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What Would Make Windows 8 a Success?
Date: October 4, 2012 05:10PM
At the end of October, Microsoft (MSFT)'s Windows 8 operating system will hit the market – and in some ways, this has been a more fiercely fought battle than the presidential election. Everybody has an opinion on the functionality of the new OS, its potential uptake in the PC market, its potential impact on PC sales, etc. – and the debate goes on and on. I think I might be looking at this launch a bit different than some people and would like to run you through my thought process. To start, let's look at what Apple (AAPL) had to say in their most recently 10-K about PC sales:
"Mac net sales were $21.8 billion in 2011, representing an increase of $4.3 billion or 25% compared to 2010. Mac unit sales increased by 3.1 million or 22% in 2011 compared to 2010. The year-over-year growth in Mac net sales and unit sales was due primarily to higher demand in all of the company's operating segments for MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, which were updated in July 2011 and February 2011, respectively. The year-over-year revenue growth for portables and desktops was 36% and 4%, respectively. Net sales of the company's Macs accounted for 20% of the company's total net sales for 2011."
Some quick math shows that unit sales for 2011 of 17 million (roughly 5% of the global total of about 350 million) were preceded by 2010 unit sales of roughly 14.1 million; for the sake of comparison, let's assume that every single Mac was sold in the back half of 2010, bringing the 18-month total to 31.1 million units. With that as our back drop, what would be considered a failure for Microsoft with the Windows 8 release? We don't have to go too far back in history to find what many consider to be an unmitigated disaster by Microsoft: the hated Windows Vista. The OS was released in January 2007 and caught some backlash in a big way – in fact, CNET would end up rating it the "Worst Tech Product of 2007." Fast forward 18 months, and we get an idea of what a disaster looks like: When the company reported their fiscal 2008 full-year results in July, Microsoft announced that more than 180 million licenses had been sold since the launch.
Thinking about these numbers is instructive – over a similar time period, Vista outsold Mac's (which naturally come with OS X) at a pace of six-to-one. And remember, when Microsoft was dealing with Vista, they weren't losing share (at least not in a huge way); they were simply maintaining their current hold on the marketplace among consumers (like myself) who decided to stick with XP. While Steve Ballmer rarely says anything worth quoting, here's something that he noted in a recent interview worth considering:
"People talk about: 'How healthy is the PC market?' There's going to be close to 400 million PCs sold in the next year, which makes it a big market. And whether it's 405 (million) or 395 (million), it's a big market, and Windows 8 will propel that volume."
I think this alone is the most overlooked point with this product launch: that vast majority of consumers will end up with a Windows 8 laptop, for the simple fact that most people don't see the rationale in paying two-to-three times as much for a Mac when it has comparable utility.
On the other end of the spectrum in this battle, consider smartphones and tablets – Microsoft has failed to make a dent in those markets, but knows that being a player in these segments moving forward will be critical to their continued growth. Here's some commentary from Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet, probably the most informed blogger out there on all things Microsoft, when management showed off an early version of Win8 in June 2011 (with bold added for emphasis):
"A day after Microsoft showed off an early version of its user interface for Windows 8 -- and I've actually had a chance to actually see it (via videos and photos) -- I've got mixed feelings.
For tablets, I like the tiled interface that looks like it has taken its cues from Windows Media Center and Windows Phone. I've used the tiled interface on Windows Phone and I think it will be a great way to navigate Windows 8 when installed on a touch-first/touch-centric device.
For PCs, I am not so sure -- especially for legacy PCs, like my two-year-old ASUS thin and light laptop. Why would I put Windows 8 on this non-touch-centric machine… why should the default interface, optimized for gestures and touch, be required on a machine that I never plan to put my grubby fingers on?"
I think the rationale is clear as day – for all intensive purposes, Microsoft doesn't need to worry about the PC market: Windows 8 will sell on computers, and in a big way, regardless of its perception among techies (when I say big, I mean in comparison to any non-MSFT alternative). Microsoft is pushing this OS on consumers in the hope that the lure of familiarity (over time) and connectivity among devices will be enough to lure their faithful desktop base of more than 1 billion people into the world of smartphones and tablets (where the OS has received accolades) – and in my mind, this is all that matters.
Personally, I will be tracking Win8 tablet and smartphone adoption more than anything else, because I believe PC uptake is to some extent little more than noise – when people look to replace their computers, the vast majority will continue to turn to Microsoft (maybe to Windows 7, but still to Microsoft), and money will flow back to Redmond. Foley's mixed feelings (which happened to be shared by many others) are just fine – as long as consumers and enterprises are attracted to the OS on phones and tablets, my belief is that Windows 8 will prove to be a success in sustaining Microsoft's dominance over time, and the stock will respond in a big way as this plays out over the coming years.
Stocks Discussed: MSFT, AAPL,
Re What Would Make Windows 8 a Success
Posted by: SeaBud (IP Logged)
Date: October 5, 2012 07:28AM
Good job. People who fail to see the changing landscape will be surprised when Apple's margins return to more "human" proportions - or they lose market share. The number of companies attacking apple's margins ecosystems includes:
- hardware suppliers - apple squeezes them like no other
- content suppliers - think everyone likes paying apple for itunes downloads?
- carriers - they despise subsidizing iphone prices
- Intel/Microsoft/Samsung/Nokia/HP/Dell/HTC - all other device manufacturers
Apple is a great company who has had a phenomenal run. But to expect them to continue in the face of the above competition is tough. What does this mean for Microsoft? As you point out, they will succeed whatever Apple's success or failure because of their base in Office and PCs. I believe success for microsoft in mobile will be a growth driver but given their size/revenue, and the fact that microsoft cannot control its environment the way Apple has to generate huge margins, will not produce explosive growth (or failure). Therefore, I see Microsoft as a very safe stock with decent to significant upside.
Other players in the non-Apple world (Dell/Intel/Nokia) represent higher risk but higher reward plays on the success of Windows 8 (incl mobile). These companies do not have the backbone of office to rely on but growth will be more meaningful to them (although Intel, given its cutting edge fabs/technology is more like Microsoft than any of the others). Next few years to be fascinating.
Stocks Discussed: MSFT, AAPL,
Re What Would Make Windows 8 a Success
Posted by: vchaser (IP Logged)
Date: October 5, 2012 01:33PM
Good analysis!
Regarding Apple, I remember Steve Jobs said "Google is more and more like Microsoft". Yes. I kind of have that feeling more and more. What Google does now is similar to what Microsoft did to Apple in late 70's and 80's. Apple just fell into that old closed loop again. IPHONE 5 's map issue should be some alarm for investors : no matter how cool, fancy and fast your hardware is, it is eventually and mostly the software gives the user experience, without good software and good user experience, customers can wait. Is this something reflecting Apple and Google's moats?
In the long term, I personally think web is the biggest enemy of microsoft. With internet, I don't need to use Windows and can do most of my work online. Should I pay so much to Microsoft just for an OS setting up my web access?
Stocks Discussed: MSFT, AAPL,
Re What Would Make Windows 8 a Success
Posted by: aagold (IP Logged)
Date: October 5, 2012 01:53PM
I haven't tried Windows 8 yet, but I sure hope it's easy to put it in "legacy" desktop mode. As a MSFT shareholder, obviously I hope Win 8 is a success. But I'm the kind of guy who doesn't like much change when it comes to the OS and software I use. They always change stuff on me when I feel like it was working just fine before. I have a feeling that the new tiled "metro" interface is going to make me feel that way when using Win 8 on a laptop. I'm guessing I'll be saying to myself, "This is stupid. It was working great before, why did they change it?". I'm sure the new interface will be great for a phone or a tablet, but I'm guessing it's going to seem stupid for a desktop or laptop. So I hope it's *really* easy to put it in legacy deskptop mode and not have to worry about all of that new "immersive" stuff.
One thing I've noticed: I really *like* having multiple windows on the screen at the same time. Most people seem to like full-screen mode and to switch between applications, but I don't. So I'm worried that this new tablet-oriented interface is going to really bug me...
Your analysis seems spot-on to me. They'll still get a huge fraction of the desktop/laptop OS sales, and the new tablet/phone sales, which is really what should benefit from the new interface, should all be incremenal revenue growth.
My only serious beef with MSFT is their balance sheet - we the shareholders want our cash! If you don't want to repatriate it and pay the taxes, then issue some bonds and use the proceeds for a share buyback! Please relay that message to Ballmer, if you could please...
- aagold
Stocks Discussed: MSFT, AAPL,
Re What Would Make Windows 8 a Success
Date: October 5, 2012 05:11PM
Agreed; thanks for the thoughtful comment!
Thanks! And so far people seem to think they still need the OS - as proven by Chromebook sales to date (as far as I know they've been very weak); but that is an interesting scenario for consideration...
I'm certainly not a techie, but from my limited experience with Win8, getting back to the legacy desktop was a one click process - but I believe I heard before that you could not set it as your default, so each time you shut down this quick step would need to be repeated. Thinking about how I use my current OS (XP), I don't think it will be much different; most of what I need is performed by clicking icons, and this will be the same thing for all intensive purposes - just bigger icons.
In terms of the balance sheet, you know I agree; the recent dividend increase was right in line with expectations - and a huge disappointment in my mind. Thanks for the comment!
Stocks Discussed: MSFT, AAPL,
Re What Would Make Windows 8 a Success
Posted by: [email protected] (IP Logged)
Date: October 24, 2012 12:16AM
As a technical writer who thinks grammar matters:
what's with this use of the phrase "for all intensive purposes"? You mean "for all intents AND purposes."
I suspect this error happened (twice, once in the article and once in the response to a comment) because you're dictating to something like Dragon Naturally Speaking, but not sufficiently proofing the dictation.
Please train your dictation software to use "for all intents and purposes." Words are a columnist's currency. Your credibility is at stake.
Stocks Discussed: MSFT, AAPL,
Re What Would Make Windows 8 a Success
Date: October 30, 2012 06:28AM
I don't use any dictation tools, and that was purely my error; now that I know the correct phrase, I'll make sure to use it in the future! Thanks for that clarification!
Stocks Discussed: MSFT, AAPL,
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Several weeks before Lent began, I started forming a plan in my mind that I would give up something for Lent. Every year I chat with my husband about this as I brainstorm and pray about what it is that I really want to sacrifice for these 40 days. His response is always the same, "You don't have to give up anything." That answer always surprises me because all my life growing up Catholic, in my home, and in our church, we all participated in this Lenten practice. To not think about what to give up and not to participate was unheard of. However, it always seemed that I could never withstand the entire 40 days, meaning I never made it to the "finish line," so to speak. I always wondered why that was, and as an adult who is more confident in my faith and married to a seminarian, I am reminded that Christ's love never ends, I am a sinner, and I am forgiven.
Rather than be miserable without the comforts of what I had given up, why not set out on a journey that would be enjoyable? This would be a journey that inspired me, along with family and friends, and members of my community. I decided that I would challenge myself and inspire others to live out a 40 day journey called "Do Something."
"Do Something" became a blog that I write for everyday of Lent. Each blog post inspires the reader, believer, or non-believer to engage in activities that promote well-being, healthy eating and exercise, acts of service, caring for others, helping the needy, and encouraging them to become involved in their community or organization of their choice.
When I first began, I had no idea how I would encourage people for 40 days. Sure, for a week or two, but 40 days? How was I ever going to do this? We live in such a connected world through social networking, online blogs, video chatting, texting, twitter; the list goes on and on. I knew that I would have an audience, but could I really inspire people to think and do acts of kindness outside their comfort zone? Maybe.
I do know that I am held accountable for blogging every day during Lent, whether people are reading it or not. This is the Lenten journey that I chose, and while I don't always have the opportunity to post the blog first thing in the morning, I do post it during that day sometime and who knows, maybe someone is up late, not able to sleep, and they stumble across my blog. They may become moved and inspired, ready to try something new, even if it's one person out of so many in the online world.
If you wish to see the blog of my Lenten journey, and participate in "Doing Something," visit punkrock2preacher.blogspot.com.


