text:
If your PWA has use cases where it's helpful for a user to install your app, for example if you have users who use your app more than once a week, you should be promoting the installation of your PWA within the web UI of your app.
Add to Home Screen, sometimes referred to as the web app install prompt, makes it easy for users to install your Progressive Web App on their mobile or desktop device. After the user accepts the prompt, your PWA will be added to their launcher, and it will run like any other installed app.
Chrome handles most of the heavy lifting for you:
- On mobile, Chrome will generate a WebAPK, creating an even more integrated experience for your users.
- On desktop, your app will installed, and run in an app window.
What are the criteria?
In order for a user to be able to install your Progressive Web App, it needs to meet the following criteria:
The web app is not already installed.
prefer_related_applicationsis not
- and
- Meets a user engagement heuristic (previously, the user had to interact with the domain for at least 30 seconds, this is not a requirement anymore)
Includes a
web app manifest that includes:
iconsmust include a 192px and a 512px sized icons
displaymust be one of:
standalone, or
- Served over HTTPS (required for service workers)
Has registered a
service worker with a
fetchevent handler
When these criteria are met, will fire a
event that you can use to prompt the user to install your Progressive Web App,
and may show a
mini-info bar.
See Listen
beforeinstallprompt event. Check their
respective sites for full details:
Samsung Internet, and
UC Browser.
Show the Add to Home Screen dialog
In order to show the Add to Home Screen dialog, you need to:
- Listen for the
- Notify the user your app can be installed with a button or other element that will generate a user gesture event.
- Show the prompt by calling
prompt()on the saved
Listen for
If the add to home screen criteria are met, Chrome will fire a
beforeinstallprompt event, that you can use to indicate your app can be
'installed', and then prompt the user to install it.
When the
beforeinstallprompt event has fired, save a reference to the event,
and update your user interface to indicate that the user can add your app
to their home screen.
let deferredPrompt;
window.addEventListener('beforeinstallprompt', (e) => {
// Stash the event so it can be triggered later.
deferredPrompt = e;
Notify the user your app can be installed
There are many different patterns that you can use to notify the user your app can be installed and promote the installation, for example, a button in the header, an item in the navigation menu, or an item in your content feed.
window.addEventListener('beforeinstallprompt', (e) => { // Stash the event so it can be triggered later. deferredPrompt = e; // Update UI notify the user they can add to home screen showInstallPromotion(); });
You may want to wait before showing the prompt to the user, so you don't distract them from what they're doing. For example, if the user is in a check-out flow, or creating their account, let them complete that before interrupting them with the prompt.
Show the prompt
To show the add to home screen prompt, call
prompt() on the saved event
from within a user gesture. It will show a modal dialog, asking the user
to to add your app to their home screen.
Then, listen for the promise returned by the
userChoice property. The
promise returns an object with an
outcome property after the prompt has
shown and the user has responded to it.
btnAdd.addEventListener('click', (e) => {
// hide our user interface that shows our A2HS button
btnAdd.style.display = 'none';
// Show the prompt
// Wait for the user to respond to the prompt
.then((choiceResult) => {
if (choiceResult.outcome === 'accepted') {
console.log('User accepted the A2HS prompt');
} else {
console.log('User dismissed the A2HS prompt');
deferredPrompt = null;
You can only call
prompt() on the deferred event once. If the user dismisses
it, you'll need to wait until the
beforeinstallprompt event is fired on
the next page navigation.
The mini-info bar
The mini-infobar is one technique you can use to promote the installation of your Progressive Web App on mobile. The mini-infobar will appear when the site meets the criteria, and once dismissed by the user, it will not appear again until a sufficient amount of time has passed (currently 3 months).
The mini-infobar is an interim experience for Chrome on Android as we work towards creating a consistent experience across all platforms that includes an install button into the omnibox.
Preventing the mini-infobar from appearing
Starting in Chrome 76 (July 2019), you can prevent the mini-infobar from
appearing by calling
preventDefault() on the
beforeinstallprompt event.
window.addEventListener('beforeinstallprompt', (e) => { // Prevent Chrome 76 and later from showing the mini-infobar e.preventDefault(); // Stash the event so it can be triggered later. deferredPrompt = e; showInstallPromotion(); });
If you decide to call
preventDefault(), be sure to provide some
to the user that your Progressive Web App is installable.
Determine if the app was successfully installed
To determine if the app was successfully added to the user's home screen after
they accepted the prompt, you can listen for the
appinstalled event.
window.addEventListener('appinstalled', (evt) => {
console.log('a2hs installed');
Detecting if your app is launched from the home screen
display-mode media query
display-mode media query makes it possible to apply styles depending
on how the app was launched, or determine how it was launched with JavaScript.
To apply a different background color for the app above when being launched
from the home screen with
"display": "standalone", use conditional CSS:
@media all and (display-mode: standalone) {
body {
background-color: yellow;
It's also possible to detect if the
display-mode is standalone from
if (window.matchMedia('(display-mode: standalone)').matches) {
console.log('display-mode is standalone');
To determine if the app was launched in
standalone mode in Safari, you can
use JavaScript to check:
if (window.navigator.standalone === true) {
console.log('display-mode is standalone');
Updating your app's icon and name
On Android, when the WebAPK is launched, Chrome will check the currently installed manifest against the live manifest. If an update is required, it will be queued and updated once the device has is plugged in and connected to WiFi.
On Desktop, the manifest is not automatically updated, but this is planned for a future update.
Test your add to home screen experience
You can manually trigger the
beforeinstallprompt event with Chrome DevTools.
This makes it possible to see the user experience, understand how the flow
works or debug the flow. If the PWA criteria aren't met,
Chrome will throw an exception in the console, and the event will not be fired.
Chrome for Android
- Open a remote debugging session to your phone or tablet.
- Go to the Application panel.
- Go to the Manifest tab.
- Click Add to home screen
Chrome OS, Linux, or Windows
- Open Chrome DevTools
- Go to the Application panel.
- Go to the Manifest tab.
- Click Add to home screen
beforeinstallprompt be fired?
The easiest way to test if the
beforeinstallprompt event will be fired, is
to use Lighthouse to audit your app, and check the
results of the User Can Be Prompted To Install The Web App


