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'The episodes only happen when he gets really excited, like when I get home from work and he rushes to the door to greet me. I am to the point I am afraid he is not going to wake up next time," explained Coco's mom regarding why he had been referred to see me (Dr. Perry Jameson).
Coco is a 17-year-old, male Dachshund who had started fainting when overly excited, like greeting Mom at the door after a day away at work. That event should be a happy, stress-relieving event, not an anxiety-filled stressful episode as it had become for her.
As she described his episodes, my mind raced through possible causes such as seizures, low blood sugar or calcium, or heart disease. My physical examination quickly revealed the cause, as he had a loud murmur on the left side of his chest consistent with mitral valve regurgitation.
The heart has four one-way valves (mitral, tricuspid, aortic and pulmonic), which allow blood to leave the heart but not return. The mitral valve is located between the left atrium and left ventricle. Once blood has been oxygenated in the lungs, it flows into the left atrium.
When full, the left atrium pumps blood through the mitral valve and into the left ventricle. When the ventricle is full, it then pumps blood out the aorta and to the body. When this happens, the mitral valve should close, preventing blood from flowing back into the left atrium.
My suspicion for Coco was that his mitral valve was leaking, allowing blood to flow backward instead of forward to his body. An echocardiogram confirmed this to be his problem and that it was from a condition called mitral valve endocardiosis.
Mitral valve endocardiosis is due to a degenerative change in the valve. The valve leaflets become thickened and no longer can close completely. Clinical evidence in dogs is commonly noted at 6-9 years old but can occur earlier in certain breeds, especially Cavalier King Charles spaniels, or much later in life as seen in Coco.
Mitral valve endocardiosis usually is first suspected based on a murmur noted over the mitral valve during a physical examination. In some dogs, the disease never progresses; however in others, serious life-threatening symptoms may develop.
Most clinical symptoms are related to the lungs since this is the source of blood flow into the left atrium. The left atrium gradually will enlarge as more and more blood flows backward through the mitral valve instead of leaving and flowing to the body.
The first symptom of left atrial enlargement is often a cough. As the heart increases in size, it may compress the trachea, which tickles the throat, resulting in coughing.
Over time, the left atrium can no longer enlarge further. This compromises the ability of blood to flow out of the lungs and into the heart. The vessels become engorged, and when they reach a certain point, fluid will begin to leak out and into the space between the airway and blood vessels, a condition called pulmonary edema.
This accumulation of fluid is called congestive heart failure and prevents oxygen from reaching the red blood cells. Coughing and shortness of breath occur as a result. If not treated, this will be fatal.
In humans, valve replacement would be considered, but unfortunately in dogs, this is only an option at research facilities. We instead treat with medications to decrease fluid retention and to improve the flow of blood out the aorta instead of back through the valve.
Aggressive therapy and monitoring (thoracic radiographs, echocardiogram, ECG, blood pressure and blood work) usually will help control symptoms for a while. Unfortunately, since we are not reversing the underlying problem, the disease continues to progress and eventually will be refractory to medications.
Some dogs may develop a condition called pulmonary hypertension, which is essentially hypertension in the lungs but not the rest of the body. The heart does not respond well to having to pump blood into this high-pressure system. This often leads to exercise intolerance, shortness of breath, fainting and right-sided heart failure.
Treatment involves taking care of the underlying heart problem as well as medications to decrease pressure in the pulmonary arteries. These arteries do not typically respond to systemic blood-pressure-lowering drugs (anti-hypertensive drugs). There are a few drugs that have the potential to lower pulmonary arterial pressure, with the most famous being Viagra.
Coco was started on medications for his heart and Viagra to lower his pulmonary arterial pressure. Over the past two weeks, he has had only one collapsing episode, making his mom happy to come home again.
Until a technique is developed to replace the mitral valve in dogs, we know his heart disease will progress. But medically, we can provide Coco and his mom a little more quality time together.
Dr. Henri Bianucci and Dr. Perry Jameson are with Veterinary Specialty Care LLC. Send questions to firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Value Line is regarded as the best independent research available. More than just recommendations, Value Line provides the rationale behind its picks for greater understanding.
Investors aghast at profits lost due to BP PLC's (BP) gulf oil leak may want to protect their money from the energy industry's other big spill: the flow of ink extolling the millions to be made from the shale gas revolution.
First, here is a short primer on the shale gas industry. For years geologists have known that certain very dense rock formations (shales) were likely to bear hydrocarbons, but drilling the formations yielded very little, because the rock was so tight that only a tiny fraction of the oil or gas in the deposit made it to the wellbore. About thirty years ago, a small Texas outfit called Mitchell Energy started experimenting with "fracking" the shale formations: pumping fluids into the wells at very high pressure in order to shatter the rock, creating passageways for the hydrocarbons to flow to the drillhole. In 2002, Devon Energy (DVN) bought Mitchell and ramped up its shale drilling program, especially in the Barnett formation west of Fort Worth, Texas.
Eight years later analysts are hailing shale gas as the solution to the United States' crippling energy problems. Small onshore exploration companies have been in a full-fledged leasing scramble for some time now, racing to build positions in the Haynesville, Marcellus, Fayetteville, Woodford and Eagleford shales, among many others. And now the big money is following suit. Exxon Mobil (XOM) gave a huge vote of confidence to the industry in December, when it announced that it planned to purchase XTO Energy for $41 billion. A steady trickle of smaller deals soon followed confirming that shale gas investment was hitting high gear. Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS) is paying $5 billion for East Resources, a big player in the Marcellus shale. Private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts had purchased a $350 million stake in the company only a year before Shell's buyout. Total SA (TOT) bought a piece of Chesapeake Energy's (CHK) Barnett shale operations for $2.25 billion; Mitsui (MITSY) acquired a third of Anadarko Petroleum's (APC) position in the Marcellus for $1.4 billion; and Reliance Industries paid $1.7 billion to Atlas Energy (ATLS) for a stake in its Marcellus holdings.
Large institutional investors are plunging in as well. Asian sovereign wealth funds China Investment Corporation, Temasek Investment Corporation (Singapore), and Korea Investment Corporation were the biggest buyers in a recent combined sale of $900 million worth of Chesapeake Energy preferred stock; other investors included the Chinese private equity fund Hopu Investment Management.
So with major domestic and international companies and funds rushing to get a piece of the shale gas boom, and the financial press hailing it as the savior of the energy industry, should the retail investor be saving his or her lunch money to throw at shale-related investments?
Maybe, or maybe not. Investors with an eye on the commodities markets will know that, after hitting a record high around July of 2008, natural gas prices collapsed and have been trading at very low seasonally-adjusted levels since, by some measures the lowest since 2002-2003. This is due in part to destruction of industrial demand caused by the financial crisis and the recession. But the severity of the gas price collapse is also closely related to the abundance of supply caused by the success of ever better shale gas drilling techniques. The boom in shale gas production, therefore, has been partly responsible for a collapse in the profits of companies that produce it.
As a result of these poor near-term conditions, the stocks of natural gas focused exploration and production companies (E&P) have been trading at about two-thirds of their (likely inflated) 2007-2008 highs, with the more aggressively hedged outfits, such as Newfield Exploration (NFX) and XTO Energy, faring better than their more spot-price exposed counterparts. Indeed, the E&P companies have in general learned their lesson on the subject of hedging; analysis by Credit Suisse First Boston analysts show that 51% and 25% of estimated 2010 and 2011 North American natural gas production is hedged, respectively. This should help create a little more earnings stability for the gas producers. In fact, conditions generally look better for the industry, with factory demand perking up on signs of a nascent recovery.
That said, we still do not think that natural gas E&P companies are a good equity investment right now. Industry proponents point to the huge potential reserves of natural gas (some 80 plus years of domestic, clean-burning fuel to power the country as it makes a transition from a fossil fuel based economy) and argue that an increase in the use of the fuel will inevitably raise the price of gas E&P stocks. Indeed, the supply side is the strong point of the argument for natural gas. The problem is rather the demand side. Natural gas has been such a volatile commodity over the last decade that sellers have had a hard time driving demand for the fuel up materially, because potential buyers are wary of excessive variability in their fuel costs. Consumption of natural gas has thus been flat since about 1995, fluctuating within a range bounded by 21 trillion and 24 trillion cubic feet per year. Federal energy policy is likely to place a premium on increasing the use of natural gas for power generation, which one might expect to drive up valuations for natural gas E&P companies. The problem for retail investors is that these valuations are already rather full. The Value Line Diversified Natural Gas Industry's composite 2009 P/E ratio was 12.9, above that of the Petroleum (Producing) Industry, even though oil and natural gas prices reached historic levels of divergence during 2009. The valuation differential was even more pronounced in 2006-2009.
What's more, the natural gas E&P companies are rushing to gain more exposure to oil as a hedge against weakness in gas prices. Natural gas big boys Chesapeake Energy and Devon Energy have been emphasizing their oily assets in investor presentations. Companies with leases in the Williston Basin's shale oil areas have been bumping rig counts there while curtailing them in gas plays. Meanwhile, the leasing rush in the Eagleford shale is due in part to that basin's oily reservoirs. Finally, acquisition activity seems to confirm the move to oil: gas producer SandRidge Energy (SD) announced a deal to buy oil-rich rival Arena Resources (ARD) in April.
So with valuations looking full, supply-demand dynamics unfavorable, energy legislation uncertain, and the E&P companies themselves moving into oil, is there any way to profit from the emergence of the shale gas industry?
The answer is yes. The emergence of shale gas has woken up a sleepy portion of the energy industry. But for gas to increase as a share of the nation's energy supply, and for the price of gas to become more predictable for both buyers and producers, the gas storage, transmission, and power plant infrastructure has to be overhauled and expanded. The increase in supply caused by the emergence of shale has filled gas transmission lines and storage facilities nearly to capacity. To give one appalling example of infrastructure limitations, North Dakota, a major oil and gas producing state, has no natural gas storage facilities. Producers in that state were forced to flare (burn off at the wellhead) a third of the natural gas produced in that state in 2008. Even now, 17% of the gas produced there is burned off into the sky. Unsurprisingly, this prompted transmission companies to flood into the state with $1 billion worth of plans and permits to build storage, compression and pipeline infrastructure to move the abundant gas to markets further east. In the United States overall, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that 84 projects and 4,000 miles of natural gas pipeline were built in 2008 (the last year of available data). What's more, the same report estimates that nearly 10,000 miles of transmission infrastructure were likely to be constructed in the next three years (2009-2011), a number that is certain to be out of date and too low by now.
The companies making these investments are often gas transmission utilities, but investors should take a special look at energy distribution Master Limited Partnerships (MLP). MLPs generally charge by the amount of gas (or oil) transported and so are only indirectly affected by the ups and downs of gas (and oil) prices. What's more, MLPs must pay out a high fixed percentage of their income in the form of distributions (dividends) and have certain tax-deferral advantages. Finally, as the gas infrastructure build-out goes on, these businesses should experience above average, and relatively less risky, growth. Enbridge Inc., Kinder Morgan (KMP), Magellan Midstrean Partners (MMP), and Inergy, L.P. (NRGY) are all solid choices within this group.
Another good way to play the shale boom is to invest in the construction companies that will build the needed gas infrastructure. Within this group, we like domestic power plant builder Foster Wheeler (FWLT) and the much smaller MasTec (MTZ). MasTec purchased Wisconsin-based Precision Pipelines about a year ago, moving into the gas infrastructure space. The largest and best diversified company within this group is Fluor (FLR). These and other heavy construction companies usually follow the energy capital expenditure cycle, but are also more diversified than the pure E&P companies. They thus are a good way to try to capture shale upside while insulating oneself against the downside.
Finally, investors might want to consider the oilfield service companies that specialize in serving the shale gas drillers. In that group, we like CARBO Ceramics (CRR), which provides ceramic proppant. Proppant is injected into the shale reservoirs, along with the high-pressure fluids, and remains in the cracks after the fluids are removed, in order to "prop" open the cracks in the shale. Traditionally, sand was used as a proppant, but CARBO has shown that hydrocarbon recovery is materially improved when its ceramic proppant is used. In the first quarter, CARBO not only sold all of the proppant it produced, it sold completely out of its stored inventory. The company has a new plant starting production by the end of the year.
The shale gas industry is going to have to force demand for its product to increase by keeping its supply steady and simply weathering the low price environment until such time as the transmission infrastructure can get built out. But investors should not have to wait around for these companies to turn a profit, enduring dizzying ups and downs in stock price. For the retail investor, we see better return in the pipeline partnerships, with their less risky profiles and solid dividend payouts.

