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Prepare for Titanfall. Crafted by one of the co-creators of Call of Duty and other key developers behind the Call of Duty franchise, Titanfall is an all-new universe juxtaposing small vs. giant, natural vs. industrial and man vs. machine. The visionaries at Respawn have drawn inspiration from their proven experiences in first-person action and with Titanfall are focused on bringing something exciting to the next generation of multiplayer gaming.
Crafted by one of the co-creators of Call of Duty and other key developers behind the Call of Duty franchise, Titanfall is among the most highly anticipated games of 2014, having been shrouded in mystery for nearly three years. The visionaries at Respawn have drawn inspiration from their proven experience in first-person action gaming, and are building on that pedigree by taking a new approach to game design and creating an all-new universe with Titanfall.
The advanced combat techniques of Titanfall give you the freedom to fight your way as both elite assault Pilot and fast, heavily armored Titan."The Titan moves with speed and grace normally reserved for general infantry and handles like an extension of the Pilot himself, holding a weapon in a first-person view." - Game Informer
Welcome to the Edge of CivilizationIn Titanfall, many generations of humanity live in the deepest reaches of explored space. This vast region is known as The Frontier. It contains many well-known and inhabited solar systems, but many more worlds remain uncharted. Most people will never travel this far away from normal civilization. But for pioneers, explorers, mercenaries, outlaws, and soldiers - the Frontier offers both adventure and opportunity.
The IMC started out small, in natural resource extraction industries, under the name Hammond Engineering. Increasing demand for Titan manufacturing materials, combined with Hammond's market-cornering planetary survey technology and map database rights, contributed to explosive growth for the company. Over the course of a century, a series of acquisitions, mergers, and re-brandings lead to the transformation of Hammond Engineering into the ruthless commercial empire that is the IMC. With the Frontier's valuable shipping lanes and vast planetary resources ripe for exploitation, the IMC is dedicated to maximizing profits and shareholder wealth, using the legal application of force when necessary.
In the IMC command structure, Vice Admiral Graves is formally known as the CINCFRONT, or Commander-in-Chief, Frontier Command. Despite the elaborate title, Frontier operations are notorious for their lack of adherence to traditional protocol, allowing Graves to personally command IMC forces in the field, and to operate far more informally than commanders in the Core Systems. Graves has a reputation as a maverick within the IMC. His calls for policy change have often been deemed too risky to IMC forces, and too lenient to Frontier citizens. During the inquiry into the Odyssey scandal, Graves maintained that the ship was forcibly commandeered by MacAllan and his band of mutineers.
Blisk is a South African mercenary working under a new long-term contract with the IMC on the Frontier, providing Combat Intel and Counterinsurgency services. His first contract concluded with his outfit making enough money to retire to a tropical paradise, but after considering the excellent pay, and more importantly, the opportunity to lay waste to everything in sight with state-of-the-art hardware, Blisk decided that the IMC's offer of renewal was just too good to pass up.
Spyglass is a physical manifestation of the IMC's vast computational network identity, handling logistics, navigation, deployment, and communications between all IMC forces on the Frontier. Spyglass units are built on a modified Spectre chassis and are considered expendable in the field, often accompanying ground forces aboard dropships to provide up-to-date mission information and live surveillance.
The Frontier Militia represents the military arm of the Frontier systems' territorial defense pact. The Militia is a loosely governed mishmash of homesteaders, bandits, mercenaries, and pirates, all rising up as 'citizen soldiers' when the need arises. Each brigade within the Militia is responsible for fighting in an assigned section of Frontier territory. Although some brigades are little more than vast pirate organizations, the Militia has enough resources to be a real obstacle to the IMC's ambitions on the Frontier. The Militia often claims that direct action against the IMC is in the best interest of the homesteaders whom they allegedly represent, but not everyone on the Frontier sees it that way.
A highly decorated veteran of the Titan Wars, MacAllan served as the executive officer of the IMS Odyssey, under the command of Vice Admiral Marcus Graves. The Odyssey's mission was part of a peacekeeping operation on the Frontier for the IMC. Official IMC reports indicate that MacAllan led a mutiny aboard the Odyssey fifteen years ago, citing numerous grievances with the IMC's treatment of Frontier citizens. However, these reports have not been proven, in the absence of the ship's flight data recorder, which was lost when MacAllan and his people escaped with the Odyssey, and disappeared into an uncharted sector of the Frontier.
The name Bish is short for Bishamon, the mythological god of warriors within the Japanese Seven Gods of Fortune. Bish is an IMC-trained electrical engineer, born and raised on Earth. After getting screwed over by the IMC on a Frontier job placement that cost him all his savings just to move out there, he ended up in the right place at the right time - the notorious Bish bar brawl' - to take the Militia's timely offer of employment. Bish now serves as a Combat Intel Specialist, remote hacking into IMC systems during combat on behalf of ground forces, tracking mission progress, and giving tactical guidance to Pilots on the ground.
As a child, Sarah lost several close members of her family to incidents in which the IMC displaced Frontier citizens by force. As a result, she vowed to take revenge on the IMC at every possible opportunity, refusing to rest until they have been removed from the Frontier. For most of her career, she served in Covert Operations for the Militia, before moving into the command ranks of the Militia's Marauder Corps. Her long list of successful attacks on IMC installations landed her on the IMC's High Value Target List, where she remains listed as one of the 50 most dangerous Militia operatives still at large.
As with Titans, the Frontier contains Pilots of many different styles and experiences. Titan Pilots are rated by 'certifications', most of which apply to civilian applications, such as construction, shipping, and heavy salvage industries. The most prestigious of these is the Full Combat Certification - a widely published series of tests that grade a Titan Pilot's abilities. Because of the extreme physical and mental challenges of mastering both Titan combat & dismounted parkour movement, a fully combat certified Titan pilot is a rare find, and the combat skills of active Pilots in the field varies widely throughout the Frontier.
Titans are descendants of present-day fledgling military exoskeletons. In addition to the obvious combat applications, unarmed forms of Titans are used in heavy industries like cargo transport and deep space ship salvage. They are also used in special applications such as deep space search and rescue, and are very effective in inhospitable environments. The use of Titans is widespread throughout the Frontier in both combat and civilian life.
There are no two ways about it - the Ogre is engineered to be the ultimate battle tank, in Titan's clothing. As a consequence, the Ogre places a premium on its armor and offensive capabilities. When your mission demands maximum survivability, the Ogre is the only battle platform which consistently out-performs, out-shines, out-lasts and outlives everything else on the battlefield.
Survivability through speed and agility is the key to the Stryder's considerable battlefield prowess. Faster than every other Titan chassis on the market today, the Stryder's mobility is the culmination of many years of award-winning R&D into linear and rotary actuator technology. Of course, even with this agility advantage, the Stryder does not sacrifice any of the superior features your mission has come to depend on in the Hammond Robotics line of Titan battle platforms.
As a multi-role Titan, the Atlas excels where all other models fall short. The Atlas represents the state-of-the-art in weapons platforms and provides good protection and increased mobility over the Ogre chassis. Whether the mission demands reconnaissance, rapid assault, fire support, tactical support, or a combination of all these, Atlas frontline elements are dependable, powerful and, importantly, get results.
If you have never played classic Titanfall before, this is the place to start. Kill anything on the enemy team to earn Attrition Points. The winning team is the one that hits the score limit first, or has the highest score when the time is up.
Capture and hold the three hardpoints in the map for your team to earn points. The more hardpoints you hold, the faster you win. Capture neutral hardpoints by standing near them for a short period of time. Retake enemy-held hardpoints by standing near them for a longer period of time - a hardpoint must be rendered neutral before you can begin to capture it. If enemies are near a hardpoint, you must find and eliminate them before any capturing or neutralizing will happen.
In Last Titan Standing, everyone starts in a Titan. Your team must eliminate all of the enemy team's Titans or Pilots to win. This is a round-based mode, and the team that wins the best of five rounds wins the match. Within each round, there is no respawning, and there are no replacement Titans, until the next round starts.
When the IMC instituted martial law in Angel City, massive walls were built and a system of security checkpoints was created to divide the city into many smaller districts. The unfortunate residents of the Harbor District, now unable to move freely throughout the city, are only able to view the glittering skyline from afar. Pilots fighting in the city gravitate to the highly accessible rooftops, using them to cross entire city districts without ever touching the ground.
The IMC's discovery of fuel-rich veins beneath this once-beautiful community led to aggressive, systematic fracking of the area, turning it into a seismically unstable shell of its former opulence. Titans rule much of the jagged terrain, forcing Pilots to move through and take cover within the interiors of the abandoned buildings. The best Pilots will carefully time their Cloak usage for the precise amount of time that is necessary to move between the protective interior spaces, or use every available square inch of vertical surface to string together complex wall-run routes.
If you are excited for the launch of the Xbox One, then be sure to check out our Xbox One page, with all the latest Xbox One games and accessories.
If you are a fan of Titanfall check out all the latest Titanfall 2 games and accessories available for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 now.
Pro Price