text:
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South African Journal of Industrial Engineering
On-line version ISSN 2224-7890
Print version ISSN 1012-277X
S. Afr. J. Ind. Eng. vol.25 n.2 Pretoria Aug. 2014
Improvements in the capability profile of 3-D printing: An update
D.M. DimitrovI, *; N. de BeerII
IDepartment of Industrial Engineering Stellenbosch University, South Africa. firstname.lastname@example.com
IIPost-doctoral student at the Department of Industrial Engineering, Stellenbosch University
Knowledge about the capabilities of a production system is an important issue. The three-dimensional (3-D) printing (drop-on-bed) process has become a well-established Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology. Initially intended for use mainly as a concept modeller, its scope of application has expanded to include, among others, fit and functional models, pattern-making for casting and moulding processes, rapid tooling, and medical and architectural models. This growth in applications has stimulated a reciprocal improvement in available materials and the technological capabilities of 3-D printing, such as accuracy, strength and elongation, surface finish, build time, and cost. These factors are of significance to users who want to control their processes better and to designers who want to define their expectations and determine their requirements. Thus this paper aims to provide a technical update, highlighting the influence level of different factors on a system's capabilities. This paper uses the example of the ZPrinter 310 system from the Z Corporation, applies appropriate statistical techniques, and takes into consideration the latest material and machine developments, in order to report on the current improvements of the capability profile of this important process.
Kennis oor die vermoëns van 'n produksie sisteem is 'n baie belangrike kwessie. Die 3-D druk proses het 'n goed gevestigde additiewe vervaardigingstegnologie geraak. Aanvanklik was die hoof doel hiervan om konsepte te modelleer, maar nou is die toepassing uitgebrei om, onder andere, pas en funksionele modelle, patroon vervaardiging van giet prosesse, snel vervaardiging van gereedskap, mediese modelle, en argitektoniese modelle in te sluit. Hierdie groei in aantal toepassings het 'n wedersydse verbetering in die beskikbaarheid so wel as tegnologiese vermoëns van 3-D druk soos akkuraatheid, sterkte, verlenging, afwerking, bou tyd, en kostes tot gevolg gehad. Hierdie faktore is baie belangrik vir gebruikers om beter beheer toe te pas oor hul prosesse, en vir ontwerpers om hul verwagtinge te definieer en om vereistes te bepaal. Hierdie artikel het ten doel om 'n tegniese opdatering te gee van wat die invloed van verskillende faktore op 'n sisteem se vermoëns is. Deur gebruik te maak van die ZPrinter 310 sisteem van Z-Corporation as voorbeeld, en met die toepassing van gepaste statistiese tegnieke en inagneming van onlangse materiaal- en masjienontwikkelinge, word die nuutste verbeteringe van die vermoënsprofiel vir 3-D druk tegnologie bespreek.
Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies have expanded vastly over the last 20 years of their history. Originally seen as only suitable for Rapid Prototyping (RP), these processes are not exclusively used for that purpose any longer. With the advent of new materials, along with new processes, each technology has contributed to the diversity found in the different fields of application. In order to improve current processes and technologies, and even future processes and technologies, it is critical to understand exactly what the capability of each technology is.
During the last 15 years, intensive research efforts have focused primarily on the so-called high-end additive processes and, above all, on the Stereolithography (SLA) and Selective Laser Sintering/Selective Laser Melting (SLS/SLM) technologies. This research has explored various issues that relate mostly to process control and material property improvement. In recent years, three-dimensional (3-D) printing has come to the fore as a very competitive process in terms of cost and speed, and sales of related equipment have increased significantly compared with other AM machines. Figure 1 shows the number of sales of 3-D printers from 2005 to 2010, extrapolated from [1]. These devices were developed, and are still seen, mostly as a 'concept modeller'. However, with the larger selection of materials available today and the wide variety of post-treatment procedures, the scope for this technology has grown quickly - far beyond the original idea of generating design iterations or producing pattern equipment for various casting processes directly from a CAD file. Therefore it is appropriate to assess and provide an update on the current improvements that this technology has been able to achieve.
A large variety of 3-D printing techniques have been introduced into the AM industry over the past 15 years. Depending on the method used, a thermal, polymer, or physical phase change takes place.
Table 1 shows the different deposition techniques that link up to the different technologies that make use of them.
Based on the variety of applications that use the 3-D printing process, the following classification of 3-D printing techniques is derived (Figure 2).
From the above diagram, the similarities of the 'drop-on-drop' (DoD) and the 'continuous printing' techniques can be seen, where the 'printable fluid' and the 'building substance' are one and the same material. This means that the building material has to meet two requirements: the first relates to the fluid's printability and the second relates to the purpose of building the model (i.e., the intended application). The need to fulfil this set of requirements puts substantial limits on the range of materials suitable for a particular application. In contrast, the 'drop-on-bed' (DoB) (powder) version distributes to two different substances the responsibility to meet the requirements. In fact, almost every material can be brought to a powder state, which is also the starting point of the SLS process. With this in mind, the task to bring a material in the state to be processed in a 3-D printing device changes to a task to find a suitable binding liquid. This scenario predetermines a much larger variety of suitable combinations, and thus a much larger application range. The possibility of using infiltrating agents in the next stage of the model's manufacturing process further extends the variety of applications [2]. This fact is illustrated by the conceptual diagram in Figure 3, which depicts the areas of application in relation to the quantity of machine units sold (based on [1]) for each of these 3-D printing techniques. Printer machines that make use of the 'continuous printing' technique have far exceeded (by almost three times) the sales volumes of those that make use of the DoD or the DoB techniques. Important to note here is that printers using the DoB technique span over a wider range of applications.
Since the commercialisation of the first 3-D printer system, research endeavours have been made to improve various areas of its system hardware, software, or materials. Other system developers, such as 3-D Systems with their SLA process, have had similar experiences in attempting to improve their overall product performance. This has led to the development of an aid, aptly referred to as 'the wheel of progress' (Figure 4), for understanding the process improvement. In this illustration, the hill to be climbed is the increasing performance of AM systems. The wheel, which represents the hardware, software, building process, and materials used to make parts, can move up the hill if sufficient driving force is applied.
Insight gained by using this model indicates that once a technique is configured with all four components in place, it soon becomes clear that one of the components is a limiting factor that impedes advancement up the 'hill of progress'. Continued research, development, and engineering attention to the appropriate topic eventually yields an improved capability of that component, and allows the wheel to travel a little further uphill. But no sooner has that limitation been overcome than another takes its place, and so it continues. Improved hardware requires enhanced software and better processing techniques, after which the materials will require upgrading. A clear example of this analogy in action is discussed below, where it is shown how an improvement in materials and software leads to an improvement in process.
4.1 Accuracy
One of the important factors that define the capability profile of the 3-D printing process is the issue of accuracy. Indeed, for a large variety of applications - conceptual modelling, design aids, and anatomical modelling, to mention a few - the question of accuracy is irrelevant. However, for some of the most important applications, such as fit and function tests or pattern-making for a number of moulding and forming processes, this question of (guaranteed) accuracy is of prime importance. Accuracy can be defined as a generic concept of exactness related to the closeness of agreement between the average of one or more test results and a reference value. The results from previous studies [2,4,5] were recently updated by repeating some of the experiments for the latest zp150 material that was infiltrated with cyanoacrylate. These tests were conducted using a Spectrum Z510 machine. Nine benchmark cubes were produced with various nominal dimensions, as shown in Figure 5.
Mean errors were calculated from the measurements of nominal dimensions (Figure 6).The zp150 material exhibits a significant improvement in part quality and accuracy over previous material and infiltration combinations [2]. The average error values fluctuate in the order of ±0.1 mm (σ = 0.08 mm). Values for the Y-build direction appear to perform marginally better than the X- and Z-build. In addition to measuring nominal dimensions, the influence of the location in the build volume of the printer on part accuracy was also investigated and compared with previous studies [2]. For this purpose, nine parts were spaced equally in the build volume (one in each corner and one in the centre), and a comparison was made between the 18 mm nominal dimensions of the same build directions, but in their different build locations. On each cube, a total of 108 representative measurements for each build direction were investigated. The results of the measurements are shown in Figure 7 below.
Measured values in the Y-build direction appear most stable. The reason for this may be associated with the fact that the action of spreading the powder takes place in the X-direction. The Y-build direction may not be affected by this action.
A more concerning observation, however, is seen in the disparities between measured values in the Z-build direction for the zp102 powder (discontinued in October 2005). The circled points in the bottom graph refer to measures taken on the cubes that were on the top and centre layer of the build volume. Their values are distinctly different in magnitude from cubes built in the bottom layer. The bottom cubes display much higher accuracy with lower dispersion. From these observations, it follows that the significant influences to part accuracy in the Z-build direction can be attributed to a combination between powder and binder weight, and the fact that unbound powder does not lend enough support to parts built higher up in the build volume. As binder liquid is added to the powder in the top section, the powder becomes heavier and starts to 'sink' into the excess powder. Therefore, the claim that the free powder will provide sufficient support during the building process could not be confirmed. This means, for example, that overhangs and other delicate shape elements must be built by creating a suitable (and removable) support structure. This problem was realised recently by the equipment manufacturer Z-Corporation, which refers to this phenomenon as 'squash', which is similar to the working of quicksand. This led to the development of specialised software features that provide an aid for creating this kind of additi onal suppor t. The subsequent improvement is clearly seen in the stable measurements recorded for the zp150 powder.
4.2 Surface roughness
Surface roughness measures (Ra) were also taken on each of the parts built. Eight measurements were taken on each cube, and mean values were calculated for each build direction. The results are shown in Figure 8, in combination with historical results for zp102 powder [2]. It appears that even though zp150 material has exhibited improvements in part accuracy, the surface roughness has not followed suit. As before, the Y-build direction still shows the best results, while the Z-direction predictably has the poorest surface quality due to the build layers.
4.3 Build time and cost
The time required to build a part on a 3-D printer will always be of great interest. A basic cost model for 3-D printing processes is provided by [6].
Table 2 shows a breakdown of the time (infiltration time not included) associated with the different activities of the 3-D printing process, for each of the materials. The times relate to the 3-D printing of five benchmark cubes per material - a total printed volume of 681.1 cm3 per print session. The zp102 parts were produced on the ZPrinter 310 system, while the zp150 parts were produced using the Z510 Spectrum machine. This data clearly shows a vast improvement in building speed.
Contrary to popular opinion in previous years, 3-D printing processes are currently used in a wide variety of applications. By considering some of these applications, it becomes clear that because of the improvements in hardware, materials, and software, as shown in the 'wheel of progress', new applications became possible with improved 3-D printing processes.
5.1 Design and proof of concept
Proof of concept was the original intention of 3-D printing, and was therefore one of its main strengths. The comparatively low capital cost of the systems and the fast printing times are ideally suited for physical models to be quickly created during any design stage. These physical models enhance communication, especially between engineers and non-engineers, and are an additional tool that can be used to minimise design errors. One such example is a case in which 3-D printing aided the design of the core system of a marine engine gearbox by allowing a half-scale mock-up of the pattern and core system (Figure 9). This facilitated discussion and planning of the core system, ensuring that sufficient support was provided for all cores, checking the wall thickness, and deciding on the core layout and the number of required cores. This process of bringing designers, pattern makers, and foundry personnel together as a coherent engineering design team is invaluable.
Furthermore, the ability of a 3-D printer now to print in colour can add a lot of value in design communication. Colours can be used to represent non-geometrical information that cannot necessarily be painted on afterwards - e.g., the results of a stress analysis, draft angles, highlighting landmarks, etc. Colours can also simply be used to represent the final printing and/or painting of the component. No matter how it is used, it is a cost-efficient means of adding value to prototypes early in the design phase. Other studies [7,8] on the quality and longevity of colour found some discrepancies in the reproduction of colours, and also found that post-treatment and infiltrant material had an influence. The newer ZPrinter 650 machine, with a dedicated black channel, produced better results than the Z510 machine, again showing how new hardware has advanced the 'wheel of progress'.
5.2 Market research
The comparatively low cost of a 3-D printer's parts also makes the process ideal for developing models for market research and other marketing purposes. Product developers can have the advantage of a physical prototype, albeit not necessarily a functional one, when taking their designs to potential customers. This gives the customer a much more realistic impression of the product long before committing to expensive manufacturing processes.
The prototype of a mop dryer (Figure 10) was made so that national retailers could see the product before committing to its manufacture with expensive injection mould tooling. Although the part (312x194x98 mm) is much larger than the 3-D printer's build volume, it was built in sections that were then glued together after printing, in less than 48 hours.
5.3 Functional prototypes
The purpose of these models is to test the fitment in a larger assembly or to test one or more of the functions of a product. For functional testing, some of the prototype's material properties - its yield strength, hardness, elasticity, water resistance, heat resistance, etc. -need to closely match the end-use material. The accuracy of the prototype must also be within acceptable limits. Where 3-D printing materials and process limitations preclude the use of these prototypes for this purpose, some secondary processes can be employed. An example is shown in Figure 11, where 3-D printing was used very successfully for pattern-making for sand moulds. From these moulds, several castings of automotive engine brackets were produced within the acceptable tolerance as prototypes for functional testing of the power train, before the final die castings were produced.
5.4 Medical field
Since its initial application of being merely a visual aid for surgical planning, the use of 3-D printing in the medical field has grown significantly to include, among other things, patient-specific orthopaedic and craniofacial implants, guides for surgical procedures, scaffolds for tissue engineering, and drug delivery systems for pharmaceutical administration. Anatomical models (or medical models), however, remain the most commonly-used medical application of the 3-D printing process. These models are physical replicas of patients' hard- or soft-tissue anatomy. They help surgeons to improve their planning of complex surgical procedures, resulting in a reduction of surgical time and more predictable surgical outcomes (Figure 12) [9]. They are useful in the pre-bending of metallic reconstruction plates, creating patient-specific facial implants, and measuring and fitting devices used during other reconstructive surgeries.
5.5 Architecture
Another area where 3-D printing has been successfully applied is in producing architectural models for planning and visualisation. Once again, the capability to print in colour adds value to the final quality of architectural models. Unfortunately, the successful use of AM for this application currently relies on a very labour-intensive process to prepare CAD models for printing. Models of buildings, for example, cannot always be uniformly scaled so that they are small enough for the build volume of standard 3-D printers, without small features virtually disappearing. Wall thicknesses may become too thin or railings and window frames become too small. This then requires CAD models to be specially redesigned for the prototyping stage, which is unproductive and adds risk in the human translation of the original CAD data.
One solution to this problem is that CAD models are cut into smaller sections. These sections can then be built separately and assembled afterwards. Although some detail, such as the rails, had to be enlarged for this scaled model, the Millennium Tower in Durban, South Africa (Figure 13) is a good example of the intricate detail and complexity that can be achieved when using 3-D printing models for architectural visualisation. The model was built in 13 sections, not only because its large size exceeded the build envelope by far, but also to facilitate secondary operations such as de-powdering and infiltration.
Extensive market research shows that the 3-D printing process is the most widely-used AM method in the professional world, and above all, within the product development phase. While the 'continuous printing' technique, as used predominantly in the 'fused deposition modelling' process, is mostly responsible for the high sales numbers being focused on certain applications such as concept design and visualisation, the DoB version is characterised by a large variety of applications that include art, education, architecture, and the medical and industrial fields. Thus the question of continually updating the capability profile of this process is of paramount importance for current and potential users such as designers, educators, medical practitioners, manufacturing engineers, and architects.
This paper presents the results of recent studies that show how improvements in hardware can lead to improvements in material characteristics, software, and process performance as a whole, and can push application boundaries, quality, and efficiency. This paper highlights the influence level of certain factors on the system's capabilities, and illustrates the results from enhancing application areas. In this way, the opportunity potential for entrepreneurs and innovators stands wide open.
[1] Wohlers, T. 2011. Additive manufacturing: State of the industry. Fort Collins. [ Links ]
[2] Dimitrov, D. & de Beer, N. 2006. Developing capability profile for the three dimensional printing process. R & D Journal, 22, pp. 17-25. [ Links ]
[3] Jacobs, P. 1996. Stereolithography and other RP&M technologies. New York: ASME Press. [ Links ]
[4] Dimitrov, D., van Wijck, W., Schreve, K. & de Beer, N. 2006. Investigating the achievable accuracy of three dimensional printing. Rapid Prototyping Journal, 12(1), pp. 42-52. [ Links ]
[5] Kim, G. & Oh, Y. 2008. A benchmark study on rapid prototyping processes and machines: Quantitative comparisons of mechanical properties, accuracy, roughness, speed, and material cost. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers - Part B - Engineering Manufacture, 222, pp. 201-215. [ Links ]
[6] Xu, F., Wong. Y. & Loh, H. 2001. Toward generic models for comparative evaluation and process selection in rapid prototyping and manufacturing. Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 19(5), pp. 283-296. [ Links ]
[7] Walters, P., Huson, D., Parraman, C. & Stanic, M. 2009. 3D printing in colour: Technical evaluation and creative applications. Impact 6 International Printmaking Conference, Bristol, September 2009. [ Links ]
[8] Stanić, M. & Lozo, B. 2010. Color and permanence issues in 3D ink-jet printing. Proceedings of the 33rd International Convention, MIPRO. [ Links ]
[9] Honiball, R. 2006. The application of 3D printing in reconstructive surgery. MScEng Thesis presented at the University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch. [ Links ]
* Corresponding author

