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Is President Obama Being Underestimated?
October 8, 2010 fayem1
First Thoughts: Is D.C. underestimating Obama?Is Washington underestimating Obama?… But here's a real test for the president: Can he get his voters out in states like Wisconsin, Illinois, and Pennsylvania?… Final jobs report before the midterms shows the economy lost 95,000 jobs and the unemployment steady at 9.6% (but private employers added 64,000 jobs)… Obama rails against outside group spending in twin events yesterday… The "W" word becomes an issue in the Brown-Whitman race… First Read's Top 10 TV ads… No.1 on our list? Christine O'Donnell's "I'm you" ad, and she's now running a second ad on this theme… And another poll shows Rubio leading in Florida.
From NBC's Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** A little counter C.W. with your Friday coffee: As President Obama draws 26,000 in Wisconsin, thousands yesterday in Maryland, and likely thousands in Philadelphia this weekend, it's worth asking whether there's a disconnect between how the president is perceived in Washington and how he's perceived in other parts of the country. Beltway reporters and columnists often use these adjectives in describing the president: beleaguered, struggling, disappointing. And the Washington chatter of the week was whether he needs Hillary's help for 2012. But here's a reality check: Obama's approval rating in the latest NBC/WSJ poll (46%) is just three points lower than George W. Bush's in the survey right before he won a second term (49%). And despite all the problems (a sluggish economy, a sour public, and a brutal midterm landscape for Democrats), Obama still has a strong base propping him up (Democrats, liberals, blacks, Hispanics, and young voters).
*** The president's real midterm test: Then again, the president has certainly served as a lightning rod in races across the country, especially former battleground states like Missouri (where Roy Blunt has tried to tie Obama to Robin Carnahan) and in places like West Virginia (where the NRSC had to take down that "hicky" ad tying the president to Joe Manchin). But the question — with 25 days until Election Day — is whether Obama has enough juice with his base in Wisconsin (where he was last week), Illinois (where he was last night), and Pennsylvania (where he'll be on Sunday) to help Democratic candidates in those states. He can get these folks to come to his rallies, but can he get them to the polls? These three states may be the best test of whether the president has midterm juice — all three contain important (and apathetic?) parts of the Democratic Party's base, and all are being fought over national issues.
*** The last jobs report: Of course, Obama doesn't want to see more of these kinds of job numbers. In the final jobs report before the midterms, the Labor Department reported that a total of 95,000 were lost in September due to widespread government layoffs, the AP notes. The unemployment rate remains at 9.6%, but the private sector added 64,000 jobs. Six months ago, the White House and many Democrats believed the employment situation was going to be on an up-arrow trajectory by this last jobs report. Of course, it's anything but. This flat-lining of the U.S. economy began right around the oil spill, as the double hit of the spill and the Greek debt crisis in Europe took away any hope economists had that the corporate world would begin to spend money again. Obama will discuss the economy at 11:40 am ET.
*** Mo money, mo problems: In twin appearances yesterday, Obama stressed all the outside money — some of it from abroad, he argued — impacting this year's midterm races. Here was Obama at the rally in Maryland: "This is a threat to our democracy. The American people deserve to know who's trying to sway their elections. And if we just stand by and allow the special interests to silence anybody who's got the guts to stand up to them, our country is going to be a very different place." And here he was in Illinois at a fundraiser for Alexi Giannoulias: "In this Senate race, two groups funded and advised by Karl Rove have outspent the Democratic Party two to one in an attempt to beat Alexi — two to one… Just this week, we learned that one of the largest groups paying for these ads regularly takes in money from foreign sources." While it's clear the White House wants to attention paid to how these groups are funded (and they are having a HUGE impact), it's not an issue many voters believe is of a high priority. Many Democrats struggling in their re-election bids aren't exactly jumping at the chance to talk about Citizens United. Instead, they'd prefer a cohesive economic message. Then again, the economy isn't exactly a plus for the Democrats so many the White House is right about this.
*** The "W" word: Another day, another controversy in California's gubernatorial contest. Here's the L.A. Times: "In a private conversation that was inadvertently taped by a voicemail machine, an associate of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown can be heard referring to his Republican opponent Meg Whitman as a 'whore' for cutting a deal protecting law enforcement pensions as the two candidates competed for police endorsements." Not surprisingly, the Whitman campaign jumped all over the remark in an effort to change the dynamics of a race that Brown is leading; Brown's camp apologized for the remark. This story cuts several ways. First, it could help Whitman with a key demographic she's trying to win over: educated women. Then again, it could undermine one of Whitman's chief attacks on Brown — that he's in the pocket of unions — because it suggests that Brown isn't willing to cut a deal with a police union to protect their pensions. Short term: It's a lifeline to Whitman as it changes the storyline, even for a day.
*** More O'Donnell ads (pro and con): Lo and behold, O'Donnell has a new TV ad that doubles down on the "I'm you" message. "I didn't go to Yale," she says to the camera. "I didn't inherit millions like my opponent. I'm you." Meanwhile, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has a new TV ad hitting O'Donnell. It goes, "Christine O'Donnell claims she'll control Washington spending. But look at her record. She was sued for not paying her bills. Didn't pay her taxes. Has a federal complaint filed against her for spending campaign funds on herself. If Christine O'Donnell wants to be irresponsible with her money- that's her business. But she's running for Senate- and being irresponsible with our money is our business."
*** More midterm news: In Alabama, "Rep. Bobby Bright on Thursday became the first Democratic incumbent to say publicly that he would not support Nancy Pelosi for Speaker in the next Congress," CQ reports… In Florida, a new Mason-Dixon poll shows Marco Rubio (R) with a comfortable lead in the state's three-way Senate contest.
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 25 days
Entry Filed under: Uncategorized


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Zephyr & Blackwood
Friday, August 31, 2012
On my forty-second birthday my second son Blackwood came into our world. One of the many pleasures this week has been watching Zeph and Woody get to know each other.
Zephyr is a geographical/gardening term for a gentle warm breeze or fructifying wind. In Greek mythology Zephyrus is the god of the west wind.
Blackwood is a wattle (Acacia melanoxylon) local to cool mountainous climates in Victoria and Tasmania, and thus a tree local to where we live. Blackwoods are soil builders and companion plants to eucalypts and native cherry (Exocarpos cupressiformis), named because of their intensely dark wood.

subset: commoncrawl


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Ever tried to find cheap movies in Columbus? I recommend two to you die-hard movie fans~
1) The first one is Cinemark Theater, which is located at a shopping mall at 2570 Bethel Road. I went there to see the extraordinary "The Smurfs." It tells a story where the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village. Unexpectedly, they tumble from their magical world into New York City. It was really an amazing experience of watching a 3D animation picture with the special 3D glasses. And we could even bring those glasses home! The ticket is priced at around one dollar and there are usually recent released movies (but not the "most recent"). However, for the price, I think this Cinemark Theatre is definitely worth checking out.
2) Another wonderful cheap movie theater is at Easton Town Center. Though it's not one dollar, it still cheaper than most other theaters, and it has the newest movies. I saw the film "Moneyball" starring Brad Pitt in that cinema, which tells the story of Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.
How is that? Spending one dollar on a movie!? Terrific! So, what are you waiting for? Let's take a well deserved break from classes and see one dollar movies~


