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Joined: 03 Jan 2012
Posts: 156
Posted: Wed 14 Aug 2013, 22:49
Post subject:
The usb stick comes with an empty savefile, and the Factory Reset script.
Last edited by Announcer on Fri 23 Aug 2013, 05:56; edited 1 time in total
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Joined: 20 Jul 2010
Posts: 5355
Location: Republic of Novo Zelande
Posted: Wed 14 Aug 2013, 23:13
Post subject:
This would be an interesting way to add a "service pack" to a puppy - apply the contents of a new FR.sfs file, click factory reset, and the new puppy is fresh and ready to go...
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Joined: 23 Nov 2006
Posts: 11230
Posted: Thu 15 Aug 2013, 06:46
Post subject:
Hmmm.. the delete the save at boot and start over seems less hairy to me.... recent puppies pretty much set themselves up.
Actually my original 'persue the sfs approach' suggestion still stands.
In my case i could rename the first boot save so its loaded every time underneath the rw layer... Bad save...delete it and the first save takes over. The save is not mounted so easy to do.
But since the save is created every shutdown it does not 'break' overtime and choosing to not save avoids any messed up sessions so keeping a factory reset would be a little over cautious.
In other words look at the system you are dealing with...adding another pack to a playing card tower system may not be the best way to go. Ask yourself WHY you are making a recovery system and look at ways of making it less fragile.
The aim was not to hyjack but to provide hopefully beneficial discussion
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Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 5087
Location: Arizona, U.S.A.
Posted: Thu 15 Aug 2013, 12:41
Post subject:
Test gzipping a 512 MB Save file took several minutes to do.
And it took about a half a minute to ungzip it. WAY too long.
I don`t remember it being that long, but it`d been awhile.
"Wipe and restore" has some merit it seems.
Not to hijack your thread Announcer, but a Save dir. is still a better idea.
But... Your "wipe and restore" setup still applies to it as well...
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Joined: 03 Jan 2012
Posts: 156
Posted: Thu 15 Aug 2013, 17:27
Post subject:
greengeek wrote:
This would be an interesting way to add a "service pack" to a puppy - apply the contents of a new FR.sfs file, click factory reset, and the new puppy is fresh and ready to go...
But would that improve the upgrade experience?
mikeb wrote:
Actually my original 'persue the sfs approach' suggestion still stands...
The aim was not to hyjack but to provide hopefully beneficial discussion
Have fun. The other 99.99% of us will continue to use savefiles while you save to your sfs. But it's a free country. (Used to be, anyway.)
sunburnt wrote:
"Wipe and restore" has some merit it seems.
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Joined: 23 Nov 2006
Posts: 11230
Posted: Thu 15 Aug 2013, 18:57
Post subject:
Have fun. The other 99.99% of us will continue to use savefiles while you save to your sfs.
I will thanks since is solid and reliable and I don't have to think of ways of fixing it. Works on Slax too. Being in a minority does not necessarily mean suffering in some way
Thanks for the friendly banter
ps I promise not to mention my save folder option......
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Joined: 03 Apr 2007
Posts: 3425
Location: Oregon
Posted: Thu 15 Aug 2013, 22:17
Post subject:
In my case, I use a utility called HotBackup.
After the backup of the pupsave file, I rename those backups adding "first,Second,Third,etc in the appropriate place.
And since HotBackup includes the backup date as part of the name, I know which is which.
After, I use a utility I wrote that restores the backup to the original directory.
On a reboot, I then have two pupsave files to choose from and just choose the restored backup and delete the other pupsave.
Of course, one could also just add a ".2fs, 3fs, or 4fs extension renaming the backup and use it unaltered with the backup date as part of the filename.
It would be easy to see just when the backup being used had been made.
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Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 5087
Location: Arizona, U.S.A.
Posted: Thu 15 Aug 2013, 23:33
Post subject:
8-bit; But doesn`t it take a few minutes to make each backup?
mikeb; You have a "save folder option", instead of a "Save file". You cretin! That`s my idea!
It doesn`t take long to realize a folder`s better than an image file, more reliable.
But as image files go, a Squash file being R-O can`t be corrupted like a R-W ext3 file.
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Joined: 03 Apr 2007
Posts: 3425
Location: Oregon
Posted: Fri 16 Aug 2013, 03:55
Post subject:
If one created an SFS file from their pupsave file and mounted it after booting with "pfix=ram" any changes to existing files would not be done.
Puppy loads the linux kernel, the pupsave file then gets loaded as per instructions in the initrd.gz file. And then the Puppy SFS file is loaded.
This order of loading to me means that if a file exists, it is not overwritten by a later load of the same file.
Of course with a rewrite of the initrd.gz file, one could modify the way puppy loads so that a converted to SFS pupsave file loaded first and then the main Puppy SFS file loaded.
One thing that bothers me about a Factory reset file or folder is that in recovering from a corrupted pupsave load, the files causing the corruption would still be there as part of the user data and saved on shutdown or reboot with the result of the pupsave still being corrupted.
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Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 5087
Location: Arizona, U.S.A.
Posted: Fri 16 Aug 2013, 04:30
Post subject:
8-bit; You can "append to a Squash file. So... You can write to it.
The folks who have used this have a button or control over "save" or "don`t save".
Where as my frugal live Save file is always available ( corruptible ).
And a USB boot, auto. saves at shutdown, and has timed saves too.
From my work on LanPuppy I found the Save file
load first.
If the Save file is wiped clean and restored to a "first boot condition", what corruption would there be left?
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Joined: 23 Nov 2006
Posts: 11230
Posted: Fri 16 Aug 2013, 06:42
Post subject:
Actually your proposed system willl probably work fine assuming someone techie makes the initial files. I was questioning that instead of using your obvious abilities to provide a fix for a common (check the forum) problem of save file corruption perhaps you should divert your attention towards looking at better ways of saving on puppy...one idea does involve sfs since an archive is very robust ( who has ever has to replace the pup_xxx.sfs file?) but there are others. Dive into the core of puppy...remove the spaghetti and you never know what you might come up with. This forum is about the exchange of ideas.
You have a "save folder option", instead of a "Save file". You cretin! That`s my idea!
Hmm name calling lol.. funky bunny is the expression you are looking for.
Well actually slax gave me the idea as it does more or less that. By using a save folder you get the save partition idea but in a neater way. Advantage is you have oodles of room without those precarious 2GB save files I see in use. I use it for all our regular systems apart from on the netbook as it has plenty of ram and I can turn off the hard drive once booted using sfs. (with tidiness and sfs for apps saves run in at 30-60mb uncompressed) As for copyright I did this 3 years ago ...ha! Ooo and for fun have an pupsave like file used like a full install...ie no union...think of emulators...so low ram etc but can run from ntfs/fat. I left multisession alone as thats quite neat a it is. Oh yes I scrapped the usbflash mode 13... seemed silly to me and sfs suits it well.
On a general note remember puppy loads sfs files backwards normally (yeah sorted that too
) so any additional sfs are 'underneath' the main one ...a pain in the neck at times so that's why I changed it... but it may affect any proposed 'recovery' system using the standard sfs loaders.
don't let the bedbugs bite
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Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 5087
Location: Arizona, U.S.A.
Posted: Fri 16 Aug 2013, 16:09
Post subject:
mikeb; Back atcha funky bunny.
announcer; Suggestion, perhaps your app. could bring the dir. idea to Puppy.
Have an option in it to setup a Save dir. instead of a Save file.
And an option to transfer the contents of an existing Save file to a new Save dir.
A check if there`s a Linux partition to use would be needed of course.
Then your "Factory Restore" could do it`s work on either type of Save setup.
Wacha think? Am I being to optimistic, or have I got your interest?
Many I`ve talked to think the dir. idea would be an advancement for Puppy.
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Joined: 03 Jan 2012
Posts: 156
Posted: Wed 21 Aug 2013, 08:16
Post subject:
I've updated the first post with a slightly revised version of the script, which now has a "Cancel" option at start and a few failsafe checks to make sure everything's ok before it does anything.
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Joined: 20 Jul 2010
Posts: 5355
Location: Republic of Novo Zelande
Posted: Wed 21 Aug 2013, 14:28
Post subject:
Is this only intended for usb stick based puppies? Is there a reason it could not be used for a puppy installed frugally on HDD?
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Joined: 03 Jan 2012
Posts: 156
Posted: Wed 21 Aug 2013, 16:46
Post subject:
It might work fine with frugal HDD installs. But for my purposes, it's for usb sticks. (I haven't tested it with frugal HDD installs.)
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Thomas E. Davidson receives UW Medallion Service Award
By Julianne Couch, UW Alumnews
Alumnus and longtime University of Wyoming supporter Thomas E. Davidson has been presented the Medallion Service Award from the UW Alumni Association.
The Medallion Service Award, initiated in 1968 but not given annually, recognizes outstanding service and dedication to the university. Davidson will ride in UW's Homecoming parade Saturday, Oct. 13, and will be recognized at the UW-Air Force football game.
Davidson grew up in Laramie, on property that was the UW Livestock Farm, now the Wyoming Territorial Prison grounds. He says much of his life has been shaped by circumstance, of one thing leading to another rather unexpectedly, by a series of "turning points."
For instance, Davidson taught vocational agriculture at the high school in Pinedale, upon graduating from UW. He recalls those days as the "most rewarding work" that he has ever done.
At Pinedale, he started the award-winning Wyoming Future Farmer magazine. That got him noticed, and he was offered a job in Washington, D.C., with The National Future Farmer magazine. During the next 32 years, Davidson worked in the Chicago area for major national farm and consumer magazines, including Progressive Farmer, Southern Living, Successful Farming, Better Homes & Gardens and Good Housekeeping.
His first involvement with UW was in the late 1980s, when he raised funds for the Centennial Complex, which houses the UW Art Museum and the American Heritage Center.
In spite of his successful career in magazine advertising and public relations, Davidson says he missed the satisfaction he felt working with students. Although he didn't want to return to teaching, the impulse to help students spurred his involvement with the College of Agriculture, and with the College Business, helping to organize career centers and other student services.
On the College of Business Advisory Council, Davidson spearheaded the college's efforts to develop the Peter M. and Paula Green Johnson Career Center.
College of Business Dean Brent Hathaway says, "Despite his busy and distinguished career, Tom stayed true to his UW roots through a variety of vehicles, including more than 20 years of service on six UW national advisory boards. However, his board involvement reveals only a fraction of his commitment and dedication to the university that reared him."
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Dean Frank Galey adds, "Many of our students, department heads and senior leadership either work with Tom directly or have benefitted from his efforts. Helping our students succeed academically; expanding the number of internships and career opportunities for students; and working with the Cooperative Extension Service to provide needed programs to Wyoming students are all examples of Tom's efforts on behalf of the college."
Davidson's efforts can be seen across the campus. In 1995, upon the passing of his father, James Davidson, he established the James and Blanche Davidson scholarship, honoring his father's contributions to the sheep industry. The elder Davidson was a longtime shepherd for UW.
Davidson assisted with the development, underwriting and marketing of UWyo magazine and Barnyards and Backyards, a College of Agriculture publication.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
No Country For Old Men…With Bad Knees
I think everyone would agree that getting old sucks. I turned 40 on Monday so I know first-hand the magnitude in which it can suck! But on the bright side, the older you get the more memories you have. I have tons.
For instance, watching The Doomsday Defense dismantle the Denver Broncos and former Cowboy Craig Morton in Super Bowl XII. Then after the game I watched as Harvey Martin crushed an "Orange Crush" pop can during the locker room celebration.
Then there are not so fond memories like Super Bowl XIII against The Steelers. The horrible pass interference call against Benny Barnes when his feet got tangled with Lynn Swann's which led to a Steelers score. And of course Jackie Smith. The drop. Dallas should have been the first team to win 3 Super Bowls. WE WERE ROBBED!!
Of course there was "The Catch". Montana to Clark in the NFC Championship. Should be called "The Lucky Catch". I also remember "The Fumble" by Danny White, deep in 49er territory on the ensuing drive.
And I could write a 10,000 word essay with one hand tied behind my back about the greatest dynasty in NFL history. Who might that be you ask? The 90's Cowboys of course. This team could have and SHOULD have won at LEAST 4 in a row.
But this blog isn't as much about my memories as it is about what it must be like to be an NFL player in the twilight of your career. Specifically Terry Glenn. Glenn's career has had its ups and downs. He's only played a full 16 weeks in 3 of the 12 seasons he's been in the league so far. With 2 of those being for The Cowboys.
I think Glenn is a great player. Very professional. Super hands. Bad wheels. He's struggled with injuries throughout his career and now time is not on his side. This will be his 13th season if he even plays at all. I personally think he should sign the $500,000 injury settlement. This way everyone is covered. Seriously, Jerry Jones could just cut the guy and he'd get nothing. He can't pass a freakin physical and Jones is offering him 500 G's! Not quite as sweet as the deal Glenn got last year. $5 million for 4 plays.
I feel for Terry Glenn. To a point. But he's almost 34 with a huge bank account and he's had the honor of playing for the greatest sports franchise on the planet. But he has bad knees. I'm 40 living paycheck to paycheck and I drive a truck for a living. And I also have bad knees.
Terry, you have my sympathies…


