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Baikonur: from the steppes of Kazakhstan to space
When Frank De Winne, Sergei Zaletin and Yuri Lonchakov are launched into space from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for their taxi mission to the International Space Station (ISS) they will be following in some very illustrious footsteps. Literally, because Baikonur is a place of real space history, linked with the name of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev. It is a story of triumph, tragedy and disappointment but also of hope and future.
Baikonur was once at the heart of the super-secretive space programme of the former Soviet Union. Today the launch base of all Russian manned space missions is situated in independent Kazakhstan. There the Russians hire the 5500 square-kilometre cosmodrome territory. Nowadays Europeans and Americans are regular visitors. Their satellites are launched from Baikonur or their astronauts travel into space on board a Soyuz spacecraft.
But Baikonur is still the stuff of legend. It was the scene of the first great triumphs of the space age. The first artificial satellite of the Earth was launched from Baikonur on October 4, 1957. Sputnik 1 reached its orbit by means of a modified intercontinental ballistic rocket. A successor of this rocket, but in fact with the same design, will be used to launch the Soyuz spacecraft with the Odissea mission crew on board.
Sputnik 1 was essentially the creation of one man: Sergei Pavlovich Korolev. The Soviet press and the rest of the world knew him only as the Chief Designer. In the first glorious years of the cosmodrome his name and the name Baikonur were almost synonymous. Korolev worked at Baikonur from its beginning in 1955.
Korolev always reached for the stars. With his team he created the little Sputnik satellite in a matter of weeks. When the R-7 rocket and its payload was moved by rail in a horizontal position from the assembly building to Pad One, he walked slowly in front of it, head bared in meditation. After its successful launch into orbit, he was not afraid to announce, "the conquest of space has begun". Soon, Korolev was shooting for the Moon and the planets.
Less than four years after Sputnik 1, Baikonur was the scene of another great historical event. On 12 April 1961, a young Soviet Lieutenant called Yuri Gagarin lifted off from Launch Pad 1 to make the first manned orbit of the Earth on board the spaceship Vostok ('East'). Over the years, hundreds of men and women have followed Gagarin into orbit; but again there could only be one first, and once again it happened at Baikonur... As a kind of sanctuary visitors still 'worship' the modest wooden house where Korolev worked long hours on his 'conquest of space'. In an equally modest building nearby, Gagarin spent the night before his triumphant launch. Unfortunately triumph and tragedy alternated at Baikonur. The heaviest human cost was on 24 October 1960, when 165 were killed in the launchpad explosion of a prototype missile. Korolev himself died suddenly in January, 1966 in the course of a surgical operation and a year later, when when the recovery system failed on an early Soyuz vehicle, Vladimir Komarov became the first cosmonaut to lose his life on a space mission.
There has been disappointment too. In the 1960s ambitious plans to put Soviet cosmonauts on the surface of the Moon failed. Four unmanned test launches of the giant N-1 rocket - it weighed 2750 tons - ended in catastrophe. A Russian has yet to walk on the Moon. Another programme to send cosmonauts in orbit around the Moon was very close to materialization. But eventually no Soviet cosmonaut reached lunar orbit either.
The Americans had won the Moon race. The Soviet Union began developing space station technology, first with the Salyut modules and ultimately the well-known Mir station, the first element of which was launched into space in 1986. Mir came to a fiery end in March 2001 when it was intentionally burned up in the Earth's atmosphere. Eventually Russian efforts were integrated as an important part of the present International Space Station, which is being assembled in space since 1998.
But by then the Soviet economy was in dire straits and the Soviet Union fast approaching terminal collapse. One of the victims was the Soviet space shuttle Buran ('Snowstorm'). Buran flew just once, unmanned, carried by the huge Energia rocket. The perfect launch and flight in 1988 and the cancellation of the project thereafter must have been an enormous disappointment for the thousands of scientists and technicians working on the programme.
Nowadays in Baikonur the Proton, Zenit and Soyuz launchpads are all in regular use. The bureaucracy of the Soviet era has long gone. In its place, RSC Energia, also and appropriately known as the Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation is vigorously developing commercial and technical contacts around the world. Russia also has learned that providing commercial satellite launches for other nations can provide a bread-and-butter income. The ISS has generated a new age of international cooperation in space, and Baikonur Cosmodrome will play an important role.
So will ESA, which over the years has developed a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with RSC-Energia and other Russian space operations. The October Soyuz launch and the Odissea mission that will take ESA's Frank De Winne, Sergei Zaletin and Yuri Lonchakov into space is only one example of that long-term cooperation.


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Writers Peter Gould, Kerry Ehrin, Bridget Carpenter and host Ben Blacker appear on Sunday August 21, 2011 – 05:00 PM
Location: Nerdist Education Theater – Los Angeles – Gen Admin
Doors Open 04:30 PM
Spend your Sunday afternoons learning from the best at the Nerdist Writing Series!
Join moderator Ben Blacker as he hosts esteemed panelists discussing topics like different types of writing, how they got started, what inspires them, the business side of writing, and more. Panelists will also answer your questions and give some helpful tips and tricks! This series is a must for any hopeful writer in LA, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit 826LA.
Ben Blacker (moderator) is the co-creator of The Thrilling Adventure Hour, a monthly staged production and podcast in the style of old-time radio. For information go to ThrillingAdventureHour.com. Blacker and his writing partner have developed pilots for Fox, Nickelodeon, Spike, and USA (twice). Currently, they write for CW's Supernatural.
Scheduled to appear:
Peter Gould (Breaking Bad)
Kerry Ehrin (Friday Night Lights, Boston Public)
Bridget Carpenter (Friday Night Lights; Dead Like Me)
Get tickets here ($15)
Nerdist Theater inside Meltdown Comics
7522 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046

subset: commoncrawl


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Period-certain annuity(redirected from Period Certain Annuity)
Period-certain annuity
An annuity that provides guaranteed payments to an annuitant for a specified period of time.
Period-Certain Annuity
An annuity in which the annuitant selects a certain number of years during which he/she will receive payments. For example, an annuitant may elect to receive annuity payment each month for 20 years. This allows the annuitant higher payments each month, but it is nevertheless less common than life annuities, which provide payments for the remainder of the annuitant's life. Using period-certain annuities as retirement packages may appeal to persons who do not expect to live the full term of the annuity and/or persons who have another source of income (such as another annuity) in retirement.


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The following DLP chip is compatible with the following 82" TV models
The following DLP chip will correct light engine issues that exhibit white/black dots on the screen only. Whether there is one or several white/black dots on a screen, these are signs of a defective DLP chip. Please do not purchase the following DLP chip if you have any other light engine issue or if another part from the engine is needed. For other issues and or parts, please inquire via email for any needed parts.
The following replacement DLP chip is for the Mitsubishi light engine model 938P174060 only.
Part is also known as 955B378008 DLP chip.
180 day TVLampsforless warranty Detailed instructions included


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Hot Dog of the Week: Alligator Coney, Northern Kentucky
A unique hot dog feature each week from hot dog connoisseur and cartoonist Hawk Krall!
"I was surprised to like the Cincinnati Coney so much without the chili."
My quest for hot dogs recently brought me to the Cincinnati area where, walking off the plane, I was greeted by a ten-foot high photo of a Cheese Coney on the wall of a Gold Star franchise. Not wanting hastily-cranked-out airport food to ruin my first impression of the city's signature dog, I held out and wandered around northern Kentucky, finding a Hawaiian shave ice stand (closed), several gun shops, and finally a Dixie Chili.
Quiet country music filled the sleepy cafeteria-style dining room, in a weird region that's sort of a twilight zone between the South and Midwest. Maybe a little bit strange that my first real Cincinnati Coney was in Kentucky, but it was worth it to find this crazy Alligator hot dog.
The standard Cincinnati Coney is about four inches, only slightly bigger than the Troy NY Mini-Dogs but smaller than a Southern ten-per-pound hot dog, and covered with heavily spiced Cincinnati Chili. The Alligator ($1.59) starts with the same small pink hot dog, but it's covered in a massive pile of shredded neon yellow cheese, and instead of chili, a crisp pickle spear and plenty of mayonnaise. Sound weird? It was great.
What's New On Serious Eats
One thing to get straight—if you've never been to Cincinnati, or read my previous posts on the city's hot dogs—a Coney here is absolutely nothing like the delicious natural casing dogs you find in Detroit and Michigan, or anything you would have ever eaten at Coney Island in Brooklyn. The actual hot dogs used for Cincinnati Coney's might be the blandest, most tasteless things I've ever eaten in my life. Blander than Southern hot dogs. Blander than the pale, cheap, useless hot dogs that fill every Philadelphia grocery store.
Really, in Cincinnati, the dogs are nothing more than a vehicle for that delicious, amazing chili. So I was surprised to like it so much without it. The crispy pickle spear made up for the lack of snap from the skinless hot dog. Add the mayonnaise and super soft bun and it was sort of like a really satisfying mayo-loaded cheap deli sandwich, with a hot dog on it. Some grill man's riff on a Chicago Dog that actually works.
Several days and many Coneys later, Dixie was still one of my favorites. They have three locations all in Northern Kentucky, and the company actually goes back to the 1930s, when founder Nicholas Sarakatsannis worked for legendary Cincy Chili parlor Empress before developing his own recipe and opening his own stand, spreading the Cincinnati-style down South.
Dixie Chili
3716 Dixie Highway, Erlanger KY 41018 (map); 859-727-2828
Hawk Krall is a Philadelphia-based illustrator who has a serious thing for hot dogs. Dig his dog drawings? Many of the illustrations he has created for Hot Dog of the Week are available for sale: hawkkrall.net/prints/.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Carson Magnetic Detachable Leather Wallet Case for Google Pixel 4 XL|
- Made with premium full-grain leather
- 2-in-1 design with a detachable Snap-On cover
- Can be used as a kickstand
- 4 credit card slots
- Made for the Google Pixel 4 XL
We usually dispatch orders within 2 working days. Delivery times vary based on selected service and destination. Regular post ranges from 3 to 10 working days depending on the shipping address.
Domestic Orders (USA)
All orders within the USA will be typically be delivered within 1-5 business days, depending on the service selected at checkout. Free shipping (USPS Ground) typically takes 3-5 business days.
International Orders
All International orders will typically take around 1-3 weeks to arrive. Shipping times may vary due to customs and individual countries practices.
Please note: Burkley Case does not personally pay for import duties or taxes. These fees are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the responsibility of the buyer.
Leather is a natural material. Minor color changes and discrepancies on its surface are not quality defects. They are part of the nature of the genuine leather products. For keeping your leather in great shape;
- Be careful not to scratch or rub your product against abrasives surfaces.
- Protect your product from humidity and keep it away from direct sources of heat, such as radiators and the inside of a car in summer.
- If the leather gets dirty, or in instance of superficial stains on the lining, we recommend that you gently wipe it with a soft and light-colored cloth. Never use soap or solvent.
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At Burkley, we want you to be completely satisfied with your purchase. We will be happy to refund any new and unused merchandise purchased from our website within 30 days of delivery.
All Burkley products are warranted to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for 90 days from original date of purchase when used under normal conditions and for the personal use.
Please do not hesitate to contact our support team for all inquiries about your Burkley product.


