text:
Garmin's Steven Cozza had a front-row seat for his debut at Paris-Roubaix on Sunday
By Andrew Hood
Published: Apr. 16, 2009
2009 Paris-Roubaix: Cozza made the early breakaway.
Photo: Graham WatsonSteven Cozza had a front-row seat for his debut at Paris-Roubaix on Sunday.
The 24-year-old bolted into the day's main breakaway and then led the move across the famous Arenberg cobblestone section. Luckily, he wasn't seriously injured in a late-race crash on a slick corner and was able to finish the race.
Things didn't go as expected for the Garmin-Slipstream crew, who were quietly optimistic Martijn Maaskant would reach the final, top-three podium.
But for Cozza and the rest of his teammates, Sunday's disappointment at Roubaix only fuels their motivation to come back and settle the score with the Hell of the North.
VeloNews European correspondent Andrew Hood caught up with Cozza to talk about his first experience on the cobblestones. Here are excerpts from the interview:
VeloNews: So the team tactics were built around riding 100 percent for Maaskant?
Steven Cozza: We all had confidence in Martijn. It was all for him. We wanted to get someone in a move if a big break went up the road and if there were a lot of big teams represented. I saw the move go. It was in a crosswind section. Eight guys were going and I jumped into it. It was good for the team to have someone up the road and then be there to help when the rest of the team pulls up. Martijn ended up having some bad luck, with a couple of flats and a crash.
VN: So you were assigned to try to get into the early breaks?
SC: It was me, (Mike) Friedman and Hans Dekkers. We didn't want to waste too much energy early, but if something substantial was up the road, we needed someone in there. It worked out perfectly and it was really cool see the race by being in the break. Some big names were in the break, so it was cool to be riding with them over the cobbles. I was quite disappointed when the front group caught us, because I was not strong enough to stay with the leaders. Tom Boonen came by like a freight train. I didn't have much strength left by then.
VN: It seemed like it took awhile for something to go, how was it working into the breakaway?
SC: It went about 40km into the race. It was really tough. There was some crosswinds and I saw the peloton was getting strung out. They weren't letting anything go. A few guys were jumping up the road and some gaps were opening. I jumped from one rider to the next and kept moving up and I jumped from three riders to get into the break. We were really driving it for the first hour, but they wouldn't give us more than one minute. Some teams were missing, there was no one from Silence-Lotto or a Katusha, so they were chasing pretty hard. When we hit the first cobbles, we immediately saw the gap grow by two minutes. At the Arenberg, we still had three minutes, but everyone was weakening by then.
VN: You had some pretty interesting riders in the break, including former winner Knaven, what did you learn from that experience?
SC: I was paying attention to see how they were pedaling, their position. (Andreas) Klier and Knaven were saying, ride the paved sections hard and take the pavé easy, hard on asphalt, easy on cobblestones, until they catch us. We didn't kill ourselves in the cobblestones, but it was interesting to see what gears they were pushing on the cobblestones. I thought you had to push a big gear on the cobblestones to stay grounded, but they spin quite a bit. Our break was working well together, everyone was taking a rotation.
VN: So how was it through the Arenberg?
SC: That section was sweet. I was able to lead it into the Arenberg. It was like riding into a tunnel of people. I had so much adrenaline, I didn't even feel the cobbles.
VN: How much more did you ride before the break was caught?
SC: I was looking forward to having Martijn come through, but when the group caught up, it was disheartening not to see anyone there from the team. My radio wasn't working, so I didn't know what was going on. Then I got dropped pretty fast. I was in the group with Hincapie, but I went back through that, and then I found Wiggins in a group about 20 seconds back. Wiggins was pretty strong. He's really good on the cobblestones, it's actually a good race for him. If he focused on that, he could do quite well.
VN: So you tried to stay in that group to help Wiggins?
SC: There were about 30 guys, but it was such a weird group. When it hit a cobbles sector, about half the guys would go off the front, the others would get dropped. I was floating in the middle and we stayed together until the finish. I was pretty tapped out at that point. I was just focusing on finishing.
VN: And you crashed pretty hard late in the race, what happened?
SC: It was about 5km to go. I was leading my group through a turn, either fans were throwing beer on it or there was oil, because it was so click. As soon as I hit it, I knew I was going down. I didn't have a chance. My front wheel just slid out. It was kind of funny, I made it all the way through Roubaix without a flat, no crashes, no troubles, and then on an easy turn with 5km to go, I crash. You just never know at Roubaix.
VN: Banged up, but no serious injuries?
SC: The shoulder I crashed on, I've broken it before. I whacked it pretty hard, but it was just bruised. I am just really sore. I didn't break anything.
VN: Now that you've had a few days to recover, how do you reflect on your first experience at Roubaix?
SC: I really look forward to the race in the future. I had a good experience. I love the cobbles. They don't scare me at all. During the break, I was happier on the cobbles than on the paved sections. It was an honor to be up there in such a big race. I've been watching Roubaix since I was 15 years old. It's always been a dream to do the race, then to be in the break in my first Roubaix was just so exciting.
VN: Were the cobblestones as hard as you expected?
SC: I actually didn't think there were as bad as they said they were going to be. The worse is in the Arenberg and there are a couple pretty bad sections after that. Personally, I had no problems on them. Felt had some special bikes made. They were awesome. Compared to our normal road bike, it really made a huge difference. It was a longer frame, with a bigger space between the tires and the forks were longer, so it was a more relaxed ride. We had brakes on the top of the bars, too, and Zipp made some special Roubaix wheels for us. They were super strong.
The cool thing that really helped me in the race is the Garmin computers were programmed for the entire race. The 27 sectors of cobblestones were programmed into the unit, so my Garmin would tell me all the details about each sector: how long before I arrived, how long each sector was. It was such a huge advantage. I could rely on my Garmin because you could not remember the entire course. It was pretty damn sweet and it's all done with GPS, so it's exact. It scrolled through automatically.
Plus, we had the entire team there at the race. It was a tremendous effort. We had six cars, five mechanics, four or five soigneurs. Every sector we had bottles and a set of wheels waiting for us. It's crazy what can happen in this race, but I was really lucky.
VN: How did the team react to the disappointment of not putting Maaskant in contention to win?
SC: Our team did everything right, except the bad luck. Martijn was super strong, we had everyone where we wanted. I was in the break, Mike and Will helped him chase back after his flat, but in the end, it was too hard to come back from that many misfortunes. We realized it's Roubaix, that kind of stuff happens. We did our best in the situation. Of course, we were bummed, but it wasn't because of a lack of preparation. We did everything we could, but these things happen. We will live to race another day. I know we all look forward to coming back and getting revenge.
VN: Were there any riders in the peloton that you admired or followed when you were watching Roubaix as a young racer?
SC: I've always looked up to Hincapie. I always wanted him to win the race. On Sunday, I wanted Martijn, Hincapie or myself to win. I was really bummed to see George in that second group. The Boonen group came through and then you saw George in the second group and you knew he's not in contention. I hope he decides to race it again next year. He's had such bad luck, he's bound to have a year that luck goes his way. He's such a super talent.
VN: Do you see yourself trying to evolve into a classics specialists like Hincapie or Boonen in the future?
SC: I love racing in Europe. I have a contract with the team through 2011. By the time that's up, I will be 27, so I have plenty of time to develop. It's been a dream of mine just to race Roubaix. I look forward to getting as many results and do the best I can for the team. The classics are best for me. I'm a good time trailer and an alright climber, but I am not good enough to be a grand tour leader. I see myself doing well in the grand tours to help my teammates and maybe win a stage. I think I can focus on the classics. The longer, 250km races are good for me. The longer and tougher, the better it is for me.
VN: So after a well-deserved break, what's next?
SC: I'm a reserve for the Giro, but I will probably do Catalunya and then the Tour de Swiss. Since I am a reserve, I have to train like I am going to do the Giro, so then if I don't go, I will be super-fit for Catalunya.
VN: Will you be staying in Spain or returning to the United States?
SC: I will stay in Girona. I am pretty set up over here. I like it in Girona. I will be doing some fishing, maybe do a little camping. I go fishing down on the Med. It's pretty fun and we're close to the sea. I have a car, so I just drive out there. I just fish from the rocks. It helps take my mind off racing when I need a little break. There's a lot of fish out there.


