text: doug im using boinc projects on this q9550 quad core. also i just noticed that the seti at home project is using cuda which seems to be amazingly fast. takes about 26 min or less to cruch a 105mb dataset. now one issue im running into is heating issue. running these projects really causing gpu as well as cpu temps to jump across all 4 cores of the cpu. they are on the rather hot side for this processor which is a q9550 which should run between 50-70C. i need to go find a better heat sink and get some arctic silver 5. im running this on vista and im able to still use the pc while these projects are running. does anyone have an i7 rig running any boinc projects on linux or windows? On Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 2:31 PM, Douglas Eadline <deadline at eadline.org>wrote: > > This is an interesting question. As multi-core become more > pervasive this will beg the bigger question. What is cluster? > Recall, there is a design called a "constellation" where the > number of cores on the nodes is greater than the number of nodes. > Therefore if you have four 8-core nodes (32 cores total) > connected with IB, you have a "constellation cluster". > The "parallelism" may be more in the nodes, than between > the nodes. > > In any case, you have a pile of cores how do you program > them? Fortunately MPI will work on multi-core and across nodes. > For the most part, OpenMP and threads only work on single > motherboards. I investigated this idea (MPI vs OpenMP on > a single multi-core node) and wrote up my results here: > > http://www.linux-mag.com/id/4608 > > Of course, there is a need for more testing > with different compilers and hardware platforms, > but it is clear, MPI on multi-core SMP is not > necessarily a bad idea, in some cases it is a good > idea. There are some who may argue this, but data points > are really the only thing worth discussing. > > I'll have some new hardware in May and I plan on > re-running the tests mentioned in the article. > > -- > Doug > > > is it possible to have a single multicored machine as a cluster? > > > > -- > > Jonathan Aquilina > > > > -- > > This message has been scanned for viruses and > > dangerous content by MailScanner, and is > > believed to be clean. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Beowulf mailing list, Beowulf at beowulf.org sponsored by Penguin Computing > > To change your subscription (digest mode or unsubscribe) visit > > http://www.beowulf.org/mailman/listinfo/beowulf > > > > > -- > Doug > > -- > This message has been scanned for viruses and > dangerous content by MailScanner, and is > believed to be clean. > > -- Jonathan Aquilina -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://www.beowulf.org/pipermail/beowulf/attachments/20090422/605a6b95/attachment.html>


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As every legislative craftsman knows, the trick in giving your bill a name is, first, come up with a title that yields a catchy acronym. Second, make sure the title doesn't explain what the bill does.
Hence, the Inform Act.
The name certainly is alluring. It sounds like a measure to make government more transparent to its citizens, which is exactly what its promoters say it is. But it may be more accurate to think of it as the Misinform or even Disinform Act.
You may be hearing a lot about the Inform Act in a few weeks. Its creators have been gathering signatures from prominent economists — 14 Nobel laureates! — and current and former government officials in preparation for taking out a full-page ad in the New York Times pushing its enactment. So you might want to know a little about it before the publicity train starts rolling.
Inform stands for the Intergenerational Financial Obligations Reform Act. Introduced by a Republican and Democrat in both houses of Congress, it's the brainchild of Laurence Kotlikoff, a Boston University economist who's respected as an expert on long-term fiscal issues but rather more controversial when it comes to his dabbling in policy prescriptions.
For years Kotlikoff has been pushing the notion of "generational theft" — that for the entire postwar period the United States has engaged in a "massive redistribution from the young to the old." This has been done mostly through Social Security and Medicare, which he reckons have made seniors richer and everyone else poorer or at least more debt-ridden. Preferential capital gains tax rates and other breaks have done their part, he says.
Kotlikoff says the remedy is "generational accounting," which compares spending today with a calculation of the tax burden it places on tomorrow's taxpayers.
If it's passed, the Inform Act would require three federal agencies — the Congressional Budget Office, the White House Office of Management and Budget and the Government Accountability Office — to gin up an annual generational account for the government as a whole and provide a generational accounting for proposed legislation whenever Congress asks.
Kotlikoff maintains that generational accounting is far superior to conventional deficit accounting when it comes to government spending. He says that it would show accurately that future generations have been bequeathed an insupportable tax burden already.
"This may be the most important fiscal bill of the postwar period," Kotlikoff says. That should give you an idea of the level of rhetoric that will be swirling around this measure.
Critics observe that simply balancing today's spending against tomorrow's tax payments leaves a lot out of the calculation of what government does.
For starters, generational accounting doesn't make a distinction between spending and investment. An appropriation to send a congressional committee on a junket to the Bahamas carries the same weight as building a schoolhouse or a bridge.
That's a real flaw. The government's decision in the 1950s to spend billions to create the interstate highway system shows up in generational accounts as a huge burden on post-1950s taxpayers. That's you and me. But we're obviously reaping economic benefits from that decision, as will our children and grandchildren.
The same goes for education, which obviously packs a lot of value for its youthful recipients, who are also the taxpayers of the future.
Kotlikoff responds that the gains from such investments will show up as an expansion of future tax revenues, narrowing the generational fiscal gap. The problem is that lots of government spending can't be analyzed on a cost-benefit basis. What's the value to tomorrow's generations of staving off a military attack today? Or opening a new national park? What's the social value tomorrow of a cancer cure discovered by a scientist educated at public expense today?
Kotlikoff's view of Social Security and Medicare, which is that they're devices for the old to rip off the young, is especially faulty. Middle- and high-income wage-earners are paying their own way in Social Security, as C. Eugene Steuerle of the Urban Institute has shown. According to his figures, a two-income couple who earned an average wage and retired in 2011 had paid an average $598,000 in Social Security taxes (adjusted for inflation) and will collect an average $556,000 in benefits. Sounds like they're redistributing their income to the young, not the other way around. Low-earning workers do much better, but that's a redistribution from rich to poor, not young to old.
Medicare's different. Because its costs are driven by overall healthcare spending costs, most seniors collect more in benefits than they paid in Medicare taxes. But that illustrates another flaw in generational accounting: It doesn't tell us anything new.
Kotlikoff says his accounting method tells us that "if we let healthcare spending grow by leaps and bounds, Medicare will go broke and we'll have a fiasco." But who didn't know that, based on plain old government budgeting? After all, one rationale for the Affordable Care Act is to bring down exactly such spending.
The virtue of the Inform Act, Kotlikoff maintains, is that it's politically neutral.
"There's no agenda here," he says. "It's not a Tea Party agenda or a left-wing agenda for less spending or more spending. It's about truth in government operations — it's a be-honest-with-our-kids act."
That's disingenuous. For one thing, among the Inform Act's champions is an organization called The Can Kicks Back. The group bills itself as a grass-roots anti-deficit lobby for today's younger generations but actually has links to hedge fund billionaire Peter G. Peterson, whose hostility to Social Security and Medicare is a byword.
Furthermore, any time you weigh debt-financed spending today, the cost of which is known, against benefits in the distant future, which are always conjectural, you can make the spending look like a pure burden on your kids and grandkids.
The abstract numbers that come out of Inform Act analysis would become a distraction from the hard work of making policy for a murky future because they would make the future seem unmurky.
To a great extent, government exists to craft policies and programs that don't lend themselves to cost-benefit analysis, whether in the present world or over the coming decades. That's what gave us the interstate highway system, the Internet and public education. The Inform Act would foster the impression that those things make no economic sense. But we know they do; it's the Inform Act that makes no sense.
Michael Hiltzik's column appears Sundays and Wednesdays. Reach him at firstname.lastname@example.com, read past columns at latimes.com/hiltzik, check out facebook.com/hiltzik and follow @hiltzikm on Twitter.
MORE FROM MICHAEL HILTZIK Inform Act won't live up to its name Healthcare reform heats up drugstore battle Economist Laurence Kotlikoff defends 'Inform Act' -- or does he?
Inform Act won't live up to its name
Healthcare reform heats up drugstore battle
Economist Laurence Kotlikoff defends 'Inform Act' -- or does he?


