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NEW YORK - It's about freakin' time.
The term "F-bomb" first surfaced in newspapers more than 20 years ago but only landed in the mainstream Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary on Tuesday, along with sexting, flexitarian, obesogenic, energy drink and life coach.
In all, the company picks about 100 additions for the 114-year-old dictionary's annual update, gathering evidence of usage over several years in everything from media to the labels of beer bottles and frozen food.
So who's responsible for lobbing F-bomb far and wide? Kory Stamper, an associate editor for Merriam-Webster, said she and her fellow word spies at the Massachusetts company traced the word back to 1988, in a Newsday story that had the now-dead Mets catcher Gary Carter talking about how he had given them up, along with other profanities.
But the word didn't really take off until the late '90s, after Bobby Knight went heavy on the F-bombs during a locker room tirade.
"We saw another huge spike after Dick Cheney dropped an F-bomb in the Senate in 2004," and again in 2010 when Vice President Joe Biden did the same thing in the same place, Stamper said.
"It's a word that is very visually evocative. It's not just the F-word. It's F-bomb. You know that it's going to cause a lot of consternation and possible damage," she said.
Many online dictionary and reference sites already list F-bomb and other entries Merriam-Webster is only now putting into print. A competitor, Oxford University Press, has F-bomb under consideration for a future update of its New Oxford American Dictionary but beat Merriam-Webster to print on a couple of other newcomers: mash-up, added to the Oxford book in 2005, and cloud computing, included in 2010.
No worries, Stamper said. The dictionary biz isn't a race.
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate gets a cover-to-cover overhaul every decade or so in addition to yearly upgrades. The Springfield, Mass.-based company also picks a defining word of each year closer to Thanksgiving. Among the company's other additions this year, including online at Merriam-Webster.com, and various apps:
The Oprah-inspired "aha moment," the Stephen King-popularized earworm, as in that truly torturous tune you can't get out of your head, and man cave, brain cramp and bucket list.
King, in a 2009 column for Entertainment Weekly headlined "The Trouble With Earworms," wrote of waking up in the middle of the night for a glass of water when he found himself singing a snippet of a lyric.
"My friend the Longhair says that's what you call songs that burrow into your head and commence chewing your brains. The dreaded earworm can turn even a great song into something you'd run from, screaming at the top of your lungs. If only you could," he wrote.
Stamper said the word, a translation of the German ohrwurm, surfaced in English in the late '80s as a way to describe untranslatable words. As a tune that won't leave your head, "It just solidified itself in the national linguistic consciousness in America," she said.
Earworm isn't actually a new word for Merriam-Webster but the definition is to differentiate from the once-sole definition for a specific blight on ears of corn.
The first reference found by the good people at Merriam-Webster for "aha moment" dates to 1939 in a book of psychology. Its use was sporadic until the '90s, when Oprah Winfrey began using it on her no-longer-on-the-air TV show.
"In fact, aha moment is so closely associated with Oprah that in 2009, she and Mutual of Omaha got involved in a legal imbroglio over Mutual of Omaha's use of the phrase, with Oprah claiming that aha moment was her catchphrase and she had the rights to it," Stamper said.
The case was settled out of court in 2009.
The word "tweet" led last year's new-word highlights from Merriam-Webster. This year's additions are more eclectic, Stamper said.
"This is a list of really descriptive and evocative, fun words. Some years, not so fun. Some years it's a lot of science words. Some years it's a lot of words around really heavy topics," she said.
There are a few of those this time around: copernicium among them.
It's a short-lived, artifically produced radioactive element that has 112 protons and is the most recent addition to the Periodic Table of Elements. It was first created in a German lab in 1996 and named for the astronomer Copernicus.
The recession blues are represented.
Merriam-Webster added systemic risk and a new definition for "underwater," to describe the heartbreaking realization that you owe more on your mortgage than your property is worth. Among other new and depressing recession additions is an extra definition for "toxic," as it relates to an "asset that has lost so much value that it cannot be sold on the market."
Flexitarian, traced to 1998, is defined as "one whose normally meatless diet occasionally includes meat or fish," while obesogenic (dating to 1986) is an adjective for "promoting excessive weight gain: producing obesity."
Stamper calls flexitarian one in a long line of "you are what you eat" entries.
"As our society has become more aware of our eating patterns, we've seen a proliferation of its use," she said. "There are people who object to the very idea of being a flexitarian, and therefore to the existence of the word."
Obesogenic remains a term more restricted to technical writing, Stamper said. It most commonly refers to an environment where something or some pattern - food deserts in a city, for example - is suspected of putting people at risk for obesity.
"Over the last few years, it's showed up quite a bit in more general sources, like The New York Times," she said.
Merriam-Webster leads the dictionary market, said John Morse, president of the privately held company who wouldn't release sales figures. He also wouldn't release a full list of new entries, in part to put off competitors.
"Let them find their own new words," he joked. "It's not a cutthroat business but we like to say it's a bare knuckles business." Morse did acknowledge: "It's harder for some paper dictionaries to stay in business in the era of online dictionaries."
And he allowed for a sneak peak at the Top 25, rounded out by:
Craft beer, e-reader, game changer, a new definition for "gassed" as slang for drained of energy, gastropub, geocaching, shovel-ready (a construction site ready for work) and tipping point.
Follow Leanne Italie on twitter at http://twitter.com/litalie
New words
The Associated Press
NEW YORK - Top 25 words and definitions added to the latest edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary:
aha moment n (1939): a moment of sudden realization, inspiration, insight, recognition, or comprehension
brain cramp n (1982): an instance of temporary mental confusion resulting in an error or lapse of judgment
bucket list n (2006): a list of things that one has not done before but wants to do before dying
cloud computing n (2006): the practice of storing regularly used computer data on multiple servers that can be accessed through the Internet
copernicium n (2009): a short-lived artificially produced radioactive element that has 112 protons
craft beer n (1986): a specialty beer produced in limited quantities: MICROBREW
earworm n (1802) 1: CORN EARWORM 2: a song or melody that keeps repeating in one's mind
energy drink n (1904): a usually carbonated beverage that typically contains caffeine and other ingredients (as taurine and ginseng) intended to increase the drinker's energy
e-reader n (1999): a handheld electronic device designed to be used for reading e-books and similar material
f-bomb n (1988): ... used metaphorically as a euphemism
flexitarian n (1998): one whose normally meatless diet occasionally includes meat or fish
game changer n (1993): a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way
gassed adj (1919) ... 2 slang: drained of energy: SPENT, EXHAUSTED
gastropub n (1996): a pub, bar, or tavern that also offers meals of high quality
geocaching n (2000): a game in which players are given the geographical coordinates of a cache of items which they search for with a GPS device
life coach n (1986): an advisor who helps people make decisions, set and reach goals, or deal with problems
man cave n (1992): a room or space (as in a basement) designed according to the taste of the man of the house to be used as his personal area for hobbies and leisure activities
mash-up n (1859): something created by combining elements from two or more sources: as a: a piece of music created by digitally overlaying an instrumental track with a vocal track from a different recording b: a movie or video having characters or situations from other sources c: a Web service or application that integrates data and functionalities from various online sources
obesogenic adj (1986): promoting excessive weight gain: producing obesity
sexting n (2007): the sending of sexually explicit messages or images by cell phone
shovel-ready adj (1998): of a construction project or site: ready for the start of work
systemic risk n (1982): the risk that the failure of one financial institution (as a bank) could cause other interconnected institutions to fail and harm the economy as a whole
tipping point n (1959): the critical point in a situation, process, or system beyond which a significant and often unstoppable effect or change takes place
toxic adj (1664) ... 4: relating to or being an asset that has lost so much value that it cannot be sold on the market
underwater adj (1672) ... 3: having, relating to, or being a mortgage loan for which more is owed than the property securing the loan is worth
Ryan traveled perilous budget path to VP spot
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do you used a linked list or what?I'm actually writing a paper on this topic right now for my Algorithm Design class.
I talked to someone here at work that knows a little python, he said what you do is create a list of lists and that acts as your 2d array
/*;===================================================================;A* Pathfinder (Version 1.71a) by Patrick Lester. Used by permission.;===================================================================;Last updated 06/16/03 -- Visual C++ version */ //Declare constants const mapWidth = 80, mapHeight = 60, tileSize = 10, numberPeople = 3; int onClosedList = 10; const notfinished = 0, notStarted = 0;// path-related constants const found = 1, nonexistent = 2; const walkable = 0, unwalkable = 1;// walkability array constants //Create needed arrays char walkability [mapWidth][mapHeight]; int openList[mapWidth*mapHeight+2]; //1 dimensional array holding ID# of open list items int whichList[mapWidth+1][mapHeight+1]; //2 dimensional array used to record // whether a cell is on the open list or on the closed list. int openX[mapWidth*mapHeight+2]; //1d array stores the x location of an item on the open list int openY[mapWidth*mapHeight+2]; //1d array stores the y location of an item on the open list int parentX[mapWidth+1][mapHeight+1]; //2d array to store parent of each cell (x) int parentY[mapWidth+1][mapHeight+1]; //2d array to store parent of each cell (y) int Fcost[mapWidth*mapHeight+2]; //1d array to store F cost of a cell on the open list int Gcost[mapWidth+1][mapHeight+1]; //2d array to store G cost for each cell. int Hcost[mapWidth*mapHeight+2]; //1d array to store H cost of a cell on the open list int pathLength[numberPeople+1]; //stores length of the found path for critter int pathLocation[numberPeople+1]; //stores current position along the chosen path for critter int* pathBank [numberPeople+1]; //Path reading variables int pathStatus[numberPeople+1]; int xPath[numberPeople+1]; int yPath[numberPeople+1];//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------// Function Prototypes: where needed//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------void ReadPath(int pathfinderID,int currentX,int currentY, int pixelsPerFrame);int ReadPathX(int pathfinderID,int pathLocation);int ReadPathY(int pathfinderID,int pathLocation);//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------// Name: InitializePathfinder// Desc: Allocates memory for the pathfinder.//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------void InitializePathfinder (void){ for (int x = 0; x < numberPeople+1; x++) pathBank [x] = (int*) malloc(4);}//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------// Name: EndPathfinder// Desc: Frees memory used by the pathfinder.//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------void EndPathfinder (void){ for (int x = 0; x < numberPeople+1; x++) { free (pathBank [x]); }}//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------// Name: FindPath// Desc: Finds a path using A*//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------int FindPath (int pathfinderID,int startingX, int startingY, int targetX, int targetY){ int onOpenList=0, parentXval=0, parentYval=0, a=0, b=0, m=0, u=0, v=0, temp=0, corner=0, numberOfOpenListItems=0, addedGCost=0, tempGcost = 0, path = 0, tempx, pathX, pathY, cellPosition, newOpenListItemID=0;//1. Convert location data (in pixels) to coordinates in the walkability array. int startX = startingX/tileSize; int startY = startingY/tileSize; targetX = targetX/tileSize; targetY = targetY/tileSize;//2.Quick Path Checks: Under the some circumstances no path needs to// be generated ...