text:
Behind the College I attended in the 1980s,
There were frequent sightings of the unexplained on the twisting road that led up to the mountain and it was somehow connected to the stories of the Dark Specter which I chronicled in the entry "The Specters of Oom" earlier this year.
Somehow the Dark Specter was connected to the mountain.
In the Spring Semester of 1984 a group of college students had drove around the mountain after and on the peak they came across a group of robed figures who blocked the way. They had a screaming girl with them. As the car slowed down the robed figures quickly tried to encircle it and as they approached the car with weapons the students stepped on the gas and burst through the encircling throng. They immediately came back to campus and notified security which contacted the local police. When the security detail with the police escort arrived at the scene there was nothing to see. A search of the local woods also failed to come up with any evidence to support the students claim. But they swore what they encountered was true. And what happened to the screaming girl? One shudders to think, for the area has rumors of ritualistic murders and the mountain was famous for being a dumping ground for bodies by
Satanic and mobster offerings were not the only paranormal phenomena that manifested itself behind our small college on the
In the mid 1980s during the UFO flap of the
Strange things always happened around the Clausland mountains, and my College lay on the ridge.
One of the strangest things on the mountain was the former
Some of the tunnels are over a mile in length and even in the broad daylight you cannot see the other end. Rooms that were used as barracks, prisons and offices are located near almost every tunnel. In some of the larger rooms there is evidence of Satanic activity as pentagrams and odd hieroglyphs litter the aged cement walls. Fire pits are often found with pieces of bone and clothing. It is whispered that these are the remains of some of the ritualistic killings.
The tunnels are frightening to enter in the daytime but go in them at night is an intensely frightening experience. You can feel a disturbing presence throughout the area. It is as if something is watching you.
There are 4 entries about these tunnels and the terror that they inspire the intrepid explorer in the book "Weird New York" by Chris Gethard. The articles confirm the evil presence that most feel when they enter the dank darkness of the underground system. On page 20 of the book under the title "Not Just Evil, but also Dangerous" contributor Mark Miljko writes:
"The reason why the police don't like to go in 'there' is because there was and still is a practicing satanic cult who use the
Anyway, I believe the one tunnel, the one where you have to crawl through a rotting tree to get in, has something very evil about it. A little way down that tunnel, there is something like a wormhole or portal. This is not something physical, but metaphysical. When you stand beside it, you can feel a wind blowing out of the side of the wall. There is no hole, nor is there a feasible scientific explanation…you can feel the presences pouring out from that spot."
The Omega Men's symbol was a double Greek Omega that is linked to form a rounded M. This symbol can be seen on almost every wall in the entire system. It is even located at great heights in the larger rooms with no visible means to have it painted there. It is like the Omega Men used some preternatural ability to scale the walls and place their mark for all to see.
There are other graffiti marks that adorn the walls of the complex, but the markings of the double Omega dominate every tunnel and building.
The Omega Men were well known to the students of our small
I was actually the third person drafted into the 'satanic cult'.
You see the Omega Men that have inspired so much dread and fear were in fact a few
And they attracted others who loved mystery and dared to venture out into the unexplained even if it was frightening and they were alone in the dark. One 'newer' member of the 'cult' is the now principle who saw the giant craft that flew over the
My friend Jon founded the group and as an Army Chaplain's Assistant and chief of security he pushed himself to accomplish a lot of things others would not dare. That's why the Omega Man's symbol is near the rafters in rooms that have no support to reach those dizzying heights.
The Omega Men did love the cover of dark, and Jon would often lead his group out in the cover of darkness into the desolate
Dressed in black they were almost unseen.
Because Clausland was a notorious place for evil, and unseen they could penetrate deep into the dark woods and confront the drug dealers, wanna be crime lords and the strange and bizarre cloaked figures that caused so much fear.
Did they ever confront the evil face to face? They were ghost hunting long before it has become the national obsession that it is today. They confronted things that in the dark abysmal darkness and came away with many stories. War stories like so many veterans, were only shared with those that went through the shared with them.
Otherwise no one would believe them.
To tell the truth though I never made the long night trips into the countryside to confront evil like my fellow Omega Men did.
I liked sleep.
Still do.
While they were investigating into the twilight hours I slept the night away.
I might have had a better GPA, but they have whole lot more stories to tell.
I hope they share with us.
Sometimes the story depends on the storytellers' viewpoint.
Too many today the Omega Men were vile satanic worshipers.
But in reality they were a Security guard, two librarians, a future principle and a future minister.
How many other tales of high strangeness lost to history have been distorted to the point that the good has become the bad?
Were there strange and paranormal oddities that made themselves real in the Hudson Hills in the 1980s? I was a witness of many. Was there a strange cult in the
But sometimes the darkness seeps back into the deep corners of the world….
Until Next Time,
Pastor Swope____________________________________________________________________
Vote for me to be a take part in the new paranormal show from the Discovery Network, click the link below and vote! You can vote every day!