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Conventional wisdom among the Very Serious People in Washington DC has long maintained that the severely punitive nature of current policies governing America's public schools cannot be called an "attack" on those institutions or the teachers who inhabit them.
We're told that the myriad prescriptions known as "education reform" — which includes, among other things, restricting teachers' collective bargaining, narrowing the curriculum, enforcing high-stakes standardized testing, and rolling out "choice" programs and charter schools to compete with local schools — are a "consensus" of what's needed to "fix" education. And anyone who opposes these measures is merely an obstructionist."
Well, now we know we can throw conventional wisdom out the window.
Welcome Back To The Edu-War
Recent pronouncements about education policy from Beltway insiders in many ways represent a return to partisan trenches similar to what characterizes the divide on other significant issues of governance.
And really, that's a good thing. But what's yet to be determined is if Democrats can find their way to the frontlines of the conflict.
Republican Bulwarks Are Obvious
The position that Republicans hold in the "education wars" is completely clear. Leadership in the Republican controlled US House has rejected bipartisanship as a goal of new legislative efforts. These conservatives aim to significantly diminish the federal government's role in education and allow states to de-fund education without penalty, drop requirements for hiring quality teachers, and redirect money meant for educating poor kids to whatever they deem to be a worthier cause.
Republican presidential candidates, whether active or "suspended," have also expressed strong antipathy for the federal government's role in education, with some going so far as to call for abolishing the US Department of Education.
And Republican governors have led the charge in many states to enact drastic cuts to education and re-direct millions of dollars meant for schools to private entities such as consulting groups, charter and private schools, online learning ventures, and for-profit education management organizations.
Does Obama's Budget Signal A Battle Plan?
Whereas the Republican battle line is clearly marked and fortified, the Democratic party's position so far resembles a skirmish line at best.
Some positive reinforcements arrived this week in the form of President Obama's new budget which gave education a "marquee spot" in the federal government's new outlays for 2013.
Among the highlights reported by Education Week (link provided above):
• $30 billion to prevent teacher layoffs, including $5 billion dedicated to a competition aimed at bolstering teacher-quality initiatives.
• $30 billion to revamp school facilities nationwide.
• A $300 million increase to the president's signature Race to the Top competition.
• $8 billion in new money for a Community College Career Fund, which would be jointly administered by the Education Department and the U.S. Department of Labor. The administration is also seeking to retool the $1.1 billion Career and Technical Education program to better align the program with current career demands.
These and other proposed outlays struck those in the mainstream media as "responsible." Better yet, many in the progressive blogosphere hailed the budget proposal as a political statement that draws a strong contrast to conservative austerity policies that are ruining education and diminishing the future wellbeing of children.
But let's be clear. Although Obama can now be credited with hitting the "right political notes," according to Jeff Madrick of the progressive Roosevelt Institute, it by no means is adequate to the matter at hand.
David Griffth of the nonpartisan education group ASCD sobers our enthusiasm and explains why the president's proposal is really a "bleak budget request:"
The real number to focus on is the $1.72 billion (+2.5 percent) increase in discretionary spending for the Department of Education, most of which, unfortunately from the K–12 perspective, is for a new $1 billion college affordability competition (higher education's version of the Race to the Top program).
The mainstays of federal K–12 funding—Title I, IDEA, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, English Language Acquisition grants, TRIO, Gear Up, and career and technical education—are all funded at last year's levels.
Even worse, the FY13 request again proposes to consolidate separate grant programs for Teaching American History, economic education, Arts in Education, and civics into a single pot for which the various subject disciplines would compete against one another.
But if the president is at least now getting the politics right, why do so many other Democrats continue to get it so wrong?
Most Democrats Still AWOL
According to a report from The Hill, many "red state Democrats" in the House and the Senate are expressing disappointment that the president's budget has "fallen short of what was necessary to rein in federal debt."
Apparently these politicians were driven comatose by the now-mostly-forgotten media frenzy about the federal deficit and slept through the Occupy movement that made such a powerful course-correction to the national dialog. And now they've awoken to the new imperatives of the 99% and are at a loss as to say anything other than old talking points about the need for austerity.
More specific to education policy, Obama's new-found populist message is also being blunted by his Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. In an address given at Harvard Graduate School of Education just prior to the unveiling of the budget, Duncan proclaimed that "too many" who disagree with his education policies are "fighting the wrong battles." Then he proceeded to demonstrate why he himself is the one who is caught-up in the rear guard.
For instance, Duncan accused those who are against the punitive use of high-stakes standardized tests for firing teachers and closing schools of wanting to "abandon the use of standardized testing" — a position that almost no one engaged in the debate holds.
Similarly, he spent much of the speech emphasizing that there are examples of teachers and schools that "can dramatically narrow achievement and attainment gaps" — again, a point that virtually no one would contest.
As he dismissed his detractors for "defending the status quo" that "hurts children," he completely neglected to identify the real perpetrators of harm to children and what form it may be taking. For instance, he praised "courageous state leaders" for falling in line with policies that reward them with federal grant money even while it is many of these very same state leaders who have enacted huge cuts to public education that really do "hurt children."
Like many Democrats connected to education policy, Duncan sees the "education battles" being fought generally inside the Beltway, where empty phrases like "tough-minded collaboration" are conveyed as if they have real and profound meaning.
The real frontlines in the education war are elsewhere. And it is Duncan's critics — who he derides for "maintaining ideological purity and making false choices" — who can show him the way there.
Desperate Times In Cleveland
Writing in her blogspot at Education Week, Diane Ravitch takes us to a place where the real education wars are being fought: Cleveland, Ohio.
Amidst a landscape of "blocks of boarded-up apartment houses and sealed homes, as well as empty lots where vacant houses had been demolished," Ravitch described how political leaders — from Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson to Governor John Kasich — have turned a blind eye to the ravages of poverty while ramping up charter school initiatives and voucher programs that divert public funds from schools.
Instead of "thinking about those children," Ravitch explains, political leaders in Ohio are focusing mostly on "how to cut costs" and siphon money away from public schools and teachers. She notes:
The average public school teacher in Cleveland is paid about $66,000, while the average charter school teacher in that city receives about $33,000 a year. That's a big cost saving for the city and state. Most charters are non-union, and teachers have no job protections or employment rights. It appears that charters have a business plan in which they keep costs low by teacher turnover, low levels of experience, and low salaries.
At the same time state and civic leaders in Ohio slash teacher wages, they
keep hiring private firms to run schools. The private firms will fire those expensive teachers who earn a living wage and hire newcomers willing to work long hours for $30,000 a year. Some of the private firms will replace teachers with virtual academies, so those expensive buildings can be shuttered while children sit at a computer, with one teacher monitoring 50-100 or more screens. The "teachers" may not be certified, may be hourly workers with no benefits, may turn over with frequency. All that cuts costs, too.
What is the benefit of all this cost-cutting, charter schools, and privatization to students? Not much.
As in other states, charters in Ohio get no better academic results on average than regular public schools. There are more charters at the bottom in the state's academic rating ("academic emergency" or "academic watch"), but not much difference in the middle or at the top. A study in 2009 by CREDO of Stanford found that "new charter school students have an initial loss of learning in both reading and math compared to their counterparts in traditional public schools. In subsequent years, charter school students receive no significant benefit in reading from charter school attendance compared to their counterparts in traditional public schools. However, charter school students continue significant losses of learning in math after the first year of attendance."
Time To Man The Ramparts
To insist that Democratic leaders at the national level can't really do anything about the travesties rolling out in Ohio and other states is to deny the reality that federal education policies have already had a huge influence on how Ohio and other states have governed schools.
Of course, there's little prospect that President Obama's budget will get passed. But at least the message is heading in the right direction toward the battle lines.
America's schools don't have an accountability problem. They have a leadership problem. Using federal funds and leverage to change the bad behavior of local and state leaders is a cause worth fighting for. And those opposed to it are the people Democrats need to fight against.
That's what a Democrat who really is "tough-minded" should say.
[Author disclosure: ASCD is a client of mine.]
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/jeffbcdm


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Texas Tech is investigating a possible NCAA violation and may now face sanction from the association after former student and NFL player Wes Welker tweeted a potential recruit.
Welker contacted Nick Kurtz, a wide receiver from Grossmont College in El Cajon, California while the former was on an official visit to Brigham Young University attempting to persuade him not to join the college.
"Name me the last WR in the league from BYU? Think big picture. I will give you 50 more reasons why they would be a bad move," Welker tweeted.
Welker then posted Kurtz an article written in 2010 from Deseret News under the headline "Collie is BYU's first wide receiver to make a big impact in the NFL" in an apparent bid to convince the youngster not to commit to BYU.
NCAA regulations prevent 'boosters' - a category Welker falls under - from encouraging the participation of a prospect in the athletics of a specific university, which has led Texas Tech to begin an investigation.
"The NCAA prohibits that type of communication involving boosters and former student-athletes, and [the compliance office] are in the process of investigation," Tech spokesman Blayne Beal told Bleacher Report.
"I can't comment specifically on what they're doing.
"I can just tell you that there is a process under way."
Kurtz, who stands at 6ft6in and weighs 205 pounds is ranked as the No.30 junior college recruit in the nation by 247sports.com, with Tech one of several schools already to have offered him a scholarship.
Welker, meanwhile, signed as an undrafted free agent for the San Diego Chargers after leaving Tech in 2004, before moving onto the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots.
The 32-year-old wide receiver signed a contract with the Denver Broncos in 2013.


