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The first "big" rain of the season fell in the Bay Area today. Of course, my evening commute home was terrible (as it always is during the first rain). But it was made less terrible by the song stylings of Ella and Sarah. That's Fitzgerald and Vaughan, respectively (and respectfully). Classic jazz standards sung by these legends soothe me and make my commute almost bearable.
This first autumn rain was the perfect occasion for a soothing dessert like baked custard. Smooth and creamy with a hint of sweetness and the amazing fragrance of vanilla. Custard is a truly wonderful comfort food that can only be improved when accompanied by a steaming cup of coffee and great jazz music.
Baked Vanilla Custard
2 cups half-and-half
(or 1 cup whole milk + 1 cup heavy cream)
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 300F.
Pour the half-and-half in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until well mixed. Slowly add the hot half-and-half to the egg mixture, making sure to whisk well. Strain custard through a sieve to remove any large bits of egg.
Pour the mixture into four 6-ounce ramekins. Place the ramekins in a roasting pan and add enough hot water to come up halfway the sides of the ramekins. (I line the bottom of my roasting pan with a kitchen towel to keep the ramekins from sliding around. I make sure my towel is completely submerged in water otherwise it can burn.)
Bake custard at 300F for 40 minutes or until the custard is just set.


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If you have a few minutes to spare, try typing the words "zerg rush" into Google from the search engine's homepage.
Then wait and watch as a hungry pack of Os start to devour all the words on the search result page.
But this isn't just a sit back and watch Google treat -- this is an interactive game. Google has given you the power to destroy the Os by clicking furiously on them with your mouse.
Your efforts will eventually prove futile, however. There are infinite numbers of Os and you can only click so fast.
The game is over when the Os destroy the words in the left-hand rail of the Google search results page. When you lose, all the Os will gather together to create two Gs -- Good Game.
Google is nothing if not a good sport.
So what's the story behind the game? A Google spokesperson emailed us the following statement:
"For n00bs who aren't as familiar with real-time strategy games, there's been a zerg rush on your search results page. Because there should always be time to practice your gaming skills, click on the zerg units to defend the results page and try not to get pwned. Then you can share you APM score onGoogle+. GLHF!"
For those who need help understanding that--a "n00b" is a person who is new to a game and doesn't know what they are doing, "pwned" means getting dominated by an opponent and "GLHF" means Good Luck Have Fun.
As for why this game is called Zerg Rush, n00bs might like to know that Zergs are an alien race of insect-like creatures from the game StarCraft that can mass-produce offensive units in a very short time -- overpowering their opponents by virtue of their numbers.
This is not the first time that Google has provided the working people of the world a tantalizing time waster.
Back in December, people who typed the words "Let It Snow" into Google watched tiny snow flakes fall on the screen, which subsequently fogged up -- just like a car window in a snow flurry. You could trace shapes and words with your mouse, or click the "defrost" button to clear the screen. Unfortunately, that one is no longer working.
But you can still play a virtual online guitar and record your musical experiments through Google's
And the totally playable Pac-Man doodle is also still online for some good old fashioned gaming fun.
If you don't want to be tempted by more time wasters, consider treating yourself to just one Google joke. For example, if you type the word "recursion" into the search engine, Google will ask you if you meant "recursion."
Get it?