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CES 2014 Podcast Day 2 - ASUS, Lucid, Valve, Seagate and more!!
Subject: General Tech | January 7, 2014 - 05:21 AM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: video, valve, SteamOS, Seagate, podcast, lucid, LaCie, iosafe, CES 2014, CES, asus
CES 2014 Podcast Day 2 - 01/06/14
It's time for podcast fun at CES! Join us as we talk about the second day of the show including new products from ASUS, Lucid, Valve, Seagate and more!!
You can subscribe to us through iTunes and you can still access it directly through the RSS page HERE.
The URL for the podcast is: http://pcper.com/podcast - Share with your friends!
- iTunes - Subscribe to the podcast directly through the iTunes Store
- RSS - Subscribe through your regular RSS reader
- MP3 - Direct download link to the MP3 file
Hosts: Ryan Shrout, Josh Walrath, Allyn Malventano and Ken Addison
Program length: 57:03
Be sure to subscribe to the PC Perspective YouTube channel!!
PC Perspective's CES 2014 coverage is sponsored by AMD.
Follow all of our coverage of the show at http://pcper.com/ces!
LucidLogix Virtu MVP 2.0 Software Suite Now Available
Subject: General Tech, Graphics Cards | February 20, 2013 - 12:49 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: lucid, virtu MVP, virtu, hyperformance
As promised at CES, Lucidlogix has released their Virtu MVP 2.0 for purchase to anyone who wants to buy it. Their GPU Virtualization software for SandyBridge and IvyBridge based systems with a discrete card allows you to jump back a forth between the embedded GPU on your processor and the graphics card without needing to move monitor cables or reboot. That allows you to save your laptops battery life when the discrete GPU is not needed but to instantly enable it the second you fire up a compatible game, the list of which has grown since the release of their original Virtu MVP. They have also improved their Virtual VSync and Hyperformance features which we reviewed last summer on an Origin laptop.
The move to selling the product directly to consumers is beneficial as previously you could only get the software and updates from the manufacturer of your motherboard or your laptop. As anyone who has dealt with the infrequency graphics driver updates from manufacturers is well aware, the updates are few and far between. It is much better to be able to acquire the software from the vendor who creates it in the first place. Head over to Lucidlogix to read more and perhaps buy one of the three versions available.
"The optimal system specifications Virtu MVP 2.0 include an Intel® Core™ i5 (Sandy Bridge) on an Intel Sandy Bridge or Ivy Bridge motherboard with an NVIDIA® Geforce 460GTX or similar or better AIB and 2GB or more memory running Windows® 7 or Windows 8 in either 32-bit or 64-bit modes.
With special launch prices, Virtu MVP 2.0 is now available in three models: Basic with GPU virtualization for $34.99 (USD), Standard with Virtual Vsync for $44.99 and Pro with Hyperformance and Virtual Vsync for $54.99."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Tilera etches '*ss-kicking' 72-core system-on-chip for network gear @ The Register
- Samsung develops a programmable mobile GPU @ The Inquirer
- Canon PIxma MG6320 Review @ TechReviewSource
10-phase riser card powered mini-ITX Ivy Bridge from ASUS
Subject: Motherboards | February 5, 2013 - 06:00 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: asus, Intel Z77, P8Z77-I Deluxe, mini-itx, lucid
The most instantly noticeable thing about the ASUS P8Z77-I Deluxe has to be the riser card sporting an array of capacitors and providing 8+2 power phase VRMs. What isn't as noticeable until you use the motherboard is the Intel SRT support, Lucid Virtu and the overclocking options available in the UEFI BIOS. Being a Mini-ITX board, the singly PCI Express x16 slot and dual memory slots are to be expected but the spacing is such that you should have no problems with full sized DIMMs or oversized GPUs, depending on the cooler and case you choose. The included dual Wi-Fi antennas are a nice bonus from ASUS as well. Drop by The Tech Report to see this board in action.
"The P8Z77-I Deluxe packs a lot of goodness into a tiny package. We take a closer look at the board's features, performance, and overclocking potential."
Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:
- ECS NM70-I2 (V1.0) Mini-ITX Motherboard Review @ Madshrimps
- GIGABYTE Z77X-UD4H LGA1155 Motherboard Review @ Hardware Canucks
- Gigabyte Force M7 Thor @ LanOC Reviews
- ASRock Z77 OC Formula Motherboard Review @ Madshrimps
- ECS Z77H2-A2X (v1.0) Review: "Golden" LGA 1155 Mainboard from the "Black" Series @ X-bit Labs
- MSI Z77 MPOWER Review: OC Certified LGA 1155 Mainboard from the Big Bang Series @ X-bit Labs
- Gigabyte Z77X-UP7 @ eTeknix
- ASRock Z77 Extreme3 @ X-bit Labs
- MSI Z77 MPower Review: The XPower's Little Brother @ AnandTech
- BIOS Option Of The Week - DRAM Act to PreChrg CMD @ TechARP
- ASRock FM2A85X Extreme6 for AMD Socket FM2 APUs @ techPowerUp
- Gigabyte GA-F2A85X-UP4 @ X-bit Labs
- BIOSTAR Hi-Fi A85W Motherboard Review @ Legit Reviews
Podcast #231 - Intel NUC, AMD 8000M GPUs, Building a Hackintosh and more!
Subject: General Tech | December 20, 2012 - 03:16 PM | Ken Addison
Tagged: video, virtu, VIA, tegra 4, Samsung, radeon, podcast, nvidia, nvelo, nuc, lucid, Intel, hackintosh, gigabyte, Dataplex, arm, amd, 8000m
PC Perspective Podcast #231 - 12/20/2012
Join us this week as we talk about the Intel NUC, AMD 8000M GPUs, Building a Hackintosh and more!
You can subscribe to us through iTunes and you can still access it directly through the RSS page HERE.
The URL for the podcast is: http://pcper.com/podcast - Share with your friends!
- iTunes - Subscribe to the podcast directly through the iTunes Store
- RSS - Subscribe through your regular RSS reader
- MP3 - Direct download link to the MP3 file
Hosts: Ryan Shrout, Josh Walrath, Allyn Malventano and Chris Barbere
This Podcast is brought to you by MSI!
Program length: 1:13:41
Podcast topics of discussion:
- 0:01:50 We are going to try Planetside 2 after the podcast!
Week in Reviews:
- 0:02:50 Intel Next Unit of Computing NUC
- 0:17:55 Corsair AX860i Digital ATX Power Supply
- 0:19:00 HP Z1 Workstation All in One
- 0:25:00 Building a Hackintosh Computer - A Guide
- 0:32:35 This Podcast is brought to you by MSI!
News items of interest:
- 0:33:30 Cutting the Cord Complete!
- 0:36:10 VIA ARM-based SoCs in upcoming ASUS tablet
- 0:42:00 Lucid MVP 2.0 will be sold direct
- 0:44:50 Samsung acquires NVELO SSD Caching Software
- 0:49:00 AMD announces mobility 8000M series of GPUs
- 0:54:15 Some NVIDIA Tegra 4 Details
- 0:58:55 NEC Unveils Super Thin Ultrabook
- 1:00:30 Win a Sapphire HD 7870 GHz Edition FleX!!
1:02:30 Hardware / Software Pick of the Week
- Ryan: Panasonic GH2 Micro 4/3 Camera
- Josh: Preparation is key!
- Allyn: Cheap RAM
- Chris: Had solar panels installed this week
- 1:02:30 Hardware / Software Pick of the Week
- 1-888-38-PCPER or firstname.lastname@example.com
- http://pcper.com/podcast
- http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
- Closing/outro
Be sure to subscribe to the PC Perspective YouTube channel!!
Lucid Virtu MVP 2.0 Coming Soon and Will Be Sold Directly to Consumers
Subject: General Tech, Graphics Cards, Processors | December 14, 2012 - 05:07 PM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: virtu MVP, virtu, lucid, ces 2013, CES
In preparation for the upcoming CES 2013 show in January we have started having some pre-meeting discussions with various companies, one of which was Lucid. While speaking with them we learned some interesting news about the upcoming v2.0 release of their Virtu MVP software including new features and a new availability option.
Lucid's Virtu MVP software is the technology that allows DIY PC builders and notebook vendors to easily accommodate utilization of both integrated and discrete graphics in a single system without the need to adjust settings or to move monitor cables around. With Virtu MVP you can take advantage of the QuickSync technology of your Ivy Bridge processor but still utilize the performance of a discrete graphics card for gaming. This can all be managed and handled on a single display with a single cable.
Other additions like Virtual Vsync and HyperFormance were added in MVP and aim to improve the gaming experience in the same way that Virtu enhances the overall user experience. And while Matt Smith liked the results from the software in his recent testing with an Origin laptop, there were a couple things that bugged us: the interface and the inability to get the software on your own.
Next month Lucid will be launching the new version 2.0 of its software that should increase the responsiveness of the interface while also drastically improving the visuals and style. Also included will be native Windows 8 support.
Perhaps the most interesting news is that Lucid will soon start offering the software directly to consumers as a download instead of requiring that you get it from your motherboard or system vendor. This is great news for users that have purchased motherboards without Virtu software and those of you that might want to buy a really low cost board that would lack those features as well. You will apparently be able to buy it in Q1 from www.lucidlogix.com and the price should be "under $30" which likely indicates a $29.99 starting offer.
What we don't know is how this will affect Lucid's motherboard partners - will they stop carrying the software as a bundle going forward or will they still offer it on select SKUs? Lucid wouldn't divulge any of that yet but I assume we'll find out more at CES next month.
Origin is embracing Lucid's Virtu MVP on their laptops
Subject: Mobile | October 19, 2012 - 04:01 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: origin, EON11-S, lucid, virtu MVP, virtual vsync, hyperformance
As we read about in Matt's review of the Origin EON11-S the new Lucid Virtu MVP technology can really help a moderately powered laptop perform above its class when gaming. The two technologies, Virtual Vsync and the poorly named Hyperformace both work to give a much better gaming experience than you might expect from a Core i7-3616QM paired with an NVIDIA GT 650M 2GB. On the other hand because of the nature of the technology it makes properly measuring performance quite difficult. The Tech Report were up to the challenge of testing games that support both Virtu MVP technologies as well as games which do not support Virtual Vsync. They found that older games received a better performance boost, with many newer games suffering a variety of problems when Hyperformance is enabled. As you can always turn off these features, they were quite impressed with the Origin ultrabook and see only benefits from having a system with Lucid's Virtu MVP.
"Origin's Eon laptops are the first to offer Lucid's Virtu MVP Mobile virtualization scheme. We've taken the 11.6" representative of that lineup for a spin to gauge the technology's benefits in a mobile context."
Here are some more Mobile articles from around the web:
- Toshiba Satellite U845W Ultrabook Review: Going Wide at 21:9 @ AnandTech
- AVADirect Clevo P170EM Part 2: GTX 680M Grudge Match @ AnandTech
- ASUS ZENBOOK PRIME UX31A Ultrabook Review @ Legit Reviews
- Toshiba Satellite U845: Ultrabooks Go Mainstream @ AnandTech
- Alienware M18x R2 Review @ TechReviewSource
- ULTRA eXo Bluetooth Mini Keyboard with Touchpad @ CoD
- Packard Bell Dot S @ XSReviews
- Samsung Galaxy Note II: Bigger, faster, better @ Hardware.info
- Sony PRS-T2 e-reader @ Hardware.info
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 @ The Inquirer
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Tablet Review - A Hit And A Miss @ SSD Review
- Blackberry 10 hands-on @ The Inqurier
- Apple iPhone 5 @ Hardware.info
- Sony Xperia Tablet S @ Hardware.info
- Apple iPod Nano (2012) Review @ TechReviewSource
- The iPhone 5 Review @ AnandTech
- Alcatel One Touch 991D @ Hardware.info
- Motorola Droid RAZR HD (Verizon Wireless) Review @ TechReviewSource
Podcast #219 - NVIDIA GTX 660 and 650, Luicid Dynamix technology, A85 Motherboards and more!
Subject: General Tech | September 20, 2012 - 02:57 PM | Ken Addison
Tagged: podcast, gtx 660, gtx 650, 660ti, lucid, dynamix, a85, gigabyte, fm2, trinity
PC Perspective Podcast #219 - 09/20/2012
Join us this week as we talk about the NVIDIA GTX 660 and 650, Luicid Dynamix technology, A85 Motherboards and more!
You can subscribe to us through iTunes and you can still access it directly through the RSS page HERE.
The URL for the podcast is: http://pcper.com/podcast - Share with your friends!
- iTunes - Subscribe to the podcast directly through the iTunes Store
- RSS - Subscribe through your regular RSS reader
- MP3 - Direct download link to the MP3 file
Hosts: Ryan Shrout, Josh Walrath, Jeremy Hellstrom, and Allyn Malvantano
This Podcast is brought to you by MSI!
Program length: 1:13:13
Podcast topics of discussion:
Week in Reviews:
- 0:03:00 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 2GB
- 0:16:30 Corsair HX850 Power Supply
- 0:17:23 Lenovo IdeaPad U410
- 0:18:18 This Podcast is brought to you by MSI!
News items of interest:
- 0:19:10 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650
- 0:22:20 Trinity APUs to be binned as CPU only?
- 0:24:50 Lucid Dynamix adjusts quality in real-time
- 0:32:30 ASUS Skills Challenge contest
- 0:34:40 Intel NUC PCs coming soon
- 0:37:15 You missed our Borderlands 2 event Tuesday!
- 0:38:10 OCZ CEO heads out the door
- 0:44:10 Gigabyte A85 motherboard spotted
- 0:47:30 AMD Sea Island 8800 series leaks
- 0:51:35 ASUS Tablet pricing leaks
- 0:54:15 Helium in upcoming hard drives
- 0:58:05 Intel WiDi 3.5 with Miracast Launched
1:02:00 Hardware / Software Pick of the Week
- Ryan: Apple Ear Pods
- Jeremy: Scotch tape, what can't it do?
- Josh: Still so cheap. Watch for Specials!
- Allyn: RushMyPassport.com
- 1:02:00 Hardware / Software Pick of the Week
- 1-888-38-PCPER or email@example.com
- http://pcper.com/podcast
- http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
- Closing/outro
Lucid Dynamix adjusts mobile gaming quality in real-time
Subject: Graphics Cards, Mobile | September 13, 2012 - 06:42 PM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: lucid, dynamix, ultrabook
Lucid has a history of fast product development as a software company. It wasn't too long ago that Lucidlogix was a fabless semiconductor company that made chips for motherboards to enabled multi-GPU solutions across card models and GPU vendors. Since then we have seen them move to GPU virtualization tasks like enabling discrete and integrated GPUs to work seamlessly without user interaction on the same notebook.
The Lucid MVP software is the most recent version of that track and it has been very well received, find its way onto most motherboard brands and recently the Origin gaming notebook line.
While huddling in San Francisco during IDF, we stopped by Lucid's suite to see what new stuff they were cooking up. One of the products was called Dynamix and it has the goal of adjusting the image quality of games in real time to help users hit minimal gaming experience levels. Lucid isn't adjusting the settings on your games but rather is intercepting calls from the game to the graphics solution (integrated or discrete) and altering them slightly to adjust performance.
Above you'll see the beta user interface for Dynamix that allows the user to configure it and assign which titles it should operate on. Two sliders, one for a frame rate and one for a somewhat subjective "quality" level can be moved in order to alter the algorithms Lucid has set in the place.
When you set the minimum frame rate, that is the "threshold" with which you would like to make sure all of your games run at. The default was 30 FPS when I played with it and left the quality slider where it started as well. If you start a game that does NOT run at 30 FPS with the settings you have (or maybe it won't with any settings) Lucid's software will attempt to change some quality and rendering settings completely transparently to bring the frame rate up.
In our demo we saw Crysis 2 running on a Dell Ultrabook at 1366x768 and a reported frame rate of 9 from FRAPS. Obviously a game at that frame rate is pretty much unplayable, so when you enable the Dynamix software via a hotkey it attempts to bring up the frame rate; not by adjusting settings in the game engine but rather by changing DX calls to the GPU itself.
Examples given were that Dynamix might change the color depth requested by the game, or it might lower the texture resolutions and anti-aliasing passes. It gradually degrades image quality until it is close to reaching your desired minimum frame rate. When I enabled it on Crysis 2, my frame rate went from 9 to 28 or so - a sizeable difference that made the game mostly playable.
It's not magic though - there are degradations in quality that are visible.
Here you can see a close up of the game running without Dynamix at work. The quality is good but the frame rate was again at 9 FPS or so.
This image shows the game after enabling Dynamix, with a frame rate of 28 or so. You can definitely see blurrier textures, less sharpness around the gun and the foliage quality has gone done some as well.
So why is this even interesting? There are several reasons. First there are some games that may not have quality settings low enough to run on an Ultrabook with HD 2500 graphics; kind of like Crysis 2. Lucid is able to change things that the developer might not have thought of (or might not have wanted) with its access to the graphics pipeline.
Secondly, as the name implies, the software is dynamic. If you already running a game OVER your minimum threshold then the software will not change anything. But if you are running in an indoor area at 40 FPS and then drop to 20 FPS when you go outdoors, the software will kick in and attempt to adjust quality to get you back up to the 30 FPS mark.
Finally, the UI remains untouched - the informational points that were part of the game's interface were untouched so you don't have to worry about blury text or anything like that. Lucid's capability to know about the back end of the 3D engines allows them to tweak things like this pretty easily.
Lucid says the goal is to make games that would otherwise be unplayable on a system, playable for consumers. Without a doubt the target is Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge notebooks and the somewhat limited performance of the HD 2500 graphics system. While this could also be applied to discrete graphics system from AMD and NVIDIA, I don't see that being necessary.
Currently the software works with DX9 and DX10 games though they are still working to get DX11 covered completely. And while the software worked find our demo, we only tried out one game on one notebook - there is still a lot of proving that Lucid needs to do for us to buy in completely. If Lucid's bragging was anything to judge by though you should see Dynamix in quite a few major notebook brands later this year.
What do YOU think? Is this a technology you are interested in and do you see a place for it?
Podcast #218 - Gigabyte Z77X-UD7, Apple A6 SoC, Thunderbolt GPU Tech from Lucid, and more!
Subject: General Tech | September 13, 2012 - 04:53 PM | Ken Addison
Tagged: z77x-ud7, z77n-wifi, WD, thunderbolt, SoC, podcast, lucid, idf 2012, Hybrid Drive, haswell, gpu, gigabyte, arm, a6
PC Perspective Podcast #218 - 09/13/2012
Join us this week as we talk about the Gigabyte Z77X-UD7, Apple A6 SoC, Thunderbolt GPU Tech from Lucid, and more!
You can subscribe to us through iTunes and you can still access it directly through the RSS page HERE.
The URL for the podcast is: http://pcper.com/podcast - Share with your friends!
- iTunes - Subscribe to the podcast directly through the iTunes Store
- RSS - Subscribe through your regular RSS reader
- MP3 - Direct download link to the MP3 file
Hosts: Josh Walrath, Jeremy Hellstrom, Allyn Malvantano and Scott Michaud
This Podcast is brought to you by MSI!
Program length: 1:01:33
Podcast topics of discussion:
- Week in Reviews:
- 0:28:05 This Podcast is brought to you by MSI!
News items of interest:
- 0:28:45 IDF 2012: Lucid External GPUs?
- 0:32:05 IDF 2012: Intel Dives in to Oil!
- 0:35:45 IDF 2012: Western Digital Hybrid Hard Drives - 5mm 500GB
- 0:38:00 AMD Steamroller -- Shrunk Die Without a Die Shrink?
- 0:39:50 Firefox OS Interface: Sept 6, 2012.
- 0:42:30 CiiNow Sounds Like Wii... also AMD Investment.
- 0:47:15 Valve Big Picture Mode for Steam
0:50:36 Hardware / Software Pick of the Week
- Jeremy: SLI\CrossFire PSU for dirt cheap, NewEgg not quite so good
- Josh: Not terrible. Hopefully it actually works for the S3
- Allyn: WD MyBook VelociRaptor Duo
- Scott: Back to school? For the love of God, laser printers.
- 0:50:36 Hardware / Software Pick of the Week
- 1-888-38-PCPER or email@example.com
- http://pcper.com/podcast
- http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
- Closing/outro
Lucid to Let You Plug in to Boost Your Laptop GPU?
Subject: General Tech, Graphics Cards, Mobile | September 12, 2012 - 07:20 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: lucid, external graphics
Lucid looks to utilize Thunderbolt and its PCIe-format interface with external video cards. Their ideal future would allow for customers to purchase Ultrabook or other laptop device to bring around town. Upon reaching home the user could sit the laptop on their desk; plug in a high-end video card for performance; and surround their Ultrabook in other monitors.
While there are situations for acceleration hardware to be inside the device that is not necessary.
There have been numerous attempts in the past to provide a dockable graphics accelerator. ASUS, AMD, Vidock, as well as many others have attempted this feat but all had drawbacks and/or difficulty getting to market. Just prior to Intel Developer Forum, Laptop Magazine was given a demonstration from Lucid with their own attempt.
How about some Thunderbolt?
Mobile GPUs are really the only thing keeping a good laptop from being a gaming machine.
There's good need for desktop CPUs with lots of RAM – but these days, not to game.
I have been excited each time a product manufacturer claims to have a non-proprietary method to accelerate laptop graphics. Laptops are appealing for so many purposes and it is frustrating to have devices come so close but fall so short of being a reasonable gaming machine.
The demo that Lucid showed off ran 3DMark 06 on an Intel HD 4000 with an external AMD Radeon HD 6700. On integrated graphics the gaming performance hovered just south of 30 FPS. With the Radeon HD 6700 – as expected – performance greatly increased to almost 90 FPS.
It should be much more compelling for a PC store to say "For somewhere near the price of a console, you could dock your laptop which you already own into this box when you want to game and instantly have all PC gaming and Home Theatre PC benefits."
And it should have happened a long time ago.