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The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence…at least that is what everyone says. I must admit, I have been guilty of this too, more often than I am willing to say. You only have to peek into my Twitter feed* to see me trying to make deals with the Western world to "send me some snow" in exchange for the sunshine I am so blessed with, but which can also be unrelentingly scorching.
So I have decided to stop and appreciate what is naturally mine on this little group of islands: brilliant beaches, gorgeous sunny days, fabulous produce, the luxury of tank tops and flip-flops all year round. As if reading my good-intentioned thoughts, today arrived charmingly sunny yet breezy – all sun-kissed blue sky and the gentle caress of the wind. The weather dreams are made of.
To celebrate the advent of sunny days (chasing the clouds away) I am posting another local salad. I've mentioned before, I love my native Filipino salads and I hope to share some here. They are uncomplicated and fresh, with piquant personalities…and they go perfectly with our weather!
Ensaladang Lato (Seaweed Salad)
- 250 grams lato (seaweed)
- 2 native tomatoes, seeds removed and sliced into thin wedges
- 5 small/young native onions (like shallots), peeled and sliced thinly
– Clean your lato very gently so as not to pop the bulbs.
– Arrange on a plate with tomatoes and onions.
– Serve with dressing (see below) on the side.
A note on the dressing: The choices for dressing this salad are relatively simple. You can choose to have it with just some vinegar or soy sauce or a combination of both. Some Filipino cookbooks prescribe a vinaigrette of olive oil, vinegar, pepper, and salt. We like a mix of vinegar with just a smidgen of soy sauce and freshly cracked black pepper. Easy on the salt because the lato is already naturally salty. What's important is to have the dressing on the side as the vinegar will make the lato mushy. You can either dress your salad right before you eat it, or even better, dip the lato directly into the dressing as you eat.
Lato is a bright green seaweed, consisting of little bulbs, that I was introduced to by C's family in Zamboanga. According to his godmother, it cannot grow in water that is not clean, so you know that where lato grows, the sea is clean. When I visited, I ate it straight out of the sea! What makes it delicious is the combination of the feel of the bulbs popping in your mouth, and the salty liquid they release when they do.
This is another great example of a Filipino salad – simple elements combined with minimal fuss, letting the delicious flavors shine through. Not only is it fitting for this weather, it gets on famously with summer food like grilled fish.
So now I sit at my desk with the windows open, relishing the breeze and the good food that I plan to make with the coming summer's bounty, happy in the belief that, at this moment at least, the grass in greener right here.
*Speaking of Twitter: I've been on it for some time now but I realize I haven't formally shared this fact over here (although I do have my Twitter feed on my right sidebar…yup, right over there). Aside from whiny weather complaints (which I'm trying to balance now with being thankful I never have to freeze my tush off), I also share a lot of my meals, ingredients, and ideas there. Let's face it, what makes it on the blog are, more often than not, dishes that already have some semblance of a recipe. This leaves a lot out – throw-together meals, experimental dishes, new ingredients I want to try out, market trips, random ideas. All that, and more, I try to capture in the charming immediacy that is Twitter. And it's not just words (of 140 characters only please!). I use this nifty thing to share images from my everydays as well. Not that either the words or the images are ground-breaking exciting. But they're there…just in case you want to take a peek 🙂


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The 2017 BMW 6-Series includes coupe, convertible and Gran Coupe models, and while they span a wide range of equipment, features and performance, the three body styles all have the same familial look.
640i models are powered by a 3.0L turbocharged inline 6-cylinder engine, making 315 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, while 650i models get a turbocharged 4.4L V8 that produces 445 horsepower. Both offer either a 6-speed manual gearbox or 8-speed Sport Automatic transmission. With either transmission, the 650i coupe can get to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and to an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.
The Alpina B6 Gran Coupe is only available in one body style and is also powered by a V8, this time with two turbos and producing 540 horsepower and 540 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels through BMW's X-drive system and an 8-speed automatic.
M6 models are powered by a similar M Twin Power engine -- a twin-turbo V8 that's the same size as that in the 650i and B6 but developing 560 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. It's also paired with a 7-speed M Double Clutch automated gearbox, as well as an Active M Differential and special wheels, brakes and suspension to suit the stronger performance. A 6-speed manual transmission is also available throughout the M6 lineup as a no-cost option; it offers seamless automatic rev-matching for downshifts in Efficient or Sport modes, while Sport+ mode requires the driver to mind his or her own revs.
The 6-Series models offer a number of innovative chassis technologies that make them handle like smaller vehicles-- responding crisply yet riding smoothly. The standard Dynamic Damper Control works with the double-wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear axle to adapt to different driving surfaces and control body motion, while Active Roll Stabilization further helps keep cornering flat. Integral Active Steering is also on offer, with a steerable rear axle helping make the 6-Series models feel shorter in tight, quick maneuvers.
6-Series coupes follow in the vein of classic grand touring 2+2 luxury models. Sporty bucket seats up front accommodate even very tall drivers in comfort, with good lateral support, too. In back there are two small positions, accented by a trim line that wraps around those and the entire interior. Meanwhile, convertible versions offer a smooth power-operated fabric soft top. As for Gran Coupe models, they're almost sedans, with four doors and about 4.4 inches of additional length overall -- with most of it going to additional rear legroom. BMW calls the Gran Coupe's seating layout "4+1," referring to the four roomy outboard seats with one much smaller middle position in back.
All four models have a driver-oriented cockpit layout inside, with a swept-across style to the instrument panel and a clean look afforded by BMW's iDrive controller system, which wraps in a number of ancillary controls that might otherwise have their own separate buttons. A black-panel instrument cluster is said to combine the traditional sports-car look with modern display technology. BMW's iDrive has its own high-definition 10.2-inch wide screen at the center of the dash, and iDrive is offered in its latest version, 4.2. On the outside, adaptive LED headlamps are standard. There are also LED accent rings for the parking lights, running lamps and directional indicators.
Even base 640i models have rain-sensing wipers, heated side mirrors, Dakota leather upholstery, three-stage heated seats, power front seats with driver memory settings, dynamic cruise control, automatic climate control, Comfort Access keyless entry, a rearview camera system and Park Distance Control. The standard sound system in 640i and 650i models has nine speakers, with HD Radio and auxiliary inputs, while the premium system upgrades the stereo to a Harman/Kardon unit. With the Luxury Seating Package, front ventilated seats are added as well as a so-called "active fatigue reduction system."
Other noteworthy options include a BMW Night Vision system with pedestrian recognition, a Heads-Up Display that projects information onto the windshield, and a Top View camera system with Side View, to help see the area around the vehicle when parking or maneuvering in very tight spaces at low speed. A Driver Assistance Package brings a host of active-safety features, including Automatic High Beams, Lane Departure Warning, Active Blind Spot Detection, the camera system, a Parking Assistant and the HUD feature.
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Srinagar: India's Jammu and Kashmir state plans to fight a global ban on the trade in super-fine shahtoosh wool, which environmentalists say is produced by killing a rare Tibetan antelope. The wool comes from the chiru antelope and shawls made from it fetch many thousands of dollars in the West. International wildlife organizations say five of the animals are shot and skinned to make one shawl, which is so soft that it can be pulled through a wedding ring. Huge demand for the luxurious wool caused numbers of the antelope to plunge in the wild, prompting an international ban in 1979 under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). 'Our finding is that the chiru is not killed for its wool. We will fight against the ban and try to convince the world. There is a need to remove this misconception,' Ghulam Mohiudin Sofi, the state's forest minister, told Reuters. 'If they (environmentalists) provide us with concrete evidence that the antelope is butchered, we will completely stop the shahtoosh trade in Kashmir,' he added but would not say how the state government planned to fight the ban. Nearly 50,000 former shahtoosh weavers - who have lived off the business for generations - have been struggling for survival since India's federal government banned the 600-year-old trade about seven years ago. Environmentalists say chirus are shot and skinned for their hair in remote areas of Tibet and their raw hide is then smuggled to Kashmir to make shahtoosh scarves and shawls that fetch as much as $17,000 in trendy boutiques in London and New York. But traders in shahtoosh - Persian for 'king of wools' - say the antelope sheds its wool naturally by rubbing itself against shrubs and rocks in summer and it is these wisps of shahtoosh that are collected in the remote Himalayan plateau. Officials in Jammu and Kashmir hope a CITES meeting of 166 countries in Bangkok next month will take a fresh look at the international ban on shahtoosh. Animal activists estimate the number of chirus has fallen to only about 75,000 from one million 50 years ago and the number is falling fast because of the underground trade in the wool. A nearly three-meter shawl weighs barely 160 grams (five ounces) and Kashmiri legend has it that French emperor Napoleon presented a shahtoosh shawl to Josephine more than 200 years ago. Activists dismiss the Kashmir government's stance on the trade. 'Even if the animals were shedding such large quantities, it's impossible to follow the antelope in such mountainous terrain and with high velocity winds,' an activist at the New Delhi-based Wildlife Protection Society of India told Reuters. 'To make shahtoosh, you have to kill chirus because that's the only way of collecting their wool. Besides, one animal can only shed about 100 grams of its hair.' Despite the ban, weavers risk spending years in prison or paying a huge fine if caught because they say that's all they know. 'The main market of the shahtoosh shawl is Western countries, but now over 140 nations are signatories to the ban which has resulted in the virtual collapse of the trade,' said 65-year-old Mohammad Subhan, a former shahtoosh dealer.
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Discover the benefits of working with a local bank, where you can talk directly with an experienced banker who has the expertise to provide meaningful advice. Maximize your earnings and find flexible options for managing your personal finances with our checking and savings accounts. Contact us today to begin a conversation.
INTEREST RATES YOU CAN BANK ON. When you have time to invest your money over a longer period and want to avoid market volatility, you will benefit from exploring our fixed-rate Certificates of Deposit. For your peace of mind, our bankers have the expertise to maximize your FDIC insurance coverage. In addition, we offer competitive rates on all our CDs, so all you have to decide is how long to invest your money. View our deposit rates and contact us today to open an account.