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All eyes on world's biggest boy band
Morgan Spurlock answers the obvious question with a question. Several, in fact.
What is the man behind critically acclaimed documentaries "Super Size Me," "Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?" and "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold" doing at the helm of a glitzy concert film about boy band One Direction?
"'Why would I not want to direct this movie? Why would I not want to direct a film that's being made by one of the biggest studios in Hollywood?" he says.
"Why would I not want to make a film about one of the biggest bands in the world right now who are continuing to explode as a global phenomenon? Why would I not want to make a film in 3-D with a budget bigger than any documentary filmmaker usually ever gets to work with?
"Why would you not want to make a film that's going to open in more cities and more countries and be seen by more people than all of my films combined?"
Fair enough. "One Direction: This Is Us" opens Friday on more than 2,500 screens and chronicles the breakneck rise to fame of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. The group was assembled during the seventh season of the British version of "The X Factor," where they finished in third place. Since then, One Direction has shattered records, sold out stadiums and incited full-on hysteria. A sold-out July show at Toyota Center was among the liveliest and loudest in recent memory.
Parents, be prepared: Your daughter, and maybe even your son, will beg to see this film. Lines will be long. Screams will be loud. Tears will be likely. (It's rated PG for "mild language" and is suitable for even the smallest Directioners.)
"There are always just people screaming, yelling, waiting. It's insane," Spurlock says. "The minute these guys walk outside, there are fans. There might be five, then suddenly they start tweeting, and there's 1,000.
"The maneuverability around a band like this is difficult. You're constantly having to figure out logistics of what you're going to shoot, how we're going to shoot, where we're going to be able to have intimate moments where we aren't going to be interrupted by cheery fans."
At its best, "This Is Us" captures the frenetic energy of top-tier stardom, the tear-stained mix of panic and pleasure that marks every move they make. During one memorable scene, the boys decide to take to the streets and see the sights on a rare day off. Within minutes, they're recognized by female fans and eventually are barricaded inside a small store. Girls press against the windows, snapping photos and making pleas. Burly security guards have to push them through the crowd and into a getaway car.
Spurlock was approached about directing similar projects for Justin Bieber and Katy Perry before agreeing to take on 1D. He calls them "the anti-boy-band boy band." In many ways, that's an accurate assessment. 1D is a boy band, to be sure, but the members stop short of matching outfits and cheesy dance routines. And though the music is firmly rooted in pop, it's infused with old-school rock and a slight sense of mischief.
The guys also are seen playing pranks on each other and their crew throughout the film. It balances the larger-than-life concert sequences with a sense of adolescent normalcy.
"You go into a movie like this, and you're like, 'One of these guys has to be a super-diva: There are no green M&Ms in here! How dare you not press my shirt! Stop looking me in the eye!' It wasn't the case," Spurlock says. "All five of these guys, in the midst of all of this craziness and insanity, have remained immensely normal. They have stayed so grounded. They have stayed so humble in light of this massive success."
"This Is Us" also captures the flipside of fame in a few unexpectedly poignant scenes. The guys are seen quietly sharing stories during fishing and camping trips. Malik buys a house for his overjoyed family but can only share the experience over the phone; he's in a different country. Teary mothers who haven't seen their sons in months have to make do with life-size cardboard cutouts.
And though the film doesn't open until Friday, Spurlock already has been swept up in the 1D wave, adopted by Directioners (fans of the group) as a member of the family.
"I've got more teen Twitter followers probably than any grown man should. It's fantastic," he says.


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Celebrating Marquette's Presidents
Celebrating Marquette's PresidentsSeptember 2011
As the campus prepares for the September 23 inauguration of its twenty-third president, Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., it seems appropriate to reflect on the previous individuals who held the university's highest office. The Department of Special Collections and University Archives preserves a large number of images and documentary materials related to the Office of the President - particularly for the past 60 years - and has selected highlights for digitization and presentation in its In the Spotlight collection.
Inaugural ceremonies and presidential welcomes have varied greatly throughout the years. The January 1928 inauguration of Rev. William M. Magee, S.J., featured an ode written by poet J.D. Logan. Rev. John P. Raynor, S.J., was feted by city leaders with an inaugural civic reception and dinner in January 1966, shortly after taking office. Rev. Peter A. Brooks, S.J., who took office in the midst of World War II, made a brief statement upon being named president expressing gratitude for the service of veterans and offering educational opportunities to meet their needs.
The role of the university president has changed somewhat throughout the years, but many functions have remained constant: overseeing operations of the institution and providing leadership and direction to the organization; serving as an ambassador for the university in local, national, and international settings; providing religious and spiritual leadership for the campus community; and inspiring constituencies to support Marquette with their time, treasure and skills.
View images selected for this Spotlight.
Questions about this group of images or about additional images related to Marquette's president can be directed to: Michelle Sweetser, Special Collections and University Archives.
Rev. Joseph Rigge, S.J. (above), served as the first president of Marquette College, 1881-1882.
Marquette University President Rev. Albert Fox, S.J., sits at the desk in his office and dictates into an Ediphone, circa 1925.


text: At 07:31 AM 4/4/2008, Mehmet Suzen wrote: >On Fri, Apr 4, 2008 at 3:11 PM, Jim Lux <james.p.lux at jpl.nasa.gov> wrote: > > > It is VERY important to be clear about one point. This argument must > > > NOT imply that using proprietary software to built a cluster does not > > > require any > > > work-force (someone) or no training needed to operate it. At the end of > > the day > > > building a cluster is a technological business, you need to hire > > > someone or a monkey in order to click on buttons for installation or > > > maintenance. > > > > > > > But, when you say "build and maintain" a cluster, do you mean separately > > ordering all the machines, routers, cables, racking, and > installing them and > > getting them working (and then the followon maintenance of installing new > > versions of software from the vendors, cleaning air filters)... > > > >No, I was implying software related components of a cluster. > > > At this level, you're pretty OS-independent. It's only when you need to > > start "developing" new software for this putative small cluster that the > > environment becomes really important. > > > > It's pretty much a given that any sort of *commercial* cluster > > distribution, whether shrink wrap from Redmond or carefully crafted by one > > of the cluster vendors on this list will come with some reasonable set of > > tools to do things like reboot, manage jobs, etc. If the user > interface for > > those tools resembles the user interface that your would-be admin is > > familiar with (e.g. Microsoft Management Console, etc.) then all is good. > > > >Still, this doesn't mean that cluster build on proprietary software >needs less software maintenance then a FOSS system. >The idea that using a FOSS software needs more technical knowledge >and human resources is simply a myth. Depends on what you pay for. A high quality proprietary solution might well need less maintenance than FOSS. You'd pay for it, too. It's a tradeoff.. pay for a third party to build in the smarts or pay for your inhouse person to do the operation. This is nothing unique.. Consider the difference between a Bridgeport mill with a machinist standing in front of it spinning the knobs reading a drawing and a CNC mill. Most machine shops don't go in and modify the gear trains in the CNC.. they accept what it is, and fool with the system at a different level (G-code programming, for instance). If you're buying a million dollar piece of test equipment, and it needs a small cluster built in, there's no reason why the buyer should know or care what the OS is inside the cluster. It's just part of the equipment, and it's the equipment builder's decision. This is a pretty common model.. I'll bet that a lot of Point-Of-Sale systems in restaurants are built on Windows, but relatively few restaurants have a on-staff Windows Admin. The restaurant has paid (well) to have a turnkey system that doesn't require a specialist administrator. As far as needing more or less knowledge or HR, it's really more application dependent than OS dependent. If you're a business with MS Windows throughout (i.e. the vast majority), it's much more likely that a) you'll have someone already on staff who knows Windows and can have an "additional duty" that's not too different from what they do b) you have a bigger pool to choose from if you have to hire a new person. Essentially, I guess, in these scenarios, the end customer isn't "building" a cluster. that's done by someone else. All the customer does is "operate" and that's a very different sort of need.