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Our new fan, Pete, wrote to us to tell us we really need to consider the concerns he brings up about marriage equality, namely, that allowing gay people to adopt kids is a violation of the kids' rights. When we consider his concerns, he admonishes us to be "unbiased and completely honest."
Pete presents a fairly common argument among people who don't grasp that marriage equality and adoption by gay parents are two separate issues, and his misplaced concern for children does not constitute a valid secular argument against either.
I don't want to say much more, because Pete's email really says it all. Here it is, in all its glory, with my replies:

subset: commoncrawl


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Reader John Lundstrom writes to add a related note to John Hinderaker's post "Our history, andi theirs." He writes:
I've been a devoted reader of Power line for years and was most interested in your post. I was gratified to see your reference to the glorious First Minnesota and your citing of Wayne Jorgenson's excellent Every Man Did His Duty.
Knowing of your association with Minnesota, I take the liberty to note another Minnesota regiment whose men, I believe, also did their duty. This year the Minnesota Historical Society published my book One Drop in a Sea of Blue: The Liberators of the Ninth Minnesota. It deals with the Ninth's experiences in three largely unknown stories of the Civil War.
The first concerns an incident in Missouri in November 1863 where 38 men of the Ninth responded to the plea of an escaped slave and held a train at gunpoint to reunite the man with his family who were being rushed out of state to be sold. The men were arrested, confined and charged with mutiny, but the case was later dropped.
The rest of the book follows the men and their regiment in the disastrous defeat at Brice's Crossroads (June 1864) and the horrific experiences of the 235 Minnesotans who were captured there and sent to Andersonville and other prisons. Over 60 percent of them died in Rebel captivity or shortly thereafter.
One of the 38 "Liberators" (as I call them in the book) was my great-great uncle, who died in November 1864 in the prison camp at Florence. He is the reason why I wrote the book. A scholar who read the manuscript for me was a retired historian with the state of Missouri, and he remarked that this was the first Civil War book he had ever read where the Radical Republicans were actually the heroes.
John B. Lundstrom
Curator Emeritus of History, Milwaukee Public Museum


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(BPT) – Wedding day traditions vary ever so slightly from decade to decade based on music, fashion and cultural change. However, today's newlyweds have a distinct issue that their parents probably didn't face a quarter century ago – which sectional couch stays, and which one goes?
Today's wedding registries are still chock-full of china, saucers, spatulas and the like, but chances are your newlywed friends have already accumulated many of life's necessities as a result of living on their own for years before marriage.-
A recent survey of first-time newlyweds by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the median age of people marrying for the first time in the U.S. is at an all-time high. And while the percentage of young men and women living with their parents has risen in the past decade, more than 80 percent of Americans ages 25 to 34 live independently before marriage, according to Census Bureau reports.
So, what does a couple do when faced with duplicates of nearly everything before moving in together?
"Detach," is the advice from Sean E. Burns, a psychologist with Counseling Associates of West Michigan.
"Try to respect the fact that some people will build emotional attachments to items," says Burns. "However, you must jointly establish reasonable limits. Otherwise, you risk associating sentimental value to everything in an effort to avoid difficult decisions."
Melanie Bergeron, former CEO and current chair of the board for the nation's largest franchised moving company, Two Men And A Truck, suggests a successful move begins with an open mind.
"I was 30 years old and my husband was 40 when we got married, so we had a lot of duplicates on that first move," Bergeron says. "All my decor was light and contemporary and his was dark antiques, so I was certain we had a decorating nightmare on our hands. In reality, we ended up finding a happy medium and gave away those items we didn't absolutely need. So, rule No. 1 is to keep an open mind as you combine homes."
Bergeron suggests these additional tips to make your first nesting experience as painless as possible:
Duplicates to dollars: Take a pen to paper and lay out your combined inventory a month before your move day. This way, you can begin to visualize what goes where and what duplicates can end up on Craigslist to build funds for items you haven't yet acquired.-
Box yourself in: Once inventory is complete, decide what will go where and organize everything in boxes that are clearly marked for each room. The more direction you can provide your movers, the faster your move will go and the less it will cost. Contact your local Two Men And A Truck moving company to have all your moving supplies delivered in advance for free.
Purge before you merge: De-junking before moving day is critical to streamlining belongings. Most movers estimate jobs by the hour, so the more you can clean out beforehand the less time it will take to move.
Sweat the big stuff: If you can't afford to hire a moving company for all your belongings, consider hiring professionals for just heavy, bulky items. In an effort to save money, you have to consider the favors you'll be forced to ask, the pizza and beverages you'll need to buy and the anxiety that comes with every hardwood ding and drywall puncture. Before you rent that truck yourself, call for an estimate; the time and money saved will be better spent celebrating your nuptials.
For more moving advice, visit www.twomenandatruck.com


