unlocked version available at release, so the potential user-base is cut down a fair bit
Still, it's another step forward with tech that I'd love to see Apple's take on
If it catches your fancy, preorders open on December 26th
A weird bug hit households this week with the release of Pokemon Sword and Shield causing Roku devices to crash
The streaming content set-top boxes and, in some cases, TV's themselves would hit a hard shutdown if the new Pokemon games were played while connected to the same network
Apparently the problem was caused by the games continuously sending out wireless signals looking for other Switches playing the games, which Roku attempts to interpret. When it couldn't process the info the software would then crash
From the sounds of it the problem is that Pokemon is communicating on the same port that Roku uses to share update information with other local devices
If you're seeing this issue Roku released a patch yesterday that should fix the issue, so you should go to Settings, System, and Update to pull the latest version
Though please don't be tempted to continue your Pokemon adventure while the device is updating, or at least put the Switch in airplane mode first
Apple has replaced the controversial 15" MacBook Pro, with its problematic butterfly keyboard and tricky to get used to Touch Bar, with a fancy 16" version that fixes pretty much everything
The recent versions of the MacBook Pro have had a lot of vocal people complain about the low-travel keyboard that seems to get jammed up or break fairly easily (it's so bad that there's a free repair program at Apple Stores) and the Touch Bar, which replaced the F and Escape keys with a touchscreen
Enter the new 16" Macbook Pro: it replaces the 15" pretty much dollar for dollar with a larger Retina display, while also bringing back the more familiar keyboard switches from the Magic Keyboard and a physical escape key to the left of the Touch Bar, and adding in some impressively improved speakers with an extra hour of battery life
It can be maxed out with a ridiculous processor, 64GB of RAM, an 8TB SSD, and an 8GB AMD Radeon Pro 5500M graphics card
Stanford Medicine has published further results from the Apple Heart Study that kicked off in 2017, confirming that the Apple Watch accurately notify users of atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat) 84% of the time
It also showed that it detected some problems in early stages of development that didn't happen frequently enough for medical ECG patches to detect, specifically in younger participants
Two of the coolest parts of this is that a) since the study started before Apple Watches came equipped with ECG technology this just relied on the basic heart rate monitor, and b) it was all done completely remotely through an iPhone app
In accordance with new App Store guidlines, Apple has removed 181 vape-related apps and is outright banning them from its platform
This change seems to have been brought on by CDC reports that vaping as resulted in at least 2,172 cases of respiratory illness/injury, though many of these cases may have been related to the inclusion of vitamin E acetate in the oils used in some third-party or black market cartridges
One manufacturer, PAX, who relies heavily on their app to add features and change settings on their devices, is now calling on Apple to rethink its decision, saying that the ban prevents consumers from having access to important info and the ability to better control their cannabis experience
Apparently though the temperature can be set using the device alone, the app includes information on branded vape pods including strain information and access to state-regulated test results
Disney+ is taking fire for not providing the first 20 seasons of Simpsons in their original 4:3 "fullscreen" format until 2020
All the episodes currently on the service are only shown in their "remastered" state, with colours tweaked and the top and bottom of the screen chopped off
In some cases this might not make a big difference, but many of the 429 affected episodes including visual gags that are just gone, like when Homer takes a tour of the Duff factory and it shows Duff, Duff Lite, and Duff Dry all coming out of the same pipe
On the plus side, they're finally fixing it- weeks after the launch of Disney+, they finally released a statement saying that the episodes will be made available in their original format sometime in early 2020
And lastly some great news for people looking at the Xbox Accessibility Controller- Logitech is now selling their Adaptive Gaming Kit with special buttons to take advantage of the flexibility of the controller
Retailing for $100 USD, It includes 12 individual buttons
3 2.6" and 3 1.4" buttons with mechanical switches, four "light touch" buttons that require low force to operate, and two variable triggers similar to modern controllers
The kit also includes full-colour sticker labels for the buttons in all the sizes, so that you can get a full controller experience with the different customized options
