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subset: commoncrawl


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LollieVox Vocals Resynthesized is a unique pack of presets for Harmor taking resynthesis to the next level. It is one of the fastest and easiest ways to add pitchable vocals to any project.
Click here to get the LollieVox Vocals Resynthesized for just $39 USD
Choose from 95 four bar vocal phrases, sung by LollieVox, and play them in real time on your keyboard or from the Piano roll, in whatever pitch, chords or tempo you like.
The acclaimed Harmor synthesis and FX engine is at your disposal to manipulate the vocals in ways not possible with conventional samplers or pitch editors.
Formant correction & time-stretching are performed automatically, in real-time, so notes will not create the 'chipmunk effect' or increase or decrease their speed, unless you want them to.
Vocal phrases automatically sync to your project tempo and bar time or can be set to restart on each note as with normal samplers. Use per note X and Y modulation in FL Studios Piano roll to control vocal phrase start position or formant shift individual notes. Lower the formant to create masculine vocals or raise it to make them sound like a child. Apply custom vibrato at any time by automating the depth and speed parameters.
Drag and drop any of the 95 pitch flattened source vocal samples onto any one of 25 special Harmor presets giving 2375 possible combinations. Presets include robotic vocoding, sustained pad sounds or mutated formants.
Don't own Harmor but want the vocals?
No problem, you can get the standard LollieVox sample pack here.


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Cuenca is a perfect city to go for some tapas due to its fun and cosy atmosphere and for its variety in areas and establishments. It is a very generous city when it comes to tapas, as all the bars and taverns serve them for free, without having to ask for them. They are excellent snacks that accompany your drinks.
The most famous area is the centrally-located Calle San Francisco, a pedestrian street located in the modern part of the city, a reference point to all young people who live here. Another sought-after area for tapas is the Old Town, known as Casco Antiguo in Spanish, (Plaza Mayor, Castillo district…), where terraces play a huge role due to the spectacularity of the area. One of the most complete ones is the terrace of Hotel Leonor de Aquitania, thanks to its setting and variety.
Once the establishment has been chosen, to start with we recommend our most traditional dish, morteruelo, which is served in most bars and mesones. You can order it as a starter or as a tapa if you are eating on the bar itself, a ration that will perfectly accompany an excellent local wine. The morteruelo is served hot, in a clay pot and with bread to dip. Regarding the drinks, we have spectacular wines of no fewer than four denominations of origin (Mancha, Ribera del Júcar, Uclés and Manchuela), but our most authentic drink is resolí, a homemade spirit of Arabic origin with plenty of character. It has a sweet twist and is perfect to finish off a good meal, accompanying the other ancestral recipe, the alajú.
Depending on the time of year, the weather and your budget, at reception we will indicate you the most popular bars to go for tapas in Cuenca.


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Current Law Students / Re: If you could give one piece of advice to an incoming 1L,....« on: August 06, 2006, 10:15:11 PM »
just noticed you're beautiful picture !!!
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Arsenal Responds To Hollow Da Don! "Swallow Tha Don. Ya Grandmother Shoulda Swallowed Ya Moms. I Hope You Do Win So I Can. Remy Ima Eat You Alive" [Fight Klub Battle Goin Down March 31]
ARSONAL RESPONDS To Hollow Da Don. Fight Klub battle goes down March 31
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The Death Gate (2)
This view is from inside the rail entrance to Birkenau. The building it passes through is the main SS guardhouse. Notice the windows in the tower. You may recall the scene in the film "Schindler's List", where the women are brought into Auschwitz at night with a large spotlight shining alongside the train. For a view of it from behind the light above the ramp see [link]. The object at the bottom of the frame, near the track is a rail switch. For explanation see [link].
Scrolling right you see the road where prisoners were marched to and from work, and the brick barracks of BIa, the first half of the women's camp. Then, further on, where victims just off transports walked to the gas.
The rail track is the major vein leading to the heart of the Nazi massive murder system. To it flowed trains from all over Europe; north, south, east, and west. There were other extermination centers, to be sure, but this was by far the largest in area and scope.
As you scroll a bit further, you see the entire length of the ramp, almost 3/4k. Moving again to the right is Quarantine in the men's camp, BIIa (see Birkenau Map). For a painting depicting the ramp in the time of the Nazis, see [link].


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This versatile 22-foot wake machine meets the demand of those who prefer a traditional bow style while offering new advancements in hull design styling and modern-day features including the auto-set Wedge and SURF GATE?.
Designed for people who demand performance without the big price tag the T22 offers all of the affordable essentials that Axis Wake is known for. Combined with a new hull the T22 delivers the best wakeboarding and wakesurfing experience on the water today.
With a wide beam at 102 inches this boat creates comfort and space with seating for up to 15 people. The T22's cab-forward design offers the largest lounge area in its class and its balanced weight distribution delivers a quick hole-shot with less bow ride and a level ride which increases the driver's visibility passenger safety and overall comfort.
If you prefer a traditional bow shape with contemporary features comfort and high-end performance the Axis Wake T22 is right up your alley - just another reason why Axis Wake Research remains CENTERED ON YOU.
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This ad has been viewed 118 times.


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Windows Live Messenger is pretty much exactly the same as MSN 7.5 . The main differences in it is that there is more advertisments; a different colour sceme; The ability to VOIP and thats about it. Nothing much seems to be gained by putting this out. It also looks to be a way to get money from the stupid little kids who accidently VOIP their freinds homephone instead of VOIPing the computer. By putting MSN Live onto the computer you end up making others not able to use MSN because their accounts are not allowed to use the beta. This of course can be solved by sending them one of the five invites you get to send to them. Is it worth it? No, unless your lucky enough to get an invite(easy). It's alot like Gmail.
"Hey Jack, I just got Windows Live Messenger!"
"No way!"
"Yeah way, wana copy of the download file."
"Hell yeah!"
~2 minutes later~
"WTF it's not working."
"Oh yeah, I didn't send you an invite and I don't have any more."
"No way!"
"Yeah way, wana copy of the download file."
"Hell yeah!"
~2 minutes later~
"WTF it's not working."
"Oh yeah, I didn't send you an invite and I don't have any more."
by The real Jordon Fedak, not the one who used my name before. February 02, 2006
When you have nothing else to do, and suicide is not an option, you can use it to talk to people that you would otherwise ignore. A useful tool for internet perverts and loners.
by harv1989 October 28, 2006
The new name for MSN Messenger when, what was suppose to be MSN 8, comes out. This is because Microsoft are re-branding many of there famous products, such as, Microsoft Office which is planned to be one of the things integrated into WLM.
Bill Gates: Hey, lets change MSN Messenger to Windows Live Messenger and throw away the whole of MSN and the MSN butterfly because I suck!
by --P4R4D0X-- November 19, 2005
buy the domain for your diy vlog
Trending RN - July 17, 2019
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A Martin Lewis classic (how many magicians first learned of Martin Lewis, in fact) has been streamlined for an even greater impact, with three phases and an incredible surprise climax.
The magician displays three blank (3.5" by 5") cards along with an Ace.
One of the blank cards is placed aside and a "three card monte" is performed with the remaining two blank cards and the Ace. The spectators can never find the Ace, but no wonder...the magician reveals that all three of the cards in his hands are blank and it was the Ace that was placed aside! This is repeated once more and on the third time when the spectators are asked to guess where the Ace is they'll of course say that it's on the table...but now the card on the table is shown to be blank, and the three cards in the magician's hands are all shown to be Aces!
Do you own this product? Write a review.


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Victoria Justice + 'Victorious' Cast Try to 'Make It in America' While Driving a Red Mustang
Road trip! What's more fun in the summer than a pair of mirrored, aviator shades, rolling the top down, feeling the wind in your hair and chowing down on ice cream during a road trip? Nothing! And that's just what Victoria Justice and the cast of 'Victorious' do in the video for the undeniably catchy romp 'Make It in America.'
Justice, who performed the song on 'Ellen' last week, is driving an enviable set of wheels – a cherry red Mustang convertible — and singing by the side of the road, picking up her pals and heading to a party to perform. She writes lyrics along the way, finds the party and performs, flashing that billion dollar smile of hers. We're loving her sparkly blue jacket, too.
Summer is on the horizon and this video is all you need to tell you that. It perfectly captures those warm, sun-soaked days that we all long for once summer begins to fade into fall.
Yeah, Vic, we want your life, sooner than later. So get a head start on summer by watching this video once or twice or seven times today.
Watch Victoria Justice + 'Victorious' Cast in 'Make It in America' Video


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The start of something new — FlakPhoto Digest.
We're developing a new project, a weekly newsletter focused on photography + visual culture recommendations carefully curated from across the Web. You know, the good stuff that deserves a closer look. FlakPhoto Digest is currently in closed beta and will be available to the public later this year. You can request an invite by subscribing below.
One dollar's worth of beef shank from Supersave,
From the The Value of a Dollar series
Website - JonathanBlaustein.com
Jonathan Blaustein is an artist and writer based in the mountains of Northern New Mexico. He studied Economics and History at Duke University, before receiving an MFA in Photography from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn in 2004. He has exhibited his work widely in the United States, and his photographs reside in many important permanent collections, including the Library of Congress, the State of New Mexico, the Brooklyn Museum, MOPA, the UNM Art Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.His work focuses on the intersection of economic theory, globalization, commodification, and culture in the 21st Century. His last project, The Value of a Dollar, was published by the New York Times in 2010, and subsequently went viral on the Internet. Ultimately, the conceptual photographic project was seen by millions of people around the world, creating dialogue about the manner in which food represents deeper issues of wealth, class, power and health. His current project, MINE, debuted in Santa Fe in May of 2012, and was published online by the New York Times. Jonathan also writes about photography and culture for A Photo Editor, a blog for the global photography industry.
Posted on Wednesday, October 14, 2009.
April Pearson, "Skins", 2006
Changing Weather, 2008
Glacier National Park, 2006
Flags and Roses, 2008
Are you promoting a photography project? Share it with Flak Photo's global audience by placing a graphic advertisement in this space. For details about banner ads, media partnerships or other inquiries, contact editor Andy Adams »