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10 Dumbest Ways to Die in Video Games
All of us have fallen prey to instant death spikes and lava traps in our many years of gaming which is why we're doing a list of the Dumbest Ways to Die in Video Games. At this point, death as a result of an enemy swarm, an errant headshot, or projectile spam has become commonplace. However, there are still some ways to die in video games that make us rage and throw our controller, not because they are cheap, but because they are stupid. If you fall prey to any of these dumbest deaths, you have no one to blame other than yourself (and poor game design).
- 10
Running Out of Ammo
Running out of ammo has never been fun. Back in the days of old school shooters, you were given one gun that had infinite ammo and all your cooler guns used ammo. That's fine. However, current day shooters, especially single-player ones, that let you run out of ammo do nothing but frustrate their player base. Outside of a horror game where no ammo leads to an increased feeling of fear, this should never happen. We've all been there though, and the only thing that drowns out the click of an empty chamber is all the laughter from the guy who remembered to reload.
- 9
Failing Escort Missions
Escort Missions are some of the stupidest ways to pad out gameplay in existence. Poorly designed A.I. might make the person you are escorting run right into the line of fire, and there's nothing you can do about it! These missions basically say, "Here, compensate for someone stupider than you," and when you get a game over because of it, it's one of the most frustrating things in the universe because you didn't even really die. Thankfully, more recent games like The Last of Us and BioShock Infinite didn't program lose conditions onto your companions. Hopefully that trend continues.
- 8
Letting Your Little Brother Play
Okay, so it doesn't have to be your little brother, but we have all been in this situation before. Someone really wants to try a new game and you are at a very important and difficult part. Unfortunately, your sympathy gets the better of you and you hand off the controller. Of course, you not only die, but somehow your entire inventory gets wasted, and you are forced to go back several hours in the game, all because you treasured friendships over video game progress. What a mistake. Remember kids, always let newbs play on a new save file.
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Wandering into a High Level Area
Oh, hey! Look at that! It's a huge hulking behemoth! Well, even though I'm only level 15 and it's level 50, I see no problem in trying to defeat it. What could possibly go wro- OH GOD! IT'S TEARING OUT MY LUNGS WITH ITS TEEETH! I'M WEARING MY INTESTINES! THIS WAS A HORRIBLE IDEA! Don't let your pride get the best of you. Knowing your limits can save your life.
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Getting Shot While Teabagging
Teabagging deaths are poetic justice. If you are spending your time taunting in a fighting game, teabagging in a shooter, or otherwise attempting to humiliate an opponent rather than playing the game and you die from it, you are only getting what you deserve. Next time, think about scanning the area for snipers rather than shoving your virtual junk into someone else's face.
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Pressing the Wrong Button
Which button is the gas? How do you throw a fireball? All of these questions speak to a fundamental misunderstanding of a game's controls. At low levels of skill, pressing the wrong button might just be a hilarious laugh between you and your friends. At high levels, pressing the wrong button basically means insta-death.
- 4
Any Minecraft player has dealt with the horrid creature known as the Creeper. This hissing pile of green death explodes on you when you least expect it, not only killing you, but destroying the beautiful castle you were building in the process. It's not only Creepers that do this. Zombies in games like Resident Evil, or Left 4 Dead have been known to walk up behind you when you weren't looking either. So this entry on the list goes out to any enemy that insta-kills you when you are just standing around taking in the sights instead of remaining focused.
- 3
Looking at the Wrong Screen
If you have played split screen mode in any game before then you have likely fallen prey to this dumb way to die at least once. The game starts, you are running toward your target, then suddenly you notice yourself turning the wrong way or firing randomly at the wrong thing. While you fiddle with your controller to make sure it isn't broken, you only realize too late that you were looking at the wrong screen, and have likely jumped off a random cliff to your death as a result. On current systems, this is rarely a problem, but we've seen it happen all too often when clamoring for that retro fix on F-Zero or Mario Kart.
- 2
The Leap of Faith
Speaking of jumping off cliffs, one of the dumbest ways to die is held solely by the platformer genre. From platformer time immemorial, there have been ledges that look like they could be stood on, but were just part of the scenery. Your attempt to jump to safety is met with nothing other than a long fall to your doom. Lest you think this only occurred in the days of 8-bits, look no further than Assassin's Creed and just try to count all the times you tried to grab a ledge that just wasn't grabbable for some reason. The worst.
- 1
Quick Time Events
Finally, we have the number one dumbest way to die in a game, which comes as a result of the dumbest way to play: Quick Time Events. QTE's boil down gameplay to nothing more than a twitch fest. The game tells you to "press X to not die" and if you aren't quick enough on the draw, then you die. Simple as that. No life lost. No chance to continue. No way to dodge. Just a 100 percent guaranteed game over because you didn't press X quick enough. These are even more frustrating when they come at the end of a long and drawn out boss fight. Usually you'll have to participate in a quick time event to execute the boss once and for all, but if you drop the ball, you'll just end up having to fight over again from the beginning.
- Bonus
25 Most Gruesome Video Game Deaths


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QNET Spends Quality Time With Abandoned Elders In Thailand
30 August 2016 0 2 min read
In a heart-warming Corporate Social Responsibility activity themed 'Happiness Forward', the QNET Thailand team took time off during the weekend to help…
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Physio Radiance Visage+ Is A Leap Into The Future Of Face Lifting! Wrinkles and sags on the neck are the most visible signs of ageing in men and women. You will see years disappearing from your face and neck. The Physio Radiance Visage+ along with the Physio Radiance Skin Care series are designed to slow down the ageing process and reduce wrinkles and fine lines! The only question we have is...When are you getting yours?
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This is the story of my life as a working mum. With a shift-working husband and 2 teenagers, our lives are pretty busy so our motto needs to be just get on with it! But real life always seems to have a way of adding in a little bit of spice to the mix, and thats when the story becomes more interesting.
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Downsizing, turbocharging and vehicle electrification are putting the heat on your car's thermal management systems. We can deliver the right aluminium system for you.
Virtually all the measures taken by car manufacturers to meet emission legislations are putting pressure on keeping things cool.
Automotive heating and cooling
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Contact us to discuss your needs in more detail with one of our automotive experts.


text: Come join us for an energetic, creative, full-spectrum approach to embodying the flow of yoga, the flow of breath. Participants of all levels are empowered to experience prana - the universal source of breath, life-energy and conscious intelligence - as the navigating source of yoga practice and vital living. Classes are $1 per person, per session. Sessions are approximately 75 minutes.


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The year ended with the Federal Reserve's debit interchange rules still unresolved.
The Fed's regulation implements the debit interchange cap and payment network provisions laid out in the Durbin Amendment to the Dodd-Frank Act.
Named after its chief sponsor, Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), the amendment set a cap on debit interchange for debit card issuers with more than $10 billion in assets and required debit issuers to increase the number of networks it made available.
But U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon overturned the Fed rules this summer.
In an often sarcastic, 58-page opinion, Leon, who sits on the District Court for the District of Columbia, concluded the Fed had included costs of debit card issuing in its calculation of the cap. The judge said Congress did not intend that in the Durbin Amendment.
"I find that the text and structure of the Durbin amendment, as reinforced by its legislative history, are clear with regard to what costs the board may consider in setting the interchange fee standard," Leon wrote in the July 31 opinion. "Incremental ACS (authorizing, clearing and settling) of individual transactions incurred by issuers may be considered. That's it!"
Even though only four credit unions are big enough to be covered by the regulation's interchange cap, almost all credit unions face a dilemma over how many payment networks they have to have on each card.
Under the currently invalidated regulations, debit issuers have to place two unaffiliated payment networks on each debit card and, in practice, that has usually been a major card brand's network and one other.
But Leon declared that this requirement does not meet Durbin requirements.
"The board's interpretation of [the Amendment's network exclusivity section] cannot be reconciled with the plain meaning or spirit of the statute because it still allows networks and issuers to make only one network available for many transactions," he wrote. "Indeed, by the board's own admission, several common transaction types still cannot be authenticated using the PIN method, leaving signature debit the only available option…This result cannot be reconciled with Congress's goal of providing all merchants with a choice between multiple unaffiliated networks for every transaction."
Leon disputed each of the Federal Reserve's three main reasons it said it used to choose the exclusivity provisions, including the "logistical burden" on the payment system required by adding a total of four unaffiliated payment networks to each card.
"That might be the case," he wrote of the possible difficulty, "but the law does not impose those burdens. In fact, the Durbin amendment does not specify how the board should go about achieving the statute's requirement."
He then cited a comment letter the Federal Reserve received and published during the process leading up to the final rule which suggested the regulator require networks to allow PIN networks to process signature transactions, provided they are willing to accept the risk of chargebacks.
Leon's decision has been stayed pending a higher court deciding an appeal brought by the Federal Reserve which might not be decided before June of 2014.
In its filing on the appeal, the merchants' side of the dispute acknowledged that the network exclusivity requirements could be met by changing the networks and not requiring all debit issuers to carry four payment networks per card.


