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Projects/GLD Demo/ChallengeDraft
Government Linked Data Application Challenge
Open Government Data and Public Sector Information (PSI) more generally is a hot topic. The Linked Open Data movement has made a substantial amount of PSI data available. What is missing are applications that demonstrate the benefits of using open government linked data.
We're looking for Web applications that use two or more linked data sources from the eGov domain, that clearly demonstrate an added value, be it in terms of exploring unknown relations or integrating facts in a dynamic and exciting way. Examples include:
- If candidates for elective office were to document their "platforms" (goals and objectives) in StratML (ANSI/AIIM 21:2009) format, value-added intermediary services could enable voters to compare the positions of the candidates not to each other but also to their own on the issues about which they care. (If the candidates themselves fail to document their positions on the issues in readily shareable format, like StratML, others coud do so for them, based upon whatever information may otherwise be publicly available.)
- A company wants to invest in a certain area - what PSI indicators (statistics, taxes, etc.) are available to decide if a certain area is suitable
- A government agency needs to do some planning - what data is available for deciding to build a road in a certain area
- Subsections 202(b)(4) & (5) of the U.S. eGov Act, which require agencies to work together to link their performance goals to key groups, including citizens, businesses, and other governments, as well as internal Federal Government operations.
- what else ???
- two or more linked data sources
- must be available on the Web (online)
- bonus based on 5-star plan (the more stars are address, the higher the ranking)
- if data is missing, participants are encouraged to publish it themselves (at least for the demo)
- bonus points for publishing as well as consuming PSI linked data
There are two categories, see below. Beside this all winners will be mentioned at event XXX and a report in YYY (online media? newspapers? etc.) to follow.
Judge's Prize
A committee of judges (W3C, gov, others) select the three best apps, based on rules above.
People's Choice
A Web-based system allows people to select the three 'coolest' apps.
Potential Linked Data Sources
- data.gov.uk
- data.gov
- data.australia.gov.au
- www.opengov.se
- Data-Gov Wiki from Jim Hendler's group at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- GovTrack
- Open Election Data
- US Census Data
- Ordnance Survey
- The StratML Collection
- Open Governmental Datasets a directory sources from DERI.
Potential Announcement Venues
- w3c
- Sunlight Foundation Blog
- w3c twitter
- timbl on twitter?
- Data Sources: Ordnance Survey, data.gov.uk, data.gov, etc.
Discussion Lists
- public-egov-ig
- public-lod
- lod-announce
- get-theinfo
- ckan-discuss
- sunlightlabs
- uk-government-data-developers
To Do
- who is the main organizer (W3C?)
- website - own domain? W3C? etc
- a cool name for the challenge
- time frame (when to start, how long, etc.) - see potential list of target venues
- link the award ceremony to an international event such as gov2.0, Sandro has an UN contact ?
- co-sponsor/organizers from Google, etc?
- LATC/LOD2 can/may sponsor prizes
- related activities
- http://tw.rpi.edu/portal/Mashathon_in_Washington_DC_on_August_24-25,_2010
- http://gaininitiative.wik.is/
- Sunlight Foundation's Design for America competition.
- Apps for Democracy


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This Date in History: When we hear of flooding on the Mississippi River, most people think of the recent big events in 1993 and 1997. They were huge for the plains states…record levels. But, in 1997, the lower Mississippi River was above flood stage for just 69 days. I say "just" because the Lower Mississippi has been flooding since time began. In 1927, the lower river had been above flood stage for a record 135 days and in 1983 for 115 in a row and third on the list is 99 days and that happened in 1973. That year the economy of the United States may have been forever altered and the landscape, culture and environment of Louisiana changed such that the Cajuns would have had something new to sing about, there may not have been as many sportsmen in "Sportsmen's Paradise" and the maps would have had to be changed.
Well North of Louisiana, On this date in 1973, the Mississippi River at St. Louis rose above flood stage and stayed above flood stage for 77 days. No type-o there….77 days. It would not crest until April 28 at over 43 feet, a record that was topped by 6 feet in 1993. It was still many more weeks before it went below flood stage. There were numerous causes. First off, there was a whole bunch of rain in the autumn in the Mississippi sink…or the area that drains into the Mississippi. The area is huge, encompassing much of the Central and Northern plains and parts of the Midwest. So, there was a whole bunch of water that saturated the ground and elevated water levels in all of the tributaries of the Mississippi. That winter it got very very cold and there was a tremendous amount of snow in the northern plains. If I recall correctly, there were news reports of the Big Muddy being frozen from St. Louis northward which caused a big problem for the commodities transported up and down the river. The ice jam broke in the spring and so all of this ice and water from the fall and melting snow all moved at once.
Between Baton Rouge, LA and Natchez MS there is a place called Simmesport, LA. at that point, the Mississippi breaks off, with part of the water going down the Atchafalaya River. The Atchafalaya has a complex history as it once, along with the Red River, flowed separate and parallel to the Mississippi. Over time, the Mississippi flowed abruptly to the west forming a horseshoe that merged with the Red River. Someone dug a canal to shorted Big Muddy's route and all sorts of other changes took place to the point that the Red River now empties into the Mississippi and part of the old river channel connects with the Atchafalaya. From time to time, water will either flow into the Atchafalaya east to the Mississippi River or at times of high water on the Mighty Mississip, the flow might be the reverse. Near Simmesport in 1963, the US Army Corps of Engineers built the Louisiana Old River Control Structure because the old river channel is highly vulnerable to perhaps enticing the Mississippi River to change it's course permanently and mainly flowing down the Atchafalaya . In 1973, it tried to do just that.
Now, by law, the flood control boys can only release a maximum of 30% of the flow into the Atchafalaya but the river is not bound my man's laws. The flood control project in 1973 could have used the old Pittsburgh Steelers Steel Curtain because the river was relentless with its offensive power. I was told by a Geologist in Natchez, MS that the Corps of Engineers at Simmesport had dumptrucks dumping huge boulders into crevaces around the structure for 24/7 during a particularly tough week. He said they came very very close to losing the entire dam as the water was scouring away the substructure from both sides. If it the scouring below the structure had become fully developed, then there is a fair chance that the structure would have failed, the Mississippi would have altered course and sent most of its water down the Atchafalaya. The topography around and leading into the Atchafalaya is such that there is a real risk that, after the flood, the river would not go back to its old route. This geologist opined that its not a matter of if the river takes its course, but when. He is not alone in that assessment.
Katherine Kemp referred to a study in a posting on a Tulane University web site when she said, "Researcher Raphael Kazmann at LSU suggested that the Mississippi would be the victor in the struggle of man against nature. In his 1980 study on the possible effects of the Atchafalaya diversion he states, "Probably the most important single conclusion reached by this study is that in the long run the Atchafalaya will become the principal distributary of the Mississippi River and that the current main-stream will become an estuary of the Gulf of Mexico…the final outcome is only a matter of time"
Had they lost that structure, the Mississippi River would now be flowing between Lafayette, LA and Baton Rouge but the ports of New Orleans and Baton Rouge w0uld not be ghost towns as the might river would not have left them totally high and dry. Instead, speculation is that instead of taking 70% of the flow, the current channel would only get 30% and the Atchafalaya would take the remaining 70%. Morgan City at the mouth of the Atchafalaya would have to be relocated, oyster beds would be destroyed and fisheries in the Gulf wiped out. They might be able to more easily dredge the channel between the Gulf and New Orleans and on to Baton Rouge because there would be less sediment build up. But, New Orleans would have a huge problem because it would have to find a new source for water since the river's flow would not be sufficient to prevent salt water intrusion from the Gulf. then there is the petroleum interests that would adversely affected as gas lines and oil pipelines crossing the Atchafalaya basin would be damaged or destroyed and oil service installations would probably suffer catestrophic damage. Then the roads…all those bridges….the rail road bridges. All crossing the Atchafalaya Basin would most likely be damaged beyond suitable utility.
Again, if I recall, that 1972/73 winter was toward the end of a series of very very cold winters across the nation and the evening news and the papers were filled with stories about how we were heading back toward an ice age. Amazing how 30 years can change the headlines. But, more importantly, we know that the river will flood again. If the experts are correct, at some point in time, New Orleans will suffer a catastrophe and it won't be from a Hurricane.