subset: commoncrawl


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ATLANTA (AP) — Louisville has forced at least 11 turnovers in every game this season. So far, the Cardinals have forced just four against Wichita State.
The Shockers have not been too rattled by the press and have stayed out of trouble in the halfcourt. They also have seven offensive rebounds.
Usually it's Louisville that creates all those extra opportunities. Not yet.
— Noah Trister — http://twitter.com/@noahtrister
NCAA Finals Watch follows the Final Four games and all the activities surrounding the event as seen by journalists from The Associated Press from across Atlanta. It will be updated throughout the day with breaking news and other items of interest. Follow AP reporters on Twitter where available.


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BlackBerry shares got squashed on Friday after disappointing quarterly earnings in which the company failed to revive its fortunes with the new BlackBerry 10 smartphone. And that has one analyst suggesting the company's days are numbered.
"There were three metrics investors were looking at," said Anil Doradla, an analyst at William Blair, "subscribers, gross margins and BlackBerry 10 sales. All three were very disappointing."
He said even the cautious analysts on Wall Street expected BlackBerry to benefit from pent-up demand and some inventory fill up, but that didn't happen.


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Your Turn, NH: From one who fled European oppression, a perspective on gunsBY ANTAL PETER
January 20. 2013 3:50PM
I am writing this because I came from the other side. From where? Where people are taught that government is the source of their rights.
As toddlers, my parents scooped up my brother and me and got out of town in Eastern Europe. We ran because certainly my mother, my brother and I had some Jewish blood, and Eichmann's thugs were searching through town records very carefully so they could launch the last phase of the Final Solution. Governments in most of Europe and Asia were busy murdering their own people first and foremost, and then each other.
The people themselves were generally not evil, but they rationalized cooperating with government thugs, or they just kept quiet. Why were they so passive and cooperative with their tyrannical governments? They had been totally disarmed, they had been sold the concept that in a civilized society there is no reason to have guns, that guns lead to violence and evil.
Up to age 11, I lived in a refugee camp, where I witnessed a young Jew being beaten to death by a bunch of ladies on their way to Easter services. The Jew was not armed, and the ladies used rocks and clubs to do the job. The occupying American Army kept us alive, through the compassion of individual soldiers.
We immigrated to the United States and become Americans. I was lucky: I learned some lessons early, and I was brought to the only country on earth where rights start with the individual and don't have to be cajoled out of a government.
I learned that principles, ethics and rights are not worth the time dreaming them up if I am not ready to defend them. Corollary to that, you love and care for your significant people only to the extent that you are willing to work for them and defend them.
In my world, the moral person strives above all else to be a provider and a defender, a ready warrior for justice, and to leave that same legacy to his children and friends.
My son was 14 when I taught him the basics of using a rifle and a handgun. My daughter was about eight when she first fired a rifle, and in that same year she had the opportunity to see exactly what a bullet can do. When more than seven years old, both children knew where I stored my weapons, had access to them in case of emergency. Fortunately, neither of them was in a situation where they had to use them for self-defense during their growing-up years.
I trusted that they would not wantonly use a weapon or turn to violence. They both understood the results of a bullet hitting flesh or bone, understood the gore and the pain of it, and had the sense of honor and compassion to avoid unnecessary violence. In my son's case, football helped; I taught my daughter self-defense. She has since studied combat hapkido and budo ken, and my son spends his professional life salvaging juvenile delinquents. Today, they are both married to warrior types and are raising their children likewise: to act with courtesy, compassion and resolve. Children like that earn your trust and respect.
The Second Amendment to the Constitution was put in place not to protect hunting or home defense, but to enable Americans to defeat a tyrannical government, to provide a balance of power between the citizenry and the government. Not needed anymore? Look at the history of mass murder in the last century, and this one, and you will find governments killing, enslaving and robbing their own citizenry to massive extents, far beyond the casualties of any school or theater shooting. Can't happen here? Give that some thought and answer yourself honestly.
We are going through a period in which the media and the government are opining that you do not need semi-automatic weapons with high-capacity magazines to either hunt or defend your families. (Can governments become tyrannical, murderous?)
I was moved to write this because I was inspired by a 15-year-old boy in Houston who saved himself and his younger sister from major harm by two thugs who invaded their home with an AR-15 while parents were absent.
Please remember that you are an American, and your rights do not have to be defined by the government. You were born with them, and your government owes you respect.
Antal Peter lives in Londonderry.


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OAKLEY — Plans to open a general merchandise and grocery store where the old Centro-Mart building stands have fallen through, but a similar discount market might take its place.
Oakley City Council this week gave a commercial real estate developer the green light to lease the new store it intends to build on that spot in downtown's Oakley Plaza to Grocery Outlet.
Cross Development Corp., which in 2012 signed an agreement to buy the former Centro-Mart building and the land it occupies from the city — a transaction that's expected to be final very soon — originally had hammered out a lease agreement with Dollar General Corp. that had the variety store chain opening an outlet with a grocery component in the aging structure.
The Texas-based developer changed its mind, however, deciding instead to replace the building.
Dollar General balked at the new, more costly lease agreement the developer presented and negotiations recently fell apart.
Although some city council members at Tuesday's meeting commented on the somewhat dowdy appearance of the Grocery Outlet in Antioch, councilman Kevin Romick said he's not opposed to the business per se. As long as the building blends in with the two restaurants on either side, the store should be fine, he said.
The next step is for the developer to sign a lease with Grocery Outlet and submit designs for the city's approval. The Centro-Mart building is expected to be demolished and replaced by the end of this year.
Contact Rowena Coetsee at 925-779-7141. Follow her at Twitter.com/RowenaCoetsee.


