text:
Murderball director Dana Adam Shapiro makes the leap effortlessly in his new film Monogamy. In fact, the film seems richer for his non-fiction experience; he adopts an observant, off-the-cuff shooting style that is reflected in the low-key performances and the smart screenplay, which refuses to turn itself over to the histrionics and maudlin melodrama that a lesser director would have amped up. In its own quiet way, it's a marvelous picture.
Chris Messina (the skilled character actor last seen in Greenberg) plays Theo, a New York photographer who has grown absolutely bored of the wedding jobs he's taking to pay the bills. He tries his hand at a side business, cutsily called "gumshoot", in which he is hired by clients to take photos of them surreptitiously at a predetermined time and place; they get a less-guarded selection, he gets to try some real artistry. But early on in the venture, he's hired by a woman he knows only as "subgirl"; their first "session" takes on an unexpectedly erotic air, and he finds himself fascinated, and perhaps a little obsessed, by the mystery woman. But his timing couldn't be worse—he's a few months from marrying Nat (Rashida Jones), who isn't quite sure what to make of his new gig, and when she ends up out of the house unexpectedly, he's suddenly free to go deeper than he probably should.
Perhaps the film's strongest element is in its portrayal of Theo and Nat's relationship. The two actors (both terrific) share an easy, relaxed chemistry and a sense of shared history; their dialogue has the natural rhythms of actual overheard conversation, full of inside jokes and shared history. Later in the film, when they have a fight, it feels like the real thing—it's charged with the kind of little jabs and cuts that are more recognizable (and usually more hurtful) than the overwrought screaming that most movie "fight scenes" have. It's not melodrama; the climactic scenes here have the emotional brutality of a Cassavetes picture.
The handheld photography may put some off, but it's subtle and done with sly finesse, and the New York street scenes have a hip, snappy energy to them. Shapiro is going for a raw, unrehearsed naturalism, but he's not adverse to the pop of a throwaway joke or a fetishized detail. Most commendable, though, is his matter-of-fact approach to sexuality; it's that rarest of beasts, an actual grown-up movie about sexual desire, repression, and obsession. Monogamy gets at the very nature of eroticism in way that mainstream cinema seldom does—the way a sexual experience lodges in your brain and replays in your head, and how it can drive you just a little bit crazy.
But for all of the film's sexuality (though it should be noted that it steers clear of skin and other elements of crass exploitation), its sexiest moment is one where the eroticism is implicit. After Theo's first shoot with "subgirl", Nat walks in and sees him looking at the photos. She asks what they are, and he tells her, truthfully. Her reaction to the pictures—fear, jealousy, arousal—is beautifully modulated and complex; Nat has so much going on in that scene, it makes your head spin, and Jones puts it all across (she shows depths here only hinted at in her comic work). Messina has an equivalent scene later, when Theo (no doubt to deflect some of his own shame) gives her the third degree about an old flirt note he's discovered; in that scene, his tremendous performance (and Shapiro's intelligent script) beautifully captures how hurt and jealousy and insecurity all get bound up in the same tight little knot.
The picture loses its nerve a bit in the third act. Though it studiously avoids easy genre trappings that Chloe, another recent sexy movie with a brain, ultimately succumbed to, it stops short of exploring some intriguing areas that they seem to be setting up with that scene where she sees the pictures, or by her flirtation with a sweet doctor. (Also, Shapiro's shock ending isn't nearly as surprising as he thinks it is.) But if Monogamy's ultimate failure to fully commit to the adult subject matter is a touch disappointing, the unexpected (but earned) pathos of the closing scene wrap the film up more than satisfactorily.
"Mongogamy" opens in New York City on Friday, March 11, and in Los Angeles and other select cities on Friday, March 18.


text: On Mon, 11 Jun 2001, Roger L. Smith wrote: > On Sat, 9 Jun 2001, Gerry Creager N5JXS wrote: > > > > > > -Do i HAVE to use Linux > > > > > > > > Yes. > > > > > > I completely disagree. Many people nowadays are using the term "beowulf" > > > to mean "cluster", and you can cluster pretty much anything with a network > > > card and an implementation of MPI (depending on what you're doing). > > > > Er. Ah. We've buirned this barn before. We've decided that for the > > purposes of this list, "beowulfery" refers to using Linux on (generally) > > commodity computing platforms bound as a cluster. > > My primary point here is that the clustering community shouldn't get so > caught up in dogma that they mislead self-proclaimed newbies as to the > options that are available to them. I realize that this list is named > "beowulf", but it's in the best interest of those who are trying to > further beowulf clustering to further all clustering, and to keep in mind > that not everyone (especially newbies) particularly care about > philosophical holy wars. As has also been pounded around before, it isn't just a philosophical holy war; there are some practical and technical issues associated with the casual use of the terms. As you pointed out, clustering was around and many of us were using e.g. PVM or other parallel program support mechanisms long before the beowulf project was begun. However, the original beowulf was specifically intended to be a COTS supercomputer and was architected for that purpose with various custom elements (like channel bonding) that were an original primary focus of this list. I think I know this one by heart...:-) The fair way to present this to a newbie is to simply lay it out non-judgementally rather than for EITHER side to get religious. I'd therefore answer all the questions slightly differently starting with: The first thing for any newbie to do is to consult the beowulf FAQ, the beowulf HOWTO, and to visit the primary beowulf site (www.beowulf.org) and look through the list archives where, armed with a search engine like google, they can almost certainly find detailed answers to precisely these questions (possibly annotated with considerable discussion:-). I'd then say that beowulfs/clusters don't "have" to use linux, but that it is a good idea to use linux or an open source OS like freebsd rather than a closed source/proprietary OS, and that linux is the traditional OS of true beowulfs and where most of the beowulf development energy has been focused. Next, I'd point out that one could in principle build a mixed architecture "true beowulf" but it would be a lot of work, segue into a short discussion about granularity and barriers and synchronization, and point out that if the task(s) to be performed were coarse grained or embarrassingly parallel that there are numerous other cluster architectures (e.g. NOW/COW/POP/heterogeneous/kitchen sink) that are functionally similar to a "true beowulf" that should be considered. That's fair to all sides (I think, anyway;-) and maximally usefully informative. Of course I'd be >>more<< inclined to just refer the newbie to e.g. http://www.phy.duke.edu/brahma/beowulf_online_book/node2.html since I said it all there in a lot more detail and with a simple path for them to learn more...;-) rgb -- Robert G. Brown http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/ Duke University Dept. of Physics, Box 90305 Durham, N.C. 27708-0305 Phone: 1-919-660-2567 Fax: 919-660-2525 email:rgb at phy.duke.edu

subset: commoncrawl


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Hampton General District Court
8th Judicial District of Virginia
General District Courts Informational Pamphlet
Ms Barbara K. Fagley
Criminal & Traffic Division: (757) 727-6260
Civil Division: (757) 727-6480
Fax: Criminal & Traffic Division: (757) 727-6035
Fax: Civil Division ONLY: (757) 726-6959
Clerk's Office Hours
236 North King Street, 2nd Floor
Hampton, VA 23669-3518
- Hon. Corry N. Smith, Presiding Judge, Chief Judge
- Hon. Selena Stellute Glenn, Presiding Judge
- Hon. Tonya Henderson-Stith, Presiding Judge
Court Schedule
Courtroom A 8:05 a.m., Protective Order hearings 8:30 a.m., Mon., Thurs., & Fri. Civil Contested with Attorneys 8:30 a.m., Tues. & Wed. Civil Uncontested with Attorneys 9:30 a.m., Mon., Thurs., & Fri. Civil Contested Non-Attorney Filings 9:30 a.m., Tues. & Wed. Civil Uncontested Non-Attorney Filings 11:00 a.m., One Tuesday per month Attorney Pettit 1:00 p.m., Tues. & Wed. Unlawful Detainer Non-Attorney Filings 1:00 p.m., 4th Thurs. Attorney Quandros 2:00 p.m., Mon. - Thurs. Civil Contested Cases Courtroom B 8:15 a.m., Mon. - Fri. Video Arraignments 8:30 a.m., Mon. - Fri. 1st Appearances, Arraignments, Bond Hearings, Revocation Hearings 9:30 a.m., Mon. - Fri. Commonwealth Attorney Trials & Preliminary Hearings 11:00 a.m., Mon. - Fri. Commonwealth Attorney Trials & Preliminary Hearings 1:00 p.m., Mon. - Thurs. Arraignments & Trials Non-Commonwealth-Private Warrants 1:00 p.m., 3rd Thurs. City Treasurer - Civil 2:00 p.m., Mon. - Thurs. Commonwealth Attorney Protracted Cases Courtroom C 8:30 a.m., Mon. - Fri. Traffic & Criminal Non-Commonwealth, City Officers, Hampton University & TNCC Officers, etc. 11:00 a.m., Mon. - Fri. Traffic & Criminal Non-Commonwealth, City Officers 1:00 p.m., Mon. Non-Compliance with ASAP 1:00 p.m. Tues. & Wed. Criminal Misdemeanor (Non-Commonwealth), Zoning, Building SPCA, Worthless Check, VMR, etc. 1:00 p.m., Thurs. Small Claims - Civil Courtroom D 8:30 a.m., 1st Mon. State Troopers Motocycle Squad 11:00 a.m., Mon. & Wed. Traffic & Criminal - State Troopers 1:00 p.m., Mon. Non-Compliance with CCD (C/A & Non C/A)
Continuance Policy
Continuances granted by Judge on motion. Traffic infraction 1st appearance - Clerk's office. This court follows the Supreme Court guidelines to have 90% of criminal cases adjudicated or otherwise disposed within 60 days of arrest; 100% within 90 days. A request for a continuance beyond this time will require the personal appearance of the attorney for defendant and/or Commonwealth's Attorney.


