text:
Library Instruction Policy
Purpose and Availability
The ability to find, evaluate and use information is just as important as any of the other skills that students are expected to acquire during their college experience, and "information literacy" is essential, not only for academic achievement, but also for a successful career, good citizenship, and lifelong learning. For those reasons, the Thomas More College Library offers instruction in the use of library resources to students and faculty in both group and individualized settings. A basic introduction to the facilities, resources and services of the Library is given to all incoming first year students during their First-Year Seminar classes. However, more specific, in-depth training is available at any level and for any course, upon request.
The Library Director and the Reference/Government Documents Librarian share the responsibility for providing library instruction. See the Contact Us page on the Library's web site for contact information.
Instruction is usually given in the Library's computer lab, but sessions can be held just about anywhere on campus—wherever it is most convenient for the instructor or the individual student. In addition, Library staff members are willing to go off campus to orient students at the Blue Ash TAP site, whenever a new cohort is formed.
Format and Content
While the typical length of a library instruction session is fifty minutes (the duration of a Monday-Wednesday-Friday class period), Library staff can tailor the session and the amount of material covered to the time allotted. Library staff members always prepare course-specific handouts to accompany and reinforce their oral presentations. Normally, a session begins with a tour of the Library's web site, including relevant Research Guides, and then proceeds to a discussion of the online catalog, followed by an overview of the principal databases to which the Library subscribes. If possible, students receive hands-on experience in the use of the Library's electronic resources, following the lead of the librarian instructor. They are taught the difference between basic (keyword) and advanced searching, the use of Boolean operators and the role of wildcard symbols and other techniques in locating information pertinent to a given topic. Depending on the nature of the course and the materials at hand, Library staff may also incorporate other print and electronic resources into their presentations. Library staff stress the importance of going beyond popular search engines, such as Google and Yahoo, and they provide students with some basic rules for evaluating web sites.
Scheduling Guidelines
Please adhere to the following guidelines, when scheduling a class for library instruction:
- Submit your request for instruction as far in advance as possible, to avoid scheduling conflicts and to give Library staff adequate time to prepare. Supply the staff with alternate dates.
- Schedule the instruction to coincide with a specific research assignment, so that your students are motivated to pay closer attention during the session and so that they can apply what they learn immediately afterwards.
- Plan to attend the library instruction session yourself, not only to help keep your students on task, but also to enhance the effectiveness of the presentation by your active involvement.
- Avoid unnecessary duplication. If your students have already received library instruction in one class, especially during the same semester, they may not need a repeat session, unless it is important for them to become acquainted with more specialized resources or sophisticated search techniques.
To request library instruction, please complete the form that is available at the circulation desk or use the Library Instruction/Orientation Request Form.


text:
Katie Smith needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 103 designs submitted by 27 freelance designers.
Hi, I am looking for a logo for my website. I am a sleep consultant, helping babies sleep on their own and through the night and I need a beautiful logo that captures a feeling of peacefulness.
My logo needs to have a picture of a baby sleeping, preferably on it's back or side and the colors should include light pink and light blue with either black or dark blue text. The name of my website should be in the logo, The Independent Child. Maybe the baby could be sleeping on top of the name or be part of the name, or have an arm or leg draping down somehow. The image should feel serene and peaceful, not too silly or cartoonish. The website name should also look elegant.
- Item 1..a baby sleeping on back or side
- Light Pink and Light blue
- My website name in an elegant font
- A feeling of calmness and tranquility.
- Item 1...No colors besides pink and blue
- no animals
- no babies asleep on their stomachs
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
By Karen Posada
News Headlines
12.26.2011 | By Karen Posada | No Comments">No Comments
Bring your tissues to this film! I'm speaking to the animal lovers in particular. This is such a beautiful story about perseverance, love, understanding and adventure. Steven Spielberg has managed once more to make a family film that will capture many. It is so difficult to make a living, breathing animal be the main character of a major motion picture, but it was pulled off majestically.
We are taken on a journey placed during WWI in England mainly but also France. A young boy, Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine) has the great challenge of raising a young horse that he names Joey. The two build an unbreakable bond thanks to the obstacles they go through such as plowing a hopeless piece of land. Since Albert's family is poor they end up giving up the horse when the war hits their small village, Albert swears to Joey that they will meet again. Rose (Emily Watson), Albert's mom tries to help her son be strong and understand his father's (Peter Mullan) decision. In his journey through war Joey gets various soldier owners both English and German, who instantly realize this horse is like no other. One of them, Captain Nicholls (Tom Hiddleston) swears to Albert he will return his horse after the war and cares for Joey like Albert would. We follow our main character, Joey, through an unbelievable story during the WWI, which was the last war where horses were used.
The horses used to play the character of Joey are gorgeous beasts that fulfilled Spielberg's task of having an animal as a main character and will make the public to want to go out and immediately get a horse after the movie. This is Irvine's first movie on the big screen and he plays his character very humbly with an easy to like attitude, which many pet owners can identify with. War is the backdrop of the story and I really enjoyed the way it was perceived; most movies depict war as something so strategic; here we see how much the element of surprise has to do with it and how little the soldiers involved in it know about it, how clueless they are because of their youth and their fear and all they do is follow orders. One of the most beautiful scenes of the movie is played out in no-man's-land, where Toby Kebbell's character is united with the so-called enemy thanks to this amazing horse; this scene alone makes the whole film worth it.
Most of the shots in this film are beautiful, not only because of the countryside shots but even the ones in the war are so well done that they easily captivate the public. Even when corniness seems to overwhelm the screen one is easily distracted by the sunset and the imagery. The film was adapted from a book and there's also a play in Broadway on it, all the actors recommended the full experience in our interviews and none seemed to have felt overshadowed by the outstanding performance of the horses as it should be since they each contributed to what makes this movie as a whole what it is: a great family film. This movie will make you tear up but it will also make you smile and leave you with a content feeling, it's no surprise its release date is Christmas day.
Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of war violence
Release Date: 2011-12-25
Screenplay: Lee Hall, Richard Curtis
Official Website: http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/films/war-horse


text:
Hello! Welcome to my second challenge, ". iPhone Meets Otaku ."
The Very First iPhone Wallpaper Challenge! (Yay.)
I know I'm not the only one who's psyched about the launch of the iPhone Wallpaper Site. So in celebration of the launch, and for our very own Bossman's hard work, let's have fun with this challenge!
I'll make things simple for you guys. Just create an iPhone wallie that has to do with what makes you an otaku! ♥
(We're all otakus here, so no need to be shy! lol.)
Examples: [ :D ]
Rules & Requirements:
- Please link all resources (which includes the original scan).
- Explain how your card expresses you as an otaku.
- Image may include anime, manga, K-pop/J-pop group, etc.
- TheOtaku Rules apply.
- Unlimited entries (WHOOHOO)!!
Ganbatte Otaku-tachi!
Questions? I don't bite. (Unless you're a slice of pizza.)


text:
Skip to comments.Background Questions. Harvard, Yale deny connection to controversial Democratic donor under scrutiny
Posted on 02/05/2013 10:12:33 PM PST by BAW
A controversial donor with ties to prominent Democrats who is under investigation by the FBI may not have the qualifications he claims.
The resume of Dr. Salomon Melgen, a Florida-based ophthalmologist and controversial Democratic donor, boasts medical education and experience at Harvard University, Yale University, and the University of Missouri.
But none of those schools says it can find any record of Melgen, who claims to be a Harvard alumnus, the former chief resident of the University of Missouris ophthalmology department, and a former Yale intern.
Questions concerning Melgens background are also coming to light. According to his biography, posted on the website of the Melgen Eye Center, he was the University of Missouris chief ophthalmology resident. The university, though, says it has no record of any resident by that name.
(Excerpt) Read more at freebeacon.com ...
Oh, this could be amazing, even by Democrat standards!!!
These discrepancies in Melgens history will likely fuel an already complex series of questions about Melgen, his past, and his relationship with prominent Democratic politicians.
What is there to question?
It is standard Democrat operating procedure.
Draw up some fraudulent credentials. Defraud Medicare. Donate huge sums of money to Democrat politicians.
Happens every day. What does it matter now!
My wild guess is that he went to school - but didn't graduate - in the DR and/or Cuba.
A dem lying? OMG - can it be?
What difference does it make...
No controlling legal authority...
Those Dems come up with some good ones.
What Difference Does it Make?
Hey, come on - cut the guy some slack; his credentials are at least as good as those of the President of the United States.
I think the fascinating part is that he worked himself through various channels with cash donations. No one questioned him showing up to a party or offering substantial cash on a campaign.
The truth? I'm going to take a guess that we eventually find he has some connection to a drug cartel. I suspect the FBI is looking at the cash he gave away, and how it got into his hands. This all has a funny smell to it.
Well I have only read this one article concerning the man but the FBI is looking in to Medicare fraud so there more than enough money in that to fund generous contributions.
Now if you suggested Islamic terrorist ties you might get me to bite. Salomon Melgen might be an Arab name.
What difference does it make!
pepsionice: "This all has a funny smell to it."
You could say that about every Democrat and a good share of Republicans. Just sayin'...
Nothing in the Florida media about this Democrat donor.
Everytime i see that pic I think understand why Bill cheated just a little more...
"Nothing in the Florida media about this Democrat donor."
Not true, the Miami Herald has been on top of this story:
"Oh, this could be amazing, even by Democrat standards!!!"
'Sounds like he deserves to be the chief tsar on husseins' death panel. He fits right in with husseins criminal and treasonous enterprise.
..."Who is this guy?
Oh, this could be amazing, even by Democrat standards"!!!...
WOW! Do you suppose he is an imposter? They need to find out just who he really is.
"Melgen is at the center of a Senate panel probing potential ethics violations by Sen. Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), who may have used his official position to benefit Melgen, a major campaign contributor..."
Yeah! but who will investigate, holder is a political hack and the media doesn't do news anymore.
Somewhere someone is saying, "Why did I ever post that Pic?"
It fits so many threads on FR that it is funny. We no longer have a community of Constitutional Republic posters.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


text:
If the Mets didn't have to worry about the cost factor, then all right, go for Matt Holliday and John Lackey, get Jason Marquis, too. It doesn't work that way. The Mets, which contrary to popular opinion, aren't a cheap organization.
You don't build stadiums and have the one of the highest payrolls in the game if you're cheap. But, the Mets are proceeding with caution on the dollar front. None of the big three – Holliday, Bay and Lackey – will be at Citi this summer in the home whites.
Not happening.


