text:
International relations and leadership on global Internet policy, not US cyberespionage capability, are what will be compromised most as a result of revelations that the United States spies on computers used by civilians in Hong Kong and China.
That's the bottom line of several cyberespionage experts asked to assess the damage from Edward Snowden's most recent disclosures about the secret activities of the US government's National Security Agency (NSA). Mr. Snowden, a former NSA contractor and a self-described whistleblower, outlined for a Hong Kong newspaper this week how the NSA hacks into the Internet's "backbone" routers – the data traffic cops of the information superhighway – to spy on nonmilitary computer users in China.
Few seemed surprised by the allegations (probably not even the Chinese), but the NSA chief insisted that the leak caused "great harm" and will in fact impair the agency's cyberintelligence-gathering ability.
That's not, however, what tops the list of concerns for many experts on global spying. The long-term and more serious impact, they say, could be to weaken the US position in ongoing global talks on the future of the Internet, including free speech, taxation, privacy, and cybersecurity policies. The US hopes to gain international support for its stance that nation states should not spy on their citizens – a position that China, Russia, and some other nations oppose.
"The US wants to rally the rest of world behind it for a free and open Internet – and it could have pointed the finger at China and Russia," says Jonathan Logan, an independent network security consultant in Europe who has written extensively on global cyberspying. "But this has fundamentally changed now because we now can see that the US doesn't have clean hands on cyberespionage."
Snowden leaked what appear to be top-secret NSA documents that show the agency targets China for cybersurveillance, including monitoring data streams flowing through Hong Kong.
"We [the NSA] hack network backbones – like huge Internet routers, basically – that give us access to the communications of hundreds of thousands of computers without having to hack every single one," Snowden told the South China Morning Post, according to the newspaper's story published Wednesday. Snowden is in Hong Kong, awaiting expected US criminal charges for leaking classified documents.
Among those targeted, Snowden said, is The Chinese University of Hong Kong, along with Hong Kong businesses, public officials, and students. Documents purport to show, too, that NSA hacking is directed at targets in mainland China, although the newspaper said it could not confirm their authenticity.
Snowden said the documents reveal the agency has been hacking computers in mainland China and Hong Kong since 2009. They show, he said, specific dates and IP addresses of computers in Hong Kong and on mainland China hacked by the NSA over a four-year period – all civilian computers that show no sign of being affiliated with Chinese military systems.
"I don't know what specific information they were looking for on these machines, only that using technical exploits to gain unauthorized access to civilian machines is a violation of law. It's ethically dubious," Snowden said in the South China Morning Post interview published Friday.
Snowden also claimed that the NSA has conducted more than 61,000 hacking operations worldwide, according to Wednesday editions of the South China Morning Post. He disclosed the information, he said, to show "the hypocrisy of the US government when it claims that it does not target civilian infrastructure, unlike its adversaries."
"The primary issue of public importance to Hong Kong and mainland China should be that the NSA is illegally seizing the communications of tens of millions of individuals without any individualized suspicion of wrongdoing," Snowden elaborated in the Morning Post interview that appeared Friday online. "They simply steal everything so they can search for any topics of interest."
Such revelations come on the heels of talks earlier this month between President Obama and China's President Xi Jinping that focused in part on US concerns about Chinese cyberespionage directed at US businesses. A new US-China cyber working group is expected to urge China to curb its cyberespionage against American businesses and US critical infrastructure. But the US delegation may now find its job much tougher, cyber policy experts say.
"Current leaks are certainly untimely from a US political perspective," says Mr. Logan. "It certainly puts a big dent in the US position in these new US-China talks on cyberespionage."
Others, however, suggest that US cyberspy tradecraft will sustain a hit at least as severe as that to diplomatic relations.
"The [diplomatic] damage is pretty limited, as most countries assumed we were doing this and many of them do it themselves," writes James Lewis, a cybersecurity expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "The damage to [intelligence] collection may take years to rebuild; the damage to the US international position is limited, since no one was surprised."
The technical details that Snowden divulged concerning the router hacks mean the US ability to conduct cyberespionage using that particular tactic could be lost, or least crimped.
"Great harm has already been done by opening this up," Gen. Keith Alexander, chief of the NSA and head of US Cyber Command, told members of the Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday. "There is no doubt in my mind that we will lose capabilities as a result of this."
Some cyberespionage experts, however, say the NSA's bag of tricks is deep – so the damage to cyberintelligence-gathering may be overstated.
"Look, the NSA has a lot of cyber capability globally, so while this single revelation gives the agency a bruise, no doubt, it doesn't damage the agency that greatly," says John Bumgarner, a cyberweapons expert and former intelligence officer who has done work for the NSA. "During the 1970s, the NSA had damaging leaks, but they still kept growing. The NSA has been harvesting information like this for a long time, and will for a long time into the future."
Logan concurs. "The NSA employs several thousand pretty skilled hackers," he says. "So I don't think these disclosures really change that much for them –or for China. The only one that's wiser after all this is the public at large."


text:
How does this affect the products we buy:
So back to my pain with the iPad, I believe the difference in approach to designing the product is creating my pain. In my case I mainly use my tablet to consume information. The widgets, and the application hooks are clearly places where I benefit from additional integration.
Widgets speed up my information gathering, application hooks speed up my information sharing, categorization, etc... I think they are two aspects where Android is far superior than iOS. They clearly provide useful and meaningful information as well as fit in more naturally in the flow of what I do.
- Android Widgets: they give you access to information right away, no need to look further. With the advent of tablets I strongly believe more innovation around widgets is on the horizon. The additional real estate of tablets, gives widgets more possibilities. iOS doesn't have the widget concept, and it's not possible on a stock iPhone. One could say this is a design decision on Apple's part, and they are right, widgets is not part of the Design language of iOS. I question where the mindset Apple has about widgets, ie, loss of control of the main screen is my guess what is driving Apple.
- Application hooks: This is the ability for an application to hook itself in other applications. This way an application can complement one another. In Android Evernote registers itself so that all other applications on the system can pass on information to it.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Carbonic Walrus
Carbonic Walrus
Interested in purchasing this artwork? Please navigate back to our gallery website for details on how to contact us.
International Purchases: Prices are shown in US Dollars only and do not reflect local exchange rates. Local taxes, import duties or shipping & handling are not included. Please contact a gallery for local pricing.
Hand-Painted Cast Resin Sculpture
Authorized Estate Edition
Dimensions: 13.5" x 13.5" x 9.5"
Limited Edition of 850 Arabic Numbers
99 Patrons' Collection
155 Collaborators' Proofs
5 Hors d'Commerce
Adapted posthumously from the original 1930s plaster, horn, and oil on wood mount sculpture.
Every January the National Boat Show is held in New York City. In 1937 Standard Oil wanted something elaborate from Dr. Seuss for the show. Ted topped his previous efforts by using a collection of his seven Marine Muggs sculptures for the Essomarine booth. The January 1937 issue of Yachting magazine highlighted their appearance: "From the briny depths of the imagination of the famous designer, Dr. Seuss, whose murals have been a feature of Essomarine's recent Show exhibits, comes a collection of the weirdest denizens of the deep ever imagined in the wildest nightmare of a skipper. The anatomy and peculiar appearance of certain of these creatures have caused so much speculation that their origin has at last been divulged. It is said that many of these monstrosities were sighted in out of the way spots by Seuss Admirals and reported to Admiral-in-Chief Seuss during the course of a year's cruising."
The Carbonic Walrus is one of the seven "Marine Muggs."


text:
Fluttering Pink - Liberty London
$49.90 per metre
Fabric Origin: UK
Fabric Composition: Cotton
Fabric Width: 135-139cm wide
Lightweight cotton tana lawn with a polished feel. Perfect for shirts, tops, skirts, dresses, patchwork, quilting, dolls clothes, handkerchiefs, anything at all. Cotton voile works well for lining this fabric.
Details + Care
Prewash fabric cold before cutting/sewing. Machine wash or Hand Wash cold.
Samples and purchases under $10 = $2 Priority/Airmail Letter Worldwide
Spend between $10 and $150 = $10 Express Post Australia Wide or $30 International
Orders $150 or over FREE EXPRESS POST Australia Wide or $30 International
Shipped same day or next business day, so you can have your lovely fabrics or purchases as soon as possible!


text:
PARK(ing) Day Dallas 2014 .
Summer is almost here! Schedule your FREE DWU irrigation system check-up today/ conserve water! http://bit.ly/1i7srEU @savedallaswater
Vote for @DallasZoo as the best in U.S. at @USATODAY! #10best
Check out @wfaagmt today at 9, live from @dallaslibrary Central branch, highlighting available programs/resources. #dallaslibrary
Dallas Zoo
Fair Park
Dallas Museum of Nature & Science
Dallas Aquarium
Dallas Arboretum
Sixth Floor Museum
State Fair of Texas
1500 Marilla Street
Dallas, TX 75201
Tel: 214-670-3111
Follow Us
Get the latest news from Dallas City Hall


text:
As part of my experimental Castle MonoRail project that I mentioned last time. I now wanted to allow users to include an image (avatar) within their profile. Obviously I could have just allowed them to upload an image, store it and then shown it when required. But I thought I'd integrate with Gravatar instead.
Gravatar is basically a free service where anyone can store an avatar image against an email address. They provide a very simple API for us developer types to integrate with given a user's email address. So without further ado, here is what I did:
1. I signed up for a Gravatar account and uploaded an image ready for testing.
2. I created a test (TDD style) for a GravatarHelper class that would at first just return the correct image URL for an email address. I took the test data from their documentation so I knew it was correct:
public class When_using_the_gravatar_helper
public void Should_build_a_basic_image_url()
var gravatar = new GravatarHelper();
string url = gravatar.Url(" firstname.lastname@example.com ");
Assert.That(url, Is.EqualTo("http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/3b3be63a4c2a439b013787725dfce802.jpg"));
OK, so pretty straightforward there then. The email address is of mixed case and has spaces around it on purpose as the documentation specifies that emails need to be trimmed and lowercased before hashing.
3. Now I have my failing test, I went right ahead and started implementing it:
public class GravatarHelper : AbstractHelper
private const string PROTOCOL = "http";
private const string DOMAIN = "www.gravatar.com";
private const string PATH = "avatar";
private const string EXTENSION = "jpg";
public string Url(string email)
email = email.ToLower().Trim();
MD5 md5 = new MD5CryptoServiceProvider();
byte[] hash = md5.ComputeHash(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(email));
var hashAsHex = new StringBuilder();
Array.ForEach(hash, b => hashAsHex.Append(b.ToString("X2")));
return string.Format("{0}://{1}/{2}/{3}.{4}", PROTOCOL, DOMAIN, PATH, hashAsHex, EXTENSION).ToLower();
Again, no rocket science here. I just lowercase and trim the email address then hash it using the built-in .NET MD5 hash provider. Then I have to convert each byte in the hash into hex and add it to a string. Lastly I return the URL that has been built up from the various parts (and lowercased for good measure).
4. Next, just add the helper to my controller:
[Helper(typeof(GravatarHelper), "gravatar")]
public class AccountController : SmartDispatcherController
5. Then the simple task of using the helper in my view (not my real email):