subset: commoncrawl


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|New York, NY
|High School:
|Horace Mann School
|Previous College:
|Claremont McKenna
On Court: Member of Horace Mann team that competed in the National High School Team Championships in Newport Beach...also a three time member of the USTA Eastern Zonal championship team...ranked as high as #87 on the national recruiting lists, and top five in the East...as a freshman made impressive debut for the Stags at the ITA West Regionals where he reached the semifinals of the singles (defeating #2 seed Kamel in the quarters)...partnered HMC freshman Brandon Wei in the doubles and lost to eventual champs Gendelman and Liberty-Point in the round of sixteen...ranked #9 singles and #20 doubles (with Wei) in the West at the end of the fall season...played most of the season at #2 singles and #2 doubles (with Wu) after moving up from #3 in both...was 21-9 in singles, including 16-6 in dual matches...qualified for the NCAA Singles tournament, where he lost to eventual finalist Ben Stein from Bates in three sets...had impressive wins over Piskacek (Kenyon), Schwartz (Penn), and Chavetz (Amherst) at the #2 position...finished 20-11 overall in doubles (13-6 with Wu at #2) to finish with the highest combined singles and doubles wins on the team...one of two Stags to earn 1st Team All-SCIAC honors...nominated for West Region ITA Rookie of the Year award...as a sophomore won the ITA West Regional singles title with wins over Pybas (UCSC), Meyer (Pomona-Pitzer), and Giuffrida (Cal Lutheran) in the quarters, semis, and final respectively...went on to win two of three matches at the ITA Small College Nationals, and finish the fall ranked #3 nationally...partnered Wu to reach the finals of the West Regionals and earn a rank of 6th regionally...returned in the spring as the Stags #1 singles player and won his first six dual matches en route to a 20-9 overall mark...earned ITA All-American and 1st Team All-SCIAC honors and was voted Most Valuable Player by his teammates...was named SCIAC Athlete of the Week for the week of March 8, recognizing his 12-1 overall singles record and top ranking in the west at the time...was 11-3 in tie-breaks during the season, including a crucial two tie-break win at Point Loma Nazarene to clinch a late season 5-4 victory...in doubles had his second consecutive 20-win season, going 22-11...played all but one match with Wu...the pair started the spring at #2 and then took over the #1 spot for good on March 26...reached the final of the Ojai Valley Tournament in an all-CMS title match that the pair lost to teammates Eric MacColl and Brandon Wei 6-3, 7-5...finishes 2010 with national rankings of #10 in singles and #17 in doubles, and West Region rankings of #3 in singles and #5 doubles.
Tools: Prince O3 Tour MP strung with Solinco Outlast 16 gauge at 60 pounds
Personal: Started playing tennis at age 3 watching his dad on the court...played several other sports growing up... collects sea shells and rocks, boasting a collection of over three hundred types of each.
Ideal Steak Preparation: medium well, but if they burn it I will send it back
Favorite 909 Eatery: So Fresh
Favorite Stag: Larry Wang
Dream Celebrity Dance Partner: Biba Golic
Second Greatest Fear:


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A casual conversation about improving the patterning process in optical lithography turned into a 'aha' moment for student Burak Baylav and Professor Bruce Smith. It would also become the foundation for more conversations addressing the future of electronic devices and Moore's Law— a principle stating that data density has doubled approximately every 18 months.
Researchers in optical lithography struggle with sustaining Moore's Law, which raises the stakes in the need for more efficient integrated circuits. But Baylav and Smith, director of RIT's microsystems engineering program and Baylav's mentor, are not deterred.
The two are addressing problems with the reliability of integrated circuit patterns, specifically "line edge roughness," that affects electrical characteristics of devices. Controlling the line edge roughness in electronic devices today will mean improved performance tomorrow.
Baylav proposed an optical filtering technique to eliminate the transfer of pattern roughness, a key piece of his Ph.D. dissertation on lithography solutions.
Optical lithography is the process where integrated circuit designs are patterned, layer-upon-layer, onto silicon wafers. Lithographers must understand optical and chemical systems, engineering and integrated circuit design. Smith likened Baylav to an ideal lithographer because he brought some of these experiences to RIT and acquired much of the rest through his willingness to immerse himself in different projects while here.
After receiving his degree in electrical engineering in 2006 from Yeditepe University in Istanbul, Baylav entered RIT's microelectronic engineering master's program, graduating in 2010 and starting doctoral studies shortly afterward.
"I came from Turkey with good theory, and was able to put it into practice here. I had culture shock initially, but you get over it soon," he says with a laugh. Coming to RIT meant changes in Baylav's life, but it also meant learning about the manufacturing process for integrated circuits, his initial reason for pursuing a degree at RIT.
"I had always heard there were limitations to design that is imposed by the manufacturing process, in the clean room, so I wanted to learn what was meant by that," he says.
One of those learning opportunities included a yearlong sponsored assignment at the Interuniversity Microelectonics Centre (IMEC) in Belgium, one of the premier semiconductor research facilities in the world.
"I had access to the latest technology, tools and data," says Baylav. "It was a dream come true and I was able to use this relationship for my Ph.D. research."
Smith established the internship with IMEC and Mentor Graphics Corp. more than 10 years ago. He recommends one student per year for the intensive program; eight have since attended. "It's a big world, but a small family," he says. "It is a perfect match between what we do at RIT, what the microsystems engineering program is, and what is important to Mentor Graphics and IMEC."
Related video:
Professor Bruce Smith named to Innovation Hall of Fame