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Conferees agree on partial retirement and chuck pension hike and high-five calculation.
Federal employees will not have to contribute more to their pension funds in order to pay for highway projects or to extend the student loan interest rate for another year, according to Federal News Radio.
An earlier proposal to increase federal workers' pension contribution by 1.2 percent over three years was included in a Republican House bill to pay for the extension of the current Stafford loan interest rate.
The latest version of the legislation -- agreed to by House and Senate conferees -- drops the pension contribution hike and would finalize a popular plan to allow eligible federal employees to partially retire while collecting prorated pension payments. These partial retirees will be required to spend at least 20 percent of their part-time employment on mentoring new workers.
The latest version of the legislation would pay for the extension of the student loan interest rate -- set to double on July 1 to 6.8 percent -- by requiring companies to set aside less money for pensions, thereby reducing tax-exempt revenue. It also would increase fees companies pay for the government to insure pension plans and limit the number of years Stafford loans would cover undergraduate education to six.
An earlier version of the bill would have calculated pension payments for federal workers from their highest five years of salary, instead of the highest three. This provision also was struck from the new agreement.
Congress lumped the transportation and student loan bills into one to ensure both elements were signed into law prior to the expiration of existing legislation.
(Image via Marie C Fields /Shutterstock.com)


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Former "Saved by the Bell" star Mario Lopez is set to document his upcoming trip down the aisle for a two-hour TV special.
The actor will exchange vows with dancer Courtney Mazza, the mother of his baby daughter, in the coming weeks and the intimate ceremony will be filmed by TLC for all to see on December 8.
A statement from Lopez reads, "Courtney and I already feel incredibly blessed to have found each other and thank God for our beautiful daughter Gia. Our family is looking forward to celebrating our wedding later this year."
The couple became engaged over the holidays last year.
The new "X Factor" host won't be the first celebrity to film his nuptials – reality star Kim Kardashian famously tied the knot with basketball ace Kris Humphries in front of a camera crew in 2011. That union only lasted 72 days.
Lopez himself has a history of marriage bad luck – his 2004 union with Ali Landry lasted less than a month amid rumors of infidelity.


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Previous Lecture
Complete and continue
Create a Balanced Scorecard From Scratch Using Excel
Let's Get Started :)
Welcome to the course!
Course Toolbox: Get Your Resources Here
Purpose, Composition and Content for your Dashboard
Unpacking Scorecard Perspectives
Mission Perspective
Custumer Focus Part I
Customer Focus Part II
Brand New Lecture Demo: Identify your target audience
Internal Processes
Professional Development
Brand New Lecture Demo: Conduct a skills audit
Financial Perspective
Troubleshooting: A summary
Crafting The Input Sheets
Input Sheet: The Fundamentals
Input Client Focus Data
Input: Internal Processes Data
How to Input Professional Development Data
Show me the Money: Inputting Financial Data
Applying what we Learned to a New Department
Wrapping up the Input Sheet Section
Linking everything back to the Dashboard
Course Wrap Up: You built your own scorecard, now what?
Capturing our Client Focus Data
Measuring our Internal Processes
Professional Development and Financial Data
Troubleshooting your scorecard--make it work for you.
Congratulations! You have built your scorecard from scratch!
Bonus Section
Bonus: More Courses from Warren
Helpful resources
Congratulations! You have built your scorecard from scratch!
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Golf Umbrellas
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Learn More About Golf Umbrellas
Course Accessories: Golf Umbrellas For Your Round
Keep covered on the course with performance golf umbrellas from DICK'S Sporting Goods.
You can use your golf umbrella to shield you from sun or rain-the latest models are designed to stand up to inclement weather. Keep in mind these factors when making your purchase:
- Golf umbrellas come in a variety of sizes, so consult product information for the model that's right for you.
- Waterproof and weather-resistant canopies effectively block moisture and glare, so you can play a better game.
- Look for a sturdy rib frame design for reliable protection.
- Some umbrellas come with a double canopy design for extra protection and durability.
- Fiberglass shafts are incredibly lightweight and durable.
- Many umbrellas come with contoured, ergonomic handles for easy use. Push-button releases or manual releases allow for fast and secure engagement.
Choose from a variety of sizes and features. You can match your golf bag with sleek blacks and greys or stand out with fun colors. Shop golf umbrellas from some of the best brands in the sport like TaylorMade®, PING®, Callaway® and more.
Looking for something else? Check out the entire collection of golf accessories at DICK'S Sporting Goods for more.


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By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tommy Lee Jones of "Lincoln" and Anne Hathaway of "Les Miserables" claimed the first prizes of the night Sunday at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, winning supporting-acting honors that boost their prospects for the Academy Awards.
Hathaway won for her role as a doomed single mother forced into prostitution in the adaptation of the stage musical based on Victor Hugo's epic novel. Her win came over four past Oscar recipients — Sally Field, Helen Hunt, Nicole Kidman and Maggie Smith.
"I'm just thrilled I have dental," Hathaway said. "I got my SAG card when I was 14. It felt like the beginning of the world. I have loved every single minute of my life as an actor. ... Thank you for nominating me alongside incredible women and incredible performances."
Jones was not at the show, but the win improves his odds to become a two-time Academy Award winner. He previously won a supporting-actor Oscar for "The Fugitive."
Earlier, the James Bond adventure "Skyfall" and the fantasy series "Game of Thrones" picked up prizes for best stunt work, honors announced on the red carpet before the official SAG Awards ceremony.
JoBeth Williams and Scott Bakula announced the winners, noting the value of stunt players, who often are overlooked for their contributions to film and television.
"The stunt men and women of our union are critical to the work that gets done," Bakula said. "They keep us healthy, they keep us alive, they keep us working. They keep our shows working."
The SAG honors are the latest show in a puzzling Academy Awards season in which Hollywood's top prize, the best-picture Oscar, looks up for grabs among several key nominees.
Honors from the actors union, next weekend's Directors Guild of America Awards and Saturday night's Producers Guild of America Awards — whose top honor went to "Argo" — typically help to establish clear favorites for the Oscars.
But Oscar night on Feb. 24 looks more uncertain this time after some top directing prospects, including Ben Affleck for "Argo" and Kathryn Bigelow for "Zero Dark Thirty," missed out on nominations. Both films were nominated for best picture, but a movie rarely wins the top Oscar if its director is not also in the running.
Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" would seem the Oscar favorite with 12 nominations. Yet "Argo" and Affleck were surprise best-drama and director winners at the Golden Globes, and then there's Saturday's Producers Guild win for "Argo," leaving the Oscar race looking like anybody's guess.
Affleck has made some nice jokes about his directing snub, wisecracking at one point that no one seemed surprised he didn't get an acting nomination for "Argo," either.
His colleagues just seem happy for all the attention the film has received.
"The thing is, we're all very pleased we've been nominated for so many things," "Argo" co-star John Goodman said before the SAG Awards.
The Screen Actors Guild honors at least should help to establish solid front-runners for the stars. All four of the guild's individual acting winners often go on to receive the same prizes at the Academy Awards.
Last year, the guild went just three-for-four — with lead actor Jean Dujardin of "The Artist" and supporting players Octavia Spencer of "The Help" and Christopher Plummer of "Beginners" also taking home Oscars. The guild's lead-actress winner, Viola Davis of "The Help," missed out on the Oscar, which went to Meryl Streep for "The Iron Lady."
The guild also presents an award for overall cast performance, its equivalent of a best-picture honor. The nominees are "Argo," "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," "Les Miserables," "Lincoln" and "Silver Linings Playbook."
Yet the cast prize has a spotty record at predicting the eventual best-picture recipient at the Oscars. Only eight of 17 times since the guild added the category has the cast winner gone on to take the best-picture Oscar. "The Help" won the guild's cast prize last year, while Oscar voters named "The Artist" as best picture.
Such past guild cast winners as "The Birdcage," "Gosford Park" and "Inglourious Basterds" also failed to take the top Oscar.
Receiving the guild's life-achievement award is Dick Van Dyke, who presented the same prize last year to his "The Dick Van Dyke Show" co-star, Mary Tyler Moore. Van Dyke's award will be presented by his 1960s sitcom's creator and co-star, Carl Reiner, and Alec Baldwin.
"I'm so tickled. I'm so excited,' Van Dyke said before the show. "And I'm the only one who knows he's going to win."
Jones, Hathaway win SAG supporting prizes
By DAVID GERMAIN


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DALLAS (AP) Garrett Gilbert ran for two touchdowns and passed for another, leading SMU to a 34-6 victory over Southern Miss on Saturday night.
Gilbert had scoring runs of 36 and 19 yards and hit Darius Johnson for a 9-yard score. He rushed for 94 yards and was 27 of 43 passing for 249 yards.
Zach Line added 92 yards rushing and a touchdown for the Mustangs (5-5, 4-2 Conference USA), who are seeking their fourth straight bowl berth. It was the 41st career touchdown for Line, who ranks second on the school's all-time rushing list behind Eric Dickerson.
Southern Miss (0-10, 0-6) managed just 178 yards of offense. The Golden Eagles' only score came on a 15-yard TD pass from Chris Campbell to Dominique Sullivan in the second quarter. The PAT was blocked.