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Shopping Cart
Your shopping cart is empty!
Built with heavy-duty, tube steel and a weatherproof, black powder coat finish that resists chipping and corrosion, this small log rack keeps firewood off the ground and helps protect it from rot, termites and insects. It features a heavy-duty tubular construction with a black powder-coated paint finish.


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I know that alot of you are using sprinkler valves actuated with blow guns, and I am wondering if any of you have tried modding the blowgun as seen on this page.
http://www.spudfiles.com/spud_wiki/inde ... dification
I just carried out all 4 steps, supposedly increasing the vent diameter from .1" to .2". I have yet to fire the gun using the modded blowgun, so if any of you have tried it and it works, please do tell.


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12 & 10 Yr Old Boys In Court For Setting Up Dogfights!
"A 12-year-old boy admitted he set up brutal dogfights and killed a dog, but cried in court." - 9 News
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


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Let's look at the hardware:
- Intel Core i3-2328M CPU @ 2.20 GHz (2 core, 4 threads)
- Intel Mobile HM75 Express Chipset
- 4 GB Ram (256MB used by Video)
- HD 3000 Graphics (Intel Sandybridge Mobile Driver)
- 500 GB 5400 rpm HDD
- Integrated Gigabit Ethernet
- 802.11 b/g/n wireless and Bluetooth combo V4.0+HS
- 8x CD/DVD +/- Burner
- 2 x 2W speakers
- 1.0 MP HD Camera w/ digital microphone
- 6-cell Lithium Ion battery
- 65 Watt power adapter
So what does this laptop look like?
Taking a closer look on the left side of the laptop we can see the ethernet , svga, and two USB ports.
On the right side we can see two more USB ports, the CD/DVD Burner, and the audio headset and Microphone in ports.
On the front panel the usual set of LED indicator lights can be found on the lefthand side, while in the centre the SD MMC MS slot is accessible.
Taking apart the case:
|Be careful when unlocking the clips that hold in the keyboard, it's easy to gouge the surrounding plastics.
Things I liked:
Things I didn't like - a couple of setup issues:
The setup of the laptop was for the most part plug and play, however there were a few little setup issues that I had to resolve.
Swap had to be manually enabled.
The basic commands involved to enable swap were:
sudo -s
cd /usr/local
dd if=/dev/zero of=swapfile bs=4G count=1
mkswap -L SWAP swapfile
Then editing /etc/fstab and /etc/rc.local to ensure that the swap space would be used on each boot up.
System Info did not display the graphics driver.
To remedy this execute the following in a terminal session:
sudo apt-get install mesa-utils
Any benchmarks?
This machine wasn't purchased to be a main development rig, or for load testing - it's purpose is to do general build and runtime testing. This being said I ran two simple operations to gain a base level understanding of this system's capabilities for workloads it'll be seeing.
|Building Apache Karaf 2.2.x Branch with Maven 2.2.1 and Java 1.6.0_35 (note: Maven was in off line mode)
|Apache ActiveMQ 5.6.0 KahaDB Disk Benchmark using Java 1.6.0_35.
In my second test I ran the Apache ActiveMQ KahaDB Disk Benchmark test. The laptop's 500 GB 5400 RPM SATA drive stats are about where I'd expect a drive of its class to score.
Overall opinion?
Would I buy another one?
As this system stands, if I had the need for another Linux laptop for general purpose work loads I would order this unit again.
I recently updated the Vostro 2420's hardware and OS installation - read about the process and results here.


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$10.90add to cart
Smart revit objects.
A collection of realistic babies in different positions to add realism to sections and elevations. Native revit object with flip controll for fast adjustment. Colour customizable.
Includes: 10 revit detail items. Compatible: Revit 2011 or newer
You may also be interested in the following products:
Customers who bought this item also bought:


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The Tavern Hotel – Euro Style with ten exquisite guestrooms and a lovely 2 bedroom cottage nestled in the heart of Old Town Cottonwood's dining, shopping and entertainment district in the heart of the Verde Valley, Arizona, this boutique hotel has only deluxe accommodations. Chic elegance merges with historic character to create an unforgettable travel experience. You are greeted with a complimentary cocktail upon check in - our Front Desk is located next door at the bar inside The Tavern Grille.
Stroll Main Street to shop, dine, visit Wine Tasting Rooms, and wake up to enjoy complimentary Continental Breakfast across the street in a local café. You can even take an early morning walk along the Verde River on the Jail Trail that starts just down the street.
The Tavern Hotel is located two hours north of Phoenix and just minutes from the beautiful red rock formations of Sedona to the east and Jerome to the west. The hotel was originally built in 1925 as a grocery store, renovations to the hotel were completed in 2011 with the goal of exceeding all travelers' expectations. Book your stay today and enjoy a hotel with a distinctive historic flair and a modern personality!


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A package containing extra needed pyramid functionality including helper functions and form validators.
Project description
[![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/bboe/pyramid_addons.png)](https://travis-ci.org/bboe/pyramid_addons)
## Suggested Alternative Packages
I created this package for use in two pyramid projects I was developing simultaneously and the features were needed in both of them. I've since learned about the following packages, and as such I will be removing functionality provided by this package.
### [Pyramid Layout](http://pyramid_layout.readthedocs.org/en/latest/)
Pyramid Layout _should_ completely replace the need for the site_layout decorator that pyramid_addons provides.
### [Colander](http://docs.pylonsproject.org/projects/colander/en/latest/)
Colander is a validation package that should replace the need for the validation module provided by pyramid_addons. While its syntax appears to be a bit different it is an official pyramid package so it _should_ be utilized rather than a less actively developed package.
### Other notes
After discovering that pyramid supports view_configs that handle pyramid's HTTP exceptions, the neccessity for the http_ json response building functions that this package provides are no longer necessary.
## Example Program
See the example directory for a sample Pyramid web application that utilizes this package. The run_example.py script will start the web application, and the example_add_item.py script is used to interface with the simple json API the web application exposes.
Project details
Release history Release notifications
Download files
Download the file for your platform. If you're not sure which to choose, learn more about installing packages.
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India playing against westindies in worldcup T20 2016 semifinal, On other side England beat Newzealand and made to finals. Already in a pressmeet Westindies captain answered for a question "How you will control Kohli?", Sammy replied in a funny way like we don't take the wicket of Indian openers and from there memes and trolls on westindies team and indian openers have started flooding on social media pages. Here is the IndvsWI worldcup t20 semifinal memes and trolls.
In the group stage India met Australia on March 27, 2016 at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium where India won against Australia by 6 wickets. Virat Kohli played one man army knock and won the man of the match by scoring 82*. That was an do or die match and Indian team was not on a great shining note as they won Bangladesh only by 1 run but then Kohli took India to play worldcup semifinal against Westindies, Indian fans were so happy on that occasion and spreaded india vs australia trolls across socialmedia.


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Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach
Stephen G. (Steve) Bach was elected by an overwhelming majority on May 17, 2011. He was one of two top vote getters in the initial municipal election held April 5, 2011. The City Charter was revised to change the municipal government from a City Manager-Council form of government to Mayor-Council in the November 2, 2010 election. Bach's term will end in 2015.
Bach brings a 45-year track record of consistent achievement in Colorado Springs. His experience most recently includes 27 years as a commercial real estate broker, specializing in representing operating companies, nonprofit organizations and privately held properties.
Bach served in the United States Army artillery from 1964 to 1966, including service at Fort Carson, CO. He was honorably discharged and awarded the Army Commendation medal.
He received a B.S. degree with highest honors in Business Administration and Marketing from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in 1968.
Subscribe to Mayor Bach's newsfeed and visit his website at BachsOffice.com
Email Mayor Bach at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Every second person today has a iowatreasurers vehicle tags. The number of vehicles in the world is so high that in some large cities, people spend a third of their lives in a vehicle while in traffic jams.
Types of vehicles and iowatreasurers vehicle tags.
We offer you our version of unusual categories of vehicles. This is an informal distribution and this is what it looks like:
You can call your vehicle – Vehicle – if you only use it to move from point A to point B.
If you use your vehicle squeezing all the resources out of it, using it from morning to evening and at night, constantly overloading it, then your vehicle can be called the Workhorse.
If you pay a lot of attention to your vehicle: blow off dust particles from it, rub it with silicone and provide other signs of attention. Spend more time on it than on your wife, then your vehicle can be called – Second wife. And someone gives so much time that his vehicle becomes not the second, but the first wife)
If your vehicle is more in the hangar and has a high value, then this vehicle can be called Luxury or Rarity.
What category does your vehicle belong to?
How does iowatreasurers vehicle tags relate to the proposed distribution?
Buying and selling and iowatreasurers vehicle tags.
Vehicle owners have two happy days in their lives: the first happy day — when they bought the vehicle, the second happy day — when they sold the vehicle. How do you think the iowatreasurers vehicle tags is going to have a happy day?
Service and iowatreasurers vehicle tags.
For a vehicle to serve you long and reliably, it requires careful self-care:
Follow all requirements of the manufacturer. Requirements are set out in the instructions attached to the vehicle. Use only licensed services.
The vehicle sometimes requires minor repairs, which you can do yourself or contact a reliable mechanic. If you do not want to be disappointed in the repair, then look for a mechanic for good reviews.
Pay attention to the cleanliness of your vehicle. Wash it inside and out. And then you will be pleased to transport both yourself and your passengers.