text:
Gallery Box
Dry Heat Gallery
Dry Heat Gallery is focused on uplifting the human spirit through its exhibitions. The mission of gallery founders DeAnna Dimmitt, Rick Meiers and Angela Gaeto is that no one should be afraid to step into a gallery, and to that end they work to create educational and enlightening exhibits. In addition to the stable of artists who work at Dry Heat Photography, the gallery hosts juried fine art photography shows. Dry Heat Photography sponsors the Soul Portraiture, a series of open-submission exhibitions that attempts to capture the energy and spirit found within a variety of subjects. The fourth,"Electro-Light," a look at the ambiance of nightlife, will open in June at Dry Heat Gallery and will be the first Soul Portraiture exhibit at the gallery. Amateur and professional photographers interested in submitting for the juried show can get details at the gallery website's "Call to Artists" section or at dryheatblog.com. The next submission deadline is May 31.
Culture Shock
There's a profusion of witty truisms about the power of books, roughly half of them coined by either Mark Twain or Oscar Wilde. But I think my favorite is William Faulkner's entreaty: "Read, read, read." Or listen to people read. Also, talking about reading is good. Luckily for you, there's mucho going on around this two-area code state to facilitate your print and pulp addiction.
Author Interview
Going to the Heart of the Story
An interview with Amy Goodman
Amy Goodman is left-wing royalty.
Her radio and TV show "Democracy Now!" is broadcast on more than 750 stations worldwide. She's also co-authored three New York Times bestsellers with her brother, David Goodman.
Poetry News
Dead Poets Society
The connections between art, madness and tragedy are often sensationalized. Far be it for us to go against that grain. Match these famous poets with the way they died and some of their verses. Happy Poetry Month!


text:
2:00 pm
Curious George "Shipwrecked with Hundley/Chasing Rainbows" George, Hundley and the Man with the Yellow Hat take a sailboat ride and end up on a remote island.G
2:30 pm
Martha Speaks "Oh, Noooo!/Bye, Martha" Oh, Noooo! - Granny Flo's Alphabet Soup is taking a licking from the competition, Oodles of Os. If Granny Flo goes out of business, how will Martha communicate? Bye, Martha - Nefarious con artist Weaselgraft hatches a scheme to kidnap Martha by pretending to be Martha's long-lost owner . . . from Poland.G
3:00 pm
The Electric Company "Lost and Spaced" At the school science fair, Lisa and her Skeleckian friend Dax get shrunk down and trapped inside their project - a perfect model of the solar system!. D
3:30 pm
WordGirl "The Good, The Bad, and the Chucky/Granny's Pet Plan" THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE CHUCKY - Chuck is finally fulfilling is dream and selling grilled cheese sandwiches out of the back of his station wagon -- a totally legitimate, non-villainous plan. But when Dr. Two-Brains smells cheese, he can't resist. Will Chuck be able to pursue his dream or will it be foiled by Dr. Two-Brains? Vocabulary Words: Pursue, Yearn. D
4:00 pm
Wild Kratts "Quillber's Birthday Present" It's Aviva's birthday, and Chris and Martin decide to collect shed porcupine quills to make a beautiful necklace as a gift. As they tag along with an African Crested Porcupine, they discover that animals have different ways and even some highly specialized features to defend themselves from predators. For example, porcupine quills are modified hairs, designed by nature into a deadly defense. D
4:30 pm
Cyberchase "Mother's Day" Special Holiday Episode!" It's Mother's Day in cyberspace - and Hacker is determined to ruin it for everyone, especially Motherboard, by derailing the train that picks up the rare and colorful Madre Bonitas. This beautiful flower symbolizes Mother's Day, and it must be harvested on this one day only. It's a race against time, as the kids and Digit try to repair the breaks in the line and save Mother's Day. D
5:00 pm
Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman "Ruff's Just Fueling Around" Blossom has organized her own FETCH challenge: Two teams of FETCHers will compete in a 50-mile race, and the team that emits the least amount of CO2 wins. Unfortunately, neither Ruff nor Blossom can enjoy the race because they're handcuffed to each other for the entire episode! But will they be bound (just like Carbon and Oxygen) forever?. D
5:30 pm
Nightly Business Report Tonight on Nightly Business Report - With the global markets powering higher, is now the time for the individual investor to stay in or get out? NBR will speak with Fidelity's Executive Vice President John Sweeney who oversees the management of more than $100 billion. And why are hospitals across the country charging vastly different prices for the same procedure?. D
5:56 pm
NewsHour Promo NULL
6:00 pm
PBS NewsHour NULL
7:00 pm
Nature "The Private Life of Deer" They wander along our highways, reminders of the wilderness we have paved our way through. From coast to coast some 30 million white-tailed deer make their home in the United States.G
8:00 pm
NOVA "Venom: Nature's Killer" Venom scientists are in a race against time to learn the secrets of many creatures who have evolved extremely toxic cocktails designed to kill, that now may also yield a new generation of advanced drugs to treat human ailments. NOVA reveals how venom works and follows two scientists on expeditions to track down and capture deadly creatures to collect and study them before the animals become extinct.G
9:00 pm
Secrets of the Dead "Death on the Railroad" A classic story involving foul play, cover ups, a murder mystery and a voyage of discovery explains what happened to a group of Irish men who immigrated to America. In 1832, railroad contractor Philip Duffy hired 57 Irish immigrants to lay railroad tracks in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Less than two months after their arrival, all 57 were dead. D
10:00 pm
Life In Cold Blood "The Cold Blooded Truth" In the Galapagos Islands, thermal imagery reveals how marine iguanas accumulate power for sea diving by basking in the sun. Female side-blotched lizards in California choose mates from among males who have claimed the hottest rocks. Saltwater crocodiles, the ultimate cold-blooded killers, conduct tender courtships. Part 1 of 5G
11:00 pm
Charlie Rose NULL


text:
SOURCE: Weddingstar
January 05, 2010 06:00 ET
DUNMORE, AB--(Marketwire - January 5, 2010) - Cookie cutter weddings are a thing of the past
with more couples now choosing to make their weddings truly unique with
personalized wedding centerpieces, wedding favors, wedding cake toppers
and wedding accessories, says Weddingstar, Inc., a leading
designer, manufacturer and retailer of personalized bridal products and
wedding accessories.
"Too often I see brides and grooms plan extravagant, yet mediocre, weddings
that offer nothing personal for guests to remember the day by," said Rick
Brink, founder and president of Weddingstar Inc. "Personalizing adds your
own special touch as a couple and makes any product, gift or special event
much more memorable."
Weddingstar carries an ever-expanding selection of bridal products
available for personalization with engraving, embroidery, foil stamping and
printing. Weddingstar products suitable for engraving include: glass
flutes, serving sets, silver plated gifts, sand ceremony vases, and
memorial vases. Weddingstar products suitable for embroidery include:
handkerchiefs, tote bags, and pashminas. Weddingstar products suitable for
foil stamping include: napkins and ribbon. Printed stationery products from
Weddingstar include: cards, gift tags, stickers, water bottle labels, glass
clings, table numbers, place cards, thank you notes, save the date cards,
tickets, programs, and window clings.
Personalized wedding cake toppers from Weddingstar include monogram
cake toppers, mix and match cake toppers for endless combinations that
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Copyright Defenders Don't Realize That New 'Fair Use' Report Mocks Their Own Study
from the fair-use-this dept
So I have to admit that it's absolutely hilarious to see Patrick Ross, the head of "The Copyright Alliance" (one of a bunch of lobbying/marketing groups representing the entertainment industry) lash out at this new report, making arguments that apply equally to the $1.52 trillion number he's famous for touting every chance he gets:
"It is not helpful to policymakers or the public to pronounce sweeping arguments that defy logic," said Alliance Executive Director Patrick Ross. "In its report, CCIA identifies broad industries, suggests some entities in those industries occasionally engage in what some might call fair use, and then lumps all revenues and jobs in those industries into a newly coined "fair use" industry..."But, as we've noted, that's exactly the same methodology that was used by the copyright industry to defend the $1.52 trillion number. The methodology is a joke. It identifies broad industries (including things like furniture!), suggests some entities in those industries occasionally engage in what some might call copyright, and then lumps all revenues and jobs in those industries into a newly coined 'copyright' industry...
And guess who one of the biggest abusers of this bogus $1.52 trillion number is? You guessed it! It's Patrick Ross! He tosses the number around like it's going out of style and is regularly quoted in the press using that number as well.
Apparently, he's so wrapped up in this issue, he doesn't quite realize that the whole point of the CCIA report is to use the same methodology to show that if he and those who fund him are going to keep throwing around that $1.52 trillion number, they need to also note that the exceptions to copyright creates an industry that's even bigger. So I'm curious, Patrick, why is it "not helpful to policymakers" to use this number, when the number you throw out to policymakers all the time uses the same methodology?


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The tables below show the top 10 names for births in (a) Puerto Rico and (b) all other territories combined. These other territories — American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and U. S. Virgin Islands — are less populated and have relatively few births.
Drop-down menus at left provide access to tables showing more names and more years of birth!
Our popular name statistics for the United States exclude births in U.S. territories. Thus the data for U. S. territories are not included in any of our other pages or reports on popular names for births in the United States.