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Covering the ins and outs of all things footwear, from sneakers to heels, loafers to slippers and every type of shoe in between. Brought to you by the FDRA and FFANY, the footwear industry's associations focused on retail, trade, politics and fashion…helping create and enhance conversations on all things footwear.
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Infinite Earth Radio is a weekly podcast produced by Skeo and the Local Government Commission and hosted by Mike Hancox and Vernice Miller-Travis. Each week they interview visionary leaders, dedicated government officials, savvy businesses and forward thinking individuals who are working to build smarter, more equitable, sustainable, and prosperous communities through social and economic inclusion that values the contribution of all citizens and seeks meaningful lives for everyone. You will discover new leading edge strategies for lifting up and building great 21st century communities, along with cutting edge strategies for revitalizing under resourced communities and empowering excluded populations. Smart Growth, Prosperity and Sustainability are not possible without social, civic, and economic inclusion for people of all economic, social, and racial backgrounds.
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Executive Councilor Ray Burton, fighting cancer, will not seek reelectionBy Doug Alden
New Hampshire Union Leader
October 27. 2013 12:26PM
BATH - Executive Councilor Ray Burton says he will not seek re-election next year as he continues battling cancer.
Burton issued a statement Sunday saying he has been in and out of the hospital for treatment recently and plans to return to his home in Bath and rest. He plans to fulfill his terms on both the Executive Council and Grafton County Commission, which run through 2014.
Burton has served as the executive councilor for most of the northern half of the state for 35 years.
"I wish to thank my fellow residents of New Hampshire for giving me the privilege to serve them," Burton said in his release. "All decisions and matters addressed were always in the best intention to see our state succeed. I am honored to have been allowed to serve and work to make a difference in the Granite State."


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Moderators: Nighthawk4, Dungeon Masters
tindertwiggy wrote:What: Crumping with Sam I Am.
Where: - ever.
Meet at: Visimontium, Jade's Coffee Shop
When: 00:01 GMT Sunday, Nov 18. (Saturday night for North American folk)
Who: Everyone.
[Celedor Dedwend: [Talk] *turns around and shakes ass before giving it a sharp slap*
Celedor Dedwend: [Party] ((this is my finest RP beyond a shadow of a doubt.. my zenith if you will))
Fydonya Ivythorn: [Party] that's sad celedor..
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Where: Underdark
Meet at: Verlog
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Who: anyone who wants to kill some paladins, although some high level supporters would be helpful!
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Today: Yahoo's (YHOO) annual revenues increase for the first time in four years as CEO Marissa Mayer seeks turnaround story. Also: Apple (AAPL) takes back title of most valuable company, VMware disappoints investors and announces layoffs, Zynga shoots higher.
Yahoo beats expectations for earnings while Mayer focuses on mobile
Yahoo's 2012 revenue increased from the previous year, the first time in four years the Sunnyvale company has managed that feat, according to an encouraging earnings report issued Monday that sets a solid baseline for CEO Marissa Mayer's attempts to resuscitate the ailing Internet company.
In the final three months of the year, Yahoo brought in profits of 32 cents a share, excluding certain items, on revenues of $1.3 billion, with both figures surpassing analyst estimates of 28 cents a share on $1.2 billion in revenues, according to Thomson Reuters. The company's stock rose 1.4 percent in late trading, after dipping 0.3 percent in regular trading to $20.31.
Yahoo's performance in the fourth quarter showed an interesting mix of advertising revenues, as search ads got a big boost and display ad revenues declined 3 percent.
"They underperformed significantly versus our expectations on display and overperformed on search," Pivotal Research Group analyst Brian Wieser told Bloomberg News.
Once the display ad leader, Yahoo has fallen behind Google (GOOG) and Facebook in that category as the two younger Web companies rise in stature and pageviews, and that pattern has continued under Mayer's leadership. However, Stadtler Capital Management president Kevin Stadtler, a Yahoo investor, told Bloomberg that Yahoo can improve in display advertising by leveraging its knowledge of users' preferences.
"They are really well-positioned because they can provide real-time data to advertisers, who can then pinpoint ads to people who are interested in their products. That's a really big deal," he said.
Mayer's focus is fully on mobile, however, as the young CEO hopes to leverage Yahoo's properties on the most popular devices of the day with personalized content. The company needs a "chain reaction of growth," she said on Monday's conference call, which started this quarter with new mobile apps for Yahoo Mail and Flickr.
However, Mayer declined to tell investors how much Yahoo is currently earning on its mobile efforts, saying "Mobile monetization is new for everyone."
Where Yahoo is not shy is in efforts to spend a windfall from the sale of part of its stake in Chinese Internet giant Alibaba. Yahoo said Monday that it had purchased slightly less than $1.5 billion in stock with the proceeds from the sale, pushing the money back to shareholders in a move that will likely continue to push its stock price higher.
Even before any bump from Monday's report, Yahoo shares have hit highs not seen since 2008 thanks to a bump of about 30 percent since Mayer took over. With the report in hand, investors are likely to give her even more breathing room, some analysts said.
"As long as in the near-term things are not bad, I think the stock will generally act positively while we wait for Marissa Mayer to deliver," B. Riley Caris analyst Sameet Sinha told Reuters.
Apple rebounds, regains title of most valuable company in U.S.
Following two days of downfalls on Wall Street, Apple finally rebounded Monday, taking back the title of most valuable company in the United States.
Apple suffered on Wall Street at the end of last week following the announcement of record profits and revenues in the final three months of 2012, finally losing the title of most profitable company to Exxon, as Apple's market capitalization fell below $420 billion.
However, the company finally received a boost Monday, rising 2.3 percent to close at $449.83 while Exxon fell 0.6 percent, pushing Apple back to the top on the day it announced the arrival of a new version of its mobile operating system.
Apple isn't out of the woods, though, as its weakness could be the chance wireless carriers and components manufacturers have waited for to stop taking hits on their bottom lines in order to be affiliated with Apple, Reuters reported.
"The illogical love affair is over. Now it's just a great company," a former top executive for an Apple rival told Reuters. "The AT&Ts of the world will start to try to get themselves weaned off of paying such great subsidies to Apple."
VMware declines on disappointing guidance, layoffs planned
Monday's other major Silicon Valley earnings report came with a surprise, as Palo Alto software maker VMware announced that it would be cutting about 8 percent of its workforce in a restructuring, despite record revenues and profits in 2012. The company's outlook for 2013 was disappointing to investors, sending shares plummeting.
VMware announced that its annual revenues of $4.6 billion was a record for the company, as was its fourth-quarter revenues of $1.29 billion. However, in a separate filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, VMware said it would lay off 900 employees in a restructuring that will take place through 2013. And the company's guidance for the year came in below analyst estimates, as the EMC subsidiary predicted revenues of $5.23 billion to $5.35 billion, lower than estimates of $5.42 billion.
After closing Monday with a 0.7 percent loss at $98.32, VMware plummeted more than 14 percent in late trading.
Wall Street dips, but tech stocks advance as Zynga explodes higher
Most of Wall Street declined Monday, as both the broad-based Standard & Poor's 500 and blue-chip Dow Jones indexes dipped. However, tech stocks managed a gain, with the Nasdaq increasing 0.2 percent and the SV150 index of Silicon Valley's largest tech companies rising 0.6 percent.
In regular trading, Zynga shares made a huge positive move, gaining 14.1 percent a week ahead of its earnings report on heavy volume, as action on social-gaming stocks heated up. Former Zynga partner Facebook gained 3 percent ahead if its earnings report later this week, and NetGear increased 1.8 percent after agreeing to purchase Sierra Wireless's AirCard business for roughly $145 million.
After hours, VMware wasn't the only Valley company to disappoint investors, as San Jose electronics company Sanmina missed estimates and fell in late trading.
Silicon Valley tech stocks
Up: Zynga, Workday, Jive, Facebook, Tesla, LinkedIn, Apple, Electronic Arts (ERTS), Nvidia, Splunk, Palo Alto Networks, Applied Materials, SolarCity, NetApp, Oracle (ORCL), Intel
Down: Netflix (NFLX), Juniper, SunPower (SPWRA), Symantec, Advanced Micro Devices, eBay (EBAY), VMware, Yelp, Gilead, Cisco (CSCO), Google
The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index: Up 4.59, or 0.15 percent, to 3,154.30.
The blue chip Dow Jones industrial average: Down 14.05, or 0.10 percent, to 13,881.93.
And the widely watched Standard & Poor's 500 index: Down 2.78, or 0.18 percent, to 1,500.18
Check in weekday afternoons for the 60-Second Business Break, a summary of news from Mercury News staff writers, the Associated Press, Bloomberg News and other wire services. Contact Jeremy C. Owens at 408-920-5876; follow him at Twitter.com/mercbizbreak.


text:
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City PC temporarily withdrawn from sale
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City has been withdrawn from sale via PC digital distributors. GameInformer reports Rockstar sited musical licensing issues for the withdrawal, which it calls temporary, and CinemaBlend believes a DCMA flag is responsible, thanks to a claim by Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Chappell on Michael Jackson's Wanna be Startin' Something. The iOS version's release should not be affected.


text: Hum Sitaray TV is one of the Pakistan's leading entertainment channel broadcasting Urdu TV shows, Comedy Shows, Music shows etc. Watch Hum Sitaray live streaming via YuppTV and get access to your favorite Urdu TV Channels anytime, anywhere. Subscribe now and start watching on your Laptop, PC, Smart TV, Android & iOS devices.