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Summer courses insure that the vibrant intellectual life of the College exists on a year-round basis. All academic courses are taught by the College's renowned faculty. These courses are the perfect opportunity, not only for our returning students, but also for non-Maryville College students in the local community to continue their studies during the summer.
Whether you're interested in art, history, education, management, psychology, or outdoor recreation -- no matter what you're studying -- Maryville College has classes for you.
Summer School
- Credit courses are offered during four different sessions throughout the summer.
- Fees are $353 per credit hour.
- Summer Session and Course Information can be found in the Registrar section, under Schedule of Courses.
New or Readmitted Students - If you are in high school, transferring to MC or applying for readmission, please begin by completing an application. We will be in touch to assist you in completing the registration process upon receipt of your application. If you have any questions, please contact the Admissions Office at 865.981.8092.
Returning MC Students - If you are a current MC student, please work with your faculty advisor to select summer courses and register.
Advanced Placement Summer Institute
The AP Summer Institute is for teachers with two years or less experience teaching AP courses. For more details and contact information, Go here.


text: Extensive information on the various methods of detoxification; including fasting, diet, herbs, sauna, colonic irrigation, chelation and others. Specific toxins examined are heavy metals, toxic chemicals, drugs, and conditions like colds/flus. Herbs are discussed at length, including which herbs aid specific organs of elimination in the body. Research studies are also included, as well as lifestyle suggestions to help the body in cleansing and maintaining good health. Herbs discussed include: milk thistle, goldenseal, yellow dock, dandelion, artichoke, celandine, turmeric, triphala, picrorhiza, nettles, cleavers, yarrow, mullein, coltsfoot, Siberian ginseng, echinacea, plantain, sage, burdock, pau d'arco, sarsaparilla, prickly ash, Oregon grape root, parsley, elderflower, and ginseng.


text: We have in the past implemented a 2D torus network along with a switched network. So the 2D network handles the nearest neighbor communication and the switch handled everything else. For later clusters, we dropped to a 1D "torus" as most of the traffic was only travelling along one dimension. Most of the clusters we have built since have used this approach with good success. As we have moved to 1U chassis, it has been a challenge to get three gigabit ethernet ports to even do a 1D torus plus a switch (or FNN or much of anything else). So in our latest cluster, we have dropped the torus completely and, instead, added a second gigabit network using "cheap" gigabit switches to handle I/O, logins, etc. and allow the "expensive" gigabit network to handle the parallel traffic. I determined early on that a torus with ethernet (fast ethernet at the time) was pretty much out of the question due to hugh accumulation of latencies as you span the torus. Since gigabit latencies are about the same as fast ethernet, this situation remains the same. Mike Prinkey Aeolus Research, Inc. On Wed, 10 Nov 2004, Renato S. Silva wrote: > Hi Folks > > Does anyone implement a torus topology in a cluster ? > > Thanks > Renato > > > _______________________________________________ > Beowulf mailing list, Beowulf at beowulf.org > To change your subscription (digest mode or unsubscribe) visit http://www.beowulf.org/mailman/listinfo/beowulf > >


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Pinehurst VFD replaces suspended fire chief
After Pinehurst city leaders unanimously decided to suspend Fire Chief Grady Gray on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010, from his duties in the volunteer fire department and as the city's code enforcement officer, both posts were in need of staffing. It wasn't until this month, however, that those positions were filled.
Pinehurst elected leaders suspended Gray in December pending the outcome of an investigation launched by the City of Pinehurst Volunteer Fire Department, an investigation that eventually made its way to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Gray, who was also employed by the municipality in the Code Enforcement department, was suspended from his city post with pay until the investigation was complete. Before charges could be filed on the fire chief, Gray resigned from the post with the fire department, as well as his paid position with the city.
The city suspension followed a unanimous vote for suspension by volunteer fire department members. In a letter given to members of the Pinehurst City Council and Mayor T.W. Permenter in December, interim Fire Chief Jeremy Tidwell briefly explained the opinion of the fire department volunteers.
"The members of this fire department voted unanimously for this action of suspension that went into effect on Thursday, Dec. 9," it read. "The suspension will last until the investigation has been concluded and at that time the members of the volunteer fire department will meet again and re-evaluate his status."
Although the letter to the council reps didn't reveal the cause of the investigation, Permenter said missing items from the department are what prompted the scrutiny of Gray. The mayor was unsure whether Gray was under criminal investigation, but Pinehurst Police Chief Fred Hanauer said the county's district attorney was called in to investigate the matter. No charges have been levied against Gray thus far.
Pinehurst City Administrator Robert Ewart said Gray was under no scrutiny for his work at the city office, and the city had no qualms with the code enforcement officer other than the grievance brought to the council by the Pinehurst Volunteer Fire Department. Furthermore, he said, Gray left of his own volition.
"It was his decision to resign. I don't know why he did it; I couldn't say," Ewart said. "He was not forced out, or even asked to resign. That was his own idea."
With Gray's resignation, the city was free to select new personnel to fill the vacated post of code enforcement officer. The selection of the fire chief was left in the hands of the volunteer department's members.
"All we need to do is go along with (the volunteer fire department heads') recommendations," Permenter said when announcing the new fire chief and assistant fire chief. "I think they've ironed out what they need to do."
Replacing Gray will be interim Fire Chief Tidwell, and J.B. Lanting was named assistant fire chief. Tidwell, who has been with the department for nine years, served for two years as the assistant fire chief in a department responsible for hundreds of calls for service annually with a crew of just 16. Lanting is a five-year veteran of the Pinehurst VFD and has also served the McLewis VFD.
City officials selected Henry Vine to replace Gray as code enforcement officer starting Monday, Feb. 14, Ewart said.
In what was a surprise to many this past week, Ewart also announced the departure of a city employee – himself. An emotional Ewart expressed sadness in leaving his post at the city but added that he is excited to pursue other interests in retirement.
"I regret leaving at a time when there are so many project going on," Ewart lamented, but conceded that there is never going to be a time when there are no projects in the works. "I just think it's time for me to pursue other interests. Now the city can find them a young guy with lots of vinegar in him to finish this out."
Ewart, who started his city government career in 1979 and joined Pinehurst as its chief administrator in 2009, will retire in May.Jennifer Johnson can be reached at (409) 832-1400, ext. 231, or by e-mail at jennifer [at] theexaminer [dot] com.


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Petertobias needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 99 designs submitted by 23 freelance designers.
advancedsurfacefinishing.com; bad website
We are in the electrostatic powder coating business for 26 years in the New York metropolitan area. This logo will be put in the our new website and on our customer's finished product. Since the powder coating is in color business, the design should have some color on it. We are working very hard to inprove our customer's product and appearance. We are a quality and quick turnaround service oriented firm. We are solving our customer's problems. Design should look welcoming in an appearance.
We service sheet metal fabricators, lighting, dental, medical, architectural, iron work, all variety of original manufacturers, display industry, fuctional industry parts, piping and extrution industries, etc. We service the greater New York Metropolitan Area businesses only, not national businesses. We are in a restoration service of old parts or items such as auto parts etc. Most of our business is not in restoration but it is in new parts production. We also offer powder coating in some of a bigger projects such as new bridges, street lamp posts, traffic guards and rails including a custom fences
We are giving a designer free hand to design a welcoming and colorful logo. If possible, have the logo creatively demonstrate that we offer a spectrum of colors in our finishing process.This has to be an eye catching logo that people remember and state in their mind and ready to be recalled. The chosen color should harmonized the design. It has to be pleasing to the public eyes. It can be any shape but the lettering should be readable. The design has to easily duplicated for a website, a stamp and all the stationary.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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The Texas A&M International University Small Business Development Center (TAMIU-SBDC) will sponsor several workshops during the month of January.
Wednesday, January 25: the Art of Starting a Business: Basic Business Essentials, free of charge workshop from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the TAMIU Western Hemispheric Trade Center, room 126. Instructor Norma Rodriguez, SBDC-certified business advisor, will present this practical workshop that helps businesses to avoid common pitfalls, evaluate strengths and weaknesses, and the skills needed to succeed. Participants will also explore initial paperwork, assessment process, legal structures and importance of the business plan.
Friday, January 27: Anatomy of a Business Plan Workshop is from 9:00 to 12:00 p.m. at the TAMIU Western Hemispheric Trade Center, room 126. Fee for the seminar is $20, and each participant receives Linda Pinzon's "Anatomy of a Business Plan: a Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Business and Securing your Company's Future," a $50 value. Instructor Angelo Piccirillo explains that planning is the map to success in the business world. One needs to write a business plan when: starting or buying a business, financing or refinancing a business, or raising debt or equity capital.
Tuesday, January 31: Managing Cash - the Small Business Owner's Guide to Financial Control Workshop is scheduled from 9:00 to 12:00 p.m. at TAMIU's Western Hemispheric Trade Center, room 126; $20 fee includes Workbook. Cash flow is what comes into and goes out of a business. Gaining financial control by understanding cash flow is crucial to business success. Tina Rodríguez, SBDC-certified business advisor, will review cash – the fuel that runs your business, maximizing your cash flow, tools for speeding up cash collections, overdue invoices, three tools for helping with accounts receivable, cash flow statements and four short-term financing solutions.
Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests
and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information
Services at email@example.com
Texas A&M International University
5201 University Boulevard
Laredo, TX 78041
© 2019


