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TOKYO (AP) — Showing solidarity with Japan, President Barack Obama affirmed Thursday that the U.S. would be obligated to defend Tokyo in a confrontation with Beijing over a set of disputed islands, but urged all sides to resolve the long-running dispute peacefully.
Wading cautiously into a diplomatic minefield, Obama insisted the U.S. takes no position on whether the islands in the East China Sea are ultimately in the dominion of China or Japan. But he noted that historically Japan has administered the islands, triggering America's treaty obligations to defend its ally should tensions escalate militarily.
"We do not believe that they should be subject to change unilaterally," Obama said at a news conference with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "What is a consistent part of the alliance is that the treaty covers all territories administered by Japan."
The dispute over the islands, called Senkaku by Japan and Diaoyu by China, has badly strained relations between the two Asian powers. Although Obama has sought to avoid getting dragged in to territorial disputes an ocean away, Japan and other U.S. allies see the disputes through the broader lens of China's growing influence in Asia, where Obama arrived Wednesday at the start of a four-nation, eight-day tour.
China is not on Obama's itinerary, but concerns about the Asian powerhouse are trailing the president nonetheless. Beijing is watching closely for signs that U.S. is seeking to limit China's rise, while smaller nations are looking to Obama for affirmations that his vaunted push to increase U.S. influence in Asia hasn't petered out.
Obama's advisers insist that the trip — and the White House's broader Asia policy — is not designed to counter China's growing power, and they say the president is not asking Asian nations to choose between allegiance to Washington or Beijing.
"We want to continue to encourage the peaceful rise of China," Obama said.
Seeking to inject fresh urgency into trade talks, Obama said the time is now to resolve issues hindering completion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The U.S. has been leading the 12-nation negotiations, but an end-of-2013 deadline was missed and there are few signs of progress toward resolving conflicts with Japan over tariffs and access to Japan's auto market.
At the same time, as Obama pressed his case in Tokyo, he was unable to convey the full backing of Congress, which would have to ratify any such pact. Lawmakers, including many of Obama's Democratic allies, have thus far refused to give Obama the fast-track authority needed to ensure an up-or-down vote on the final agreement.
"Abe's got to deal with his politics, I've got to deal with mine," Obama said.
On the island dispute, Obama encouraged the parties to work through the issue "through dialogue" and urged both sides to "keep the rhetoric low." He downplayed the U.S. commitment to defend Japan as a matter of historical fact rather than a rebuke to China.
"The treaty between the U.S. and Japan preceded my birth, so obviously this isn't the red line that I'm drawing," the president said.
China has said it firmly opposes the application of the U.S.-Japan treaty to the dispute over the islands, which sit in strategically important waters to China's east. China's government said this week that "the so-called Japan-U.S. alliance" should not harm China's territorial rights, urging the U.S. to play a constructive role in promoting regional stability.
Abe said he and Obama agreed to cooperate on engagement with China and other issues, including Okinawa, where the U.S. military presence remains a source of tensions. "The Japan-U.S. alliance is more robust than ever before," Abe said through a translator.
Addressing another source of tension in the region, Obama said he's not optimistic North Korea will change its behavior in the near future. But he said he's confident that by working with Japan, South Korea and others — especially China — the U.S. can apply more pressure so that "at some juncture they end up taking a different course."
Underscoring his concerns about Pyongyang's behavior, Obama met Thursday with relatives of Japanese citizens that the White House said were abducted by North Korea. Obama recommitted to working with Japan to address the North's "deplorable treatment of its own people," the White House said.
Later Thursday, Obama planned to return to the Imperial Palace for a state dinner. He also planned to visit the Meiji Shrine, which honors the emperor whose reign saw Japan emerge from over two centuries of isolation to become a world power.
Obama's Asia swing is aimed at reaffirming his commitment to the region even as the crisis in Ukraine demands U.S. attention and resources elsewhere. The ominous standoff between Ukraine and Russia threated to overshadow the trip as the president weighs whether to levy new economic sanctions on Moscow.
The president's stops in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines serve as something of a do-over after he canceled a visit to Asia last fall because of the U.S. government shutdown. The cancellation provided fresh fodder for those in the region who worry that the White House's much-hyped pivot to Asia is continually taking a backseat to other foreign and domestic priorities.
Obama began his day with a call on Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace, a lush, park-like complex surrounded by modern skyscrapers where he was greeted by a military honor guard and children holding U.S. and Japanese flags. After taking in the scene, the president, emperor and empress walked along a maze of red carpet into the palace for a private meeting, with U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and other aides trailing behind.
When Obama pointed out that the last time he met the emperor, he didn't yet have any gray hairs, the emperor offered the president a gracious excuse: "You have a very hard job."
Associated Press writers Darlene Superville and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, and Zhao Liang in Beijing contributed to this report.
Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC


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Chasing Shadows, Part Deja Vu
[alarm clock clicking to 6:00 AM]
[Sonny & Cher caterwauling to I Got You, Babe]
Ok, Campers, rise and shine! 'Cuz it's Groundhog Day!
Or, as Brenda here knows it:
"Did I do that?"
...drive around town with Bill Murray looking for a weather forecaster who has no shadow. Which I think makes the weather forecaster a vampire.
Ah, American holidays*.
Today is also the day when we find out if winter will end soon or not.
Yeah. Good luck with that, every-state-but-Florida.
So, unless shadowless weather forecasters are run over by rodent and celebrity driven automobiles, I'd say most of you are due to see a lot more of this:
"Squashed octopodes?"
Er, no. I mean this:
"Blue crabs?"
No, no, no!
[crickets chirping]
Oh, never mind.
Happy Grounn Dhog Day, y'all.
Thanks to Brenda M., M.Z., Melissa B., Saundra, Karen C., Jamie, & Kevin H., who would like to remind you to never drive angry. Especially with a quadruped.
See you tomorrow, campers!
*Actually, I hear Canadians celebrate Groundhog Day, too. Except their vampire weather forecasters use beavers** to raise the stakes. [insert beaver joke here] [insert 'BWAHAHAHA!' here] [insert apology for beaver joke here]
**May or may not be entirely untrue.

subset: commoncrawl


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Who Are the Greenest Presidents in U.S. History?
Event Date:September 18, 2012 - 9:30am
Location:National Press Club | Washington, DC
On Tuesday, September 18, Worldwatch Institute President Robert Engelman will join Corporate Knights for the announcement of its Greenest U.S. Presidents ranking. "The results of the ranking, the first to be determined by top environmentalists themselves, will show that protection of our natural world has a long tradition with both Democrats and Republicans," writes the magazine. The ranking and an associated feature story will be available to read in the upcoming issue of Corporate Knights, distributed in the Washington Post and available for download on iTunes via the App Store.
Speakers include:
- Toby Heaps, CEO, and Tyler Hamilton, Editor-In-Chief, of Corporate Knights
- Erich Pica, President, Friends of Earth
- Joe Romm, publisher, Climate Progress
- Ralph Nader, founder, Public Citizen
- Robert Engelman, President, Worldwatch Institute
Join us on September 18 at 9:30 am at:
The Lisgar Room | National Press Club
529 14th St. NW
Washington, D.C.


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Broker configuration properties related to file-based persistence are listed under File-Based Persistence Properties. These properties let you configure various aspects of how the file-based data store behaves.
All persistent data other than messages is stored in separate files: one file each for destinations, durable subscriptions, and transaction state information. Most messages are stored in a single file consisting of variable-size records. You can compact this file to alleviate fragmentation as messages are added and removed (see Managing Physical Destination Disk Utilization). In addition, messages above a certain threshold size are stored in their own individual files rather than in the variable-sized record file. You can configure this threshold size with the broker property imq.persist.file.message.max_record_size.
The broker maintains a file pool for these individual message files: instead of being deleted when it is no longer needed, a file is returned to the pool of free files in its destination directory so that it can later be reused for another message. The broker property imq.persist.file.destination.message.filepool.limit specifies the maximum number of files in the pool. When the number of individual message files for a destination exceeds this limit, files will be deleted when no longer needed instead of being returned to the pool.
When returning a file to the file pool, the broker can save time at the expense of storage space by simply tagging the file as available for reuse without deleting its previous contents. You can use the imq.persist.file.message.filepool.cleanratio broker property to specify the percentage of files in each destination's file pool that should be maintained in a "clean" (empty) state rather than simply marked for reuse. The higher you set this value, the less space will be required for the file pool, but the more overhead will be needed to empty the contents of files when they are returned to the pool. If the broker's imq.persist.file.message.cleanup property is true, all files in the pool will be emptied at broker shutdown, leaving them in a clean state; this conserves storage space but slows down the shutdown process.
In writing data to the data store, the operating system has some leeway in whether to write the data synchronously or "lazily" (asynchronously). Lazy storage can lead to data loss in the event of a system crash, if the broker believes the data to have been written to the data store when it has not. To ensure absolute reliability (at the expense of performance), you can require that all data be written synchronously by setting the broker property imq.persist.file.sync.enabled to true. In this case, the data is guaranteed to be available when the system comes back up after a crash, and the broker can reliably resume operation.


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Coney Island visitors Thursday got a surprise when superstar singer Beyonce showed up to ride the historic Cyclone roller coaster.
Police officers and private security detail were seen stationed near the park entrance, and a videographer left the park with her.
Beyonce was seen smiling and raising her arms as the coaster dipped, and fans screamed as they watched her.
"I started freaking out because I'm in love with Beyonce," said Ella Sklaw of Brooklyn, a young fan.
"It's very exciting," said Shawnette Duncan, also of Brooklyn. "She came to Brooklyn. Beyonce came to Brooklyn!"
The singer left shortly after the ride was over, waving at fans before getting into her SUV.