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AUBURN, AL (WBRC) - Auburn's new mens basketball coach Bruce Pearl arrived on campus Tuesday to greet fans.
Auburn Director of Athletics Jay Jacobs says Pearl "raises the bar of Auburn basketball" and Pearl made a big early impression. He literally jumped into a group of fans waiting to greet him at the airport.
Pearl has agreed to a six-year contract and he will reportedly earn $2.2 million per year. Pearl said Tuesday night that his first big focus will be on recruiting and coaching.
Pearl has lead three different teams to 18 postseason appearances, including six straight NCAA tournament trips as the Tennesee coach.
"I am excited to welcome Coach Bruce Pearl to the Auburn family," Jacobs said in a press release. "From the moment I met Coach Pearl and heard his vision for our basketball program, it was clear he's the right man at the right time for Auburn."
Below is a transcript of Pearl's comments at the press conference:
WAR EAGLE! That feels so good.
Welcome to the Jungle! This has a chance to be an amazing home court advantage. One of the things I talked to our players about today was to be appreciative. We feel your love, we feel your support and we are going to represent you in a very, very significant way.
Jay talked about raising the bar in men's basketball. Have you seen the contract I signed yet? When you see this number he raised the bar in men's basketball. I'm going to work every day to reward Jay and I appreciate that. I just want to thank Jay and Dr. Gogue for giving me a second chance. I'm grateful, truly humble and blessed to have this opportunity.
It's been a long three years being away for the game, and one of the things that I wanted to tell you as a coach and even as a father is when I made the mistakes that I made at Tennessee, I let a lot of people down. I let my family down, I let my university down and I let down the people that believed in me, so I still walk around in pain. I have found this part of the country to be a part of the country that offers grace. But for the grace of God I would not be standing here today as your next men's basketball coach and I'm truly grateful. We've got a job to do and I think the first thing I want to focus on is the process of getting our men's basketball program to position that the rest of the university enjoys. We want to bring our men's basketball program up to the level that everyone is competing at and that's going to be a great challenge. I can promise you I can't do it alone. These players have told me that they're ready to have the bar raised themselves and they feel your support and together I think we have a chance to represent.
Men's basketball in the SEC has not been what it needs to be lately. The fact that we sent three teams to the NCAA Tournament as a major conference in basketball, something has got to be done. We're fixing to get Auburn into position where we are going to the NCAA Tournament. We are going to play fast, we are going to play press and we are not going to be fun to play against.
This reception is beyond our wildest dreams and expectations. Auburn basketball has great history, tradition and is respected and recognized across the county. We had our moments and had our times. When I saw that Coach Sonny Smith was coming to this press conference I was just grateful. Thank you, Coach Smith I'm honored you are here. I don't know how fast he is and I'm not sure he can shoot like he used to, but the rifle man looks like he can rebound the hell out of the ball right here, thank you Chuck Persons for coming.
Motivation on wanting to take the job…
"I think the thing that gave me confidence to take the job is the success in the athletic program, the commitment that is there, and the support. Being in the SEC one of the things we do is travel the SEC cities and you can't go anywhere without hearing 'War Eagle' or 'Go Tigers' the Auburn Family stays together. As long as you have your family with you, you can do anything. I have to tell you the process with Jay. He had an idea of what he wanted to do and he came after me so hard I'm not sure I want to work for him or hire him to go out and recruit because he came after me hard. He wasn't taking no for an answer and I didn't give him a no at all. We visited on Friday night and he would have liked to have heard and answer from me fairly quickly. I was working for ESPN at the time, I said Jay your going to get an answer from me but I am going to need to go home and see my family and he said 'Ok I will wait for you.' I wasn't home more than five minutes before Brandy and the kids said 'Would you just call him and sign that contract. We are going to Auburn."
Time Table on putting the staff together…
"I think the key, first of all, is putting my arms around these student-athletes because they have gone through a lot. I watched them play this year, they went through a lot. To start the SEC season 0-6 a lot of teams with lesser character, lesser heart, less chemistry would have quit. You all wouldn't let that happen, and I can see why you all wouldn't let that happen. That's what I have to focus on them first and then just take my time."
"First of all I'm going to bring some of my family members into my coaching staff, guys I have been with before guys that understand my system that know what I expect and how I want to prepare. I want to introduce a couple members of my coaching staff. When the SEC suspended me for eight games in my last season, I had to turn the reigns over to my associate head coach. There aren't many guys in the SEC, that are head coaches, that can go 5-3 and that's what Tony Jones did. My other assistant has been by my side since the day he was born. My son, Steven, and I have had a chance to do a lot of things together on and off the court and when you come to a new place like this, It Is so important that you bring your family along with you."
"Steven was a good high school player that had absolutely no business playing in the SEC and all he did was work his butt off and train and I can tell you this you would not want to be guarded by him because you would either not score or he would foul the heck out of you. So one of my assistants will be my son, Steven Pearl. Then what Jay has told me, and what Coach Malzahn understands, is you have to surround ourselves with great people. I can tell you I have 690 text messages right now and the great thing is that we are going to hire at least one or two and I'm going to take my time on that to bring a couple of great assistants in here that can challenge me, and help me do what we are going to try and do."
Key on making a quick turnaround…
"We are not going to put a timetable on what we are going to do. We are going to train and we are going to compete. We will play for championships at Auburn, there is no question in my mind. What has to happen is, it has to be built on a strong foundation. I think the great thing about it is that the challenge I have put forth with our team is that these guys are going to get a chance to make history because these guys are going to get to lay down the foundation of what is going to become a championship basketball program and they have accepted that responsibility."
On interaction with the students and around campus…
"Chances are I am going to keep my clothes on most of the time. I will tell you this you will see me on campus, you will see me in the classrooms. I told Jay that I really enjoy teaching in fact I want to teach an ethics class, he says "coach I'm not sure they are going to let you teach an ethics class. I can make a lot of things happen" but I'm not sure I can make that happen. We are teachers, that is what we are. I was telling the players we are on campus for you so that you can come to this university and this beautiful community and grow and develop and become something special and leave here having enjoyed your time here and become something special. If all Jay wanted me to do was coach the basketball team, which is my priority, then he doesn't have the right person. That was one of the most challenging things about my fall, is that we are going to win at basketball but how we do it that is what we will do."
On if this is his best birthday ever…
"My 32nd wasn't bad. It is pretty special. I think Jay timed it right. I appreciate everyone wishing me a happy birthday. March 18, 2014 will always be a special day. This is a place that honors people and honors tradition and legacy. Honestly, that is what I want to try to do. One of the hardest things, when I was at Tennessee, we were planning on staying there forever. I was planning on building a legacy and I wanted to bring honor and tradition to that program. My goal is to join Sonny Smith and Cliff Ellis and some of the other great coaches here at Auburn and build my legacy here. I want to be the winningest coach in Auburn basketball history."
On how hard the three years off has been…
"Jay can tell you how emotional I can be, because I am really hard on myself for what happened. He saw that passion, and I have a hard time hiding that sometimes. By the way, have you not met my beautiful wife Brandy? So now you know I can recruit, right?"
On what he plans to do with the current roster…
"We are working on that. I think we had a very good visit with the players today. I asked them if they would give me some time to develop a relationship and a trust with them. It is not going to happen right away. I will study how we play and evaluate that talent. Like every year, every year, I will have no preconceived notions about where players will play. Every minute of that playing time will be earned. I am going to go into this with eyes wide open and I told them from the second we leave this meeting how they go to class tomorrow, how they dress on campus, how they are training, they are earning their spots. My job as a coach is to put them in a position to be successful. I want them to go to their strengths and we will figure out their weaknesses and hide them. We will put the pieces together. They have to rely on themselves over any other time. At this time right now they have to come together, because they are a little wounded. We will do what we can to put the pieces together and win right away."
On what allows him to be successful in his first year at a school…
"I think the common theme would be, we don't play like anybody else. We don't run the same offense everyone else runs. We don't play defense like anyone else. Therefore, we are a little unique. Our style of play is different. That perhaps has been the best way to do it. The second thing is, these players will never hear me say when we get our own players. Those are my players right there and I am their coach. We will recruit. We won't bring anybody here that can't play. We are going to build it."
On how he plans to attack the recruiting trail…
"One of the best ways we can continue to operate is by being accountable. I have time left on my show-cause. We will work closely with the NCAA on what that looks like. I have an opportunity now to work on some other things other than out being recruiting. I have other things that I need to be spending all my time on and that is what I plan on doing. We will work through those limitations in order to keep recruiting."
On what attracted him to the job with a 10-year tournament drought…
"Because it just went through its worst 10 years in history. You answered your own question. That is why I came."
Copyright 2014 WBRC. All rights reserved.