subset: commoncrawl


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Casteel, Massey continue development in Melbourne
Though they grew up just 30 miles apart in southeastern Tennessee, Ryan Casteel and Tyler Massey -- two Rockies prospects spending their winter in the Australian summer -- never crossed paths until the 2010 instructional league season in Arizona.
They have been teammates ever since.
Though they grew up just 30 miles apart in southeastern Tennessee, Ryan Casteel and Tyler Massey -- two Rockies prospects spending their winter in the Australian summer -- never crossed paths until the 2010 instructional league season in Arizona.
They have been teammates ever since.
Now members of the Jet Couriers Melbourne Aces, Casteel and Massey are coming off a 2013 season with the Modesto Nuts in which they played key roles on the California League's North Division second-half champions.
It was a successful season in many ways for both, first and foremost as members of a playoff team.
"Clinching the playoffs with that group of guys was a good time," recalls the softer-spoken catcher Casteel. "We've been with that same group for three years now, and playing with that group has been great."
It's a group that includes Rockies No. 5 prospect Tyler Anderson and No. 7 prospect Trevor Storey, among others, and one that has found success at multiple levels. While the 2013 Nuts were eliminated in the first round of the California League playoffs by the Visalia Rawhide, the '12 Ashville Tourists -- of which Massey and Casteel were both members from beginning to end -- were South Atlantic League Champions.
That's something Massey hasn't forgotten.
"It was another full year with the guys we had won the SAL League championship with the year before, so to clinch and to be able to have another playoff opportunity made for a fun year," he said.
As for their individual performances, both were able to grow in multiple regards. Casteel blasted a career-high 22 home runs and 30 doubles and was named to the California League postseason All-Star team.
"I had a good year offensively, so I was happy with that," said the Cleveland State Community College product. "Just trying to build on it and get ready for next year and continue to progress and get better."
Massey, meanwhile, notched career highs in games played (116), hits (118), home runs (11) and triples (9). He also grew as a defender.
"I learned a lot," Massey said. "I got the opportunity to play some center field and show some versatility there, so that was fun and exciting."
But ultimately, for the 24-year-old Chattanooga native, this past season was, "another stepping stone [in] trying to reach the ultimate goal of the big leagues."
When it came time for making offseason plans, the two were contacted separately about their interest in a winter down under, yet they came to a decision together. "Jeff [Bridich, Rockies senior director of player development] called us both separately," Casteel explained after an afternoon workout at Melbourne Ballpark. "Me and Tyler talked, and we thought it would be a good experience."
It became official on the road late in the California summer.
"We were in the locker room playing at Visalia, we got an email, and we both just seemed pretty happy," added Massey.
Now the pair lives together, along with Casteel's wife, Bethany, in a Melbourne suburb. Casteel, in jest, describes Massey as the "third wheel" of the apartment. After a few short weeks the teammates have already shared many new experiences. Of course, there are the standard hazards of driving on the opposite side of the road. But there has also been another new opportunity presented, one of which neither was expecting.
"We don't have a clubbie, so we're washing our own stuff, it's a lot of fun," joked Massey of his new adventures in laundry. "It's new, but it's a learning experience -- how to get stains out. You're second-guessing your headfirst slide into second."
Car troubles and stains aside, the two have much to look forward to in Australia. For Massey, the basic nature of the experience is a thrill.
"The opportunity this gives us to spend three months working on our craft and at the same time seeing a different country, it's kind of an adventure, and should be a lot of fun," Massey said.
Casteel hopes to make a trip north to the Great Barrier Reef with his wife and teammate.
"How often can you say you saw a seven wonder of the natural world?" he asked, rhetorically.
While they embrace this opportunity to share this adventure together, on the field their goals for the 2013-14 ABL campaign are separate and clearly defined.
For Massey, the focus is on offense: "To improve as a hitter and to work on stealing bases -- making that more a part of my game. Hitting for higher average, staying gap-to-gap, whereas maybe this past year I was a little more [pull-happy], it's just about staying through the opposite gap and working on stealing some bags."
Casteel, who was taking ground balls at first base after a recent workout, has his own plans.
"I'm just trying to continue my season in Modesto and work on being better defensively -- catch and throw a little better," Casteel said. "And as far as offense goes, just trying to continue on where I left off in Modesto. [I'm] going to work a little on first base, too, just trying to be a little more versatile."
The early returns are very encouraging. After one weekend of play, the 22-year-old Casteel leads the Aces with seven hits, having registered at least one in each of the team's first four games. Massey hit safely in three of the team's opening-weekend contests, and he delivered his second RBI in the team's first win.
Together, they have a sense of ease that few find more than 10,000 miles away from home. And that is not lost on them.
"In a new place really far from home, you have some sort of a comfort level being here with a teammate -- especially somebody you can relate to and you've been around a couple seasons with," said Casteel. "There's a comfort level, and you're away, so there's a good balance."
Craig Durham is a contributor to MLB.com.


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Despite raging drought across wide swaths of cattle and wheat country, corn is defying market expectations, according to last Friday's much anticipated USDA Crop Production report.
This year's corn crop is now pegged at 10.976 billion bu. Though that's 1% less than last year and 7% shy of the bin-buster in 2004, it would be the near-record crop needed to keep feed prices from running away.
Soybean production is estimated at 2.93 billion bu., 5% down from last year; 6% less than 2004. Meanwhile, the 1.8 billion bu. estimated for all wheat production would make this year's crop 14% less than a year ago.
For the week ending Aug. 5, according to National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
- Corn -- 97% is at or beyond the silking stage, which is the same as last year and 5% ahead of average. 44% advanced to the Dough Stage, compared to 42% last year and 36% for the five-year average. 12% has entered the Dent Stage, which is 2% ahead of last year and the average. 57% is rated Good or better, compared to 52% last year.
- Soybeans --Blooming has begun on 93% of the acreage, 2% behind last year, but 3% ahead of normal 72% was setting pods, 1% behind last year but 11% ahead of normal. 53% is rated Good or better; 51% was at the same time last year.
- Winter Wheat -- Growers have reaped 94% of the acreage, compared to 93% last year and 91% for average.
- Spring Wheat -- 49% of the crop is in the bin, which is 28% ahead of last year and 32% ahead of the five-year average. 32% is rated Good or better, compared to 67% last year.
- Barley -- Harvest advanced to 37% complete, compared to 20% at this time last year and 15% for normal. 50% is rated Good or better, compared to 71% last year.
- Oats -- 77% of the acreage is harvested, compared to 66% last year and 55% for average.
- Sorghum -- 67% of the acreage is in the heading stage, which is the same as last year and 5% ahead of average. 29% was at or beyond turning color, 6% ahead of last year and 4% ahead of normal. 31% is ranked Good or better, compared to 44% last year.
- Pasture -- 19% is rated Good and 3% is rated Excellent, compared to 31% and 5%, respectively last year. 26% is rated Poor and 24% is ranked Very Poor, compared to 20% and 12% respectively at the same time last year.
States with the lushest pasture conditions -- at least 40% rated good or better -- include: Florida (69%); Idaho (60%); Illinois (46%); Indiana (61%); Kentucky (54%); Maine (91%); Maryland (50%); Michigan (57%); New York (67%); North Carolina (52%); Ohio (72%); Pennsylvania (51%); Utah (54%); Washington (51%); West Virginia (62%).


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We Pay for Distribution not Goods Themselves
I was musing again today on the cost of distribution having shopped for a replacement cell phone battery. I found it both online and at the local Best Buy electrical store, but the price disparity was surprising. Online video camera and cell phone batteries quote a list price of $35 to $50 online but are discounted online down to $2.50 to $9.50. This is to accommodate the higher price that local stores want to charge as the recommended price.
Best Buy were of course charging $38 for the same battery that I just ordered one from Amazon for $1.38 and which will be delivered for below $4.50. We can fool ourselves with all the justifications used to explain the premium to us. Brand, Service etc. but in reality it was the availability and convenience at the end of the street that provided justification and the cost of running and stocking that store that needed to be paid for. Manhattan rent and staff to find things for us, as oppose to the online search and automated pick and ship warehouse in a cheap location with cheaper staff.
Twenty years ago I designed under contract a simple single chip circuit which a games vendor sold as a plugin component to a games console. The electronics trader in Hong Kong charged 50c per unit. The Chinese manufacturer probably received around 30c. The games vendor sold the units packaged at around $10 to a US distributor who sold them to Game Stop at below $20 who retailed them at $39.95 to the consumer. One could consider it to be a markup of ridiculous proportions but in reality it is the distribution and productization (Branding, selection, packaging, marketing, advertising, placement) that is being paid for. I did make a mental note to myself to try to be the middle man next time around! Such a next time alas didn't occur.
In rearranging my apartment recently I found myself selling books, DVDs and furniture that I had purchased at retail, or auction in the case of the furniture. The reality is that the value of these possessions when redistributed by me is negligible. Even worse the furniture has a negative value if I have to pay for it to be stored or removed as identifying a ready buyer is no mean trick even in a world of online markets. I have given up on letting Craigslist people visit the doorman.
All of these experiences remind me yet again that so much of the value is about where something is and identifying somebody who wants it. It is one thing for the shopper to be able to find the object on Amazon but quite another for the object to find a buyer. That is the side of the equation that most of the sales, advertising, brokers and agents work on. This is also the area that GroupOn attacks — being partly marketing to new customers and partly a method of clearing perishable supply. There is still plenty of money to be made in improving this life-cycle. Distribution to the right buyer, not the product itself, is what we are really buying. The distribution and not the product.