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text:
Ambassador John W. Limbert said the U.S. and Iran must break through "a wall of mistrust."
[AAAS/Carla Schaffer]
The United States and Iran need to find new common ground and work toward developing a talking relationship if there is any hope of finding a compromise on nuclear issues, said two ambassadors and former hostages of Iran at a recent AAAS event.
"It's just plain stupid on all counts that the United States and Iran do not have a talking relationship. It makes no sense on the face of it, given the range of interests that we share in that critical part of the world. We should be talking about them," said Ambassador L. Bruce Laingen, who headed the American Embassy in Tehran in 1979 as the chargé d'affaires.
Laingen and Ambassador John W. Limbert spoke on 21 May at an event titled "Future U.S.-Iran Trajectories Through the Lens of Former Hostages," which was moderated by Norman Neureiter, the senior advisor to the AAAS Center for Science Diplomacy.
The center has been working to build bridges between the United States and Iran. Last year, for instance, a small delegation led by former AAAS president Peter Agre and including Neureiter visited Tehran and met with government officials, scholars and students. The recent event at AAAS builds on that work by shedding light on a key event in the history of the two countries. Neureiter said that it was important to hear from the two former hostages because he felt that the United States had developed a "fixed view of Iran" that came in large part from the 1979 crisis.
That crisis began on 4 November 1979, when a group of Iranian students seized the American Embassy in Tehran and captured 63 Americans who were working there. (Six diplomats escaped, an event that was dramatized in the recent movie Argo.) Fifty-two of those Americans, including Limbert, were held as hostages for 444 days. Laingen and two other diplomats, who were across the city at the Foreign Ministry on the day of the embassy attack, were held there until three weeks before the end of the crisis when they were moved to join the others.
Tensions in Tehran had begun well before the hostage taking, in the summer of 1979, said Limbert. By that point, "it was pretty clear things were not going in a good way," he said. Then the American government admitted the deposed Shah of Iran into the country for medical treatment. "It was throwing a match on a pile of gasoline," Limbert said.
On the morning of 4 November, hundreds of Iranian students mobbed the gates of the American Embassy, easily overwhelming the Marine guards stationed there. The guards were not there to defend the embassy compound, Limbert noted. That was the job of the host country, but it quickly became "very clear that no help was forthcoming from those who were responsible," he said. Within a few hours, the takeover of the embassy was complete and the Americans were in the hands of the Iranian students.
Laingen, who had been at a meeting at the Foreign Ministry that morning, tried to arrange for help from that branch of the Iranian government. By the end of the next day, however, the Foreign Minister was out of a job and no one in the ministry could help. The provisional government had fallen and the Americans were left to the students and activists that had occupied the embassy. Laingen and two colleagues were held at the Foreign Ministry.
Over the next months, the hostages would endure difficult conditions, including being held in solitary confinement, having guns held to their heads and even enduring a mock execution. But while there are individuals for whom Laingen and Limbert still hold animosity, they both hold hope that normal relations between the United States and Iran could one day be reestablished.
As the Americans were getting on the plane to escape Iran in January 1981, Laingen said to one of the hostage takers, "I look forward to the day when your country and mine can again have a normal diplomatic relationship," he told the audience at AAAS. "I said it at that time, and I meant it."
Limbert echoed those sentiments, saying that at the end of the crisis he had thought that the two countries would redevelop a talking relationship in five to ten years. "We talk to a lot of countries with which we are not friendly," he said. "It's very unusual that we have had an estrangement that's lasted 34 years." The U.S. government, he noted, has had more normal relations over the years with China, Cuba and North Korea, and has even talked to the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Both ambassadors have worked in the years since the crisis to create a dialogue between the two countries. But Limbert said that he is not positive about current negotiations that are centered on Iran's nuclear ambitions. Those negotiations have only dealt with nuclear issues, and "both sides have painted themselves into a rhetorical corner," he noted. "What one side wants [as concessions], the other side cannot give. And so, if all we talk about with the Iranians are nuclear issues, we're going to fail."
Discussions should be expanded beyond nuclear issues into other areas where there is more common ground, the ambassadors said. "We've got to find other areas—maybe it's Afghanistan, maybe it's narcotics—where you can get to the point where if you say 'yes' to something, you realize the sky's not falling," said Limbert.
Laingen, Limbert and others have been working for decades to find that common ground and get the two nations talking. And they still hold out hope that areas for agreement can be found. "Because, after all, if we and the Iranians could never agree on anything," Limbert said, "then Ambassador Laingen and I would still be in Tehran."
Learn more about the AAAS Center for Science Diplomacy.
Read about a AAAS delegation visit to Tehran.


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Well, you are saying, just look up stuff in the Catalog, how simple could that be? It turns out that it is not at all that simple, the Family History Library Catalog itself is a tool for all sorts of things besides simply looking things up. Here is an idea for alternative uses for the catalog.
My very frequent use for the family history catalog involves looking up places to see what kinds of records are available. For example, if I look for Texas in the pull-down menu for Searching Place-names, I get the following list:
The list extends down much further than the screen shot shows. Now, what does this list tell me? It tells me that there are hundreds of items dealing with genealogically useful records at the State level in Texas. Remember that there are some records kept only at the national level (such as military records), other records at only the state level (such as birth and death records currently), still more records at the county level (such as marriage record currently) and yet even more records at the local or municipal level (including all sorts of very local records). So, while I am searching, if I go directly to the place I am interested in, I will automatically miss all the other levels of records available.
Let's suppose I was looking for a birth record. I would scroll down the long list to Vital Records and find the following:
If I do not want to wait for the records. I can click on the entries, go to the description of the records and order the microfilm online for shipment to a FamilySearch Center near me.
But, I am not through, since I am looking for birth records, I may wish to check the FamilySearch Research Wiki, for information about finding birth records. When I search for "birth United States" in the Wiki, I find an article entitled "How to Find Birth Information in the United States." I find out that there are a number of places, besides Vital Records, to look for birth information, including family records, probate records, land records, immigration and emigration records, military records, cemetery records, census records, newspapers, church records and others. Obviously, my search for birth information is not over with the Catalog entries I have found already.
Now, I repeat this operation for the county and town, looking at all of the categories that might contain pertinent records. You can see that you have already learned a great deal from the catalog and you have dozens of records to search.You now know several types of records that may contain birth information and you know a lot of places in your target geographical area where the records can be found. As a bonus, some of the records may already have been digitized and be online for free.