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On relationships and marriage: "I obviously have a lot to say right now...I'm a woman who likes to be courted–strongly. Never say never, I guess you'd say. I'll let love take the lead on that."
Read the full interview in our September issue on newsstands August 14!
On her career: "I love what I do, and when I don't love what I do, I'll make a change...I can't be the candy queen forever."
On being a role model: "I have no regrets...I'm not going to be everything to everyone. I can't tell a person when it's time for them to have sex. Or if they should have a cigarette...But I try to live my life with a lot of integrity, and, hopefully, that sends a message."


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Elisa Wilson Jeffrey is a 36 years old man who started donating blood in March 2005 when he was 26 years and has since donated 45 times.
He started donating blood when he was working with SR Nicholas. "An MBTS official gave a motivation talk regarding blood donation, I was moved with compassion and since then I have been donating at least 3 to 4 times a year" narrates Mr Jeffrey.
Mr. Jeffrey continued to say that so many people discouraged him, then being a young man and just married that blood donation will interfere with his married life and won't be able to bear children.
"I would like to tell all the young people and everyone out there that I am a family man been married for 11 years to my beautiful wife and we have two children; Tione and Joana both of them were born after I had already started donating blood. It is just a myth that blood donation disrupt reproduction, there is no connection whatsoever "explains Jeffrey.
Mr. Jeffrey is proud to be a blood donor because since he started donating blood none of his relations has ever been in need of blood and he is thankful to the almighty God for this. He believes God blesses those who give bountifully without grumbling. He knows however that if at all a need for blood arises in his family MBTS is there and will be assisted promptly.
He doesn't see himself stopping this noble cause until he gets to 65 years. He added to say that he is encouraged to keep his blood safe by not indulging in risky behaviors because blood donation has become part of his life.
"Blood transfusion is the best thing that has ever occurred to a patient in need of blood as it is a gift of life. I feel good and proud to be part of this noble course. Every time I donate blood I visualize someone out there being saved from an early grave" explains Mr. Jeffrey.
If only Malawi could have 30,000 people like Mr. Jeffrey who would be donating at least 3 times a year, we wouldn't be talking of Blood shortages in our hospitals because our yearly target would be surpassed.
Related links
Thank you for saving life
Blood makes up around 7% of the weight of a human body
By donating one pint of blood four lives can be saved
Half your body's red blood cells are replaced every seven days


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Fred Kent is a leading authority on revitalizing city spaces and one of the foremost thinkers in livability, smart growth and the future of the city. As founder of Project for Public Spaces, he is known throughout the world as a dynamic speaker and prolific ideas man. Traveling over 150,000 miles each year, Fred offers technical assistance to communities and gives major talks across North America and internationally. Each year, he and the PPS staff give presentations or train more than 10,000 people in placemaking techniques. Since 1975, Fred has worked on hundreds of projects, including Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center, and Times Square in New York City; Discovery Green in Houston, TX; Campus Martius in Detroit, MI; Main Street in Littleton, NH; Granville Island in Vancouver, BC, Canada; and a City-wide placemaking campaign in Chicago, IL. In addition to projects, Fred has led trainings across the world for audiences such as the Urban Redevelopment Agency and the National Parks Board in Singapore, representatives from the City of Hong Kong, the Ministry of Environment in Norway, the leading Dutch transportation organization in the Netherlands, Greenspace in Scotland, UK, numerous transportation professionals from US State DOTs, and thousands of community and neighborhood groups across the US.
Before founding PPS, Fred studied with Margaret Mead and worked with William H. Whyte on the Street Life Project, assisting in observations and film analysis of corporate plazas, urban streets, parks and other open spaces in New York City. The research resulted in the now classic, The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, published in 1980, which laid out conclusions based on decades of meticulous observation and documentation of human behavior in the urban environment. In 1968, Fred founded the Academy for Black and Latin Education (ABLE), a street academy for high school dropouts. In 1970, and again in 1990, Fred was the coordinator and chairman of New York City's Earth Day.
Most recently, Fred has led some of the largest projects at PPS including Cape Town Waterfront, Crystal City in Alexandria, VA., Museumplein in Amsterdam, Downtown Detroit, Harvard University's main plaza, and Harvard Square for Cambridge and Harvard. He has also overseen major projects with Southwest Airlines as part of the Heart of the Community campaign. A recent partnership between PPS, UN Habitat, and The Ax:son Johnson Foundation has resulted in a global campaign (The Future of Places) and the establishment of a Placemaking Leadership Council aimed at bringing placemaking to countries around the world. Fred has also been intimately involved with the expansion of placemaking into a global agenda, helping to achieve a level of international engagement that rivals other major international development efforts. With over 150,000 people around the world following the work of PPS through emails, Twitter and Facebook, he has witnessed interest in placemaking grow exponentially.
Fred has taken over half a million photographs of public spaces and their users, which have appeared in exhibits, publications and articles.
B.A. Economics, Columbia University
Masters in Urban Geography, Columbia University
Fred has participated in a number of interviews that help tell the story of PPS's work and growth in the Placemaking movement:
*Fred Kent, founder of Project for Public Spaces, has retired. The Board and staff of PPS wish to thank Fred for his pioneering work in placemaking over more than four decades; for his leadership and service to the many individuals and communities who have benefitted from his vision. Fred is followed by CEO Phil Myrick, who will continue to advance the PPS mission of helping people everywhere to create and sustain public spaces that build strong communities. We wish Fred all the best, and we are committed to building on the global movement that Fred has started — and to "turning everything upside-down in order to turn it right-side up."