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Fishing Kayaks
Product Compare
Product Compare
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Learn More About Fishing Kayaks
Your Day on the Water: Learn More About Fishing Kayaks
Bring home your game fish aboard a performance fishing kayak.
Equip yourself for the journey. Today's fishing kayaks are crafted with all the essentials an angler needs—think rod holders, extra storage space and molded footrests. Your kayak should feature a drag-resistant design that allows for easy maneuvering your waters, yet enough stability for comfort on the water.
Select single and tandem kayaks, and kayaks built with deluxe padded seats for added comfort. Browse leading paddle sport brands for the boat that's right for you, including Perception Sport®, Sun Dolphin®, Pelican® and more.
For more, shop the full collection of kayaks or inflatable kayaks at DICK'S Sporting Goods.
Expert Advice
Your fishing kayak should be built specially for angling. These kayaks should be stable enough to stand upon for better visibility, and feature utility-minded features—like built-in coolers or tackle boxes.
First think about your fishing environment—will you trolling a pond for trout or paddling through a lake after striper? The fishing environment, game fish and water conditions are essential factors in the type of kayak you select.
Many anglers prefer the stability offered by a more compact kayak, less than 11-feet in length. Depending on your game fish, you may prefer the added maneuverability and speed of a longer kayak.
Comfort is key during long hours on the water. Sit-on-top kayaks are ideal for beginners or novice anglers. And this brand of kayak is easier to get in and out of from the dock or the shore. Sit-in seats are typically above water-level, so these boats are wider than traditional kayaks. For added comfort, choose a fishing kayak with a padded and adjustable seat and adjustable foot pegs.
Think about the level of organization you need on your boat. Many fishing kayaks come with built-in rod holders, tackle boxes, dry storage compartments and free storage space—so you'll never find yourself rummaging through your tackle for the right bait or tool.
Learn more about the construction of your kayak before making your selection:
- Weight Capacity: Always keep in mind the recommended weight capacity of your boat. Bring along multiple anglers with tandem or three-person kayaks.
- Hatches: Many angling kayaks have storage space located at either end of the vessel. These bulkheads provide buoyancy if the boat becomes capsized. Hatches come with plastic or plastic lids or neoprene covers.
- Rudder: The rudder of your kayak works as a submerged paddle. Engaging the foot levers in your kayak determines the direction of the rudder.


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GOP proposes sequester changes
Washington - In a last-minute bid to minimize the most painful impacts of federal spending cuts - and perhaps blame - Republicans this week will propose allowing the government to choose where to cut.
They plan to introduce proposals to allow flexibility while maintaining the overall level of cuts mandated by a 2011 law.
The proposal is in response to the Obama administration's repeated complaint that the law doesn't allow managers the flexibility to shift the reductions from such areas as teachers or programs to help female victims of violence. It's also a move to shelter the GOP from blame should the cuts cause widespread pain.
"As a leader, he should want as much flexibility as he can get from Congress," said Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, the chairman of the Republican Governors Association. "When did he ever go to his Cabinet secretaries, his agency heads and say, 'What would be the least painful ... way?'"
Democrats criticized the proposal, however, saying it would lock in the overall level of cuts - $85 billion for this fiscal year and $1.2 trillion over 10 years - which they argue would hurt the economy. They'll propose smaller spending reductions supplemented by tax increases.
"The overwhelming majority of Americans want us to compromise before our neighbors, friends and family members get pink slips or notices that they can only work for a few days a week this month," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
Both proposals are expected to be unsuccessful in a divided Congress, leaving lawmakers scrambling to act just days before the cuts are to start taking effect. As of Monday, the two sides were not negotiating. President Barack Obama will travel today to Newport News, Va., to talk about the impact of defense cuts.
The reductions - known inside the Beltway as sequestration - stem from a compromise between both parties to raise the nation's debt ceiling in 2011. Both sides agreed to the automatic cuts as a doomsday scenario to force them to find a more palatable way to reduce projected budget deficits. They did not find an alternative, however.
The first round of reductions - postponed from January - is estimated to be $85 billion. But the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicts that agencies will reduce spending by about $44 billion, with the remaining cuts coming in future years.
The White House has spent months describing in detail what the reductions might mean in each state and agency, from Head Start programs to law enforcement officers. The administration has blamed the impact in part on the fact that the 2011 law gave it no room to move money around to meet essential services.
"There is very little flexibility in terms of how to make those cuts happen," White House press secretary Jay Carney said last week. The White House didn't ask Congress to give the administration the flexibility to pick what programs would be slashed.
"The fact that the White House isn't banging on our door for flexibility is mind-boggling," said Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Supporters and opponents say Obama wants to avoid the reductions altogether while blaming Republicans for the most severe cuts. "They could score political points this way," said Tad DeHaven, a budget analyst for the Cato Institute, a libertarian research center.
Jo Comerford, the executive director of the National Priorities Project, a nonpartisan, liberal-leaning research center that analyzes how tax dollars are spent, said she'd welcome flexibility but that the White House never pursued it because it wanted a balanced approach that comprised more than just spending cuts. "President Obama is saying there are other ways to move forward," she said.
Obama has urged Congress to delay the reductions, even by a few months, by passing a package of modest spending cuts and additional tax revenue by eliminating tax loopholes that benefit certain industries or the wealthy.
Carney didn't rule out that the president would sign legislation that allowed flexibility. But Carney dismissed suggestions Monday that additional flexibility would help alleviate the problem.
A bill that "introduced enough flexibility to do away with all the bad things doesn't exist," he said. "It can't be written, not with the size of these cuts, and the fact that they needed to be implemented in such a short period of time in this fiscal year."
Janet Napolitano, the secretary of homeland security, said Monday that added flexibility would help only "on the margins" because she'd still have to cut pay for thousands of workers who are key to security at airports, the border, in ports and elsewhere. "The plain fact of the matter is (the cuts) fall at such a heavy level because we're so personnel-rich as a department," she said.
Republicans in Congress have been pushing for flexibility for some time, including floating a proposal that would let the White House offer changes to realign funding after the cuts took effect.
This week, some Republicans, including Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, began to work on bills that might be unveiled as early as Tuesday.
Senate Democrats will introduce a plan to postpone the cuts to Jan. 2, 2014. Reductions would be replaced by a minimum 30 percent phased-in tax rate on incomes between $1 million and $2 million; eliminating loopholes for businesses that move jobs overseas; slicing $27.5 billion from defense; and cutting $27.5 billion over 10 years by eliminating direct payments to large farmers.
In a meeting Monday at the White House, Obama urged the nation's governors to press members of Congress to avert the spending reductions altogether. "I hope that you speak with your congressional delegation and remind them in no uncertain terms exactly what is at stake and exactly who is at risk," the president said.
Republican governors, who said they'd asked the administration for flexibility, remained critical of both parties for the crisis.
"The answers to everything we got was no," South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said. "I cannot be more frustrated than I am right now. ... My kids could find $83 billion out of a $4 trillion budget."
Stories that may interest you
Columbine honors 13 killed 20 years ago with community service, ceremony
People who were most directly affected by the Columbine school shooting spoke openly and emotionally Saturday about their struggles and advances since 12 students and a teacher were killed 20 years ago
Military investigates after finding hidden camera in women's bathroom on Navy ship
The U.S. Navy has launched an investigation into the discovery of a hidden camera in the women's bathroom aboard the USS Arlington last month, three military officials told NBC News.
Zookeeper hospitalized after tiger attack at Topeka Zoo
City officials say a tiger mauled a zookeeper at the Topeka Zoo in northeastern Kansas
To help counter China, U.S. turns to the Coast Guard
As a U.S. Coast Guard cutter sailed through the East China Sea last month, Chinese vessels shadowed it on the high seas, service officials said. It was a reminder to the Americans of where they were: in a strategic area a couple hundred miles from China's shores.
New London trash task force pitches alternative to yellow bags
Democrats subpoena Mueller report amid calls for Trump impeachment


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First of all, I want to thank you all for your help with this.
I am trying to have text copy from one text input field to the other as a user types. I have been able to accomplish this thanks to everyone's help, but I ran into a problem.
If you visit the following page and type "Sub" in the "Car Manufacturer" text box, you will see it duplicate in the "TestField" text box. However, since it is an autosuggest text box, Subaru pops up (which is normal and working fine.)
However, if you only type "Sub" and "Subaru" is suggested and you select it, only "Sub" is duplicated over to the next box. You will notice also that once you select "Subaru" a checkbox with the text "Subaru" next to it is generated. So, therefore I need to use the "subaru" text that is next to the check box instead. That is the only way around this problem.
You can see the problem here (remember to only type "sub" in the field and select "Subaru" to see what I'm talking about:
Here is the code I'm currently using to perform the duplication:
(function($) {
So, I need to be able to have the text that is near the checkbox to duplicate over into the .jr_testfield input. Problem is the text is wrapped in a <span> tag and doesn't appear until a user selects it from the autosuggest.
Any ideas? Thanks for your help!