subset: commoncrawl


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USM's Wishcamper Center was filled with the voices and energy of approximately 100 Maine middle and high school students, when they participated in the iGlobal Classrooms Leadership Symposium on June 10, co-sponsored by the Muskie School of Public Service. The students explored public policy and its global impact, with presentations they developed on topics as diverse as "Food Waste and Climate Change," "Civil Rights," "The Four Freedoms," and "Hurricane Sandy Impact, Disaster Preparedness and Response Policies." Schools participating from the surrounding communities included Portland High School, Casco Bay High School and King Middle School from Portland, Cape Elizabeth High School, Freeport Middle School and Durham Community School.
Charu Saxena, the founder of 4eSolutions and Principal Consultant for the iGlobal Classrooms Programs, said, "The traditional norms of education simply do not apply today with critical and rapidly intensifying global issues such as climate change." She added, "It is imperative for education today to connect student learning to the real world, to have students from an early age begin to understand the pressing human and interplanetary challenges and look towards forming policies and solutions."
Saxena, who earned her Certificate of Graduate Study in Community Planning and Development at the Muskie School, emphasized the importance of community outreach in learning, saying, "Institutions like the Muskie School of Public Service and universities everywhere need to earnestly engage in knowledge transfer to schools as part of their outreach policies. iGlobal Classrooms Leadership programs incorporate all these facets to enrich, deepen and broaden school learning and student understanding while building a platform for sustainable future global collaborations."


