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Because you, dear reader, voted with your clicks and made it known that cameras like this one appeal to a huge amount of people. Its predecessor, the SD1200, has been the most popular camera on Digital Camera HQ for the past year by a wide margin. It's cheap, it fits in your pocket, it has the Canon name, and most importantly, it takes great snapshots. Casual snap-shooters are happy with it as their primary camera, serious hobbyists often keep it as a pocket-sized backup.
So when Canon announced the model in consideration here, I was eager to see how they would follow up the camera that has dominated our corner of the Internet. It's a tricky proposition, messing with success, so read on to find out how it fared.
Body, Design, & Construction Quality
Even at first glance, it's obvious that the SD1300 comes from the SD series design tradition: small, minimalist, classy. The body is almost exactly the size of a credit card, except, you know, about 0.8 inches thick. It's far from the smallest camera that I've ever seen, but fits easily into any pocket in my wardrobe. The shell is primarily plastic, but it weighs enough to feel well-built.
The button layout on the back is intuitive and should be familiar to Canon users: A directional pad, function button at the center, menu, display, and a dedicated playback button. My favorite touch is the three-way switch in the upper-right corner, allowing for quick changes between Auto, Manual, and Video modes. Up top, the chrome shutter works like a shutter should. The zoom tilter is elegantly and ergonomically integrated into the base of the shutter -- a great design that never gets old, no matter how many times I see it. And, as a big improvement over the SD1200, the power button is actually bigger than than one of those emergency-eject holes on old floppy disk drives. It's large enough for life-sized fingers to push, yet flush with the body so it stays out of your way the rest of the time.
One complaint: In what I (and I'm sure many others) consider a downgrade from the SD1200, the SD1300 lacks an optical viewfinder. Few compacts are still equipped with viewfinders, which is a shame, but the SD1200 stood out even more from the pocket-sized pack because of that -- more on this later, though. At least the 2.7-inch LCD is quite good. It's clear and vibrant in good lighting conditions, and mostly visible in ridiculously bright ones -- not up to the level of OLEDs I've seen, but much better than the cheap screens on some lesser brands.
Overall, the SD1300 is about as well designed as any ultra-compact out there, a good balance of carry-around comfort and solid construction.
Performance, User Experience, & Image QualityThis is a speedy little snapshooter. It takes barely more than a second to start up. Auto-focus locks on quickly and accurately and the shutter lag is barely noticeable. The continuous shooting mode could be a little quicker -- it's been measured at a little less than one frame per second, but it can keep shooting until the battery dies or the memory fills up.
The Smart Auto mode is quite intelligent, as always, and churns out a sharp picture about 9 times out of ten. This is a camera that you can point and shoot without thinking twice, and still come away with a stellar snapshot. Canon nailed this feature on the SD series a few generations ago, and little has changed.
As I've come to expect from Canon, the interface in Manual mode is dead simple. Big letters, obvious labels, and intuitive menus. I especially like Scene Preset menu, where the most common settings (Portrait, Night Snapshot, Indoor) are on a top level, and more specialized settings (Beach, Snow, Fireworks) are set away in a sub-menu. I never had to go fishing for the most useful modes, and it was a nice touch. Little things like that make me feel confident that Canon gives a lot of consideration to their user experience.
Manual controls are on-point for a semi-serious point-and-shoot -- nimble, but not fully adjustable. ISO ranges from 80-1600, several white balance settings are on offer, as are a number of color filters, exposure compensation settings, light metering techniques, as well as macro, normal, and infinity focus settings. Auto exposure and flash exposure can be locked as well. So as strong as Auto mode is, there's room for experimentation if you're feeling inspired.
Image quality is superb for this class of camera. Shots are quite crisp and noise-free up to ISO 400 (and not awful up at 1600, though not very pretty either). Color reproduction is life-like, maybe a bit blue-tinted. There are a few color settings to experiment with, including Vivid or Neutral modes, as well as sepia and black and white filters. Full-zoom shots (well, it is just a 4x zoom lens) are almost always sharp and focused as well, proof that the image stabilization is doing its job. Simply put, it takes as sharp and vibrant a photo as I've ever seen from a $200 camera. The proof is in the pudding, so check out the images (click to enlarge).
But Is It Really An Upgrade?
So the SD1300 is obviously a high-quality ultra compact, one that can make legions of casual photographers very, very happy. But it bears the mark of the SD series, and I feel the need to hold it up to the high standards of its predecessor. If it's going to hold up as a worthy replacement, it needs a few improvements to keep up with this year's trends, right?
When I sat down to compare its specs to the SD1200, I found that the two models are barely distinguishable from each other. The SD1300 has a wider-angle lens and a longer zoom (4x vs. 3x), cool with me; a higher resolution, which is nothing but a stat for the marketing sheet, one that I do not consider an improvement; and, in a disappointing step backward that I mentioned above, no optical viewfinder. The SD1200 is one of the few ultra compacts left with a viewfinder, but the SD1300 is just another LCD-only model, nothing special to see here.
Apart from those changes, good or bad, the two cameras both have the same 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor and the same Digic IV processor -- both of which are fine by us, don't fix what isn't broken and all that. But I'd hardly consider the SD1300 an upgrade, and I don't see how it's worth the $50 premium over the current price of an SD1200. The SD1300's initial price ($200) is lower than the SD1200's was back in March 2009 ($230), so that's a positive step. But it doesn't change the fact that the SD1200 is the better deal right now.
Furthermore, compared to other new, $200 point-and-shoots (Panasonic FH20, Sony W350, or Nikon S4000 for example), the SD1300 seems a wee bit overpriced. The specs just don't add up on paper. It has a smaller zoom than any of the other new models, just one half of the FH20, which we gave a stellar review. The SD1300 also lacks HD video, which seems like a weird omission. Fuji has a $99 model with HD video, so how expensive can it be? Canon is one of just two major manufacturers without a sub-$200 HD video camera this year -- the other one is Kodak, and that's not company they exactly want to brag about keeping.
It's true that Canon almost always makes a reliably high quality camera, and that comes at a premium. It's usually worth paying for, too. The SD1300 does indeed offer fantastic picture quality, a solid build, and Canon's unmatched ease of use. But when I look at this new camera in the context of the old one, I feel like somebody is trying to pull the wool over my eyes.
Still A Great Camera, But Vote With Your Wallet
The last section probably came across as hard on the camera so let me be clear: The SD1300 is an excellent pocket-sized camera with which anyone, regardless of experience or know-how, can take sharp, vibrant snapshots. The image quality is great for the cost, the interface is, as always, intuitive and painless, and it even has enough horsepower for some photographic experimentation. But rather than the step forward that we saw from the SD1100 to the SD1200, we're getting a step sideways. Had Canon named it something else and kept the old price point, I wouldn't be complaining. It will still turn out to be one of the best point-and-shoots for under $200 this year, but if I had to spend my money on one, I'd wait a few months for the price to drop.


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MEST Africa and Microsoft announce 2019 Pan-African tech summit in Nairobi...
LONDON, UK: Here are the nominations for the D&AD Awards. See this year's In Book winners and Nominations below. Yellow Pencil winners will be revealed on Wednesday 12 June at the Awards Ceremony.
22 Apr 2013
NEW YORK, US: The Midas Awards, for the World's Best Financial Advertising, announced the award winners for the 2012 competition. This year's Midas Grand Jury awarded one Grand Midas, 26 Gold Ingots, 46 Silver Ingots, and 63 Finalists. The 2012 Midas Awards competition received entries from 28 countries and is reputed to be the only international competition that recognises excellence in financial services communications on a global scale.
21 Dec 2012
LONDON, UK: comScore, Inc, a leader in measuring the digital world, has released results from a study of online shopping in Europe. In January 2011, 270.6 million unique visitors in Europe visited sites in the retail category, representing a market penetration of 74.5% of Internet users, up 8.5 percentage points versus last year.
22 Mar 2011
LISBON, PORTUGAL: The 4th Eurobest Advertising Festival, one of Europe's leading awards and annual events for creative advertising and communications, will be held from 28-30 November this year in Lisbon, Portugal.
9 Feb 2011

subset: commoncrawl


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The scholars and experts included:
- a writer and PhD candidate in English literature
- the chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
- a professor of international politics
- a professor of English
- an assistant professor of public policy and political science
- an assistant professor of sociology and women's and gender studies
- a PhD candidate in anthropology
- a dean of a School of Arts & Sciences
- a professor of management
- a professor of history
Even so, Amy Bishop was an assistant professor of biology. Does it seem odd to anyone else that there were no biology or other science professors in this particular group of academics commenting on the incident? I looked up the chancellor and the dean and learned that their field of expertise is psychology, so perhaps they come the closest, but that's not the same as getting the opinion of someone who has recently experienced the tenure process as a scientist.
I realize that a biology professor would not necessarily have any more insight into the general implications of the incident than those who provided comments in this piece in the Chronicle. And I still stand by my overall view (shared by the PhD candidate in English literature) that the murders were the actions of an imbalanced person with a rage problem (and a gun), and the tragedy was therefore not a direct result of the stresses of academia in general or the tenure evaluation system in particular.
Still, I think it is strange that in an otherwise diverse group, not one is a science professor with direct knowledge of what it is like to get tenure as a scientist today at a university. Consider how bizarre it would have been if an English professor (for example) had committed a heinous crime that may or may not have been related to the experience of being an English professor, and the only people asked to comment (in a particular series of essays) were science, engineering, and math professors.
I also think it would have been illuminating to read, for comparison, the thoughts of a scientist recently denied tenure. With all due respect to the PhD candidates and literary scholars who wrote thoughtful essays for the piece, surely the Chronicle could have found some current or former science professors -- ideally in the life sciences -- to comment?
I don't want to perpetuate an "us" (scientists) vs. "them (non-scientists) mentality, but often when I read about academia, in the Chronicle and elsewhere, the point of view of non-scientists is the only one represented. This gives a very incomplete view of academia and the lives of academics, in general and in extreme cases. Although we have much in common as researchers and educators, there are also significant differences that, at times, merit consideration.