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This is the Vicious Kittens - Anachronos EU - Raiders Addon Pack.
We thank all you for coming here and getting the pack as requested by our rules.
It contains the following addons:
Deadly Boss Mods (DBM):
This addon is a simple raiding addon, that shows you the timers for pretty much everything you need to know from a raid fight and gives you big flashy warnings when you need to actively react to something. It is mandatory to have active.
EPGP (dkp reloaded):
This our loot system priority. It is as a raider not mandatory to have it active at all times, but it is needed if you want to see what your current priority is on the list. Currently it disables the function to not show offline members while the addon is active.
This addon is split in 2. One of them is EPGPLootmaster, this is the one that is mandatory for all raiders to have active. Without this addon you will not be able to roll on anything that drops. The other one is EPGPLootmaster - ML, now this one is mandatory for all raiders to have deactivated. Only the RL and the ML should have that one active.
A simple and effective threatmeter. Mandatory for all classes and specs.
To finish off I would like to thank the authors of these addons for the immense work they have put behind them.
Ardanis - Raidleader of Vicious Kittens - Anachronos EU.


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The 224,749-square-foot warehouse at 4120 Air Trans Road in Oakhaven has sold for $2.5 million following a foreclosure.
Spencer Property Inc. of Saltillo, Miss., near Tupelo, bought the Class B facility May 7 from substitute trustee Patricia E. Adrian of the law firm Farris Bobango PLC.
The property went into foreclosure earlier this year when its previous owner, 4120 Air Trans Road LLC, defaulted on a $3.4 million loan through Prudential Mortgage Capital Corp. dated Jan. 27, 2006.
That debt was later transferred to U.S. Bank NA.
4120 Air Trans Road is an affiliate of the Roseville, Calif.-based real estate development company Coastal Partners LLC.
Built in 1979, the warehouse sits on 16.4 acres on the east side of Air Trans Road at its intersection with Pidgeon Roost Road near East Raines Road and Lamar Avenue.
The Shelby County Assessor of Property's 2013 appraisal of the property is $3.9 million.
Source: The Daily News Online & Chandler Reports
– Daily News staff
The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits fell by 4,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 323,000, a five-year low.
Layoffs have returned to pre-recession levels, a trend that could lead to more hiring.
The Labor Department said Thursday that the less volatile four-week average dropped 6,250 to 336,750.
That's the fewest since November 2007, one month before the Great Recession began.
Applications are a proxy for layoffs. Weekly applications have fallen about 9 percent since November and are now at a level consistent with what's considered to be a healthy economy.
The last time weekly applications were lower was in January 2008, when they were 321,000.
Economists were largely encouraged by the decline.
"This is a very positive trend and we should embrace it," Jennifer Lee, an economist at BMO Capital Markets, said in an email to clients.
The job market has also improved over the past six months.
Net job gains have averaged 208,000 a month from November through April. That's up from only 138,000 a month in the previous six months.
Much of the job growth has come from fewer layoffs – not increased hiring.
Layoffs fell in January this year to the lowest level on records dating back 12 years, though they have risen moderately since then.
Overall hiring remains far below pre-recession levels and unemployment remains high at 7.5 percent.
– The Associated Press
Five months after it was moved out of the National Civil Rights Museum, the 7,000-pound bronze sculpture that was once in the museum's lobby is back in the museum as it is undergoing a major renovation.
The reinstallation of "Movement to Overcome" began Thursday, May 9, with sculptor Michael Pavlovsky along to watch the process of moving the work he created in 1991.
The entrance is among the areas of the museum that will change in the first major renovation of the facility since its opening in 1991.
The $27 million renovation will update technology in the museum and incorporate long-time exhibits with new areas that will add to the story of the civil rights movement.
The sculpture was moved to an undisclosed location in the city in December as the renovation work began.
The museum has remained open with visitors limited to the museum annex across Mulberry Street and some exhibits from the main museum building incorporated. Visitors have also had access to the balcony where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot during the renovation.
The museum was built on the site of the old Lorraine Motel where King was staying when he was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
– Bill Dries
Healthy Habits is partnering with Get Fresh Memphis to host a "healthy happy hour" at 732 E. Brookhaven Circle later this month.
The event, which will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. May 22, is called Fit and Fresh and will invite current Healthy Habits and Get Fresh Memphis clients, media and other health-conscious Memphians to enjoy samples of popular Get Fresh Memphis menu items, sip on complimentary wine and tour the Healthy Habits personal training studio.
Attendees will be eligible for special offers from both companies the night of the event.
Healthy Habits provides customized fitness and weight-loss programs in a private environment with certified personal trainers. Get Fresh Memphis offers nutritious vegetarian and vegan meals for people on the go.
– Andy Meek
Fewer U.S. homes entered the foreclosure process or were repossessed by lenders last month, the latest indication that the nation's foreclosure woes could be waning.
Nationally, home repossessions fell 20 percent in April from the previous month and were down 32 percent from a year earlier, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.
Foreclosure starts, the initial step in the process that can eventually lead to a home being foreclosed upon, dipped 4 percent last month from March and tumble 28 percent from April last year, the firm said.
Even so, homes scheduled for auction in states where the courts play a role in the foreclosure process hit the highest level in more than two years.
Most homes lined up for public auction end up going back to lenders, which opens the door for the properties to be placed on the market as sharply discounted foreclosed homes.
Still, the prospect that a flurry of those homes set for auction last month will end up on the market is good news for the housing market, said Daren Blomquist, a vice president at RealtyTrac.
That's because the rebound in housing over the past year has been fueled in part by rising home values amid a lagging supply of available properties for sale.
All told, 70,133 homes started on the foreclosure path last month.
Homes scheduled for auction rose 6 percent in April from the previous month, but declined 20 percent versus April last year, RealtyTrac said.
On the tail end of the foreclosure process, lenders repossessed 34,997 U.S. homes last month, the lowest level since July 2007.
At the current monthly pace, completed foreclosures will hit over a half million this year, Blomquist estimated.
That would be down from 671,000 last year.
Americans spent briskly during the early spring months in the latest sign that they're encouraged by the economic recovery.
Falling gas prices, a rallying stock market and gains in the job market all fueled Americans' shopping habits even as cold weather tempered their desire to buy spring fashions.
Revenue at stores open at least a year – an industry measure of a store's health because it excludes results from stores recently opened and closed – rose 4.7 percent in April compared with the same month a year ago, according to a preliminary tally of 12 retailers by the International Council of Shopping Centers trade group.
That continues a trend that Americans started in early spring. In March, revenue rose 2.2 percent. And for the combined months of March and April, the figure rose 3.5 percent.
While big chains such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp and Macy's Inc. don't report monthly revenue, the stores that do offer economists a snapshot of consumer spending habits. In total, the retailers that report monthly data represent about 6 percent of the $2.4 trillion in U.S. retail industry sales.
Among the big winners for April were Ross Stores Inc. and TJX Cos., which operates TJ Maxx and Marshalls stores. Both companies benefited from Americans' desire to buy brand-name fashions at discounted prices.
Copyright 1995 -
by The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. - All Rights Reserved