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2070. Our world has changed. The sea's rising level has harmed the coastal cities and climate change has made large stretches of land inhospitable. Build your own society of the future, colonize islands and create huge metropolises on the biggest island setting ever.
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.


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Attendees to the 2017 national conference of the National Association of Independent Insurance Adjusters said new technology-enabled services are remaking their industry.
June 20, 2017
To learn more about Best's Insurance Professionals & Claims Resource visit www.ambest.com/claimsresource
New Tech Adds Adjusting Speed and Reach, Diminishes RelationshipsJune 20, 2017
RAM's Ambriz: Communicating Well Means Being Open to All ChannelsJune 18, 2017
Root Cause President: Use Tech to Attract Younger RecruitsJune 18, 2017
NAIIA's Reisinger: Association Moving Toward Admitting Larger MembersJune 18, 2017
Northern's Daniels: Adjusters Face an Age WaveJune 18, 2017
GC3's Nilles: Speed Matters, Both to Adjusters and InsuredsJune 18, 2017
Alaska's LeNorman: New Phone Systems Bring Rural Claims Within ReachJune 18, 2017
Curley Adjustment's Marx: Tow Trucks, Other Responders Bring Video FeedsJune 18, 2017
Hausch President: Forced-Placed Coverage Fuels Chicago ClaimsJune 18, 2017
Attorney Bentz: Virgin Islands Poses Unique Challenges to InsurersJune 18, 2017
NAIIA President Crosa: New Tech Speeds Claims, Endangers Some AdjustersJune 18, 2017
L.J. Shaw's Berardi: Storm Chasers Driving Up Hail ClaimsJune 18, 2017
Marshall Dennehey's Cole: Plaintiffs' Lawyers Leveraging Unfair Claims ActJune 18, 2017
Schifrin Gagnon President: Drones Take on Bigger Role in AdjustingJune 18, 2017
Gulf Coast's Moore: Texas Law Blocks Lawyers' Efforts to Ensnare AdjustersJune 18, 2017


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Braves enter spring seeking more from young core
Freeman leads group of familiar faces in Atlanta's quest to build on successful 2013
ATLANTA -- After a relatively quiet winter, the Braves will go to Spring Training with a roster that looks a lot like the one they utilized to notch 96 wins and capture the National League East in comfortable fashion last year.
"Hopefully we come out on top with our young group," first baseman Freddie Freeman said. "We'll be fun to watch."
Having signed an eight-year, $135 million contract last week, Freeman stands as the cornerstone to the future of this youthful Braves bunch that should benefit from the experience gained during last year's memorable regular season and a disappointing, abrupt exit from the postseason.
Since losing to the Dodgers in the NL Division Series, the Braves have bid adieu to their two longest-tenured players -- Tim Hudson and Brian McCann. Though these two veterans will be missed, the club feels good about its returning young core, which features Freeman, Jason Heyward, Justin Upton and Andrelton Simmons.
Although the struggles of B.J. Upton and Dan Uggla hindered the offense's attempt to live up to lofty expectations last year, the less-heralded pitching staff provided the necessary compensation on the way to producing the game's best team ERA.
Kris Medlen, Mike Minor and Julio Teheran will continue to anchor the rotation. The dominant Craig Kimbrel will once again headline a talented bullpen that also features Jordan Walden, Luis Avilan and David Carpenter. These four pitchers helped the relief corps set a franchise record last year with a 2.46 ERA.
A quick look at this familiar roster provides reason to better understand why the Braves are approaching the coming season with the confidence that they could prove to be even better than they were in 2013.
Pitchers and catchers report
Full squad reports
Feb. 18
First Spring Training game
Home vs. Tigers, Feb. 26 at 1:05 p.m. ET
Opening Day
Away vs. Brewers, March 31 at 2:10 p.m. ET
Triple play: Three questions that need answers
1. Will the Braves be able to depend on B.J. Upton and Uggla?
Though the answer will not be learned during Spring Training, this will likely be the most popular topic over the next few weeks and months. As the club's highest-paid players last year, Upton and Uggla each hit below the Mendoza Line and wound up in backup roles for most of September. It is hard to imagine these two veterans any worse than they were last year, but it remains to be seen how much better they could prove to be.
2. Can Evan Gattis serve as the primary catcher throughout the season?
While serving as the club's regular catcher for the first six weeks of last season, Gattis quieted critics who wondered if he was capable of proving serviceable from a defensive standpoint. There never has been any reason to question his power potential, which led to an outfield move last year to find him more playing time. But it will be interesting to see whether Gattis continues to hit enough to compensate for his defensive skills while he develops as a catcher.
3. Will the rotation once again prove formidable without an ace?
Medlen and Minor might not be considered aces, but among all pitchers with at least 40 starts since July 1, 2012, they both rank among the top six in ERA. Teheran has the makings to be an ace, and Brandon Beachy was looking like one before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2012. Despite the lack of a bona fide ace, this remains a talented young group that should benefit from an extra year of seasoning.
2013 record
96-66, first in the NL East
Projected batting order
1. RF Jason Heyward:
.254 BA, .349 OBP, .427 SLG, 14 HR, 38 RBI in 2013
2. LF Justin Upton :
.263 BA, .354 OBP, .464 SLG, 27 HR, 70 RBI in 2013
3. 1B Freddie Freeman :
.319 BA, .396 OBP, .501 SLG, 23 HR, 109 RBI in 2013
4. C Evan Gattis :
.243 BA, .291 OBP, .480 SLG, 21 HR, 65 RBI in 2013
5. 3B Chris Johnson :
.321 BA, .358 OBP, .457 SLG, 12 HR, 68 RBI in 2013
6. 2B Dan Uggla :
.179 BA, .309 OBP, .362 SLG, 22 HR, 55 RBI in 2013
7. CF B.J. Upton :
.184 BA, .268 OBP, .289 SLG, 9 HR, 26 RBI in 2013
8. SS Andrelton Simmons :
.248 BA, .296 OBP, .396 SLG, 17 HR, 59 RBI in 2013
Projected rotation
1. Kris Medlen, 15-12, 3.11 ERA in 2013
2. Mike Minor, 13-9, 3.21 ERA in 2013
3. Julio Teheran, 14-8, 3.20 ERA in 2013
4. Brandon Beachy, 2-1, 4.50 ERA in 2013
5. Alex Wood, 3-3, 3.13 ERA in 2013
Projected bullpen
Closer: Craig Kimbrel , 50/54 saves, 1.21 ERA in 2013
RH setup man: Jordan Walden , 3.45 ERA in 2013
LH setup man: Luis Avilan, 1.52 ERA in 2013
The new guys
Utility Ryan Doumit: While he can play a corner-outfield position or occasionally spell Freeman at first base, Doumit's primary value will come via his ability to serve as a switch-hitting pinch-hitter. The fact that he could catch, if necessary, also allows manager Fredi Gonzalez to feel more comfortable about using Gattis as a pinch-hitter when he's not in the lineup.
RHP Gavin Floyd: In an attempt to gain some depth and insurance in the starting-pitching department, the Braves took a chance on Floyd, who is hoping to return from Tommy John surgery performed last May. If he proves healthy, the right-hander would provide a veteran presence to a young rotation and help the club moderate the workload of Wood, who will be on an innings limit.
RHP Luis Vasquez: The decision to sign Vasquez as a Minor League free agent in early November went virtually unnoticed. But as the 27-year-old right-hander's sidearm delivery consistently produced fastballs that registered above 95 mph in the Dominican Winter League, he became the club's most intriguing offseason acquisition. Vasquez will come to camp with a definite shot to begin the season in Atlanta's bullpen.
Prospects to watch
C Christian Bethancourt: Recognized as the club's catcher of the future, Bethancourt could benefit from spending most or all of this season with Triple-A Gwinnett. The strong-armed 22-year-old will attempt to build on the offensive promise he showed last year in a second straight season with Double-A Mississippi.
RHP J.R. Graham: Now that it appears he has recovered from the right shoulder ailment that sidelined him for most of 2013, Graham has a chance to rekindle the promise he produced during his first big league Spring Training last year. If he remains healthy, there is a strong possibility he will end up in Atlanta's bullpen at some point this year.
RHP Shae Simmons: Though he has not been widely heralded as an elite prospect, this hard thrower has made a strong impression since being selected in the 22nd round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft. Simmons recorded 82 strikeouts in 53 1/3 innings between Class A Rome and Mississippi.
RHP Jason Hursh: Like with Minor and Sean Gilmartin in recent seasons, the Braves have extended Hursh a big league invite less than a year after acquiring him as a first-round Draft selection out of college. The young hurler likely begins the regular season with Class A Advanced Lynchburg or Mississippi.
2B Tommy La Stella: As he hit .343 with a .896 OPS with Mississippi last year, La Stella created reason to wonder if he could soon become Atlanta's starting second baseman. Entering his first big league camp, he has the chance to display his offensive potential and allow the coaching staff to judge if his glove is dependable enough for an eventual everyday role in the Majors.
On the rebound
RHP Beachy: After an attempt to return from Tommy John surgery led to frustration and another cleanup surgery, Beachy spent this winter regaining strength and confidence in his right elbow. If he proves healthy and effective, he could be a key contributor. Beachy was leading the Majors with a 2.00 ERA in June 2012 when he learned that the elbow needed to be surgically repaired.
INF Ramiro Pena: Though he started just 18 games, Pena proved to be one of Atlanta's most valuable assets before he was forced to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery in June. His presence as a switch-hitting pinch-hitter and versatile defender will again be much appreciated by Gonzalez.
INF Tyler Pastornicky: Pastornicky, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in August, expects a full recovery by the start of the season. If he is healthy, he will provide Gonzalez another solid pinch-hit option and some defensive versatility.
LHP Jonny Venters: Venters is hoping to return from a second Tommy John surgery in June. It is too early to accurately project how effective he could be. But the Braves are holding out hope for Venters to be reintroduced to the success he had in 2010 and '11, when he was one of the game's top left-handed setup men.
Long gone
C McCann: McCann entered 2013 knowing it could be his last season playing for his hometown team. Now that he is with the Yankees, the Braves can only hope to find the stability he provided at the catcher's position over the past eight seasons.
RHP Hudson: There was some hope that Hudson would return and extend his reign as the club's longest-tenured player. But the Braves were not willing to make the same commitment as the Giants, who signed the veteran hurler to a two-year, $23 million contract in November.
LHP Eric O'Flaherty: Like with Hudson, the Braves were not interested in making a two-year offer to O'Flaherty, who is not expected to return from Tommy John surgery until the latter part of May. The dependable setup man will now attempt to be an asset in Oakland's bullpen.
OF Reed Johnson: This veteran outfielder proved to be one of the game's top pinch-hitters, until he strained his left Achilles in late July. Johnson recently signed a Minor League contract with the Marlins.
LHP Paul Maholm: Maholm tossed 25 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings to begin the 2013 season and then proved inconsistent through the next five months. The veteran hurler, who battled elbow discomfort in September, remains unsigned.