And hey presto, my Gravatar of my son appeared on my page, wahoo:
Now that is all very good, but there are some extra parameters that the Gravatar API support. These are size, rating and default (in case the email address isn't registered with them). I also wanted the helper to generate the image tag for me. So I went about creating a new helper test:
public void Should_build_an_image_url_inside_an_image_tag_with_parameters()
var gravatar = new GravatarHelper { ServerUtility = new StubServerUtility() };
IDictionary parameters = new Hashtable
{ "size", "48" },
{ "default", "http://example.com/images/example.jpg" },
{ "rating", "g" }
string tag = gravatar.Image(" email@example.com ", parameters);
Assert.That(tag, Is.EqualTo(""));
I'm using an IDictionary here so that I can leverage the support for it in NVelocity. So about these parameters: The size parameter is the size in pixels that you would like the image (1 to 512) which defaults to 80. The default parameter is a URL of an image in case the email address supplied isn't known by Gravatar. The rating parameter can be g, pg, r or x. Also notice in the test the need to set the ServerUtility property of the helper, I just using the StubServerUtility provided by Castle.
Now for the implementation:
private const string IMAGE_TAG_FORMAT = "";
public string Url(string email, IDictionary parameters)
string url = Url(email);
string queryString = CommonUtils.BuildQueryString(ServerUtility, parameters, false);
return string.Concat(url, "?", queryString);
public string Image(string email, IDictionary parameters)
return string.Format(IMAGE_TAG_FORMAT, Url(email, parameters));
The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that I've added an overload to the Url method as well that supports parameters (I wrote a test for this first, so don't panic). So you can now either create a url with parameters or a full image tag. So now in my view I can do this:
$gravatar.image("firstname.lastname@example.com", "%{size='48', rating='g', default='http://example.com/default.jpg'}")
That about wraps it up for now. I've committed all my code into my Google Code repository, so feel free to have a look: http://code.google.com/p/andypike/


text:
Metuchen Hardware
New Jersey's only interior design showroom exclusively for the trade, Schwartz Design Showroom provides fine furniture, lighting, decorative accessories, and rugs to interior designers and architects. Featuring full lines of home goods from the industry's most sought after vendors, Schwartz is a complete resource for professionals looking for interior design solutions.
Schwartz Design Showroom | 287 Amboy Avenue, Metuchen, NJ 08840, United States


text:
Anyone that watches movies for a living must constantly keep their finger on the pulse of what's happening in cinema, but it's easy for one to slip through the cracks, which is why it's so exhilarating when a small indie like "Starred Up" comes out of nowhere and knocks you flat on your ass. Penned by first-time screenwriter Jonathan Asser, who spent time working as a therapist within the British prison system, the film is scary in just how realistic it feels at times. From the cell block politics, to the crooked authorities supposedly in charge of keeping the peace, "Starred Up" doesn't pull any punches in its tough and gritty depiction of prison life.
The movie's title refers to the act of transferring a young offender from a juvenile detention center to an adult penitentiary prematurely, and in the case of 19-year-old Eric Love (Jack O'Connell), he's been relocated two years early due to the frequency and severity of his violent outbursts. When his volatile temper quickly earns him enemies among both the guards and fellow inmates, Eric is approached by a volunteer psychotherapist (Rupert Friend) about attending his anger management class, which he believes will provide hope to the young man that he can someday function normally in society. But while his estranged father Neville (Ben Mendelsohn), who also happens to be doing time in the same prison, encourages him to accept the free help, his constant meddling causes Eric to wonder whether he's actually there to protect him or contribute to the abuse.
"Starred Up" is a rather unconventional father/son drama that captures a part of prison life that's rarely been dealt with on screen before. The violence is never as ferocious as in Nicolas Winding Refn's "Bronson" (it makes its point without being gratuitous), but director David Mackenzie doesn't sugarcoat anything either, providing an unfiltered look at what happens when the red mist descends on these wild men. There's no doubt that these guys belong behind bars, and although that makes it difficult to identify with any of the characters, that's not really the intention of "Starred Up." Instead, the film is more interested in exposing the problems within the system while also raising the question of whether prison should be for rehabilitation or punishment.
For the most part, Mackenzie lets the material speak for itself, capturing the fear, claustrophobia and machismo of prison with such staggering authenticity that it's like watching a fly-on-the-wall documentary. That unrelenting approach is critical to its success, but "Starred Up" is also anchored by a pair of excellent performances from its two leads. Jack O'Connell is still a relative unknown on this side of the pond, but his blood-and-guts portrayal of Eric – playing him as a feral, tightly wound ball of rage ready to explode at any second – guarantees he won't be for long, while Ben Mendelsohn delivers a deceptively subtle turn as the scheming lifer trying to do his fatherly duty. The only place where the movie really falters is in the final minutes, which is a little too nice for the events that precede it, because even though the subject matter may be bleak, "Starred Up" is a truly captivating film about the ineffectiveness of the penal system and hands-down one of the best prison dramas in recent memory.
Related Posts
You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook for content updates. Also, sign up for our email list for weekly updates and check us out on Google+ as well.
Comments Off on Movie Review: "Starred Up"
Posted in: Entertainment, Movie Reviews, Movies
Tags: Ben Mendelsohn, Jack O'Connell, Starred Up, Starred Up review


text:
Leading Scapl, Hair & Body Products by Zuma Labs!
Categories of Products We Offer:
Zuma Labs offers the top ranked scalp, hair and specialty skin products. Our customers have typically tried other treatments and remedies and did not get the satisfied results. If you were recommended by your doctor then check out our top selling herbal based products by clicking on a category. We can help wtih simple or complex products such as Acne on your Head, Smelly, Sores, Irritations, Fungus, Clogged Hair Follicles, Crusty as well as Itching and Flaking.
9 out Of 10 People Prefer Herbal Based Products
Foot Odor, Itchy Skin, Mites, and Bad Breath Specialist with TOP RATED Herbal Based Solutions for tough odor issues, skin problems, scalp problems & more! Zuma Labs offers nature's best ingredients that are proven to work where conventional products have not!
Causes, Symptoms & Treamtents
We Can Help You Understand What You Are Dealing With and what we have learned over the years to get rid of your symptoms by attacking the imbalance as we well as eliminating the mites, bacteria and other problem causers.
"These Products Work Like Nothing Else You Have Used - We Guarantee It!"
Zuma Labs
Featured Products
Learn About Our Top Selling Formulas - From Body Odor To Scalp Problems - We Have Advanced Products That WORK!
Zinc Actiplex is a natural ingredient that has been proven to eliminate odor and bacteria that can wreak havoc on your hair, scalp, body, skin pores and hair follicle - yet is is natural based without any of the harsh steroids or anti fungals that can cause even bigger problems. 99% of people that suffer from comditions such as the head pimples, smelly hair sydrome, seborrheic dermatitis, seborrhea on the face and body etc are deficient in zinc minerals in these areas. Our products are consistently ranked as the best products for lasting results!
Natural Based Herbal Solutions For Scalp, Mites, Itchy Head & More
Most of our customers find us by either referrals or by searching for natural or herbal based solutions to their problems. Zuma Labs offers the very best zinc based products that smell great, purify and get the job done without using parabens, mineral oil, propylene glycol or other ingredients that can cause even more skin problems. Also check out our version of body mint that works for odor conditions such as bad breath and other odors that washes do not get to very well. Let us help with chronic, stubborn, musty, muggy, fishy odors. Eliminate, Get Rid of the signs and symptoms that you have been living with!
60 Day Guarantee on All Products
Zuma Labs offers the very best guarantee on all of our products including products for itchy skin, acne, appearance of mites, bed bugs, demodex mites, demodectic mange, malasezzia fungus symptoms, appearance of body odor, underarm odor, smelly feet, itchy feet and many other skin problems!