text:
1. alone - adjective
· isolated from others; "could be alone in a crowded room"; "was alone with her thoughts"; "I want to be alone"
2. alone - adjective
· lacking companions or companionship; "he was alone when we met him"; "she is alone much of the time"; "the lone skier on the mountain"; "a lonely fisherman stood on a tuft of gravel"; "a lonely soul"; "a solitary traveler"
Synonym(s): lone, lonely, solitary
3. alone - adjective
· exclusive of anyone or anything else; "she alone believed him"; "cannot live by bread alone"; "I'll have this car and this car only"
Synonym(s): only
4. alone - adjective
· radically distinctive and without equal; "he is alone in the field of microbiology"; "this theory is altogether alone in its penetration of the problem"; "Bach was unique in his handling of counterpoint"; "craftsmen whose skill is unequaled"; "unparalleled athletic ability"; "a breakdown of law unparalleled in our history"
Synonym(s): unique, unequaled, unequalled, unparalleled
5. alone - adverb
· without any others being included or involved; "was entirely to blame"; "a school devoted entirely to the needs of problem children"; "he works for Mr. Smith exclusively"; "did it solely for money"; "the burden of proof rests on the prosecution alone"; "a privilege granted only to him"
Synonym(s): entirely, exclusively, solely, only
6. alone - adverb
· without anybody else or anything else; "the child stayed home alone"; "the pillar stood alone, supporting nothing"; "he flew solo"
Synonym(s): solo, unaccompanied
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ORGANIZER: Justin
EVENT DATE: May 02, 2015
Justin Frederick wrote -
The Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity's Delta Rho chapter at Linfield College is hosting it's 1st Annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes men's walk to stop rape, sexual assault, and gender-based violence against women. The event will take place on May 2nd from 2:00-4:00 PM outside Riley Hall at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon.
The men of our fraternity will wear high-heels and walk a mile around Linfield's campus as a way to raise money and increase awareness to prevent sexual assault, domestic violence, and gender violence at Linfield, and throughout the world.
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes was started in 2001 when a small group of men dared to walk around a park in high heels. Since then, it has grown to become a world-wide movement with tens of thousands of men raising millions of dollars for local rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters and other sexualized violence education, prevention and remediation programs. This event is a light-hearted attempt to increase awareness about sexual violence against women.
Men, women, and families from the McMinnville community are encouraged to participate even if not wearing heels. 100% of funds raised will benefit the Henderson House, a domestic violence and sexual assault support services and counseling center in McMinnville, Oregon.
For more information about the international organization, visit http://www.walkamileinhershoes.org


text:
We are so excited to share this guest post by Dr. Shannon Tierney, Breast Oncology Surgeon at the Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle, Washington. We loved her story about how her interest in breastfeeding developed ("How a Surgeon Ended up in the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine") and were motivated by Jamie Thomas' breast cancer story to help more moms (you can help too). We're so grateful for the time Dr. Tierney has taken to share the important – but surprisingly hard-to-find – information below.
In the haze of joy and sleeplessness during the months after childbirth, thoughts about breast cancer are the last thing on a new mother's mind. Her body is undergoing so many changes that, of course, she and her doctors would naturally assume any breast changes are related to breastfeeding.
Probably, they are. However, there is a small but real incidence of women who develop breast cancer during and following pregnancy. Often, they end up having delays in seeking evaluation and getting a diagnosis, because they or their doctors may not appreciate that risk!
So, what things should prompt an evaluation?
- Lumps – most often will be changes in the breast tissue as it revs up milk production. A distinct lump or "dominant mass" could be a clogged duct, galactocele, cyst or a common benign tumor called a fibroadenoma, but if it doesn't resolve within a few weeks with treatment, it needs imaging.
- Redness – most often will represent infections like mastitis or an abscess, but if it doesn't resolve within a few weeks with treatment, it will also need imaging and possibly a biopsy. At the very least, that could determine if the right antibiotics are being used. An uncommon form of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer can present this way.
- Bloody milk or baby refusing one breast – most often will be due to nipple trauma, latch issues, or positioning; if so, seeing a board-certified lactation consultant is appropriate. But rarely, this can represent a form of breast cancer within the milk ducts.
- "Something's not right" – you are the most knowledgeable person about your own breasts. Even if it doesn't neatly fit one of the categories above, if something really seems wrong to you, your doctors should take that seriously.
What evaluation should be done?
- Mammogram CAN be done in a breastfeeding woman. Ideally, it should be done with an experience mammographer who knows the woman is breastfeeding, as the images will be more complex. She should empty her breasts as much as possible right before the mammogram, either by nursing or pumping.
- Ultrasound CAN be done in a breastfeeding woman. Same issues apply. Ultrasound, incidentally, can actually be somewhat useful therapeutically for breaking up a clogged duct.
- MRI CAN be done in a breastfeeding mother, though it is not recommended just for routine screening (as is done in high risk women) because the sensitivity is lowered. Gadolinium, the dye used for MRIs of the breast, barely gets into milk and is not absorbed by the baby's gut, so it is safe – no need to pump and dump.
- Milk cytology can be done, but it's often low-yield. It does have the advantage of being noninvasive, but needs a specialized pathologist and doesn't usually rule out cancer.
- Needle biopsies (fine needle aspiration and core biopsy) CAN be done in a breastfeeding mother. The smallest needle that will get the diagnosis should be used, but the risk of milk fistula, which is chronic milk leakage, is very rare. There is no research on the incidence of milk fistulas with biopsies, but it's rare enough that when it happens it gets written up as case reports! Incisions around the areola should avoid the lower outer border to keep from injuring the
4th intercostal nerve, and radial incisions (or an approach similar to what is done for C-sections, where the skin incision is made to be cosmetic and the inner dissection is done in a radial fashion) are recommended. The breast should be kept well drained with nursing or pumping before and after. Use of a local anesthetic like lidocaine is safe – no need to pump and dump.
- Surgery on the breast CAN be done in a breastfeeding mother. Milk fistula is still a risk, though that risk may not be reduced much by weaning as the breast could continue to make milk for months after weaning. The surgeon should be very careful with her technique – minimizing unnecessary damage to the milk ducts and avoiding the central breast if possible. Radial incisions and avoiding the 4th intercostal nerve (see above) are recommended. The breast should be kept well drained with nursing and pumping before and after. Most types of anesthesia will be out of the milk by the time the patient is awake and alert – at most, pump and dump once.
Breastfeeding has the potential to reduce lifetime cancer risk anywhere between 5-59% but is not a risk-free window. Women who have a concern should not be dismissed just because they are breastfeeding, nor should their health care providers overreact and encourage early weaning in order to get them evaluated.
When we know how to evaluate the "working" breast properly, we can ensure that fewer women experience delays in diagnosis and more women can continue to breastfeed successfully.


text: Diane Jarmolow is the director of the Ballroom Dance Teachers College, offering Ballroom Dance Teacher Training, certification preparation, and business consulting to aspiring and working ballroom dance professionals at all levels. Diane has been teaching Ballroom Dancing since 1978, and has trained hundreds of teachers, including U.S. and international dance champions. She is the founder and former owner/director of the Metronome Ballroom, San Francisco's "Best Place to Learn to Dance." She is a DVIDA National Examiner, and has helped create an original, rigorous, innovative system of professional certification exams which has set a new standard for professional excellence in the industry. A fifteen-time winner of the "Top Teacher" award at national competitions, Ms. Jarmolow is currently an adjudicator for national DanceSport competitions. She is a member of the DVIDA Artistic Advisory Board, a DVIDA National Examiner, and a DVIDA Certifying Expert. Her credentials include a Licentiate Degree in the Ballroom Branch of the United States Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance (USISTD), an Associate Degree in the Latin American Branch of the USISTD, an Associate Degree in the American Branch of the USISTD, and an Associate and Membership Degree in American Style Ballroom and Latin with the United States Terpsichore Association. As an instructor Ms. Jarmolow successfully prepared five-time U.S. Champions Victor Veyrasset and Heather Smith, and U.S. Champion Olga Forapanova for the U.S. Terpsichore examination. She has trained some of the Bay Area's top teachers including US Rising Star Champions and the 2001 US Smooth Finalists David Weise and Valentina, and World Exhibition Champion Tom Slater. Testimonials "We would recommend Diane and her training program to any professional ballroom dancer. Her guidance and support will be tremendously helpful to you and to your career. And she is an absolutely fantastic person." - Heather Smith and Victor Veyrasset, Five Time U.S. Standard Ballroom Champions "We recommend Diane's program in the highest possible terms to anyone who is considering becoming a ballroom dance teacher." - Tony Meredith and Melanie LePatin Three Time Champions of PBS's "Champion Ballroom Dancing" Twelve Time U.S. Representatives to World Latin Championships


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Q&A With Mt. Gox's Karpelès: What Went Wrong?
Mark Karpelès, the head of collapsed bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox, spoke to The Wall Street Journal's Takashi Mochizuki and Eleanor Warnock on Thursday night in his home on the top floor of a 33-story building in Tokyo's Meguro neighborhood. It was his first media interview since a news conference when Mt. Gox filed for bankruptcy in February. Here are some excerpts:
Q: What are you working on lately?
A: While cooperating with a court-appointed trustee on the Mt. Gox case, I try hard to keep my other company, Tibanne, alive.
Q: How many workers do you have now, and what's their feeling?
A: We cut the size to 12 from 30. They are frustrated and worried about what will happen to the company. I'm upset with myself that I couldn't protect my employees.
Q: Any messages to Mt. Gox creditors?
A: All I can say is I am deeply sorry. But I did what I could, and I swear I haven't been doing anything too luxurious. Some people say I still own bitcoins or have a yacht, but that's not true. If they accept me, I would like to attend a weekly meet-up of Tokyo bitcoin users when things settle down and explain what happened in my own words.
Q: Can't you now?
A: The police are investigating the case so I won't be able to say much. But if asked, I'm willing to show any bitcoin entrepreneurs how I did it wrong, so they won't repeat the same mistake.
Q: What were your mistakes?
A: Security. Not just security on the system, but in the office. We had some cases where a stranger sneaked in and took things away. We also have at least one former employee stealing the company's data.
Q: So malleability attacks weren't the only cause of the bitcoin loss?
A: I can't disclose much due to the police investigation, but there were also physical attacks.
Q: What else did you do wrong?
A: Management. I was too busy and couldn't lay out an adequate corporate structure. I wish I had five of me, as I was too busy with meetings with banks, lawyers and business partners. That was all painful, I wish I had more time to do engineer-type of work.
Q: Why didn't you hire experienced professionals?
A: We tried, but we didn't have money and also often they turned us down. A former Financial Services Agency bureaucrat approached us once last year, but he declined our offer at the end.
Q: When did you find out that the bitcoins were gone, and how did you feel about it?
A: A few days before we filed for bankruptcy. And we learned as we checked our storage when repairing the system to deal with malleability attacks. I always worried about 'What if all the bitcoins were gone?' Since that actually happened, I have gone through many sleepless nights. Scared, frustrated and angry—-so many emotions were occupying my mind.
Q: Do you believe Mt. Gox should be liquidated, or taken over by someone?
A: I wish someone would buy the exchange, as that's in the interest of creditors. But any buyers should use their own money to rehabilitate the exchange, not Mt. Gox's.
Q: Do you regret that you purchased Mt. Gox?
A: Half-yes. I learned a lot, but I lost a lot.
Q: What's your view on the future of bitcoin?
A: I believe decentralized currency has the potential to change the world. But bitcoin itself must become much better. Right now, it is so easy to use it for illegal activities, such as money laundering and drug trading.


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Jonas Brothers Megapost!! Tour dates announced!
Hot on the heels of sold-out shows at Radio City Music Hall and the Pantages Theatre, and as they come off a hugely successful Latin American run, the Jonas Brothers will embark on their first North American tour in three years this summer as they hit cities across the U.S. and Canada with what will prove to be an epic concert experience for their fans. The "Jonas Brothers Live Tour" will take the band to more than 25 stops across North America, including Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Toronto. The tour announcement comes on the same day the group debuts its hot new single, "Pom Poms," a new anthem that redefines their sound with an upbeat mix of pop and rock.
Produced by Live Nation, the "Jonas Brothers Live Tour" will kick off in Chicago, Illinois, on Wednesday, July 10, at Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island, and continue through Friday, August 16, in Los Angeles, California at the Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk.
On Tuesday, April 9, beginning at 10am (local time) eligible Team Jonas fan club members in select cities will have the first opportunity to access ticket pre-sales to the summer tour through the Jonas Brothers' web site. Citi® cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Wednesday, April 10 at 10am local time through Citi's Private Pass® Program. For complete presale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com. Tickets for the general public in select cities will be available beginning Saturday, April 13. Check www.jonasbrothers.com for specific cities and times for pre-sales and public on-sales.
"This tour is about re-connecting with our amazing fans, who have waited patiently for three years to hear new music from us," said the Jonas Brothers. "We can't wait to put on an incredible show for everyone!"
The band, which has previously embarked on eight world and regional tours, performing for over four million fans, recently wrapped a 16-city tour through Latin America and won four awards at the prestigious Viña del Mar International Song Festival, including the festival's top award.
The Jonas Brothers have sold a combined 20 million units worldwide, earned over 40 Gold and Platinum record certifications. They have won nearly 50 awards across the globe, including an American Music Award.
Dates, cities and venues for the "Jonas Brothers Live Tour" are below and in the Tour-Events section of jonasbrothers.com.
*All are subject to change.
July 10th Chicago, IL Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island
July 12th Indianapolis, IN Klipsch Music Center
July 13th Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
July 14th Cincinnati, OH PNC Pavilion
July 16th Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center
July 18th Toronto, ON Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
July 19th Darien Lakes, NY Darien Lake PAC
July 20th Wantagh, NY Nikon @ Jones Beach Theatre
July 22nd Boston, MA Bank of America Pavilion
July 23rd Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
July 25th Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
July 26th Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Event Center
July 27th Hershey, PA Mix Tape Festival
July 29th Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live
July 30th Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre Charlotte
July 31st Raleigh, NC Red Hat Amphitheatre
August 2nd West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre
August 3rd Tampa, FL Live Nation Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds
August 4th Atlanta, GA Chastain Park Amphitheatre
August 6th Dallas, TX Gexa Energy Pavilion
August 7th Houston, TX The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
August 9th Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre
August 10th Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay Events Center
August 13th San Francisco, CA America's Cup Pavilion
August 14th San Diego, CA Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl San Diego State University
August 16th Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk
The guys went on Ryan Seacrest's radio show this morning and announced their tour dates, premiered their new single, sang a little Frank Ocean, and Nick talked about his sexy new shirtless movie role and denied rumors he'd been meeting up with Miley:
The Jonas Brothers Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Kevin Jonas stopped by "On Air with Ryan Seacrest" and amongst debuting their new hit single, performing a cover of Frank Ocean's "Thinking About You", and announcing their upcoming tour, Nick also divulged about those recent Miley Cyrus rumors!
After rumors broke that Nick and Miley, who broke up back in 2007, had met up recently for lunch in Toluca Lake, Ca., the fans wondered are these two back on? And Is Miley's engagement to Liam Hemsworth officially in jeopardy?!
Nope! Not according to Nick. So what did happen?
The singer revealed: "I read it online actually and I was like, 'Oh, this is interesting that I met up with her cause I'm at the studio.' I didn't meet up with her but we're friendly we have a good relationship. I'm happy for her and Liam." Laughing, "I think it's one of those things there's a lot of people that look like me I guess in that particular town so maybe they're running around with Miley."
Nick also admitted when rumors start about who he is dating, it's not the most fun. Sharing: "It bothers me…I'm a pretty private person and the things I give away, I give away in music so it's tough."
Listen to the full interview below.
Source 1 Source 2
Trying to decide which shows I'm going to...


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Used Car - 2002 Ford Focus LX in Sunnyvale, Tx
Please Call For Price
About This 2002 Ford Focus LX
Vehicle Location:
Sunnyvale, Tx
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Fuel Economy Estimates
City MPG
Highway MPG
Combined MPG: 32 - Efficient 30+ MPG
Estimated Monthly Fuel Cost: $69.53*
*Based on $1.78 per gallon and 15k miles per year.
Actual costs may vary.
Actual costs may vary.
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Seller's Description and Comments:
Located at Auto Mart (Tx) in Sunnyvale, Tx. Call Auto Mart (Tx) today at 972-226-1032 for more information about this vehicle.
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2002 Ford Focus ReviewThis car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale.
New ZX5 adds more practicality to the fun.
Ford Focus is the world's best-selling car. It's also one of the most enjoyable compacts in its price range. It's fun, it's practical.
The Focus has won safety kudos from the federal government. It has earned awards from several magazines. And it is the only car to have earned European Car of the Year and the North American Car of the Year awards.
Its New Edge styling has helped the Focus stand out from the crowd whether in hatchback, sedan or wagon format.
Two new models have debuted for 2002, the Focus ZX5 and the Focus SVT.
Ford Focus comes in four body styles: three-door hatchback, five-door hatchback, four-door sedan, and five-door wagon. All ride on the same 103-inch wheelbase.
Three 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines are available: a 110-horsepower single overhead-cam; a 130-horsepower double overhead-cam Zetec; and a 170-horsepower high-performance SVT version of the twin-cam engine tuned by Ford's Special Vehicle Team.
For most models, there's a choice of five-speed manual gearbox or four-speed automatic transmission. The SVT engine, however, comes exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission.
Sedans are the most popular of the Focus models. The sedan is available in three trim levels: entry-level LX ($12,845), an upgraded SE ($14,350), and the 130-horsepower ZTS ($15,355).
Three-door hatchback models are available in ZX3 trim or the high-performance SVT model. The ZX3 ($12,470) is a sport compact, and comes with all the requisite hardware: the 130-horsepower twin-cam engine, 15-inch aluminum alloy wheels, and fog lights. Its wild styling makes the hatchback look sportier and even more distinctive than the sedan. Power windows, mirrors and locks, and keyless entry are now available ($740), along with optional cruise control.
Wagons are available in SE and ZTW trim. SE ($16,640) SE comes standard with the 130-horsepower dohc Zetec engine and a choice of manual or automatic transmission. New for 2002 is the ZTW wagon ($17,735), billed as an enthusiast's sport wagon; ZTW comes equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels, leather seating, and a six-disc in-dash CD changer. A four-speed automatic is standard, with a five-speed manual optional.
New for 2002 is the ZX5 ($15,730) five-door hatchback. It's a cross between a four-door wagon and a coupe, with four doors and a tapered rear roofline leading to a rear hatch. ZX5 comes standard with the 130-horsepower Zetec engine, 16-inch alloy wheels, fog lamps, six-disc in-dash CD changer and much more.
Also new for 2002 is the Focus SVT ($17,505). Based on the three-door ZX3, it has been modified by Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT) to produce 170 horsepower. SVT boasts a Getrag six-speed manual transmission, SVT-tuned suspension, special trim including a rear spoiler, and more. Only about 7500 will be made, all for North America.
Ford's AdvanceTrac ($1225) vehicle dynamics system is on the option list for all Focus models. Described below, AdvanceTrac includes rear disc brakes and traction control, but requires ordering the optional anti-lock brakes ($400).
Other optional safety equipment includes side-impact air bags ($350). Cruise control is also an option.
Ford's New Edge styling features tidy creases that define intersecting arcs.
Large pie-section headlamps give the front end a distinctive appearance. Several models have fog lamps in the grille opening below the front bumper. There's a similar, but smaller opening above the bumper that houses the turn signals. Both are outlined by arcs. The front and rear fenders are highlighted with geometric curves creased into the sheetmetal.
The roofline is highly arched, particularly noticeable when parked next to another car. The roofline is truncated just aft of the rear axle line. Wedge-shaped tail lamps set in the C-pillars enliven an otherwise plain rear end of the ZX3 and ZX5. Ford claims the tail lamps are more noticeable in that location and reduce repair costs in minor accidents. However, the sedan and wagon have conventionally placed tail lamps, so we'll accept the unique shape and location as distinctive and effective styling.
Lower bodyside PVC coating provides protection from stone dings on all models, and the underbody gets PVC coating as well. Clearcoat paint is standard across the board.
ZX3 and LX have black rather than body-color bodyside protective molding, but this is offset on the ZX3 by black rocker panels. The door handles on all models are black as well. The door handles on black cars blends in, but black also masks the distinctive lines of the Focus that are accentuated by the brighter colors.
The Focus is designed from the inside out for maximum interior space within the confines of a compact body. Its raised roof is designed to provide room for today's taller average heights. Elevated seating height provides more comfortable legroom.
The front seats are cushy comfy, well bolstered for side support. The seats have an exceptionally high hip point, 20 inches above the ground. The advantages of this seating include a better view down the road, plus more effective leg room front and rear, and it takes advantage of the high roofline with headroom for the long and tall. It also makes entry and exit easier. The manual height adjustment on the ZX3 allows almost everyone to find a comfortable position behind the wheel and an easy arm's length away from the manual shifter.
Ford's New Edge styling extends to the interior. The dash is a collection of arcs, the instrument panel covered by an asymmetrically curved and sharply creased bezel. The fuel gauge has a small arrow pointing to the right, denoting on which side the filler is located, appreciated by those of us who drive a number of cars, have bad memories or both.
A 7000-rpm tachometer flanks a 140-mph speedometer in the ZX5. Both instruments are round and easily readable, clearly marked with white numerals on black, though the tach has no redline.
The center dash panel is formed by an arc that sweeps upward across the dash to the right side of the car and an inverted parabola. In the ZX5, ZTS, and ZTW it's finished in brushed aluminum instead of black. The radio fits into the top of this area and includes a six-disc CD player, but no cassette player. If you still have cassettes, perhaps you're too old for this car. A removable strip is required for the audio system to work; it's designed to discourage theft. Snuggled into the top left is a 12-volt power outlet and trinket tray where the cigarette lighter and ash tray formerly were. Circular ventilation controls, less frequently accessed, fit below the radio and are styled in the New Edge theme, with buttons styled to fit the room available.
The trunk release, on the left end of the dash, is triangular as well, shaped to fit into the intersection of the arcs outlining the instrument panel.
With its asymmetrical design, the interior looks both informal and rich at the same time. Control knobs all have distinctive shapes for easy identification. Rotary controls are rubberized for pleasing soft-touch operation. The steering wheel on the ZX5 is leather-covered and satisfying to touch. Even the plastics used on the dash and door panels have a finger-friendly soft-touch feel. Our only quibble is that the inside door releases don't feel as substantial as they should.
The ZX5's rear couch is entered easily. Once there, rear-seat riders have lots of legroom, thanks to widely spaced runners under the front seats, plus adult-sized head and shoulder room. The back seat of the three-door hatchback is best accessed by the young and agile, however. Fold the back seat of the ZX3 or ZX5 and there's 18.5 cubic feet of cargo space (yes, for either) and a big door for access. The versatility of the hatchback design is lost on many Americans, who prefer the more formal sedan profile with its conventional trunk. But hatchbacks are making a comeback in America, and the design is hugely popular among Europeans for its practicality.
Focus wagons offer the largest cargo capacity in their class. Fold the rear seats down and there's 55.8 cubic feet of cargo capacity or 37.5 cubic feet with the rear seats in place.
Driving Impression
Behind the wheel, the Ford Focus is an enjoyable car. The ZX5 is as much fun to drive as the sporty ZX3.
The 2.0-liter 16-valve double overhead-cam four-cylinder engine starts instantly and rewards drivers with an almost imperceptible idle, smooth and quiet. The 130-horsepower engine answers a heavy foot with surprisingly rapid acceleration, a benefit of a lightweight car with well-developed torque characteristics. Fully 80 percent of the engine's maximum torque is available from idle to 6000 rpm; peak torque of 135 foot-pounds comes at 4500 rpm. Making the ZX3 even more satisfying to drive is Ford's excellent control of noise, vibration and harshness in this engine. Forget the usual inexpensive four-cylinder harshness; this pup loves to run and doesn't complain about visiting the upper reaches of the tachometer.
Given a choice, we'd rather have the five-speed manual than the automatic. In the ZX3, we noted that the clutch take-up is good and easy to modulate. Shifting into first gear reveals a rubbery feel to the linkage of the long-shafted shifter. It feels like a Saab shifter; it's precise but not inviting.
On the other hand, the four-speed overdrive automatic is slow off the line. Left in Drive, it operates like a conventional American automatic. That is to say it's as dependable as sunrise, but not as exciting. It does have an overdrive-off button, plus D2 and D1 slots, but it lacks the sporty feel and effect of the manual gearbox. Also, fuel economy drops from an EPA-rated 33 mpg on the highway with the manual to 31 mpg with the automatic.
Still, the ZX5 doesn't act like an economy car. It accelerates and turns much more quickly, making this one of the most enjoyable cars in its class to drive. Response through the rack-and-pinion steering is quick and precise, and feedback is excellent. The car feels like it is leaning in corners more than it actually is because the driver is sitting higher in the saddle. The standard 50-series (16-inch) tires sharpen handling response. The power rack-and-pinion steering is precise, with good road feel and little kick-back or torque steer from the front-drive system.
Out on the interstate the ZX5 is a born cruiser. The engine is quiet and wind noise is absent even up to 75 mph. Speaking of cruising, the cruise control system holds a set speed even on the steepest Interstate grade; with Braille bumps on the steering wheel hub, it's easy to use the cruise control even in the dark (it's not illuminated).
Ordinary roads feel smooth, while well-maintained superhighways feel velvety. Some road noise does filter up through the cargo area.
Optional AdvanceTrac monitors the car's behavior while cornering, checking the steering angle, lateral acceleration and yaw rate, then helps maintain stability. If it senses you're in trouble it reduces power and selectively applies to brakes to individual wheels to keep the vehicle on course; it uses the ABS and traction control system to help it accomplish this. The system intervenes progressively so that the drier is hardly aware that AdvanceTrac has been activated. It may be turned off by pressing a button on the instrument panel, but comes back on whenever the vehicle is started.
Ford Focus is long on style, practicality and fun.
The ZX3 hatchback proves economical and practical can also be sporty and fun. The ZX5 hatchback makes it easier for rear seat passengers to join in the merriment. The wagons can carry a ton of cargo. And the SVT brings stellar performance to this class.
Clearly, Ford has done some thinking ahead of the curve. The result is a practical, inexpensive car that is actually desirable.
Model Lineup
ZX3 3-door coupe ($12,470); ZX5 5-door coupe ($15,730); LX sedan ($12,845); SE sedan ($14,350); ZTS sedan ($15,355); SE wagon ($16,640); ZTW wagon ($17,820); SVT ($17,505).
Assembled In
Wayne, Michigan and Hermosilla, Mexico.
Options As Tested
automatic transmission ($815); ABS with Advance Trac ($1625); side-impact airbags ($350); leather low-back bucket seats ($695).
Model Tested
15755 Hwy. 80 East
Sunnyvale, Tx. 75182
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