text:
(AP) -- Nobody knows what might have happened had the Los Angeles Lakers been a bit more patient and allowed Kobe Bryant and his teammates some time to adjust to Mike Brown's new Princeton offense, no matter how ill-suited it seemed for their talents.
Not that it really matters, as long as Phil Jackson is ready and willing to bring his courtside throne out of retirement.
Kobe Bryant made that clear when asked whether the Lakers could switch gears and win quickly if Jackson returned with the triangle offense that made him arguably the greatest coach in NBA history.
"Are you doubting the Zen Master?'' Bryant said.
No, and no one else should, either. Eleven NBA titles outstrips any misgivings about bringing the 67-year-old Jackson back, no matter how ignominious his ending with the Lakers was last time he was on the bench with them.
It still bothers Bryant that Jackson retired after the Lakers suffered an embarrassing meltdown in being swept out of the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks two seasons ago.
"He's too great of a coach to go out that way,'' Bryant said. "That's kind of my personal sentiment.''
Around Staples Center, Bryant's personal sentiment goes a long way. Despite his protestations to the contrary, he clearly wasn't happy with Brown or his offense, as evidenced by the angry stare he gave the coach as the Lakers lost to the Utah Jazz last week.
Time is running out for Bryant to get the sixth ring that will forever cement his place next to Michael Jordan when talk turns to the best players ever. He knows his best chance to get that ring and maybe even more is with the coach who was with him for the first five.
Jerry Buss believes that, too, which is why he and team management wasted no time in dumping Brown, despite having to eat about $10 million in severance pay. It's a small price to pay when the Lakers are flush with new TV money and in desperate need of a contending team if Time Warner Cable is to be successful in getting DirecTV and others to pay up and carry the new channel built around the franchise.
Indeed, Brown was given the hook so quickly it's fair to speculate that perhaps there was some corporate pressure coming from the company that paid some $3 billion for a 20-year deal to broadcast the Lakers. The firing came hours before the Lakers were going to play the hapless Golden State Warriors, giving them an easy win to get the post-Brown era off to a good start.
That both the Lakers and their star player want that era to be led by Jackson became clear immediately after Brown was fired. Laker fans didn't take much longer to get on the bandwagon, bringing signs supporting Jackson to Friday night's blowout of the Warriors, and chanting "We Want Phil'' in the second half.
"I can understand why,'' interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff said. "The guy's got the rings.''
Jackson appears to want to be back with the Lakers just as much. Multiple reports on Saturday were that he was contacting coaches to be his assistants, and that only contract details stood in the way of his rehiring.
As for Brown, well, that's what happens sometimes when you work on the big stage. Brown's biggest problem may have been that Bryant never warmed up to him, but his strange decision to implement an offense suited more for a team of journeymen than superstars undoubtedly helped speed up his demise.
A Princeton offense in a Showtime town? Not with Jack Nicholson and the rest of Hollywood's elite sitting courtside, you don't. Not when there are huge television deals, huge contracts, and huge luxury tax payments on the horizon.
This was a team built to win now, a team with aging stars in Bryant and Steve Nash that couldn't afford to wait to gel. Yes, Dwight Howard is still playing at about 50 percent of his ability as he works himself back into shape after back surgery, but the sum of this team was still far less than its parts.
Bryant went on Facebook to claim he had a good relationship with Brown and to wish him his best. But his biggest statement may have come on the court against the Warriors, where he dominated as if to declare the Brown era was over and a new one was beginning.
The Lakers can only hope this coaching change turns out as well as another early season firing did for the team 31 years ago. Paul Westhead was the coach then, but Magic Johnson was unhappy with his offensive system and asked to be traded early in the season, and Westhead was fired with the Lakers just 7-4 on the year.
His replacement was an assistant named Pat Riley, who took the team to the NBA title that year and ended up coaching three more championships in LA.
A content Kobe playing for the coach he admires most isn't going to make that happen by himself. He can still take over individual games, but for the season-long grind he'll need Nash to return from injury, Howard to keep improving, and Pau Gasol to play as hard as Bryant likes him to.
The Lakers will also need to figure out a way to play defense, something they refused to do much of under Brown, who built his reputation as a defensive coach.
It won't be an easy task, even if they get Jackson. There are no guarantees, especially when the road to any title goes through LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
But if Bryant doesn't doubt the Zen Master, Laker fans shouldn't either.


text:
Andy Reid said Monday that he wasn't pleased that DeSean Jackson took a taunting personal foul penalty that negated a 50-yard pass play Sunday night against the New York Giants. (He also didn't agree with how the penalty was assessed. More on that later).
But the Eagles coach didn't exactly criticize the brash Eagles receiver as others have after Jackson flipped the football at Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and drew an unsportsmanlike penalty.
Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee, for instance, called Jackson a "punk" on Twitter after the play happened.
"DeSean Jackson is a punk. #growuputinybastard," Scobee wrote.
He added with his next tweet: "Relax people. He's just a punk, which to me means he doesn't respect anyone or anything around him. Therefore, I don't respect him."
Scobee later apologized for his characterization of Jackson.
"Shouldn't have called DeSean Jackson that, I used the wrong words to try and make my point," he wrote.
Reid was asked about balancing Jackson's histrionics with his sometimes-great production. The receiver finished with six catches for 88 yards and returned one punt 51 yards.
"I'm not going to sit here and tell you I was happy about a penalty," Reid said Monday after the Eagles' 17-10 win over the Giants. "I wasn't happy about that. The thing I appreciated was he came out with that attitude we all love as far as loving to play the game. He was fired up and ready to go and that part I did appreciate."
As for the penalty, Giants defensive tackle Linval Joseph was also called for illegal use of the hands on that play. The officials ruled that the penalties were off-setting and that the down was to be re-played. Many, including Reid, believed that because Jackson's penalty occurred out of bounds that it should have been marked off after the 50-yard gain.
"It doesn't make sense," Reid said. "I was told it was called correctly."
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an email, "That is the rule and it was applied correctly. The penalties offset and nullify the play."
Here's the rule as provided by the league office:
"Article 1 - If there is a double foul (3-11-2-c) without a change of possession, the penalties are offset and the down is replayed at the previous spot. If it was a scrimmage down, the number of the next down and the necessary line is the same as for the down for which the new one is substituted.
Exceptions: (1) If one of the fouls is of a nature that incurs a 15-yard penalty and the other foul of a double foul normally would result in a loss of 5 yards only (15 yards versus 5 yards), the major penalty yardage is to be assessed from the previous spot."
Reid, who is on the competition committee, was asked if the rule needed to be changed.
"I'm going do some more research on it now that it's over," Reid said. "I didn't understand it when I was out there. They explained it to me well. It's one of those that you kind of raise your eyebrow to."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
No, this is not a thread meant to get Woodson on the Hawks. He was a great player, but past his prime and still would be too expensive for our needs.
This is about what Green Bay did to get a premier defensive player in FA that was a missing piece to ultimately get them to the Super Bowl and win. If you remember they signed Woodson to a 7 year deal for over $50M that at the time was a lot of money for an NFL player. In fact is still is to this day. But they did it even though their mantra was and still is to build thru the draft.
So what does this have to do with our Hawks?
We are facing the same thing this offseason. Many want us to continue building thru the draft and not commit large contracts to veterans that can fill a major need today. I'm talking about our pass rush, and specifically our interior defensive QB pressure.
We just don't have a real 3tech DT on this team that is a 3 down player and it is one of the most glaring holes keeping this team from a championship caliber defense. The Giants won two Superbowls with a dominant defensive line that manhandled Brady not once, but twice in the biggest game of the year.
So while I still hear posters talk about building thru the draft and not commit to a major FA signing, I really hope that JS and PC think the Green Bay model that includes a major signing to a defense that is very close that championship.
To finish, I really want the Hawks to go heavy for a 3tech DT in FA that can fill that need for today and hopefully another 5-6 years. If they can do it sign a DE for a fair deal, but keep their eyes on the interior pass rush.
Please JS and PC, make it so!


text:
Phil Younghusband shoots down the rumors that he was the father of Denisse Oca's unborn child!
And Phil also denied that the reason for his break-up with Angel Locsin is Denisse.
This is what Phil posted in his twitter account last Tuesday:
"To put an end to the doubts and rumors, I am not the father of the baby of Dennise nor was it the reason Angel and I broke up,"
Denisse who is romantically linked with Younghusband back in 2011, has this to say on her Instagram account:
"I'll tell people who the father is when I'm ready. Right now I just want to keep it private,"
"One thing I can for sure is that it is definitely not Phil and the rumors are not true. Thanks."


text: Thanks for the responses, ladies! We had DD's appointment today - I decided to go the route of not really saying what I'm planning on doing in terms of solids. Doc suggested starting with the iron-fortified cereal, then moving on to veggies after a month, then meats after another month, etc. I reminded him that I'm a vegetarian and that DD won't be getting meat. I asked him if he routinely checks iron levels at 9 months - he said he doesn't unless there's cause for concern. I said I really wasn't sure that she would take cereal (she's so independent!) and he agreed to give us a lab slip to get it checked at 9 months, so he'll have the results for her 10 month well baby check. At that point, we can decide if iron supplements are necessary, although depending on her solids intake, I may choose to start it sooner. Thanks again for sharing your experiences!