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Stephen Gale needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 428 designs submitted by 127 freelance designers.
We are a new Australian company designing and supplying innovative components to make light weight, reliable electric bicycles (ebikes, or pedal assisted bicycles, as they are formally known).
We want to become known as a company that provides high end technology silently and invisibly to create a better solution. Our products look very simple - we know that all people want to do is get effortlessly from one place to another, without caring about the how or why.
Our products are designed to last a long time, they wont disappoint, and we will be there to support you if you have problems.
Electric bikes are appealing to a new market. While the first people to take them up tended to be old people who couldn't ride any more, or bearded hat wearing gents who tended to expound the benifits of Peugeot 504 cars, we want to appeal to young, cool and discerning urban commuters. The same people who like mac book air computers, Bose sound systems and crumpler bags.
We want a logo that communicates:
- Approachable, accessable, considerate.
- Invigorating, releasing and freeing
- We are reliable, worthy and honest
- We create things with craftsmanship and durability
- Our products look simple
Our color set for printed material is heading towards bold oranges (exciting) and greys (honest), but that does not mean our logo is necessarily these colors.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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your bag
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If you would like ARCHFASHION to try to and find it for you complete the form below.
The lost girls is an australian tween exclusive clothing label. The lost girls is mink pink's little sister and designs age appropriate clothing in sizes 8 to 14. The brand is filled with bright vibrant colours and prints that makes the lost girls as individual as each of its wearers. The lost girls is one of my personal favourite brands. I love that they celebrate girls being girls, their styles are age appropriate and suit all the different body shapes that make up our tween girls.


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YOU CAN EDIT THIS PAGE! Just click any blue "Edit" link and start writing!
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If you have or know a solar project, please submit it to us for consideration as a featured project using Submit an Item. http://www.solaripedia.com/302/submit-an-item.html
Animal architecture – that is, structures built by animals other than humans – is prevalent in nature. We offer some images here of termite mounds, wasp and bee hives, rodents' burrow complexes, beaver dams, elaborate bird nests, spider webs and more. Aside from humans, who are the most prolific and versatile builders, building behavior is common in many mammals, birds, insects and arachnids, as well as a few species of fish, reptiles, amphibians, mollusks, urochordates, crustaceans, annelids and some other arthropods. It is virtually absent from all the other animal phyla. As ecosystem engineers, the influence of animal builders is extensive and they generally enhance biodiversity through their niche construction. There are three broad categories of built structures by animals: homes, traps, and courtship displays. Animals primarily build habitat for protection from extreme temperatures and from predation. Constructed structures raise physical problems which are resolved through the architecture, such as humidity control or ventilation, increasing the complexity of the structure. Over time, through evolution, animals have expanded the use of shelters for additional purposes such as reproduction, food storage, etc. Often, these structures incorporate sophisticated features such as ventilation, temperature regulation, structural strength, multiple escape routes, traps, bait, special-purpose chambers and other features. They are created by individuals or by complex societies of social animals with some society members carrying out specialized roles. Constructions may arise from complex behavior of animals such as night-time sleeping nests for chimpanzees, to inbuilt neural responses in the case of birds. The process of building such structures may involve learning and communication, and in some cases, even aesthetics. Tool use may also be involved in building structures by animals. (The image captions contain additional information)
Protection from Predators
Predators are attracted to animal-built structures either by the prey or its offspring, or the stored caches of food. Structures built by animals may provide protection from predators through avoiding detection, by means such as camouflage and concealment, or through prevention of invasion, once predators have located the hideout or prey, or a combination of both. As a last resort, structures may provide means of escape.
Animals use the techniques of crypsis or camouflage, concealment, and masquerade, for avoiding detection.
Ground-nesting birds which rely on crypsis for concealment have nests made from local materials which blend in with the background, the eggs and young too are cryptic; whereas birds which do not use crypsis for hiding their nests may not have cryptic eggs or young.
In a case apparently of masquerade, the Red-faced Spinetail Cranioleuca erythrops places bits of grass and other material loosely streaming both above and below the nest chamber to break the shape of the nest and to cause it to resemble random debris without any underlying structure.
In endothermic animals (organisms that produce heat through internal means, such as muscle shivering or increasing its metabolism such as humans), construction of shelters, coupled with behavioral patterns, reduces the quantity and energy cost of thermoregulation.
In ectothermic animals (organisms that control body temperature through external means such as frogs), moderation of temperature, along with architectural modifications to absorb, trap or dissipate energy, maximizes the rate of development. The primary sources of energy for an animal are the sun and its metabolism. The dynamics of heat in animal shelters is influenced by the construction material which may act as a barrier, as a heat sink or to dissipate heat, such as in the cocoons of insects. Internal architectural devices, such as walls, may block convection or the construction of air flow systems may cool a nest or habitat.
Building Materials
Materials used by animals in building structures need to not only be suitable for the kind of structure to be built but also to be manipulable by the animals. These materials may be organic in nature or mineral. They may also be categorized as "collected material" and "self-secreted material". Some animals collect materials with plastic properties which are used to construct and shape the nest, including resin collected by stingless bees, mud collected by swallows and silk collected by hummingbirds.
Some materials in nature act as ready made "building blocks" to the animals in question, such as feathers and leaf petioles for some birds and animal hair. Other materials need to be "processed". Caddisfly larvae use stone pieces and also cut sections from green leaves for use in construction. The stone pieces are selected as per their size and shape from a large variety. In the case of leaf sections, these are cut and shaped to a required size. Some wasps collect mud and blend it with water to construct free standing nests of mud. Paper wasp queens build with paper pulp which they prepare by rasping wood with their jaws and mixing it with saliva.
An animal builder may also collect a variety of materials and use them in complex ways to form useful habitat. The nest of the Long-tailed Tit is constructed from four materials – lichen, feathers, spider egg cocoons and moss, over 6000 pieces in all for a typical nest where structural stability is provided by a mesh of moss and spider silk. Inside, the nest is lined with more than 2000 feathers to insulate the nest.
Birds collect animal fur and feathers of other species of birds to line their nests, and some birds use spider silk. Flowering plants provide a variety of resources – twigs, leaves, petioles, roots, flowers and seeds. Basal plants, such as fungi, lichens, mosses and ferns also find use in structures built by animals. The leaves of grasses and palms being elongate and parallel-veined are very commonly used for building. These, along-with palm fibers and horse-hair fern are used to build hanging baskets. Wooden twigs form the greater proportion of materials used in the nests of large birds. Plants and trees not only provide resources but also sites. Branches provide support in the form of cantilevered beams while leaves and green twigs provide flexible but strong supports.
Mud is used by a few species of a wide variety of families including wasps and birds. Mud is plastic when wet and provides compressive strength when dried. Amongst birds, five percent of all birds use mud and stones in their nest for toughness and compressive strength.
The majority of self-secreted materials are produced by insects. In some cases, the self-secreted material is directly applied, or it may be processed, as paper wasps do using salivary excretion and blending it with wood pulp. Self-secreted materials may be processed in some cases. In cribellate spiders, silk produced by the spider are reworked in the cribellum to form fine sticky strands used for capturing prey. In other cases, the scale wax, produced on the bodies of honey bees, is gathered and blended with saliva to form comb wax, the building material for interiors of hives.
Relevant books:
Animal Architecture
Animal Architects
Built by Animals
Architecture of the Essential by Juhani Pallasmaa (201 kb)


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Daggers of Westernesse
The Daggers of Westernesse were forged by the Dúnedain of Cardolan during their war against the Witch-King of Angmar. They were apparently made for fighting the barrow wights sent from Angmar, and they had the special property to harm wraith-like spirits such as the barrow wights and the Nazgûl. After the fall of Cardolan, at least four of these daggers ended up in the tomb of the last prince of that realm.
In the Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin became lost in the Barrow Downs and were captured by one of the wights and imprisoned in the tomb. Frodo was able to call Tom Bombadil to their aid, and he opened the tomb and drove the wight away. Tom advised the hobbits each to take something with them from the tomb, and gave each of them a dagger. These weapons proved useful later in their journey.
One of these daggers played a special role in The Return of the King. During the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Meriadoc Brandybuck stabbed the Witch King in the back of the knee with his dagger.
- "But suddenly he too stumbled forward with a cry of bitter pain, and his stroke went wide, driving into the ground. Merry's sword had stabbed him from behind, shearing through the black mantle, and passing up beneath the hauberk had pierced the sinew behind his mighty knee."
- ― The Return of the King, The Battle of the Pelennor Fields
Many fans speculate that the spells on this dagger made the Witch King vulnerable to Éowyn's more mundane sword, which allowed her to kill him.