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DURHAM — In a game that looked like both defenses were destined to win out, Ben Landry broke out for 26 points in leading the Portsmouth High School boys basketball team to a 57-51 win over Oyster River on Tuesday in Division II.
With several of his teammates in foul trouble, and starter Travis MacDonald out with the flu, Landry took control in the second half, scoring 22 of his points after the break.
"I thought in the first half I was playing too timid, not working hard enough," Landry said. "That's not how I play. So I tried to assert myself more in the second half."
After letting a 10-point lead slip away, Portsmouth (9-2) went into halftime up 25-24.
Landry set the tone for the second half with a 3-pointer to open the third-quarter scoring. With Portsmouth leading 30-28 midway through the quarter, Landry scored seven points as part of a 9-0 run that gave the Clippers some breathing room.
He capped the run with a steal and a basket to give Portsmouth a 39-28 lead with just under three minutes to play.
"Ben was outstanding," said Portsmouth coach Jim Mulvey. "Travis is our leading scorer, and he was out with the flu, and I told the guys, 'That's why we're a team.' Somebody else has to step up. Ben did that. He was unbelievable in the second half."
The first half started with both teams battling back and forth defensively. Bodies were sprawled out at both ends of the floor, and each team was racking up fouls.
Portsmouth closed the first quarter with a 9-2 spurt to lead 15-8 after one.
Oyster River (7-4) came back in the second period, however. Portsmouth led 22-12 when the foul trouble started to mount. Donovan Phanor picked up his third foul early in the quarter, and the Bobcats hit 6-of-8 free throws and got 3-pointers from Anthony Shea and Nick Lazar to spark a 12-3 run to end the half.
That was as close as they would come, however, as Landry and the Clippers defense took control by forcing 11 turnovers in the second half alone. Five of those turnovers came on offensive foul calls, which also contributed to the Bobcats' woes.
"I think the most frustrating thing was that we couldn't get any continuity on offense," said Oyster River coach Stuart Mitchell. "We had too many guys standing around watching and we couldn't get any flow. Our defense played very well, but we couldn't get anything going offensively."
Mitchell credited the stingy Portsmouth defense, but added that his team didn't move the ball well enough for most of the night.
"Our defense was unbelievable in the second half," Landry said. "Coach told us they were outworking us in the second quarter. He said, we all walk around like we're tough at school, but they were out-toughing us, and we needed to play like we walk around.
"I took it on myself — and I think other guys did to — to be tougher in the second half."
That toughness was on display on the blocks, as well, as the Clippers outrebounded Oyster River 14-10 in the second half, led by Colin MacDonald (nine points, 14 rebounds) and Patrick Glynn (three points, seven rebounds).
Lazar led Oyster River with 17 points, and Zach Jones chipped in 10 points and three assists. Jacob Smith added nine points and 10 rebounds.
"Games like this, with guys out of the lineup, you find out if you really are a team," Mulvey said. "I think we did tonight."
Portsmouth travels to Windham on Friday, while Oyster River visits Kingswood.


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Urban Belt Bag Earth Grey Heavy Grain
Send a hint to share your dream gift.
Introducing the Belt Bag: a practical and laid-back piece with retro style appeal. The main compartment and an external back pocket both have zip closures to protect your belongings while you live life, handsfree.
This is a double-pocket belt bag with adjustable webbing.
- Adjustable webbing strap with a clip buckle fastening
- Mulberry embossed external signature
- Zipped closure
- One main compartment
- One external zipped pocket at the back
- Internal signature with silver foil
- Cotton lining
- Height
- 6"
- Width
- 15¾"
- Depth
- 2¾"
- Strap
- Maximum 19¾"
This product's code is HH5847-736C933
Heavy Grain
A soft heavy bovine leather with a beautiful soft and supple hand feel. The surface will gradually become even softer with use adding to the beauty of the leather.
Caring for this product
Collonil Leather Gel is a solvent-free gentle gel to improve the water resistance of certain leathers. It can help leather to resist dirt and moisture.


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When viewed in the infra-red (not the near infra-red but the infra-red proper) by the Liverpool Telescope on the island of La Palma, the companion galaxy with the Whirlpool Galaxy is clearly older.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... ool-galaxy
Starting at 15 minutes 45 seconds in. Where they present a special photo of the galaxy taken for The Sky at Night by the telescope on 31 May - the companion galaxy glows blue and the main galaxy glows red. The companion galaxy is full of old stars, whereas the main galaxy has young and cooler stars (and more dust and gas and less hot stars) and suspected active star formation currently underway in the long-term.
Have AiG addressed this anomaly on their website?
No. They have not.
Will they do so? Time will tell.
Edited post - now FINAL at 11.15 pm BST.


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On 4 November 2011, Members of the UK Youth Parliament (known as MYPs) sat in the House of Commons and voted on which of five issues ought to become the priority campaign for the UK Youth Parliament in the coming year.
The Youth MPs attending from West Sussex were:
- Liam Dallamore – Ifield Community College, Crawley.
- Lola Cole – Steyning Grammar School.
- Dominic Stannard – Worthing College.
- Samuel Theodoridi – St Philip Howard Catholic School.
As part of our ongoing development for the West Sussex County Council website for young people Yourspace we are encouraging young people to blog about their experiences. Read here for Samuel Theodoridis' views of the day.


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Ken DeGraw '57 Receives Stevens Alumni Award
As a Stevens student, Ken DeGraw '57 longed to dive into the everyday activities and fun of campus life. But commuting six days a week from Rockland County, N.Y., and working to put himself through school, he found it impossible.
So he's been making up for it ever since. Ken has spent almost 50 years being involved with Stevens and with the Stevens Alumni Association (SAA), from writing class logs for The Stevens Indicator to planning class reunions to serving as the SAA president.
In recent years, he's worked as the Stevens Alumni Association's clubs director, increasing the number of clubs as well as building a strong community online through the Stevens LinkedIn® group. And he's continued his volunteer efforts faithfully, as he and the Class of 1957 Reunion Committee gear up for their 55th reunion in 2012.
He has to pause when he contemplates 50 years. "How did I get so old so fast?" he asks dryly, with a slight smile. "I wanted to be part of Stevens and since I couldn't do it as a student…" he continues, in his quiet, unassuming way. "I think of it as giving back." For giving back to Stevens and its alumni in so many ways, Ken has been chosen to receive the Stevens Alumni Award for 2011. He received the prestigious award during Alumni Weekend. The SAA gives the award annually in recognition of outstanding loyalty and devotion to Stevens.
Ken, of Montvale, N.J., has served as the SAA's clubs director since 2002, scheduling and guiding club meetings across the country and seeking out areas for new clubs. When he first became clubs director, Ken was charged with "resuscitating" the alumni clubs, he says, during a recent interview at the Alumni Office. He's more than succeeded, as the SAA now offers 30 alumni clubs, many social, but some professional and supportive of alumni seeking employment. One example is Ken's establishing and maintaining of the SAA's LinkedIn group.
The group now has more than 3,000 members. The SAA's LinkedIn group has grown strongly in recent years, and Ken attributes a large part of this to a struggling economy and alumni seeking jobs. Ken has also been a faithful member of the Reunion Committee for the Class of 1957—one of the most active and tight-knit reunion groups in recent years. "We're back at it for our 55th," Ken says, as the group, which has established both an endowed scholarship and annual scholarship, helped fund other projects and seeks to present a class gift in honor of its upcoming 55th reunion.
This is a group that has enjoyed luncheons together in their mission to help Stevens students and to re-connect with each other. Of all his Stevens' activities, Ken has enjoyed being a part of the reunion committee the most, he says. "The most fun thing has been the Reunion Committee because I hardly knew these guys when I was here," he says.Ken was the first in his family to attend college and received some scholarship help early on from Stevens. But living on campus proved to be too expensive so, after his first semester, he started the two-hour, round-trip daily commute to Stevens, carpooling with Jack Gallagher '57, Dave Caulfield '57 and other classmates.
When he wasn't attending classes, commuting or studying, he was working, in the Chemistry Department and in a hardware store back near his home in Blauvelt, N.Y. In the summers, he worked with the Roads Department in Orangetown, N.Y., where his father also worked.
Ken did manage to work on The Link and the TranSIT surveying camp magazine and join Theta Xi fraternity. He also joined the Air Force ROTC on campus.After graduating from Stevens, Ken served in the Air Force for two and a half years in Amarillo, Texas. When he moved back to New Jersey, he immediately returned to Stevens and began volunteering. He wrote class logs for The Indicator for 10 years, served on and chaired various SAA committees and worked with the Stevens Telethon. Ken also served as an SAA officer and was elected SAA president from 1987 to 1988. He received the Harold R. Fee '20 Alumni Achievement Award in 1977.
Joe Weber '64, chairman of the SAA Awards Committee, recalls that his committee, which nominated Ken for the Alumni Award, was at first considering several alumni for the award until they had that "light bulb" moment."Then someone said, 'What about Ken?' And it was like an unanimous Eureka! Of course, the 'King of Clubs,' he's always there," Weber said. "From that point on, it was no contest. It was Ken above all others—unanimous."
Ken, who is a Licensed Professional Engineer, has had a long and varied career. He worked as a project engineer and in marketing and new product development, and enjoyed a long career with American Standard, Inc. He was an independent manufacturer's representative before joining Stevens as the SAA's clubs director; his favorite job was with Curtiss Wright, where he built flight simulators. Along the way, he earned an M.B.A. from Rutgers University in 1967.
He and his wife, Helen, will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary this September. They have a son, Kenneth Jr., two daughters, Kathryn and Karen, and eight grandchildren, including triplet grandsons who keep their grandparents busy.
Helen also has deep ties to Stevens, having worked during Ken's senior year as a secretary for retired Stevens physics professor George Yevick. She still keeps in touch with Stevens friends from that time. Ken praised his wife for being so supportive of his many volunteer hours at Stevens throughout the years.
These days, Ken is thinking about how his class can further help students—and leave a legacy—through scholarships. And he's trying to reach more alumni in need.
"We always said that we give lifelong assistance," he says of the SAA. "I wish we could do more." Ken encourages alumni to get more involved with alumni clubs and LinkedIn. "I think that it makes them feel more like part of the family," he says. "They got help when they needed it."