text:
Description:HP StorageWorks Ultirum 230 Array Module (Carbon) Offline Hot-Swap drive for Tape Array 5300Manufacturer Part# C7470B
Overview:The HP StorageWorks Ultrium 230 Tape Drive is the high-performance first-generation super drive in the HP Ultrium Family. The Ultrium 230 offers excellent capacity superior performance and exceptional reliability. An ideal solution for network server backup where speed capacity and reliability are critical the Ultrium 230 stores 200 GB of compressed data on a single tape at speeds of up to108GB per hour. The combination of higher speed and data rate matching that adjusts to the speed of the host makes the HP Ultrium 230 an ideal backup solution for over-the-network backup where minimal downtime is imperative and throughput bottlenecks can raise havoc with other types of tape drives.


text:
Drafting A RevolutionAn Inside Look at the Pioneering Days of American Craft Beer July 1, 2013 - Tom Acitelli
One day in August, 1965, a 27-year-old former graduate student in Japanese studies at Stanford walked into his favorite bar, the Old Spaghetti Factory in San Francisco's trendy North Beach neighborhood. He ordered his usual: an Anchor Steam. The bar's owner, a World War II veteran and local eccentric named Fred Kuh, ambled over. "You... View Article


text:
Saturday, January 21, 2012
The future of PPO?
33 comments:
- GaragePunk66 said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- January 21, 2012 at 8:22 AM
Although the shuttering of Megaupload certainly had a huge impact it seems to me similar to what was going on with Napster when they ran into problems. We'll have to see where it goes but they had US servers which gave the US government the ability to get to them. Other sites would not present such a simple nexis. As for Sopa/Pipa. It's already losing support and at least for the moment seems dead in the water. Either way, thanks for the great blog.
- January 21, 2012 at 8:25 AM
One suggestion to keep the blog going, but to duck concerns, would be to go private. One of the sites I regularly use went to a private format, and not only are you no longer found in the search engine results, but there are few direct takedown requests and complaints.
The drawback, of course, is that you exclude people who might find a great blog by searching for "Tommy Keene" or "Jellyfish".
I agree with Anonymous, as well. MegaUpload was a big venue, but they had a target on them (celebrity endorsements? Advertising? Video ads?) and US-based servers. With SOPA and PIPA dying on the vine, I think we'll see some of this hubbub end.
- January 21, 2012 at 9:26 AM
If I were a blogger offering serious downloads, my only concern would be that they'll go back to their original strategy of a few years ago and take legal action against individuals again. In other words, making examples of a few people.
Echoing Eric's idea, I'd suggest that you at least start to collect email addresses from your many fans - that way you'll have a large number of visitors to a private blog if you decide to go that route.
Quality over quantity - better to have 40 or 50 people who want to interact with the site (via comments on their reactions to the music) than 500 leeches who grab the music and continually take off!
- January 21, 2012 at 10:23 AM
- Kishin said...
I'm sure there will always be alternatives. MultiUpload works well enough. My favorite, as a downloader, is MediaFire. If you ever do decide to go private, I hope to be invited! Thanks for all you do.
- January 21, 2012 at 11:14 AM
SOPA/PIPA will go away. There simply is too much resistance by relatively powerful entities to allow it to happen. Hollywood has money, power and influence but not enough to change the most important aspect of the internet. Free flowing information. That is why nothing has been done yet.
Megaupload goes down, another will pop up. No real worries there. It's unfortunate for the people at Megaupload and those that paid for their services but I think the powers that be needed a whipping boy and Megaupload got tapped on the shoulder.
- January 21, 2012 at 2:12 PM
IT's always easy to point fingers, but I find it ironic that Sen Christopher Dodd, who helped to fuck up the Financial Industry with the Dodd-Frank Bill, got chased out of Congress after being investigated for ethics violations and immediately went to work for the Motion Picture Association. He then went back to his buddies in Congress and got these bills moving through.
Now we see pictures in the paper showing all of the cars, houses, etc, that the head of Megaupoad owns. How is his wealth different from that of music or motion picture moguls?
Shutting down these sites makes no sense to me - might as well shut down google for its search engine, or google blogs for allowing blogs to proliferate.
Your site is my favorite on the web, and I truly hope you stay up and running. If you ever do go private, I hope to be invited too! Thanks very much.
- January 21, 2012 at 2:57 PM
- ana bags said...
private posts.
- January 21, 2012 at 3:13 PM
- The Salvager said...
love your site, hope it keeps going! I think things will probably calm down soon, but you never know. I agree, if you go private, I hope to get an invite! You've turned me on to tons of great music!!
- January 21, 2012 at 3:29 PM
- Anything Should Happen said...
I come into this as a fellow Blogger and friend of Curty and I'm also examining options at the moment.
Whilst I do this, it's a wait and see game.
I can give you the argument against going to a Private Blog as it would seem a sensible solution unless you know some of the drawbacks.
Firstly, going Private and using Blogger is limited by Blogger itself.
You can usually have no more than 100 members, I found a way round that, but it's still maxed at 250.
Mine is a community, so 250 is fine as there's a lot of interaction goes on.
For something like PPO, Curty would be limited to just reaching out a small number and the blog is about getting the music to as wide an audience as possible.
So little promotion for the artists that you all love and the expense of the Cloud Service you use is still there.
To go for a much larger audience, requires a much bigger outlay.
Curty could ask for contributions but that opens a minefield for prosecution as you can be accused of profiteering from copyright.
There's no easy answers. The blogging community was decimated by Blogger 12 - 18 months ago, but the megaupload thing makes matters 10 times worse, because storage becomes the problem.
The Megaupload case has a while to run, but if it does come back and I feel it will, confidence is shattered in it and in it's competitors.
All we can do at the moment is wait and see.
- January 21, 2012 at 6:00 PM
- Anything Should Happen said...
BTW the Megaupload prosecution isn't about US servers primarily.
If that were the case, the servers would not have been grabbed elsewhere.
It's about profiteering from USA copyrights and artists and the fact that it is a .com address which is regulated by The US.
- January 21, 2012 at 6:03 PM
- spavid said...
As mentioned above, Blogger (i.e. Google) did shut down many music blogs a year or so ago, yet Google went full bore after Congress in regards to the pending SOPA and PIPA legislation. If anything else, this proves once again that politics makes for insanely odd bedfellows.
As for my own blog (Wilfully Obscure) I've been using Rapidshare consistently for almost five years. While I do have to pay for long-term/premium hosting services, my readers don't have to put up with as much annoying spyware or pop-ups that other file hosting services are synonomous with, including Megaupload. So far as I know Rapidshare has no presence in North America. Nevertheless, in spite of recent events I feel more than vulnerable, though I'm not running scared just yet, and neither should anyone else
- January 21, 2012 at 8:11 PM
Garage Punk '66 blog just posted something new only 2 hours ago and the blog has now been REMOVED!! Anybody know what happened?
- January 21, 2012 at 8:30 PM
- YankeeBoy said...
I also just noticed that Garage66 has been removed. What I don't understand is that they, along with PPO, almost exclusively post out-of-print or extremeky hard to get albums that I can't imagine it being worth anyone's time to take action against someone for posting.
Curty, I hope you decide to keep going. I don't comment often enough but I have discovered so many great albums and artists through your blog.
- January 21, 2012 at 9:05 PM
- Rick.N.Baker said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- January 22, 2012 at 12:43 AM
I think MU will prevail and be back in some form. As long as you don't feel there's any direct threat to you personally, I hope you'll continue to have a public presence on the web. A good compromise might be going semi-private, with a fully viewable site that allows access to links only by invitation/membership. Thanks so much for keeping it going.
- January 22, 2012 at 5:08 AM
- Bob said...
I'm a relative newcomer to these sorts of blogs. I finally gave up on the CD market 8 months ago when the last viable new CD store in my town closed. Music sharing blogs have been a source of great pleasure insofar as finding music I own on vinyl and newly-discovered music is concerned. I hope that you and the other bloggers whose work I enjoy stick with it.
- January 22, 2012 at 6:26 PM
If I had a blog, I'd definitely be concerned at this point about the government coming after me, whether today or at some time in the future. Good luck whatever happens.
- January 23, 2012 at 1:14 AM
- Spower said...
Recent events have certainly got me thinking about the future of blogs. In general the blogs I frequent are specialist blogs, that is, blogs that specialise in a particular genre of music, power pop, 60's psychedelia, garage rock, northern soul, etc. Basically blogs created by fans for other fans to enjoy. In my naivety I would like to think that the powers that be can distinguish these blogs from the ones that are just blatantly ripping off new releases. Blogs such as PPO are simply sharing music that is usually out of print, with other fans. I don't know about others but if I see a CD of something I have downloaded and enjoyed I buy it without any hesitation, whereas if I hadn't heard it would probably be still sitting of the shelf.
Regardless of what happens to this blog thanks for all the marvellous gems you have lead me to over the years, it has made the world a much more bearable place.
- January 23, 2012 at 5:38 AM
- Dr Hank said...
I would just like to echo Spower's comment above. In addition to discovering new music, which I've often bought if possible, I've found digital versions of older gems that I already own on vinyl, making it possible for me to hear them again. I figure that I've already payed for them once...
Anyway, I hope you keep the blog going, but if you don't, considering the MU happenings, it's understandable. Thanks for everything up until now.
- January 23, 2012 at 7:59 AM
- Musicômano said...
Follow in front. Do not be discouraged. What is happening is passing. Your blog is very good and does not deserve to be closed because of an ephemeral turbulence. Sorrry for the bad english. Cheers!
- January 23, 2012 at 8:36 AM
- ronh said...
In the eyes of those pushing censorship, out of print offerings and ROIOs are still a target even if they won't say so, because they represent an alternative to the product they want to sell you.
- January 23, 2012 at 9:17 AM
- vincentsear said...
hang in and ride it till it's gone.
if you go private please let me in.
- January 23, 2012 at 11:34 AM
- gabbazoo said...
This music and entertainment industry effort to stop sharing is total BS. They are not losing as much money as they claim. A lot of downloads are things that people are just not going to pay for. If it's not free, they aren't going to get it. For example, if I can't watch Dexter online for free somewhere, I'm not going to pay for showtime. Now they have every right to go after people making bootleg copies of physical media (i.e china), and maybe even people that are making money off of illegal downloads, like the owners of mega-upload etc. But they are stupid to attack what is essentially a giant free marketing machine. What they need to do is come up with new ways to monetize their product (for example, making some kind of licensing arrangement with mega-upload).
Anyway, in terms of blogs like PPO, it is asinine if the RIAA does not love them. You are definitely helping sell product for the artists on the blog. Of course, you need to at least keep abreast of things and do what you need to protect yourself, because the RIAA is an idiotic and non-forwarding thinking organization, and many of our government officials are easily swayed by lobbying money...
- January 23, 2012 at 11:53 AM
- gabbazoo said...
Now, with galaxie 500, for example, it is still available from the band now, so you might want to note that:
that way when people love what they hear, they can go over there and buy the vinyl or the CDs with bonus discs, etc
- January 23, 2012 at 12:25 PM
spot on gabbazoo
- January 23, 2012 at 12:36 PM
- kent said...
We're with you, no matter what happens!
If you do go private, please send me an invite.
- January 24, 2012 at 6:25 PM
- Dw. Dunphy said...
It will have to be Spotify, to be completely safe.
- January 26, 2012 at 6:47 PM
- The Walking Dead Man (TWDM) said...
Curty Ray,
First off thanks for PPO - one of the greatest blogs on the web. You taste in musics is legendary.
Second - is the mailing list for when and if you go private?
- January 28, 2012 at 11:54 AM
- platty21 said...
This can of worms that Dodd has opened up will kill all freedom of speech, sharing information and the joys of discovery and I dont think it will happen as it will destroy the whole concept of the world wide web and MU is going to walk away and restart maybe not flashin' it as before but more discreet .....we'll see.
They might as well start on evryone from Sony recording products to ricoh or xerox for making machines that copy. Its all ridiculous.
If private is the way to go Curt and if there's any risk of this shit escalating go for it man
be secure in 2012
- January 28, 2012 at 6:05 PM
Whats Going down i'm new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found It positively useful and it has helped me out loads. I hope to give a contribution & assist other users like its helped me. Great job.
Childcraft Wooden Preschool Puzzles - 8.5 x 11 - Set of 12
- February 10, 2012 at 4:11 AM
I've been surfing online more than three hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It is pretty price enough for me. In my opinion, if all web owners and bloggers made just right content material as you probably did, the web will be a lot more useful than ever before.
Sorel Women's Helen Of Tundra Boot
- February 12, 2012 at 11:27 AM
My 2 cents worth: Making the blog "private" might work but then you defeat the purpose, if your intention is to promote music you like to a wider audience.
That, BTW, is the whole reason the recording industry is up in arms: Their "recorded to corporate specifications" so-called music can't compete with small label and "too old" music. Sales are not down because we are downloading their latest uber-hyped crap, sales are down because we now have alternatives to what they are shovelling at us.
That said, from the old "blog wars" days, here are typical defensive options:
* Sharebee and other multi-uploaders.
* Upload and link to small text files that contain the real download link.
* RAR encrypt all uploaded files, so their content is harder to verify.
None of these solutions is 100% effective but a "speed bump" is often enough to deter hostile action.
Note also that the "blog wars" are long over and done with, and the Megaupload case was a rare instance where file locker owners documented offers of cash rewards for uploaders of "infringing content", making them criminally liable. File locker companies who know their business are careful to maintain their "common carrier" status and are not criminally liable.
- February 26, 2012 at 3:35 PM