text: Hi, Since you are using PBS you may want to consider mpiexec, http://www.osc.edu/~pw/mpiexec/, it is basically a replacement for mpirun, but with tight integration with PBS, so once you issue qdel for a job it will kill all the subtasks on the remote nodes. It will also do a better resource accounting, e.g. total cpu used by all nodes, and will eliminate the need for ssh/rsh :) Even if you are not using mpi, you can spawn multiple instances of a program with the '--comm=none' option. Cheers f. William Scullin wrote: > Howdy, > > The --gm-kill is specific to clusters using myrinet and mostly is there > to ensure that slave processes using myrinet's mpi hang up when the > master process is done running. The number after the --gm-kill is the > timeout in seconds. > > I am not sure which version, type, or member of the PBS family you are > using. If you are using PBS Pro (also probably true for torque and Open > PBS), you should be able to place two scripts in > /var/spool/PBS/mom_priv/ called prologue and epilogue on every compute > node. They must be owned by root and be executable / readable / writable > only by root. The prologue script will run before every job and the > epilogue script will run after every job. In the epilogue and prologue > scripts we use, we clean the nodes of all lingering user processes and > do some basic checking of node health. > > Even if an epilogue script misses a process – or a user a user launches > a process outside of the queuing system – the prologue will still catch > it before the next job starts to run. > > Best, > William > > On Thu, 2005-01-06 at 14:33, Jerry Xu wrote: > >>Hey, Huang: >> >> I found one solution that works for me, maybe you can try it and see >>whether it works for you. >> >>in your pbs script, try to add this "kill -gm 5" syntax between the >>processor number and your program >> >>like this >> >>mpirun -machinefile $PBS_NODEFILE -np $NPROCS --gm-kill 5 myprogram >> >>it works for me. >> >>Jerry. >> >>/********************************************************** >>Hi, >> >>We have a new system set up. The vendor set up the PBS for us. For >>administration reasons, we created a new queue "dque" (set to default) >>using the "qmgr" command: >> >>create queue dque queue_type=e >>s q dqueue enabled=true, started=true >> >>I was able to submit jobs using the "qsub" command to queue "dque". >>However, when I use "qdel" to kill a job, the job disappears from the >>job list shown by "qstat -a", but the executable is still running on >>the compute nodes. Every time I have to login the corresponding the >>compute node and kill the running job. >> >>I am wondering if I missed something in setting up the queue so that I >>am unable to kill the job completely using "qdel". >> >>Thanks.


text:
Learn to Build Websites with Adobe Creative Suite
Toronto, Canada (PRWEB) March 19, 2012
InfiniteSkills unveiled its latest addition to their training library, the Adobe Creative Suite Web Design Tutorial Video, a comprehensive course that includes a range of lessons appropriate for beginners and advanced users alike. In 101 lessons, the new tutorial video prepares users on each aspect of website building, from creating the basic wireframe in Illustrator, establishing the graphic design in Photoshop then exporting it to Dreamweaver for final development, in simple and intuitive steps.
"This new training video is a great addition to the InfiniteSkills library," said Colin Boyd, sales director at InfiniteSkills. "It brings together multiple programs and techniques to meet one goal: good design on the Web."
Using Adobe Creative Suite to Build Websites Tutorial Video - Complete Training
The Adobe Creative Suite web course is divided into 11 chapters demonstrating each major part of the development process. After a brief introduction, veteran instructor Geoff Blake shows the user how to establish the layout file, put together a wireframe and export it for further development. Blake offers expert suggestions on website aesthetics and addresses the functional aspects of the site, from building a menu system to incorporating social media extensions and interactivity. The training video then discusses adding photos and textures in the layout to finalize the design stage.
Next, the tutorial video covers how to convert the Photoshop layout to HTML, the principles on element slicing and then further layout enhancements within Dreamweaver. Blake then demonstrates how to define and arrange the site before merging the Photoshop design into Dreamweaver. Finally, Blake's course gets into the details on how to build a self-running multimedia slide show in Flash, and the tutorial video ends with putting the final touches on the website.
"Geoff has a talent for breaking down really advanced concepts into direct steps that even beginners can follow," said Chris Johns, content coordinator for InfiniteSkills. "He whittles down months of traditional web design classes into a few of high-impact hours."
In addition to the Adobe Creative Suite Web Design Tutorial Video, Geoff Blake has created over 30 training videos on topics in development and design. He is known for combining an easygoing presentation style with years of expertise as a designer in both print and web-based industries.
The Using Adobe Creative Suite to Build Websites Tutorial Video is available for purchase for USD $99.95. The complete training can be downloaded directly from the InfiniteSkills website or ordered in DVD-ROM format, and both editions are compatible with Windows and Mac systems. A broad range of sample videos are available for online viewing, and they include some of the best lessons from the course.
About InfiniteSkills Inc
InfiniteSkills is a leading provider of video training on popular software, programming languages, and technical skills featuring the best technology teachers and tutors in the world. In addition to training on DVD, the company has actively pushed to publish its tutorials to eLearning and mobile app formats.


text:
Your roundup of all the hottest hot-stove items of the day. Photo via @joecapMARLINS. This is ... HOT FUCKING STOVE!!
• Albert Pujols probably won't be a Marlin after all. The rumors were fun while they lasted, but I think deep down we all knew this day was coming. Pujols and his agent are said to be spending today milking every possible cent from St. Louis, but the Marlins are "moving on emotionally," whatever that means.
• Everyone seems to be pretty sure the Angels are the "mystery team" courting Pujols, with one notable exception.
• The Marlins did find someone who would take their money. Mark Buehrle, welcome aboard.
• More Marlins news. Hanley Ramirez is upset about having to move to third, and he supposedly wants more money for his troubles. Buster Olney (shirtless, we presume) speculates that Miami could try to deal Ramirez and use the money it would save on Prince Fielder.
• Another story about a starting pitchers' hometown!
• Tampa Bay signed Triple-A legend Juan Miranda.
• A.J. Burnett is apparently not very popular on the trade market. Wonder why?
• The Yankees won the right to negotiate with a Japanese utility infielder.
• Jose Reyes, meet the fun police.
• The Mets acquired a bunch of guys who've lost closer jobs, plus Andres Torres.
• The Hideki Kuroda sweepstakes have begun.
• David Ortiz won't be leaving Boston, after all.
• The Padres may have finally found the last piece of the puzzle.
• Even more new out of South Florida! Is Loria fucking serious?
• The newly svelte Dmitri Young may have found himself a team.
• Erik Bedard signed with the Piratres. Perhaps more interesting is the fact that the story was broken in French.
• Lastings Milledge is the newest member of the Tokyo Swallows.
• Bryce Harper could be the Nationals right fielder this season.
• Ken Rosenthal throws lots and lots and lots of shit against the wall.


text:
Iron Maiden Unveil 2013 'Maiden England' Video Tour Diary
Iron Maiden are awesome, but you already knew that, which is why you'll be happy to check out the band's new tour diary. Maiden's latest leg of their 'Maiden England' tour, which revives the majority of their setlist following the release of 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son' in 1988, is currently in Europe and the band has documented the journey for your viewing pleasure.
Today (July 5), Iron Maiden posted their newest tour video along with the statement, "Iron Maiden are on the road! Here's the first tour diary…" The video showcases hundreds of thousands (if not well over a million) fans coming out to see the New Wave of British Heavy Metal legends perform one of their best set lists ever concocted. As always, Maiden have brought their favorite toys along with them, consisting of multiple giant Eddies, intricate sets, tons of banners, costumes and lots of fire.
While on the road, Iron Maiden celebrated drummer Nicko McBrain's birthday, commissioned an old Spitfire fighter aircraft to fly over a massive crowd (a favorite of vocalist and professional pilot Bruce Dickinson) and treated fans to a set many had been waiting on for well over two decades.
The near eight-minute video is a must-see for Iron Maiden fans, especially if you're planning to catch the legends on their remaining European, Asian, North American and South American tour dates. Check out Iron Maiden's new tour diary in the video above!


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lroot necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 76 diseños de 18 diseñadores freelance.
Armor Games
Armor Games is a online community for casual gamers. We offer an online destination hosting over a thousand flash games with new titles launching every week. We also produce game titles for both the Mobile Flash, iPhone platforms and Android platforms. ArmorGames.com version 3 will be going into a limited beta very soon. It represents a new logo and brand for the company. We are currently in need of a design for our "Front Door" page for the beta site.
Our audience consists primarily of males between 13-24. Most of these users are avid gamers and play casual games on several different platforms. We want to appeal to a higher age demographic.
We need a single web page design for the "Front Door" of our beta site (http://beta.armorgames.com). With this page needs to show off the new brand and its attributes. We want to communicate the excitement surrounding the development of Armor Games website, version 3.
NOTE: We are interested in options that use the Yellow version of our logo. However if you think you have a strong concept that uses one of the other colors or using just black and white please feel free to post it.
Title: Armor Games v3 is Coming!
Tagline: AGv3 beta
1) Communicate a short overview for the Armor Games beta site
2) Allow users to enter their email address in order to receive a private beta invite code
3) Allow users who received an invite code to sign in and "unlock" the beta site
4) Page must incorporate the new brand logo and assets in a creative and exciting manner
Note: Please reference the "Blueprint" pdf attached
Our current website (Armor Games v2): http://armorgames.com
Our current Beta "Front Door" page: http://beta.armorgames.com