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Secretary Designate
NCLB Update
TIMSS Results
Privacy Guidance
Monitoring the Future
Barney Cam VII
Quote to Note
Upcoming Events
Secretary Designate
In response to the nomination of Arne Duncan, Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Public Schools, as U.S. Secretary of Education, Secretary Spellings issued the following statement:
"Arne Duncan is a visionary leader and fellow reformer who cares deeply about students. As the CEO of the Chicago Public Schools, Arne has advanced policies to hold schools accountable for providing all our nation's studentsregardless of race, income level, or backgroundwith a high-quality education. His credibility and expertise will be invaluable as we continue working to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed and to make higher education accessible and affordable to all. Above all, Arne understands that, in today's global economy, we must stay focused on results for every child.... I look forward to being helpful to Arne and his team during the transition and beyond."
NCLB Update
Asserting, "As Americans prepare for a change in government, one thing that must not change is the remarkable progress being made by our nation's schools," the Department has released a new fact sheet: "Progress by Our Schools and the Department of Education." The document offers a bulleted list of bipartisan accomplishments (e.g., test scores are higher, the achievement gap is narrowing, children once "left behind" have made great strides forward), discusses some of the significant changes in the culture of education, and looks ahead to the challenges of the 21st century. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/nclb/accountability/results/trends/progress.html.
Meanwhile, spurning any rumors of an "early departure" from the agency, Secretary Spellings visited with students, teachers, and other stakeholders in New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. On December 9, she delivered remarks at the All-Stars Helping Kids Second Annual Sports, Business, and Philanthropy luncheon at the Sports Museum of America in New York City (http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/12/12092008a.html). "We frequently hear that No Child Left Behind is punishing schools or narrowing the curriculum by excluding subjects like art and physical education," she noted. "I disagree. For one thing, the law doesn't punish schools; it supplies extra help, like free tutoring for students who fall behind. For another, there's no good reason why we can't focus on reading and math and still have art, recess, and other subjects. I've seen it for myself. Phil Mickelson uses golf to teach kids geometry and trigonometry.... We know that exercise helps kids focus and grow up healthy and confident." Two days later, on December 11, the Secretary delivered remarks at Chicago's Westcott Elementary School, one of 10 schools participating in the city's performance pay pilot program funded, in part, by the Department (http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/12/12112008.html). "Recruiting and retaining good teachers is key to closing the achievement gap and preparing all students to compete in the 21st century," she said. "Yet, one-third of new teachers leave within five years, while, in high-poverty schools, about half leave within five years. Chicago is on the cutting edge of a movement to reward teachers for taking on more challenging assignments and getting results. I'm proud that my Department is supporting these awards and helping to make a difference for Chicago school children." Then, this week (December 17), the Secretary was at Amidon-Bowen Elementary School in Washington, D.C., only a few blocks from agency headquarters, to present the President's Volunteer Service Award to volunteers with the Foster Grandparent program (whereby senior citizens tutor and mentor children) and recognize Department employees and local residents for volunteering with Everybody Wins! (whereby individuals tutor children during recess and lunch).
The latest Achiever newsletter (http://www.ed.gov/achiever/) spotlights a Texas elementary schoolwhere one in four students are English language learners and one in five transfer each yearthat has built teacher collaboration to help achieve a near-perfect student proficiency rate of 98% in reading and math.
TIMSS Results
A lengthy new report from the Department's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) summarizes the performance of U.S. fourth- and eighth-grade students on the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), comparing their scores with their peers internationally, as well as documenting changes in math and science achievement since 1995. The report also describes details about trends in the achievement of U.S. students, by sex, race/ethnicity, and the poverty level of the schools they attend. Consider:
- The 2007 average math scores of both U.S. fourth- (529) and eighth- (508) grade students were higher than the scale average (500). At grade 4, the average U.S. score was higher than those in 23 of the 35 participating nations, lower than those in eight nations (all in Asia or Europe), and not measurably different from those in four nations. At grade 8, the average U.S. score was higher than those in 37 of the 47 participating nations, lower than those in five nations (all in Asia), and not measurably different from those in five nations.
- Comparing average scores from the first TIMSS administration in 1995 to the most recent results from 2007 shows that both U.S. fourth- (11 points higher than the 1995 average of 518) and eighth- (16 points higher than the 1995 average of 492) grade students improved in math.
- While U.S. black and Hispanic students score lower in math than U.S. white students, over the 12-year period, the gap has narrowed in some areas: at grade 4, the white-black gap closed 17 points; at grade 8, the white-black gap closed 21 points, and the white-Hispanic gap closed 15 points.
- The 2007 average science scores of both U.S. fourth- (539) and eighth- (520) grade students were higher than the scale average (500). At grade 4, the average U.S. score was higher than those in 25 of the 35 participating nations, lower than those in four nations (all in Asia), and not measurably different from those in six nations. At grade 8, the average U.S. score was higher than those in 35 of the 47 participating nations, lower than those in nine nations (all in Asia or Europe), and not measurably different from those in three nations.
- Unlike in math, comparing average scores from the first TIMSS administration in 1995 to the most recent results from 2007 shows that U.S. fourth- (3 points lower than the 1995 average of 542) and eighth- (7 points higher than the 1995 average of 513) grade students were not measurably different in science.
- While U.S. black and Hispanic students score lower in science than U.S. white students, over the 12-year period, the gap has narrowed in some areas: at grade 4, the white-black gap closed 31 points; at grade 8, the white-black gap narrowed 26 points, and the white-Hispanic gap narrowed 27 points.
TIMSS, sponsored by an international organization of national research institutions and government agencies, has been administered four times: 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. For more information, please go to http://nces.ed.gov/timss/. (Note: Massachusetts and Minnesota participated separately. Both topped the U.S. average scores in fourth- and eighth-grade math and science, with Massachusetts performing on par with some Asian nations. See http://timss.bc.edu/timss2007/.)
Also: Last week, results were announced for the Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology. For more information, please go to http://www.siemens-foundation.org/en/competition.htm.
Privacy Guidance
On December 9, the Department published in the Federal Register final regulations clarifying and making changes to the existing Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations. These new regulations are intended to help educational agencies and institutions better understand and administer FERPA and make important updates to improve school safety, access to education data for research and accountability, and the safeguarding of education records, among other areas. (For example, language was removed requiring strict construction of the FERPA provision that permits the disclosure of education records, without consent, in order to deal with health or safety emergencies; now, in making a determination concerning disclosures, a school may take into account the totality of circumstances pertaining to a threat.) The regulations address public comments received on proposed regulations, published in March, from more than 100 individuals and organizations. They represent an appropriate balance between preserving students' privacy, promoting their safety, and facilitating research and accountability that will help ensure that students receive a quality education. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/12/12092008b.html.
Monitoring the Future
The annual Monitoring the Future survey of U.S. secondary students, conducted since 1975, finds alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use by American teenagers continues to fall overall. Indeed, among tenth-graders, lifetime use of any illicit drug other than marijuana declined from 18.2% in 2007 to 15.9% in 2008; past year use declined from 13.1% in 2007 to 11.3% in 2008; and past month use declined from 6.9% in 2007 to 5.3% in 2008. Likewise, the use of stimulants (amphetamine, crack cocaine, and crystal methamphetamine) declined in all prevalence periods for tenth-graders. On the other hand, marijuana use, which had fallen since the mid-1990s, appears to have leveled off, with past year use reported by 10.9% of eighth-graders, 23.9% of tenth-graders, and 32.4% of twelfth-graders. Also, 15.4% of twelfth-graders reported using a prescription drug non-medically within the past year. For more information, please go to http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/. (The Office of National Drug Control Policy's survey fact sheet is available at http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.org/news/press08/
Also: The White House incorporated the survey findings in its summary of efforts to improve the lives of America's youth. For more information, please go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/12/20081211-6.html.
Barney Cam VII
Earlier this month, the White House unveiled "A Red, White, and Blue Christmas," the final installment of "Barney Cam," which features the President and First Lady's Scottish terriers touring the White House to give viewers a dog's eye view of the holiday decorations. This year, to celebrate the family's last Christmas in the White House, Barney decides on a patriotic theme. However, the task of decorating proves exhausting, leading to an interesting daydream, with Barney capturing Olympic gold medals in gymnastics and swimming and sinking a difficult putt to secure golf's Ryder Cup. Awakened by the President ("We are sprinting to the finish, not napping to the finish!"), Barney is motivated to complete the decorations by Olympic champions Michael Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale, Nastia Liukin, and Shawn Johnson and NBC's Jimmy Roberts and the U.S. Ryder Cup team. The video features President Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, Barbara Bush (with Willard the Cat!), and Henry and Jenna Hager. Don't miss the amazing soundtrack by the U.S. Marine Band! For more information, please go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/holiday/.
Quote to Note
"Pointing out weaknesses makes some people uncomfortable. And, we're hearing lots of reasons why the law's goals of all students on grade level by 2014 can't be achieved. But you know that winning stems from focusing on what's possible, not what seems impossible. Furthermore, as a parent, I want my daughters on grade level now, not six years from now. Why would we think other parents want anything less?.... To me, it comes down to a matter of how much we believe in our kids. If they're having a tough time at home, or if they start off far behind, do we really think that means they're doomed to fail?.... You know that if we have faith in our kids, and if we support them and their teachers, there's no limit to what we can achieve."
|Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings (12/9/08), speaking at the All-Stars Helping Kids luncheon
Upcoming Events
Coming Up Taller Awards (http://www.pcah.gov/cut.htm), sponsored by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, focus national attention on exemplary programs fostering the creative and intellectual development of America's youth. Fifteen awards of $10,000 are presented each year, providing recognition and contributing to continued work. Applications must be postmarked by January 30, 2009.
Scholarships are now available for American students wishing to travel abroad and study languages that are critical to the nation, including Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Russian, and Turkish. Students have the option of three different program lengths: a summer intensive, a semester, or a full academic year. Interested students must: (1) be U.S. citizens, (2) be 15-18 years of age at the start of the program, and (3) be enrolled in high school with at least a 2.5 grade point average. Students may travel abroad during high school or during a "gap year." Applications must be submitted by February 2, 2009. For more information, please go to http://www.nsliforyouth.org/.
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We wrote about the potential Darrelle Revis trade earlier Thursday, opining that a deal still looks rather likely to happen. We feel a lot better about that prediction after reading the latest from SI.com's Peter King.
A source "close to the negotiations" between the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tells King that the Bucs likely would be willing to give their first- and second-round picks in the 2014 NFL Draft for Revis. The Jets are expected to get no less than first- and third-round picks in a possible deal, according to King.
The holdup, apparently, concerns what year the draft picks come in. King reports the Jets want the Bucs' first-round pick this year, which is No. 13 overall. The Bucs apparently are pushing for next year's first-round pick, knowing the Jets have no other serious suitors.
"Tampa Bay is the only serious bidder for Revis," King wrote. "The ball is in the Jets' court on what to do next. And the Bucs aren't going to go much further, if at all, to try to get Revis."
|Take a look back at some of the best shots of Darrelle Revis.
The Jets should be thrilled they have a taker. They only have Revis for one more season. The only scenario in which this falls apart is if the Bucs got so tired of the Jets' trade stance that they move on and sign Brent Grimes in free agency. That seems unlikely at this point.
Both King and the New York Daily News indicate that the Bucs are willing to pay Revis big money. They are willing to give up valuable picks. They clearly want Revis. It shouldn't be that hard to settle on what the picks are before the NFL draft.
Even the Jets couldn't screw this up.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.