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The User Values
Extra Values in Your Templates
rest2web generates pages by inserting special values into your web page templates. This includes the body of the page, the title, and so on. You can see from the templates page the values you can use in your templates. uservalues are a way of inserting extra values into your template. As you might guess, you specify the names and values.
One obvious use of this is to provide several different translations [1] of your website.
uservalues are specified in a similar way to the restindex. uservalues are specified immediately after the restindex. :
restindex crumb: A Page /restindex uservalues value1: Some Value heading:
A Heading
 long_value: """ A multi line value which spreads across several lines. """ another_long_value:""" This one has a big indent in front of it ! """ /uservalues
An addition to the restindex syntax, is that multiline values use triple quotes.
Indentation is not removed from multi line values. The text between the triple quotes is inserted literally wherever you use the value. You can use single or double quote marks.
There is one special value, the body value discussed below.
Reserved Names
You can't use any name that shadows a name already used by the templating system. This means that the following names are all reserved. Trying to use them will cause a SyntaxError. :
'pagename', 'pagepath', 'encoding',
'output_encoding', 'final_encoding', 'path_to_root',
'sectionlist', 'rest_dict', 'doc',
'stdout', 'modified', 'modtime',
'template_file', 'template_encoding', 'indexpage',
'indextree', 'thispage', 'sidebar',
'minibar', 'print_crumbs', 'Processor']
See that title is a reserved name. If you want to set the page title, you should use the page-title keyword in your restindex.
The body Value
The body value is special. This lets you specify a file that is the content for this page. Any content following the uservalues is ignored - and the specified file is used instead.
If that file has template tags that use the uservalues - then they will be substituted when the template is processed.
The file specified can be an absolute path, or a path relative to the page it is bein used in.
For example, say we have the following for our uservalues :
uservalues body: ../templates/a_page.txt greeting:
Howdy
 /uservalues
rest2web will use the file ../templates/a_page.txt as the body of this page. If it contains a tag that looks like <% greeting %>, then it will be replaced with
Howdy
 when the template is processed.
Using the body value you separate your content from your file containing the restindex/uservalues. You must store them with the same encoding.
A good example of using the body value is for multiple translations of websites. A typical example is where you have several pages of content that you want to mirror in different languages. That is, you want the same pages, with the same structure, just key sections swapping over.
The body value lets you keep your page frameworks all in one place. The framework should use the uservalues - and then just have several directories of pages which point to the framework... but have the right values set for the uservalues.
There is an example in the example site - the translation pages. See the source of these pages for a clear illustration how of how it works.
Now I'll attempt to explain it in words .
Suppose you want three translations for your site. You'll put the english files in a directory called en, the French ones in a directory called fr, and the German ones in a directory called de. The HTML framework of each page is going to be identical in each directory - it's just the viewable words that will be different.
To achieve this we add a fourth directory called templates. It's in here that we are going to put our HTML frameworks. Everywhere we want some text to appear we will put a uservalue placeholder instead.
We have our usual template.txt which contains the outline of the page. We'll create a file in the template directory called index_page.txt [2]. It might look something like :

<% greeting %>

<% para1 %>

This page body has a placeholder for the headline and the paragraph.
In index.txt in your en folder you would then put :
restindex format: html crumb: English Index page-title: English Index /restindex uservalues body: ../templates/index_page.txt greeting: Hello and Welcome para1: """This is the body text, with some HTML in it.""" /uservalues
When rendered, it fetches the index_page.txt as the body, and inserts the English values into it.
In index.txt in your fr folder you would then put :
restindex format: html crumb: French Index page-title: French Index /restindex uservalues body: ../templates/index_page.txt greeting: Bonjour et Bienvenue para1: """Du Francais ici, avec du HTML.""" /uservalues
When rendered, this creates the French page.
You create your basic directory structure in the templates directory. You mirror this in your other directories; but your files are all basically identical and you only need to edit the uservalues.
With a little trickery in the body or the templates it ought to be simple to include links between pages in one language and the other ones.
The Order of Processing
If the page format is html then uservalues are inserted when the template is processed.
If the page format is rest then the uservalues are inserted into the body before it is passed to docutils. The whole of the body - with substitued values for any of your uservalues will then be processed as reST. This means that your body mustn't contain any of the usual template values - because they haven't been created yet. Because docutils escapes template markers that appear in the body of your page [3], you probably weren't doing this anyway !.
It does mean that chunks of code in the body do get executed and replaced. If this messes up using uservalues in your index, then let me know. I can implement an alternative method of inserting uservalues into the body that doesn't execute code chunks [4].
Even if the page format is rest, the uservalues will still be used when the template is processed. (After the body has been rendered by docutils). This means you could have some uservalues for your body, and others in your template.
|This footnote is just so that the words internationalization (i18n), and localization (l10n) appear somewhere on this page .
|We won't call it index.txt, which is a special file in rest2web. The example site uses _index.txt.
|<% value %> will become <% value %>; which doesn't work . If you do need to do this (by the way) you could always use the raw role. This could introduce complications with uservalues though.
|Unfortunately here it's a trade off between the ability to do one thing (insert uservalues into your body text and process as reST) and another (using the templating system in the body of your text).
Return to Top
Part of the rest2web Docs
Page last modified Sun Jun 26 00:31:25 2005.


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Before, the automatic Arch installer would create 4 partitions (boot, swap, root, and home).
That is gone now, and the Beginner's Guide now tells you to create only two partitions (root and home).
Is it safe/secure/crash-proof to have the boot loader in the root partition instead of separately? Am I right to assume that the swap partition was dropped due to memory being abundant nowadays?
Last edited by amadar (2012-12-05 08:55:07)
They are only recommendations and not a guideline. You are free to choose any format you like. If you have low amount of RAM, then you should definitely go for swap. Or even if you hibernate etc, so basically it depends on user needs.
Its a wiki, not a government-issued set of guidelines. There's a wiki specifically about partitioning, which the section on partition scheme starting off with "There are no strict rules for partitioning a hard drive".
Allan-Volunteer on the (topic being discussed) mailn lists. You never get the people who matters attention on the forums.
jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
Griemak-Bleeding edge, not bleeding flat. Edge denotes falls will occur from time to time. Bring your own parachute.
They are only recommendations and not a guideline. You are free to choose any format you like.
That's true, but beginners might not know what's better or worse (hence "Beginner's Guide").
If you have low amount of RAM, then you should definitely go for swap. Or even if you hibernate etc, so basically it depends on user needs.
That's interesting, I don't have low ram, but I didn't ever set up hibernation before so I didn't know swap was required (but it makes sense if the memory has to be written somewhere that isn't a filesystem). Having the ability to hibernate, thus having swap, would be my preference. *EDIT* You don't necessarily need swap for hibernation. Memory can be dumped to a swap file instead.
Thanks guys.
Last edited by amadar (2012-12-05 09:07:47)
I'll add that a separate /boot partition has historically risen and fallen in importance. Currently, we're at or near a low point for its importance, but it could be that it's rising again in importance, for a couple of reasons:
On older BIOS-based computers, a 2TiB limit exists in what can be handled by boot loaders under at least some circumstances. With 3TB (~2.7TiB) hard disks now available, creating a separate /boot partition that resides below the 2TiB mark could be important on such disks. Note that I'm unclear about just how common this 2TiB limit is on BIOS boot loaders. Most modern BIOSes are supposed to have much higher limits than that, but my one test under VirtualBox showed that GRUB 2 was unable to boot from a kernel placed above the 2TiB mark. I don't know if that was a VirtualBox problem or a GRUB 2 problem. There's a separate 2TiB limit on the Master Boot Record (MBR) partitioning system, but you can use the GUID Partition Table (GPT) even on bigger disks, so this BIOS boot limitation is independent of the 2TiB MBR limit.
On newer EFI-based computers, some boot loaders (ELILO and the EFI stub loader; but this also means the rEFInd and gummiboot boot managers) require that the kernel be readable by the firmware. Normally this means placing the kernel on the EFI System Partition (ESP), but with the help of existing ext2fs/ext3fs and ReiserFS drivers, the EFI can read kernels from those filesystems. Since most people have moved on to ext4fs, XFS, JFS, or Btrfs for their root (/) filesystems, having /boot on a FAT, ext2fs, ext3fs, or ReiserFS partition gives you added flexibility. Many in the Arch community are simply ensuring that their ESPs are big enough to hold several kernels and mounting them at /boot, which is arguably the simplest way to do it. Having a separate dedicated /boot partition (independent of the ESP) makes sense in some situations, though, such as if you're multi-booting with another Linux distribution. If each one has its own /boot, there's less risk of getting your kernels confused.
Because both over-2TiB disks and EFI are becoming more common, IMHO it's wise to begin re-emphasizing the utility of a separate /boot partition; chances are more people will start wanting or needing it in the near future. There are also some more exotic reasons to want a separate /boot partition, such as if you're using an encrypted root filesystem or GRUB Legacy along with a RAID or LVM setup.
How big does /boot need to be? It seems like it's "safest" to make a separate /boot partition, presuming that in the foreseeable future it won't outgrow a certain size. 85MB? 200MB? I like the / /boot /home /swap (if using swap) setup best, never liked the not-future-proof nature of keeping /tmp and /var and whatever else in their own partitions when you can just leave all of root alone, but keeping /boot separate, since it doesn't seem like it would grow much, seems like a good idea to me...
I've just checked my currently-booted systems, and they range from 33MiB to 183MiB used on /boot. The high end of that scale is an Ubuntu 12.04 system with seven currently-installed kernels, two locally-built and five from the distribution. If you keep the number of kernels under control, 100MiB might be adequate, but I wouldn't really feel comfortable with less than 200MiB available these days. IIRC, Fedora uses 500MiB as its default /boot partition size. Overall, then, I'd say that 200-500MiB is a reasonable range unless you expect your needs to be exotic.