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Eye Candy: 11 Stylish Guys We Love (And You Will, Too)
We might be focused on the world's fashionable femmes, but that doesn't mean we've lost sight of all the dapper dudes out there. Have you seen Jared Leto and Leonardo DiCaprio lately? Swoon! It's time to turn the spotlight on our favorite stylish guys in Hollywood, and we asked two experts—stylist Ilaria Urbinati and Michael Williams, founder of men's style blog A Continuous Lean—to weigh in on their looks. Naturally, hilarity ensued, so keep reading for all the on-point commentary.
On Leto: Saint Laurent jacket
Urbinati: Pinstripes were huge on the menswear runways, and he is getting a jump on that trend here, as well as nailing both the double-breasted and mix-and-match suit looks. The magic is that he manages to not look TOO trendy by keeping the look monochromatic.
Williams: Jared Leto must be in NYC in this picture, doing that Goth banker thing in a double-breasted jacket. It works for him, though.
Photo:David M. Benett/Getty Images for adidas
On Elba: TBD jacket; Smedly sweater; Diesel jeans.
Urbinati: This is beyond cool. The quilted jacket is so old-school rich grandfather going hunting in his Jaguar, but it's perfectly tailored.
Williams: Elba proves that wearing all-black everything always looks good.
Photo:247PapsTV / Splash News
Urbinati: Only Jay Z could nail this kind of outfit juxtaposition. He's got the super on-trend waxed and canvas raincoat (uniform of every East Coast urbanite worth his GQ), but he's mixing it with these super '90s ultra light wash jeans and pale gray hoodie, which is the sort of fashion irony usually pulled off exclusively by hipster girls.
Williams: For backpack help, see Michael B. Jordan. All that said, Jay Z is still the G.O.A.T.
Photo:carl wu / Splash News
Urbinati: Swoon, this is my favorite! Gotta love a good Newsies look! Here, Beckham is like Dickens' Artful Dodger if he was a world famous rock star athlete. Somehow he manages to look badass instead of precious (the British swagger probably doesn't hurt).
Williams: David Beckham is the only man in the world (or one of the few) that can actually make a newsboy cap look cool. He always looks stylish and well dressed.
On DiCaprio: Giorgio Armani suit
Urbinati: This look says "I'm a movie star, so I don't need the bells and whistles". The lack of tie lends the look its sex appeal, and the perfectly slim trousers make him look like the tall drink of water that he is.
Williams: Leo is really taking a page out of George Clooney's book with this confident suit/no tie look.
Photo:Splash News/NIGNY
On Jordan: Dolce & Gabbana coat; Viktor & Rolf pants; Coach bag; Christian Louboutin shoes.
Urbinati: The secret to pulling off a trench coat without looking like a flasher is the shorter, mid-thigh length. And the fact that he's wearing it almost as a suit jacket replacement is as cool as can be.
Williams: Michael B. Jordan looks great here. Not many can pull off the backpack with the suit, and he does it with ease.
Photo:Robert Barbera/INFphoto.com
Urbinati: Any guy who doesn't want to wear a suit can copy this for cocktail hour or even business hours. What seals the deal is the dressy Chelsea boot with the dark jeans, which could almost pass for trousers. (It helps that he's impossibly tall and in perfect shape.)
Williams: Black, white, and gray always play nicely together. Chris Hemsworth's look is smart and simple, just be careful not to take it too far or it will start to look like you are taking style cues from Cruel Intentions.
Urbinati: Nothing will crisp up a t-shirt look like a good pair of perfectly raw cuffed jeans with a nice shiny dress boot. The sharp blazer makes the look red carpet-worthy.
Williams: With a jacket like that, we know for sure that Ian Somerhalder doesn't have anything vampire-y up his sleeves.
Photo:Elder Ordonez/INFphoto.com
On Cooper: Tommy Hilfiger by Simon Spurr coat.
Urbinati: This is one of my favorite coats of his! Dudes who are itching to try the double-breasted trend, but are nervous about committing to a suit, should try the look with a coat. It's more military cool than captain of the ship, therefore easier to pull off.
Williams: I think Bradley Cooper always looks good. You can tell his own real personal style drives a lot of what he wears.
Photo:247PapsTV / Splash News
Urbinati: Pharrell can pull off things no one else in the world can. He manages to make this look completely effortless, which is in part because of the beat-up boots and worn-in jeans. The fedora doesn't look passé because of the wider brim.
Williams: Pharrell is basically dressed like every young guy in Italy: distressed jeans, leather jacket, and designer briefcase. The only thing missing are the Hogan sneakers.
Photo:Larry Busacca/WireImage
On Lewis: Mr Turk suit.
Urbinati: Two things I'm a huge fan of right now: velvet tuxes and any sort of colored suit. Also, that oversized houndstooth print is badass! Macklemore wisely went with a black bow tie instead of a matching one, or it would have been way too glee club.
Williams: Macklemore and Lewis wanted to stand out, and they won. Don't try this at home, unless you've got a black tie St. Patrick's Day party coming up.


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Darlington could be about to lose Adam Mitchell after the winger began a trial at a League One club.
He will be unavailable for Quakers' game on Saturday at home to Padiham after heading to London for five days with promotion-chasing Brentford.
Darlington manager Martin Gray, who brought Mitchell to the club from Sunderland last month, said: "It's the agreement we've had with him since he came to the club - if he gets a chance to go on trial at a Football League club then we wouldn't stand in his way, so I wish him good luck.
"We did the same with Nathan Thomas when he came to us from Sunderand and he made his debut for Plymouth this week and was man of the match.
"I hope Adam does well down there and gets a contract."
Darlington expect that Mitchell will be able to feature in their remaining league games, plus the play-offs, once he returns from Brentford.
The speedy winger was released by Sunderland having played in one first-team game and has since impressed in four starts for Quakers, scoring once.


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Epson All in One with CISS
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You may buy EPSON Stylus Photo All in One and print dozens times cheaper than with original consumables. Do not forget to buy ciss ink system for epson Liverpool. CIS system, installed on presented Epson All in One, according to user reviews, lets print cheaper and without the loss of quality.
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Naturally, these devices can not only print high-quality photos. Multifunction EPSON Stylus Photo device can even give the second life to old photos by scanning and printing of restored copies. Also check out hp all in one printer.There is no need to remind that you may buy EPSON Stylus Photo All in One with CISS and enjoy simple and comfortable working. Possibility of autonomous working, printing, scanning and copying witout PC, wireless connection features – all this makes Canon All in One a perfect variant for printing in any conditions.
In the catalogue of our online store you can find Epson All in One with CISS with a number of advantages for a reasonable price. High print speed, good quality, economy... With the help of our site you can buy multifunction Brother and TX650 devices with CISS, the user reviews for which confirm their high quality and reliability. Do not miss the offer large format plotter Manchester.
Are you interested not only in quality, but in economy as well? Then you may choose any ink-jet EPSON All in One presented in this section. Printer-and-scanner with CISS lets not only print without loss of quality, but also save on every printing. You can buy EPSON All in One with CISS with the help of our site or at the regional representatives of INKSYSTEM company. We offer as time-proved solutions as brand-new models from the manufacturer. No matter, what EPSON All in One with CISS you will choose, you will be pleasantly surprized with the price, print quality and reliability of the device. Print with pleasure!


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Welcome to Cooking With Cancer
"Helping those afflicted with cancer to enjoy a better quality of life through good food."
Cooking with Cancer is a program designed specifically for cancer care of those persons who are afflicted with cancer, care givers of the patients, and all of those who work in the healthcare industry. The content is recipes researched and tested on patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation.
Rediscover the Joy of Eating
Click HERE for the full Article from the B-Metro Magazine about Cooking With Cancer.
Click HERE to view our commercial
Click HERE for cooking demonstrations and tasting classes.


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Glam Side Table
Not for the timid, this flamboyant, neo-classical gold side table with bevelled glass inlays is a sumptuous statement piece to give an edge to your décor scheme.
Dimensions: H59cm W37cm
Product Care: Mirror cleaner with special application of silver/brass cleaner along frame edges.
You have 14 calendar days to return an item from the date you received it. The item in question has to be returned to us on or before the 14th day from the date of you having received it.
You must inform us in writing why you are unhappy with the item. Feel free to email us directly at email@example.com.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it.
Your item must be in the original packaging.
You must keep record of your order number and please quote your order number on all correspondence.
Once we receive your item, we will inspect it and notify you that we have received your returned item. We will immediately notify you on the status of your refund after inspecting the item.
If your return is approved, we will initiate a refund to your credit card (or original method of payment).
Your refund will be issued within 5 working days of us receiving the returned goods, depending your card issuer's policies, if the refund is approved.
You will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are nonrefundable. If you are returning a product as a result of the product being defective, the shipping will be for Latimer Living's account.
If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Next Working Day Delivery
All shipments to the UK Mainland qualify for Next-Working-Day Delivery (excluding offshore locations e.g. Northern Ireland, Isle of Wight and Channel Isles and parts of the Scottish Highlands and Isles – for these locations, please allow 1-2 working days)
Note: Next Working Day Delivery is subject to placing your order before 1pm.
Standard Delivery (2 days)
Deliveries to Northern Ireland, Isle of Wight, Channel Isles, Scottish Highlands, Scottish Islands, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Scilly Isles and the Republic of Ireland will be delivered within 2 working days
UK Delivery of Larger Furniture Items
Larger Furniture Items will be delivered between 5-10 working days within in the UK. You will be contacted directly by the delivery company who will arrange a convenient delivery slot. Please note they will place the item of furniture in your desired place and offer to remove unwanted packaging. Should you be unsure of the item you will need to retain the packaging in order for us to accept a return or arrange packing to the same standard so that you qualify for a refund.
European Deliveries
European Deliveries will take between 5-14 working days.


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Wanda Curtis is a Porn Star from Hungary. She was born on November 7, 1975. She is listed on FreeOnes since 2002 and is currently ranked 3184th place. She currently has 52 gallery links and 4 videos in her own FreeOnes section.
Our records show that Wanda Curtis is currently retired which means she is not making movies, doing live shows and/or doing photo shoots at this time.


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Welcome to gigaset.com
Please ask your local dealer for complete details regarding price and availability.
As unique as you are – with its straightforward handling and modern look, the Gigaset C430 landline telephone can be customised to your taste. Choose from two appealing background colour schemes for the 1.8-inch colour display. You can even set a personal screensaver, an individual sound profile and special ringtones for selected contacts.


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General Electric (NYSE:GE) said it won a contract valued at more than $500 million on Tuesday to supply drilling machinery to deep-water oil explorer Petrobras.
Continue Reading Below
GE Oil & Gas's turbomachinery equipment will serve four new floating production, storage and offloading units (FPSOs) in the Cessão Onerosa region of the Santos Basin pre-salt fields in São Paulo.
The deal "demonstrates GE's technological offshore leadership," said GE Oil & Gas CEO João Geraldo Ferreira.
The Fairfield, Ct.-based conglomerate's technology will generate primary energy for the FPSOs using gas turbines and advanced generators.
GE said the equipment will move gas through pipelines using compressors and re-injecting carbon dioxide and natural gas back to the well to assist in the recovery of oil.
Technical assistance is also expected to be provided with the deal.