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in Hebrew there's methods not to express unappropiate word or ideas
some of them is to say the exact opposite - called Leshon Sagi Nehor - means in aramic (tongue of a lot of light)
here is few examples
some of them the exact opposite and some of them are in another way
1. a blind man is called "A lot of light" - the name of this method came from that expression
also in arabic they call the blind man "Al Basir" means he who sees
2. the jewish book that talk about Bereavement laws is called שמחות means happiness
3.graveyard also called the house of the living
4.in the talmud they wanted say "there is (or will be) sorrow to the rabbis
but instead writing rabis they wrote "there is sorrow to the rabbis haters" and they talk about the rabbis themself
5.in the talmud: instead of saying "for every trouble that will come" it says (and we say that till now "for every trouble that will not come"
6. instead of writing "tommorow I will be dead" it's written "tommorow HE will be dead" and he was talking bout himself
7. in one of the stories in the time of the talmud it says that God told to Moses that if he hadn't broke the tablets then the Haters of Israel would die - and it meant Israel themself
this was not just to keep the good language but also not to ask for trouble and talk of the Devil as we say also
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INDEPENDENCE — On Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Independence Town Police, Woody's Pharmacy and the Grayson County unit of the Southwest Virginia Medical Reserve Corps will give the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused or unwanted prescription and over-the-counter drugs, including veterinary items.
Bring your medications for disposal to Woody's Pharmacy at 576 East Main Street in the Guynn Shopping Center for the Drug Take Back event.
The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. This event is sponsored nationally by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
Last April, Americans turned in 552,161 pounds — 276 tons — of prescription drugs at more than 5,600 sites operated by the DEA and nearly 4,300 state and local law enforcement partners. In the four previous events, DEA and its partners took in over 1.5 million pounds — nearly 775 tons — of pills.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines forgotten in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines — flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash — both pose potential environmental safety and health hazards.
Four days after the first event, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an "ultimate user" of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them. It also allows the Attorney General to authorize long-term care facilities to dispose of their residents' controlled substances in certain instances.
DEA is drafting regulations to implement the act. Until new regulations are in place, local law enforcement agencies will continue to hold prescription drug take-back events every few months.
• For more information on the Drug Take Back event, call Woody's Pharmacy at 773-2211.
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ContestHolder2000 brauchte ein neues Bannerwerbung Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 50 Designs von 11 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
We need multiple banners in various sizes. The person that creates the best set of banners (1 or more of the various sizes we need) will receive the $100.00. Additional entries we like will also be paid $5-$50 if we like the work and might use it in the future. Please submit entries as a set for however many sizes you want to do (for example, a 125 x 125, 468 x 60 and a 80x31 banner which are similarly themed). Please read the brief for more information on sizes, etc. NOTE: Example banner link has been fixed
The best banner set will receive $100.00. Other banner sets that I like will receive $5-50. So, this contest is not a winner take all contest. Many entrants will get something for their hard work. I have posted several contests before when this site was still part of sitepoint.com
The Company:
Please visit our Web site to understand what we do: Premium Clubs
Not required, but would be nice since it will increase click through rate.
We are looking for banners in the following sizes. You do not need to make banners in all sizes to have a submission
- 88x31
- 100x100
- 120x60
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- 468x60Banner Themes:
We need banners for various sections of our Web site. For example, we need banners that target the main page (Example: General Gift-of-the-Month) and then banners that target our products (Example: Salsa-of-the-Month banner). You may choose to make a banner set for any or all of the listed themes:
- BBQ Sauce
- Book
- Salsa
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- Jerky
- General Web Site Banner (Gift of the Month)Example Banners:
To view banners of Web sites similar to ours please visit this example page. I am sure you guys are talented enough to make banners even more outstanding!
Paid entrants should deliver banner designs in either adobe photoshop or illustrator source files with fonts and all layers intact, so that I may make further revisions if necessary.
- Professional looking banners in the size specification
- Creativity, eye-catching visuals, and animation (optional)
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The 13th annual National Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice Conference, Southern Corn and Soybean Conference, and the Southern Precision Agriculture Conference will be held at Harrah's Convention Center, Tunica, Miss., Jan. 12-14, 2010.
The event is sponsored by Cotton Incorporated and US Rice Producers Association and is a production of MidAmerica Farm Publications, with Farm Press Publications as a media co-sponsor.
The newly founded Southern Field Crop Alliance will hold its first meeting and conference Jan. 13-14, immediately following the NCSCRC.
Further information relating to SFCA can be found at http://www.mafg.net.
Attendees are invited to attend all the conferences; one registration fee will cover all events scheduled for Jan. 12-14.
Registration information can be obtained at www.mafg.net, by mail, or by phoning (573) 547-2244.
"The main emphasis of the conference is reducing production costs and increasing yields in cotton, rice, soybeans and corn through precision agriculture in its many forms," says John LaRose, publisher of MidAmerica Farm Publications and NCSCRC organizer.
"We've put together 95 different speakers, who are scheduled to present their information at two different times. Some speakers will have three sessions. This will allow attendees multiple opportunities to check out a wide range of sessions."
The NCSCRC features 31 unique cotton sessions presented by 18 researchers and 15 farmers.
Rice production experts from five states will conduct 32 unique rice sessions — 16 researchers and 16 farmers.
The 11 unique corn sessions will feature six researchers and six farmers representing four states.
The soybean sessions will feature 12 unique sessions presented by six researchers and six farmers from four states.
Precision ag sessions will feature nine unique presentations presented by five researchers and four farmers from four states.
The NCSCRC trade show is popular with attendees and exhibitors. According to LaRose, "Our tradeshow is sold out. Exhibitors jumped on the opportunity to display their products this year." The trade show will be Jan. 12-14.
"Tunica is a perfect setting for the conference, providing a relaxing atmosphere where farmers and re¬searchers can visit; compare notes; ask questions and get answers," says LaRose.
The SFCA conference will cover all southern crops — cotton, soybeans, corn, rice, wheat, sorghum, peanuts, sugarcane, tobacco and sweet potatoes. Over 65 researcher presentations will cover all professional disciplines from Texas to Virginia.


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Mattia Perin is 20-years-old. He's played in 21 Serie A games. He's been linked with clubs such as Milan, Fiorentina and Napoli. Even more than that to be honest. His agent, Matteo Roggi, last week suggested that he was already worth €20m. Basically, he's widely regarded as an Italian goalkeeping star of the future and the latest to be anointed with the 'New Gigi Buffon' tag.
"The Coach has given me the first team gloves," the Genoa-owned custodian, who is on loan at Pescara this season, says. "I'm just looking to do my best. Ivan Pelizzoli and I work hard in training and I'm learning a lot from him. Ivan is a great 'keeper and he gives me some great pieces of advice."
Perin, whose inexperience means that he still has significant margins of improvement to make, would do well to take heed from his 32-year-old teammate. Because at the start of this Millennium, Pelizzoli was in Perin's shoes, more aptly his gloves, as one of the next big things in Italian football.
A product of the constantly churning Atalanta production line, Pelizzoli was unexpectedly and quickly promoted from third-choice to the No 1 after injuries to Alberto Fontana and Davide Pinato. Making his Serie A debut just shy of his 20th birthday on November 5, 2000, he remained in between the sticks for the rest of the season.
"I became the Atalanta first choice because of a number of coincidences," he said. "I was on the bench for the game against Milan. As I walked out on to San Siro, I thought to myself that it would be great to play in front of all these people. It was only normal as I had come from Serie C. Then, seven minutes into the match, Pinato asked to be subbed. I didn't even have the time to get nervous."
Pelizzoli's rise from obscurity to prominence was nothing short of sensational at the Stadio Azzurri d'Italia that season. His early form was so good that Giovanni Vavassori allowed Fontana to join Napoli in January. A call-up to the Italian Under-21 side was inevitable, but he had not only caught the eye of Azzurrini boss Claudio Gentile, some of Italy's biggest clubs were also pondering bids for him.
Roma, after considering Buffon and Francesco Toldo, netted him in the summer after they had been crowned champions of Italy. Coach Fabio Capello gave his blessing given concerns that Francesco Antonioli was their weak link. "I've signed a great goalkeeper," said President Franco Sensi after agreeing to spend 27bn Lire on him. That's roughly €14m in today's money.
By then, Pelizzoli had played in only 30 top-flight games. "I'm not scared by the responsibility," he declared as the move was finalised. "I'm ready for anything and I'm at the total disposal of the Coach."
Ivan had to make due with a bench role in his first Olimpico campaign as he totalled five League appearances. He was given more opportunities in 2002-03 and was rewarded with his first full international cap by Giovanni Trapattoni as a consequence.
But it was in 2003-04 where Pelizzoli delivered on his Atalanta potential. He conceded just 14 times in 31 League games, the best first-choice goalkeeping record in Europe that season ahead of Stuttgart's Timo Hildebrand. A bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games confirmed the belief that he was on the road to a glittering career. In truth, that was where it peaked.
The summer of 2004 proved to be a traumatic one for Roma. Capello left for Juventus and took goalkeeping Coach Franco Tancredi with him. While the outfield players suffered without the former Milan boss, Pelizzoli struggled without his personal point of reference.
"I missed him," Pelizzoli reflected. "I worked well with Tancredi, while Claudio Filippi had different methods. Tancredi worked me more physically and I needed that otherwise I started to gain weight."
The custodian's personal situation was not helped by the general chaos which surrounded the Giallorossi that season. New boss Cesare Prandelli quit early on to look after his ill wife and he was subsequently followed into the hot seat by Rudi Voller, Gigi Del Neri and Bruno Conti.
Results were inconsistent and a number of players were targeted by the Olimpico boo boys. Pelizzoli, after some uncertain displays, was one of them. The criticism reached a point that Del Neri actually publicly asked the fans to support the net-minder. 'Ivan The Terrible' some scoffed, while Roman comic Maurizio Battista dubbed him as the 'goalkeeper who didn't know he could use his hands'.
"I try not to think about what is said about me," the Bergamo-born player noted at the time. "Nevertheless, it does annoy me when people with little competence try to be Coaches. Take Buffon and Nelson Dida out of the equation and I don't feel inferior to anyone…"
Pelizzoli featured only 17 times that term – thanks partly to a misdiagnosed injury – and the emergence of Gianluca Curci saw the outfit opt to sell him in the summer a year before his contract was to expire. "The club don't want me anymore," he said as Reggina made him an offer. "I would have happily stayed and fought Curci for a shirt, but it is clear that they don't fancy that and therefore I won't cause them a problem."
Ivan never recovered from his Roma burn. In January 2007 he left Reggina for Lokomotiv Moscow with little success. In 2009 he returned to Italy with Albinoleffe and then joined Cagliari a year later. In August of 2012, Pescara snapped him up to act as cover for Perin.
Since then, he's mostly had to sit and watch his younger colleague catch the eye. But, as Pelizzoli knows all too well, that's the easy part. Now comes the significant task of turning potential into reality in a game, and in a position, where it takes little to build a star and even less to destroy one.