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Submission Number:
Initiative Name:
Proposed Consent Agreement In the Matter of B. Stamper Enterprises, Inc., also doing business as Premier Rental Purchase, FTC File No. 1123151
Big news! The FTC discovered that if someone renting a computer that reports it stolen will have the webcam turned on and pictures will be taken along with screenshots to see if the person is lying! These evil owners will also have a fake registration program to ask information in an attempt to get the thief to reveal who and where they are located. They will then drive over and recover their property from these people even though the person using it is the one that reported it stolen which caused this ALL to happen. They will of course deny it until they are shown their stupid face in a picture taken from the webcam. I think this sums up what actually happens. Now if you want to regulate something then regulate that the rental store has to use 12pt font and give disclosure as to actually what is loaded. How, why, and what will cause the owner to turn on the webcam, screenshots, keystrokes if the computer is reported stolen. If the renter does NOT report the computer stolen then the rental store agrees not to install this software. However, if the rental contract expires and 10 days has passed, the rental store can report the computer stolen and install this software. The owner can only use these pictures, screenshots, etc to recover their property and can only disclose it to local law enforcement and any 3rd party disclosure is not allowed. Once recovered, all said information needs to be destroyed. What you have here is people not reading their rental contract and not taking responsibility. You also have rental stores probably disabling the startup message because renters get feed-up with this constant pop-up and they probably avoid telling them too much. After all, you don't want to start out a rental contract reading them 'fire and brimstone' statements about what will happen if they steal the computer. They are explaining the benefits of the program and features of what they're renting and the fact about being able to turn on the webcam is probably not the most important thing being discussed at the time.


text: We have located some similar legal questions and legal question categories. Check out these challenging questions that askquestions about Fluvoxamine and are similar to Who are some of the lawyers and firms that are handling Fluvoxamine litigation?. Also, we have included a list of some of our more popular legal question categories. These categories are based on what everyone is asking and answering.


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As the CBOE Volatility Index pulled back Tuesday after a spike in the prior session, exchange-traded products linked to the "fear index" largely held their ground.
The reason may stem from the securities' construction, which ironically weed out some volatility, along with a high level of market uncertainty going forward.
The VIX , which tracks S&P 500 options, closed down 11% Tuesday, giving back some of Monday's big gains when it jumped 34% to close at 18.99. That was its biggest one-day percentage jump since August 2011, a period of hypervolatility when the U.S. had just lost a triple-A rating and uncertainty over Europe's financial situation was at a high.
U.S. stocks on Tuesday recouped about half of Monday's losses, bolstered by housing data, consumer company results and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony, when he assured members of the Senate that the benefits of the Fed's $85 billion-a-month bond buying program outweighed the costs.
But while the VIX slid double-digits Tuesday, exchange-traded funds tied to VIX futures were less susceptible. The iPath S&P VIX Short-Term Futures ETN, one of the heaviest volume VIX-linked funds, closed down 2.5%. Below is a chart of the VIX vs. VXX since December. (Source: FactSet.)
"It's one of the big misconceptions that the VXX will actually track the spot VIX," said James Herrell, director of investment at Partnervest Advisory Services , and portfolio manager of the AdvisorShares STAR Global Buy Write ETF .
While the VXX most closely tracks the VIX, an untradable index, it's made up of one- and two-month VIX futures, so some of the intraday volatility of the VIX itself is factored out, Herrell said.
Other VIX ETFs closed down Tuesday but not as much as the VIX itself: the ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF declined 5.2%, the VelocityShares Daily 2x VIX Short Term ETN fell 4.6%, the VelocityShares VIX Short Term ETN dropped 2.4%, and the ProShares VIX Short-Term Futures ETF fell 2.3%.
The index has made more double-digit jumps than double-digit declines in February and is up more than 18% for the week and 31% over the past month. Those gains spell tough times for the stock market, according to one review.
In an analysis of market data over the past 10 years, Trevor Mottl, head of derivatives strategy at SIG Susquehanna Financial Group, said that after a greater than 25% one-day jump in the VIX, the S&P 500 Index has declined an average of 1.25% over the next ten days. The S&P 500 is already down 1.2% on the week.
"People have exposures and they're looking to the VIX for a hedge, a quick hedge for dislocations," said Mottl.
After a greater than 25% one-day jump in the VIX, financials, materials, and technology stocks get hit the worst with average declines over the next 10 trading days of 3.25%, 2.31%, and 1.95%, respectively, Mottl said. The best performers for the next 10 trading days tend to be utilities and consumer staples stocks with share rises of 1.40% and 0.02%, respectively, he said.
There are plenty of worries that could keep feeding the "fear index."
A surprise in Italy's national elections was one of the major drivers in Monday's volatility, when parties led by former comedian Beppe Grillo and former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi captured more votes than expected, making the future of recent reforms in Italy less tenable. When one considers Italy is the third most indebted country in the world, behind the U.S. and Japan, global markets are going to take an interest on how those reforms proceed.
Plus, uncertainty still remains as to what is going to happen with the Washington gridlock du jour, the sequester, some $85 billion in automatic 2013 spending cuts set to take effect on Friday unless lawmaker agree on a solution. While many people expect some of the sequester to take effect, the real question is whether it will be allowed to go on for a few days, or a few weeks or more.
--Wallace Witkowski
Follow The Tell on Twitter @thetellblog
Follow Witkowski @wmwitkowski


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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Yahoo is looking to buy companies that will allow it to become a bigger player in social networking and revamp its family of products, Chief Technology Officer Ari Balogh said Wednesday.
"It's a good time to be buying now," he told the Reuters Global Technology Summit, pointing to valuations that have come down from levels six to nine months ago.
While declining to give specific names, Balogh said Yahoo has had conversations with companies about partnerships and "more interesting" possibilities, such as on building out its platform and basic computing in addition to search.
"I can guarantee you there will be some acquisitions, and we will do some stuff in-house," Balogh, who is executive vice president of products at Yahoo, said by videolink.
Yahoo will introduce new products this fall that will give users a more unified experience across its network of websites and showcase the company's strategy to grow again, after much of 2008 was marred by the failed deal talks with Microsoft Corp .
Yahoo is striving to revive its fortunes as sales decline because of the recession and competition from other Web heavyweights, including Google Inc and Facebook.
While conceding that Google has "won the game" of search as we know it today, Balogh says search will be about much more than "10 blue links" in the future.
"The thing I will tell you is that, core to great experiences for people online may not necessarily be this version of search," Balogh said. "I believe search is going to be far richer ... there's a whole other round or two to go in the search game and that's where we intend on playing.
The future of Yahoo's Internet search business is a big question for investors. Yahoo Chief Executive Carol Bartz and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer have talked about partnering on search, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Balogh said any decision about a search deal was up to Bartz and Yahoo's board. But he said that whatever happens, Yahoo will continue to invest in its own search capabilities.
Balogh said search technology is a vital part of the consumer experience that Yahoo delivers, "and having leading edge scientists and technologists who understand search technology and where search is going is critical to Yahoo."
While advertising spending is down industrywide due to the weak economy, Balogh said Yahoo was seeing strong interest from advertisers for new ways to promote their brands online.
The recent management reorganization, which combined the engineering and product development staff, is allowing the company to create better cellphone products that take advantage of Yahoo's strengths, Balogh said.
"For how many incredible applications we could have and should have, for all the experience on Yahoo, we are terribly under-represented," Balogh said about Yahoo's smartphone applications.
He said Yahoo would release a fantasy sports application for Apple Inc's iPhone this year.
And he said the company would introduce features that tie together a user's personal settings and preferences for Yahoo products between a PC and a cell phone.
The new generation of social networking products is one area where Yahoo needs to "drive harder," said Balogh. He cited new status update features that will be introduced across Yahoo sites in the coming months as an important part of Yahoo's social strategy.
Yahoo's vast number of users give the company an extensive social networking backbone. That means Yahoo can quickly build-out its social infrastructure with "tuck-ins" of interesting products being being developed by other companies, Balogh said.
"We're getting the pulse of companies you might not know about as well as interacting much more aggressively with companies you do," Balogh said