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Preparation Is Key For Kids' Holiday Health Issues
The holidays are full of fun, but calendars packed with events and activities, and indulgence in extra snacks or not-so-healthy foods can turn any family's routine on its head. It's no wonder that the holidays are often prime times for illnesses, with kids especially susceptible. However, preparing for what could happen and practicing healthy habits can keep some conditions at bay.
Tummy Troubles
"It's easy to let good habits like eating fiber-rich foods slide during the holidays," said Belinda Basaca, M.D. of New Health Pediatrics in Glen Cove, NY. "When you add in a busy schedule and a change of routine due to holiday travel, it can lead to constipation."
While it's difficult to avoid the holiday traditions, parents can take steps to make sure that stomach issues don't ruin their child's holiday season.
Keep holiday treats in check, especially fatty foods or dairy products like cheese and ice cream, which can compound constipation. Each year, pediatricians treat more than 20 million cases, and a recent survey revealed that 71 percent of moms of 2- to 11- year-olds have a child who has suffered from constipation in the last year.
Make time for bathroom breaks. Young children especially can get swept up in festivities and forget to "go." Take time out for bathroom breaks, especially after meals.
Incorporate nutritious, highfiber foods into children's diets as much as possible. And also have children drink plenty of noncarbonated, sugarless drinks. This will keep the stomach and intestinal tract operating well.
If your child becomes ill or constipated, relieve symptoms quickly by keeping the medicine cabinet stocked with must-haves. Anti-gas products work well for stomach discomfort. Over-thecounter medicines such as Pedia- Lax(R), the first complete line of laxatives made just for kids, can alleviate constipation. Pedia-Lax offers options that work quickly, overnight or gradually and comes in kid-friendly formulas and flavors, including the first quick dissolve laxative strip. For more tips on recognizing and managing children's constipation, go to www. Pedia-Lax.com.
Cold and Flu
Cramped quarters, dried out nasal passages and throat due to cold winter air, and a compromised immune system from holiday stress can be the recipe for contracting colds or the flu. Take measures so children can stave off these viruses or recover quickly.
Frequent hand-washing is the single most important thing children can do to prevent contraction of cold and flu viruses. Have children wash their hands several times a day, and especially be- fore eating meals to prevent the spread of germs from hands to mouth and nose.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends routine flu vaccinations for all children ages 6 months to 18 years.
A tired, worn-out body may be more susceptible to illness. Encourage children to get enough rest during the day and sleep at night.
Studies indicate that there may be something to the homespun chicken soup remedy for colds. The warm broth combined with antioxidant-rich vegetables is good for the body and may lessen the duration of colds.
A fever is the body's natural defense to a foreign invader, usually an infection, and generally should be left to run its course. In fact, a child's fever would have to be 107.6 before it could cause brain damage.
Still, fever can put a damper on holiday festivities. Unfortunately, fever is not something you can avoid or predict. Therefore, it's best to be prepared for fever treatment.
Treatment for fever is intended to make the patient more comfortable rather than bringing down the fever, which is counter-productive to fighting the infection. Use a lukewarm wash cloth to help cool your child and do not over-dress him or her. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen should be used sparingly only if the fever is very high.
Plenty of fluids should be given to keep your child well hydrated. Sweating from fever can dehydrate a child quickly.
Contact your pediatrician when your child has a fever so that you can develop a strategy that is best for your child's illness. You must call your doctor immediately if your child's fever is accompanied with vomiting, diarrhea, a stiff neck, and/or skin spots or a rash.
"The last thing you want during the holidays is for your child to be feeling miserable," said Dr. Basaca. "Parents have the opportunity to address common holiday illnesses proactively so that everyone can have a happy and healthy holiday."


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Unsupportive Spouse
My husband just isn't a big fan of fruits and vegetables, so he doesn't set a good example. "If Dad doesn't have to eat his vegetables, why should I?" Now what?
My husband just isn't a big fan of fruits and vegetables, so he doesn't set a good example. "If Dad doesn't have to eat his vegetables, why should I?" Now what?
Not sure abt the age of the kid, but u cud certainly educate the kid abt the importance of the veggies. Like when u see a carrot, tell him/her abt all the good qualities abt it, ask them whether they would prefer to eat carrot or wear glasses, lense, have eye problems,take medication for life, etc, etc…i am sure they would understand whats better for them. Create fun recipes for them, if older enough ask them how would they like to have the veggies like spinach would they like to have it in salad, or in burgers instead of lettuce, or in pasta…if given option they would like to have their pick. Hope some of these things help!!!
My husband is the same way. He will only eat corn, potatoes, and ketchup (if ketchup REALLY counts as a veggie). But, he likes sauces, so I put chunky sauces or even whole vegetables into the blender until they're smooth for a sauce (chunky spaghetti sauce, salsas… which even come with fruit mixed in them such as pineapple and peaches). You can have sauce over noodles, chicken breasts, mixed with rice, just get creative. He also likes homemade orange julius (which you can make with any kind of fruit juice concentrate… just add less sugar if you have a sweeter fruit).
I think it's hard to find good, easy recipes for vegetables. I've found a few, and it helps to know you can cook something really tasty that everyone will like.
My daughter likes steamed broccoli with butter. I've made hollandaise sauce (from the packet) that I love, but she's happy with just butter. Plain is best for kids, it seems.
It seems like the simplest recipes make veggies taste the best, though.


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Melanie Tillbrook – Babe of the Day
Melanie's a 26 year old model, host, singer, businesswoman, and bikini fitness competitor from Miami Beach, Florida via Honolulu, Hawaii.
A fitness competitor huh? We've got so many fitness questions for her like "how many calories should you eat to lose weight?" or "what is the correct shade of orange for skin color for competition purposes?" and also "what's a barbell?"
The multi-talented dynamo obtained her degree in Marketing and Economics from FSU where she also sang Gospel choir. She's had bit parts in 2009′s 'Confessions of a Shopaholic' and on A&E's 'The Glades'.
You'll have to go to confession after seeing her pics.
Age: 26 | Location: Miami Beach, FL | Ht: 5′ 9″ | Wt: 128 lbs | Bust: 34C-25-36
[Via Facebook]
[Via Facebook]
Follow Melanie on Facebook | Twitter | Her Official Site | YouTube


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President's Page
It's hard for me to believe that it is summer already! This year has been filled with challenges and opportunities, and I believe that we are taking advantage of every opportunity and are turning the challenges into benefits for the society. Two major ongoing initiatives are coming to fruition: the redesign of the ASIS&T website and the ASIS&T Digital Library at Wiley, and we hope they will be available for preview at the Annual Meeting.
Annual Meeting Plans
With regard to the Annual Meeting, much has been going on behind the scenes. Linda Schamber and her team have planned a jam-packed program, even more full than usual. Program details are at www.asis.org/Conferences/AM04/. The technical program starts on Sunday, November 14, at 1:00 p.m. in Providence, Rhode Island, and ends on Wednesday evening with a gala reception. This revised format worked quite well last year, and everyone seemed to enjoy the President's closing reception. (See www.asis.org/Conferences/AM03/images/.)
There are a couple of sessions I would particularly like to mention:
I could go on, but the total conference program is excellent, and you should check it out for yourself. In fact, Linda and her committee had to twist and turn things, even adding a Tuesday evening session from 5:30 to 7:00 (ending an hour before SIG CON) in order to accommodate all the excellent proposals, which have included a record number of posters almost 100!
Then there are the two plenary speakers! On Sunday, don't miss JC Herz and her take on the millions of (mostly) young game players, a class of users we rarely see but which are a driving force in such technologies as search engines and the Web. Then, on Monday we are delighted to have Tim Berners-Lee join us. He needs no introduction to ASIS&T members, being generally recognized as the "Father of the Web" for his "invention" of HTML.
ASIS&T Issues at the Annual Meeting
This packed program has left us scrambling to squeeze in demonstrations and an update on another major endeavor that has required a lot of attention from headquarters, your Board of Directors and volunteers this year. If the "creeks don't rise" you will finally get to see the ASIS&T Digital Library. While details are still being ironed out, work is steaming ahead on a couple of fronts. Marge Hlava and Data Harmony have been converting documents and using their software to index and build an updated information science thesaurus that drives much of the search functions on the site. At the same time John Wiley has been designing and developing the architecture for the library. We hope (and expect) to have a prototype for demonstration in Providence.
We may also have a new ASIS&T website to model and test. A team led by Stacy Surla has assessed the current site and made recommendations in a detailed redesign plan. Your Board has taken this plan to heart and authorized headquarters to move ahead with implementation. The review undertaken by the Web design team was fascinating to observe and very thorough in its approach. In fact, their recommendations include some changes in policies and priorities as well as a new site design and structure. The Web team is meeting with the ASIS&T Board in August to discuss the redesign plan.
During the August retreat the Board will continue a planning process that produced a three-year business plan for ASIS&T. The document will be distributed at the Annual Business Meeting in Providence and will be posted in advance on the website. As always, your comments and suggestions are needed and welcomed.
On Sunday or Monday at the Annual Meeting please keep an eye out for badges that have "I'm a High School teacher" printed on them. Take the time to talk with these special guests and encourage them to advise their students on the benefits and fun associated with being information professionals. Then, maybe someday you'll meet a young person who says, "I want to be an information scientist when I grow up."
Samantha Hastings
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Information Science and Technology