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Sales of Tesla Motors Inc.'s electric cars are booming and the company is on its way to profitability, CEO Elon Musk told investors yesterday.
All 20,000 of the Model S sedans that the company plans to make this year will be sold, Musk said during a conference call on the company's fourth-quarter 2012 financial results.
"If we were to close all of our stores right now worldwide, and not have any car specialists or sales people, we would still sell out through the year," Musk said.
But that forecast came as the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company reported a large loss in the last three months of last year. Tesla had a net deficit of $89.9 million in that period, up 10 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2011, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Tesla's stock fell about 6 percent in after-hours trading, The New York Times reported. However, Musk asserted that the company is headed toward operating in the black.
"We really have very high confidence that we will have a profitable first quarter," Musk said. "That's a pretty big deal. It's really an enormous amount of blood, sweat and tears to get there. It's really difficult for me to overstate, but we're going to do it." He added, "I do think we'll be profitable in [quarter] two and subsequent quarters." He stopped short of making an "absolute commitment," however, saying, "I'm just really highly confident that will be the case."
Rapidly growing market niche
Tesla's growth in sales comes as the outlook for many electric vehicles mostly is hopeful, according to Pike Research. That company reported late last year that "the market for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) has grown rapidly in the last two years, reaching more than 120,000 unit sales worldwide in 2012."
"While the market has positive momentum, it still faces hurdles," Pike Research added. It predicted "robust growth worldwide for electric vehicles," with hybrid sales increasing at a compound annual growth rate of 6 percent and combined plug-in hybrid and battery electric cars growing at a 39 percent rate between 2012 and 2020.
Tesla's SEC filing and conference call took place during a time when the company has been in the headlines for a tussle with The New York Times over a test drive by a reporter who said that the Model S ran out of juice, stranding him on the highway.
The paper's public editor, Margaret Sullivan, weighed in Monday and criticized reporter John Broder for taking "casual and imprecise notes." Sullivan said that she did not agree -- as Musk has charged -- that Broder faked the result. But "did he use good judgment along the way? Not especially," she said (Greenwire, Feb. 19).
During the call, Musk was not asked specifically about Broder's report or Sullivan's blog but did speak on the car's range.
"For a long-distance trip right now, depending upon where you are in the country, a little bit of extra planning is needed," Musk said. In California and Nevada, he said, there is a "good density of superchargers for long-distance driving, so you don't really need to worry about it."
But on the East Coast, particularly between Washington, D.C., and Boston, more care is needed. There are only two superchargers on that route, he said. More are planned for there, he added, in addition to those that will be installed in Texas, the Seattle area and Chicago.
"Really, we want to get to the point where you don't even have to think about it," Musk said. "We're really close to that point." The cars will soon have software that directs drivers to superchargers, he added.
Tesla will have a "very meaningful announcement about a step change in supercharger technology coming later this year," Musk said. That was the angle the company originally had intended to give to The New York Times, he said, then added, "Who knows? Maybe we will ultimately do it with them."
Expanding into Europe and China
Tesla plans to start marketing its cars more in Asia and Europe, Musk said. Currently, it has focused mostly on North America.
A media preview event in Europe last October was "received very, very well," said George Blankenship, Tesla's vice president of sales and ownership experience. "The interesting thing about Europe is we're getting a nice response in reservations, and we don't even have any display cars there yet."
About 25 percent of car reservations are outside North America, he said. Tesla plans to open its first store in China this spring.
New reservations for Teslas hit a new record in the fourth quarter, "driven by holiday traffic to our stores, multiple Car-of-the-Year awards, the start of European marketing, and visibility of customer cars on the road and related word-of-mouth enthusiasm," the company said in a statement.
Tesla added more than 6,000 new reservations from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2012. During the quarter, the company also announced a U.S. price increase for new reservations made after the end of the year. The Model S base price now is $59,900, up from $57,400.
There also were cancellations, however, as the company asked a large number of reservation holders to convert to firm, nonrefundable orders. Net reservations at year's end were more than 15,000, up from about 13,000 in the previous three months.
Company workers put in long hours to meet demand late last year, he said. The average work week in December was 68 hours, Musk said. It has not fallen to 50 hours per week, he added.
The wait time for the cars is about five months, Musk said. But for some, it's even longer. The company has a new red car coming out and it is in high demand, he explained.
"It is an awesome red," Musk said. "We've got a lot of interest in that."
Reprinted from Climatewire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC. www.eenews.net, 202-628-6500


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Power Saving for the Workstation, Part 1
Making It Work
Ordinarily, the only place you see these programs are in laptops and the methods should work on laptops, and there are many places to go for information on the specialized laptop tweaks and GNOME and KDE laptop configuration options.
But in an age of global warming and increasing costs per KWh, saving power on workstations by putting them to sleep when not in active use is a good idea, too. Unfortunately, this is not a part of the default Linux installation, at least not in Debian. Worse, the available methods for putting a Linux computer to sleep are considered experimental, so if you can't get anything you see here to work reliably and stably, don't trust your data to it.
Before trying this, do a complete backup. Also get a copy of Knoppix burned to CD so you can boot your computer and access your configuration files in case your energy conservation attempt turns your computer into a brick. These are "best practices" at any time.
Suspend/Hibernate provides similar functionality to the Windows OS suspend/hibernate options. Suspend means 'save the current machine state to RAM and shut down or put into reduced power states as much computer hardware as possible, restore on the first keyboard or mouse event)' , hibernate means 'save the current machine state to hard disk, power down, when machine is next powered up, reboot and reload the stored machine state from disk. Suspend-to-RAM takes seconds to suspend and restore, hibernate is somewhat faster than an ordinary reboot, but the real advantage is taking up exactly where you left off.
While I believe that this is something that should be completely setup out of the box as it was in Windows back in the 98SE days, it isn't. Here is what to do about it. It's running on my workstation as I write this.
In the case of hibernate, it takes you all the way back to your desktop, bypassing login. If this is a problem for you, setting a boot password in BIOS would do the trick. For suspend-to-RAM, set the screensaver to go on before the automatic suspend to RAM does, and set a password within it. When the computer comes up, it'll go to a password prompt.
They provide a power-saving partial shutdown by powering down the HD and optional parts of the motherboard and putting the CPU into a low-power mode when available. They usually operate when the computer has been idle from a user viewpoint, i.e. no keyboard or mouse activity for xx minutes with xx set by default or by user.
System Configuration
Biostar GeForce 6100 AM2 (nvidia chip set)
IDE HDs. (SATA/RAID available)
Athlon 64 x2 4200
Kernel: 2.6.18-4k7 (32 bit)
Debian Etch (stable)/Lenny (testing)
KDE 3.5.7 window manager (what's here should work in GNOME--but it's untested)
A note regarding Debian: KDE doesn't seem to completely recognize the default ACPI installation, and given what happens every time I try to add programs that involve it, I decided to work around the problem instead of installing the acpi software to work with the acpid daemon in the default installation. This may come up if you attempt to install some of the programs that didn't work for me.
Note regarding kernel versions: scripts may have to be modified as of kernel 2.6.21, for more information, read this Linux kernel mailing list article. Or alternately, the hibernate scripts that my monitor script points at may work without change, the
PM_SUSPEND that will replace
SOFTWARE_SUSPEND should work correctly with the corresponding version of hibernate, though it is possible that the hibernate-ram script may be renamed or work differently. I won't know until I upgrade to that kernel version. But I really don't expect it to make a difference to the user. I mention it to provide a heads-up for people whose hibernate/suspend setup suddenly quits after a kernel upgrade.
- Skip Ahead
- 1. Making It Work
- 2. Making It Work
- 3. Making It Work


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STS-96, Mission
Control Center
Discovery's astronauts are preparing to enter the International Space Station for the first time in six months following a rousing wakeup call from Mission Control in honor of Memorial Day.
The crew is scheduled to climb inside the Unity and Zarya modules mid evening to begin transferring nearly 3,000 pounds of equipment to be used by future crews on the ISS. In and around transferring operations, some maintenance tasks will be conducted - one inside Zarya and one inside Unity.
After wakeup to the notes of the US Coast Guard Band playing "Morning Colors," the crew reviewed procedures for the entry activities with both Mission Control Centers in Houston and Moscow.
Canadian astronaut Julie Payette and Russian cosmonaut Valery Tokarev will travel to the Zarya module and begin maintenance activities on the storage batteries located under the floor board. The Zarya has six such batteries, which have been experiencing a slight loss in charging capacity during recharge. Each battery has three "charge controllers" for a total of 18 that will be changed during this procedure. Later, Mission Specialist Dan Barry and Tokarev will install some acoustic insulation around some fans inside Zarya to reduce noise levels in the module.
Meanwhile, in the Unity module, Mission Specialist Tammy Jernigan and Pilot Rick Husband will install shelving in 2 soft stowage racks. The racks themselves were launched with Unity in December 1998 for use in supporting logistics transfer activities. Later, Husband and Barry will conduct troubleshooting and maintenance activities on the Early Communications System.
In the afternoon, the third major task of the flight begins - transfer of logistics items. Ochoa will coordinate this activity and will direct and document all transfers leaving the shuttle. On the ISS side, Payette will receive the items and, along with Tokarev, will document and stow items aboard the ISS. Discovery's astronauts are scheduled to transfer almost 2,900 pounds of supplies and equipment during the next three days.
The next STS-96 mission status report will be issued at approximately 7 a.m. Central time or as events warrant.


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A modular set of font families.
Ziggurat was designed to be interchangeable with the three other families in The Proteus Project.
These fonts were designed in response to an age-old question: how can a fixed format be changed without resorting to a full redesign? The fonts in The Proteus Project were designed around a common set of proportions, allowing them to be substituted for one another almost invisibly. This offers editorial designers the ability to periodically refresh their formats, without having to anticipate any changes in copyfitting. For packaging designers, these related fonts offer a natural way for line extensions to refer back to the original product, without directly imitating its design.