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|"We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere —"
This article is lacking a section listing all of its known appearances in canon. Please help the Harry-Potter-Lexicon by adding such a section, so that it conforms with our layout guide.
The Head of Slytherin is a Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who has the duty of looking after and punishing the students of their House, Slytherin. The Head of House also serves as a Professor of a subject. Most, if not all, of the heads of Slytherin house attended Hogwarts and were in Slytherin. It is unknown how a professor would be elected for the post, but it's most likely that the headmaster chooses the professor whom embodies all the qualities Salazar Slytherin himself had (determination, resourcefullness, cunning, etc.) and like said above, was probably in Slytherin House when he/she was at Hogwarts.
Known Heads of SlytherinEdit
- Subcribe to pewdipie or be locked in the frick chamber. Salazar Slytherin (c. 1000) Salazar Slytherin established the Slytherin household. He had a very strong belief in the fact that only pure-blood witches and wizards should be trained at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Because of this belief, he often had disagreements between the other founders to the school, particularly Godric Gryffindor.
- Horace Slughorn (between the 1920s and 1981) Horace was the Potions master, and had a very close relationship with Tom Riddle. He told Tom about Horcruxes, believing the information he gave out would purely be used for educational purposes. When later incidents proved otherwise, Horace retired from his position, presumably because he felt ashamed with himself for the mistake he had made. Horace was well-known for his "Slug Club," a group of talented, well-connected, or famous students he favoured.
- Severus Snape (between 1981 and 1990 - 1997) Severus was the Potions master at Hogwarts, and served as a Death Eater for awhile. After Voldemort killed Lily Potter, whom Severus had romantic feelings for, Snape served as a double agent, secretly working behind Voldemort's back for Dumbledore. His career ended when Voldemort killed him in order to obtain the Elder Wand. Snape was a difficult teacher, and was disliked by all students except Slytherins. He had a special dislike for Harry Potter because of a grudge against Harry's father. It was also well-known that Snape deeply desired the Defence Against the Dark Arts position, but he never got his chance to teach that class until 1996.
- Horace Slughorn (1997 - present) Horace, after being convinced by Dumbledore and Harry Potter, returned to Hogwarts as the Potions master. After Severus killed Dumbledore and became headmaster of Hogwarts, it was decided that Horace was to become the Head of Slytherin House once again.


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PACHMAYR GUN WORKS INC Deluxe Recoil Pad
Pachmayr Large Black Deluxe Recoil Pad w/Whiteline Base
The Deluxe line of recoil pads have remained popular because of their classic appearance and excellent recoil absorbing qualities. These pads are an excellent choice for those who prefer a softer side to the pad for collar bone comfort.
SPECIFICATIONS:Mfg Item Num: 00001 Category: GRIPS/RECOIL PADS Type :Recoil PadModel :Deluxe F325 00001Finish :BlackMaterial :1.15" Thick, Large


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Carson City Sheriff's Log: Man arrested after allegedly trying to kick deputy
Carson City
The following people were booked into the Carson City Jail. All suspects are innocent until proved guilty in court:
• 6:09 a.m.: Two 25-year-old men were arrested in the 2700 block of South Carson Street on suspicion of disorderly conduct and obstructing. Bail for each was set at $450. About an hour later, a Carson City man was arrested at the location. Bail was set at $150. According to their arrest reports, motel guests had complained that the men were yelling in the parking lot, and they were extremely intoxicated when deputies arrived.
• 7:54 a.m.: A 40-year-old Carson City woman was arrested in the 3000 block of Imperial Way on suspicion of hit-and-run and obstructing an officer. According to his arrest report, he'd been in a crash about five weeks earlier and had exchanged information with the other driver, but not insurance information. The other driver reported to the Sheriff's Office that the man hadn't returned repeated calls. Bail was set at $800.
• 9:37 p.m.: A 44-year-old Moundhouse man was arrested in the 100 block of East Long Street on suspicion of assault on a police officer, assault on a victim older than 60, breach of peace and obstructing a peace officer with violence. According to his arrest report, a deputy responded a report of a patron acting aggressively at a saloon. The man reportedly tried to kick the deputy, who Tasered him. Total bail was set at $6,300.
• 5:08 p.m.: A 26-year-old Carson City man was arrested at Emerson Drive and Mark Way on suspicion of petit larceny. He allegedly took a cart full of groceries from Walmart, then ran away when a loss-prevention officer approached him in the parking lot. Bail was set at $250.
• 10:29 p.m.: Martin Oswaldo Ruiz, 27, of South Lake Tahoe was arrested in the 1400 block of Como Street on suspicion of felony possession of a controlled substance, improper U-turn, expired registration and possession of drug paraphernalia, as well as on a failure-to-appear warrant. According to Ruiz's arrest report, a deputy saw him make an abrupt U-turn without signalling and pulled him over, then learned he had a warrant out of Douglas County. The deputy reportedly found a glass pipe with marijuana residue in the vehicle's center console, as well as a small amount of methamphetamine. Total bail was set at $3,960.
• 7:21 p.m.: Shawn Robert Anderson, 21, a transient, was arrested at Long Street and Russell Way on suspicion of felony possession of a controlled substance, as well as warrants for a felony probation violation, felony forgery and failure to appear-traffic. Also arrested was Treavor John Pate, 21, a transient, on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, as well as violation of a suspended sentence. According to their arrest reports, Pate and Anderson were walking in the area when a deputy saw them cross the street without using a crosswalk. The deputy arrested both on the warrants and reported finding a small amount of methamphetamine in Pate's wallet. No bail was set for Anderson on the forgery and probation violation warrants. Total bail for Pate was set at $3,500.
• 5:11 p.m.: Mary Jean Bohannan, 49, of Carson City was arrested in the 1800 block of North Edmonds Drive on suspicion of felony possession of a controlled substance, as well as on a contempt-of-court warrant. According to her arrest report, someone at the casino where Bohannan was gambling found a bag containing a broken pipe with white residue, and a security officer said he'd seen Bohannan with the purse earlier. Bohannan reportedly accepted the bag from the manager, then was arrested. Total bail was set at $3,500.
The Nevada Appeal only names people arrested on suspicion of felonies, violent crimes and DUIs. Carson City Secret Witness will pay up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of people committing crimes. Anyone with information is asked to call 775-322-4900. The School Secret Witness number is 775-283-1799. Callers remain anonymous.