text:
This guide is NOT about creating homebrew executables (exe-files) for WP7. This guide aims to utilize native code DLL's (C++ / ARM) from within your Silverlight app.
Note that with native code you get access to a lot of extra API's. But that does not mean you automatically get access to resources you normally won't have access to. For example, you can use the CopyFile() API. But if you try to copy a file to the \Windows folder, you will get errorcode 0x4ec (1260), which means "Blocked by policy". So you are still bound to the rules of the sandbox of your app. If you want Full Root Access for your app, you have to wait for a new version of WP7 Root Tools, which will allow you to give your app root-access. I'm also working on an SDK for that, which wraps all common task into a neat managed library. But don't hold your breath for that, because it's all taking a bit longer than I expected.
To understand everything in this guide you need basic knowledge of C++, COM-interop and Silverlight for Windows Phone. If you are new to all this, you might want to do some reading on these topics first. Currently there is no way to debug the native code. The only thing you can do is create test-functions which return formatted debug-info. This makes things pretty difficult. Read the guide carefully, because a little mistake can make your app crash easily!
Important note: If you have any long-running tasks, they may work fine while you are debugging. But you need to make sure that you start a new thread to run this code. Because, when you run without debugger the WatchDog will monitor your application and if the User Interface thread is blocked for more than 10 seconds the WatchDog will exit your app ungracefully!
It has been suggested that native homebrew DLL's need to be signed with approved code-signing keys. This is in fact not true! You can use native DLL's on Mango devices, which are not signed at all!
Basically there are two reasons why homebrew apps are not working anymore:
- Interop Lock
- DLL's were built against libraries, which are not supported anymore on Mango
Interop Lock is discussed in this thread. Interop Lock is a new protection mechanism in WP7.5 Mango. Basically it means you can't use apps with ID_CAP_INTEROPSERVICES, unless a device is Interop Unlocked. Without ID_CAP_INTEROPSERVICES an app can't call any drivers. And most homebrew apps call these drivers directly or indirectly. So if an app uses the Interop Capability, it can only run on devices that are Interop Unlocked. If you're going to build an app that uses this capability on Mango, you'll have to give your users instructions on how to apply Interop Unlock on their device.
Most of the native code libraries that were used on NoDo, were based on a hand full of projects. These projects were created and then extended for their own needs by other developers. The result was that most of these projects had the same project-types and library-references. In Mango, a lot of DLL's that were not used anymore by Microsoft, have been removed from the OS. Mostly in the ShellCore. The DLL's were meant for MFC-type functionality, which was never even supported on WP7. Actually, these DLL's are not even used by the homebrew apps either, but there are references to these DLL's in the homebrew libraries, which will cause the library to fail loading into memory. You can see this behavior when you try to run an app with non-Mango-compatible native code on an Interop Unlocked device from within the Visual Studio 2010 development environment. When the COM-class is instantiated it will throw an COMException: "COM object with CLSID '{...}' cannot be created due to the following error: The request is not supported." This is errorcode 0x80070032. This exception is actually caused due to the fact that the previous call to RegisterComDll() failed. If you get the returnvalue of that function you should have 0. In this case the return-value is probably 0x8007007E, which is "Module Not Found". This actually means that you directly or indirectly refer to a DLL, which cannot be found on the device. To fix this we need to create a clean project and add our new or existing native code to that project.
Here are the steps to setup your development environment and create a new, clean project for your native code. Please keep in mind that this guide is still work-in-progress. I may add more detailed instructions and examples later on, when people ask for it.
Update 2011/10/15: Some improvements in the guide, based on comments of rudelm and GoodDayToDie.
- Install Visual Studio 2008 with latest service pack and hotfixes. Make sure you install C++. You need Visual Studio 2008, because the necessary SDK does not support Visual Studio 2010.
- Install Windows Mobile 6 Professional SDK Refresh.
- Install Visual Studio 2010 with latest service pack and hotfixes. You need this to create your Windows Phone Silverlight app.
- Install Windows Phone SDK 7.1.
- Download the attached Microsoft.Phone.InteropServices.zip. After you downloaded the zip-file, open the file-properties and make sure the file is "unblocked" (Windows will block downloaded files). Some unzippers, including the built-in unzipper from Windows will mark the unzipped files as "blocked", which would give problems later on if you don't unblock first.
- If your developmachine is 32-bit you go to "C:\Program Files\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\Silverlight\v4.0\Pr ofile\WindowsPhone71" or if you have a 64-bit machine you go to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\Silverlight\v4.0\Pr ofile\WindowsPhone71". Extract the DLL from the zip-file in this folder.
- Open the Visual Studio Commandprompt and change directory to the folder where you just extracted the DLL. Then enter this command:
SN -Vr Microsoft.Phone.InteropServices.dll
- In the same folder there is a subfolder called "RedistList". Open that folder and open the file "FrameworkList.xml". Add this line to that file:
<File AssemblyName="Microsoft.Phone.InteropServices" Version="22.214.171.124" Culture="neutral" ProcessorArchitecture="MSIL" InGac="false" />
- Install the latest version of Zune.
- Open Visual Studio 2008 and create a new project.
- Choose Visual C++ / Smart Device / ATL Smart Device Project and fill in a name and location for your native library. Do NOT choose MFC, or your library won't work on WP7! The name will be the name for the DLL. Later on you will create a COM-class. Choose a different name for your library and for your COM-class!
- In the new wizard click "Next".
- Remove the "Pocket PC 2003" from the Selected SDK list and add "Windows Mobile 6 Pro SDK" to the selected SDK's. Click "Next".
- In "Application Settings" keep everything default and click "Finish".
- Set your configuration to "Release", because you won't be able to debug anyway.
- Go to Project Properties / Configuration Properties / C/C++ / Preprocessor / Preprocessor Definitions and add this: _CE_ALLOW_SINGLE_THREADED_OBJECTS_IN_MTA
- Right-click the project and click "Add" / "Class" and choose "Simple ATL object".
- In the new dialog enter the "Short name" for your COM-class. All other names are filled in automatically. Keep those names default to avoid naming-conflicts. Also make sure the name of your COM-class is different from the name of the library. All other options can are default, so you can click "Finish" now.
- The basic layout for your native project is now ready. Note that you have these files: for your library you have a header-file (.h), a code-file (.cpp) and a COM-definition-file (.idl) and for your COM-class you have a header-file (.h) and a code-file (.cpp). I will refer to these files in the following steps, so make sure you can identify these files.
- The COM-class you have now is based on IDispatch. IDispatch is the COM-interface that supports reflection-like functionality. The COMBridge in WP7 does not support this interface. Instead we should use IUnknown, which is the base-interface for all COM-objects and supports reference-counting.
- In the header file of your COM-class you can see the public inheritance of IDispatchImpl. This is no problem and you can leave it as it is. But you can also see this COM-mapping:
- In the IDL file of your library you need to change the inheritance of the COM-class from IDispatch to IUnknown.
- Your native code layout is now ready to add your methods. A method in COM-class should always have HRESULT as return-type. This value should be 0 or positive in case of success (normally use constant S_OK for success). If you have an errorcode which should throw a COMException do a logical OR with 0x80070000 and return that value. If you want to return a variable, you'll to declare that as parameter of your method and decorate it as returnvalue in the IDL-file. The parameter-types are bound by the definition of COM. You can read about the supported COM-datatypes here and here. Study those parameter-types closely, because any mismatch in your managed and unmanaged declarations will make your app crash definitely. You need to add all your methods in 3 different places: in the COM-class code, in the COM-class interface and in the IDL-file. Later on you need to add an exactly matching interface to your managed code. All the declarations have their own specific format and decoration. I will give an example of two different functions for these 3 files. Note that in these examples, the COM-class was named "Native", so the class implementation is called "CNative" and the interface is called "INative". You have to change that if your class has a different name.
- In the COM-class implementation (.cpp-file) add this code:
STDMETHODIMP CNative::TestMethod1() { BOOL result = ::CopyFile(L"\\Windows\\0000_System.Windows.xaml", L"\\Windows\\Test.xaml", TRUE); // This will fail due to insufficient privileges. This is expected behavior to show how errors can be handled. if (result) return S_OK; else return 0x80070000 | ::GetLastError(); } STDMETHODIMP CNative::TestMethod2(BSTR InputString, BSTR* OutputString) { size_t size = 1000; // in chars TCHAR* msg = new TCHAR[size]; wcscpy_s(msg, size, L"\0"); LPWSTR value = new WCHAR[20]; _itow((int)wcslen(InputString), value, 10); wcscat_s(msg, size, L"Length of string is: "); wcscat_s(msg, size, value); *OutputString = SysAllocString(msg); delete[] msg; delete[] value; return S_OK; }
- In the interface of the COM-class (.h-file) add this code immediately after END_COM_MAP():
STDMETHOD(TestMethod1)(); STDMETHOD(TestMethod2)(BSTR InputString, BSTR* OutputString);
- Locate your interface in the IDL-file of the library. This may look a bit weird, because there are a lot of attributes that decorate the empty interface. Add these declarations to your interface (note the decoration of the parameters, read more here):
HRESULT TestMethod1(); HRESULT TestMethod2(BSTR InputString, BSTR* OutputString);
- Now we need to locate two GUID's and copy them in a text-file, because we need these GUID's later on. These GUID's are in the IDL-file. We will call the first GUID "interface-GUID". It is the "uuid" in the tag RIGHT ABOVE the interface-declaration. We will call the second GUID "coclass-GUID". It is the "uuid" in the tag RIGHT ABOVE the coclass-declaration. There also a "uuid" in the tag above the library-declaration, but we don't need that one.
- Open Visual Studio 2010 and create a new project: Visual C# / Silverlight for Windows Phone and choose a project-type, name and location.
- Now go back to your native project in Visual Studio 2008. The compiled result DLL of this project will be used in your Windows Phone app. To make sure you always use the latest version of the native DLL in your Windows Phone app, you can add a Post Build Event to this project. This example assumes you will have a folder with a subfolder for the native solution and a subfolder for the Windows Phone solution. Go to Project Properties / Configuration Properties / Build Events / Post-build Events and add this (change the paths according to the soluton-foilder you will create for your Windows Phone app):
copy "$(TargetPath)" "$(SolutionDir)..\MyApp
- Now build your native project! The compiled DLL should now also be copied to the folder of your Windows Phone app.
- Create a new file called "WPInteropManifest.xml" in the folder of your managed Windows Phone app. Copy this content in the file:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <Interop> </Interop>
- Switch back to Visual Studio 2010. In the solution explorer click on "Show all files". Your native DLL and the "WPInteropManifest.xml" should be shown now.
- Select the "WPInteropManifest.xml" file and in the file-properties set "Build action" to "Content" and set "Copy" to "Always". You will always need this file in your project, regardless you will be calling drivers or not. If you don't have this file in your project, you won't be able to use your native DLL.
- Select your native DLL and in the file-properties set "Build action" to "Content" and set "Copy" to "Always".
- In the solution explorer, right-click on the project and choose "Add Reference". Then select "Microsoft.Phone.InteropServices".
- Open the "WMAppManifest.xml" file and add this line below the other capabilities:
<Capability Name="ID_CAP_INTEROPSERVICES" />
- Now add a code-file to your project and copy this code into the file. You need the the coclass-GUID and interface-GUID you copied into a text-file earlier and you also need to replace the name of the class and interface to the names you used. Also note that the declaration must be an exact match (order and parameters) with the declaration in the IDL-file, although the IDL-file is differently formatted.
using System.Runtime.InteropServices; [ComImport, ClassInterface(ClassInterfaceType.None), Guid("YOUR-COCLASS-GUID-GOES-HERE")] public class CNative { } [ComImport, Guid("YOUR-INTERFACE-GUID-GOES-HERE"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)] public interface INative { void TestMethod1(); [return : MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.BStr)] string TestMethod2([MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.BStr)] string InputString); }
- Now you need to call the native code. You can add this code to the constructor of your Page or to the eventhandler of a button, or anywhere you like. Be sure to replace the DLL-name, interface-name and class-name and use your coclass-GUID. The exception is a well-known error-code and the exception will be casted to a UnauthorizedAccessException, instead of a COMException.
uint retval = Microsoft.Phone.InteropServices.ComBridge.RegisterComDll("WP7Native.dll", new Guid("YOUR-COCLASS-GUID-GOES-HERE")); INative MyNativeCodeInstance = (INative)new CNative(); string result1 = "OK"; try { MyNativeCodeInstance.TestMethod1(); // UnauthorizedAccessException is thrown due to insufficient privileges. This is expected behavior to show how errors can be handled. } catch (Exception ex) { result1 = ex.Message; } string result2 = MyNativeCodeInstance.TestMethod2("Hello, Mango!"); MessageBox.Show(result1 + Environment.NewLine + result2);
- You can now run your project! Be sure that you deploy it to your device. The emulator won't work, because you project uses native ARM code. The emulator runs on x86, so your native DLL won't load in the emulator.
- When you go more advanced, you may need the Marshal-class. For example to copy a native memory-block to a managed byte-array. Be aware that there are actually two "Marshal" classes. There is "Microsoft.Phone.InteropServices.Marshal" and "System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal". They both look the same. But be sure you are using "Microsoft.Phone.InteropServices.Marshal", because it will allow you to do a lot more! Most methods in "System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal" will throw a MethodAccessException, because they are tagged [SecurityCritical], while the same methods in the other Marshal class will work.
I hope this will help you port your homebrew apps to Mango or create some fresh new homebrew! If you created an app with native code, drop me a line here. Show me your Screen Recorders, Accent Changers and more!