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Wednesday, August 22, 2012
A good idea will spread without any help. A real brain rocket of an idea will spread, even if it is told to one single person.
Advertisers are people paid to spread bad ideas.
Posted by Rene Dudfield at 6:15 PM 0 comments
Labels: advertising
Proof visual language exists? Japanese Body Language And Gestures is one guide documenting what visual body language means in Japanese culture.
In Japan: "Cross arms as a X in front of you", means 'no good'.
There are many visual languages.
Even within one culture.
Do you speak it?
Posted by Rene Dudfield at 5:33 PM 0 comments
Labels: design
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


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JERUSALEM (AP) — President Barack Obama has told the president of Israel that his country will have "no greater friend than the United States."
Obama also told Shimon Peres that the work their countries do together will make it more likely that children growing up in the region will have the future opportunity for security, peace and prosperity.
Obama spoke Wednesday after meeting privately with Peres. It was Obama's first visit to Israel as president of the United States, and the first foreign trip of his second term in office.


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Reviewed by Ashley S. (age 11)
Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast illustration will appear here.
My opinion of this book is that it is a very exciting book. It always has cliff hangers at the end of the chapters that make you want to read more. It also is a very interesting book. My favorite character in this story is the beast. My favorite part was when beauty decided to go to the beast instead of one of her other sisters. I think that was very brave of her. The character beauty reminded me of myself because she was very brave and I think that I?m very brave. This book is just like the Beauty and the Beast except in the beauty and the beast the beast is holding beauty as a prisoner.
I recommend this book to readers and audiences that like fantasy books or classic stories that are retold such as the Beauty and the Beast. This story might interest you if you know the story of the Beauty and the Beast and would like to hear it in a different way.


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Hillsboro, Ill. – The Greenville College men's cross country team placed three runners in the top 10 to claim the number two spot in the 2011 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) Cross Country Championship held at Hillsboro Country Club and Park District in Hillsboro, Ill.
Greenville College had six runners earn All-Conference honors. Senior Xavier Ortiz (26:05) was the top finisher for the Panthers in fifth place and earned First Team honors for the second consecutive year. Sophomore Bryant Simpson (26:14) and junior Ross Baker (26:27) finished in sixth and seventh place respectively to also be named First Team All-SLIAC. Junior Josh Dees and seniors Coree Woltering and Nathan Young all were Second Team All-SLIAC honorees. Dees placed 11th overall with a time of 26:53, while Young and Woltering placed 13th and 14th respectively with times of 27:02 and 27:07.
The following individuals were named to the 2011 SLIAC All-Sportsmanship Team for men's cross country, as selected by the league coaches. Senior Marshall Petty (Blackburn), sophomore Zach Ahrends (Eureka), junior Shea Naes (Fontbonne), junior Ross Baker (Greenville), sophomore James Borengasser (Spalding), freshman Andy Crump (Principia), senior Tony Morales (Webster) and freshman Daniel Lindaman (Westminster).


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Whats up all,
Now I know we already have one Naruto contest going on, but with the recent release of the double header Naruto Shippuden episodes 197 and 198, we felt that we should have a double-header contest as well!
So this is a call out all Naruto fans and aspiring Ninjas!
Crunchyroll has teamed up with Akadot Retail and are proud to present you with TWO - yes, TWO - opportunities to win a very special prize: an original Naruto Cel, produced under the careful supervision of the anime production staff in Japan! You can participate in one contest or both to double your chances of winning! It's all up to you!
Have you ever watched an episode of Naruto and thought, "wow, it would be hilarious if they were actually saying THIS"? Now is your chance to bring your creative/silly/off-the-wall ideas to life. Watch episode 195 of Naruto Shippuden here on Crunchyroll.
Then, go over to this link here: Naruto Contest and create your own dialogue for the scene starting at 5:51 and ending at 6:03. Submit your entry using the form on that page, and you're all set!
If that contest doesn't interest you, then we have a second chance for you to win that coveted Naruto cel.
For those of you who have always dreamed about adding your own touch to ninja combat, our second contest is just for you! Your task: design your own ninja move and show it off to us. Anything is fair game - an attack move, an awesome back flip, or anything else that you might find handy in the midst of a battle.
You can submit your move any of the following ways: draw a diagram of the move, take a picture or video of you performing the move, or draw an original character performing the move. Those ninjas-in-training that show us the most impressive move will win the cel! Entries for this contest can be sent to [email protected]. If you like, you can also send us a link to your entry. Submitted entries can be viewed on our Facebook Page for the contest!
Good luck to everyone participating and don't forget to check out the DOUBLE HEADER of Naruto Shippuden this week!
Awesome and first to comment
2nd xD
more active on dA >> hanahitotsu.deviantart.com (:
this should be interesting, I'm not joining in but good luck to whoever does.
mmm seems interesting but I don't think I'm creative enough >.>
Yea it seems interesting.... HOPE I WIN CAUSE IM JOINING IN!!!!!!
Probably sleep waiting for my love(imouto) ^.^
Watch put for the triple heel flip sucka jump >:)
hi there
What is the prize here again? a Cel? whats that?
Smartness level increased by 1
Moon Princess Moderator
Sounds really interesting.
Gambatte to EVERYONE!
man im ganna have fun doing this
on my way to my DREAMS- your smile - through food
lets do this
Oh I am gonna win this one, BELIEVE IT! >:D
I AM DELETING THIS ACCOUNT. NEW ACCOUNT: -Dattebayo
Oh wow, amazing prize. But I am more so excited at the contest itself. I'm very happy that you guys came up with an original contest rather than throwing an another badge contest. I applaud your work here. I shall now direct my excitement at doing this contest.
TerraGamerX wrote:
Oh wow, amazing prize. But I am more so excited at the contest itself. I'm very happy that you guys came up with an original contest rather than throwing an another badge contest. I applaud your work here. I shall now direct my excitement at doing this contest.
Jesus, go outside.
I am jazzing hands
Naw not worth it for me I thought it was something better the only one I like would be the one with Sasuke and naruto! But hey I could get someone else to draw that for me on a transparent sheet of paper lol and kmkq8 a cel is a transparent sheet on which a character or scene, is drawn or painted and which comes frm a frame in the filming of an animated cartoon like the ones above.


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Two Rolla Junior High School students and a Dixon Middle School student placed in the National History Day in Missouri state competition held April 20 at the University of Missouri in Columbia and will now advance to the national contest.
Two Rolla Junior High School students and a Dixon Middle School student placed in the National History Day in Missouri state competition held April 20 at the University of Missouri in Columbia and will now advance to the national contest.
Rolla Junior High students Nate Potrafka and Tyler Dodd placed second in the senior (grades nine through 12) group website category with their project titled, "The Tet Offensive: The start of the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam." Their teacher is Karron Ingram.
Taylor Middleton, a student at Dixon Middle School, placed second in the junior (grades six through eight) historical paper (individual only) category with the project titled, "The Reforms of Charlemagne." Middleton's teacher is Vanessa Lambeth.
National History Day is an innovative educational program, in which students conduct extensive research on historical subjects related to an annual theme and present their findings their way through exhibits, performances, papers, websites and documentaries.
At the Missouri competition, roughly 600 students advance from regionals throughout the state.
Volunteer judges selected 56 students at the state competition to send to the Kenneth E. Behring National Contest in College Park, Md., June 9-13. Their 36 projects that placed first and second in the state will compete at nationals, including many that also received one of the 21 state special prizes. These students represent the best of the best from more than 2,500 participants across the state.
According to the State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO), which administers the program in partnership with the Missouri Humanities Council, Missouri's students returned from the 2012 national contest with one first-place junior individual website winner, three special prize winners, two outstanding affiliate entry winners, and an entry displayed at the National Museum of American History.
In all, 64 percent of Missouri's 2012 entries placed in the top half of all national participants.
To get involved in National History Day in Missouri, contact coordinator Maggie Mayhan at firstname.lastname@example.com or 573-882-0189.