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(UPDATED) US deal: All E-M5 kits in Stock!!! Body only in Stock in EU and Asia.
Suddenly all E-M5 kits are in Stock and here is a short overview of where to find them in U stores:
Black E-M5 with 14-42mm lens at BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here) and Adorama eBay (Click here).
Black E-M5 with 12-50mm lens at Willoughbyscamera eBay (Click here) and Popflash eBay (Click here).
Silver E_M5 with 12-50mm lens at Amazon (Click here).
Ranks: The Silver E-M5 is also leading the overall Mirrorless ranking at Amazon (Click here).
E-M5 Body only in EU and Asia: It's in Stock in Asia (Digitalrev) and in Europe (Amazon Germany, Amazon UK) but still not in US (1-3 months delivery according to Amazon).
UPDATE: BHphoto (Click here) will start shipping the E-M5 body only options on July 30th.
More US deals: Panasonic-Leica 25mm lens back in Stock at BHphoto (Click here). 14-42mm X lens for $287 at Amazon (Click here).


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From inside the book
13 pages matching Francoise in this book
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What people are saying - Write a review
LibraryThing ReviewUser Review - mahallett - LibraryThing
i liked this less than #! but it was still very interesting. she certainly doesn't talk much about her sex life which seems to have been very free. she writes about her travels--walking, biking ... Read full review
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afternoon afterward Alsatian asked attitude began Beuzeville Bost Boulevard Saint-Michel Brice Parain Brumath cafe Camille charm cinema Colette Audry Communists death despite dinner Dome dress drink Dullin eyes face fact Fascist feel felt Fernando films Flore France Francoise French friends front Gare de l'Est gave German girl hand heart holidays idea knew Lise litde living looked Louise lunch Lycee Madame Lemaire Maquis Marco Marseille mind Montparnasse morning Nazism Neron never night Nizan novel o'clock Olga Olga's once ourselves Pagniez Papin sisters Paris passion person play rack railway refused relationship Rouen Sartre Sartre's seemed sister sitting someone sort spent station stayed story streets struck talk tell thing thought told took truth turned Uzerche village voice walked wanted whole woman women words writing young


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Why are so many people still using IE6? Simply because the sites they go to work and there is no reason for them to upgrade.
For the average person, they look for the IE symbol. That's their gateway to the Internet. They have absolutely no idea that their browser is out of date, nor do they care.
Most people only change their browser when they change their operating system. Which is when they buy a new machine. That's probably every 4-5 years. By 2012 IE6 will be where IE5 is right now. Which won't be any good for developers if the Mayan calendar has been interpreted correctly, lol :(
If we want to get people off IE 6 surely prompting them to upgrade in some way is the way to make this transition happen sooner rather than later.


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Here are some breakout stocks to watch as the market keeps moving higher.
Boyd Gaming Corp. BYD, +0.85% had a big breakout day on Wednesday, up 1.65 to 12.37, or 15%, on 12.4 million shares. It not only blew through resistance at the short-term highs, but through long-term resistance as well going back to 2011.
It's now at the highest level since the beginning of 2011 at about 12.63. The next target is in the 12.50-.60 zone, and the secondary target is at 14.50, just under the 2010 spike high at 14.85. It could see a little pullback toward its rising channel top, which it broke through on Wednesday, before its next move.
See Harry's video chart analysis of these stocks on the last page.


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We blipped about the vile, unrelenting hack of Jason Whitlock's Twitter account earlier, but evidently our blip did not get anything done, because this just came into email inboxes here at HQ.
From: firstname.lastname@example.com
Date: Tue, Oct 9, 2012 at 4:05 PM
Subject: I need a liberal in a limousine to bail my ass out!!!
To: firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com
Why is Twitter allowed to be so horribly inefficient at reacting to fraud? My account has been hacked for three days. You can't call Twitter. Everything is handled via email. I can't get a response. My bosses at FOX have reached out to Twitter. Should it really take a week to figure out that my account has been hacked?
Can anybody toss Whitlock a link to someone at Twitter who can help him? Or will Twitter send him some mobile-friendly help? He needs it. Then, and only then, he can go back to asking the important questions.


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Category: Amber Arbucci
Amber Arbucci in Space Swimwear
I'm not sure what part of outer space Amber Arbucci is in? Maybe the planet Boobiter. Oh wait, it's LSpace the clothing line. My mistake. That's what happens when you're a nerd. You think geeky and corny thoughts. Sorry folks, if you're looking for in depth celebrity gossip then you're on the wrong website. It's mostly pictures here. That's what all the wonderful hotlinks on this site are for. You should check them out.
Video – Amber Arbucci shoot in MEXICO


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I was turned on to Eucris here on BN recently, and when the bottle arrived, I was instantly in love. I cannot think of a more immediately perfect masculine scent that I have ever tried, sans perhaps Tuscany, which also was immediately excellent. Eucris is a true power scent, but has the perfect complex blend, and level of intensity, so as to not be too much, yet just right at all times. And it lasts all day too. I love this stuff. I just ordered my second bottle to have on hand, cause I know this is a keeper and will be worn often. Eucris embodies exactly what I have looked for in a male scent....class, strength, sophistication, power, etc. And I love the James Bond connection. It, to me, is what Yatagan should be, if Yatagan dropped the Celery/Eucalyptus thing, the rest of the scent would be wonderful and wearable in the real world. Eucris is instantly just as masculine and strong as Yatagan, without any strange notes. Just pure sophistication and strength.
Now I need to try Spanish Leather!