text:
Error creating thumbnail
|This article describes a concept which could impact a variety of companies, countries or industries. To see what companies and articles reference this concept page, click here.
Hedge funds impact the economy by affecting the stock market. Since some hedge funds are so huge their impact can be global, causing changes in oil prices, commodities, retail goods and magnified effects on stocks and mutual funds. If they then leave the stock market, and invest in bonds or commodities, individual investors could be adversely affected. Some estimates are that hedge funds have over $1 trillion in assets around the world.[1]
Hedge funds also help stock markets by acting as a source of liquidity, making major investments in publicly traded companies. Sometimes when a company requires new cash / investment, a hedge fund or foreign investment will come through when other sources of financing dry up. Hedge funds help the economy by giving companies other options for capital, especially when companies are concerned about taking on large foreign investments.
The larger prime brokers by total 2006 assets:
|Largest Prime Brokers[2]
|Total Assets (Billions)
|Market Share
|Morgan Stanley
|Bear Stearns
|Goldman Sachs
|Credit Suisse
A hedge fund is a private investment fund charging a performance fee and typically open to only a limited range of qualified investors. In the United States, hedge funds are open to accredited investors only. Because of this restriction and creative legal structuring, they are exempt from any direct regulation by the SEC, FINRA and other regulatory bodies. Because of this exemption, hedge funds can put money in investments that are more exotic and riskier than those available to mutual funds - such as Short Selling, investing in Derivatives and Asset-backed securities.
The name originates from a common strategy in the early days of hedge funds - to "hedge" their bets by holding opposing positions in the market (IE one investment profits if a stock goes down, another when it goes up) in an attempt to earn returns regardless of the overall movement of the market. Over time, however, the term hedge fund has come to refer to any private asset manager pursuing exotic trading strategies.
A hedge fund's activities are limited only by the contracts governing the particular fund, so they can follow complex investment strategies, being long or short assets and entering into futures, swaps and other derivative contracts. They often hedge their investments against adverse moves in equity and other markets, because a common objective is to generate returns that are not closely correlated to those of the broader financial markets.
In most countries hedge funds are prohibited from marketing to non-accredited investors, unlike regulated retail investment funds such as mutual funds and pension funds, and are essentially private pools of managed assets. Because of this they have little incentive to release their private information to the public, and have acquired a corresponding reputation for secrecy.
A hedge fund is a private lemtiid partnership that engages in investing techniques that mutual funds are not allowed to, as they are regulated by the SEC. As hedge funds are privately held, they are exempt from the Investment Company Act of 1940 through provision 3(c)(1) of the act and therefore have much more flexibility and are less regulated in what activities they can engage in. Your understanding is correct, as the main difference between hedge and mutual funds is that hedge funds can engage in the activities that you listed, among others, while mutual funds are not allowed to. Hedge funds are thought of as more risky because they can engage in these activities, but this assumption does not apply to every fund. In fact, some funds engage in activities which are less risky than the average mutual fund, as the historical function of a hedge fund was to make strategic investments in an attempt to limit risk. However, this got distorted and most people now think of highly risky investments when they think of hedge funds. Just some thoughts, I hope they were what you were looking for.Best of luck!Brendan Prewitt
Following is a list of categories of the main investment styles applied by hedge funds according to the Credit Suisse First Boston Tremont Index:
securities. A typical approach is to be long the convertible bond and short the stock.
may be related to a country, an industry or a sector
Legal structure is usually determined by the tax environment of the fund investors. Many hedge funds are domiciled -- have their legal residence -- offshore in countries unrelated to either the manager, investor or investment operations of the fund, with the objective of making taxes payable only by the investor and not additionally by the fund.
Funds ordinarily are run by hedge fund management companies, which may operate one or many funds domiciled in multiple jurisdictions.
For U.S-based investors who pay tax, hedge funds are often structured as limited partnerships because these receive relatively favourable tax treatment in the US. The hedge fund manager (usually structured as a corporate entity) is the general partner or manager and the investors are the limited partners or members respectively. The funds are pooled in the partnership or company and the general partner or manager makes all the investment decisions.
Non-US investors and U.S. entities that do not pay tax (such as pension funds) do not receive the same benefits from limited partnerships, and funds for these investors are often structured as offshore or unit trusts or investment companies. Hybrid or "Master-feeder " structures that contain both a US limited partnership and an offshore company allow hedge funds to attract capital from several different tax regimes.
At the end of 2004, 55% of the number of hedge funds, managing nearly two-thirds of total hedge fund assets, were registered offshore. The most popular offshore location was the Cayman Islands followed by British Virgin Islands, Bermuda and The Bahamas. The U.S. was the most popular onshore location accounting for 34% of the number of funds and 24% of assets. EU countries were the next most popular location with 9% of the number of funds and 11% of assets. Asia accounted for the majority of the remaining assets.
Onshore locations are far more important in terms of the location of hedge fund managers. New York City and the Gold Coast area of Connecticut (particularly Stamford, Connecticut and Greenwich, Connecticut) together are the world's leading location for hedge fund managers with about twice as many hedge fund managers as the next largest centre, London. This is not surprising considering that the US is the source of the bulk of hedge fund investments. London is Europe's leading centre for the management of hedge funds. At end-2006, three-quarters of European hedge fund investments, totalling $400bn/£200bn, were managed within the UK, the vast majority from London. Assets managed out of London grew more than fourfold between 2002 and 2005 from $61bn to $225bn. Australia was the most important centre for the management of Asia-Pacific hedge funds. Managers located there accounted for around a quarter of the $140bn in Asia-Pacific hedge funds' assets in 2006.


text:
January 03. 2014 11:14PM
Monarchs lose to Senators in OT
Staff report
The Manchester Monarchs fought back from a two-goal deficit but ultimately fell to Binghamton 5-4 in overtime in a battle of first-place AHL teams Friday night.
The Atlantic Division-leading Monarchs dropped to 22-8-6 and will play at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton tonight at 7:05. Manchester closes the weekend at Hershey Sunday at 5 p.m. The East Division-leading Senators improved to 20-9-3.
Mike Hoffman scored his 16th goal of the season with 35 seconds remaining in overtime to give Binghamton its sixth win in a row.
Manchester defenseman Colin Miller's blast from the blue line with 1:12 remaining in regulation beat goalie Nathan Lawson and tied the game at 4-4 to force overtime.
David Dziurzynski had given Binghamton a 4-3 lead at 9:35 of the third period, deflecting a Corey Cowick shot past J.F. Berube from right in front of the net.
That goal came just two minutes after Brandon Kozun had tied the game for the Monarchs at the 7:32 mark of the third period. Kozun's unassisted tally came off a shot from the circle that beat Lawson high to the stick side.
Binghamton broke a 1-1 tie with a pair of goals early from defensemen in the second period to forge a 3-1 lead.
Fredrik Claesson scored a shorthanded goal at 3:24, ripping a high shot just under the bar to make it 2-1 Senators.
Another D man made it 3-1 at 8:43 on the power play. This time it was Chris Wideman scoring with a bomb from the top of the left wing circle to beat Berube.
The Monarchs managed to pull back within a goal before the second period expired. A.J. Gale scored a power-play goal, converting a Tanner Pearson pass with a shot from the faceoff circle to beat Lawson over the blocker at 18:00.
Binghamton took a 1-0 lead at the 3:38 mark of the first period when the Senators top line connected. Hoffman started the play with a cross-ice pass to Cole Schneider, who fed Stephane Da Costa for a deke on Berube before tucking the puck in.
The Monarchs tied the game in the final minute of the first, netting a power-play goal from Pearson. Jordan Weal's pass was tipped home by Pearson with 49 seconds remaining. The play was reviewed, but the goal stood and Pearson had his team-best 12th goal of the season.


text:
TYLER HILL - "She's a friend I've known all my life," said Stephen Martin. "I just felt I needed to thank her somehow."
TYLER HILL - "She's a friend I've known all my life," said Stephen Martin. "I just felt I needed to thank her somehow."
Martin, and his wife, Lucia, now live in Naples, Florida. When his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, an old friend reached out to help.
That friend was Sue Grasse, who sent a care package to Lucia after learning of her diagnosis.
In return, Martin decided to have a plaque engraved to commemorate Grasse's compassionate heart.
Grasse was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007.
"At the time, I was new to the area," she said. "It ended up being quite the journey."
After the diagnosis, she began to volunteer with the American Cancer Society. Eventually, she realized that something was missing from this area.
"There is no support group here," she said. To fill that void, she started her own website called Navigating the Journey.
"I wanted to get resources to local women," she said. The resources available on her site range from support groups to items those afflicted can get for free.
Grasse doesn't just stop at providing online support to those in need. She also sends out and delivers care packages to those diagnosed with the disease.
"If I hear of somebody who has it, I'll send them a package," she said. "I usually pack things like a journal, care pillows, crochet caps and personal care items." To date, she has given out around 20 care packages.
Grasse says that she also tries to help those who have the disease in any way she can.
"It's a traumatic experience," she said.
Surviving the trauma
Grasse also provides those in need a friendly ear to vent their troubles or concerns.
"I can speak from experience. I spent so much time worrying when I got my diagnosis."
She also offered advice to those recently diagnosed.
"Reach out," she said, adding that there are many sites and organizations available nationally to help. Those organizations include the American Cancer Society and the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition.
"It's really important to talk to somebody."
Another thing that is important is to accept the help that is offered.
"Take the help that's offered, and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it."
Grasse also said with a disease like breast cancer, it is important to take it all in stride.
"Take it one day at a time," she said with a smile. "It does get better."
Grasse has started a private group on Facebook that family members and those suffering from the disease can join. The group can be found at www.facebook.com/navigatingthejourney.
If you would like to donate items, or postage, to Grasse for a care package, email firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
The Victorian-era detectives of "Ripper Street" have been granted a stay of execution, thanks to Amazon, which ordered a third season of the BBC series that had been canceled last year.
The online retail giant announced the new eight-episode season as part of the launch of its Amazon Prime Streaming Video service in the United Kingdom. The third season will stream on Amazon in the United Kingdom before it airs on BBC One, where the first two seasons aired.
BBC America, a co-producer of the series, will air the new season after it has aired in the United Kingdom on BBC One. Currently, Amazon does not have streaming rights for the show in the United States.
BEST TV OF 2013 Lloyd | McNamara
This is the first time Amazon has saved the life of a series previously canceled on cable TV. Its rival in the online streaming entertainment space, Netflix, has gained notoriety for picking up extra seasons of fan favorite programming, including a new season of "Arrested Development" last year, a fourth season of the previously canceled AMC drama "The Killing" and the final season of the animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars."
"Ripper Street" stars Matthew Macfadyen, Jerome Flynn, Adam Rothenberg and MyAnna Buring and follows the cases of the H Division police precinct in London's Whitechapel neighborhood in the direct aftermath of the Jack the Ripper killings.
The new season will begin filming in May of this year for a 2015 premiere.
Didya hear? Key and Peele join FX's 'Fargo'
Netflix, Disney, Marvel to bring superheroes series to New York
Paul Rudd battles Jimmy Fallon on 'Tonight Show' lip sync contest
PHOTOS: TV shows and their spinoffs
Overrated/Underrated 2014
PHOTOS: 101 best-written TV shows of all time


text:
Pardon the crap tastic drawing, forgot AutoCAD isn't installed yet and I suck with photoshop lol.
As shown in the picture...
I've always heard from manufacturers that all venting must slope towards the unit, and option #2 was the only pictures they had (providing you don't just come straight out, or into some form of termination kit).
Today I was told that option #1 will work, and also told option #1 will freeze up. The lenth of the run outside of the house isn't very far, lets say around 12" or less for the sake of using numbers.
Option #1, everything slopes towards the unit (inside) accept for the last short run thats outside (after the last elbow), that length of pipe slopes away from the house to allow everything to drain out of the pipe.
Option #2, everything slopes towards the unit (inside) all the way.
Lets also throw in the variable of either both ways insulated, or both ways uninsulated.
Answer options, will work, will work but it's right, won't work, or any variety inbetween.
I know there are many answers that aren't right, but aren't really wrong, just bad practice. I'm curious to see what ya pro's have to say.
My personal answer is #2 is best (since I've seen it in so many installation books), but #1 would work in a pinch. I really don't see it icing up too bad if it's a short run.
Thanks fellas and ladies.
[Edited by amickracing on 01-26-2005 at 07:07 PM]


text:
Breadless BLT
A new way to serve an old favorite. No one will miss the bread in this version.
4 thick slices applewood-smoked bacon
2 slices Swiss cheese
2 large leafy green lettuce leaves
2-3 tsp. herbed mayonnaise
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1 ripe tomato, sliced
Vegetable chips, for garnish
1. Cook bacon until crisp; drain.
2. Spread lettuce with mayonnaise; layer cheese on top. Pile avocado and tomato slices over cheese. Top with bacon.
3. Roll up lettuce to enclose.