// If starting location and target are in the same location... if (startX == targetX && startY == targetY && pathLocation[pathfinderID] > 0) return found; if (startX == targetX && startY == targetY && pathLocation[pathfinderID] == 0) return nonexistent;// If target square is unwalkable, return that it's a nonexistent path. if (walkability[targetX][targetY] == unwalkable) goto noPath;//3.Reset some variables that need to be cleared if (onClosedList > 1000000) //reset whichList occasionally { for (int x = 0; x < mapWidth;x++) { for (int y = 0; y < mapHeight;y++) whichList [x][y] = 0; } onClosedList = 10; } onClosedList = onClosedList+2; //changing the values of onOpenList and onClosed list is faster than redimming whichList() array onOpenList = onClosedList-1; pathLength [pathfinderID] = notStarted;//i.e, = 0 pathLocation [pathfinderID] = notStarted;//i.e, = 0 Gcost[startX][startY] = 0; //reset starting square's G value to 0//4.Add the starting location to the open list of squares to be checked. numberOfOpenListItems = 1; openList[1] = 1;//assign it as the top (and currently only) item in the open list, which is maintained as a binary heap (explained below) openX[1] = startX ; openY[1] = startY;//5.Do the following until a path is found or deemed nonexistent. do {//6.If the open list is not empty, take the first cell off of the list.// This is the lowest F cost cell on the open list. if (numberOfOpenListItems != 0) {//7. Pop the first item off the open list. parentXval = openX[openList[1]]; parentYval = openY[openList[1]]; //record cell coordinates of the item whichList[parentXval][parentYval] = onClosedList;//add the item to the closed list// Open List = Binary Heap: Delete this item from the open list, which// is maintained as a binary heap. For more information on binary heaps, see:// http://www.policyalmanac.org/games/binaryHeaps.htm numberOfOpenListItems = numberOfOpenListItems - 1;//reduce number of open list items by 1 // Delete the top item in binary heap and reorder the heap, with the lowest F cost item rising to the top. openList[1] = openList[numberOfOpenListItems+1];//move the last item in the heap up to slot #1 v = 1;// Repeat the following until the new item in slot #1 sinks to its proper spot in the heap. do { u = v; if (2*u+1 <= numberOfOpenListItems) //if both children exist { //Check if the F cost of the parent is greater than each child. //Select the lowest of the two children. if (Fcost[openList[u]] >= Fcost[openList[2*u]]) v = 2*u; if (Fcost[openList[v]] >= Fcost[openList[2*u+1]]) v = 2*u+1; } else { if (2*u <= numberOfOpenListItems) //if only child #1 exists { //Check if the F cost of the parent is greater than child #1 if (Fcost[openList[u]] >= Fcost[openList[2*u]]) v = 2*u; } } if (u != v) //if parent's F is > one of its children, swap them { temp = openList[u]; openList[u] = openList[v]; openList[v] = temp; } else break; //otherwise, exit loop } while (!KeyDown(27));//reorder the binary heap//7.Check the adjacent squares. (Its "children" -- these path children// are similar, conceptually, to the binary heap children mentioned// above, but don't confuse them. They are different. Path children// are portrayed in Demo 1 with grey pointers pointing toward// their parents.) Add these adjacent child squares to the open list// for later consideration if appropriate (see various if statements// below). for (b = parentYval-1; b <= parentYval+1; b++){ for (a = parentXval-1; a <= parentXval+1; a++){// If not off the map (do this first to avoid array out-of-bounds errors) if (a != -1 && b != -1 && a != mapWidth && b != mapHeight){// If not already on the closed list (items on the closed list have// already been considered and can now be ignored). if (whichList[a][b] != onClosedList) { // If not a wall/obstacle square. if (walkability [a][b] != unwalkable) { // Don't cut across corners corner = walkable; if (a == parentXval-1) { if (b == parentYval-1) { if (walkability[parentXval-1][parentYval] == unwalkable || walkability[parentXval][parentYval-1] == unwalkable) \ corner = unwalkable; } else if (b == parentYval+1) { if (walkability[parentXval][parentYval+1] == unwalkable || walkability[parentXval-1][parentYval] == unwalkable) corner = unwalkable; } } else if (a == parentXval+1) { if (b == parentYval-1) { if (walkability[parentXval][parentYval-1] == unwalkable || walkability[parentXval+1][parentYval] == unwalkable) corner = unwalkable; } else if (b == parentYval+1) { if (walkability[parentXval+1][parentYval] == unwalkable || walkability[parentXval][parentYval+1] == unwalkable) corner = unwalkable; } } if (corner == walkable) { // If not already on the open list, add it to the open list. if (whichList[a][b] != onOpenList) { //Create a new open list item in the binary heap. newOpenListItemID = newOpenListItemID + 1; //each new item has a unique ID # m = numberOfOpenListItems+1; openList[m] = newOpenListItemID;//place the new open list item (actually, its ID#) at the bottom of the heap openX[newOpenListItemID] = a; openY[newOpenListItemID] = b;//record the x and y coordinates of the new item //Figure out its G cost if (abs(a-parentXval) == 1 && abs(b-parentYval) == 1) addedGCost = 14;//cost of going to diagonal squares else addedGCost = 10;//cost of going to non-diagonal squares Gcost[a][b] = Gcost[parentXval][parentYval] + addedGCost; //Figure out its H and F costs and parent Hcost[openList[m]] = 10*(abs(a - targetX) + abs(b - targetY)); Fcost[openList[m]] = Gcost[a][b] + Hcost[openList[m]]; parentX[a][b] = parentXval ; parentY[a][b] = parentYval; //Move the new open list item to the proper place in the binary heap. //Starting at the bottom, successively compare to parent items, //swapping as needed until the item finds its place in the heap //or bubbles all the way to the top (if it has the lowest F cost). while (m != 1) //While item hasn't bubbled to the top (m=1) { //Check if child's F cost is < parent's F cost. If so, swap them. if (Fcost[openList[m]] <= Fcost[openList[m/2]]) { temp = openList[m/2]; openList[m/2] = openList[m]; openList[m] = temp; m = m/2; } else break; } numberOfOpenListItems = numberOfOpenListItems+1;//add one to the number of items in the heap //Change whichList to show that the new item is on the open list. whichList[a][b] = onOpenList; }//8.If adjacent cell is already on the open list, check to see if this // path to that cell from the starting location is a better one. // If so, change the parent of the cell and its G and F costs. else //If whichList(a,b) = onOpenList { //Figure out the G cost of this possible new path if (abs(a-parentXval) == 1 && abs(b-parentYval) == 1) addedGCost = 14;//cost of going to diagonal tiles else addedGCost = 10;//cost of going to non-diagonal tiles tempGcost = Gcost[parentXval][parentYval] + addedGCost; //If this path is shorter (G cost is lower) then change //the parent cell, G cost and F cost. if (tempGcost < Gcost[a][b]) //if G cost is less, { parentX[a][b] = parentXval; //change the square's parent parentY[a][b] = parentYval; Gcost[a][b] = tempGcost;//change the G cost //Because changing the G cost also changes the F cost, if //the item is on the open list we need to change the item's //recorded F cost and its position on the open list to make //sure that we maintain a properly ordered open list. for (int x = 1; x <= numberOfOpenListItems; x++) //look for the item in the heap { if (openX[openList[x]] == a && openY[openList[x]] == b) //item found { Fcost[openList[x]] = Gcost[a][b] + Hcost[openList[x]];//change the F cost //See if changing the F score bubbles the item up from it's current location in the heap m = x; while (m != 1) //While item hasn't bubbled to the top (m=1) { //Check if child is < parent. If so, swap them. if (Fcost[openList[m]] < Fcost[openList[m/2]]) { temp = openList[m/2]; openList[m/2] = openList[m]; openList[m] = temp; m = m/2; } else break; } break; //exit for x = loop } //If openX(openList(x)) = a } //For x = 1 To numberOfOpenListItems }//If tempGcost < Gcost(a,b) }//else If whichList(a,b) = onOpenList }//If not cutting a corner }//If not a wall/obstacle square. }//If not already on the closed list }//If not off the map }//for (a = parentXval-1; a <= parentXval+1; a++){ }//for (b = parentYval-1; b <= parentYval+1; b++){ }//if (numberOfOpenListItems != 0)//9.If open list is empty then there is no path. else { path = nonexistent; break; } //If target is added to open list then path has been found. if (whichList[targetX][targetY] == onOpenList) { path = found; break; } } while (1);//Do until path is found or deemed nonexistent//10.Save the path if it exists. if (path == found) {//a.Working backwards from the target to the starting location by checking// each cell's parent, figure out the length of the path. pathX = targetX; pathY = targetY; do { //Look up the parent of the current cell. tempx = parentX[pathX][pathY]; pathY = parentY[pathX][pathY]; pathX = tempx; //Figure out the path length pathLength[pathfinderID] = pathLength[pathfinderID] + 1; } while (pathX != startX || pathY != startY);//b.Resize the data bank to the right size in bytes pathBank[pathfinderID] = (int*) realloc (pathBank[pathfinderID], pathLength[pathfinderID]*8);//c. Now copy the path information over to the databank. Since we are// working backwards from the target to the start location, we copy// the information to the data bank in reverse order. The result is// a properly ordered set of path data, from the first step to the// last. pathX = targetX ; pathY = targetY; cellPosition = pathLength[pathfinderID]*2;//start at the end do { cellPosition = cellPosition - 2;//work backwards 2 integers pathBank[pathfinderID] [cellPosition] = pathX; pathBank[pathfinderID] [cellPosition+1] = pathY;//d.Look up the parent of the current cell. tempx = parentX[pathX][pathY]; pathY = parentY[pathX][pathY]; pathX = tempx;//e.If we have reached the starting square, exit the loop. } while (pathX != startX || pathY != startY); //11.Read the first path step into xPath/yPath arrays ReadPath(pathfinderID,startingX,startingY,1); } return path;//13.If there is no path to the selected target, set the pathfinder's// xPath and yPath equal to its current location and return that the// path is nonexistent.noPath: xPath[pathfinderID] = startingX; yPath[pathfinderID] = startingY; return nonexistent;}//==========================================================//READ PATH DATA: These functions read the path data and convert//it to screen pixel coordinates.void ReadPath(int pathfinderID,int currentX,int currentY, int pixelsPerFrame){/*; Note on PixelsPerFrame: The need for this parameter probably isn't; that obvious, so a little explanation is in order. This; parameter is used to determine if the pathfinder has gotten close; enough to the center of a given path square to warrant looking up; the next step on the path.; ; This is needed because the speed of certain sprites can; make reaching the exact center of a path square impossible.; In Demo #2, the chaser has a velocity of 3 pixels per frame. Our; tile size is 50 pixels, so the center of a tile will be at location; 25, 75, 125, etc. Some of these are not evenly divisible by 3, so; our pathfinder has to know how close is close enough to the center.; It calculates this by seeing if the pathfinder is less than ; pixelsPerFrame # of pixels from the center of the square. ; This could conceivably cause problems if you have a *really* fast; sprite and/or really small tiles, in which case you may need to; adjust the formula a bit. But this should almost never be a problem; for games with standard sized tiles and normal speeds. Our smiley; in Demo #4 moves at a pretty fast clip and it isn't even close; to being a problem.*/ int ID = pathfinderID; //redundant, but makes the following easier to read //If a path has been found for the pathfinder ... if (pathStatus[ID] == found) { //If path finder is just starting a new path or has reached the //center of the current path square (and the end of the path //hasn't been reached), look up the next path square. if (pathLocation[ID] < pathLength[ID]) { //if just starting or if close enough to center of square if (pathLocation[ID] == 0 || (abs(currentX - xPath[ID]) < pixelsPerFrame && abs(currentY - yPath[ID]) < pixelsPerFrame)) pathLocation[ID] = pathLocation[ID] + 1; } //Read the path data. xPath[ID] = ReadPathX(ID,pathLocation[ID]); yPath[ID] = ReadPathY(ID,pathLocation[ID]); //If the center of the last path square on the path has been //reached then reset. if (pathLocation[ID] == pathLength[ID]) { if (abs(currentX - xPath[ID]) < pixelsPerFrame && abs(currentY - yPath[ID]) < pixelsPerFrame) //if close enough to center of square pathStatus[ID] = notStarted; } } //If there is no path for this pathfinder, simply stay in the current //location. else { xPath[ID] = currentX; yPath[ID] = currentY; }}//The following two functions read the raw path data from the pathBank.//You can call these functions directly and skip the readPath function//above if you want. Make sure you know what your current pathLocation//is.//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------// Name: ReadPathX// Desc: Reads the x coordinate of the next path step//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------int ReadPathX(int pathfinderID,int pathLocation){ int x; if (pathLocation <= pathLength[pathfinderID]) { //Read coordinate from bank x = pathBank[pathfinderID] [pathLocation*2-2]; //Adjust the coordinates so they align with the center //of the path square (optional). This assumes that you are using //sprites that are centered -- i.e., with the midHandle command. //Otherwise you will want to adjust this. x = tileSize*x + .5*tileSize; } return x;} //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------// Name: ReadPathY// Desc: Reads the y coordinate of the next path step//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------int ReadPathY(int pathfinderID,int pathLocation){ int y; if (pathLocation <= pathLength[pathfinderID]) { //Read coordinate from bank y = pathBank[pathfinderID] [pathLocation*2-1]; //Adjust the coordinates so they align with the center //of the path square (optional). This assumes that you are using //sprites that are centered -- i.e., with the midHandle command. //Otherwise you will want to adjust this. y = tileSize*y + .5*tileSize; } return y;}