The triggers are a big win, since pressure-sensitive controls are apparently rare when it comes to this kind of accessibility
It also includes two velcro-style boards you can mount them all on in different configurations, whatever is most comfortable to you
Just in case you thought capitalism wasn't completely broken, Amazon is apparently paying $0 in taxes in the US for 2018 after reporting more than $11.2B in profits
Heliogen, a clean energy company backed by Bill Gates, has apparently found a way to use AI and a field of mirrors to reflect so much sunlight that they generate heats over 1000 degrees C
This means that, for the first time, solar energy can be used for high-energy industrial applications like manufacturing cement, steel, and glass
Continuing the constant update train, Apple's released iOS and iPadOS 13.2.3 this week, including fixes for Mail, Files, and Notes search, viewing attachments in Messages, and downloading new emails and content from Exchange accounts
Good news for Origin launcher users, your account wasn't (probably) hacked this week
Many people online received an email saying they've redeemed an Origin Access membership code, even if they haven't, but apparently that was just EA's way of gifting a month of Origin Access Basic to users opted in to its two-factor authentication
Half-Life is back! (kind of)
Valve went to Twitter this week to announce Half-Life: Alyx, their flagship VR game, that'll be unveiled later this week.
So far it looks like this is a prequel set between Half-Lifes 1 and 2, further confirming Valve can't count to three
We'll have all the details in our next episode once they've been released
Alan recommends Evolution – Learning Creatures
More of a simulation than game, conceptually it kind of strikes me like Kerbal Space Program
Use joints, bones, and muscles to build any kind of 2D creature you can imagine
Machine learning and neural network fuel adaptation to different scenarios
You can even look at the source code and see how the actions are being determine
Literally Misleading
Last Week:
Reddit User – WyngZero
A goat teaches the progeny of incest to kill things effectively
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Reddit User – red_4
An ex-con makes it big.
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text:
Download INQ Cloud Touch PC Suite including USB Driver, ADB Driver, and Firmware for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8. By downloading this driver, you will be able to connect your INQ Cloud Touch to any computer or laptop. This software allows you to share data, modify files, and backup your phone's data, contacts, calendar and more. This PC Suite is easy to use and free.
Note that this PC Suite is for Windows only. It is not compatible with Linux OS or Macintosh OSX.
The PC Suite allows you to backup and restore contacts, messages, and calendar. It also enables copying/tranfering files, music, pictures, and video from your phone to your computer.
|2011 r.
|Li-Ion 1300 mAh
|Android 2.2
|Qualcomm MSM 7227
1. Download the setup files and simply run them. Windows Vista and Windows 7 users need to run the setup files as administrator (Right click on the file and then "Run as administrator"). If you miss this step the driver might not install correctly.
2. Once the setup is done, connect your device (INQ Cloud Touch) to your computer via your USB port.
3. Wait a few moments for your computer to detect the device.
4. Congratulations! You have successfully installed your INQ Cloud Touch driver and PC suite! Have fun! If you had any comments or questions about this guide, let us know.
If you would like to connect your INQ Cloud Touch to your computer, download the PC Suite for INQ Cloud Touch here on SymptomDB. It is free, easy to use and setup and you can backup and restore your device with little effort. The PC suite and driver enables you to copy files and folders, backup messages (including chats), contacts, music, photos, videos and more.
You need to download and install the USB drivers first, and then connect your device to your PC and install the driver when prompted. The PC Suite will not recognize your device unless the USB driver has been installed correctly beforehand.


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SEATTLE – Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is an almost uniformly fatal disease regardless of the stage at time of diagnosis. However, a small percentage of patients develop a form of ductal adenocarcinoma associated with cystic lesions that can be detected earlier, is less aggressive and has a 50 percent long-term survival rate. Why cystic ductal pancreatic cancer behaves differently, despite carrying the same basic genetic mutations as the more common and deadly type of ductal pancreatic cancer, has long been a mystery. Now researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have unlocked the genetic reason why.