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Celebrate your Oklahoma State Cowboys fandom with this set of Oklahoma State Cowboys gift tags from WinCraft! This sheet of ten adhesive Oklahoma State Cowboys gift labels will make any occasion filled with team spirit. Each sticker features a printed Oklahoma State Cowboys graphic that will make your fellow fans smile when they receive your gift. These gift tags are perfect for birthdays and holidays!
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Ultra-Compact 180-Watt 5-Channel Powered Mixer with Multi-FX Processor and FBQ Feedback Detection System
The PMP518M powered mixer delivers more power, better sound at less weight!
The PMP518M mixer delivers 180 Watts of massive power and incredible performance through new-generation amplifier technology, crystal-clear sound plus an ultra-compact and lightweight design. The 24-bit stereo FX processor, IMP mic preamps and more round off this impressive package of power features.
Get massive power and great sound in a lightweight package!


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Skiing has a long tradition in Stuben. Stories of our little village and its visitors date back to the hour of birth of Alpine Skiing, a time when the ascent of Albonagrat was treacherous and done on foot.
Hannes Schneider, born 1890 in Stuben, Ski pioneer of the first hour, made our village the "Cradle of Alpine Skiing". Those, who once have been skiing in Stuben know what it means when the mountain is calling;
Our "Hausberg" Albona (snow guaranteed till May) offers those, seeking fun in deep snow tracks away from the masses, daily new challenges. There is probably no second mountain, offering such vast variety in downhill slopes, that even the locals dispute new varieties of downhill.
Stuben is a paradise for passionate skiing fans whose emphasis is as much on the sport as on a cosy get-together.
See you in Stuben!
More questions - no problem - send us an email


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Jeanette B. Fisher, 98, Andrews, died at 8:20 a.m. Tuesday, June 3, at Norwood Health and Rehabilitation Center, Huntington.
Jeanette was born on Oct. 22, 1915 in Wabash County, the daughter of Walter and Frances (Sprong) Bowman. She grew up on the family farm where she worked in the fields, milked cows, and helped maintained the home, since she was one of eight children. She graduated from LaFontaine High School in 1933. Jeanette married Mark Fisher on April 3, 1937, and the couple lived in Polk Township in Huntington County. Mark preceded her in death on Nov. 10, 1997. Jeanette was a homemaker and co-owned Treasure Island Discount House in Huntington County after the Salamonie Reservoir was built and absorbed the family farmland. She later worked as an enumerator for the U.S. Census Bureau throughout Northeast Indiana and on the local election board. She was a member of Orange City United Methodist Church in Orange City, Florida, and she recently attended Union Church in Huntington and Bethesda Free Will Baptist Church in Andrews. She was a former member of Order of the Eastern Star in LaFontaine.
Survivors include her daughter, Kathryn A. (Tom) Trisler and one son, Glenn D. (Nylia) Fisher, both of Andrews; one sister, Miriam Wright, Scottsdale, Ariz.; one sister-in-law, Jean Bowman, LaFontaine; twelve grandchildren, and twenty-five great-grandchildren, and twenty-three great-great grandchildren. Jeanette is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, one son, Emerson B. Fisher, two sisters, Ruth Roos and Lilian Williams, and four brothers, Virgil Bowman, Estil Bowman, Robert Bowman, and Charles Bowman.
Visitation will be from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday, June 7, at Bethesda Free Will Baptist Church, 116 S. Main Street, Andrews. Funeral services will immediately follow at 1 p.m. at Bethesda Free Will Baptist Church with Pastor Mark Hoffer and Reverend Rolla Blair officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Etna Cemetery in Huntington County.
Preferred memorials are to Union Church Mission Fund or The Shepherd's Food Pantry in Andrews, in care of Bailey-Love Mortuary, 35 West Park Drive, Huntington.
Please sign the online guestbook at www.baileylove.com. Bailey-Love Mortuary is honored to serve the family of Jeanette B. Fisher. Those unable to attend may view the service on the Bailey-Love channel at www.livestream.com.