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The would-be president would have had a relatively small transition staff dedicated to federal management issues.
This week, my colleague Charlie Clark told the story of the Romney transition that wasn't. The 2012 Republican contender's campaign, the first to operate under a 2010 law designed to smooth the presidential transition process by facilitating advance planning, had a remarkably robust operation. By late summer 2012, some 500 people were working on Romney transition plans, preparing a 200-day agenda for the start of the admininstration and a budget plan, among other things.
But the staff, under the leadership of former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, never got the opportunity to put their plans into operation. So they did the next-best thing: They compiled the story of the transition project into a lessons-learned book. It's an impressive volume, laying out in great detail the procedures and policies the team had in place to hit the ground running after the election.
I was struck, however, by one page in the appendix, showing the operation's organizational chart. It lists various units of the transtion team and the projected number of employees they would need. The Policy Development shop, for example, is projected at 243 employees. Presidential Appointments was slated for 135 employees, and Legislative Affairs was pegged at 76.
Then there's the staff under the category Management Agenda: 16 employees.
That, of course, is hardly surprising. Most presidents pay proportionately less attention to management issues than to policies and political appointments, especially during transitions. But it is an indication that Romney wasn't going to make management reform a centerpiece of his agenda.
NEXT STORY: A Bureaucrat With a Name and a Face


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Watchcase, a new condominium complex that's under construction in Sag Harbor, is like no other property in the Hamptons.
There are almost no other condos on the East End, and none as luxurious as Watchcase — which is being built in a dilapidated factory building that's being painstakingly restored — making it an attractive option for wealthy buyers who want convenience.
"There's a trend of people who don't want to deal with the extravagant costs and year-round stress of home ownership out east," said James Lansill, managing director of Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group, which is heading up sales.
They've seen significant interest from European jetsetters who want to come and go as they please, current Hamptons homeowners who want to simplify their lifestyles, and longtime renters, said Gordon Hoppe, SVP at Corcoran.
The 64 homes at Watchcase won't be completed until next winter, but they are already flying off the market: 22 contracts have gone out so far on residences, which are priced between $1.02 million and $10.2 million.
I recently took a seaplane to Sag Harbor to tour the development. It's still a construction pit, but I got a good idea of what Watchcase will look like when it's finished from the model apartment and renderings.
Between the history and location, it's easy to see why buyers are going crazy for it.