text: Ahead in the Cloud September 4, 2013 10:38 PM Tweet TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By Ben Potter AgWeb Social Media and Innovation Editor Email How to monitor inputs and keep field records in the digital era Do you want to manage your farm from your smartphone? You're in luck—farm management is the largest category of mobile agricultural apps. Many companies offer similar apps and web-based services, so be sure to investigate a few of them before deciding on one. The best ones allow users to draw field boundaries, pin notes within those boundaries, and create and send detailed reports. Some of the most popular services are AgIntegrated, iCropTrak, OnFarm, FarmLogs, Farmeron, FarmRite, Farm works and MapShots AgStudio. They all have different pricing structures and subscription models. Figure out what you need most and then find what works best. Farm data, stored and accessed in the cloud, can help accelerate the decision-making process. This is critical as the average farm size continues to grow, says Jim Sheppard, Harvey's Agricultural Solutions president. "Crop scouting has become a key part of our agronomy business as farmers get bigger and don't have the time to visit every field and scout conditions," he says. "But the need for information about crop conditions has never been greater." Sheppard depends on AgraScout to keep tabs on his customers' fields. He can identify pest problems, make recommendations and e-mail reports without ever leaving the field. Take Control. Farmers can also tap into in-season imagery, which can be layered over field maps, says Rick Behrens, Winfield Solutions R7 sales specialist. R7, a web-based data analysis tool, provides biomass images, which can help pinpoint potential problems, such as weedy spots. The imagery in R7 adds scalability to help identify management areas. But savvy farmers don't have to wait for the next cropping season before they can reap benefits from the cloud, says Jesse Vollmar, CEO of FarmLogs. Their customers can calculate input costs on each field and break down production costs into individual components. They can also move yield and commodity price sliders to see how those changes affect their profitability. Monitoring inputs and keeping records are menial tasks, Vollmar says. His team is working with Purdue University to launch an open-source project called ISOBlue, which will make cloud-based data collection a more hassle-free process. Instead of data being stored in multiple vendor-controlled silos, ISOBlue will in effect "free" data for farmers using Bluetooth technology to grab the data before it is converted into "overly proprietary" formats. "The goal is to connect your smartphone to your tractor to automate record keeping," Vollmar says. "The data simply shows up in real time as field work is being done." A Secure Cloud In July, a survey found that 76% of Americans have concerns about storing data in the cloud. Jesse Vollmar, FarmLogs CEO, says any reputable company that depends on the cloud should be working to create a secure experience. End users can help, too—it's all in the password. To help limit cloud foibles, he suggests: Don't use the same password for different services. Select a two-factor authentication login, if offered. Choose a long password that strings together unrelated words and symbols. Back to news


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Our stylish, spacious and comfortable 2 bedroom apartment gives you a taste of the great city of Ottawa. Just a short drive from to the beautiful Rideau Canal, restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores and the Byward Market!
The Space
Clean, stylish and newly renovated 2 bedroom apartment located on the 3rd floor of this 4 storey building in Britannia Heights will suit your needs.
This 2 bedroom accommodates 6 people comfortably with amenities such as:
- Free Wifi
- Coffee Maker
- Complimentary travel size Soap and Shampoo
- Hair Dryer
- Cable TV
- Air Conditioning
- Heating
Great for
- Families
- Small groups.
- Students
- Budget Travellers
- Coffee Maker
- Basic Kitchen Essentials ( Plates, Utensils, Cups, Pots and Pans)
- Microwave
- Oven
- Stove
- Fridge
Interaction with Guests
We are a simple message/email/phone call away at all times!
Any questions from guests about the space or surrounding area will be answered promptly.
The Neighbourhood
Their are plenty food and shopping options on Carling Ave (5-10 minute walk)...
- Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre
- Walmart
- Wendy's
- McDonald's
- Biagio's Italian Kitchen
- Pizza Pizza
- Cora's
- Forest Country Bar and Grill
- Easy Cook Hot Pot & BBQ
Grocery Store
5 Minute walk to Metro grocery store (1360 Richmond Rd)
Short distance to
- 13 minute drive to University of Ottawa
- 13 minute drive to Carleton University
- Algonquin College - 7 Minute Drive
- 10 Minute drive to Parliament Hill
- 13 Minute drive to Rideau Centre
- 13 Minute drive to Rideau Canal
- 14 Minute drive to the ByWard Market
- 16 Minute drive to the National Gallery of Canada
- 15 Minute drive to the Canadian Museum of History
Brief Descriptions and Hints below about Touristic Attractions
- ByWard Market offers a unique experience for all. You'll find museums, cafe's, specialty food shops, boutiques, galleries, restaurants and pubs.
- National Gallery of Canada free on Thursday nights from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Or, if you visit a special exhibition, you also get access to the permanent collection.
- Canadian Museum of History formerly the Canadian Museum of Civilization, offers free admission on Thursday nights from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
- Sound and Light Show on Parliament Hill every night after dark between early July and early September. Huge images are projected onto the Parliament Buildings, using them as a giant screen. It's magnificent!
Getting Around
Ottawa has some of the best public transit in North America and is easily accessible from the apartment.
Public transportation, Lincoln Fields bus station is just across the street.(Major Bus Station)
Other Things to Note
***If your stay is between 18-31 nights, we will offer you the monthly rate (the lower price)***
We offer discounted rates for longer reservation.
- 8 month or longer = 10% off monthly rate and no cleaning fee
- Between 3-8 month stay = 5% off monthly rate and no cleaning fee
- Please Contact us for more details
Our Washer and Dryer are Coin Operated machines located in a shared laundry room found in the basement of the building.


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One of the benefits of blogging is being able to tell you about new things I've discovered so I'm starting a regular Saturday Giveaway event where I will showcase products that make life a little more fun then give one away to a random Scribbit reader.
I came across this terrific craft project at The Wurst Gallery and knew in a second it was perfect for my daughter who loves to paint and create: unpainted Russian nesting dolls.
Five genuine, Russian-made dolls--the largest being six inches high--which nest inside one another for your little Picasso to adorn. Grace loves to write stories and plays so she's going to paint the five dolls to be characters in her latest story: a king, a queen, princess, fairy, and palace pet though I see plenty of possibilities. Paint them as characters from The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood or Rapunzel. Paint them to be family members, characters from a Bible story or characters from your own imagination.
To decorate the dolls use regular acrylic craft paint then protect them with a spray polyurethane coat for luster and durability.
For younger children The Wurst Gallery also carries Paint-a-Plate which includes all the materials needed to produce a hand-decorated melamine plate. The kit comes with a plate, 10 markers, instructions and a shipping envelope so once you've produced a design you can mail your plate to back to the factory where they will transfer the drawing onto the plate.
Both items are terrific and inexpensive summer activities for children and The Wurst Gallery has graciously provided one of each for a lucky Scribbit reader as this week's Saturday Giveaway.
Here's what the prize includes, all of which are pictured at The Wurst Gallery website:
* One set of 6-inch unpainted nesting dolls
* One Paint-a-Plate
* One lovely tote bag with The Wurst Gallery crafted logo
* One enamel puppy pin
Here's how to win:
Before 12 am Monday June 4th go to the giveaway entry form on this page and enter your name and email. I will pick one of the names at random, contact the winner via their email and publish the winner's first name in my regular Tuesday post.
Important things to note:
Because of the cost of international shipping the Saturday Giveaways will be open only to readers in the U.S. If you're upset at being left out, leave me a comment to that affect with a suggestion/solution to the problem and I might consider an alternative in the future.
As long as you enter before 12 am Monday morning according to your own time zone I'll count it. Alaska falls near the end of the day so I'll catch all the entries anyway.
I've designed the entry form so that anyone can enter. Reader, writer, blogger, friend, foe, anyone with an email and a United States address is eligible. The entry form is entirely private, it will send me whatever name you choose to enter and your email so that I have a list of entrants and can easily contact the winner to learn where to send their prize. I will not publish anyone's email or full name and will throw all entries out once each week's drawing is over. Anonymity is guaranteed. The most anyone will ever see is "LaFawnda from Preston, Idaho is this week's Saturday Giveaway winner" when I post the results on Tuesday.
So enter today and regardless of whether you win this summer crafts package consider ordering these items for yourself. They'd make great birthday gifts and would be perfect for the time when you hear the inevitable "Mom, what is there to do?"
Technorati tags: product reviews, crafts, Wurst Gallery, dolls, giveaways


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Tolerating Fault in an Intolerant World
The Limitations of Clustering
Buzzwords are as common in the Linux world as they are in the realm of proprietary software. This truism is certainly highlighted by the recent popularity of such terms of "thin versus fat," "scaling up versus scaling out;" and "consolidation versus clustering."
Clustering itself is a buzzword that is popular in all aspects of IT--it is not something that is native to Linux, though Linux is being adopted for clustering use at a very fast pace. That is mainly because Linux is ideally suited for multi-server parallel processing, usually right out of the box. Couple that with Linux's affordable licensing fees (read: little to none), and you have a strong recipe for success.
Clustering is usually used for one or two specific computational needs: high performance and high availability. It is important to make this distinction early on, because clustering may not be the universal elixer that it is often made out to be.
High-performance computing is ideally suited for organizations that need to crunch a lot of numbers in as little amount of time as possible. These include problems such as mapping the cardiac tissue impulse work being done at the University of Alabama Birmingham, or the geological work done by companies in the oil and gas industry. These are problems that have a lot of data and a lot of ways the data can fit together--the kind people used to haul out a Cray supercomputer to handle.
Clustering is suited for high-performance work because be adding more and more processors ("nodes") to a cluster, you can get some serious processing power that approaches (and surpasses) supercomputer level computational speeds for a fraction of the cost.
High-availability computing is something else that clusters can be used for. If you have a need for a lot of transaction-handling that need 24/365 uptime, clusters are good because if one processor fails, then the load will automatically be handled by the other nodes until the faulty processor can be repaired.
This sounds very good, and it is. But there are some challanges to making this all work smoothly. For instance, not all software can run on a cluster. It's not something that you just bring up on the screen, type "go," and expect to take full advantage of the parallelism that makes a cluster really shine. There is a significant amount of work that needs to be done to re-tool an application to run in a cluster.
For high-performance work, this sort of thing is a necessary evil. After all, you were likely going to have to port the application to a new platform anyway, and porting to a clustered Linux farm is still a lot easier than porting to a proprietary mainframe OS.
But to have to do this sort of work for a high-availability cluster is a notion that one major computer manufacturer is challanging. In fact, this company is turning the whole notion of using clusters for high availabilty computing on its ear.
The company is Japan's NEC, which is currently promoting something it calls "Unstoppable Linux"--a deliberate send-up of Oracle's "Unbreakable Linux." That's because unlike Oracle, which is approaching the high-availability from the traditional clustering direction, NEC is using what it terms "Fault Tolerant Linux" hardware/software combination to bring users high availability.
- Skip Ahead
- 1. The Limitations of Clustering
- 2. The Limitations of Clustering
- 3. The Limitations of Clustering