text:
But then Mike showed up and no one paid attention to me anymore.
The girls get Mike soused to loosen his morals.
Now he's ready and easy prey.
These hot blooded latin boys get all the action.Marlo gives a subtle hint of what she wants.
Eddie heard there were cartoon chicks on the make at my place, so he put on his best costume and paid a surprise visit.


text: Welcome to Sidney Health Center and thank you for choosing our healthcare system for your needs. Whether you are a patient, resident or guest, we will make every effort to assure that your visit is as comfortable and pleasing as possible. Our physicians, nurses and allied healthcare support teams are keenly aware that every individual is unique. Our goal is to personalize the care you receive to your individual characteristics. In striving to deliver exceptional personalized care and answer your questions, Sidney Health Center has a Patient Advocate Team. The team includes several employees who have the knowledge to answer questions in many areas including billing and finance issues, continuum of care, exams and scheduling, satisfaction concerns, social services and spiritual concerns. Click here to read our Nondiscrimination Policy.


text:
Karcher Pressure Washers
In 1935, Alfred Karcher, a German engineer, founded a company to develop heating technology. The company later transitioned into creating products to meet people's daily needs, one of which was cleaning solutions. In 1950 Karcher made its breakthrough in cleaning technology with the development of Europe's first hot-water pressure washer. The method used for heating the water proved so successful that it still serves as the basis for burners today.
By the 1970's Karcher began to concentrate on high pressure cleaning and a decade later introduced their first portable pressure washer, making the technology available to consumers. Karcher eventually expanded its product line to include more indoor and outdoor cleaning products including wet/dry vacuums, car washing systems, steam cleaners, cleaning agents, watering pumps, drainage and more.
Today Karcher is a leading manufacturer of pressure washers and other cleaning technologies. Karcher offers a wide selection of pressure washers to suite a variety of end users, whether the application is washing a vehicle or removing graffiti. Choices range from gas powered or electric units that feature a variety of PSI and water temperature capabilities.


text:
9 men indicted in Ohio fraternity hazing case
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Nine men have been indicted in a fraternity hazing case on charges that they beat two Youngstown State University pledges to the point that they wound up hospitalized.
A Youngstown State sophomore, Breylon Stubbs, 22, told a judge last month that he and a friend, Resean Yancey, 20, were beaten during off-campus rituals for the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity in January and February. Pledges were beaten with fists, a paddle and a wire clothes hanger, Stubbs said.
The nine men, most of them former students, were indicted Thursday by a Mahoning County grand jury on two counts each of felonious assault. The defendants were released on bond, The Vindicator newspaper of Youngstown reported.
No attorneys were listed Friday for the defendants: Michael Charles, 28, Jason Anderson, 27, Jairus Ford, 32, Jerome Justice, 28, Lavell Sharp, 25, Trey McCune, 21, Wade Hampton, 24, Edward Robertson, 28, and Raheem Satterthwaite, 22.
The university suspended the fraternity for 15 years for the hazing. The school's Student Judicial Board, which includes professors, administrators and students, also imposed a 10-year probation period after the suspension.
The discipline "sends a clear message across campus and the community that YSU will not tolerate such behavior and will work to ensure that any student organization or individual that participates in such behavior is removed from the university," Jack Fahey, vice president for student affairs, said in a prepared statement.
A fraternity representative attended the board hearing and entered a "not responsible" response to the hazing allegations, the university said.
The campus code of student conduct defines hazing as an action "which endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student" and makes it subject to disciplinary action.
Most of the nine men used to attend Youngstown State, university spokesman Ron Cole said. He didn't have a specific breakdown. Messages were left Friday at fraternity headquarters in Philadelphia.
The Ohio case is part of a string of recent high-profile college hazing accusations.
A former fraternity member at New Hampshire's Dartmouth College went public in January with allegations of hazing that involved swimming in and eating vomit.
Four students charged with hazing pledges of a Florida A&M University marching band club were dismissed in January. A drum major for A&M's marching band died last year in what authorities called a hazing ritual, but no one has been charged in that case.


text: Princeton and Westminster are celebrating their 250th Anniversary's with a Gala Concert "100 Years of Broadway" featuring the Salisbury Singers on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the Dukakis Theater at Monty Tech in Fitchburg. Tickets are $5 each and are restricted to Princeton and Westminster residents. Tickets may be purchased at princeton250.org. Only 500 tickets are available.


text:
Final Destination for the Coast to Coast Walk: We woke to a cold morning. This was to be our final day of walking. We enjoyed our last English breakfast, ate the boiled eggs with lots of tasty homemade wholemeal bread, a variety of local jams, and finished with hot tea. Outside the weather … [Read more...]
You are here: Home / Archives for Coast to Coast


text:
Tech Stocks Set Tone on Wall Street, and More
Earnings results from tech bellweathers, IBM, Google and Microsoft drive action on Wall Street. G.E. Posts 16% rise in profits. Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is arrested. 12 bodies are recovered after the plant explosion in West, Texas. Joanne Po reports. Photo: AP.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
Tce Tce Tce ... Wall Street today is what's news I'm WS J live unto Lanco ... a bag of earnings results from some tech ... bellwethers ... IBM shares falling more than six percent today after the company misses Wall Street forecasts ... for both revenue and earnings ... Micra soft however is higher after managing to surprise investors with better than expected results for the quarter ... despite a widely reported slump in PC sales for the period ... Google also issuing its own positive report the company earning a profit of three point three billion dollars as its core ad business she ... despite a sharp decline from its Motorola handset unit ... and general experts first-quarter earnings rising sixty percent of ... a half billion dollars conglomerate reporting the sale of its remaining stake ... in NBC Universal ... Novak he was flat amid weakness in the industrial sector ... former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in a press that Mr was shuttering himself to work Friday ... was put under house detention pending trial ... on charges related to its moves against ... the judiciary in two thousandseven ... the rest of Mr. Shah ... new drama to a country struggling to pull collections to make a lot ... authorities confirmed that the bodies of twelve people have been recovered after a huge ... fertilizer Plant explosion ... which occurred Wednesday night in West Texas a small town north of Waco ... authorities could not confirm how many of those killed were first responders ... enormous blast demolished surrounding neighborhoods for blocks in about two hundred people injured ... searches ... that are continually ... bookie keep us


text:
Ripples from Cory Monteith's death continued to spread through Hollywood and more details emerged in the week after his body was found in a Vancouver, Canada, hotel room.
The 31-year-old "Glee" actor accidentally overdosed on a mix of heroin and alcohol, according to the coroner. He was found around noon Saturday after he failed to check out on time.
"Glee" costars Jane Lynch and Dianna Agron expressed their grief publicly Wednesday, the former on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" and the latter in a statement to Us Weekly.
"Cory's one of the biggest hearts, a real bright light," Lynch told Leno, who said he'd never met Monteith and asked what type of guy he was. "He knew he was breathing rarefied air with the gifts that this show, this wonderful show, gave us. He was always aware that it was a gift, and he was quite generous and one of those adventurous types of people. ..."
"I don't think he left one day unlived," she said.
Agron, who played Monteith's character's first love interest on the show, also spoke of her former costar's big heart.
"I have never lost a friend," Agron told Us. "In this difficult time, I am leaning on all of the wonderful memories we shared with Cory, how many ways he was able to make us smile. ... He was one of the most generous and kind people that I have ever met. He had a smart, curious mind, he was an enormous talent. He was loving to not only me but my family."
"My heart goes out to his family, to Lea, to everyone that is struggling with the loss of our friend," Agron said. "We will miss you Cory. We will always carry a piece of you with us."
A memorial gathering for Monteith, to which friends have reportedly been invited via Facebook, was set to take place at his home on Friday, according to InTouch.
InTouch also reported that "Glee" was taking a break from production to deal with Monteith's passing. "Everyone on the show was told they were taking a two-week hiatus until [the producers] figure out what they want to do," a source told the mag.
"Lea has been inconsolable and feels like she's been hit by a truck," a friend told Us Weekly on Thursday. "She didn't know he'd started using again." Michele reportedly got the call notifying her of her boyfriend's death about 10 hours after his body was found but before the news broke publicly.
Finally, let's smack down one rumor: Monteith did not OD on a "toxic grade" of heroin laced with the drug fentanyl, the coroner's service said shortly after police in the area issued a warning for such a potent blend. There was no fentanyl present in the actor's system, the coroner said.
Follow Christie D'Zurilla on Twitter and Google+. Follow the Ministry of Gossip on Twitter @LATcelebs and on Facebook facebook.com/ministryofgossip.


text:
Jolly Rancher Assorted Sugar Free 3.6 OZ (102 g)
Jolly Rancher Candy
The Jolly Rancher candy range, produced by The Hershey Company these days, is mind-bogglingly HUGE! Everything from hard candy and gummies through fruit chews and jelly beans to lollipops, desserts and sodas!
The Jolly Rancher name has become synonymous with American sweets thanksto both their variety and their popularity. The mainstay of the range are the fruit-flavoured, bite-sized hard candy, each bursting with the likes of Blue Raspberry, Grape, Watermelon, Green Apple and Cherry.
In addition, there's cinnamon, sours, berry and smoothie flavours. To be honest, the variety is just too vast to go into in great detail. Just browse our Jolly Rancher category, you'll find what you want!
Did You Know
You can make Jolly Rancher vodka, Jolly Rancher shots and Jolly Rancher cocktails. YouTube has loads of these ideas! Check out the Video tab for a tutorial on Jolly Rancher vodka.
Isomalt, polyglucitol syrup, contains 2% or less of; malic acid, natural and artififcial flavour, acesulfame potassium, artififcial colour, **(E129,E133,E102,E110).
Produced from genetically modified maize. **May have an adverse effect on activity & attention in children. Imported by CL Trading Ltd. Unit 3-7 Littlemoss Business Park, Droylsden, M43 7EF


text:
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Chinese..Simplified script DOWNLOAD
Christianity Explained is a six-week evangelistic course designed especially for people with little or no Bible background.
Topics include:
One leading pastor comments, "CE is the most effective evangelistic course I have ever used". Over thirty years thousands of users have found it effective in bringing many to faith in Jesus. Largely used one-to-one, CE has also proved productive in a small group setting.