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LOL! Did you think we would move from our roomy two-bedroom apartment??? LOL! You're so funny. :)And when we DO finally move from our apartment, we'll be sure to let you all know!!! With a GREAT BIG PARTY or something fabulous like that to celebrate!!!
Our new address is:
blogspot.com (that's "finding simple joys" without any spaces).
I decided to take our first and last names out of the blog address...Sorry for any inconvenience. (trust me...it was inconvenient for me, too...I couldn't get anything to export/import properly, so I just changed the blog address...now all the links are broken. SHUCKS!)
Be sure to change the address in your browser bookmarks, reader, and any other means you use to 'follow' us. :)
I look forward to hearing from you over at "Finding Simple Joys" ♥


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Nats' inside-the-parker overturned by Braves' challenge
With ball lodged, Desmond settles for double after circling bases; Atlanta wins by run
WASHINGTON -- The Nationals lost by a run. They had an inside-the-park homer taken away by baseball's new expanded instant replay system in the fifth inning. Which, incidentally, isn't the same as saying they lost because of the challenge by Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez.
Here's how it all unfolded during the home opener at Nationals Park on Friday:
After Atlanta took the lead in the top of the inning on a solo homer by catcher Evan Gattis, Nats shortstop Ian Desmond led off the bottom of the inning by ripping a line drive into the left-field corner. The ball rolled to the wall and stopped, wedged between the padding and the warning track. Braves outfielder Justin Upton immediately threw up his arms, asking for a ground-rule double.
But third-base umpire Marvin Hudson did not give him the call. Desmond kept running. When Upton realized what was going on, he picked the ball up and threw it in, but by then Desmond had already crossed the plate.
Gonzalez came out and, after a discussion, challenged the call. That triggered the review process out of Major League Baseball Advanced Media headquarters in New York. The conclusion of the replay official was that the ball was not live. The call was overturned, and Desmond returned to second.
Gonzalez challenged the ruling that the ball was still in play.
"You don't want to get too specific is what they told us," he said later. "I mentioned that the ball got stuck in the padding. You let the guys do their job, the umpiring crew here and the guys up in New York who watch."
The review led the umpires to institute Rule 7.05f, which states a runner will be awarded "two bases, if a fair ball bounces or is deflected into the stands outside the first or third base foul lines; or if it goes through or under a field fence, or through or under a scoreboard, or through or under shrubbery or vines on the fence; or if it sticks in such fence, scoreboard, shrubbery or vines."
Since the Braves ended up winning, 2-1, it would be easy to jump to the conclusion that without replay the Nationals would have at least had a chance in extra innings. But that's a vast oversimplification. Washington had plenty of other chances.
"I'm not really too concerned about that. There were some other mistakes that were made, especially by me, that were probably a bigger story in the game than that," Desmond said, referring to the fact that he was still in scoring position after the replay but was promptly tagged out easily trying to steal.
There was also the fact that the Nationals had runners on first and second with nobody out in the bottom of the eighth before Braves reliever David Carpenter struck out Adam LaRoche, Ryan Zimmerman and Bryce Harper to extinguish the threat.
Nationals manager Matt Williams believed that, since Upton was able to eventually pick up the ball and make the play, the ball could have been ruled as being still in play.
"[Hudson] didn't make a call," Williams said. "For me, in the heat of the moment and with my naked eye, it tells me that he didn't think it was lodged under the fence. But it's a reviewable play, and they decided to review it and determined that it was a double, the ball was lodged under the pad."
Said Upton: "It's not so much about it being lodged. When I took it out and went to throw the ball, it kind of spun in my hand because it hit the [edge] of the fence. If it spins in your hand, it's hard to get a grip on it. I knew I was right. It was just a matter of if they were going to kill the play or not. The next time it happens, if I'm 100 percent sure like I was, I will stand there and make sure they come out and see it.
"I should have trusted my instincts. I made the play a little more confusing than it should have been."
The on-site umpires are not allowed to comment on plays that are reviewed.
The Braves were naturally pleased with the outcome of the review process. Third baseman Chris Johnson had a good view.
"It kind of stuck in there," he said. "Talking to Justin after, he said he ran over there, looked down and he wasn't sure where the ball was. He didn't want to get on his knees and kind of crawl around in there. I think it went the right way."
Added Braves right-hander David Hale: "[Upton] told me it just stuck under there. From his angle, it disappeared. But I see what the umpire was saying, too. From our angle, you could see the whole thing. I think they made the right call. I'm glad they went back and looked at it. I was just confused. I didn't know what was going on. I was thinking that's an interesting way to give up a home run."
The Nationals, not surprisingly, were less happy but accepted the ruling.
"One of the reasons we have replay is to make sure we get the calls right," Williams said. "I have a question with that one, though, because of what happened after the fact. The fact that, when he had to, he reached down and threw it in."
After the decision was announced, managers can't continue to argue. But Williams was allowed to come onto the field and get an explanation from crew chief Jim Joyce.
Desmond was asked about his feelings on expanded replay.
"Obviously, everyone is trying to figure it out," he said. "It's brand new. It took a little long, but they're doing their best, and what we have to do is deal with it.
"My instincts told me, what I thought I knew, was that it was going to hold up. But the rules are the rules, and I don't know every one of them. I don't know the rule [whether the outfielder has to make more of an effort to retrieve the ball]. It is what it is. We had opportunities to win the game, and we didn't. And we move on."
Expanded replay didn't cost the Nationals a win. It gave the Braves a win they deserved. Which is exactly how it's supposed to work.


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canaan wrote:Alejandro Rojas wrote:count2infinity wrote:Alejandro Rojas wrote:While I am Serbian Orthodox I honestly wouldn't mind to see the next Pope continue the work Benedict has done in reconciling East and West.
really? I pictured you as a Presbyterian...
My fiancee's family is Serbian Orthodox. She said she loved going to church with her grandfather and having no idea what was being said, but somehow understanding exactly what was going on.
Yeah, no.
Vatican II will go down in history as one the grandest historical blunders by any institution ever. Whenever the Church tries to be like the world, the world always wins.
arent you point breeze penguins?
ill take that as a 'yes'