text:
In which issues concerning the profession of philosophy are
bitched griped about
Monday, July 19, 2010
A Tale of Two Rejections
The other one was rejected for what I think are decent reasons. While I think (in my unbiased opinion) that an R&R might also have been appropriate given the stated reasons, it is clear that the paper should not be published in its present form. (Also, this wasn't surprising--there were several times during the wait that I found myself wishing for another an opportunity to revise the paper.) And I am grateful to this journal for a) putting me in a position to know that the reasons were good by sharing them with me; b) putting me in a position to change the paper in response to the criticisms by sharing them with me, and in so doing, to use this experience in a positive way.
I don't really have a larger point, other than that I wish it was more common to get helpful feedback with rejections, and that it was more common to get a decision in under six months (I really wish it were four, but let's not get carried away here).
--Mr. Zero
28 comments:
I've got as fiver that knows the identity of the short, no-explanation journal. FWIW, I think that particular journal/editor pairing has jumped the shark, but I understand it was giving similarly fast turnarounds back when it was good, too.
- July 19, 2010 at 3:08 PM
If it makes you feel better, in the space of one week a couple months ago I got two papers rejected, one large grant denied, and also found out that a person with seniority and lots of political connections at my U. was planning on taking over my (relatively big) office-space. On the other hand, my good friends at Joe's Liquor, then and now, are always happy to see me . . .
- July 19, 2010 at 3:18 PM
- Ben said...
I really think it shouldn't take journals too long to give some kind of reason. Even if not providing substantive comments, it would be useful if they were to say whether the paper was rejected for reasons of fit/suitability, quality, etc and - if quality - roughly how far off it was...
- July 19, 2010 at 3:24 PM
Those who haven't seen it might enjoy Spiros's open letter to journal referees over at Philosophers Anonymous.
- July 19, 2010 at 4:50 PM
Is it Analysis? I've always had my papers rejected quickly and almost always without explanation. (Well, apart from the form letter that reads much like the letter it seems you received).
Some weird things get into Analysis these days. Further reason journals should practice blind review at the stage of the editor. Who can reign these editors in? It's getting bad. We have unblinded review at Analysis and Phil Studies. Meanwhile, we cannot turn to PPR and Nous. Forget sending things to Mind and J Phil. You'll be long dead before they reject your work.
- July 19, 2010 at 5:11 PM
It's odd that we as teachers/professors are required to justify the grades we give our students, yet as editors/referees we are not required to defend our decisions to reject our peers' work for publication. It makes one wonder whether there is a conspiracy, such that all this blind-review stuff is really just a front, in the same way that students would wonder when we did not use a rubric or give reasons to justify their grade if we just graded them on the basis of their looks or whether we liked them.
- July 19, 2010 at 5:25 PM
I just received a rejection letter from Philosophy and Social Criticism that reads:
"As you probably know, Philosophy & Social Criticism is a journal committed to covering a variety of subject areas. Given this commitment it is sometimes necessary to restrict the number of articles we can accept in one subject area (in this case, articles on ______)."
Please do not think that this rejection reflects on the quality of your submission; I hope that you succeed in publishing your article elsewhere.
Thank you for your interest in publishing with Philosophy & Social Criticism. I hope that you will give us the opportunity to consider your work in the future."
Is the fact that they receive too many submissions on one topic, apart from the quality of the submission before them, a good reason to reject it? So, what the editor is saying is that many lower quality papers might have been considered, and some even published, in this subject area, but since I did not beat these authors to the punch, then mine will not be considered, no matter how good it is. Am I misunderstanding this? It seems totally absurd.
- July 19, 2010 at 5:52 PM
I have recently been asked to review papers for journals for the first time, for two different journals. Neither is the top in the field, but I'd be happy to publish in either. In the first case I was asked to return the report w/in 45 days (and did so, just barely) and in the second I was asked to do so in 4 weeks (I think I'll make it in no more than 3.) I don't know if it's just because this is the summer, if I'm a junior person, or if the journals are just trying to get a good rep, but this doesn't seem unreasonable to me at all. If anything, it motivates me to get it done.
Anon 5:52- I don't think there's any reason to assume that the papers that were accepted were of lower quality than yours. At least, that's not implied.
- July 19, 2010 at 6:14 PM
Anon 6:14,
5:52 here. Notice that I wrote "might," since it is possible that my paper was better than at least one of those on the same topic previously published. This possibility follows from the editor's rationale for rejection: namely, that the paper was on a popular subject, irregardless of the paper's quality. Everyone who beat me to submission could have submitted better papers. That's possible too. But my paper was rejected not because it was of low quality, but because of the order in which it was received.
- July 19, 2010 at 7:46 PM
I for one think that we should start outing journals that provide no reasons or poor reasons for rejection. Then we should make a concerted effort to tell our horror stories and boycott them (whether submitting to them or ordering subscriptions). Academic publishers are now under serious financial pressure, so it is the perfect time to put the stake in the hearts of these monsters.
- July 19, 2010 at 7:56 PM
I have a theory about Analysis. Tell me how it sounds. Michael Clark doesn't actually read most of the submissions. Noone does. If something catches his eye (name, institution, topic) then he reads a bit. Otherwise he just presses a big red button on his keyboard, and the standard rejection email is sent. Very quick turnaround time once again.
Even if this isn't actually what's happening, it's worrying that we've no evidence that it's not - not a trace of evidence that anyone ever reads most of the submissions. Other journals are too slow and have their own problems. But I no longer have any confidence that Analysis is even reading the submissions they receive. That's not the case with, say, Phil Studies, even though I share the worries with the editor taking on refereeing duties while standing in front of the veil of ignorance. Analysis has a uniquely terrible and opaque system. Is it really worth this just to have a journal that will reject us in less than two weeks?
- July 20, 2010 at 3:42 AM
@Anon. 7:56:
The best thing we have for getting this information collected and available is probably http://www.andrewcullison.com/journal-surveys/ - it includes fields for the number and quality of comments received.
- July 20, 2010 at 4:52 AM
Anon 3:42 AM,
Just out of curiosity, how do you know that the editor of Phil Studies referees from the wrong side of the veil of ignorance? (I plan on using that frequently, btw.) I'm not skeptical, mind you, I have my reasons for thinking that this is done. I just wonder what reasons other have for thinking, suspecting, knowing this.
If the editor is refereeing papers with full knowledge of the identity of the authors, they should probably stop advertising Phil Studies as a journal that practices blind review. It's very misleading in the way that false propositions are.
- July 20, 2010 at 5:46 AM
Once again, a Smoker thread that started off interesting degenerates into moaning. Ugh.
- July 20, 2010 at 6:10 AM
I am frequently asked to review for specialty and interdisciplinary journals; typically I am given 4-8 weeks for a review. But that's time for my review once I accept, and it's common for those editors to have difficulty identifying appropriate reviewers and then getting them to accept. I know this, because editors I know tell me this and ask for suggestions. So that explains at least part of the long delay in getting answers from some journals, although it's not an excuse for all of them.
Refereeing journal articles properly is enormously time-consuming and there is no compensation at all. (In contrast, book publishers at least pay token honoraria for reviewing proposals and manuscripts -- anything from $50-$300, in my experience.) I am at a point where I only accept a referee invitation if it is squarely in my own areas of interest and expertise and will not require work to check references I'm not already very familiar with. So I can understand why the recruitment of refereees takes a lot of time for many articles.
Editors also tell me that they typically send very fast rejections when it's clear that a paper is not worth sending out for review -- either it's hopelessly outside the scope of the journal or hopelessly incompetent and editors don't want to waste the good will of reliable reviewers on that stuff. I don't know if that explains the quick turnaround mentioned in other comments, but it might account for at least some of it.
I wish humanities journals would switch to the approach of law reviews that allow multiple submissions. For a really great article that a journal wants, there's a race to get the author to commit to publication in that venue. But for junior academics on a tight timeframe (for hiring or tenure), this multiple submission tolerance helps them out. This suggestion has been aired repeatedly over the years, but I don't see anything changing.
(I'm not a "big name" in philosophy but I have a publication record and apparently credibility on some very narrow questions -- I suspect there are many like me in the profession.)
- July 20, 2010 at 10:02 AM
So, we've outed Analysis and Philosophy & Social Criticism...any others? Which other journals and editors are crossing the bounds of fairness to make their jobs easier? Which journals and editors are on the friends and family plan (i.e. publish your friends, family and any other members of your tribe)?
- July 20, 2010 at 10:50 AM
Weird things get into Analysis? Maybe I should give them a go. All my stuff's weird.
- July 20, 2010 at 12:31 PM
Any connections between the authors of the weird stuff and the editors of Analysis? E.g. one is the advisee of an ex-colleague?
- July 20, 2010 at 2:00 PM
@Anon 5.46,
Personal experience backed up with anecdotal evidence of similar experiences from other people. I've heard of maybe 7 or 8 cases. I should stress that this only happens when they have serious trouble finding referees for a paper. So it may be that it's a necessary evil to keep papers from sitting at the journal for much longer, which isn't in the author's interest either. Still, it does seem undesirable, so hopefully they'll discover a better system at some point soon. (Philosophical Quarterly, Mind and other places have an editorial assistant, which might help here, though I guess the online submission thingamajig is *supposed* to render that unnecessary.)
- July 20, 2010 at 4:25 PM
As a referee, I've been given between 3 and 4 weeks to turn around a review. The last paper I reviewed was both outside the purview of the journal, and incompetent. It was a waste of my time to read it, although I suppose the author got some useful comments from me. I did my best to provide helpful and constructive comments. Still, strikes me that it would not be a bad thing for a paper like this to be rejected outright before it ever gets to a referee, esp. since finding referees seems to be so difficult.
Journal of Medical Ethics requires authors to provide the names and contact info for a minimum of two potential referees during the online submission process. I thought it was kind of strange that I would be asked to name my own referees (they also give you a chance to request that someone NOT referee). But I suppose it saves the editor some effort and maybe it moves the process along faster.
- July 20, 2010 at 5:51 PM
- Aristophanes Hiccups said...
A friend of mine in another humanities field revised a paper that he waited four months for, but got helpful comments. He resubmitted it and received the paper in 3 weeks with very poor comments, so bad that it is clear the reviewer didn't read the paper carefully enough since some of the comments were simply inaccurate. This was at a well-respected journal in his subfield. My worry is that quick turn-around times could essentially mean sloppy referring. On the other hand, there isn't much way to prevent sloppy referring with long turn-around times either. After all, it doesn't take 6 months to read the article, it takes 6 months (or more) to get around to reading the article.
- July 21, 2010 at 7:37 AM
The option to suggest your own referee worries me. It encourages cronyism. The situation is already bad enough. Heavily networked people (especially those with lots of academic siblings) get a much easier ride. I've seen several cases where articles are mock refereed by pals. I can't imagine that the suggest your own option will help make this better. Perhaps it will level the field, making it possible for widespread corruption. I'm not sure what's preferable.
I saw one form that had a "non-preferred referee" I thought it meant "prefer not". Boy was I wrong. I take it that it means second choice. At least that's how some editors see it.
- July 21, 2010 at 7:49 AM
I wish humanities journals would switch to the approach of law reviews that allow multiple submissions. For a really great article that a journal wants, there's a race to get the author to commit to publication in that venue.
As someone who has published in both law reviews and peer-reviewed journals, let me suggest that the law review model isn't so great. For one, it only works because there is really very little review at all. With a few partial exceptions, "review" is the opposite of blind- you submit your CV with the paper, for example, and "letter-head bias" plays a huge role. The "expedite" process is a fairly gross one, and is only possible because of huge law-review boards who must do the work, and don't do serious competent reviews. I don't see how you could do something similar with blind-reviewed journals without it making the already long lag time absolutely unbearable.
- July 21, 2010 at 8:32 PM
Original post ends with: "I don't really have a larger point, other than that I wish it was more common to get helpful feedback with rejections, and that it was more common to get a decision in under six months (I really wish it were four, but let's not get carried away here)."
Of course, these two desiderata are in tension, and as authors we should all recognize this: getting helpful feedback requires of referees that they put in a lot more time to the refereeing process. Nonetheless, I agree that it still shouldn't take as long as it does at some journals to get an initial decision, and that if it does take forever, a rejection should be accompanied by some detailed feedback.
word verification: bioninge
- July 26, 2010 at 11:54 AM
- Ben said...
I don't think there's any real tension. Ordinarily, if referees have X months to review a paper, they leave it lying on their desk for between (X-1) and (X+1) months and then do it within a week.
Of course, it would be nice if, on the occasions you waited a long time, you were guaranteed helpful and informative reviews, rather than brief and dismissive replies from people who still didn't bother to read the paper properly. (Even worse, of course, is being criticized for failing to incorporate work that appeared in the time that the paper's been under review...)
- July 26, 2010 at 2:17 PM
Does anyone know what an _Analysis_ acceptance looks like? How long do those take to get, and are they letters or e-mails? If someone could provide the text, that would be awesome!
- August 23, 2010 at 2:23 PM
2:23, I got an ANALYSIS R&R a few years ago. It was not a form letter but an email from the editor. The paper was eventually accepted, and at that point the editor just sent me another email saying that they'd publish it.
But things may have changed -- do they have automated editorial manager or something now?
- August 24, 2010 at 6:12 AM
Here is something you might want to post about. I work in a mixed department. Phil and Religious Studies.
What's very odd to me is how easy it is for my RS colleagues to get published. The AAR (their APA) meeting doesn't require full papers, but abstracts only. Acceptance rates are very, very high. One of my colleagues says he has never missed in 25 years. He usually doesn't even have a paper, but just talks. (In all the time I have been in my job no one has been turned down by the AAR.)
Then guess what. If an editor in the audience likes to talk, they ask him to send them the paper. Before you know it, it's a published paper. From abstract to publication in not a lot of time or effort.
The RS people didn't understand how hard it is to get on the APA program or that we have to submit full papers.
Recently I was on a search committee for a high ranking administrative position, and a chemist was highly critical of a philosopher who didn't have many publications (the pubs were in very good places, however).
So, if you have job interviews at places with mixed departments, some people may think you aren't really doing much if you haven't published a lot or presented at every APA year in and year out.
It's just an oddity between disciplines I thought I would share.
- August 27, 2010 at 6:55 AM