text:
After a long fight, black activists in Charleston, South Carolina, succeeded in persuading the city to approve a monument honoring Denmark Vesey for planning a slave rebellion in 1822. Originally, opposition to the monument came mainly from a group of local whites, who protested that Vesey had planned "genocide" for the city's white people. Then a new voice intruded from a more scholarly quarter–Michael Johnson, professor of history at Johns Hopkins University.
At a conference on Denmark Vesey in Charleston in March 2001, Johnson presented new evidence demonstrating that Vesey did not organize a rebellion of Charleston's slaves back in 1822. Far from instigating a plot to kill white people, Vesey was more likely one of scores of black victims of a conspiracy engineered by the white power structure.
Now a leading academic quarterly has devoted two issues to Johnson's argument, and historians are asking a question that Charleston will have to answer: If there was no plan to revolt, is there anything left to honor with a monument?
Denmark Vesey was a free black carpenter in Charleston who was executed in 1822 for organizing South Carolina slaves to rise up. The plot included setting fire to the city of Charleston, killing all the white people, seizing ships in the harbor and sailing to Haiti (at the time, the only free black republic in the world). It would have been the biggest slave rebellion in our history, historians say, but Vesey and his comrades were betrayed by an informer.
In a stunning piece of historical detective work, which appeared in the William and Mary Quarterly, the most prestigious journal of early American history, Johnson concludes that the politically ambitious mayor of Charleston, James Hamilton Jr., used the alleged plot to discredit his political rival, Governor Thomas Bennett Jr., and advance his own career.
The new evidence for Johnson's revisionist account comes from records of court proceedings in Charleston, in which 131 black men were charged. Eventually, thirty-five were executed. Court documents include testimony by thirty-three slaves, who explained the bold and bloodthirsty plan that has gone down in history as the Vesey conspiracy. But Johnson argues that all the testimony was coerced by beatings and the threat of execution, and thus none of it should be taken at face value. The choice faced by Vesey and the accused slaves was a terrible one: Testify falsely against the other accused men and live, or refuse to testify falsely and die.
Virtually all historians before Johnson have relied on the Official Report of the trial, published after the court proceedings. The Official Report names Vesey "the head of this conspiracy." Johnson instead used the court transcript itself, which exists in manuscript in the South Carolina state archives. The court proceedings were held in secret; the public and the press were barred from attendance, so the transcript is the only authoritative contemporary source. Johnson shows that the court transcript is different in crucial respects from the Official Report, which describes dramatic scenes where Vesey confronts and questions his accusers and makes statements in his own defense. But the court transcript does not contain a single word of testimony from Vesey. There is nothing suggesting Vesey was even present during the proceedings. Most astonishing, the court transcript does not even refer to a trial of Denmark Vesey. The transcript indicates that the court (consisting of seven men) questioned witnesses about a conspiracy and then decided that Vesey and five slaves were guilty. There was no consensus among the witnesses that Vesey was the head of the plot; at least six named people other than Vesey as the leader.


text:
Page 1
|Save page Remove page
|1 of 2
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
Extra Large
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
Loading content ...
Object Description
|Anna Louise Strong letter to her father Sydney Strong regarding Trotsky and the situation in Germany, January 27, 1923
|Strong, Anna Louise (1885-1970)
|Publication Date
In this letter to her father, Anna Louise Strong updates him on her interactions with Leon Trotsky. Trotsky has agreed to "write a preface for my book on the New Russia" as Strong hopes it will emphasize the seriousness of her work there. Trotsky was only hesitant because he worried that "it would compromise the book as official soviet propaganda" .
Trotsky has been occupied with preparing a program for heavy industry for the upcoming Communist Congress. Strong suspects that this signals a shift in responsibilities for Trotsky: she comments that he is not a military figure, and had been assigned responsibility for the army due to his organizational skills, which she feels will now be more critical to industrial efforts. She and Trotsky have been discussing the occupation of the Ruhr in western Germany -- Trotsky feels there will be a compromise because German capitalists will not wish "to provoke a workers revolution which would surely come if war came". He believes that the "stupidity of the German government... together with the wildness of Poland, might lead to such a situation that Russia would also be involved. In that case it would be a life and death struggle involving all of Europe." But Trotsky feels this war is not imminent, and that the occupation of the Ruhr is merely "one of a series of spasms" which will lead slowly to this larger conflict, which he envisions as "a national and class war combined" .
She and Trotsky have been discussing how to continue his English lessons. He has promised that, once the business of the Congress has been attended to, he will take a "tour to the Donetz" and invites her to accompany him to "have systematic lessons in both English and the bases of Russian industry". Strong has discussed the situation with the local Associated Press correspondent, who she describes as "totally uninterested in communism but much interested in folks that are running things in any big country". The A.P. man advises her not to leave Moscow between now and the trip to the Donetz, as her access to Trotsky is an enormous asset, and any chance to continue meeting with him will be more valuable to her than travel back to the United States (as she had envisioned doing). The A.P. man seems to be interested in hiring her, but she is reluctant to take that step without discussing the situation with Trotsky .
As a result of these events, Strong feels it may be a better use of her time to spend the next months learning Russian. She hopes to become fluent enough "to understand the workers and peasants in Baku, Don Bas, etc." which will greatly enhance the value of the trip with Trotsky. She sees this as a necessary step to becoming something more than "an outside correspondent in Russia". She assures her father that her health is excellent, and that her limited social life helps keep her nerves calm but does not depress her with feelings of loneliness, as she had faced at home. She encourages her father to "stay on" in Berlin to look into what is really happening in Germany. She says, "Germany seems to be trying the Gandhi stunt, but I fear it is because she can't do anything else".
|Contextual Notes
|Anna Louise Strong (1885-1970) was an American journalist and political activist throughout her life. After spending much of the 1910s working as a progressive advocate for child welfare, she became involved in the labor movement in Seattle, and through that movement increasingly identified herself with international communism. This advocacy, along with her work for the Seattle Union Record, connected her to the events surrounding the Seattle General Strike in 1919. Strong later left Seattle, and spent much of the 1920s and 1930s living in the Soviet Union, meeting with men such as Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin, and writing books about her experiences for Western audiences in an attempt to build support for the USSR. During World War II, she continued to promote the cause of communism, although her support for the Chinese communist movement ultimately alienated her from the government in Moscow, limiting her to one visit to the Soviet Union in the final two decades of her life. She spent most of those years living in the People's Republic of China, befriending Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong, and continuing to publish books and articles in support of communism until the end of her life.
|Subjects (LCSH)
Strong, Anna Louise, 1885-1970--Correspondence
Strong, Sydney, 1860-1938--Correspondence
Trotsky, Leon, 1879-1940
|Digital Collection
|Pamphlet and Textual Documents Collection
|Digital ID Number
|Ordering Information
|To order a reproduction or inquire about permissions contact: email@example.com. Please cite the Order Number.
|Citation Information
|University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, [Digital ID Number]
|University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
|Repository Collection
|Anna Louise Strong papers. Accession No. 1309-001. Box 3/17
|Object Type
Letter (correspondence)
|Physical Description
|2 leaves; 34 x 20 cm.
For information on permissions for use and reproductions please visit UW Libraries Special Collections Use Permissions page:
|Page 1
|Digital Collection
|Pamphlet and Textual Documents Collection
|Ordering Information
|To order a reproduction or inquire about permissions contact: email@example.com. Please cite the Order Number.
|Citation Information
|University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, [Digital ID Number]
|University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
For information on permissions for use and reproductions please visit UW Libraries Special Collections Use Permissions page:


text:
Gears of War HammerBurst Prop Replica
All a Locust needs
- Feels like cold, hard steel in your hand
- Hand-cast, hand-finished, hand-painted
- 36 inches, 35 pounds, 1 machine
There's blood everywhere, metallic splatter from the bodies of your fellow brutes as they fall to the gnashing spin of rusted blades. You howl and press forward, ignoring everything but your mission. If you've ever wanted to be closer to the action than breathing down the digitized neck of a Locust, now's your chance!
As the primary infantry weapon of the Locust, the Hammerburst is one hefty weapon. It lacks the melee option of the chainsaw bayonet but features larger caliber rounds and slow-automatic fire. Of course, you have to be strong enough to handle the recoil!
This officially licensed Gears of War 3 replica is full scale at three feet long. Yes, you read that right. Three. Feet. Long. It's masterfully sculpted, hand-finished, and hand-painted to exquisite quality. It features working LED effects (but no, not working bullets!). Easily the most intricately detailed replica on the market, there's nothing remotely close to the feeling of gripping a whopping 35 lbs of destruction. Only 500 of the Hammerburst have been created, and ThinkGeek only has a small quantity of them, so if you want one order while you still can!
Product Specifications
- Gears of War 3 Hammerburst replica
- Are you tough enough to handle one?
- Officially licensed Gears of War 3 replica weapon
- Made of hand-painted, hand-finished, hand-cast polystone
- Feels like cold, hard steel in your hand
- Dimensions: 20" x 10" x 36"
- Weight: 35 lbs