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Once Beyoncé became the first African-American woman to headline in its nearly 20-year history, we knew Coachella would never the same. To mark the superstar's historic moment, the 2018 music and arts festival was appropriately dubbed #Beychella and fans went into a frenzy on social media as her illustrious performance was live-streamed by thousands. (Remember when fans recreated her choreographed number to O.T. Genasis' "Everybody Mad"?)
With a legion of dancers, singers and musicians adorned with gorgeous costumes showcasing custom-made crests, the singer's whirlwind performance honored black Greek letter organizations, Egyptian queen Nefertiti, and paid homage to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Aside from the essence of black musical subgenres like Houston's chopped and screwed and Washington D.C.'s go-go music, the entertainer performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing," also known as "The Black National Anthem," and implemented a dancehall number, sampling the legendary Jamaican DJ and singer, Sister Nancy, to show off the versatility of black culture.
One year after #Beychella's historic set, the insightful concert film, Homecoming, began streaming on Netflix and unveiled the rigorous months of planning that went into the iconic event. The 2-hour 17-minute documentary highlights Beyoncé's enviable work ethic and dedication to her craft, proving why this performance will be cemented in popular culture forever. Here are the best moments from Beyoncé's Homecoming documentary.The Intentional Blackness
"Instead of me bringing out my flower crown, it was more important that I brought our culture to Coachella."
Throughout the documentary, Beyoncé made it known that everything and everyone included in the creative process leading up to the annual festival was deliberately chosen. "I personally selected each dancer, every light, the material on the steps, the height of the pyramid, the shape of the pyramid," says Beyoncé. "Every tiny detail had an intention." When speaking on black people as a collective the entertainer notes, "The swag is limitless." Perhaps the most beautiful moments in Homecoming are the shots that focus on the uniqueness of black hair and its versatility. What's appreciated above all is the singer's commitment to celebrating the various facets of blackness and detailing why black culture needs to be celebrated on a global scale.Beyoncé's Love And Respect For HBCUs
#Beychella — which spanned two consecutive weekends of Coachella's annual festival — was inspired by elements of HBCU homecomings, so it was no surprise when the singer revealed she always wanted to attend one. "I grew up in Houston, Texas visiting Prairie View. We rehearsed at TSU [Texas Southern University] for many years in Third Ward, and I always dreamed of going to an HBCU. My college was Destiny's Child. My college was traveling around the world and life was my teacher." Brief vignettes in the film showcased marching bands, drumlines and the majorettes from notable HBCUs that comprise of the black homecoming experience. In the concert flick, one of the dancers affectionately states, "Homecoming for an HBCU is the Super Bowl. It is the Coachella." However, beyond the outfits that sport a direct resemblance to Greek organizations, Beyoncé communicated an important message that remains a focal point in the film: "There is something incredibly important about the HBCU experience that must be celebrated and protected."The Familiar Faces
Despite being joined by hundreds of dancers, musicians and singers on-stage, the entertainer was joined by some familiar faces to share the monumental moment with her. While making a minor appearance in the documentary, her husband and rapper/mogul Jay-Z came out to perform "Deja Vu" with his wife. Next, fans were blessed by the best trio to ever do it as Kelly and Michelle joined the singer with renditions of their hit singles including "Say My Name," "Soldier," and more. On top of this star-studded list, Solange Knowles graced the "Beychella" stage and playfully danced with her older sister to the infectious "Get Me Bodied."Her Balance Of Being A Mother And A Star
Originally slated to headline the annual festival in 2017, the singer notes that she "got pregnant unexpectedly...and it ended up being twins." Suffering from preeclampsia, high blood pressure, toxemia and undergoing an emergency C-section, the entertainer candidly details how difficult it was adjusting post-partum and how she had to reconnect with her body after experiencing a traumatizing delivery. "In the beginning, it was so many muscle spasms. Just, internally, my body was not connected. My body was not there." Rehearsing for a total of 8 months, the singer sacrificed quality time with her children in order to nail the technical elements that came with the preparation for her Coachella set. "I'm limiting myself to no bread, no carbs, no sugar, no dairy, no meat, no fish, no alcohol … and I'm hungry." Somehow, throughout all of this, she still had to be a mom. "My mind wanted to be with my children," she says. Perhaps one of the most admirable moments in the film was witnessing Beyoncé's dedication to her family but also to her craft.The Wise Words From Black Visionaries
Homecoming opens with a quote from the late, Maya Angelou stating, "If you surrender to the air, you can ride it." The film includes rich and prophetic quotes from the likes of Alice Walker, Nina Simone, Toni Morrison, and notable Black thinkers, reaffirming Beyoncé's decision to highlight black culture. The quotes speak to her womanhood and the entertainer's undeniable strength as a black woman.Blue Ivy's Cuteness
Last, but certainly not least, Blue Ivy's appearance in the concert film is nothing short of precious. One of the special moments in the documentary zeroes in on the 7-year-old singing to a group of people whilst Beyoncé sweetly feeds the lyrics into her ears. After finishing, Blue says: "I wanna do that again" with Beyoncé replying with "You wanna be like mommy, huh?" Seen throughout Homecoming rehearsing and mirroring Beyoncé's moves, Blue just might follow in her mother's footsteps as she gets older.
Love is the mission and message on The O'Jays final album, The Last Word. The legendary group comprised of Eddie Levert Sr., Walter Williams Sr. and Eric Nolan Grant feels fresh and nostalgic at the same time as they take on the thrills of innocent love from yesteryear and the sociopolitical metal clouds of today.
The group previously released the lead single "Above The Law," a righteous track that highlights the state of the nation to a tee. The rest of The Last Word is noticeably lighter with songs like "Do You Really Know How I Feel" and "Enjoy Yourself" bringing out the flower power child in all of us. The latter of the tracks bridges today's funk and soul rhymes as it was co-written by Bruno Mars and Patrick Monahan of Train.
"I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow (Than I Was Today)," a reworked version from the 1967 album Back On Top closes out the album gently, embodying their full circle journey.
But the party isn't over for The O'Jays. On Tuesday (April 23), the group will perform their new single "Stand Up (Show Love)" on the TODAY show in New York.
Stream The Last Word below.
Just five months after his last album Oxnard, singer/producer/drummer/entertainer extraordinaire Anderson .Paak is back with Ventura, his fourth studio LP. Depending on who you ask, the new project is either a surprise second course, or a round of comped desserts to make up for an overdone entree.
The Korean-African-American musician born Brandon Paak Anderson spent the first half of this decade intermittently recording under the name Breezy Lovejoy, converting rock songs into R&B, and drumming for an American Idol alumnus. In 2015, he emerged into the national spotlight thanks to six features on Compton, the long-gestating Dr. Dre album formerly known as Detox. He took advantage of the attention and released two full-lengths in 2016: Malibu was a sprawling solo album that showed him equally deft with bass-heavy club tracks or Sam Cooke-esque soul. Yes Lawd!, a collaboration with producer Knxwledge under the name NxWorries, was a chopped up stoner odyssey, Madvillainy if DOOM could sing as well as he spit. That same year, .Paak announced that he had signed to Dr. Dre's label Aftermath in a brief but celebratory video featuring the rap mogul himself.
.Paak took nearly three years to unleash the full power of the PR by Dre machine: he debuted the lead single on Zane Lowe, soundtracked an Apple ad, and compared the album to landmarks like The Blueprint and The College Dropout. When Oxnard finally dropped last November, reviews were generally positive but mixed, and it peaked at 11 on the Billboard album charts. Enough fans felt the singer had strayed from his post-millennial soul sound that his own mother felt the need to clap back. With a sprawling summer tour schedule looming, .Paak released his follow-up, Ventura, last Friday.
To hear the artist tell it, that was always the plan. "I told Dre when we were maybe about 80 percent into the Oxnard record that I wanted to actually do two records and he started scratching his head. ...I was like, 'Let me do two, man. One will be gritty, one will be pretty,'" .Paak told HipHopDX. It's clear that both albums were compiled from the same sessions, but they are distinct. While Anderson .Paak's last project emphasized the Michael Bay-sized hip-hop beats that Dr. Dre perfected at the turn of the millennium, Ventura has a more soulful sound. It doesn't slap, it grooves.
As the cover portrait of the artist with his child suggests, Ventura is an intimate record. He's focused on sex and love in the long term, the ups and downs of relationships years after the introductory one night stands other pop stars sing about. His blunt-burnt yet sweet voice conjures a charming scoundrel character on record, a dad celebrating Friday night with a popped collar and glass overflowing with dark liquor. It's a compelling persona .Paak previously exaggerated to cartoonish proportions on Yes Lawd!
Here, his pen shines on the small moments that hint at big feelings. On "Jet Black," .Paak and his girl are getting physical for the first time in some time, sharing the peak of an unfamiliar high. "It's been a while, baby, come here," .Paak beckons. The house beat burbles with slap bass and descending organ as Brandy sings "Feels like someone lifted me."
.Paak heats up a similarly chilled relationship on the luxuriant "Make It Better." "Meet me at the hotel motel, though we got a room at home, go to a place that we don't know so well," he murmurs. Over a laidback thump, .Paak tries to reignite passion in order to save his relationship. His voice desperately yelps on the chorus as the pressure he feels to reconnect emerges, but it quickly subsides into sweet nothings. Smokey Robinson's backing vocals float in like he's playing on a radio outside the lovers' motel room. They're buried low enough in the mix to suggest that if you're cool enough to get a feature from a quiet storm legend, you're cool enough not to rub it in.
Ventura's precursor was stocked with verses from luminaries like Snoop Dogg, Q-Tip, and Kendrick Lamar, but Ventura's only guest rapper, Andre 3000, appears on the first track, "Come Home." It's a rough start. The song opens with a piano melody that loops but never resolves, creating an anxiety similar to an iPhone alarm clock tone. .Paak begs for someone to come home, but it's unconvincing, like he doesn't yet understand why they left in the first place.
While Smokey's feature is masterfully underplayed, Andre 3000's verse gets a garish spotlight. Since Idlewild, 3 Stacks has made a habit of releasing guest verses on occasion in lieu of making an album of his own. When he's on, he's one of the best rappers alive, but "Come Home" is a rare misstep. The Outkast rapper fills entire bars with syllables about asking for forgiveness on a moped with a puppy, but it doesn't feel charismatic. Fitting Willy Wonka, Tilikum, and Billabong into the same verse is admirable in a technical sense, but it feels like Andre's "Rap God" technique for its own sake.
The album finishes much stronger. The last track "What Can We Do?" is built around a chiming sitar, and it savors contentment like a West Coast "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay." .Paak duets with Nate Dogg on the hook, using recordings made before the legend's untimely death in 2011. The deceased vocalist was a key G-funk ingredient, but his voice sits comfortably in a sunnier sound. It's a credit to .Paak that the faux studio banter that closes the song feels natural.
The other features are similarly complementary to .Paak. Lalah Hathaway coos in unison with him on the disco half of "Reachin' 2 Much." Jazmine Sullivan plays the other woman, forced to climb in through the fire escape to retrieve her rings and "Good Heels" the morning after. Only Sonyae Elise spars with her host, offering a righteous rebuttal to his demands for the women in his life and sarcastically suggesting that he might be the "Chosen One."
.Paak name drops to a few key inspirations in his lyrics as well. Later in "Chosen One," he raps, "Heard your fans want to keep you in the underground, cool, when I blow up say I did it for MF DOOM," a reminder of his pre-fame time in LA's crate digging underground scenes. He contemplates leaving a relationship on "Reachin' 2 Much" and all he can offer is "I'll see you next lifetime, baby, what did Badu say?"
Like Erykah Badu's New Amerykah diptych a decade ago, .Paak's lyrics about current events are enough to provoke reflection without detracting from the physical pull of the grooves. He nimbly raps "Chicken wings and sushi, I've gotten used to the perks, narrowly escaping the holy war on the turf" on "Yada Yada." Lead single "King James" praises people with public platforms for refusing to go along with a murderous status quo, promising to jump over any wall and bring the neighbors with. In the midst of his "Winners Circle" flirtation, .Paak raps "When I get the gushy, I go dumb like the President." It's not a jaw-dropping lyric, but it's comforting to know that a bar that direct will be performed in arenas across America this summer.
Anderson .Paak's talent is unquestionable and his spotlight is well-deserved, especially knowing he's endured homelessness and familial legal trouble on his come-up. To his credit, he appears to be striving towards a magnum opus, a landmark album that becomes a household name like The Chronic or Midnight Marauders. Despite his strong catalog plus a plethora of excellent features, .Paak has yet to deliver that opus. (Yes Lawd!'s destiny as a cult classic aside.) Ventura is a fun, pleasant listen, and an improvement on the bombast of Oxnard. Like most double albums, one gets the feeling that there's a great forty minute playlist waiting to be assembled from their best tracks.
Ventura ultimately doesn't quite match the highs of his earlier albums, but it's a leisurely stroll in the right direction. Nearly a decade into his recording career, it's proof that .Paak can always find his way to the next beach.