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To see south Texas in its natural state and how the Rio Grande Valley looked before it was cut into farms and cities, you've got to travel to the state's southernmost tip. Here, on the bank of the once-mighty river, you'll find the last remaining stand of original Texas Sabal palm trees, one of only two palm species native to Texas.
The 30 verdant acres of old-growth forest are the cornerstone of the Sabal Palm Sanctuary, a 527-acre reserve on the outskirts of Brownsville. The sanctuary provides an opportunity to explore a vestige of the palm forest ecosystem that once flourished on 90 square miles along the meandering Rio Grande.
Along with four miles of hiking trails, the sanctuary is home to the 1892 Rabb Plantation home, and most famously, a remarkable population of birds. About 85 percent of the sanctuary's 6,000 annual human visitors come during the non-summer months, when northern bird species also flock to the Valley and its moderate climate (the only subtropical environment in Texas). The sanctuary offers birding and history tours on Saturdays from November to April.
"Different species move through and utilize the sanctuary for different reasons. Some are stopping by to refuel here; some are nesting here," says naturalist Seth Patterson, an employee of the Brownsville-based Gorgas Science Foundation, which operates the sanctuary. "We get rarities here pretty commonly."
The sanctuary is home to birds that venture no farther north than extreme South Texas, such as the green jay, the chachalaca, the buff-bellied hummingbird, and the groove-billed ani. It also attracts northern birds that make their winter habitat among the palms, including various warblers, red-shouldered hawks, northern harriers, and redhead ducks.
'Different species move through and utilize the sanctuary for different reasons. Some are stopping by to refuel here; some are nesting here. We get rarities here pretty commonly.'
During a visit in August, the feeders and water basins at the mouth of the forest hopped with activity. In the span of a few minutes, callers included a green jay, a black-crested titmouse, a long-billed thrasher, olive sparrows, doves, and an eastern cottontail rabbit.
The Rabb Plantation home, a brick-and-wood, Queen Anne-style home at the sanctuary's entrance, once served as headquarters for a sprawling agricultural operation. The Gorgas Science Foundation reopens the home as a visitor center on November 17, 2013, following a $250,000 restoration project. Here you'll find knowledgeable staff members, educational displays about local birds and wildlife, and mosquito repellent to keep the ubiquitous insects at bay.
Foundation CEO Larry Lof says the house helps tell the story of agriculture in the region, and its influence on the natural environment. Frank Rabb was one of the first businessmen to pump water out of the Rio Grande for irrigated farming in the 1890s, finding that the riverbank's alluvial soils were well-suited for crops like corn, cotton, sorghum, and sugarcane. While Rabb and other farmers cleared much of the original palm forest, the remaining stand of old-growth Sabal palms survived, most likely because the ground was uneven and tough to clear. Within Rabb's lifetime, the "palm jungle" had become a local tourist destination—and marked for preservation.
"Frank Rabb was on one hand part of the instrument of the forest's loss, but on the other hand, he was instrumental in keeping the last piece," Lof says. "For us, the house is such an integral part of telling this bigger story."
The sanctuary's hiking trails branch to the east and west of the entry road. Wide, flat trails, wooden benches spaced along the route, map posters, and placards identifying flora and fauna make for an educational walk that's as easy as you wish to make it.
On the west side, the Forest Trail bisects the old-growth forest, where the Sabal palms tower over a thick understory made up of Texas ebony, huisache, and other plants. When walking the path, one of the first things you'll notice is the ring of the cicada's song, which is interrupted only by chirping birds. The undergrowth is a swarm of rustling activity as cicadas, birds, and hispid cotton rats flit about the vegetation and racerunner lizards skitter off the trail. Patches of sunlight peek through the canopy, but it's hard to imagine navigating the forest without a trail.
The Forest Trail intersects the Resaca Loop Trail, which circles a small lake that was once part of the Rio Grande before the river changed course more than a century ago. During these days of drought, the sanctuary pumps river water into the resaca to enhance wildlife habitat. A wooden, octagonal bird-blind on the resaca provides a shady spot to sit and watch as birds fish and sun.
On the eastern half of the sanctuary, the trails are more exposed, passing through native trees that were planted in 1990 as part of a reforestation effort. The trail joins a dirt road—patrolled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection SUVs—and crosses a levee, dropping down to the Rio Grande. A wooden deck overlooks the olive-green waters of the river—about 30 yards wide here—and the steep bank on the Mexican side. On this day, a fat Texas indigo snake wound its way through the murky water.
Along with the occasional Border Patrol sighting, the biggest reminder of international politics is the 20-foot-tall border fence just north of the sanctuary. The caliche road that enters the sanctuary passes through an opening in the fence, and sometimes, would-be visitors simply turn around in trepidation, Patterson says. The construction of the fence was part of the reason the National Audubon Society, the owner of the property, decided to close the sanctuary in 2009. After 18 months closed to the public, the sanctuary reopened in 2011 under management of the Gorgas Science Foundation.
"A lot of people drive up to the border fence, and they're hesitant to drive through it," Patterson says. "We get a lot of calls from people who are stopped at the fence. Public perception has been tough. We're trying to help that out and put up more signage to curb that hesitation."
It's certainly safe to visit the sanctuary, and well worth the trip south. After all, the border fence has no bearing on the birds.


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UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution Monday demanding international access to the site of the plane downed over eastern Ukraine and an end to military activities around the area, following intense pressure on a reluctant Russia to support the measure.
The resolution calls for a "full, thorough and independent international investigation" into the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 carrying 298 people in Hrabove. It calls for pro-Russia separatists to allow access to the site of the crash. And it demands that armed groups who control the crash site do not disturb debris, belongings or victims' remains.
All 15 council members voted in favor of the Australia-proposed measure, which was co-sponsored by nine other countries that lost citizens in the crash.
The foreign ministers of Australia and the Netherlands, along with the U.S. ambassador and other diplomats, challenged Russia to use its influence with the rebels to comply with the resolution.
"I hope that Russia will now feel its responsibility, act on its responsibility. If it doesn't, it's going to have an increasingly isolated position in the international world," said Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans, who traveled to New York for the Security Council meeting.
The vote came after a weekend of negotiations to overcome Russian objections to the text, including a phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot.
Russia had pushed for the resolution to state that the International Civil Aviation Organization — rather than Ukrainian authorities — take the lead in the investigation. The final resolution fell short of that demand, but in an effort to assuage veto-wielding Russia, it included wording changes that played up the participation of the ICAO, a U.N. agency.
Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he was satisfied that the ICAO would have a prominent role in the investigation, and welcomed the announcement that the Netherlands would also take a lead role.
"We could not simply allow the Security Council to endorse a Ukrainian-led investigation because we have no trust in their intention to conduct a truly objective investigation," Churkin told reporters after the vote.
In her speech to the council, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power rebuked Russia, saying a Security Council resolution would not have been necessary had Russia pushed the rebels from the start to allow unimpeded access to the site.
"Russia's silence since Thursday sent a message to the illegal armed groups it supports: We have your backs," Power said. "We are not naïve: if Russia is not part of the solution, it will continue to be part of the problem."
Churkin shot back at Power during his speech, saying "there is no need to turn the discussion of a tragedy into a farce."
Addressing the council, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the resolution is an "unambiguous response from the international community to an utterly deplorable act." Later, she also accused Russia of not doing enough to help secure the crash site for investigators.
"Russia had influence over the separatists. And Russia could have enforced an appropriate crash site and created the conditions for this investigation to be carried out immediately," Bishop told reporters.
Australia lost 37 citizens and residents in the crash, while the Netherlands lost 193.
The United States has presented what it called "powerful" evidence that Ukraine's rebels shot down the plane with a Russian surface-to-air missile and training. Other governments have stopped short of accusing Russia of actually causing the crash.
Russian officials have blamed Ukraine's government for creating the situation and atmosphere in which the plane was downed.
Churkin dismissed the criticism that Russia had allowed rebels to tamper with the crash site as part of a larger "effort to discredit the protest movement in the east" of Ukraine.
Ukrainian Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev also addressed the council, welcoming the resolution and calling for the rebel groups to be recognized by the world as terrorist organizations.
"Russian citizens are among the leadership of the terrorist groups," he said, calling on Russia to withdraw forces from the Ukraine border and "stop threatening peace and security in our country, the region and the world."
Associated Press writers Ron DePasquale in New York and Matthew Pennington in Washington contributed to this report.


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Florida QB Jeff Driskel has appendectomy
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel could miss the first two weeks of fall practice while recovering from an appendectomy.
Driskel, a junior entering his second year as Florida's starter, underwent surgery Tuesday at Shands Hospital on campus.
Coach Will Muschamp says surgery went well, adding "how long he is out will be determined by how his body responds, which could be two weeks."
Muschamp says: "Jeff had acute appendicitis and fortunately the medical staff caught it very quickly."
Driskel, a 6-foot-4, 237-pounder from Oviedo, threw for 1,646 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. He also ran for more than 400 yards and had four rushing TDs.
Florida's backup is fourth-year junior Tyler Murphy, who has played in three games. The Gators also have redshirt freshman Skyler Mornhinweg and freshman Max Staver.