text:
Algarve and its golf courses are considered repeatedly by magazines devoted to the sport and by international associations of specialist tour operators the best golfing destination in the world. Golfing in Portugal it´s one of the best options for your golfing breaks abroad. Vilamoura and Oceanico, Quinta do Lago, Carvoeiro Pestana and Vale do Lobo are some of the most popular golfing destinations.
Algarve golf courses are located in protected areas with spectacular views, carved in the nature as if they were always there, golf in Algarve is recognised for quality of their facilities internationally, designed by many prestigious legendary champions such as Sir Henry Cotton, Rocky Roquemore, Arnold Palmer and Ronald Fream. Driving Range, Golf Academy and Restaurants are just some of the facilities provided by many of the thirty four golf courses in Algarve region, four of those golf courses with twenty seven holes. Algarve offers luxury golf holidays or cheap golf holidays with many of Portugal best resorts.
For Holidays in the south of Portugal Algarve there are more than two hundred hotels with easy access from the Faro International Airport, which is in the middle of the region, that offers so many direct air links to plenty destinations in the world. Golf players can enjoy their Algarve Holidays almost 365 days of sun, they can play almost throughout all year with an ideal climate in this paradise for golfers region.
Algarve golf history started in 1966 when Penina Championship course open, designed by Sir Henry Cotton. Many golf courses followed to increase the offer. 1969 was the year the portuguese Old Course born, created by Frank Pennick. In 1988 San Lorenzo, by Joe Lee, opens to begin a second wave of course building. Oceanico Victoria opens in 2004 designed by none other than Arnold Palmer. Onyria Palmares built in 1970's designed by Frank Pennink got revised by Robert Trent in 2011 becoming a brand new course. In 2012, Espiche near Lagos was the last golf course built in Algarve . The new Quinta do Lago North by Beau Welling & Paul McGinley opens. 50th years of Algarve golf history completed in 2016.
European Tour CEO, Keith Pelley said: 'The Algarve continues to be a terrific backdrop for tournament golf, having hosted 35 tournaments on The European Tour and Senior Tour, as well as the Senior Tour Qualifying School since 2001.'
'We are proud to have been able to showcase this wonderful region to a worldwide audience and I'm sure it will be another golden year for golf on the Algarve with the 50th anniversary celebrations planned, including the 10th edition of the Portugal Masters at Oceânico Victoria Golf Course in Vilamoura.'
If you are considering some golf holidays in Portugal , the Algarve region can be divided for three main golf areas such as West, Central and East. In the West Algarve , you will encounter three towns with golf courses to offer, Portimão, Silves and Lagos. The Central area that goes from Albufeira to Faro, which includes the so much called Golden Triangule, Vilamoura, Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo, offer the majority and most known golf courses of Algarve . Tavira town will offer most of the East area golf courses, as the well known Monte Rei, 10th in the European top 100 golf courses. Booking golf in Portugal ? Tee times can provide golf holiday packages for your best Algarve golf vacation, one of the best destinations for golfing in Europe.
World Class Golf Holiday Packages and Deals at the world´s Best Golf Destination.
Enjoy our assortment of great golf holiday package deals.
Tee Times Golf Agency have the best golf packages with the right golf courses in Portugal and Spain where you can play throughout the year, no matter what kind of challenge you're looking for, and, benefiting from some great golf deals.
The golf packages start from the basic 2 or 3 rounds at the same golf course, to be played within a week, or the most sophisticated tailormade at Vilamoura Oceânico, where your discount starts on 15% from 3th round and will increase at each extra round to a maximum of 20% , playing the Old course, Vitoria and the others courses in Vilamoura.
Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo, Monte Rei, along with Valderrama, Sotogrande, San Roque are exclusive and luxury golf resorts that offer their guests some golf holiday packages for their enjoyment and convenience.
The Unlimited golf concept, also allows the players to play as much golf as they want, inclusive of 36 holes in the same day and is perfect for the keen golfers on a winter break.
Tee Times Golf Agency have booked golf rounds and golf packages for international players since 1993, so experience, reputation and deep knowledge of the golf industry, allows us to offer in Portugal and Spain some exclusive golf packages to our guests, and offer the best prices on the other most commons.
With almost 365 days of sunshine, Portugal (Algarve , Lisbon, OPorto, Madeira and Azores) and Spain (Costa del Sol, Costa de la Luz, Costa Blanca, Costa Dorada and Costa Brava) within a few hours flight from Europe main cities offers a great destination for golfers worldwide.
If you need accommodation, our team can handle booking those reservations for you as well.
Take full advantage of our golf packages deals and swing the day away on one of Portugal or Spain premium golf courses designed by prestigious legendary champions such as Sir Henry Cotton, Rocky Roquemore, Arnold Palmer and Ronald Fream.


text:
Posts Tagged C-Minus
Animated Friday (Babies R Us Edition)!
Posted by dan in Animated Friday on March 19, 2010
C-Minus is totally super pregnant these days, so there's a lot of talk about having babies and changing bodies and amniotic sacs. It's grody to the max. She'll be mid-sentence and she'll suddenly stop talking and sit up straight. Her eyes will go wide and she'll ominously say something like, "it's moving," sending a shiver down my spine. I get slightly nauseated at the disgusting thought of the bone, flesh, and hair soup she's got floating around in her abdomen. Apparently some people think it's a beautiful miracle to willingly host a parasite inside of you like that, but I'm thoroughly revolted every time I think about it.
Still, the end result is generally pretty cute, so here are some related animated GIFs to give C-Minus something to look forward to, and to keep her mind off of the mutating, thrashing alien growing inside her.
Babies are cute.
Babies are cute.


text:
Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
I'm #2 by one point ..I will probably drop this week ..I'm pick my answers with my heart not logic ..its just a game.
LOL we are tied for first place Spooky !! !
I will get that fixed as soon as I get home today. I just didn't want Janelle in there, I guess! LOL,
Page created in 0.107 seconds with 33 queries.