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PEDRALBES Antique Terracotta - HAND PAINTED Fire-GLAZED Designs
BASILICA by GLAZE Color (Design Area)
Sizes: 4"x4", 6"x6" and 8"x8"
GLAZE Color: OC-Ochre
Each GLAZE Color is available in 6 DESIGNS and 16 BACKGROUND Colors.
Click on any image to get large size view and product description.
Glaze and Background Colors Info: The combination of SATIN BLACK Glazed Color over CARBON BLACK Background Color is not available, as both colors are very similar, with no contrast between them, which makes the design not visible. AW-Antique White GLAZE Color and AW-Antique White BACKGROUND color are not the same, as they are applied with different production methods, but can be combined together, as there is some contrast between them. In addition of the usual variation of a hand made tile, all GLAZE Colors may have additional color variation due to the Stained or Glazed BACKGROUND Colors applied over them. The different absorption of the Fire-GLAZED design area will create these variations, as shown in the product images of this Collection.
Availability: All items are custom made per order. No cancellations allowed. Allow 2 to 16 weeks for delivery, depending on item and quantity ordered. Most orders are supplied in 4 to 8 weeks. Product Order: When placing an order, please SPECIFY TEXTURE, COLOR and FINISH for EACH item. Texture: All items, except the Decorative Designs and some special pieces where noted, are available in Original Hand Smoothed (OHS) or Vintage (VTG) texture. Finish: All items are available in Waxed or Matte finish. Waxed finish is recommended for all interior floor and wall applications, with a few exceptions like, shower walls and fireplace surrounds. See Recommended Applications page for more detailed information. Final Finish: A Final Finish application, including grouted areas, with our recommended Wax (Interiors) or Stain (exteriors), and a maintenance program, are required to achieve the same look of the samples or sample boards used to specify the product. Floral White: Floral White color is not recommended to install combined with other colors, as it requires a different type of wax for the Final Finish and maintenance. Exterior Use: Exterior application is recommended for Warm Weather Areas ONLY. Glazed Colors: For interior and exterior applications (warm weather only). For exterior floor applications it is recommended to use Vintage (VTG) texture, as it has a higher slip resistance. See Product Info pages for more detailed information. Sizes: All sizes are NOMINAL and have the usual hand molded terracotta variations. If an EXACT measure is required, due to layout design or combination with other type of material, please contact us to evaluate all possibilities. Color Variations: All items are produced per order and therefore each order may have a slight difference in color or stain shade with other prior orders. Add-on orders may not have the exact same look as original orders. Decorative Tile Variations: All Decorative Designs items are handmade. Color and design variations, within the same tile or between tiles of the same lot, should be expected and accepted. Digital Colors: Product pictures are intended to be as accurate as possible and should be considered as approximations only. For aesthetic purpose, some pictures may have the grout areas filled using digital colors. Actual samples and/or grouted sample boards (with the Final Finish), representing the "finished" look of the installed tile, should be used in making a final decision.
TICSA proudly produces a wide range of HAND CRAFTED and LUXURY tile products, including:
Handmade Terracotta Floor & Wall Tile- Antiqued Terracotta Floor & Wall Tile- Handmade Glazed Terracotta Floor & Wall Tile - Hand Painted Floor & Wall Tile- Hand Painted Terracotta Glazed Designs - Hand Painted Terracotta Glazed Dots - Handmade Terracotta Floor & Wall Mosaics- Handmade Terracotta Engraved Designs- Handmade Terracotta Carved Designs- Handmade Terracotta Relief Designs- Handmade Terracotta Outline Designs- Handmade Terracotta Embossed Designs- Handmade Pre-Finished Terracotta Floor & Wall Tile- Handmade Pre-Stained Terracotta Floor & Wall Tile- Handmade Pre-Waxed Terracotta Floor & Wall Tile- Handmade Pre-Sealed Terracotta Floor & Wall Tile- Handmade Metal Leaf Wall Tile- Handmade Terracotta Metallic Colors Wall Tile- Handmade Terracotta Extra Large Formats & Sizes- Handmade Terracotta Thin Brick- Handmade Glazed Thin Brick- Handmade Terracotta Thick Brick- Handmade Terracotta Stair Treads - Handmade Terracotta Pool Coping & Deck Tile- Handmade Terracotta Trims- Handmade Terracotta Pavers- Handmade Terracotta Moldings- Handmade Terracotta Glazed Moldings- Handmade Terracotta Architectural & Landscaping Pieces - Handmade Terracotta Custom Colors & Pieces- Handmade Terracotta Mesh-Mounted Floor & Wall Tile- Handmade Terracotta Floor & Wall Tile Patterns & Combinations - Handmade Tile Mediterranean Designs- Handmade Tile Traditional Designs- Handmade Tile Classic Designs- Handmade Tile Rustic Designs- Handmade Tile Vintage Designs- Handmade Tile Modernist Designs- Handmade Tile Art-Deco Designs- Handmade Tile Art-Nouveau Designs- Handmade Tile Andalusia Designs- Handmade Tile Spanish Designs- Handmade Tile Italian Designs- Handmade Tile Medieval Designs- Handmade Tile French Designs- Handmade Cement Tile Style Designs- Handmade Tile Contemporary Designs- Handmade Tile Eurasian Designs- Handmade Tile Russian Designs- Handmade Tile Arabian Designs- Reclaimed Style Terracotta Floor & Wall Tile- Reclaimed Look Terracotta Floor & Wall Tile- Old World Style Terracotta Floor & Wall Tile


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In the U.S. and Canada, many of us are, as one Lesson Study participant remarked,
like "underground freedom fighters."
Maybe part of the answer is, in the words of the famous New Orleans musician Dr. John, to just simply "keep on keepin' on."
Final Day 9
Bill Jackson is Math Helping Teacher, Scarsdale NY Public Schools, one of the highest performing school districts in the country. If you missed his series on "Singapore Math Demystified!" published by The Daily Riff , we highly recommend you to check it out HERE.
It's hard to believe, but today is the final day of the Lesson Study Immersion Program. This morning, we met to share what we learned from the experience (more about that later). Then in the afternoon, we visited Kyuden Elementary School in the Setagaya Ward of Tokyo to observe and participate in a district-wide public research lesson. All of the schools in the district dismissed their students early, except for one class per school, to hold public research lessons in different subjects. The mathematics lesson study group (there are 50 such groups in the Tokyo area) was holding its public research lesson at the Kyuden school so many teachers that were interested in mathematics came to observe. Other schools held public research lessons in other subjects. Later, we spoke to a principal who held a public research lesson in art at her school.
We observed (there were over 100 observers) a lesson on finding patterns in a number chart. The teacher began the lesson by posting a large paper showing a hundreds chart (a square with the numbers 1 to 100 in rows). He had a square magnetic frame that he could place anywhere on the chart creating a square with nine numbers inside. He asked the students to find the sum of the numbers as quickly as they could with a calculator (see example below).
11 12 13
21 22 23
31 32 33
At the same time, he asked Dr. Takahashi to figure it out without a calculator. Dr. Takahashi found his answers quickly and the students began to wonder if he was using some kind of trick. So the teacher posed the following problem: "Let's come up with a strategy to calculate the total of the 9 numbers efficiently and explain the strategy.
Students first began solving the problem on their own. After several minutes, when the teacher noticed that many students were unable to think about a strategy, he called students who needed help getting started to the floor at the front of the room to give them hints. After several more minutes, he asked students to share their strategies.
The first strategy presented was (1+2+3) x 3 + (10+20+30) x 3. This student said that the ones digits in each column are always 1, 2 and 3 so since there are 3 columns, the sum of the ones digits is (1+2+3) x 3. Likewise, when the ones digits are removed, each column has 10, 20 and 30, so the sum of all the tens is (10+20+30) x 3. The teacher had arranged that the ones digits (the problem was on a large paper on the chalkboard) could be removed to illustrate this solution method. The kids remarked, "Our teacher is really prepared for this lesson!" Another student explained that by decomposing the numbers, you could make all the numbers in one column the same (e.g. move 10 from 31 to the 11 so all three numbers in the column are 21). Therefore, the problem could be solved by 21x3 + 22x3 + 23x3.
The teacher then asked the students that if by looking at these methods, they could come up with a better strategy. Many students quickly came up with the idea that by decomposing the numbers, all of the numbers could be made equal to the middle number so you could just multiply the middle number, 22, by 9. Next, the teacher asked if this idea could be used to find the sum of numbers in other parts of the chart. Most students were able to quickly find the solution to the next problem. Afterwards, several students shared what they learned aloud. (I would like to add that I really liked Mr. Tsuruoka's teaching style. Whenever he asked a question, he would wait, even when many students had their hands up. He wanted all students to think and it was obvious that students were used to this type of inquiry-based, problem-solving lesson, and it was not just something he was doing for the sake of this public research lesson.)
"This is the beauty of being a lesson study observer -
you are able to focus on details that you would not normally be able to do in your classroom teaching.
Afterward, I asked him how he selects the one student he will observe.
He told me that he listens carefully to what students are saying to themselves and chooses a student who is 'thinking out loud.' . . "
During the post-lesson discussion, one teacher acted as the facilitator, another acted as recorder, and final comments were given by Professor Nakamura. During his comments, Prof. Nakamura emphasized the importance of careful observation and careful note taking during the research lesson observation. A good post-lesson discussion is the result of careful observation. He showed his notebook that had 7 pages of detailed notes that were color-coded with four different colored pens. The different colors were used to record different aspects of the lesson such as math expressions, student reactions. Another interesting aspect of how he observed the lesson is that he focused on one student, writing down what the student said and what he was thinking (aloud), misconceptions, etc. He said that while you are teaching, you cannot focus on how one student is understanding the lesson. This is the beauty of being a lesson study observer - you are able to focus on details that you would not normally be able to do in your classroom teaching. Afterwards, I asked him how he selects the one student he will observe. He told me that he listens carefully to what students are saying to themselves and chooses a student who is "thinking out loud."
After the lesson, we had our final "enkai" (big party) with the teachers, professors, administrators, district superintendent, and others. Mr. Toki, my good friend and former principal of the Greenwich Japanese School (GJS) in Connecticut also came. (I had the privilege of working on a research lesson on the area of plane figures with Mr. Toki and several GJS teachers in 2003 and it was definitely one of the highlights of my career.) I must say that this was one of the best enkais that we have had. Many people made speeches, there were many kampais (toasts), and I was even asked to say a few words. My final act in Japan was to put on my "indoor shoes" I had brought along to wear during school visits and ran outside and jumped up and down! (In Japan you must remove your shoes and wear "indoor shoes" or slippers. Now, all of the shoes I own are dirty!)
Well, what can I say? This Lesson Study Immersion Program is over but in many ways it is just beginning. We now need to take what we learned back to our schools and figure out what to do next. This will be very different for every one of us. In our morning reflection meeting, we talked about how important it is to keep in touch and for the lesson study communities in North America to network and support one another. Many questions were also raised such as, "How can we make lesson study work in North America without having the underlying support system for lesson study that exists in Japan?" In Japan, everyone - universities, professors, administrators, teachers, students, superintendents, ministry of education officials - value and support lesson study. In the U.S. and Canada, many of us are, as one LSIP participant remarked, like "underground freedom fighters." Maybe part of the answer is, in the words of the famous New Orleans musician Dr. John, to just simply "keep on keeping on." But now we can do that - continue lesson study, form new lesson study groups, improve upon what we have been doing - with new knowledge and renewed enthusiasm and commitment.
Lastly, sayonara to all the wonderful friends I have made from the U.S. and Canada. Y adios a mis Buenos amigos mexicanos, que gusto conocerles y compartir con ustedes en el idioma celestial! Let's all keep in touch!
Bill Jackson
Tokyo Japan
Day 1 & 2: Link Here - "What American Teachers Can Learn From Japan"
Day 3 & 4: Link Here - "A More Global Perspective On Teacher Assessment and Development"
Day 5: Link Here - Developing Creative Talents, Not Just Academic Skills
Day 6: Link Here - "Less Is More"
Day 7 & 8 - Part 1: Link Here - "Teaching For Students. Sounds Obvious. Not."
Day 7 & 8 - Part 2: Link Here - "Teachers Walking The Talk"
Editor's Note: We are delighted that Bill is sharing his wealth of knowledge through this series of journals from his 2007 trip to Japan.