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Figure 1: A diet of plants causes the fewest animals to be killed. Leaving chickens and eggs out of our diets will have the greatest effect on reducing the suffering and death caused by what we eat.
IntroductionIn a 2003 article in the Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, Steven Davis advanced the argument that fewer animals would be harmed if we consumed a diet containing large herbivores (namely cattle) fed on pasture than if we consumed a vegan diet, based on his calculation that more wild animals would be killed in crop harvesting than in producing food from a ruminant-pasture-forage system[1]. Gaverick Matheny identified a crucial error in Davis's calculation: it assumed that equal amounts of land will produce equal amounts of food from crops or from animals on pasture[2]. In fact, an amount of land will produce much more food when used to grow crops for direct human consumption than when used to raise cattle, provided it is suitable for growing crops. Once Matheny corrected the calculation, Davis's argument made the case for, rather than against, a vegan diet, given an objective to cause the least amount of animal death. Davis's argument was also criticized by Andy Lamey, who pointed out that the case that Davis makes for the numbers of animals being killed by harvesting activity is weak, as his numbers included animals who were killed by predators, and that the argument overlooks ways that humans can be harmed or killed by beef production but not vegetable production[3].
The idea that a vegan diet kills as many or more animals than a meat-based diet is sometimes used as a rationalization for consuming meat, and this idea serves to add uncertainty to the ethical case for a plant-based diet. In an attempt to help clear up this uncertainty, I have made estimates of the number of animals killed directly by slaughter as well as through crop harvesting in order to produce one million food calories from eight different categories of food, shown in Figure 1. One million calories is an annual calorie intake for someone consuming 2740 calories / day, so the numbers would reflect an annual number of animals killed if all one million calories came from the same category. Of course, no one eats this way, but what is important is the number of animals killed per calorie. If you could determine what percentage of calories in a complete diet came from each category, you could determine a number of animals killed for that diet. To do this, you would probably need a more complete list of food categories than the eight presented here. Figure 1 shows that more animals may be killed for beef than for pork when animals killed in harvest are taken into account. However, compared to beef, more of the animals killed for pork are raised on factory farms, and most of the animals killed for beef are free wild animals who we can assume had natural lives and were killed relatively quickly by farm machinery. Pigs raised on factory farms suffer castration, tail removal, and having their teeth cut with no painkillers. They also suffer intensive confinement in barren crates, physical abuse, and transport without food and water through all weather conditions. Undercover investigations have exposed that pigs suffer astonishing cruelties[4]. Figure 1 also shows that the number of animals killed for dairy products may be relatively small compared to other animal-derived foods, but animals forced to give milk for dairy products suffer a great deal, and this suffering is not something that can be quantified in a chart. Dairy cows are repeatedly artificially inseminated to keep them producing milk, and their calves are taken away from them within 48 hours of birth. This is traumatic for both the mother and the calf. Many dairy cows also suffer tail docking mutilations, and mastitis infections of their udders. Undercover investigations have shown sick dairy cows living in miserable conditions[5]. Based on this estimation, someone with a desire to modify their diet to reduce the number of animals killed for their food, or someone who is interested in gradually moving towards a plant-based diet for ethical reasons should start by removing chicken and eggs from their diet, but the most animal suffering and death can be prevented by following a vegan diet.
MethodsTwo categories of animal deaths were examined: animals slaughtered directly for food, and animals killed in the harvesting of crops. There are other possible sources of animal death associated with our diets, such as predators killed in defense of livestock, animals prevented from existing by the destruction of their habitat, and human deaths from food poisoning, disease, or accidents on farms or in slaughterhouses. It is likely that these other sources of animal death would increase the numbers of animals killed for animal-derived foods more than they would increase the numbers of animals killed for plant-derived foods, and would not significantly affect the conclusions presented here. To determine the number of animals directly killed to obtain one million human-edible calories from animal carcasses, the following formula was used:
where na is the number of animals killed, ct is the target number of food calories, ca is the number of calories per kilogram of each food, y is the yield of live weight to edible weight, and w is the average live weight of the animal. Calories per kilogram for each food were obtained from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, accessed through www.wolframalpha.com. Carcass yields were obtained from Wulf[6] and Kokoszynski[7] Average live weights were obtained from USDA statistics[8][9]. To determine the number of animals directly killed to obtain one million human-edible calories for eggs, the following formula was used:
where na is the number of animals, ct is the target number of food calories, ca is the calories per egg, ny is the number of years each bird lays eggs for, and ne is the number of eggs laid per year per animal[10]. So, na is the number of chickens it takes to lay ct food calories of eggs. Once these chickens have reached the end of their economic usefulness (after ny years), they are killed. This number is then multiplied by two, as hatcheries that breed chickens for egg-laying ability kill the males at birth because they have no economic use. If it is assumed that half of the chicks are born male, then this doubles the number of animal deaths associated with egg production, because for every egg-laying hen, there will be two deaths. In the United States in 2008, 467,242,000 egg-type chicks were hatched[11]. If half of these were male, then 233,621,000 male chicks were killed in hatcheries at birth. Egg-laying hens are not bred for meat, so those who are slaughtered have low carcass yields, and yield low-quality meat that may go into soups or other processed foods for human consumption. They may also be buried on site, or ground up and added to livestock feed. If the meat from the spent layers were counted as "egg calories," and if the contribution to human-edible foods from the flesh of spent layer hens could be estimated, then this could account for a proportion of the one million calorie total and reduce the number of animals killed to get one million calories. For the purposes of this project, I have only included the number of animals killed to get one million calories directly from eggs, and estimated chicken meat separately. A similar formula was used to determine the number of animals killed to produce one million calories of milk, taking into account the number of years a dairy cow is typically used for milk, average kilograms of milk given per year per cow, and the number of calories per kilogram of milk. Dairy cows are impregnated three times in their 4-year life so that they keep giving milk, and their calves must be taken away so that we can collect the milk for ourselves. The female calves become more dairy cows, and the males, having no economic value as a dairy breed, are raised for veal. The deaths of veal calves (if we assume half of the calves are male, this would add 1.5 deaths per dairy cow) are not included in this total. If their deaths were counted, then their human-edible calories would also have to be counted as "milk calories." For the purposes of this project, I have only counted calories directly from milk. It would be possible to estimate veal as a separate category, but I have not done so for the purposes of this project.
To produce fruits, vegetables, and grains, it is not necessary to kill any animals directly. However, there probably are some wild animals killed in the process of planting and harvesting plant-based foods on a large scale. Some possible causes of these deaths are farm machinery such as harvesters, ploughs, or tractors, chemical pesticides, or direct poisoning or trapping of animals who pose a threat to the crops. As Davis puts it, "Although accurate estimates of the total number of animals killed by different agronomic practices from plowing to harvesting are not available, some studies show that the numbers are quite large." Davis draws his estimates from a study done on field mice in England[12], and from a study done on sugarcane fields in Hawaii. In the English study, 33 field mice were fitted with radio collars and tracked before and after harvest. The researchers found that only 3 percent of them were actually killed by the combine harvester (amounting to one mouse). An additional 52 percent of them (17 mice) were killed following harvest by predators such as owls and weasels, possibly due to their loss of the crop cover. It is unknown how many of these mice would have been eaten by owls or weasels anyway. I was able to find two additional studies on the effect of harvest on wild animal populations. One study done in Argentina measured small mammal densities in a corn and a wheat field, and in surrounding border areas before and after harvest. The researchers found that there were lower densities of small mammals in the crops after harvest, and comparable higher densities in the surrounding areas, which may indicate a level of escape from the harvested fields[13]. Another study that measured small mammal densities in South Dakota corn fields and neighboring areas did not find a significant difference in the density of small mammals before and after harvest[14]. This study also did not have a large sample size (88 animals). I am not aware of any data that exists that would support a national average of number of animals killed per area land due to crop harvesting activity. Even if no data exists on the number of animals killed due to harvesting crops, we can still draw meaningful comparisons between different food categories by using a constant estimate of number of animals killed per acre for different types of land, and then determining how many acres of each type of land it takes to produce the same amount of food in each category. Davis estimates that 15 wild animals per hectare per year are killed as a result of harvesting annual crops, and guesses that maybe half that, or 7.5 animals per hectare per year, are killed on grazed land with managed perennial forage. He does this by averaging a mortality rate from the English mouse study (including animals killed by predators in the week following harvest), and a mortality rate from a study of a number of rats killed in sugarcane harvesting. Even though these numbers may be inaccurate, I think that until better data is available, it is reasonable to use Davis's estimates for the sake of comparing different categories of food. A 2006 Cornell University study on the land requirements of complete diets in New York State determined the average amount of land required to produce one human edible calorie of various categories of food[15]. It is important to point out that this study is for food produced within New York State only, and while it might be useful to apply the results to regions with similar climates, soil quality, and other characteristics as New York State, the results would differ for other climates and for a national average. Another 2006 study conducted in the Netherlands estimated land required to produce one kilogram of beef, chicken, and pork based on world average crop yields and on the world's highest crop yields[16]. The amount of land required to produce a given quantity of food can vary greatly depending on many factors,
including region, climate, seeds, growing methods, and soil quality. The data in the Cornell study and the Netherlands study concurred that it takes about 30 percent as much land to produce the same number of calories from chicken as it does from beef. On pork, the studies differed. The Cornell study calculated that it takes about 23 percent of the land to get the same number of calories from pork as it does from beef, and the Netherlands study came up with 44 percent for the world average, and 40 percent if the highest worldwide crop yields are used. For the sake of determining the number of animals killed in harvesting activities, Figure 1 uses the land requirements determined in the Cornell study, because even though they are only for New York State, they give an indication of the relative land requirements of different food categories.
DiscussionOne conclusion of the Cornell study was that meat generally increases land requirements of a diet, but diets including a small amount of meat could result in less land required per capita than some high-fat vegetarian diets (that include milk and eggs) because of cattle converting forage on land unsuitable for crops into human-edible calories. It is probably true that raising ruminant animals on pasture unsuitable for crops would increase the total amount of humanedible calories in the food supply, but it is critical to point out that chicken, pork, and at least 85 percent of beef is fattened in a feedlot on corn grown on land that could be divided between growing food for direct human consumption and wildlife habitats[17]. The gain of human edible calories achieved by grazing cattle is not much of a benefit considering that there is enough suitable cropland to grow enough calories to feed everyone without the additional calories gained from raising cattle on pasture, and that cattle grazing has an environmental cost. Cattle are a non-native species to the United States, and cattle grazing is destructive to the environment in numerous ways, including soil loss to erosion, reduced survival of seedling trees, and loss of species diversity[18]. The results of this estimation show that a diet that includes animal products will result in more animal deaths than a plant-based diet with the same number of calories. The production of chicken meat results in vastly more animal deaths than any other category of food. Based on this estimation, someone wanting to modify their eating habits in order to reduce animal suffering and death should start by removing chicken from their diet, then eggs. Although beef may cause more animal deaths than pork, pork probably causes more suffering, because most of the beef-related deaths are wild animals, and in comparison, a greater number of the pork-related deaths are factory farmed animals. The most animal suffering and death can be prevented by following a vegan diet.
Notes1. Davis, Steven L. "The Least Harm Principle May Require That Humans Consume a Diet Containing Large Herbivores, Not a Vegan Diet," Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 16, no. 4 (2003): 387-394.^ 2. Matheny, Gaverick. "Least Harm: A Defense of Vegetarianism From Steven Davis's Omnivorous Proposal," Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 16 (2003): 505-511.^ 3. Lamey, Andy. "Food Fight! Davis versus Regan on the Ethics of Eating Beef," Journal of Social Philosophy 38, no. 2 (2007): 331-348.^
4. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "Mother Pigs and Piglets Abused by Hormel Supplier," retrieved October 17, 2009 from https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1131^ 5. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "Undercover Investigation Reveals Cows Suffer for Land O'Lakes," retrieved October 17, 2009 from https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2515^ 6. Wulf, Duane M. "Did the Locker Plant Steal Some of My Meat?" South Dakota State University Department of Animal and Range Sciences Meat Science Extension and Research. Retrieved October 7, 2009 from http://ars.sdstate.edu/MeatSci/May991.htm.^ 7. Kokoszynski, Dariusz and Berkacki, Zenon. "Comparison of Slaughter Yield and Carcass Tissue Composition in Broiler Chickens of Various Origin." Journal of Central European Agriculture Vol. 9, (2008).^ 8. USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service. (2009). Poultry Slaughter 2008 Annual Summary. Retrieved October 7, 2009 from http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/PoulSlauSu/PoulSlauSu-02-252009.pdf.^ 9. USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service. (2009). Livestock Slaughter 2008 Annual Summary. Retrieved October 7, 2009 from http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/LiveSlauSu/LiveSlauSu-03-062009.pdf.^ 10. Calories per egg was obtained from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, accessed through www.wolframalpha.com. Egg-laying hens spend about 19 months laying eggs before slaughter: USDA/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services. National Animal Health Monitoring System. (2000). Layers '99. Part II: Reference of 1999 Table Egg Layer Management in the U.S. Retrieved December 16, 2008. page 23: The average age of laying hens entering battery cages is 17.5 weeks. Page 29: The average age of laying hens at slaughter is 101.5 weeks. 101.5-17.5 = 84 weeks, or about 19 months. Number of eggs laid per year per animal obtained from USDA Chickens and Eggs 2008 Summary.^ 11. USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service. (2009). Chickens and Eggs 2008 Summary. Retrieved October 7, 2009 from http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/ChickEgg/ChickEgg-02-26-2009.pdf.^ 12. Tew, E. and Macdonald, D. W. "The Effects of Harvest on Arable Wood Mice Apodemus Sylvaticus," Biological Conservation 65 (1993): 279-83.^ 13. Cavia, Regino, Gmez Villafae, Isabel E., Cittadino, Alejandro, Bilenca David N., Mio, Mariela H., Busch, Mara. "Effects of cereal harvest on abundance and spatial distribution of the rodent Akodon azarae in central Argentina," Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment 107 (2005): 95-99.^ 14. Pinkert, Melissa K., Meerbeek, Jonathan R., Scholten, George D., and Jenks, Jonathan A., "Impact of Crop Harvest on Small Mammal Populations in Brookings County, South Dakota," Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Science, Vol. 81 (2002): 39-45.^ 15. Peters, Christian J., Wilkins, Jennifer L., Fick, Gary W., "Testing a complete-diet model for estimating the land resource requirements of food consumption and agricultural carrying capacity: The New York State example," Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems: 22(2) (2006): 145-153.^ 16. Elferink, E.V., Nonhebel, S., "Variations in Land Requirements for Meat Production," Journal of Cleaner Production 15 (2007): 1778-1786.^
17. Calculated from USDA NASS quickstats. In 2008, total non-dairy beef cattle slaughter totaled 31,213,900. Total feedlot marketings totaled 26,449,000, or 85% of total beef cattle slaughter.^ 18. Jones, Allison, "Effects of cattle grazing on North American arid ecosystems: a quantitative review," Western North American Naturalist 60 (2), (2000): 155-164.^http://www.animalvisuals.org/projects/data/1mc