text:
Giving away one Google Wave invite (or two)
Update: This giveaway has now ended, and the results are in!
Update 2: Since the giveaway has ended, I'm closing this entry's comments (which are starting to become a spam nest). If you want a Google Wave invite, let me know, I might still have some.
So, Google Wave is quickly reaching a stage of being actually useful for daily communication. I've used it for planning trips and dinner parties, coordinating server maintenance, doing collaborative translation and just generally chatting, with varying levels of success.
I got my invite to the sandbox (a developer preview, not integrated with the rest of Google's services) after attending Google Developer Day São Paulo. I played around for a while, but it was too unstable. A few weeks later it had improved considerably, so I started using it again. But too few people I knew were there, and its use as a communications tool was therefore obviously impaired.
A few weeks ago, then, Google promoted Wave to http://wave.google.com, and there was much rejoicing. As a sandbox user, I got an invite to it, and with it 8 more to give away. I distributed them to a few close friends, but ended up with one left!
And that's the one you might get :)
"But how?"
[updated about 1h after originally posting, to correct the rules]
It's really simple. After a long period of inactivity, I've resumed writing on isnomore.net. There are currently two posts (not counting this one): one about programming Python on the Android, and a recipe for Spaghetti alla Carbonara. So, access isnomore.net's RSS feed on Google Reader and pick the one you like best. Then "like" it (by clicking the proper button at the bottom of the appropriate post, on the Reader screen), and share this post (the one you're reading right now).
To make it clear: you should "like" one of the other two posts currently published ("Pushing up Python on Android" or "Spaghetti alla Carbonara"), and share this one ("Giving away one Google Wave invite (or two)"). You may also share and like others at will, but that's the minimum to qualify for the giveaway.
Important: if you "share" and "like" from someone's shared items, or some other address you might have (if you used to subscribe to this site's old feed, for instance), it won't show up on my count and I can't know you've done it! So the safest bet is to go straight to the feed on Google Reader and choose from there (like so). In any event, if you feel that there is any confusion, let me know.
Within three days (that is, on Saturday the 24th of October) I'll collect a list of the people who've liked any of the articles and pick one at random. If that person has also shared the article, they get the invite (otherwise, I'll just pick another one from the list, and so on). I'll post the results here on Saturday, and I'll also contact whoever was selected via their Google account (if you want me to use a different email, let me know in the comments or "Share with note" and leave a comment to that effect there).
"What if I share and like both articles?"
Well, you'll make me very happy, please do! But it won't improve your chances, I'm afraid.
"I already have a Wave account (or don't want one), but I'd like an invite for a friend"
Sure, no problem. If you are selected, just let me know the email to which I should send the invite.
"But I don't have a Google Reader account!"
Well, a Google Reader account is just a regular Google account. If you've never used Reader, just give it a try, it's really simple. If you don't have a Google account at all, you'll need one for Google Wave anyway, so you might as well create it now!
"If I'm picked, how long until I have a Google Wave account?"
That's not up to me. Google Wave invites actually mean Google will know that someone invited you when the time comes for them to offer a new round of accounts. But they don't say when that will happen, or even whether everyone on the current invite list will get an account on the next round. In practice, accounts have been handed out at a relatively high pace, but I can't be sure.
All I can promise is that I'll put your email address on my invitation list as soon as you confirm it.
"Wait, the title said or two!"
That's right. I might have an additional invite. It's a bit of a long story, but I can't be sure. So, if it turns out that I do, I'll pick two people. Otherwise, that's just one lucky winner :)
"But... But... I am your friend and didn't get an invite from you! I even asked on Twitter!"
Calm down, don't be offended. First of all, most of my invites went to the people with whom I exchanged the most emails and instant messages. Makes sense, right? Besides, some of the people to whom I had promised invites ended up not needing them (having received one by other means), so I didn't know from the start I still had invites left.
Finally, I specifically avoided giving them out to people asking around on Twitter (as opposed to asking me personally). Asking in broadcast mode meant that, by the time I invited you, someone else might have also done so. From my experience with the other people I've invited, multiple invites don't seem to make your account arrive any sooner. As Google Wave invites are currently somewhat scarce, that would be a waste of one, which would be a shame. And I want the highest number of people on Wave, the sooner the better.
"I have more questions! You can't predict and fake-quote them all!"
True. Leave me a comment!
And good luck! See you on the Wave :)


text:
Renewal of Hope!
Diane Dupuis 2/21/2005 5:33:25 PMCongrats on your win! #217716
Wanda Judd 2/23/2005 7:59:37 AMFantastic...Congratulations on your win...I love the subject and the clarity of this. #1128365
Lens: 35-70mm
Aperture: F11
Shutter : 1/125
Uploaded on 1/23/2005 4:10:18 AM
Camera: Nikon F70 SLR
Copyright for this gallery photo belongs solely to Wajid Drabu. Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.
Contact photographer via gallery.
Log in to follow or message this photographer or report this photo.