text:
This Cant Be Life: 5 Kids Sick After Eating Cocaine In School!
"An elementary school student in Washington, D.C. is facing drug charges after police say he brought cocaine to school and shared it with his friends. The incident happened at Thompson Elementary School. Several students swallowed the cocaine during the school day, and five had to be rushed to the hospital. Authorities said six to eight children had some ill effects from the cocaine, including sore throats. The kids are now all said to be in good condition." - KTLA
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PHILO 297 - Honors Introduction to the Humanities
3 Credits
A discussion-survey of some seminal works in the Western literary, philosophical, and cultural tradition. Enrollment is generally limited to entering freshmen who have been accepted into the University Honors Program.
The Honors Introduction to the Humanities is made up of four different course listings: ENGL 297, HIST 297, MLANG 297, and PHILO 297. All classes in the Honors Humanities have a common reading list and follow approximately the same course format, but details of the schedule and assignments may differ from course to course. Each of these classes is interchangeable for the the Basic Requirements for the College of Arts & Sciences. For example, taking the MLANG 297 course can count as a philosophy course or a western heritage course (but not both).
In PHILO 297, we will focus on perennial philosophical questions such as: What is human nature? What is the good life? How should we evaluate conflicting arguments about the best way for persons to live? What is the nature of moral responsibility? We will also consider the ways in which the texts covered in this class advance a conception of the person, her values, her relationship to the divine, to nature, to society or culture, and to other individuals.
PLEASE NOTE that at four times during the semester, all sections of the Honors Introduction to the Humanities will meet together. Because these evening meetings may cause conflicts, but are a required portion of the course, you should plan to reserve these four evenings immediately upon their announcement in class.