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Students step in to help heal principal's broken heart after act of vandalism
The students at Bonner Springs Elementary are raising money to restore HOLA - Hunter's Outdoor Learning Area
The students at Bonner Springs Elementary are raising money to restore HOLA - Hunter's Outdoor Learning Area
The students at Bonner Springs Elementary are raising money to restore HOLA - Hunter's Outdoor Learning Area
An outdoor learning area near Kansas City was vandalized last month – and it's about to get a makeover, thanks to local children who know the meaning of the park.
The children at Bonner Springs Elementary School in Missouri are working to restore HOLA.
HOLA stands for Hunter's Outdoor Learning Area. It's named after the principal's first grandchild Hunter.
When vandals tried to destroy it last month – everyone at Bonner Springs Elementary took it personally.
"We had signs that were in the ground ripped up and thrown in the stage. The sign fronts were thrown in the creek. The benches were tossed in the creek."
Kim Mitchell was devastated to discover the damage at HOLA. The learning center was named in memory of her grandson Hunter. Born premature – he lived just 18 minutes.
"Obviously they didn't take time to read the signs. I wish they would have read Hunter's story and realized what they were doing."
The 18 Minutes Amphitheater – in memory of Hunter's 18 minutes of life. It teaches students that in 18 minutes – you can change the world.
That stage is used for presentations, learning, live bands, and even a recent wedding.
Whether students are doing assignments or practicing team building- this place is special. So they're raising money to make repairs.
"Mrs. Mitchell is kinda' like family to me because she kinda' lives right next to me," said student Kalen Streit. "So Hunter kind of meant a lot to me. So I wanted to get it fixed up right away."
Another student hated the way the act of vandalism made her principal feel.
"I think she was feeling sad because it was her grandson," said Alanna Pier.
And that means so much to Mrs. Mitchell.
"Children are sometimes the most sensitive and caring people. And they knew how hard it was not only on me, but the P.E. teacher, and all of my staff who have put their heart and soul into this.
The students at Bonner Springs Elementary have already raised $1,500 to help repair the vandalism.
Other groups are coming forward wanting to help.


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Taking both part 1 and part 2 will prepare you to perform well on all three question types on the LSAT: reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and analytical reasoning. We recommend that you practice on actual LSAT exams, which can be purchased from Law School Admission Council at www.lsac.org. You will also learn proven test-taking techniques. LSAT Preparation - Part 1 provides an overview of law school entrance procedures, a career in law and law school survival techniques. You will also participate in an intensive review of analytical reasoning questions, including techniques for drafting the three most helpful types of diagrams, and explanations for and interpretations of correct answer choices. You will also learn the outline format that law school admissions counselors favor for preparing the writing sample.
Benjamin N. Gialloreto graduated from Drexel University (BS, Computer Science) and Loyola (New Orleans) School of Law. He has been practicing law since 1990 and is a former Deputy City Solicitor for the City of Philadelphia Major Trials and Civil Rights Units. He is currently Independent Counsel to the School Reform Commission in the Philadelphia School District and is a partner in the Philadelphia-based law firm Gallagher & Rowan, P.C.
Professor Gialloreto has been proctoring this LSAT preparation course since 1999. He also teaches online Paralegal Certificate courses for the Center for Legal Studies in Golden, Colorado. He conducted Civil Rights Seminars at the Philadelphia Police Academy and Philadelphia Prison Academy as part of recruit training and annual education for Police and Prison Supervisors. Finally, Professor Gialloreto proctors our test prep course for the GMAT, SAT, and ACT, and has assisted with the GRE test prep courses.
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Singapore → To Kuala Lumpur May 1, 2019
Departure: Wednesday, May 1, 2019 23:30 from SIN Singapore Airport
Arival: Thursday, May 2, 2019 00:30 to KUL Kuala Lumpur Airport
Duration: 1h
Class: Economy
Facilities and services: Aircon, Steward, WC
Luggage: Some airlines might have carry-on luggage only included in the price. For more information press *Book now*. You can add extra luggage during the booking process.
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Cancellation: No refunds, no cancelation
- Please be aware that you ought to come to airport:
- 2 hours before domestic flights to complete checking procedures.
- 3 hours before international flights to complete checking procedures.
- If you travel inside your domestic region you must have valid ID or passport to complete checking procedures.
- If your travel is international you may need valid visa to complete checking procedures.
- Please see visa rules between countries that you are going to travel.
- The fees for infants between 9 days old to under the age of 24 months are provided in the Fee Schedule
- You may take on board any two items: cabin bag (56cm X 36cm X 23cm, 7kg), a laptop bag, a handbag.
- For Domestic flights
- You need to present at check-in your Identification Card (for Thai, Malaysian) or passport.
- Checked baggage has to be arranged directly with the airline in advance. No luggage included in the ticket. Each checked baggage must not exceed: (81cm X 119cm X 119cm, 40kg), no baggage allowance for infants, baggage fees provided on booking form.
- International flights
- You need to present at check-in valid passport with at least 6 months' validity and the applicable valid visas. Such passengers shall posses a return on an onward journey ticket.
- Each checked baggage must not exceed: (81cm X 119cm X 119cm, 40kg), no baggage allowance for infants, baggage fees provided on booking form.
- Flight time may be changed by operator, you will be notified via SMS if it happen.
Cancelation policy: Singapore Airport - Kuala Lumpur Airport
No refunds.


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Dr. Buckingham » Online Reviews
Buckingham Center for Facial Plastic Surgery
Edward D. Buckingham, M.D.
Dear Dr. Buckingham,
What a wonderful surprise to see a box of flowers at our front door when we returned from Austin yesterday. The coral roses are gorgeous and smell wonderful! Would like to express my appreciation to you and your staff for making me feel very