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As a screenwriter, I was initially irritated to learn that James Gunn — writer-director of this year's uber-successful summer blockbuster "Guardians of the Galaxy" — was reported to have given multiple interviews in which he expressed his disagreement with the co-writing credit Nicole Perlman — the first woman ever to have a writing credit on a Marvel movie — received for the original draft she developed while in the Marvel Writing Program.
The writer of this particular article, Ellen Killoran, said it best when she said, "Hollywood folks have marginalized her contributions."
And indeed, she certainly has a point.
However, Killoran then interviews Maria Giese, a film director and activist for gender parity in Hollywood—and somehow, what would have been a gender-neutral discussion suddenly becomes a battle of the sexes for the silver screen.
Let's just take a step back and review the facts:
After reading all the evidence — I admit — I shared the article via social media in protest, too. Let the girls play! We read comics, too! We can write summer blockbusters, too!
To which I was greeted with a comment from a talented male filmmaker friend of mine:
"Nope. Nope, nope, nope."
"For the writer of this article to imply that gender had anything to do with Gunn's lack of credit to Perlman is unfair. I would never argue that Hollywood isn't a total boy's club — because it largely is — (but) Perlman received the credit she did solely because she penned the first draft. It's been reported multiple times that Gunn's script was a page one rewrite — a complete overhaul … To try to take away anything from him in the name of discrimination isn't right. The way Hollywood treats and views women isn't right either, but that isn't the fight (Killoran) is looking for."
This gentleman went on to mention how Gunn had — at least in one instance — described Perlman's original script as "far more influential to his script than Chris McCoy's (the guy who was hired to re-write Perlman's original draft)" on The Howard Stern Show.
Touché, male colleague, touché.
Even though I didn't entirely agree with him — I believe rewrites of a concept not developed by oneself should, in fact, give due credit to its initial creator — the man did come through with thoughtful criticism against the war cries of feminist filmmakers everywhere.
Because fact: when you remove the word "woman" from all of the facts listed above, it becomes evident that the same criticisms could have easily arisen if Perlman had been a man.
My enlightened reply:
"While I don't think the issue was specifically gender-related either, it's just unfortunate that Perlman also happens to be a woman in a male-dominated field."
Because even Giese, in Killoran's article, said: "The industry is listening. That is why Perlman is important right now."
There are lessons to be learned here:
Being a woman in film — or in any male-dominated industry — is harder than one thinks, and due recognition is difficult to come by.
But then again gender cannot and should not always be a reason why one should be given the attention deserved.


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Your Government At Work ...
Spencer-Owen School Board
The Spencer-Owen School Board will meet Thursday, August 13, beginning at 6:30 p.m. for a work session featuring a presentation by the Owen Valley High School FFA in the Mike Wells Memorial Board Room at Central Office, 205 E. Hillside Avenue in Spencer. This meeting is open to the public. A regular school board meeting will follow at 7 p.m. An executive meeting to discuss collective bargaining, closed to the public, will follow the night's regular school board meeting.
Spencer Town Council
The Spencer Town Council will meet Monday, August 17, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Municipal Building, located at 90 North West Street. This meeting is open to the public.
Gosport Town Council
Gosport Town Council members Ernie Arnold, Wes Correll and Becky Welch will meet Tuesday, August 18, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in Gosport Town Hall. This meeting is open to the public.
Cloverdale School Board
The Cloverdale School Board will meet Monday, September 14, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Arthur L. Johnson Administration Center, located on E. Logan Street in Cloverdale. This meeting is open to the public.
© 2009-2018 Spencer Evening World, Inc. | Privacy Policy
No commercial reproduction without written consent.
Electronic reproduction of any kind forbidden without written consent.


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Digitally Downloaded writes: "I really enjoyed the original Dead Space a great deal. The graphics were excellent, the sound design was appropriately creepy, it told an excellent story and gave you a reason to care about what happened to the lead character, Isaac. I am a huge fan of horror games, having thoroughly enjoyed older titles like Silent Hill, Resident Evil and Fatal Frame, despite their somewhat clunky controls. Newer titles like Amnesia: The Dark Descent also gave me a few good scares. Some spoilers to the series will follow, so proceed at your own risk..."
No, it's a warning that dumber isn't necessarily smarter.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who remembers the Glen Schofield interviews prior to the first Dead Space. The guy was always talking about how scary the game was, how they watched hours upon hours of horror films to hone the gameplay, how they were gonna use sound design and shadows to scare you.
And then Dead Space 3 comes around and all the devs say is "you can craft cool weapons. It has co-op. It adds to the storyline." etc.
What did you think would happen, EA?
Bought and loved Dead Space, got ds2 couldn't finish it, did not even bother with ds3
shame really, they could have made the series great, guess when people are making money they lose all common sense, Publishers and Developers are like politicians in the sense that they are totally out of tune with there public, some would say clueless
THANK YOU. Thank you. Thank you.
Finally, an article from a gaming website that isn't brown nosing EA like they just paid the ad revenue for the month.
You don't have to be a textual prostitute to keep your gaming websites going, guys. Digitallydownload.net at least gets it.
DS2 push the action but not to the point where it interfered with the core elements of Dead Space. DS3 seems to do just that...it's a shame really.


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Granny Bunting
38 comments
you are fab....he is SO out of touch!ReplyDelete
i want one!
Haha! I laughed out loud at the thought of bunting in the car. CUTE! And so funny.ReplyDelete
Talia Christine
Wow... bunting! To decorate Miss Piggy's room...ReplyDelete
A whole world of previously undiscovered girliness just opened up in my mind!!!
Thanks for the inspiration!
Ahhh LOVE this would be an amazing little touch at our wedding, note taking out loud.ReplyDelete
Clever you! xx
So cute!ReplyDelete
Um, ADORABLE!! The colour, style, spacing, love it all. Love PosieReplyDelete
Oh I thought you were going to say it was in your shop!!.... I LOVE it :-) lol so make one for hubby's car that would be ace :-)ReplyDelete
I love all the bunting I've been seeing, but I have refrained from making any because I'm pretty sure my husband would run screaming from the house. I keep trying to think of some way to make a more manly (or at least unisexy) bunting, but I can't seem to make that work. (Haha!) BTW, last summer I SO wanted to crochet a bikini, but I chickened out. (If you use mercerized cotton it doesn't itch.)ReplyDelete
- Crochet with Raymond7:15 am
Love it! It looks so gorgeous in your beautiful daughter's room! But I absolutely think you need to make another set to stretch right across the window, and then maybe a set for the door too!ReplyDelete
Ooh... my darling would die if I put bunting in the car, it made me smile to think about her reaction!!!!!
Love it. I have the same problem with my other half. It's amazing how they can go pale at the very sight of something beautifully handmade isn't it? I think if you make him some for his car it may be grounds for divorce though!ReplyDelete
Re: Symons comment. My Nanna made me a crochet bikini for my 12th birthday. They really don't work. Wet lacy cotton is just not a good look for bikinis!
That is too cute for words. I would love some in my own room. (Not sure how Hubby would feel about that though...)ReplyDelete
Looks like you got the vote of approval from the ones the count though! The girls look like they think it is awesome. Go Granny bunting! What colors does hubby get? Red for Valentines Day?ReplyDelete
lurrrve that granny bunting!ReplyDelete