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What's the Buzz? The Top 10 Stories on TheBody.com in 2011
December 2, 2011
As an action-packed year for the HIV/AIDS community draws to a close, TheBody.com takes stock of 2011 in a new series of articles, "2011 HIV/AIDS Year in Review." Read the entire series here.
Every year, we here at TheBody.com hope to outdo ourselves: We aim to provide more news and more research, and highlight more community voices than ever before. Whether we're successful or not might be entirely in the eye of the beholder (though in my completely unbiased, neutral, not-at-all personally involved opinion, I'd say 2011 turned out spectacularly), but one thing we can say is that a handful of our articles stand out as having gotten a lot of responses from our readers.
Here are the 10 pieces on TheBody.com that generated the biggest buzz in the last year, garnering huge responses on Facebook, Twitter and in our comments.
#1: Remembering Robert Frascino, M.D.From TheBody.com; Sept. 20, 2011
In September, we in TheBody.com offices were shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of Dr. Robert Frascino, who'd been our resident safer sex expert for many years, as well as a blogger, vocal community member, and all-around fantastic voice for people living with HIV. Our grief was shared by thousands worldwide, and when his death was announced, hundreds of people left comments to pay their respects, comfort one another and share stories of how Dr. Bob helped them.
We still miss Dr. Bob terribly, but as his husband and partner of 18 years, Dr. Steve, reminds us, Dr. Bob lives on in the 30,000 forum posts he left behind, and the people he helped will never forget him.
#2: Fame and HIV: 15 of History's Biggest HIV-Positive CelebritiesFrom TheBody.com; October 2011
Earlier this year, we launched a slideshow of the 10 biggest HIV-positive celebrities -- but the comments quickly overflowed with people noting our oversights, and the list had to be expanded. From movie stars to athletes, musicians to models and more, these are only 15 of the many stars brave enough to come forward with their status, or whose HIV status was announced after their death.
#3: Magic Johnson Is NOT Cured of HIVBy Justin B. Terry-Smith; June 10, 2011
Although the HIV community knows it to be untrue, the idea that Magic Johnson was cured remains in the world at large. In his video blog, Justin B. Terry-Smith tackled this myth, writing:
A lot of Black heterosexual people think that Magic Johnson has been cured of HIV and sometimes that can lead to dangerous behaviors. Some people say that, "Oh so Magic Johnson's been cured of HIV so I can have unprotected sex again" ... NOT. This is not the truth at all. My wish is that people keep protecting themselves against HIV. Prevention right now should be one of our top priorities since there is no cure at the moment.
This year also marked the 20th anniversary of Magic's disclosure. Aside from Justin's blog entry, our news editor, Kellee Terrell, posed the question "Will This Generation's Magic Johnson Please Stand Up?" in an important editorial. We also gathered memories of and reactions to the disclosure from members of the HIV community in a slideshow: "20 Years of Magic: How One Man's HIV Disclosure Inspired Others."
#4: The Hilarious Idiocy of Anonymous Gay SexBy Mark S. King; Feb. 7, 2011
Early this year, blogger Mark S. King discovered a video of bawdy robots who met online and are about to get it on, but stop to discuss HIV and condoms. When one robot admits he has HIV, the other flips out -- even though he's willing to have sex with strangers, trusting that they'll know their HIV status and will tell the truth about it. If this banter sounds absurd when robots say it, imagine how it sounds when it happens in real life.
Mark wrote:
The lesson in all this, of course, is not to put your life into the hands of someone you've known for five minutes. Or five months. The responsibility not to get exposed to HIV (and hepatitis and other STDs) is entirely yours. And another thing: If you're a sexually active "man about town" and your last HIV test was months ago, the results don't really matter anymore. Go get a new one.
And, as he added at the end: "Sometimes the truth hurts. In this case, it's also hilarious."
This article was provided by TheBody.
Add Your Comment:
(Please note: Your name and comment will be public, and may even show up in
Internet search results. Be careful when providing personal information! Before
adding your comment, please read TheBody.com's Comment Policy.)


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Braylon Edwards is a Seahawk no more.
Seattle has waived Edwards, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported and the team later announced. Edwards will be given the waived/injured designation, although it was not immediately clear what the nature of his injury is.
Edwards, who signed a one-year contract with the Seahawks in July, has mostly been a non-factor for the Seahawks this season, with eight catches in 10 games. Edwards was also a non-factor in San Francisco last season, and at age 29 he may not have much left.
We've already mentioned Edwards a couple times today, first because he said the people who run his old team, the Jets, are idiots, and then because he apologized for saying that. And now we know why Edwards suddenly realized that it's not wise to burn bridges.


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but random? i'll play. because i do enjoy the jamie flannigan.
one. i always pretend i'm uncle sugar when i call about bank accounts, insurance policies, and other official documents if my name's not the primary one just so i don't have to answer a lot of security questions. i used to use a deep voice, but now i can't be bothered with even that. yesterday, i called one of our credit card companies to ask about a charge and she kept asking me questions about myself. "what's your name?" pat. "what's your full name?" patrick. "what's your middle name?" michael. long pause. "all right, MISSUS mackin. what's your question?" it's mister, mister. in other news, i like pretending to be pat. his life is way more exciting.
two. i have a nightmare every night about one or more of the girlies three. they mostly all involve large numbers of tigers or sharks, riptides, mean girls, or unfortunate accidents at school. like the time i laughed so hard in high school that i peeped my uniform skirt. no one noticed, but i panicked and told everyone about it.
three. if there's a secret in the room, i panic and tell it.
four. i sometimes at least three times a week walk into our bedroom at the end of one of those days that actually occur every day if i really kept track and sigh and ask uncle sugar whose idea was all this again?
five. all this was his idea. i should thank him more often.
play, why don't you? have a sweetheart of a weekend, why don't you? send me a present, why don't you? xoxo! oh! and jamie flannigan's pinterest is sick. you should go look here.


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thepig23 needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 33 designs submitted by 10 freelance designers.
Arena Pwnage
Arena Pwnage is dedicated to helping World of Warcraft arena players break the learning curve which makes it difficult for so many to achieve the rating they desire. We offer players of all levels, whether you just hit 80 or you are a consistent gladiator, the tools, resources, and knowledge to keep your arena skills in tip top shape. As of now players have to scavenge useless forums, spend hours testing strategies, and picking bits of information from various sources if they want to improve their class skills and their teams success in the various brackets. Because when you are an Arena Pwnage Member you have access to hours of video commentary, countless pages of class/team strategies and tactics, and expert advice from top rated arena pro's on how to improve in every aspect of Arena's.
Newcommers, casual and competitive World of Warcraft Arena players looking for premium content covering all aspects of WoW arena.
The contest is to design arenapwnage's features page that can be found here: http://arenapwnage.com/vip/
Make the page look attractive to the users and readers who are thinking about signing up for the premium VIP package of ArenaPwnage. Roll over images relating to the benefits of the package and nice buttons are needed. Wow related images can help too. Authoritative seals, payment methods, testimonials, etc will help.
IMPORTANT detail: The options are not correct right now and needs to be show pricing for annual, quarterly, monthly, and 6-month subscriptions.
Colors are up to the designers but should fit well with the audience and site. Do not make it too dark.
A very good sample is http://www(dot)curse.com/Premium/Signup.aspx
Have fun with the design!
The page and logo psd can be found here: http://www.arenapwnage.com/99designs


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Sioux Falls Police Arrest Man for Allegedly Exposing Himself in Front of Children
SIOUX FALLS - Sioux Falls police say a man exposed himself to a group of preschool children who were in the playground of a North End elementary school.
Officer Sam Clemens says a woman was driving past an apartment building in the 600 block of North Spring Avenue, across from the Hawthorne Elementary School playground, when she saw a man wearing only a robe, and he was partially exposing himself.
Clemens says the woman told police she was concerned because small children were in the playground, so she drove around the block past the building again, and she says the man had removed his robe and was standing there naked.
She told police the man went inside he building, came back out clothed, got into a car and left.
Clemens says police arrested David Lee Yocom, 54, on a charge of indecent exposure.


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The Following: Meet the Season 3 Villain!
Nov 19, 2014 9:48 AM EST
Ryan Hardy, meet your new nemesis. With Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) behind bars (probably), The Following has added Michael Ealy to play the big villain in Season 3, TVGuide.com has confirmed. Fall TV Report Card: How is the fresh… Read more


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MIAMI - On a breezeless downtown day, the Miami Art Museum seemed like an obligatory stop. Until I got there, and realized that a big chunk of the space was closed for installation. After a quick spin through an exhibit on the influence of the vinyl record album on contemporary art, there was nothing for me to do but get down to business.
And eat.
It might have made sense to take a swim on the beach. But I felt much more compelled to start my assignment - which was to stuff my face with as much Cuban food as possible over three days in this South Florida expat community.
South Beach bikini embarrassments, no. Black beans and plantains, yes.
Fleeing the museum, I...