text:
Market Commentary - 9.4.14
Prior to the start of the 2014 NFL season, J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans signed a whopping six-year contract reportedly worth over $100 million. Due to a collective bargaining agreement and rookie salary caps, his previous contract had been a mere $11.3 million over four years. Even this would be considered sudden money for a college kid or almost anyone else for that matter. However, you can argue that he didn't get rich overnight. Although physically gifted, the two-star high school athlete, Watt, did not just simply win the genetic lottery. In addition to his strict workout schedule, his well-documented story involved him switching positions, transferring colleges and delivering pizzas to reach his goals. In an age where everyone wants to get rich overnight or find a diet to lose 10 pounds in a week, the secret to success may not be that much of a secret. Whether dieting or investing, long-term discipline is not easy. Humans are emotional creatures, who sell on fear and buy when the market goes back up. Industry data shows that retail investors sold at the market low during the Great Recession and investors bought at the height of the Dot.com bubble. Investing requires time, patience and discipline. Albert Einstein is widely rumored to have once said that the most powerful force in the universe is compound interest. Below is a simple illustration of the growth of $100 assuming an actual S&P 500 growth rate (blue line) and a 10% growth rate (red) from 1926 to 2013. While the roughly $450,000 pales in comparison to Watt's new contract, it does demonstrate that those of us without his physical talents may instead rely on more time, patience and discipline to build our nest egg. Source: S&P 500 TR annual returns were obtained from Morningstar We are currently in interesting times with low volatility and increasing geo-political risks. Many think the S&P 500 is overvalued, but at the same time fixed income is a scary place to be with the prospects of rising interest rates. Investors also fear the Fed's loose monetary policies impact on inflation, so cash may even be a relatively scary place to be. We believe in a long-term disciplined approach to investing, sticking to one's investment objectives and not making large bets based on this week's news. Diversification remains very important in these uncertain times. Although J.J. Watt may have reached financial security (we hope) much quicker than most, his discipline and perseverance on the football field can be carried over to investing. Reaching one's financial goals does not happen overnight. It usually takes many years, a lot of discipline and perseverance to accumulate wealth.
This information is compiled by Cetera Investment Management. About Cetera Investment Management Cetera Investment Management LLC provides passive and actively managed portfolios across five traditional risk tolerance profiles to the clients of financial advisors, who are affiliated with its family of broker-dealers and registered investment advisers. Cetera Investment Management is part of Cetera Financial Group, Inc., which includes Cetera Advisors LLC, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Cetera Financial Specialists LLC, and Cetera Investment Services LLC. About Cetera Financial Group Cetera Financial Group is the retail advice platform of RCS Capital Corporation (NYSE: RCAP) that delivers the benefits of scale to its family of independent broker-dealer firms and registered investment advisers while providing a framework that nurtures relationships, unique cultures and unbiased objectivity. As the second largest independent financial advisor network in the nation by number of advisors and a leading provider of investment programs to financial institutions, Cetera Financial Group provides award-winning wealth management and advisory platforms, comprehensive broker-dealer and registered investment adviser services, and innovative technology to its family of broker-dealer firms nationwide. Through those firms, Cetera Financial Group offers the stability of a large and well-capitalized broker-dealer and registered investment adviser, while serving independent and institutions-based financial advisors in a way that is customized to their individual needs. Cetera Financial Group is committed to helping advisors grow their businesses and strengthen their relationships with their investor clients. All of Cetera Financial Group's broker-dealer firms are members of FINRA/SIPC. For more information, visit ceterafinancialgroup.com. No independent analysis has been performed and the material should not be construed as investment advice. Investment decisions should not be based on this material since the information contained here is a singular update, and prudent investment decisions require the analysis of a much broader collection of facts and context. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. The opinions expressed are as of the date published and may change without notice. Any forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, may not materialize, and are subject to revision. All economic and performance information is historical and not indicative of future results. The market indices discussed are unmanaged. Investors cannot directly invest in unmanaged indices. Please consult your financial advisor for more information. Additional risks are associated with international investing, such as currency fluctuations, political and economic instability, and differences in accounting standards. Affiliates and subsidiaries and/or officers and employees of Cetera Financial Group or Cetera firms may from time to time acquire, hold or sell a position in the securities mentioned herein.
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text:
Next: Tag hierarchy, Previous: Tag inheritance, Up: Tags
Tags can simply be typed into the buffer at the end of a headline. After a colon, M-<TAB> offers completion on tags. There is also a special command for inserting tags:
org-tags-column. When called with a C-u prefix, all
tags in the current buffer will be aligned to that column, just to make
things look nice. TAGS are automatically realigned after promotion,
demotion, and TODO state changes (see TODO basics).
Org supports tag insertion based on a list of tags. By
default this list is constructed dynamically, containing all tags
currently used in the buffer. You may also globally specify a hard list
of tags with the variable
org-tag-alist. Finally you can set
the default tags for a given file with lines like
#+TAGS: @work @home @tennisclub #+TAGS: laptop car pc sailboat
If you have globally defined your preferred set of tags using the
org-tag-alist, but would like to use a dynamic tag list
in a specific file, add an empty TAGS option line to that file:
If you have a preferred set of tags that you would like to use in every file,
in addition to those defined on a per-file basis by TAGS option lines, then
you may specify a list of tags with the variable
org-tag-persistent-alist. You may turn this off on a per-file basis
by adding a
#+STARTUP option line to that file:
#+STARTUP: noptag
By default Org mode uses the standard minibuffer completion facilities for
entering tags. However, it also implements another, quicker, tag selection
method called fast tag selection. This allows you to select and
deselect tags with just a single key press. For this to work well you should
assign unique, case-sensitive, letters to most of your commonly used tags.
You can do this globally by configuring the variable
org-tag-alist in
your Emacs init file. For example, you may find the need to tag many items
in different files with ':@home:'. In this case you can set something
(setq org-tag-alist '(("@work" . ?w) ("@home" . ?h) ("laptop" . ?l)))
If the tag is only relevant to the file you are working on, then you can instead set the TAGS option line as:
#+TAGS: @work(w) @home(h) @tennisclub(t) laptop(l) pc(p)
The tags interface will show the available tags in a splash window. If you want to start a new line after a specific tag, insert '\n' into the tag list
#+TAGS: @work(w) @home(h) @tennisclub(t) \n laptop(l) pc(p)
or write them in two lines:
#+TAGS: @work(w) @home(h) @tennisclub(t) #+TAGS: laptop(l) pc(p)
You can also group together tags that are mutually exclusive by using braces, as in:
#+TAGS: { @work(w) @home(h) @tennisclub(t) } laptop(l) pc(p)
you indicate that at most one of '@work', '@home', and '@tennisclub' should be selected. Multiple such groups are allowed.
Don't forget to press C-c C-c with the cursor in one of these lines to activate any changes.
To set these mutually exclusive groups in the variable
you must use the dummy tags
:startgroup and
:endgroup instead
of the braces. Similarly, you can use
:newline to indicate a line
break. The previous example would be set globally by the following
(setq org-tag-alist '((:startgroup . nil) ("@work" . ?w) ("@home" . ?h) ("@tennisclub" . ?t) (:endgroup . nil) ("laptop" . ?l) ("pc" . ?p)))
If at least one tag has a selection key then pressing C-c C-c will automatically present you with a special interface, listing inherited tags, the tags of the current headline, and a list of all valid tags with corresponding keys1.
Pressing keys assigned to tags will add or remove them from the list of tags in the current line. Selecting a tag in a group of mutually exclusive tags will turn off any other tags from that group.
In this interface, you can also use the following special keys:
This method lets you assign tags to a headline with very few keys. With the above setup, you could clear the current tags and set '@home', 'laptop' and 'pc' tags with just the following keys: C-c C-c <SPC> h l p <RET>. Switching from '@home' to '@work' would be done with C-c C-c w <RET> or alternatively with C-c C-c C-c w. Adding the non-predefined tag 'Sarah' could be done with C-c C-c <TAB> S a r a h <RET> <RET>.
If you find that most of the time you need only a single key press to
modify your list of tags, set
Then you no longer have to press <RET> to exit fast tag selection—it
will immediately exit after the first change. If you then occasionally
need more keys, press C-c to turn off auto-exit for the current tag
selection process (in effect: start selection with C-c C-c C-c
instead of C-c C-c). If you set the variable to the value
expert, the special window is not even shown for single-key tag
selection, it comes up only when you press an extra C-c.
[1] Keys will automatically be assigned to tags which have no configured keys.