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note.. To keep the length somewhat more reasonable, I am going to divide up my initial,fairly plain response to the chart you posted and a more detailed look at the data and article.
thegreekdog wrote:PLAYER57832 wrote:abortion stuff not backed up by any evidence.
To start, how about quoting me fully instead of paraphrasing:
PLAYER57832 wrote:to sum, A. that report doesn't truly justify your position the way you think it does. You need to do a more careful check of the definitions used and how they got the data, came to the conclusions.
PLAYER57832 wrote: for you to claim that you have the "high ground" and that you keep posting and I just keep ignoring is a flat out lie. In fact, half of the documents you posted did not even lead to anything. I posted that, but one, in particular went to a totally blank page, another showed data that utterly conflicted with other data… and the source wound up being blank. Yet another actually came to a completely different conclusion than you claimed it did. Go back and read the comments and actually read, follow up on the links you post before you start claiming some moral high ground there.
NOTE -- you posted several documents… the one below is the only legitimate one of the bunch… and, ironically enough, I cited it before you did!!!!
thegreekdog wrote: If your argument essentially boils down to this: people who are pro-life in the context of abortions that may save the mother's life are wrong, I agree with that.
If your argument is that most women choose to have abortions to save their own lives and not for any other reason, which seems to be what you've typed numerous times, then you're patently wrong. Not mistaken; not misinterpreted; you are WRONG.
I have NEVER, repeat NEVER claimed that all or most abortions are "to save a mother's life". In fact, the largest percentage – anywhere from 30-75%, depending on if you start counting from inception, and so forth – are for fully natural causes, aka miscarriages. Beyond that, I have said that I would not personally have an abortion except to save my life or if I knew that my child were going to die or suffer very serious problems. (note, even in that case I add in much more than just 'to save the mother's life). For other people, I draw the line far, far wider. I have detailed that so many times that for you to claim otherwise means you are either intentionally lying, have never bothered to actually read what I wrote, despite your lengthy responses or are simply confusing me with someone else. In either case, stop.
Other than that, I say just claiming that women having abortions are just doing so because they are too lazy or stupid or uncaring to really think out their choices and that they really don't understand what they are doing, which you and others here are pretty much implying, is plain wrong.
See, you use the word "choice" medically when pulling up stats, but then in discussion go to basically "since its their CHOICE, then they can just CHOOSE not to have one." I say, and the data below explains that things are very far from that simplistic.
thegreekdog wrote:
There is a chart in this linke (Table 2) that shows the "Percentage distribution of women who had an abortion, by main reason given for seeking abortion." The categories and US statistics are:
Wants to postpone childbearing - 25.5%
Wants no (or no more) children - 7.9%
Cannot afford a baby - 21.3%
Having a child will disrupt education or job - 10.8%
Has relationship problem or partner does not want pregnancy - 14.1%
Too young; parents or others object to pregnancy - 12.2%
Risk to maternal health - 2.8%
Risk to fetal health - 3.3%
Other - 2.1%
Repeat: I have cited this article myself, and I believe before you. I also answered your points the first times you posted it… and the other articles you posted as well.
NOTE.. for anyone else trying to track this down, the above data comes from the last line, under the heading "developed countries" for the US. It is the second chart in the article, roughly halfway through (give or take quite a bit).
thegreekdog wrote:
Based on the foregoing statistical evidence (of which you have none), the percentage of women in the United States who have abortions to save their own lives is 2.8%, the second lowest of all reasons.
Yeah, well, since I never made that claim, nor would I, you will have to go find the person who actually said that.
thegreekdog wrote:
So, do you acknowledge the above statistics? If not, why not? Can you provide your own statistics? If you can do any of these things, let's take it to the other thread.
Well, gee, since I actually referenced that article a few times myself, not sure why you are even trying to argue that. That said, you posted several other stats and articles that actually WERE either just lacking citations that misrepresented citations or that referred to citations that did not exist.
To get back to the above article, let's start with this;
Conclusions: Reasons women give for why they seek abortion are often far more complex than simply not intending to become pregnant; the decision to have an abortion is usually motivated by more than one factor. While improved contraceptive use can help reduce unintended pregnancy and abortion, some abortions will remain difficult to prevent, because of limits to women's ability to determine and control all circumstances of their lives.
Beyond that, IMMEDIATELY, you would have to add these 2;
Risk to maternal health - 2.8%
Risk to fetal health - 3.3%
Each of these can be real and true reasons why an abortion might be very much medically warranted. The first would actually often include "threatens the mother's life" – though that is arguable. I leave that designation to psychologists who are trained in that field, much as I leave the determination of cancer or other illness up to medical professionals. I am not going to debate THEIR definitions at this point, here.
SO, already we have it boosted to over 8%. Maybe you think 3% and 8% are equivalent, but I don't!
Then we get into the details – "too young" and "partner does not wish" are situations of coercion, not "free choice". They include abuse, real medical issues (a 12 year old is just not equipped to have a child) and other cases that you have, in previous threads said might be case where legalization is reasonable. It likely includes cases you would not consider reasonable, but we would have to delve further into the data to determine that. At any rate, these are cases that I would not call real and true optional choices, definitely not for mere convenience (as Nightstrike and others like to pretend)
So, now we have almost 40% of cases that are not truly "free choice" abortions.
Then we get to the other 2 big categories -- will disrupt education or jobs and lack money. I would argue there that even in today's society, women don't just have a "free choice" about those things. I mean, to argue on the one hand, in the minimum wage thread, etc, that people who don't go get better education, etc just don't deserve to make more and then declare that the pressure to do better, to create a decent financial situation for a child before having one means they are just being selfish is hypocritical at best. FURTHER, its not just the woman who is so impacted. The father will be burdened with child support payments at least until the child reaches age 18 (sometimes more, but that doesn't matter for this debate). Of course, that is his responsibility, but it also means that his income will be reduced for the next 18 years, and not by a set amount. Again, that needs to happen, but to pretend it is not a real and significant impact. It contributes heavily to the "partner does not agree", but many women will take their partner's "well being" into account as well as their own. This might mean not wanting to interfere with HIS educational/financial plans or just knowing that their partner is not going to be much help financially.
These are mostly issues that I saw complicate the "its just free choice" argument. I would not, know many women who would not abort for those reasons, but do I have the right to demand a woman bear a child under those circumstances? That is another issue entirely!
AND… if you go back to my original statements regarding this, and the fact that the right likes to charichature it as "just choice" and to claim that people wanting abortion legalized somehow "like" the idea, the REAL answer is to promote education and better access to birth control – and THAT is, again where my assertion that you are hypocritic comes in, because you are out there saying that employers have every right to deny that type of coverage to women.
thegreekdog wrote: If you can't do any of these things, knock it off with the absurd "women have abortions to save their own lives and conservatives who are against abortion want people to die." It's a ludicrous argument.
Well, there you go again, misquoting me. SOME people, and some of the strongest opponents, such as the Dakota governor, very much DO hold that position AND those people are gaining ground, very much harming women in their wake. For you to claim that is wrong is what is ludicrous, as is your attempt to claim that synopsis the "opposition"… of course there is a range of views on anything.
I happen to remember that you have said you do distinguish between legalization of abortion and the discussion over whether abortion is warranted in any particular case. It just so happens we draw the line differently.


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Director of the Zwemer Center at CIU Honored by Alma Mater
Dr. Warren Larson, the director of the Zwemer Center for Muslim Studies at CIU's Seminary & School of Missions, is the recipient of the "Distinguished Alumni of the year Award" at his alma mater Peace River Bible Institute (PRBI) in Sexsmith, Alberta, Canada.
Larson graduated from PRBI in 1965. During his final year at the school, Larson felt called by God to the mission field and arrived in Pakistan in 1968. After studying Urdu for two years, he began missionary work among Muslims in Dera Ghazi Khan, South Central Punjab. He worked with a local church and operated a reading room in the bazaar.
After completing his bachelor of theology degree at Vancouver Bible College during a furlough in 1974, Larson returned to Dera Ghazi Khan. In 1975 he and his wife, Carol, launched Newspaper Evangelism, putting ads in national newspapers and sending literature to those who responded. In 1976, he started the Good News Center, a Bible correspondence school that is still functioning under Pakistani leadership. He supervised the work of 15 expatriates in the Pakistan Department of International Missions from 1978 to 1988. During this time Larson also piloted Theological Education by Extension in South Central Pakistan. During a furlough in 1988, he earned a Master of Missiology degree at the Canadian Theological Seminary in Regina, Saskatchewan. Two years after returning to Dera Ghazi Khan, he was charged with spying on the nuclear facilities of Pakistan, keeping illegal maps in his vehicle, and preaching Christianity in the marketplace. A full and fair investigation was never made, though he fought long and hard in order to clear his name. In August 1991, along with his family, he was forced to leave.
Larson joined the faculty of CIU Seminary & School of Missions in 1996, where he teaches courses related to ministry among Islamic peoples. Due to his understanding of radical Islam, he has been quoted widely in both Christian and secular publications.
He travels extensively, addressing diverse audiences around the world on communicating to Muslims with love and understanding. He welcomes opportunities to speak on Islam as a worldwide religion in all its varied aspects and its deep needs.
To view Larson's videotaped address to the students of Peace River Bible Institute, go the the CIU YouTube channel:


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Associate, Gensler
Maria is an architect who is driven to design buildings that will withstand the test of time. Passionate about sustainability, she incorporates the latest energy conservation strategies to improve the environmental performance of buildings. As client advisor for Kent BSF she is also deeply involved in designing transformational learning environments that deliver a vastly enhanced learning experience for students in multiple school's across the county. Maria joined Gensler in 2003.


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Shrihari Sathe's directorial debut was produced by Infinitum Productions.
Infinitum Productions has wrapped principal photography on 1000 Rupee Note (Ek Hazarachi Note), the directorial debut of New York and Mumbai-based producer Shrihari Sathe [pictured].
Written by Shrikant Bojewar, the film is set in a small village in Maharashtra, India and revolves around a poor old woman whose uneventful life is shattered when she receives a few one thousand rupee notes from a politician. The cast includes Usha Naik, Sandeep Pathak, Ganesh Yadav and Shrikant Yadav.
Infinitum also recently produced US drama It Felt Like Love, directed by Eliza Hittman, which screened at Sundance and is handled internationally by Visit Films. KMBO Films acquired French rights to the film.
Infinitum is also co-producing Partho Sen-Gupta's Sunrise, which starts shooting at the end of May in India with Adil Hussain and Tannishtha Chatterjee heading the cast. Sathe is also working with Palestinian filmmaker Bassam Jarbawi on drama Solitaire King.