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Apr 17,2009
Central Oregon Fishing Report 4/15/09
by ODFW
Weekend fishing opportunities:
CLEAR LAKE: rainbow trout
No recent reports.
CRESCENT LAKE: rainbow trout, brown trout, lake trout and kokanee
Boat launch access is available at the Crescent Lake Lodge beach area for a $5.00 fee. Please check in with the Crescent Lake Lodge. Anglers have been having great success catching lake trout and brown trout. Kokanee anglers should start seeing a little better success as lake temperature increase.
CROOKED RIVER BELOW BOWMAN DAM: redband trout and mountain whitefish
Flows in the Crooked River are cuurently at 110 cfs. The weather was excellent over the weekend and the fishing was good. Signs marking redband spawning habitat were recently installed by volunteers from the Central Oregon Flyfishers, please avoid disturbing the substrate in these areas. It is also important to note that fishing with bait is not currently allowed; artificial flies and lures only until May 23.
All anglers are encouraged to visit informational kiosks located in the BLM campgrounds in the Wild and Scenic portion of the river where a flier has been posted to assist anglers in collecting valuable information. ODFW and OSU initiated a radio telemetry study on redband trout and whitefish in the fall of 2007. ODFW and OSU deployed new radio-tags in early October in fish caught by dedicated volunteer anglers from the Central Oregon Fly Fishers, Sunriver Anglers, ODFW, and OSU. Anglers are reminded that radio-tagged fish cannot be legally harvested. To determine if a fish is radio-tagged, anglers should check for an eight-inch wire antenna protruding from the rear of both redband and mountain whitefish. A sample of redband trout and mountain whitefish are also tagged with a numbered floy tag protruding from the back. Anglers who later catch a trout or whitefish with a floy tag are encouraged to release the fish after recording the tag number, fish length and location caught. Anglers can send the information to ODFW at (541) 447-5111 ext. 24 or e-mail.
CULTUS LAKE: Lake trout, rainbow trout
Cultus Lake is not yet accessible and still ice covered.
DAVIS LAKE: Rainbow trout, largemouth bass
Davis is not yet accessible.
DESCHUTES RIVER: steelhead, rainbow trout
Mouth to Warm Springs: steelhead, trout
The Deschutes River Canyon is ready to burst with spring flowers and bug hatches. Fly anglers should look for good morning hatches of Blue-winged olive, caddis and some March Browns. If you like fishing underwater, try a large stonefly nymph because the real stoneflies start getting active as the water continues to warm. The highest concentration of trout and whitefish are from around Maupin upstream to the reservation boundary.
Lake Billy Chinook to Benham Falls: rainbow trout, brown trout
No recent reports. This reach of the Deschutes currently provides winter angling opportunity for brown trout and redband trout. River flow below Bend is currently running 950 cfs.
FALL RIVER: rainbow trout
Recent reports indicate that the angling had been good with nice fish being caught. The cold snap over the weekend of April 11 and 12 and early in the week of April 13 has put a little damper on the action. If the warmer weather forecast for the upcoming weekend pans out, good fishing should return. The river above the falls remains open the entire year, and is restricted to fly-fishing only. River water temperatures are generally in the 38 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit range. As mid-day air temperatures get warmer, expect insect activity to increase. This is a popular spring fishery for fly fishers.
HAYSTACK RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, brown trout
Rainbow trout fishing has been excellent from the shore and boats. Large fish have been active in the recent weeks with reports of 10lb rainbows being caught.
HOOD RIVER: summer steelhead, winter steelhead
Anglers are reporting catch of bright winter steelhead in the lower Hood River from the mouth upstream to Powerdale Dam. Early spring temperatures continue to warm water temperatures which should make steelhead more aggressive. Counts at Bonneville Dam have been improving, and anglers should be seeing increased numbers of fish. Winter steelhead numbers will continue to increase the next two weeks. Some mint bright summer steelhead have already been caught by anglers.
Find out how many fish are being captured at the Powerdale Dam trap.
KINGSLEY RESERVOIR: rainbow trout
Access is likely marginal due to snow.
LAKE BILLY CHINOOK: bull trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, kokanee, smallmouth bass
Kokanee catches have been consistent and 2009 catch rates are slightly greater than those from 2008. In the last week of March, anglers saw an increased catch rate of bull trout when compared to previous weeks. Angling opportunities appear to be best in the Deschutes and Crooked River Arms. Kokanee bag limit is five fish per day, included in the trout daily bag limit. Anglers should consult 2009 Sport Fishing Regulations for new angling regulations on Lake Billy Chinook.
METOLIUS RIVER: redband trout, bull trout
Some recent reports of a redband being active. April on the Metolius can provide a great angling experience. As day time temperatures start climbing into the higher 50s and lower 60s insect and hatch activity will increase. Please note that the reach of river from Allingham Bridge upstream to the Metolius headspring is currently closed to angling to protect spawning redband.
NORTH TWIN: rainbow trout
Folks are now able to access North Twin and the fishing is reported to be right fine. There is still a bit a snow on the last bit of road to the lake so a four wheeled drive vehicle is recommended.
OCHOCO CREEK UPSTREAM TO OCHOCO DAM: rainbow trout
Bait fishing is not allowed. Artificial flies and lures only, and regulations allow no more than two trout per day with only one trout greater than 20 inches and no trout under eight inches. Opportunities are good for native redband trout.
OCHOCO RESERVOIR: rainbow trout
Anglers have reported catches of large fish and fishing is expected to improve with weather.
PINE HOLLOW RESERVOIR: rainbow trout
Pine Hollow has been recently stocked and should provide good opportunity to catch various sizes of trout, including some large trout.
PRINEVILLE RESERVOIR: rainbow trout, black crappie, bass
No recent reports. Anglers should note an error in the 2009 fishing regulations for Prineville Reservoir (p. 63). The CORRECT regulation is: largemouth and smallmouth bass, 15 in. MAXIMUM length, only one of which may be a largemouth.
ROCK CREEK RESERVOIR: rainbow trout
Pine Hollow has been recently stocked with trout and should provide good opportunity to catch a limit of trout.
SUTTLE LAKE: brown trout, kokanee
The Forest Service boat ramp is accessible and the lake ice free. No angler reports, though the lake should be ripe for anglers interested in chasing kokanee or brown trout.
TAYLOR LAKE: rainbow trout
Taylor Lake has been recently stocked with trout and should provide good opportunity to catch a fat trout. Taylor Lake is also a great spot to catch carp with flies, look for carp in the shallows as water temperatures warm with spring temperatures.
WALTON LAKE: rainbow trout


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1018: Good Cop, Dadaist Cop
|Good Cop, Dadaist Cop
Title text: NOW INVENT AN IMPOSSIBLE-TO-TRANSLATE LANGUAGE AND USE IT TO TELL US WHERE THE MONEY IS.
This is a play on the traditional police officer strategy of "Good Cop, Bad Cop", in which two officers play different parts to get the suspect to give the required information. One is nice to the suspect and the other is mean to the suspect.
However, in this comic, they use the "Good Cop, Dadaist Cop" strategy in which one is nice to the suspect and the other is Dadaist, which is defined as (via the Free Dictionary) a European artistic and literary movement (1916-1923) that flouted conventional aesthetic and cultural values by producing works marked by nonsense, travesty, and incongruity.
So, the Dadaist cop is spouting nonsense attempting to get the suspect to give some information. Unfortunately, this probably is not going to work.
Mark Zuckerberg is the co-founder of Facebook; Church Latin (aka Ecclesiastical Latin) is a particular style of the Latin language used mainly by the Catholic Church. All that, however, is beside the point because Zuckerberg does not own a house (and thus does not have a mortgage), he rents. [1]
- [Two cops look through a window into an interrogation chamber holding a handcuffed suspect.]
- Good Cop: All right, let's try good cop, dadaist cop
- [Good Cop is seated in front of the suspect]
- Good Cop: Look, you're a good guy. We can work this out. Hey, lemme get us some coffee.
- [Dadaist Cop holds up a document of indeterminate contents and threatens the suspect with it]
- Dadaist Cop: See this? It's Mark Zuckerberg's Mortgage. So why is it written in CHURCH LATIN?
- [Dadaist cop physically rattles the suspect]
- Dadaist Cop: WHY ARE MY BONES SO SMALL?
- Suspect: What's WRONG with you!?
- Dadaist Cop: What's wrong with ART?
A comment from the blog that is quite on and off (you'll get the joke) the topic:
- I took a class in college, in French, and we studied (insofar as one can) dadaism, surrealism, and existentialism.
- One day, the girl next to me raised her hand and started out, "This is off the subject, but.."… Professor La Charité interrupted immediately, with, "It's *never* off the subject. Continue."
- We all felt we learned something that day. Giraffe. - E
Hope that explains some things. lcarsos (talk) 17:40, 20 August 2012 (UTC)
- Explanation
I think the above explanation is lacking. What's bones got to do with it? How about the language stuff? AND A Mexican bandit robbed a bank. The sheriff and his bilingual deputy captured him, and the sheriff, who couldn't speak Spanish, asked him where he'd hidden the money. "No se nada," said the bandit. The sheriff put a gun to the bandit's head and said to his deputy: "Tell him, if he doesn't tell us where the money is, I'll blow his brains out." Upon receiving the translation, the bandit became very animated. "Ya me acuerdo! Tienen que caminar tres cuadradas hasta ese gran arbol. Debajo del arbol, alli esta el dinero." The sheriff leaned forward. "Yeah? Well..?" The deputy replied: "He says he wants to die like a man." 184.108.40.206 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
- It's Dadaism. It means unrelated random stuff. AND nice story =) 126.96.36.199 19:26, 29 January 2014 (UTC)
What's incomplete about this? 0100011101100001011011010110010101011010011011110110111001100101 (talk page) 05:37, 2 August 2014 (UTC)
- If you twisted my arm, I'd have to guess that my phone is ringing off the salmon. That's all I can remember at this indication, though. -- Brettpeirce (talk) 11:48, 13 August 2014 (UTC)
- This is why we can't have giraffes. 220.127.116.11 09:40, 4 September 2016 (UTC)
Has Mark Zuckerberg ever HAD a mortgage?126.96.36.199, 27 Dec 1014
Well interesting fact about ponytail then, her bones are small! --Dalonacueball (talk) 12:48, 24 March 2015 (UTC) 13:35 3/24/2015
The implication, in the explanation text, that wealthy individuals, such as Zukerberg, wouldn't take a mortgage is flawed. Wealthy individuals usually do take out mortgages because they have the ability to generate a higher rate of return from the freed capital than the cost of the interest on the mortgage. Mountain Hikes (talk) 22:17, 29 January 2016 (UTC)
Would the gibberish produced in response to the title text actually count as a valid confession? Even assuming the suspect was trying to do what was asked, which I don't think is a legally valid assumption, they could be saying "I don't know; I didn't take it!". --188.8.131.52 18:59, 30 December 2018 (UTC)