text:
Winemaking is an 8,000-year-old tradition, and the first wines tasted ... well, terrible. People added ash, resin and even lead to "enhance" the flavor [source: Lukacs]. Luckily, most wines today are pretty darn tasty on their own, thanks to modern fermentation techniques and innovations in packaging that help your wine stay fresher longer, and you certainly don't have to worry that a wine-maker used lead to improve his product's flavor!
We've also seen a big shift in where we produce wine. Once considered a hoity-toity European beverage, wine is made and drunk all over the world, and you're as likely to find a decent glass of red at your neighborhood pizza joint as at a fancy French restaurant.
Winemakers have also gotten more conscious of their environmental impacts. Since a good wine starts with the grape, and good grapes start with good soil, the wine industry has stayed on the cutting edge of sustainable agriculture. Any vintner worth his salt knows that protecting the environment is more than just good for the planet -- it's good for his wines.
With such a long history, there have been lots of innovations through the centuries, from how winemakers grow grapes to how they market those bottles. Let's look at 10 of them.
You've heard of organics, but what about biodynamics? Biodynamic agriculture and organic agriculture have a lot in common, but while organic farming focuses on limiting synthetic inputs, like chemical fertilizers, biodynamic farming looks at the farm and surrounding land as an ecosystem to determine the best ways to control pests and get the best yields. Basically, biodynamic farming uses organic methods, but is more big-picture focused, treating the land and the farm's micro-climates as living things that need to be nurtured [source: Morganstern].
More and more winemakers are turning to biodynamic viticulture (aka grape-growing) because not only does it help conserve precious soil, but many believe that biodynamically grown grapes just plain make better wine. At a 2004 tasting that put biodynamic wines up against conventional wine varieties, the biodynamic wines won eight out of 10 times and tied once [source: Morganstern]. That means conventional grapes only outshone biodynamic ones one out of 10 times in that blind taste test!
Biodynamic agriculture got its start in 1924, but it started gaining hold in the wine world in the early 2000s [source: Morganstern]. French vineyards were some of the first to start producing biodynamic wine, such as Domaine Leroy and Chateau de la Roche-aux-Moines [source: Reilly].
Since then, biodynamic wine has taken off in wine-growing regions all over the world. Ceágo, founded by Jim Fetzer -- formerly of Fetzer Vineyards -- was one of the first American biodynamic vineyards [source: Isle]. These days, you can find biodynamic wines in all tastes and colors.
Wine fermentation has gotten a lot more scientific, and techniques like micro-oxygenation are changing the taste of our wine. After it's in the bottle, oxygen is wine's enemy, but adding oxygen during key parts of the fermentation process can actually improve a wine's flavor.
The first experiments with micro-oxygenation took place in the 1990s, but it really started catching on in early 2000s in France, the U.S. and South Africa [source: Work]. Called microOX for short, this process adds oxygen to the wine as it ferments to help control the taste. MicroOX can help mellow the taste of wines from a poor crop of grapes, for example, as it softens harsh tannins.
It's very much a "feel it" method. You start adding a bit of oxygen after fermentation, then taste and adjust for weeks -- sometimes up to three months -- until the wine's flavor is just how you want it [source: Work].
Critics say that microOX is a scourge on the world of winemaking, and that wines made using this technique lack "character," while wine experts argue that the technique actually mimics the same process that happens naturally when you age wine in an oak barrel or in a bottle with a cork stopper. Oxygen comes in naturally through tiny openings in the wood or cork [source: Crosariol].
Winemaking in Napa Valley was nothing new in the 1960s, but it was around this time that California wine started getting some global cred, thanks to Robert Mondavi's marketing efforts.
Napa's first vineyard dates back to 1836, and some of the region's most well-known vineyards, such as Beringer, have been around since the late 1800s. Prohibition put a bit of a kink in the California wine industry, but after its repeal in 1933, winemaking in California began to make a comeback [source: Golden Haven]. Groups like Napa Valley Vintners tried to market Napa wines to a larger market, but it was Robert Mondavi who truly put Napa Valley and California wine on the map.
Mondavi launched his winery in 1966, and what set his wines apart from other Napa varieties was his use of European winemaking techniques [source: Robert Mondavi]. Mondavi didn't keep these methods close to the vest, either. He happily taught other regional winemakers these techniques, and that education paid off.
The seminal moment for California wines was probably a 1976 international wine tasting event in Paris. Two California winemakers won first prize in that competition, and both of them trained under Mondavi [source: Robert Mondavi].
California is now one of the major wine-producing regions in the world. It produces 90 percent of the wine made in the U.S. [source: Napa Now].
While it may not be up there with fostering a new winemaking region or conserving precious natural resources, those wine bottles with cute or downright sassy labels on grocery store shelves represent a fascinating innovation in wine marketing.
Winemakers wanted to buck the stereotype that wine was a fancy drink for refined palates only. One of the first wineries to try this technique was Boony Doon [source: Loutherback]. Back in the mid-'90s, they ditched their traditional wine label for an image of a man fishing, but hooking the boot-shaped country of Italy rather than a fish. When you turned the bottle around, you got a view of the same scene from behind.
Later, marketers began targeting millennials (those born after 1980) with modern label designs featuring logos like cupcakes or cute animals or with sassy names like Fat Bastard [source: Schultz]. Before that revolution, wines usually featured a bunch of grapes or a chateau on the labels. Appropriate, but not very relatable for younger consumers. The idea behind the quirky labels is to put consumers in the mindset to feel positive about the wine by associating it with something they already feel good about. This technique is called "priming" [source: Labroo].
Wine sales in general have been increasing in recent years and marketers are finding that an animal on the label often means a much bigger increase. A 2006 study found that wines with those adorable animal labels actually outsold other types of wine by a margin of two to one [source: Kakaviatos]! .
When you think of wine in a box, you probably picture your teeth turning pink as you drink yourself ill on Franzia, but more quality winemakers are beginning to embrace the box when it comes to packaging their wines.
Box wine first came around in the mid-1900s, but it didn't hit the stores in the U.S. until the '80s as an alternative to jug wine [source: Lefevere]. In the early 2000s, winemakers started putting premium wines in a box, and the box wine revolution began. The environmental benefits of the box are a big reason this packaging is making a resurgence.
Organic winemaker Yellow + Blue is a prime example of a sustainable wine company embracing the box and filling it with good-quality wine. (When my husband first came home with a box of their Malbec, I was skeptical, but this wine is just as tasty as similarly-priced wines in a bottle.)
That box might not look as sexy as a glass bottle, but because the paper box weighs so much less than its glass counterpart, box wines are lighter to ship. That means fewer greenhouse gas emissions associated with shipping [source: Yellow + Blue].
Wine boxes also help keep oxygen out after they're open, which reduces waste by increasing the wine's shelf life [source: Lefevere]. While some oxygen during fermentation can be good for wine, once that wine is finished, oxygen equals bad. Box versus bottle wine might taste the same when you first crack it open, but the benefit to the box is that by keeping oxygen out it keeps your wine fresher longer.
While it's not quite as prevalent yet as wine in a box, canned wine is another packaging innovation that's changing how we consume this alchololic beverage.
Australian winemaker Barokes Wines developed and sold the first wine in a can in 2003. The key to packaging wine in a metal container is a special can liner. Without this liner, your wine would taste like the can it came in, and it would erode the container as it sat on the shelf [source: Tsui]. . The first U.S. winery to offer canned wine was that of filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. His line of canned wines named after daughter Sofia hit store shelves a year after Barokes Wines [source: Tsui].
Like box wine, one of the big benefits to canned wines is that you're limiting the finished wine's oxygen exposure. Unlike the box, though, cans of wine accomplish this with a little bit less technology: Canned wines are usually single serving, so you don't expose a whole bottle's worth to oxygen just to have one "glass."
The single-serving nature of canned wine also makes it great for taking wine on the go, especially in places that don't allow glass. Think picnics, attending sports games, and even the pool. And there's no need to pack plastic cups, since you can sip your vino straight from the container.
Another thing canned wine has in common with the box? Those cans also weigh less than glass bottles, which means a lower carbon footprint for shipping.
Wine still has a bit of an air of intimidation for some people, and that's where the wine on tap model comes in. Lots of hip, urban areas have wine bars where patrons can taste or serve themselves tap wine.
Bars can have bartenders pouring the tap wine, but I've been to a few wine bars where customers can hit the taps themselves. The most common self-serve model I've seen is where the customer buys a card, then swipes it at whichever wine tap she wants. You can buy a taste -- a 1 to 2 ounce (29 to 59 milliliter) pour -- or a whole glass.. The self-serve model feels very accessible, because you can taste the wines and decide what you like without the pressure of a wine pro standing over your shoulder.
Like so many other new serving methods, wine on tap comes with some environmental benefits. It reduces the amount of wine that a restaurant wastes, because the tap's design preserves the wine longer. Once you tap a bottle, it hardly comes into contact with oxygen at all. Store owners like that, because wasted wine is literally money down the drain. Switching to tap wine can save up to 25 percent of the wine a bar purchases [source: Wine on Tap].
Tap wine can also help reduce packaging waste. While I've seen single bottles on tap, often tap wine is from a keg, rather than a bottle. That means less packaging, lower shipping costs, and a lower carbon footprint.
Marketing and packaging aren't the only innovations in the wine world. As you've probably noticed as you read through this list, winemakers tend to be a pretty environmentally minded bunch, so it's no surprise that wineries are trying to use all of that waste from pressed grapes (more than 100,000 tons or 90,718 metric tons in California alone) to create alternative fuels.
A lot like making biofuel from other agricultural waste, creating biofuel from grape leavings -- called "grape pomace" -- uses microbes to break the sugars down into water and hydrogen, and the hydrogen is converted into energy [source: Choi].
Researchers from Penn State teamed up with the Napa Wine Company to turn their wine waste into fuel, a project they began in 2009 and continue today [source: Gangi]. The process produces hydrogen -- which they use to create biofuel -- and waste water. After a little bit more processing, the wastewater goes back to the fields to irrigate grape vines. Even cooler? Visitors to the vineyard can now see alternative energy demonstrations as part of their wine tour experience!
The problem with converting wine waste into fuel is that those grape stems, seeds, and skins don't have a ton of sugar, since most of the sugary juice goes into the wine. Those leftovers would be a lot more valuable if scientists could convert more than just the sugars into biofuel, and researchers are working on that. Instead of creating hydrogen fuel from the scarce sugar in grape pomace, Danish chemist Yi Zheng is developing a way to turn the cellulose from the skins and seeds into ethanol, which would significantly up grape pomace's efficiency as a biofuel feedstock [source: Schrope].
Do you pop a bottle to ring in the New Year? You can thank a long line of sparkling winemakers, from the ancient Romans to an innovative French monk.
Sparkling wine has actually been around much longer than proper Champagne [source: Galante]. The first sparkling wines were probably produced around 1600 years ago, when ancient Romans began growing grapes in the Champagne region of France.
Dom Perignon may not have technically invented Champagne, since sparkling wine had been around long before he started experimenting with fermentation in a Benedictine abbey during the late 1600s, but he did come up with a method to create white wine using red grapes, which is a key part of the Champagne-making process [source: Long]. Around 1693 the monk was also trying to develop a Champagne without bubbles, because -- as all good winemakers know -- oxygen is wine's enemy [source: Long]. Luckily, he didn't succeed! Perignon's Champagne-making techniques are some of the same ones used to produce the bottles we drink today.
Champagne -- and other sparkling wines -- gets those bubbles from a special two-step process. Instead of just fermenting the wine once, winemakers add yeast and sugar, allowing the wine to ferment again. The bubbles that tickle your nose in a glass of champagne are carbon dioxide from all of that yeast metabolizing the sugar in the second part of fermentation [source: Polidori].
Over the centuries, winemakers in Champagne became extremely protective of their growing and production methods and the use of their region's name on the bottle. Only sparkling wines from France's Champagne region can bear the name "Champagne" [source: Galante].
We have diet sodas and diet cookies - why not diet wine?
Companies like Weight Watchers have started creating low-calorie wine to appeal to the diet-conscious crowd. The trick with low-cal wine is that fewer calories usually just means a lower alcohol content, since alcohol makes up the majority of calories in wine [source: Tepper]. You'd think that sugar would be the major calorie-contributor in a drink like wine, but since alcohol contains more calories per gram than sugar -- almost twice as many! -- cutting the alcohol content is the most efficient way to cut the calories in a bottle of vino [source: Noelcke].
Weight Watchers wine, which launched in the U.K. and Australia in 2012, is around 8 percent alcohol, which is very low for wine [source: Tepper]. The company hasn't released calorie information for their wines, so it's hard to say exactly how many calories wine consumers are saving [source: Evon].
In the U.S., Skinnygirl, which you might know from its line of low-calorie cocktails, got in on the diet wine action also in 2012. It touts a 100 calorie glass, but it turns out that most 12 percent alcohol wines are already around 100 calories a glass, and 12 percent is a pretty common alcohol content for a bottle of wine, though some varieties can have higher alcohol levels and higher calories [source: Kaplan]. So, you can find a low-calorie wine without necessarily looking for a diet one.
Fantastic, Freaky and Futuristic: Our Best Stories You Might Have Missed This Week
The best stories of the week from HowStuffWorks.
Author's Note: 10 Innovations in Winemaking
I love a good glass of wine, and I've got to admit that a nice glass of red at the end of a tough day is one of the things I'm missing the most during my pregnancy. Maybe this is totally nerdy, but if I can't sip a glass of wine, reading about winemaking seems to be a pretty good consolation prize. It was a lot of fun to learn more about this ancient beverage's rich history and some of the innovations -- past and present -- that have shaped winemaking and wine drinking.
Related Articles
- Choy, Charles Q. "Powerful Ideas: Winery Waste Makes Fuel." Live Science. November 3, 2009. (December 31, 2012) http://www.livescience.com/9752-powerful-ideas-winery-waste-fuel.html
- Crosariol, Beppi. "What is micro-oxygenation of wine? Is it a good thing?" The Globe and Mail. December 6, 2012. (January 7, 2013) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/wine/what-is-micro-oxygenation-of-wine-is-it-a-good-thing/article5726136/
- Galante, Meredith. "Happy New Year: Here's Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Champagne." Business Insider. December 31, 2011. (January 10, 2013) http://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-champagne-2011-12?op=1
- Gangi, Jennifer. "Turning waste into want." Sustainable Energy Review. 2011. (January 9, 2013) https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:OTElX8iED48J:www.fuelcells.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/iser2011.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESinatRu3nwt3ecr1X2TxV_boWay8KeukjE-2UMTFGqiSm9RNRWpp7ghcSu6tzYiMNcdU26hMMp2iDYUUvUWuFgkhnhpKeRf4WqSMwp60U3w4rHHDZO5a7fkMV_9of7ymvmr2tSf&sig=AHIEtbTaC6vWmbmuFqYK2RSyHyrtXUqIqw
- Isle, Ray. "Biodynamics: The Next Trend." Food & Wine. July 2006. (December 31, 2012) http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/biodynamics-the-next-trend
- Golden Haven. "History of Wine Making in Napa Valley." Golden Haven Hot Springs. (January 7, 2013) http://www.goldenhaven.com/regions/napa_valley/napa_valley_history.html
- Kakaviatos, Panos. "Animal labels twice as attractive to wine consumers." Decantur.com. March 24, 2006. (December 31, 2012)
- Kaplan, Jennifer. "Skinnygirl Wine Exposed: Not So Low-Calorie." Eat Drink Better. February 28, 2012. (December 31, 2012) http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2012/02/28/skinnygirl/
- Labroo, Aparna A. "Wine labels with animals: Why they work." EurekAlert! March 27, 2008. (December 31, 2012) http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-03/uocp-wlw031708.php
- Lefevere, Jeff. "The Box Wine Short Course." Forbes. May 28, 2011. (December 31, 2012) http://www.forbes.com/sites/jefflefevere/2011/05/28/the-box-wine-short-course/
- Long, Tony. "Aug. 4, 1693: Dom Perignon 'Drinks the Stars.'" Wired. August 4, 2009. (January 10, 2013) http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2009/08/dayintech_0804/
- Loutherback, Rob. "Beyond the Label." Orange Coast Magazine. July 1996. (January 16, 2013) http://books.google.com/books?id=3_0DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA101&lpg=PA101&dq=%22first+winery%22+to+use+quirky+label+-yelp.com&source=bl&ots=W-_vK_xxDJ&sig=Y9bupLdA_ELNws2tEkEWDXAKc6c&hl=en&sa=X&ei=fbL2ULKpHO7r0QHW7IHQBw&ved=0CD8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=funny&f=false
- Lukacs, Paul. "'Inventing Wine': The History of a Very Vintage Beverage." Fresh Air. November 29, 2012. (December 31, 2012) http://www.npr.org/2012/12/04/166186416/inventing-wine-the-history-of-a-very-vintage-beverage
- Morganstern, Adam. "Wine quality, organic viticulture and vine systemic acquired resistance to pests." Organic Wine Journal. November 11, 2008. (December 31, 2012) http://www.organicwinejournal.com/index.php/2008/11/wine-quality-organic-viticulture-and-vine-systemic-acquired-resistance-to-pests/
- Napa Now. "Wine Facts, Statistics and Trivia." (January 7, 2013) http://www.napanow.com/wine.statistics.html
- Noelcke, Liz. "Alcohol and Weight Loss." SparkPeople. (January 16, 2013) http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=563
- Polidori, Guillaume. "Bubbles and Flow Patterns in Champagne." American Scientist. July-August 2009. (January 16, 2013) http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/num2/bubbles-and-flow-patterns-in-champagne/2
- Reilly, Jean K. "Moonshine, Part 1: Why are top winemakers burying cow horns filled with manure on the equinox? Because it seems to make great wine." CNN Money. August 9, 2004. (December 31, 2012) http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2004/08/09/377901/index.htm
- Robert Mondavi. "A History of Innovation." (December 31, 2012) http://www.robertmondavi.com/history/innovation/overview
- Robert Mondavi. "The Robert Mondavi Vision: Graceful Living." (December 31, 2012) http://www.robertmondavi.com/history/vision
- Schrope, Mark. "Winemaking Waste Could Become Biofuel Starter." Chemical & Engineering News. October 23, 2012. (December 31, 2012) http://cen.acs.org/articles/90/web/2012/10/Winemaking-Waste-Become-Biofuel-Starter.html
- Schultz, E.J. "Millennials: the Great White Hope for Wine Industry." Advertising Age. December 6, 2010. (January 7, 2013) http://adage.com/article/news/millennials-great-white-hope-wine-industry/147474/
- Tepper, Rachel. "Weight Watchers Diet Wine: Branded Low-Calorie Vintages Sold in the U.K., Australia." Huffington Post. September 13, 2012. (December 31, 2012) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/13/weight-watchers-diet-wine_n_1880687.html
- Tsui, Bonnie. "Cans of Wine Join the Box Set." New York Times. December 6, 2011. (December 31, 2012) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/07/dining/cans-of-wine-join-the-box-set.html?_r=0
- Wine on Tap. "Why wine on tap?" (December 31, 2012) http://wineontap.net/?page_id=45
- Work, Henry. "Micro-Oxygenation: Innovation for the winemaking toolbox." Practical Winery & Vineyard Journal. November/December 2007. (December 31, 2012) http://www.practicalwinery.com/novdec07/page1.htm
- Yellow + Blue. "Great Tasting Box Wine." (December 31, 2012) http://www.ybwines.com/content/templates/green.asp?articleid=15