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Polo Ralph Lauren
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This offer is valid from October 23, 2018, to November 1, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. PT on select styles as marked at RalphLauren.com only. The threshold amount must be reached in a single transaction and promotional code TAKE30 must be entered to receive the offer. The threshold and savings apply to qualifying merchandise only; amounts paid for excluded items, shipping and handling, or taxes do not count toward the threshold amount. This offer is not valid on previously purchased merchandise, new arrivals, Collection merchandise, Double RL merchandise, Purple Label merchandise, Ralph Lauren luxury accessories and footwear, select Home products, Ralph Lauren Yankees™ merchandise, 50th Anniversary ties, limited edition Hi Tech items, limited-edition Polo shirts, philanthropic merchandise, cable cashmere products, cable wool-and-cashmere products, select flag merchandise, select Polo Bear merchandise, boys' tailored clothing, plush toys, baby cashmere blankets, cashmere stuffed animals, baby baskets and bundles, books, watches and fine jewelry, fragrances, or gift cards. This offer has no cash value. This offer cannot be combined with any other offer, except for applicable offers for free shipping. This offer is not applicable to purchases being shipped internationally. For Customer Assistance, please call 888-475-7674
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Style Number: 407856
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Methamphetamine, or "meth," is the number one drug problem in rural America and the fastest-growing drug threat in the nation.
Typically, meth comes in the form of an odorless, bitter-tasting powder that dissolves easily in water or alcohol. This powder may be white, yellow, pink, red, tan, or brown, depending largely on the ingredients used to make it. There are hundreds of street names for meth, including speed, crank, chalk, crystal, ice, glass, shabu, zip, pep-pills, and go-fast.
Meth is a synthetic drug, meaning that people manufacture it. Synthetic drugs may be contrasted with naturally-occurring drugs such as marijuana, which are cultivated rather than manufactured. Most of the meth found in Illinois is produced in small, rural, makeshift "laboratories," using equipment and ingredients that are, for the most part, readily available at local drug, hardware, and farm supply stores.
Because meth is highly addictive, relatively inexpensive, and easy to make, it has spread rapidly through the western, southwestern, midwestern, and southeastern United States, as well as through other parts of the world such as Southeast Asia and New Zealand. Meth is an acute problem throughout central and southern Illinois, and it is moving northward.
Meth is a powerfully addictive stimulant that has a dramatic effect on the central nervous system. Essentially, meth tricks the brain and body into thinking that it has limitless stamina while in fact draining critical energy reserves needed to maintain the body's vital organs and functions. As a consequence, meth produces bursts of energy and euphoria but ultimately leads to severe depression, brain damage, physical deterioration, and – in some cases – violent paranoia.
Meth is a stimulant – a drug that increases the energy of the user. Caffeine is a very mild stimulant, while cocaine and methamphetamine are more intense, addictive, and dangerous stimulants. Stimulant drugs such as meth and cocaine may be contrasted with narcotic drugs like heroin and morphine, which do not stimulate the nervous system but instead tend to dull the senses and induce relaxation, stupor, and sleep.
Meth may be ingested, snorted, smoked, or injected. When meth is snorted or ingested (i.e., swallowed), it produces a sense of euphoria that may last as long as twelve hours. When meth is smoked or injected, it produces a more immediate and intense "rush" that may last for as little as a few minutes, followed by a lower-level feeling of euphoria.
Addicts often follow a progression of meth use in which they begin ingesting meth, then snorting it, then smoking it, and then finally injecting it. Consistent with this pattern, meth users who are relatively new to the drug are often found ingesting or snorting meth, while hard-core users are often found smoking or injecting it.
No matter how meth is used, it tends to cause increased activity, decreased appetite, and a false sense of well-being in the short term, followed by damage to the brain, body, and central nervous system in the long term.
Crystal meth is a type of meth that takes the form of large crystal-like chunks or, in some cases, small glass fragments or shiny blue-white rocks. It is usually smoked in a glass pipe like crack cocaine, but it may also be dissolved and injected. Although crystal meth produces effects similar to those produced by powder meth, it reportedly produces more intense and longer lasting highs. Like chronic use of powder meth, chronic use of crystal meth causes damage to the brain, body, and central nervous system.
The typical meth user is a lower- or middle-class white person in his or her 20's or 30's, living in a rural community. Although this description is technically accurate, it masks a great deal of variation in meth use. For example:
While meth use is concentrated in rural communities, it is a popular "club drug" in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and other urban centers across the country.
While the typical meth user belongs to the lower or middle class, meth addiction has afflicted upper-class Americans as well, including members of wealthy and prominent families.
While most meth users are in their 20's or 30's, meth use is on the rise among teenagers, and – at the other end of the age spectrum – it is not uncommon to encounter meth addicts in their 40's or 50's.
Yes. Meth use has been rising steadily among women, and it can no longer be said that the typical meth user is male. Female meth addicts report that they were initially attracted to the drug because it helped them lose weight and heightened their energy level, increasing their ability to face the multiple challenges of work and family – in the short term. In the long term, of course, meth has the same effects on women that it has on men: acute addiction, mental instability, and physical deterioration.
Most of the meth found in Illinois is produced in small, rural, makeshift "laboratories," using equipment and ingredients that are, for the most part, readily available at local drug, hardware, and farm supply stores. The majority of these meth production sites are located in rural areas of central and southern Illinois.
These methamphetamine production sites are commonly referred to as "methamphetamine laboratories" ("meth labs" for short) or "clandestine laboratories" ("clan labs" for short). It is important to understand, however, that meth production sites are not really "laboratories" at all. When we think of laboratories, we think of highly-educated scientists in clean white coats conducting controlled experiments with advanced equipment in an antiseptic environment.
Meth labs are nothing like this. The equipment used to make meth consists not of advanced scientific apparatus but instead of common household items such as mason jars, coffee filters, and plastic soda bottles. Most of the ingredients used to make meth – such as cold tablets, lithium batteries, and Coleman fuel – can be purchased at local drug, hardware, and farm supply stores.
The best way to describe the appearance of a typical meth lab is that it looks not like a real laboratory, but more like a dirty kitchen.
There is nothing secret about the means of making meth. Meth "recipes" are widely known and readily available over the Internet. The most common meth "recipe" in Illinois is called the "Birch reduction method" or, more commonly, the "Nazi method" (because the German government used it during World War II). A second method that is common in the western United States but less common in Illinois is known as the "red phosphorous" or "red-P" method.
Whether a meth "cook" uses the "Nazi method" or the "red-P" method, he or she cannot make meth without ephedrine or pseudoephedrine – substances found in Sudafed, Claratin, and other over-the-counter cold medications that are widely available in local drug stores, supermarkets, and truck stops. Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are to methamphetamine what flour is to bread – THE essential ingredient.
Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine become methamphetamine by means of a chemical reaction. A meth maker using the Nazi method (common in Illinois) brings about this chemical reaction by combining the ephedrine or pseudoephedrine with two other ingredients: anhydrous ammonia (a liquified fertilizer) and lithium (a metal extracted from lithium batteries). By contrast, a meth maker using the red-P method (less common in Illinois) produces methamphetamine by combining ephedrine or pseudoephedrine with red phosphorous, iodine crystals, and water.
While these chemical reactions are the essential step required to turn ephedrine and pseudoephedrine into methamphetamine, both the Nazi method and the red-P method involve additional steps both before and after these chemical reactions. For a typical meth cook in Illinois, using the Nazi method, the entire process of making a batch of methamphetamine lasts about four hours from start to finish.
Cooking meth is extremely dangerous. For information on the dangers that accompany meth manufacture, click HERE.
No. In Illinois, most meth makers are meth addicts, and they make meth to feed their addiction. Typically, Illinois meth makers are organized into loose-knit groups, or "cells," of roughly a half dozen meth addicts.
A typical meth "cell" is headed by a meth "cook" – a person who has learned the technique of making meth. The remaining members of the "cell" are assigned specific roles that support the meth production process. For example:
Some members of the cell may spend the better part of their time driving from store to store to store, stealing or purchasing pills containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. After obtaining hundreds or thousands of these cold tablets, they return to the meth production site, give the pills to the meth cook, and receive payment in the form of meth to feed their addiction.
Some members of the cell may spend the better part of their time driving around the countryside and stealing anhydrous ammonia from farmers' nurse tanks, especially at night. After obtaining a sufficient quantity of anhydrous ammonia, they return to the meth production site, give the anhydrous ammonia to the meth cook, and receive payment in the form of meth to feed their addiction.
Some members of the cell may spend the better part of their time stealing or buying the remaining equipment and chemicals needed to manufacture meth at local stores. After obtaining the appropriate supplies, they return to the meth production site, give the supplies to the meth cook, and receive payment in the form of meth to feed their addiction.
Although a typical meth cook or one of his assistants may sell small quantities of meth to persons outside the "cell," the purpose of such sales is not usually to make a huge profit but rather to obtain cash needed to purchase cold medications or other supplies needed to make more meth.
The bottom line is that meth is NOT big business in Illinois. Most meth makers are addicts themselves, with limited resources at best.
Return to Understanding Meth
Return to MethNet Home


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Since my last update, I've separated the visualizations by IP address, along with adding a few cosmetic additions (lines to the next event in the height different experiment), although there's still a little bit of work to separate that visualization into different IPs. I've also added camera controls, the basic WSAD at the moment, so that a user can scroll up, down, left, and right, depending on how many host machines there are, as well as how many events there are. There was also some work on the backend as well, to make the files a little easier to read, as well as adding more commen Read more »
Most of my work in the past few weeks has been focusing on the visualization aspect of the project. One thing that I am trying to avoid is simply making graphs/charts and that sort of visualization. Those sorts of things are incredibly useful since anyone can understand them, on the other hand they're trivial to make. I've been making a few basic visualizations, but the two that, so far, have the most merit are delinating the events based on color (each group of events is a separate color) and the other separates them based on height (each y position is a different event). I'll admi Read more »
I know I said that I would post a screenshot a week ago, but it's been a little busy, but here's an older attached image. One of the reasons there was a delay is that the code that I was using was based on one of the wxPython demo programs, hence the RunDemo title bar. I'm in the process of revamping that code into something that's a little more standalone. Read more »
The first version of the parser is essentially finished. The main goal for the basic version of the parser is to take Sebek data and create two groups of data: one group is comprised of a data structure that holds an event's information, things like the timestamp, event type, what service the event was connected to, etc. The second group is simply a list of each unique event, basically what types of events happened, what ports were used, services used by the events, things of that nature. Read more »
Hello all,
As today is the official start of the Google Summer of Code, an introduction both to the project, and for myself seems to be in order. My name is Kevin Galloway, and I'm currently a graduate student, in Computer Science at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Most of my background is more on the security side of things, although, at the start, graphics were one of the main reasons I chose computer science. This project was a way to combine those two passions of mine. Read more »