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"Would you like a fork topping to go with your chopsticks?" asked the Swiss waiter.
Leave it to the Swiss to think of inventive alternatives to standard cutlery sets. Jacob and I ate with another friend at the Swiss House last week, one of the few Olympic houses open to the public. On the table when we sat down were fork heads and chopsticks to attach them to.
Nevermind that none of the food on the menu, including fois gras terrine, charcuterie, and spätzle, is typically eaten with chopsticks. They seem to be out simply as chinoiserie, a tiny homage to the host country, perhaps. (Like the orange rice paddy hats some Dutch fans are wearing at their Holland House, except less likely to be misconstrued.) But the novelty kept us amused and snapping photos for the first part of the evening.
Back home, I searched in vain for fork toppings online, but the closest thing I could find was the Chork and an round-up of inventive chopsticks. Has anyone seen these toppers elsewhere? Or I can return to the Swiss House to ask where to buy them, and have more charcuterie and molten chocolate cake at the same time.


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2011 International Green Energy Economy Conference
Green Communities: Solar Cities
Moderator: Kristen Hughes, Center for Energy and Environmental Policy, University of Delaware
- Jong-dall Kim, President, International Solar Cities Initiative, Kyungpook National University, Korea: "Institutionalization of Solar Cities Movement"
- Francis Hodsoll, President, E&E Frontiers: "The Dover SUN Park: A 10 MW Solar Farm with the Benefits of a Distributed System and a Community Approach"
- Alexander Ochs, Director of Climate and Energy, Worldwatch Institute, "The Fastest Growing Energy Technology: The Solar Energy Success Story – and How to Write the Next Good Chapter"
Renewable capacity now comprises about a quarter of total global power-generating capacity and supplies close to 20% of global electricity, with developing countries' share more than half of the world's renewable energy. Over the course of the last five years, no other energy source has seen the growth rates of solar power. While solar has increased by more than 50%, and wind and biofuels by a full quarter, growth rates of all fossil fuels are in the low single digits, and nuclear's growth is negative. This presentation puts the latest trends from the recently released REN21-Worldwatch 2011 Renewables Global Status Report in perspective, and explores what is possible and what is needed for solar energy to reach its full potential while emphasising the city and community initiatives sprouting everywhere.


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Moderators: Three Stars, dagny, pfim, netwolf
Benny Fitz wrote:anyone have a handy list of remaining defenses?
Kraftster wrote:This starts the final round, right? Troy, when will you need the draft to be complete in order to input the rosters?
Sam's Drunk Dog wrote:As a reminder Hammer has the pick after Idoit from a trade.
Kraftster wrote:Troy, are you able to set Malk's roster. He's in Mexico or somewhere and cannot do so. I don't want the cheap win.
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CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) Mike Groselle scored a season-high 24 points, P.J. Horgan had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and The Citadel held off Wofford 69-63 in a Southern Conference game on Thursday night, snapping an 11-game losing streak against the Terriers.
Matt Van Scyoc scored 10 points and Marshall Harris III had 10 assists with six points for the Bulldogs (5-15, 2-8). Groselle also had seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Karl Cochran had 15 points, Spencer Collins 14 and Lee Skinner 12 for Wofford (8-14, 2-7).
The Citadel took the lead for good at 43-42 on Van Scyoc's two free throws with 14:37 remaining.
The Bulldogs built it to 58-49 with 8:31 to go, but the Terriers closed to 66-63 on Skinner's layup at the 1:20 mark.
The Citadel shot 55.6 percent from the field (26 of 46) to Wofford's 39.6 (24 of 61).


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COMMERCE CITY Colo. (From MLS Reports) - In his annual State of the League address on Monday Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber touted this year's rookie class including defenders A.J. DeLaGarza and Omar Gonzalez who have helped lead the Los Angeles Galaxy to its fifth MLS Cup appearance.
Many of those other players members of the league's Generation adidas will get to showcase their abilities in an 11-day trip to South Africa later this month.
Rapids midfielder Ciaran O'Brien and defender Rob Valentino will be representing Colorado on the roster.
The players 18 of the top young players in MLS will play in three friendlies against Premier Soccer League reserves attend the World Cup 2010 official draw in Cape Town and tour Nelson Mandela's House in Soweto Soccer City Stadium and the Apartheid Museum.
Last year the Generation adidas players went on an eight-day tour of London where they played three matches against English Premier League reserve teams trained at Chelsea academy and attended both an EPL and a Champions League match.
O'Brien and Valentino were both members of the Generation adidas 2008 squad as well as Valentino was a member of the New England Revolution at the time.
In 2007 the group went on a two-week tour of Madrid while the group also trained in England in 2006.
The team will be comprised of Kansas City Wizards teammates Chance Myers and Roger Espinoza Brek Shea Peri Marosevic Bruno Guarda Eric Avila and Josh Lambo from FC Dallas Colorado Rapids teammates Ciaran O'Brien and Rob Valentino Patrick Nyarko and Baggio Husidic from the Chicago Fire as well as Jeremy Hall from the New York Red Bulls New England Revolution rookie Kevin Alston Toronto FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei Tony Beltran from Real Salt Lake Danny Cruz of Houston Dynamo and D.C. United teammates Chris Pontius and Rodney Wallace.
Pontius and Frei were both finalists for MLS Rookie of the Year won last week by Gonzalez.


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After claiming a pair of wins over the weekend, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (2W-0L-0D) wrap up their schedule in Group One at the Disney Pro Soccer Classic by taking on MLS Eastern Conference side Sporting Kansas City (0W-0L-2D) at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday at 3 p.m. PT.
Martin Rennie's squad (3W-0L-2D in preseason) looked impressive in victories over a pair of MLS clubs. Last Friday night, the Blue and White defeated Canadian rivals and MLS expansion side Montreal Impact 3-0 before earning a 1-0 victory over defending Eastern Conference champions Houston Dynamo on Sunday. With two wins from two matches, Whitecaps FC have assured themselves a spot in Saturday's final as Group One winners.
With a week-and-a-half left before MLS First Kick versus Montreal at BC Place on Saturday, March 10, Whitecaps FC have the opportunity to test themselves against last season's top side in the Eastern Conference standings. With two more preseason matches to come on the weekend, it will be interesting to see how Rennie and his coaching staff approach this midweek contest.
Vancouver take on a Sporting KC side that are searching for their first win of the Disney Pro Soccer Classic after two consecutive draws versus Houston and Montreal. With a 3W-0L-2D record in preseason, the American Midwest outfit are also building towards their 2012 campaign, which will include the club's first full year in their recently built LIVESTRONG Sporting Park home. Peter Vermes' squad begin their season on the road at Eastern Conference rivals D.C. United on Saturday, March 10.
Whitecaps FC and Sporting KC met for the first time during MLS regular season play last season. In what only their second home match in MLS, the 'Caps came from three goals down to earn a remarkable 3-3 draw with Kansas City at Empire Field on April 2, 2011. Sporting KC won the next encounter at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, as they defeated Vancouver 2-1 on June 25, 2011.
Following Wednesday's game, Whitecaps FC will play the winners of Group Two in Saturday's final at 5 p.m. PT. Group Two consists of MLS clubs FC Dallas and Toronto FC, Sweden's BK Häcken, and hosts Orlando City SC of the third-tier United Soccer Leagues Professional Division.
The 'Caps will follow that match with a trip to Cary, North Carolina, to face Rennie's former club in North American Soccer League side Carolina RailHawks at WakeMed Soccer Park on Sunday at 12 p.m. PT.