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Liberty News
LU Online Academy for grades 3-12 receives full accreditation
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) announced in early February that Liberty University Online Academy (LUOA) has been granted full accreditation. The five-year accreditation is a major milestone for Liberty University's most recent online educational venture for grades 3-12.
Now in its third year of operation, LUOA is quickly receiving recognition as a quality option for parents seeking Christian online homeschooling education for their children. For the 2009-10 school year, 700 students are enrolled in LUOA, residing in 46 states and 11 foreign countries.
Jay Spencer, dean of LUOA, is excited about the recent growth.
"We knew when we launched the Online Academy that our first goal was to achieve accreditation as quickly as possible. To do so within the first two years is testimony to the quality work put in to the foundation of the Academy."
In a special ceremony on Feb. 21 at the Virginia Annual Winter School Improvement Conference in Williamsburg, LUOA superintendent Harvey Klamm was presented the Academy's Certificate of Accreditation from SACS.
SACS State Director Hilda Kelly praised Klamm, "for his leadership in working with his staff in meeting the SACS CASI standards and for taking the initiative to be nationally accredited."
Institutional benefits of accreditation include the external mark of quality by the globally accepted AdvancEd Accreditation Commission, verification of compliance with high educational standards and professional support as the school engages in its continual school improvement process.
Students of LUOA benefit from accreditation because, through the process, their school has committed to raising student performance and will be held accountable for improving student learning on a continual basis. Accreditation also raises the school's credibility, improving students' eligibility for college and making it easier for them to transfer credits, secure funding and find employment.
On Feb. 23, LUOA announced that it would be partnering with private schools that wish to use LUOA curriculum. This will allow private schools with limited resources to add curriculum without adding instructors or additional tuition cost.
- All Liberty University Online Academy students receive a scholarship to attend Liberty University. Click here for information on how to apply to LUOA.


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Blimey! Hey, Bert - you see this news on the telly today? Yeah, tarts. It says ere that iPhone is kicking Nokia's bum something awful in the browser business - a real flogging as it were. Some blokes at a firm called StatCounter is sayin it'll overtake Nokia soon in mobile web share, and you know how the Finns are about losing.
Remember what they did when they lost the world cup soccer championship? Helsinki burned to the ground, it did. Bloody business that was. God save Safari.


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0 Members and 1 Lonely Barbarian are spying on this topic.
I don't think Shadow of the Colossus is actually the sequal to Ico. I know they were made by the same developer, and that if you have an Ico save in your memory card while playing SoC, you get some easter egg or something. I've played them both and a friend of mine beat them. I don't remember him saying anything about them being related.
Page created in 0.467 seconds with 29 queries.


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We are sorry! This job has expired. Click here to see other similar jobs.
Crew Members, Crew Leaders and administration
Better Pay is Just the Beginning!
Growing team looking for reliable people to build a future. We offer competitive wages!
Crew Leader
Crew Member/ Gardener
Growing team looking for reliable people to build a future. We offer competitive wages!
Crew Leader
- Looking for reliable, experienced and loyal members to grow with our company
- Can delegate on-site activities
- Capable of assessing job-site landscape issues
- Drivers license a must Bi-lingual a plus
- Ability to communicate with supervisor
- We pay for training and certification
Crew Member/ Gardener
- Must be a "Team Player"
- Ability and desire to learn through an on-going training on how to use all landscape equipment
- Ability to follow crew leader's directions, friendly with customer when on job-sites
- Goes beyond what is expected
- Gets the job done and knows what to do next
- Drivers license a plus
- Works well with other employees
You can see similar jobs for Landscaping here


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By Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2006 Fifteen years after the ground phase of Operation Desert Storm kicked off in Iraq, its impact remains ingrained in military operations, a defense official told American Forces Press Service.
Operation Desert Storm ushered in a new phase for the U.S. military. It boosted the military transformation effort, demonstrating the value of stealth aircraft, precision-guided "smart" munitions, and other new technologies. It redefined the role of the reserve components in U.S. national defense plans after more than 200,000 were called to active duty to support the operation. It also helped break down barriers for women servicemembers, ultimately opening many positions that previously had been denied to them.
Operation Desert Storm also sent a strong message to the world about the U.S. commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East -- a commitment U.S. forces continue to carry out today in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the official said.
Fifteen years ago today, U.S. and coalition forces were poised along a 300-mile front that stretched from the Persian Gulf far into the desert, awaiting orders to launch the ground phase of Operation Desert Storm into Kuwait and Iraq.
President George H.W. Bush had issued a final ultimatum on Feb. 22, 1991, demanding that Iraq begin withdrawing its troops from Kuwait the following day. "We are drawing a line in the sand," Bush said.
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had launched an invasion of Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990, and refused to submit to international outcries and economic sanctions. Iraqi armor and mechanized infantry units troops had moved across the Kuwait border, occupying strategic posts throughout the country, historical documents show. They quickly overwhelmed the Kuwaiti army, but the Kuwaiti air force managed to flee to Saudi Arabia. News reports told of atrocities against Kuwaiti citizens during the Iraqi occupation.
On Aug. 8, Iraq declared parts of Kuwait to be extensions of the Iraqi province of Basra and the rest as a 19th Iraqi province.
The first U.S. forces arrived in Saudi Arabia Aug. 7 in an effort named Operation Desert Shield. They were the first of a force that would ultimately grow to more than 500,000 to prevent Iraq from expanding into Saudi Arabia. In addition to Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps elements, the operation also included coalition forces from 31 nations, 3,400 tanks, 3,700 artillery pieces, 4,000 armored personnel carriers, 2,000 helicopters and about 2,600 aircraft.
During the coalition buildup, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution authorizing the use of force if Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait by Jan. 15, 1991. When the deadline passed, coalition forces launched Operation Desert Storm in the early morning hours of Jan. 17.
"Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines of the United States Central Command, this morning at 0300, we launched Operation Desert Storm, an offensive campaign that will enforce the United Nation's resolutions that Iraq must cease its rape and pillage of its weaker neighbor and withdraw its forces from Kuwait," Army Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S. Central Command, said in a statement at the war's start.
"My confidence in you is total. Our cause is just," Schwarzkopf said. "Now you must be the thunder and lightning of Desert Storm."
The offensive began with 38 days of continuous air attacks. Coalition warplanes began flying more than 1,000 sorties a day, according to historical documents. Top priority in the air war went to destroying Iraq's air force, anti-aircraft and command and communication capabilities, as well as other military targets in Iraq and Kuwait.
Despite attacks that continued around the clock, Saddam continued to reject Bush's ultimatum to begin removing forces from Kuwait by Feb. 23. On "G-Day," at 4 a.m. on Feb. 24 (8 p.m. EST on Feb. 23), U.S. and coalition forces began moving into Iraq and Kuwait for the ground assault phase of the operation.
The ground offensive had three main fronts and included a tactical plan of deception designed to leave a gaping hold in Iraq's defenses. Schwarzkopf concentrated the initial troop concentrations and attacks along the Saudi border with Kuwait in hopes of tricking the Iraqis into thinking the main offensive would come there.
Three commands held the eastern third of the front. The far eastern flank along the Persian Gulf was made up of Joint Forces Command East, which included armies from six Gulf Cooperation Council members. To their left was the U.S. 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, with the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions and the 1st "Tiger" Brigade of the Army's 2nd Armored Division. To their west was Joint Forces Command North, with units from Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia.
To further confuse the Iraqis, the 1st Cavalry Division moved into position near Kuwait, later joining 7th Corps units that made up the coalition's center front. That element included the 1st Infantry Division, the 1st and 3rd Armored divisions, the British 1st Armored Division, the U.S. 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, and the 11th Aviation Brigade.
The biggest surprise of the campaign was the western "hook" to the far west -- undetectable to the Iraqis because their intelligence capabilities had been virtually wiped out during the air war. The 18th Airborne Corps held the far western flank, with the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions, the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), the French 6th Light Armored Division, the U.S. 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, and the 12th and 18th Aviation brigades.
The ground offensive advanced quickly, with coalition troops making steady progress against Iraqi troops, many of them deserters waving white flags.
By the third day of the offensive, allied troops had liberated Kuwait City. Bush declared a cessation of hostilities at 8:01 a.m. Feb. 28, just four days after the ground war began. On March 3, Iraqi leaders formally accepted the cease-fire terms, and the first U.S. combat forces returned home five days later.
While Operation Desert Storm was noted for its speed and low number of coalition casualties, it included some low points. The war left 148 Americans killed in action and 145 from other causes. Another 467 were wounded in action. The most tragic day of the war came on Feb. 25, 1991, when an Iraqi Scud missile hit a U.S. military barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 28 reserve-component troops and wounding almost 100 others. Most of those killed were members of the Army Reserve's 14th Quartermaster Detachment, based in western Pennsylvania.
At the war's end, Schwarzkopf reflected on the tremendous challenges overcome to carry out the fastest deployment of more than 500,000 troops and their equipment in U.S. history. "The Middle East was very far from America, and we had nothing in Saudi Arabia," he said. "We had to build up a large quantify of fuel and ammunition and find a way to house and feed the soldiers. It was a huge logistical challenge."
Schwarzkopf offered high praise for the military members who made Operation Desert Storm a success. "They didn't want to go to war. They didn't want to leave their families. But when their country asked them do, they did, because they thought it was the right thing to do," he said.
The general, who gained widespread public popularity during the war, reflected credit to those he said deserved it most. "It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle," he said. "It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle."
U.S., Belize Forces Team Up to Help Haiti