Using unique mouse models to mimic the progression of both forms of human pancreatic cancer, researchers have discovered that a specific sequence of otherwise common genetic mutations is responsible for sending cells down the less-traveled path toward cystic pancreatic cancer versus the well-traveled route to the more fatal form of ductal pancreatic cancer.
Sunil Hingorani, M.D., assistant member of the Hutchinson Center's Clinical Research and Public Health Sciences divisions, led a study to be published in the March 12 issue of the journal Cancer Cell that explains this sequence and details why the cells behave differently.
"Although at their end stage the two different routes to ductal pancreatic cancer can look very much the same under the microscope, involve the same constellation of genetic events, and culminate in invasive and metastatic disease that can ultimately kill patients, one route is 100 percent fatal while the other is 50 percent curable," Hingorani said. "Until now we didn't understand why. What these studies suggest is that it's not just the total complement of mutations that determines the behavior of these cancers but also the sequence in which the mutations arise."
About 5 percent of all primary tumors of the pancreas, out of 40,000 annual new cases in the United States, arise from cystic tumors.
The findings reported in the journal by Hingorani and colleagues represent an accidental discovery. The researchers started out studying the common genetic pathways to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in hopes of finding clues to developing early detection biomarkers and possible treatments to halt the progression of the disease. The work involved activating the pancreatic cancer oncogene called Kras and then selectively mutating tumor-suppressor genes such as p53, p16 and Dpc4 in different combinations.
In the mouse model, which Hingorani first developed while at the University of Pennsylvania, the combination of Kras and p53 led to the more deadly form of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Earlier studies by researchers in Boston also found the same association between Kras and p16. From studies of human cancers, it is known that mutations in Dpc4 can also occur, but they do so late in the course of disease progression. The current study showed that the combination of Kras and an early mutation of Dcp4, in which one copy of the suppressor gene is eliminated, lead to cancer by a different path, beginning with the creation of a distinct class of precancerous lesions in the ductal epithelium called mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCN). This initiates a process that results in the rarer but far less deadly cystic pancreatic cancer.
MCN lesions often are large enough to be detected early by MRI or CT scan and also to cause symptoms. The cells in this cancer also react differently to a key signaling protein, TGFb, which can induce cancer cells to change shape and become more mobile and invasive. It turns out that the cystic pancreatic cancer cells are resistant to these effects of TGFb and these types of cancers are also less likely to invade surrounding tissues and to metastasize, or spread, to other organs. These properties likely contribute to the improved survival seen with this form of the cancer, Hingorani said.
Conversely, the initial lesions that lead to the more common and deadly form of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, called pancreatic epithelial neoplasms, are tiny enough to be undetectable until the disease has progressed to the point where survival is almost nil. Moreover, these cells appear to be highly sensitive to the tumor-promoting properties of TGFb and thereby manifest a more aggressive behavior.
"With accurate animal models of both forms of pancreatic ductal cancers now in hand, it should be possible to unravel the detailed mechanisms behind their distinct behavior and hopefully identify points of vulnerability in the more fatal form to improve survival," Hingorani said.
Research for this paper was supported by the National Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health, an American Academy of Cancer Research and PanCAN Career Development Award, and by the Canary Foundation. Contributing to the research were scientists from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, Abramson Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Sol Goldman Cancer Research Center in Baltimore, Harper Hospital and Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, and the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our researchers, including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more information, please visit fhcrc.org.
Note to editors/reporters: Interviews with Dr. Hingorani can be arranged by contacting Dean Forbes at (206) 667-2896 or email@example.com. For a copy of his paper, please contact the Cell Press media office at 617-397-2802.