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Supercomputer Behind Film Special Effects: Now For Hire
Posted by Hector Martinez Categories: Movies, PC / Laptop,
The network of computers used to generate the special effects wizardry behind the Lord of the Rings trilogy is still being used today, on a work-for-hire basis, for a variety of purposes. One project is the design of a super yacht, while another is around the testing of gene sequencing algorithms. Doesn't get much more varied than that. Not to fear though, as film companies are still using the supercomputer for their effects, including Peter Jackson's King Kong remake. Able to crunch more than 2.8 trillion calculations per second, it is now 104th most powerful supercomputer on the planet.
Read More | BBC News
Sony's Flash Based Walkmans
Posted by Oscar M. Cantu Categories: Portable Audio / Video,
Last month there was a rumor about Sony's latest flash memory based MP3 player. Sony officially launched the beautiful MP3 player to challenge Apple's iPod Shuffle. The MP3 player is available in three flavors, 256MB, 512MB or 1GB and sports a 3 line OLED screen. Sony claims that some of its newer models can generate three hours of playback on a three minute charge! You can expect a 256MB version to set you back $133.84 (100 euros) and the 1GB to run about $321.22 (200 euros).
Read More | Reuters
ColorWare Mac minis
Posted by Hector Martinez Categories: PC / Laptop,
It's pretty amazing what a good color job will do to an ordinary looking device. Not that the Mac mini was ordinary to begin with, but still, with one of 20 custom color jobs from Colorware, you will be the envy of Apple fans everywhere. You can pimp out your mini for $99, and they are also planning to offer matching keyboards and mice. Check out the jobs that ColorWare did on our iPod, and Xbox - they are a class act.
Read More | 123 Mac Mini
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Samsung 7-Megapixel SCH-V770 Camera Phone
Posted by Hector Martinez Categories: Cameras, Cell Phones,
Yes, you read that right. This is the world's first 7 megapixel camera phone. Of course you're going to need to carry the optical zoom separately, but just think about how sharp those prints are going to be. The SCH-V770's has a 1/1.8 inch type CCD image sensor, 3x optical zoom lens, flash and manual focus control. It also has 32 megabytes of internal memory, enough to store what, like 2 pictures at this resolution?
Read More | Camera Phone Zone
Gas Powered Blender
Posted by Andru Edwards - Categories: Misc. Tech,
I don't know about you, but I know that when I am in the midst of the wilderness, I want nothing more than a nicely blended smoothie. Of course, being that there are no electric outlets in said wilderness, I usually have to resort to something less appealing - but no more! This gas powered blender will have you making margaritas using only the power of propane. Oh, please keep it away from open flames.
Read More | Gas Powered Blender
Gear Live Giveaway: Sony PSP Value Pack
Posted by Andru Edwards - Categories: Announcements, Video Games,
Each week, Gear Live gives away awesome tech prizes courtesy of PrizeCube. The winner of the last contest was Matt M., who walked away with a brand new Logitech Harmony 676 Remote Control.
I am going to make this quick, and easy. You all want a PSP. You may not want to pay $249 for a Value Pack that may be bundled with things you don't even want, but you still want one. This is where we come in. We are going to give away two Sony PSP Value Packs in this contest. To enter, all you need to do is tell us which PSP launch game has you the most stoked - without using Ridge Racers as your answer. Just let us know which game it is, and why, in the comments area. In a week, we will randomly pick two people who met the requirements, and their PSP's will be shipped when the product launches. As a friendly reminder, anyone is allowed to leave a comment, but only U.S. residents are eligible to win the prize. Thanks again to PrizeCube for sponsoring our giveaways.
Turn Your Gameboy Advance Into A GPS Device
Posted by Andru Edwards - Categories: Mods / Hacks,
The cool thing about the Gameboy Advance is that, aside from playing games, you can use it to do all sorts of other things. One devoted person modded theirs into a fully functional GPS unit. It turns out that all you need is a GBA, a GPS device with a serial out, and a flash cartridge for the Gameboy Advance. The software used to do the mod is all free. Nice!
(Thanks Gohan!)
Read More | GBA GPS
Sony Ericsson K751i Camera Phone
Posted by Andru Edwards - Categories: Cell Phones,
Sony Ericsson continues hitting us with the hot ish in the cell phone category. Case in point, the K751i camera phone. As you can see, it is has the candy bar look, with a 262,000 color 176x220 display. The 2.0 megapixel camera functionality on this phone includes a most welcome auto focus feature. This means that people looking at your moblog will no longer have the sudden urge to rip their eyes out after a minute or two. The K751i also introduces VideoDJ and PhotoDJ apps, allowing users to mess around with animations and photos stored on the phone. It also supports Java games, MP3's, and has a built-in FM tuner. Throw in Bluetooth, 32 MB of onboard memory (plus an included 64 MB Memory Stick DUO), and a speaker phone and you have a very respectable GSM unit.
(Thanks Gohan!)
Read More | MobileBurn
Sony PS3 To Be Revealed Next Week?
Posted by Oscar M. Cantu Categories: Video Games,
We love video game gossip, especially when it relates to any details about the next generation in console gaming. Last month we told you that the PS3 was rumored to be released before E3 - turns out we got that partially right. According to GameIndustry, Sony will unveil its Playstation 3 to key Sony executives next week at an internal meeting. Sadly, the meeting is exclusive to Sony executives. Sony has stated that the first time the console will be unveiled will be at May's E3.
(Thanks gohan_bcc1!)
Read More | GameIndustry
Forza MotorSport New York Screenshots
Posted by Oscar M. Cantu Categories: Video Games,
The Big Apple never looked this good in any other game - believe that. Check out these screen shots of New York City from the upcoming Xbox exclusive Forza MotorSport. The pictures even include avenues and district names for reference. However, there is a flaw that comes to mind in terms of accuracy – where is the traffic? This title will be released on May 3, 2005, aiming to compete with the Playstation exclusive Grand Turismo 4.
Read More | ForzaCentral
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Water Heater Leak in Walnut Park, CA 90255
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Live Scan Fingerprinting
Live Scan is inkless electronic fingerprinting offered by University Police through the Department of Justice and FBI fingerprinting services to SSU faculty, staff and students. This service may be utilized by University departments who require employees undergo background checks. In addition, many members of our community take advantage of this program for activities in their personal life, including volunteer and education-related positions.
Fingerprinting costs vary based on the level and type of fingerprinting service. The fee to provide the service is $15.00 and is added to any charges required by DOJ or the FBI.
Fingerprinting is done by appointment only. Please visit University Police or call (707) 664-4444 to make an appointment. You must bring a Live Scan fingerprinting form and a valid government identification card on the day of your printing.
University departments that require fingerprinting for their employees may make special arrangements with us. This may include dedicated days and direct billing for fees. Please contact us at (707) 664-4444 to inquire about departmental arrangements.