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Mississippi students will receive a boost through a Caterpillar Foundation initiative to support K-12 education in science, mathematics, engineering and technology (STEM) through the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State.
Roberto Ortega, manager of the Caterpillar plant in Corinth, presented a $20,000 check to Dean Sarah Rajala to support the Bagley College's efforts in introducing robotic engineering to area middle and high school students.
"We greatly appreciate the support that Caterpillar has given to our robotics programs," said Eric Heiselt, director of K-12 Outreach in the Bagley College. "There cannot be true STEM education in Mississippi without a true partnership between educators and industry. As educators, we work to provide a community of problem solving citizens while industry continues to advance and provide employment opportunities. We must work hand in hand for community building."
This most recent gift from the Caterpillar Foundation will support VEX Robotics and SeaPerch. A $10,000 gift was given last fall to support the Mississippi BEST Robotics Competition, which challenges student teams to build remote controlled robots that can complete a set task.
One of the college's newer programs, VEX Robotics gives students the opportunity to work hands-on with robotic technology while building teamwork, leadership and problem solving skills. SeaPerch also provides hands-on learning, but with focuses on the unique challenges and opportunities that arise with underwater robotics applications.
Ortega said the Caterpillar Reman plants in Corinth and Booneville recognize the importance of investing in K-12 STEM programs as a way to develop a workforce that will help Mississippi continue to build the economy and attract high-paying jobs in the state.
In addition to the monetary support, Caterpillar also helps support MSBEST teams in the Corinth area, with employees providing team mentoring prior to the competition. Caterpillar has also incorporated a high school internship program in Corinth and Booneville to help students explore career opportunities in robotics and the company as a whole.
The Bagley College of Engineering is MSU's third largest college with more than 3,000 students enrolled as of November 2012. It offers 10 undergraduate degree programs and 17 graduate degree programs through its eight departments. To learn more about the K-12 Outreach programs within the college, visit www.bagley.msstate.edu/outreach.
Heather M. Rowe | Bagley College of Engineering


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Residence Halls/Judicial Procedures
Judicial Procedures
The following procedures have been established to provide students with due process when it is alleged that they have violated College/Residence Hall policy and/or rules and regulations.
1. The College will designate an appropriate campus official to serve as Conduct Officer and may appoint supplemental Conduct Officers as
necessary to assist in the judicial process.
2. The title Conduct Officer shall include the Director of Civic Responsibilities, the Assistant Dean for Student Life and Director of Student
Housing, Vice President for Student Affairs, Resident Director, Center Dean, Vice President for Learning and Academic Affairs, the Associate Vice-President/Dean of the Rome Campus, or a designee.
If a Conduct Officer feels there exists clear danger to the safety and well being of individuals attending or working at the College, immediate suspension from the College or any specific area may be imposed. The following process will continue ONLY if the suspended student submits a request for an investigation to begin. This request must be in writing and be submitted within 5 days of the suspension. Without this request, the student will automatically be expelled from the College and will forfeit all rights to appeal.
Procedures and Timelines
The Conduct Officer shall receive written complaint within 5 days of alleged incident.
The Conduct Officer conducts an investigation, interviewing all parties and witnesses and shall maintain a written record of what transpires.
If the student admits to the violation(s), the Conduct Officer shall may immediately impose an appropriate sanction.
If the student maintains innocence, the Conduct Officer will determine whether a violation occurred based on the results of their investigation. The Conduct Officer shall notify the alleged violator in writing within 10 days of the initial incident the determination and appropriate sanctions, if any.
The College reserves the right to rescind or impose additional sanctions if further information comes to the attention of College officials once a sanction has been imposed.
The above timelines may be adjusted depending on the nature of the allegation and the investigation(s) needed.
A student maintains the right to request an appeal.
Filing a false report or intentionally misleading an investigation may result in Residence Hall and College sanctions up to dismissal.
Security Camera Vandalism Investigation
At any time a security camera review identifies a person(s) responsible for vandalism or damage, a Conduct Officer reserves the right to complete no further investigation and may expeditiously sanction the responsible person(s). The student will be subject to the standard appeal process.
The College views education to be its primary focus. However, when a violation of College policy, rules or regulations occurs, consequences for
such actions must be enforced. The College will attempt mediation when appropriate.
Warning/Reprimand: Oral or written notice that a further violations may be cause for further disciplinary action.
Referral for Assistance: Recommendation that assistance be sought out from various campus services and/or outside agencies to specifically address the situation.
Judicial Probation: Formal notification that further violations may result in for additional sanctions from the College. Past probation will be considered in the event of similar future violations. Students on judicial probation may be ineligible for future on-campus housing.
Restitution: Reimbursement to the College or another party for the value of damaged or destroyed property. Restitution may not always be in monetary terms, but could include appropriate volunteer service.
Restrictive Measures: A ban from specific facilities, services or activities for a designated period of time.
Expulsion from a Course: Removal from a specific course. Depending upon the infraction, the student may be permanently barred from re-enrollment in the course or may be allowed to re-enroll after a specified period of time. Students will receive a final grade for the course as determined by the faculty member's grading scale listed on the course syllabus. Any work uncompleted at the time of expulsion will be factored in as zeros. Grades of incomplete or ongoing (ON) are not options if expelled from a course.
Expulsion from a Program: Removal from a program. Students may be removed from a program for such violations as academic dishonesty and code of conduct infractions. Depending upon the program and the infraction, the student may be permanently barred from re-enrollment in the program or may be allowed to re-enroll after a specified period of time. The student may be eligible to enroll in an alternative program and should seek guidance from a College Advisor.
Residence Hall Dismissal: The dismissed student must leave the Residence Halls by the deadline issued. Room fee will be adjusted according to the Room and Fee Reduction Policy. Continuing your meal plan is usually optional. However, you must inform staff at check-out if you wish to continue your meal plan.
The dismissed student is also banned from the Residence Halls/quad area for the specified period of time and will be subject to arrest for trespassing in that area.
Work Assignment – Supervised work assignment. Failure to complete a work
assignment cooperatively and successfully will result in judicial action.
Residence Hall Fine – Amounts will be determined by a Conduct Officer. No
student will be allowed to make fine payments from his/her security/damage
Disciplinary Expulsion: Permanent removal from the College with final grades determined by the faculty members' grading scale listed on each course syllabi. Any work uncompleted at the time of the expulsion will be factored in as zeros. Grades of incomplete or ongoing (ON) are not options if expelled from the College. The student will not be allowed on College property or be eligible to participate in College-sponsored activities.
Termination of Employment: Removal from any employment within the College (paid or volunteer) for a specific period of time.
Civil Action: The College reserves the right to file civil actions for behavior that violates the law as well as College policy, rules and/or regulations.
In cases involving student organizations, permission to operate on campus or use College property may be revoked.
Disciplinary Appeals
A Disciplinary Appeal is the final step in a student's right to due process. If requested by a student, an appeal hearing will provide for a fair, timely and impartial review of the sanction(s) imposed by a Conduct Officer. In cases where the request for an appeal is for a sanction up to and including probation, an Appeals Board will be convened. In cases where the appeal is for a sanction of dismissal or expulsion, or an otherwise sensitive issue, an Administrative Hearing will be held with the Vice President for Student Affairs, or designee. Note: the student e-mail will be the official form of communication during the appeal scheduling process..
Appeal Deadline: The appeal must be submitted to the Conduct Officer within two days following written receipt of notification of sanction(s).