Cancer Cell


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DVE Warmup 2012
Two ride days, camp is nestled at the base of the eastern Sierras, we had very pleasant weather for December! I got to my usual spot on the first morning only to find it graded into oblivion, ran down to the boulders in the shade and wedged myself as far back as possible. The images are OK but I didn't spend much time white-balancing the proofs. The afternoon's are better exposed, of course. Anything ordered will be color balanced and exposure corrected as usual; you'll see those start to replace the proofs as they're ordered. Second day's are within a few miles of the start. Using the arrow keys, you can move left and right through the proof gallery instead of using the mouse. Choose viewing style "thumbnails" then check the box "Show thumbnails in a single page" to quickly navigate around. If you're new to my site please have a look at the FAQ, especially about digital image prices. Save some $$, there's package pricing under the "Buy" button, can be the same or different images. E-mail/FB digitals are $15 or free with 8x10 and above, $10 as an add-on to a print purchase, but they come from me directly, not through the cart. Scanning prints for use online is specifically prohibited! Please buy a digital version instead.Read More


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TiVo adds content from Disney/CinemaNow and Jaman
Movies from Jaman.com and Disney will soon be available on TiVo.
Add movies from Disney and Jaman.com to the growing list of downloadable content you can view on TiVo DVRs.
Disney movies will be available on TiVo starting next week. Rentals will be $2.99 each, and include titles ranging from animated classics (Dumbo) to modern favorites (Pirates of the Caribbean). The content will be provided via CinemaNow. See that site's TiVo FAQ for more details.
Movies from Jaman.com should be available this week. The $1.99 rentals include international selections, independent and art cinema, and anime titles.
The Disney/CinemaNow and Jaman selections will be presented in standard-definition video, and will be accessible on all current standalone TiVo models (
Note: This post has been updated to specify that both the CinemaNow/Disney and Jaman selections will be available in standard-def only. An earlier reference to future HD content on CinemaNow's site has since been removed.


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ONE day, as he sat sad and disconsolate in the house of his father, the youth Telemachus saw a stranger come to the outer gate. There were many in the court outside, but no one went to receive the newcomer. Then, because he would never let a stranger stand at the gate without hurrying out to welcome him, and because, too, he had hopes that some day such a one would bring him tidings of his father, Telemachus rose up from where he was sitting and went down the hall and through the court and to the gate at which the stranger stood.
Welcome to the house of Odysseus, said Telemachus giving him his hand. The stranger clasped it with a friendly clasp. I thank you, Telemachus, he said, for your welcome, and glad I am to enter the house of your father, the renowned Odysseus.
The stranger looked like one who would be a captain amongst soldiers. His eyes were grey and clear and shone wonderfully. In his hand he carried a great bronze spear. He and Telemachus went together through the court and into the hall. And when the stranger left his spear within the spearstand Telemachus took him to a high chair and put a footstool under his feet.
He had brought him to a place in the hall where the crowd would not come. There were many in the court outside and Telemachus would not have his guest disturbed by questions or clamours. A handmaid brought water for the washing of his hands, and poured it over them from a golden ewer into a silver basin. A polished table was left at his side. Then the house-dame brought wheaten bread and many dainties. Other servants set down dishes of meat with golden cups, and afterwards the maids came into the hall and filled up the cups with wine.
But the servants who waited on Telemachus and his guest were disturbed by the crowd of men who now came into the hall. They seated themselves at tables and shouted out their orders. Great dishes of meat were brought to them and bowls of wine, and the men ate and drank and talked loudly to each other and did not refrain even from staring at the stranger who sat with Telemachus.
Is there a wedding-feast in the house? the stranger asked, or do the men of your clan meet here to drink with each other?
A flush of shame came to the face of Telemachus. There is no wedding-feast here, he said, nor do the men of our clan meet here to drink with each other. Listen to me, my guest. Because you look so wise and because you seem so friendly to my fathers name I will tell you who these men are and why they trouble this house.
THEREUPON Telemachus told the stranger how his father had not returned from the war of Troy although it was now ten years since the City was taken by those with whom he went. Alas, Telemachus said, he must have died on his way back to us, and I must think that his bones lie under some nameless strait or channel of the ocean. Would he had died in the fight at Troy! Then the Kings and Princes would have made him a burial-mound worthy of his name and his deeds. His memory would have been reverenced amongst men, and I, his son, would have a name, and would not be imposed upon by such men as you see here--men who are feasting and giving orders in my fathers house and wasting the substance that he gathered.