text:
GB : We have a new image from the Fox Engine demonstration, which surely looks like Snake.
yep, new Metal Gear in the making?
Where did he get that image from? From which conference? I didn't hear about it. It must be taken from a video, so WHERE IS THE VIDEO?
Isn't there always a new Metal Gear in the making?
Has everybody forgotten Rising? Or are people just skipping it and moving onto the next MGS with Snake in it?
It's only MGS when Solid Snake is in it. Raiden is just some side-show freak! Dam Emo mechanical twilight douche-bag droppings of a character.
I simply don't get Japan... Raiden was in MGS2...and fans flipped out... So Kojima tries as hard as possible to make him cool in MGS4...making him some kind of back from the dead zombie robo-cop guy/girl...but he still moves like a lady, and nobody bought it...same with Vamp...two ballerinas dancing with chest hair is not something i'm waiting to see more of...in that 4th act of MGS4, I was waiting for Vamp to try and take a dump on Raiden's chest... now they're giving him his own spin-off thing...taking forever to do it...and nobody cares... i just wish they'd get that title out the door so that i know there is a chance at more Snake related MG...
MGS game for PS4
I don't think so. Kojima stated at TGS this year he is working on a game for the PS3 and Vita. The game will undoubtedly use Transfarring as it is his new feature and he stated "a game for the PS3 and Vita" as in one game that runs on both platforms. On a separate note, Snake in the screen will have to be a little older than Peace Walker considering the APC that is shown. Kojima has a knack at accuracy for such matters. If it had been a PT-76 I could see it being a younger Big Boss, but it isn't.
It actually does look like he's older because if you look closely, it seems like he has gray hair and its short like he looked at the end of MGS4. Maybe that's just the image blurr, but if we're talking about Big Boss around the mid-80s to Gulf War, I believe he would have been in his mid 50s to 60s. He was in his late 20s to early 30s in Operation: Snake Eater in 1964, mid 30s in the Army's Heaven Incident, and early 40s during Peace Walker. Both PSP games to place in the 70s. Thus, if we concur from this photo as the last gap in bridging Peace Walker and Metal Gear, we have a new MGS on our hands fellas. Its all speculation, but I can hope. The only thing that doesn't add up to me is when was the APC introduced to the world and put into combat? Was it around the time of the Gulf War?
Transfarting? :)
not for the PS4. The Fox Engine is develope for the 360 ps3 and PC.
True. The fox engine is a multiplatform engine. I don't get it why you get the disagrees...
Oh shit is that an eye patch?
Who else could it be?
Looks like a 50 year old Big Boss, notice how he has gray hair..or it could be Old Snake..but it doesn't like him
Pretty sure that`s brown hair.
As much as I would love to see another Metal Gear game, I cant get hyped from this. First of all its a demonstration of an engine. Second, Its Kojima. He makes smokes and mirrors and easter eggs all the time.
Read the description on the article. I'm sorry, but GamingBolt is just so bad...
Hideo and teases are synonymous.
it's probably not what it is, but didn't Konami teased a contra game at E3? since Kojima helped for the latest castlevania, maybe he'll help for the next contra title. I know a 3d contra game sounds risky, but maybe we're seeing Bill Razer in that picture! anyway, it's being made by hideo kojima so we can expect a great title once again!
the engine is multiplat, but kojima just said he is going multiplat, it could mean ps3/vita,ps3/pc or ps3 and 360.
Kojima. One screenshot, no info, top news. Oh yeah.
if they bring back snake.. i'll never respect kojima again.. please make something new..
The more I think about it I would be happy for one last MGS hopefully e3
He's more looks like the BIG BOSS, not snake.
Big Boss was also know as Naked "Snake"
Heres hoping for a new MGS! :D
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It's part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today's pop culture.