text: Share: Comments Print October 8, 2013 at 10:33 AM Madigan Army Medical Center nurse killed in Afghanistan Posted by Nick Provenza Lt. Jennifer Moreno, 25, of San Diego, Calif., an Army nurse from Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, was one of four people killed Sunday, Oct. 5, 2013 by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan (U.S. Army photo). JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD (AP) — A nurse from Madigan Army Medical Center and three of her fellow soldiers in a special operations force were killed by an improvised bomb blast Sunday in Afghanistan, the Defense Department said. Lt. Jennifer M. Moreno, 25, of San Diego, was based at the hospital at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and volunteered as a member of a cultural support team with a special operations task force that deployed in June. Also killed in Sunday's blast in the Zhari District of Kandahar Province were Sgt. Patrick C. Hawkins, 25 of Carlisle, Pa.; Sgt. Joseph M. Peters, 24, of Springfield, Mo.; and Pfc. Cody J. Patterson, 24, of Philomath, Ore. Hawkins and Patterson served out of Fort Benning, Ga., with the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Peters belonged to the 5th Military Police Battalion out of Vicenza, Italy. Serving with a special operations cultural support team is one of the few ways for female soldiers to go outside the wire on combat missions with all-male Army Ranger or Green Beret teams, The News Tribune reported. "We've lost a superb officer and a caring nurse who served with marked distinction and honor throughout her career." said Madigan Command Col. Ramona Fiorey. "We are all deeply saddened by the tragic loss of this great American solider." Born in San Diego, Moreno received her commission as an Army officer after graduating from the University of San Francisco with a bachelor of science degree. She graduated from the Army airborne course in 2009 and arrived at Madigan in 2010, where she served as a clinical staff nurse in a medical surgical unit until she sought a special operations assignment. It's a dangerous assignment that calls on American women to interact with Afghan females to gain information that might not be available to male soldiers because of cultural differences in a Muslim country, The News Tribune reported. In October 2011, medic Lt. Ashley White was killed on a mission in Afghanistan with two Rangers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Moreno "was a talented member of our team who lost her life while serving her country in one of the most dangerous environments in the world," said Lt. Col. Patrick J. Ellis, Commander of 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. "Her bravery and self-sacrifice were in keeping with the highest traditions of the 75th Ranger Regiment. She was making a difference in Afghanistan and that legacy will live on." Moreno is survived by her mother, Marie V. Cordero, and her sisters Jearaldy Moreno and Yaritza Cordova of San Diego. Her brother, Ivan Moreno, serves in the Army. Comments | More in General news, Government, Military | Topics: Afghanistan, Madigan Army Medical Center, nurse


text:
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I've used monarch to teach grades 4, 5, 7 & 8. The curriculum is good. The content delivery has some kinks, however, they do continue to improve the product.
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text:
Obama kicks off gun control push
MINNEAPOLIS – President Barack Obama kicked off his campaign-style push for gun control here Monday, arguing that the changes he started pushing for in the wake of the December mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary are beginning to gain traction.
The approach was similar to last week's immigration push in Las Vegas. At both events, Obama said Congress must follow his lead to enact laws on which the American people agree. At each he said the work will be difficult and long. And at each he said the burden was on Congress to act.
Story Continued Below
"We're starting to see a consensus emerge about the action Congress needs to take," Obama said while flanked by law enforcement officers here. "The vast majority of Americans, including a majority of gun owners, support requiring criminal background checks for anyone trying to buy a gun."
Obama touted a bipartisan gun trafficking bill introduced last week by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) as more evidence that Congress is working together, but stopped short of such a pronouncement on two other key flanks of his gun control agenda — bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.
Those, he said, deserve a vote in Congress.
"We should restore the ban on military-style assault weapons and a 10-round limit for magazines," Obama said. "And that deserves a vote in Congress because weapons of war have no place on our streets or in our schools or threatening our law enforcement officers. Our law enforcement officers should never be outgunned on the streets."
Since speaking at the memorial service the weekend after the Newtown, Conn. shooting, Obama tapped Vice President Joe Biden to put together a package of legislative proposals that the president laid out a week before his second inauguration. Monday was his first appearance outside of Washington attempting to build support for the effort.
Prior to his remarks, Obama met with a group of two dozen officials, including Attorney General Eric Holder, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar and Minnesota U.S. Attorney Todd Jones, the nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Obama reiterated his call to increase support for mental health services and confirm Jones as ATF director and again made his pitch for supporters to call their member of Congress, but expanded it to gun owners and NRA members who support his proposals.
"If we've got lobbyists in Washington claiming to speak for gun owners, saying something different, we need to go to the source directly and reach out to people," Obama said. "We can't allow those filters to get in the way of common sense. That's why I need everybody who is listening to keep the pressure on your member of congress to do the right thing. Ask them if they support common-sense reforms like requiring universal background checks and restoring the ban on military style assault weapons and high capacity magazines."


text:
Forbes has a new report out on the 10 most reliable cars.
They note the Tundra was Motor Trend's '08 Truck of the Year, and also won J.D. Power's award for most reliable pickup after three years of ownership. But according to CarMD, it's in the shop more than most vehicles and the repairs are expensive.
Believe it or not, the same assessment applies to an older Honda Civic.
Given the economy and the overall improved quality of cars in general, buying used is a smart idea, but you still have to do the research and be selective.
But in the end, a used car can be a great value. And moreover, no new car warranties to worry about in terms of adding aftermarket gear from your favorite car security company!
Check out some of the cars that made CarMD's "Top Ten most reliable" list:
1. 2010 Toyota Corolla
2. 2008 Toyota Yaris
3. 2009 Honda Pilot
4. 2009 Honda Accord
5. 2010 Subaru Forester
See the whole list over at Yahoo and also check out Forbes' related story: 13 New Cars to Avoid.


text:
Listen to Andy talk about collecting fossils in his back garden.More about Childhood
Andy is passionate about the collections he curates and is inspired by the manner in which fossils can be used to tell us more about the natural world. He first became interested in natural history as a child, where he spent much of his free time digging for fossils in his garden. To help identify his finds, he used the Museum's enquiry service, which is still in operation today as the Angela Marmont Centre.
Andy's approach to the collections has included research into the stories behind earlier curators at the Museum and finds this a fascinating topic of study for revealing the history of a collection.
Listen to Andy talk about collecting fossils in his back garden.
Listen to Andy talk about his passion for the Museum's collections.
Find out about Andy's interview for a position at the Museum.


text:
The last time I did one of those book tour things, it was a massive endeavor that took years off my life. We're dialing it a bit back this time. (Oh, yeah, this book.)
The main reason this is smaller scale this time is because right in the middle of the "tour," I'm getting married. (Yes, after Daulerio's attempt to kill me this weekend, the wedding is still on. So we're still probably going to add some dates. If you run a bookstore (or even a bar with plenty of space and access to Mobile Libris, you should email the very nice publicist lady about setting something up. But for now, here's where this is going to start out.
May 13
St. Louis (with Bernie Miklasz)
Left Bank Books
321 N 10th Street
Saint Louis, Missouri 63101
7 p.m.
May 28
The Book Cellar
4736 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
7 p.m.
June 15
Manhattan, New York (with Sam Walker)
Barnes & Noble, Upper East Side
150 East 86th Street
New York, NY 10028
7 p.m.
June 17
Madison, Conn. (with Noah Finz)
RJ Julia
768 Boston Post Rd
Madison Center, CT 06443
7 p.m.
June 24
Barnes and Noble, Boston University
660 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02215-2066
7 p.m.
July 1
Brooklyn, New York
Varsity Letters Reading Series
JLA Studios (Official site, map)
63 Pearl St (between Water St. and Front St.)
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Next to the F train. Close to the A,C. Accessible by the 2,3.
7 p.m.
That's the skeleton for now. Hope to see you there, and remember, if you want more, here's the pitch. That is all. Hi.