text:
chastwell on Family Tree Circles
view: full | list
Journals and Posts
Hastwell Genealogy
It must be about four years ago when I dicovered that Margaret Hastwell was married to James Faraday, at Clapham, North Yorkshire. James was a blacksmith. The family moved to London and they raised a very famous son: Michael Faraday.
I know that Margaret, born 1760 was the daughter of Michael Hastwell, a farmer from Kirby Stephen. Her mother Betty?
There was a conclave of Hastwell's in the Kirby Stephen area, who in the main were farmers or labourers. There is also evidence that they were occasionally employed in the lead mines, probably part time.
I would be very interested in tracing Michael's ancestry and his siblings. There does not appear to be any records in the parish, but this may be by reason that the family were members of the Sandemanian sect.
The Hastwell clan have moved far and wide. The name crops up in Canada, America, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Yet, it is not a common name in the UK. Do you think it may be that there is someone searching the same line, who may be able to help, or indeed, I may be able to help?
It is worth remembering that there are two townships named Haswell. One in Durham and one in Shropshire.
I have not found any trace of a Hastwell family in Haswell Durham, but in Shropshire, there are several refernces and there is a commercial building named Hastwell House.
Looking for family of Margaret Hastwell who was married to James Faraday of Clapham, Yorks.
James Faraday was a blacksmith born 8 May 1761. James married Margaret Hastwell 1n 1786, at Clapham, Yorkshire. Soon after their marriage the family moved to Newington, London, where James was employed as a blacksmith. The family were members of the Sandemanian congregation, consequently there are no church records to research. Unless you know differently.
Margaret Hastwell was a farmer's daughter and her family were domiciled in the Clapham area of Yorkshire.
If there is anyone who has any details of the above family, it would be much appreciated if I could discuss the details with them.
- Displaying 1-2 of 2 Journals
- 1
- of1


text:
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — U.S. stocks fell 1% on Wednesday, extending losses after the Fed announced it will reduce monthly bond purchases by another $10 billion and failed to mention the recent emerging markets turmoil that has knocked U.S. stocks off their highs.
The outcome was in line with forecasts, though it may have derailed some trades betting the Fed would make a nod to the recent market setback. The Fed also signaled that it is likely to keep reducing its purchases in the coming months, citing a pickup in economic activity and improvement in the labor market.
Stocks were down sharply ahead of the meeting, the last with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke at the helm, after rate hikes in Turkey and South Africa failed to stem drops in their currencies. Read the recap of stock market live blog.
The S&P 500 SPX, -1.90% closed 18.30 points, or 1%, lower at 1,774.20, falling below the key resistance level of 1,775 to its lowest close since mid-November. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -1.77% fell 189.77 points, or 1.2% to 15,738.79, recording its fifth triple-digit loss this month. The Nasdaq Composite COMP, -2.50% lost 46.53 points, or 1.1%, to close at 4,051.43.
"The Fed did exactly what most people expected and the initial gyrations happened because some people might have expected the statement to mention the turmoil in the emerging markets and it did not. It would be more surprising if they did mention anything of that sort," said Erik Davidson, deputy CIO for Wells Fargo Private Bank.
As expected, the Fed reduced the pace of monthly asset purchases — known as quantitative easing — to a $65 billion rate from $75 billion. It did not mention the turmoil in global financial markets over the past few weeks.
"We think the situation in emerging markets is not as bad as it sounds when you look at fundamentals. At this point we do not fear the type of contagion seen in 1990s with crisis in Asia. Valuations are inexpensive, markets are not overleveraged and growth rates remain robust compared to developed countries. We would consider emerging-markets equities as a good buying opportunity," Davidson added.
After steep drops in emerging-markets currencies last week, several central banks acted to stop the run on their currencies. India, Turkey and most recently South Africa raised their interest rates. But even the big rate hike in Turkey won't stop speculators taking the Turkish lira down, said analysts, and the lira and South African rand dropped Wednesday.
Discuss key earnings announcements before and after results come in. Learn more
The failure of emerging-markets central banks to stem the asset flight has rattled U.S. stock investors, who are fearful of a spreading global crisis and cognizant that last year's steep U.S. equities gains aren't likely to be replicated.
Joe Bell, senior equity analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research said ahead of the FOMC meeting that the session's selling could also be attributed to profit-taking.
"Emerging markets have been underperforming for a while now, and since October of last year have been on the downtrend," Bell said.
"Markets have rallied too far too fast last year and are overextended. Earnings haven't been too terrible, but they haven't been great either. This consolidation is still mild given the record levels we've reached only a few weeks ago," he added.
A mixed bag of earnings added to pessimism on Wall Street.
Boeing BA, -2.83% reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings, as profits rose from the same period a year ago. However, the company's outlook for 2014 was below expectations. Shares slid 5.3%.
Dow Chemical US:DOW shares jumped 3.9% after the company posted earnings that beat estimates and said it sees positive global economic growth in 2014.
Shares of Yahoo US:YHOO fell 8.7% after its results disappointed late Tuesday, prompting concerns that Chief Executive Officer Marissa Mayer still doesn't have a grip on turning around the Internet services company.
Shares of AT&T T, +0.03% fell 1.2% in the wake of late-Tuesday earnings.
Electronic Arts Inc. EA, -2.42% regained footing and rose 1.4% after slipping late Tuesday on news the company cut its sales outlook on sliding sales of games for aging consoles.
VMware Inc. VMW, -2.41% shares were off 3.4% after the virtualization software-maker reported its results late on Tuesday.
Facebook Inc FB, -1.05% shares surged 8% after the bell after the social network site's quarterly results beat Wall Street expectations.
More must-reads from MarketWatch:
Why an emerging-markets crash wouldn't matter
12 steps to a blissful retirement
Providing critical information for the U.S. trading day. Subscribe to MarketWatch's free Need to Know newsletter. Sign up here.


text:
"The best way to do anything," writes Scott McClanahan in his new memoir, "is to get a bunch of poor people to do it."
And "Crapalachia" is the place to find them. You may know it better as Appalachia. Home to coal mining companies whose abuse of their workers and the environment is notorious. Home to people whose grinding poverty has defined them for generations.
And home to McClanahan's dirt-poor relatives, "who all grew up in Danese, WV, eating blackberries for breakfast and eating blackberries for lunch and watching the snow come beneath the door in the wintertime."
McClanahan has published three books of short stories ("Stories," "Stories II," and "Stories V!"), and has a novel, "Hill William," coming out this year. Like his fellow West Virginian, the late writer Breece D'J Pancake, McClanahan doesn't pretty up the locals. Far from it. He captures the rhythms of their speech no matter how vulgar and, in stories so raw and dredged in black humor they could have been torn straight from the memoirs of Dorothy Allison or Harry Crews, honors their shame and suffering.
It may be a crap place, but it's his, and McClanahan doesn't want to forget it: "Even now, eras later, I wish I had pictures of all the faces I once knew." His memoir opens with a photograph album of his grandmother Ruby's children, his uncles and aunts:
"There were 13 of them. The children had names that ended in Y sounds. That night I couldn't sleep so I got out Grandma's picture books and I learned about my blood and the names that ended in Y sounds. There was Betty and there was Annie and there was Stirley and there was Stanley…"
Thus begins Part I, when McClanahan is 14 and is sent to live with Ruby and her son, his uncle Nathan. Ruby, obsessed with death, burial and funerals, collects photographs of the dead, taken with her posed alongside the casket. Uncle Nathan has cerebral palsy, is confined to a wheelchair, and can't talk. His claim to fame is persuading his nephew to siphon beer into his feeding tube.
As vulnerable as they are violent, the McClanahans are prone to committing suicide — with good reason. Children who died in infancy fill the back pages of Ruby's Bible: "There was a date and then — baby died. There was a date and then — baby died. There was a date and then — girl baby died." Cousins and uncles perished in mine disasters where, in one case, rescue came so late that the victims ate their own shoelaces before they died.
In Part II, McClanahan has moved in with his childhood friend, Little Bill, and refers to himself as "the hero [who] goes out into the world and encounters the people he meets along the way." In fact, McClanahan doesn't go very far. These are the same kids he grew up with, just older, and he describes them with mixed love and fury.
They ridicule each other and make prank phone calls. They buy workout videos to gawk at the women, and have no idea that "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars weren't really from Mars."
They are the post-coal generation that doesn't know its history even though it's right there in their "Crapalachia history books": Thousands of workers killed each year in explosions and cave-ins, hundreds drowned in mud coal refuse when a sludge pool burst its dam, big coal companies who called the accidents "an act of God" and refused to pay benefits.
McClanahan embodies this collective amnesia most poignantly in the character of Bill, who grows up to suffer from OCD. Though Bill obsessively names the surrounding mountains, once home to coal miner families, all he knows are their elevations. When a local girl inspires Bill to write poetry, he thinks the words he writes — "Oh my love, my darling / I hunger for your touch a long, lonely time" — are his own.
"Crapalachia" is not a biography in any traditional sense of the word. McClanahan freely blends autobiography and fiction; an appendix contains disclaimers and alternate versions of "the truth" we've just read. At times, it comes closer to an extended prose poem, or a series of parables, or even a small bible, with its "old, old story" of "they begat and they begat," filled with doves and angels of death and the praise songs that close some of its chapters:
"I felt darkness because I had been deep in the hollers, and I knew glory because I had stood on top of the beautiful mountain tops."
At the end of the book, the author returns home to teach school, after "years spent away." His grandma and uncle are dead, and his friends, once goofy pranksters, have turned to robbery and even murder. No matter — McClanahan's deep loyalty to his place and his people gives his story wings: "So now I put the dirt from my home in my pockets and I travel. I am making the world my mountain." And so he is.
Support real journalism. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today. See offers.
Your subscription to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution funds in-depth reporting and investigations that keep you informed. Thank you for supporting real journalism.


text:
A: Great question. GenealogyBank makes it easy to enlarge any page or article.
Newspapers over the past 4 centuries have been printed in all shapes and sizes. That is particularly true of Colonial American newspapers.
GenealogyBank captures each article and page and displays them for you online – making it easy for you to save them as an Adobe PDF document.
When you want print or save an article and you see that it is too small to be easily read – simply enlarge it using Adobe Acrobat.
Step One: Click on the PDF icon to open up the article as a PDF document.
Step Two: Use the zoom button to enlarge the article to the desired size.
Now you can easily read the article, copy, save or print it.
Look closely at this example – an account of the statue of King George III being torn down and made into bullets – Connecticut Journal 17 July 1776 page 1.
"On July 9, 1776, after the Declaration of Independence was read to the American army in New York City, the soldiers rushed to the foot of Broadway at the Bowling Green. As depicted in this engraving, they had the assistance of free Blacks or slaves in pulling down the statue of King George III. The lead statue was later brought to Connecticut, where it was made into bullets."
▬ Over 3,800 newspapers
▬ 1690 to Today
Join with us – sign up today.
It's a great day for genealogy.
Happy Independence Day!


text:
Scavenger Roundup: All Our Finds From Coast to Coast!
• 1 Today's New York Scavenger
• 2 Today's Los Angeles Scavenger
• 3 Today's San Francisco Scavenger
• 4 Today's Chicago Scavenger
• 5 Today's DC Scavenger
• 6 Today's Boston Scavenger
Are you on Twitter? Share your own regional finds (you know, the great deals that you don't have room/money or use for) by using the hashtag #ATScavenger. ATmarketplace will share your finds with the rest of the community — whether it's a Craigslist find, eBay gem or a discarded table left out for the trash.
Follow ATmarketplace for the best in Apartment Therapy shopping, Scavenger and Shopper's Guides.
Apartment Therapy is not the seller of these items. This is an edited selection of our favorite offerings from other independent sources. Please check the item's link for the original source.