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Daniel is a software developer for an investment banking company in Germany. He can be contacted at [email protected]
Visual cryptography is a graphical method of concealing information. The information you want to hide can contain graphics, hand- or machine-written text, spreadsheet calculations, and the like. A visual cryptography scheme is based on the fact that each pixel of an image is divided into a certain number m of subpixels. The number m is called the "pixel expansion" of the scheme (because there is no technical way to divide a pixel, you go the other way and expand any pixel to a matrix of m pixels). The basic model consists of several transparency sheets. On each transparency, a ciphertext is printed, which is indistinguishable from random noise. The hidden message is reconstructed by stacking a certain set of transparencies and viewing them. The system can be used by anyone without any cryptography knowledge and without performing any cryptographic computations. For more information on visual cryptography, see "Visual Cryptography & Threshold Schemes" by Doug Stinson (DDJ, April 1998).
There are many schemes for implementing visual cryptography. Moni Naor and Adi Shamir developed the Visual Secret Sharing Scheme (VSSS) (http://citeseer .ist.psu.edu/naor95visual.html). As a further generalization of a visual cryptography scheme, the very existence of a secret image can be concealed by displaying a different image on each transparency. Naor and Shamir solved this problem in the case of binary (black and white) images for a (2,2) threshold scheme. The problem was also considered for a general access structure.
Stefan Droste offered a higher generalization: By stacking the transparency of each participant in the scheme together, a secret image is recovered and there is only this one way to recover it (http://ls2-www.cs.uni-dortmund.de/~droste/). However, the participants of any arbitrary subset of the entire set of participants share a secret, too. Hence, you actually have a multitude of more or less secret images.
M. Nakajima and Y. Yamaguchi presented a two-out-of-two Extended Visual Cryptography Scheme for "natural" (continuous tone) images (http://wscg.zcu.cz/wscg2002/Papers_2002/A73.pdf). They suggested a theoretical framework for realizing the Gray-level Extended Visual Cryptography Scheme (GEVCS) and present some results and methods aimed at improving the contrast of the processed images.
In this article, I use the framework described by Nakajima and Yamaguchi to develop a Python-based application that embodies the proposed model. I call the application "PyEvcs." While my dithering and image-processing techniques are original, the idea of using Python to implement a visual cryptography scheme is not new. Frank Stajano's Visual Cryptography Kit (VCK) (http://www-lce.eng.cam.ac.uk/~fms27/vck/) and Thomas M. Thomson's Visual Cryptography Project (http://citeseer .ist.psu.edu/thompson00rit.html) are both implemented in Python.
The Model
Figure 1 illustrates the model I implement. PyEvcs uses three images as input data: the secret image (information) I want to conceal (The Cameraman), and two images representing information to be shared, Dorian and Lena. This model mainly consists of two phaseshalftoning and encryption.
First, you need to transform the gray-level images into simple black-and-white images in such a way that they are still meaningful; that is, the obtained black-and-white replications (called "Intermediate Images") mimic the aspects of the continuous tone ones. PyEvcs uses an ordered dither algorithm, similar to the dithering techniques used for newspapers. To illustrate, I have defined two different dithering masks, but any viable mask can be easily inserted into the application and can be tested.
But simply dithering the three images is not enough to obtain the proposed GEVCS. You also need to further process (encrypt) the images. This process is the most interesting part of the model.
Again, the simplest visual cryptography scheme is a secret image "split" into two shared images. The shared images are printed onto separate transparencies and handed to the two participants in the scheme. To decrypt, the participants simply stack their transparencies and are able to visually recognize the recomposed secret message. All three images involved in the scheme need to have the same dimensions. Furthermore, you must have corresponding pixelstwo pixels in separate images with the same coordinates in the horizontal plane. In other words, if you stack the two images, a pair of corresponding pixels will perfectly superimpose.
During the dithering process at the pixel level, any pixel in the originalcontinuous toneimage is expanded to a matrix of black and white subpixels, with the number of black or white subpixels determined by the gray level of the original pixel. You denote the number of white subpixels in a pixel's expanded (halftoned) version by pixel transparency.
In Figure 2, three different recomposition cases can be analyzed. The encryption process applies pixel-by-pixel to the three halftoned images, controlling the transparencies of the shared pixels such that the required transparency of the target pixel is obtained. The matrix obtained by expanding a pixel is similar to a binary matrix where the "1" elements represent black subpixels and the "0" elements represent white subpixels. The operations at the pixel level are binary operations in the OR semigroup.
In the Figure 2, T1, T2, and Tt are the pixel transparencies in the share1, share2, and target images, respectively. In Figures 2(a) and 2(b), reconstruction is possible. It is merely a question of arranging the black and white subpixels inside the given matrix. The problem is solved by the encryption module of the application, which builds proper matrix collections for every required gray level.
Why collections? Because the security of the scheme is also important. Therefore, at any encryption step, a matrix is randomly selected from the proper collection. However, in Figure 2(c), you can no longer obtain the required transparency for the corresponding pixel in the target image, no matter how you rearrange the subpixels inside the matrices. So how can we solve such a possible situation?
Assume you define a 3D space having the transparencies of the pixels in the three images involved in our problem as axesthe x-axis represents the transparencies of the pixels in share1, the y-axis represents the transparencies of the pixels in share2, and correspondingly, the z-axis represents the transparencies of the pixels in the target image. Any point in the defined space is characterized by three values representing transparencies in the three mentioned images: p(T1, T2, Tt). You first determine the volume containing the points for which the reconstruction is possible, as in Figures 2(a) and 2(b). Afterwards, you analyze every point outside this volume, as in Figure 2(c).
For instance, say you have a point (outside the "possible zone") p'(T'1, T'2, T't) and you still want to be able to encrypt that pixel. However, you don't want the initial image to deteriorate. Consequently, you have to accept a compromisethe application determines the closest point to p' situated in the "possible area," say p"(T"1, T"2, T"t), and will replace p' with p". That is, the transparencies of the corresponding points in share1, share2, and target become T"1, T"2, and T"t, respectively. Nevertheless, you should check to ensure that the new transparencies are not disturbing your images so much that the original image will no longer be recognizable. The security of the scheme is another matter. While modifying the shared images, you are not allowed to "betray" the secret image. Thus, the problem slowly becomes more and more complex. Luckily, Python makes handling the problem much easier.
The Implementation
PyEvcs uses the core functionality of Python, the Python Imaging Library (PIL), and the "numarray" packages. For some GUI functionality, I also used Tcl/Tk.
There are a variety of dithering techniques that can be implemented. I chose an ordered dither algorithm and designed two representative dithering masks declared as global variables; see Listing One (any other dithering mask can be inserted into the code). The dithering function takes a corresponding dithering mask as parameter and returns the determined binary matrix. The dithering function also calculates the transparency (number of white subpixels) for every pixel in the gray-level (original) image, and maps the coordinates of the pixel with the corresponding transparency value; see Listing Two.
As for the encryption process, Listing Three determines the okzone containing the points for which reconstruction is possible without modifying the images; see Figures 2(a) and 2(b). Afterwards, I define a "distance" function. For the points outside the okzone, it is necessary to calculate the shortest distance between the point in question and the okzone; see Listing Four.
To properly encrypt the three dithered images, you first rearrange the subpixels in the obtained pixel matrices (see Figure 2). You then obtain a 2×m binary matrix in which the proper number of [1 1], [1 0], [0 1], and [0 0] columns can be calculated. If you find a point outside the okzone, you just determine the closest candidate in the okzone and correspondingly replace the transparency values; see Listing Five.
Now that the 2×m matrix is known, you need only construct the proper square matrix used to generate the matrix collection; see Listing Six. The matrix collection is generated by randomly permuting the columns of the base matrix; see Listing Seven.
Now you are ready to apply the algorithm for obtaining the two shared images of the Gray-level Visual Cryptography Scheme. All you need to do is to put everything together in the proper order; see Listing Eight. At the end of this function, you use the psprint procedure in conjunction with the v1 and v2 views. Again, in visual cryptography, the decryption is processed directly by the human user's vision. The secret image is revealed by properly stacking the two shared images. PyEvcs can generate all the required images (also a couple of intermediate images for testing purpose) in PostScript format. To test the results quickly, PyEvcs also simulates the superimposition of the two shared images. In such cases, the function is not very complicated; see Listing Nine.
Extended visual cryptography schemes let you construct visual secret sharing schemes in which the shared images are meaningful. So again, why Python? Image processing means intensive calculations, reading/writing image files in different formats, Boolean transformations at the pixel level, and many other operations. I have more than 10 years of experience in developing complex C++ and Java applications, and I've also developed diverse programs using Perl, Tcl, Visual Basic, and shell scripting. All programming languages and development environments have their strengths and weaknesses, but until Python, no language has provided such intuitiveness and effectiveness. Visual cryptography represents a technique for information concealment with major advantagesit is very low-tech because all that you need to use it is a couple of transparencies and a printer. Additionally, the decryption process is immediate and does not require any cryptographic knowledge from users.
To get the secret information, participants of the scheme need only properly stack the transparencies. This presents a high level of security (some schemes are absolutely secure), proven in the theoretical studies.
That said, visual cryptography schemes suffer mainly because of pixel expansion (any pixel in the original image is expanded during the encryption process to an m×m matrix of pixels) and loss of contrast (you have seen that the contrast of both shared images and the target image can suffer deterioration). Combining the theoretical research in visual cryptography with more developed testing applications in Python makes a major contribution toward finding some solid practical applications for visual cryptography.
#dithering mask four-point star type _starMask = ((40, 80, 140, 120, 20), (60, 170, 210, 190, 100), (150, 240, 250, 230, 160), (90, 200, 220, 180, 50), (10, 110, 130, 70, 30)) #dithering mask box type _boxMask = ((138, 230, 5, 219, 107), (87, 46, 179, 67, 148), (189, 26, 250, 15, 199), (158, 77, 168, 56, 97), (128, 209, 36, 240, 117))Back to article
Listing Two
def encrypt(self, mask = _boxMask): """ Perform the actual dithering algorithm. For any pixel in the original image the function fills a square with black and white pixels in resulting image. If the grey level of the pixel in original image is greater than the one specified in the mask, the corresponding subpixel in resulting image will be black. Otherwise, the subpixel in the resulting image remains white. Precondition: the image must have a specified size.""" maxX = self.__xmax maxY = self.__ymax length = len(mask) result = bitmap((length*maxX, length*maxY)) for x in range(maxX): for y in range(maxY): level = self.__img.getpixel((x,y)) transparency = 0 for i in range(length): for j in range(length): if level >= mask[i][j]: #print a black pixel result.set(i + x*length,j + y*length,0) else: #print a white pixel result.set(i + x*length,j + y*length) transparency = transparency + 1 self.__data[(x, y)] = transparency return resultBack to article
Listing Three
def fillokzone(self, x, y): st = self.__secret.transparency(x, y) s1 = self.__share1.transparency(x, y) s2 = self.__share2.transparency(x, y) m = self.__secret.expansion() #the total number of columns """st must be in the range [max(0, s1 + s2 -1), min(s1, s2)]. """ Lbound = max(s1, s2) tmp = s1 + s2 Ubound = min(25, tmp) if st >= Lbound and st <= Ubound: self.__okzone.append([s1, s2, st])Back to article
Listing Four
def findmindist(self, x, y, z): dist = 0 distmap = {} if len(self.__okzone) <= 0: raise "The images cannot be encrypted. okzone empty!" x0, y0, z0 = self.__okzone[0] min = sqrt((x - x0)*(x - x0) + (y - y0)*(y - y0) + (z - z0)*(z - z0)) for i in range(len(self.__okzone)): xp, yp, zp = self.__okzone[i] dist = sqrt((x - xp)*(x - xp) + (y - yp)*(y - yp) + (z - zp)*(z - zp)) distmap[dist] = [xp, yp, zp] if dist < min: min = dist return distmap[min]Back to article
Listing Five
def numberofcolumns(self, x, y): """ For every pixel we need to determine an encoding matrix. The function will return a tuple containing the number of 11, 10, 01 and 00 columns. The values are determined based on the transparencies of the corresponding 3 pixels.""" #set the transparency factors stp = self.__secret.transparency(x, y) s1p = self.__share1.transparency(x, y) s2p = self.__share2.transparency(x, y) m = self.__secret.expansion() #the total number of columns """st must be in the range [max(0, s1 + s2 -1), min(s1, s2)]. If the condition doesn't hold, we'll try to adjust the transparency of the target - st.""" Lbound = max(s1p, s2p) tmp = s1p + s2p Ubound = min(25, tmp) if stp < Lbound or stp > Ubound: s1, s2, st = self.findmindist(s1p, s2p, stp) else: s1, s2, st = s1p, s2p ,stp p00 = m*m - st p01 = st - s1 p10 = st - s2 p11 = s1 + s2 - st assert m*m == p11 + p10 + p01 + p00 return p11, p10, p01, p00Back to article
Listing Six
def buildbasematrix(self, p11, p10, p01, p00): exp = self.__expansion matrix = zeros((2, exp*exp)) stop = p11 for i in range(stop): matrix[0, i] = 1 matrix[1, i] = 1 stop = p11 + p10 for j in range(p11, stop): matrix[0, j] = 1 matrix[1, j] = 0 stop = p11 + p10 + p01 for k in range(p11 + p10, stop): matrix[0, k] = 0 matrix[1, k] = 1 stop = p11 + p10 + p01 + p00 for l in range(p11 + p10 + p01, stop): matrix[0, l] = 0 matrix[1, l] = 0 return matrixBack to article
Listing Seven
def randompermutation(self, matrix): new_matrix = [] for x in range(len(matrix)): new_matrix.append([]) numcols = range(len(matrix[0])) for y in range(len(matrix[0])): choice = random.choice(numcols) for x in range(len(new_matrix)): new_matrix[x].append(matrix[x][choice]) numcols.remove(choice) return new_matrixBack to article
Listing Eight
def encodeimages(root, file1, file2, file3): pm = pixelmatrix(file1, file2, file3) maxX, maxY = pm.size() expandorder = pm.expansion() share1 = dithering1.bitmap((expandorder*maxX, expandorder*maxY)) share2 = dithering1.bitmap((expandorder*maxX, expandorder*maxY)) for x in range(maxX): for y in range(maxY): pm.fillokzone(x, y) for x in range(maxX): for y in range(maxY): p11, p10, p01, p00 = pm.numberofcolumns(x, y) basismatrix = pm.buildbasematrix(p11, p10, p01, p00) permutedmatrix = pm.randompermutation(basismatrix) ps1 = pm.pixelonshare(permutedmatrix[0]) length = len(ps1) for i in range(length): for j in range(length): if ps1[i][j] == 0: #write a white pixel on share1 share1.set(i + x*length,j + y*length,0) else: #write a black pixel on share1 share1.set(i + x*length,j + y*length) ps2 = pm.pixelonshare(permutedmatrix[1]) length = len(ps2) for i in range(length): for j in range(length): if ps2[i][j] == 0: #print a white pixel on share2 share2.set(i + x*length,j + y*length,0) else: #print a black pixel on share2 share2.set(i + x*length,j + y*length) v1 = share1.view(root, "First Share") v1.psprint("FirstShare.ps") v2 = share2.view(root, "Second Share") v2.psprint("SecondShare.ps") decryptedImage = dithering1.decrypt(share1, share2) v3 = decryptedImage.view(root, "Decrypted Image") v3.psprint("DecryptedImage.ps") if showAllImages != 0: v4, v5, v6 = pm.showimages(root) v4.psprint("FirstImgDithered.ps") v5.psprint("SecondImgDithered.ps") v6.psprint("TargetImgDithered.ps") return v1, v2, v3, v4, v5, v6 else: return v1, v2, v3Back to article
Listing Nine
def decrypt(share1, share2): """In visual cryptography the decryption should be done only by superimposing the two shares. Here we just simulate the process.""" return OR(share1, share2)Back to article