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Parent Directory | Revision Log
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added prefix support
fix random bugs in eclass documentation, and convert to new @AUTHOR tag
Add @DEFAULT_UNSET tags to variables to suppress warnings in eclass-manpages.
Make eclass-manpages ready, bug #210058, thank mren for report.
Fix alternatives.eclass to remove dead symlinks.
spelling typo
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QA: Apply whitespace checks from repoman to eclasses.
Remove ECLASS= and INHERITED= which haven't been necessary for a long time now
Remove ECLASS= and INHERITED= which haven't been necessary for a long time now
update the copyright info
fix ROOT issues for livecd building
use ln -sf instead of detecting symlinks
reintroducing relative linking in alternatives, this time the reverse sorting is fixed via some bash hackery. also some minor fixes in python.eclass
backing out changes, problems with python 2.3
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Summer 2012
Khalil G. Ghanem, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Director, STD/HIV/TB Clinical Services, Baltimore City Health Department
Dr. Ghanem is Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, and Director of Sexually Transmitted Diseases/HIV/Tuberculosis Clinical Services for the Baltimore City Health Department. He earned his M.D. at Baylor College of Medicine and his Ph.D. at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Ghanem has authored reviews on syphilis and gonorrhea for leading journals and has contributed 11 book chapters on sexually transmitted infections.
Mascolini: Are syphilis rates changing in your patient population with HIV and at risk for HIV?
Ghanem: I'll first give an overview of the US, then focus on Baltimore to give you a sense of how syphilis rates are changing. Within the US for the last 10 years we've seen increasing rates of syphilis in men. In 2010, which is the year with the latest nationwide data, overall syphilis rates went down for the first time in 10 years. But rates of syphilis in men and particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM) continued to go up.
The male-to-female ratio of syphilis was 1-to-1 or 1-to-2 back in 1996, and now it's essentially 7-to-1 male to female, largely because syphilis rates in MSM have increased dramatically. If you look at early syphilis cases -- the cases used to calculate syphilis incidence per year -- almost 70% of new cases in 2010 are among MSM.
Of course, MSM are also at risk for HIV. We don't have population-level data in the US on HIV and syphilis coinfection, but results of studies in different locales indicate that rates of HIV coinfection among people with early syphilis are anywhere between 20% and 70%. In other words about 20% to 70% of patients who have early syphilis are HIV infected.
So syphilis is a huge problem, particularly among MSM with or without HIV.
Mascolini: And what's going on in your cohort?
Ghanem: Baltimore has had very high rates of HIV and syphilis for a long time. Heterosexual men and women had accounted for most syphilis cases in Baltimore until the last 5 to 7 years, when we saw a dramatic shift in the epidemiology of syphilis. Now the vast majority of our cases are occurring among men, particularly young men who have sex with men. And about 30% to 35% of our cases are occurring among HIV-infected men who have sex with men.
Thus Baltimore essentially mirrors the great shift that we've seen in syphilis epidemiology across the country over the last 10 years. For a while Baltimore lagged behind other major cities like New York and San Francisco in terms of this shift. It happened more recently in Baltimore, but the shift to MSM here has also been dramatic.
Mascolini: I know there's a large HIV-positive injection drug-using population in Baltimore. Have you noticed anything about syphilis trends in injection drug users?
Ghanem: Gender is the most distinguishing feature of our syphilis cases -- in other words young MSM and not so much underlying IV drug use. There is a strong association between meeting partners on the Internet and syphilis, and there is a strong association between syphilis and the use of drugs like crystal meth. But the typical IV drug population that we see has not been the main focus of these new syphilis infections.
Mascolini: How often should HIV-positive and at-risk people be tested for syphilis?
Ghanem: I think the CDC has it down pat: The most important thing that we can do as clinicians is to screen our HIV-positive patients to make sure they're not infected, because we have excellent drugs to treat syphilis and thereby prevent its downstream complications. The recommendation that says screen your at-risk and HIV-positive patients for syphilis at least once a year is an excellent recommendation. But here the key words that a lot of clinicians forget are at least. It doesn't mean you should screen for syphilis on a yearly basis for everyone. You should do it at least on a yearly basis for everyone. There are patients I screen for syphilis monthly.
Screening frequency really depends on patient risk factors and behaviors. Based on these factors you can make a decision on how frequently to screen for syphilis. Patients with new sex partners, patients who meet anonymous sex partners on the Internet -- these types of patients need to be screened much more frequently for syphilis than once a year. I don't think anybody would accuse you of screening too frequently. I think most clinicians don't screen their patients nearly enough.
Mascolini: How do you get patients to come in for screening more often than they might for regular HIV checkups?
Ghanem: One thing we can do is remind our patients regularly about syphilis and about the risks associated with syphilis. And remember that patients don't have to be seen by the physician to be screened for any STD. They can just stop by the clinic and get their blood drawn. I've done that with some patients who come for a regular checkup every 3 months but get screened for syphilis every month. They come by in the morning, get their blood drawn, and go to work.
The other option is to send them to the STD clinic for regular screening. I run the STD clinic here in Baltimore, and we see a lot of people who come in and request syphilis testing. We screen them without asking any questions or seeing how often they've been tested for syphilis. So I think the issue of inconvenience can be bypassed because the clinician doesn't necessarily have to see the patient.
I think every 2 to 3 months is usually fairly adequate for someone who has very high risk. And I think yearly is pretty adequate for people who have a low to moderate risk.
Mascolini: Do you get good screening adherence from people you want to test every 2 or 3 months?
Ghanem: No. That's the tough part. If you plan to test someone every 2 to 3 months, you're lucky if you get them twice a year. When you try to test people yearly, you wind up actually testing them every other year. I feel by pushing it -- by aiming for the ideal -- you're much more likely to get a reasonable screening frequency. I push to get very high-risk people tested every 2 to 3 months; I wind up getting them tested maybe once or twice a year. But I can live with that.
Mascolini: Do you have a handle on the syphilis reinfection rate in the people you see with syphilis?
Ghanem: In our population our reinfection rate in the 3 years after initial syphilis treatment is about 30%. It varies depending on the population and the locale, but reinfection rates between 10% and 40% have been documented. Of course someone who gets syphilis once is much more likely to get a new syphilis infection than a person who has never had syphilis. That's why it's really important to follow these patients up, not only to determine their response to therapy but also to make sure they didn't get reinfected.
This is a common theme with almost all sexually transmitted diseases. That's why the CDC recommends rescreening 3 months after treating for gonorrhea, chlamydia, or trichomoniasis. And it makes sense because someone who comes in with syphilis is telling you they have sex in a network that has a high rate of syphilis, and usually networks don't change significantly after a person gets treated. As a result, they run a high risk of getting reinfected if they've already been infected once. It makes perfect sense on the network level, and it makes perfect sense on the biological level.
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Arkansas is parched and Mother Nature doesn't play favorites. "It's June 21, and we haven't had rain in eight weeks," said Steve Higginbothom, a producer and state senator from Marianna, Ark. "It's been so dry here that you can still see the disk-opener groove from my planter in April. There hasn't been enough moisture to seal the crack.
"That's amazing — I've never seen it this dry so early. It's a dire situation, and there aren't any big rains in the forecast."
In 1980 — a drought year remembered with dread — Higginbothom's farm went 63 days without rain. However, that drought didn't begin until mid-July.
"A few farmers around here have received scattered rains. But in the counties I'm familiar with — Phillips, St. Francis, Lee and Monroe — no one has had significant relief in a long, long time. It's becoming desperate."
Phil Tacker is trying to help producers with irrigation as best he can. But without water, "there's a limit on what we can do," said the Arkansas Extension irrigation specialist. "For example, because of the drought, soybeans are stunted. They've got to be a reasonable size before you can levee-water them. I understand some producers have been able to irrigate some teensy beans and get water on and off them quickly — 12 hours, or so. But that's not the norm, and it's a risky practice."
If Arkansas experiences a typical July, Tacker said, surface water sources won't be dependable. "Unless we get some long rains, groundwater pumping is going to take off. And we know there are areas of the state where well levels will start falling fast. In spots, I'm hearing they're already falling."
Several recent storm systems quickly moved across parts of Arkansas. On June 17, showers fell on much of the southern half of the state. But the rain deficit is now so great such showers shouldn't "fool us into thinking we can get by without watering properly," said Chris Tingle, Arkansas Extension soybean specialist.
"Our soybeans are very stressed. Water is tight and pumping costs are high, but this crop isn't growing off as well as it should. We haven't had enough moisture for growth. Plants have not been moving for the last two months. It hasn't been a good start, farmers are hurting and field conditions are becoming very serious."
In areas receiving rains or being irrigated, Tingle has seen a rapid response in crop growth. That allows him guarded optimism.
"Historically, if you go south of the Arkansas River — into counties like Deshay, Chicot and Ashley — they get an early crop in. They had some beans go in the first of April."
As in other areas, that region needed water badly. Then, in early June, rain found the region. Almost immediately, the crop jumped in size. Soybeans there are now at R-2 to R-3, typical for this time of year.
"That leads me to be hopeful for the northern half of the state. But moisture there has come in the form of hard rain in short bursts. That's not what we need. We need a few days of slow, soaking rains to alleviate the deficit we're under."
Irrigating soybeans is an obvious option. But with every crop needing water, it's difficult "to get producers to pull off rice and onto beans. The rice crop has been very demanding of irrigation water. I've spoken with growers who claim they've already spent $50 per acre on water for their rice. And they don't have a permanent flood on yet."
One producer recently told Tingle that without a significant rain — 2 or 3 inches in the next couple of weeks — he'll go broke. "He set up his system strictly on surface water, using tailwater recovery. He's gotten away from wells. But now he's almost out of water and hasn't even put a permanent flood on his rice. Soybeans are right next to the rice, and I know they're not getting any water until the rice is taken care of."
On top of the drought, young soybeans are inundated with pests like thrips and flea hoppers — dry weather pests. "A lot of our crops are secondary hosts to pests. Many pests would rather feed on weeds or something in the woods than a soybean plant. But as dry as it's been, the wild hosts have died. A stink bug looks up, sees soybeans and says, 'They look tasty.'"
Stink bug numbers are at treatment levels in southeast Arkansas. Thrips numbers have been "out of this world. We've had thrips in beans before, but they weren't considered a major pest. Showers would knock them off, or they'd chew on leaves a little. The crop normally compensates for thrips. But this year, that's not the case. This crop is being hammered by them."
On many operations, stunted, beleaguered crops are candidates for plows. Tingle has fielded "literally hundreds" of calls from growers contemplating a replant.
"I hate destroying a stand. Looking at the economics of it, this crop has definitely been hurt. It's suffered, and we're probably not going to get our best yields. But according to research data, it's unfavorable for us to disk the ground and replant in hopes of emergence the first week of July. Even under perfect conditions, we'd be in the 20- to 25-bushel range. And that doesn't take into account the added expenses of replanting, seed costs and all the rest.
"At this point, most of the decisions growers and I are working on are economic more than agronomic. You have to consider what's been invested in the crop so far. Yeah, we'll be dinged on yields, but in the end, we have to decide where we can make the most money."
For the last few weeks, Chuck Wilson has been rushing between rice fields, cell phone to ear. Problems abound.
"The dry weather has had an impact we've never seen before," said the Arkansas Extension rice specialist. "It's never been this dry in April and May. The rice won't grow and respond. It was cold in April and dry in May. I don't know if this is the worst year ever, but it's certainly unique. We've had field trouble from Lake Village to Clay County. Producers are dealing with replant issues and low stand densities. It's just been a bad year, overall."
The crop it is looking better after recent fertilization and flooding. "Most of it has begun growing now. We've got some fields at, or near, mid-season form."
Problems frequently involve herbicides. "It isn't just one thing, but a number. Right after fertilization and flooding, herbicide problems hit. The rice is shocked with the flood and, if things are just right, the plants get sick.
"We've seen fields of Newpath injury on Clearfield rice. We've also had reports — unconfirmed so far — of other herbicides unexpectedly injuring rice. On some injured fields, we have a good idea what's happened: for instance, nutrient deficiency where phosphorus was put out in the fall to save some money. Also, we've seen Grandstand injury where water was put on too soon. For many injured fields, we don't have answers."
With no rain, Clearfield rice must be flushed to activate Newpath. That's been troublesome for many producers.
"One producer was pumping out of the L'Anguille River and his reservoir just to keep his Clearfield rice flushed, and he ran out of water before reaching flood stage. He had to sink a well — an unexpected $22,000 to $25,000 investment."
Also increasing costs is diesel near $2 per gallon.
There are other problems. "Some fields appear to be hurt by hydrogen sulfide toxicity. I'm not completely convinced that's what it is, but there's no doubt the rice is dying after flood. There's black residue on the roots, which is consistent with sulfide toxicity. But it seems too soon after the flood for hydrogen sulfide to be an issue."
And then there's the lack of water. "It's only June and water is already an issue. There have been some rains (the third week of June), but I'm not sure how much help they've been. The Cache River has been too low to pump out of. The L'Anguille River, in places, is in the same shape. Some reservoirs are too low to sustain a season. In those cases, producers are already pumping wells."
Wilson anticipates little relief. "The little showers aren't doing much. We need a lot of rain. Being 10 inches behind, we aren't likely to catch up between now and August."
Many producers are pumping all day, everyday just to keep a flood on rice. "The main issue is how water will be spread around. Corn, soybeans and cotton are being watered early. We're sharing water with crops that normally don't require irrigation until later in June. We've been irrigating since the first of May. It isn't even the really hot, dry season; it's going to be hard to keep up."
If the dismal growing season won't allow a smile, perhaps the state's wheat crop will provide the briefest grin. Hit with major rains last fall, producers were unable to plant normal wheat acreage. What was planted looked paltry until rains stopped in April.
"Really, that's what wheat needs and dry weather resulted in yields that were much better than expected," said Jason Kelley, Arkansas Extension corn, wheat and milo specialist. "You hear the good news first — I'm getting reports of some 80-bushel and 90-bushel yields. Two wheat verification fields made around 95 bushels per acre. Those were in Ashley and Desha counties in the southeast part of the state."
Unfortunately the corn crop isn't faring as well. In the southern half of the state, corn is silking. In mid-June, Kelley walked fields in full pollen shed — "you come out of those fields yellow and itchy."
"Right now, water is by far — by far — the most pressing issue. Corn, when it's silking, uses the most water — close to a third of an inch daily. When it really gets warm in the next few weeks, the crop will be sucking water up in a big way. If we don't get any rain and temperatures are in the 90s or higher, furrow-irrigated corn will need water every five days. If a producer has rice, too, it could get shaky."
The northern half of the state has been especially hard-hit. "It's very dry there. Producers have had to water corn five to seven times already. Normally, they'll water two to four times the whole year. It's been so dry, some knee-high corn was watered."
Corn that's silking will need water for at least another month to six weeks. By late July, it "ought to be far enough along that the kernels will be mature and the starch layer will have moved down. If the starch layer has moved halfway down and you've just watered, that should be enough to reach black layer."
One positive in corn is a lack of southern rust. Unlike last year, "I haven't seen any southern rust. We do have some common rust, a less aggressive problem. But what I've seen is far below treatment levels."
The USDA has estimated Arkansas has 90,000 acres of milo. "It's up and going and most looks pretty good. Some of the earlier-planted sorghum is getting to boot stage. Weeds have been trouble because we haven't had an activating rainfall for herbicides. So there's some grass in fields."
Rock and hard place
Water demands have been tremendous. One solution, a tropical storm or hurricane, may usher in new problems.
"One thing — maybe the only thing — that could pull us out of this pattern is a tropical disturbance," said Tingle. "But, with the threat of Asian soybean rust, we don't want that. A hurricane would bring water in, but it also could bring rust spores. And a hurricane has to land somewhere. I don't want anyone on the Gulf hurt. But at this point, our only chance to be back level on water is a hurricane or tropical storm."
What is Kelley doing between field trips? "Probably the same thing producers are doing: keeping tabs on the radar and praying."
(Editor's note: For Arkansas' current cotton situation, see "Arkansas cotton desperate for water," Page 9, June 17, 2005, Delta Farm Press or on the Internet, deltafarmpress.com/news/050607-arkansas-cotton.)
e-mail: email@example.com


text:
Weekly inspiration and ideas for living, not spending, your life.
You are welcome to share these beautiful, fun and inspirational postcards. I only ask that you share them in their entirety/without any cropping or editing.
You can find them all in Living Your Life.
For more inspiration and ideas on living, not spending your life, check out the daily postcards at Shop Less And Live More.