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Missouri appeals court overturns murder conviction in 2001 slaying of newspaper sports editor
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A state appeals court panel on Tuesday overturned the murder conviction of a Missouri man who has maintained his innocence while serving a 40-year sentence for the 2001 slaying and robbery of a newspaper sports editor.
The appeals court ruled that the prosecutor's office withheld evidence from defense attorneys for Ryan Ferguson that could have aided him during his trial for the strangling and beating death of Columbia Daily Tribune sports editor Kent Heitholt.
"Under the facts and circumstances of this case, we conclude that Ferguson did not receive a fair trial. His verdict is not worthy of confidence," Western District appeals court Judge Cynthia Martin wrote in the 3-0 decision.
Ferguson's case has been the subject of numerous national TV news shows, in part, because his 2005 conviction came after his high school classmate, Chuck Erickson, testified that he had recalled from dreams several years later that the two of them had been involved in Heitholt's slaying after a late night of Halloween partying.
Erickson received a 25-year sentence as part of a plea agreement for testifying against Ferguson.
But during an April 2012 court hearing, Erickson recanted his incrimination of Ferguson and said his memory of that night was hazy because had been using drugs and alcohol. During that hearing, former Tribune janitor Jerry Trump also said he had testified falsely during Ferguson's trial when he identified Ferguson and Erickson as the two men he saw in the newspaper's parking lot where Heitholt was killed in the early morning of Nov. 1, 2001.
Cole County Judge Dan Green declined to grant Ferguson a new trial last year. Ferguson then took his case to the appeals court, which heard arguments this September. The appeals panel said Ferguson should be released if prosecutors have not filed notice of a retrial within 15 days after the court issues its formal mandate, which could take several weeks.
Ferguson's attorneys planned to file a motion Tuesday seeking his immediate release on bond from a Jefferson City prison.
"When I told him what had happened, he was speechless, then he was very excited. He seemed like he was in shock," said Ferguson's attorney, Kathleen Zellner of Chicago.
Zellner added: "We're thrilled that finally a court has recognized the constitutional violations that occurred during the trial by the state withholding evidence from the defense."
The office of Boone County Prosecutor Dan Knight said in an email Tuesday that he had no immediate comment because he first wants to read the ruling and discuss it with Attorney General Chris Koster's office, which represents the state on appeals.
A Koster spokeswoman also had no immediate comment.
The appeals court ruling focused on a phone conversation that an investigator in the Boone County prosecutor's office had with Trump's wife, Barbara Trump.
Trump originally testified that, while he was in prison for an unrelated reason, his wife sent him a Tribune newspaper in March or April of 2004 that had pictures of Ferguson and Erickson — and that he recognized them as the people he saw in the newspapers' parking lot the night of the slaying.
The appeals court said an investigator interviewed Barbara Trump, who said she did not recall sending her husband a newspaper. The court said the investigator never wrote a report about the interview, so the information never was shared with Ferguson's defense attorneys but should have been. Barbara Trump's statement was important, because it raised questions about why her husband claimed during a December 2004 meeting with prosecutors that he now could identify Ferguson and Erickson, the court said.
The appeals court cited Barbara Trump's interview as part of a pattern in which prosecutors failed to disclose evidence to Ferguson's defense attorneys, including the fact that Jerry Trump had said he could identify Ferguson.
Zellner referred to Barbara Trump's undisclosed interview as "the thread that unraveled the case" but described the court's 54-page ruling as "pretty broad sweeping."
Follow David A. Lieb at: http://www.twitter.com/DavidALieb