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Idol Chat: Experts Assess an Early Fave and a Racy Scandal
Feb 27, 2007 3:00 AM EST
As American Idol's two dozen finalists were narrowed down to 20, what's the biggest obstacle facing early favorite Lakisha Jones (pictured at right)? Is Blake "Beatbox" Lewis the real deal? And could an online scandal get one beau… Read more


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Window film Q & A
Uses include minimizing cooling costs, cutting glare, creating privacy, reflecting heat inside and moreBy Darrell Smith
What is window film? Is there more than one type?
Window film is a flexible product composed of one or more layers of coated or chemically treated polyester that can be installed on glass. It is primarily used for retrofit applications to existing windows.
There are several types of window film products. Each type is designed for a particular end use: solar-control, insulation, UV blocking, safety and security, glare control and privacy, decoration, and automotive.
Quality window films offer up to 99 percent UV protection, and solar-control films are available with different levels of insulation improvement. For exterior windows, products that offer solar control and safety/security in a single product would likely be the most beneficial. For interior windows on doors or glass partitions, decorative products or safety/security products could be used.
What are the benefits of window film?
Solar-control films can block as much as 80 percent of the solar heat coming through glass into a building, thus decreasing the heat load on the air-conditioning system and reducing energy costs. Professionally installed window film can reduce cooling costs by up to 30 percent.
Films can be darker for glare control or privacy purposes or appear almost totally clear. More than 250 solar-control films are National Fenestration Rating Council-certified, so users can be assured of the energy-performance potential of the window film.
Safety/security window film works when glass breaks, controlling the post-break behavior of the broken fragments, generally by holding the pieces together attached to the film.
Decorative films can be used to make standard glass look like frosted, etched or patterned glass in colors or in white or black matte looks, enhancing aesthetics and privacy.
Does window film prevent fading of fabrics?
It is estimated 40 to 60 percent of fade is caused by exposure to ultraviolet energy; the use of window film with its UV-blocking ability can prevent up to 99 percent of that contribution to fading. Other factors that contribute to fading are visible light and heat, so the glare reduction and energy-savings properties of window film can further reduce the rate of fading that might otherwise occur.
How is window film installed?
Although window film can be installed as a do-it-yourself product, to achieve the best results and obtain the maximum manufacturer's warranty coverage, a skilled professional window film company should install it.
How long will window film last?
Window films typically have at least a five-year manufacturer's warranty, but products today generally have 10 to 20 years of warranty coverage from the manufacturer, dependent on the specific film and intended use.
Does window film require special care?
Installed window films can be cleaned with normal non-abrasive, non-corrosive cleaning liquids and soft paper. towels just as you would clean glass. The films have a scratch-resistant surface like the scratch-resistant lenses found in many eyeglasses today.


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Like the first crisp breeze in September, or the appearance of holiday decorations by some enterprising merchant, a sure sign that fall is here is the heating up of economic rhetoric inside the Beltway
Like the first crisp breeze in September, or the appearance of holiday decorations by some enterprising merchant, a sure sign that fall is here is the heating up of economic rhetoric inside the Beltway.
While other budgetary issues are dominating the headlines, the fight that is brewing over raising the nation's debt ceiling could be a bruiser.
Beyond the partisan politics and financial brinksmanship the looming budget battles are certain to produce, the uneasiness generated by the squabbling can only serve to breed more uncertainty.
It's important to remember that the "debate" about raising the debt ceiling will be not about raising the debt ceiling. Congress has no real choice in that matter. And more importantly, there is no precedent-setting going on here. The debt ceiling has been raised 74 times since 1962.
Most important of all, refusing to raise the debt limit will not stop government spending, according to a February 2011 Government Accountability Office report.
"The debt limit does not control or limit the ability of the federal government to run deficits or incur obligations," the GAO report said. "Rather, it is a limit on the ability to pay obligations already incurred."
With the partisan atmosphere in Washington D.C., however, it's clear the debt ceiling will not limit rhetorical rhapsodies on budgets, finance, fiscal policy and everything else under the sun.
In the 2011 report, the GAO warned that failing to raise the debt limit in a "timely manner" could have "serious negative consequences for the Treasury market and increase borrowing costs."
That's the same Treasury market where the Federal Reserve Board has been actively purchasing assets as part of its quantitative easing program.
So if the eventual outcome of the "debate" will be a raising of the debt limit, no matter what is said in the hallowed halls of Congress, is this all sound and fury, signifying nothing? Or is there reason for consumers to be concerned?
Cheryl Tanenbaum, senior vice president and CFO at Intracoastal Bank in Palm Coast, thinks there might something to worry about.
"I would be concerned of how it's going to affect our economy," Tanenbaum said. "In my opinion, we're still teetering on recovery."
That concern gets to the heart of confidence about the economy.
While the squabbling over budgets, deficits and fiscal policy makes for easy sound bytes, when the rhetoric hits the fan in Washington, it's likely to leave consumers and business owners running for cover. Or at least sitting on their wallets until the latest impasse blows over.
Tanenbaum said a prolonged "debate" about raising the debt limit could have an impact on economic growth. She said it highlights an issue policymakers need to address.
"My feeling is the government needs to learn to balance its budget," she said. "As a business person and a CFO, you have to stay within your budget. Raising the debt ceiling is just a temporary fix to a problem that we have."
With partisanship ruling the day, political theater masquerading as debate could derail the economic recovery, and leave consumers heading for the exits. And that presents policymakers with a bigger problem than doing what they already know they have to do.