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HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS — A small fracture to his left leg will force us to admire more of Steve Nash's colorful wardrobe than is necessary. But with the Los Angeles Lakers announcing that there will be no rush on Nash's return (which makes their timetable of him missing for a week seem a bit sketchy), we'll spend the next few games familiarizing ourselves with Steve Blake and Darius Morris.
With those two backups playing the bulk of the minutes at point guard, the Lakers' already questionable depth will be tested ever more. For a team that doesn't need any more hurdles to clear to start the season, this might be the one that gives us the best gauge of their championship timber.
Surviving the preseason with both Dwight Howard (recovering from back surgery) and Kobe Bryant (nursing a sore foot) at less than full strength is one thing. But an extended period without Nash in the lineup at all … that's the one injury hiccup the Lakers weren't exactly prepared for.
Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times told us yesterday on The Beat on NBA TV that Nash could very well be out for a month. A MONTH!
"You obviously hope he's back as soon as possible," Lakers coach Mike Brown told reporters Sunday before the Lakers trounced the Detroit Pistons Sunday. "But the one thing you don't want to do, you don't want to compromise his long-term health for him coming back quicker than he should. So, (trainer) Gary Vitti and the staff are on top of it. We'll just wait and play it out from there."
We knew it would take them a while to get it together. But spending the next four weeks without Nash in the mix as they try and perfect their Princeton offense (and doing so seemingly against the wishes of anyone that knows anything about the Lakers' personnel) is a challenge they didn't need.
While Blake and Morris do their best to fill in for Nash, the Lakers will have to tend to their other bench issues that have plagued them in the opening stage of this season.
The two guys they brought in to transform their bench from a weakness to a strength haven't done that yet. Both Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks have had uneven starts, putting even more pressure on the starters.
More from Mark Medina of The Times:
Little has gone as planned for the Lakers or their top two new reserves, who have struggled to make much of an impact in the season's early going.
Jamison and Meeks were supposed to bolster a bench that ranked last in the NBA last season in points scored.
Perhaps the best reflection of their play is that the Lakers now rank No. 29 in the league in bench scoring with 18.8 points per game, ahead of only Portland.
Hey, it's progress, though not exactly the kind the Lakers had envisioned. Their reserves have been outscored, 148-75, by their counterparts.
Jamison has averaged 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per game, far off his career averages of 19.5 points and 7.8 rebounds. The 15-year veteran wasn't expected to replicate the production from earlier in his career when he was a mainstay in the starting lineup, but the Lakers certainly would like him to boost his scoring output closer to double figures.
"You know, I've been hearing it. 'You gotta be aggressive. You gotta be aggressive,'" Jamison said after scoring six points Sunday during the Lakers' 108-79 victory over the Detroit Pistons, "but I'm just going to stay within the flow of the offense."
So the coaching staff has been pushing him to be more assertive?
"It's my kids, my mom," Jamison said. "Nah, the coaches, they know what they want me to do. Coach has tried to get me on the box a little bit more in the past game or two. It's going to take time."
When the Lakers' marketing crew was cooking up slogans for this season, we're sure they didn't have "It's going to take time" on the conference room's white board. But time is the only ally they have right now.
Nash needs time to heal, his backups need time to get more comfortable, the other reserves need more time to gel. In short, the Lakers need all the time they can get …


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Governor Cuomo has proposed a slew of changes to New York's estate and gift tax law that may affect you.
Under the new law, all taxable gifts made by a New York resident after March 31, 2014 must be included as part of the gross estate for purposes of calculating the New York estate tax, according to WealthManagement.com.
How does this differ from the current law?