text:
Need Hunter Education? Check out Your Options
By Georgia DNR, Wildlife Resources Division
Published: August 19, 2011
Hunter education courses in Georgia are offered three ways: by classroom, CD-Rom or online.
"Because of the importance of the information learned in a hunter education course, our agency has made efforts to meet the needs of many users," says Walter Lane, Wildlife Resources Division's Hunter Development Program Manager. "The options offered include a traditional classroom course, a CD-rom course and three online courses."
The classroom course and the CD-Rom courses are free of charge. The three available online courses each require a fee (from $9.95 - $24.95) but all are "pass or don't pay" courses. Fees for these courses are charged by and collected by the course developer.
Completion of a hunter education course is required for any person born on or after January 1, 1961, who:
• purchases a season hunting license in Georgia.
• is at least 12 years old and hunts without adult supervision.
• hunts big game (deer, turkey, bear) on a wildlife management area.
The only exceptions include any person who:
• purchases a short-term hunting license, such as the new Apprentice License or the 3-day Hunting and Fishing Combo License (as opposed to a season license).
• is hunting on his or her own land, or that of his or her parents or legal guardians.
For more information, go to http://www.gohuntgeorgia.com (select "Hunting" and then "Hunter Education") or call 770-761-3010.


text: On Fri, 22 Nov 2002, Anand Tiwari wrote: > I want to start my thesis on the issues of cluster memory management. i am > interested in working on "Network RAM" and "DSM". i went through few > papers and i realized that at some point we always required "network ram". A better term is NVM -- Network Virtual Memory. > Also i am pretty confused about network ram, is it a separate thing or its a > layer beneath "DSM". can anybody clear my doubt and give me some ideas about > where to start looking for some work. Let's define the terms DSM implies synchronized, consistent access across a set of machines. On a cluster that usually means a protocol that enforces a single writer per native hardware VM page. On custom hardware the single-writer granularity a typically a cache line. NVM implies using memory on remote machines as a high performance backing store, with a much looser consistency model when there are multiple writers. The only DSM system that I have heard about recently is the venerable 'Treadmarks', which curiously seems to come up in conversation about a once a week recently after DSM went almost unmentioned for years. > i also feel that if we try to have severless ram ( or ram without any > central controller) we can have better life. Yup, but truly distributed resource managers seem to be much more expensive than a centralized manager, or redundant-but-centralized managers. It's pretty much the same problem as distributed lock managers (DLMs) on cluster file systems. Everyone wants a DLM on the feature list, but the complexity is much lower and performance higher with a centralized manager. -- Donald Becker becker at scyld.com Scyld Computing Corporation http://www.scyld.com 410 Severn Ave. Suite 210 Scyld Beowulf cluster system Annapolis MD 21403 410-990-9993


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Reviewed by Briane P. (age 9)
this is a book specially for people who like funny rhyming books. You can read and see the ocean animals in this book. I also recommend this book because it's vocabulary is easy to read, it has wonderful and colorful illustrations and it's arhyming book.
This book reminds me of the Gold Fish book because it's about an ocean animal and so is the Old Lady Who Swallowed a Trout. It also reminds me about the book titled There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly. This book is also about an old lady swallowing animals.


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Cape Hatteras, 193' 2" from base to top.
Image ID: line2919, NOAA's America's Coastlines Collection
Location: North Carolina, Cape Hatteras
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Social Media Empowerment (#SWChat)
Thanks to everyone who took part in this weeks Social Workplace Twitter Chat event (#SWChat).
Social Media Empowerment
How can social media empower employees and what is the impact to the business and the employees themselves?
Event Statistics
- No. of Tweets = 877
- No. of Contributors = 80
- Reach = 155,000
- No. of impressions = 1,900,000
Full Transcript Report via @hashtracking
Questions Asked
Shared Reference Material
- Internal Social Media - A Business Driver via Gagen MacDonald
- Best Buy Social Media Policy
- Social Learning On Demand via telligent
- Social Media Policy Database via Chris Boudreaux
- Social Media in Business: It's Just A Bunch Of Tools Right? (slideshare) via @davidchris
- How to delete your Google browsing history via mailonline
- Jeanne Meister on the 2020 Workplace (video)
- Recruiters Aren't Using Facebook And Twiitter [infographic]
- Your Facebook Profile Can Predict Your Job Performance via Josh Sanburn
- What Your Facebook Profile Is Telling Prospective Employers via Wency Leung
- Employee Engagement And Social Intranets (whitepaper) via Andy Jankowski
- How Social Media Is Valuable To Every Level Of Your Company (Part1) via Andy Jankowski
- Global Product Management Talk via @cindyfsolomon
Useful #SWChat Links
Next Event | Schedule | Reminders | Archive | Advisors | Q&A | About |


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Hardcover pamphlet binding. It really is my favorite to make.
Two small notebooks with Japanese fabric on the covers, and leather spines.
This one has an orange leather spine and a photograph of a tranquil Japanese scene on the covers: lots of bamboo screens and low tables and a waterfall in the background. This book has mixed papers for the pages, similar to the next three shown here.
These three books all have fabric on the covers that I have backed with mulberry paper to make book cloth. The blue and pink books have book cloth on their spines; the black & white book has a leather spine. These books also have mixed papers inside including handmade papers, cardstock, plain and lined papers, decorative papers, and even some illustrations salvaged from an old story book that was falling apart.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
It really is my favorite
5 comments:
- ... Paige said...
- 11:01 pm
- Rhonda said...
thanks, ...paige :)
- 1:21 am
- jewelzodonnell said...
Gorgeous! I love my journal I got from you and the earrings!! You do such awesome work!
I tagged you ;)
- 9:14 am
- Rhonda said...
thanks jewelz :D
- 5:38 pm
- Aimeslee said...
Just gorgeous! I think the same feeling you get holding it is a lot like why composition books remain so popular. The two are similar, although yours are of tres better quality! Something about the hardback covers and the flexible cloth spine, I think. Happy Day o Love,
Aimeslee xoxo
- 10:07 am
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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The rise and partial fall of full-fee students
DEEWR is painfully slow to release new data, but they deserve credit for at least making old data more accessible with their new online uCube facility. Constructing trend data has often meant collating data from each separate year, but uCube will now speed that for many items in the higher education student data collection.
Though it required some quick extra calculations from me, the figure below shows trends in the proportion of full-time equivalent students who are full fee. The proportion went from a bit over a quarter in 2001, to more than 40% in 2009. The trend will have reversed since: the over-enrolment frenzy for Commonwealth-supported students is pushing up their numbers, while full-fee undergraduate domestics are being phased out and international student numbers are down. If we are lucky, DEEWR will produce the exact numbers sometime late in 2012.