text:
My year of heaven, hell and healing. What I'm certain of as I roll into 2012.
In July 2010 I decided to leave Whistler for a six month hiatus.
I drove many many miles in my trusty station wagon.
I visited many great friends and colleagues.
I followed my gut. My instincts led me. It was glorious.
During the tail end of the trip I found the truest and most raw loves of my life, Seth. […]


text:
All 12 GMAT lesson books taught in the Veritas Prep course. Includes thousands of practice problems and detailed solutions. Just $250.
The definitive book on MBA admissions includes proprietary application strategies and insider information on the top 30 schools.
Get the same laminated noteboard and pens that GMAC provides you with on test day, and get used to working with the real thing!


text:
Can Old Plants Learn New Tricks? Testing the Adaptation Potential of Crustose Coralline Algae along a Natural Gradient in Ocean Acidification
Anne Cohen, Geology & Geophysics
Angela Helbling, Geology & Geophysics
2013 COI Funded Project
Ocean Acidification Initiative Project
AbstractCoral reefs exist because reef calcifying organisms produce calcium carbonate (CaCO3) skeletons much faster than they can be eroded by the sea, or by boring organisms. Reef-building corals produce massive CaCO3 skeletons that provide the basic building blocks - the bricks - from which the reef is built. The encrusting skeletons of crustose coralline algae (CCA) provide the mortar. By covering the skeletal remains of dead corals in a dense layer of high magnesium (Mg) calcite, they effectively cement the reef together, building a continuous, protective barrier against waves and storms that provides sheltered habitat for a myriad of marine and terrestrial communities, including humans.
High Mg calcite is the most soluble form of biogenic CaCO3 and CCA are thought to be among the most vulnerable to dissolution as anthropogenic ocean acidification progresses over this century. If this occurs, then the majority of the world's coral reef systems will shift from net accreting to net dissolving structures within the next several decades.
We are characterizing the carbonate chemistry of multiple reef systems across the Pacific basin and have identified amongst them, a handful of "naturally acidic' sites, where seawater pH and carbonate ion concentration are significantly lower than that of the open ocean. At these sites, CCA is often abundant, thriving under conditions in which their high Mg calcite skeletons should be dissolving. This raises the possibility of potential adaptation or acclimation of CCA to ocean acidification.
The proposed project tests the hypothesis that CCA can adapt to more acidic conditions by reducing the concentration of Mg in the calcite skeleton. Calcite with less than 4 mol% Mg is less soluble than aragonite, and could readily accrete and persist under conditions measured at our reef study sites. However, accurate quantification of carbonate mineral ratios (aragonite:calcite:high Mg calcite) and mineral composition (% Mg in calcite) in biogenic skeletons is not a trivial undertaking.
This pilot study exploits recent advances in technology and data processing, as well as our discovery of a strong natural gradient in ocean acidification within a single CCA-abundant reef system, to develop and apply the quantitative analytical tools that will allow us to begin to test this hypothesis. I expect that a successful outcome will enable our and other WHOI groups to apply similar tools and approaches across other marine systems and organisms vulnerable to the effects of ocean acidification. The new line of investigation proposed here will also open up new opportunities to access funds from foundations with interests in coral reef and marine ecosystem conservation as well as a range of federal funding sources including NOAA and EPA, and NSF.


text:
"We've now passed RIM, and I don't see them catching up with us in the future because they must [transform] to a software company," Jobs said. "I think that's a challenge for them, to get developers." Remember this notable quote by Steve Jobs from October? Jobs made a rare appearance during an investor conference call to boast of the companys strong iPhone sales for the quarter and to establish Apple as the smartphone leader.
Well, according to Reuters, in the past three months RIM has shipped about 14.1 million BlackBerry units, matching Apples last quarter total shipments. Analysts agree that RIM has developed popular hardware and software, which has propelled sales in the last quarter. As of October, RIM trailed Apple by only 0.5% in terms of smartphone OS share. It will be interesting to see what these figures look like in the next month.
Dont look now Jobs, but it seems that with the launch of the BlackBerry 9780, BlackBerry Style, and of course the upcoming PlayBook, RIM has definitely responded to the challenge.


text:
Big Corn Island
Earth : North America : Central America : Nicaragua : Caribbean Nicaragua : Big Corn Island
Big Corn Island lies approximately 50 miles off the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua.
Other destinations
Great Corn Island was originally colonized by the British, and most native islanders have more in common culturally with other English-speaking Caribbean islands than they do with the mainland of Nicaragua. Many have English surnames.
Tourism on Great Corn Island is still in its infancy as most tourists gather on Little Corn. There are almost none of the things one usually associates with tourists traps (tourist markets, huge beachside developments by major hospitality corporations, time-share condos, etc.). The people are typically friendly and genuine.
Almost everyone on the island speaks both passable Spanish and English. For most of those native to the island, English is their first language, although there are many inhabitants who have come over from mainland Nicaragua and consequently speak Spanish as a first language. There are also others who speak Miskito or other Caribbean languages or dialects. The English spoken, however, is heavily Caribbean, and real communication can be far from effortless.
Get in
There is one local airline (La Costena Airlines) that flies to Big Corn Island from Managua (usually once in the morning and again in early to mid afternoon). These are 15-20 seat dual prop planes without pressurized cabins or conditioned air. [3] One Way flights are around 107 US and a Round trip around 165 US. Some of the planes go first to Bluefields before they continue to the Island. There is a weight limit for the plane so be careful about how much luggage you bring. They weigh each passenger with their luggage before boarding. When you arrive in Managua exit the airport and go left to the small building next to the terminal. You can purchase tickets there, but need a reservation in advance most of the time. You can change the return date for your ticket with no trouble or fees as long as there is room on the plane.
Some days of the week, you can get from Houston or Miami to Managua in time to fly directly to Big Corn Island; other days, you will have to spend a night in Managua and fly to the island the following day. When you return from the island to Managua, again, you may have to spend the night depending on the timing of the flights.
There are also three options for ferries from Rama (via Bluefields). This is an all-day plus overnight trip. [4]
Schedules are always changing. For the latest transport information on how to get to Big Corn Island, view the updated graphic Managua - Corn Islands
Get around
The road system basically consists of a perimeter road that runs around the island. There are a few paved side roads, but only the one to Picnic Beach is of significant length.
There are many hiking trails into the center of the island and along the shore.
Getting around the island can be done by taxi (anywhere on the island for 15 cordobas =75 cents U.S.), by bus (anywhere on the island for 5 cordobas =25 cents U.S.) per person. One can rent bicycles,golf carts, cars, or motorcycles if one wishes. A taxi will generally pick up other passengers along your route - don't panic, this is normal.
The island itself is quite picturesque. hiking into the hills will bring you into tropical nature, there are two big beaches and lots of tiny and remote ones. A boat trip around the island will showcase its natural beauty.
Baseball is the number one sport on the island, with even soccer a distant second, and taking in a local game will put you right in the middle of real island culture. Baseball (or fast-pitch softball) is on Sundays and there are typically 3-4 games. The first game starts at 8:30 and is not very well attended. There is usually one men's game then one women's game alternating throughout the day. The final game is the highlight sometime around 3-4 depending on previous games. Soccer is also on Sundays and is just down from Casa Canada on the south end.
There is very little of historic or artistic significance except for an art instillation at the top of Quinn Hilll. It is a small pyramid in the middle of a park. It is one of 8 sites around the world. Others include: Cocos Islands (Australia), and their antipode, Corn Islands (Nicaragua) Kalahari Desert (Botswana) and the Hawaiian Islands (USA) Tierra del Fuego (Argentina or Chile) and Lake Baikal (Buryat Republic) Galicia (Spain or Portugal) and the South Island of New Zealand Find out more at http://www.souloftheworld.com
Snorkeling, scuba diving, and ocean fishing are all excellent. "Nautilus" [5] , an island institution, can arrange any such trips (including scuba instruction).
Picnic Beach (the picnic center) is the cleanest and most beautiful, with fine sand and gentle waves. There are two restaurants, the picnic center which has thatch cabanas to sit under, and Arenas. Arenas has wonderful white cabanas and will bring food and drinks out to the beach. This beach is great when the sun is shining, but in the evening and when it rains there are tons of sand flies that bite so beware. Most of the tiny and remote beaches are between Sally Peaches and South End. Beware many beaches have litter, plastic bottles and trash scattered about on them.
One can arrange to travel by boat to Little Corn Island, a short (easily less than an hour) ride away. Anyone with a boat for hire will gladly make the trip.
Snorkeling, Kayak rentals, and both sport fishing and fly fishing are available at "Anastasia's on the Sea." Also available is a snorkeling marine park designed to guide snorkelers to interesting coral formations. For a more personal touch find Dorsey right next to Cevas, (look for the sign on the beach that says "First class snorkeling, First class guide.) He is a great local guide and some of the best snorkeling on the island is right in front of his house. He will take 2 people out at a time for snorkeling and has great knowledge of the area. He also sells jewelry that he makes and some fruit. He is a wealth of information about the island.
Nightlife, as anywhere else, is mainly on weekends. Weekends here run from Thursday night till Monday morning (don't miss the "sexy dance" at Nico's).
Renting a golf cart is a great way to see the island at your own pace. You can get them near the picnic center, and at the Sunrise Hotel. If you go to more remote parts, off the main road, be ready for kids to try and catch a ride with you. If you have the time it is a delightful experience to give them a ride and hear their laughs and excited comments.
Be careful eating here if you are a picky eater or have dietary restrictions. Most of the menus have the same items (usually fish and other seafood), and vegetarian and vegan food is rare and unvaried (mostly pasta and french fries). Fresh vegetables and produce are hard to find and very expensive (salads typically are small and cost around 100 cords).
The best restaurants on the island for typical island cuisine are Casa Canada (South End), Restaurante Sabor at Sunrise Hotel (excellent breakfasts & Sunday Bar-b-q) --right next to Casa Canada, Seva's (Dos Millas) & Paraiso. Paraiso has a fantastic menu including deserts, but is one of the most expensive on the island. The food is varied from pasta and bruschetta to traditional island dishes and fresh fish. They also make the best pina coladas and coco loco's. They use coconuts cut from the tree. Nautilus restaurant offers gourmet island fusion dishes, pizza and vegetarian dishes.
No trip to this island would be complete without trying the 'Rundown'! It's basically an island stew consisting of multiple types of seafood (generally lobster, shrimp, fish), taro, yucca, and plantain, and is cooked in coconut milk. Some places will require you to order it 24 hours in advance, which is a good idea anyway as this allows them to get fresh fish. A good place to go for this is Comedor Maris (Danet's house), here you will receive great food and better yet, great hospitality. You can find her on the north end, and you can ask any taxi driver, she is well known.
The cook at the Picnic center does an excellent job with local dishes, going to great length to prepare them correctly. Lobster fishing is a huge part of the island's economy, and lobster is on the menu at almost every restaurant. When the lobster are in season, lobster dishes cost $5 to $8 (as of 2012, you will only find ceviches and cocktails at those prices, any main dish will be $10 and up), and are available at all local restaurants. Lobster is the primary industry in the Corn Islands, so lobster and conch are plentiful. Be careful of lobster tails under 5 inches long or under 5 ounces in weight because they are illegal. When the season is closed in early March time frame, the lobster dishes tend to go up slightly in prices, but are still reasonable in prices. For a very inexpensive lunch or dinner check out one of the little taco stands on the beach on the south end near long bay. They have fried tacos with salad that are excellent. There isn't a name on the establishment, but a taxi driver told us the locals call it "specitos" because the owner wears glasses.
It is not unusual to wait 40-60 minutes after ordering to receive one's meal. Everything is prepared from scratch after you order, so order before you get too hungry and be prepared to pass some time waiting for the results. After you place your order, typically the chef will make a trip off on his bicycle to fetch the needed ingredients for the dish you have chosen. This is typical of the relaxed pace everywhere on the island. It will be unusual to see anyone in a hurry to get anywhere or do anything.
Also, do not miss the coconut bread (pan de coco), especially the sweet (dulce) variety. It is typically sold in small shops or from their houses by the ladies who make it.
Local fruit is incredible in its variety and freshness. You can get coconuts and mangos almost anywhere for free. Ask someone at your hotel to cut one down and you can drink the milk straight from the nut.
The best places to sit and have a beer or cocktail during the day are at Picnic Center on the southwest side of the island and at Anastasia's on the Sea on the north end of the island. Anastasia's has the most expensive domestic beer prices found on the island, even higher than Hotel Casa Canada's. After baseball games and on Sundays, Island Style is very popular. On Friday and Saturday nights, Reggae Palace is where the dancing is best. And on Sunday nights most islanders head to Nico's for after hours fun. Nico's bathrooms lack a bit in hygienic maintenance.
There are a variety of places to stay on the island, ranging from extremely basic backpacker accommodations costing only about $10 U.S. per night to clean/comfortable/air conditioned places for $30-50 U.S., to a few more upscale places (which are still usually less than $100/night). Travelers reviews can be found easily online.
Stay safe
The island is relatively safe, and few travelers encounter problems, but you should definitely take the normal precautions and not let the peacefulness get your guard down. Violent incidents are rare, but have happened in the past.
It's wise to take a taxi after dark, because there are no street lights. Most locals seem to be friendly, but alcohol use in the evening sometimes causes tourists to get harassed.
One other note of significance is the electricity, which typically goes out on a nightly basis for several hours and almost always goes out when it rains hard (still the case as of June 2009). There are hotels (Casa Canada, Morgan, Martha's B&B, Hotel Paraiso, Anastasia's on the Sea, Picnic Center, Vientos del Norte) that have their own generators to cover the gaps in electric service. Verify before booking.
Currency & Prices
Officially, the Nicaraguan Cordoba is the legal tender, but most stores, restaurants, and taxis will gladly accepted U.S. dollars as well. With dollars, however, comes this caveat: if there is the tiniest tear on the bill (or pen marks, or any other disfigurement), the bill will not be accepted.
The ATM at the Banpro bank accepts VISA and MASTERCARD, and some hotels and tourist services accept those cards as well, but you had better check before arriving if possible, in order to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Life is a bit more expensive on Big Corn Island than on the mainland, but on Little Corn Island, it is much more expensive.