How come they to be here? asked the stranger.
Telemachus told him about this also. When seven years had gone by from the fall of Troy and still Odysseus did not return there were those who thought he was dead and would never be seen more in the land of Ithaka. Then many of the young lords of the land wanted Penelope, Telemachus mother, to marry one of them. They came to the house to woo her for marriage. But she, mourning for the absence of Odysseus and ever hoping that he would return, would give no answer to them. For three years now they were coming to the house of Odysseus to woo the wife whom he had left behind him. They want to put my lady-mother between two dread difficulties, said Telemachus, either to promise to wed one of them or to see the substance of our house wasted by them. Here they come and eat the bread of our fields, and slay the beasts of our flocks and herds, and drink the wine that in the old days my father laid up, and weary our servants with their orders.
When he had told him all this Telemachus raised his head and looked at the stranger: O my guest, he said, wisdom and power shine out of your eyes. Speak now to me and tell me what I should do to save the house of Odysseus from ruin. And tell me too if you think it possible that my father should still be in life.
The stranger looked at him with his grey, clear, wonderfully-shining eyes. Art thou verily the son of Odysseus? said he.
Verily, I am the son of Odysseus, said Telemachus.
As I look at you, said the stranger, I mark your head and eyes, and I know they are such a head and such eyes as Odysseus had. Well, being the son of such a man, and of such a woman as the lady Penelope, your spirit surely shall find a way of destroying those wooers who would destroy your house.
Already, said Telemachus, your gaze and your speech make me feel equal to the task of dealing with them.
I think, said the stranger, that Odysseus, your father, has not perished from the earth. He may yet win home through labors and perils. But you should seek for tidings of him. Harken to me now and I shall tell you what to do.
To-morrow summon a council of all the chief men of the land of Ithaka, and stand up in that council and declare that the time has come for the wooers who waste your substance to scatter, each man to his own home. And after the council has been held I would have you voyage to find out tidings of your father, whether he still lives and where he might be. Go to Pylos first, to the home of Nestor, that old King who was with your father in the war of Troy. Beg Nestor to give you whatever tidings he has of Odysseus. And from Pylos go to Sparta, to the home of Menelaus and Helen, and beg tidings of your father from them too. And if you get news of his being alive, return: It will be easy for you then to endure for another year the wasting of your substance by those wooers. But if you learn that your father, the renowned Odysseus, is indeed dead and gone, then come back, and in your own country raise a great funeral mound to his memory, and over it pay all funeral rites. Then let your mother choose a good man to be her husband and let her marry him, knowing for a certainty that Odysseus will never come back to his own house. After that something will remain for you to do: You will have to punish those wooers who destroy the goods your father gathered and who insult his house by their presence. And when all these things have been done, you, Telemachus, will be free to seek out your own fortune: you will rise to fame, for I mark that you are handsome and strong and most likely to be a wise and valiant man. But now I must fare on my journey.
The stranger rose up from where he sat and went with Telemachus from the hall and through the court and to the outer gate. Telemachus said: What you have told me I shall not forget. I know you have spoken out of a wise and a friendly heart, and as a father to his son.
The stranger clasped his hands and went through the gate. And then, as he looked after him Telemachus saw the stranger change in his form. He became first as a woman, tall, with fair hair and a spear of bronze in her hand. And then the form of a woman changed too. It changed into a great sea-eagle that on wide wings rose up and flew high through the air. Telemachus knew then that his visitor was an immortal and no other than the goddess Athene who had been his fathers friend.


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The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences has amended its rules so that for the first time every voting member will automatically be eligible to vote in all 24 Oscar categories.
Academy president Hawk Koch made the announcement on Saturday [4] following a meeting of members.
In another significant change, governors said that going forward members will be allowed to see documentary, shorts and foreign language nominees either in theatres or on DVD screeners.