subset: commoncrawl


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Beatles Coming To "Rock Band" This Fall
We knew the music of the Beatles was coming to the MTV video game Rock Band, but now we have a release date: September 9, 2009. That's when you'll be able to get The Beatles: Rock Band, a new edition of the game for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii consoles. You can start working on your bad "lonely hearts club band" puns now.
The game itself will retail for $59.99 in the U.S.; there will also be a $99.99 version that comes with Beatles-inspired guitar controllers, and a $249.99 "special edition" bundle. I'm guessing that one comes with a walrus.
The date is awfully cute, considering the Beatles' formally self-titled "White Album" contains that song called "Revolution 9," which consists largely of a repetition of the phrase "number nine, number nine, number nine." Conspiracy theorists say that if you play it backward it sounds like "turn me on, dead man" and is hence one of the clues that adds up to reveal that Paul McCartney died and was replaced by a lookalike early in the band's career.
But here's something else for conspiracy theorists of a different variety. September 9, 2009, happens to be a Wednesday in early September, and Apple has historically held iPod-related announcements on Tuesdays in early September. If you want to be mega-speculative, consider that there could be an announcement that week that in addition to Rock Band, the Beatles would finally be coming to iTunes. The band's catalog is currently not legally available for digital download.
There have been legal issues and general animosity for years between Apple Inc. and Apple Corps, the publisher of the Beatles' music. When record label EMI, which owns the rights to the Beatles catalog, inked a deal with Apple to make its catalog available on iTunes without DRM, buzz circulated that the Beatles could be added to the digital-media emporium soon. It's been almost two years, and no Fab Four yet. Late last year, ex-Beatle Paul McCartney said that talks had stalled. There's no real gauge on where things stand now.
But I guess you could just try playing a Steve Jobs keynote backward and see what hidden messages surface.
By Caroline McCarthy


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Your Customer Conversations Need to Win at Every Stage of the Buyer's Journey.
To do that, you need sales training and corporate messaging solutions backed by science. Our messaging, content, skills, and coaching training will help you answer the questions buyers are asking at key moments:
Why should I change? Why should I pick you? Why should I do it now, not later?
Why should I pay more? Why should I stay with you? Why should I do more with you?


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COLOUR: Dark Green & Crimson Red
MATERIAL: Terracotta
ART TYPE: Handmade & Handpainted
CATEGORY: Tea Lights
Delicately handmade in terracotta and skillfully hand-painted by craftspeople from the interiors of India, 'Bottles in Duet' is a set of two complementing hanging tea-light holders that also double up as table top accessories. They are inspired from the ethnicity of traditional 'surahis' or earthen bottles that have been in use in rural Indian households for centuries and embellished with detailed floral cut-work and painted contrasts. Tea-lights or 'diyas' have been lit in Indian villages from ancient times and this tea-light holder celebrates that tradition of light. The elegant contrast of rich dark green and crimson red on these holders beautifully add to the raw aesthetics and look stunning when light falls softly through them, making delicate formations; swinging light as the breeze flows. The compact design, simple utility and the use of the beautiful green and red on terracotta, carries with itself an aura of the vibrant colours of rural India and the warmth of the golden sunset on the rustic horizon to your favourite spaces, making them homely, cozy, radiating with rich Indian heritage. The tales of serenity handcrafted with love into this product set are perfect for your tranquil happy evenings, outdoors and indoors alike.
- This set of vibrant bottle shaped hanging tea-light holders is perfect to be put up in a living room, bedroom, verandah or balcony to add an ethnic touch to your home.
- Comes in a set of 2.
- Light diffuses from the elegant & detailed cutwork that has been done on the tea-light holders.
- Handcrafted in Terracotta.
- Hand-Painted in Dark Green & Crimson Red.
- Comes in the following dimensions:
HOLDER: 6.6" (H), 4.1" (Dia) Inch in size.
- These tea-light holders will definitely add a striking vibrant glow to the interiors of your home.
As the sun drops, the village softens in the warmth of the golden light, overcast by a beautifully crimson skyline. Flocks of birds fly into the horizon and the sunset breeze tickles the thickets of green cover. Villagers, tools in hand, call it a day as they return to their raw mud thatched homes. Twilight sees tiny specks of illuminated yellow, fire up through village homes. The traditional terracotta hurricane hanging lamps are lit in mellow golden flames on the front porch, light pouring out through them as they swing in the gentle winds. Painted mud-walls come alive in the beautiful yellow light as families sit together enjoying their day's last meal in each other's company.
Inspired from the simplicity of rustic village evenings, 'A Village Sunset' is a collection of serene hanging lamps and tea light holders, that has been handmade in terracotta and hand-painted in an extensive palette of vibrant Indian colours by craftspeople from the interiors of the country. Consumed in a fast paced city life, we often forget the calm and content aura of village life; a nostalgia that artisans have captured beautifully in these lamps to bring the warm glow of village evenings to your homes. Perfect for both indoors and outdoors, these lamps are hand-embellished with detailed cut-work that allows light to pass through them softly, making beautiful formations of light. This collection of hand-painted hanging terracotta lamps is a tale from the Indian countrysides, handmade with love, to illuminate your evenings with happy, colourful vibes and bring the warmth of rural dusk to your favourite spaces.
- choosing a selection results in a full page refresh