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By: Josiah Gorham for KFSM.
Walmart is hoping to start Black Friday earlier than ever before this year.
The Bentonville-based retailer has unveiled their Black Friday ad and this year they're moving the deals back even earlier, with deals stating while some are still polishing off their turkey dinner.
Walmart has announced it will begin deals at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving and will continue with different deals through the night until 5 a.m. Friday morning.
Click here to see your local Walmart Black Friday deals
The deals beginning at 8 p.m. include an XBOX 360 4 GB with SkyLanders bundle for $149 and Nintendo's Wii console for $89.
The deal also includes a $399 iPad 2, 16GB with Wi-Fi that includes a $75 Walmart Gift Card as well as a $38 LG Blu-Ray Player.
Walmart representatives say the new hours are in response to customers who want to shop early instead of losing sleep.
"We know it's frustrating for customers to shop on Black Friday and not get the items they want," said Duncan Mac Naughton, chief merchandising and marketing officer, Walmart U.S in a news release.
"This year, for the first time ever, customers that shop during Walmart's one-hour event will be guaranteed to have three of the most popular items under their tree at a great low price."
This year fighting over items is expected to come to an end thanks to a deal the retailer is offering. If any of the 8 p.m. deal items happen to sell out before 11 p.m. local time, Walmart will offer a Guarantee Card for the item which must be paid for by midnight and registered online. The product will then be shipped to the store where it was purchased for the customer to pick up before Christmas.
Starting Nov. 19, to help customers prepare and navigate the big event, a Black Friday local store map will also be available to view and print on Walmart.com and local Walmart Facebook pages.
Also, for the first time, customers can view an interactive local store map on their mobile phone via the Walmart Mobile App, enabling customers to click on items to see the price, product description and location in the store.
Some of the top items available in store, while supplies last, include:
- 8 p.m. on Nov. 22: Gifts for the Entire Family – Toys, Gaming, Home and Apparel
- Xbox 360® 4GB + SkyLanders™ Bundle – $149
- Wii™ Console– $89
- More than 100 video games priced at $10, $15 or $25 each
- Top Toys of the Season: Leappad® 1.0 Learning Tablet ($65) and Furby® ($45)
- Razor® Accelerator 12-Volt Electric Scooter – $79
- Fisher Price Power Wheels® Jeep® Wrangler 6-Volt Ride Ons (Hot Wheels® and Barbie®) – $89 each
- Licensed Boys' and Girls' 2-Piece Sleep Set – $4.50 each
- Mens and Ladies Denim – $9.50 each
- Home appliances such as a Crock Pot® 6-Quart Slow Cooker and Mr. Coffee®Programmable 12-Cup Coffee Maker – $9.44 each
- Shark® Steam Pocket Mop and Ninja® Pulse Blender – $39 each
- Fashion Dolls such as Barbie®, Bratz™ and Disney® Princess – $5 each
- Hundreds of DVD and Blu-ray movies such as Brave, The Amazing Spiderman, Hunger Game ranging from $1.96 to $9.96 each
- Better Homes and Gardens® 700-Thread Count Sheet Set – $19.96
- 48" Air-Powered Hockey Table – $29.86
- 14' Trampoline with Enclosure and Bonus Flash Light Zone – $159
- 10 p.m. on Nov. 22: The BIG Event – Brand Name Electronics
- Vizio® 60" 720p LED Smart TV with built in Wi-Fi – $688
- Samsung® 43″ 720p 600Hz Class Plasma HDTV – $378
- HP® 15.6" Laptop with 4GB and 320GB hard drive – $279
- Nikon® D3000 Digital Camera with Lens Kit – $449
- Samsung® Smart ST195 Digital Camera – $99
- Beats by Dr. Dre® Headphones – $179.95
- Nook® Color™ 8GB Tablet – $99
- Virgin Mobile® 3G/4G Hotspot – $39.88
- 5 a.m. on Nov. 23: Caffeine Not Needed – Great Savings on Gifts from Jewelry to Tires
- Sharp® 70" 1080p 120Hz HDTV – $1,798
- Acer® 13.3" Ultrabook™ with 4GB and 320GB solid state drive – $499
- $100 Walmart gift card with the purchase of select smartphones such as the Samsung® Galaxy S III, Droid RAZR M by Motorola® and HTC® One X
- Goodyear Tires ranging from $59 – $99 each
- Forever Bride 1/3 -Carat T.W. Diamond Ring in 10K Gold – $198
- Stanley® 6-Drawer Rolling Tool Cabinet with 85-Piece Mechanic Tool Set – $99
- Singer® Sew Mate 5400 60-Stitch Sewing Machine – $99.97
- 5" Pre-Lit Harrison Christmas Tree – $20
- Better Homes and Gardens Deluxe Recliner – $199


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Here's a cake we served on this year's Easter Brunch. It's a simple and very popular curd cheese cake that's usually made with canned/preserved apricots or peaches, but I've recently fine-tuned the recipe by adding a generous amount of ground cardamom to the crust and topping the cake with sliced almonds before baking.
Make the cake day before you plan to serve it - it's much easier to cut into slices when completely cooled, and the flavour improves as well.
Cardamom-scented apricot and curd cheese cake(Kardemonihõnguline aprikoosi-kohupiimakook)
Serves eight
100 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
85 g caster sugar (100 ml)
1 large egg
180 g all-purpose flour (300 ml)
1 tsp ground cardamom
0.5 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
400 g canned apricot halves (you can also use peaches)
500 g curd cheese or creamy farmer's cheese
200 g sour cream
2 large eggs
85 g caster sugar (100 ml)
2 tsp vanilla sugar or 1 tsp good-quality vanilla extract
a handful of sliced almonds (optional)
Making the crust: cream the butter and sugar until combined and pale. Add the egg, stir until combined. Fold in the dry ingredients. Press the pastry onto the base and sides of a buttered and lined 26 cm loose-bottomed springform tin. Place into the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
Making the filling: combine the curd cheese and sour cream. Beat in the eggs, then add the sugar and vanilla. Whisk until well combined. Spoon the filling onto the cake tin.
Drain the apricots and gently press onto the filling, cut-side down. Sprinkle almond slices on top.
Bake in the middle of a pre-heated 175 C/350 F oven for about 50 to 60 minutes, until the cake is light golden on top and the filling is just a wee bit wobbly - it'll set overnight.


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This lovely bold heart has been screen printed with a super sparkly gold glitter!
Lovingly stitched and printed in the UK using terrific heavy weight cotton.
Also available in red, hot pink, black and gold on black.
- Made in the UK
- Heavy weight natural cotton
- Printed in metallic gold glitter
- Mid-length handles
- 360mm by 420mm (14¼ by 16½ inches)


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MIPS shows Philips 7-inch tablet at Linley Mobile Conference 2012
Monday afternoon at the Linley Tech Mobile Conference 2012 CPU manufacturers Qualcomm, Intel, and Ingenic/MIPS talked about their latest application processor that's shipping.
We learned more about Snapdragon S4, Intel's low-power processor, MIPS IP licensing and were shown a demo of an unannounced tablet. The speakers were Travis Lanier, Director of CPU Product Management, Qualcomm; Shreekant (Ticky) Thakkar, Intel Fellow and Chief Mobile Platform Architect, Intel; Amit Rohatgi, Principal Architect, Mobile, MIPS Technologies.
Travis Lanier discussed the Snapdragon S4 Pro and the company's specialty microarchitecure which allowed them to move into the multi-core marketplace. He said their microarchitecure is the "secret sauce" that lets Qualcomm individually control each core in their quad-core SoC. Lanier also discussed the problems with benchmarking mobile devices. He had an interesting slide showing the multiple layers of code separating the hardware from the benchmarking applications. This is why benchmarks often have difference ratings on the same SoC and corresponding platform.
Ticky Thakkar explained about Intel's Atom "Cedarview" low-power processor and how they are preparing for the Windows 8 launch. Thakkar went over how performance requirement versus users demand for longer battery life are affecting SoC die size. He stressed the importance of Intel's in-house vertical integration process from design though shipment of the SoC to the ODM/OEM.
Qiang Liu, CEO, Ingenic Semiconductors was scheduled to be another speaker. However, his travel plans did not work out due to a delay of his Visa. Amit Rohatgi from MIPS took his place. Rohatgi explained the background of Ingenic from their licensing of the MIPS IP in 2007 through their December 2011 announcement of the first computer to be shipped using Google's Android Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) with world-wide availability.
Ingenic Semiconductors has shipped over 30 million CPUs since 2007. They are a member of the TSMC's Soft-IP Alliance Program which includes Arteris Inc.; CEVA; Chips&Media; Digital Media Professionals (DMP); Imagination Technologies; Intrinsic-ID; Sonics Inc.; Tensilica; and Vivante Corporation.
Rohatgi explained that "Google has started to take notice of the volume shipments of MIPS-based Android tablets." Last week, Google CEO Larry Page made specific mention that the majority of Android tablets are being sold at the lower end of the price range. Furthermore, Google officially announced the inclusion of MIPS support in the Android development.
Last month, BSN completed a nearly one month Hands-on Review of the $99 Tablet Ainol NOVO Basic 7–MIPS. Rohatgi said about 1.8 million MIPS-based Android tablets have shipped to date. BSN's review showed shortcomings with compatibility of about 20 percent of the Android applications. About 85 percent of Android apps run on the Dalvik virtual machine interpreter. However, nearly 80,000 of the half a billion apps in the Android online store run natively, targeting specifically the ARM architecture. There is an option for developers to use Magic Code, however this approach should only be used by experienced Android users.
Rohatgi showed a performance comparison between the ARM Cortex A-8 made in 40/45nm process and the Ingenic JZ4779 SoC, made in 65nm using TSMC's General Purpose process. To overcome software application developers' problems, Rohatgi explained that Google announced that the Android native developers' kit started by bundling a GNU compiler for MIPS. Google is also expected to bundle full support for the MIPS ABI (application binary interface) in all Android code and libraries in the next few months.
Last week, Reuters had a rumor about MIPS Technology being up for sale, possibly to AMD. MIPS stock shares surged in value on the speculation. Since then, the rumors have slowed down and analyst Nathan Brookwood from Insight 64 said in EETimes on Tuesday: "AMD's been there and done that," noting that the firm had acquired Alchemy (a MIPS licensee) back in 2002 and sold it to Raza in 2006. "At best," said Brookwood, "buying MIPS would represent nothing but a minor 'distraction' for Intel's smaller chip rival."
After the first day of the Linley Tech Mobile Conference, no one in the Reception and Exhibit Hall was talking about a possible sale of MIPS. Instead they were talking about tier one OEM Philips' 7-inch tablet sitting in the MIPS booth. The first production run will be sold in China, so we did not have an English translation of the specifications at this time.
Clearly, the mobile marketplace has some serious competitors. Some major players missing from the Linley Tech Mobile Conference 2012 were Nvidia and TI. Linley Group has four conferences a year on today's computing topics and they are definitely worth attending.
Original Author: John Oram
This news article is part of our extensive Archive on tech news that have been happening in the past 10 years. For up to date stuff we would recommend a visit to our IT News section on the frontpage. Additionally, we take great pride in our Home Office section, as well as our VPN Reviews, so be sure to check them out as well.


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CDL-A Company Truck Drivers - Stagecoach
Stagecoach Cartage, a division of Roadrunner Transportation Systems
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Stagecoach Cartage is now hiring experienced company-based truck drivers out of El Paso, Del Rio and Laredo, Texas and Las Cruces, NM. Drivers with a CDL-A license are eligible for great earnings and extensive benefits & rewards. And because we know family comes FIRST, our OTR truck drivers get better home time, too.
Our team has a passion for taking great care of our truck drivers and being one of the safest fleets on the road. If you are interested in a long-term, rewarding career with one of the industry's best and most progressive carriers, then please apply now! We now have truck driving opportunities available for over-the-road drivers who want to earn great money and be home more often!
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- No DUI, reckless driving or felony convictions, positive controlled substance test, or refusals to be tested
- Must not have more than 2 moving violations & no "at fault" accidents w/in the past 3 yrs.