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KBasic: A VB-Like Rad/IDE For KDE
KBasic is a programming language which brings a complete BASIC to KDE. It will include a great IDE with a form designer and a complete binding to KDE like controls (CommandButton, TextBox, ComboBox, Image, Html) and the other KDE features. Read on for more.
Now the first steps are the development of the form designer and the designing of the KBasic language (EBNF-Grammar, Lexical Scanner, Grammar Parser, BASIC-Functions and Interpreter). In later future it will also support SQL database access via a KSql-Plugin. The big aim is to have a free and good programming tool.
The KBasic language is a pretentious project, so we will need a long time to make it complete. We think in the summer of 2001 the first end user version will be released.
The KBasic website is at http://kbasic.de/. Any help is very welcome.
The KBasic Team
Re: A source code converter would be better.
there is a C++ to VB code converter and visa versa. the only down side is that its quite pricy for me. here is the link http://www.metamorphic.com/html/vb_to_c___0.html
By Quonic at Thu, 2002/04/04 - 6:00am
Re: A source code converter would be better.
Is there a c++ to .txt code converter, or does anyone have one? if so id like to know.
By Mr. Anxious at Tue, 2002/06/04 - 5:00am
Re: A source code converter would be better.
lol u dumbass thats vb to c++ not c++ to vb
By satan at Sat, 2002/06/15 - 5:00am
Re: A source code converter would be better.
huh im a master at c++ and i suck at vb and i dont wanna take the time to convert my vb code into c++ so is there a vb to c++ code converter?
By rogue at Mon, 2004/07/19 - 5:00am
Re: A source code converter would be better.
C++ to .Txt? Just rename the files.
By Cyprus at Mon, 2007/03/05 - 6:00am
Re: A source code converter would be better.
By akbar samadi at Fri, 2004/02/13 - 6:00am
Re: A source code converter would be better.
Are there any free VB to C++ source code converters?
By ben at Tue, 2004/04/13 - 5:00am
well there a lot Questions on this forum and no a lot of answers.............http://www.kdiggins.cjb.net/ this site has a vb to C converter but i realy dont see y one would want to convert c++/c to VB anyways?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿
By MEE at Sat, 2005/01/29 - 6:00am
Re: A source code converter would be better.
Anybody can help me to develop the coding using Visual BAsic as listed below:
1. How to do the code " REply email" in Visual Basic
By ungku abu bakar... at Tue, 2002/08/13 - 5:00am
Re: A source code converter would be better.
How can you say that Visual Basic is limited? It does what it was made for...
It was created to make applications for use within the windows environment and give people access to features of windows that are otherwise inaccessible...
Now you're going to argue the toss and say "C++ does this too, so whats the point in Visual Basic"
Well my friend, Visual Basic is a lot faster than C++ when it comes to development time...meaning you can whip up a windows application within minutes that delivers the functionality that is needed...
C++ takes far too long to create applications that you may only need for a limited amount of time...
Don't get me wrong, I use a wide range of languages to create programs for various functions...but I do not judge the languages on what they cant do...I judge them for what they can do...
And to finish off. You are so wrong about Microsoft products...if you do a clean install of Windows and install nothing into the OS...its perfectly stable, no errors, nothing...
You have to remember Windows has to be compatible with a stupidly massive amount of hardware, its virtually impossible to create a perfect OS that has no issues with anything...
No mentioning Linux here either...the reason that Linux is rock solid, is because theres pretty much no software that has been written specifically for Linux...only ported software...
-End of Rant-
By Peter G at Tue, 2002/10/01 - 5:00am
Re: A source code converter would be better.
I agree. Visual Basic has improved significantly in the past few years. It's a great tool for getting things done. However, I think that Visual C#.NET will probably replace much of VisualBasic usage (except for established VB apps), as it's a nicer language and as easy as VB.NET.
By fault at Wed, 2002/10/02 - 5:00am
Re: A source code converter would be better.
Last time i checked, Linux software has been ported to windows... not the other way around. some progs are ofcourse ported, but 90% of that again has been totally rewritten. Try researching some before you make a statement....
By Zaph at Wed, 2004/03/10 - 6:00am
Re: A source code converter would be better.
comparing vb to basic shows your knowlege of either is pretty much zero.
what a twat
By Duncan at Wed, 2003/12/17 - 6:00am
Re: i want to have vb project to a jpg file
can u help me out. i have to make a ID card S/w where i will have data entry and DB connectivity. backen is access. front end can be anything...ASP or anything. but the rule is i want the output into a jpg file from which i will have colored printout of the page from a shop. most probably, i want to have the IDs of different students will be displayed on A3 size page (18x12 in) then that page will be converted to jpg file.... can u pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaseeeee help me im in an urgent need. thank u
God bless You,
By paul at Thu, 2004/11/18 - 6:00am
Re: A source code converter would be better.
Some ppl are really stupid. Michael here for one.
By Andrew at Fri, 2005/08/12 - 5:00am
Re: A source code converter would be better.
wow 5 years later and you people still pi#s me off. fact of the matter is vb is 80% faster then c++ in development time. "development time" thats were the money is saving "development time", and any real windows functioning is done thru the "WINDOWS API" might be a big word, sorry. any "REAL" coder can pseudo code so language is irelevent fast UI in VB with a solid backend in C++.
lol, linux is a great operating system, but dont make it look bad by being a ja#ka## about not liking windows. alot of people want a nice install, and others want a stable os. in closing its my feelings that a windows guru has just as much os control as a linux guru does, and they both have to much spite about it.
By blabla at Wed, 2005/12/28 - 6:00am
Re: A source code converter would be better.
Michael Jennings is a, know-nothing, talking head (as is evident from the latest .NET developments) "AS I UNDERSTAND", LOL you don't understand crap buddy.
By Richard Saunders at Tue, 2006/01/17 - 6:00am
Re: A source code converter would be better.
Strange, I could have sworn I clicked on the KDE link instead of the 4chan link...
By Anonymous at Tue, 2006/10/10 - 5:00am
VB is useless as a public program compiler.
One would want to convert VB into C++ because the .net framework is needed to run most user made VB programs. Most people would lose interest in a 400kb program that has a 23mb framework requirment.
I need a way to make my programs publicly useable, which means I'll probably have to learn some complicated and time consuming language like C++.
The price of that convertor is over $100, which compells me all the more to look for a good crack. e.e
Microsoft needs to GTFO their high horse and create a Visual Basic-eske program which makes program creation simple while allowing the creator to publish the program and have it run on PC's like a regular application.
By Fullmetalfox at Sun, 2006/12/24 - 6:00am
Re: A source code converter would be better.
Downloaded software code for converting j2me code to pseudo code.
By apsar at Wed, 2007/03/07 - 6:00am
Re: A source code converter would be better.
I did try out a limited VB to C++ converter some time back to try to convert one of my programs to C++ but that converter was limited to converting just the form as I recall but last night I did try out Instant C++ (VB Edition): VB to C++ Converter Demo & this is for VB .NET so it did nothing for me since I run Win98 so I can not run Visual Studio .NET unless I change over to another operating system such as Win XP, 2000, NT, Vista..., if I installed Linux I bet I could run it or if I installed the operating system ReactOS www.reactos.org which is a open source a ground-up implementation of a Microsoft Windows operating system, I am no C++ programmer & even run into problems compiling programs others wrote, my Hello World compiled in all the C++ compiler I tried out so far, about all it is good for is for beginners to try out compilers...
BTW, Hello World =8^)
By FileGod at Wed, 2007/08/08 - 5:00am
egregious spelling/translation error in story :-/
>>The KBasic language is a pretentious project....
By 7thGradeEnglish... at Sat, 2000/09/30 - 5:00am
Re: egregious spelling/translation error in story :-/
I disagree. Perhaps the author chose a word that was contrary to their opinion but i think that a negative word was specifically chosen to indicate the problem aspect of it taking a while to complete the project and to be humble about that problem aspect (especially with the popular dislike of Mozilla style bloat). By using a negative word like "pretentious", that makes it more difficult for other people to criticize them later for their ambitiousness.
By Jay S. Lazlo at Sat, 2000/09/30 - 5:00am
Any KBasic people here?
there have been a lot of interesting questions e.g. regarding code sharing with GNOME. Is somebody of the KBasic Team here to comment? Speak with us.
By Atanasius at Sat, 2000/09/30 - 5:00am
Re: KBasic: A VB-Like Rad/IDE For KDE
I think KBasic is a good idea, allthough I see
Personally I think Basic as a language stinks, hell I'm not really sure you could call it a language. I will probably never use KBasic. But hey that's not the point. The point is that Linux
Pascal is a much better language than Basic, but still nothing beats smalltalk. Maby we should make
By Erik at Sat, 2000/09/30 - 5:00am
Re: KBasic: A VB-Like Rad/IDE For KDE
Looks like a translation problem with the word "pretentious" there. The word has a negative connotation, implying not only arrogance, but that it couldn't live up to it (similar to "vaunted").
I think the word you're looking for is "ambitious"
By Chuck at Sat, 2000/09/30 - 5:00am
Phoenix Object Basic
Phoenix Object Basic is a Visual Basic-like RAD for Linux. It's shareware so far, but they talk of GPLing it eventually.
By Haakon Nilsen at Sat, 2000/09/30 - 5:00am
Re: Phoenix Object Basic
A true Object oriented basic that preserves the easy of use of VB4.0-6.0, and is far more speedy from other bytecode compiled langs, such java. I'm wondering the impact that it will have on windows systems, given the mess that MS will create with VB.NET.
By K C at Tue, 2001/09/04 - 5:00am
Re: Phoenix Object Basic
ok fine
By Amarnath varma at Thu, 2004/10/21 - 5:00am
The problem with VB
The problem with VB until version 6.0 is that it doesn't go the full distance with Object Oriented Programming. Unlike Delphi or Power Builder. M$ has released a spec for version 7 which looks like it goes the distance. Because of VB not going the distance in the past it has turned out a generation of VB programmers who don't understand how OOP realy works.
By James Clarke (R... at Sun, 2000/10/01 - 5:00am
Re: KBasic: A VB-Like Rad/IDE For KDE
In my opinion, such a IDE sould look like this:
By vitor at Sun, 2000/10/01 - 5:00am
I totally agree!
It is a complete mystery to me why such a system doesn't already exist. Both the Borland range of tools and the MS development tools share a lot of code base, so I guess it should be possible to have them integrate into one IDE.
I can't wait for such an IDE, so if someone has created one for KDE, please let me know!
By Martijn Klingens at Sun, 2000/10/01 - 5:00am
Get Real: VB isn't that bad
Hi guys,
Let's all get realistic and stop bashing VB.. it *is* good in doing the limited things it's supposed to do, and does it rather well.
Since then I've switched completely to java, and I feel that *both* are good, for the correct projects.
By Balaji Srinivasan at Mon, 2000/10/09 - 5:00am
Linux can help VB Grow
VB6 is not just a RAD... its more than that... it can become MORE than MS actually intented it to be if all of us stop critisizing and start re-inventing the wheel where it doesnt really work our way...
I mean why not keep the good parts of VB and throw away the bad ones. For example. Let KBasic or GnomeBasic or the next VB-clone for Linux use inline assembly... the ability to create standalone binaries... work out inefficiencies and/or intentional bugs in the language as it exists now, make it parse strings and stream files faster than it already can :)
Programming Languages are tools we use to make programs... they do not define us as programmers. They are meerely tools for the job we so much love. So ... lets start brainstorming on how to make one of our tools ... BETTER :)
By Dimitris Anoyatis at Thu, 2003/02/20 - 6:00am