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Editor's Note: For this assignment, one of the writers for the oldversion.com blog was given a daunting assignment – to use WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS for some of his writing assignments for a week.
Below are his thoughts of the experience. Do you still use WordPerfect 5.1? Feel free to discuss this in the comments below.
The first problem was installation.
Initially I attempted to run the application downloaded from this very site in a virtual machine installation of Windows Advanced Server 2000. The DOS window here seemed to run the application without any problems until the actual point of tapping Enter to install the software post-setup. Creating a large-size disk image for the application didn't work either.
While dropping down to Windows 95/98 was an option, it was one that would require a trip into the attic. With this in mind, I opted for a sidestep – I would try installing WordPerfect in DOSbox!
Running through the installation, I was presented with a lot of screens that in a modern day application would be dealt with via a single check-box or radio button. At the end of the installation with mention of printers and restarts, the application gave the impression of needing to be reinstalled; indeed, I attempted this at the first run, realizing when I reached the end the second time that this was either the beginning of a trip into the box room or I would have to try something else.
Typing WP at the prompt got the software running, however. So, how would I use it for the rest of the week?
The first thing was to track down the help function (F1) and try and work out what keys did what. As a keyboard-driven application, the most important thing to appreciate is that all of the functions were on the keyboard – the mouse is almost completely useless.
Pleasingly, the array of keys to the right of Enter and Backspace come in very useful – as an "old school" user these have always been a part of my keyboard use, and it is good to be able to rely on these 30 year old legacy options.
The various options and functions available in WordPerfect can be found via the Function keys, presented via Shift, Ctrl, Alt or with no modification.
So with everything ready, I was set to go. My first task would be to introduce this challenge, the results of which you can see above. But would I be able to use the application daily?
I certainly wouldn't be able to get away with outputting all of my work using WordPerfect – the majority of material that I am involved with requires a pretty quick turnaround, which usually means writing directly into the browser window and submitting.
However there are enough suitable features in WordPerfect to be able to use this application daily…
Day 1
I left WordPerfect running in the DOSBox window overnight, and found that I was unable to restore the document! The whole scenario of saving and closing is a confusing one at best, and discovering that my most recent save file wasn't being displayed in the "Retrieve" screen was jarring. Fortunately closing the app and restarting "rediscovered" the file.
I have also noticed that the lack of an auto-spellcheck (used in Microsoft Word to resolve common typos) is slightly annoying. Indeed, I'm noticing a lot of errors that I really shouldn't be making!
Day 2
Something else I have noticed with the application is the difficulty in applying formatting to text.
Via Help (Shift+F1) I discovered that this done by selecting text using the block command, placing the cursor at the start of a word, activating Block (Alt+F4) and then taking the cursor to the end of the word. Once the word or passage is selected, the appropriate formatting can be applied, using the corresponding keyboard shortcut. For instance these bolded words were originally achieved using F6 after selecting the text as a block.
Day 3
Remarkably I found myself up and running with WordPerfect without mistyping DOS commands today. As someone with experience of DOS going back to 1990, installation and running of the application had been somewhat frustrating until now, but it all seems to be coming back to me!
If you're planning on using WordPerfect – and if you are limited by hardware and budget it is worth considering – then printing out the keymappings for the Function keys is a good idea. In the absence of an on-screen menu system, having a reference for what key does what is going to prove useful. As it is, remember that F7 is for saving documents and F5 for opening!
Day 4
As I approach the end of the week, I've found myself wondering just how to transfer this journal into something I can publish at OldVersion.com.
The obvious option is to open it in Microsoft Word and then paste it into the site – but if I already have Word, why am I using WordPerfect?
Saving options are limited in WordPerfect, so what is the best way of converting the document into a format I can use online?
The WPS format can be opened in apps such as WordPad and Notepad, but sadly there are odd artifacts within the text which need to be edited out. As WordPad and Notepad are built into Windows, you shouldn't have any problem running them.
Day 5
So what have I learned about using WordPerfect as a word processor?
Well, it certainly wasn't as easy as I expected. For some reason, even though my writing career has taken place almost exclusively on GUI word processors (with the small exception of an old Amstrad PCW device in the late 1980s) I had expected to find WordPerfect more usable than I did.
However, as the days progressed I found more and more features and I believe that if you need a good, no-frills word processor that doesn't blind you with formatting options, this is a good way to go.
Running in DOSBox allows you to ALT+Enter to view full screen, presenting you with a pure page of text. Sometimes Microsoft Word and OpenOffice give you too much to look at, which is why the full screen options on those applications are so good to use.
In fact, if you're the type of writer who prefers more page and less icons, using WordPerfect in full screen mode might be exactly what you're looking for. It's an ideal way to get your thoughts onto the screen quickly without worrying about formatting, something which could, for the zen writer, enable and inspire better writing.
Once you've got the words down, you can then use other applications to deal with the formatting and redrafting…
Editor Note: Do you still use WordPerfect 5.1? If so, why? Let us know in the comments!


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On November 6, 1982, Shirley Allen is arrested for poisoning her husband, Lloyd Allen, with anti-freeze in Phelps County Missouri. Lloyd Allen was Shirley's sixth husband and the second to die from mysterious causes; the other four had divorced her.
John Gregg, who died a year after he married Shirley in 1977, had changed the beneficiary on his life insurance policy shortly before his death. Shirley was outraged to find that she was left with nothing. Lloyd, who is said to have complained of a strange taste in his beverages, believed Shirley when she said that it was an iron supplement for his health. However, Joe Sinclair, one of Shirley's previous husbands, had been a bit more suspicious. When his coffee tasted odd on several occasions, he went to the police. Although he suffered internal injuries, no charges were ever filed. Instead, he filed for divorce. Lloyd Allen died on November 1, 1982. Shirley was arrested and charged with murder after an autopsy confirmed that Lloyd Allen's body tissue contained a lethal amount of ethyl glycol. After a short four-day trial, in which Allen's own daughter testified that she witnessed her mother spike Lloyd's drinks, Shirley Allen was found guilty and sentenced on July 6, 1984 to life in prison.
Visit Michael Thomas Barry's official author website – www.michaelthomasbarry.com & order his true crime book Murder & Mayhem 52 Crimes that Shocked Early California 1849-1949, from Amazon or Barnes & Noble through the following links –


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THATCamp Southeast 2012
March 10-11, 2012
Miller Learning Center
University of Georgia
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Tag Archives: Library
#alt-LIS OR The Question of the Hybrarian OR What is Digital Humanities and What's It Doing in the Library?
{Inspired by the recent JISC article "Does the Library have a role to play in the Digital Humanities?"} I'm a librarian. Sort of. Well, not really. I mean, I work in a research library, I have the MLIS degree (union … Continue reading
Categories: General Tags: alt-ac, alt-LIS, DH, hybrarian, librarianship, Library, LIS 2 Comments