Prior to the final round of voting the Academy will provide members with DVDs of the nominated films in five categories: foreign language film, documentary feature, documentary short subject, animated short film, and live action short film. Previously members were only allowed to view submissions for these categories in theatres in order to vote.
The nomination processes for all categories remain unchanged.
"This change continues our efforts to expand our members' participation in all aspects of the Academy's activities including, of course, voting for the Oscars," said Koch.
"Building on this past season's 90% record voter turnout, we want to give our members as many opportunities as possible to see these great films and vote in these categories next year."
The 86th Oscars will take place on Mar 2, 2014.


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Paige Goldberg Tolmach
Organic Mom
Organic Mom
Inspired by her son Jackson 's severe eczema that developed soon after his birth, Paige became knowledgeable about environmental toxins and how they harm children. She managed to make dramatic lifestyle changes that cured her son of eczema and established herself as an expert and an environmental activist. Motivated by her own difficulty finding non-toxic products for her family, Paige opened The Little Seed which has a huge celebrity following and has a reputation for only stocking only the best non-toxic products. Paige is frequently...
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highlighted the media and has recently been featured in: the Los Angeles Times, People.com, Babble.com, TheCradle.com , the TV Guide Channel, E! and many others. In the Summer of 2010, she launched The Little Seed organic clothing line at Target. Paige is an active member of PETA and is on the board of Environmental Media Association (EMA) an organization that mobilizes the entertainment industry in a global effort to educate people about environmental issues and inspire them into action. Paige lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.


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ALL Sauce Pan 3 Qt D5 Brushed
$199.99– Sold Out
Sauce Pan
The classic sauce pan is a versatile essential found in a variety of sizes in every well-equipped kitchen. With high, straight sides and a smaller surface area, the sauce pan holds heat well and limits evaporation. Because of its shape, this pan is ideal for making sauces, heating liquids, cooking food in liquids and reheating. Can be used with or without its lid to control evaporation.


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In the preface to the second edition of Daniel Stroock's book "Probability Theory: An Analytic View", there is this striking claim (on p. xv)
... I suspect that, for at least a decade, the most important developments in the field will have a strong combinatorial component ...
I have several questions
- What have been the most striking and impressive developments along that line in the past decade?
- Is there an overwhelming agreement in the research community about that statement?
- What are the most promising avenues of exploration?
- Was the progress occurring throughout probability theory and some specific fields such as stochastic processes or statistics or was it confined to areas that were fundamentally combinatorial in nature such as random graph theory?


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A Decade of Water
The state of Texas water is complicated, with challenges around every bend.
By Carter P. Smith
The Springs of Texas. Water in Texas. The Time it Never Rained. Goodbye to a River. Paddling the Wild Neches. Texas Rivers. The Water Hustlers. The Book of Texas Bays. Fishing Yesterday's Gulf Coast.
My bookshelf is chock-full of writings relating to Texas water — shallow and deep, salty and fresh, inshore and offshore, surface and ground, flowing and dammed, droughts and downpours. As a collector of such things, I suspect I am not alone.
In a state where most of us are seemingly always one day closer to the next drought, water and weather are top of mind for Texans.
Protecting the source of our drinking water and investing in the quality of water in rivers, streams, creeks, aquifers, estuaries and reservoirs are values that Texans identify as major statewide priorities. These sentiments are shared by all sectors of the Texas populace, irrespective of social, political, economic or geographic considerations.
A number of years ago, I was involved in a San Antonio ballot initiative for a one-eighth-cent sales tax to support purchasing land and conservation easements over critical recharge zones above the Edwards Aquifer. This would help protect water quality in the aquifer, the city's sole source of drinking water. In doing so, other valued conservation goals would be accomplished, such as protecting open space, wildlife habitat and Hill Country farmland and ranchland.