text:
- Inside Athletics
- Tickets
- Fan Zone
- Media Zone
- Social
- Shop
- Donate Now
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 16, 2010) - With the start of the season only a couple of days away the ETSU baseball team is hard at work as the Bucs head to Charleston, S.C. this weekend take on The Citadel in the season opener on Friday.
Below is a look at the 2010 Season Outlook:
For only the second time in school history under the tutelage of head coach Tony Skole the Bucs come into a season with two Pre-Season All-Americans, and the expectations for the 2010 season are very high. ETSU lost a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Sun semifinals a year ago, but the Bucs look to get a second chance at winning the A-Sun Tournament, and hope to be in the hunt for the Atlantic Sun Regular Season championship. This year's team returns 12 players who saw valuable playing time in 2009 including All-Americans Paul Hoilman and Bo Reeder.
Skole has assembled a rigorous non-conference schedule in hopes of getting the Bucs back to the Atlantic Sun Tournament for the second straight season. To do so ETSU will have to improve on the mound after a dismal performance on the mound last season. The Buccaneers have made several key additions on the mound including newcomers Ben Booker, Kerry Doane and Scott McNally. ETSU will also have the services of Josh Means again after coming off of a redshirt year in 2009 to go with the big arms of Chas Byrne, Bo Reeder and Bo Burton.
The Bucs will once again put together another formidable offense as they return seven every day players from last season. ETSU has a couple freshmen who should be able to step into the lineup on opening day and make an impact offensively including Kerry Doane, Andrew Green, Derek Niesman and Michael Gonzalez. This team is loaded with speed on the bases as Chas Byrne, Bo Reeder, Matthew Scruggs, Cory Betterson, Andrew Green, Garrett May and Kerry Doane all run very well.
The 2010 schedule will be a tough one with road trips to Charleston, S.C., Florida Gulf Coast, Kennesaw State, Jacksonville, Oregon and Lipscomb. The Bucs open up on the road on Feb. 19, but then spend 14 of the next 16 games at home before its first road conference series at Lipscomb. ETSU will be tested late in the season as the Bucs close out the year with three consecutive road series against FGCU, Oregon and Kennesaw State.
Junior Derek Trent returns for his second year as the Buc's starting catcher. Trent had a solid offensive season in 2009 as he hit .326 with 36 RBI following a solid freshman campaign which saw him hit 15 homeruns. The junior also threw out ten runners a year ago. "Derek is one of our most improved players. On the defensive side he has made great strides and is getting better and better each day. Offensively, I look for Derek to put it all together this year. He is such a skilled hitter. I think when the dust clears; Derek will be one of the top hitters in our league this season." Sophomore Skyler Barnett will backup Trent, and can add a power bat to the lineup as well as good skills behind the plate.
ETSU will rely on two time All-American and 2010 Louisville Slugger Pre-season All-American Paul Hoilman to anchor the infield at first base. Hoilman is the active home run leader in the A-Sun with 26 career home runs. Last year, Hoilman led the A-Sun in slugging and was in the top ten in average (.380), RBIs (66), on base percentage (.478), home runs (17) total bases (148), doubles (19), and runs scored (55). "Paul had a tremendous season last year. One of the best in ETSU history. The exciting thing about Paul is that he is such a great worker and has returned as a better overall player than the year before. He enters this season as one of the top hitters in the country and we are counting on him to drive in a lot of runs for us this season."
Sophomore Garrett May and freshman Kerry Doane will start up the middle for the Bucs. May had an up and down freshman campaign, but is much improved coming into the season. Doane is a very talented freshman with great defensive skills and an explosive bat as he will look to sure up the right side of the infield. "Both Garrett and Kerry are very dynamic players. There isn't a play on the field that these guys can't make. They are an exciting double play combination. Their ability to make plays defensively will be a key to our success." The Bucs are loaded with depth up the middle as Derek Niesman, Jamie Crawford, and Alex Reynolds can all step in and contribute. If needed, junior Chas Byrne can also step in and provide depth at any infield position.
At third base, ETSU will count on the 2009 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Bo Reeder who tied the ETSU freshmen home run record with 15 last season. Reeder was third on the team hitting .339 as he was named to the Atlantic Sun All-Freshmen Team. "I am very excited to watch Bo play this spring. Bo is the closest thing we have had to a five-tool player at ETSU in the last ten years. He can beat you in so many ways. Bo had a tremendous freshman campaign, but is a much more complete player than a year ago. Bo is one of the top sophomores in the country." Freshmen Derek Niesman and Alex Reynolds will back up Reeder and provide depth at third base.
The Bucs will again have a very deep squad in the outfield in 2010 as they return starters from last year in Matthew Scruggs, Cory Betterson and Chas Byrne. Andrew Green and Michael Gonzalez will also battle for a starting spot. Sophomores Scruggs and Betterson both saw a lot of time in the outfield a year ago. Scruggs has good speed and can cover a lot of ground, and is also a threat on the base paths, while Betterson has really come into his own since stepping on campus in 2008. Betterson also has tremendous speed, and has come up with some spectacular catches in right field for ETSU. "Our outfield should be one of the best defensive outfields in our conference. Speed is the common ingredient that all of our outfielders possess, and these guys can really go get them. Matthew Scruggs will play a key role for us this season. Matthew played every day last season and has really improved himself physically and mentally over the last 12 months. When he gets it going he can dominate a game. Cory is really starting to come into his own. His athleticism is phenomenal and he can really put pressure on our opponents."
Chas Byrne will also see time in the outfield when he is not pitching. "Chas has really improved offensively and his speed cannot be ignored." Freshmen Andrew Green and Michael Gonzalez will also be counted on to see some time in the outfield for the Bucs. Green is very speedy and has come on this pre-season, while Gonzalez brings another big left-handed bat to the ETSU lineup and is a solid fielder.
The Bucs return starters Chas Byrne and Bo Reeder from 2009, as well as Josh Means who is coming off of a redshirt year after a good freshman campaign in 2008. Also joining the mix for the starting rotation are newcomers Ben Booker and Kerry Doane. Byrne is looking even better than he did in 2009 when he went 6-4 with a complete game win in 14 starts. "Chas has matured so much as a pitcher. He has always had that big arm, but now he really understands what it takes to get guys out on a consistent basis. He is so much more polished than he was at the start of last season. Chas gives us a great option to run out there on Friday night every weekend." Reeder had a good freshman year on the bump as he went 4-4 including wins over Virginia Tech and Tennessee, while Means has looked good in the fall and spring after undergoing surgery a year ago. Booker and Doane have looked impressive since joining the Bucs. Booker, a transfer from Cleveland State Community College, has really good stuff and is a great competitor, while Doane has a live arm with electric stuff and could be one of the best in the staff.
"The guys mentioned above all give us great options in our starting rotation. Every one of them pitches from 88-94 mph and they all throw strikes. What I really like about this group though is that our starting pitchers this year are some of the most competitive individuals on our team. These guys will give us a chance every time out."
ETSU will have one of the best bullpens it has had in a while, as the Bucs will count on one senior, three juniors, one sophomore and five freshmen. Drew Story, Bo Burton, Paul Hoilman and Taylor Gouffon all have experience for the Bucs seeing action in 2009. Burton and Hoilman came on strong for the Bucs at the end of last year throwing some valuable innings for ETSU. Newcomers Scott McNally, Lee Hall, Derek Bushey and Joseph Timp will also be counted on this season. McNally has been dominant in the fall and preseason. "Ultimately the success of our pitching staff is going to determine our success as a ball club. We feel that we are much improved from recent years as we simply have more quality arms on our staff. Our bullpen should be very good as we should be able to create some favorable matchups late games. Bo Burton is going to be the guy we will lean on to finish games. Bo is a great athlete who has the exact makeup you want for your closer."
For more information on Buccaneer baseball or any other athletic news, please visit www.ETSUBucs.com.