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Everything's coming up roses! Why do we say that? Because this enchanting rose ring is blooming with sparkle and sophistication. Slip it on, and you'll fall in love with the layers of smoldering Imperial topazes. Shimmering white zircons and bead stations trace the edges for added brilliance. And thanks to the cut-out undergallery, you'll have a comfortable fit every time you slide it on with your adorable ensembles!
Check out the Ring Sizing Guide to find your ring size.
Warranty: Items will be covered for a period of one year from the invoice date. Please call 1-844-752-4825.
All weights pertaining to gemstones, including diamonds, are minimum weights. Additionally, please note that many gemstones are treated to enhance their beauty. View Gemstone Enhancements and Special Care Requirements for important information.
Vermeil Plating:
Pronounced "vermay," vermeil is an electroplating process in which 14K gold or higher is coated over sterling silver. Officially designated by the jewelry industry, items may only be sold as vermeil if they have a minimum thickness of 100 millionths of an inch (2.5 microns) of gold over the silver. Regular gold plating is less than 2.5 microns.
The "vermeil" technique of plating sterling silver with gold originated in France in the 1750s. It differs from "gold filled" or "gold plated" in terms of the thickness or thinness of the microns over sterling silver. "Gold filled" pieces have a much thicker layer, between 15 and 45 microns, which is mechanically bonded to the base metal with heat and pressure. Vermeil is a more expensive version of "gold plated". It does not wear off as quickly as gold plating does. However, over time, vermeil wears off and therefore will require re-plating.
Gold/Platinum Embraced Silver or Bronze:
Our platinum and gold embraced collections feature layers of platinum or gold over sterling silver or bronze for a lustrous, radiant finish everywhere you look and touch.
To care for your plated jewelry items:
A symbol of strength and intelligence, topaz derives its name from Topazios, an island in the Red Sea that is known today as Zabargad. The Greek word "topazios" means "to seek," since the island was covered with a thick fog and difficult to find. Gemstones found on the island were called topaz, although the stones were eventually found to actually be peridot. The real gem of topaz is found throughout the world, with different occurrences producing specific colors.
Brown, yellow, orange and red topaz are found in Brazil, Sri Lanka and Siberia. Most brownish topaz is heated to produce a permanent and glamorous pink color. Following the discovery of pink topaz in Russia during the 19th century, Imperial topaz was found. Featuring a sherry red, deep pink or reddish-orange color, the gem was so coveted that its ownership was restricted to the Czar, his family and those who received it as a royal gift. Today, Imperial shades are the most rare and, therefore, the most valuable.
Blue topaz is rarely found in nature and is most often created through a combination of heat treatment and irradiation. It is found in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and China. Topaz is often colorless, too, and can be found in the United States, Mexico, Russia and Pakistan. In 1998, a new type of enhanced topaz made its appearance with a greenish-blue or emerald green color. All colors of topaz rank an 8.0 on the Mohs Scale of hardness.
Yellow topaz is November's birthstone and blue topaz is December's birthstone. Blue topaz is also the traditional gift for 4th and 19th wedding anniversaries, while Imperial topaz is celebrated as a 23rd anniversary gift. Perhaps the most famous topaz is a large, colorless stone known as the Braganza. It was discovered in Brazil in 1740 and was originally thought to be a priceless diamond. Today, the giant 1,680.00ct stone is set in the Portuguese Crown.
The mystery and allure of topaz goes back thousands of years. To the ancients, it was a symbol of love and affection and was thought to ward off sudden death. The Romans associated topaz with Jupiter, the god of the sun. The Greeks called it the Stone of Strength, believing it had the power to increase strength and make its wearer invisible in times of emergency. The Egyptians said the gem was colored with the golden glow of the sun god, Ra, making topaz a powerful amulet that protected its wearer against harm.
Topaz' mystical curative powers were believed to wax and wane with the phases of the moon. The gem was said to change color in the presence of poisoned food or drink and falcons were carved on the stones to help earn the goodwill of kings and magnates.
Today, topaz is said to be the gem that has the widest range of curative powers. It is believed to dispel enchantment and protect against negative emotions such as anger, fear, greed and envy. Its properties are supposedly enhanced when the gem is mounted in gold. Because of this association with gold, topaz is used to bring or enhance the wearer's money-gathering abilities and has long been used in money and wealth rituals.
Wearing topaz is said to improve and deepen relationships, promote patience, ensure fidelity and enhance the ability to love. The gem is also believed to bring friendship, intelligence, long life, beauty and a pleasant disposition.
About the Collection
Capture the feel of New York's famed Fifth Avenue with NYC II®, an exclusive gemstone jewelry collection bursting with big-city style. Each standout design features vibrant genuine gemstones infused with the vitality, style and appeal of New York City.
Exotic gems, precious gems, premium white zircons and diamonds are prominently featured throughout the collection, along with sophisticated settings of 18K vermeil or platinum plated sterling silver. The rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets of NYC II are perfect accessories for every day or a night out on the town.
Take a bite out of the big apple and treat yourself with eye-popping jewelry from NYC II.
About the Guest
Gem expert, on-air guest and fan favorite Chuck Clemency began his career in jewelry in an interesting way. In 1976, he walked into a retail store that had two openings—one in sporting goods and one in jewelry. Taking note of Chuck's lime green suit, the manager thought Chuck would be perfect for the jewelry department. The rest is history!
Chuck prides himself on the affordability of his products. He says what makes them really stand out from crowd are the expensive looks he offers at inexpensive prices. Chuck is most inspired by the enjoyment his designs add to his customers' lives. In addition to NYC II, Chuck is also the on-air guest for EVINE Live's Diamond Treasures™ and Gem Treasures™ Collections.
Personal Jeweler Warranty Program
Warranty services are available for all NYC II items purchased on or after February 1, 2016. Items will be covered for a period of one year from the invoice date noted on your EVINE Live receipt. The Personal Jewelry service offers coverage for stone loss, breakage, manufacturer defects and free sizing for sterling silver or gold sizable rings. For more information on the Personal Jeweler Warranty Program, please call 1-844-752-4825.


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It's here! Today is the official release date for my new book, SHUCKED: Life on a New England Oyster Farm. It's hard to believe that just over three years ago, I came up with the crazy idea to work at Island Creek. The book captures the entire 18-month journey, from my first shaky days out on the flats to the kitchen and dining room at Per Se. For those who have followed along on the blog all these years, first of all, THANK YOU! Secondly, you will find that the book goes a lot deeper than what you've seen here, so I hope you'll give the full version a go. And there are recipes to boot!
Thanks so much for all of your support… and for reading!
Find the book here:


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The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) ruled yesterday that same-sex couples, legally married in jurisdictions that recognize their marriages, will be treated as married for federal tax purposes. The ruling applies regardless of whether the couple lives in a jurisdiction that recognizes same-sex marriage or a jurisdiction that does not recognize same-sex marriage.
The ruling implements federal tax aspects of the June 26th Supreme Court decision invalidating a key provision of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act.
"Today's ruling provides certainty and clear, coherent tax filing guidance for all legally married same-sex couples nationwide. It provides access to benefits, responsibilities and protections under federal tax law that all Americans deserve," said Secretary Jacob J. Lew. "This ruling also assures legally married same-sex couples that they can move freely throughout the country knowing that their federal filing status will not change."


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Editor's note: This article first appeared in the Broadcom Connected Blog
The 5G WiFi ecosystem just continues to grow, as D-Link today became the latest company to offer a product equipped with Broadcom's 5G WiFi technology.
Called the Cloud Router 5700 (DIR-865L), D-Link's product uses 802.11ac technology (5G WiFi) to deliver wireless speeds of up to 1,750 Mbps – three times faster than the previous generation of Wi-Fi, 802.11n. The differentiation comes not only from gigabit speeds but also higher capacity and broader coverage for home networks – features that are enhancing the adoption of high-bandwidth gaming and HD streaming applications.
Broadcom has been leading the market adoption of 802.11ac by being first to sample and ship the technology. It's focused on enabling the 5G WiFi ecosystem across all major wireless product segments, including routers and mobile devices. D-Link is the latest company to further enable this transition to faster, more reliable wireless coverage for HD-quality video streaming and near instantaneous data synch.
How fast is Broadcom's 5G WiFi and what does it enable? Check out the fun video below for a sampling of its speed and click through the interactive graphic for more detailed look at its capabilities.
Related Posts:
- 5G WiFi: Introducing a Wi-Fi Powerful Enough to Handle Next-Gen Devices and Demands
- 5G WiFi: Pioneering the New Generation of Wireless Connectivity
- Broadcom at Computex: 5G WiFi and Gigabit Throughput [Video]
- First 5G WiFi Product Hits the Shelves
- 5G WiFi Blog
Industry Buzz:
- Slashgear: D-Link announces Cloud Router 5700
- Geeky Gadgets: D-Link Cloud Router 5700 Now Available


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Serving the greater Tucson area since 1985
US MOBILE Home Brokers, Inc. is a locally owned family business serving Tucson and Southern Arizona since 1985 (over 25 years!). We specialize in the listing and selling of manufactured and mobile homes in the Tucson and southern Arizona area. We are licensed by the State of Arizona and bonded. We are also members of the Better Business Bureau. We have homes for sale in family oriented communities and adult retirement communities. We offer:
- A free listing service
- Zero closing costs
- Sales assistance 7 days a week
- Perfect homes for Winter Visitors
- Repo Mobile Homes For Sale
- In house financing
We also pay ...
... for homes if you need an instant sale.
Our sales staff is available and on call 7 days a week to serve you. We are experienced and knowledgeable with the ever changing market conditions.
We pride ourselves in being the best and giving our best...for you!
Why spend top dollar for rentals or high maintenance winter homes? As the top seller of mobile and manufactured homes in the Tucson area, we have a much better idea for you! Your search led you to us and we want to show you great possibilities for your winter home! Why a mobile home? Here's just a few reasons why:
- Low price
- Low cost of maintenance
- Low overhead
- Located in parks where it's watched over in the summer months
- Parks are fully loaded with amenities and your new friends
So come on in and look around and let us know what you'd like us to do for you! Simply contact us with your desires and we'll get it done!


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Ever seen the Warcraft III cinematic, where the Orc and Human are fighting in a field and an Infernal attacks (and kills) them both?
Well, you can see the similarities with the new Mists cinematic. An Orc and Human are fighting after a shipwreck (the background is one part Robinson Crusoe and one part Treasure Island), and their battle is interrupted by a Pandaren.
There's more humor (and wuxia tropes) in the latter, but the former is more focused. You know what you're going to be doing in Warcraft III, but Mists presents a bit more sandbox scenario, ala Vanilla WoW. Sure, there's the voiceover talking about family and balance, but the imagery presents a different picture.
The selling points that the Mists trailer is presenting to the world? Martial Arts. A new continent to explore. Humor. Pandaren.
In short, an open book.
Given the direction that Blizzard has moved WoW ever since its inception, this trailer presents a different challenge. I think this will resonate with people who like to explore a new culture and most especially it will resonate with people who quest and craft. Whether altoholics can handle leveling in Pandaria multiple times remains to be seen; there's some early indication that the quest chains aren't so rigid as they were in Cata, which bodes well for leveling alts, but whether someone will care to repeat the same story multiple times is the big question.
The raiders, however, aren't necessarily going to be entranced by the trailer; the lack of an endgame pointer in the trailer suggests that Mists might actually be a transitional or bridge expac.
Blizz may have put out Mists to set up the next expac in much the same way that the second book in a trilogy sets up the last book. Unlike Cata, where Blizz tried to pack both the second book (revamping the Old World) and the finale (the Deathwing/Twilight's Hammer story) in one expac, perhaps Mists lays the groundwork for the next expac. Sure there will be raids, and we know that Garrosh bites it, but that's all done to set up the Big Finale two to three years later. Garrosh as the End Boss in Mists isn't all that exciting; he's an asshat who --combined with Varian-- has kept Azeroth in an almost constant state of war since the middle of Wrath, but Garrosh as the Big Bad has the same sort of ring to it that Cho'gall had.
The trailer confirms my belief that Blizz is taking a big risk with Mists. They're banking on the appeal of Pandaria to sustain WoW for a while, but going off of their traditional expac/raiding script might be off putting to some of the player base. Right now, it's too early to tell.
Well, except for the humor. They'll always have that.


text: On Thu, 27 May 2004, Orion Poplawski wrote: > You can also setup subordinate queues where the queue with priority will > only accept jobs that will take less than a given time to run. When a > short job gets submitted, a long job on the subordinate queue will be > stopped (SIGSTOP) while the short jobs runs. Your problem here is that > the long job will presumably still hold a license. If matlab has some > kind of checkpointing function, you could tie that into SGE to release > the license. So it WILL manage things with SIGSTOP/SIGCONT. Good, that's what I was hoping. I'll search the docs etc for "subordinate queues" and signals to see if I can figure out how. Excellent. > You can also limit the number of available slots for long running jobs. > > SGE can tie into license management through resource monitors to > determine the number of licenses available. Also excellent. As you note, we'll probably have to screw around with the matlab license manager and issue, but that's a problem with definite bounds and there are a number of ways to try to solve it if we can't find a solution already out there. rgb > > -- Robert G. Brown http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/ Duke University Dept. of Physics, Box 90305 Durham, N.C. 27708-0305 Phone: 1-919-660-2567 Fax: 919-660-2525 email:rgb at phy.duke.edu