text:
Since 2003, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority has ensured that local and small companies, including all women- and minority-owned and disabled-veteran businesses in San Diego County, have every opportunity to do business with the airport.
Our goal has been to create a level playing field that attracts businesses of all sizes; and that provides opportunities for workers of all genders and ethnicities.
That philosophy has grown into a firm commitment from the Board and a passionate belief by staff that everyone can benefit from being a part of the work we provide.
Across the country, airports look to San Diego International Airport as a model for engaging small and local businesses. The Airport Authority works closely with contractors to split projects into small packages, when possible, to allow small businesses the opportunity to bid on them.
The Airport Authority also holds small business outreach events on an ongoing basis to help local companies get involved in projects at the airport. As a result of this commitment, the Airport Authority has established a strong track record of inclusiveness.
The Airport Authority awarded $415 million in Terminal 2 expansion (Green Build) contracts to local businesses (90 percent of the contracts) and $118 million to small businesses in 2013.
For the Rental Car Center (2016), local businesses received more than $186.2 million in construction contracts, amounting to nearly 60 percent of the total project cost. Of the contracts that went to local businesses, $70.4 million – or 38 percent – went to small businesses. Also noteworthy is that $70.4 million represented nearly the entire amount ($73 million) that was available for small businesses.
All told, over the past decade, the Airport Authority has committed $750 million in construction contracts to local businesses, and $250 million in contracts to small businesses.
Further, over 100 students graduated in 2017 from the airport's Turner School of Construction Management, which trains small businesses on the ins and outs of obtaining DBE certifications and navigating the bureaucracy inherent in big public projects.
Procurement Concepts, Inc. (PCT) is an ACDBE — certified, California company headquartered in San Diego. The
company has been in business since June 1984. The cempany has three areas of focus, target markets. First, -- Retailers in
airport, high traffic venues and tourist destinations. PCI employs two operating models. First, operate as a standalone tenant
or sub-tenant concessionaire. PCI one hundred percent owns and operates the venue. The second operational model is to
form joint ventures with other national / international concessionaire. This strategy allowed PCI to grow from owning and
operating 6 standalone airport locations in one airport, to joint ventures with 16 locations in two airports. The company's
Second market focus is expanding the e—commerce retail business. The Third market segment is providing Professional
Purchasing Services.
PCI's retail group operates under the trade name, Gift Etc. and has been in operation since 1991. The company has own
and operated seven (7) retail locations in both terminals one and two at the San Diego International Airport from 1991
through 2014. There was three (3) news/gift concessions, two (2) See's candy shops and one (1) general merchandise
concession. These locations operated 14 to 18 hours per day and 365 days per year. Gifts Etc. new and gifts shops were full
service shops with a "store within a shop" concept to create a shopping experience that provides customers with product
differentiation they may not otherwise find in the typical airport store.
Gifts Etc. operated a full—service Bookstore and Hallmark card shop, also in the San Diego airport. The bookstore was a
full—service bookstore with more than 2,500 titles spanning all reading categories in hardcovers, trade and paperbacks. Baja
Books has earned the reputation of being the concession to visit if you were looking for an upscale gifizs item. Additionally,
the airport employee shopped in Baja because they could buy Halhnark greeting card and book at the same price they would
pay off airport.
Gifts Etc. owned and operated a sport's retail shop The Store of Champions — in the Hall of Champions in Balboa Park.
The product mix centered on San Diego sports at all levels fiom amateurs to professionals, inclusive of all the local
universities, as well as the San Diego Chargers and Padres. Athletes who have connections with San Diego sports are
featured in this venue. All sports are embraced from Tony Hawk skateboarding to Jimmie Johnson NASCAR racing.
Gift's Etc. own and operated retail concessions at the San Diego Convention center. These were three mobile kiosks used
at the center featuring a product mix of San Diego memorabilia and show specificity products. Plus, sundries and personal
Our operating mantra and mission are to make available to the traveling public items they need and/ or desire from sundries
to upscale gifts, and specialty items that are reflective of Southern California that are normally not found in an airport; items
you would find instead in a high-end department store, mall or local boutique. To provide these items at a fair market price
and served in a friendly environment.
Presently, PCI own's or have joint ventures with three national / international airport concessions companies. This
represents 16 different concessions, some venues in food and beverage venues and retail venues at two major airports. Eight
food and beverage concessions Seven retail concessions and one sublease. PCT is the exclusive land side merchandise vendor
for the USS Midway museum. PCI provide San Diego memorabilia and show specificity products. Many of these items are
the same items carried in our airport stores.
The company's philosophy is to appreciate what we have been able to achieve and give back to those communities in
which we do business. Mr. Johnson has been actively involved in civic and community organizations within San Diego and
the state of California. Mr. Johnson served as Vice Chair of the Centre City Development Corporation, (Redevelopment
Agency) board member of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, Chair of the Independent Citizens'
Oversight Committee for $1.5 Billion and a $2.1 Billion San Diego Unified School District bond measures, Member of
California's EDD Small Business Advisory Council, Board member San Diego United Way, San Diego Workforce
Partnership, San Diego Workforce Policy Board and former Board member of the San Diego Urban League, CDC Small
Business Finance Corporation and the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The Business of Flight, a podcast on behalf of San Diego International Airport and the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. At SAN, we focus on getting passengers from Point A to Point B quickly and efficiently, which means we're constantly striving to improve our airport. How does that happen and what does that look like?
Join our team as we offer you a window seat view of the action and impact on our community, and take a closer look at everything from the business of building a better airport to our commitment to working with small, local and under-represented companies in our region. The Business of Flight pulls back the curtain and shows you not just what we do, but how we do it, and, most importantly, why...
Small Business Development offers a regular series of monthly workshops in the evenings from 6 – 8 p.m. Check the calendar to find a workshop that interests you.
Below are descriptions on some of the workshops offered throughout the year. Class sizes are small to allow for more personalized instruction, therefore pre-registration is a requirement.
Recognizing that the main barriers for small businesses have been a lack of access to bonding and financing, the airport's Bonding and Contract Financing Assistance Program assists small contractors in establishing first time bonding or increasing their current bonding capacity and financing for airport contract work.
Program Services:
Enrollment Information - The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority Bonding and Contract Financing Assistance Program is open to all experienced and licensed small businesses interested in participating.
To obtain more information, please contact the Bonding Office at (619) 400-2571 or send an appointment request.
The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (Authority) has received Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and as a condition of receiving this assistance, the Authority has established a:
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program Information and Goals
Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) Program Information and Goals


text:
I was so thrilled with it, I took it to work to show the ladies and they loved it too!
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Here it is!
I was so thrilled with it, I took it to work to show the ladies and they loved it too!
Posted by Lynn B at 21:01 2 comments
Mattress pincushion received from Jennifer
7.30am this morning the post person delivered a very special package from Jennifer W in the hooked on exchanging group.
Wow, wait until you see this, it is absolutely beautiful -Jennifer it took my breath away! I have tried to email you but I am getting a failure delivery, I will keep trying.
I will post a picture as soon as I can.
Wow, wait until you see this, it is absolutely beautiful -Jennifer it took my breath away! I have tried to email you but I am getting a failure delivery, I will keep trying.
I will post a picture as soon as I can.
Posted by Lynn B at 18:47 0 comments
Monday, 27 October 2008
A pink creation!
I just could not resist making something Pink, I love the colour and the feel of this silk by Dinky Dyes it is so beautiful to work with. I have stitched this pinkeep on Antique White Dublin Lugana Linen 25 count, 1 0ver 1 using a lovely alphabet from tempusfugit . The scissor fob was stitched using DMC threads and Mill Hill white beads.
I will be sending this to a friend who I have not seen for a while, I hope she likes it!
Posted by Lynn B at 18:48 0 comments
Labels: Pinkeeps, scissor fobs
Friday, 24 October 2008
Christmas Ornament work in progress and new purchases
I decided to treat my self to some Prairie Schooler Autumn Patterns and some lovely silk thread by Dinky Dyes, I just love using silk thread! The work in progress is a My Big Toe Designs Christmas Ornament from the Just Cross Stitch Ornaments Magazine 2008, stitched 1 over 1 on 25 count Dublin Lugana using DMC threads 315, 520 and 803. I am also stitching a Christmas Ornament for the Hooked on Exchange Group Too but I cannot post a picture until it has been received by my partner.
I have only just started using linen and I would really appreciate some tips. I would love to know what everyone's favourite linen fabric is, what stitch count you like best and if there is any particular color that you could not do without? I have heard that Legacy Linen is really nice to work with but I don't think I can get it in the United Kingdom. Does anyone particularly use this make?
Any comments greatly appreciated!
Posted by Lynn B at 19:47 2 comments
Labels: Christmas Ornaments, Prairie Schooler, Stash
Monday, 20 October 2008
Cross stitched Peacock Mattress Pincushion has arrived.
The Peacock Cross Stitched Mattress Pincushion has arrived at it's new home! I am so glad you liked my exchange Jill, it was a pleasure to stitch, and yes it really was my first mattress pincushion stitched over 1.
I live only just over an hour away from the home of Beatrix Potter and I based the exchange around that theme. I included a porcelain thimble with a picture of Beatrix Potters house on it, some postcards that showed the garden where Peter Rabbit lived and some purple DMC thread that I knew Jill would like and last but not least, the mattress pincushion pattern was a freebie from Papillon Creations . It was stitched on 25 count Dublin Lugana with DMC threads 3765, 3816 and 422.
Well I can rest easy now, knowing that another exchange has arrived safely, I suppose I better get stitching on the Christmas Ornament exchange now.
Thanks for looking everyone, have a nice day!
Posted by Lynn B at 21:57 1 comments
Labels: exchange, Mattress pin cushions
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
My partner has received my first exchange.
My partner Heather has received my first exchange from the Rotation Stitchers group. I stitched the Pinkeep design from Pam Smiths Prairie Schooler from The Gift of Stitching Magazine on Dublin Lugana 25 Count, 2 over 2 for the Pinkeep and 1 over 1 for the scissor fob. The reverse side was stitched in DMC thread 3828 and the letter H was taken from an alphabet from the tempus fugit blog I also included some nice fabric but I forgot to include it in the photograph.
Posted by Lynn B at 18:39 1 comments
Labels: My first ever exchange, Pinkeeps, scissor fobs
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Sent my second exchange
I have posted my second exchange on Monday 13 October, I am hoping it will not take too long to arrive. I have made a mattress pincushion in the Hooked On Exchanging Too group, it is a lovely design and I do hope my exchange partner likes it. I am also currently stitching a Christmas Ornament but the posting deadline is not until mid November so I have plenty of time.
Happy cross stitching everyone and thanks for looking at my blog!
Happy cross stitching everyone and thanks for looking at my blog!
Posted by Lynn B at 18:59 0 comments
Sunday, 12 October 2008
My first ever exchange received.
I have just returned from a weeks holiday and I received a lovely parcel from Susan in the Rotation Stitchers Group, it is my first ever exchange and I was thrilled! Thankyou Susan for the lovely pin keep and goodies, I love the fact that you designed it yourself, I really appreciate everything.
I am a little worried that my exchange has not been received yet, I sent it two weeks ago, although I am trying not to panic too much because it does have quite a distant to travel.
In a previous post I promised I would post a picture of my first practice mattress pincushion, I made a few mistakes in it but the next one was so much better, even though I say so myself! I will post a picture of this when my partner has received it.
Posted by Lynn B at 15:13 0 comments
Labels: Mattress pin cushions
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
|A national community service since 1999 - Over 1.5
Billion Sent
A Free Public Service
An Enotem Private Media Venture - Public Partnership
|Home | About | Public Services | Update - Unsubscribe | News and Press | Products & Solutions
|Your Local Radar Link Severe Weather Map Weather in Offerle & all KS Cities Weather for all U. S. Cities & Counties
Edwards County, KS News
Sign up for Emergency Notification of Severe Weather Alerts, Health, Cyber and Homeland information. We provide free email and cell phone emergency notification.
Click Here... The Emergency Email & Wireless Network
A Service of The Emergency Email Network since 1999"
Visit the National Weather Situation Page (tm)
National Weather Situation Page
"You're on the Situation Page (tm)"
powered by VueTOO