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Friday, October 21, 2011
Changing Perspectives
But in the old days, I didn't give much of a thought as to what was printed on the other side of the card:
Now I have to think about if I'm giving away branded marketing material of "value." How much are these cards worth? Will this be considered a "gift" from the drug industry? Will my patients be unnecessarily influenced by industry or might their lives be saved by having such a card?
Worse, I have to wonder if the use of the use of such a card would expose myself to additional liability risks if I did not offer similar cards to my patients on other anticoagulants like warfarin, aspirin, or clopidogrel.
Seems strange, really, because when I first started medicine I never used to think about these things - I just wanted to help my patients.
Now, everything's changed.
6 comments:
C'mon, Dr. Wes, this is NOT a REAL problem. Surely you must have many more real problems to worry about than this!
- Fri Oct 21, 01:26:00 PM CDT
- DrWes said...
Yeah, I 'spose. But the fact that we even have to think this way is what bothers me.
Still, I would argue today's virtually unlimited litigation risks remain for physicians - even with something that seems as trivial as offering a med alert card to some patients while not offering them to others.
The fact that doctors have to think like this is VERY real.
- Fri Oct 21, 01:32:00 PM CDT
- Lisa said...
Actually, my son who is a paramedic informed me that no emt or paramedic is going to go through someone's wallet. He also said not to wear a medical alert bracelet either. He said to wear a necklace that they would have to see to place ecg pads. Mine has my name on it, "LQTS, Diabetic call and my three children's phone numbers. See AICE". AICE on my cell phone instructs them to call my children and see the lists stored in the green calendar in my purse. Those little cards would be OK, but they are never looked for.
- Fri Oct 21, 02:57:00 PM CDT
Larry said...
"C'mon, Dr. Wes, this is NOT a REAL problem."
Such an overt display of nescience should be discomfitting.
- Fri Oct 21, 09:59:00 PM CDT
- Symbiosis said...
This is a problem I agree, a large part of our practice seems to revolve around avoiding litigation and thinking about ways to avoid it...it was suppose to be all about medicine and most importantly about the patient...wat happened to that!!
- Sun Oct 23, 01:19:00 AM CDT
Symbiosis said...
"it was suppose to be all about ... the patient"
Self preservation is a basic primal instinct.
- Tue Oct 25, 08:09:00 AM CDT


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What Do Republican Presidential Candidates Say on Foreclosure Crisis? Not Much.
What Do Republican Presidential Candidates Say on Foreclosure Crisis? Not Much.
by Lois Beckett ProPublica
Answers to homeowners' questions about the Independent Foreclosure Review.The administration's website for the foreclosure prevention program. Provides an FAQ, homeowner examples, and other tools to see whether you might qualify for the program.A list of HUD-approved housing counseling agencies nationwide.Tips for homeowners from the Federal Trade Commission.These rules lay out how mortgage servicers are supposed to conduct the program.A finance and economics blog that provides news and metrics on the state of the housing market.
As we've detailed, President Obama's plans to help homeowners have come up short time and again. We recently looked at Obama's latest proposals, most of which are unlikely to make a major dent in the crisis.
So, how about the Republican presidential candidates: What do they say should be done about the foreclosure crisis?
They don't say much. As newspapers in hard-hit states like Florida, Nevada, California and Ohio have been quick to point out, none of the candidates has made the foreclosure crisis a policy priority.
Mostly, the candidates have argued that the housing market needs to heal on its own, without government interference. Rick Santorum and Congressman Ron Paul have suggested tax breaks for some homeowners.
Here's our in-depth guide to how Santorum, Mitt Romney, Paul and Newt Gingrich say they would approach the issue as president, as well as an evaluation of their claims.
Think we missed an important statement? Let us know.
Rick Santorum: 'Let capitalism work,' but let homeowners write off home losses on their taxes.
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum has proposed allowing people who owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth to sell their houses and deduct their losses from their taxes.
The details of Santorum's plan aren't clear, and the campaign did not respond to our multiple requests for comment.
One tax law expert, James Maule of Villanova University School of Law, said a tax write-off "would not do much for the majority of people who are in financial trouble."
Right now, taxpayers who sell their primary residences at a loss can't deduct that loss from their taxes. Changing the tax law wouldn't do much good, Maule said, because people who are struggling with their mortgages often have little or no income, so giving them a tax deduction actually wouldn't help.
Other than that, Santorum says we just need to "let capitalism work," as he put it in a Republican debate in Tampa, Fla., on Jan. 23. "Allow these banks to realize their losses. And create an opportunity for folks who have houses to realize their losses and at least help them out."
Santorum also has said his plan would help the housing market "find its bottom."
"This is something I think is important temporarily to put in place to allow people the freedom to be able to go out and get out from underneath these houses that they're holding onto and at least get some relief from the federal government for doing so," he said at the Jan. 23 debate.
But according to some experts, housing prices might be close to hitting bottom already 2014 and thus on their way to rebounding already.
It's also worth noting that a 2007 law provides a tax exemption for homeowners who negotiate debt relief on their mortgages, including through short sales. It's unclear whether this law and Santorum's plan might overlap.
Earlier, in Nevada, one of the states where the foreclosure crisis has been most severe, Santorum emphasized "free-market solutions" and cautioned citizens against looking to the government for help. According to CNN, Santorum compared the housing crisis to health care and suggested that, given the opportunity, liberals in government would implement a housing solution like "Obamacare."
When Santorum and others call for private-sector solutions, they're largely sidestepping a reality: The mortgage market already relies deeply on government support.
Government-owned Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac own or guarantee roughly half of all mortgages in the United States. And while both the Obama administration and Republicans want to scale back government involvement, it's actually been growing. Fannie and Freddie now guarantee three out of every four new mortgages. Factor in the Federal Housing Administration mortgages guaranteed by Ginnie Mae, and the percentage of mortgages backed by the government is even higher.
Mitt Romney: May be open to some homeowner aid programs but won't talk specifics.
In a videotaped interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal's editorial board in October 2011, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said his approach to addressing the housing market would be: "Don't try to stop the foreclosure process. Let it run its course and hit the bottom."
He said the Obama administration had "slow-walked the foreclosure process," and that the housing market would "turn around and come back up" only when foreclosures go through and those houses are put on the market, sold to investors and then rented.
Romney also has said that repealing the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, which introduced new regulations to the mortgage market, would help ease the crisis.
Economist Elliott Parker of the University of Nevada, Reno, told us that while he is not "enamored" with the Dodd-Frank regulation itself, "it is absurd to pretend that repealing Dodd-Frank would work some magic in turning around Nevada's housing catastrophe."
"Any time you establish a set of regulations there are unintended consequences," Parker told the Las Vegas Sun in October. "There may be banks that can't lend now or some people who can't get loans. But to offer that as a solution is pretty empty, and it completely ignores the magnitude of the problem that we have today."
Mark Calabria, the director of financial regulation studies at the Cato Institute, pointed out that while he agrees with Romney that the housing market needs to heal on its own, the Obama administration's general approach to the foreclosure crisis was first developed and instituted by President George W. Bush, so it's not fair to characterize the administration's programs to help homeowners as a purely Democratic strategy.
"Both Obama and Bush's housing policies have had relatively small impact. They certainly have not stopped the price decline. They've slowed the rate at which this happened," Calabria said.
Contacted for comment, a Romney campaign spokeswoman emailed a statement saying, "The only real solution to the housing crisis is to get the economy growing again at a healthy rate." The spokeswoman did not offer details about what plans Romney endorses or opposes.
Despite his "hit the bottom" rhetoric and focus on "private-sector solutions" between banks and homeowners," some of Romney's statements suggest that he might actually be open to providing government assistance to homeowners.
As Forbes pointed out recently, Romney was very supportive of Bush's attempts to aid homeowners in 2008.
"Helping reverse the housing crisis is critical," he said in 2008, praising Bush's programs to help homeowners through the Federal Housing Administration. "Loosening those requirements and expanding the ability of FHA to help out homeowners would make a big difference."
One of Romney's top economic advisers, economist Glenn Hubbard, released a plan in September suggesting that every homeowner with a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac government-backed mortgage who is current on mortgage payments should be allowed to refinance his or her mortgage at a low rate.
Romney didn't endorse the plan but didn't reject it, either.
"I think the idea of helping people refinance homes to stay in them is one that's worth further consideration, but I'm not signing on until I find out who's going to pay and who's going to get bailed out," Romney said in October.
In January, when Romney met with a preselected group of struggling Florida homeowners in Tampa, he called their situations "tragic" and said "the banks ought to show greater flexibility in being able to renegotiate with those people who have circumstances that would justify that renegotiation."
But at the same event, he defended banks that foreclose on homeowners. "The banks are scared to death, of course, because they think they're going to go out of business," Romney said. "They're afraid that if they write all these loans off, they're going to go broke. And so they're feeling the same thing you're feeling. They just want to pretend all of this is going to get paid someday so they don't have to write it off and potentially go out of business themselves."
Many investors suspect that Romney is right: While banks continue to list mortgage investments on their balance sheets at their face values, investors worry that because of the struggling housing market and high rates of foreclosure, the actual value of what the banks own is actually far less. If true, banks could face big losses.
Other elements of Romney's defense of the banks' role in the foreclosure crisis have been more questionable.
"Now, the banks aren't bad people. They're just overwhelmed right now," Romney said at another event in Florida, according to the Los Angeles Times. "They're overwhelmed with a lot of things. One is a lot of homes coming in, that are in foreclosure or in trouble, and the other is a massive new pile of regulations."
Banks may be overwhelmed, but they also recently agreed to a $25 billion settlement over robo-signing and other fraudulent foreclosure practices. We've done extensive reporting on how homeowners have suffered from the banks' deeply dysfunctional loan servicing practices, which continued years after the foreclosure crisis began in 2007 and long before the Dodd-Frank financial regulations became law in 2010.
Ron Paul: Hands-off policy except for tax benefits for those who lose their homes.
Like other Republican candidates, Texas Congressman Ron Paul has advocated a hands-off approach to the foreclosure crisis.
"The best thing you can do is get out of the way, because you want the prices to come down so that people will start buying them again," he said at the Tampa debate in January.
"Any further federal programs designed to fix prices by pumping credit into the housing market will only compound the damage done by prior interventions," he said in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
But Paul also laid out a series of tax benefits that he said would help the residents of Nevada, which is among the states hardest-hit by the foreclosure crisis.
Among these were "providing tax credits to those who have suffered foreclosure" in order to provide an easier path to "new, more affordable housing," and allowing homeowners "to take a capital-loss deduction if they sell a home for less than they paid for it."
Paul's campaign did not respond to a request for comment, making it difficult to compare Paul's and Santorum's tax-deduction plans.
It's worth noting that Paul, unlike Santorum, did warn about the dangers of the mortgage bubble years before it burst. "Like all artificially-created bubbles, the boom in housing prices cannot last forever. When housing prices fall, homeowners will experience difficulty as their equity is wiped out. Furthermore, the holders of the mortgage debt will also have a loss," Paul told the House of Representatives in 2002, introducing his "Free Market Enhancement Act," which would have repealed special privileges granted to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Paul also warned that taxpayers would ultimately be forced to bail out investors. Fannie and Freddie are still more than $150 billion in the red after a taxpayer bailout.
Newt Gingrich: 2018Repeal Dodd-Frank.'
Like Romney, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has advocated removing new regulations on the mortgage industry as a way to address the foreclosure crisis.
"If you could repeal Dodd-Frank tomorrow morning, you would see the economy start to improve overnight," Gingrich said at the January debate in Tampa.
He has not offered much beyond that point. His 21st Century Contract with America mentions the housing crisis only in the context of his goals for repealing Dodd-Frank and reforming the Federal Reserve. In a January interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, he repeated his debate comments almost word for word, adding, "The No. 1 thing that we can do to help the housing market is to strengthen the overall economy."
Comments12 Responses to "What Do Republican Presidential Candidates Say on Foreclosure Crisis? Not Much."
Republican Neocons dont care. They want the banks to foreclose no matter what & how. Democrats show they care a bit more, but in the end dont care and bail the banks and all their friends at the banks. Libertarians will let free market make its way. Ron Paul would never have bailed the banks, so they would be much smaller right now. Ron Paul Revolution 2012!
The housing bubble and the resultant oftentimes illegal, unconstitutional, methods of dealing with it are but a symptom of the much larger problem of the Fed having control of the money supply. Americans have been in financial serfdom since 1913. When will we cut the chains? What are the dangers of doing so? What happened to Mexico in 1985? Dodd/Frank seems to give more control over the money supply and its attendant transactions to the FED. Who else has read it? What is the best cure for congress' abdication of their right to "coin"money? What can we do in regard to the currency laws? Is there anyone with viable alternatives?
The only real solution is to let it all fall down and rebuild. As I keep repeating, when you wipe out the middle class the rest will all fall down. Greed and only greed was the cause of the downfall. The housing bubble was carefully and a well orchestrated plan; it didn't just happen. Without the pretender lender pushing up the appraisals and lending with all the fancy programs; the housing prices could not have escalated as they did. Simple supply and demand. They created the illusion of a frenzy where everyone who didn't jump aboard would miss the boat. The real dollar amount of swindled money is still undisclosed. The figures the banking cartels keep throwing around are not even close to the real amounts. GREED and those who have turned a blind eye are guilty of destroying the country.
The alternative is right in front of you. Ron Paul! He is the only one who will make the Fed smaller. Stop useless wars unless congress declares it. He will make the IRS smaller and keep big brother out of our lives. Ron Paul Revolution 2012!
Look at this video. Its an older one but, one of my favorites. This man is what makes the Banksters and Republican Neocons and Bank loving democrats want to run & hide in SHAME!
They will never get it based on their campaign money coming from the superpacs. We'll never get in a "real" candidate who truly cares about the country and 'all' it's people. The superpacs won't allow it. God is frowning on humanity or lack thereof and won't let it go on forever this way. The one thing I'm sure of is I'll be on the right side when that time comes!
just from there response they have not got a clue. they have no idea the importance of this issue. Does it surprise me? no not at all.
Of course cause they just don't get it yet..we should send them this site to review…LOL
Dr. Ron Paul also advocates getting rid of the FED that created the problem in the first place. No FED no banks, no loans! If there was no loose lending policy, housing prices would never have been so high and they would be affordable. His way is the correct way. Dr. Paul, president 2012!
Psst……..if it is just ignored; it will all go away in due time. Which lifetime are they referring to, not mine. None of these people have a clue; that's another part of the problem. They want to play partial footsies with the bank cartel, et al., then pretend that they have a solution to help the ordinary working person. Action talks..bullshit walks.