text: bowelbag2 0 Posted August 31, 2011 I would like to get a feel for who everyone thinks are the best races. When you weigh in special abilities, starting techs and units, homes planets, racial techs, flagships, and reps. Some of the older races seem less obsolete now. I understand style of play is huge, but i would like to hear who and why you think so. Personally, i love the Yssaril Tribes. Unlimited cards, viewing and stealing other peoples best cards. Action cards can do almost anything and give a huge advantage. Skipping is nice too, saving your attack movements for when everyone else is activated. Nice. They did seem to get watered down with the new stuff, but i still think they're a top 3 for sure. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Since it's that time of the year when candidates are sitting for the various exams, it's also that time of the year when the usual warnings about discussing exam content must be made.
1. Per the rules regarding CBT exams:
Since this exam is CBT [and will be for the forseeable future], disclosing the details of any exam question is strictly prohibited, and violations may result in disciplinary action by the SOA, CAS, and/or CIA.Quote:
The contents of Actuarial Exams sponsored by the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, Casualty Actuarial Society, and the Society of Actuaries are copyrighted, proprietary, and confidential. Disclosure or reproduction of any portion of an Actuarial Exam to any individual or entity for any purpose whatsoever is prohibited. Such activity will result in the invalidation of test scores and may result in civil and/or criminal prosecution.
You can be disqualified from taking or continuing to sit for an examination, or from receiving examination results, or your exam may be disqualified if there is substantial reason to believe through proctor observations, statistical analysis, and/or other evidence that your score may not be valid or that you were engaged in collaborative, disruptive, or other unacceptable behavior during the administration of this examination.
2. Once you have taken the exam, please DO NOT discuss specific questions on the exam or discuss specific exam details while testing is ongoing. Examples of comments you should not make include:
-- I had these kinds of questions, didn't have a problem on ____
-- I thought I knew how to do _____
-- It's a good thing I remembered how to do ______
-- Any comment that gives specific information about an exam question
Not only is discussing details about your exam while testing is going on prohibited, it's a potential violation of rule #14 in the SOA's "Exam Rules and Regulations/Instructions to Candidates" ... which may subject you to disciplinary action that can include
-- disqualification of the candidate's exam paper,
-- prohibition from writing exams for a specified period
-- any other penalties the SOA/CAS/CIA deems are appropriate
Other actuarial forums have turned information over to the SOA when information was divulged while others were taking the same exam; if it happens here, we reserve the right to do the same [and have done this in the past]. Considering that integrity is the hallmark of this profession, getting in trouble with the SOA over this would be a really lousy way for you to start your career (and might well hinder your chances of finding employment in this field).
3. Giving general thoughts - "I did good/OK/bad" or "I had to rush / I had plenty of time" or other broad comments that don't give details about the exam are fine. If in doubt about whether your post will reveal too much information, don't post it. If you have yet to take the exam and need info on practice questions, ask away - but once you've taken the exam, please hold your comments except as described above.
4. Comments or questions specific to this exam sitting should be withheld until 9:00pm Eastern on May 18; after that time, you're all free to discuss the exam [provided that questions are not repeated as asked on the exam]. Any threads that contain specific questions [or appear to contain exam questions] from this sitting will be deleted immediately (and people responsible may be referred to the SOA for possible disciplinary action) ... so don't do it.
Good luck to everyone!


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(CNN) - Colorado Democratic Sen. Mark Udall released a letter Wednesday proposing that members of both political parties sit next to each other at this year's State of the Union address instead of the normal seating which is divided along party lines.
"As the nation watches, Democrats and Republicans should reflect the interspersed character of America itself," Udall wrote. "Perhaps, by sitting with each other for one night, we will begin to rekindle that common spark that brought us here from 50 different states and widely diverging backgrounds to serve the public good."
In the letter Udall plans to send to Congressional leadership, he said the "debate surrounding our politics has grown ever more corrosive," and suggested choreographed standing and clapping is unbecoming of Congress, especially given the recent Arizona shooting.
The idea was first announced in a letter to "restore civility" by Third Way, a think tank dedicated to moderate political ideas.
- CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash contributed to this report
Full text:
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Overcoming Divided Government
January 12, 2011
Dear Majority Leader Reid, Speaker Boehner, Minority Leaders McConnell and Pelosi:
We, the undersigned members of Congress, believes that partisan seating arrangements at State of the Union addresses serve to symbolize division instead of the common challenges we face in securing a strong future of the United States.
As we all know, the tenor and debate surrounding our politics has grown ever more corrosive – ignoring the fact that while we may take different positions, we all have the same interests. This departure from statesmanship and collegiality is fueled, in part, by continuous campaigns and divisive rhetoric. Political differences will always generate a health debate, but over time the dialogue has become more hateful and at times violent. But now the opportunity before us is to bring civility back to politics. It is important to show the nation that the most powerful deliberative bodies in the world can debate our differences with respect, honor and civility. It is not only possible, but it is something that nearly all members of Congress truly desire. To that end, we should set a small, but important, new tradition in American politics.
At the State of the Union address on January 25th, instead of sitting in our usual partisan divide, let us agree to have Democrats and Republicans sitting side by side throughout the chamber. Beyond custom, there is no rule or reason that on this night we should emphasize divided government, separated by party, instead of being seen united as a country. The choreographed standing and clapping of one side of the room – while the other side sits – is unbecoming of a serious institution. And the message that is sends it that even on a night when the President is addressing the entire nation, we in Congress cannot sit as one, but must be divided as two.
On the night of the State of the Union address, House and Senate members from both parties ought to cross the aisle and sit together. As the nation watches, Democrats and Republicans should reflect the interspersed character of America itself. Perhaps, by sitting with each other for one night, we will being to rekindle that common spark that brought us here form 50 different states and widely diverging backgrounds to serve the public good.
I plan to send the attached letter to both House and Senate leadership indicating an intention to pursue a bipartisan seating arrangement. If you are interested in joining on this letter, please have a staff member contact Hillary Daniels.
With respect and admiration,
Mark Udall
United States Senator
I agree and I like this Idea every body need come together and work together for the United Country as we call United States.
We are "One" Country under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. That is how it was taught to me. I am thankful that our Congress continues to look for ways to broker civility, and common purpose.
A noble move.
And somehow even a positive gesture like this will draw negative comments from the Rightwing posters.
Sad. And so the divide will continue.
We live in a country that is behind the world in science, math, AND common decency...
It's amazing how there are conservative bloggers on here who actually object to such a benign suggestion. Amazung and a little sad. Why is it so many of you cling to this atmosphere of rage and hatred? What's wrong with you?
There is no way in which 'your sides' wins and the other loses, can't you get that? Everyone wins, or everyone loses.
I always thought it seemed odd to see the two party's separated. They would feed off each others dissatisfaction for something that was said or announced, so we would see one side clapping and smiling while the other side sat with grim faced with arms crossed.
The past two years have been interesting to watch and painful.
I always thought it seemed odd to see the two party's separated. They would feed off each others dissatisfaction for something that was said or announced, so we would see one side clapping and smiling while the other side sat grim faced with arms crossed.
The past two years have been interesting to watch and painful.
Ha! He doesn't want the public to see the picture of how few Democrats are left. It's funny he didn't have that suggestion last year... Hmm?
Excellent idea! I always loved Stuart Udall and I'm guessing this is a son or nephew.
I think they need to set an example for the nation by sitting together.
I like the idea, but it is largely symbolic – what we need is for politicians to remember that they work for the people, and that you should not be against something the President does based solely on the political party to which you belong. The voters are ultimately responsible for some of the most cynical people around getting elected and serving special interests instead of doing what is best for the country. I'm sure that Obama is not 100% right in all he does, but he certainly isn't 100% wrong either.
A great idea and one that should be part of the congressional protocol for every State of the Union Speech. It is time to move away from partisanship and time to work together.
Unfortunately the comments gathered here are just rehashed words of blame and partisanship. I don't think we will ever learn that it is not necessary to tear down anyone just to make a point – if in fact that is what these statements represent.
Great idea. It reminds me of the movie "Remember the Titans". I think he hit the nail on the head, we as Americans may have different ideas as to what is best for the country. But in the end it is the same goal, to do what we think is best. It sure would be nice if some Republicans could embrace this type of thinking. Maybe then we will learn to compromise more considering that is what democracy is supposed to be about.
Great idea try it you might just like it.
Certainly can't hurt.
Although it sounds like a stupid kumbaya waste of time, I think it is not unreasonable and maybe then the senators/reps could interact with people from all over the country.
What an excellent idea. Not only might this present a symbol of our underlying unity to our people and to the rest of the world, but it might curtail the current, mind-numbingly politicized format of the State of the Union–with its unending litany of applause lines and staccato partisan applause outbursts and (lately) catcalls. What a win–win. Who could argue with this proposal?
lets see the democrats get embrassed last election ...so lets not show how many seats nancys supports lost...thanks to her leadership of doom.... yea lets all hold hands ....ugh
Gives meaning to those bumper stickers that everyone used to have that said "United We Stand".....since the message in the past few years has been "divide and conquer" or "hope Obama fails".....WE NEED UNITY......................
I think this is a great idea, perhaps we can all join together and start down a path that will benefit this country
That way, no one can single out individual opinions to the Pres's speech and Dem's can hide their stances from the American People.
What your saying is fine. But, I will go one further you Congressmen/women are supposed to be there working for us the people not trying to do something for your party. Making money trying to pass certain bills that will help certain groups. If these bills or not for the benefit of the people then you should get the heck out of there for you are a deceiver and a crinimal. Your not there to make money and cetrtain few lots of money at the expense of the people's tax money. Yes you should be seated together and yes you should be workang together. To do selfish things for selfish gains for you your backers and your party is not what you were elected for. Remember we put you in and we can take you out.