text:
Earth microbes on the moon
Space Science News home
What could be worse for would-be space travelers than a catastrophic breach in their protective spacesuits, the high-tech, multilayered fabric blanket that balloons under the pressure of a life-saving flow of oxygen and insulates against the frozen harshness of deep-space vacuum?
But for some kinds of microbes, the harshness of space travel is not unlike their everyday stressful existence, the successful execution of ingenious survival tricks learned over billions of years of Earth-bound evolution.
Click the image at right for a synopsis (below) of astrobiology at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
Forthcoming anniversary
Space historians will recall that the journey to the stars has more than one life form on its passenger list: the names of a dozen Apollo astronauts who walked on the moon and one inadvertent stowaway, a common bacteria, Streptococcus mitis, the only known survivor of unprotected space travel. As Marshall astronomers and biologists met recently to discuss biological limits to life on Earth, the question of how an Earth bacteria could survive in a vacuum without nutrients, water and radiation protection was less speculative than might first be imagined. A little more than a month before the forthcoming millennium celebration, NASA will mark without fanfare the thirty year anniversary of documenting a microbe's first successful journey from Earth.
In 1991, as Apollo 12 Commander Pete Conrad reviewed the transcripts of his conversations relayed from the moon back to Earth, the significance of the only known microbial survivor of harsh interplanetary travel struck him as profound:
"I always thought the most significant thing that we ever found on the whole...Moon was that little bacteria who came back and lived and nobody ever said [anything] about it."
Left, Above: Astronaut Pete Conrad (photographed by crew mate Alan Bean) inspects Surveyor 3's camera assembly. Surveyor 3 landed on the moon on April 20, 1967, at 2.94° S, 23.34° W in Oceanus Procellarum.On Nov. 12, 1969, Conrad and Bean piloted the Apollo 12 Lunar Module (background) to a landing 156 m (512 ft) away.
Although the space-faring microbe was described in a 1970 Newsweek article, along with features in Sky and Telescope and Aviation Week and Space Technology, the significance of a living organism surviving for nearly three years in the harsh lunar environment may only now be placed in perspective, after three decades of the biological revolution in understanding life and its favored conditions.
As the lunar voyagers answered a similar question more than a century ago, in Jules Verne's classic, From the Earth to the Moon: "To those who maintain that the planets are not inhabited one may reply: You might be perfectly in the right, if you could only show that the earth is the best possible world."
The remarkable lunar survivor from Apollo 12 thus gives scientific pause.
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Three decades, the biological revolution
To a biologist, freeze-drying microbes for harsh space travel conjures up rather mundane kitchen science, a simple reenactment of how a yeast packet taken from the freezer can make bread dough rise prior to baking. But to a new breed of biologist exploring the harshest conditions on Earth, how a delicate microbe manages to counteract vacuum, boiling temperatures, burning radiation, and crushing pressures deep in the frozen icecaps is the study of life itself.
Left: Interior view of Surveyor 3 TV camera; surviving microorganisms cultured from the polyurethane foam insulation (1 mL) covering the circuit boards (upper left).
The Deep Sleep
The Surveyor probes were the first U.S. spacecraft to land safely on the Moon. In November, 1969, the Surveyor 3 spacecraft's microorganisms were recovered from inside its camera that was brought back to Earth under sterile conditions by the Apollo 12 crew.
The 50-100 organisms survived launch, space vacuum, 3 years of radiation exposure, deep-freeze at an average temperature of only 20 degrees above absolute zero, and no nutrient, water or energy source. (The United States landed 5 Surveyors on the Moon; Surveyor 3 was the only one of the Surveyors visited by any of the six Apollo landings. No other life forms were found in soil samples retrieved by the Apollo missions or by two Soviet unmanned sampling missions, although amino acids - not necessarily of biological origin - were found in soil retrieved by the Apollo astronauts.)
How this remarkable feat was accomplished only by Strep. bacteria remains speculative, but it does recall that even our present Earth does not always look as environmentally friendly as it might have 4 billion years ago when bacteria first appeared on this planet.
May 1995: Deciphering of the first complete gene of a living organism (1,749 genes of the Hemophilus influenzae bacteria). In the New York Times, Nobel Laureate and co-discoverer of the DNA double helix, James Watson said: "I think it's a great moment in science."
September 1995: Deciphering of the smallest known viable genome on the planet, Mycoplasma genitalium, giving the first genetic script of what separates life from non-life
July 1996: Deciphering of the first genome from the third "super kingdom" of life, the Archea, and the organism Methanococcus jannaschii, a deep-sea hot vent microbe, separating bacteria and eukaryotes (such as plants and animals)
1997: Deciphering the genome of the human pathogen, Helicobacter pylori, the ulcer-causing bacteria that dwells in the stomachs of half of the people on Earth
1998: Deciphering the entire microbial genome of the cause of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi
1998: Deciphering the entire microbial genome of the sulfur-metabolizing Archea, Archaeoglobus fulgidus, the industrial cause of "souring" oil wells
1998: Deciphering the microbial genome, Deinococcus radiodurans, having the remarkable capacity to withstand massive space-scale doses of over 1.5 million rads of radiation--3,000 times the dose that would kill a human in space
Culture plate from Surveyor 3 camera foam sample (1 cc volume of polyurethane foam). Samples of the microorganism (left) were sent to the US Communicable Disease Center at Atlanta, Georgia, which confirmed it as Streptococcus mitis. a common harmless bacteria from the nose, mouth and throat in humans.
The Streptococcus genus consists of Gram-positive bacteria which appear as chains under microscopic observation. Members of Streptococcus can be aerobic, anaerobic, or microaerophilic. The organisms in this genus are characterized by a coccus appearance, a thick cell wall, and aerobic action on glucose. The Surveyor foam sample was cultured in bacterial media (Thioglycollate) at 37 C. The facultative streptococci are the largest group of bacteria isolated from the oral cavity. They comprise almost 50% of the organisms isolated from plaque and the gingival sulcus. This most abundant oral streptococci are the alpha-hemolytic (Viridans) streptococci, which are part of the normal flora and symbiotically limit the growth of competing harmful bacteria in the mouth.
It has been calculated that the normal human houses about a trillion bacteria on the skin, 10 billion in the mouth, and 100 trillion in the gastrointestinal tract. The latter number is far in excess of the number of eukaryotic cells in all organs which comprise the human host. It is sometimes said quite simply that there is more of "them" than "you'' in you. The normal flora occupy available colonization sites which makes it more difficult for other microorganisms (nonindigenous species) to become established.
Left: Streptococcus genus, bacterial cells
Extremophiles: Life on the Edge
The Earth looked remarkably different when bacteria first colonized the oceans and land. Oxygen was scarce. To many early plants, cyanobacteria and anaerobic bacteria, oxygen was a poison. The thin ozone layer that currently shields intense solar radiation was largely unformed. Bacteria, originating under global conditions very different from our present day, can be thought to be space travelers already: over time the generational records of microbes have sampled swings in environment here on earth that rival the differences between today's Earth and some of the more hospitable planetary outposts. The growing list of space-hardiness conditions include:
Vacuum conditions, with bacteria taken down to near zero pressure and temperature, provided suitable care is exercised in the experimental conditions.
Pressure, with viable bacteria after exposure to pressures as high as 10 tonnes per square centimeter (71 tons/sq-in). Colonies of anaerobic bacteria have recently been recovered from depths of 7 km (4.2 mi) or more in the Earth's crust.
Heat. Archaebacteria that can withstand extreme heat have been found thriving in deep-sea hydrothermal vents and in oil reservoirs a mile underground
Radiation, including viable bacteria recovered from the interior of an operating nuclear reactor. In comparison to space, each square meter on Earth is protected by about 10 tons of shielding atmosphere.
Long preservation, including bacteria revived and cultured after some 25 million years of encapsulation in the guts of a resin-trapped bee.
"I should venture to assert, that if these worlds are habitable, they either are, have been, or will be inhabited."
Jules Verne, From the Earth to the Moon, 1877.
The streptococcus bacteria on Surveyor 3 might not be the only interplanetary microbial hitchhikers. In 1996, researchers at NASA's Johnson Space Center announced that they had found evidence of microfossils in a Mars meteorite recovered from a field of blue ice in the Antarctic.
The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon [PAH] molecules in the Allan Hills meteorite was taken as one sign that objects in the rock are microfossils. Critics claim that the PAHs are contamination from the ice.
The recent discovery of a 13th meteorite, apparently from Mars, might help is resolving the issue.
"The fact that it was found in the Sahara means that it can't possibly be contaminated with PAHs from ice," said Richard Hoover, an X-ray astronomer at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
Hoover is part of two investigations that will develop tools and techniques to prepare and examine specimens that may have life forms. He also is planning a trip to Antarctica to look for samples of life thriving under extreme conditions.
"We don't know how long this 13th rock has been in the Sahara," Hoover said, "but finding another SNC [Mars meteorite] is a very exciting result."
While long associated with rocket propulsion, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center also is deeply involved in space science research. Recently, this has expanded to include astrobiology, the study of life outside the Earth. In addition to Hoover's work, Dr. David Noever, author of this article, is developing a "D'Arcy machine," a program to help computers recognize life forms in electron microscope and other images.
NASA's mission is divided into four enterprises: Earth Science, Space Science, Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology, and Human Exploration and the Development of Space (HEDS). Marshall Space Flight Center is the designated lead center for microgravity research, under the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) enterprise in the 1998 NASA Strategic Plan. This directive answers two important scientific questions:
(NASA does not endorse material provided by external sites)
More science headlines - NASA space science research
Space physics for the third millennium - education series
A program to help computers recognize life forms in electron microscope and other images is in development; headline from June 11, 1998.
Two investigations that will develop tools and techniques to prepare and examine specimens that may have life forms; headline from May 22, 1998.
Bacteria can survive unlikely changes of environment, including the growing list of space-hardiness conditions; headline from March 5, 1998.
Allan Hills meteorite home page - Johnson Space Center
Astrobiology - NASA Ames Research Center
NASA's 1998 Strategic Plan - important missions and scientific goals
Planetary protection and exobiology - Mars 98 exploration team at JPL
Planetary Protection and Mars Sample Return were covered in an Ames Research Center workshop in 1997.
The NASA Strategic Plan of the Human Exploration and Development of Space Enterprise
These links from CyberChemics, Inc
- Scouting for Life: Prospects for our solar system
- Educator's guide to preserving bacteria
- Apollo 12 excerpt from the Lunar Surface Journal
- List of citations and related reading
- How the Surveyor 3 bacteria might have survived the moon trip
Space Settlement - artist's renderings of space colonization (America On Line)
Reston Communications has:
- Astrobiology Website
- The Whole Mars Catalog Life on Mars web site links to lots of resources.
The National Research Council offers:
- Mars Sample Return: Issues and Recommendations
- Scientific Assessment of NASA's Mars Sample-Return Mission
return to Space Science News Home
Author: David Noever
Curator: Linda Porter
NASA Official: Gregory S. Wilson