text:
Xavier Musketeers (27-6) vs. Georgia Bulldogs (17-16)
When: Thursday, 12:25 p.m.
Where: Washington, D.C.
1. Coaches Corner. Xavier has done an excellent job over the past 20+ years finding capable coaches that continue to advance the program to higher levels. From Pete Gillen to the late great Skip Prosser to Thad Matta to Sean Miller, each coach has brought his own style to Xavier and has been able to find success. Now in his third season, Sean Miller has lead Xavier to its best regular season in school history. You would think by now that people would know Sean Miller because of his coaching resume, but still many people know him because of his appearance on David Letterman as a kid to show off his dribbling skills or perhaps because he knows how to teach offensive improvement. Most likely though, you know him because he was a key component in the most famous dunk in college basketball history.
2. Balancing Act. The Xavier Musketeers are this season's Atlantic 10 regular season champions and have done so with a balanced attack on the offensive end. For most of the season, Xavier has had six guys averaging double digit points per game lead by seniors Josh Duncan (11.7 ppg) and Drew Lavender (10.8 ppg). BJ Raymond (10.7 ppg), CJ Anderson (10.7 ppg) and Derrick Brown (10.6 ppg) have also been steady contributors for the Muskies. Stanley "Hammer" Burrell has arguably been Xavier's MVP this season despite averaging a career low in ppg (9.9 ppg). Hammer has become one of the top perimeter defenders in the country as evidenced by his ability to contain the likes of Eric Gordon (4-12 FG), Chris Lofton (3-12 FG), Sean Singletary (5-12 FG), Jimmy Baron (0-7 FG), and Dayton's Brian Roberts (held to 6-19 FG in two games combined). Phil Martelli, for one, won't be sad to see Burrell go based on his comments after the first Xavier/St. Joes game... "Is there anybody here from the Xavier administration? Do you know when graduation is? That goddamn Burrell, every year, every goddam game makes a shot against us. He was averaging 7.5 points coming into the game in seven league games - or eight games. Doesn't look like the same player, playing great defense. Dagger. I want to be here to make sure that sonofabitch gets out of here to be honest with you."
3. The Power of X. While this year's team is inspiring the hopes and dreams of Xavier fans everywhere, The Power of X is more than one team, one player or one coach. The statistic the majority Xavier fans will tell you they are most proud of is not the 14 All-Americans in school history or making the NCAA tournament 16 of the last 21 years, it is the fact that the Xavier program has graduated 70 straight seniors which dates back into the 1980's. Josh Duncan, Drew Lavender and Stanley Burrell will make that 73 straight this May and they will be certainly be missed, but the future is bright at X. Next year, Xavier welcomes Top 150 recruits Kenny Frease (#55) and Brian Walsh (#142) as well as uber-athletic PG Mark "Cheeks" Lyons, but Brad Redford may be the recruit that has inspired the most discussion and excitement amongst Xavier fans. Redford is one of the leading candidates for Mr. Basketball in Michigan while averaging just under 40 ppg at Frankenmuth High School. Redford set a Michigan state record this season by hitting 102 consecutive FT's and shot over 46% from behind the arc while displaying some ridiculous range. — Brian Leibforth
1. Seriously, They Actually Did That. We'll be talking about what Georgia did during the SEC tournament for years, but dammit, we need to acknowledge again, just so that the fickle hand of Internet history records that we recognized. The Bulldogs won four games during the SEC regular season (they also lost
at home on the road to East Tennessee State) ... and then, in the midst of a tornado and TWO GAMES IN THE SAME DAY, they won four during the tourney to clinch a bid. They weren't even particularly hot coming into the tourney; they'd lost five of six and 10 of 12 going into Atlanta.
2. Doin' It For The Coach. As you'd probably expect when your team loses 10 of 12 to finish the season, Georgia fans weren't exactly doing backflips over keeping coach Dennis Felton around. Brought in to clean the program up after Jim Harrick did what Jim Harrick does, Felton was wearing on fans' patience with no tourney appearances in five years. And then this happened. Needless to say, you have to like his odds to return next year.
3. Where Did This Come From? Even more impressive about this run? Georgia lost two of its best players from last year, Takais Brown and Mike Mercer, and the team now has only eight scholarship players. They very well might have been the least likely team on earth to have pulled off two wins in one day, and four in four. Our favorite player, just edging doofy tall white guy Dave Bliss (who is far clunkier than a man with the name "Bliss" should be), is leader Sundiata Gaines, whose first name means "African warrior." We'll be honest: With the Illini finally petering out in the Big Ten final, we're cheering for Georgia to win this whole thing. If they play all six games in one day, they have to be the favorite. — Will Leitch
(And sorry we had the dismissal thing wrong; obviously we wrote this very quickly after they made it yesterday and missed that detail. We apologize.)
Join The Deadspin Pool.
Download The Deadspin Printable Bracket. (PDF)


text:
The good ol' Packer science fiction movie cliché. It's as old as the Packer science fiction movie genre itself.
We at the Packer Ranter are sick of studios dumbing down our beloved Packer science fiction movies with clichés out of fear the movie will fail. That's why we've put together a list of the top thing to avoid when making a Packers Science Fiction Movie. Now, eliminating these clichés is not going to solve the epidemic, but hopefully inspire a few more creative risks that will keep Packers science fiction movies entertaining and edgy for years to come.
1. Don't make the QB/Aaron Rodgers the hero. Can you think of a more clichéd hero for your Packers science fiction movie? Rodgers is already the QB, MVP and face of the franchise. With Rodgers as the lead, the audience already knows he's going to overthrow the dark overlords and free the digital slaves from having their memories completely erased. You want to pick a lead who's lesser known and somewhat edgy. Someone who you're not quite sure about, but could see rooting for. Think Tom Crabree or Sam Shields, for instance. This will keep the audience guessing and give you the creative latitude you need when crafting your epic sci-fi thriller off the rings of Saturn.
2. No journey. A good sci-fi adventure will probably include some sort of journey. It's always important to make the destination some exotic planet or country. Coming from the Hoth-like Frozen Tundra, there should be a visit to a domed city or a warm-weather locale...or both like the Planet N'Awlins-7.89-Bourbalox.
3. Your spaceship should not be a giant football helmet. How many times have we seen a Packer sci-fi movie start out so promising only to disappoint in the space battle scene with flying Green and Gold helmets start swirling around like a bunch of Pacmen gone wild? That's right, way too many. You really need to nail your Packers spacecraft for the battle with the Bears in the sky. Why couldn't your spaceship be a winged team bus with supercharged engines? Or a flying version of the Atrium powered by Donald Driver's shimmy? Your spaceship is really an opportunity to let your creativity soar – don't disappoint.
4. Going back to change your Packers sci-fi movie, claiming to be updating it. The Packers team will change, adding and losing players, but your movie shouldn't. That's the cast you started with, that's the team at the time, stop tinkering with it...you're ruining it. Rodgers shot first.
5. For the love of Lambeau, no more retro-futurist alien races! I've seen everything from farming, Amish-like communities to vintage 80s societies who like to break dance. Look around. Whether clothing or culture, our world is extremely diverse – why would your alien population be any different?
6. Bleeding is for sissies! Throughout your Packers sci-fi movie, your hero will undoubtedly get into some serious fights (let's hope so anyway!). What normally happens is an exchange of violent blows in which either your hero or villain may get scratched but never really injured. Huh?? Last I checked football is a dangerous sport. Players get more than just nicked up, they experience serious bodily harm, season-ending IR or worse – your characters should be the same. So be sure James Starks' arm is cut off if the villain slices it off with a plasma laser sword, Ok people? That will just make his eventual triumph that much more meaningful.
7. Ted Thompson as some cliched zen-like mentor/teacher character. That's too easy. Instead have him be your ship's mechanic. He can have a few lines like, "We are always exploring options to upgrade the warp-drive" and "I like where our flight crew's at right now", but other than that he should just be covered in grease and scowl a lot.
8. Don't overlook the spaceship or other vessel as a character to be developed. When you can make the Kessel Run in under 12 parsecs, or you can make 70,000 people go out-of-their-minds-crazy when they hear a simple music riff or a song by Todd Rundgren, there is something to be explored there.
9. Overuse/reliance of the "Touchdown" celebration. Ok, we get it – people love a great touchdown celebration. And when you your Packer hero(s) finally blows up the Vikings mothership or renders Megatron futile, you're going to want to celebrate. That's fine – great even. Just don't resort to Riverdancing on fallen enemies or pretending to photon-blast your mechanical thigh holster for a cheap thrill. Unless you can think of something truly original (risky), a simple fist pump or barbaric space yawp will do.
Did we get them all?