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- Home
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Optical network
Optical benefits never looked so good
Defence Health has joined forces with Specsavers and VSP Vision Care to create an optical network available to all members with optical cover. Our optical network provides great value optical benefits and a great range of no-gap glasses.
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Frank A. Fekete
Professor of Biology
5729 Mayflower Hill
Waterville, Maine 04901-8857
Areas of Expertise
- Microbial physiology
- Environmental microbiology
- Environmental biotechnology
- Toxic waste clean-up using biological organisms
Courses Currently Teaching
|Course Title
|Microorganisms and Society
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Current Research
Environmental Biotechnology
Toxic Metal Bioremediation
I am conducting investigations in the bioremediation of environmental sites contaminated with toxic heavy metals. Our approach is to isolate toxic metal tolerant strains of bacteria and then to determine the physiological basis of the resistance mechanism. In so doing, conditions could then be optimized to construct bioreactor systems in an attempt to mitigate the heavy metal contaminant concentrations at various environmental sites. In conjunction with Dr. Keith Johnson, Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology, Colby College, we are studying the effects of environmental mercury in various systems (soil, lake trout gastrointestinal tract, and human oral cavity) and how this toxic metal is providing selective pressure in the evolution of mercury-resistant bacterial strains. In selecting for mercury-resistant microbial strains, the metal is also responsible for the co-selection of antibiotic-resistance determinants because genes responsible for both antibiotic- and mercury-resistance are linked genetically. Mercury is a by-product of various industrial applications, in particular it is found in emissions from coal-fired electrical generation plants in the Midwest. Atmospheric mercury is then deposited in the Maine environment via liquid precipitation. Hence, over time, not only does mercury pose a serious environmental health threat, bacterial strains are evolving that show an increased incidence of resistance to antibiotics. Conceivably, these genes could then be transferred horizontally to pathogens, making treatments of infectious disease with antibiotics non-efficacious.
The directory information is for individual use only, it may not be retransmitted or published for any reason. It is not to be used for mass solicitations by email, mail, phone, or other means. Sale or other distribution of this document is prohibited by College policy.


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Caterpillar is helping to lead the power generation marketplace with power systems engineered to deliver unmatched flexibility, expandability, reliability and cost-effectiveness. The company offers worldwide product support, with parts and service available globally through the Cat® service and dealer network. In addition, dealer service technicians are trained to service every aspect of Cat equipment.
Follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on the full line of North American Vocational Trucks built for a wide array of applications.


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Week 5: Enter to win a T-Mobile Bold 9900.
We continue to countdown the weeks in our 6 weeks of device giveaways. This week we are giving away another T-Mobile Bold 9900...
Get ready BlackBerryOS members! This is the biggest giveaway we have ever had in the history of the site. And no better way to celebrate leading up to the BlackBerry 10 Launch on Jan 30th, 2013, than by giving away SIX BlackBerry devices for the next six weeks! That's one winner per week of either a 32 GB BlackBerry PlayBook, or T-Mobile Bold 9900, till we reach the BlackBerry 10 Launch event.
How to enter this week? It's easy...
Simply leave a comment below about what is the BOLDEST thing you've done with your BlackBerry, and Tweet hashtag#5WEEKS2BB10 to @BlackBerryOS and @BlackBerry.
Entry ends Wednesday, Jan 2nd, Midnight EST.
*If you've entered in a previous week, you must still enter every week to qualify in each giveaway. However, if you don't end up a winner, we wil count your previous weeks entry as an extra entry for the ongoing weeks of giveaways. So be sure to enter every week!
Good luck to all!


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The water treatment process in America and other developed nations uses chemicals like chlorine to rid water of bacteria and other pathogens. The end result is often similar to what you would taste if you accidentally swallowed the water in your neighbor's swimming pool (unless you choose to purchase a home water filtration system that reduces chlorine taste and odor). Sadly, developing countries are not so fortunate…
However, a new project funded by the $10,000 Environmental Protection Agency P3 grant (P3 = people, prosperity and planet) has been undertaken by three Penn State engineers to bring clean water to the developing world. The project is a water treatment process involving the moringa seed, which is known for its ability to purify water and food.
Here's how it works: Moringa seeds contain cationic (positively-charged) proteins. Each protein contains a peptide sequence that acts as a molecular knife, cutting into the cell walls of bacteria and killing them. Because the protein is positively charged, it clings to and wraps up sediment, which is negatively charged, causing it to settle out of water very quickly. Moringa has been used for thousands of years to clarify water. In fact, the idea of using plants for water purification, in general, is not new. You may recall our post on a water filter that uses oregano to kill pathogens.
There are several advantages to purifying water with the moringa seed. The technology is locally acceptable, sustainable and easily accessed by those in developing countries; it may be grown right within a village, lessening the need for the transport of chemicals. The moringa seed grows naturally in harsh environments. Not only does it bring food and water purification; the oil inside the seeds can also be sold for a profit. In addition, the leaves of the moringa tree are highly nutritious, containing loads of vitamins, minerals and proteins, and can be fed to malnourished children.
But the project is not without its challenges. The research team still has a lot of work to do in terms of perfecting the purification process. Other proteins and organic matter in the seeds add biological oxygen to the water that bacteria use as food, allowing any bacteria in the water to grow. As a result, the water does not stay clean for very long and can only be stored for about a day. To counter this problem, the team suggests adding crushed moringa seeds to the water so the proteins can get in, then adding sand to which the active protein will anchor while the inactive proteins and organic matter are rinsed away. Data shows that the active sand that remains can kill pathogens; it is this active sand that will be the essence of the water purifier.
Convincing the people in developing nations that their water supply is unsafe and in need of purification is another challenge the team will face. Surprisingly, even though they may get sick, they often don't attribute the cause to a dirty water supply.