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Hello foundry regulars, passers-by, and newcomers,
Another two weeks have slipped by so quickly. So quickly in fact that this issue is out late, much unlike the previous 5 issues. I moved back to school today, the same day as a publishing date. And then despite having all the content ready, forgot to post the issue. Sorry about the delay on the issue, but better late than never, yes? As I'm sure everyone's noticed, we've got those long-quenched maps rolling out for live play at last, and with it has been an upswing in activity in the Foundry. A lot of maps not seen since as far back as the 2nd Issue are active once again, and covered in this issue. Also in this issue is a different editorial than the norm by Foundry lurker jiminski, a spotlight of Edbeard and his map of Haiti, and what the community's impressions of the Foundry were when they first stumbled upon it.
I know you'll enjoy it,
Senior Editor
Name: Nubian Egypt
Creator: cairnswk
Description: In what the creator calls the third map in the Egypt Quadtych, the lesser-known part of the Nile, Nubia, is getting covered. It's a small map with fairly easy bonuses, and a dedication to the Egyptian theme that cairns has cultivated in his other Egypt maps.
Present Development: Quenched.
Name: Supermax: Prison Riot
Creators: mibi and Coleman
Description: Rival gangs are at war with each other in a maximum security prison. They're willing to bribe guards, use weapons, and even take over the entire prison to accomplish their goals. This detailed map offers dozens of ways to build forces, and its gameplay is like no other on CC right now. Take a look at this one before it takes you by surprise.
Present Development: Quenched.
Name: Archipelago
Creators: ZeakCytho and Mjinga
Description: A small chain of islands is at war! This fictional archipelago is fought over by the players in a simple classic-style map. The sharp graphics go hand in hand with the lack of gameplay quirks, a driving impetus behind this map.
Present Development: Following some graphical tweaks on a particular volcano, this map looks to be nearing an XML stamp in the near future.
Name: British Isles Revamp
Creator: Gimil
Description: One of the most beloved maps in the game is getting a makeover. The creator has redone the look of the map to be much cleaner and geographically accurate to the Isles.
Present Development: Stalled, but more or less complete.
Name: CC City Mogul
Creator: DiM
Description: The dice have been complained about since the birth of CC. This map aims to make that a non-issue by making every single bonus 5 times the normal size. Craft a shopping empire on this blueprint-styled map, and erect a manor and shopping mall to declare your mercantile victory.
Present Development: Final images are posted, the Quench is expected very soon.
Name: The Citadel
Creator: TaCktiX
Description: What better place to have a military takeover than at a military college's campus? That is the premise of The Citadel. Based directly off of the campus and its buildings, this medium-sized map goes for fairly straightforward gameplay, with a couple of quirks.
Present Development: More or less complete, with an XML stamp added to the list recently.
Name: Conquer 4
Creators: gimil, KEYOGI, and yeti_c
Description: In some ways, Conquer 4 is a simple map: all bonuses are determined by only two rules. But every territory can attack 8 ways and bonuses are where you make them. This map will certainly be crazy to play, with bonuses coming and going simply by conquering one territory.
Present Development: Despite the monumentality of the task, the XML has been posted, though as yet unchecked.
Name: Golfe du St-Laurent
Creators: Lone.prophet and Unit_2
Description: The Gulf of St. Lawrence (French, Golfe du St-Laurent) is the world's largest estuary, but conservation takes a backseat to beating the pulp out of others on this map of the gulf and its surrounding areas. It's an average-sized map with well-done textures and area-appropriate colors. Its classic gameplay is without any gimmicks and should be easy to pick up.
Present Development: Due to the Final Forge slowdown, this map has been very quiet of late. A completed XML is still on the way.
Name: Imperium Romanum
Creator: Qwert
Description: The Roman Empire was one of the most powerful empires that ever existed. This map encourages you to build that empire for yourself by commanding legions, cities, and ships to gain an edge on your foes. Graphics are vibrant and eye-catching, with lots of Rome-related paraphernalia on the edges.
Present Development: More or less complete, awaiting XML stamping as the Forge slowdown resolves itself.
Name: Oasis
Creator: wcaclimbing
Description: Calling Oasis a phenomenon would do it no credit. This graphical feast has taken the Foundry by storm, leaving several regular commenters drooling for the next update. It's based around a central objective Grand Oasis surrounded by decaying desert, and lots of one-territory bonuses sprinkled throughout. Watch out for this map, it's certain to change the way objective maps are made.
Present Development: A finished XML is due any day now, and font differences between large and small are being discussed on the graphical side.
Name: Poker Map
Creators: yeti_c, Coleman, and WidowMakers
Description: Go all in with this take on a poker game. With a mixed-up deck spread on a well-rendered poker table, gameplay will revolve around creating poker hands through force. No bluffs here, this should turn out to be quite an interesting map.
Present Development: XML has been posted, and the text explanations on the map are being fine-tuned for easier understanding.
Name: San Marino
Creator: Ruben Cassar
Description: The Ruben Cassar formula to a T: a simple map based around a small area. It's attractive to the eye, and while being average size has plenty of bonuses that should be easy to get and hold onto.
Present Development: This map has been relatively quiet in the wake of the Forge slowdown. More activity should be on the way.
Name: Brazil
Creator: RjBeals
Description: The ultimate winner of the well-publicized Brazil Revamp Competition, Rj has created a map that simply oozes with color, fitting for a nation known for its vibrant culture. Graphics are the order du jour now.
Present Development: Brazil regained its true north orientation and the neon impassables went up in a haze of smoke thanks to comments. Other tweaks are certain to be in the works.
Name: Charleston, SC
Creator: RjBeals
Description: Charleston, famous for its role in the American Civil War, the American Revolutionary War, and...Conquer Club maps? In this take on America's second largest Atlantic seaport, Rj has created a straightforward large map with simple but attractive graphics.
Present Development: Back in production after a brief hiatus, the map is getting positive comments and small tweaks..
Name: Cyprus
Creator: Ruben Cassar
Description: Cyprus is a hotly contested country, with a Berlin Wall-style line splitting two disparate populations. So what better place to make a map all about conquering? The creator has created a map that not only incorporates the Green Line UN peace zone, but turns it into an interesting gameplay device. The simple, clean graphics only add to the attraction of the map.
Present Development: The colors of the continents have been in debate, with the present color scheme thought of as being too cold. Nothing new has happened recently, likely due to the mapmaker having a map in Final Forge.
Name: Das Schloß
Creator: Cairnswk
Description: This map is unique in several ways. For one, it is the only map that can only be won by completing the objective. For two, it's gone back from quenching into the foundry with a major rework of the map's mechanics to fix some unforeseen balance issues.
Present Development: Discussions about the bonuses and the reworked gameplay are the main focus right now. Once issues are resolved on those and all present games on the older map are completed, the map will get re-quenched.
Name: Eastern Hemisphere
Creator: Oaktown
Description: What happens when you slice the world in half then age it 90 years? This map showing the far side of the world around 1910! It's the time when the great European empires are crumbling, and the creator has worked hard on making gameplay appropriate to the time setting. Expect a fresh world experience soon.
Present Development: Changing text so it's thematically accurate and various other tweaks are the topics of discussion right now.
Name: Europa
Creator: MrBenn
Description: The creator set out upon a simple goal: make a map about the way Europe really is, even down to Vatican City. He's stayed true to that vision, and the map reflects it, with a clean look to all the countries no matter their size. The map makes good use of natural boundaries to create impassables, adding to the clean feel of the map.
Present Development: Further title options are being posted, while elements of the map are being nitpicked for accuracy and prettiness.
Name: Forbidden City
Creator: Cairnswk
Description: The Forbidden City has always been an interesting part of Chinese history since its construction in the Ming dynasty. So the most quenched mapmaker has taken a unique bent in portraying it. Instead of just featuring the City itself, he has added outsiders from all over history that have tried to take over the City in some way. Add to that the simple, illustrative graphics reminiscent of Chinese culture circa 19th century, and you've got the whole enchilada.
Present Development: Map understanding has become easier as time has gone on, and the text on the map is being nitpicked most heavily right now.
Name: Famine
Creator: Bryguy
Description: 8 players, 8 castles, and a famine on the land. Grab your empire's territories, but also grab the resources to feed it. It's a unique premise gameplay-wise, and should make play on it fairly exciting and ruthless.
Present Development: Awaiting a big graphical update, promised in the near future.
Name: France, 18th Century
Creator: Pamoa
Description: The French Revolution changed the course of European history, so having a map based on the country at that time only makes sense. It's a simple, attractive small map, with classic gameplay. The clean approach to the map has made it very interesting to watch as it has progressed.
Present Development: The color debate resolved, the map is awaiting a few clarifying updates.
Name: Germany Revamp
Creator: Pepperonibread
Description: The current Germany map, as many German members have pointed out, is quite inaccurate. In this revamp, Pepperonibread is redrawing many of the borders to more accurately reflect the real Germany, as well as changing many of the territory names. Finally, the graphics will be completely overhauled and replaced with, in the words of Gimil, "super cool, shit hot graphics."
Present Development: Some further tweaks are being done on the color palette, and how territories look to enforce the same gameplay as the original Germany map is a topic of discussion.
Name: Holy Roman Empire
Creators: Grayhawke and Pamoa
Description: The Holy Roman Empire has been said to neither be Holy, nor Roman, and most certainly not an Empire. At least CC players can fix the last part by building their own on this map detailing the HRE and surrounding nations. Taking a combination continent/influence bonus gameplay, the map tries to bring out some of the history of the HRE, all the while backing it with simple, solid graphics.
Present Development: Now enlivened with more vibrant colors, small nitpicks on the graphics are driving updates. The gameplay stamp was recently handed out as well.
Name: Madagascar
Creator: t-o-m
Description: Another small map in the pipeline, this time of the island nation of Madagascar. Gameplay is straightforward, and the territory naming accurately reflects the regions of the country. Graphics are fairly simple, which helps the appeal of the map.
Present Development: Small graphical issues are getting addressed, making this map look very likely to enter the Forge soon.
Name: Maze Craze
Creators: WidowMakers and yeti_c
Description: This map is big: 454 territories big. And it has a very novel gameplay revolving around neutrals that reset to much higher values when they're conquered. This is definitely a map to watch as it develops further.
Present Development: After a short hiatus, the map is back to the grindstone, working toward finalized graphics.
Name: Rail Australia
Creator: Cairnswk
Description: Cairns is becoming a master of serial maps. Following up Rail USA and Rail Europe is this third map, Rail Australia. It brings, as expected, the rail system from Down Under into vivid color. Unlike the other two though, there are added twists to the map that should make play very interesting and varied.
Present Development: Now with the signature Rail look and graphical explanations of the unique parts, this map is coming along nicely.
Name: Switzerland
Creator: Kaplowitz
Description: Switzerland is famed for its bank accounts, neutrality in war, and sweeping mountains. So have a hostile takeover on this average-sized map of the country. Graphics are simple and the gameplay matches, with only classic continents and impassables.
Present Development: With a lighter look, the map is making good strides toward being Graphics Passed.
Name: War of the Triple Alliance
Creator: Oaktown
Description: This map captures the War of the Triple Alliance, South America's bloodiest war, fought on one side by Paraguay and on the other by Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. The muted colors and faded images help make this map truly feel 19th Century. The gameplay is classic, lacking any sort of twist or gimmick.
Present Development: The gameplay is being hammered out right now, along with a few graphical tweaks. Some stamps should come in the near future.
Name: WWII Europe
Creator: Qwert
Description: Long stalled due to its large size, this map has undergone a weight-loss program and now fits within the size requirements. Taking his WWII Eastern and Western Front maps and meshing them with a Central front in the middle, this is a map that covers the entire theater of the war in Europe. With a large scale, and lots of opportunities, it will definitely be the WWII map to play when it's quenched.
Present Development: The map is showing significant improvement and input is being requested on map abbreviations on the small and large versions.
Name: Bering Strait
Creator: Lanyards
Stamps: [Advanced Draft]
Description: This is a geographic map of the region of the Bering Sea. Half of the map is in Asia, half in America. The game play is all classic, with the minor exception of a few territories that are not part of any continent. The graphics are fairly simple, and capture the cold feeling of the Arctic.
Present Development: Silent of late and in danger of being moved into a forced vacation due to a lack of updates.
Name: Romania
Creator: Foregone
Stamps: [Advanced Draft]
Description: Romania is a little-known country in Eastern Europe, yet steeped in history dating back to the Roman Empire (hence its name). This map takes the country and infuses a piece of parchment with a no-frills depiction of the country, with a touch of hand-drawn charm.
Present Development: With numerous tweaks to fit the theme better while making it easier to understand, the map recently became an Advanced Draft.
Name: USA 6 Region Map Pack
Creator: WidowMakers
Stamps: [Advanced Draft]
Description: This project is bold. WM is aiming to create 6 maps based on the 6 regions of the USA map, all with the same essential mechanics. The graphics are simple and effective, reflecting the colors and territories of the USA map while keeping a new set of flair. It's sure to be perfect tournament material, as well as an interesting set of maps to play with friends.
Present Development: All six maps are up, and gameplay is being discussed before further graphical improvements are incorporated into them all.
jiminski wrote:As with all art, for a piece to succeed, it needs to resonate with the essential nature of what it seeks to portray. What the foundry and its unique collective of creators, coders and hey.. even the snipers.. what they do so remarkably, is form art by committee.
The talents who instigate the ideas and do the fundamental work are extraordinary. But the process and individuals' willingness to work together towards what best characterises a project... that is truly unique!
Hah and now a poem :
Wrought on the anvil of naughts and ones,
New Worlds created, sated, shunned!
We little gods with mouse for clay,
Will surely Change the World one day.
Ancient rivers shaped at will,
Brutal tools to shape and fill,
The greatest jungle turns lush and green,
Idealised thought turns fraught serene.
And thus our land of Now and Then,
Evoked in minds from hand to pen,
Their smell, their touch, their jealous charm!
Our pleasure plucked from genius palm.
Thank you, Foundry, Jim
edbeard-ed wrote:How old are you/what gender are you/where do you live? Answer specifically, vaguely, or not at all.
I am not older than 27 and not younger than 25. I do not have a menstrual cycle and while I do live in North America, I do not live in Mexico or Canada.
How did you find out about Conquer Club?
My buddy lives in Alaska and was reading the news on some local website. Apparently a kid had been caught stealing the wireless internet from a library for a second time (I think?) and was using it to take care of moderating duties on Conquer Club. This was AK Iceman and my buddy told me about the site a few weeks later.
What is your favorite map currently up for live play? Why that one?
I don't think I have a favorite. I'm more of a fan of standard game-play, but I do enjoy the occasional non-standard game so I'm looking forward to seeing my map ('Operation Drug War'), mibi's 'Supermax: Prision Riot!', and cairnswk's 'Treasures of Galapagos'. I enjoy most of the standard maps out there but I can't decide on one. I like most of 'em, so I use tournaments as an excuse to play more maps.
How did you first find the Foundry?
Soon after I joined CC, I saw new maps pop up: 'King of the Mountains'; 'Chinese Checkers'; 'U.S. Senate'. I didn't particularly love any of those but it made me interested in new maps. My buddy (same as above) originally was going to do a map but never did. He did help me a lot on my first map by looking at most of my versions before I posted them. It's quite helpful because if he said it didn't work, I didn't have to wait for Foundry folk to come in and say it. I could just change it right away.
What was your first map? Why that one?
Caribbean Islands. I don't remember why it came up but the first version was quite a horrible mix of reality and fantasy. I took existing islands (Cuba, Jamaica, I think Hispaniola too) and moved them so they all fit in one space. Anyway, I quickly realized a reality based map would be much easier and it made a lot more sense, so I stuck to that area.
How many quenched maps do you have?
Three. Caribbean Islands, South America (worked with Marvaddin of Phillipines and Brazil fame), and, the soon to be uploaded (hopefully) Operation Drug War (graphics thanks to Telvannia!). It's an objective map that has four different objectives. Or, you can just 'kill everybody'. I think (hope) it takes the good parts of a symmetrical map and combines it with the good parts of a non-symmetrical map.
What's your favorite kind of feedback?
Any feedback is good because it tells you this person has SOME type of interest in the map. My favorite is the kind from the person that take the time to think from my perspective and solve a problem I've been having gameplay-wise or graphics-wise.
What "keeps you going" through getting a map through the Foundry?
All my maps (and I'm assuming other people's) are ones that I want to play. I'm a selfish mapmaker. I want maps that I'm going to have fun playing and I use the Foundry to help make a balanced game. After every map I've said, "that's my last one." But, each time I've come back. I do think I'm getting closer to really stopping though. I'm interested in making maps to play but not so much making maps that look good. Obviously this is hugely important, but I'm here to play a game.
What inspired you to make Haiti?
I was thinking, "hey I want to make another map." I looked at various things and came across Haiti. It was fairly easy to start because of how the departments (they're like provinces or states) are setup. My bonus areas were pretty much sculpted for me. I just thought it'd make for a fun small map.
There have been a lot of issues regarding the bonuses for Haiti. Could you give us your take on the challenges behind balancing this map?
Well, the game play on small maps is harder to do. Balancing just has no room for error. Anyone that followed 'Doodle Earth' knows how long that map took to finish. It's frustrating but very necessary. If you look at where the map started and where it is now, it's quite different. That's what the Foundry does. It takes your idea and stretches it to places you didn't even think it would go.
How much time do you spend on each update?
It always depends. On my earlier maps, it took me quite a bit longer. I didn't know how to use all the tools and had bad organization for my layers. Some can take 20 minutes. Some can take hours. If you have to redraw all your borders, be ready for a boring afternoon.
Haiti has had a number of sporadic updates, sometimes with long periods of inactivity in between. What keeps bringing you away from, and back to, this map?
Some of it is laziness. Some of it is being too busy. I took a long break when preparing for my master's exam. Some of it is me trying to figure out what the heck to do with the map. The game play issues are tough to hammer out. Often, if you take yourself away from the situation for an extended period of time, the answer will come when you come back. And, it'll seem obvious. I think it also helps because feedback can be sporadic so it can be quite frustrating.
Was there anything in the Foundry that you found surprising or unpredictable concerning your map?
I think the early reception that was mostly positive. My maps don't usually bring loads of people. I was just surprised at how many people posted and said they liked the map.
What do you think of the Foundry process in general?
Umm. Some is good and some is bad. It's easy to criticise when you're not part of the process. The volunteers work quite hard, and it's a thankless job. I do think there's a lot of bad bureaucracy and unnecessary things we have to do. But, it's always getting better. There's tons of maps being developed and probably less people commenting per map. It still chugs along though.
Any questions that weren't asked above that you'd like to have answered?
Just some advice for people wanting to make maps
1. To get a map quenched, you have to be dedicated. You have to be patient. You have to be able to update on a regular basis. You can't pop in and say, "I want to make a map" and expect to be done in a month or two. It'll take months. This is the downfall of many maps.
2. Make a good base for your map. This means the borders. This is the most frustrating thing to redo so make sure it's done right the first time. Make copies of your layers. Make each continent its own layer. Make the outside borders its own layer. This helped me a lot.
3. Be ready and willing to do what people say. The comments are about your map, not you. It won't be perfect on the first version.
It seems most people come to the Foundry to see if they can make a map themselves. A fair percentage come to suggest any idea, but others stumble in by accident or find themselves lost and confused!
whitestazn88 wrote:I've always found the maps on conquer club to be something special. When I first arrived to the site, I didn't realize that RISK could be played on so many maps, and they were are pretty good looking at the time too. So when I started looking around in the forums, the first place I went to was the Foundry, because GD seemed, and still seems, like a place where only "veteran" players who have been around since way back when in terms of this site go. I liked the process that maps have to go through, that people have lots of input on what they want to play, and how it all led to quality maps being produced.
Bryguy wrote:when I joined, I mainly just played the maps. Then I noticed after a little while that there were maps that would come out with the new tags on them, and I wondered where the maps were coming from. Thats when I first wandered into the forums, saw the map foundry, and decided to look around. My initial thoughts were, so this is where the maps come from! I wonder if I can make one?, So I started looking around and after a while figured out how to make maps, and since then ive been hooked
Kaplowitz wrote:"This...is...awesome."
I'm not sure I'd still be here a year later if it weren't for the Foundry.
edbeard wrote:When I saw 'Chinese Checkers', 'King of the Mountains', and 'U.S. Senate' come out, I thought making a map would be a cool thing to do. I read all the rules, regulations, how to threads, and even some developing map threads before I posted (very strange way to do it, I know) and started my first map. It was a very horrible map in the Caribbean, but it eventually became the map known as 'Caribbean Islands'.
Jiminski wrote:Definitely "what the heck is going on.. i am lost"
but with a little perseverance, it is a welcoming (in the main) and fascinating place which buzzes with ideas.
Next issue's perspectives poll deals with the number of maps you play on average! Please vote (clicky)
Enjoy this week's issues? Haven't signed up yet?
Then feel free to subscribe to the newsletter by sending a PM with your name to the Newsletter's senior editor, TaCktiX (clicky). By subscribing you will receive every new issue of the Newsletter straight into your inbox, keeping you up to date with all the new latest developments in the Foundry.
Wrap up
We would like to thank you all for taking the time to read and enjoy our newsletter.
See you next time!
ZeakCytho - Perspectives Editor, Spotlight Editor, Maps In Development Editor
wcaclimbing - Graphics
gimil - Formatting Editor, Graphics
InkL0sed - Proofreading Editor
TaCktiX - Senior Editor, Editorial Editor, Maps in Development Editor