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NX7.5 modeling technique called "Inferred Blend." The new functionality in the Face Blend
NX7.5 Deformable Part
NX 7.5 modeling technique called "Deformable Part." This functionality is extremely useful when it is beneficial to represent the real world "flexibility" of a component. For this case study we are looking at a Medical Product known as a stent. Our goal is to… Read More
NX 7.5 Extruding Self-Intersecting Curves
NX7.5 modeling technique called "Extruding Self-Intersecting Curves." A great new piece of functionality in the extrude tool allows the user to extrude self-intersecting curves. This is a great way to create ribs or similar features without having to extrude lines separately.
NX7.5 Extract Virtual Curves
NX7.5 modeling technique called "Extract Virtual Curves." When working with geometry of a
NX6 Move Face Problem Solved using Split Body
NXtutorials brings you a helpful tutorial that solves the "move face" problem. Due to the complexity of many modern models, the synchronous modeling command of "move face" does not always work. In those cases, the associative "split body" command helps to solve the problem.
NX6 Recording a Macro to Capture Your Drafting Preferences
A guide to recording your own macro to capture drafting preferences. This great tool can be used in many applications not just for drafting and its as easy as – record then play.
NX6 Blanking with Attribute Name
NXTutorials brings you a helpful tutorial on the use of show/hide/select by attribute name. When you are modeling
NX6 Master Modeling with plist_ignore_member
A helpful tutorial on the use of plist_ignore_member in the context of master modeling. This is a great trick to gain more control over what is actually displayed in your parts list.
NX6 N-sided Surface
NXTutorials brings you a helpful tutorial on creating a great shape using N-sided surface using NX6.
Design Visionaries: NX, Teamcenter, Nastran Manuals
Design Visionaries, www.designviz.com, offers training manuals for NX, Nastran and Teamcenter. We also offer training and design services.
NX6 Vacuum Formed Geometry
A helpful tutorial on vacuum formed geometry using NX6.
NX6 Conic Blend
NXTutorials brings you a helpful tutorial on creating a conic blend using NX6.
NX6 Parametric Measurements
NXtutorials brings you a helpful tutorial on how to use parametric measurements in modeling using NX6.
NX6 Through Curves
NXtutorials brings you a helpful tutorial on the new command "through curves" using NX6.
NX6 Shape Design
NXtutorials brings you a helpful tutorial on shape design using NX6.
NX6 Perimeter Command
Design Visionaries, www.designviz.com, brings you a helpful tutorial on how to model belts using the perimeter command using NX6.


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Google has been branching out from its search-engine roots to offer a variety of Web-based applications. Some of these, especially Gmail and Google Maps, have been well received and are quite popular on computers. Now the company wants us to use these and other applications away from the computer, too — on mobile devices.
This week, we put Google's suite of mobile programs through the ringer to see if we might let it infiltrate our on-the-go lifestyle as easily as we've let Google search become an everyday part of our computer's browser. Google offers five Web applications for downloading onto your mobile device including Maps, Gmail, SMS, Search and News.
We focused on the first three programs to see how they would fare on a tiny device with a smaller screen that demands more scrolling to view information that is normally contained in a single screen on a computer.
Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by Google Maps for mobile, Gmail for mobile, and Google SMS (Short Messaging Service), a system that uses text messaging to find answers about certain topics. The programs are visually attractive on smaller screens, and didn't require much practice, catering to people who want quick assistance without much fuss.
And Gmail for mobile lets you open attachments containing photos, Microsoft Word documents and PDFs — a capability typically only found on Treos, BlackBerrys and Windows Mobile smart phones, not cellphones.
Google Inc. isn't alone in this field. Many companies, including its rival, Yahoo Inc., make mobile applications for cellphones, and this category is likely to keep growing.
We used three mobile devices for our Google tests: the $80 Samsung A900M cellphone from Sprint, the $225 Samsung Drift cellphone, from a new phone carrier called Helio and the $400 Palm Treo 700p with Verizon service (all prices include two-year contracts). Your cellphone carrier must use Java programming language to work with Maps and Gmail for mobile; Verizon does not. The Treo works with Google Maps for mobile but not with this new Gmail version. Any phone with text messaging capability can use Google SMS.
These Google mobile applications are free to download, but your cellphone carrier may charge you for Web browsing or text messaging, depending on your plan.
To download any of these applications, you can go to www.google.com/mobile and enter your cellphone number, triggering the site to send a text message to your device with a URL link for the program you want to download. Or you can enter the URL (found on the Web site) into your cellphone's browser. We tried both methods with success, downloading Google Maps for mobile in 10 seconds during one test.
Our Sprint Samsung A900M came preloaded with Gmail for mobile, so we quickly entered our Gmail username and password to get started. In seconds, our screen was filled with up to six emails at a time, each clearly divided by lines. Each email's subject, sender and date were visible on our tiny screen, written in a legible font that didn't seem squeezed. New emails were listed in bold type.
We used the phone's directional buttons to scroll up or down, highlighting and selecting emails to read them. Each email read much like on a computer screen, but (thankfully) without the advertisements that Gmail usually lists along the right side of a computer screen.
Email attachments were easy to open and read; we opened a Microsoft Word document and a digital photo in JPG format, the photo was shrunk to fit onto our phone's screen so we didn't have to scroll. Attachments can't be edited.
You can perform every action in Gmail for mobile that you can in regular Gmail, including replying to and starring emails, searching through messages, reporting spam and archiving. We searched through emails for the word "Walt" and quickly got a list of relevant emails, and an email that we sent from the phone was received on the other end in seconds. Tasks performed in Gmail for mobile automatically synched with our Gmail account.
Google Maps for mobile was familiar and simple. After downloading it and opening it on our cellphone, we entered our ZIP Code and a map of Washington, D.C., appeared on the entire screen. A list with Find Business, Find Location and Directions options helped us narrow our search.
The select button on each of our devices zoomed in on the map, and scrolling around with directional buttons moved the map accordingly. We quickly switched between map view and satellite view, the latter showing us detailed aerial shots of our tree-filled neighborhoods. A Show Traffic option color-codes highways in 30 major cities to show how fast the cars in that area are moving.
We searched for our local Four Seasons hotel by typing "Four Seasons" into the Find Business section of Google Maps for mobile. Nine results were returned, the second was the hotel. The hotel's address, phone number, parking fees, room rates and acceptable credit cards were also listed.
The Helio Samsung Drift cellphone comes preloaded with Google's Maps for mobile, and also has built-in GPS capability. This feature lets you press "0" when using Google's mapping program on your phone; a tiny circle marks where you are on the map.
The Google SMS mobile tool is fun to use, and doesn't require a download. We just sent questions via text message to GOOGL, or 46645 on the numeric keypad. Various data can be retrieved including local listings, weather, sports scores, trivia, movie times and translations.
We asked for George Bush's age and got the 41st president's birthday sent back in a text message a second after our question was sent (June 12, 1924, if you're curious). While on the way to an Irish pub for dinner, we typed in the slightly odd name of the place and its ZIP Code (RiRa 22201) and got a local listing response, including the address and phone number for the two RiRa Irish Pubs in the area.
Sometimes we had to rephrase our inquiry to receive a helpful Google response, and if you don't have text messaging included in your phone's plan, this could get costly. But as we used Google SMS more, we got better at asking questions the right way.
If you use a computer every day, chances are good that you're spoiled by being able to retrieve helpful data within seconds, thanks to the Internet. Google's mobile applications give you that convenience on the go, in a way that doesn't leave you missing your computer.
Email: email@example.com


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Dieghere Surname Ancestry Results
Our indexes 1000-1999 include entries for the spelling 'dieghere'. In the period you have requested, we have the following 1 record (displaying 1 to 1):
Try these...
dieckerhoff dieckhoff dieckman dieckmann diede dieden diederichsen diederick diedo diedrchsn diedrcksn diedreksn diedrich diedrick diedrickson diefendorf dieff dieffenbach dieg diegeler dieghton diegle diegler diegman diego diegutis diehl dieiueneris diekmann diekson diel dielding diele dieleman dielke diels dielz dieman diemar diemel
These sample scans are from the original record. You will get scans of the full pages or articles where the surname you searched for has been found.
Your web browser may prevent the sample windows from opening; in this case please change your browser settings to allow pop-up windows from this site.
Research your ancestry, family history, genealogy and one-name study by direct access to original records and archives indexed by surname.


text:
HONG KONG — Asian shares wavered Friday, with the dollar's recent weakness dampening sentiment among investors who are also shying away from risky positions before the release of key U.S. jobs data.
KEEPING SCORE: Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 0.4 percent to 19,450.68 while South Korea's Kospi added 0.4 percent to 2,050.70. Hong Kong's Hang Seng advanced 0.4 percent to 22,550.33 and the Shanghai Composite index slipped 0.1 percent to 3,161.77. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was nearly unchanged at 5,752.20. Benchmarks in Southeast Asia were mostly higher.
SAMSUNG SURPRISE: The South Korean electronics maker posted its fattest quarterly profit in three years, boosting shares by 2 percent and shoring up stock market sentiment. The company said operating profit surged 50 percent to 9.2 trillion won ($7.8 billion), surpassing even the most bullish analyst forecasts.
TRUMP AND TOYOTA: Toyota Motor Corp. stock fell 2 percent Friday morning after President-elect Donald Trump said on Twitter that the Japanese automaker would face a "big border tax" if it goes ahead with plans on a new Mexico plant. Toyota in Japan had no further comments beyond saying that it has been in the U.S. for six decades and its Mexico plant will not affect jobs or production in the U.S.
DOLLAR DRIFT: Investors are refocusing on currencies after the greenback hit 14-year highs against its peers. The yen's strength this week has pulled Japanese export-oriented shares lower. Now markets are closely watching the yuan, which has surged against the dollar in what some see as a sign that Beijing wants to stem the closely controlled currency's recent decline. Authorities on Friday set the midpoint of the narrow band in which the yuan is allowed to fluctuate 639 basis points higher at 6.8668 to the dollar — its biggest increase in years. In Hong Kong, the costs for banks to borrow yuan from each other overnight jumped to a staggering 38.3 percent on Thursday.
JOBS REPORT: Markets are awaiting a U.S. government report on employment due later Friday that Fed officials will factor into future decisions on interest rate policy. Economists expect a gain of 173,000 jobs, according to data provider FactSet. A private payroll survey released Thursday found fewer jobs were added than economists had expected.
ANALYST VIEW: "Broad gains in Asian markets are expected to continue in the day, despite U.S. markets providing little inspiration, the latter weighed by disappointing US jobs data overnight," said Jinyi Pan of IG Markets in Singapore. "The main focus will however be on U.S. December (non-farm payrolls) release today."
WALL STREET: Major U.S. benchmarks ended mostly lower. The Dow Jones industrial average sank 0.2 percent to 19,899.29. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 0.1 percent to 2,269. The Nasdaq composite rose percent to 5,487.94. The Russell 2000 index of small-company stocks surrendered 1.2 percent to 1,371.94.
ENERGY: The dollar rose to 115.78 yen from 115.49 yen in late trading Thursday, though it was still down from highs reached earlier in the week. The euro weakened to $1.0588 from $1.0598.
CURRENCIES: Benchmark U.S. crude rose 1 cent to $53.77 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 50 cents to settle at $53.76 a barrel on Thursday. Brent crude, which is used to price oil sold internationally, slipped 2 cents to $56.87 a barrel in London.