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BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrians believe 40 years of Assad family rule is too long, the international mediator for Syria said, the closest he has come to calling directly for President Bashar al-Assad to quit.
The remarks by U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi cast doubt on the future of his peace plan, the only major diplomatic initiative to end a war the United Nations says has killed 60,000 people.
He appears to have been pushed to take a firmer stance by a speech Assad delivered on Sunday, which was billed as a new peace proposal but offered no concessions and included a vow never to talk to foes he branded terrorists and Western puppets.
"In Syria, in particular, I think that what people are saying is that a family ruling for 40 years is a little bit too long," Brahimi told Britain's BBC in an interview aired on Wednesday.
"So the change has to be real. It has to be real, and I think that President Assad could take the lead in responding to the aspiration of his people rather than resisting it."
Brahimi's comments were welcomed by the opposition, which has long been angered by the U.N. mediator's refusal to take a firm position on excluding a future role for Assad.
"The statement of Lakhdar Brahimi has been long awaited," the opposition National Coalition's representative to Britain, Walid Saffour, told Reuters.
"He hasn't criticized Bashar al-Assad before, but now after he despaired of Assad after his Sunday speech, he had no other alternative than to say to the world that this rule is a family rule, and more than 40 years is enough."
Assad has ruled since 2000, taking over from his father Hafez, who seized power in a 1970 coup.
Brahimi met Assad in Damascus two weeks ago and has been convening senior U.S. and Russian officials in an effort to narrow differences between the superpowers backing either side in the war. The next round of those talks are due next week.
Brahimi said Assad had told him in December he would launch a new initiative. The veteran Algerian diplomat advised the president that any announcement should go further than previous failed proposals. He was disappointed by Sunday's speech.
"I'm afraid what has come out is very much a repeat of previous initiatives that obviously did not work," Brahimi said of Assad's proposals. "It's not really different and perhaps is even more sectarian and more one-sided," he added.
"The time of reforms granted magnanimously from above has passed," Brahimi said. "People want to have a say in how they are governed and they want to take hold of their own future."
Brahimi said there was no military solution to the conflict: "The government will not win. The opposition may win in the long term, but by the time they do, there will be no Syria, so what is the victory in that?"
He said Assad had told him he wanted to run for re-election in 2014. Although Brahimi did not comment directly on whether Assad should be allowed to stand, he said the crisis needed to be resolved by the end of 2013 "or there will be no Syria".
The uprising against Assad is backed mainly by the Sunni Muslim minority, while he is supported mainly by other members of his Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam, and other religious minorities.
Assad's speech on Sunday was firmly rejected by Western countries and the opposition, which described it as an attempt to cling to power and thwart mediation efforts.
After three days of silence following the speech, Moscow finally offered its support on Wednesday. Assad's proposals "affirmed the readiness for the launch of an inter-Syrian dialogue and for reforming the country on the basis of Syrian sovereignty," the Russian foreign ministry said.
Western countries have been searching for signs of Moscow curbing its support for Assad, hoping that this could finally lever him from power just as Russian withdrawal of backing for Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic heralded his downfall in 2000.
Syria's state news agency, SANA, said Assad's new peace plan had been sent to the United Nations and was in line with Brahimi's peace plan.
Damascus did not immediately comment on Brahimi's remarks. But in social media, where in the past it was the opposition that usually expressed hostility to Brahimi, anger could now be heard from Assad's supporters.
"Brahimi is finished in Syria, he may as well resign," said a pro-Assad twitter user calling himself SyrianCommando.
Some opposition supporters were wary of Brahimi's apparent late change of tone. Col. Abdeljabbar Oqeidi, a rebel leader in northern Syria, said he had not heard Brahimi's full remarks but it sounded as if his words were positive.
"Any initiative that doesn't require the entire regime to go and be put on trial will not be enough. We won't negotiate with that criminal or his gangs," he said by telephone.
Rebel fighter Abu Faisal, reached on Skype with the sound of exploding rockets in the background, laughed and said of Brahimi's conclusion that Syrians had enough of the ruling family: "This is a new discovery after two years? Maybe we should worship him now."
On the ground in Syria there was no let-up in fighting, despite four straight days of relentless rain, wind, hail and snowfall that weather officials in neighboring Lebanon and Israel have called the worst winter storm for 20 years.
Rebels made a new push to seize a government air base in Taftanaz in the north of the country, which they failed to take in a three-day offensive last week.
After six months of advances, the rebels now control swathes of the north and east of the country, as well as a crescent of suburbs on the outskirts of Damascus. The government still has firm control of most of the densely populated southwest near the capital, the main north-south highway, the Mediterranean coast and military bases scattered around the country from which its planes and helicopters can attack with impunity.
The extreme weather has raised concern for the 600,000 refugees who have fled to neighboring countries, displaced people within Syria and civilians, especially in rebel-held areas where fuel and food are growing scarce.
Opposition activists say dozens of people have died because of the storm in Syria. The weather claimed at least 17 lives in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Civilians were sheltering in caves from the rain, and using plastic tarps to make homes among abandoned Byzantine ruins known as the Dead Cities, said Fadi Yasin, an activist in northwest Idlib province.
Residents in mainly rebel-held Aleppo were burning furniture and doors to stay warm, said Michal Przedalicki, an aid worker from Czech charity People in Need working in northern Syria.
"Unfortunately, I think it is quite likely that people will die from the severe weather conditions. Already people have not been eating enough for several months, and that exposes their bodies to more disease and infection."
In Damascus, rebels freed 48 Iranian captives they had been holding since August in return for the government releasing more than 2,000 prisoners. The Iranians arrived at a hotel in central Damascus.
(Additional reporting by Oliver Holmes and Alexander Dziadosz in Beirut and Mohammed Abbas in London; Editing by Giles Elgood)
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Ray J Interview on RadioPlanet Pt. 2! (Speaks On Kim Kardashian Having Groupie-ish Ways? & More)
Radioplanet reports "Ray J gets into the gritty details of his monster hit reality TV show "For the Love of Ray J" as he talks about the different women all competing for his affections. He also addresses the pregnancy rumors and tells Kim Kardashian to stop being so groupie-ish."
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text: Chemistry with a Modern Language MSci OverviewCourse detailsLearning and teachingEmployabilityStudent life As the central science, Chemistry is responsible for many of the most important breakthroughs in science. In taking some of the world's most exciting ideas and discoveries and turning these into innovative processes and products, its potential to improve our everyday lives is enormous. Study Chemistry at Birmingham and you will join one of the UK's leading departments and have access to some of the best research facilities in the country. Throughout your time with us, you will be constantly challenged as you push forwards the boundaries of your understanding, all within a supportive learning environment. By the time you graduate, you will be ready to forge an exciting career that shapes the future of science and society. Please be reassured that the vote to leave the European Union does not mean there will be any immediate material change to the UK university sector's participation in EU programmes such as Erasmus and study abroad programmes. Visit our EU Referendum information page for more information. Aisha Syed BSc Chemistry "I had always dreamed of studying at a prestigious and internationally acclaimed university and Birmingham was definitely my institution of choice. The University of Birmingham has some very notable alumni in Chemistry such as the Nobel Prize winner Sir Norman Haworth. The course has a very good structure and each year we have a good mix of reasonably straight forward and more challenging aspects of Chemistry to cover. The staff are very friendly, helpful and brilliant individuals. " Course details Can you see yourself working abroad or using a foreign language at some point in your career? As the world becomes smaller and boundaries dissolve, such opportunities will be increasingly available for the next generation of scientists. If you enjoy languages, but your main interest lies with chemistry, then our Chemistry with a Modern Language programme might be for you. You can currently choose to study one of five languages a Birmingham: French, German, Japanese, Mandarin or Spanish. Chinese and Japanese are only available from beginner level. French, German and Spanish have 8 levels available (from beginner to post A level). This degree programme does not require you to spend time abroad. However should you wish to spend some time at a foreign university, for example to carry out a Summer research project, we can make enquiries on your behalf using the contacts, we have set up through our Chemistry with Study Abroad programme (F106). Why study this course Chemists at Birmingham adopt a broad, multi-disciplinary outlook to their subject, which is vital if we are to solve the problems of the 21st Century in healthcare, medicine, sustainability and the environment. The School has a leading research rating and is committed to excellence in teaching: your lecturers are not only experts in their fields but also passionate about chemistry and committed to inspiring you! The unique feature of this particular four-year, single-honours Chemistry MSci course is the opportunity to improve your modern language skills at the same time as studying chemistry. It is relatively unusual for university graduates to have expertise in a science and also be fluent in a modern language. Graduating with a Chemistry with a Modern Language degree will therefore help you to stand out from the crowds when it comes to applying for a job; indeed, global corporations who have a presence outside of the UK will likely view a bilingual applicant in a very favourable light. Read more about why you should study Chemistry at Birmingham. Modules Each year contains 120 credits of taught material, delivered in modules that are typically worth 20 credits. Core modules (60 credits in each year) are taken by all students enrolled on both single honours and major/minor degree programmes and cover those fundamentals of inorganic, organic and physical chemistry that we deem essential. Year 1 also includes a self-paced maths module. You will also take 20 credits of language modules in Years 1–3 which are delivered by staff in the University's the Department of Modern Languages. The remaining 40 credits comprising laboratory modules (with embedded communications and employability skills) designed to support these core courses, allowing you to develop your practical skills and techniques as well as consolidate the associated theory from your lectures. You study just chemistry in Year 4, taking 60 credits of taught material from a selection of modules pitched at the cutting edge of the subject. A major research project accounts for the remaining 60 credits. Year 1 In Year 1, you will take core modules in the traditional sub-disciplines of inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry, all of which are supported by two additional modules comprising an extensive laboratory work programme. The remaining 20 credits is your chosen modern language. Those of you who do not have A-level maths – don't worry! We provide a self-paced introductory maths module in Semester 1, which will bring you up to speed with the common mathematical techniques needed for chemistry. All students take this module, whether they have A-level maths or not, since not all A-level maths syllabuses cover the same material. In Semester 2, additional mathematics is embedded in the physical chemistry module, as you begin to apply your mathematical skills to chemical problems. All of the maths material is delivered by staff from Chemistry, which ensures you are equipped with those skills you need to tackle the more physical and theoretical aspects of our courses. Inorganic Chemistry I - 20 credits Organic Chemistry I - 20 credits Physical Chemistry I - 20 credits Practical Chemistry Ia - 20 credits Practical Chemistry Ib - 20 credits Year 1 Summer Skills Laboratory * Fundamental Mathematics ** In addition you must select ONE language module, examples listed below: IWLP Mandarin Level 1 - 20 credits IWLP Japanese Level 1 - 20 credits French Module according to IWLP - 20 credits German Module according to IWLP - 20 credits Spanish Module according to IWLP - 20 credits * Year 1 Summer Skills Laboratory is a zero credit module which provides training in the fundamental skills of separation, measurement, analysis, calculation and the interpretation of data. Satisfactory completion is assessed by maintenance of a laboratory notebook, the quality of the data produced in the laboratory and its interpretation. Satisfactory completion of this module is normally required for progression to Year 2. ** Fundamental Mathematics is a zero credit module which is student centred and self paced, providing training in the fundamental skills and concepts of mathematics that underpin the rest of the programme. Satisfactory completion of this module is normally required for progression to Year 2. Year 2 In Year 2, you will build on material from your first year as we employ a combination of lectures and practicals to further your understanding of the fundamental aspects of chemistry. In addition to core modules in organic, inorganic and physical chemistry and the associated laboratory work, you will continue to develop your language skills. Inorganic Chemistry II - 20 credits Organic Chemistry II - 20 credits Physical Chemistry II - 20 credits Practical Chemistry IIa - 20 credits Practical Chemistry IIb - 20 credits In addition you must select ONE language module, examples listed below: IWLP Mandarin Level 2 - 20 credits IWLP Japanese Level 2 - 20 credits French Module according to IWLP - 20 credits German Module according to IWLP - 20 credits Spanish Module according to IWLP - 20 credits Students may proceed with the MSci programme providing a minimum of 220 credits have been accumulated by the end of Stage 2 and an Overall Stage 2 mark of greater than 60% has been obtained, normally to include passes in core chemistry exams. Year 3 In Year 3, core chemistry modules in inorganic, organic and physical chemistry are accompanied by advanced classes in your chosen modern language. An advanced laboratory course will also prepare you for the major research project that you will undertake in your fourth year. Core modules Inorganic Chemistry III - 20 credits Organic Chemistry III - 20 credits Physical Chemistry III - 20 credits Year 3 Research Methodology I - 20 credits Year 3 Research Methodology II - 20 credits In addition you must select ONE langauge module, examples listed below: IWLP Mandarin Level 3 - 20 credits IWLP Japanese Level 3 - 20 credits French Module according to IWLP - 20 credits German Module according to IWLP - 20 credits Spanish Module according to IWLP - 20 credits Year 4 You will study just chemistry in this, your final, year during which, significant flexibility allows you to specialise in a particular sub-discipline should you wish. You will choose from a range of courses that reflect the state-of-the-art of the discipline, which not only allows us to showcase the cutting-edge research interests of the School but also ensures that you are aware of the latest challenges in this rapidly advancing subject. In addition to 60 credits of taught chemistry modules, you will join one of the School's research groups, and become a member of the Research School as you undertake a major research project (worth the remaining 60 credits). You will work closely with your project supervisor to tailor your project to your particular interests and ensure you develop those research skills that you feel will be most beneficial to you after completing your degree. Core module Masters Research Project - 60 credits Optional modules Select 60 credits of optional modules, examples listed below: Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery - 10 credits Materials Chemistry - 10 credits Applications of Supramolecular Chemistry - 10 credits Synthesis of Natural Products - 10 credits Clusters, Surfaces and Interfaces - 10 credits Chemical Dynamics, Spectroscopy and Symmetry - 10 credits Bio-inorganic Chemistry - 10 credits Modern Methods for Molecular Synthesis - 10 credits Soft matter - 10 credits Please note: The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. Unless indicated otherwise, the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2019. On rare occasions, we may need to make unexpected changes to core modules; in this event we will contact offer holders as soon as possible to inform or consult them as appropriate. Fees and funding Annual tuition fees 2019/20 UK/EU £9,250 International £21,180 Visit our tuition fees page for more information. Scholarships At Birmingham we ensure that fears about finance do not constrain prospective students from considering university and that excellence is rewarded. we offer a range of scholarships and awards for Chemistry students. the University also offers a range of additional financial support for students studying at Birmingham in the form of other bursaries, grants and scholarships. Entry requirements Number of A levels required:3 , offer will depend on subject combination.Typical offer:AAA–AABRequired subjects and grades:A level Chemistry. Minimum Mathematics requirement: GCSE grade 6/B. GCSE Grade 7/A in a relevant language. You must also pass the practical element of any reformed science A levels which include Biology, Chemistry and Physics taught from 2015. General Studies, Critical Thinking and Use of Maths are not accepted. International Baccalaureate Diploma 6,6,6-6,6,5 at Higher Level, including Chemistry at Higher Level, with a minimum of 32 points overall. One or more additional science subjects at Higher Level is advantageous. A minimum of 5 at Standard Level English and 4 at Standard Level Mathematics is required for those students who do not have a minimum of grade 4/C in English at GCSE and of grade 6/B in Mathematics at GCSE. BTEC Only considered when combined with other qualifications. Other qualifications are considered – learn more about entry requirements. Additional information: Foundation Year Would you like to study for one of our degrees but lack the entry qualifications we require? Consider a Foundation Year programme which can lead to entry onto one of our courses. Chemistry with Foundation Year (UK/EU students) Birmingham International Academy - Engineering and Physical Sciences Pathway (international students) International students: Standard English language requirements apply, learn more about international entry requirements. Depending on your chosen course of study, you may also be interested in one of our foundation pathways, which offer specially structured programmes for international students whose qualifications are not accepted for direct entry to UK universities. Further details can be found on Birmingham International Academy web pages. How to apply Apply through the UCAS website using code F1RY UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college. View advice on ' How to apply for undergraduate courses', including advice for UK, EU and overseas applicants. OverviewLearning and teaching You will be taught by a mixture of professors, doctors and postgraduates, thereby receiving a rich diversity of academic knowledge and experience.You can find out more about the members of staff in the School of Chemistry here where you can read about their qualifications, publication history and specific areas of interest. Collaborative Teaching Laboratory The Collaborative Teaching Laboratory (CTL), which opened in 2018, will become a hub for science & engineering teaching, with multifunctional labs suitable for subject-specific and cross-disciplinary teaching and team working. Personal Tutor: At the start of your degree, you will be assigned a Personal Tutor who remains with you throughout your studies. You will meet him or her at least once a semester to review your academic progress and to discuss how to develop your transferable skills. Your personal tutor will also be able to advise on particular areas where you may need additional support. During your first year it is important that you have a smooth transition into University. You will be able to talk to your tutors about this and discuss if there are particular areas where you need support. Delivery of the course As a Birmingham student you are part of an academic elite and will learn from world-leading experts. From the outset you will be encouraged to become an independent and self-motivated learner; we want you to be challenged and will encourage you to think for yourself. Your learning will take place in a range of different settings, including lectures, workshops and small-group tutorials, self-study and peer-group learning sessions and laboratory and project work. You may find these new ways of studying challenging at first; however, rest assured, we will work with you to facilitate this transition. You will have access to a comprehensive academic and pastoral support system, which includes your personal tutor and welfare tutors. The course is delivered as lectures, tutorials, workshops and laboratory classes. In your final year, you will also complete a research-related project. Small-group tutorials run alongside our lecture courses and provide a valuable opportunity for you to discuss specific problems with your tutor, as well as consolidate and test your understanding of the lecture material through problem-solving exercises.. Enquiry-Based Learning (EBL) provides an environment where the learning process is driven by enquiry. In this learning approach, the lecturer acts solely as a facilitator. EBL is a particularly useful method for teaching aspects of chemistry, for example, the use of spectroscopic techniques in structure elucidation. It often requires you to work in a team to solve a problem and exemplifies the research-oriented approach to problem-solving, which lies at the heart of the research-led ethos of the University. Laboratory-based practical work forms an integral part of the School's degree programmes. These classes not only develop your practical skills but also reinforce concepts introduced in the associated lectures. Practical sessions typically last four hours in your first year; however, these increase in length in subsequent years to allow for more advanced experiments. In your final year, if you are on an MSci programme, you will undertake a major research project. You will join a research group and become a member of the Research School. Your project will enable you to focus on the area of Chemistry that interests you most and to carry out science that has never been done before. Projects can be synthesis-based or concentrate on more theoretical aspects of the subject or involve a combination of both; you will work closely with your project supervisor to tailor the project to your particular research interests. If you are a BSc student, you will also complete a research-related project in your final year, which can involve practical-based research, computer-based research or a literature dissertation. If you are interested in entering the teaching profession, you may opt instead for a project in the area of chemical education. Contact hours Year one and year two have around 15 hours per week of lectures, tutorials, workshops and lab classes. Year three consists of approximately 19 hours per week of lectures, workshops and lab classes. Year four has around 22 hours per week of lectures, workshops and project work. These figures may vary due to module choice. Assessment methods Each module is assessed independently. Most contain a component of continuous assessment, which usually contributes a quarter to one-third of the module mark. Methods of assessment are tailored to best assess the learning outcomes of the module and can include end-of-year examinations, written assignments, oral and poster presentations, computer-based tests and/or laboratory and project reports. Some modules are assessed completely by coursework. Examinations are taken in May and June. We provide prompt and informative feedback on all pieces of submitted work. Feedback comes in a variety of forms, including written comments on pieces of assessment, whole-class feedback sessions and one-on-one discussions with your tutors. In all cases, the feedback will highlight the good points as well as those areas that require more attention. At the beginning of the year, you will be given information on how and when you will be assessed. You will receive feedback on each assessment within four weeks (and often much sooner) so that you can learn from, and build on, what you have done. You will also be given feedback on any exams that you take. Course detailsEmployability As a Birmingham Chemistry graduate you will possess excellent core skills in numeracy, IT and literacy, as well as highly-developed problem-solving, team-working, and communication skills, all of which are deemed crucial by employers. Combining these transferable skills with an in-depth knowledge of Chemistry, both theory and practice, you will enter the workplace ready to interpret complex data, to propose innovative solutions to challenging problems, and to design new molecules and materials to solve societal needs. You might decide to pursue a career in one of the chemical, pharmaceutical or manufacturing industries; alternatively, you could choose to work in other areas of science and technology, such as environmental protection, analytical chemistry or forensics. Other areas that need the problem-solving skills you will have developed include finance, law and marketing, as well as teaching and research. Birmingham Chemistry has strong research links with many chemical companies, which we can exploit to help you to gain industrial experience whilst studying. Whilst you may choose to undertake a Summer placement as part of your degree, our Chemistry with Industrial Experience MSci programme is a more popular degree choice should you wish to gain experience of working during your degree. On this programme, you spend your third year in paid employment. Working and studying in an industrial setting provides you with valuable experience, whilst at the same time improving your career prospects. Matt Gray MSci Chemistry with Industrial Experience Placement: AstraZeneca A placement is not as intimidating as it first appears and if you enjoy practical work, then I can't think of a better degree to choose. Career destinations of previous graduates include: AstraZeneca GlaxoSmithKline BASF Procter and Gamble Reckitt Benckiser Severn Trent Water Forensic Science Service BAE Systems Internships The graduate employment market is competitive, many employers require evidence of employability or being ready for the world of work. Internships represent a great way for you to gain experience of the workplace. They also offer employers the opportunity of clarifying what they are looking for and perhaps even assessing interns for future employment. We offer our students the opportunity of internship placements during their time at Birmingham. The video below talks to students, staff and employers about their internship experience: University Careers Network Preparing for your future career should be one of the first things you think about as you start university. Whether you have a clear idea of where your future aspirations lie or would rather consider the broad range of opportunities that are available to you once you have your degree, our Careers Network are there to help you to achieve your goal. Our unique careers guidance service is tailored to your academic subject area, offering specialised expert advice and mentoring, as well as guidance to help you to secure exclusive work-experience opportunities and global internships, all of which will help you to stand out from the competition. Once you have a career in your sights, one-to-one support with CVs, interview practice and job applications will further help to give you the edge. In addition, our employer-endorsed, award-winning Personal Skills Award (PSA) recognises your extra-curricular activities and is an accredited employability programme designed to improve your career prospects. If you make the most of the wide range of services you will be able to develop your career from the moment you arrive. Visit the careers section of the University website for further information. Professional accreditation Graduates are eligible for professional membership of the Royal Society of Chemistry Learning and teachingStudent life Birmingham has transformed into one of Europe's most exciting cities. It is more than somewhere to study; it is somewhere to build a successful future. Clubs and societiesThe Guild has over 200 Societies, community volunteering groups and associations for you to join; they cover every topic and activity that you can think of - there really is something for everyone. We have a very active Chemical Society run entirely by our students. Everyone is encouraged to get involved in ChemSoc activities including the annual black tie ball, charity drives, guest lectures careers events and scientific debate. Accommodation Coming to Birmingham might be your first time living away from home. Our student accommodation will allow you to enjoy your new-found independence in safe, welcoming and sociable surroundings. The City of Birmingham One of Europe's most exciting destinations, Birmingham is brimming with life and culture, making it a wonderful place to live, study and work. Our students fall in love with the city - around 40% of our graduates choose to make Birmingham their home. International students The University of Birmingham has been welcoming international students onto our campus since 1900. We have one of the largest and most vibrant international student communities in the UK, with 5,000 international students from more than 150 different countries and 31% of our academic staff from overseas. If you would like further information about entry requirements, how to apply and funding options, then you can visit our international students webpage. You may also wish to take a virtual tour of our campus and watch the video below to hear our international students say their favourite thing about the University of Birmingham. Employability