text:
Specialist Oral Surgeon
Oral Surgeon opportunity available now to join our team in our well established practice in Diss or Eye. These practices are based in Norfolk and due to their proximity to each other; this role can be based at either practice.
This position is available immediately at primarily 1 day a month however with scope for this to grow into more frequent sessions. There is a big potential for nearby Oasis practices to refer into these two practices, and also from the neighbouring area. This position would suit someone who is looking for a new challenge, and who has the tenacity to build up the diary through weekly lunch and learns, study clubs and referrals.
Both these practices provide an excellent combination of NHS, and private dental treatment and have excellent commuter links to London. For this role we are able to accept applications from both specialists and a dentist with a special interest in Oral Surgery with the relevant experience.
It is a fantastic time to join Oasis as we were recently named in the 'Sunday Times' Top Track 250. Ranking 61st we achieved a massive leap up from 119th last year.
If you are asking yourself the question 'why join Oasis' then please allow me to highlight just some of the incentives that I think you'll really like!
- Excellent Working facilities
- Most enjoy modern equipment such as digital X-rays
- Opportunities to develop your personal career
- Discounted CPD courses
- Discounted Indemnity that actually offers you 'full' cover, bespoke to Oasis
- Opportunities to relocate to other practices, with an easy transition process
- Clinical freedom and support


text:
Lisa Marie Presley said her ex-husband Michael Jackson told her he was afraid he would die before his time, just like Presley's father Elvis.
The daughter of the King, who went on to marry the King of Pop, said on her MySpace blog that she battled to save the enigmatic superstar from the demons and the hangers-on that drained him of his money and spirit. But the most startling revelation from Presley was a premonition Jackson had during their 18-month marriage, which ended in 1996.
"At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty, 'I am afraid that I am going to end up like [Elvis Presley], the way he did,'" she wrote. "I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that."
Presley, 41, insisted that her marriage to the Gloved One was no sham, as many suspected at the time, but that it ended because she "was in over my head."
"At that time, in trying to save him, I almost lost myself," Presley wrote. "He was an incredibly dynamic force and power that was not to be underestimated. When he used it for something good, It was the best and when he used it for something bad, It was really, REALLY bad.
"The hardest decision I have ever had to make was to walk away and let his fate have him, even though I desperately loved him and tried to stop or reverse it somehow."
Presley said she became angry after their breakup and spent years detaching herself from the painful memories. But she said learning of Jackson's death brought all the emotion rushing back.
"I am truly, truly gutted," she wrote. "Any ill experience or words I have felt towards him in the past has just died inside of me along with him. He was an amazing person and I am lucky to have gotten as close to him as I did and to have had the many experiences and years that we had together."