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As the most popular editing software, iMovie is always the first choice for Mac users to do some editing to their video files. But what frustrated most of HD camcorder owners is that iMovie can not recognize the AVCHD recordings when HD camcorders are connected to iMovie. This case prevents people from editing these AVCHD recording for better playing and sharing. Now with the help of aPubsoft MTS/MTS Converter for Mac, you can get free from this trouble and do some conversion and editing at ease and at random.
aPubsoft MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac allows users convert AVCHD to video format of MP4 or MOV which editable on iMovie as well as various video formats of AVI,MKV,FLV,MP3,OGG,FLAC and some other video formats playable on some portable devices, like iPhone 4, iPad and Motolola Droid X.
Now I will show you the detailed guide on how to convert AVCHD to MOV for editing on iMovie.
For the preparation of this conversion, connect your HD camcorders to computer and transfer your MTS/M2TS video recordings to computer hard drive.
Step 1: Load AVCHD video files to this program.
Click the "Add" button at the top of this software to import your AVCHD video files from hard drive to this program. As the feature of easy to use and intuitive, this software allows multiple AVCHD video files to be imported for conversion. So if you would like to join several video files into big one, just tick the checkbox of "Merge into one file" and batch video files will be combined into one automatically for smoothly playing and editing.
Step 2: Choose MOV as the output video format and set the destination folder.
Select MOV as the output video format from the "Format" drop list and specify the folder where you prefer to put your converted videos by clicking the folder pull list after the "Output" button.
Step 3: Start AVCHD to MOV conversion.
Click the "Convert" button under the preview window and the conversion will be begun.
After a little while, the MOV video file is ready for you to perfect editing on your installed iMovie.
1.If you are eager to choose a comprehensive video converter which is capable of converting not only MTS/M2TS/TS/M2T but also other various video and audio, like MKV,AVI,MOD,TOD,FLV,VOB,MP3,AC3,OGG,FLAC and ect, aPubsoft Video Converter is a quite good choice.
2.For the most popular Blu-ray videos, aPubsoft Blu-ray Ripper for Mac enables you to convert Blu-ray to other common video formats for playing on portable devices and editing software, like current popular iPhone 4, iPad and Motolola Droid X.


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|The USGenWeb Census Project®
|Lincoln County, WV 1870 Federal Census Index
|with links to the image files of the microfilmed census pages.
|Click on a letter-button to see an alphabetical
list of the
names enumerated in the Lincoln County, WV 1870 census
|If you find a name of interest in the index
below, click on the PAGE-LINE link to view
the image file of the microfilmed original census of that page in the U.S. Data Repository.
|After looking at
the scanned image file of the microfilmed census page,
click the BACK button on your web-browser to return to this index.
|The free display of the 1870 Lincoln County, WV census images in
the U.S. Data Repository was made possible through the generosity of
the Allen County Public Library (Indiana)
|This index was transcribed by Dottie Henderson
Return to the Lincoln County census assignment page
narrow your search results put Last Name first inside quotation marks.
EXAMPLE "Smith, John"


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Welcome to my blog! I'm a Sr. Software Development Engineer in the Seattle area, who has been performing C++/C#/Java development for over 20 years, but have definitely learned that there is always more to learn!
All thoughts and opinions expressed in my blog and my comments are my own and do not represent the thoughts of my employer.
Once again, in this series of posts I look at the parts of the .NET Framework that may seem trivial, but can help improve your code by making it easier to write and maintain. The index of all my past little wonders posts can be found here.
I've covered many valuable methods from System.Linq class library before, so you already know it's packed with extension-method goodness. Today I'd like to cover two small families I've neglected to mention before: Skip() and Take(). While these methods seem so simple, they are an easy way to create sub-sequences for IEnumerable<T>, much the way GetRange() creates sub-lists for List<T>.
The Skip() family of methods is used to ignore items in a sequence until either a certain number are passed, or until a certain condition becomes false. This makes the methods great for starting a sequence at a point possibly other than the first item of the original sequence.
The Skip() family of methods contains the following methods (shown below in extension method syntax):
For example:
1: var list = new[] { 3.14, 2.72, 42.0, 9.9, 13.0, 101.0 };
3: // sequence contains { 2.72, 42.0, 9.9, 13.0, 101.0 }
4: var afterSecond = list.Skip(1);
5: Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", afterSecond));
7: // sequence contains { 42.0, 9.9, 13.0, 101.0 }
8: var afterFirstDoubleDigit = list.SkipWhile(v => v < 10.0);
9: Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", afterFirstDoubleDigit));
Note that the SkipWhile() stops skipping at the first item that returns false and returns from there to the rest of the sequence, even if further items in that sequence also would satisfy the predicate (otherwise, you'd probably be using Where() instead, of course).
If you do use the form of SkipWhile() which also passes an index into the predicate, then you should keep in mind that this is the index of the item in the sequence you are calling SkipWhile() from, not the index in the original collection.
That is, consider the following:
1: var list = new[] { 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 };
3: // Get all items < 10, then
4: var whatAmI = list
5: .Skip(2)
6: .SkipWhile((i, x) => i > x);
For this example the result above is 2.4, and not 1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 as some might expect. The key is knowing what the index is that's passed to the predicate in SkipWhile(). In the code above, because Skip(2) skips 1.0 and 1.1, the sequence passed to SkipWhile() begins at 1.2 and thus it considers the "index" of 1.2 to be 0 and not 2. This same logic applies when using any of the extension methods that have an overload that allows you to pass an index into the delegate, such as SkipWhile(), TakeWhile(), Select(), Where(), etc.
It should also be noted, that it's fine to Skip() more items than exist in the sequence (an empty sequence is the result), or even to Skip(0) which results in the full sequence. So why would it ever be useful to return Skip(0) deliberately? One reason might be to return a List<T> as an immutable sequence.
Consider this class:
1: public class MyClass
2: {
3: private List<int> _myList = new List<int>();
5: // works on surface, but one can cast back to List<int> and mutate the original...
6: public IEnumerable<int> OneWay
7: {
8: get { return _myList; }
9: }
11: // works, but still has Add() etc which throw at runtime if accidentally called
12: public ReadOnlyCollection<int> AnotherWay
13: {
14: get { return new ReadOnlyCollection<int>(_myList); }
15: }
17: // immutable, can't be cast back to List<int>, doesn't have methods that throw at runtime
18: public IEnumerable<int> YetAnotherWay
19: {
20: get { return _myList.Skip(0); }
21: }
22: }
This code snippet shows three (among many) ways to return an internal sequence in varying levels of immutability. Obviously if you just try to return as IEnumerable<T> without doing anything more, there's always the danger the caller could cast back to List<T> and mutate your internal structure. You could also return a ReadOnlyCollection<T>, but this still has the mutating methods, they just throw at runtime when called instead of giving compiler errors. Finally, you can return the internal list as a sequence using Skip(0) which skips no items and just runs an iterator through the list. The result is an iterator, which cannot be cast back to List<T>.
Of course, there's many ways to do this (including just cloning the list, etc.) but the point is it illustrates a potential use of using an explicit Skip(0).
The Take() and TakeWhile() methods can be though of as somewhat of the inverse of Skip() and SkipWhile(). That is, while Skip() ignores the first X items and returns the rest, Take() returns a sequence of the first X items and ignores the rest.
Since they are somewhat of an inverse of each other, it makes sense that their calling signatures are identical (beyond the method name obviously):
So, for example, we could do the following:
3: // sequence contains 1.0 and 1.1
4: var firstTwo = list.Take(2);
6: // sequence contains 1.0, 1.1, 1.2
7: var underTwo = list.TakeWhile(i => i < 2.0);
The same considerations for SkipWhile() with index apply to TakeWhile() with index, of course.
A few weeks back, I talked about The List<T> Range Methods and showed how they could be used to get a sub-list of a List<T>. This works well if you're dealing with List<T>, or don't mind converting to List<T>. But if you have a simple IEnumerable<T> sequence and want to get a sub-sequence, you can also use Skip() and Take() to much the same effect:
1: var list = new List<double> { 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 };
3: // results in List<T> containing { 1.2, 2.2, 2.3 }
4: var subList = list.GetRange(2, 3);
6: // results in sequence containing { 1.2, 2.2, 2.3 }
7: var subSequence = list.Skip(2).Take(3);
I say "much the same effect" because there are some differences. First of all GetRange() will throw if the starting index or the count are greater than the number of items in the list, but Skip() and Take() do not. Also GetRange() is a method off of List<T>, thus it can use direct indexing to get to the items much more efficiently, whereas Skip() and Take() operate on sequences and may actually have to walk through the items they skip to create the resulting sequence.
So each has their pros and cons. My general rule of thumb is if I'm already working with a List<T> I'll use GetRange(), but for any plain IEnumerable<T> sequence I'll tend to prefer Skip() and Take() instead.
The Skip() and Take() families of LINQ extension methods are handy for producing sub-sequences from any IEnumerable<T> sequence. Skip() will ignore the specified number of items and return the rest of the sequence, whereas Take() will return the specified number of items and ignore the rest of the sequence.
Similarly, the SkipWhile() and TakeWhile() methods can be used to skip or take items, respectively, until a given predicate returns false.
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Sodexo in Brazil
Regional presence keeps Sodexo close to clients
As the 7th largest – and one of the fastest growing - economies in the world, Brazil is key to Sodexo's international development. Its challenges - enormous size and regional diversity, high employee turnover - are offset by the strong team spirit and creativity of the Brazilian people. A people who have been the cornerstone of Sodexo's continued success in providing market-leading Quality of Life Services.
Market leaders for motivation
In a country with high absenteeism and high turnover rates, companies are fully aware of the need to offer Quality of Life Services as a way to attract and retain talent. Sodexo's successful Benefits and Rewards Services have triumphed in this fiercely competitive sector – there are an astonishing 150 rival companies offering benefits program. But Sodexo's Benefits and Rewards portfolio is the biggest in Brazil and includes benefits, expense management, incentives, insurance services that range from meal & food passes to transportation, fuel, gift, toy and cultural activity cards.
Maintaining a positive, life-enhancing workplace while enhancing the performance of organizations can also be addressed by creating innovative programs such as Viver Bem, which promotes a good nutrition and healthy lifestyle or EAP (Employee Assistance Program), which provides psychological, legal, financial and social support.
Remaining close to our clients
How does Sodexo meet the logistic challenges posed by a country of continental size and tough weather conditions in some regions? By making it a priority to remain close to clients, in this case, with strategically positioned regional offices and distribution centers in 10 states. For example, in Manaus, in the northwest state of Amazonas, Sodexo operates for a Japanese motorcycle manufacturer and as over a third of the staff are Japanese, much of the meals served is Asian cuisine. Sushi in the Amazon? No problem for Sodexo!
The Brazilian climate and distances also make it more difficult to maintain the strict QHSE (Quality, Safety, Health and Environment) standards that Sodexo is known for. One response is the team of 85 that travel Brazil constantly, training employees in best practices and procedures for work and food safety. And Sodexo's 2011 acquisition of Puras, the country's second largest foodservices company, has only reinforced our excellence in this area, with improved QHSE processes, tools and integrated systems.
Training and mentoring for employee retention
"Our employees are looking for training, for a feeling of closeness with their manager. Learning a job is valuable and gratifying" says Marcio Federico, On-site Services VP HR Central, South America & Brazil.
To respond to these specific needs, Sodexo developed the Programa Trainee which focuses on preparing young professionals to assume the duties of Unit Manager before integrating client´s site. Unit Managers in turn stay very close to their teams with daily meetings, tracking KPIs to ensure that the team is performing and that their needs are being met. The Academia de Vendasoffers a complete training program for the Sodexo sales force with a focus on Marketing, Sales and Businesses.
And mentorship programs have also had good success rates. This close-contact and complete training approach is a key factor to employee retention.
Whether in Industry, Banking, Mining, Energy, Health Care, Education, Sodexo continues to build growth on a wide range of comprehensive offers combining On-site Services and Benefits&Rewards Services that provide more added value to the benefits of our clients.