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At 2pm GMT on March 11, you will be able to talk live with Michael Liebreich, CEO, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, in the second of our 2013 series of Twitter Q&As.
Join us on Twitter to ask questions directly to Michael on the subject of investment in clean energy and infrastructure.
Michael Liebreich is a world-renowned expert in this area; he founded New Energy Finance in 2004, and grew the company as Chairman and Chief Executive before selling it to Bloomberg, where it has become the world's leading provider of research on clean energy, water, carbon and power markets for decision-makers.
Michael is a frequent speaker and commentator on renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, finance and sustainable development matters, and is a member of the UN Secretary General's High Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Energy for All, the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on the New Energy Architecture and Accenture's Global Energy Board.
He is also a member of the panel for the World Economic Forum Technology Pioneers and chairman of the committee for the Bloomberg New Energy Pioneers. Michael serves alongside James Caan as a judge in the Berti Green Accelerator competition for clean technology entrepreneurs and sits on the board of the Middle East Clean Energy Business Council, as well as Transport for London as a non-executive director. He is also on the advisory panel for the INSEAD Energy Club and is a Visiting Professor at London's Imperial College Energy Futures Lab.
Michael was a member of the advisory board of the Clinton Global Initiative's Energy and Climate Change working group, and of the selection panel for the Zayed Future Energy Prize. Prior to founding New Energy Finance, Michael was an entrepreneur, venture capitalist and media executive.
The live discussion with Michael will take place between 2-3pm GMT (3-4pm CET) on March 11, 2013, as part of our 2013 Twitter Q&A series, which will run throughout the year and feature high-profile, expert guests sharing their insights on a range of clean revolution topics.
To take part, all you need to do is log in to Twitter and head to @ClimateGroup at 2pm on March 11 and ask your on-topic question.
To ensure Michael doesn't miss your question, be sure to include the hashtag #CleanRevolution in your tweet.
During the session, we would appreciate it if you could re-tweet the questions and answers to maximize exposure of the discussion. The world's leading businesses and governments must pay attention to this important discussion.
After the session, you will be able to find a summary highlighting the key points from the debate on our website.
Add the 2pm GMT (3-4pm CET), March 11 event to your Outlook/Google calendars now, and follow our guests on Twitter:
Add to Calendar http://thecleanrevolution.org/news-and-events/events/live-qanda-with-michael-liebreich-ceo-of-bloomberg-new-energy-finance 11-03-2013 15:00:00 11-03-2013 16:00:00 40 Live Twitter chat with CEO of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Michael Liebreich At 2pm GMT on March 11, you will be able to talk live with Michael Liebreich, CEO, Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Just head to @ClimateGroup and use the hashtag #cleanrevolution to take part. Twitter.com/ClimateGroup and #CleanRevolution The Climate Group firstname.lastname@example.com https://www.facebook.com/events/414992715261352/ DD/MM/YYYY
By Clare Saxon


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New York (CNN) -- Facebook users now have two more ways to describe their romantic arrangements.
In a gesture of inclusiveness aimed at the gay community, Facebook on Thursday added "In a civil union" and "In a domestic partnership" to its official list of relationship statuses.
Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but a gay rights group, which announced the change, cheered it.
"By acknowledging the relationships of countless loving and committed same-sex couples in the U.S. and abroad, Facebook has set a new standard of inclusion for social media," Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation president Jarrett Barrios wrote in a statement.
Barrios said that GLAAD and several other gay-rights groups met with the company to push for the change.
The option is now available for Facebook users in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Australia, the group said.


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|Id : 1010
|Category : BBC
|Date : 17-Feb-18
|Format : PDF
|Pages : 110
Considering the fragile condition of the global economy, the Europe public cloud market report 2017 is expected to exhibit a mixed performance over the coming years. On one hand, the expansion in the industrial and automotive sectors are offering lucrative growth opportunities for this market while on the other, the need for high initial investments and the volatile market dynamics are anticipated to create obstructions in the otherwise steady growth trajectory. The market, however, will show a positive movement, although growing moderately in the years to come. The increasing demand for mobility and connectivity in consumer electronics and testing services will act as the key driving force behind the escalated demand for Europe public cloud market report 2017. Along with this, the rising deployment of safety systems in automobiles will also influence their uptake over the next few years. This report on the Europe public cloud market report 2017 offers a detailed overview of this market and discusses the predominant factors affecting the market's growth. The impact of Porter's five forces on the market over the next few years has also been discussed at length in this study. It further forecasts the size and valuation of the Europe public cloud market report 2017 for the forthcoming years. The type of the product, application, and the geographical reach of the Europe public cloud market report 2017 have been taken as the main parameters for the market's analysis in this research report, which further performs an evaluation of the industry chain that is supporting this market. It also offers accurate information regarding various aspects of this market, such as the manufacturing capacity, efficacy in the utilization of the available production capacity, manufacturing chain, and the industry policies influencing the market's growth. In this research study, the prime factors that are impelling the growth of the Europe public cloud market report 2017 have been studied thoroughly in a bid to estimate the overall value and the size of this market by the end of the forecast period. The impact of the driving forces, limitations, challenges, and opportunities has been examined extensively. The key trends that manage the interest of the customers have also been interpreted accurately for the benefit of the readers. Furthermore, the report analyzes the regulatory framework of the Europe public cloud market report 2017 , providing the stakeholders with a better understanding of the various norms, regulations, policies, and future projects, which are likely to influence a number of events in this market. It also compiles in-depth information achieved through detailed primary and secondary research techniques, which has been analyzed using the most efficient analytical tools. Based on the statistics gained from such systematic research, the market study offers refined estimates for the market participants as well as the readers. The report concludes with in-depth information on the business operations and financial structures of the leading vendors in the Europe public cloud market report 2017 and presents an overview of the competitive landscape. The key trends of the past and the current times among the players have also been given in the report, which will prove to be favorable for companies looking to venture in this market. Information on the various marketing channels and the prominent distributors that exist in this market have also been provided here. The study serves as a resourceful guide for the established as well as new players in this market.


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New findings from Titan and Mars
Results from Huygens and Mars Express released today, coinciding with online publication in Nature and Science, are available now on: www.esa.int/marstitanresults.
The presentations include a set of new wide-ranging results from the Huygens probe's two-and-a-half hour descent and landing, part of the extraordinary NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and its moons.
At the same time, ESA's Mars Express mission is continuing its investigations of Mars, painting a new picture of the 'Red Planet'. This includes the first-ever probing below the surface of Mars, new geological clues with implications for the climate, newly-discovered surface and atmospheric features and, above all, traces of the presence of water ice on this world.
These and other exciting findings from the last year of observations and data analysis are the focus of today's press conference being held at ESA Headquarters in Paris at 16:00 CET.


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For those of you that have been long time readers, which is mostly just my nearest and dearest friends, I wanted to let you know that I have finally moved to a new blog.
It took me years to think about what I wanted my new name to be. When Holly turned 18, I thought, "Hmmmm, she is no longer a teenager anymore, I need to change my blog name." But what do I change it to? So, I let it sit. Then she turned 19, 20 and she is about to turn 21. So, I realized that she is going to officially be an adult and now, I am simply me. I am no longer A Single Mom and a Teenaged Girl.
There, I had it! My new name. I checked to see if the domain was available and it was! I checked Twitter, it was available! I had it! My new name!
Come on over and check it out.
But before you go, I thought about what I was going to do with this blog. For seasoned bloggers, I know you won't believe what I am doing but for me it feels fresh and clean and peaceful. I am deleting (GASP), yes, deleting most of my old posts. I will gradually be moving some posts from here and create them as new post on the new blog. Some posts that do really well here, I will leave here and let them sit for new readers to find until I am ready to move those over to my new blog.
Bad idea, good idea? Thoughts?


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Somewhere in France
June 16th 1918
Co A. U.S. Inf.105th
Dear sister Madaline:
Just after finishing a good old army dinner of boiled beef, army beans, coffee and good old french bread and butter. A few of the boys including myself went to church this morning and received the sacraments. Their are quite a few french orphans around this town and one in particular has been around our billets from early morning until late at nights. I have always loved children especially Bob and Madaline and since I've been away I always try to be around the youngsters. This youngster went to church this morning with me and shared in my mess for lunch. He can speak very little English and that little I have taught him. He can say mess and Joe and count up to ten. I am going to try to teach him our army song "Hail Hail the gangs all here". I am going to look up Pete Bagnasco this afternoon as I do not think he is very far away from our billets. The past two weeks we have been feeding on english raisins but are now feeding on our true american raisins which mean more to us. The English soldier can feed on cheese jam bread and tea but we american boys have to have our meat, coffee, butter and bread. The english soldier does not get as much pay as we boys do so you see we American boys have no kick coming.
Up to now I can assure you dear sister that my health and condition has been great. Many nights my thoughts go back home and think what sorrow is being shed for the boys who left their happy homes. Of course dear sister we boys are sacrificing our homes some good times and some boys their lives but from what I know have heard the Boche is afraid of he Yankee and will not give sammy a bayonet fight. Our slang word for German is Jerry and from reports Jerry is down very low on his feet. Must close now dear sister with love to you all, I am.
Your Brother
Co A 105 Inf
© Copyright 2011 by Lanny & Patti Brown, All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.