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Rapelye: Class of 2008 'the very best'
The anticipation experienced by many of those on campus as a new class enters the University is especially intense for Janet Rapelye this fall.
The class of 2008 is the first group of Princeton students she has been in charge of selecting. Rapelye, who became dean of admission in July 2003, is understandably proud.
"We were able to follow the mandates outlined by the trustees and the president to bring in the very best class," she said. "We worked at identifying intellectual curiosity and academic excellence in the candidates we admitted, and also [considered] the leadership skills, talents and personal qualities that they would bring to this campus to enrich the community life here."
Rapelye said she spent the first few months of last year's recruiting season learning the Princeton system. By the time early decision applications began arriving in the fall, she was ready to make a change by building a committee process into the review of applications.
Rapelye, who has worked in admissions at several institutions -- most recently as dean of admission at Wellesley College for 12 years -- drew upon her experience and her staff to develop a plan. "We took the best practices from other schools," she said. "We met as a staff and worked together to find the best process for Princeton."
The admission office conducted both the early decision and regular decision processes by committee, and Rapelye said she was very pleased with the way the staff dove into the difficult task of selecting 1,175 students from among more than 13,000 applications. "They were excellent readers," she said, "and that made for very solid and thoughtful, responsible and reasoned judgments about which students to admit."
Read the full story in the Weekly Bulletin . More information about the class of 2008 and the new academic year is available in a news release .
Contact: Lauren Robinson-Brown (609) 258-3601


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China succeeds in greening its economy
29 May 19 - From an appalling environmental scorecard 20 years ago, China has pioneered a global green shift towards renewable energy and recycling.
How China is redrawing the map of world science
7 May 19 - The Belt and Road Initiative, Chinas mega-plan for global infrastructure, will transform the lives and work of tens of thousands of global researchers.
Coal deals go down at Chinas green summit
1 May 19 - Investment deals emerging from Chinas belt and road summit show continued support for controversial coal projects, despite leaders green rhetoric.
China eyes nuclear fusion power by 2040
17 Apr 19 - China aims to complete and start generating power from an experimental nuclear fusion reactor by around 2040.
Chinese consumers ignore calls to eat less beef
5 Apr 19 - Despite increasing prices and evidence that too much beef is bad for health and the environment, the belief in China that eating red meat makes you strong persists and consumption is accelerating.
Can the world quench Chinas thirst for milk?
1 Apr 19 - Chinas leaders have championed milk as the emblem of a modern, affluent society but their radical plan to triple the nations consumption will have a huge environmental cost.
Chinas coal consumption on the rise
5 Mar 19 - China's use of coal increased again in 2018, raising questions about the Asian super powers green energy transition.
China eyes solar power stations in space
25 Feb 19 - China wants to be the first country to launch power stations into space that capture the Suns energy and beam it back down to Earth.
Coal mining likely cause of China emissions rise
31 Jan 19 - Satellite data collected from 2010 to 2015 show that China's methane emissions increased unabated during that period and that the increase was most likely driven by coal mining.
China returns to Edison for power solution
29 Jan 19 - Chinas response to the demand for electricity has been to use advanced transmission technology that can bridge vast distances technology that, ironically, harks back to the earliest days of...
There's no problem a billion cockroaches can't handle
18 Dec 18 - China is producing so much food waste it has had to come up with some out-of-the-box thinking like using a billion cockroaches to take care of the problem.
SILENT REVOLUTION: It's all power to the e-bus in this city
14 Dec 18 - All 16,000 buses in the fast-growing Chinese megacity of Shenzhen are now electric, and soon all 22,000 taxis will be, too.
Pure electrics shine as China shows off cars of the future
6 Dec 18 - China has seen a bumper year for electric car sales, so its no surprise that a number new energy vehicles, as EVs are referred to in China, were the stars of the Guangzhou Auto Show.
China drags chain on emissions trading scheme
28 Nov 18 - China still needs to do a lot of work before it can fully launch its long-awaited nationwide carbon emissions trading scheme.
Mangroves are on the march
23 Nov 18 - Mangrove forests could be adapting to climate change by growing beyond their usual range, according to a recent study.
China faces pressure over illegal greenhouse gases
12 Nov 18 - China will be urged to crack down on illegal CFC-11 production under an international declaration set for adoption at a meeting in Ecuador this week.
Chinese city launching own moon to save on power bill
1 Nov 18 - A private aerospace institute in China plans to launch its own moon to save money on nightime lighting in a provincial city.
What the Chinese people think about climate change
28 Sep 18 - Ninety-four per cent of the public think China should be in the Paris climate deal, although many dont know exactly what that means.
Just where on Earth is China's climate highway leading us?
20 Sep 18 - Triumph or catastrophe? Where will Chinas climate path lead us all? So far there are both hopeful moves and warning signs, a new book says.
More in the China Archive
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Honest Best Picture Posters
The Shiznit Makes Literal Posters for This Year's Nominees
I never wanted to see Black Swan until I saw these honest best picture posters. The Shiznit has given the movie posters of five of this year's best picture nominees a literal makeover. These honest best… [More]


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A Christian activist group in Raleigh is accusing a public elementary school of promoting new age religion. Partnership elementary school sponsored a presentation on stress reduction at the beginning of the school year. It included leading children through yoga-like breathing exercises. The Christian group claims the presentation was religious in nature and therefore violates the first amendment. But the presenter says she didn't break any laws. Jessica Jones reports.
Note: This story won second place in the education category of the Radio Television News Directors Association of the Carolinas contest.


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While everyone has, deservedly so, been going gaga over the picture of Earth from Saturn, astronaut Karen Nyberg tweeted a great picture from space a couple of days ago as well.
While most photos taken from the International Space Station focus on Earth, Nyberg got a great image of one of the most iconic constellations, The Big Dipper.
Here's the wide shot, which includes a beautiful slice of the Earth.
The next show provides a zoom of the constellation along with the solar panel of the International Space Station. What I really like is that you can clearly see the varying colors of the stars.
Be sure to click on the image for a full-size view.
Of note is the star at the upper-right corner of the Big Dipper, also known as Ursa Major. That's Dubhe, a giant star that's now consuming the hydrogen at its core. It has a brilliant yellowish-orange color that's different from the other, primarily blue-ish stars in the constellation.
But it's not just stars, the Milky Way Galaxy looks spectacular from space, as we can see from this time-lapse feed from the space station.
It looks like Van Gogh's starry night.
One more reason to dream about going into space …


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60 Sky Blvd., Goffs, NS, Canada, B2T 1K3
Phone: (902) 873-3000 Fax: (902) 873-3001
Supports Green Practices
"Supports Green Initiatives" designates a hotel's participation in an optional environmental program that includes the use of energy-efficient lighting, guestroom towel/linen re-use, and on-premise recycling. "Supports Green Initiatives" does not represent an official certification of any kind.
Join free while you book
There is no catch. Join for free, and get access to exclusive perks!
Access to exclusive promotions and low, member-only pricing
10 points per dollar that add up fast... for free nights, gift cards or your dream getaway
Instant extra rewards for your weekday travel
Exclusive flexible rate for Choice Privileges members when you book direct at ChoiceHotels.ca or through the Choice Hotels Mobile App. Valid at most International and U.S. Choice Hotels locations. Must be or become a Choice Privileges member prior to making the booking. Discount rate is non-transferable or redeemable for cash, cannot be used for future stays or existing reservations and may not be combined with other promotions, offers or discounts. Unless otherwise stated, quoted rates are per room, per night, based on single/double occupancy and do not include taxes, gratuities or incidental charges. Early departure fees, deposit and cancellation restrictions may apply and will vary by hotel. Not valid at vacation rental properties.
The Quality Inn® Halifax Airport is conveniently located just three minutes from the Halifax Robert L. Stanfield International Airport. Nearby points of interest include the Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum, the Casino Nova Scotia, historic downtown Halifax, Dalhousie University and Mount Saint Vincent University.
All well-appointed guest rooms and suites at this 100% non-smoking hotel have coffee makers, desks, hair dryers, irons, ironing boards, voice mail and cable television. In addition, some rooms come equipped with microwaves and refrigerators. Handicap accessible rooms are available. The on-site Wooden Door Bistro and Bar serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and room service is available.
Guests of this Goffs (Halifax) hotel enjoy value-packed amenities including free airport transportation, free wireless high-speed Internet access in all rooms and public areas, free coffee and free local calls. This pet-friendly hotel also features an indoor heated pool, hot tub and fitness centre.
Corporate travellers will appreciate the on-site business centre. Banquet and meeting facilities accommodate up to 220 people for most events and business functions.
Check-In Time: 15:00 Check-Out Time: 12:00 Guest Rooms: 156
Pet Size: 40 lbs or under. A maximum of 2 pets per room. Tax Include 2 percent Direct Marketing Fee. Completely Non Smoking Environment. 2.00(CAD) per night Airport Concession Fee will be added to all reservations.