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Memoirs of a Superfluous Man (1943) is an autobiography of the ideas and mind of Albert Jay Nock, and only incidentally of his life or achievements.
Nock's contribution to conservative philosophy consists mainly in his analysis and rejection of all forms of statism. From the 1890s to the 1940s, Nock witnessed the growth of the state, as power became centralized and government absorbed through taxation more and more of the national wealth. Nock said he was thankful that he never had contact with any institution under state control and had not been indoctrinated with state-inspired views.
Nock looked back fondly to an America whose people had the virtues of independence, self-reliance, dignity, and diligence, virtues which flourished in liberty. For Nock, communism, the New Deal, fascism, and Nazism were merely so many trade-names for collectivist statism. Nock credits Jefferson with the insight that in proportion as the state is given power to do things for citizens, the state will do things to citizens.
In the Memoirs, Nock reports that he had been of a skeptical frame of mind since childhood. He learned Latin and Greek early and became educated in the ancient classics. His motto was always to "see things as they are," the mark of a truly educated man who sees the reality beneath superficial appearances.
Nock refers to himself as being a "superfluous man" in several ways: superfluous in that he had no desire to change others in a society that itched to change people; in that he had been educated rather than merely trained; and in that he maintained an interest in culture and ideas amidst a vulgar society centered on an "economism" that championed material wealth.
Nock was disdainful of leftist movements for social reform and their careless superficial use of abstract terms such as "capitalism." He regarded most of what they said as sheer nonsense. These "reformers," in his view, failed to recognize that the evil lie in capitalists and others obtaining state-granted advantages rather than in the ownership of capital as such. Particularly noxious "reforms" to Nock included the income tax and the popular election of U.S. senators.
The social philosopher and economist that Nock especially admired was Henry George, author of Progress and Poverty (1879) and other works that analyzed the economic as well as moral damage of government intervention, especially the taxation of production and trade. George proposed a "single tax" only on land rent, which, since the land was there by nature and since its value derived from community activity, would not hamper production and investment. To Nock, Henry George was the "real thing" and the Georgist fiscal program the best path to economic freedom.
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Saturday, January 4, 2014
Poe's Deadly Daughters to Say Goodbye on Poe's Birthday
After seven years of stimulating and enjoyable dialogue with each other and you, our readers, Poe's Deadly Daughters have decided to stop writing the blog and devote our attention to our many other projects. We published our first post on Poe's 198th birthday, January 19, 2007, having chosen our name to honor the father of the detective story.
On our first anniversary, we wrote, "What a year it's been!" Of the founding Daughters who have stuck around to post a new piece weekly for the whole seven years, Sandy won an Agatha for Best First Novel, Julia and Liz published their first short stories in anthologies, and the third book in Sharon's series came out. We were named "one of eight top mystery blogs" in Library Journal and praised as "schmooze-worthy" by J. Kingston Pierce of The Rap Sheet and January Magazine. "Most of all," we wrote, "we've had fun!"
We've never stopped having fun, and the pleasure of interacting with our readers has played an enormous part in that. But as 21st-century life gets more and more hectic, reading a favorite blog daily or even weekly has become harder for even the most devoted followers. And writing a 500-800 word post that's entertaining, informative, and polished every week for seven years--well, do the math: 52 x 7 = 364 posts from each of us. And 364 x 700 words (let's be conservative and use an estimated average) = 254,800 words per blogger, or the equivalent of 3½ novels apiece.
We've also interviewed a host of mystery luminaries and welcomed a dazzling array of guest bloggers, far too many to name but ranging from bestsellers to debut authors. For several years, Sharon hosted a Canadian mystery author every month. All those posts, along with ours, will remain available to all in our archives.
Please don't quit now, because we'll still be here till January 19th, Poe's 205th birthday, for another two rounds of blogging, including guest posts from our Deadly Daughters emerita. Here's the full roster of blog sisters, past and present:
Julia Buckley
Sharon Wildwind
Sandra Parshall
Elizabeth Zelvin
Sheila Connolly
Jeri Westerson
Darlene Ryan (aka Sofie Kelly)
Lonnie Cruse
Before we say goodbye, we'll give you full information about our other projects and links to our websites, books, and, in some cases, blogs to which we'll still be contributing. All that information will remain visible when you click on http://poesdeadlydaughters.blogspot.com
It's been fun!
27 comments:
- Edith Maxwell said...
I'm sorry to hear that news, but completely understand the tradeoff. I'll miss all the well-written, intelligent posts, though!
- January 4, 2014 at 7:08 AM
- Kath Marsh said...
I'll miss you. Sigh. But thank you for leaving your websites for us.
And thank you for all the fascinating posts!
- January 4, 2014 at 8:21 AM
- Vicki Lane said...
It's been a grand run! All best to all of you as you move on!
- January 4, 2014 at 9:12 AM
- Steven M. Moore said...
To all the "Deadly Daughters" and all participants in this blog,
I feel like I just discovered you. I'm sad to see you go. In many ways, you helped me when I was attempting to write a mystery (can't say I've mastered it yet). I started out by lurking here and then overcame my shyness and started commenting--you helped with that too.
I will miss you.
- January 4, 2014 at 9:35 AM
- Elizabeth Zelvin said...
All your comments mean a lot to us! Some of us will still be blogging elsewhere--we'll have all that info for you on Poe's birthday, January 19. :)
- January 4, 2014 at 9:55 AM
- carl brookins said...
Perfectly understandable decision, though I'm sure PD will be missed by a great many fans and casual drop-ins. Bon Voyage
- January 4, 2014 at 10:20 AM
We're going to miss you, too. I second what Liz said, your comments have meant so much to us.
- January 4, 2014 at 10:54 AM
- Fear of Beauty said...
You will be missed ...
- January 4, 2014 at 11:39 AM
- Maude said...
I shall miss you and my daily visit to your site.
Here's wishing for continued successes for all of you.
- January 4, 2014 at 12:47 PM
- June Shaw said...
So sorry to see this blog go. It's been wonderful, but I sure understand how difficult it's been for all of you to continue to contribute such great info. All the best in your continued writing!
- January 4, 2014 at 2:22 PM
- Marni said...
Totally understandable, but sad to see you go!
- January 4, 2014 at 3:36 PM
- lil Gluckstern said...
Sad to see you all stop. Thank you for being so interesting. I've discovered some of you for the first time. I'll be looking for you wherever you roost.
- January 4, 2014 at 5:33 PM
- Leslie Budewitz said...
Thanks to all of the Daughters, past and present, for consistently thoughtful, interesting posts. For introducing us to writers and books we didn't know. For sharing useful info on publishing, on inspiration, on creativity, and even on medieval weapons. A good run, indeed!
- January 4, 2014 at 5:57 PM
- Katreader said...
Sad to see the blog end...but I completely understand. I don't have time to read all the posts for all the blogs I like-I can't imagine how you have the time to write all the posts you do...as well as your books, and other requirements.
- January 4, 2014 at 6:32 PM
- mz. em said...
I'm a new comer here and I'm sorry to learn of your retirement to do other things. But then, that is a good thing to have time for other endeavors. Good luck to you all.
- January 4, 2014 at 9:52 PM
- Jeff Baker said...
"All good things..." as they say! I wish you all the best and say thanks for the fun and information!
- January 4, 2014 at 9:58 PM
- Dru said...
I'm sorry to see you go, but I'll miss you guys. Hope to see some of you on Facebook.
- January 5, 2014 at 6:25 AM
- Gigi Pandian said...
I've enjoyed the blog over the years! I can understand why it was so time-consuming, with the great content. Thank you!
- January 5, 2014 at 9:53 AM
- Sandra Parshall said...
We'll be around for another two weeks -- and next weekend we'll have posts from Lonnie Cruise, one of the blog founders, and Darlene Ryan, a former PDD who now writes bestselling cozies as Sofie Kelly.
Thanks for all your kind comments!
- January 5, 2014 at 11:21 AM
- Kaye George said...
You will be missed, PDDs! It's been a great blog. You're going out at the top of your game--not a bad strategy. Two more weeks!
- January 5, 2014 at 1:17 PM
- Suzanne said...
Boy, I sure do understand the reasons you folks are closing the doors. Blogging on a regular basis takes some discipline, but blogging well regularly is a super challenge.
PDD will be missed. Thanks for the wonderful posts, and best wishes for the continued success of each of you.
- January 5, 2014 at 5:02 PM
- Elizabeth Zelvin said...
Thanks to all of you. It's great to know you all were reading and appreciating our posts. For me, each one was certainly a labor of love.
- January 6, 2014 at 9:26 AM
- Lesley Diehl said...
I will miss this stunningly insightful and informative blog, but I think all writers understand how demanding doing a blog and doing it well can be. Many, many will miss you.
- January 6, 2014 at 9:51 AM
- Kate L said...
I understand ... but this blog will be missed! Be sure that I will follow each of you as your careers continue, and look forward to seeing what those endeavors bring. Happy New Year!
- January 8, 2014 at 10:30 AM
- Picks By Pat said...
Sorry to see this blog end. My first interview was on this blog with Julia Buckley. Thanks for all the fine posts!
- January 10, 2014 at 12:56 AM
- Jody said...
This blog will be missed, but I'm happy to think you all will be writing your books.
- January 13, 2014 at 11:51 AM
- Jody said...
This blog will be missed, but I'm happy to think you all will be writing your books.
- January 13, 2014 at 11:52 AM