text:
oil on canvas
22 x 20 in
Penny Machines
oil on canvas
23¾ x 29¾ in
Stack of Books
oil on canvas
30 x 24 in
Seven Suckers
oil on canvas
19 x 23 in
Twin Jackpots
oil on canvas
30 x 46 in
oil on canvas
20 x 26 in
Report by Irwin Gotlieb (below)
Chief executive officer
The year 2009 was an eventful one for GroupM, the parent company to WPP's media agencies – Maxus, MediaCom, MEC and Mindshare. RECMA, the independent organization that measures media agency sector operations, reported that GroupM held a 32.4% share of the total measured volume among all global media agency networks. The figure indicates that we grew our share of global media by a full share point over the previous year. As such, once again GroupM established itself as the world's leading global media investment management company with more than $84 billion in worldwide billings (RECMA reported), more than 44% ahead of our closest competitor in billings.
GroupM's primary goal is to support each of our operating companies as both a parent company and a collaborator in activities that benefit our clients, including trading, content creation, digital communications, new business, finance, proprietary tool development and other critical capabilities.
2009 was definitely a difficult year. It was a difficult year for us because it was a difficult year for our clients. GroupM agencies represent clients that run the gamut of all significant product and service categories. Many of these categories were severely impacted by the global economic downturn that began in 2008 and extended throughout last year, and no category was unaffected. This put us in the position of dealing with the dual challenge of helping our clients through the recession while simultaneously managing our own business to mitigate adverse effects. We had to provide the highest possible level of service and support to our clients, extract greater value for their media investments and do so with improved operational efficiency on our side. It was, to be sure, a delicate balance.
Despite these formidable challenges, each of our agencies scored impressive new business gains in what was the most difficult competitive environment we have ever encountered. These wins, along with a record number of industry awards, are outlined in the individual agency accounts that follow later in this report. Beyond those accomplishments, GroupM also developed new initiatives designed to keep our company at the forefront of the media services business and maintain our global reputation as a pioneering influence throughout our industry.
In difficult economic times, clients place greater emphasis and priority on improved media pricing and the exploitation of opportunities associated with media deflation. GroupM, with our focus on the intelligent application of scale, made further advances in organizing our trading structures to maximize the value that we can deliver to clients. Our advanced marketplace analytics, benchmarking and market simulation modeling informed our trading strategies and provided best-in-class results for our clients.
In the area of online investment, GroupM took a breakthrough, pioneering stance when we became the only major media agency company to change the terms and conditions of online advertising buys to address the issue of data usage rights. This will serve to protect the confidentiality of our agencies' and clients' data and ensure that we have influence over the use of such data. GroupM also led a team of WPP companies to develop an industry approach to online self-regulation by creating a standard icon to appear on all behaviorally-targeted advertising that will allow consumers to control what information is shared with advertisers. The initiative has been endorsed by the US Federal Trade Commission as a positive move toward self-regulation.
We were also active in the area of digital research projects. In October 2009, GroupM Search and comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, announced the results of the first study ever conducted by comScore looking at the relationship between social media exposure and search behaviors. Conducted in tandem with our social media agency M80, the study, The Influenced: Social Media, Search and the Interplay of Consideration and Consumption, revealed the dramatic correlation that influenced discovery of brands through social media has with search behavior, including more lower-funnel searches and increased paid search click-through-rates (CTR).
GroupM also continued to be a leader in forecasting worldwide advertising spending in both traditional and digital media, issuing several This Year, Next Year forecast reports and periodic updates throughout 2009. Last year we published forecasts on the UK and Russian markets, as well as a worldwide report that received widespread press coverage and was presented at the annual Global Media and Communications Conference, hosted by investment bank UBS in New York. The worldwide report, traditionally issued early in the year, is then updated and released about six to eight months later.
open quoteGroupM also aggressively continues to pursue and advance our investments in new technologies and systems to maintain our history of driving innovation and influencing our industryclose quote
The year was also eventful in the field of branded entertainment and content creation. In October 2009, GroupM Entertainment and Yahoo! announced a partnership to help marketers creatively incorporate their brands into original online programming. GroupM also expanded its international content operations and we now manage content in North America, Europe and Asia. In the US, Mindshare and GroupM Entertainment partnered with Disney ABC to produce In the Motherhood, the first ever network television series to have originated as a branded content internet project produced by a media services agency. GME also co-produced and financed Battle of the Blades for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which became the No.1 rated primetime series to originate in Canada, as well as a new daytime and primetime series with Channel 5 in the UK.
GroupM also aggressively continues to pursue and advance our investments in new technologies and systems to maintain our history of driving innovation and influencing our industry.
We firmly believe it is our responsibility not only to explore but also to lead the market in new directions and catalyze the development of innovative opportunities for our clients. These investments include our 2007 equity stake in Invidi Technologies Corporation, which advanced our role in addressable television advertising, which will set new standards in targeting precision and accountability. We have formed key partnerships to speed deployment and adoption of these technologies. All of these moves reflect our belief that within the next few years all media will be addressable, capable of requests for information (RFIs) and message telescoping (in which viewers can request a longer version of the commercial message), census-level measurable and even transaction-capable. We are taking steps today to ensure that GroupM and its agencies proactively shape the future and maintain leadership in this space.
In 2009, we learned to operate at new levels of efficiency, to deliver greater value to our clients and to exploit technologies to improve the targeting and accountability of our business. Our actions are designed to further GroupM's position in the media services marketplace for the benefit of our stakeholders, while at the same time expanding on the competitive advantage that we bring to our clients. We will continue to be aggressive in our efforts to realize both of those goals throughout the coming year.


text:
Family Dollar clerk shot during robbery
Police on the hunt for two men
Albuquerque police are on the hunt for two armed robbers after a clerk was shot in the leg.
Officers responded to a Family Dollar store in southeast Albuquerque after a report of an armed robbery about 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Police said two men with a gun attempted to rob the store. The two men asked for money, but shot at the clerk when he couldn't get the drawer open, according to police.
Officials said the clerk was new and didn't know how to open the register and that's when the two men in hooded sweatshirts shot at him. Police said the clerk's leg injury is not life threatening.
Action 7 News has learned that the other two clerks at the store are pregnant. A good Samaritan grabbed the clerks when he saw the men in hooded sweatshirts and hid them in a closet until it was safe to come out.
The clerk who was shot is in stable condition, recovering from his gunshot wound.
The store has surveillance video and police said they're scouring the video for clues. The store reopened at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Tuesday's armed robbery at a Family Dollar store in southwest Albuquerque is the city's third in the past five days.
Last Friday, suspects Ra'mon Sedillo and Daryl Martinez, 17, were shot by a store clerk during a botched robbery attempt at the Full Spectrum Smoke Shop. Sedillo died from his injuries.
Albuquerque police said an armed robber walked in to a Little Caesars restaurant and fired a shot last Friday as well.
Last week, police arrested Julio Francia, who is a suspect in 19 armed robberies that happened during a two-month span.
Store employees, who have come face-to-face with armed criminals, said they are scared to come to work.
Subway employee Erroll Cooper was held up at gunpoint in September on Central near Tramway. Cooper said the man kept telling him to be fast in handing over the money.
"I couldn't sit there and dwell on it because it would affect me at work and at home, and the best thing about it was I was still here," Cooper said.
Albuquerque police said the city has five or six robberies a day on the average, and the criminals are usually armed.


text:
Five years after the bursting of the borrowing bubble, American households are getting a better handle on their debt.
The latest sign came in reports this week showing that homeowners are doing a better job keeping up with their mortgage payments. So far this year, the number of mortgage holders who are behind by two monthly payments or more has fallen 9 percent, according to TransUnion, a consumer credit rating agency. A separate survey By the Mortgage Bankers Association showed that, despite an uptick, in the second quarter, mortgage delinquencies are tracking lower than this time a year ago.
The improved mortgage numbers come as American households generally whittle away at debt.
On average American households are now spending 11 percent of their disposable income to pay down all forms of debt, down from a peak of 14 percent in 2007, according to the Federal Reserve. That's the lowest debt service ratio since 1994.
"We are probably witnessing a shift in consumers' attitudes towards debt," said Paul Edelstein, an economist at IHS Global Insight.
That change in attitudes is a mixed blessing for the economy. The borrowing binge of the early 2000s propelled consumer spending and the economy, although it was unsustainable, ending in a financial industry collapse and recession.
Now Americans are building up a bigger cushion of savings, allowing them to better weather a job loss or other financial setback.
But that increased saving is weighing on consumer spending, which accounts for roughly 70 percent of the U.S. economy. Growth in spending slowed to an anemic 1.5 percent in the latest quarter from 2.4 percent in the first three months of the year as households socked away more of their earnings.
So while thrift may be good for individuals' long-term financial health, it could also hold back the recovery.
A lot depends on how consumers manage to whittle down their debt. Much of the improvement has come from a wave of mortgage refinancing, which surged in the second quarter as interest rates sank to record lows. That's saved homeowners tens of billions of dollars in monthly payments.
Rising home prices are also helping to rescue some of the roughly 20 percent of mortgage holders who are underwater, ore owe more than their home is worth.
Credit card rates are also trending lower -- falling from a peak of 13.78 percent in 2010 on average to just over 12 percent in the first three months of the year, according to the Fed. In June, consumer credit posted its weakest growth in eight months.
Debt levels are likely to continue to fall over the next three years, said Paul Dales, an economist at Capital Economics.
"Although households' balance sheets appear to be on firmer footing than a few years ago, they aren't exactly rock-solid, either," he said.
Much of the debt has been eliminated through defaults and mortgage foreclosures. Dales figures that, since the 2007 peak, Americans have reduced their debt by $600 billion, much of that through default.
The drop in mortgage delinquencies follows the steady pace of foreclosures working their way through the system.
"We're measuring the speed of that resolution process and this point," said Michael Fratantoni, an economist with the Mortgage Bankers Association. "For someone who is a year behind in their mortgage payments, a slight improvement in the job market is not going to result in a cure for them at this point."
Until the job market improves, and wage growth picks up, consumers will have a harder time paring down debt. The portion of income needed to keep up with debt payments has fallen as personal income has risen by $1.3 trillion due to job gains and increased wages during the economic recovery. Those increases are coming -- but the weak job market is also holding back raises as employers still feel little pressure to increase pay levels.
This week's report on worker productivity helps demonstrate why. Employers are having a harder time squeezing more work out of their existing staffs. Even as recent gains in productivity have slowed, wages have begun inching higher.
"Workers are working harder but getting a little more money as well," said Joel L. Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors. "But workers, who are facing limited job openings, will also see their incomes grow minimally. That does not bode well for future consumer spending or economic growth."
While consumers are making progress in paying down their home mortgages and credit cards, there is one major category of debt that is still rising: student loans, at roughly $1 trillion and counting.
There are several reasons for the increase. During the recession, many people decided to return to or stay in school because job prospects were so lousy. They were hoping to wait out the recession -- and improve their chances of getting a job when it was over.
Student debt has also increased because of the rapid rise in the cost of college tuition, which is growing far faster than inflation.
All that student debt could help boost economic growth in the long run if it means better-educated workers who earn higher wages. But the burden of education costs is increasingly falling on people who won't reap the rewards, said Cooper Howes, an economist at Barclays Capital.
Some of the burden falls on students' parents and grandparents; almost 17 percent of outstanding past-due student loans are held by those over 50, and almost 5 percent by those over 60, according to his research.
The economic return on student loans has also been hurt by higher dropout rates, which also increases the likelihood of student loan defaults, Howes wrote in a recent research note.
"The unemployment rate for those who complete only some college, while still lower than for those with only a high school education, remains significantly above that of college graduates," he said.
CNBC personal finance expert Sharon Epperson explains how people trying to carve down student loan debt can start to tackle their principal by doing an accelerated repayment.
More money and business news:
- Chick-fil-A vs. Starbucks: When companies get political
- America's most surprising six-figure jobs
- McDonald's begins testing breakfast at midnight
- Video: Fed's action could help markets or economy
- Sign up for our Business newsletter
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text:
Learn about four types of violence encountered by nurses and other health-care professionals. It provides evidence- informed strategies to plan, implement, and evaluate outcomes related to recognizing and assessing the risk of violence in the workplace.
This guideline provides evidence-informed individual, system, and organizational recommendations to recognize, prevent and effectively intervene in workplace violence, thereby fostering healthy work environments. It also identifies individual, organizational, and system resources that support prevention, recognition, early detection and effective interventions related to preventing and managing violence in the workplace.


text:
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