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American expats in China, far from home and faced with limited supplies of turkey, have been known to celebrate with Peking duck. Here, duck dinners are the next closest thing to a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal. This was my second Thanksgiving in Beijing, and my second with Peking duck. Really, what is the difference between a big beautiful turkey that spends 4 hours in a home oven, and a big beautiful duck that spends 30 minutes in a brick restaurant oven? (Other than a lot of work for someone else?)
I try to limit my Peking duck intake to when friends and family visit, but Thanksgiving brings out my love of laboriously-prepared birds. When Foodbuzz put out a call for another 24, 24, 24 event, I knew I wanted pay homage to what has become a new Thanksgiving tradition in China. Last year Jacob and I ate at the unspectacular Bianyifang Roast Duck Restaurant, but this year we invited 3 other friends out to Da Dong, one of the best duck restaurants in town.
(Peking duck and condiments in a sesame puff; Duck bone soup)
The Nanxincang branch of Da Dong has an open duck kitchen right next to the lobby. (Peking duck primer: Ever wonder why the ducks have such crispy skin? A day before cooking, chefs blow into the skin area to separate it from the meat, creating a puffed-up shell. They then hang the ducks to dry overnight, sometimes in front of a fan.) During the busy times at Da Dong you can watch the chefs rotating the ducks inside the three brick ovens, and about 10 to 15 other chefs are lined up ready to escort a finished duck to the dining room. I don't know how long chefs train to slice duck with such speed and precision, but a duck would usually be fully sliced and neatly plated in five minutes. (See more photos of the carving.)
That night we were able to get both sesame puffs and thin pancakes to fill with sliced duck and condiments. There are few gastronomical pleasures (at least in Beijing), better than a bite of both dark meat and skin dipped in some hoisin sauce and granulated sugar. The one gripe I have with the condiments is that Da Dong charges an extra 8 rmb per person, when almost every other duck restaurant in town gives the condiments for free.
(Stir-fried duck in a lettuce cup and crispy "nest"; Shredded duck wings in Sichuan pepper oil)
No respectable duck restaurant would offer guests only sliced dark meat. You also get a savory soup made of duck bones (or a doggie bag of remainders for broth-making at home.) Like home cooks using every part of the turkey in creative ways after Thanksgiving, Beijing chefs are no less inventive with the duck. Our cold dish of shredded duck wings and cucumber dipped in Sichuan pepper oil was particularly juicy. And I couldn't resist ordering stir-fried duck wrapped in lettuce and a crispy "nest"; you scrunch up the "nest" with your hands before shoving the whole thing in your mouth.
(Peking duck and condiments in a pancake, pre-wrapping; Hot and sour Mandarin fish soup)
Of course, we needed to balance out the duck consumption with seafood and vegetables. My favorite dish of the night was a hot and sour Mandarin fish soup, brought out in a metal hot pot over a burner. It wasn't very evocative of Thanksgiving, but still soul-warming and a great combo of savory and vinegary flavors.
(Dividing the Mandarin fish and soup; Goose liver fried rice and millet with seared eel)
And of course, no Chinese Thanksgiving meal would be complete without fried rice, a staple of my childhood Turkey Days. Back then, it was vegetables and maybe cha siu fried rice. On Thursday, it was goose liver (regular, not foie). Heart health be damned. The goose liver rice was certainly delicious and befitting the over-indulgence theme. The other selection of millet with seared eel was a little dry and not as good.
(Winter squash in passion fruit juice; Sweet potato balls; Braised eggplant in soy sauce)
Like all of Da Dong's dishes, our seasonal vegetables we ordered came creatively plated. (What a departure from most Chinese establishments!) Our winter squash, shredded and enhanced with passion fruit juice, came as little balls. As did our sweet potatos with candied tangerine peels, though their taste was much blander. I couldn't help but love our braised eggplant in soy sauce, for both the simple rich flavor and the pearl onion adornment.
(Persimmon sorbet with almonds and light coconut sauce)
Da Dong may overcharge with condiments, a mandatory tip (not customary in China), and pricing fish entrees by weight instead of a set amount, but it gets credit for providing free dessert. Given a choice of three, I passed up the sweet congee and sesame porridge for a persimmon sorbet in a watered-down coconut syrup. Granted, it's an ultra-light dessert designed for the Chinese palate, but we were so stuffed from dinner nobody cared.
And of course, there are few better ways to end a Chinese dinner than over a plate of fruit and dry ice.
Despite trying curb my tendency to over-order and stuffing ourselves like a patriotic souls, Jacob and I still took home a container full of duck and fried rice. It was a lot of food, but still more manageable than the one year we cooked an entire turkey for two, then ate the remains for the next month. On Friday I finished the leftovers in two go's.
See, I doubt a Peking duck sandwich with stuffing and mayo would be very good.
Bonus alcohol fun facts:
What do the Chinese drink for holiday celebrations? Or just special occasions involving Peking duck? In Beijing, you may see groups of male business colleagues challenging each other to chug baijiu, a potent and noxious grain alcohol best left unconsumed.
But in family situations when machismo and "face" aren't factors, locals like to relax with some Tsingtao or Chinese wine. I am not at all a fan of Great Wall wine with duck (or Great Wall wine with anything), but my relatives are.
And of course, there is the perennial favorite drink imported from the West, cradled gently in a waiter's arms and presented to the table with flourish: a gleaming bottle of Coca-Cola, 2008 vintage.
Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant 北京大董烤鸭店 1-2/F Nanxincang International Plaza, 22A Dongsi Shitiao, (southwest of Dongsi Shitiao Bridge) Dongcheng District, Beijing 东城区东四十条甲22号南新仓国际大厦1~2楼(立交桥西南角) 5169-0328


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When Walmart needed a family to review the latest incarnation of the UBISOFT Just Dance series, they knew who to call. To outsiders, our obsession with dance-related games may not make sense, but they don't understand how hard we can bring it.
For those who do not bust a move on a regular basis, the Just Dance series of games is a great place to start. At its essence, you choose from a wide selection of songs and follow the moves of the dancer's choreography as closely as you can. You're scored based on your accuracy… but that's not the draw of Just Dance. Unlike Dance Central, which appeals to the serious, I-want-to-be-JLo's-backup-dancer audience (like myself), Just Dance is perfect when you have a party with your friends and are looking for some laughs and good fun.
The song selection from current radio hits and classics to the completely obscure. It never takes itself too seriously, which makes it both approachable and fun for everyone. In JD 2014, the silliness is cranked up a notch as you dance along with a guy in a panda suit or do a group number as giant fruit. The ridiculousness is addictive and as much fun to watch as to play.
We've played nearly every version of Just Dance released so far and they haven't changed much. However, we were pleasantly surprised that 2014 has introduced a number of new things to freshen things up. The most prominent is the new Just Dance Live mode, which pits you against other players from around the world in real time. This mode is highly addictive and really appeals to those looking for an added challenge. As you dance, you'll see your rank update and feel the panic as some jerk from Brazil jumps ahead of you when you miss a move. I'll admit to being embarrassingly pumped about finishing #1 in the world after killing it on Miss Understood.
Another enjoyable addition is the ability to share and view stop-motion like replays of your performance. Watching a family in France dance to "Prince Ali" from Disney's Alladin or a guy in Mexico shaking it to Shakira can be pretty entertaining.
There are a few other tweaks to the standard game mode that were also appreciated. Group numbers now have actual interactions between those dancing, such as jumping on the back of your friend, which makes things that much more interesting. Replayability is high as instead of having to do the same dance to your favorite song every time, there are oftentimes several variations that you can unlock. Either group numbers, mashups, or "Extreme" versions which crank the difficulty way up for those looking for something more challenging. Even dance game veterans will be a pool of sweat after attempting the Extreme version of Rihanna's "Where Have You Been".
It's not without flaws however. The interaction with the menu system is a little better than the last version, but can still be frustrating. For example, figuring out how to exit from Just Dance Live mode was so difficult to figure out we usually just quit the game and restarted. We also wished that you could easily switch between Xbox Live accounts as you played so the kid's high scores would be separate from mom and dad's, but you can't.
More importantly, even though Just Dance 2014 has several songs aimed squarely at kids, there are many that are not. Though the lyrics are censored, we didn't feel comfortable with the kids dancing to "Get Lucky", "I Kissed a Girl", or "Gentlemen". Similarly, you often pick a "team" when competing in Live mode and our daughter was asked to choose between the Batman or Kick Ass team, which surprised all of us.
For the most part, the family can still have a good time with Just Dance 2014. Longtime fans will enjoy the new additions and should add it to your wish list this upcoming holiday season.
Whatever you do….
Available At: Walmart
Pricing: Varies between $33.67-$48.98, depending on the game system