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OVERLAND PARK, KS — With new equipment purchasing down or non-existent at most clubs, many operators are turning to entertainment systems and interior club signage to spruce up the atmosphere in their facilities.
ClubCom, Pittsburgh, a subsidiary of Zoom Media, Montreal, has had a long-standing relationship with the club industry. That relationship was enhanced this past summer when Zoom Media struck a media and advertising partnership with LA Fitness, Irvine, CA. Zoom Media's reach in the industry is currently 1,600 clubs in the United States and more than 2,500 clubs worldwide.
According to The Nielsen Co.'s Fourth Screen Network Audience Report for first quarter 2010, Zoom Media's fitness network was the highest-ranked fitness network with more than 34.7 million gross monthly digital video ad exposures, an increase of 18 percent from fourth quarter 2009, which had 29.3 million.
Zoom Media, which acquired ClubCom in 2008, includes Gold's Gym, Bally Total Fitness, XSport Fitness, Urban Active and Lifestyle Family Fitness among its other clients.
"We never take any organization's confidential information anywhere else," says Tom Lapcevic, president of ClubCom. "What we do learn are best practices. We help educate the industry on the best way of promoting a certain product or service at this time of the year based upon the mindset of the population."
ClubCom focuses on three objectives with club companies: a better member experience, driving the club's business initiatives and generating revenue for the club. A club can display its own advertising in between music videos that are played on TV screens and also on digital signage.
"It's a patented process," Lapcevic says. "It's an integration of entertainment with digital signage with television communications. It essentially captures the environment. When you walk in, it's what you see on the screens, it's what you hear on the sound systems. If we're going to really captivate the viewership base, that's what you need to do. You have to capture both of those mediums. It creates a habitual process. The members get used to looking that way."
Lapcevic says that costs to implement ClubCom services vary, depending on the package or packages they choose. Some clubs choose a la carte purchasing for the digital signage package, the overhead entertainment package or the personal viewing programming package. Some clubs choose all three.
Regardless of which service a club chooses, its return on investment will be greatly affected by the elimination of costs and expenses, Lapcevic says. The costs of cable packages would be reduced and overhead music costs would be eliminated if clubs choose a company such as ClubCom for their entertainment services. Also, marketing expenses that previously were earmarked for print handouts and posters on the club walls would be drastically cut as well.
"With digital signage, we digitize that image, we push a button and it broadcasts everywhere," Lapcevic says. "It's a very powerful but also cost-efficient way of delivering internal marketing and communications."
Lapcevic adds that companies such as ClubCom can help clubs generate media revenues through advertising that can subsidize the costs of operating the digital systems.
"Even if [club owners] have to hold back a little bit on capital expenditures regarding equipment, [this is] a way of upgrading the overall feel of the environment and the programming," Lapcevic says. "There's various ways we structure the payments, but over time, this is not an out-of-pocket expense at the end of the day for the clubs once you take into account the revenues that are being generated."
Other companies have accounts with clubs for their in-house signage and advertising. In February, the Health Club Media Network (HCMN), Woodland Hills, CA, forged a partnership with Town Sports International, New York, to serve its clubs in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. The HCMN now serves almost 4,000 clubs.
The fitness network unit of RMG Networks, San Francisco, generated almost 14 million monthly digital video ad exposures in first quarter 2010, an increase of 46 percent from fourth quarter 2009, which had 9.5 million. RMG, which has relationships with LA Fitness, Life Time Fitness and Powerhouse Gyms, is in about 700 clubs now and plans to grow to 1,000 clubs by the end of the year, says David Bruce, general manager of the RMG Fitness Network Business unit.
RMG provides live TV programming, with channels that include CNN, MSNBC and CNBC, and can advertise the club during a commercial in addition to providing digital signage throughout the club.
"We see [providing live TV programming] as really the highest-value inventory within the club," Bruce says. "From an advertiser prospective, being able to essentially deliver a TV product into a club is the highest-quality impression versus something that's static or just audio or [does not have a] great content brand like CNN. There's nothing as impactful as a piece of video."
Broadcastvision Entertainment (BVE), Thousand Oaks, CA, has products in more than 25,000 locations worldwide, says Kevin Fee of BVE's business development unit. BVE advocates local advertising for clubs rather than national advertising, and local advertisements can be outsourced to local ad agencies, Fee says.
"Local ads can create the feel of neighborhood and community and, thereby, provide a much more relevant experience for the viewer," Fee says. "National advertising throughout the day bombards us all. What club member viewing a digital signage display during their cardio workout cares about seeing an ad for a major brand of vitamin-enhanced water? It's a waste of their attention and does not provide the targeted connection that digital signage systems can make with customers or enhance their overall club experience."
Fee says digital signage from BVE can be as low as $799 for a player and software package at a non-subscription platform. Display costs vary based on the size of the screens.
Advertising and club signage are not confined solely to the cardio area. Other places, such as the reception area, locker rooms and personal training areas, provide opportunities to reach members, Fee says.
"If not designed properly, there could be an entertainment overload in some areas of the facility," Fee says. "We have had many clients go with a simpler, less expensive and more targeted experience rather than implementing costly products and features that allow the user to surf the Internet, e-mail, download music and play video games. The importance of entertainment is well-known, but you don't have to spend a lot of money to see a return on your investment."
Like Lapcevic, Fee says entertainment companies can help clubs' return on investment through digital signage that can help lift sales for ancillary revenue streams, such as Pilates, personal training or the pro shop.
"The clubs that see the most ROI are the clubs that choose to sell third-party advertising spots to local businesses at a recurring monthly fee in combination with advertising additional services offered in the club," Fee says. "These clubs have also made a conscious effort to reduce the amount of hard copy [paper] advertising distributed in the club."