text:
South Africa's celebrated pace attack took a hammering in the first Test against Australia and has much to prove in next week's second but batsman Hashim Amla still believes it is the best in the world.
The tourists fielded a four-pronged pace attack in Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and debutant Rory Kleinveldt but they conceded centuries to Ed Cowan and Mike Hussey as well as an unbeaten 259 to Australia captain Michael Clarke.
"Australia has a good attack, obviously they had home conditions and so on," said the quietly spoken Amla. "In world cricket there are a lot of good attacks. In my opinion, we have the best attack and Australia and England are also up there."
South Africa had the Australians on the ropes at 40-3 on day three of the Test before Clarke joined Cowan at the crease for a record stand to wrest the momentum back.
Bowling coach Allan Donald thought his attack had performed well in parts on a surface that offered little movement. "I thought we created some chances, I thought we created some chances for long periods," he said on Monday.
"We could have had Michael Clarke caught a couple of times with some really good telling deliveries that fell into spaces. You go through those periods as batsmen, you ride that pressure and I thought that Australia rode that pressure really well and got through those stages."
That said, figures of 1-129 for Steyn, 0-103 for Philander, 3-127 for Morkel and 0-97 for Kleinveldt did not make attractive reading for the South Africans.
For Philander it was a first real setback since the late bloomer burst onto the Test arena and started his meteoric rise to number two in the world rankings behind Steyn. "He knew at some stage that he would run into something like this. He is a class bowler," said Donald.
"Australia have done their homework pretty well and came out of their crease a little bit more to nullify the lbws. You are going to get those days where you are going to have to slog it out, you are going to get those days when you are going to toil for long periods time.
"Vernon is the honest businessman, he comes to the party most of the time. That's why you have a group of players, if someone's having a tough time, someone needs to help him out."
South Africa's progress after a dominant day one was halted by the second day being washed out for rain and they also played most of the Test with 10 men after JP Duminy, who bowls handy off-spin as well as being a solid middle order batsman, ruptured his Achilles in training.
Having lost Duminy for six months, there seems little chance South Africa will leave spinner Imran Tahir out for the Test at the Adelaide Oval, that while batter-friendly can deteriorate markedly towards the end of a five-day match.
Kleinveldt is almost certain to make way for Tahir after a difficult debut, if nothing else because of the 12 no balls he bowled. "I think he bowled well in patches, nobody thinks you are going to get an easy ride on your Test debut. I think he did okay," said Donald.


text:
(WASHINGTON) -- As House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi urged Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act Wednesday, one of her congressional colleagues personalized the issue on the House floor by recounting her own experiences with domestic violence.
Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis., who joined Pelosi in introducing the legislation, said, "Violence against women is as American as apple pie."
"Domestic violence has been a thread throughout my personal life -- up to and including being a child repeatedly sexually assaulted, up to and including being an adult who's been raped."
Aides close to the Democratic congresswoman say Moore was sexually molested by a family friend repeatedly as a child. Moore also says she was a victim of date rape later as a young woman, when her assailant stole her underwear to show off as a trophy to friends.
"This is what American women are facing," Moore said. "This is not a partisan issue and it would be very, very devastating to women of all colors, creeds and sexual orientations for us not to address this."
Pelosi underlined the "critical, life-saving support to victims of violence" that the legislation has provided over the last 18 years through funding for groups and services that help victims of domestic abuse.
"All Americans are entitled to feel safe in their workplace, in their homes, and walking on our streets," Pelosi said. "Yet too many women continue to live in fear, and that is why we must reauthorize and strengthen and pass the Violence Against Women Act."
Democrats failed a short time later Wednesday afternoon in a procedural stunt to attach reauthorization to a vote on the Republican budget blueprint.
Pelosi said that since the bill was first signed into law by President Clinton, the legislation "has strengthened communities" by reducing violence against women.
"This law has helped ensure that more victims report domestic violence to the police, that the rate of non-fatal intimate partner violence against women has been decreased by 53 percent, in that period of time," she said. "Rape crisis centers have been able to keep their doors open [and] law enforcement and victims' services providers are working together to better meet the needs of victims."
Opponents of the bill object to provisions that make federal grants to domestic violence organizations subject to their ability to prove they do not discriminate against homosexual and transgender victims. They complain that on Native American reservations, it shifts authority of tribal courts over domestic violence matters with non-tribal aggressors. They also object that it provides additional visas for battered undocumented women who agree to cooperate with law enforcement.
"Unfortunately violence is not limited to just Democrats or just Republicans or just blacks or just whites," Moore, the Democratic co-chair of the Congressional Women's Caucus, said. "It's not limited to heterosexual relationships, but there are relationships of all kinds that are exposed to domestic violence."
Currently, local tribal authorities say they struggle to prosecute domestic abuse cases of Native American women who are married to non-Native American men because they don't have the force of law over non-tribe members.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the highest-ranking Republican woman in the House, declined to comment directly on the Democrats' proposal, but told reporters that there is bipartisan support for a reauthorization of the legislation, and House Republicans will move forward with their own version before current funding expires.
"The issues that were raised in the Senate did not deal with the underlying bill itself," McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said. "You're going to find that there is bipartisan support for the bill."
The law was first reauthorized by Congress in 2000, and again in December 2005. Authorization expired Sept. 30 last year but money that was disbursed before the program expired has been used to cover the current fiscal year.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio


text:
What can I help you with today?
Want to have a chat?
Retailer Competitions - Terms and Conditions
Unitas Match & Win T&Cs
© 2019 Mondelez United Kingdom - All rights reserved
Delicious Display uses cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue we assume that you consent to receive all cookies on all Delicious Display. Find out more here.


text:
New technologies have given governments unprecedented means to access personal information. In order to ensure all people can seek information and express themselves freely, there must be reasonable checks and balances on governments' ability to access, collect, and store individuals' data. Both security and freedom can be protected, but only through balanced laws and policies that uphold human rights.
Encrypting data on devices – as well as data in motion – is critical in helping protect against malicious hacking, identity theft, harassment, and other crimes.
Before unleashing this technology, it's imperative that basic privacy and transparency rules for domestic use of drones be established.
The government needs the ability to conduct surveillance, but transparency, accountability, and the rights of individuals must also be protected.
Efforts to improve cybersecurity must be multi-faceted and policy must be based on principles of openness, collaboration, and respect.
ECPA must be reformed to require a warrant for our digital communications.


text:
The Knox County General Sessions Courts hear between 65,000 to 70,000 cases each year.
The Knox County General Sessions Courts will be closed when Knox County schools are closed for road conditions due to snow and/or ice. This policy does not apply to delayed school openings. If you have questions concerning a criminal case, (public intoxication, bad checks, traffic violations, misdemeanors, DUI, and court payments) contact the Sessions Court Clerk's office at (865) 215-2375. For all civil cases (civil warrants, garnishments, petitions to pay) direct questions to (865) 215-2518. The Clerk's office will maintain normal business hours.
We hope our web page will be of value to all members of the community.
If you have any questions or comments, concerning this web page please contact:
Esther L. Roberts
Judicial Clerk /Mediation Director
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Welcome to our new site!
Are you planning on vacationing in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and need a place to stay? Make sure to check out our award winning condo hotel properties with all of the amenities you would expect from a luxury rental. All of our 5 properties are located in the Premier Zone of Playa del Carmen.
Also make sure to browse through our site to find great tips and information on restaurants, tourist attractions and activities to do while in Playa.
We hope you enjoy your visit!


text:
Welcome to TurkoTek's Discussion Forums
Archived Salons and Selected Discussions can be accessed by clicking on those words, or you can return to the Turkotek Home Page. Our forums are easy to use, and you are welcome to read and post messages without registering. However, registration will enable a number of features that make the software more flexible and convenient for you, and you need not provide any information except your name (which is required even if you post without being registered). Please use your full name. We do not permit posting anonymously or under a pseudonym, ad hominem remarks, commercial promotion, comments bearing on the value of any item currently on the market or on the reputation of any seller.
|Miscellaneous (rug-related) Topics Opinions on books, articles, recent auctions, exhibitions, etc.
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
|October 16th, 2017, 10:49 PM
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Manchester UK
Posts: 10
Websites of Interest
To follow up on my 'advice on books' thread which was a great help to me while also potentially damaging to my bank account I have another ask. Could you good people recommend some websites that I should have on my list. On one thread (now deleted) there was a reference to articles on the structure of Kurdish rugs.
Turkotek is of course without question the best site but if people could point me towards some experts who have good sites (not rug rabbit type market places) then I can continue my odyssey with a few extra mariners aboard to assist me in navigating between the Charybdis and the Scylla.
|October 16th, 2017, 11:59 PM
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 100
Hi Phil
I suggest that you browse through our Links page. It's divided into sections for sites that are information rich and those that are primarily commercial venues. Nearly all the site descriptions were written by me, so you won't find the sort of self praise that some would use to describe themselves. There are also many rug-related discussion boards on Facebook that might interest you.
Steve Price
|October 17th, 2017, 04:18 PM
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 45
Rug Societies
Hi Phil.
To supplement Steve's general recommendation of browsing the Turkotek Links page, let me encourage you more particularly to check out R. John Howe: Textiles and Text (reports on the Textile Museum's Rug and Textile Appreciation presentations: https://rjohnhowe.wordpress.com) and the rug society websites (esp. Goteborg, SFBARS, International Hajji Babas, Hajji Baba Club and New England Rug Society) listed there.
Since it's my home society, and I don't think it's immodest to point out how rich the site is in both information and images, let me put in a plug for the NE Rug Society website (http://www.ne-rugsociety.org/). Of particular interest are links to the Gallery, with images and text from six exhibitions (http://www.ne-rugsociety.org/gallery.htm) and archived copies of the Society's newsletter, "View from the Fringe", with detailed accounts of speakers' presentations and lots of accompanying images going back to the 2001-2002 season (http://www.ne-rugsociety.org/newslett.htm). If you can't make it all the way to New England to attend the meeting, it's the next best thing.
Joel Greifinger
|October 17th, 2017, 11:18 PM
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Manchester UK
Posts: 10
Thanks to both of you, I hadn't noticed the links page! I think I generally connect and go straight into a long thread about Sauj Bulagh or similiar until I eventually run out of brain power.
One day I will return to New England, I loved my brief stay In Rockport two years ago. It is a remarkably civil place, more English than the English you could say. In the meantime I will take a virtual tour of the rug society.
|November 20th, 2017, 07:52 AM
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 63
I would highly recommend John Taylors "Rugtracker" blog, a huge amount of highly qualified info (mostly on classical and Turkmen rugs) http://www.rugtracker.com/?zx=fe11d0d4bda75a9b
Unfortunately the blog has recently been changed to a private settings, so you need an invitation from John to view it, you can contact him here: https://www.blogger.com/profile/09560690048452653114
best Martin
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Linear Mode


text: Your next machine might be closer to your jobsite than you think. Build & Quote lets you configure a Bobcat loader, compact excavator (mini excavator), Toolcat™ utility work machine or utility vehicle exactly the way you want it. Select your machine, customize with options, and submit to your local dealer for a price quote. Start by selecting a machine.