text:
Active Topics
Active Posts
Unanswered Posts
You are not logged in. [
Log In
Torey Hayden Home Page
Our Archives
Torey's Visits
» Torey's Visit to Japan
Register User
Forum List
Active Topics
Page 1 of 2
Topic Options
Torey's Visit to Japan
I know you are all waiting to see pictures from Japan, so I have stolen a few moments from jetlag stupor to try and put these up.
I arrived in Tokyo after a super flight on ANA (All Nippon Airlines) from London on the 16th. The service is incredible on this airlines and the food is
I was met at the airport by my very dear editor, Yuri Kagoshima. She has been my editor for every single book in Japan and we have had so many adventures during my previous three visits that it was like coming home to an old friend!
She took me to my hotel, the Grand Palace. Again, this is where I always stay when I am in Tokyo, so again, it was like coming home. I am just so pleased to be back in Japan!
Early the next morning I needed to get a flight to Kumamoto, which is at the far southern end of Japan from Tokyo - about two hours' flying time. Unfortunately, when I woke up, the weather was not very promising. Here is the view from my hotel room, looking east across Tokyo.
When we went out to the airport, we heard that the weather was very bad in the south of Japan and so many flights were being diverted to other cities due to high winds or very poor visibility because of the wind.
Yuri came out to the airport with me and here we are, waiting worriedly, wondering if I will be able to take the plane to Kumamoto. (We are putting a cheerful face on things. Yuri makes me laugh a lot!)
Unfortunately, Yuri could not take off work to travel with me to Kumamoto on that flight, so also at the airport is Masako Irie. Masako is my translator. She is a very famous translator in Japan and has done a wonderful job with my books, which is why they are so popular. Masako is going to travel with me. So, here
are, still waiting for the Kumamoto plane.
At last we are able to board and we have a VERY bumpy (and rather exciting!) ride to Kumamoto through the storm clouds, but we arrive in one piece. As you can see, Kumamoto weather is still not
as welcoming as Tokyo, because this is all I can see of the castle and mountains behind it from my hotel window:
Once settled, Masako and I go to meet with the interpreters who will be giving a simultaneously translation of my lecture at the JSCN (Japanese Society of Child Neurology) conference the next day.
Then we head off to find some dinner. Here is a picture of a large covered street next to the hotel. We'd call it an arcade in Britain:
I have left my umbrella in Tokyo, as I had to pack only a small bag to take to Kumamoto, and Masako is concerned I will get too wet. So she takes me to a Japanese "dollar store", called a "100 yen store" here because everything costs only 100 yen (which is about 50p in British money).
Here is a quick peek into the 100 Yen store, whihc is very much like dollar stores the world over!!
And here is the display of (very cheap!!) umbrellas. I got a natty lime green one.
Masako is staying at a different hotel than I am because there was no room for anyone else here except those attending the conference (which is very big.) So she had noticed an interesting display of my books in a book shop named Marubun nearby. So she went to show me. Of course, we had to take a picture.
Re: Torey's Visit to Japan
The staff became very excited when they found out it was me. The shop girl Sachiko was nearly in tears of excitement!
And then it was the manager of Marubun came out front for pictures.
Then he took me to the area in front of the book store to show me the statue they have of a "kappa". Masako explained to me that a kappa is an imaginary creature who is believed to live in water, especially rivers. They have webbed feet and hands and a plate on his head. If the plate gets dry, the kappa dies. He is a trickster who is believed to do tricky things to people. For example, when you swim in a river, if the kappa pulls your legs, you may go under and be drowned. There were many floods in Kumamoto and these were blamed on the tricks of the kappa, but ever since they have made this nice statue in tribute to the kappa, no more floods! (You will see Torey Hayden's various posters peeking through on the back left-hand side, no doubt helping the river god with his anti-rain mojo!)
And at last Masako and I manage to get away to have a very wonderful Chinese meal in a little restaurant nearby. (Masako will hate this picture, because she was not expecting it!) But we had such a good time and the food was so delicious that I just had to share it.
Re: Torey's Visit to Japan
Today is the big day - the day I give the opening speech of the JSCN conference - which is why I have come to Japan. So, lots of nerves!
Fortunately, the weather is much better. This morning I can see the mountains clearly.
Visible from my hotel window there on the hill is Kumamoto castle (from the 1300's, I believe)which is in the ancient Japanese tradition. Unfortunately, my side is swathed in scaffolding for repairs.
Now down to the serious work of the conference. I am intoduced to the conference by Dr. Makiko Oosawa. You can see my banner behind Dr. Oosawa.
And then comes the lecture itself, which is about the importance of developing relationships with children with emotional problems.
Here is a view of the crowd while I am giving my speech. It is a conference for medical doctors only, so I reckon if nerves get the worst of me and I have a heart attack on stage, this is probably the safest place in the world to do it!
Here I am in my school marm pose - i.e. (
"You better listen to me!
After the lecture, Dr. Miike, the organizer, presents me with a citation and a gift.
Now much relief!! The hard work is done. Yuri, Masako, Masako's friend Rie Oono who has come to listen to the lecture, and I all go out for a very wonderful lunch. Here we are in the restaurant.
Re: Torey's Visit to Japan
Now I am going to share with you pictures of this fantastic lunch because I know so many of you will never have seen genuine Japanese food. It is always so beautifully prepared and THERE IS ALWAYS SO MUCH TO EAT! Most people do not know this about the Japanese!
So we are seated above with our first course. Here is a closer picture:
It is sashimi in the long dish - tuna, a prawn, a small sardine-type fish, lotus flower and a few things I recognize the flavour of but do not know the name of. In the blue bowl are bamboo shoots and squid in a Japanese pepper sauce.
At the same time as this course is served, there is a special platter in the middle for all of us to share.
This is raw horse meat which is the specialty of this restaurant. It comes with the traditional accompaniments of garlic, chives and various greens.
I am very fond of this particular dish, so Yuri couldn't resist taking my picture.
Now comes the second course, which are bits of tempura. Most of fish or vegetable, one is a special kind of leaf which I am not familiar with but is very tasty cooked this way.
Now the third course!
This is salmon with special rice noodles. The stick is ginger.
The waitress stops by to make sure we are getting enough to eat!
Nope, clearly room for more, so she brings us the soup and rice course!
And at last, here comes dessert, which is fruit with a very delicate gelatine on top.
And I'm ready to pop!!
Re: Torey's Visit to Japan
Kumamoto city centre is nicely laid out such that everywhere we want to go is in walking distance. After lunch I am to appear on a television program for NHK, the Japanese state broadcasting system (like the BBC in Britain) The program is called "Good Morning Saturday" and is a regional program which is only shown throughout Kyushu and Okinawa.
We walk to the NHK broadcasting building from our restaurant along side the river which was diverted to form part of the moat to the old castle.
I am fascinated by the carp in the river, many of which are very brightly coloured.
Above us on the other side of the river are the turrets of the castle which was built in the early 1600s.
We can also see the main part of the fortress above the trees.
And just around the corner and across the bridge is the NHK building.
Inside I am greeted by Ko Watanabe who is producing the program and he takes me to the studio where I am going to be interviewed by the presenter, Kumiko. We have a really fantastic interview together and celebrate by taking pictures afterwards on the set.
Here are Kumiko and I.
And afterwards we all pose for a picture together.
That's Nobuko Johnson, my interpreter, on the left in front, me and Ko Watanabe. In back are the camera men and technicians, Kumiko and Masako.
Then Kumiko presents me with a gift from NHK. It is a lovely box of very delicious sweets made from beans which are a specialty of the area. (I meant to save them, but I confess I have already eaten about a 1/3 of the box!)
Re: Torey's Visit to Japan
After that Yuri, Masako and I walked back to my hotel through small side streets, many of which are very beautiful.
I always enjoy looking at things along the way. Here is an aquarium built into the side of the building on the left of the photo above (you can just see the curve of it.) These fish are not being kept for the amusement of passers by but rather, fresh for dinner. (Note net for choosing your fish!)
And a popular way for Japanese restaurants to advertise the different dishes they serve is to put very accurate resin models of the food in their windows. Here are a meal available in this particular restaurant, complete with beer, all of it imitation.
And likewise, their selection of desserts (which you picky eaters will be pleased to know are made largely of sweet beans!)
Re: Torey's Visit to Japan
In the evening there is a large reception for all the speakers, organizers and doctors attending the JSCN conference. A wonderful display of local traditional dancing is given. The dance is one performed originally to ask the gods to keep the fishermen safe at sea, so the dancers' costumes are blue like the ocean and the designs on them represent the waves. (I, unfortunately, wasn't so fast with my camera, so only got the dancers coming off the stage.)
They are accompanied by traditional instruments
Then it is the next morning and back to giving interviews. Happy at our work, the reporter and I blow kisses at each other . . .
No, no, no,
, not
This is Mr. Okamoto from the important Kumamoto newspaper Nichinichi and we are actually doing a very serious interview. On the left is my interpreter Nobuko Johnson.
Then Yuri, Masako and I go out to visit Kumamoto bookstores with the sales representative Mr. Tezuka of Hayakawa (my Japanese publisher). I love walking through the streets of Kumamoto. Many are covered over, but unlike in Britain where the covered streets are to protect people from the rain, here they protect from the hot sun, as this part of Japan is very, very warm in summer. This is one of the main shopping streets.
Here we are in Tsutaya bookstore. We're pleased to see many great displays of books. (That's Masako on the left, me and Yuri. For anyone who has lost count by this point in the story, Masako is a renown translator who has done all my books in Japan. Yuri is my editor from Hayakawa and has edited all my books here.)
At Kinokuniya Bookstore, the manager Mr. Takezawa invited us all in for tea. He then asks me to do a very Japanese thing, which is to sign one of these white boards. They are about the size of an ordinary sheet of paper but are actual a hard kind of poster board with a decorative edge. It is typical to request celebrities or other important people to sign and date such a board to commemorate a special event and this will then be displayed.
Afterwards, Mr. Takezawa and his staff very kindly present me with a wonderful bouquet of flowers - lilies, roses, freesia, carnations - in honour of my birthday.
The girl holding the signed card is Mihoko, who is a particularly devoted fan and so the staff have asked me to sign a special board just for her.
Re: Torey's Visit to Japan
And then it is off to lunch and another wonderful meal. I promise not to keep boring you with pictures of food, but I do find the food here one of the most special parts of my visit.
Yuri, Masako and I go to a restaurant nearby that Mr. Takezawa recommends. It has a sushi bar, as well as traditional seating. Here is the sushi chef at work behind the bar. Note the aquarium next to him. It is full of very live cuttlefish, waiting to become sushi.
We sit down at one of the low tables and Yuri and Masako pore over the menu, trying to decide what we should have. There are lots of pictures to show what the food will look like, which is helpful for foreigners like me who can't read a word of Japanese!
Then a waitress comes with the first course.
Like yesterday's meal, it is very beautifully presented. The pottery case at the back with the flowers contains sashimi. Then there is a salad with fish on the left, a poached tomato in the middle and a third kind of salad on the right. In front are two bowls of soy sauce. One is for the sashimi and the second is for the sushi, which will come later. There are two because one puts wasabi into the soy for sushi.
Masako takes a picture of the poor foreigner struggling to cope with a whole tomato using only chopsticks. It is too big to eat in one bite and impossible to cut into smaller pieces!!
The next course is a dumpling soup. We each get our own little black pot of soup over a small flame.
comes the sushi! I thought this was a portion for us all to share, but no. Each one of us gets a plate like this!
I'm not going to be able to identify all of it now (memory fading as I am now so much older than yesterday!)
The knobs on the far left are ginger. Then cuttlefish, tuna, hoki (I think), octopus, shrimp, unknown, egg and salmon roe.
Re: Torey's Visit to Japan
At last I am able to get more pictures up! Thanks to Tinker for helping me out, as the problem seems to be somewhere between my hotel connection and our server, but he was able to lift the pictures just fine.
After the lovely lunch above, Yuri, Masako and I had the afternoon free, so we went sightseeing at the ancient castle right in the center of Kumamoto. It was built between 1601 and 1608 by a feudal lord named Kiyomasa Kato. It's huge - about eight miles around the circumference - and consists of very steeply curved walls, turrets and a main fortress building in the center which you could climb all the way to the top of - six stories - for a spectacular 360 degree view of the Kumamoto area. The lord had the river diverted to provide a moat around the base of the case.
Here's one of the turrets. I took the picture from down near the river.
I was particularly fascinated by the stairs inside the castle. Because it is so large and constructed on this knoll overlooking the city, there are these wonderful ancient stairs everywhere made of local stone.
I found this staircase beautifully atmospheric:
And here are one of the many sets of main stairs the warriors would have climbed to get into the main fortress area. What isn't apparent is how
these stairs are. You can't actually step easily from stair to stair. You have to go down one at a time, stepping on each stair with both feet, like a child does.
Here's a picture of the main fortress building. It was hard to take a decent photograph, as the sun was right behind it and it is very high. But this gives you the idea. Masako, Yuri and I then climbed right to the very tippy top to see the wonderful view.
One of my favourite pictures of the whole trip is this one Yuri took of Masako and me at the castle. I was spending such a wonderful, fun, relaxing day and I think this picture shows it. It is just a plain "tourist picture" of friends having a good time together.
Very near the base of the castle is a Shinto shrine, so we next went there.
The gate at the from is called a 'torii' and this is the entrance to the shrine. My name has the same pronunciation in Japan as these holy gates, so I have been given several little gifts with this word on it.
This is an Inari shrine, which we can tell because it is guarded by two foxes on either side of the entrance. (You can just barely see the edge of the one fox on the left of the picture above.)
Re: Torey's Visit to Japan
A common aspect of many Shinto shrines is fortune telling. Pieces of paper called omikuji are drawn randomly and contain quite complex predictions in regards to luck, health, and so forth. To ensure the good luck and dispel the bad luck, the omikuji is then tied to a tree branch or special bars of wood after the fortune has been read. In the picture above with the fox, you can see on the left where many omikuji have been tied.
Masako had to help me read mine. I was very lucky in that my overall fortune spoke of "daikichi" - "great good luck".
Here's what it looked like:
We then offered prayers and went to tie our fortunes on the sticks.
To the side of the shrine were smaller stone shrines:
And then at the front on the steps before the entrance to the shrine, we had much fun with a silly thing - a cut-out form of a "shrine maiden" that you stood behind and had your picture taken.
Here's the overall view which allows you to see this standing in front:
And of course who had to pretend to
the shrine maiden??!!
Masako and Yuri thought this was very,
VERY funny and could not stop laughing! I think there must be an inside Japanese joke to all this that I didn't quite understand, but their amusement was catching and we were soon all laughing very hard. Indeed, this is one of my best memories of Kumamoto - how much the three of us laughed together during our time there.
Edited by torey (
Page 1 of 2
Previous Topic
Next Topic
Hop to:
Our Archives ------
Sheep Walk archives
Torey's Visits
Print Topic
Switch to Threaded Mode
Who's Online
1 registered (1 invisible), 0 Guests and 0 Spiders online.
Global Mod
Top Posters
Board Rules
Mark all read
Default Style
Contact Us
Torey Hayden Home Page
Generated in 0.047 seconds in which 0.007 seconds were spent on a total of 13 queries. Zlib compression disabled.
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.5.6p2