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by Kathleen Duff
In a surprise addition to Monday evening's agenda, the Grand Island Board of Education voted to terminate the contract of Interim Superintendent of Schools Robert Christmann.
Christmann officially resigned as superintendent of schools on Oct. 1 after six years of service to the district. He has been functioning as interim superintendent since then and has a full-time position as executive director of the Western New York Education Services Council. His last day of service to Grand Island should be in mid-January.
Trustee Donna Tomkins introduced a resolution to exercise the board's prerogative to end Christmann's contract. The resolution was seconded by board member Emily Ciraolo and was put to a vote. The result was 4 to 3 in favor of ending the contract, which stipulated that Christmann serve the district on a part-time basis until a new superintendent would be in place. Tomkins, Ciraolo, Paul Krull and Tak Nobumoto (participating in the meeting via Skype from Japan) voted yes with Joan Droit, Glenn Bobeck and Board President David Goris voting no.
Goris and Ciraolo both thanked Christmann for his years of service to the district. The district must hire another interim superintendent to serve until the permanent choice is put into place July 1. Interviews for the permanent superintendent will begin in January. The change comes at a strenuous time for the board and administrators as the budget development process for 2012-13 will begin after the first of the year and the construction phase of the district's $51 million capital project will break ground in the spring.
In other business, Molly Marren, director of instructional technology, and Theresa LeClerc, senior messaging and graphics liaison, Erie 1 BOCES, reported on their work to update the district website. Marren said that they have spent extensive time meeting with webpage administrators and end-users and "cleaning webpages." Ultimately, there will be no webmaster, but, rather, each department will be responsible for its content. The website in its current format is about seven years old, Marren said, and in need of a new look, better features and the ability to work well with mobile devices such as iPads. The new website will debut after the first of the year.
In a special report to the board, Christmann said he anticipates a 3.5 percent cut in state aid to education next budget year, a change from $712 million to possibly $610 million. Hurricane Sandy has a significant impact on what monies are available to schools. Gov. Andrew Cuomo will present his executive budget Jan. 22, and the state budget will be voted on in April.
Christmann also talked about the federal budget and the effect "across the board" cuts may have on education budgets nationwide in January. These cuts, termed as "sequestration," will happen automatically if the U.S. Congress does not act to identify $1.2 trillion in savings to the budget.
Christmann said all programs in education except for Pell will be impacted as of July 1. The total impact could be between $3.5 to $4.1 billion. For Grand Island schools, Christmann is most concerned about the Academic Intervention Services programs (for students at risk of not meeting learning standards in reading and math) and special education.
Christmann also talked about the decision-making process for school closings due to weather, specifically regarding wind chill. Christmann said the superintendent makes the final decision to close school. He uses information from the National Weather Service. School will close if the temperature is low enough to induce frostbite if skin is exposed for 30 minutes. Temperature plus wind producing a "feel" on the skin of -22 degrees Fahrenheit is cold enough to close school. Temperature, wind speed and wind chill are checked here on the Island.
Miscellaneous items of interest at Monday's meeting included:
•Moody's bond rating for Grand Island Schools is AA2.
•There will be no winter cheerleading 2012 through 2014.
•The number of all athletic contests for 2013-14 will be reduced.
•The board approved the School Related Personnel contract for July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2015.
The district will hold a public referendum Tuesday, Dec. 18, on the proposed transportation center, in the Grand Island High School gymnasium, 1100 Ransom Road, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The next meeting of the Grand Island Board of Education is Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. at Grand Island High School.
Board of Education Trustees
Send comments to the board at [email protected].


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Talk:Paul van Buitenen
From WikiLeaks
I wonder if we can do better... Not really that much secrecy in The Netherlands I think... but if there is we all need to know.
How about that landmine whistleblowe thing? Or the bouwfraude? Or the actual cost of the Betuwelijn? Or documents regarding the War Crimes court? Or spending by the royal family? Or agreements around the JSF?