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Doctor Who TARDIS Teapot
A spot of tea with the Doctor
- Holds over 25 ounces of tea
- Choose blue or chrome anniversary edition!
Is your teatime a little dull? Don't you wish you could be sipping tea aboard the TARDIS? We do... but we'll add that we hope that it's not choppy on the timestream because we don't want to scald ourselves. Nothing's worse than the combination of hot tea and astral turbulence.
You'll really think the TARDIS teapot is bigger on the inside! This ceramic rendition of the Doctor's sexy time machine holds more than 25 ounces -- that's more than four 6-ounce cups of tea! The lid helps keep the
timey-wimeyness heat from escaping, so you'll be able to enjoy your very British beverage for much longer.
Product Specifications
- For the Earth beverage known as tea
- Officially-licensed Doctor Who merchandise
- Choose traditional blue or anniversary-edition chrome
- Lid helps keep the heat in so you don't have to reheat between cups
- Material: Glazed lightweight ceramic
- Holds more than 25 ounces of your favorite tea
- Love your teapot: Hand wash only, please
- Note: The TARDIS Teapot is not meant to be used on a stovetop. It's great for office use, where you can fill it from the hot water dispenser and bring it back to your desk for brewing & drinking!
- Dimensions: 7" x 7", including handle and spout


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A US magistrate judge rejected Thursday an attempt by federal law enforcement to seize a Tewksbury motel because of drug activity that took place there.
"After careful consideration of the evidence, pleadings, and argument of counsel, this court concludes that the government has failed to meet its burden of establishing that the motel is subject to forfeiture," US Magistrate Judge Judith Dein wrote in her ruling Thursday.
In September 2009, the government sought the forfeiture of the 56-room Motel Caswell, citing 15 drug-related incidents that occurred at the motel between 1994 and 2008. The owner, Russell H. Caswell, 69, lives next to the motel and purchased the property from his father in 1984, according to court documents.
Among the incidents cited by the government were the 1994 conviction of a motel occupant on charges of possession of a Class B substance with intent to distribute and the 1997 arrests of four heroin suppliers who delivered the drug to motel occupants.
"In none of the 15 incidents on which the government relied did Mr. Caswell or motel employees have knowledge that the guest was intending to use or distribute drugs or engage in unlawful activity at the time they checked in," Dein wrote.
Caswell could not be reached for comment Thursday evening. A spokeswoman for the US attorney's office in Boston would not comment. except to say that the office was still reviewing the ruling.
Prior to the 2009 forfeiture action, there had never been a threat of litigation against the motel, and law enforcement officials never advised Caswell about measures he could take to reduce drug crime at the motel, the judge wrote.
Dein also found that Caswell met his burden of proving that he was the "innocent owner" of the property, writing that Caswell "did not have actual knowledge of the forfeitable drug crimes before or while they were occurring, and there is no evidence that he should have known that they were likely to occur."Colin A. Young can be reached at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @ColinAYoung.


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For ACA boosters, memes are good
When it comes to marketing Obamacare, all memes are good memes.
So say progressive activists and Democratic strategists, pushing back against a wave of fresh criticism that mocks their youth outreach efforts as somewhere between slightly awkward and totally tone-deaf.
Story Continued Below
When President Barack Obama's Twitter account posted a photo of a bookish young man in "onesie" pajamas on Tuesday, it sparked a flurry of commentary and mockery about how the the photo was emblematic of the decline of manhood in America, the failures of 1970s liberalism and elite condescension towards Americans.
( Also on POLITICO: Obamacare crashes into Romneycare)
The bespectacled twenty-something — whose real-life identity was soon ferreted out by conservative reporters — was dubbed "a metrosexual hipster in a plaid onesie who wants you to spend your precious Christmas days talking to him about the president's vision for health insurance" by conservative writer Charles C. W. Cooke.
"It's hard not to see Pajama Boy as an expression of the Obama vision," wrote National Review editor Rich Lowry in POLITICO.
The episode marks the latest flashpoint in the long-running, occasionally controversial effort by supporters of the Affordable Care Act to get young people to open their wallets and sign up for coverage options created by the law — a necessity to keep its signature health care exchanges solvent and working properly.
The law's backers have tried everything from launching a " Brosurance" marketing campaign to posting pictures of adorable animals on a blog called the Adorable Care Act to a rap video featuring an Obama impersonator singing a Snoop Dogg parody.
( From POLITICO Magazine: Pajama boy, an insufferable man-child)
Organizing for Action — the nonprofit that controls Obama's Twitter handle — tweeted the photo earlier this week as part of a running "healthcare for the holidays" campaign, urging family members to talk to each other about the healthcare law's coverage options.
Progressives say the free online earned media of these marketing efforts — even that accompanied by vicious mockery, usually from conservative opponents — nevertheless helps raise awareness about the law among ordinary Americans.
"All the memes, silliness, [and] awfulness thus far around the implementation have been great for keeping the healthcare law in front of people," said Kombiz Lavasany, a former Democratic National Committee digital strategist who now works at the American Federation of Teachers.
( Also on POLITICO: Chris Christie dresses down Pajama Boy)
"It's not just in the news but it's part of internet culture and so it pops up in places where people don't care about DC news. There's a product people want, healthcare, and it just reminds people that they can go to healthcare.gov and buy health insurance," Lavasany said.
Organizing for Action, which declined to comment, is just one of the dozens of pro-Obamacare groups waging the battle for twenty-something enrollment. The state-based exchanges, nonprofit groups, Democratic Party organizations and private public relations firms are also involved in the fight — their efforts fueled by millions in Health and Human Services grants aimed at publicizing the law and private donor dollars.
Anne Filipic, a former White House staffer and head of the group Enroll America, said that digital efforts and youth marketing campaigns were conversation-starters, not a magic cure-all to get young people enrolled.
"I don't think [young Americans] see some cute commercial or see a celebrity tweet and all of a sudden they're ready to enroll in health care," Filipic said, noting that they're a hugely diverse group of people with radically different life experiences.


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Grind Mode - She's So Fly (I'm So High)
Music video by Grind Mode performing She's So Fly (I'm So High) with McKlezie.com [Producer], Gorilla Tek [Producer], Erik White [Video Director], Andre Mayon [Video Producer]&IP=220.127.116.11
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


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Crochet Holiday Giveaway #3 - Closed
This will be holiday giveaway #3. Giveaway fits better than contest so that is why I have the word change. I will be giving away 5 hats and 2 doilies. The giveaway will run from today through December 7, 2008. I will draw the winner on December 8, 2008. Everyone from any country is welcome to enter. If you are the winner, you are more than welcome to alter the hats in any way by removing the flowers and leaves.
One of my favorite holiday memories is going to the shopping mall when we were kids. Before the mall was enclosed, they had a train that would take people for rides through the center of the mall as Christmas time. My dad would ride with us for hours while my mom shopped. I am not sure who enjoyed the train more, my sister and me or my dad. Along the way, we would stop in to Sears and get a little bag of candy. I always liked the licorice mix with the little beads.
- Share a holiday of family memory. Each memory you share will give you an additional chance to win. It can be food, family, friends, children, vacations, places or even work related to name a few.
- Comments are open to everyone, including non-members.
- In the comment section you can leave a name, nickname, something unique to identify you. With this giveaway, your story will be unique.
- I will also accept e-mail submissions. Please include HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY #3 in the subject line.
- If you have previously won, I am going to ask that you wait for two months to re-enter again.


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From music to the arts, from fashion and film to theatre and literature, as Christians we are passionate about reflecting Christ in every part of our culture. Read these interviews, profiles and features from across our culture.
Permissions: Articles published in idea may be reproduced only with permission from the Editor and must carry a credit line indicating first publication in idea. About idea Magazine
For advertising details please contact Candy O'Donovan - email@example.com or 020 7520 3846


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Welcome to Bay Fire Products
800-453-2025 | tel: 251-937-2829 | fax: 251-937-2863
Brush Truck, AVON ISI Equipment, Fire Truck Service and More
Thank you for visiting our web site. We are a family owned full service fire apparatus dealer. We've built our reputation on quality, dependability, friendly service and standing behind what we sell. We carry Quick Attack Truck, Brush Truck, Crimson Pumpers and Tankers Truck, Rescue/Quick Attack Truck. Contact us at 1-800-453-2025 (Toll-Free).


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Nitro & Turbo
Meet the unstoppable force.
Most type families begin with a roman font of moderate weight, and build outwards toward their peripheral bolds and italics. Nitro starts from the extreme — an aggressively sloped italic of massive weight — and adds an equal and opposite form, a backslanted style we call Turbo.
We designed Nitro for Pentagram's Michael Bierut, as part of a new identity for the New York Jets football team. Originally named Jets Bold, Nitro is rooted in the styles of lettering used by the team throughout its fifty-year history: even as its logotype evolved, it consistently used heavy, slanting forms to imply force and movement. Nitro embodies this indomitable spirit in the context of a fresh, contemporary design.
Once we'd finished Nitro, we began thinking about where else designers might use such a typeface. (Action movies sprang immediately to mind: anything set in Nitro seems to invite a rousing soundtrack and a booming voiceover.) The typeface's speed started us thinking about vehicles, and their unique typographic requirements: surely the font could work on the side of an express delivery van, a Formula One racecar, or a twin-engine aircraft, but on one side of the vehicle, wouldn't the font face backwards? Enter Turbo.
Nitro's "Turbo" style is a contra-italic, more commonly known as a backslant. The backslant, a typographic curio dating to the early nineteenth century, was designed to attract attention by confounding the expectations of the eye. (This also makes backslants devilishly hard to draw, since their forms confound the natural movement of both the hand and the pen.) Both Nitro and Turbo share a fierce 28° slope, more than double the angle of most italics, giving each a determined and commanding voice. Together the fonts form a tight and unexpected family, useful wherever typography needs to demand attention and hold it.