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Dr. Taylor, Ms. Kendrick, Ms. Thompson, Mr. Twomey
Ms. Crawford, Mr. Damiano, Mr. Gonzalez, Dr. Klostermeyer
President Delaney, Dr. Serwatka, Ms. Stone, Dr. Workman
The Executive Committee began the meeting by approving the minutes from the January 22, 2007 committee meeting.
Following approval of the minutes, Chair Taylor updated the trustees on the Board of Governors (BOG) approval process for new members of the Board of Trustees (BOT). This discussion focused on the nomination process, including candidates nominated inside and outside the Board, and the acquisition of names.
Chair Taylor discussed UNF's Board vacancy and asked trustees for feedback from the list of candidates submitted to Chancellor Rosenberg and the BOG. Trustee Twomey clarified that the vacancy was a BOG appointment as opposed to a gubernatorial appointment. This discussion continued addressing the BOG's consideration for appointments, including how much input they would have and how much input individual boards would have.
President Delaney spoke about a previous meeting with the BOG where universities were asked to provide input about the approval process for new trustees. In this meeting, the BOG recommended that local boards set up an internal process for trustee selection, to be reviewed by the BOG. UNF was one of a few universities that had followed through with this request and since this meeting the BOG had not created a formalized process.
Trustees talked about the current tone of the BOG regarding trustee selection, surmising that the BOG was looking to select trustees that would support the BOG structure and not serve as a minion for the president, or possibly encourage selling boardships to donors. The BOG also wanted to ensure that nominees would support statewide initiatives, as well as local initiatives. With that summation, trustees felt it might not be in the Board's best interest to nominate potential trustees.
President Delaney spoke about an idea presented by the BOG that all potential trustees be interviewed by the BOG. All trustees were in agreement that this would change the scope of people willing to serve.
Trustee Twomey strongly suggested that the vacancy be filled with someone who was qualified and willing to serve as chair of the Finance and Audit Committee. He asked that this be communicated, in crisp terms, to Chancellor Rosenberg and the BOG. President Delaney said he would get a formal list of nominees from Chancellor Rosenberg and provide this list to all trustees.
Trustees discussed the metamorphosis of the Board, speaking about original appointments and the lack of specialization. New appointments might be specialized and aligned with the mission of the university – this was indicative of a highly evolving board.
Chair Taylor talked about Dr. Terry MacTaggart's visit to the University. He said that Dr. MacTaggart felt that UNF was a very special institution with a talented and capable group of people who could achieve great things. Dr. MacTaggart's felt the Board was very strong in terms of supporting the University.
Trustee Thompson said that now was the time for the University to think strategically and consider timing. She proposed that consideration needed to be given to the timing of new thinking or stability within the state system.
Chair Taylor offered appreciation to all trustees for their participation and adjourned the meeting.
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There's no extra charge for the movies and shows from the channels you're subscribed to in your DIRECTV programming package. For example, if you subscribe to HBO, you can enjoy HBO movies and shows on your computer, tablet, or cell phone free of charge. However, some movies, including the new releases on DIRECTV CINEMA, are available at a per-movie charge-the same price you would pay to watch them on your TV.
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Germany's Far Left Could Hurt Mainstream Parties
The radical left is in a good position to secure members in the legislative house due to broad support in the formerly communist East German states. But its bigger impact in the German election could be the votes it takes away from other parties on the left. Harriet Torry reports.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... in the ... Aussie this on the side effects of the political spectrum in Gemini and has a tradition the strongholds in the former communist East ... I was minding can't think like a ten year a minimum wanes ... high unemployment benefits and a cap on rent increases ... due to the strong support in the form of communist East Gemini they are very much likely to take back to cross the five percent for punishing a sensation ... the sub account and then calling the tune on seven nine percent ... said the chances of getting back into Parliament on Baghdad's ... deeming case you missed me very strong in the form in East Gemini ... whether that will save me gain some support in the West office as social Democrats in a into the sweeping reforms in two thousand and three ... the problem that link has the ... backing of into the mainstream leftists proxies the Greens and the social Democrats ... silly season Oman headedness and with it ... due to its historical rates in communism ...


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Already-tense relations between the United States and Syria deteriorated further Monday after anti-US protesters attacked and damaged the US Embassy in Damascus.
The mob attack, which followed days of angry demonstrations outside the US and French embassies in the Syrian capital, was the most serious turn to date in several months of souring relations as opposition forces have continued to challenge the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
A State Department spokesperson said elements in Syria aligned with the government had "encouraged" the attack, while the government had been "slow to respond" to the violence. The official also noted the Syrian government's responsibility under international law to protect diplomatic facilities.
But other diplomatic experts went further, saying that if the US Embassy in Damascus was able to come under attack, it was because the government wanted the attack to happen.
"This is essentially a government act," says Wayne White, a former State Department official who is now an adjunct scholar with the Middle East Institute (MEI) in Washington. "Normally the government doesn't want things to happen to foreign embassies, and this is a very controlled society," he says. "So at the very least they have to allow this kind of thing to happen."
The pro-government protesters in Damascus – which the State Department said were egged on by a Syrian television station closely aligned with the government – also attacked the US ambassador's residence and the French Embassy.
In its own statement Monday, the French government said its embassy was "the target of attacks and acts of vandalism by well-organized groups under the eyes of Syrian security forces, who were clearly not in a hurry to halt the violence." French officials said the security forces went so far as to allow the mob to use a "battering ram" to try to break down the embassy gates.
But the most serious damage resulted at the US Embassy, where protesters managed to scale a wall and then smash windows and spray paint "dog" on the wall – a particularly harsh epithet in Arab culture, in this case intended for US Ambassador Robert Ford.
Ambassador Ford infuriated the regime and its supporters last week by visiting the city of Hama, the symbolic epicenter of the Syrian opposition movement. Ford, the highest-ranking American official in Syria, visited Hama – as did his French counterpart – after reports emerged of Syrian security forces surrounding and attacking the city.
Ford was greeted enthusiastically by residents of Hama, but the government cited what it says was an unauthorized visit as proof that the US is fomenting antigovernment unrest in Syria.
With pro-Assad protesters pelting the US Embassy with eggs and tomatoes over the weekend, Ford wrote on his Facebook page Sunday, "How ironic that the Syrian government lets an anti-US demonstration proceed freely while their security thugs beat down olive branch-carrying peaceful protesters elsewhere."
An already-bubbling debate in Washington over whether the US ambassador in Syria should stay or leave is sure to heat up further after Monday's attack.
Some Republicans in Congress are calling on President Obama to demonstrate US rejection of Assad's tactics by calling Ford back to Washington. The US had no ambassador in Damascus for five years under former President George W. Bush in protest against Syria's alleged covert activities in neighboring Lebanon.
The MEI's Mr. White says deciding the US ambassador's future after an embassy attack won't be easy – but he adds that pulling him out "would mean fewer eyes and ears in the country at a time when we just might want them."
The US ambassador's departure may be exactly what the Assad regime is angling for, White says – or the government may prefer that Ford stay in Damascus, he adds, but be intimidated just enough to stop any forays into opposition strongholds.
"A security breach at an embassy is a very serious thing, and I have no doubt the discussions of paring down the embassy staff are already under way," White says. "But if you pull the ambassador you won't have anyone to go in and read the riot act to the highest levels of the government," he adds. "And if the ambassador leaves, nobody is going to be visiting Hama anymore."