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About Ryan Pratt
Ryan Pratt is an analytical digital marketer responsible for innovative marketing & creative content at multiple small businesses and websites. He is a typical millennial who wears flip-flops to work and is always multitasking. Beyond his full-time job as the Marketing Director at MBA Focus, Ryan is also the VP Marketing and minority owner of ListAfterList.com, a blogger at Multitasking Millennial™, an award-winning marketer, and an online marketing consultant for hire. In his free time, Ryan is also an over-indulgent technophile and Star Wars-loving cinephile. He was even the national movie critic at Examiner.com. Though no longer writing his "See-it, Rent-it, Skip-it" column, Ryan continues to express his opinions on films through his blog and social networks. For more information about Ryan, click here.
Marketing Executive
As the Vice President of Marketing & Research at GradLeaders, Ryan holds the primary responsibility for the execution and delivery of a wide variety of strategic and integrated marketing campaigns and materials. His innovative B2B marketing plans and creative Web 2.o ideas have helped GradLeaders become an exclusive online network where the world's top employers and job-seeking students connect. Today, Ryan develops business strategy in conjunction with the CEO and manages a marketing team of designers, specialists and consultants. His team's campaigns have already exceeded expectations, resulting in a 52% growth in website traffic, doubled lead generation, and 6% increase in sales. For more information about GradLeaders, click here.
Ryan gained invaluable entrepreneurial experience with the rapidly growing startup ListAfterList.com. As the VP of Marketing and minority owner, Ryan implemented business plans that drove website traffic from 0 to 3 million visitors annually and was a major reason for the 2008, 2009, and 2010 TechColumbus Innovation Awards "Outstanding Product" nominations. He is still the site's top-rated and most-active lister. Today, Ryan is working with the team at ListAfterList to launch an entirely redesigned and re-imagined ListAfterList 2.0 -- with more social and content creation features than ever before! For more information about ListAfterList, click here.
Award-Winning Marketer
Ryan has been recognized for multiple awards and was an American Business Awards finalist for Marketer of the Year in 2013. He is a creative and an innovator. Ryan has a specialized background in marketing and content. He graduated from The Ohio State University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and strong background in Fine Arts (Architecture, Art History, Cinema). Today, Ryan serves as a marketing consultant for small businesses, providing social media, SEO, and content strategy recommendations to complement their online presence. For more information about his marketing experience, click here.
Online Marketing Consultant
Ryan has always been an innovative, early adopter. He joined Facebook in 2005 and Twitter in 2007. Since then, he's joined and grown his network on almost every social media platform that exists. Today, Ryan is responsible for more than 250 different social media accounts with more than 100,000 fans and followers. He's grown Twitter accounts from 0 to 20,000 followers; Facebook pages from 0 to 50,000 likes; and YouTube channels from 0 to 35,000 views. Ryan has also developed and managed multiple websites and blogs, driving traffic, sales and leads organically by the thousands. Ryan's content has been read by more than 10 million people around the world. For more information about his consulting services, click here.


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Lynn Jones, the baggage handler who was fired after she refused to transport a dog who looked like he was being abused, has been offered her job back. Her employer, Airport Terminal Services, will also make a donation to the Nevada Humane Society. The dog above expresses how we feel about this decision.
Image via Sue McDonald/Shutterstock.com


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1725 17th St. 662-5057.
Church of Christ
2323 Diamond Drive. 662-3104. Tim Stidham, minister. Tanya Stidham, women's minister. losalamoschurchofchrist.net.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Los Alamos Ward — 1967 18th St., 662-3186. Sacrament meeting at 1 p.m., Sunday. Pajarito Ward — 1967 18th St., 661-2401. Sacrament meeting 9 a.m., Sunday. White Rock Ward — 366 Grand Canyon Drive, 672-9888. Sacrament meeting 9 a.m. to noon, Sunday.
City-wide Worship and Prayer
All are welcome to join Holy Spirit filled, Bible-believing Messianic Christians who meet in FUMC's sanctuary at 715 Diamond Dr. every Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Come and go as needed. Rom. 1:8-12. 662-6277. We sponsor National and Global Days of Prayer for L.A. County.
Community Bible Study
We are an interdenominational, in-depth, women's Bible study class. For the 2014-15 study year, (starting in the fall, we will be in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. 9:15-11:15 a.m. Thursdays at the Christian Church, 92 East Road. We welcome women from all backgrounds and levels of Bible knowledge. For more information, contact April at 662-0765, losalamos.cbsclass.org.
Crossroads Bible
Crossroads Bible Church, 97 East Road. Sunday worship service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday school for all ages at 9 a.m. Nursery care provided. Children's program for children three-years-old through sixth grade during worship service. Youth group at 4:30 p.m. each Sunday. crossroadsbiblechurch.com or 662-6080.
First Baptist
2200 Diamond Dr. 662-3712. Sunday services at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. AWANA kids program on Wednesday nights 6:15 to 8 p.m. (Running concurrent with the school year.) Small group opportunities for youth and adults can be found at fbc-la.org.
First United Methodist
Los Alamos First United Methodist Church, 715 Diamond Dr., 662-9277. First Service 8:30 a.m., Coffee and Donuts 9:30 a.m., Sunday School 9:45 a.m., Second Service, 11 a.m. Rev. Steve Trout will deliver the sermon "If You Want to Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat." Scriptures: Romans 10:5-13: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. *Matthew 14:22-33: Jesus and Peter walk on the Sea of Galilee. firstinyourheart.org.
Grace Vineyard
Grace Vineyard, related to the Vineyard Association of Churches, meets at 1183-C Diamond Drive, across from the Los Alamos High School. It is an evangelical church that encourages meaningful worship, the regular teaching of God's Word, the exercise of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and intimate fellowship with the Lord. The Sunday worship service is at 9:45 a.m.. Pastor John Sullivan is bringing a series of messages on the topic of the Kingdom of God. This week's message will be, "The Present Age and the Age to Come." For information call 661-2658.
Hope Fellowship
Have a prayer request? Submit it HopeActs.com or call 662-Hope. Prayer and Bible study Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at 2390 North Road. (Hope Fellowship's views and policies are not necessarily endorsed by Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church.) Discover Hope in your life today.
Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church
For Mass schedule and parish ministries, 3700 Canyon Road, 662-6193, or ihmcc.org. John 3:18. Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
Jewish Center
2400 Canyon Road. LAJC, 662-2140; President, Andrew Dattelbaum, 661-8320. Shabbat evening service at 7:30 p.m. Fridays. Family friendly service 5:45 p.m. on the fourth Friday of each month. Shabbat morning services on alternate Saturdays at 10 a.m. Religious school classes are offered on Sunday mornings and Hebrew and post-bar/bat mitzvah classes on Wednesdays (late afternoon/early evening). For general information visit lajc.org and lajc.org/calendar for other service times and events.
Korean Church
The Rev. Kang Kook Ro. 412-5420.
Messiah Evangelical
172 Meadow Lane, White Rock. Call 672-1323 for updated information.
Lutheran Church
172 Meadow Lane, White Rock. Questions can be directed to 672-1323 or to 672-9887.
Looking for a closer walk with God? Looking for a mid-week refill? Everyone is welcome here! No matter what your walk, no matter who you are, He is still God and He desires to help us all live a full life. Come join us as we worship and learn about God and the grace He offers through Jesus Christ. Sunday worship is at 9:30 a.m. (children's church available) and Sunday school is at 11 a.m. Join us for our Wednesday night experiences: Adult Bible Study and Children's Quizzing Program. Childcare is provided for these services free of charge. For more information about us or what God is doing here, check out the website at lavistanaz.org.
New Beginnings Fellowship Assembly of God
112 East Road; Rev. Shawn Amburgey. Sunday services at 10 a.m. 363-2476. Celebrate Recovery Los Alamos meets every Thursday evening from 7-9 p.m. Meeting will be at the church. Large Group Meeting begins at 7 p.m. Open Share Groups at 8 p.m. and Connections Café at 9 p.m. Step-Studies are held at separate times. Call 412-0010 for more information or visit the website at thelightonthemountain.com.
Northern New Mexico Revival Center
The Northern New Mexico Revival Center (NNMRC) is a non-traditional, Spirit-filled equipping center/church. The Sunday gathering meets weekly at 4 p.m. Please call pastors Dave or Dee for Los Alamos location at 455-9218 or 575-932-8690. ReviveLA, citywide intercessory worship and prayer for Los Alamos and northern New Mexico meets 6:30 p.m. Saturdays at the Morning Glory Bakery.
Pajarito Church of Christ
Meets at 135 Longview Drive in White Rock. 672-3950, pajaritococ.com.
The Los Alamos Quaker Worship Group meets twice a month. For the location of the next Quaker worship meeting, call Marie Andrew at 662-7530, or Martha Davis at 662-7287.
Redeemer Lutheran
A member congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod located at 2000 Diamond Drive. Redeemer Theological Academy 7:30 a.m. every Sunday on KRSN Radio 1490-AM. Divine Service 9:30 a.m. every Sunday. Sunday School 11 a.m. every Sunday. Bible Study on Romans 7 p.m. every Tuesday. 6 p.m. For more information call 662-0782 or go to redeemerlosalamos.org.
St. Dimitri Orthodox
Located at 2270 39th Street off Diamond Drive. Divine Liturgy celebrated at 10 a.m. Sunday, followed by Coffee and Fellowship Hour. Saturday evening Great Vespers begin at 5 p.m. Daily Vespers at 7 p.m. Wednesday. stdimitri.org.
Seventh-Day Adventist
We meet at the chapel on the east end of the United Church, 2525 Canyon Road. For more information, call Rev. Leonard Cummings at 660-7408 or email him at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Trinity on the Hill Episcopal
3900 Trinity Dr., 662-5107, latoth.org. Gary Baldwin, Priest-in-Charge. Come worship with us: weekly Holy Eucharist at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sundays (Nursery available), and Compline at 8 p.m.; second Sunday of the month Trinity Café at 5:17 p.m. and Contemporary Service at 6:07 p.m. All are welcome!
Unitarian Universalist
Whoever you are, wherever you are on your life's journey, you are welcome here. Sunday Service and Children's Program begins at 10:30 a.m. We are located at 1738 N. Sage St. For more information, call 662-2346 or visit uulosalamos.org.
United Church
2525 Canyon Road, 662-2971, unitedchurchla.org. We're the first church established in Los Alamos in 1947 and serve a multidenominational congregation. There are two services on Sunday morning, a fragrance-free worship at 8 a.m. in the Sangray Chapel and another service at 9:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary, followed by coffee in Fellowship Hall.
White Rock Baptist
White Rock Baptist Church, 80 N.M. 4, meets for worship Sunday mornings at 9 a.m., followed by Bible Study for all ages at 10:40 a.m. For more information, see wrbcnm.org or call the church office, 672-9764. Everyone is welcome.
White Rock Presbyterian
310 Rover Boulevard in the heart of White Rock. Sunday Worship at 9:15 a.m. followed by coffee fellowship. Childcare is provided. Call or email
for information on small groups and service opportunities. Wherever you are in your life's journey, you are very welcome. Visit us online at
wrpchurch.com or facebook.com/wrpchurch. Telephone 672-3682, email firstname.lastname@example.com.
White Rock United Methodist
White Rock United Methodist Church. 580 Meadow Lane. The office can be contacted at 672-9810.
Our Lady of the Woods serves the Northern New Mexico area. Anyone interested in paganism, Wicca, or learning about OLW is welcome to join. Whether you are a beginner, advanced practitioner, or just curious, you are welcome. For more information, visit ladywoods.org, call 672-1278.
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AP File
Brian Boitano never saw himself as "in" or "out." He was just Brian, the beloved figure skater from Sunnyvale who won the gold medal in 1988 and had chosen to keep his personal life out of the public eye.
Then last month, President Barack Obama named him as part of the U.S. delegation for the upcoming Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, and Boitano was thrust into the biggest political issue of these Olympics — the host country's anti-gay laws.
Being "just Brian" wouldn't cut it anymore.
Boitano, 50, will head to Sochi as a symbol of diversity after he surprised himself by deciding to announce publicly that he is gay. He is joining a pair of openly lesbian athletes — tennis legend Billie Jean King and hockey player Caitlin Cahow — on a delegation that will represent Americans and serve as a White House rebuke of Russia's intolerance.
"I don't think coming out is a really big deal these days," he said. "But the reason I put my privacy aside was because of the message. This was just too important."
These games could be a watershed event for gay rights as a global audience tunes into the winter sports festival.
"This is an opportunity to have an intelligent conversation and shine a bright light on what Russia is doing," said Rick Welts, the Golden State Warriors president.
"We've learned that the most powerful tool of social change is to have people exposed to different ideas. That has a way of erasing prejudice," said Welts, who in 2011 became the first major U.S. sports team executive to come out. "But no one knows how this is going to play out, and that's what sports is all about."
The uproar involves a growing anti-gay sentiment in Russia that includes legislation passed in June banning "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" to minors.
The U.S. State Department has warned visiting Americans who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender that Russia has been vague about defining "propaganda," but that the law applies to foreigners and could result in a fine, jail or deportation. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin said this past weekend that there are "no fears for people with this nontraditional orientation who plan to come to Sochi as guests or participants."
The controversy is the latest example that politics is as much about the Olympic movement as the gold, silver and bronze medals that are awarded to the athletes.
Gay-rights activists are hoping that something similar to a Tommie Smith-John Carlos moment might unfold. At the 1968 Summer Games in Mexico City, the former San Jose State sprinters famously raised black-gloved fists in silent protest of racism after finishing first and third in the 200-meter dash.
"Throughout history, sport has been a vehicle of change," said Wade Davis, a former NFL player and executive director of the You Can Play Project, which promotes equality in sports. "From Jesse Owens in Berlin to the sprinters on the podium at Mexico, sport has been a platform to address social injustice issues."
Sochi will be that place for Boitano.
"I've always been an inherently private person," said Boitano, a three-time Olympian who lives in San Francisco. "I've never been ashamed. I've never been embarrassed. My family has always known. I've been open with my friends. But there has to be something that you reserve for special people in your life."
Boitano was in France when he received a call from the White House, asking if he would like to represent the United States in Sochi. There was never any discussion about sexual orientation; the invitation was based on his reputation as a well-liked sports ambassador. The next day, on Dec. 17, the delegation was announced — including 20-time Wimbledon champion King and two-time Olympic medalist Cahow.
"I had no idea who was going to be on the delegation, and they certainly didn't tell me the message that the president was sending," he said. "Then I read he was making a statement about diversity through an openly gay delegation with Billie Jean and Caitlin. I thought, 'Wow, this is an opportunity for me.' "
Two days later, Boitano made his announcement in a statement.
"I suspect that Brian believed, 'If others see me as a leader who can take a courageous stand, why can't I see myself the same way?' " Davis added.
The delegation serves an honorary role, but one that packs a symbolic punch — as Obama has made clear.
"The fact that we have got folks like Billie Jean King or Brian Boitano, who themselves have been world-class athletes that everybody acknowledges for their excellence, but also for their character, who also happen to be members of the LGBT community, you should take that for what it's worth," Obama said recently.
Russia has spent more than $50 billion on the games, and Putin is eager to have a smooth-running Olympics that showcases his country. The international outcry may have caught him by surprise, said Derek Van Rheenen, director of the Cultural Studies of Sport in Education program at UC Berkeley.
"A lot of us would like to see individual acts of resistance by LGBT-identified athletes or people who are allies, maybe bold statements or even minor acts of defiance, like rainbow fingernail polish," Van Rheenen said. "There will be opportunities for that, and that certainly will challenge the host nation. It will be interesting to see how Russia deals with them."
Boitano's role at the games won't be "to shove anything into people's faces." But he hopes that LGBT questions will be directed toward him so U.S. athletes can focus on competing.
"Everybody realizes now what our delegation is all about," he said. "Putin certainly understands. Just by being there, standing there, attending events — that will speak volumes."
Follow Mark Emmons at Twitter.com/markedwinemmons.