text: Hi I`ve installed a ISPConfig3 multi server setup with a webserver, a mailserver and a dns-server. Then i installed a second dns-server in an other remote-subnet. My problem is, that i can't connect it to my database, which is located on the web server. When configuring the second dns-server, this question appears and i answer with "yes": Shall this server join an existing ISPConfig multiserver setup (y,n) I entered the correct master-server host, user and password, but the answer is always: Unable to connect to mysql server Although I'm working as root, i don't have permission to see/modify mysql.user How can i get the permission to connect to my database? thx for helping


text:
Clerk: Tracey Kunne
Elizabeth Park Sport Centre
Checkland Road, Thurmaston
Leicester LE4 8FN
Tel: 0116 269 6347
Clerk: Tracey Kunne, Elizabeth Park Sport Centre, Checkland Road, Thurmaston, Leicester, LE4 8FN
Telephone: 0116 269 6347 Email: email@example.com
We currently have a vacancy for a parish Councillor. Please contact us if you are interested in finding out about it.
The Borough Council is Charnwood Borough Council.
The County Council is Leicestershire County Council.
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text:
The number of credit cards held by municipal employees has dropped about30% as the amount of charges being billed has fallen even more, according to a recent city report.
For the first quarter of 2012-13, the number of so-called procurement cards held by city employees was down to 191, compared to 277 last year, the report shows.
Meanwhile, employees racked up $1.9 million in charges in fiscal year 2011-12 — or about half of what was billed in 2009.
And if charges don't stray far from the $373,540 spent between July and September, Glendale is on track to get a smaller overall credit card bill at year's end.
"That's the goal. We want to make sure that we're buying only that which we need at the very lowest price," said City Manager Scott Ochoa.
Credit card holders range from department heads to lower-level workers. While office supplies and hardware goods are frequent charges, so are food purchases at grocery stores and meals at restaurants, according to a review of thousands of credit card charges between July 2009 and April 2011.
For example, former City Manager Jim Starbird charged $230.29 — $23.80 of it on flat water — in July 2009 after lunching with Americana at Brand developer Rick Caruso and three others at Trattoria Amici, a fine dining restaurant.
In December 2009, Public Works Director Steve Zurn spent $204.17 on a holiday lunch featuring pecan crusted catfish and glasses of merlot at the Cheesecake Factory for Traffic and Parking Commission members.
In March 2011, Libraries Director Cindy Cleary spent $148.97 over two days of lunch-time Arnold Palmers and salads at BJ's Restaurant, each noted as budget meetings in city records.
City officials are allowed to use their credit cards for food when it's part of the normal course of business, but there is no organization-wide policy on paying for food. Rather, that's done department-by-department and based on individual budgets.
And business lunches are the exception, not the rule, said Asst. City Manager Yasmin Beers.
The bigger issues with credit cards arise when employees purchase products that may already be in storage or buy items or services piecemeal, rather than in bulk at a cheaper price.
City officials used their credit cards the most at vendors such as the Home Depot, Amazon.com, Southwest Airlines and Smart & Final in 2010, according to a city report.
Despite the Cheesecake Factory charge, Zurn tends to be one of the most conservative executives when it comes to credit card use.
In public works, only 10 top level managers get cards.
And one of the first things Zurn did as the utility's new general manager was take away 55 credit cards, reducing the pool to just 12. That's about half the city's most recent drop in the total number of cards. Some of the decrease can also be attributed to several early retirements this year, officials said.
While fewer cards may make it more difficult for lower level employees to make a purchase, larger scale financial management is Zurn's main concern as Glendale Water & Power struggles to become fiscally stable.
"I'm sure it's a little less convenient, but that's not my main concern," he said.
An October 2011 internal audit called for regular reviews of credit card use. But even before the audit, there had been an effort to minimize the number of open cards, Beers said.
The city has been tightening its belt lately, cutting $15.4 million from the budget this year and $18 million the year before, and that shows in City Hall's spending patterns. The hope is that with less credit card use, excess expenditures will decrease.
But it's too soon to tell if less plastic will make a long-lasting difference, said Mayor Frank Quintero.
"We're still too early in the process, but I do think it will lead to additional cost savings," he said.
Follow Brittany Levine on Google+ and on Twitter: @brittanylevine


text:
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text:
News Feature
Originally published in Community News, January 30, 2014
MMA to host Gordon Bok exhibit
Folk musician and wood carver Gordon Bok has donated representative works from his collection of carvings to Maine Maritime Academy for a year-long exhibit at the Harold Alfond Student Center, the academy announced in a news release. An opening reception will be held Sunday, February 2, from 4 to 6 p.m. with music and remarks by Gordon Bok. The reception and exhibit are open to the public.
Folksinger Gordon Bok has been a woodworker for most of his life, having grown up with the local shipyard as his playground and place of learning. While not a boat builder, he has built a few small boats and repaired and maintained many larger ones. He has designed and built many tools and articles of furniture, houses and barns to his and others' needs. His woodcarving was a natural extension of his woodworking, he says. His bas-relief carvings celebrate the people, boats and fisheries he grew up with around the coast of Maine. To learn more about Gordon Bok's music and works of art, visit gordonbok.com.


text:
Throughout The Car Industry
Articles By lou ruggieri
Mon, Oct 24, 2016 at 2:31PM by Lou Ruggieri
Sometimes, it is better to be lucky than good. We've all heard that in one area or another, whether... Read More
Mon, Oct 24, 2016 at 2:14PM by Lou Ruggieri
At times it seems that we take quite a lot of things for granted. Modern technology has permeated every facet... Read More
Fri, Oct 21, 2016 at 6:44PM by Lou Ruggieri
As big as the world is, it seems as though it is getting smaller and smaller every day. Not just because... Read More
Fri, Oct 21, 2016 at 2:45PM by Lou Ruggieri
It's an age-old mantra most gear heads will recognize: Run what ya brung, and hope it's enough!... Read More
Fri, Oct 7, 2016 at 2:30PM by Lou Ruggieri
If you have never had the good fortune to sit inside of a Ferrari while its driver rips off a couple redline... Read More
Thu, Oct 6, 2016 at 11:01AM by Lou Ruggieri
Throughout the annals of automotive history there have been few cars that last more than a few model cycles.... Read More
Mon, Oct 3, 2016 at 3:40PM by Lou Ruggieri
In most circles, if you have made it to... Read More
Fri, Sep 30, 2016 at 10:16AM by Lou Ruggieri
In the ever expanding world of automotive sales, it seems that everyday there is another car or truck vying... Read More
Wed, Sep 21, 2016 at 3:43PM by Lou Ruggieri
Before the automotive world took a giant downturn in 2002 by watching one of its longest tenured power-players... Read More
Tue, Sep 20, 2016 at 9:05AM by Lou Ruggieri
If we are being honest with ourselves, America, we haven't been very good at producing many sedans worth... Read More
Mon, Sep 19, 2016 at 11:13AM by Lou Ruggieri
If you haven't already noticed by now, there is basically a car or truck for every walk of life, every... Read More
Mon, Sep 19, 2016 at 11:12AM by Lou Ruggieri
When you finally decide on a new car to purchase, it is a wonderful day. The feeling of going to the dealership... Read More
Fri, Sep 9, 2016 at 4:17PM by Lou Ruggieri
There aren't too many people who can argue that technology isn't a good thing. The world has... Read More
Fri, Sep 9, 2016 at 12:58PM by Lou Ruggieri
Let's face it: If you are one of the few people on earth who are lucky enough to be in the market for... Read More
Wed, Sep 7, 2016 at 10:40AM by Lou Ruggieri
If you sit back and think about just how... Read More
Tue, Sep 6, 2016 at 8:54AM by Lou Ruggieri
This just in: German carmakers are good at what they do. Very good, in fact. Over the last few decades, the... Read More
Sat, Aug 27, 2016 at 11:25AM by Lou Ruggieri
There are few cars that actually elicit... Read More
Wed, Aug 17, 2016 at 12:35PM by Lou Ruggieri
Instead of always trying to be ahead of the world on information and breaking news, sometimes it's better... Read More
Wed, Aug 17, 2016 at 8:47AM by Lou Ruggieri
It's sad to say, but with the number of new production model cars we've seen over the past decade... Read More
Mon, Aug 15, 2016 at 4:26PM by Lou Ruggieri
When you think of classic sports cars that have been sold throughout the US over the years, there are a few... Read More


text:
Doha: keeping hope alive - just
COP President Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah gavels through the decision text. Photo courtesy IISD
The UN climate conference in Doha this past week kept the fight to combat global warming alive – 194 countries agreed to extend the Kyoto Protocol and to put in place a new agreement by 2015. The extension avoids a major setback in climate negotiations, but it does not fully reflect the urgency of the problems facing the warming planet.
To understand the true scale of those problems, read the new report Turn Down the Heat: Why a 4°C Warmer World Must Be Avoided. Its review of the latest climate science provides a powerful snapshot of what the future could be and warns that the world is on path to a 4°C (7.2°F) warmer world by century's end if we don't take action.
The report was referenced repeatedly during COP 18 and is one of several reports helping to put science at the center of policy making.
As is often the case in large international conferences these days, the greatest signs of momentum in Qatar were not inside the negotiating rooms but in the meeting halls where the informal process was underway. The World Bank played a key role in several agreements that will form a part of our ongoing commitment to step up to the climate challenge.
Working Coalitions
Increasingly like-minded coalitions are forming, across dividing lines of developed and developing countries, public, private sectors and civil society, in order to get on with the business of emissions reductions. One highlight of the conference was the meeting of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, a remarkable group of countries united to reduce SLCPs, short-lived climate pollutants - methane, HFCs, black carbon.