text: My best quilt friend called me a few days ago and said I have a pretty please please challenge for you. Can you make a Civil War small quilt/wallhanging by next Friday? Yeah right, just count on me to whip one right up, but I got to thinking I have some blocks made from civil war fabrics from a class that I never did anything with. I also found this carpenters wheel block I made using some of the same left over fabrics. Here is what I have to work with. I have been half heartly arranging them in some kind of order. I think I'm going to challenge myself to do something with it and have a wall hanging done. My best quilt friend will owe me big time. LOL


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There are various videos showing various compositing features of KWin. For example, search for 'kwin_composite' at youtube.com (please keep in mind that many of those windows are old and show testing or demo effects).
There are various videos showing various compositing features of KWin. For example, search for 'kwin_composite' at youtube.com (please keep in mind that many of those windows are old and show testing or demo effects).
KWin release notes for KDE4.0
KWin, the standard KDE window manager, in KDE4.0 ships with the first version of built-in support for compositing, making it also a compositing manager. This allows KWin to provide advanced graphical effects, like for example with Compiz, while also providing all the features from previous KDE releases (such as very good intergration with the rest of KDE, advanced configurability, focus stealing prevention, well-tested window manager, robust handling of misbehaving applications/toolkits, etc.). Unlike Compiz, KWin still functions even when no system support for compositing is available, with only compositing features not being available in such case.
Previous KWin versions in later KDE3.x releases included a standalone compositing manager called kompmgr, based on the xcompmgr compositing manager. Kompmgr was only loosely tied with KWin, used only XRender for rendering and provided only basic features like transparency, shadows and fade in/out animations. Compositing manager in KWin in KDE4.0 is integrated with the rest of KWin, can use either OpenGL or XRender for rendering and has a framework for compositing effects, all these allowing KWin to provide a much wider range of features.
Note, however, that compositing support in KWin in KDE4.0 is still considered experimental, for several reasons. System support for compositing is often being problematic (various bugs in X, drivers or other parts of the system), manual configuration of X may be required for proper results (see below), some applications may not be prepared and work well with compositing, the performance may not be adequate, and other problems. Also, while KWin's compositing support is considered usable and reasonably stable, it is relatively new code and has been tested only on a limited range of hardware.
Therefore, compositing support in KWin is disabled by default, and needs to be explicitly enabled. If there will be any problems, you can disable it again (see below for troubleshooting) and report a bug with all relevant information about the problem.
Compositing support is enabled in KWin's configuration. Press Alt+F3 and select 'Configure Window Behavior'. In the configuration module, select page 'Desktop Effects' and enable checkbox 'Enable desktop effects'. After accepting the changes, a dialog with a timeout will appear, asking to confirm enabling of compositing support. If you do not confirm within the timeout, compositing support will be disabled again, therefore, if enabling compositing triggers any problems, it should be sufficient to wait several seconds before the changes are reverted. Note that after enabling or disabling compositing it is recommended to restart your KDE session in order to ensure that all applications detect the change.
If you cannot enable desktop effects, it may be because either your KDE is not built with necessary support, or more probably because your system is not capable of providing compositing support. See file COMPOSITE_HOWTO for some instructions on setting up your system. Note that there may be other factors affecting whether you do or do not have compositing support.
A quick overview of features provided by compositing manager in KWin:
There are more features that are not enabled by default and need to be explicitly enabled in the configuration.
There are various videos showing various compositing features of KWin. For example, search for 'kwin_composite' at youtube.com (please keep in mind that many of those windows are old and show testing or demo effects).
Just like with older KWin versions it is possible to use KWin also with other desktop environments or even as a standalone window manager, as long as required KDE libraries are installed. Please note that KWin is a pure window manager and does not provide a panel or handle desktop background like some window managers do. KWin's compositing features work in the standalone mode, with some functionality missing (because of missing taskbar, for example), and, while this has not been tested, it is expected that compositing features will work also when running in other desktop environments, possibly with some functionality missing again. Reports on using KWin with other desktop environments are welcome.
Compositing internally works by redirecting window drawing to offscreen memory and composing it on the screen in an additional drawing pass. This means that in general composited desktop on average has worse performance that non-composited desktop (although in some cases it may perform better, be that real improvement or just perceived one due to animations, better synchronization or similar factors). For example, binding window pixmaps to OpenGL textures (that is, preparing window contents for drawing) can be a relatively costly operation with large windows, making things like animations in Plasma desktop window or page scrolling in a maximized browser window jerky. Heavy system load can also cause the compositing manager not repaint often enough, resulting in lagging or jerky screen redrawing.
KWin in KDE4.0 is also relatively new code and has not been extensively optimized yet, therefore its performance may not be in some areas comparable with performance of other compositing managers. In such cases performance should be improved with newer versions.
Note that current XRender implementations (in X/drivers) often perform rather poorly and therefore the OpenGL mode usually should have much better performance. See below for notes on XRender mode.
Tip: Performance/smoothness with nVidia cards: Smoothness of KWin rendering can be improved by setting env.variable KWIN_NVIDIA_HACK to 1 (e.g. append 'export KWIN_NVIDIA_HACK=1' to your ~/.profile file). This sets '__GL_YIELD=NOTHING' for KWin, letting KWin use more CPU time for OpenGL operations, however at the expense of affecting performance of other applications. This is therefore disabled by default. This setting may be removed in the future if the negative impact becomes insignificant. See section 'OPENGL YIELD BEHAVIOR' in README.txt for nVidia cards.
As already said, compositing support in KWin is considered usable and reasonably stable, but due to several reasons it may not work properly for you.
If there are any problems with compositing support, the simplest option is to disable it again. KWin will normally continue functioning, only not providing compositing features. If you cannot normally turn off compositing support (for example because the screen is corrupted), you can turn it off using one of these ways:
You will probably need to switch to text mode or start failsafe session from KDM to be able to perform this.
See file COMPOSITE_HOWTO for some issues with various graphics cards.
It is possible to use XRender for compositing instead of the default OpenGL. XRender mode in general has less features, however at the moment it is also considered unstable - it has not received as much testing as OpenGL mode, some features may be incomplete and it is recommended to use the OpenGL mode if possible. Also note that current XRender implementations (in X/drivers) often perform rather poorly.
KWin provides support for writing compositing effects that may be loaded into KWin as plugins. These effects communicate with KWin core using C++ API specially designed for this purpose, making effects not directly dependent on KWin core and changes in it.
At the time of the KDE4.0 release, since compositing support is still under heavy development, this API is considered unstable and subject to change. If you write your own effect plugin, you may need to recompile it after KWin update. KWin will however detect incompatible versions and will not load such plugins (automatic, you do not need to provide any code for it). As the compositing support will become more stabilized, this API will be kept backwards and binary compatible, just like with other KDE libraries.
At the time of the KDE4.0 release, API for compositing effects is unfortunately only sparsely documented. Developers interested in writing compositing effects for KWin are suggested to use source code of effects shipped with KWin (the Howto effect in test/ directory as the starting point) and/or ask on the KWin mailing list.
Links to various KWin-related documents are available at techbase.kde.org .


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In 1953, Congress gave six states — Alaska, California, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon and Wisconsin — criminal jurisdiction over tribal members and other people on reservations. This legislation, known as PL 280, also permitted other states to opt for similar jurisdiction. Tribal consent was not required, and tribes were not consulted.
PL 280 drastically altered criminal justice in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Prior to PL 280, criminal jurisdiction was shared between federal and tribal governments, with little interference from state governments.
Consequences of PL 280. Most notably, PL 280 has had a number of negative consequences for tribes:
Public Law 280's impact on crime is largely unknown. This is because crime in associated jurisdictions is often underreported or not reported, according to a study released in 1998. The researchers examined how PL 280 has affected crime and law enforcement on reservations and made recommendations for future tribal-state relationships.
Learn more about PL 280 from an NIJ Research in Brief.
Read a
jurisdictional summary from the Criminal Resource Manual on the United States Attorneys Web page.
Forthcoming research on PL 280 will determine whether tribes:
Next section: Tribal Law Enforcement.
National Institute of Justice, 810 Seventh Street, NW, Washington, DC 20531


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As investors worry about weak economic data from Asia and signs of economic trouble in Europe, they are missing out on winning stocks that should be "obvious," said Jim Cramer on CNBC's "Mad Money."
After all, the underlying companies make products that are popular in most American homes. Shares of these companies are thriving, even amid an uncertain stock market and sluggish global economy.
To provide a few examples, Cramer highlighted an array of products he uses daily, which happen to be made by companies that currently boast very attractive stocks. He thinks each stock is worth considering.
Read on for Cramer's 10 Stocks You Might Have Overlooked