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Black Cohosh Extract Ingredients
12-15% certified organic alcohol
Serving size: 1/2-1mL, 2x daily
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Apple Supplier Foxconn Says Fight at Plant Spread Into Larger Unrest
BEIJING—A fight at a northern Chinese factory campus owned by major Apple Inc. supplier Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. escalated into larger-scale unrest early Monday, according to the company and local police.
A spokesman for Hon Hai's Foxconn Technology Group arm said the situation was "under control," but added that the plant would be shut for Monday. "Our decision is to take a day off for that particular plant today," said the spokesman, Louis Woo.
An investigation into the cause of the riots, which left 10 injured, is being carried out, according to a report from China's state-run Xinhua news agency. A local Public Security Bureau officer confirmed that there were "problems" at the plant overnight and that the police were dealing with the situation.
Related Reading
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- Hon Hai's Revenue Jumps, But Net Is Flat 8/31
- Apple's Top Supplier Raises Salary, Cuts Probation for Workers 8/25
- Apple to Audit Supplier's Pollution
- Management 4/16
- Apple Labor Pact to Ripple Across China 4/5
- Apple Initiates Labor Audit 2/13
Mr. Woo wouldn't say how many people were involved, but workers at the plant contacted over the Internet estimated several hundred to several thousand employees were involved.
The plant, located in Taiyuan in China's Shanxi province, employs 79,000 workers, Mr. Woo said. It produces electronic components for automobiles and consumer electronic components as well as moldings. It wasn't immediately clear which customers' products are made at the plant.
Hon Hai is a major contractor for Apple and other electronics companies. The plant is one of more than 20 manufacturing facilities around China.
Hon Hai has been under a microscope by labor groups for its work practices. The company has defended its conduct, but earlier this year it agreed to change its labor practices after an outside audit of its Chinese factories found widespread breaches of work rules, including 60-hour workweeks and other health and safety violations.
Apple declined to comment and referred questions to Foxconn.
Mr. Woo said a fight between two different work groups in a dormitory eventually spread into greater unrest at the factory. He wouldn't elaborate on the amount of damage at the plant, but photos spreading around Chinese microblogs Monday morning showed smashed store windows, an overturned car and riot police.
A worker at the factory contacted directly through Sina Corp.'s Weibo microblogging service said the main violence broke out at the southern gate of the campus, where motorcycles were burned and store windows were smashed around midnight. By 1 a.m. he said, paramilitary and other special police forces had arrived.
—Yang Jie in Shanghai and
Ian Sherr in San Francisco contributed to this article.
Write to Paul Mozur at firstname.lastname@example.com
Copyright ©2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8


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Feb. 15, 2008
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - In non-conference men's volleyball action, UC Santa Barbara swept UC Santa Cruz by scores of 30-28, 30-28, and 30-28 Friday at Robertson Gymnasium. The Gauchos are still perfect against the Banana Slugs, holding a 14-0 lead in the all-time series.
UCSB, ranked 14th in the nation, improved to 6-7 on the year with the victory. UC Santa Cruz, ranked third in NCAA Division III, dropped to 11-6 overall.
A total of 14 Gauchos played in the match. Outside hitter Phil Mathews led the team with nine kills while hitting .438 (9-2-16). Middle blocker Sam Moisenco and opposite Jake Rosener each contributed seven kills with Moisenco swinging at a .667 clip (7-1-9). He also added an ace, five blocks, and totaled a team high 11 points. Max Klineman started at setter and had 14 assists before being replaced by true freshman Vince DeVany. Devany had 21 helpers and was solid at the net, collecting four blocks.
Santa Cruz got a match high 14 kills from Bryan Shires. Brad Sullivan followed with 13. Austin Einhorn and Alex Schwartz each had four blocks, while setter Eric Rowell racked up 39 assists.
Neither squad attacked well with UCSB finishing at .222 (45-23-99) and UC Santa Cruz at .184 (44-25-103).
The opening game was tied 28-28 before a Banana Slug service error and a hitting error gave the set to Santa Barbara. Game two saw much of the same as the game was tied at 27-27. An attack error and a kill by Mathews put UCSB up 29-27. UCSC shrugged off one game point with a kill by Shires, but another service error allowed the Gauchos to take the game. UCSB played from behind early in game three, but, once again, the game was tied at 28 all. Matt Thobe threw down a kill to put the Gauchos up by one and a block by Thobe, Devany, and Trey Valbuena iced the win for UCSB.
The Gauchos return to MPSF action Wednesday, Feb. 20 as they host UCLA at 7 p.m. The team is holding a shoe drive during the match. Fans are encouraged to donate "gently used" shoes and sneakers, which in turn will be given to Soles4Souls, a non-profit organization that supplies shoes to people and places in need on five continents.
-- www.UCSBGauchos.com --


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Twitter's stock fell the most since it debuted on the New York Stock Exchange after Macquarie Capital downgraded the social-networking company, saying the stock has gone "too far, too fast."
The shares of the microblogging service fell 13 percent to $63.75 at the close in New York. The stock had almost tripled through Thursday since a Nov. 6 initial public offering.
Ben Schachter, an analyst at Macquarie in New York, lowered his rating from neutral to underperform — the equivalent of sell. The shares have jumped 40 percent since Macquarie initiated coverage Dec. 11, without any improvement in Twitter's fundamentals, Schachter said in a report.
"We continue to believe that Twitter as a company has a bright future and many opportunities ahead," he said. "However, as a stock, we believe nothing has changed over the last 15 days to justify the rise in valuation."
The recent rally has put shares of San Francisco-based Twitter well above Schachter's 12-month price target of $46.
The unprofitable company was valued at $41.6 billion as of yesterday's close, making it larger than Time Warner Cable, Viacom or Target. Investors expect Twitter to benefit from a surge of mobile-advertising sales. Still, the wide discrepancies in analyst revenue estimates have raised concerns, Schachter said. Twitter's IPO had a relatively small number of underwriters, leading to a situation where more than a dozen banks initiated coverage without getting detailed guidance from management, he said.
Twitter also needs time to build up its head count, according to Schachter. The company has half as many employees as Facebook, the world's biggest social-networking site.
"It takes time and people to execute against opportunities," he said.


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|« Previous MessageNext Message »
|Martin Hansson
|December 22 2010 2:49pm
|Re: bzr commit into mysql-5.1-bugteam branch (martin.hansson:3520)
|View as plain text
Jorgen Loland skrev 2010-12-16 12.27: > On 12/16/2010 11:16 AM, Martin Hansson wrote: >> Jorgen Loland skrev 2010-12-16 10.02: >>> >>> >>> On 12/16/2010 09:21 AM, Martin Hansson wrote: >>>> Jorgen Loland skrev 2010-12-15 14.07: >>>>> Martin, >>>>> >>>>> The fix looks good, but the test case in the patch does not give >>>>> valgrind warning. Please provide a test case that is fixed by the >>>>> patch (e.g., the one reported in the bug). If you violently refuse > to >>>>> replace this test, you can add one more instead. >>>> You did build with BUILD/compile-pentium-valgrind-max, right? If you >>>> still don't see it you might try to revert to the same revision as I >>>> committed into. >>>> >>>> Does the test case in the bug report give valgrind warnings but mine >>>> doesn't? If they do then that's serious enough, BUT... things actually >>>> changed *while* I was working on the bug. First time around, the first >>>> test caused a core dump. Then when I pulled the latest changes it >>>> didn't, and then two days later it caused a crash again. The bug is >>>> that >>>> we get a totally runaway pointer, so it's sensitive to just about >>>> anything. >>> >>> I compiled with compile-amd64-valgrind-max. >>> >>> Without your code changes, the test case in the bug report gives >>> valgrind warnings like this: >>> >>> ==7710== Invalid read of size 1 >>> ==7710== at 0x4C28E61: memcpy (mc_replace_strmem.c:497) >>> ==7710== by 0x76A3C3: create_tmp_table(THD*, TMP_TABLE_PARAM*, >>> List<Item>&, st_order*, bool, bool, unsigned long long, unsigned > long >>> long, char*) (sql_select.cc:10412) >>> >>> These warnings go away when I apply your fix. The test case you added >>> does not give valgrind warning before applying your code changes. >>> >> Revision number, please. > > 3524 gleb.shchepa@stripped > This is strange, I can repeat it just fine in the revision I committed, 3524 and 3533. I do suspect you're running on 64 bit, though. Perhaps we can work together to find a test case that fails on both architectures? I currently don't have a 64 bit box set up. Only one is my mac on which valgrind doesn't work. Best Regards Martin