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Adventure & Tours
Manly Bike Tours
Get on a bike and explore Manly!With over 20kms of dedicated bicycle tracks, the best way to explore Sydney's most beautiful coastal town is by bicycle! Manly Bike Tours offers Manly's largest fleet of bicycles for hire with the latest models at the best prices. Come in and see our friendly staff and experience one of our many suggested routes of the area including Bike the Beach, Sydney Harbour National Park Explorer and off-road mountain bike adventure to Manly Dam.
Location: Manly
Flamin' Galah Sydney Tours and Airport Transfers
The Official Home and Away TourThis unique tour to Palm Beach visits the stunning location of the hugely popular Home and Away TV Series, offering an insightful and authentic brand experience. The tour allows fans from all over the World to connect with their favourite show and experience the iconic outdoor locations featured in the hit TV program. On board, fans will be able to capture once in a life time photo opportunities, whilst expert guides share their Home and Away knowledge.
Location: Bowral
4 Pines Brewing Company
Manly's Own Beer & Only Local BreweryA visit to this onsite brewery / bar / restaurant is absolutely one of the things to do in Manly (and Sydney) There is no better way to get the 4 Pines experience than being in the thick of things at our very welcoming venue. The beer is made on site, the music is awesome, the food is yummy and great value, the feeling is cosy and inviting, the staff are great and know loads about beer.
Location: Manly
Manly Ocean Adventures
The Ultimate Offshore Adventure...The 2018 whale watching season is here! Jump on board the most personal and most exciting whale watching experience in Sydney! Departing daily from Manly Wharf and Circular Quay.
Location: Manly
RRS Hire Cars and Tours
Luxury Transfers at Taxi RatesProviding luxury limousine transfers, airport transfers and guided tour services to popular Sydney and surrounding destinations. Operating from Sydneys Northern Beaches, our experienced team of professional chauffeurs will ensure you get to your destination safely, in comfort and style.
Location: Narraweena
Q Station
Where History Meets the HarbourChoose from Family & Adult ghost tours where you can lurk through the shadowed halls and be entertained by spooky stories of the Quarantine Station or explore the history with the 40 days tour or Wharf Wander. For great family fun, Q Station also host fun "Ghosty Birthday Parties" that include a party host, party room, pizza dinner and drinks, ghostly games, private ghost tour and a great excuse for ghoulish fancy dress.
Location: Manly
Manly Kayak Centre
Escape the Crowds - Manly Kayak CentreHire kayaks, paddle boards, boats or book a beach picnic today! Manly Kayak Centre has been on Sydney Harbour since 1990 and is proud to be able to provide the most diverse range of aquatic products and services in Sydney.
Location: Manly
North Head Sanctuary
BEAUTIFUL WALKS, BREATHTAKING VIEWSLearn about the World War II tunnels and gun emplacements and hear how North Fort was instrumental in the defence of Sydney. Tours run every Sunday at 10:30am, 11:30am, 1pm and 2pm.
Location: Manly
Majestic Water TaxisMajestic Water Taxis is an Australian owned and independently operated water taxi service. We have been taking passengers across Sydney Harbour since 2007. We love...
Location: The Rocks
Manly Whale WatchingWANT TO EXPERIENCE IT FOR YOURSELF? BOOK NOW! WHALES ARE GUARANTEED ON ALL OUR TOURS! Manly Whale Watching has been part of the Sydney Whale...
Location: Manly
ecosailECO SAIL offers beginner sailing experiences through to advanced sailing skills. Utilising only wind and solar power we teach pure sailing skills off the beach...
Location: Manly
Paddlecraft KayaksPaddlecraft is owned and operated by Helen & Ross and have been offering hire, tours and sales on Pittwater for 10 years. With a large...
Location: Bayview
Sydney Thunder RidesExperience Sydney on a Thundering Harley-Davidson ! We will take you on our bikes for one or more hours. Helmets, Leather Jackets etc provided. Cross...
Location: Manly
EcoTreasuresEcoTreasures is a specialist in small group Eco Tourism experiences around Sydney's Northern Beaches and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Manly Snorkel Walk and Talk Tour...
Joe's Mountain Bike ToursI'm here to take you on an exciting tour that's off the beaten track and not in the guide books! It's a personalized,fun mountain bike...
Location: Collaroy Plateau
Manly SailingManly Sailing is located just a short 4 minute walk from Manly Wharf and we offer Sailing Courses for kids, teens and adults, but also...
Location: Manly
Dive Centre ManlyWe are New South Wales leading independent dive training centre offering Sydney's most comprehensive learn to dive programs. We are closest to all of Sydney's...
Location: Manly
Skipper for HireDo you: - love owning a boat out but don't enjoy the hassle that comes with it? - want to see things on the...
Location: Seaforth
Water Taxis CombinedWater Taxis Combined have been the leading supplier of water taxis and water limousines on Sydney Harbour for more than a decade. Whether you wish...
Location: Bayview
PuzzleTrailsDownload a fabulous fun-filled, puzzle-themed Sydney walking-trail! We provide directions and local fun facts as you go. You solve clues and unravel a devilish...
Location: Killarney Heights
Manly & Northern Beaches Information
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The latest generation of HP ProLiant G7 servers combines intuitive, integrated technologies and easy-to-use software with AMD Opteron™ 6200 Series processors to help administrators optimize workloads, accelerate virtualization and process more data in less time.
This slideshow will explore the ways that HP ProLiant G7 servers change the economics of server purchasing decisions and explore how these servers can help businesses with some of the virtualization projects they will be considering in the near future.
The Power of Virtualization — Beyond Server Consolidation It's a simple notion: having fewer servers means a lower power footprint. That's one of the top motivations driving enterprises to server virtualization. But it's not enough to just consolidate IT resources and run more virtual machines on that smaller footprint. IT also needs to proactively manage power capacity to maximize the efficiencies gained through virtualization. This white paper discusses the benefits of combining power distribution and supply components with management software to automatically track new server installations and provide higher precision, control and automation to power distribution.
Scaling the Promise of Virtualization — Less is More with Server VirtualizationMany enterprises are consolidating to fewer physical servers by creating more and more virtual machines. This growing phenomenon and the need to implement next-generation IT technologies — such as advanced analytics and scalable Web — is generating demand for more robust servers with enhanced performance. Increased core density and memory scalability are the keys to seamlessly handling those increased workloads. Read this white paper to learn how more robust servers based on industry-leading 16-core processors can provide the performance and scalability to address increasing workloads, with a lower overall power and thermal footprint.
Virtual Performance Matters — Virtualization Challenges Doing more with less is a key imperative for most IT organizations, hence the growing reliance on server virtualization. But without the right management tools, virtualized servers can quickly sprawl out of control and overrun IT's ability to manage them effectively. As organizations look to virtualization as the road to greater consolidation and scalability, read this white paper to discover the recipe for managing virtualization performance: hardware that satisfies growing demands and the ability to effectively meet expectations, along with an integrated management software solution to proactively monitor server health, performance and power usage.
Related Topics : IBM Looks to Redefine Industry Standard Servers, Fujitsu, Transport Layer Security, Server Virtualization, Server Operating Systems
It's easy to forget about the ghosts of servers past that are hiding in the background, continuing to consume electricity and potentially exposing organizations to malicious attacks. ... More >>
Insight on what end of life for Server 2003 will mean for your business, in addition to tips on avoiding data loss through the migration process. ... More >>
The coming year's trends will be focused on merging the real and virtual worlds, data intelligence gathering, and shifting to a digital business model. ... More >>


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Marc Laidlaw On Story And Narrative
August 8, 2003 Page 1 of 2
In the wide world of videogames, there are very few people designated as writers who actually seem to integrate their work shrewdly with gameplay. In fact, the phrase 'written by' in a game's credits is, all too often, an excuse to show off a famous name from books or comics, without necessarily making the connection to the interactive medium. The lack of close contact between writer and designer/implementer through game development also means the story can suffer, as gameplay mechanics supercede plot logic.
Valve's resident writer and game designer, Marc Laidlaw.
However, Valve Software and its in-house writer, Marc Laidlaw, dispel that concept. The company has shown that that having a full-time writer on staff increases the game quality. Valve's debut title, Half-Life, was (and remains to this day) a triumph of story telling through intriguing plot, well-integrated dialog, and beautifully honed atmosphere. It was an evolutionary jump among first-person shooters, moving the genre away from blast-happy gib heaps to a more mature game style, where even lovable security guards can get their own spin-off, a la Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Half-Life 2, one of the most awaited titles of all time, also benefits from Laidlaw's grasp of atmosphere and pacing -- even this early in its development, the game demo exhibits a real world behind the gameplay.
Laidlaw's entry into the games industry took him from a voyeur on industry sidelines to the center of the maelstrom. Years ago he was as a cyberpunk novelist, penning the cult favorite Dad's Nuke (a "dark comedy of surburban paranoia"), written entirely while working a day job at Pacific Gas & Electric. That led to other books, such as 37th Mandala, Kalifornia and The Orchid Eater, and a gig writing a screenplay for William Gibson's cyberpunk classic, Virtual Light. But it was a series of articles profiling id Software for Wired magazine which really turned him on to the new storytelling opportunities in games.
"When I went to id, I had played only a handful of games," Laidlaw recalls. "These had given me an impression of the 'art' of games, but not the business or the creative process behind them. I knew they were quickly becoming important to me, but I didn't really know that I was basically going to throw over everything I'd considered meaningful in order to get into the industry. I remember having the kinds of nightmares and apocalyptic paranoia one has (or anyway, I have) when one's life is about to undergo a major change. I was excited but also terrified. There was really no place for a writer in what they were doing, and it seemed like an absurd thing for me to want to do."
Laidlaw's Wired article opened his eyes to the potential of storytelling in games.
Oddly, it was another writing opportunity involving games, on the other side of the Pacific, that provided him with more impetus to find a way into the industry. He was commissioned to write the tie-in novel, Gadget: The Third Force, for Synergy's Japanese CD-ROM, Gadget. Marc describes the contrasting work environment he encountered:
"Synergy, which has since dissolved, was a very small, artist-driven studio, making games about as different from Doom or Quake as one can imagine. One can argue that they were not really games at all, but simply node-based linear narratives using the CD-ROM medium to give an illusion of gamelike choices (which ultimately weren't really choices at all)."
The novel was beguiling and poignant -- yet tricky to find. Gadget soon became a casualty of the meteorite impact of real-time 3D games which obliterated the "FMV adventure" genre and all related products -- even related novels. Yet the experience taught him more about creating atmosphere in games:
"Game or not, I was welcomed into the Gadget design team in order to add some more dimension to their cool and creepy universe after the fact. The game itself was done at that point, and the novel was an extension of the story into another medium rather than simply a recap of the events of the game. But I had a glimpse of the work that went into creating the digital world of Gadget, and it was incredibly compelling."
Laidlaw penned the tie-in novel for Synergy's Gadget.
The stage was set for Marc's gradual spiral into the world of game development. Even if it was a roundabout journey, it was one that made sense in the end:
"I returned from Tokyo to take another trip to id, and at that point I was pretty much in freefall. After the Wired article was finished, id asked if I'd come and hang out and interview them and write their company history for "The id Anthology." During that trip I started pestering people about level design, thinking that perhaps this could be a way of breaking into the industry. The closest thing to writer's work in the id design process was the act of level design, creating worlds and puzzles and setting up your progress through the world. In Doom and Quake and their cousins, architecture really did play the part of a storyline. So that was the first area of game design to which I gravitated -- not that I had any special talent in that area. Michael Abrash spurred me to step back from that, pointing out that I'd be more valuable to a game company if I took advantage of my existing skills and strengths. He was the first to drop hints about Valve, although I ended up coming here by a rather more roundabout route that involved first exploring some work with Ion Storm and then Origin. All the while, I was fighting the notion that by designing games, I was somehow betraying my muse; in the end, I dragged it along with me."
What happened next was, admittedly, not entirely to plan. Marc helped give birth one of the best games of all time.
"The basic concept of Half-Life germinated in story discussions at Valve which happened before my arrival. When I joined Valve, in July of 1997, I was supposed to do a couple weeks of work to consolidate the storyline for Half-Life so that it could ship that year, while the bulk of my time was devoted to a science fantasy epic called Prospero. Half-Life proved to be an irresistible force; the Prospero team was soon absorbed, and my full attention went into shaping the Half-Life story and finding ways of expressing and clarifying it in the game that was well underway."
The famous "reboot" of the Half-Life project, in which Valve's CEO Gabe Newell decided to give the team an extra year to remake the game, helped concentrate the team on the important story elements.
"Half-Life always had a great central concept -- one that immediately conjured up strong images. The title alone was evocative of a certain kind of experience. I think that's one of the things the fans responded to right away, years before the game shipped. When Gabe hit the big red "Reset" button on Half-Life's development, we went back to the story's fundamental concepts and made sure everything we kept strengthened that original vision of the project. We threw away a lot of irrelevant, distracting stuff that had crept in, and closed in on those core ideas."
When the team went back to the drawing board, what came to the fore was the chance to make a superior sequel without even releasing the first title. The developers at Valve could learn from their mistakes, and re-appropriate resources as necessary to make a game that flowed better. Laidlaw's contributions to the story helped make this possible.
"As far as the narrative goes, I lived by two rules: Poe's "Totality of Effect," which has to do with maintaining consistent atmosphere and tone, and another unnamed rule expressed by the science fiction writer, James Tiptree, Jr., which I'll quote loosely since I can no longer find the quote: "Start your story 500 feet underground on a dark day and then…don't tell them." Alice B. Sheldon (a.k.a. James Tiptree, Jr.) is one of my literary heroes."
But even this project restart didn't guarantee success for the game, by any means. In the end, Marc and the other creators at Valve were genuinely surprised at the success of Half-Life. It changed their expectations and concerns going forward in quite unexpected ways.
"I have a vivid memory of driving back to Valve from lunch one day, about a year before we shipped Half-Life, and someone said, 'In five years we're either going to be gaming gods or we're going to be completely forgotten.' We laughed at our own hubris, but it was nervous laughter, since we knew that if we didn't succeed we were screwed. Worse than merely being forgotten, I'd be working as a legal secretary again. All of us wanted the game to be great, but we were well aware of the price of failure. We knew we couldn't influence the game's success in any meaningful way except by making it the best we could. Don't forget that almost from the beginning, Valve had a core of enthusiastic, supportive, dedicated fans. We knew that their hopes were high, and we wanted to blow them away. What happened when Half-Life turned out to be a hit was that the size of that fanbase, and the level of its expectations, expanded beyond anything we had imagined. The result was that when we started looking toward Half-Life 2, we felt an even greater pressure to set our goals very high, to top ourselves in every possible way, so that we would not only satisfy the hopes of our fans, but surpass them."
Half-Life series' protagonist,
Somewhat unappreciated are the gaming conventions that Half-Life broke. For example, why doesn't Gordon Freeman, the game's protagonist, say anything? In an industry where developers constantly imbue character using cut-scenes that employ big-name voice-acting talent, Half-Life's presentation of Freeman seems, well, a little obtuse. But it works, and Laidlaw strives to explain why:
"I just think of it as one of our game rules. It acts as a design constraint, and it gives rise to certain opportunities we would not have otherwise. Try to imagine the test-chamber sequence at the beginning of Half-Life if Gordon Freeman were wisecracking all the way through, or telling his colleagues he didn't have a clue what to do. The game would grind to a halt. Instead, the player thinks, 'These scientists all act as if I know what to do, and I can't tell them I'm a complete ignoramus.' I live to create that kind of tension in the player."
With Half-Life and Half-Life 2, Marc now sees both sides of the coin: a pre-existing story which needs to be integrated into a game realistically, and a world that can be developed from scratch. He emphasizes the importance of creating a fully realized game world that the sequel can slide into.
"In the case of Half-Life, I came in about halfway through the process and was mainly involved in selecting the strongest elements from a whole pot of conflicting ideas and urges. This eventually required being involved in almost all aspects of the design to some extent. With Half-Life 2 on the other hand, I've been involved since the beginning. The first problem I had, as a writer, was the fact that Half-Life had not been conceived originally as a world that would give rise to a series. If it had been, I think there would have been more attention paid to what was going on outside Black Mesa and its place in the world; there would have been more things that felt inevitable to continue in a sequel. So our first task for Half-Life 2 was to create a new world that shared enough elements with the first to flow from it logically."
For Half-Life 2, Laidlaw plays the role of an egalitarian, low-key director, involved in more parts of the game than one might expect - not a hectoring, dictatorial producer who wants to write games too.
"I went through hundreds of pages of variant storylines and scripts and gameplay specs over the years. At some points I've been involved in the detailed design of puzzles, at other points I've drawn way back from level design and concentrated on writing. I believe the story creator should be an integral part of the design team, familiar with (if not directly involved in) all aspects of the game's overall design. This may not be important for every type of game, but it's ideal for our type of game. One thing that has changed for me between Half-Life and Half-Life 2 is that I spend more time working with animators now, since characters and acting have heightened significance in the game."
As for the sometimes-cherished, often-maligned "story bible", Marc suggests that, well, it only works up to a point.
"The story bible is just a way of communicating a vision of the game to the rest of the team. For us, sometimes the bible is effective, sometimes it's not very useful at all. Early in the design process it is very useful, and in the end, when you want to pin down exactly what you've done (for the benefit of posterity, sequels and third party developers), it's useful again. But for a long middle section, you have to rely on something more like telepathy to keep the team in sync. Did I say 'telepathy'? I meant 'lots of meetings'."
This "pinning down" of a document about the Half-Life world helped when the Half-Life expansions started appearing and they, naturally, needed to feel like they were in the same game world.
"We had a lot of conversations with Gearbox concerning the creation of Opposing Force and Blue Shift, and I supplied them with various documents that fleshed out background elements that hadn't been woven directly into the foreground of Half-Life. The place where you see this most clearly is in Barney's odyssey to Xen, where a bit more light is shed on the Xen-relay teleport experiments. Some of the reason for the overlapping narratives was that it made sense for Gearbox to reuse existing content, such as textures and design motifs, since they had limited schedules for producing these games. Most of the moment-to-moment gameplay and story decisions were left in Gearbox's hands, and we merely tried to make sure they dovetailed with our own designs and didn't create any huge conflicts. Gearbox, as fans of the original, had a good eye for places where their stories could overlap with Half-Life, but even so, they took plenty of liberties with the story for the sake of making a fun game. Fun in a game is ultimately more important than consistency."
What Half-Life arguably has is a sense of cohesiveness -- a facet that many games lack. So it's interesting that, when asked what he misses in games, Marc focuses on this almost indescribable "sense of whole" and feeling of individuality.
"What I miss in games is not narrative structure, but personality or a sense of authorship. People pick their favorite writers, favorite musicians, favorite artists based on their reaction to a distinct personal style. Games are created by teams of people, but I think there is still room for individual expression in the midst of that. In the long run, I think there must be something personal in games, in order for them to endure. It's not that I want to have some kind of message or personal statement hammered into my game, but I do want to feel that there is some kind of interesting personality or consciousness animating the world of the game and giving it an interesting shape. It's the difference between a Hitchcock movie and one that is merely Hitchcockian. There are so many generic worlds and storylines in games. The industry is drowning in waves of sameness. Odd, interesting titles stand out in sharp relief when they appear…if you can find them at all. Fortunately, word of mouth is very effective in the gamer community, and we take a lot of delight in discovering good, overlooked games and pushing them on our friends."
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US National Women's Rowing Team — Crush of the Day [PICTURES]
The Power & Grace Calendar is the official fundraiser of the US National Women's Rowing Team. All of the calendar proceeds will go to the US National Women's Rowing Team to help cover daily training expenses. The entire team, and their calendar, is our 'crush' today.
According to their website, training for the women's rowing team is a full-time gig that involves "45+ hours per week of dedication" and the women "train thrice daily by rowing, erging, running, biking, yoga and weight lifting." We looked up thrice (it sounded made up) and that means three! Three times a day they train. The only thing we do thrice a day is visit the men's room just to go #2. If we counted number #1 visits, it would involve a different made up word, kind of like thrice.
The women spend their lives getting their bodies in peak condition and this calendar is printed proof it's going very well. We suggest buying a calendar and hanging it up as motivation. Put it somewhere where you'll see it often during the day. Our copy is hanging in the second stall in the men's room. We've also installed a mini-fridge in there.


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Steve's Digicams - Breaking News - Kodak 01/05/2005 Press Release
Press Releases - January 5, 2005
Showcase and Share Digital Pictures "On the Go" with New KODAK EASYSHARE Picture Viewer
Credit Card-Sized Device Brings Favorite Memories to Life in the Palm of Your Hand
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5 -- Eastman Kodak Company is making digital picture sharing more convenient, personal and portable by introducing its new EASYSHARE Picture Viewer, a pocket-sized "digital photo album" that fits in the palm of your hand. Whether showing off recent vacation pictures, priceless memories or snapshots from life's everyday moments, the Picture Viewer (US MSRP; available beginning in May 2005) is designed for people who love to share favorite pictures on the go.
The EASYSHARE Picture Viewer, approximately the size of a credit card, allows people to keep their favorite digital pictures by their side at all times, and then display one or all for family and friends. With a crystal-clear, 2.5-inch high-resolution display screen, it stores up to 150 favorite digital pictures — simply synchronize with a computer-based picture collection using the included KODAK EASYSHARE software. People can view these favorites, or hundreds more when using the expandable SD/MMC memory card slot. Single view and slideshow features are accessible via the easy-to-use menu and four-way navigation buttons.
"Everyone enjoys sharing pictures, but the handful of prints that people tend to have in their wallet or purse quickly become outdated," said Mary Hadley, director of worldwide marketing for digital capture at Kodak. "The Picture Viewer lets people carry an up-to- date 'digital brag book' containing many of their favorite memories."
Helping people stay better connected through picture sharing, the Picture Viewer lets people mark their favorites for printing or e-mail with the simple touch of the exclusive, red-jeweled Share button. Then, by simply placing the viewer — which is compatible with the new IMAGELINK print system — on a KODAK EASYSHARE Printer Dock Series 3, the selected pictures can be printed in as little as 90 seconds each at the touch of a single button. The device can also be connected directly to printers with PICTBRIDGE technology for direct picture printing.
The Picture Viewer incorporates a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which provides up to three hours of picture viewing time when fully charged.
The award-winning KODAK EASYSHARE digital photography system — consisting of cameras, printer docks and camera docks, software, inkjet and thermal papers and accessories — makes taking, organizing, sharing, and printing high quality digital pictures effortless. For additional information, visit www.kodak.com/go/EasyShare .
About Eastman Kodak Company and infoimaging
Kodak is the leader in helping people take, share, print and view images—for memories, for information, for entertainment. The company is a major participant in infoimaging, a billion industry composed of devices (digital cameras and flat-panel displays), infrastructure (online networks and delivery systems for images) and services & media (software, film and paper enabling people to access, analyze and print images). With sales of .3 billion in 2003, the company comprises several businesses: Health, supplying the healthcare industry with traditional and digital image capture and output products and services; Commercial Printing, offering on-demand color printing and networking publishing systems; Commercial Imaging, offering image capture, output and storage products and services to businesses and government; Display & Components, which designs and manufactures state-of-the-art organic light-emitting diode displays as well as other specialty materials, and delivers optics and imaging sensors to original equipment manufacturers; and Digital & Film Imaging Systems, providing consumers, professionals and cinematographers with digital and traditional products and services.
Kodak is a trademark of Eastman Kodak Company.
Return to
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We're almost a third of the way through Season 6 (which at 10 episodes will be "True Blood's" shortest season yet) and after last night's episode, I'm finally getting a clear idea of where this season is headed. While You're No Good was uneven and occasionally overwrought, the episode remained largely focused on our key characters and storylines.
Eric and Willa, sitting in a tree coffin
The episode opens in Willa Burrell's bedroom, where Eric informs her she will die for her father's sins. But before he can "tear her apart," she pleads that she has valuable info about "the experiments" to share. A SWAT team storms Willa's bedroom to find that Willa and Eric have vanished through an open window.
Eric brings Willa to Fangtasia, much to Pam's chagrin. Tara takes this (and every) opportunity to back Pam up, because Tara is irritatingly needy even as a vampire. Eric kicks Pam and her groupie out of the room, and turns his attention back to Willa and her insider intel. Surprisingly, Willa says that he needn't bother with glamouring her; she doesn't like what her father is doing any more than he does. Willa spills to Eric that her father has been diverting money to a secret camp where vampires are being studied and experimented on. She tells him that they're doing "sick sick s--t" to the vampires there. Young Ms. Burrell has quite a mouth on her —she's no daddy's little girl.
Eric decides to bring Willa along as he, Pam and Tara prepare to leave Fangtasia behind forever, despite Pam's protestations that he should cut off Willa's head instead. The gang head over to Ginger's house (the hot blonde he and Pam used to employ and feed on at Fangtasia) and Eric implores her to invite them in to her home for the night. Slumber party!
Eric and Willa share Ginger's spare coffin for the night. Presumably unaccustomed to sleeping all day, Willa wakes Eric up for a chat. She lets him know that her mother had an affair with a vampire, and she likes vampires too. Very much. Is it Stockholm syndrome or does young Willa fancy Bon Temps' most desirable vampire?
Governor Burrell and his agents call Eric's cell phone in an attempt to trace his location. Eric, who believes his phone to be untraceable, casually begins telling the governor how he might go about murdering Willa. He's shocked when he hears an agent in the background say that the phone has been traced. As the governor and agents speed toward Ginger's house in their Humvee, Eric and Pam learn that Tara, who was guarding Willa, has absconded with her instead. They fly off to find them, leaving Ginger with instructions to stall the governor and his men.
There's a doings a-transpiring at Casa Stackhouse
We first see Sookie tonight alone in her bedroom, practicing her energy-harnessing. Jason and FFG (aka Niall, Sookie and Jason's F---ing Faerie Grandfather) sit uncomfortably in the living room in silence, until Jason whines of a headache and gets up to fetch some water — and a few mystery pills that Lafayette left behind.
FFG wants to know why Sookie isn't more afraid of Warlow. Sookie explains that "danger is a way of life" for her. She has to keep an even keel about "regular danger" so that she still can maintain "a real healthy fear for when the sh*t really hits the fan." FFG retorts that, "Warlow is the proverbial s--t hitting the fan." After Sookie promise not to underestimate Warlow, FFG announces that he's leaving to take the fight to Warlow. Jason wants to come along, but is too woozy from those pills and that terrible headache.
FFG pays a visit to faerie HQ and finds the place deserted and in disarray. He starts to read memories in the blood spatter patterns — perhaps his next gig will be on "CSI: Bon Temps"? In the midst of recalling visions of faeries being attacked, he hears a whimpering. An injured faerie tells him that a vampire got in and killed all the faeries. FFG thanks the faerie by "sending him home": He uses his magic light hands to turn the faerie into floating glitter dust that disappears, presumably headed to faerie heaven.
Forgettable Ben, the half-faerie who fell in love with Sookie last week, approaches the field just in time to see FFG emerging from the invisible faerie club. Ben tells FFG that he's been searching for the faerie club all night, and FFG tells Ben that the HQ is no longer because a vampire has slaughtered everyone. Ben asks if this vampire was named Warlow. (Wait, Ben knows Warlow? This is the first interesting thing the guy's said.) He also bows, recognizing FFG as faerie king. FFG recruits Ben to join in the fight against Warlow.
Back at the house, Sookie wants to take Jason to the hospital but he isn't too keen on the idea. He reassures her he's on the upswing. He isn't even hallucinating anymore! If Sookie can just push on his pressure point like mom used to, he'll be fine. She does, and the Stackhouse siblings share a sweet exchange as Jason tells Sookie she has their mother's hands. Sookie kind of puts a damper on Jason's maternal longing by letting him know that even their parents had faults. Their mother was always scared of Sookie and could never accept her. Sookie knows this because she heard her mom thinking it growing up. But Sookie, always taking the highest moral ground available, also tells Jason she believes you can love people despite their faults (even if those faults include never accepting you for what you are).
Sookie leaves Jason to rest, and goes downstairs to find Bill knocking at her door. He tells Sookie he needs her help, or else all their friends will die the True Death. When Sookie refuses to invite him in, Bill pushes the door open and enters, because apparently he can do that now. Sookie screams for Jason, who runs down the stairs with his trusty wooden bullet gun. Bill stops Jason with his all-powerful mind and follows Sookie into the kitchen. He wants to synthesize her blood, and he's going to do so whether she's willing or not. Sookie stands her ground, reminding Bill that he's not God. He's just an a--hole. If what they once shared meant anything to him, he'll leave her house. Convinced Sookie isn't his go-to gal any longer, and not actually willing to force her just yet, he announces that Sookie is now dead to him. Sookie is "good with that."
FFG returns with Ben in tow, and fills Sookie and Jason in on Warlow's latest antics. Sookie gets upset when Ben starts reading her thoughts and goes into the kitchen to clean away her stress. Ben follows her, of course. (And this is when I notice that his shirt is half unbuttoned for no good reason. I'm not complaining, though.) Anyway, Sookie doesn't want to talk but she will let Ben help her sweep up. Mid-sweeping, Sookie pauses to ask Ben why she can feel him reading her thoughts when she hasn't felt any other faeries or vampires do so. She asks if he can feel her. Oh, Sookie. She just can't stop herself from getting romantic.
And then FFG senses Warlow again. He's nearby. FFG and Ben rush out of the house, only to find Nora instead. Jason tries to run outside too but passes out cold in the doorway. What exactly were those pills he took?
About those vampire experiments
Willa was telling Eric the truth about her father's secret camp, as we learn when agents drag Reverend Steve Newlin there. And who strolls in to the cell that Steve Newlin is locked in? Sarah Newlin! Longtime "True Blood" fans will get a kick out of this scene.
Steve is happy to see his ex at first, but it becomes apparent that the former Mrs. Newlin isn't looking to reconcile. She's all for the governor's vampire research facility. She's in politics now, and has the perfectly-coiffed hairstyle to prove it. Sarah ushers in an evil-seeming scientist wearing black rubber gloves and leaves. The scientist wants to know all about Eric Northman. Newlin is happy to oblige, no torture necessary.
We finally find out why we care about Andy's faerie brood
Andy is at the police station, checking out the new high-tech vampire-killing gear Governor Burrell sent over, when Holly comes by to complain that the new vampire curfew isn't being properly enforced. Holly notices that Andy's kids are at the station too…and they aren't kindergarteners anymore. The babies Maurella popped out only two or three days ago are now full-on tween girls, giggling in colorful miniskirts and glittery tops.
Andy asks Holly to take a ride with him, and she begrudgingly agrees. Andy takes Holly to learn shoot a gun, and it turns out Holly is a good shot. Wonder if that's going to turn out to be useful later on this season? Andy then announces to Holly that one day he'd like to be her Fort Bellefleur.
Later, Andy is cruising in his police car and spots Bill out and about after curfew. Bill, talking to Andy, notices of the tweens' teddy bears in the passenger seat and smells the faerie on it. Andy, ever clueless, shares with Bill that he's now the proud papa of four. Bill walks away from this convo smiling — he doesn't need Sookie and her blood now. Children are a blessing indeed.
The rest of it
Jess makes herself quite useful this week. She puts out the flames when Bill catches himself on fire, and helps Bill nab the professor responsible for synthesizing True Blood by dressing up to the sexy schoolgirl nines.
Sam's still not buying what Nicole and the Vampire Unity Society are selling, so they head off to preach their cause to the werewolves. The werewolves aren't interested either; following Rikki's lead, they attack the activists. Sam uses this opportunity to grab Emma back, but when he sees Nicole escape the werewolves and run into the woods he tells Emma they need to go after her. Sam can't stop being too nice like Sookie can't avoid getting romantic with Ben.
I still don't care about Alcide and his wolf pack, nor am I really wondering what Sam will find when he catches up with Nicole. Sam, Alcide, Tara and even Lafayette are all quickly becoming once-central characters that I wouldn't mind seeing killed off by season's end. If the writers can continue to stay concentrated on the stronger storylines, this may be the best season of "True Blood" in at least two or three years. Guess we'll have to wait and see what next week brings.


text: >> During a READ operation, if the RAID controller finds an unreadable >> (uncorrectable) disk sector, then it will immediately reconstruct the >> missing data for that sector using redundant data from the rest of the >> array, and WRITE that data to the unreadable (uncorrectable) sector to >> force sector reallocation if needed by the disk. I don't believe MD does online scrubbing. but you _can_ trigger it to do a check and/or scrub cycle (of the whole array, I think). >> features. The absence of these features is the main reason that I don't >> think Linux software RAID is very good. as always, the main advantage to open-source, software implementations is malleability. MD improves fast. > quite a while ago and use it heavily. Presumably the maintainers (Neil > Brown? or is he just the mdadm maintainer) are aware of this lack/criticism? Niel is very responsive and responsible. > As presented, it certainly seems like features that ought to be added. > It would be interesting to cc LKML for comment. linux-raid at vger.kernel.org is the real nexus of md stuff. feel free to redirect followups there... regards, mark hahn.


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Tim McGraw Shares Memory-Filled 'One of Those Nights' Lyric Video
Tim McGraw's latest hit, 'One of Those Nights,' captures perfectly the excitement of a good old-fashioned first date. But if you've been struggling to remember all the words to the hit song, now's your chance to learn them. The popular country crooner has released a special lyric video just for his fans.
Before we tell you about the video, we have to back up to the exclusive party McGraw hosted the night before the CMA awards. The award-winning singer invited a few hundred fans to join him in downtown Nashville for a special performance of tunes from his upcoming album 'Two Lanes of Freedom' -- and cameras were rolling the entire time. As fans took in the performance (and enjoyed a surprise appearance by R&B star Ne-Yo, who sings on one of the tracks) cameras captured every memory of the night.
As a special gift to his fans and friends, McGraw had the photos and video footage made into a montage... in the form of this 'One of Those Nights' lyric video. If you look behind the words scrolling across the screen, you'll see McGraw and his fans living it up in Music City.


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cloud platform. https://www.bluemix.net/catalog/dashdb
IBM® DB2® for Linux, UNIX, and Windows is a next generation data platform for the business that never stops. By combining always-on transactional processing with analytics at breakthrough speed, it simplifies the IT landscape to deliver better performance with fewer resources. Designed for extremely fast time-to-value and operational simplicity, it can be deployed on-premises or on the cloud for maximum flexibility.
This release of DB2 software includes many new and enhanced capabilities for both transactional and analytic workloads. Shadow tables maintain column-based versions of row-based operational data, which allows you to perform extremely fast operational reporting within the transaction processing environment. Other enhancements include greater support for high availability, optimizations for the IBM POWER8™ processor, easier migration of Oracle data marts to DB2 with BLU Acceleration, and greater support for SAP environments.
Download this trial, which has all features enabled, and evaluate DB2 for a period of 90 days.
Note: The DB2 data server trial comes in two packages. One package contains the DB2 server trial, which is designed for transaction workloads. The second package contains the DB2 with BLU Acceleration (warehouse) trial, which is designed for data warehousing and analytic workloads. As you proceed through the process, you will have the option to download the package that is right for your needs.
Additional stand-alone software is bundled with DB2 Advanced Enterprise Server Edition when you purchase it.
Platforms supported: AIX, HP-UX, Linux, Windows


text: Maybelline New York Expert Wear Twin Brow and Eye Pencils, 103 Medium Brown, 0.06 Ounce Makeup Pencils Print this page ID: #2812 Add Favorites Availability: 10 In Stock QTY $1.92 Add to Cart Description Comments Dual purpose pencils work as defining brow filler and a precision eyeliner. Two pencils per pack.Waterproof formula lasts all day. 2 dual purpose pencils per pack Defining brow filler Precision eyeliner Related Listing HIGHROCK 10Pcs Acrylic Nail Art Polish Remover Wrap Cleaner Clip Caps (Purple) Nail Polish removers DescriptionFeatures: 10pcs The plastic material is reusable. Perfect for removing the nail polish. Item Type: Nail Polish Remover Caps Clip Size: App 4.5 x 2cm Quantity: 10Pcs/Pack Color: Purple Mate Add to Cart $2.99 Lot of 10 Sinful Colors Finger Nail Polish Color Lacquer All Different Colors No Repeats Nail Polishes Lot of Sinful Colors Finger Nail Polish Gift Set 10-piece Random Collection No Repeat Colors. ABOUT: Glorious, gorgeous colors on your fingers. It will complete your outfit and expresses your mood. To Add to Cart $10 BR Carry All Trunk Train Case Make Up Set Artist Design (Creamy) Makeup Carry Cases The BR All-in-One Makeup Kit Eye Shadow Palette/ Blushes/ powder and More – Artist inspired Makeup Kit is perfect for those who want quality makeup without breaking the bank. Are you a dance / t Add to Cart $35.99 24pcs Nabi High Quality Eyebrow and Eyeliner Pencil Makeup Pencils high quality, long lasting with a soft application. high quality, long lasting with a soft application. Add to Cart $10.04 EmaxDesign 20 Pieces Makeup Brush Set Professional Face Eye Shadow Eyeliner Foundation Blush Lip Makeup Brushes Powder Liquid Cream Cosmetics Blending Brush Tool Makeup Brushes EmaxDesign – My Beautiful Life For Applying Makeup Perfectly Set Contains: #1 Foundation Brush #2 Eyeshadow Brush #3 Flat-top Shadow Brush #4 Round Blooming Brush #5 Angle Top Brush #6 Eyesha Add to Cart $19.99 LandFox Cosmetic Matte Eyeshadow Cream Makeup Palette Shimmer Set 40 Color+ Brush Set (A) Makeup Palletes Case Size: Approx.15*10*0.9cm Brush Size:Approx.13cm Package Included: 1 x Eye shadow Palette 1 x Brush 40 colors eye shadow palette Easy to draw beautiful shades around the eyes last long Give cl Add to Cart $3.48 MAKARTT 10Pcs/Set Easy Soak Off Finger Cap Clip UV Gel Polish Remover Wrap Nail Art Tools, Smartphone Touch Available Nail Polish removers Features: Color: White Material: Plastic Package: 10Pcs/Set Adjustable Size – The soak off clips can be adjustable to fit your thumb, giving you a comfortable soaking off experience. Smartphone Add to Cart $7.99 Nailtiques Non-Acetone Remover with Aloe Vera and Conditioners, 6 Ounce Nail Polish removers 6 ounce manicure. Nailtiques non-acetone remover with aloe Vera and conditioners was launched by the design house of nailtiques. It is recommended for daily use. Please store in a cool dry place. Nail Add to Cart $8 eBoot 10 Pieces Acrylic Nail Art Soak Off Clip Cap UV Gel Polish Remover Wrap Nail Tool (Pink) Nail Polish removers Feature: Suitable for nails art at home or work Easy to handle and operate For artificial nail removal; Trim excess nail Specification: Product weight: 67 g Size: approx. 2 x 4.5 cm User guide:: Soa Add to Cart $6.99 Cutex Advanced Nail Polish Remover - 6 oz Nail Polish removers Strengthens and nourishes nails. Enriched with botanical oils. Fast action polish remover. Strengthens and nourishes nails Enriched with botanical oils Fast action polish remover Add to Cart $3.99 Organic Lavender Nail Polish Remover 4 fl. oz Nail Polish removers Soybean oil Based. Derived from American Farm Corps. Packaged in Biodegradable and Recyclable Materials. Non-Toxic. Non Carcinogenic. non-toxic vegan cruelty free natural organic Add to Cart $11.99 Piggy Paint Nail Polish Remover, 4 Fluid Ounce Nail Polish removers This non-toxic and hypoallergenic Piggy Paint Nail Polish Remover is safe to use on all piggies. Piggy Paint nail polish dries to a hard and durable finish which can be easily removed with the acetone Add to Cart $7.40


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At least some of the versions of "Adventureland" that are currently in playing in theaters are not the cut that director Greg Mottola thought were out there.
Apparently, INXS's "Don't Change" is supposed to be on all versions of the film during the closing credits. It's not. In an exchange earlier this morning that just goes to show the power of Twitter, Mottola called this news "really disturbing." I saw the movie twice and the second time, it had a mellow Yo La Tengo theme, and it just wasn't the same. Where do you live and which version did you see?
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Who is eligible for Medicaid?
Medicaid is a program that covers medical expenses for certain groups of people who have limited income and resources. To learn more about the eligibility requirements, click here. MORE >
How to Apply?
You can apply for medical assistance today. You will need to complete an application and provide some documents, like a birth certificate. Click here to start the online application. MORE >


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Posts Taggedpaperkarma
Junk mail. For some of you, these two words may bring about a feeling of unease or outright aggression. In the digital age, spam email is simple enough to get rid of, but junk paper mail remains an elusive arch nemesis, continually plaguing your mailbox. It's simple enough to throw away mail that you don't need or want, but wouldn't it be nice if you didn't receive that mail at all?
To rid yourself of such junk mail, you'd need to contact the supplier of said mail and request that they refrain for sending additional junk. That is until the release of PaperKarma, an extremely simple-to-use tool that does this dirty work for you. Find out how after the jump. (more…)