text:
"Grand Theft Auto V to possibly follow the route of Halo 4 and abandon PC, Star Wars: The Old Republic goes free-to-play, and Wii U's software preorders more than double that of the original Wii, THIS IS NICK'S GAMING VIEW!"
Even though the Wii U is selling well, I'm on the fence about getting one. Plus, it's probably sold out everywhere lol.
Did i miss something? Last halo on pc was halo 2, halo 4 coming to pc never crossed my mind dont know about you guys
Halo 4 to follow Halo 3, Wars, ODST and Reach's PC absence?
This is NICK'S LIFE UNDER A ROCK!
It will come to PC late, rock star is convinced its the way they should do things... Oh well, blizzard are still my favorite devs despite some disappointment with diablo 3.


text:
Dave White Profile
Dave White
Your Movies.com Man at the Multiplex
Dave White's first movie review was of the animated feature Snoopy Come Home. He was seven years old...Read full profile
Your Movies.com Man at the Multiplex
Dave White's first movie review was of the animated feature Snoopy Come Home. He was seven years old...Read full profile
He's on a horse. Read full review
Jen Yamato Profile
Jen Yamato
A movie fiend on a mission
Jen Yamato is a walking, popcorn-eating contradiction: she loves all kinds of cinema, from art films to schlocky B-movies...Read full profile
A movie fiend on a mission
Jen Yamato is a walking, popcorn-eating contradiction: she loves all kinds of cinema, from art films to schlocky B-movies...Read full profile
A bad, bland romance. Read full review
Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.
out of 100
Metascore®Mixed or average reviewsbased on a weighted average of allcritic review scores.
(It doesn't hurt that Ms. Redgrave gets to play opposite Franco Nero, who was once the love of her life and is the father of her son.) Not even she can transform lines like "Destiny wanted us to meet again."
Read Full Review
Bland, predictable picture, whose sole assets are a cute premise, the Italian countryside and the dignity Vanessa Redgrave brings to a part that, on the page, is quite beneath her.
It's a chick flick with a likable premise.
Redgrave shimmers like one of Tuscany's magnificent cypress trees as an Englishwoman searching for Lorenzo (Nero).
See all Letters to Juliet reviews at Metacritic.com
OK for kids 11+
Super swoony romantic fluff that's fun for tweens.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this romantic drama is an inoffensive, light and fluffy romance for tweens and teens. There is very little to object to -- just a couple of kisses, witty, flirtatious banter, and some tame references to romance, love, and love-making. Language wise, there's one "s--t" but that's about it, except for British words like "blasted" and "bollocks," as well some grown-ups enjoying a glass of wine or champagne in social situations. The messages center around distinguishing true everlasting love, which the movie claims will never die. The protagonist, a young journalist, is encouraged to take a risk with her career, but it takes a guy (and an elderly lady's long-lost love) to convince her to believe in herself.
Messages: There's a sweet, but not altogether reasonable message that first love never dies, no matter how many years have passed. A smart young fact-checker summons her courage to become the journalist she's always wanted to be (though it takes a guy's urging to make this happen).
Role models: Sophie trusts in her abilities as a journalist, writes and submits her story, even though there was a risk it wouldn't get published.
Violence: Not applicable
Sex: A couple of kisses, some flirting and a few tame references to romance and married couples who "make passionate love."
Language: British curses like "blasted," "bollocks," "bleeding," and the like; mild insults such as "idiot," "ass," "jerk," and one "s--t." Plus a couple "oh my God"s as exclamations.
Consumerism: Sophie works at The New Yorker magazine, which is referenced many times throughout the movie. A rental Audi convertible's logo is shown in close-up.
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Adults drink wine or champagne at dinners, in vineyards and, at a wedding reception.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.
© Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2018 FANDANGO MOVIES.


text:
Tropical Storm Dorian swirls in eastern Atlantic
July 25, 2013
MIAMI (AP) — Forecasters say Tropical Storm Dorian is moving across the eastern Atlantic and remains far from land.
The storm's maximum sustained winds late Wednesday were near 50 mph (85 kph). The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says it is moving west-northwest across the Atlantic at 20 mph (32 kph).
The storm is centered about 615 miles (990 kilometers) west of the Cape Verde Islands, off the coast of west Africa. There are no land threats, and little change in strength is expected over the next two days.


text:
2009 was interesting to say the least when it came to the analyst ecosystem and the analyst relations (AR) community. Now is good time to step back and do a quick review of what happened in 2009 to prepare for looking ahead to 2010. Luckily for us, we have a lot of content to draw upon as SageCircle has become the definitive source of analyst ecosystem news and commentary. In 2009 we published over 250 blog posts with over 1,000 comments. Many of the blog posts started with information from the community, both analysts and AR, with almost all the comments coming from the community.
People are still very interested in the analysts – SageCircle's blog gets about 25,000 unique visitors per month, which is pretty good for such a narrowly-focused blog. However, we always get a huge spike in readership whenever there is news about the analyst firms (e.g., layoffs and M&A). News related posts are also the ones that typically get the most comments, links, and tweets.
The recession has been brutal, but not fatal for firms – Early 2009 was very tough for analyst firms with layoffs by at least 13 firms, cancelation of events, and plummeting consulting revenues. However, unlike the last recession, there have not been any prominent firms that went out of business. We checked the SageCircle newsletters from the previous tech recession (roughly 2001-03) and every month we were reporting on the shuttering of some analyst firm. That has not been the case this time around. In addition, the second half of 2009 has seen reports of firms starting to see improved revenues and event attendance starting to recover.
Social media's adoption by the analyst ecosystem has been expanding, but lumpy – The number of analysts and AR professionals on Twitter has more than doubled in the last year – but that does not mean that Twitter is being heavily used. There are more blogs being written by analysts, but that does not mean the number of unique visitors is high or the quality of the content is great. Is AR using blogs? Nope, there are only a handful of AR blogs. There are a few interesting communities/social networks, but nothing widespread has happened yet on this front.
M&A yes, consolidation no – While the CEOs of the two publicly traded firms consistently mention an aggressive acquisition strategy at investor events, there were only three acquisitions of note: TowerGroup by Corporate Executive Board, AMR by Gartner, and Strategic Oxygen by Forrester. This is very light when you consider that in the latter half of the 1990's there were an average of 15 M&A events per year. Because the barriers to entry in the analyst market are so low there are actually more analyst firms now than at the beginning of the year if you count single practitioners and boutiques. Several new firms were launched in the wake of layoffs at larger firms.
Enterprise IT managers continue to sign up for advisory analyst services – Even though many people in the blogosphere and press breathlessly proclaim that that the analyst firms are so 20th Century, somebody forgot to send the memo to the buyers of IT and telecommunications at large enterprises. For instance, even in the midst of this recession, Gartner has added over 1,000 large enterprises (defined as $1bn or more in revenues) to its client base in 2009.
The AR-Sales Partnership concept draws interest – One of the most discussed topics around SageCircle has been the concept of a formal AR-Sales Partnership. We have been getting inquiries from vendors of all sizes and markets about the pros and cons of this idea. While we have not seen a lot of formal AR-sales efforts in 2009, we think all the discussion presages active launches in 2010.
Bottom Line: The analyst ecosystem is constantly evolving in response to the economy and changing technology. Keeping a finger on the pulse of this change is critical for any member of the ecosystem from AR to analysts to research consumers.
Question: What do you think were some of the interesting developments in the analyst ecosystem in 2009?
Filed under: Analyst industry, News, Social media | Tagged: analyst ecosystem, analyst relations, AR |


text:
Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
by Rachel Jolbert
The year 2012 marked the bicentennial of the Town of Porter. For this special event, the Town of Porter commissioned Marilyn Harbison, a local quilting instructor, to create a commemorative quilt for the families of the Town of Porter.
In May of 2012, Harbison cut out hundreds of fabric squares for local families to write their names on to be stitched together to form the quilt. The squares were sold individually to Porter families, and by the end of June Harbison had more than 180 squares to create the quilt that took her nearly three months to complete. The finished quilt can be seen at the Town of Porter Town Hall.
Harbison began her quilting journey more than 15 years ago when she began taking quilting classes at Lewiston-Porter through the school district's Continuing Education program. When her teacher suddenly became ill, Harbison was asked to cover some of the classes, eventually landing her the gig permanently.
Last year, Lew-Port discontinued the classes and Harbison moved her program to the Ransomville Free Methodist Church on Ransomville Road. Also, last year, Harbison began teaching a quilting class through Niagara University's Continuing Education program. The quilting classes run eight weeks at NU and 10 weeks at the church. Classes are approximately two hours long, once a week.
In all, Harbison has more than 30 eager students, ranging from beginners to experienced quilters. Mary Armstrong, one of Harbison's students, describes her teacher as, "a skilled, talented, selfless, knowledgeable and caring woman."
Harbison says her favorite thing about quilting is the relationships and friendships that are built through the love of the craft. "I love the friendship of quilting together," she said. She explained how every week her students are eager to go home and work on the skills they have learned in the class to show their fellow classmates and friends their progress the following week.
If you are interested in taking a quilting class at NU, contact the Continuing Education office at 716-286-8181. If you are interested in taking a quilting class at the Ransomville Free Methodist Church, contact Harbison at 716-791-3965.