text:
You can find a wealth of information about Michael Simich in minutes. Peruse the search responses presented below for anyone named Michael Simich, who have lived in Saint Paul. Our well-organized profiles enable a quick identification of the individual you are searching for. Browse important details, like age and relatives, to hone in on the right Michael.
USA-People-Search.com displays a wide range of search results in a user-friendly manner that allows users to pinpoint the correct Michael Simich in Saint Paul easily. All the records and data we posses is categorized under major sections - name/aliases, age, location, and possible relatives - enabling you to browse quickly through the lists of people with the last name Simich. When you have discovered the right Michael Simich, proceed to the Details page to get more updated information.
In order to identify the right Michael Simich, you can streamline your search by utilizing all the details you might have. From past residences to known aliases, you can use any information to limit your search responses. With the help of USA-People-Search.com, you can get access to a wide range of personal information, such as email addresses and phone numbers, past and present addresses, family members, and more. Register with us today!
Home |
About Us |
All Products |
People Directory |
Help |
Privacy |
Terms & Conditions |
Contact Us |
Link To Us |
Bookmark Us


text:
Secret Slab
|This article is missing an image. Please help the Azurilland Wiki by adding one.
The Secret Slab is a rare item in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Explorers of Darkness that can be obtained from missions. Just like its counterpart, the Mystery Part, it can be brought to certain floors of certain dungeons to obtain to encounter Legendary Pokémon.
|This article is a stub. Please help the Azurilland Wiki by editing it.


text:
Paul Ryan's budget, 2012 edition, looks substantially like its 2011 predecessor. But it doesn't sound the same.
Gone are the snippets from political philosopher John Locke and the venerated words of various saints of American political history — Thomas Jefferson, Ronald Reagan, and Theodore Roosevelt among them.
In short, Ryan 2011 sounded like a graduate thesis on statistical steroids. Ryan 2012 is like an 80-page campaign commercial.
The distinctions help map out where the country was in 2011, how Republicans have responded to the initial Ryan budget, and how they see the budget in the context of the 2012 campaign.
Back in 2011, Republicans had just surged back into the House of Representatives on a wave of back-to-the-roots conservative groundswell. Under the broad heading of the "Tea Party," the movement that gave Paul Ryan the gavel of the House Budget Committee, was going to get its out-of-control government, Obamacare, the stimulus, bailouts of the automotive and financial industries under control.
At that moment, Ryan wrote a budget that sounded like it could be delivered as the keynote for the Jim DeMint Prize in Economic Freedom. Ryan tied the Declaration of Independence (publication date: 1776) with Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations" (publication date: 1776), noting a confluence of moral and economic sentiments.
It made a brisk walk from there through Locke, George Washington, Alexis de Tocqueville and Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, who give us one general thought: Commerce is good, America is great because it recognizes this, and American commerce is part and parcel of the nation's moral underpinnings. From there, the 2011 budget propositions grew.
How did that 2011 budget go over, politically? As POLITICO's Jake Sherman writes, not so well: "The Paul Ryan budget was a political disaster last year for Republicans."
They got hammered by Democrats who, in one memorable campaign ad, showed a Paul Ryan look alike literally pushing grandma (Medicare) off a cliff. This year, Politico's Sherman continues, Republicans got a lesson in political messaging before the budget saw the light of day: Say things like "bipartisan" and claim to "fix" Medicare to "keep it from going bankrupt."
Reading the 2012 budget, this lesson was well-heeded.
The first page of the 2012 Ryan budget is a chart titled "A Contrast in Visions," stacking up Ryan's budget against President Obama's. While James Madison and Winston Churchill make cameos in the introduction, the most frequently-footnoted non-technical source in the document may very well be Barack Obama, as Ryan continually contrasts his views with that of the president.
Republicans, Ryan's 2012 budget says, aren't flying off the tea party handle any longer. This is a budget about the president as much as it is about the GOP, echoing the theme that many Republican elder statesmen have noted over the past several months: Republicans may not be fired up by their presidential choices but they're definitely enthusiastic to beat Mr. Obama.
But for all the changes, one thing has stayed the same: Ryan's insistence that we've reached a historic moment to deal with America's financial challenges.
"It is rare in American politics to arrive at a moment in which the debate revolves around the fundamental nature of American democracy and the social contract. But that is where we are," Ryan wrote in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal. "And no two documents illustrate this choice of two futures better than the president's budget and the one put forward by House Republicans."
Of course, that rare moment Ryan describes also happened in 2011.
As the introduction to Ryan's first budget puts it, "[r]arely before have the alternatives facing America been so starkly defined."
Indeed. Here's to a historical 2013, too — and perhaps, as Thomas Jefferson put it, "a wise and frugal government."


text:
For freedom and simplicity
OwnFone Mobile is an easy to use telecare/mobile phone that works inside and outside the home – wherever you are.
Easy mobile technology
OwnFone Mobile is the world's first personalised mobile/telecare device with the freedom to work on all the major networks
Easy to use ✔
To make a call just press the button
Small and light ✔
OwnFone is credit card sized and only weighs 40g
Customised ✔
We will design your OwnFone in your branding
Non stigmatising ✔
Looks very different from a red button alarm
Wearable ✔
We supply a colour matched lanyard with every OwnFone Mobile
Safe and secure ✔
OwnFone Mobile only calls the people you choose
Ready to use ✔
OwnFone arrives ready to use. Just turn on, make a call and start talking
Available in any colour ✔
Branded to your business or personalised by you
Business Solutions
For information on our OwnFone Mobile,
please email firstname.lastname@example.com
or call the Business team on 01200 400010
For security and reassurance
Footprint is a wearable GPS device that delivers alerts by voice, SMS, web link or email - wherever you are.
Access to the Footprint web portal
The Footprint Finder platform knows where your Footprints are using real time data – reporting facilities available
Assistance Button ✔
This calls contacts in rotation until one responds, opening up a two way conversation
SMS text messaging ✔
SMS text message sent to contacts simultaneously and shows the location & speed of the device and the alert type
Alert Types ✔
Assistance alert (by pressing button)
Geographic alert (leave or enter a specified area)
plus many others
Incoming Calls ✔
Footprint can receive incoming calls
Roaming SIM ✔
The device will work on all the major UK Networks and automatically selects the best signal
BS8484 (Lone Working) compliant
Available in 4 colours ✔
Black, Blue, Green or Pink
Business Solutions
For information on our Footprint GPS tracker,
please email email@example.com
or call the Business team on 01200 400010


text:
Be Part of Krita's First Training DVD
In the last year, thanks to the help from the many sponsors in the KDE community and beyond, Krita has grown into a mature and polished application for digital artists. We've already seen many great pieces of art being produced with Krita!
But there's one thing still lacking--besides a Windows installer, which is coming--and that's good training material. The Krita team is working on a manual, but manuals aren't the kind of training material artists really want.
At the recent Krita sprint, artist Animtim suggested a plan for creating a training DVD for Krita, and we were very happy. Animtim is now a full member of the Krita team and we're confident that his plan will bear fruit! But your donations are needed to make it happen.
Krita Training DVD Trailer (Download in WebM format )
Basically, the plan is: Animtim will use Krita to create a series of tutorials on how to create a comic book, end to end. The DVD will demonstrate--step-by-step--how to prepare the page, sketch characters, ink with bitmap and vector tools, and add color. Finally, it will show how to create a print-ready PDF with Scribus or publish the comic to the web. This Krita tutorial series will be useful for anyone who wants to create comics in print and on the web. As you can see from the trailer, it is a blast. A by-product of this effort will be a full 20-page comic, a printed copy of which will accompany the final DVD.
The plan has two stages: first, Animtim will create all this material, with a permissive Creative Commons license, of course! That will take about two months. We need your help! We want him to work full-time on this project, which will take about €2000 altogether. Your donations are essential!
If this works out, the next stage is the actual DVD production. Before Krita 2.4 is released in October this year, we will open pre-ordering for the actual DVD's. Those who donate will get a discount for the whole package of DVD and comic; everyone who pre-orders will get their copy personally dedicated to them by the artist.
The 2009 Krita community donation drive made it possible for Lukáš Tvrdý to work for several months, improving Krita performance, stability and usability. Your donations for a training DVD will give people hands-on experience with sketching and painting, whether they are creating comics or using Krita in other ways.
Thanks for your help to enable Animtim and the Krita team reach this goal!
You can donate via PayPal using the button on the left or email [email protected] to arrange an alternative payment method.
Awesome initiative, guys & girls! I look forward to the end result D:
By Anonymous at Sun, 2011/06/05 - 1:54pm
target audience
Will the training DVD be aimed at professional artists (who are merely new to Krita), or also at drawing/painting hobbyists or even newbies?
By Anonymous at Sun, 2011/06/05 - 4:03pm
Animtim - DVD audience
I'll try to get it as simple but complete as possible so anyone can learn from it, with strong basics for the beginner and some professional tips as well.
By Anonymous at Sun, 2011/06/05 - 5:13pm
Animtim - target audience
I'll try to get it as simple but complete as possible so anyone can learn from it, with strong basics for the beginner and some professional tips as well.
By Anonymous at Sun, 2011/06/05 - 5:18pm
donation progress
Will you show a button somewhere (Krita website?) that shows how much was donated already, and how much is still needed?
By Anonymous at Sun, 2011/06/05 - 11:43pm
Congrats and a question about a tablet
This is a really great initiative. I already made a donation.
I just want to make a question, my apologies in advance if it is not the best place to ask.
As I suppose, for a better drawing experience a tablet will be highly recommended. I've read in the past that Wacom tablets have good support on Linux, my question is they still work on Linux?, is anyone using Wacom Bamboo with Krita on Linux? if is not asking too much which kind works better in Krita?
By Anonymous at Mon, 2011/06/06 - 12:38pm
Good question!
I want to use Krita with something like Wacom Bamboo, Pen-n-Touch too.
Been following...
Krita looks like the best excuse for getting a new toy B^)
Thank you Krita and Calligra
By Anonymous at Mon, 2011/06/06 - 4:34pm