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Brooks & Dunn are done - for good.
The best-selling country duo announced their breakup on their Web site Monday, saying it was time for the band to call it quits
"After 20 years of making music and riding this trail together, we have agreed as a duo that it's time [to] call it a day," Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn wrote.
U.S. & World
"This ride has been everything and more than we could have dreamed...We owe it all to you, the fans," the site read.
The twosome, who have sold more than 30 million records and have had 23 #1 country hits, said their breakup was about nothing more than timing.
"If you hear rumors, don't believe them, it's just time," they wrote.
The band, formed in 1990, is the highest-selling duo in country music.
Brooks & Dunn said they will release another CD of their #1 hits with additional material on Sept. 8th and will host their final tour, The Last Rodeo Tour, in 2010.
Read more: MSNBC


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Mueller, She Wrote is a team of three women unraveling the mysteries of the Trump-Russia investigation. We release a new episode EVERY WEEK, which means YOU can count on us to keep you up-to-date and informed on the latest developments in this historical investigation and this historically stupid administration. THANK YOU! And happy listening!
Official Wesbite: www.muellershewrote.com Click Here to Support The Show!
Aug 8, 2019
Three women unraveling the mysteries of the Mueller investigation providing all the week's news in the Trump-Russia probe with a touch of humor and a knack for breaking news.
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04 April 2012
Five Red Herrings
1. Did anyone else notice something odd about the March/April issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine? There were fifteen stories and I am going to summarize the plots of eight of them. No major spoilers here....
* A tourist faces danger in the Caribbean.
* A city hunter disappears in the north woods
* A wealthy woman visiting 18th century Bath meets a charming rogue
* A camper faces danger in a mountain park.
* City kids on a fishing trip here a rumor about a possible serial killer
* A girl's odd boyfriend wants to take her on a boating trip
* Suspicious circumstances abound at a family resort
* An ancient Roman citizen encounters murder in Asia
The theme of the issue seems to be: Stay home. It's freaking dangerous out there.
Maybe so.
2. My nephew Chris Messineo is the director of the New Jersey Film School. Undone is the latest crime short-short put together by him and his students. The young lady is his daughter Joanna. I can't get the video to embed here but you can find it here.
New York Times. Nothing in it quite rises to the level of crime, unless you want to use words like negligence, I suppose, but boy, you could sure write half a dozen crime stories based on it.
Briefly, the University of California - Berkeley misplaced a piece of art that was in their care. Worse, it arguably belonged to the federal government.
So what was this little doodad they lost track of? Only a 23-foot long sculpture, worth over a million bucks. How do you lose that, much less sell it as surplus - for a hundred and fifty bucks, plus tax? (I'm glad they got the tax, to keep it all legit). Too bad they couldn't find an art expert to assess the piece for them - like, I don't know, maybe at the University of California- Berkeley?
Happy ending: it wound up in a library.
written about that on Criminal Brief. What I did not recall was that the ornery story I complained about in that piece - because I was having trouble with figuring out a way to tell the opening scenes - was "Shanks Commences," currently appearing in the May issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. So I guess I solved that problem.
5. Ever hear of James Payn? He was a Victorian novelist and I believe his books have been forgotten, but he has one eternal claim to fame. True story: In 1886, as editor of Cornhill Magazine, he rejected A Study in Scarlet. Yup, the first Sherlock Holmes novel wasn't good enough for his mag. You have to wonder what he published in that issue instead, don't you?
In his honor, every time I get a rejection I say "What a Payn!"
Written apologies available on request.
6 comments:
- Fran Rizer said...
Rob, an entertaining way to start the day, and I LOVE the illustrations.
- 04 April, 2012 07:27
What a Payn is a useful phrase that should be in every writer's vocabulary.
- 04 April, 2012 08:16
- Leigh Lundin said...
Payn, yes.
I recall one of our CB readers wrote that Rob had the slyest humor, which is very true.
- 04 April, 2012 12:12
- Velma said...
I've been meaning to have some words with you about "Shanks Commences". You know what I'm talking about, Bobby, don't look so innocent. Worse, everyone thinks it's a fine story.
If my Underwood wasn't running out of ink, I'd give you a piec…
- 04 April, 2012 15:42
- Robert Lopresti said...
Doggone it, Velma. When I write that story I figured there was one member of the Criminal Brief who's name I could use for that character without a lit of whining. And what does it get me? You didn't want to be left out, did ya?
- 04 April, 2012 21:31
- Velma said...
(pouting) Put that way… no, of course not!
Besides, that Mr. Lundin never offered me his last name!
- 05 April, 2012 00:27


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Provost's Undergraduate Research Scholarship
Provost's Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program (PURS)
The Provost's Undergraduate Research Scholarship (PURS) program provides talented UH juniors and seniors with the opportunity to participate in a semester-long research project under the direction of a UH faculty mentor. Recipients will receive a $1,000 scholarship to conduct a one-semester research project with their faculty members. All full-time UH faculty members are eligible to participate as faculty sponsors (this precludes adjunct faculty).
The Fall 2020 PURS Application has closed.
Campus Partners
The programs supported through the Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards would not be possible without the financial support of:
The Office of the Provost
Division of Research
The Honors College
Visit our listing of other campus and community partners who have supported the PURS and SURF programs.
Who Is Eligible?
Juniors and seniors from all majors who have at least a 3.0 GPA are eligible to apply. Current sophomores who will be juniors in fall 2020 are eligible. Applicants must have earned at least 60 credits by the beginning of the mentorship period, and must enroll in and maintain a minimum of 12 hours in the semester of the award unless they are students graduating that semester. Only University of Houston main campus students are eligible to apply.
Students who have completed fewer than 12 hours in residence at UH must have a 3.5 cumulative GPA on all college-level course work taken at UH or elsewhere to be eligible to apply. Students must submit a transcript from the outside institution to verify the 3.5 GPA.
Who Is NOT Eligible?
Students not attending the University of Houston are ineligible. Previous PURS participants, graduate students, and post-baccalaureate students NOT pursuing a second bachelor's degree are ineligible for PURS. Students may not enroll in a Senior Honors Thesis course or an independent study and receive a PURS scholarship in the same semester.
How to Apply
Students must complete the online PURS application, which requires:
- Statement of research objectives and goals (not to exceed 500 words)
- Information on your prior academic and research experience
- Name of the UH faculty mentor who will be providing a letter of recommendation
The statement of research should be:
- Composed in consultation with the faculty sponsor
- Written in first person, in your own words—not in your faculty mentor's words
- Specific in stating the tasks to be accomplished during the semester program; Scope and goals of the proposed research should be clearly defined, including the relative importance of the proposed research within its discipline
- Free of any spelling or syntax errors before submission
The UH faculty mentor letter of recommendation should:
- Describe the student's qualifications
- Identify the area of research, creative or scholarly activities in which the mentor will engage the student
- Describe the faculty member's role as mentor to the student, including a description of how the proposed research relates to their on-going research
- Be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards
Competitive applications generally include:
- Demonstration of strong student academic record
- Research proposals in the student's own words that are clear, thorough, within the 500-word limit, and free of spelling, grammar, and syntax errors
- Research proposals with clear, realistic goals that help the student focus and indicate that the project will lead to a substantive research experience for the student
- Descriptive and informative faculty letter of recommendation (1-2 pages in length), that specifically addresses the prospects for results in the projected time frame, the value of the research project, and the ability of the student to undertake the project
Please be aware this is a competitive program with finite funding, and the Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards receives many more strong proposals than it is able to fund. For this reason, UH faculty are encouraged to limit their submissions to 2-3 proposals for student projects. The staff of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards is unable to share specific information about the assessment of individual applications after the decisions have been made.
Announcement: In addition to the 20 students who will receive the $1K PURS award, a smaller, select cohort of PURS applicants may receive a "competitive without funding" notification. This means that these students' applications were judged to be worthy of funding by the selection committee, but unfortunately there were not enough resources available to award them the $1K scholarship. Students in this category will be encouraged to find another way to go forward with the research project, such as enrolling in independent study, securing funds through another source, or volunteering to work without a stipend on the project. Students who are able to conduct the research in some other fashion will be considered PURS participants, and will be invited to all the PURS activities including the fall 2020 kickoff event, and be entitled to all other privileges associated with the PURS program.
Working with Human Subjects: If your research proposal includes working with human subjects, then you must receive approval from the University's Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to initiating your research. Please reference the University's IRB policy before submitting your research proposal.
- Students admitted to the program must perform at least 7 hours of research a week/total of 100 hours per semester under guidance of a faculty member
- Students are expected to attend the PURS kickoff event during the first week of the fall semester, and complete three short reflection essays at the start, mid-point, and end of the program; PURS students are encouraged to also develop a research poster for Undergraduate Research Day.
- PURS recipients' names, faculty mentors' names, research descriptions, and possibly photos may be included in the annual Undergraduate Research Day booklet and in other online and print promotional materials, such as the office's website, brochure, and Facebook page
Please contact Brittni MacLeod the Program Director, or Dr. Stuart Long, the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Research, if you have any questions or if you require additional information.