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Questions? Want to say hi? E-mail me!
heyizznit [at] gmail [dot] com
June 22, 2011 8:18 am
Hey! I just saw your blog for the first time after clicking on your sponsor button on the curious pug. I think I already know you through Etsy though, was quite excited when I realised!! I just love your aprons so I saved your shop in my favourites =)
Love Katie x
September 17, 2011 5:56 am
Hi Lily and Human! Just wanted to share my little Izznit-love post with you! the batpig and Lily are total twinsies (my dad asked why I put pictures of the baby bat in this post)! I'll have to take a good lifejacket picture when we go to the beach today!
-Mara (and, of course, the batpig)


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Vicinity is the ultimate guide to your surroundings.
It provides one tap access to nearby services and amenities such as bars, restaurants, taxis, takeouts and gas stations. Vicinity also utilizes your location to display nearby Wikipedia articles and photographs from both flickr and Panoramio, providing a useful source of education and interesting places to visit.
The location list shows all the places and their distance from you in real time, and is sorted so you can quickly select the nearest. Simply tap an item to view details and photos, visit websites, phone or get directions.
Combining hundreds of data sources supporting many countries worldwide, including the US, UK, most of Europe, Canada, Australia and more, Vicinity is one of the most comprehensive location based applications to date.
Never know where the nearest cash machine is? No problem!
CashFinder allows you to find your nearest ATMs, and shows their fee, provider, address and more.
CashFinder's database covers over 99% of UK cash machines. That's more than 80,000 cash machines in 50,000+ locations from 43 different banks and providers.
Just imagine - if you used CashFinder to find a free cash machine just around the corner from the fee-charging one you were about to use, then this app will have paid for itself!
Have you ever wondered who deleted you on Facebook or why your number of friends has changed?
Well wonder no more! This app keeps track of your friendships and lets you know who and when someone unfriends or removes you.
This is just a small selection of our iOS apps. If you want to see them all, view our developer page on the App Store!View all Apps
We've worked with a number of great organizations, ranging from local businesses to internationally renowned brands. Here's a small selection...
Founded in Sheffield, UK in 2007, ActiveGuru specializes in web and mobile applications. Always on the cutting edge, we produced one of the first iOS apps available on the App Store, Vicinity, that went on to feature exclusively in Apple's O2 and AT&T television campaigns and become one of the App Store's biggest sellers. From there, we've consulted for a number of big name clients, and produced a plethora of apps and web applications.


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(The Root) — When 1992 began, Dr. Dre's reputation was anything but secure. It may be hard to recall a point at which Dre wasn't seen as godly. But at that point, releasing his first solo album, The Chronic, seemed risky, especially with its roster of newcomer rappers, including Daz, the Lady of Rage and a lanky, drawling emcee from Long Beach, Calif., comically named Snoop Doggy Dogg.
Pre-Chronic Dr. Dre was still inextricably tied to his former group N.W.A., but in jumping ship to the then-unknown Death Row Records, more than a few thought Dre might be committing career suicide. At the very least, the snarks among us kept joking about how Dre went from proclaiming, on N.W.A.'s 1988 "Express Yourself," "I don't smoke weed or cess," to naming his solo debut after the sticky icky.
Moreover, when Dre dropped "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thing" in that '92 summer, the ashes of April's rebellion/riots in Los Angeles had barely cooled. That made Dre's former N.W.A. partner, Ice Cube, the man of the moment, having so prophetically given voice to the anger and frustrations that eventually roiled the Southland beginning April 29 of that year.
Cube had metaphorically laid waste to Dre and his ex-bandmates just a year before with his legendary dis track, "No Vaseline"; surely '92 would be Cube's victory lap. Yet, in the aftermath of the rebellion came a new set of sensibilities, which allowed The Chronic, released 20 years ago on Dec. 15, 1992, to bloom in ways few may have predicted.
The oft-forgotten detail that helped pave this path wasn't the riots but what preceded them by several weeks: the gang truce between the Crips and Bloods. For all the violence wrought during the uprising, what followed could be described as a kind of cathartic afterglow, sustained by the (temporary) cessation of hostilities between two of L.A.'s fiercest factions.
Just as the early-1970s gang truce in the South Bronx, N.Y., helped create the conditions in which the proto-hip-hop party scene there could flourish, in Los Angeles, the post-riots, truce environment was also ripe for elation. Could there have been a more perfect summer soundtrack for that moment than "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thing"?
Twenty years later and the song, like much of The Chronic, remains a pristine example of pop production. It opens with that distinctive rattle, the downstroke of the bass line, the anchoring keyboard riff borrowed from Leon Haywood and, perhaps most memorable, the sinuous synthesizers that slink in after two bars. With their piercing whine, the synths gave the song and album a particular sonic signature, one that evokes giants of the 1970s funk era such as the Ohio Players and Isley Brothers. Combined with Snoop's languid flow, both song and album are laid-back yet also subtly sinister, presenting Dre's take on the endless summer.
On the surface, it's all good vibrations — Dre and his crew surfing concrete boulevards in drop-top Impalas, coasting between swap meets and backyard BBQs in search of weed and women. However, as shiny and polished as the album's hit singles are — " 'G' Thing," "Let Me Ride," "F—k Wit Dre Day" — The Chronic never strays far from the edge of darkness. "The Day the Niggaz Took Over" offers a claustrophobic, paranoid take on the riots, "A Nigga Witta Gun" revels in firearm diplomacy and "B—ches Ain't S—t" handily wears its misogyny on its sleeve.
It's not hard to imagine why The Chronic appealed so intensely to suburban youths who bought up the album by the millions: It offers up a seductively lurid lifestyle portrait of sunshine and noir, South Central style. (As an aside, it's interesting to compare The Chronic with the other major L.A. album of that year, Bizarre Ride 2: The Pharcyde, which revels in the insecure, awkward underbelly to the unflappable bravado of albums like The Chronic.)
The most immediate impact of The Chronic could be heard in hip-hop production in the years to follow, as seemingly and suddenly, everyone wanted to work snaking synthesizers into their songs, too. The ubiquity of the "G-funk sound" — however shamelessly or ineptly copied — was just one reason the album sparked a backlash among hip-hop fans aligned with a more "East Coast" aesthetic.
The Chronic wasn't even that inflammatory toward the East, though Snoop does bark back on Bronx rapper Tim Dog for his "F—k Compton" single from the previous year. Mostly, its contribution to the overbaked coastal rivalry was in how it swayed labels and radio stations out West, thus symbolically challenging the East's presumed claim to define all things hip-hop (by decade's end, it was really the South that proved most insurgent in any case).
A longer-term impact was how The Chronic elevated Dr. Dre from producer to kingmaker, especially once he supervised even more successful Death Row albums for Snoop and Tupac. Dre's imprimatur is arguably unique in hip-hop; no one's co-sign is seen as more influential, and the names of Eminem, 50 Cent, the Game and, most recently, Kendrick Lamar are always offered up as evidence. Of course, that conveniently overlooks the many failures connected to Dre's Aftermath imprint, including projects from King Tee, Busta Rhymes, Rakim and Eve that all fell apart, not to mention Dre's Detox album, for which "long-awaited" seems too tame a term.
None of this particularly matters. The Chronic was an album first steeped in fantasy that ascended into mythology, empowering Dre to craft a self-image that's almost unassailable. It didn't matter that most of his verses on the album were clearly ghostwritten for him, nor that many uncredited co-producers and musicians went into crafting that signature sound. That's the power of an album like The Chronic: It provides a gravity so irresistible as to bend reality around it, and even 20 years later, its pull still remains potent.
Oliver Wang is an associate professor of sociology at CSU-Long Beach. He contributes to NPR, the Los Angeles Times and KCET's ArtBound and writes the audioblog Soul-Sides.com.


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Martina McBride Admits She Thinks of Her Husband When Singing 'I'm Gonna Love You Through It'
Martina McBride's hit song 'I'm Gonna Love You Through It' joins 'Independence Day' and 'Concrete Angel' as songs from her catalog that carry great social importance on the breath of her soaring melody. McBride -- who's teaming up with General Mills to raise money and awareness for breast cancer this fall -- embraces the added responsibility, but says she only picks songs that meet her high expectations.
"I don't go out looking for that," she tells Taste of Country. "Like, I never ever go out looking for a specific kind of song or a specific issue. I don't know why they find me." McBride says she's never lost anyone close to her to breast cancer, but family and friends have successfully fought the disease. Surprisingly, someone else who means a great deal to her has inspired the greatest performances of 'I'm Gonna Love You Through It' -- her husband.
"When I sing the song and really connect with it, it is through the husband. It's through that chorus that says 'When you're weak, I'll be strong.' I feel like that's such a powerful message and it's just something that I think is so beautiful."
The Save Lids to Save Lives program allows shoppers to donate $.10 from each item with a pink lid to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. In the past, only Yoplait yogurt has carried the pink lid. This year, the program has expanded to 20 brands, including cereals, canned foods and boxed items like Hamburger Helper. Save the lids from these products to mail in for redemption. Find the address by going to the Save Lids to Save Lives website. Additionally, select Yoplait yogurt products carry a code on the back side of the lid to be entered at SaveLidstoSaveLives.com for an additional $.10. Up to $2.5 million will be donated total.
"I like it because it's one I can do with my kids," McBride says. "I think we all search for ways to be engaged and to give back and have little projects that they're a part of and this is a great way to make that online time something productive."
General Mills tracks zip codes, so the money you donate will go to your local Susan G. Komen chapter.
Next year, McBride will join George Strait on the Cowboy Rides Away Tour -- Strait's final tour.