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Bowling lessons at Orchard Lanes
Enjoy the fun and exercise of bowling by learning correct techniques from one of Hood River's best. Pat Olson will be teaching beginner and intermediate lessons at Orchard Lanes this Sunday at 7 p.m. Classes are two hours long and are limited to 30 participants. Cost is $15 and includes lane fees, shoes and ball rental. Call 386-1326 to register.
Orchard Lanes will also begin teaching youth lessons on Monday, Feb. 18, and Feb. 25 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Classes are limited to 20 kids ages 6-12 and cost is $10.
3-on-3 men's basketball update
Snowden retained the top spot in the Hood River 3-on-3 men's basketball league with its second straight 3-0 week. DA and Lizards are tied for second at 4-2, while the league's two new teams, Morgan Paint Co. and Crooks, are tied for third at 2-1.
Soapbox racecar clinic March 2
Hood River Community Education will sponsor an all-day soapbox racing clinic Saturday, March 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Westside Elementary School cafeteria. Approximately 20 cars will be assembled — including 10 "rental cars" donated by the Hood River Lions Club — for the annual derby, which will be held in April. To register, call 386-2055 right away.
Youth baseball coaching clinic
Improve your coaching skills and develop better baseball players who have more fun by enrolling in a five-hour youth coaching clinic Sunday, March 3 at David Douglas High School in Portland. The instructional seminar is designed for coaches and parents from T-ball to little league to Babe Ruth levels. Cost is $25 per participant. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and sessions begin promptly at 9 a.m. Preregistration is also available. Call Mike Fitz at 503-261-8325 or Barry Cook at 503-349-5335 for more information.
Youth hoop tourney in Portland
North American Youth Sports still has openings for its annual spring youth basketball tournament, March 22-24 at Forest Grove High School in Portland. Tournament brackets include 5th/6th grade boys and girls, 7th grade boys and girls, 8th grade boys and girls, 9th/10th grade boys and girls, 11th/12th grade boys and girls. Entry fee for the tournament is $90 and guarantees two games. Entry deadline is March 1. For more info, call toll free 1-888-629-2275, or 503-359-0708.
Ten-Star All-Star basketball camp
Applications are now being evaluated for the Ten Star All-Star Summer Basketball Camp (by invitation only). Boys and girls 10-19 are eligible to apply. The nearest camp will be held in Olympia, Wash. Call 704-568-6801 for a free brochure.
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Religious persecution—the abuse of innocent human beings because of their religious beliefs and practices, or those of their tormentors—is occurring with alarming frequency around the globe. Indeed, evidence is mounting that this scourge is spreading to virtually every region and culture worldwide. To cite but one example among many: an exhaustive study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, released last December, reveals that 70 percent of the world's population lives in countries where they are subject to severe restrictions on religious freedom.
For over a decade, the United States has been required by law to address this problem. In 1998 Congress passed, and President Bill Clinton signed, the International Religious Freedom Act. It instructs U.S. diplomats to oppose religious persecution and advance religious freedom abroad, and it provides a host of diplomatic vehicles to do the job. Unfortunately, the law has so far had little lasting effect. The reasons why are sobering, as is the realization of what our failings have meant for the victims, for their societies and for us. By the same token, past failures present an immense opportunity for the Obama administration.
The Faces of Persecution
Using the Pew Forum's report Global Restrictions on Religion; the State Department's Annual Reports on International Religious Freedom; and the reports of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, I have assembled here a small sampling from the parade of horrors.
In 2002 innocent Muslim women were raped and murdered by Hindu mobs in Gujurat, India. The mobs were seeking vengeance for the killing of Hindus by Islamist extremists. When the women begged local Hindu police for help, they were told, "We have no orders to save you."
In March 2009 Chinese security forces beat to death a Tibetan Buddhist monk for passing out leaflets supporting the Dalai Lama. In China, the torture and "disappearance" of Buddhist monks and nuns and of disfavored Muslims, Christians and adherents of Falun Gong occur with regularity.
In Saudi Arabia a senior cleric recently issued a fatwa calling for the death of anyone who asserts that men and women could work together professionally. Such edicts emerge from a Saudi interpretation of Islam called Wahhabism, a malevolent political theology that nurtured Osama bin Laden and continues to be exported from the desert kingdom worldwide, including to the United States.
This and similar extremist political theologies—such as that of the Taliban, or the followers of Sayyid Qutb (an intellectual godfather of the Muslim Brotherhood)—support legal and social prohibitions on apostasy, conversion, blasphemy and defamation. Those restrictions, which in some Muslim countries entail the death penalty, lead not only to physical persecution, but also have the effect of silencing religious reformers and forestalling the development of more liberal political theologies.
In Iran, Shiite Muslims critical of the regime's brand of Shiism are executed for "waging war against God." Iranian Bahais live in constant fear of imprisonment, torture and death. In Iraq, a country whose opportunity for ordered liberty has been purchased with American blood, Christians are being targeted and murdered. Thousands among this ancient but rapidly shrinking Iraqi minority have been forced to flee their homes and villages.
Even in Western Europe and North America, religious freedom is under challenge from several directions, including French laws limiting religious expression to the private sphere and Canadian laws suppressing traditional Christian teaching on sexuality.
American Interests and U.S. Deficits
Americans have a natural interest in this problem. We oppose any form of human rights abuse, but because of our history we are particularly scandalized by religious persecution and discrimination. Most of us instinctively grasp the deep significance of this form of depredation: To deny anyone religious freedom, let alone to torture or otherwise abuse them because of their religion, constitutes an assault on human dignity that cries out for redress. The right to seek transcendent truths, and to act on the basis of those truths, lies at the heart of what it means to be human.
Many of us also understand that the denial of religious liberty by governments and private sectors around the world has serious implications for American national interests. As our own history has shown, religious freedom is necessary if democracy is to be peaceful and stable, yielding its benefits to all of its citizens. It is necessary if societies are to forestall the incubation and export of religious violence and extremism.
Nevertheless, American diplomats have generally been reticent to engage religious actors and ideas. In 1998 Congress decided to address that problem. The International Religious Freedom Act of that year mandated the promotion of religious freedom as a central element of U.S. foreign policy and established a very senior diplomatic official, an ambassador at large, to lead the effort. Such officials usually work directly under the secretary of state, and Congress clearly intended this ambassador to do just that. He was put at the head of an I.R.F. office, given authority to represent the United States in both bilateral and multilateral forums and styled "principal advisor to the President and the Secretary of State."
Over the years I.R.F. policy has had some positive effects, such as prisoner releases and increased diplomatic engagement of religious actors in the field (necessary to the preparation of the annual report required by the act). To its credit, the State Department is now planning more systematic training on religion for its diplomats.
But it has taken almost 12 years of false starts to do that much. Overall, U.S. policy has had very little impact on levels of religious persecution or religious freedom. Its approach has been largely rhetorical: issuing an annual report that focuses on minority victims of persecution, condemning the persecutors and threatening (but not imposing) economic sanctions. The act itself reinforces this methodology. It authorizes direct and indirect diplomatic programs to advance religious freedom, but it requires only an annual report and a public denunciation of the worst persecutors. The State Department usually opts to do the minimum, thereby reducing internal opposition. Its minimalist approach costs little and does not require integration of religious freedom into foreign policy. It avoids the need for consensus on the meaning of religious freedom and, therefore, on how to bring it about.
The Clinton and Bush administrations mostly pursued the rhetorical approach. Each appointed talented I.R.F. ambassadors but allowed the State Department to downgrade the status and role of the position. While both ambassadors managed to achieve small victories against the odds, neither had much influence on U.S. foreign policy. The issue they represented came to be viewed by foreign governments and U.S. officials as a low priority for the United States.
Why the resistance to a more robust policy? Several studies have shown that American diplomats are reluctant to address religion. Many have been trained to think in "realist" terms. They hold that matters of faith were removed from international relations after the 17th-century wars of religion and that religion should be a private matter. Henry Kissinger's 1994 opus, Diplomacy, does not include the word "religion" in its extensive index.
American diplomacy has also remained wedded to the secularization thesis, the idea that religion will recede to the irrelevant margins of human affairs with the advance of modernity. The thesis should have been jettisoned long ago by those whose mission is to engage the world in defense of American interests. For better or worse, the world is a very religious place. The second half of the 20th century was replete with evidence—from the 1979 Iranian revolution to the spread of democracy in Catholic societies (triggered by the Second Vatican Council and the pontificate of Pope John Paul II)—that religious ideas and actors were taking center stage internationally.
Also, most cultures are suspicious when outsiders attempt to engage them on the subject of their own religious habits and opinions. When those outsiders are Americans, the suspicion increases. Especially in the post 9/11 world, the default presumption is that I.R.F. policy (however benign and ineffective it might be in practice) is a Trojan horse designed by the United States to undermine majority religious communities, like Indian Hinduism, Russian Orthodoxy or Iraqi Shiism.
What lessons can be gleaned from I.R.F. policy over its first decade? For one thing, a purely antipersecution strategy does not reduce religious persecution. Often, rhetorical condemnations merely reinforce perceptions of U.S. cultural imperialism or strengthen the belief that the United States favors Christian minorities. More broadly, I.R.F. strategy has tended to be reactive. At its best, it has secured occasional prisoner releases or, as it did in Vietnam in 2006, elicited government action to reduce persecution. At its worst, however, the reactive approach allows U.S. diplomacy to do very little except censure. In some cases this strategy may even exacerbate persecution.
What it manifestly does not do is advance religious freedom in a political or cultural sense. This omission, while perhaps understandable given the slings and arrows of American diplomacy and the suspicions that already attend I.R.F. policy, is a serious mistake. Promoting the political institutions and cultural habits that can sustain religious liberty, especially in highly religious societies, will reduce persecution far more effectively than U.S. policy has done to date. And it will enhance international peace.
In fact, social science is confirming what history and common sense suggest: religious freedom is necessary if self-governance is to yield political stability, economic growth, social harmony and peace. It is certainly necessary if nations are to rid themselves of religious extremism and terrorism, including the kinds of terrorism that have been exported to the American homeland. In short, we must advance religious liberty both because it will help others by reducing persecution and increasing ordered liberty and because it will strengthen the security of the American people.
Obama's Opportunity
All this suggests that the Obama administration has been handed a striking opportunity to retool and energize America's international religious freedom policy. It seems a natural, given the president's outreach to Muslims abroad, Secretary Clinton's emphasis on "smart diplomacy" and President Obama's pledge at West Point on May 22 to shape a new "international order" based on diplomacy and engagement.
For starters, the administration could appoint an ambassador at large with the experience and talent to incorporate religious freedom into this agenda, place him or her directly under the secretary of state as the I.R.F. Act intended and provide the authority and resources to do the job. This course has recently been urged by an impressive variety of groups from across the American political and religious landscape, including a task force of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bipartisan group of scholars organized by Freedom House and Congressional Democrats and Republicans. Even President Obama's own Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships has recommended more attention to this issue.
Unfortunately, the signs are not encouraging. On June 15, 16 months into his presidency, Barack Obama finally nominated his I.R.F. ambassador, the Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook. She is said to be a dynamic and accomplished American Baptist pastor, but she also appears to lack any experience in diplomacy or on issues of international religious freedom. Meanwhile, the administration has long had in place senior diplomatic envoys on women's rights, outreach to Muslim communities, disabilities, H.I.V./AIDS and other favored issues. All of these people are highly experienced in their respective fields. I.R.F. supporters justifiably fear that the "first freedom" of American history, a freedom necessary to human dignity, social stability and international peace, is at risk of being downgraded rather than elevated in the nation's foreign affairs.
This much is clear: the advance of international religious freedom, while difficult, remains critical to individuals, societies, world peace and American national interests. Despite signs to the contrary, we should all hope that the advance of religious liberty will be part of the Obama foreign policy legacy.
Thomas F. Farr answers questions on religious freedom and the new evangelicals.