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Watch what he did, not what he says. President Barack Obama says he won't agree to spending cuts in return for Republicans' raising the debt ceiling. Yet he did exactly that in 2011. And he should do it again.
The debt ceiling ought to be raised because nobody has a plan to eliminate the deficit immediately, and there is no popular support for doing what that would take. A congressman who isn't presenting and supporting a zero-deficit-now plan has an obligation to give the federal government the additional borrowing authority that continued deficits make necessary.
For liberals, that's the end of the matter. The debt ceiling should be raised without any spending cuts attached, and ideally it should be raised to infinity. One common argument goes like this: Since Congress sets spending and tax levels, no good purpose is served by holding a separate vote making it possible for the government to follow Congress' original instructions.
That argument would have more force if the federal budget were the result of a deliberate policy. Instead, more and more of our spending rises on autopilot because of decisions made long ago, and nobody is forced to take responsibility for the gap between revenue and commitments. Bills to raise the debt ceiling are the only occasions when congressmen and the president come close to doing so. They are thus appropriate moments to attack the trends that are driving our rising debt.
Raising the debt limit requires Republican cooperation, and there is no obvious reason why Republicans should refrain on principle from saying that they will go along so long as spending is cut. For Democrats to say that no conditions should be attached to the bill is to attach a condition.
Steps to reduce risks
There are, of course, risks to the economy from a protracted fight over what the conditions will be, and it would behoove the parties to come to terms quickly.
Four steps would reduce those risks. First, Republicans should make the conditions reasonable, rather than, say, trying to use the leverage the debt-ceiling bill gives them to transform the welfare state. Second, Democrats should accede to reasonable requests rather than attacking them as though they amounted to terrorism.
Third, the Federal Reserve should pledge to hold nominal-income growth steady, since that would counteract any shock to consumer confidence. Fourth, and most important, all parties should pass a law stipulating that if the debt ceiling is breached the Treasury will be allowed to make debt-service payments in full. Painful spending cuts would result, but not default.
A reasonable deal would involve spending cuts that are acceptable to both parties -- cuts, in other words, that Democrats can accept without violating their core convictions or their campaign promises.
Jerry Brown, the Democratic governor of California, is no conservative; he just prevailed in raising taxes in his state. But he also thinks that Medicaid spending per person ought to be capped, which could generate significant savings for the federal government. Tom Daschle, the former leader of the Senate Democrats and Obama's first choice for secretary of Health and Human Services, also supports the idea.
Medicare changes
John Cogan, an economist at Stanford University, argues that Medicare should raise its co-payments. The savings wouldn't come from the higher fees that beneficiaries pay -- that money could be sent back to them in the form of lower premiums so that seniors are held harmless -- but in the reduced use of medical services. Higher co-pays, Cogan points out, haven't been associated with worse health outcomes in studies.
Increasing the use of means testing in Medicare would also save money without undermining care for the neediest. The program should offer fewer benefits to those with the highest lifetime incomes.
Democrats insist that any future deficit reduction be "balanced," with tax increases as well as spending cuts. They see last week's fiscal-cliff deal, in which Republicans agreed to let some tax increases take effect, as a precedent. Around the world, though, most successful deficit-reduction efforts in the past three decades have been unbalanced, tilting toward spending cuts rather than tax increases.
Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., voted for the fiscal-cliff deal but denies it's a precedent for future tax increases. With taxes having just risen, he told me in an interview, Republicans aren't going to accept any further increase. "Tax increases are off the table," he said. Instead, significant spending cuts are necessary, he argued, and they need to begin immediately.
So raise the debt limit, sure. But start bringing the debt under control at the same time. That's a sensible position, and one that Republicans should have no trouble defending to voters.
Ramesh Ponnuru is a Bloomberg View columnist, a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior editor at National Review.
Debt ceiling fight welcome
Watch what he did, not what he says. President Barack Obama says he won't agree to spending cuts in return for Republicans' raising the debt ceiling. Yet he did exactly that in 2011. And he should do it again.


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Arabic Rock Music of International Caliber
It all started back in 1997. At the time, four Lebanese students formed a rock band called Leviathan. They performed wherever they could and played the whole spectrum of music from Pink Floyd to Radiohead.
Yet, after the suicide of a young rock fan, Lebanon's rock music scene plunged into a crisis. Albums by rock giants such as Nirvana and Metallica were banned. Music fans had to turn to the Internet to gain access to new releases.
After the breakup – a new beginning
This made the launch of Leviathan all the more difficult, leading to a decision by two band members to emigrate to North America in 2000. Although by Christmas 2001, lead singer Jad Souaid and bassist Haytham Chalhoub had returned to Lebanon, reuniting with guitarist Miran Gurunian and drummer Jad Aouad.
The four musicians changed the name of the band to Blend and played a tune that they had composed themselves. The song "Belong" became the hit of an Arabic compilation disc, providing them with their first success, even on Lebanese radio. This new project has shown such promise that some music insiders have even predicted an international career for the band.
"The song deals with the search for identity of the post-war generation," explained Souaid. "We young people suffered from a lot of insecurity during the war years and didn't know what the future had in store for us." The song Belong is about religion and fanaticism – all those values that the rock musician wants to have nothing to do with. In the end, Belong is a love song. Its message is that you belong in the arms of the person you love.
Blend – on the way to international success
The song Belong appealed to many young Lebanese and finally drew the attention of the international recording label EMI to the rock band. Representatives of EMI Arabia attended a live concert performance of Blend at a Lebanese club.
They managed to convince the two emigrant band members to return to Lebanon for the long term and to seriously attempt a new musical beginning, only this time with an international recording contract. Blend is to produce three albums within five years, which will then be marketed worldwide.
"We liked their music and their lyrics," said Hubert Ghorayeb, marketing manager of EMI Arabia. "They sing in English and this makes them internationally marketable. The lyrics and music appeal to both an Arab and an international public."
Blend is thereby the first Arab rock band under contract by an international label. Their first CD entitled Act One was released on the Lebanese market in December 2003 and worldwide marketing should get under way in the coming months.
Off-beat, nonconformist, and socially critical
Blend is also trailblazing in another respect. Whereas other Arab pop musicians sing love songs, Blend's music deals with issues such as globalization, corrupt politicians, and an apathetic population in the Arab world that lets itself be manipulated.
"We constantly asked ourselves how Arab performers could sing about romance, when so many people are killed daily in our region," said Souaid. The musicians in Blend write and compose themselves. This is also something new. Most Arab pop stars have their repertoire composed for them – usually by professional musicians.
The result is not only critical lyrics, but also rock music with its own particular timbre. The band manages to broaden the borders of classical rock with their electronic effects and Middle Eastern sounds. The Middle Eastern character of their music is highlighted by the contributions of an Arab violinist as well as the participation on recordings by the singer Natasha Atlas and the Lebanese rapper Rayess Bek.
"We grew up with Umm Khulthum and Fairuz," said Soaid. Blend has come up with a new form of rock music – one with a clearly eastern tone. Yet it is also a gentle tone that can appeal to a Western public.
Christina Förch
© Qantara.de 2004
Translation from German: John Bergeron


text:
Thief returns cash, leaves apology after stealing from red kettle in Ohio
Note, money found at Salvation Army on Wednesday
A thief who made off with cash from a Salvation Army red kettle at a northern Ohio mall this week apparently has had a change of heart.
Police near Youngstown say that two days after the kettle was emptied out, someone left $130 and an apology at the Salvation Army.
A note found at the Salvation Army Wednesday morning read "here is the money I took plus money for a new kettle and bell."
The Vindicator newspaper in Youngstown reports that the note also said "please forgive me."
Police in Boardman say a witness saw someone wearing a Salvation Army jacket take the kettle Monday night while a bell-ringer was on a break.
A Salvation Army official says it's not known how much money was in the kettle.
Information from: The Vindicator, http://www.vindy.com


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