text:
Robert "Bob" James Almstead, 70, died Tuesday, July 23, 2013, at Wake Forest Baptist Health – Lexington Medical Center.
Robert "Bob" James Almstead, 70, died Tuesday, July 23, 2013, at Wake Forest Baptist Health – Lexington Medical Center.
A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Davidson Funeral Home by Pastor Tom Campbell.
Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. prior to the service at the funeral home.
Mr. Almstead was born March 4, 1943, in Westchester County, N.Y., to James Buddington Almstead and Josephine Smercak Almstead. He was a retired pilot from American Airlines; a member of the Allied Pilots Association and Experimental Aircraft. He was preceded in death by his parents; and brother William Almstead.
Surviving are his loving wife, Tempie Swing Almstead, of the home; son Jeff Swing (Celestial) of Lexington; daughter Jodi Hernandez (Phil) of Lexington; grandchildren Kali Swing Kesler (Seth), Dallas Swing (Jennifer), Phillip Hernandez and Reid Hernandez; great-grandchild Camden Swing; brother James Almstead of New York; and sister Harriett Leibel of New York.
Memorials may be made to The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, Spirit of the St. Louis Project, 9 Norton Road, Red Hook, NY 12571.
Online condolences may be made at www.davidsonfuneralhome.net.


text:
Crunchy coconut flakes and panko crumbs coat these baked shrimp with an avocado dressing that you can eat three different ways: as is a dipping sauce for the shrimp, in a salad or taco-style with cabbage slaw and/or traditional fixings.
The crispy, succulent, aromatic shrimp are hard to resist as they come out of the oven. They are fantastic served on warm, soft tortillas topped with cabbage slaw that is made with this creamy, tangy avocado dressing. If that doesn't strike your fancy how about in a salad with fresh tomatoes, sliced red onion and crispy corn kernels tossed with the buttery avocado dressing?!
The avocado dressing also has lime, cilantro and sour cream in it making it rich, tart and bringing out the flavors of the coconut shrimp so they really shine through. Whatever way you decide to eat these will be totally delicious!
- Set up a dredging station for the shrimp by adding the flour to a shallow bowl, mix the coconut and bread crumbs together in another shallow bowl, and beat the eggs and water together in another separate, shallow bowl.
- Grease a large baking sheet. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Coat each shrimp in flour, then egg allowing the excess to drip off and then coat with the coconut mixture using your hands if needed to press them onto the shrimp. Designate one hand for dipping in egg and the other for the dry ingredients. Set them on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the shrimp are coated.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes depending on the size of your shrimp until golden brown and shrimp are cooked through. Serve with avocado dressing for dipping, in tacos or in a salad.
Copyright ©2013 Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice by Reeni Pisano All Rights Reserved. No copying or duplication of any content (including photos) without the express written permission from the owner of this website.
- Add the buttermilk, 1/2 of the lime juice, flesh of the avocado, sour cream, cilantro and about 1/4 teaspoon salt to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
- Taste and season with more salt and lime juice if desired. Refrigerate.
Copyright ©2013 Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice by Reeni Pisano All Rights Reserved. No copying or duplication of any content (including photos) without the express written permission from the owner of this website.


text:
clearance great deals Nike Air Max 95 Velvet Trainers In Grey cheap sale visit outlet where to buy 0FHKO3C2nt
Jimmy Choo Caroline 100 mules discount under RnA4CBufj
Stuart Weitzman Sleek slingback pumps buy cheap 2014 unisex discount 2014 mrcb5L4m78
The most documented electrocardiographic changes were T wave inversion in DII, III, aVF and V5-V6, and ST elevation
Clergerie cross platform sandals discount lowest price cheap sale perfect looking for sale online cheapest price for sale official site for sale o2zeuyh
, 29 . These are relatively nonspecific findings, which are encouraged to be interpreted within the whole clinical context so that other compatible differential diagnoses such as acute coronary syndrome, electrolyte disorder, or even digitalis intoxication, can be dismissed sale footlocker finishline LAMO Wembley Womens Winter Boots for sale 2014 free shipping best place g1xT2lL
. In addition, echocardiograms mostly reveal biventricular hypertrophy and dyskinesia of wall movements; and these results are compatible with myocarditis. Ejection fraction may be mildly diminished and pericardial effusion is rare. Creatine Phospho-Kinase (CPK) levels may be increased after the first phase 28 .
The second phase is known as the "arrhythmic phase". It starts when the recent myocardial injury can no longer permit an adequate functioning of the cardiac conduction system. Again, according to the severity, findings may range from premature auricular and ventricular extrasystoles to atrial fibrillation with high risk of thromboembolism; and in the worst-case scenario, ventricular fibrillation and sudden death 19 . This wide spectrum directly correlates with the symptoms and hemodynamic state of the patient 31 .
The patients after the acute and subacute phase that are most affected will invariably develop heart failure, displaying some a right side insufficiency with pulmonary and peripheral edema and hepatomegaly; but more frequently a left side insufficiency with low perfusion and shock clinic 19 . Reduced peripheral blood flow can be responsible for many pathological events too, blurring the line between expected consequences of shock and the real direct organ damage of CHIKV. Kidneys are an example, as in Economopolou et al's retrospective study, 20% of the patients with heart failure also presented with pre-renal failure 23 , which suggests it is more of a consequence of shock in this instance. In contrast, lesions such as nephritis are more likely to be caused by the virus. Additionally, in this third stage, a constrictive syndrome has also been described, with extensive compromise and pericarditis, but it is indeed less common 24 .
A summary of most the common clinical manifestations during CHIKV infection that suggest cardiac viral compromise is given in Table 3 . Isolated signs and symptoms reported in single case reports that seemed to relate more to the pre-morbidities of the patient were excluded. Regarding blood pressure, there are significant variations in the reports, but recently hypotension was reported during acute CHIKV infection in patients with high blood pressure undergoing antihypertensive treatment. A pattern through the revised articles could not be identified, so having hypo or hypertension may be a poor predictor of cardiac compromise during CHIKV infection and seems more a product of the severity of the case and the numbers previously managed by the patient 20 .
Derrida, in his response to Searle (
"a b c ..."
Limited Inc
), ridiculed Searle's positions. Claiming that a clear sender of Searle's message could not be established, Derrida suggested that Searle had formed with Austin a
société à responsabilité limitée
(a "
Roberto Cavalli platform sandals clearance sneakernews RBVmhP
") due to the ways in which the ambiguities of authorship within Searle's reply circumvented the very speech act of his reply. Searle did not reply. Later in 1988, Derrida tried to review his position and his critiques of Austin and Searle, reiterating that he found the constant appeal to "normality" in the analytical tradition to be problematic. Versace printed Medusa hitop sneakers reliable cheap price sale 2015 new discount get authentic discount low price fee shipping YgMHl
: 133 [46] [51] [52] [53] [54] [55] [56]
In the debate, Derrida praised Austin's work, but argued that Austin is wrong to banish what Austin calls "infelicities" from the "normal" operation of language. One "infelicity", for instance, occurs when it cannot be known whether a given speech act is "sincere" or "merely citational" (and therefore possibly ironic). Derrida argues that every iteration is necessarily "citational", due to the graphematic nature of speech and writing, and that language could not work at all without the ever-present and ineradicable possibility of such alternate readings. Derrida takes Searle to task for attempting to get around this issue by grounding final authority in the speaker's inaccessible "intention". Derrida argues that intention cannot possibly govern how an iteration signifies, once it becomes hearable or readable. All speech acts borrow from a language whose significance is determined by historical-linguistic context, and by the alternate possibilities that this context makes possible. This significance, Derrida argues, cannot be altered or governed by the whims of intention.
Derrida argued against the constant appeal to "normality" in the analytical tradition of which Austin and Searle were paradigmatic examples. [25] : 133
In the description of the structure called "normal," "normative," "central," "ideal,"this possibility must be integrated as an essential possibility. The possibility cannot be treated as though it were a simple accident-marginal or parasitic. It cannot be, and hence ought not to be, and this passage from can to ought reflects the entire difficulty. In the analysis of so-called normal cases, one neither can nor ought, in all theoretical rigor, to exclude the possibility of transgression. Not even provisionally, or out of allegedly methodological considerations. It would be a poor method, since this possibility of transgression tells us immediately and indispensably about the structure of the act said to be normal as well as about the structure of law in general.
It feels like Brooks's best hope is that the Democratic Party, in some kind of "Save America from Trump" move, embraces a style of politics that Jeff Flake, John McCain, etc., agree with but does not piss off young voters, minorities, women, socialists, Sanders types.
In other words, the parties really sort along immigration lines — the people with Trumpish views on race/immigration in one party, the others in a second party.
natesilver : Obama, in some ways, united all these different groups together in 2008 because George W. Bush was so unpopular. So if Trump is really, really unpopular by 2020, a Biden type could do great.
In the long run, I don't think you can avoid these tensions, though.
perry : That's a great point. The 2008 Obama campaign was a kind of unity ticket. He couldn't recreate that in 2012.
micah : OK, and to wrap up: Is there any chance that the Republican Party becomes the party Brooks wants it to be?
clare.malone : That's a negatory. At least in any sort of near-term future. I don't think you can just forget about the forces in the party that manifested Trump.
perry : If Trump and Putin had a July 2016 phone call during which Trump told him to hack Podesta's email, that call becomes public and Trump is impeached and removed from office … then maybe.
micah : See, I disagree with that, Perry.
perry : You think Putin made the hacking suggestion first?
micah : LOL.
The Trumpism in Republicanism
LifeStride Juliana Street Womens Wedges best place cheap price aWonkboz
and — to a first approximation — would postdate him too, wouldn't it?
natesilver : I'm on Perry's side. If Trump is perceived to be a failure, there could be a reasonably sharp counterreaction to Trump. (Although, I'm thinking "failure" more in the sense of "he loses re-election," not "he gets impeached," which raises a different set of issues.)
micah : So, if Trump loses re-election, Republican primary voters suddenly move to the middle on immigration?
natesilver : STRAW MAN MICAH IS BACK
micah : Whose team are you on, Clare?
clare.malone : I'm not sure about my team. I guess I could see, in the case of a Trump flameout, Trumpians getting completely steamrollered by national establishment figures.
But then you've got a part of your base that is wildly unhappy with you. I guess they either leave or just become pains in your asses for the rest of time.
I'm not sure I'm on a team. I'm agnostic.
: Voters (maybe not voters in the GOP, but voters overall) are already
moving left on immigration
. The reaction to Trump has been fairly
Mens Nike Air Max Invigor Athletic Sneakers authentic for sale aYmluXaww
, as the political scientists like to say.
micah : What does thermostatic mean?
natesilver : Public opinion tends to move in the opposite direction of the president's policy preferences.