text:
Mother Nature gives no warning. One week, we were wondering if the thunderstorms and cool temperatures would ever end, the next, summer imposed its will on the Mid-South and another spring was history.
The season had arrived, farmers were excited. It's time to start, uh, sequestering carbon.
Chuckle if you will, but in reality, carbon sequestration could be a big part of farm conservation plans of the future. The world's farmers could be required, and incentivized, by governments to implement practices on the farm designed to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that many believe are causing global warming.
In a policy brief for climate change negotiators meeting in Bonn, Germany, in June, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recommended that carbon sequestration begin with those who can afford it the least — poor farmers in developing countries.
According to the brief, between 1990 and 2005, greenhouse gas emissions by agriculture in developing countries increased by around 30 percent and are expected to rise further. It stated further that agriculture "is a major source of greenhouse gases accounting for 14 percent of global emissions. Land use changes such as deforestation account for an additional 17 percent."
FAO says soil carbon sequestration through reduced tillage, improved grassland management and restoration of degraded lands "form the major part of mitigation potential from agriculture."
The FAO's Peter Holmgren, who wants agriculture included in a new global climate agreement which could be adopted in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December, says "massive investments and information" will be required "to change unsustainable farming methods and to train farmers in mitigation practices."
It makes me wonder which is the greater threat to humanity — rising temperatures wreaking havoc with growing seasons, food supply and human life, or allowing government bureaucracies to choke the life out of free enterprise with rules and regulations that might or might not have any impact on climate change. I agree that climate change is an issue not to be taken lightly, and certainly not one to be taken without full command of the facts, or without consensus.
The climate change debate has not reached such accord in my view. For example, a recent article in Discovery News noted, "Following a 30-year trend of warming, global temperatures have flat lined since 2001 despite rising greenhouse gas concentrations and a heat surplus that should have cranked up the planetary thermostat."
In the same article, Kyle Swanson with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, states, "This is nothing like anything we've seen since 1950. Cooling events since then had firm causes, like eruptions or large-magnitude La Niñas. This current cooling doesn't have one."
Even scientists who believe in man-made climate change agree that something strange is happening. Isaac Held of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that warming might possibly slow down or even stagnate for a few years before rapid warming commences again. He said the cooling trend could last for up to 30 years.
Held falls short of being a climate change denier, however. "When the climate kicks out of this state, we'll have explosive warming. Thirty years of (greenhouse gas) will still be there and then bang, the warming will return and be very aggressive."
But earth going through 30 years of global cooling despite an increasing percentage of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is hardly a mandate for wholesale regulation of agricultural practices. Truth be known, the global climate is proving to be a lot like one of our Mid-South springs — it runs hot and cold.
e-mail: email@example.com