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18 U.S.C. 2257 Record-Keeping Requirements Compliance Statement


text:
Plus Minus Equals: Evil
DC Sports Nexus ---- Monday, October 24, 2011
2 comments:
- Dustin said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- October 24, 2011 at 2:26 PM
The players on the ice for the team that scored a goal each get a +1.
The players on the ice for the team giving up the goal each get a -1.
Due to the natural advantage, power play goals do not influence a player's +/-. It's a no-go on penalty shots too, due to the unique circumstances. However, shorthanded goals are included in the total.
Your post isn't totally wrong as +/- can be slightly unfair at times. Players coming on to the ice for a line change when a goal is scored are technically responsible for the actions of the player that they are replacing, as it is the player ON THE ICE that receives the + or -.
NOTE: Nicklas Lidstrom (look him up if you haven't yet) was a minus for the first time of his almost 20-year NHL career last season. He was a -2.
Leading up to last season, the Detroit captain was a cumulative +431.
Keep up the great posts!
- October 24, 2011 at 4:22 PM


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NEW YORK, July 26 (Reuters) - The coming week on Wall Street could be a summer blockbuster, with the marquee featuring a triple bill: the Fed, jobs and earnings.
Of the three, the Federal Reserve has the most potential to upset the market. The Federal Open Market Committee is expected to release a statement on Wednesday after a two-day meeting.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke jolted markets in late May by saying the U.S. central bank planned to ease back on its stimulus efforts once the economy improves. Investors have been glued to his every comment since then.
"The Fed can easily either scare investors or encourage investors without having to say very much," said Bryant Evans, portfolio manager at Cozad Asset Management in Champaign, Illinois.
It "tends to create the biggest knee-jerk reactions out of the market."
As part of its quantitative easing policy, the Fed has been buying Treasury debt and other bonds each month to keep interest rates low and promote growth.
Stocks have rallied for most of this year, with both the Dow and the Standard & Poor's 500 hitting record highs, partly because of the Fed's stimulus efforts.
The market slid after Bernanke's comments on May 22, with the S&P 500 dropping nearly 6 percent in the month that followed.
But remarks from Bernanke and other Fed officials since then have calmed the market and erased those declines.
Bernanke reassured markets last week, saying the timeline for winding down the U.S. central bank's stimulus program was not set in stone.
The S&P 500 is up 18.6 percent for the year so far.
Trading has been more subdued this week, with more focus on earnings. The S&P 500 ended the week with just a slight loss of 0.03 percent, breaking its four-week winning streak.
While some analysts said the CBOE Volatility Index did not appear to be pricing in a lot of volatility for next week, there could still be a shift in sentiment. On Friday, the VIX fell 1.9 percent to end at 12.72.
"I do expect to see an increase in volatility next week, but that increase is coming after a week of very quiet trading," said WhatsTrading.com options strategist Frederic Ruffy in Chicago.
Some market attention has also shifted to speculation over possible successors to Bernanke, though a senior White House official said on Friday that no announcement is imminent. President Barack Obama has signaled that Bernanke is likely to step down when his second four-year term as Fed chairman ends Jan. 31. Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers and current Fed Vice Chair Janet Yellen are among names cited.
Friday will bring the Labor Department's July employment report.
The job market's recovery is seen as key to the future of Fed policy. The Fed has said it will keep interest rates at historic lows, where they've been for more than four years, until the U.S. unemployment rate drops to 6.5 percent.
Employers are expected to have added 185,000 jobs to their payrolls in June, according to economists polled by Reuters. That's slightly below June's count of 195,000 new positions.
The U.S. unemployment rate is expected to dip to 7.5 percent in July from 7.6 percent in June.
"July historically has been all over the place, in terms of employment. Factories often times do shutdowns in July, and there's turnover in agriculture," Evans said.
Analysts have worried that big gains in jobs numbers could prompt an early end to the Fed's bond buying, but stocks rose sharply earlier this month when June's payrolls far exceeded expectations.
While the jobs report is expected to be the biggest piece of economic news next week, the economic calendar includes data on gross domestic product and the Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index for June. The Institute for Supply Management's U.S. manufacturing index for July and monthly car sales will also be part of the mix.
With results already in from 259 of the S&P 500, the season has entered its second half.
But next week will still be one of the heaviest of the season, with 131 names from a wide range of industries due to report, including Time Warner Cable, Chevron, Coach, U.S. Steel and Allstate.
Stronger-than-expected results since the start of the season have pushed up the growth estimate for the quarter. Second-quarter earnings are now expected to have increased 4.1 percent, up from an estimate of 2.8 percent a week ago, Thomson Reuters data showed.
Revenue growth, at 1.6 percent as of Friday, has not been strong, but 56 percent of companies so far are beating expectations, above the 48 percent average of the last four quarters.
We are at all-time highs in a lot of these names, and I think this earnings season is supporting that," said Natalie Trunow, chief investment officer of equities at Calvert Investment Management, which has about $13 billion in assets.
But she said that also means the market may be "vulnerable to some profit-taking."
Wall St Week Ahead runs every Friday. Questions or comments on this column can be emailed to: caroline.valetkevitchatthomsonreuters.com


text:
Since the beginning of this book, we have examined the character types, moral qualities, personalities, worldviews and habits that dominate a society of ignorance. Keep in mind that among them we found nothing that was positive or well-balanced, and nothing that could contribute to real contentment. Because, all of these character types derive from a system devoid of religion. Allah has created human beings who are able to attain happiness only by living a life of faith based on religious morality. If thousands more character types were to be developed, as long as they were to be apart from religion, the result would be the same—distress, conflicts and confusion. In the Qur'an, Allah provides examples of the condition of human beings who are apart from the morality of religion:
Those are the people who have sold guidance for misguidance. Their trade has brought no profit; they are not guided. Their likeness is that of people who light a fire, and then when it has lit up all around them, Allah removes their light and leaves them in darkness, unable to see. Deaf, dumb, blind. They will not return. Or that of a storm-cloud in the sky, full of darkness, thunder and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps, fearful of death. Allah encompasses the disbelievers. The lightning all but takes away their sight. Whenever they have light, they walk in it but whenever darkness covers them, they halt. If Allah wished, He could take away their hearing and their sight. Allah has power over all things. Humanity! Worship your Lord, Who created you and those before you, so that hopefully you will fear Allah. (Surat al-Baqara, 16-21)
In these examples, Allah provides an important account of why the ignorant will be at loss. They were given the opportunity to follow the right path, but they chose another way, disbelief. They made their choice based on certain worldly expectations, but they have been unable to find the true happiness, peace and any other thing that they have been looking for by the means they have chosen.
On the contrary, their choices have rendered them spiritually deaf, blind and dumb. For this reason, although they are lost, they cannot turn away from what they have chosen.
Allah uses the example of lightning to explain their state; every time lightening flashes it illuminates the surroundings. The travelers move on but immediately the surroundings become buried again in darkness, and they are confounded. So, the ignorant are deceived by thinking that they can manage alone this brief journey they have set out on. However, as stated in the Qur'an, salvation comes only by turning to Allah, serving Him and living by that which He wills.2012-01-21 03:09:25


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|Jepson Flora Project: Jepson Interchange
previous taxon |
next taxon
Jepson Interchange (more information)
©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
Annual, perennial herb, shrubs, generally bristly or sharply hairy
Stem prostrate to erect
Leaves cauline, often with basal rosette, generally simple, alternate; lower sometimes opposite, entire
Inflorescence: cyme, generally elongate, panicle-, raceme- or spike-like, coiled in flower, generally uncoiled in fruit or flowers 12 per axil
Flowers generally bisexual, generally radial; sepals 5, free or fused in lower half; corolla 5-lobed, generally salverform, top of tube generally appendaged, appendages 5, alternating with stamens, sometimes arching over tube; stamens 5, epipetalous; ovary superior, generally 4-lobed, style generally entire
Fruit: nutlets 14, smooth to variously roughened, sometimes prickly or bristled
Genera in family: ± 100 genera, ± 2000 species: tropical, temp, especially w North America, Medit; some cultivated (Borago, Echium, Myosotis, Symphytum ).
Almost all genera may be TOXIC from alkaloids or accumulated nitrates
Recent taxonomic note: Recently treated to include Hydrophyllaceae [Olmsted et al. 2000 Mol Phylog Evol 16:96112]
Family description, key to genera by Timothy C. Messick.
Annual, biennial, perennial herb
Stem simple or branched; branches generally ascending to erect, hairy
Leaves strigose, rough-hairy, or bristly, largest bristles (especially lower surface) bulbous-based; basal whorled; cauline generally opposite below, alternate above
Inflorescence generally terminal, generally elongated in fruit, open (flowers in fruit not overlapping or touching side to side) or dense (flowers in fruit overlapping or touching side to side)
Flower: sepals ± free; corolla generally white, tube generally 113 mm, appendages 5, white to yellow, limb 15 mm wide in annual, 612 mm wide in per; anthers included; ovary generally 4-lobed,
Fruit: nutlets 14, back generally grayish brown, smooth and shiny or granular, tubercled, or rough at 10X , margin rounded, sometimes sharp-edged, groove on inside surface narrow, open to closed, sometimes raised, edges inrolled to sharp-angled, generally forked or flared open at base
Species in genus: ± 160 species: w Am
Etymology: (Greek: hidden flowers, from cleistogamous flowers of some species)
Reference: [Higgins 1971 Brigham Young Sci Bull Biol Ser 13(4):163]
Annual species generally self-pollinating; per species homostylous or heterostylous. Many annual species difficult to separate; observation of nutlets and hairs requires magnification at 20X.
Annual 1035 cm
Stem simple or branched above middle; branches generally few, ascending, strigose to ascending-rough-hairy
Leaf 0.52.5(3) cm, linear to oblong, rough-hairy to bristly; hairs ascending
Inflorescence open in fruit
Flower: sepals 23 mm, 36 mm and linear-oblanceolate in fruit, bristles below middle spreading to reflexed, bristles near tip fine, reflexed
Fruit: nutlets 12(4), 22.5 mm, lanceolate, back smooth, shiny, groove ± closed throughout or slightly flared open at base
Ecology: Slopes, shaded sites, chaparral, woodland
Elevation: 2001000 m.
Bioregional distribution: s Inner North Coast Ranges, n Tehachapi Mountain Area, San Francisco Bay Area, Inner South Coast Ranges, n Western Transverse Ranges (ne Ventura Co.).


text: Uncle Sam just played host to Samsung's SPH-L500 smartphone at the FCC, and it looks like the handset's next stop will be Sprint. With a 850 / 1900 CDMA radio and support for Band 25 LTE / SVLTE (simultaneous voice and data), the South Korean-designed smartphone carries the requisite kit to operate on the Now Network, and also packs WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth and NFC. Though other details are scant, digging into the government paperwork reveals one major clue: size. Measuring up at roughly 5.2 inches tall and 2.6 inches wide, it's clear that we're in store for a hefty device, as it's ever so slightly smaller than the Galaxy S 4. Big Yellow and Samsung haven't made the hardware official just yet, but that's likely to change soon as it's cleared one of the final hurdles left between it and US availability.


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Small town IN, seem to be alone hard to find Atheist my age!
I am new here. Looking for folks in North Western New Jersey and New York City. Especially interested in meeting anyone active in progressive politcs, activists who adhere to the Occupy model of consensus............I would love to hear from you!
G'Day Robin and welcome,
I spent about a year in total at Fort Monmouth near Eatontown, NJ and came to enjoy NJ a lot; however that was 7-months or so in 1966 and 1971 attending fixed crypto and fixed cyphony repair school respectfully when I was a "Spook" doing my time in green with the US Army Security Agency. I gave 7-years of what was normally the most productive period of a young man's life upholding and defending the US Constitution that for all intents and purposes trashed beginning with the efforts of Mad King George 43 and so far continued, to my everlasting dismay and disgust Obama. It's time, no, way past time that progressives in America occupied everything, including the Oval Office!
At least in that part of the nation like-minded progressive and godless people should be far easier the find then here in deepest, darkest Wise County, Texas. Yes, "Wise" in conjunction with basically everywhere in Texas is an oxymoron. For the dolts here it's spelled "oxymoran"!
I've never been a "joiner". Was a bit surprised to be presented with the collection plate before I even sat down.
This is a good and important time for atheists to make contact with each other.
We may well be one of the fastest growing groups in America, and hopefully will have much more of a voice in politics and the public arena in general.
Indeed "we" are one of the fastest-growing groups in America, but only because we are so far behind in finding our own voices and using them. The Freedom From Religion Foundation, headed by former Christian fundamentalist pastor and musician Dan Barker, whom I was fortunate to hear and to meet at a University of Texas, Denton, TX address, is doing invaluable work in getting atheists and the concept of atheism in America's collective face. I encourage every atheist and non-believer to become members of that fine organization and help to take all of us forward into the future as collectively "we" are the last hope for an America rational and reality-based future.
One point I missed. Atheists need a "Stonewall moment" just as in Greenwich Village in 1969 when the Gay Rights movement was finally spurred into action and the concept of Gay Liberation was born. I suggest the coming election in reaction to the bible-pounding Republican'T Party attempt to set up a pseudo-theocracy in America should they win as heavily as they did in in 2010. All of us from the non-religious segment of our country should be n the streets and at the polls, and each of us should strive to recruit as many like-minded citizens as possible and if necessary drive them to the polling place where ever it is. Speak out, act up, show them we're real and ready to show them outside of Christianity we are steadily growing and already are larger as a group than the religious community.