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Friday, April 8, 2011
Karofsky, Part 2
First, I thought I'd share some statistical information about my blog, which you may (or may not) find as fascinating as me.
To the left is a list of the top ten posts. These are the ones that received the largest number of page views of the nearly 250 posts I've written in the past two years (that remain on my blog). The stats for the top five, starting from the bottom up, are as follows:
5. "Why What Makes One Gay Doesn't Matter," written January 20, 2011, total page views--199.
4. "Strong Gay Men, #2," written September 9, 2010, total page views--229.
3. "Positive Images (Revised)," written January 12, 2011, total page views--305.
2. "Strong, Gay Men," written July 12, 2010, total page views--439.
And--drum roll, please--the Number One post to receive the highest number of page views--a full 454 more than the next most popular post, is "Karofsky," written on November 24, 2010, following the "Never Been Kissed" episode of Glee, in which football jock Dave Karofsky, played by Max Adler, laid one on Kurt Hummel, played by Chris Colfer. This post has received a whopping 893--and counting--page views so far.
I have no clue why this particular post has generated so much interest, far most than any of the others I've written on subjects I consider far more important (such as raising self-esteem in gay men). But, in an effort to figure it out, I googled the word "Karofsky"and found a reference to my blog...at the bottom of the second full screen of options. Which means you'd have to go looking (a little) to find it. (I even thought people might have searched for information on someone else with the same surname and landed on my blog, only to realize it wasn't what they were looking for. Who knows? It remains a mystery.)
But, for the sake of argument, let's assume what I have to say about Dave Karofsky on Glee genuinely interested almost nine hundred people. Why could that be?
Perhaps because he's one of the most fascinating characters on TV right now, and I think one of the most compelling. Here's why:
1). Because you would never in a million years suspect he's gay. I mean, take a look at that face. When you saw him throughout Season 1, throwing Slushies at Rachel, Finn, et. al., did you think for an instant he was gay? You're a liar if you say you did. He's a major closet case, easier able to hide his sexual orientation than most of us. That in itself is fascinating.
2). Because, in the TV universe, where everything--and I mean everything--is out there to see, we know nothing about Dave Karofsky. We know nothing about his past. We know nothing about his torment (and, believe me, someone with that much anger is tormented). And we know nothing about his future, which I'll have more to write about below.
3). Because he's the quintessential high school bully finally getting his just desserts. Our parents told us about their type--insecure, probably the exact same thing they teased us for being--but we didn't believe them, did we? Well, now we have Karofsky, the symbolic bully, the manifestation of what our parents always said. Imagine, the studly, high school football jock, with apparently everything going for him...gay. Does it get any better than that?
But I don't think these are the only reasons why this particular TV character fascinates.
For example, I think viewers are interested in where the writers and producers of the Fox series plan to take him. That is, if you haven't already lost interest. Karofsky hasn't appeared in a single episode--not even to throw another Slushie, slam someone into a locker, or threaten death--since "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle" aired following the Super Bowl on February 6 (in which, incredibly, he both danced and sang, after he said he wouldn't, because they were both gay). Not one sighting. Does this mean the series is done with the Karofsky character?
If the blogosphere is accurate, nope, not at all. In fact, much of the upcoming April 26 episode, expanded to a full ninety minutes (yeah!), will center around Adler's Karofsky, exploring the theme inspired by Lady Gaga's current smash hit "Born This Way." And, from what I can tell, whether this season or next, the Karofsky story, according to series creator Ryan Murphy, will have a happy, although at this point, undetermined, ending.
Which got me thinking. If I were a writer on Glee--and bearing in mind the impact it would have--what would I do with the Karofsky storyline?
First, like Murphy, I'd want it to have a happy ending. Yes, I know, this character deserves to be put through hell, the same as we were back in high school. But I'm not sure I'm up for revenge anymore. Is it even the point? I've matured over the years, and I've realized nobody's story is ever easy. In the process, I've developed compassion for the likes of Karofsky. I mean, you have to feel sorry for the guy. You do.
For that matter, when I think about it, I suspect we all have a little Karofsky in each of us. Maybe that's a part of his appeal: we see a little of him in us, but we see a little of us in him, too. When you acknowledge that, dismissing people, or characters on TV shows--if they are developed well--becomes more difficult. Nobody is ever all black or all white. There's lots of grey in between, which is the common ground we all share.
So let's talk about THE kiss. What did it mean? Did Karofsky simply have no more appropriate way of coming out to Kurt and demonstrating to him what they had in common? Or was Karofsky genuinely attracted to him? Fascinating, that. Imagine, a big, burly, high school jock attracted to the diminutive, flamboyant poof. Doesn't it give new meaning to the expression, opposites attract?
Would it be fair that Karofsky live a double-life: By day, the rough, tough, homosexual-hating football jock; by night, Kurt's passionate snookie bear? Would we want that to happen? Consider the message it would send to all the real-life jocks, scarcely able to keep the quivering doors closed on their closets, so frustrated are they having to hide their true selves. Would that be a fair tradeoff for Karofsky: here, you can have Kurt, but, guess what, you have to stay in hiding? Otherwise, we can't guarantee what will happen to you when your teammates, and the rest of the school, realize what you really are.
Whatever the case, how enticing would it be for the tormentor and the tormented to end up in a loving, long-term, committed relationship together? What sweet, sweet revenge for those of us who faced the music every day of our lives in the public school system, who learned the meaning of hate when we looked into their evil, detestable faces. Could I have ever in a million years turned my hate into love for one of my torturers? Not bloody likely. And the look on Kurt's face, when Karofsky threatened to kill him if he ever revealed his secret, told us he couldn't either.
But this is Glee we're talking about, not the real world. And, if we've learned nothing, the Glee universe has it's own parallel reality, one in which bad things still happen, but so do miracles.
(Disclaimer: For the record, I realize Glee is just a TV show and is not reality. I also realize it has a lot of potential to shape minds, depending on how it deals with some of the sensitive issues raised. For this reason, I thought spending a little time on the character of Karofsky, and how his storyline rolls out, was worthwhile. I hope you enjoyed the post.)
2 comments:
Interesting stats on your blog Rick... shows what a popular blogger you are! I'm sure the Karofsky post was well timed to catch all the interest generated by that episode. It was such a shocker for the audience, I can imagine everyone wanting to read about it and discuss it. I'm also looking forward to the April 26 episode (to overcome my withdrawal symptoms!). My first reaction to the character of Karofsky was that a gay man wouldn't act with such hostility. Even real life gay NFL players like Esera Tuaolo (a Samoan born in Hawaii), seem to be gentle giants off the field. But of course, the character is conceivable especially in a hyper homophobic environment. It would be great if Kurt and Karofsky could become friends, or Kurt could help him in some way, but I'm not sure if Kurt could start a relationship with such an unstable guy (and why would he give up Blaine!). Another character I am interested in now is Santana... I never liked her much until the last episode when she professed her love for Brittany and started wearing more "down to earth" styles. I also like Mike Chang, but I guess he's stuck as a supporting character... the Asian characters are hopelessly sidelined on American TV : )ReplyDelete
I'm so glad to learn you're a fellow Gleek, Doug.ReplyDelete
What I don't understand is how, months later, my original Karofsky post continues to be one of the most popular on my blog. Doesn't make sense to me, but I'm grateful for the attention.
Yes, I agree about not being happy we haven't had an original episode of "Glee" in some time. I'm going through withdrawal, too. Can't wait to see everything in the last part of season two.
About Karofsky being unstable, I think if he were finally able to be who he is, much of his anguish would disappear, and he'd settle more into himself. But, of course, the question is whether that could ever happen, since he's painted himself into a corner as a big jock around the school. Would he ever live it down if his teammates discovered he was gay? I doubt it, not in the world of the high school.
So what could realistically happen between Kurt and Karofsky? No, I don't see them as a couple either, and I think Kurt and Blaine are far better suited to each other. But the idea of getting the small, effeminate, gay boy and the big, tough, gay football player together, in whatever capacity, fascinates me, and I believe many other viewers as well. For that reason, I can't wait to see what takes place on the April 26 episode.
And Santana hasn't appealed to me much, but her bisexuality has made her very interesting. I'm anxious to see how her character develops over time, too.
What a great bunch of characters the writers and producers have to work with. You couldn't ask for better. I envy them.
As always, thanks so much for checking back and for taking the time to leave a comment.


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The Tour of California prologue was just 3.4km (2.1mi) long, but its relatively flat course meant that teams and riders paid special attention to aerodynamics.
Wind tunnel testing has long been an integral part of the early season preparations, but as teams and riders have become better at cheating the wind, little details are beginning to make more of a difference.
Cables, cables, go away
As it turns out, poor cable housing placement apparently has a more detrimental effect than was once thought and teams are being more mindful of cable routing than in years past. Housing has a relatively small frontal area but its round cross-section creates turbulent airflow at the front end of the bike that can affect the performance of the more aerodynamically shaped surfaces behind it.
The Slipstream/Chipotle riders left the start house aboard Felt's latest DA frames which were designed using computational fluid dynamics software and wind tunnel testing. As a result, Felt engineers routed the derailleur and rear brake housings into the frame right behind the stem where the air was already 'dirty' from the rider's hands and arms, thus leaving clean air around critical frame regions.
According to Slipstream team physiologist Allen Lim, sheltered housing consistently saves about 1-2 watts in the wind tunnel without the rider aboard. Lim said that adding the rider does wash that result out a bit, but, "it still matters."
The concept isn't new (Zipp incorporated the feature in its radical 2001 frame from the early 90's) but other makers have followed suit, such as Trek with its Equinox TTX used by Astana, and previously Discovery. On frames not designed with internal cable housing, team mechanics made use of zip ties, electrical tape and whatever else would work to tuck the lines around the stem.
That small detail probably didn't make that much of a difference during the short prologue, where the fastest times were under four minutes, but could very well have an impact on Friday's longer time trial stage in Solvang.
Zipp and PowerTap get together
Power meters have always been a critical part of Slipstream's training and racing equipment but in the past, riders have either had to ride deep-section rims built around PowerTap hubs during time trial events or simply go without if they opted for discs. But we spotted a couple of Slipstream riders at the prologue with new Zipp discs, both of which were co-developed with PowerTap to incorporate the power measuring technology inside a new hub.
One of the wheels is based on the flat-sided Zipp 900 for riders that prefer a stiffer wheel while the other incorporates the company's latest Sub9 shape. Zipp claims its Sub9 is not only the first wheel to yield negative drag (otherwise known as lift) under certain wind tunnel conditions but also delivers a more comfortable ride as well.
The Zipp-designed hubs include PowerTap's latest 2.4GHz wireless hardware but use Zipp axles, bearings, and freehub internals. According to Zipp marketing manager Andy Paskins, the PowerTap-equipped wheels add only 120g to the standard versions and hubs will be available with ceramic bearings as an upgrade.
Rock Racing goes against the clock with an amalgamation of equipment
Rock Racing has been awash with controversy lately and not even its relationships with bicycle and equipment sponsors past and present has been spared. DeRosa emerged as the team's bicycle supplier earlier this season and we expected to see the team's abbreviated roster aboard the Italian company's TT model, the carbon fibre Kron.
Instead, we spotted no fewer than three different makes of bikes in the pits prior to the start of the prologue. Half-hearted camouflage efforts did little to hide the distinctive shapes of Scott's Plasma TT and Look's 496 frames and there were no Kron framesets to be seen at all (although they may have pulled them out when we weren't watching). At least one rider took off on an aluminium DeRosa Protos road model fitted with clip-on aero bars.
Team boss Michael Ball has managed to strike a wheel sponsorship deal with Cole Products, though, and most team bikes we spotted were equipped as such, along with big green "ROCK RACING" decals, naturally. Still, the team pit area was littered with a wide range of other models from manufacturers such as Mavic, Zipp, Lightweight, and Lew Racing.