text:
Now Viewing:
Product Highlights
The TPRO-TXWP-BLK 1-Gang Wall Plate Transmitter (Black) forms part of FSR's TwisterPro UTP Transmitter/Receiver system. Combined with an optional TPRO-RX receiver, this transmitter allows for long-distance transmission of RGB video, stereo audio, RS-232 data and IR control data. Offering the highest level of signal integrity and error-free transmission, this system uses affordable, easily installed Cat-5/5E/6 cable--a major advantage over bulkier, traditional video and data cables.
Through cable runs of up to 1000 feet, the TPRO-TXWP-BLK uses RJ-45 connections to transmit not only all RS-232 and IR data, but video resolutions up to 1920 x 1080 and 24-bit stereo audio @48kHZ. A single VGA port handles RGB, component, composite or S-Video signals, while RS-232/IR data is carried via 9-pin DSub (optional). Full expandability is possible using separate 1-in/8-out hubs, which can be cascaded to allow up to 512 outputs.
The TPRO-TXWP-BLK is ideal for control rooms, classrooms, houses of worship, boardrooms and other applications needing reliable video, audio and data transmission with zero electrical interference. Its single-gang wall plate design also comes with matching Decora trim rings for standalone use.
Note: This is only one component in a larger system. In order for this unit to work properly it must be paired with a receiver.
|Cable Type
|Cat-5, 5E, 6
600 ft (when powered at transmitter)
1000 ft (when powered at receiver)
|Video Signals
|RGBHV, RGBS, RGsB, RsGsBs, Component, S-Video
|Maximum Resolution
|1920 x 1080 (1080p)
Video: 75 Ohms
Audio: 50 Ohms
VGA: 15-pin DSub
Audio: 3.5mm stereo mini
RS-232: 9-pin DSub (option)
IR: C-grid SL 5-pin
|Audio/Video: RJ-45
|Power Requirement
|Dimensions (WxHxD)
|1.7 x 4.1 x 1.5" (4.3 x 10.4 x 3.8 cm)
|Not specified by manufacturer


text:
We got some great feedback from everyone on yesterday's poll on the overall looks of iOS 7, but today we're going to dive a little deeper; the homescreen. One of the most immediately noticeable changes from iOS 6, the iOS 7 homescreen is a point of massive debate. Some love it, others hate it, and a good chunk of folks sit somewhere in the middle undecided. So today, we want to know; what do you think of the iOS 7 homescreen?
The colors are different, the icons are different, and for some it doesn't matter what fancy design techniques went into it, they just don't like it. On the other hand, some people are really digging it. iOS has had the same underlying appearance since the introduction of the very first iPhone back in 2007. Less than a year after Jony Ive was handed the design reigns, what we saw announced on Monday was quite, quite different. So, what do you think about it? We want to hear your thoughts on the new homescreen, so drop a vote up top and jump into the comments with your thoughts!


text:
Bogaerts' gaffe costs Red Sox, leads to rout by Astros
BOSTON --- Just minutes after Red Sox starter Joe Kelly had induced a double play to end the second inning during his first outing at Fenway Park, Jose Altuve of the Astros was rounding the bases and celebrating a grand slam.
How? Instant replay, of course, although this case was anything but cut and dry.View Full Game Coverage
BOSTON --- Just minutes after Red Sox starter Joe Kelly had induced a double play to end the second inning during his first outing at Fenway Park, Jose Altuve of the Astros was rounding the bases and celebrating a grand slam.
How? Instant replay, of course, although this case was anything but cut and dry.View Full Game Coverage
Astros manager Bo Porter challenged the double-play ruling and umpires determined that Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts didn't step on the bag until after he threw the ball to first. The Red Sox had already cleared the field, but a few minutes later, Altuve took Kelly deep to give his club a six-run cushion in an 8-1 Houston win Sunday afternoon. The Astros salvaged a split of the four-game set.
"We forced a couple of extra outs in the inning. And any time you do that, you're asking for trouble," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "On a day when Joe scuffled with his command … it compounds things."
On the reviewed play, Marwin Gonzalez hit a ground ball up the middle that Kelly got a piece of and redirected to Bogaerts. The shortstop shuffled to his left and threw to first as he reached second, and it seemed Kelly was out of the inning. But Porter challenged the play, arguing that Bogaerts had gotten rid of the ball before touching the base.
"I saw the runner coming on me and I tried to touch the bag and get it out as quick as possible to turn the double play. Joe Kelly was going through a rough stretch with his command, so getting a double play right there would have been huge," Bogaerts said. "It really would've turned the game around."
Plays like that are often not reviewable, but because this was a race to the bag between Bogaerts and Marc Krauss instead of a throw to second that Bogaerts needed to field --- a "neighborhood play," which means a player just needs to be near the bag while turning two so he can safely avoid a sliding runner --- Porter could challenge it.
Farrell, who was eventually ejected after Altuve's slam, said the umpires initially told him the front-end of a double play is never reviewable, but crew chief Jim Joyce asked officials at the Replay Command Center in New York, who determined it was since this was not a neighborhood play, but a force play.
"I knew that I wanted to challenge. Just wanted to make sure obviously that you're not challenging the neighborhood play, which is something that you can't challenge," Porter said. "We had confirmation from our people that the ball was out of his hand before he touched the base."
"Being the first time we've had this this year, I thought we better be 100 percent on it," Joyce said. "So instead of just saying to Bo, 'Yes or no' because we really weren't sure, they actually took a couple of minutes on it just to make sure it was reviewable."
After Robbie Grossman worked a two-out walk on nine pitches upon Boston's return to the diamond, Altuve ripped a grand slam just over the Green Monster to give the Astros a 6-0 lead. Krauss singled home Dexter Fowler to get the Astros on the board earlier in the second, and Matt Dominguez's sacrifice fly scored Jon Singleton that inning as well.
"Every time I go to BP and we have situations, I tell him, 'Put me in here with the bases loaded,'" said Altuve, who went 4-for-5. "And I try to go deep, but I never do."
Fowler followed a six-run frame with a solo shot to right field in the third to make it 7-1. Singleton hit a solo homer in the ninth.
Kelly surrendered seven runs on seven hits and six walks over four innings. He fanned three. The righty didn't do himself any favors with all the free passes -- in his first three starts with the Red Sox, he's walked 13 -- but didn't get much help from his defense, either. To start the second, Krauss hit a fly ball to left off the base of the Monster that Yoenis Cespedes lost right off the bat. Then Bogaerts' gaffe cost Kelly and the Red Sox dearly.
"Plenty of stuff. Plenty of power. Plenty of action to his secondary pitches," Farrell said of Kelly. "Just his command was not as its been in the first two outings for him."
"No, I wouldn't say it's tough. You've got to find a way to just lock back in," Kelly said of returning to the mound in the second. "We don't get the double play, you've just got to be able to be ready for the next guy."
Astros starter Colin McHugh held the Red Sox to one run on seven hits over six innings. He walked four and struck out six. Boston put multiple runners on base in four of McHugh's six frames, but could only muster a run when Brock Holt walked and Daniel Nava doubled down the right-field line to score him in the third. The Sox left nine runners on and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Knuckleballer Steven Wright pitched four innings in relief, allowing one run on four hits while striking out four. The Red Sox called him up Sunday for long relief purposes, and he threw 75 percent of his pitches for strikes. Wright even snared a rocket grounder from Dominguez to start a double play with Bogaerts in the sixth. The shortstop made sure he stepped on the bag with both feet that time.
Steven Petrella is an associate reporter for MLB.com.


text:
A leaky pipe can be devastating to your Poway, CA home. When a leak hits, call the leak detection & repair experts at (619) 618-2467.
Old, faulty pipes may be the reason for the leak, but thankfully you don't have to rely on old, faulty leak detection technology. Our advanced equipment will allow us to pinpoint the exact location of the leak without tearing apart your home or business, trying to find the problem. Walls, foundations, drain lines & more are no match for our tools.
We are available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for all of your leak repair needs. Call us today!