text:
PIVOS XIOS DS Media Play Review
PIVOS XIOS DS Media Play Introduction:
The little green Android robot seems to be everywhere lately. Smartphones, tablets, phablets, and also TV set-top boxes. It's a very interesting idea to have that continuation from your cell phone environment to your big screen TV. I personally love my Android-powered phone and find the concept appealing. Usually when we consider a device to complement a high definition TV, it's either a closed and proprietary box from one service provider or the other, a dedicated media player that will always leave us wanting for more, or a full blown HTPC that will cost quite a bit and becomes obsolete in less than a couple years.
The folks at PIVOS might have just created the unit that will fill the gap left in place by the above listed options. Today I will be reviewing for you the XIOS DS Media Play, a very compact device built with the media lovers in mind and powered by an ARM CORTEX-A9 CPU and a MALI-400 MP GPU. Running the Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, this device claims to bring together "home entertainment, wide range of internet contents and thousands of mobile applications" to the comfort of our couches.
PIVOS XIOS DS Media Play Closer Look:
The XIOS DS Media Play comes in a solid, high quality box that is literally covered with information about the unit on all sides. The top of the box mentions that the device is designed by the Pivos Technology Group and displays the name of the unit under an "Android-esque" green TV. Towards the bottom are listed the Android, HTML5, Chrome, and APK logos. The newer version of the box proudly displays that the XIOS DS Media Play is the official platform for XBMC Media Center. The back of the box tells pretty much all what a buyer would want to know about the unit. On the top left corner are listed the different video, audio, and picture formats the unit can handle. MPEG, WMV, MKV, DivX, DTS, WMA, MP3, BMP, PNG - you name it and the XIOS DS Media Play will probably play it for you! Next are listed the different connectivity options the unit offers: Wireless b/g/n, Ethernet 10/100, USB 2.0, Micro SDHC, and HDMI. Underneath are listed the various display resolutions available through the HDMI port. The unit supports PAL and NTSC for up to 1080p display at 60Hz. The bottom part displays the contents of the box, a QR code that will take you to the PIVOS website when scanned, and the contact info for the PIVOS Technology Group.
Moving to the sides of the box more details and marketing materials are in display. One of the sides is dedicated to putting more emphasis on the collaboration between PIVOS and the XBMC development team to make the XIOS DS Media Play the only official XBMC ARM-based developer platform. This basically means that the unit runs a custom XBMC build optimized and tweaked for its hardware, which will greatly improve stability and playback experience. The next side panel displays the length and width of the unit; it's stated here that the XIOS DS Media Play is 3.3" square but a quick verification shows that it's actually about 4" square. My guess is whoever measured the unit completely omitted the curved section at the corners and just noted the straight edges length, which is actually 3.3".
On the same side are listed more facts about the unit: it runs Android 4.0 (code-name Ice Cream Sandwich), able to stream local and online media content, and supports HTML5 and Adobe Flash 10.X. Continuing to the next side you'll find more technical specifications regarding the chips powering the XIOS DS Media Play, mainly the Cortex-A9 processor and the onboard Mali-400 graphic chip. It is also mentioned here that the unit is compatible with a wide range of peripherals including wireless keyboard/mouse and the PIVOS Sense wireless remote (sold separately) that unfortunately was not included in the review package.
Lifting the top part uncovers the unit sitting nicely in a piece of protective foam and underneath are the accessories including a manual, the basic IR remote, power adapter, and HDMI cable. The bundle is simple yet complete and will let a potential buyer connect and control the XIOS DS Media Play straight out of the box. The bundled infra-red remote is very light weight and a slight pressure with my fingers made it flex in an alarming way. The remote will provide basic functions provided by the following buttons (described left to right, top to bottom): standby, menu, up, left, ok, right, bottom, exit, and notification. The volume up and down rocker is located on the left side of the remote. Towards the bottom is situated the battery slot and a sealed plug that is probably where the charging cable would go if it was a PIVOS Sense remote.
Now the sharp ones out there will notice that the sides of the bottom section of the box are actually a quick install guide. The listed seven steps illustrate what to look for in the box, how to connect the unit, and what to do after first boot. The last two steps are a polite reminder to read the user manual before contacting for support. PIVOS please! The economy will collapse and thousands will lose their jobs if we start reading the manuals!
The XIOS DS Media Play unit comes in a very informative packaging containing all what you need to set it up and start using your new toy right out of the box.


text:
CANNES, France (AP) — "Look at these people, this wildlife."
As the partying journalist of Paolo Sorrentino's "The Great Beauty," Toni Servillo was surveying Rome's colorful nightlife, but he might as well have been contemplating the Cannes Film Festival. The 66th edition of the Cote d'Azur extravaganza drew to a close Sunday, awarding the sensual, heartbreaking lesbian romance "Blue is the Warmest Color: The Life of Adele" the festival's top honor, the Palme d'Or.
The Cannes Film Festivale is a 12-day circus of perpetual red-carpet flashbulbs, beachside soirees and, yes, a feast of some of the finest, wildest movies the world has to offer. The most exotic creatures weren't the high-heeled ones parading the Croisette, they were the ones gracing Cannes' pristine movie screens.
This year, the festival was a particularly captivating coterie of rare birds. There was Tilda Swinton as a white-haired, centuries-old vampire (Jim Jarmusch's "Only Lovers Left Alive"); Joaquin Phoenix as a 1920s pimp, sticking out his jaw like Marlon Brando (James Gray's "The Immigrant"); a sequin-covered Michael Douglas as Liberace (Steven Soderbergh's "Behind the Candelabra"); a battered and bloodied, but still cool Ryan Gosling (Nicolas Winding Refn's "Only God Forgives"); and the disabled but acrobatic dancer Souleymane Deme (Mahamat-Saleh Harouns "Grigris").
There was literal wildlife, too, including a cat named Hercules (the Coen brothers' "Inside Llewyn Davis"), a vanishing giraffe ("The Great Beauty") and an unfortunate pooch caught up in Mexico's brutal drug war (Amat Escalante's "Heli"). Cannes, alas, is a dog eat dog world.
A strong, deep slate of films in competition left some mystery before Steven Spielberg's jury named "The Life of Adele" tops of the festival. The three-hour coming-of-age tale, by Tunisian-born director Abdellatif Kechiche, emerged as a landmark film not for its lengthy, graphic sex scenes, but for its tender intimacy. It won the Palme on the same day thousands marched in Paris protesting France's recent legalization of gay marriage.
The global stage of Cannes immediately catapults Kechiche to greater international renown, inducting him into the prestigious group of Palme d'Or winners, from Francis Ford Coppola to Terrence Malick.
But this year's festival boasted many breakout stars, including the two daring actresses of "Life of Adele," Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux, who, in a twist, also shared in the Palme d'Or. As a bitter, sarcastic 1960s folk singer in "Llewyn Davis," newcomer Oscar Isaac also shined in Cannes' spotlight.
Familiar faces turned in some of their best work including Berenice Bejo, as a single mother juggling a new man and an old one in Asghar Farhadi's shifting domestic drama "The Past"; Kristin Stewart Thomas, as Lady Macbeth meets Donatella Versace in the stylish Bangkok noir "Only God Forgives"; and Bruce Dern, as a gruff, aging father in Alexander Payne's black-and-white Midwest road trip "Nebraska."
Screenings at Cannes begin with the festival intro of red steps ascending from the sea up to the heavens, but for the first half of Cannes, it felt as though the festival was stuck underwater. Constant rains dampened the French Riviera atmosphere in the early days, and the films — though full of intriguing entries — didn't quite catch until the Coens premiered their melancholy story of a frustrated artist passed over by history.
Reality also threatened to overshadow the movies. On the same night as the premiere of Sofia Coppola's "The Bling Ring," a film about Los Angeles teenagers who rob the houses of celebrities, news broke that $1 million worth of jewelry had been stolen in a Cannes hotel. Never mind that its value turned out to be significantly less: The world had already conjured cinematic images of Cary Grant nimbly tiptoeing on Riviera rooftops.
Hollywood's noisiest intruder was "Catching Fire," the "Hunger Games" sequel that used Cannes' platform to stir up worldwide fervor for the next installment of the Jennifer Lawrence blockbuster.
American films — including those by the Coens, Payne, Jarmusch, Soderbergh and Gray — were among some of the best entries at the festival. "Inside Llewyn Davis," ''Nebraska" and perhaps the Ellis Island melodrama "The Immigrant" will likely be players in this fall's Oscar season.
Soderbergh's "Behind the Candelabra" marks the director's final film, at least for a time, as he's withdrawing from filmmaking. Soderbergh, whose film was broadcast on HBO, is planning to work more in television — an arena many directors discussed in Cannes, claiming its quality and cultural relevance now equals or even surpasses movies.
While that may be true in many parts of the world, it isn't in Cannes. At the annual glamour fest, the big screen — and all its varied vitality — still reigns supreme.
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle