text:
The BCCI's Working Committee will meet here tomorrow to discuss the course of action on former captain Mohammad Azharuddin after the ban imposed on him by the Board was lifted by the Andhra Pradesh High Court earlier this month.
"The Working Committee will discuss what action will be taken on Azharuddin after the High Court lifted the ban imposed on him by the Board," a BCCI official told PTI on condition of anonymity. BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty, however, described tomorrow's meeting a routine affair.
"It's a routine meeting of the Working Committee," he said. Twelve years after the BCCI imposed a life ban on Azharuddin from playing cricket on charges of alleged involvement in match-fixing, the Andhra Pradesh High Court on November 8 set aside the decision of the Board.
A division bench of the High Court set aside the order of a local court, which had upheld the decision of the Board, on an appeal by the 49-year-old Azharuddin. The bench agreed that there was no evidence against the former Indian skipper-turned-politician that he succumbed to any pressure while playing cricket and that the BCCI had proceeded against him unilaterally.
Meanwhile, the Governing Council of the IPL will meet after the Working Committee meeting, and Shetty said it will also discuss routine matters. The Marketing Committee of the Board will also meet to take a decision on the floating of tenders for the title rights of the IPL.
The DLF has ended its title sponsorship of the IPL and the Board will have to float a new tender.
Later in the evening, the Annual Awards ceremony of the BCCI will be held.
Virat Kohli, V V S Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar will be among the top stars who will be honoured during the ceremony.
Kohli will be presented with the Polly Umrigar Award for being India's top cricketer in the 2011-12 season. The BCCI will present him with a trophy and a cheque of Rs 5 lakh.
Veterans Laxman and Tendulkar will also be honoured at the event. While Laxman will be felicitated after announcing his retirement earlier this year, Tendulkar will be honoured for completing 100 international centuries.
The other highlights of the evening will include presenting the Col C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award to Sunil Gavaskar and the posthumous felicitation of seven legends of Indian cricket -- Vijay Merchant, Vijay Manjrekar, Dattu Phadkar, Vinoo Mankad, Ghulam Ahmed, M L Jaisimha and Dilip Sardesai.


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Aichi_li necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 65 diseños de 16 diseñadores freelance.
Moreton in Marsh Chiropractic
I have been in private practice for over 7yrs, working for other people.
Now, I am going out on my own, so it's a start up business in Chiropractic & Wellness Health care. I see my business as a place to guide & teach people to appreciate that your health needs to be taken care of regularly & not neglected until something is wrong or in pain. It's about living a life of quality, about thriving not just surviving. To have health I believe that you need to have 4 things: structural (spine), physical (active, rest), chemical (nutrition, enviroment) and mental (spirit, education, mental stress) in balance/harmony, if one of these factors are neglected & not corrected or not balanced then your body & mind will not thrive.
The type of Chiropractic I do is the traditional; clicking, cracking of the spine with an element of gentle breathing depending on the customer/patient.
In a way you can say it's "Bespoke" to the individual.
New market for a start up business. Moreton in Marsh is a small English market town surrounded by villages.
The people that live in Moreton in Marsh & villages are considered to be very affluent & wealthy individuals & families, they typically drive Land Rovers, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Austins, Porsches, high range luxury cars. I would say that they are not commuters that travel to London everyday but they will go into London for meetings now & again.
My ideal customer/patient is someone who is looking to take more of an active role in their & their families health, has disposible income (mid-management-upper management & above or business owners/entrepreneur or their husband/wife), who comes in once a week for a check up for the rest of their lives.
Open 2 ideas.
Would like it to be simple, classy & elegant, (sleek & sophiscated) so that it appeals to this particular area with a splash of fun.
I want people to look at the logo & think yes, I need their help & I'm am going to make an appointment or pass the number onto a friend, colleague, family.
Colours: Open to all suggestions that goes with the whole Chiropractic, wellness, health theme. I was thinking sky blue & yellow or purple & orange, or turqouise blue with a hint of green.
Motto: Bespoke Heatlhcare, Tailor made for you.
I Need:
1) logo first,
2) stationary design
3) banners for promotional work
4) website
5) t-shirts/jackets or membership cards.
Logo will need to be decided on before the rest of the design work.
Please Note:
1) no cartoons or cliparts
2) typeface should be clear nothing fancy that it can't be read, not too squashed
3) I don't want to have the typical Chiropractic logo of a spine or wavy lines or stones stacked on each other, I'd like something unique.
4) Was thinking that if you do use one particular colour (ex: blue) I'd like a hint of something bright (ex:yellow), so that theres a hint of fun :)
My competitiors websites: http://www.insideout.health.officel…money.aspx & http://www.natural-therapies-clinic.co.uk
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
If you're a big reader of magazines on tablets, you know how expensive it can get. Single issues often cost $5 a pop. But Next Issue has rethought this with its app for Android tablets, offering 32 titles you want for a flat rate.
What does it do?
Just one app gives you unlimited access to all the glossies you want to read. It's free for the first 30 days, after which it's $9.99 for unlimited access to monthlies or $14.99 for that plus weeklies. Soon, Android users won't be the only ones at the party, either. Next Issue is coming to the iPad this summer.
Why do we like it?
It's an all-you-can-eat model, made possible by a consortium of some of the biggest players in the industry, including Conde Nast, Hearst, Meredith, Time Inc., and News Corp. And who doesn't like buffets? Next Issue includes a lot of the best titles on the rack, like Esquire, Wired, Vanity Fair, Sports Illustrated, The New Yorker, Time, and many more. Subscribers also get a ton of premium content like slideshows and videos. [Time]
Next Issue
Download this app for:
The Best
Tons of the best mags
The Worst
It'll cost you after one month


text:
An Introduction to Parapsychology
McFarland, Jan 1, 1999 - Body, Mind & Spirit - 396 pages
This is a new edition of our acclaimed university textbook on the science of parapsychology. Dr. Irwin outlines the origins of parapsychological research and critically reviews investigations of extrasensory perception, psychokinesis, poltergeist phenomena, near-death and out-of-body experiences, and survival of death. Also, criticisms by the skeptical are presented, and the status of parapsychology as a scientific enterprise is assessed.
Reviews of earlier editions: Comprehensive...well written...high quality.... Recommended for public, college and university libraries--Choice; clear...organization is excellent--The Journal of Parapsychology; fills the gap because it is up to date, formally written, and wide in scope...a particularly useful resource for students and teachers alike...as a textbook, Irwin's book is the best of its kind--Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research.
Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.
What people are saying - Write a review
An introduction to parapsychologyUser Review - Not Available - Book Verdict
Irwin (psychology, Univ. of New England in Australia) wrote this book as a textbook, and it shows. Each chapter ends with a list of terms and study questions, and though coverage is similar to many ... Read full review
Origins of Parapsychological Research
The Phenomenology of Extrasensory Perception
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Common terms and phrases
Additionally apparitional experience associated authenticity cards clairvoyance cognitive concept context correlates cryptomnesia dissociative dreams empirical ence esp experiences esp performance esp scores esp tests event evidence example existence expe experient's experimenter effect extrasensory experience extrasensory perception factors fantasy fraud ganzfeld Gauld hallucination Haraldsson Honorton imagery incidence individual investigation Irwin issue Journal of Parapsychology laboratory Louisa Rhine major medium mediumship mental near-death near-death experience Near-Death Studies nevertheless objects observed occur out-of-body out-of-body experience Palmer paranormal belief parapsy parapsychological experiences parapsychological experimenter effect parapsychological research percent Persinger person phenomenological phenomenon Piper pk experience poltergeist possible precognition procedure process-oriented processes psi hitting psi missing Psychical Research psychokinetic psychological regression reincarnation experiences replication reported retrocognition rience scientific seance sensory significant sitters skeptical social Society for Psychical spirit spontaneous Stanford Stevenson subjects suggest survey survival hypothesis target technique telepathic temporal lobe theory tion variables xenoglossy


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*Note: Executable for most Windows systems will be shortly uploaded.
The purpose of this application is to create a fully functional FTP application that accomplishes most of the tasks professional FTP programs accomplish. The are two builds of this application:
This application uses the following libraries:
I decided to use this FTP library because it is well written and self explanatory. The author, Howard Richards, did a great job creating the library. However, the FTP library is missing some key features which are necessary for an FTP program. Therefore, I decided to modify the library. The following features have been added to this library:
This treeview, created by Chris Richner, displays all the directories in the file system in a treeview. In Win7 FTP, we will use this treeview for drag and drop operations. For example, dragging a file from the FTP sever and dropping it into this treeview will save the file to the path where the file was dropped.
Source code library that can be used to access some features of Windows 7 and Windows Vista from managed code.
*Note: All the library DLLs have been referenced in the Win7 FTP project. In case the references are missing, you can simply click on the appropriate library above and download it. For any other questions, you can post a message.
Well, you probably read the discussion on the bottom about the Windows XP/Vista version of this application. Someone suggested not making a version specific built, rather using if(CoreHelpers.RunningOnWin7) to run Windows specific features on a Windows 7 machine.
I was working on that; however, in this FTP application, there is a feature of Windows 7 called GlassForm, which displays the aero form. I use this feature for the Login form, Upload form, and the Download form. There is no way of running an application that displays a GlassForm. Even if you don't want the Aero feature. An error is thrown in any case. Also, in the UI, I am using a CommandLink, which is also part of the Windows API. That would not work on Windows XP.
So I created two builds: one that focuses on Windows 7 features and FTP, and the other that just focuses on Windows 7. Not a big deal to have two builds. If you want a Windows 7 build so you can explore Windows 7 features with FTP, you can get that. Else, you can just get the normal version.
As you all know, with Windows 7 was introduced some of the coolest libraries we have ever seen in the Windows API history. Well, to most developers, it is the coolest Microsoft has created for us. Usually, we have to do a lot ourselves, but the Windows API Code Pack does most of the things for us.
So I decided to use some of those features in this application. You will find the following features:
I made the taskbar progress changing a little easier in the code by creating a new class called TaskBarManager. This class makes changing the progress easier, because it already has all the code setup. The code of the class follows:
public static void SetProgressValue(int Progress, int Maximum)
//Declare State variable which is set to Normal (Green)
TaskbarProgressBarState state = TaskbarProgressBarState.Normal;
//Set the State
//Set value of the TaskBar progress
TaskbarManager.Instance.SetProgressValue(Progress, Maximum);
public static void SetTaskBarProgressState(TaskbarProgressBarState state)
//Set Status
public static void ClearProgressValue()
//Clear the progress, setting the state to NoProgress
And I can call the code from the application, from any form, just like this:
//Change Progress
TaskBarManager.SetProgressValue(Progress, TotalProgress);
//Change State
This has nothing special like the Windows 7-specific build. This does the job of the FTP application in the same way as the Windows 7 build.
This application contains the following forms (each will be discussed in detail).
Since our FTP client is stateless, we will only save the hostname, username, and password. This is how the frmLogin works:
//Set FTPClient, and pass in the Hostname, Username, and Password.
FTPclient objFtp = new FTPclient(txtHostName.Text,
txtUserName.Text, txtPassword.Text);
//Set the Current Directory to "/" - Root Directory
objFtp.CurrentDirectory = "/";
Setup our frmMain variable
frmMain Main = new frmMain();
//SetFtpClient is a function in frmMain that sets the FtpClient.
//I'll explain this function in more detail below.
//Show MAIN form and HIDE this one
//Hide this Form (frmLogin)
catch (Exception ex)
//Display Error
This form is responsible for all the FTP actions that will take place in this program. The following tasks take place in frmMain:
Most of these functions will be explained in more detail with code, in the FTP library explanation section of this article.
Let's look into SetFtpClient which we called in frmLogin. We only call this once.
public void SetFtpClient(Win7FTP.Library.FTPclient client)
//Set FtpClient, the FtpClient Variable in this form, is set to client, from
//frmLogin. This is because the "client" already contains the information.
FtpClient = client;
//Display the Welcome Message
Message = new ListViewItem();
Message.Text = DateTime.Now.ToLongTimeString() + " " +
Message.SubItems.Add("Welcome Message");
Message.SubItems.Add("No Code");
//lstMessages is the ListView that contains
//all the Message. We want to display
//the Welcome Message here as well.
//Setup OnMessageReceived Event. When a Message is sent/received, this event
//fires and it is important to have this. Because it prompts the user on what
//is happening in the background.
FtpClient.OnNewMessageReceived +=
new FTPclient.NewMessageHandler(FtpClient_OnNewMessageReceived);
//Open and Display Root Directory ("/") and Files/Folders in it
foreach (FTPfileInfo folder in FtpClient.ListDirectoryDetail("/"))
ListViewItem item = new ListViewItem();
item.Text = folder.Filename;
if (folder.FileType == FTPfileInfo.DirectoryEntryTypes.Directory)
item.SubItems.Add("Folder"); //Its a Folder
item.SubItems.Add("File"); //Its a File
item.SubItems.Add(folder.FileDateTime.ToShortTimeString() +
//lstRemoteSiteFiles is the ListView that displays all the Files and Folders
//on the FTP Server
This form helps in renaming a file. We can only rename files; we cannot rename folders. Two important things about this form is the constructor and renaming the file.
string Path, Extension, FileName; //These will store the information, which will
//will be required when we rename the file
frmMain ForMain; //I exactly don't remember why I chose to use
//frmMain, instead of just having a FTPClient,
//which I have in other Forms.
public frmRename(string fileName, string CurrentDir, frmMain MainForm, string extension)
//Set all the Variables
Path = CurrentDir; //assign Current Directory to Path, where the File that
//we want to rename is located.
Extension = extension; //Extension of the File we want to rename
FileName = fileName; //Name of the File we want to rename.
ForMain = MainForm; //Set the instance of frmMain
//Aero Composition Event
AeroGlassCompositionChanged +=
new AeroGlassCompositionChangedEvent(Form1_AeroGlassCompositionChanged);
if (AeroGlassCompositionEnabled)
//We don't want pnlNonTransparent and the controls in it to be part of AERO
//but we do want Aero Window...looks cool ;)
this.BackColor = Color.Teal;
//Set Information for User on Labels and Form Text
this.Text = "Rename " + FileName;
lblFileName.Text = "Filename: " + FileName;
lblLocation.Text = "Location: " + Path;
This renames the file to the new file's name.
ForMain.FtpClient.CurrentDirectory = Path;
//Set Current Directory
//FtpRename(Previous FileName, New FileName)
ForMain.FtpClient.FtpRename(FileName, txtRenameTo.Text);
This form is nothing but a dialog. When the new directory name is entered in the textbox and OK is clicked, DialogResult.OK is returned to frmMain.
The code works like this in frmMain:
//New instance of frmNewFolder
frmNewFolder NewFolderForm = new frmNewFolder();
if (NewFolderForm.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
//Create New Directory
FtpClient.FtpCreateDirectory(FtpClient.CurrentDirectory +
//Refresh Current Directory to view the newly created directory
RefreshDirectory() is a function in frmMain which I call when an operation like Upload File, Delete File, or Rename File occurs. The function basically reloads all the files and folders in the current directory into the lstRemoteSiteFiles in frmMain.
This form manages the download information. When we are downloading a file, we now have two events that inform us on what is happening. These events were not in the original FTP Library, I manually implemented them.
The constructor starts the download when the required arguments are passed in. The variables required are:
//String Variables we will need to use throughout the File.
string FileName, SaveFilePath, CurrentDirectory;
//FTPClient used to Download File and setup File Download Events
FTPclient FtpClient;
The constructor follows:
public frmDownload(string Filename, string Current_Directory,
string SavePath, FTPclient Ftpclient)
//Init Form
//Setup Variables
//Name of the File we want to download
FileName = Filename;
//Path where we want to save the Download
SaveFilePath = SavePath;
//Set the current Directory,
//where the file we want to download is located.
CurrentDirectory = Current_Directory;
//ex: ftp://ftp.somesite.com/current_dir/File.exe
lblDownloadFrom.Text = Ftpclient.Hostname +
Current_Directory + FileName;
lblSavePath.Text = SaveFilePath; //Label Text
FtpClient = Ftpclient; //Set the FtpClient
//Show Form
//Setup our Download Client and Start Downloading
FtpClient.CurrentDirectory = Current_Directory;
//OnProgressChanged Event
FtpClient.OnDownloadProgressChanged += new
//OnDownloadCompleted Event
FtpClient.OnDownloadCompleted += new
//Start the Download
FtpClient.Download(FileName, SavePath, true);
OnDownloadCompleted - Fires when the download completes.
//Short Explanation on the Event
void FtpClient_OnDownloadCompleted(object sender, DownloadCompletedArgs e)
if (e.DownloadCompleted)
//If an there is no error, then e.DownloadConpleted will be true.
//Determining whether an error has occured or not, happens in the FTPclient
//class, where this event is created.
MessageBox.Show("Download Completed!");
//So here e.DownloadCompleted = false, meaning something went wrong.
//That is why we have e.DownloadStatus, which displays the error message.
MessageBox.SHow("Error: " + e.DownloadStatus);
OnDownloadProgressChanged - Manages the progress of the download.
void FtpClient_OnDownloadProgressChanged(object sender, DownloadProgressChangedArgs e)
//Set Value for Progressbar
progressBar1.Maximum = Convert.ToInt32(e.TotleBytes);
progressBar1.Value = Convert.ToInt32(e.BytesDownloaded);
// Calculate the download progress in percentages
Int64 PercentProgress =
Convert.ToInt64((progressBar1.Value * 100) / e.TotleBytes);
//e.TotalBytes is the TotalBytes to Download
//e.BytesDownloaded is the bytes already downloaded
To cancel a download, simply call FtpClient.CancelDownload(). I created this to use if the user wants to cancel a download. This function does a verification before performing anything, and deletes the the download since it is not completed.
This form manages the upload file information. When we upload a file, we now have two events that inform us on what is happening. These events were not in the original FTP Library, I manually implemented them.
The constructor starts uploading the file when it is called. The variables required are:
//Variable that will hold the name of the File we are uploading. ex: File.txt
string FileName;
//FTPclient that will be used to Upload the File and manage all the events
FTPclient FtpClient;
The constructor:
public frmUpload(string UploadFilePath, string UploadDirectory, FTPclient Ftpclient)
//Setup Variables
//FileName without Directory. ex: FileName.txt
FileName = System.IO.Path.GetFileName(UploadFilePath);
FtpClient = Ftpclient; //Set the FtpClient
//Show Form
//Setup our Download Client and Start Downloading
FtpClient.CurrentDirectory = UploadDirectory;
FtpClient.OnUploadCompleted += new
FtpClient.OnUploadProgressChanged += new
FtpClient.Upload(UploadFilePath, UploadDirectory + FileName);
OnUploadProgressChanges - Fired when the progress of the upload changes.
void FtpClient_OnUploadProgressChanged(object sender, UploadProgressChangedArgs e)
//Set Value and Maximum for Progressbar
progressBar1.Maximum = Convert.ToInt32(e.TotleBytes);
progressBar1.Value = Convert.ToInt32(e.BytesUploaded);
//Calculate the Download Progress in Percentage
Int64 PercentProgress = Convert.ToInt64((e.BytesUploaded * 100) / e.TotleBytes);
//e.BytesUploaded tells us the amount of Bytes Uploaded
//e.TotalBytes tells us the TotalBytes to Upload.
OnUploadComplete - Fires when the file is uploaded.
if (e.UploadCompleted)
//If an there is no error, then e.UploadCompleted will be true.
//Determining whether an error has occured or not, happens in the FTPclient
//class, where this event is created.
MessageBox.Show("Upload Completed!");
//So here e.DownloadCompleted = false, meaning something went wrong.
//That is why we have e.DownloadStatus, which displays the error message.
MessageBox.Show("Error: " + e.UploadStatus);
To cancel an upload, simply call FtpClient.CancelUpload(). I created for using if the user wants to cancel an upload. This function does a verification before performing anything, and deletes the upload on the server since it is incomplete.
As I told you, I made many changes to this library to meet the needs of this application. Let me explain to you each important function and what it does and how to use it.
This creates a new directory.
//You must address the whole path of the New Direcory.
//For example: "/CurrentDirectory/" + "New Directory"
FtpClient.FtpCreateDirectory(CurrentDirectory + NewDirectoryName);
This renames a file. *Note: This only applies to files, you cannot rename folders.
//It is recomended that you set the CurrentDirectory to the Directory that contains
//the file you want to rename, if you haven't
FtpClient.CurrentDirectory = "/Directory/";
//You must pass in the Old File Name and the New File Name
FtpClient.FtpRename("OldFileName.txt", "NewFileName.txt");
This method will allow you to delete a file.
//It is recomended that you set the CurrentDirectory to the Directory that contains
//the file you want to rename, if you haven't
FtpClient.CurrentDirectory = "/Directory/";
//Delete the FILE, by passing in the name of the File you want to Delete.
This method will allow you to delete a directory.
//It is recomended that you set the CurrentDirectory to the Directory that contains
//the file you want to rename, if you haven't
FtpClient.CurrentDirectory = "/Directory/";
//Delete the FOLDER
This method will allow you to download a file from the server.
//It is recomended that you set the CurrentDirectory to the Directory that contains
//the file you want to rename, if you haven't
FtpClient.CurrentDirectory = "/Directory/";
//FileName = Name of the file to download
//SavePath = Path, including FileName, where the File will be saved.
//true or false - true, if you want to Overwrite file, if it already exists.
FtpClient.Download(FileName, SavePath, true);
This method will upload a file to the server.
//UploadFilePath = Full Path of the File that you want to Upload
//UploadDirectory = CurrentDirectory, where you want to upload the file
//FileName = Name of the Uploaded File on the Server.
FtpClient.Upload(UploadFilePath, UploadDirectory + FileName);
This method grabs all the folders and files in a directory and displays all their information.
foreach (FTPfileInfo folder in FtpClient.ListDirectoryDetail(txtRemoteDirectory.Text))
folder.Filename; //Returns Folder/FileName Name
if (folder.FileType == FTPfileInfo.DirectoryEntryTypes.Directory)
//Tells if its a Folder or a File
//Its a Folder
//Its a File
folder.FullName; //Returns FullPath of the Folder/File
folder.Permission; //Permissions regarding Folder/File
//Returns the DateandTime of creation/modification of the folder/file
folder.FileDateTime.ToShortTimeString() + folder.FileDateTime.ToShortDateString();
item.SubItems.Add(GetFileSize(folder.Size)); //Returns Size of the Folder/File
I achieved my goal and created a fully functional FTP program. It is not the best, I am going to update it in the future to make it better. If you know of a way to improve this application, then comments/suggestions are welcome. I created this application in a week and had a lot of issues with bugs. So I won't say it is perfect. But thanks for hanging by and giving the program a try.
Future releases of this application will have the following features, plus more!
For users not running Windows 7, I will post another article which will support most Windows systems.
This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)
void recursiveDownloadFiles(string folderPath)
FTPdirectory directoryInfo = client.ListDirectoryDetail(folderPath);
foreach (FTPfileInfo fileInfo in directoryInfo.GetFiles(string.Empty))
// Download this file
// GO through the subdirectories here
foreach (FTPfileInfo info in directoryInfo.GetDirectories())
General News Suggestion Question Bug Answer Joke Praise Rant Admin
Use Ctrl+Left/Right to switch messages, Ctrl+Up/Down to switch threads, Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right to switch pages.


text:
Nice work! Enjoy the show!
Link Copied!
Germanwings co-pilot had 'suicidal tendencies'
Opening Sequence
Trump drops plan to host G7 meeting at his Florida resort
UK's Johnson sends unsigned request for Brexit delay
Esper in Afghanistan to kickstart Taliban talks
Tens of thousands in illegal Hong Kong march
Erdogan vows to "crush the heads" of Kurdish fighters if ceasefire fails
Qantas tests world's longest commercial flight
Apple to debut a new TV show tackling #MeToo
World in Pictures
Closing Sequence


text:
There is something incredibly beautiful about the QLOCKTWO, but we just can't justify spending over $1,500 to get a simple clock, even if it is a piece of art. Luckily DIY-enthusiasts have been working hard on a homemade version of such a word clock.
How to Build Your Own DIY Word ClockPublished September 30, 2009 blogs , technology Leave a Comment
Tags: Apartment Therapy, blogs, clock, DIY, qlocktwo, technology, unplggd, word clock
0 Responses to "How to Build Your Own DIY Word Clock"
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text:
Forget famous names like Dropbox and Rapidshare. They've been eclipsed, at least temporarily as measured by the rate of sign ups, by Mega, the new cloud storage brain child of Kim Dotcom. Check out this graphic he tweeted, January 22, claiming that Mega, "is now the biggest .co.nz site in the world!"
Launched this January by the founder of Megaupload, a site shut down by the FBI for allegedly storying pirated material, the new site features an important difference: files are encrypted by the user so that, if seized, cannot be viewed without the encryption key. Mega can't get into the files either. Only the user knows. This functionality is accessible to developers through its API, using HTTP calls and JSON responses.
Mega is stampeding, as Jon Martindale at zeropaid.com writes,
"If the launch day signups and traffic were something to shout home about, after the surge of media attention that Mega garnered over the next few days from sites like ourselves, it only got stronger and now we're at a stage where Mega has almost broken into the top 100 sites in the world. Its overall 3 month rank is still in the low thousands, but if you look at the daily results, you'll see that Mega.co.nz now sits at 141st."
Kim Dotcom leads a life that's larger than life: when Megaupload was shutdown in January of last year, his home was also raided, as reported by "thegift73" in techfleece
"Since the raid, the US and NZ governments have faced embarrassment from all angles. The actual raid was found to be illegal by Judge Winkelmann, the copying and exporting of data to the US was also deemed illegal (due to the fact the warrants were illegal), the spying by New Zealand's Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB ) on a NZ resident was also illegal. Then the Prime Minister of New Zealand made a public apology to Dotcom for the illegal spying on him and his family. It also cast New Zealand in a very bad light as being a puppet of the US."
Is Mega really a threat to rivals? Not so fast, argues "Zerp" in a perceptive comment on the zeropaid article quoted earlier,
"This is retarded. You need to look at a) revenue b) deployed infrastructure c)ongoing use and growth. a traffic spike in the first week of a start up doesn't tell anyone anything."
That may be true. Even with half a million users signed up in the first 14 hours, according to Dotcom in his speech on the launch of Mega, it's early days. But consider this formula. He has an ability to get the word out (front cover of Wired, November 2012 and apparently a topic of discussion between New Zealand's prime minister and President Barack Obama ). He's good at creating strong start-ups. And the hot issue of Internet privacy is the cornerstone of his political argument. With these ingredients, Mega is guaranteed to be a great show.


text:
Publishers HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster have signed a deal with Amazon to follow the agency pricing model for their books—the same deal publishers have with Apple for the iBookstore—allowing the two publishers to set their own books prices.
This means books will probably be the same price across Amazon's Kindle Store and Apple's iBookstore—more expensive than the $9.99 price Amazon loves in a lot of cases. The WSJ reports specifically "some new best sellers will be priced at $9.99 but most will be priced at $12.99 to $14.99." According to HarperCollins CEO Brian Murray, this deal has left his company's "digital future [...] more assured today than it was two months ago."
This leaves one publisher left standing from the five iPad megapublishers to renegotiate with Amazon, Penguin. It'll happen. [WSJ, Electronista]


text:
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Cancer is one of the world's leading causes of death, often considered a byproduct of modern living and increased longevity. But a British archaeology PhD student's discovery of cancer in a 3,000-year-old skeleton in Sudan suggests that the disease has been killing humans since antiquity.
Researchers from Durham University and the British Museum say their discovery of the world's oldest metastatic cancer in humans will help to provide insight into cancer's evolution.
This photo shows the skeleton of an adult male excavated from Amara West, in Sudan, which shows signs of metastatic carcinoma.
Read more: 3,000-year-old skeleton found riddled with cancer
Credit: Trustees of the British Museum
Top: The left clavicle of the Amara West skeleton, with pathological lesions indicated by arrows.
Bottom: A radiograph of the same bone, the inset image shows a close-up of a lesion.
Lytic lesions in the first rib.


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Egyptian General Petroleum Company (EGPC) has signed in Cairo an agreement for the development of a LNG plant in Egypt and its marketing with Eni - through its subsidiary Snam S.p.A. and BP.
The plant will be built on the Egyptian Mediterranean coast in the area of Damietta harbor and will have an initial capacity of about 4,5 billion cubic meters per year. Production is expected to start in 2004.
The agreement envisages the set up of a Project Company by EGPC , Eni and BP for the planning, construction and management of the infrastructure.
Eni and BP will carry out the marketing of the LNG produced by the plant, mainly in the Euro-Mediterranean markets.
The agreement will enable to market the increasing quantities of natural gas coming predominantly from the offshore fields in the Nile Delta where Eni, which is the largest international natural gas producer in Egypt, has exploration and development licenses together with BP.
Egypt's petroleum Minister, Engineer Sameh Fahmy, described the agreement as "an important step towards establishing a major gas export facility for Egypt which will greatly help realize the Government's strategy of maximizing the value of Egypt's gas while ensuring the domestic market is fully satisfied now and in the future. We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with two of the world's major oil and gas companies".(Al-Bawaba-MEBG)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
© 2000 - 2019 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)


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john wort hannam - love lives on
Sample Songs:
Roll Roll Roll
Over The Moon
Love Lives On
Chasing The Song
Man of God
Gonna See My Love
Write Me Back In
Heart For Sale
Molly & Me
Good Nite Nova Scotia
Something has changed in John Wort Hannam.
It's apparent that John Wort Hannam is no longer modeling his songs after those written by his song-writing heroes but instead is at a place where he is crafting songs on his own terms. After 5 albums, a Juno nomination and taking
the trophy home at the Canadian Folk Music Awards for Contemporary Album of the Year, John Wort Hannam has less to prove. "I'm at a point where I'm comfortable writing about whatever the hell I fancy."
Wort Hannam continues, "I didn't want Volume 2 of any of my earlier recordings. I hope I've grown as a songwriter and a person. I wanted a record that reflected that", Produced by Canadian roots rocker, Leeroy Stagger, it looks like John Wort Hannam got what he asked for. LOVE LIVES ON has less of a traditional folk sound and more of a contemporary songwriter, Americana and alt-country feel.
The project, consisting of eleven new songs, was recorded over 12 months. A first for Wort Hannam, used to tracking an entire record in four or five days. Giving the mixes time to sit and breathe between sessions granted the freedom of sober second thought,something not allowed in earlier studio outings. With LOVE LIVES ON, time was part of the maturation process and not a constraint. The somewhat leisurely pace also allowed Stagger the luxury of hand selecting the many guests appearing on the record. They include Kurt Ciesla and Brady Valgardson (Corb Lund Band), John MacArthur Ellis (Doc Walker), Adrian Dolan (The Bills/Ruth Moody), Bob Hamilton (Undertakin' Daddies), Tyson Maiko (Gob), Geoff Hillhorst (Deep Dark Woods) and many others including west coast fiddler and horn player extraordinaire Daniel Lapp.
LOVE LIVES ON shows a depth and breadth not seen in Wort Hannam's previous records. It is a record that only comes when the songwriter is finally comfortable in his own skin as an artist and is creating work that doesn't come from following self-prescribed constraints but instead comes from following ones own heart.


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On This Page
Public Health Statement for Dinitrocresols (DNOC)
August 1995
This Public Health Statement is the summary chapter from the Toxicological Profile for dinitrocresols. It is one in a series of Public Health Statements about hazardous substances and their health effects. A shorter version, the ToxFAQs™, is also available. This information is important because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present. For more information, call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737.
This statement was prepared to give you information about dinitrocresols and to emphasize the human health effects that may result from exposure to them. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified 1,350 hazardous waste sites as the most serious in the nation. These sites make up the National Priorities List (NPL) and are the sites targeted for long-term federal cleanup activities. Dinitrocresols have been found in at least 50 of the sites on the NPL. However, the number of NPL sites evaluated for dinitrocresols is not known. As EPA evaluates more sites, the number of sites at which dinitrocresols is found may increase. This information is important because exposure to dinitrocresols may cause harmful health effects and because these sites are potential or actual sources of human exposure to dinitrocresols.
When a substance is released from a large area, such as an industrial plant, or from a container, such as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment. This release does not always lead to exposure. You can be exposed to a substance only when you come in contact with it. You may be exposed by breathing, eating, or drinking substances containing the substance or by skin contact with it.
If you are exposed to substances such as dinitrocresols, many factors will determine whether harmful health effects will occur and what the type and severity of those health effects will be. These factors include the dose (how much), the duration (how long), the route or pathway by which you are exposed (breathing, eating, drinking, or skin contact), the other chemicals to which you are exposed, and your individual characteristics such as age, sex, nutritional status, family traits, lifestyle, and state of health.
1.1 What are dinitrocresols?
Dinitrocresols are a group of organic chemicals that can contain up to 18 individual compounds. This document contains information on mainly one dinitrocresol that is commercially most important. This dinitrocresol is called 4,6-dinitro--o-cresol and is abbreviated as DNOC. Industries manufacture dinitrocresols, and this is the major source of exposure. DNOC is sold under many trade names, some of which are Antinonnin®, Detal®, and Dinitrol®. EPA has canceled the registration of these pesticides. DNOC is a yellow solid with no smell. The taste of DNOC is not known. It dissolves slightly in water. DNOC in water and soil does not easily evaporate to air. DNOC was primarily used to protect fruit trees and other food crops from insect damage. Another less expensive chemical that is more effective in controlling pests is replacing DNOC. In the 1930s, DNOC was used in pills for reducing weight. It is no longer used for this purpose because of bad effects on health.
1.2 What happens to dinitrocresols when they enter the environment?
DNOC enters the air, water, and soil during its manufacture and transport. It also enters the environment when formulated products are prepared and used. Very small amounts of DNOC may form in the atmosphere in the presence of other compounds. Wastes containing DNOC are produced during its manufacture and use. These DNOCcontaining wastes are often disposed in landfills. DNOC enters the environment from these landfills. DNOC also enters the environment from accidental spills during manufacture and transport and from leaks during storage.
DNOC destruction in air from chemical reactions with other pollutants or from interaction with sunlight may be insignificant. It eventually returns from air to land and water by settling and washout by snow and rainwater. We do not know how long DNOC stays in the air before it is fully removed. No known chemical reaction removes significant amounts of DNOC from water. DNOC in water may be broken down slowly by microorganisms. DNOC does not appreciably evaporate from water. Some of the DNOC sticks to particles present in water. This process partially transfers DNOC from water to the bottom sediment. When DNOC was accidentally spilled into the Rhine River in Germany, the level of DNOC in water decreased to half its initial value in an estimated 30 days. No known chemical reaction removes significant amounts of DNOC from soil. Microorganisms break down DNOC in soil. The loss of DNOC from soil by evaporation is not significant. DNOC has been found in groundwater from fields where it was applied. The level of DNOC in soil may decrease to half its original level in an estimated 14 days to 1 month or longer.
1.3 How might I be exposed to dinitrocresols?
People can be exposed to DNOC by breathing contaminated air, drinking contaminated water, or eating contaminated food. Other than in certain workplaces, levels of DNOC in the air we commonly breathe in the United States have not been measured. However, the ambient level is expected to be very low. The levels of DNOC in drinking water and food also have not been detected. Certain people may be exposed to slightly higher levels of DNOC. People who live near sites containing DNOC wastes may be exposed primarily by breathing contaminated air. Children playing at or near these sites will be exposed by touching and eating soil if that soil contains DNOC. You may be exposed to DNOC if your work involves manufacturing, preparing, or using formulated DNOC products. You may be exposed if you work as a sprayer of DNOC. You also may be exposed to DNOC if your work involves incinerating waste containing DNOC or cleaning up sites contaminated with DNOC. According to one study, the estimated skin contact of workers spraying apple orchards was 22.5 milligrams of DNOC per hour (mg/hour) (1 milligram is one thousandth of a gram or a 30,000th fraction of an ounce). The workers also breathed less than 0.05–0.4 mg DNOC per hour while spraying. The blood and urine of some of the spray operators contained DNOC.
1.4 How can dinitrocresols enter and leave my body?
DNOC can readily enter your body through the lungs if breathed in, through the stomach and intestines if swallowed, or through the skin if touched. The amount of DNOC that enters your body depends on the amount in air, food, and water, and the length of time you are exposed. After DNOC enters your body, your blood can carry it to your lungs, brain, liver, kidneys, spleen, muscles, and heart. DNOC can build up in these organs and tissues if you are repeatedly exposed. Animal studies show that DNOC is broken down to harmless products that do not cause health effects, but leave the body in urine, feces, and exhaled air. We do not know whether DNOC is broken down in people the same way it is in animals. However, we do know that DNOC leaves the bodies of people more slowly than it leaves the bodies of animals. This might mean there are other differences in the way people and animals break it down. DNOC can be found in human urine for as long as 20 days after the last exposure.
1.5 How can dinitrocresols affect my health?
Adverse health effects can result from breathing too much DNOC, from excessive skin contact, and from swallowing too much of it. Some of what we know about how DNOC can affect your health comes from reports of workers who became ill after making DNOC in factories or spraying it on crops. These workers breathed in the DNOC dusts or had skin contact with it, but we do not know to how much they were exposed. Most of what we know about how DNOC can affect your health comes from old reports from doctors who prescribed
DNOC for their patients who wanted to lose weight. DNOC has not been used as a diet pill for almost 60 years because of the harmful effects to those patients. The amount of DNOC that the patients took in pill form was as low as 0.35 milligram of DNOC per kilogram of body weight per day (mg/kg/day). DNOC increases your basal metabolic rate, which can increase your pulse and heart rates, and cause profuse sweating and fever. These effects can occur after breathing in, swallowing, or having skin contact with DNOC for a short period. DNOC also may make it difficult for you to breathe and causes headaches, drowsiness, dizziness, and weight loss. DNOC stains the whites of the eyes and the skin yellow, and can cause mild damage to the stomach, the kidneys, and the liver. If swallowed for long periods, DNOC may cause cataracts in your eyes and skin rashes. If you breathe in, swallow, or have skin contact with large amounts of DNOC for short periods, you could have convulsions, become unconscious, and even die. High environmental temperatures, such as in tropical climates, can worsen these effects.
DNOC causes similar health effects in animals. In addition, injection of other dinitrocresols into animals caused similar effects. High environmental temperatures can worsen the harmful effects in some animals that swallow DNOC. Some animals exposed to DNOC for a long period show blood cell changes. Ducklings given high levels of DNOC in the diet for a short period developed cataracts.
We do not know whether DNOC causes reproductive effects, birth defects, or cancer in people. One animal study suggests that swallowing DNOC may decrease the number of sperm in the testes of males or cause damage to the ovaries of females. Swallowing DNOC does not appear to cause developmental effects in animals. We do not know whether DNOC causes cancer in animals.
1.6 Is there a medical test to determine whether I have been exposed to dinitrocresols?
DNOC can be measured in the blood, urine, and feces of exposed people. DNOC has been detected in human blood as many as 40 days after the last dose was swallowed. Measuring the amount of DNOC in blood may not be a reliable test to determine how much DNOC you were exposed to or for how long, but it can be used to predict whether you would experience harmful effects, such as headache and depression. DNOC has been found in urine for more than 13–20 days after the last exposure, but much of the DNOC also remains in the body. This means that measuring DNOC in the urine may not be a reliable test to determine how much you were exposed to or for how long. Testing urine can determine only whether or not you have been exposed to DNOC, not whether you will experience any harmful health effects. Breakdown products of DNOC are reported one study of human exposure and have been found in the urine of exposed animals. Yellow-stained skin and eyes can alert a doctor that you may have been exposed to DNOC, but other similar chemicals also cause yellow staining.
1.7 What recommendations has the federal government made to protect human health?
EPA lists DNOC as a hazardous air pollutant. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulates DNOC levels in the workplace. The occupational exposure limit for an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek, is 0.2 milligrams of DNOC per cubic meter of air (mg/m³). The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that exposure in air not exceed 0.2 mg DNOC/m³ for a 10-hour workday, 40-hour workweek. Federal regulations limit the amount of DNOC that factories can release into waste water. The EPA requires industries to report releases or spills of 10 pounds or more.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 1995. Toxicological profile for dinitrocresols. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
If you have questions or concerns, please contact your community or state health or environmental quality department or:
For more information, contact:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop S102-1
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-800-CDC-INFO · 888-232-6348 (TTY)
Email: Contact CDC-INFO
ATSDR can also tell you the location of occupational and environmental health clinics. These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, and treating illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances.
- Page last reviewed: January 21, 2015
- Page last updated: January 21, 2015
- Content source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry


text: SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY COMMISSION (As approved February 3, 2005) Minutes of the regular meeting of Thursday, January 6, 2005. The San Francisco Public Library Commission held a regular meeting on Thursday, January 6, 2005 in the Koret Auditorium, Main Library. The meeting was called to order by Vice President Steiman at 4:06pm. The following members were present: Vice President Steiman, Commissioners Bautista, Chin, and Coulter. President Higueras arrival was expected to be delayed and Commissioner Strobin was reported excused. Vice President Steiman announced that she proposed to reorder the taking of agenda items moving items #5 the BLIP Managers' report and Item #6 the BLIP Budget & Schedule Review to the end of the agenda. Agenda Items: 1) Public Comment 2) Approval of the Minutes of the December 2, 2004 Meeting 3) Approval of the Minutes of the December 6, 2004 Meeting 4) WI-FI Update 7) City Librarian's Report 8) 2005 Commission Meetings Schedule 9) Friends of the Library Report 10) Labor Union Report 5) BLIP Manager's Report 6) BLIP Budget & Schedule Review 11) New Business 12) Adjournment APPENDIX A -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AGENDA ITEM #1 PUBLIC COMMENT The anonymous member of the public discussed this person's lawsuits against the Library contending that they were based on fairness. This person remarked that in their view the Library had taken positions in opposition to a previous lawsuit this person had brought against the Library that were in contradiction to positions taken against the current lawsuit. This individual commented that the Library was not exempt from the claims made in response to these lawsuits. Mr. Peter Warfield commented that he had intended to compose "thank you notes" to the Commissioners but had been unable to find reasons for any beyond the two he had written. Mr. Warfield suggested that the purpose of the public process was to provide public input into the Commission's decision. Mr. Warfield discussed the (San Francisco City) Charter's requirement that the Commission submit the names of three candidates to the Mayor and that in his opinion a good candidate for City Librarian had not been included that could have been if the Commission had presented more candidates to the Mayor. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AGENDA ITEM #2 APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 2, 2004 MEETING Public comment on AGENDA ITEM #2 APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 2, 2004 MEETING An anonymous member of the public found the draft minutes unreadable and cited in errors and omissions its report of the West Portal Branch Update, and concerning Prop. A, suggesting that Mr. Warfield had been granted additional opportunity for public comment but this opportunity was denied to the anonymous member of the public. Mr. Peter Warfield commented that in his public comment on the Prop. E Hours discussion was inaccurately reported and the Minutes omitted important discussions. Mr. Warfield then noted that the Commission President had challenged his comments on the Prop. E Hours discussion and offered Mr. Warfield opportunity to respond but turned down the anonymous member of public when they also requested additional opportunity to speak in response to the Commission President's comments. Mr. Warfield also noted that the minutes omitted report of his comments concerning the status of the Library's plans to implement RFID. Commission discussion of AGENDA ITEM #3 APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 2, 2004 MEETING The Commission Secretary reported that in response to a suggestion by Commissioner Coulter these draft Minutes had been prepared by another Library staff member and were drafted from several days of viewing videotapes of the December 2nd meeting. The Secretary noted that unfortunately this had resulted in any differences in predictable criticisms of these Minutes by two members of the public. Commissioner Chin reiterated her preference that the Minutes focus on the actions taken by the Commission rather than waste time reporting lengthy discussions. MOTION: by Commissioner Chin, 2nd Commissioner Bautista for approval of the Minutes of the regular meeting of December 2, 2004. Approved by the following vote: ACTION: AYE 4-0 (Bautista, Chin, Coulter, and Steiman,) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AGENDA ITEM #3 APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 6, 2004 MEETING Public comment on AGENDA ITEM #3 APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 6, 2004 MEETING An anonymous member of the public suggested that they were being subjected to "passive/aggressive" behavior in response to criticisms of the minutes .This person then cited what they found to be mis-characterization of their comments concerning the City Charter requirement for the number of candidates for the position of City Librarian that the Commission submits to the Mayor, as well as their discussion of a Court finding related to the requirements for holding and noticing the location of public forums. This person also remarked that these minutes were unreadable and that the Commission did a poor job in recording its meeting Minutes. Mr. Peter Warfield noted that as there had been only one item on the agenda he had no substantive comments. Mr. Warfield noted that Roberts Rules of Order recommend against dealing in personalities in reporting Minutes and said that his only concern in criticizing Commission Minutes was to improve them. Commission discussion of AGENDA ITEM #3 APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 6, 2004 MEETING MOTION: by Commissioner Chin, 2nd Commissioner Bautista for approval of the Minutes of the special meeting of December 6, 2004. Approved by the following vote: ACTION: AYE 4-0 (Bautista, Chin, Coulter, and Steiman) The President called for a recess at 6:45pm. The Public Library Commission returned to session at 6:56pm. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AGENDA ITEM #4 WI-FI UPDATE Acting City Librarian Paul Underwood noted that this report was originally calendared for discussion at the Commission's November 18th meeting. Mr. Underwood then introduced Kathy Lawhun, Chief of the Main Library and Vivian Pisano Chief of Information Technology, who reported to the Commission concerning user response to pilot program and the ongoing expansion of Wi-Fi services available at the Main Library. The Chief of the Main Library called attention to supportive responses received from users surveyed, and then briefly discussed Mayor Newsom's initiative to expand Wi-Fi access citywide with pilot start-ups in the Civic Center and Union Square neighborhoods Public comment on AGENDA ITEM #4 WI-FI UPDATE An anonymous member of the public asked why the staff report on this item could not have been made available in advance of the meeting. This person commented that the "jury was still out" on Wi-Fi and suggested that the staff report only reflected positive comment, noting while the report noted 54% of respondents to the survey indicated having trouble with the pilot installation it did not provide information about what that was. This person suggested that whether or not to continue with Wi-Fi should be based upon a rational assessment of its success. Mr. Peter Warfield questioned why Wi-Fi was being discussed alone when it had been paired with discussion of RFID previously. Mr. Warfield also questioned the independence of the staff report and asked why it had not been available prior to the meeting. Mr. Warfield commented that the staff report did not appear to be balanced. Mr. Warfield suggested: that the report cited only positive responses; resulted from only 37 users over several months; and the report failed to address questions concerning the potential health risks posed. Mr. Warfield also commented that increased Wi-Fi access provided special services to those with laptop computers that other users did not receive. Friends of the Library Board Member Stan Harris commented that his only concern with Wi-Fi would be that the Library was insufficiently aggressive in expanding availability of Wi-Fi access and lauded the encouraging response to the limited services currently available. Mr. Harris noted that Wi-Fi access greatly expanded the availability of online access for all users by freeing the wired terminals for those without access to portable devices. Mr. Harris observed that were a win-win for library users and that unlike some cellular devices there was no real health risk controversy about Wi-Fi. Commission discussion on AGENDA ITEM #4 WI-FI UPDATE Commissioner Coulter agreed public comments suggesting that expanding Wi-Fi resources was beneficial and requested that staff periodically report back to the Commission about the Library's progress in making Wi-Fi more available, including any negative comments. Commissioner Coulter suggested that important information could be gleaned from negative input as the system evolved. Commissioner Coulter congratulated staff for their hard work in expanding this public service. In response to a question by Commissioner Bautista, Ms. Pisano noted that there were no plans for additional surveys of Wi-Fi users and concerning the staff's efforts to publicize Wi-Fi availability. Vice President Steiman expressed happiness that these expanded public services could be provided with no trade-off or loss of scarce space in libraries. Responding to Commissioners comments, the Acting City Librarian reported that Wi-Fi access was included in the plans for the new branch libraries and library renovations, noting that in response to neighborhood demand each community was being informed during the slow process of working with Comcast to wire existing buildings. In response to Commission questions, the Chief of the Main Library reiterated that she had not received any negative feedback on the expanded Wi-Fi services since they had begun. Ms. Lawhun noted, as the users' surveys report, the only issues were a desire for expanded availability of Wi-Fi throughout the Main Library. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AGENDA ITEM #7 CITY LIBRARIAN'S REPORT The Acting City Librarian presented a detailed response (copy attached) to questions regarding activities related to the Koret Auditorium and the Library's computer use reservation system. Mr. Underwood next discussed staff participation in the American Library Association (ALA) Mid-Winter Conference in Boston. The Acting City Librarian finished his report with an update on January 2005 programs and exhibitions at the Library. Public comment on AGENDA ITEM #7 CITY LIBRARIAN'S REPORT An anonymous member of the public thanked the Acting City Librarian for responding to Mr. Folkedal's comments, and commented on aspects of Mr. Underwood's response to Mr. Folkedal's suggestions and comments. Mr. Peter Warfield expressed appreciation for the response to Mr. Folkedal, requested a written copy, and suggested that a public access bulletin board could be useful in gathering comments and making information available. Mr. Warfield noted that he also had expressed concerns with the Library's computer use reservation system and noted that those with computers at home had an advantage in booking use of library computers. Commission discussion on AGENDA ITEM #7 CITY LIBRARIAN'S REPORT In answer to a comment by Vice President Steiman, it was reported that the Library's Access Services Department already provided dedicated computers and additional access to computers outside of the general computer use reservation system for disabled users. Vice President Steiman suggested that these services be publicized as widely as possible. Commissioner Coulter agreed that wider publicity of the availability of disabled access services would be beneficial and lauded the wide array of programs and exhibitions available at the libraries. The Acting City Librarian pointed out that his detailed response to Mr. Folkedal's public comments was prepared in response to a request that he do so by Commissioner Coulter. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AGENDA ITEM #8 2005 COMMISSION MEETINGS SCHEDULE The Commission Secretary presented a proposed schedule of Public Library Commission meetings for 2005 (copy attached). The Commission Secretary pointed out that the proposed schedule continued the Commission's recent practice of holding its regular meetings on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month except during July and August. During these months the Commission Secretary proposed there be one scheduled regular meeting held on the 3rd Thursday of those months. The Commission Secretary noted that the proposed start time for all regular meetings continued to be 4pm and the usual location to be the Main Library's Koret Auditorium. Public comment on AGENDA ITEM #8 2005 COMMISSION MEETINGS SCHEDULE An anonymous member of the public commented that the proposed schedule was nice but limited, noting that there had previously been a larger number of Commission meetings. This person also expressed preference for a later start time for meetings, suggesting 5:30 or 6pm. Mr. Peter Warfield found the proposal's meeting schedule's virtue in its simplicity, but also expressed preference for a later start time, suggesting that it made attendance at Commission meetings easier for students, workers, and Library staff members. Commission discussion on AGENDA ITEM #8 2005 COMMISSION MEETINGS SCHEDULE Vice President Steiman noted that the current start time allowed meetings to fully address Commission business and important issues without continuing late into the evening. MOTION: by Commissioner Bautista, 2nd Commissioner Coulter for approval of the proposed schedule of regular Public Library Commission meeting for 2005. Approved by the following vote: ACTION: AYE 4-0 (Bautista, Chin, Coulter, and Steiman,) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AGENDA ITEM #9 FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY REPORT Friends' Interim Executive Director Deborah Doyle reported that the new Executive Director Donna Bero would begin work on January 10, 2005 and called attention to new Board member, Mr. Harris. Ms. Doyle invited the Commissioners to attend an open House at the Friends' new offices at 391 Grove Street from 6-8pm on Tuesday, January 11th. Ms. Doyle then reminded the Commissioners of the Annual Library Laureates Dinner to be held this year on April 22nd. The Interim Executive Director of the Friends reported on the creation of a new partnership between the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library for four annual lectures with the Commonwealth Club and concerning recent Friends' Capital Campaign for the Branch Libraries neighborhood events. Public comment on AGENDA ITEM #9 FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY REPORT None offered. Commission discussion on AGENDA ITEM #9 FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY REPORT Commissioner Bautista lauded Ms. Doyle for her dedication to public service, noting that she had sacrificed a year of library school in order to continue to serve the Friends. Acting City Librarian Paul Underwood joined the Commission in thanking Ms. Doyle and highlighted her many critically important contributions to the betterment of San Francisco's public libraries. Mr. Underwood in particular called attention to Ms. Doyle's leadership and hard work in supporting the Library's successful effort to obtain $9.7 million in Prop. 14 grants. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AGENDA ITEM #10 LABOR UNION REPORT No report was presented. Vice President Steiman called a brief recess at 5:25pm. The Commission returned to session at 5:34pm. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AGENDA ITEM #5 BLIP MANAGER'S REPORT (Continued from December 16th) BLIP Manager Marilyn Thompson briefly recapped her regular reports, and the staff response to the Western Addition Branch Library Peer Review originally given in full at the Commission's Regular December 16, 2004 meeting. Public comment on AGENDA ITEM #5 BLIP MANAGER'S REPORT (Continued from December 16th) An anonymous member of the public found Ms. Thompson's recap of her report helpful but suggested that public comment would preferably be concurrent with the report being discussed. This person also found the update on 190-9th Street informative, and called attention to the presence of labor pickets at the new Glen Park Building site expressing concern regarding the interior build-out of that new facility. Commission discussion of AGENDA ITEM #5 BLIP MANAGER'S REPORT (Continued from December 16th) In response to a query by Commissioner Bautista regarding the Excelsior Branch, Ms. Thompson reported the remaining steps to the project's imminent completion. In answer to a question by Vice President Steiman regarding the new Glen Park Branch, Ms. Thompson provided a brief overview of the recent developments in this project. In response to a question by Commissioner Bautista regarding the status of 190-9th Street, Acting City Librarian Paul Underwood reported that move-in would not take place until the General Contractor had completely finished their work and was expected to occur in April. President Higueras joined the meeting at 5:54pm and assumed the Chair at 6pm. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AGENDA ITEM #6 BLIP BUDGET & SCHEDULE REVIEW Branch Library Improvement Program (BLIP) Manager Marilyn Thompson presented the Commissioners with an overview of options for ten groupings of Bond Program projects, and suggestions for revision of the Branch Library Improvement Program (BLIP) Budget and Schedule in light of the Library's obtaining $9.7 million in Prop 14 State Library Bond Act grants. Ms. Thompson requested that the Commissioners consider these choices and take action to set the course for the completion of the Bond Program. The BLIP Manager introduced Mr. Mike Lackey of Cummings LLC who gave a detailed informational presentation on the factors contributing to the recent construction cost "spike" and offered suggestions how the Library might mitigate their impact on its projects. Public comment on AGENDA ITEM #6 BLIP BUDGET & SCHEDULE REVIEW An anonymous member of the public agreed that the construction cost increases presentations depiction of a "perfect storm" matched existing conditions, noting that escalation in steel prices was even greater. This person expressed dismay that explanatory documents were not available prior to the day of the meeting and noted a lack of information about any details of Supervisor Dufty's proposal for the Eureka Valley Branch or about changes in the plans for Visitacion Valley Branch. Mr. Peter Warfield criticized the lack of explanatory documents being provided in advance of the meeting and requested greater clarity about the sources for increased funding proposed for some projects. Mr. Warfield asked a information detailing the changes from previous revenue estimates, suggested there had not been enough time to consider these proposals, and questioned the need for the Commissioners to take action. Commission discussion of AGENDA ITEM #6 BLIP BUDGET & SCHEDULE REVIEW In response to questions by Commissioner Bautista and Vice President Steiman, Ms. Thompson further discussed proposals for the Ortega and Portola Branch Libraries. President Higueras noted that no one could have anticipated the dramatic increases in construction costs experienced in the past year. President Higueras noted that this situation required quick action and a creative dynamic response. The Commission President observed that maintaining confidence in staff's skill and ability to make recommendations to the Commission were the structure that the Commission had built in the its system for overseeing the Bond Program. President Higueras then suggested that Ms. Thompson go through and discuss each of the ten project proposals as they were grouped so that what was being recommended could be clearly understood. Ms. Thompson began with the proposals for the Richmond and Ingleside Branch Libraries and carefully walked the Commission through each of the proposals concluding with options for the Visitacion Valley Branch. After some discussion among the Commissioners' concerning the merits of the various options available, President Higueras suggested that as there was greater flexibility in the time available for considering options for the Eureka Valley-Harvey Milk Memorial Branch and the Visitation Valley Branch, that action on these two projects be considered separately at a later meeting. MOTION:by Commissioner Bautista, 2nd Commissioner Steiman to approve the proposed changes in the Branch Library Improvement Program and Schedule as proposed excepting the Eureka Valley-Harvey Milk Memorial and Visitacion Valley to be considered separately at a later meeting. ACTION: Approved by the following vote: ACTION: AYE 5-0 (Bautista, Chin, Coulter, Higueras and Steiman) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AGENDA ITEM #11 NEW BUSINESS Commissioner Bautista inquired concerning a new mural installed on Recreation and Park Department property at the front of the Ortega Branch Library and about the possibility that libraries be decorated during the December holiday season. Commissioner Coulter requested consideration of Commission resolutions honoring the outgoing leaders and board members of the Friends of the Library. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AGENDA ITEM #12 ADJOURNMENT MOTION: by Commissioner Bautista, 2nd Commissioner Chin that the meeting be adjourned. Approved by the following vote: 5-0 AYE (Bautista, Chin, Coulter, Higueras, and Steiman) There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:50 pm. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Housh, Commission Secretary 1/19/05 Please note: Copies of Commission Minutes and handouts are available in the Office of the Commission Secretary, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 ATTACHMENTS to the January 6, 2005 Minutes: Wireless Fidelity Access Report (Wi-Fi) City Librarian's Report- January 6, 2005 Current Branch Library Improvement Program (BLIP) Budget & Schedule BLIP Manager's proposed revisions to the Branch Library Improvement Program (BLIP) Budget & Schedule-January 6, 2005 2005 Public Library Commission meeting schedule -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix A The Public Comment Summary Statements included in these Minutes are authorized by San Francisco Administrative Code Section 67.16. These summary statements are provided by the speaker. Their contents are neither generated by, nor subject to approval or verification of accuracy by, the San Francisco Public Library Commission. The number of members of the public who spoke anonymously at this meeting. 1 Explanatory documents: Copies of listed explanatory documents are available as follows: (1) from the Commission Secretary/Custodian of Records, Main Library, 6th Floor, (2) in the rear of the Koret Auditorium immediately before and during the meeting, and (3)to the extent possible, on the Library's Web site. Additional materials not listed as explanatory documents, if any, that are distributed to the Library Commissioners prior to or during the meeting in connection with any agenda item will be available to the public for inspection and copying in accordance with Government Code Section 54954.1 and Sunshine Ordinance §§ 67.9, 67.28(b) & 67.28(d).


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Liberty News
Liberty family mourns loss of longtime supporter Ronnie Lakin
|Ronnie Lakin
A dear friend of the Liberty University family, Ronnie Lakin, 65, of Titusville, Fla., died on Monday, Aug. 27.
Lakin was the grandson of the great evangelist B.R. Lakin, who was a close friend of Liberty founder Dr. Jerry Falwell, Sr. and co-founder Dr. Elmer Towns. B.R. Lakin and his wife, Violet, are buried on Liberty's campus next to the Prayer Chapel. The ministerial training school at Liberty is called the B.R. Lakin School of Religion.
Ronnie Lakin spent much time traveling with his grandfather, driving the car or motor home and assisting with managerial duties as B. R. Lakin preached the Gospel. He was very close to his grandfather, whom he considered a second father, along with Falwell, with whom he and B.R. Lakin also traveled. Ronnie's father, William, an only child, died when Ronnie was young and B. R. and Violet Lakin raised him.
"Without the grandson Ronnie Lakin, the grandfather, B. R. Lakin, could not have accomplished all of the things he accomplished," Towns said.
Ronnie Lakin was the owner and realtor for a local Century 21 branch and is remembered as a faithful servant of the Lord, ministering as a Sunday school teacher and trustee for Temple Baptist Church (Titusville) for nearly 40 years
Ronnie Lakin is survived by his wife, Linda, of 40 years, five children, and 14 grandchildren.
B.R. Lakin's love for Liberty and Dr. Falwell was evident, and has been fondly passed down the family line.
"My grandfather loved the school, and that just carried on throughout each generation … that was my grandfather's legacy," said Mike Lakin, Ronnie's son and B.R.'s great grandson. "We will always have that connection to Liberty."
Mike Lakin recalls Ronnie's special relationship with Falwell, whom he visited often.
"They were really close friends," he said. "It was because of his grandfather, the closeness that Dr. Falwell had with him."
He said Ronnie and Falwell loved to joke around and were like "mischievous brothers," together pulling many pranks that Falwell was infamous and fondly remembered for.
Mike Lakin is a student with Liberty University Online, pursuing a degree in business, specializing in marketing. He plans to participate in Liberty's Commencement exercises in May.
He said he hopes that the love for Liberty his great grandfather and father shared will continue to be passed down to future generations of his family, including his two daughters.
Towns said the Lakin family has truly carried on Liberty's mission of Training Champions for Christ.
"Liberty University expresses condolences to the living members of the Lakin family at the loss of Ronnie Lakin, a great soldier of the Lord and one who enabled the ministry to go forward," Towns said.


text:
Class LL: NFA ousts No 1 Staples
WEST HAVEN -- What was shaping up to be a dream season for the Staples High football team ended with a nightmare.
Staples' pristine record and its hopes of returning to the state title game were both shattered on Sunday afternoon, leaving Class LL's top-ranked team to piece together where, and how, it all went wrong.
Bogged down by turnovers, penalties and failed opportunities, the team that barreled through every opponent in its path this year met its match, as Norwich Free Academy ousted previously unbeaten Staples 30-28 in the LL state semifinals at West Haven's Ken Strong Stadium.
"We made some mistakes today. We just made too many to get over the hump," Staples head coach Marce Petroccio said. "It's just a shame. I can't believe we're putting away the equipment today. It's unbelievable."
Fifth-seeded NFA broke a 21-21 deadlock with a safety on an errant snap in the third quarter and used a Khaleed Exum-Strong 2-yard touchdown to take a 30-21 lead with 9:57 left in the fourth.
Staples climbed to within 30-28 when quarterback Jack Massie hit wide receiver James Frusciante with a 16-yard touchdown pass with 3:15 left. The Wreckers, the FCIAC champs who finish at 10-1, forced a 3-and-out on NFA's next possession. But the ensuing punt went off the heel of a Wreckers' player, allowing NFA to recover.
"It's awful," Petroccio said. "I'm going to try and pick up some of the greatest seniors we've ever had at Staples High School. But today was not our day.
"We just found a way to lose."
NFA running back Marcus Outlow's 2-yard run on 4th-and-1 at Staples' 46 sealed the win as the Wildcats ran out the clock and will move onto the state final for the second time in program history. The Wildcats (12-0) will face two-time defending champion Xavier (11-1), the No. 3 seed, at Rentschler Field in West Hartford on either Friday or Saturday.
"We know we can play with anybody," NFA head coach Jemal Davis said. "When you play an option team, you're concerned about guys just getting lulled to sleep and (the opponent) making plays. But we thought we could play with them. Obviously we proved that."
Staples turned the ball over three times, including twice in the fourth quarter when it was desperately trying to rally.
The Wreckers moved the ball down to the NFA 3 on their drive following Exum-Strong's touchdown run, but NFA cornerback Airec Ricks batted Massie's pitch out of the air. The Wildcats dove on the fumble, erasing one of the Wreckers' last chances.
"You can't win in a game like this playing the way we played," Petroccio said. "I'm just upset that we waited until today to play the way we did."
With running back Nick Kelly out with a shoulder injury, the Wreckers turned to Patrick Lesch to share carries in the backfield with Joey Zelkowitz. Lesch gained 119 yards in the first half and scored on a 29-yard run.
NFA, however, had all the answers.
Quarterback Joey Paparelli gave Staples' defense fits, as he rushed for 110 yards out of the spread option and accounted for two touchdowns.
Paparelli handed Staples its first deficit all season with a 1-yard run in the second quarter to put NFA up 14-7. He connected with wide receiver Ryer Caruso on a 38-yard scoring strike just 2:47 before halftime to go ahead 21-14.
"We really thought he was a difference-maker," Davis said.
"We knew that they were going to key on Marcus, so we did things a little different. But Joey, going into it, I told him, `You're going to be a difference maker.'"
"To knock off the No. 1 team, we knew we had it in us," Paparelli said. "We just went out and got the job done."
Outlow also helped power NFA's ground attack, carrying the ball 11 times for 95 yards.
Staples, which came into the day averaging 51 points a game, got off to a fast start and took its opening drive 81 yards on just four plays. Frusciante's 34-yard catch from Massie put the Wreckers up 7-0.
NFA, however, responded with a four-play drive of its own and knotted it 7-7 on Ramel Williams' 32-yard run.
email@example.com; 203-255-4561 ext. 114; twitter.com/DougBonjour
No. 5 NFA 30, No.1 STAPLES 28
S--James Frusciante 34 pass from Jack Massie (Mike Gifford kick)
NFA--Ramel Williams 32 run (Elisa Formiglio kick)
NFA--Joey Paparelli 1 run (Formiglio kick)
S--Patrick Lesch 29 run (Gifford kick)
NFA--Ryer Caruso 38 pass from Paparelli (Formiglio kick)
S--Massie 6 run (Gifford kick)
NFA--Safety on snap into end zone
NFA--Khaleed Exum-Strong (Formiglio kick)
S--Frusciante 16 pass from Massie (Gifford kick)
Records: NFA 12-0; Staples 10-1.


text:
The Atheist and the Coconuts
V8 juice continues to save lives in Iraq despite fatalities
This year in Baghdad is a test.
One year beneath the date palms.
One year at Section 5
on the west bank of the Tigris
where blackbirds balance
heavy and thick in the trees
wondering where the meat has gone.
(The flesh of regime critics
was plentiful at Section 5,
and the birds feasted,
swooping down out of the palms
at the sight of raincoats and pails
and black rubber boots,
not scared of the dogs.)
If I make it through these dark days
I will be qualified for something
like manning a Frigidaire to Mars
(my cheek against the butter dish,
feet tucked in the crisper,
toes curled against
the lettuce heads).
I think the vast emptiness of space,
the slow spinning of my capsule
(the haunting radiance of the controls)
will not unhinge me
after this.
The explosion at that early hour, jolting us from sleep, makes my stomach convulse reflexively, like a salamander prodded in the belly with a stick. My eyes open to take in the dark room, the grimy walls, the concrete floor. Across from me the colonel is awake, a mirror image of myself with just his face peeking outside his sleeping bag. Together we lie there stupidly, not saying a word, as though it were customary, this breaking loose of all hell. More explosions follow, one after the other. It dawns on me that we are being mortared, that this is what it is to be mortared, and I am touched by a panic that this could be my last moment, lying here naked in a broken cot in a broken building in a broken country with only the colonel for company.
Am I to die here in this strange land? And for what? God and Country? A black coffin draped in an oversized flag and a stranger's eulogy? "Sacrificed his life … that others may live in freedom … died doing what he loved." I'd sooner perish. I'm going to perish. Wriggling like a minnow in my sleeping bag, growing damp with the fluids coming out through the holes and slits in me. If I can just get back to my automatic rice cooker and the little whistling sound it makes when it's underway. I'll be happy to rake the leaves come fall. Straighten up the garage. Try my hand at making biscuits from scratch.
Neither of us moves. Except for my racing thoughts, we might as well be sleeping through the barrage. It occurs to me to seek refuge in the bathroom, away from the windows, but I don't want to make matters worse. Getting out of the cot could make me a bigger target. Plus, there is the matter of the open drain in the shower, which is gross. So I rub my feet together to reassure myself against the possibility of dying. Strangely effective, the rubbing. After all, one can't be extinguished while doing something so reminiscent of childhood, can one? That would be like stepping on a mine while reciting nursery rhymes. Impossible. The mind won't stand for it. So it can't happen.
My toes press firmly against the bottom of the sleeping bag. Despite the unpleasantness of the change in air pressure, which is spooky, and the noise, which is impossibly loud, I am still warm and comfortable, and have not wet myself. But why should I wet myself? Because I'm scared to death? Because I don't want to be rubbed out like this, reduced to a green sack of liquids and solids that will shortly go rank and stenchy? Then get stiff and crusty so they won't even need to waste a body bag on me, just pull the drawstrings tight over the head opening and hoist me around as I am. Then charge me $59 for the sleeping bag. They would, too, wouldn't they, damn them. Damn them!
Then, just as quickly, the attack is over. I stop rubbing my feet and lie still. I can hear muted voices from other parts of the building, the scuffling of feet, the clank of equipment. Then the colonel's voice.
"Damage report, captain."
"I seem to be in one piece, sir. No damage." This is a lie. I am in fact mortally wounded in a metaphysical sense. Savaged on all fronts that my life should be toyed with in this manner at such an early hour. I'm not wearing underwear in the sleeping bag and it feels vaguely disrespectful to be addressing the colonel in the buff. Normally I dress myself in the sleeping bag before he awakes and emerge fully uniformed except for my boots.
"Not you, captain. The equipment. Out back." Since his bag is still zipped to his neck, he gestures with his head, which is large and bald.
"Oh, right. Would you like that report now, sir?" I'd much rather he didn't. A measured silence while he thinks it over, contemplates the urgency of the need for this information with the possibility that more Alahoos and 82s could be destined for our makeshift base north of the Green Zone in a Baghdad neighborhood that sounds like a variation of diarrhea. I offer an initial damage assessment from the comfort of my cot, still naked but feeling around the floor languidly for underpants: "I'm going with two, three trucks, tops." Although I'm getting my clothes on, I'm not eager to get out of my sleeping bag and look around. Why should I? So what if some equipment got hit so long as I get my daily ration of Froot Loops and Red Bull, and five minutes alone with a borrowed Maxim?
"That's about what I'm thinking," the colonel says. "Give it a minute or two and then let's confirm, get eyes on, and get a report to higher."
"Roger that, sir."
I'm not sure when he says "higher" whether he's referring to himself or to our command center back in the Green Zone, with which we communicate by e-mail and satellite phone, and where all the important and bad decisions are made. We're still both facing each other from our respective cots like unlikely lovers, or inmates, just our heads protruding from our mummy bags. The early light of morning is beginning to filter in through three large, grimy windows, one of which appears to be cracked. Was it cracked before? I can't tell. The place we're staying makes Section 8 housing seem like The Donald's. There's also a strange smell in the air, different from the latrine smell that is always with us, as though we're living inside a trucker's ass that has been expanded to accommodate date palms, shrubbery and a large blown-up city. It's the smell of old, corrupted gunpowder. The mortars. Likely survivors of the Spanish Civil War smuggled in by the Bolsheviks. They're lucky to have cracked a window with that rusty ordinance. Hell of a racket, though. Hell of a thing to wake to.
"I'll be needing to check on the coconuts too, sir."
"Yes, make sure they haven't lost anybody."
The coconuts are our Iraqi charges, police recruits ranging in age from 17 to 65. I approximate the age of the older recruits by the absence of teeth and their winsome leathery aspect, but they could easily be younger given all the sweet tea they drink, the scorching Arabian sun and general lack of hygiene. The older ones are also distinguished by their inability to exit the back of pickups without a helping hand. Our job is to dispatch these men, young and old, to Fallujah to help patrol the streets. Higher has advised us, via the Batphone, that the order can come down anytime. Anytime! It's easy to picture them being cut down piecemeal and in droves, starting with the old ones incapable of hasty movement—which can factor powerfully in avoiding bullets—followed by the young ones, whose only form of self-preservation is the death blossom.
Despite the name, the death blossom is actually something scary. The explosive powder and gasses propelling the bullet down the barrel erupt in a blossoming of sparks and flame, something best appreciated at night with the selector switch in the fully automatic position. Since the Iraqis are trigger-happy, squeezing off full magazines at the drop of a rupee, they are death blossom aficionados, posing a threat to all things settled upon the earth—from the shepherds to the shepherded, the animate to the inanimate, the nonthreatening to the merely innocuous. Should a stray round from an AK strike a blow of chance against an enemy combatant, flat-footed incredulity ensues. Open-mouthed incredulity. Followed by fierce celebration. Followed by more shooting, the rifles positively coming alive, squirming and protesting in their arms like recalcitrant lovers. KARAKARAKARAKAH! KARAKARAKARAKAH! Until the barrels start to give out and bend like elephant trunks, which, not to worry, can be compensated for by an adroit forward thrust of the hips, which to witness is to marvel at.
The trucks the colonel wants me to check on are parked in the back, but I'm not going out there without my V8 juice. The savory concoction has served as my talisman for several months, warding off war zone dangers, as well as providing me with the important vitamins and nutrients that come with two servings of vegetables. On my camera I have images of V8 empties posed whimsically in front of scenes of carnage. The fact that I am an onlooker taking the picture and not part of the carnage demonstrates the V8 is doing its job. And so I keep drinking it regularly, two cans every morning, like clockwork. Unless the galley is out due to a hijinxed KBR convoy, in which case I have no choice but to malinger. Which means I'm actually helping, because if I went outside and got shot, the army would have to e-mail back to the States for a replacement, who would likely be unaware of the efficacious nature of V8 juice, and then the vicious cycle would just go on and on without any end in sight.
Once outside, still holding my drink, I'm disappointed by the lack of damage. It's simply not commensurate with the noise. Instead of holes in the ground and massive rubble, there's just a smattering of blown windshields, a few flat tires and what smells like a punctured gas tank. I clamber into the back of a truck and eyeball the goods. The recruits are getting body armor from China better suited to a paintball skirmish. They're like the vests you put on when you get your teeth x-rayed.
Among the inventory are also riot batons and plastic shields. I test one of the batons against the boxes. It's the kind that extends with a flick of the wrist. But this one stays extended, despite repeated bashing against the floor of the truck. I look at the box: Made in China. I toss it aside in disgust. Next to cartons packed with tan-colored uniforms I find Winnie the Pooh blankets and PowerPuff Girls blankets and flashlights with a Spiderman web design on the lens. It's something like a flea market in the back of the truck but better, because everything is free. I put a Spidey flashlight in my pocket to test later.
The Iraqis have survived the onslaught but are looking sullen behind the concertina wire that keeps them from straying. They've spent the evening and night diligently pooping and peeing on the concrete floors of their building, which has seen better days, but not by much. Some of the turds have been stepped in and tracked about, others have water bottles pushed down into their center like candles. This despite the dozen portajohns lined up in front of their bombed-out barracks.
"You people know how to use portajohns? POR-TA-JOHNS?"
They've taken their trash and gathered it in piles and set fire to it: styrofoam food containers, water bottles, pieces of clothing, what looks like a mattress, flip-flops, empty packs of cigarettes, chicken bones. One guy is tiptoeing in the embers holding a stick with his pants rolled up to below his knees.
I get the commander to round up his men, or the majority of them. It's never possible to get an accurate count. Like herding cats. Someone's always off washing their feet. Or poking around in the remains of a fire. But no one's hurt. That's good.
Everybody ready go Fallujah? Check. We spend the morning unloading the trucks and sorting the gear out and getting it issued. I'm hoarse from cursing at their groping hands and disorganization. All they care about are the handguns, the Glocks, which fetch $800 on the street. I get the commander in a tan uniform, and he becomes helpful. He grabs a stick and starts thwacking away at the arms and legs of the recruits, helping to control them as they pass through the line. "Yallah! Yallah! Yallah!" He's chasing recruits with his stick and I'm slinging helmets and boots and ammo pouches and flashlights and tube socks and thigh holsters and PowerPuff bedrolls in a mad frenzy. The recruits are jabbering away and stripping down to their skivvies in the dirt and getting suited up and tossing their rubbish from the packaging over their shoulders and trying to avoid getting hit with the stick and the commander is sweating and putting on a fine show but there's no time to celebrate because we only have a few hours to get them lined up in formation, counted and staged for the transport helicopters. Where's the colonel? Here he comes, pumping his fist up and down in the air to say the choppers are inbound. Time has passed in a blur, darkness is falling.
"You're doing good out here," says the colonel. "Getting things done. I like that."
"Watch this," I say.
"Yallah! Yallah! Yallah!" This gets everyone clambering to their feet and dusting off their bottoms. They've been loading their rifle magazines and discarding the cardboard boxes that the 7.62 rounds come in. There's cardboard and MRE detritus all over the place from where they were competing for most rat-fucked MRE honors, choosing hunger over the tasteless crap the Ameyriki pawn on them.
The commander has his stick out and there's more shouting. I'm impressed to see him get the recruits formed and moving toward the LZ. But there's some commotion in the formation. Some recruits seem to be falling back toward the rear. Then we can hear the choppers and it's time. Recruits are having second thoughts. A handful are turning their backs on the LZ and facing us, shifting their weight around, looking uncertain. To mutiny or not to mutiny? They gaze from each other back to us back to each other. The one closest is clutching his Winnie the Pooh bedroll and he's sweating and his eyes are feverish and he's moaning, "No Fallujah, mister, no Fallujah!"
"You're getting on that chopper!" I yell at him, stepping in close. He has a thin mustache and a hook nose. "No Fallujah! No Fallujah, mister!" A hot anger comes over me. The choppers have touched down and there's no time to be dicking around. The recruits could all start running off in the shadows. And then what? We'd have to track them down, live weapons and all. It could be a death blossom melee.
I grab the moaning one and drive my knee between his legs. He sags a little and I yank him to his feet, shove the Winnie the Pooh bedroll in his gut and push him to where the CH-47s are stirring up debris with their rotorwash. "You want to get all your buddies killed, you sorry fuck? Move your ass!" I've got him hobbling in the right direction and I see the colonel has his gun out and I pull mine too. The stragglers relent with some head bobbing and muttering and turn toward the open maw of the choppers where their fellow coconuts are getting situated.
No need to push anymore. We're standing there breathing hard as the holdouts take their seats on red cargo net benches flanking the insides, and then the loading ramp is coming up and the birds are pulling away even while the ramp is still shutting and then they're wheeling in the dark sky over our heads firing white flares to protect against missile attack. The flares briefly illuminate the nearby rooftops strung with wire, then the noise of the helicopters fades to a dull throbbing, and it's dark and quiet and wonderful feeling.
"We did it."
"I didn't even have any bullets in my gun," says the colonel.
"We didn't need no stinking bullets, sir! Come on, now!"
"You're glad they're gone, huh?" He slaps my shoulder and leaves it there.
"Fucking A right, sir!"
It doesn't matter that by the time word gets to Washington, someone will have doubled or tripled the numbers. Our part is done. I feel like a drink but there's no drinking to be had, nowhere in the whole wide desert. General's orders, out of respect for Islam.
The cot creaks under my weight. Nightfall. It's time to escape. I am awake and dreaming of a future away from this place, away from the war. A future that may never come. I think it may never come. Not with the sound of the choppers in my brain, chopping the air into a fine, misty blurriness. There is. I can see. Hear. The choppers are beating the air like great, flying wasps. Diabolical winged creatures. The coconuts are inside them, clutching their blankets tight in the dying light, like children lost in time.


text:
We had something of a collective revelation at the Gizmodo office: we never listen to podcasts. They were once seen as the great killer of radio, but have instead become something more of a compliment. Maybe we don't listen because we're perpetually reading the news, or can't stand constant talking while we're writing. Or maybe it's just because we're listening to music all day. Either way, it's just not a part of our lives. But what about you? Do you like them better than listening to the radio?
Image via Mingo Hagen


text:
EU Agriculture
'click on the images
for larger versions'
Our farm is small and traditional, run by our family and tucked away in the Devon countryside.
We are best known for our traditional Norfolk Black Christmas free-range organic turkeys, but we also produce delicious organic beef from our small herd of South Devons, Ruby Reds and Aberdeen Angus cattle.
From our flock of Charollais, Lleyn and Zwartbles sheep we produce organic lamb and mutton together with three natural colours of organic knitting wool.
We are passionate about producing healthy food in a way that is as sustainable as possible and we aim to reduce food miles by being as self-sufficient as we can. So this inspires us to grow organic oats and other cereals that our livestock enjoy.
If you would like to know more about what we do, please get in touch, we'd love to hear from you.
Thank you for visiting our website.