But it was the fate of the water that clearly sealed the deal. As I stood in front of polling places, voters almost invariably had the same response: "Oh, you are working on the water proposition. Of course, I'll vote for that. We have to protect our water." It was that straightforward.
The state of water is and has been the defining natural resource issue for this state, and will be for centuries to come. There's an old saying: "Agua es vida." Water is life. No words could be truer when contemplating the health and vitality of our present and future economies, our environment, our human and natural communities and our quality of life.
For the past 10 years, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has proudly heralded the value of our water resources in this magazine's annual State of Water series, published each July. These features — written by authors who know their way around a raindrop, a watershed, an aquifer, a meandering river, a seagrass nursery and an ocean floor — have highlighted the state's diverse array of aquatic resources, from the aquifers to the bays and from the springs to the Gulf. Their thoughtful prose has captured the beauty, richness, variability, fragility and utility of our water bodies, as well as the contention that surrounds this precious resource. These writers have tackled the hard questions confronted by policy-makers grappling with how to meet the state's competing water demands for a growing population and a healthy environment.
Where will the water come from? Who is going to get it? How much will they get? These questions have been part and parcel of every serious writing and deliberation on the state of Texas water, including those pieces featured in Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine. Not surprisingly, we've championed the needs of fish and wildlife and advocated that their interests be appropriately represented in the state's various water planning processes and public discussions. We've done so with good reason.
Texas is one of the most biologically diverse places in the Western Hemisphere. We harbor more birds and reptiles than any other state, and we enjoy comparatively high levels of species richness and rates of endemic species. That diversity is made possible by well-stewarded watersheds, robust aquifers, flowing springs, clean rivers, healthy bays and estuaries and Gulf waters.
Those aquatic habitats not only serve the vital needs of our diverse plant and animal communities, but they are essential in meeting the growing and evolving outdoor recreational demands of our population. Fish- and wildlife-associated recreation is big business in Texas. The most recent studies from Southwick Associates found that hunting, fishing and other forms of nature-related activities contribute $16 billion a year to our state's economy.
Water sports such as kayaking and canoeing are some of the fastest-growing leisure activities in the country. Communities big and small, from Houston and Arlington to Luling and Lufkin, have embraced their bayous, lakes and rivers as important natural economic generators, designating and promoting paddling trails for residents and tourists alike.
So as we roll out this 10th edition of the State of Water, let's examine where we stand on water-related issues that affect our state's exceptional natural heritage.
In 2002's water issue, Larry McKinney laid the groundwork for subsequent discourse with "Water for the Future," his reflective piece on balancing water needs for humans and the environment. He eloquently articulated the critical basis for maintaining sufficient "environmental flows" in our rivers and ultimately into our bays and estuaries, where they provide life-giving nutrients, sediment and pulses of freshwater for the shrimp, crab, redfish, trout, flounder and other bay-based fish and wildlife that depend upon them.
Other pieces covered the waterfront, both literally and figuratively. Jan Reid wrote about the future of our remaining big springs such as Comal Springs in the Hill Country, and Elmer Kelton penned his thoughts about the fate of the mighty Ogallala, the mother of all groundwater resources in the Texas Panhandle. Jim Anderson described the biological richness of our estuaries, such as Matagorda Bay, and Joe Nick Patoski took us down the undammed and unforgiving Devils River, perhaps the wildest Texas river. My predecessor, Bob Cook, effectively characterized the importance of good land stewardship and the crucial role private landowners play in protecting our surface and groundwater.
Not surprisingly, these conservation issues remain relevant today. McKinney projected that our state's population would double by 2050, increasing the need to emphasize water conservation as a measure that each of us can positively affect with individual choices.
The future of our aquatic resources is being contemplated and debated by our citizens and state leaders in forums across the state. Extensive science and stakeholder processes (mandated by the passage of Senate Bill 3 in 2007) are under way to identify appropriate environmental flows in each of the state's major river basins. Deliberations about high and low river flows, the needs of fisheries dependent upon those flows, and the degree and timing of freshwater pulses into our bays are all part of the state-directed, bottom-up efforts originally envisioned in SB3.
The process, a necessarily messy one by design and democracy, has had its challenges. The debate among stakeholders in some basins about environmental flows has been, to borrow a phrase from Robert Penn Warren, "not exactly like Easter week in a nunnery." In others, the deliberations are proceeding amicably. Ultimately, however, it will be up to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to delineate and defend the specific set of flow conditions required to maintain sound ecological environments in our rivers.
In South and Central Texas, representatives from regional river and water authorities, agricultural interests and conservation agencies have spent the last several years working earnestly on the Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program. The voluntary, stakeholder-based process is designed to help protect the vitality of the region's life-giving spring flows and the conservation needs of imperiled species.
The city of San Antonio and its partners have been busy on another aquifer-related project that protects more than 90,000 acres of critical Edwards Aquifer recharge land. The relatively inexpensive process of acquiring voluntary conservation easements from willing private landowner partners made this possible.
Thanks to more than $10 million in private donations, TPWD recently acquired 19,000 acres along the Devils River — including 10 miles of pristine river frontage — to add to its existing state natural area complex. Many public paddling trails have opened, including seven in May in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. These and other investments ensure that we have special places on and around our waters to use and enjoy for generations to come.
Conversely, other new and imposing challenges have also descended upon us. The Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 was the largest oil spill in the Gulf's history. Thankfully, the Texas coast was not as obviously and immediately affected as other Gulf coastlines. Nonetheless, many species that spend part of their lives in our waters were affected directly and indirectly — such as juvenile sport fish and Kemp's ridley sea turtles — so we share a large stake in the Gulf's ultimate restoration and recovery.
Moving inland, our lakes continue to suffer from a proliferation of exotic and invasive plants that clog the water's surface. Noxious species such as giant salvinia and water hyacinth threaten large freshwater bodies such as Toledo Bend, Caddo Lake and Lake Conroe. Their rampant expansion threatens our native aquatic species, interferes with boating, fishing and other recreational access, affects property values and compromises the integrity of our aquatic habitats.
A new and invasive interloper, the zebra mussel, has made its way into Lake Texoma on the Texas/Oklahoma border. This exotic mussel, which originally hails from western Russia, reproduces most prodigiously and affixes itself to any available hard substrate, whether boats, trailers, pipes or pilings. Zebra mussels pose serious challenges for area water managers. Efforts to arrest their spread may affect portions of the water supply system for more than 4 million people in North Texas alone.
The state of water is a complicated one, replete with challenges around every bend. Add in plans for new surface reservoirs, legal challenges about groundwater ownership, proposed federal endangered species listings of certain native freshwater mussel species and the effects from the recent drought, and discussions about water are anything but dull.
As we look ahead, we should remember that water resources are precious and precarious, and most assuredly finite. Conservation is neither a luxury nor a privilege, but rather a promise that we cannot afford to ignore. We all play roles, big and small, in this undertaking. Ultimately, our actions will forever define us as stewards of the springs, creeks, rivers, lakes, bays and Gulf waters that sustain us all.


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This article is more than 1 year old
HTC working on 1GHz smartphone?
Rumours of TG01 rival
HTC may follow in the footsteps of Toshiba's recently unveiled TG01 smartphone - by launching its own device based on Qualcomm's 1GHz Snapdragon chip.
According to a report by DigiTimes, HTC's expected to unveil the mystery device in Q2. Toshiba's TG01 is expected to be available this summer.
Toshiba and HTC aren't the only phone manufacturers to have cottoned onto the significance of using a 1GHz chip, and companies including LG, Samsung and Asus are also thought to have signed deals with Qualcomm to enable them to use the firm's processor.
The 1GHz Snapdragon 1GHz is currently about the fastest processor available for a mobile phone, which will enable smartphones to perform tasks and runs applications more quickly and smoothly than ever before.
However, it's worth noting that chip's processing speed can be turned down - which some manufacturers may take advantage of to boost their handsets' battery life. ®