text:
Bad News from the BeeB
Clicking on the link did at least bring up a more accurate headline: 'Israeli forces open fire at Palestinian protesters'. But the brutality was sanitised, with no details of the many victims. The Israeli viewpoint was prominent with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that he 'hoped' that 'calm and quiet will quickly return, but let nobody be mistaken, we are determined to defend our borders and sovereignty'.
The Palestinians had been taking part in annual protests on Nakba ('Catastrophe') day which, as the BBC put it, 'marks the moment when 100,000s of Palestinians lost their homes' on the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Again, the BBC's sanitised version of 'lost their homes' buries awkward history, as though homes had simply been repossessed when families fell behind on their mortgage payments. In reality, more than half of Palestine's native population, close to 800,000 people, had been uprooted and 531 villages destroyed (Ilan Pappe, 'The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine', Oneworld, 2006).
After complaints from us, and perhaps realising the newspeak was just too much to swallow, the BBC tweaked the sentence the following day to read:
'Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced out of their homes in fighting after its creation.'
BBC Middle East correspondent Jim Muir was quick to implicate foreign powers in the latest annual Nakba protests, asking the leading question: 'Palestinian protests: Arab spring or foreign manipulation?' and pointing his finger at Syria and Iran. True to type, the BBC journalist's 'analysis' was not a million miles distant from the message being broadcast from Tel Aviv. Jonathan Cook, an independent journalist based in Nazareth, notes:
'With characteristic obtuseness, Israel's leaders identified Iranian "fingerprints" on the day's events - as though Palestinians lacked enough grievances of their own to stage protests.' (Jonathan Cook, 'On an old anniversary, a new sense that change is possible', The National, 17 May, 2011)
The BBC's famed 'balance' should mean that, in the wake of Muir's piece, we see a BBC article about US 'foreign manipulation' of Syria and Iran, and indeed the whole Middle East. Presumably the balancing piece is in the pipeline.
As with the most effective propaganda published by the Soviet newspaper Pravda, there may be something in what Muir says. But the required journalistic emphasis, as ever, is on the misdeeds 'our' officially sanctioned state enemies may be committing, not on the crimes of our own government.
BBC And ITV Bias Exposed
Professional journalists reporting from the Middle East ought to be discomfited by the publication of More Bad News From Israel, an updated study by Greg Philo and Mike Berry of the Glasgow University Media Group (Pluto Press, 2011; first edition published as Bad News From Israel in 2004).
The book examines media coverage of the conflict in Israel and Palestine, and the impact of this reporting on public opinion. In the largest study of its kind ever undertaken, the authors illustrate major biases in the way Palestinians and Israelis are represented in the media, including how casualties, and the motives and rationale of the different parties involved, are depicted. In follow-up interviews with viewers and listeners, the book also reveals the extraordinary differences in levels of public knowledge and understanding of the conflict. It is significant that gaps in public understanding often reflect the propaganda generated by Israel and its supporters in the West. Indeed, the book exposes the 'success of the Israelis in establishing key elements of their perspective and the effect of these being relayed uncritically in media accounts'.
In a powerful new chapter, Philo and Berry present an in-depth analysis of BBC and ITV news coverage of the 2008-2009 Israeli attack on Gaza, Operation Cast Lead. On 27 December 2008, Israel launched a massive series of assaults on the densely-populated strip of land with F-16 fighter jets, Apache helicopters and unmanned drones. Attacks with tanks and ground troops followed. 22 days later, the total number of Palestinian dead was estimated by B'Tselem, the Israeli human rights group, as 1,389. The death toll included 318 children. Ten Israeli soldiers were also killed, four of them in 'friendly fire' incidents. During the attacks, Israeli forces repeatedly bombed schools, medical centres, hospitals, ambulances, UN buildings, power plants, sewage plants, roads, bridges and civilian homes.
In the aftermath of the attacks, the UN sponsored a fact-funding study chaired by a South African judge, Richard Goldstone. The Goldstone report, along with others by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the League of Arab States, included accounts of the killings of civilians by Israel Defence Forces in a cold, calculated and deliberate manner. Goldstone subsequently issued a supposed partial 'retraction', apparently following intense Israeli pressure. But he did not withdraw the report and his co-authors stood by their work. (Peter Hart, 'Is There Really a Goldstone "Retraction"?', FAIR, April 5, 2011)
The researchers recorded, transcribed and analysed over 4000 lines of broadcast news text from both the BBC and ITV (it is not stated explicitly, but one assumes these 4000 lines were shared approximately equally between the two broadcasters).
'The most striking feature of the news texts', write Philo and Berry, 'is the dominance of the Israeli perspective, in relation to the causes of the conflict.'
Specifically, they note that the Israeli themes of 'ending the rockets' (fired from Gaza by Hamas into Israel), the 'need for [Israel's] security' and to 'stop the smuggling of weapons' (by Hamas into Gaza) received a total of 316.5 lines of text from the BBC. Other Israeli propaganda messages, such as the need to 'hit Hamas' and that 'Hamas and terrorists are to blame', received 62 lines on BBC News. The total for Israeli explanatory statements on the BBC was 421.25. This compared with a much lower total for Hamas/Palestinian explanations of just 126.25. In ITV News coverage, there were over 302 lines relating to Israeli explanatory statements but just 78 for Hamas/Palestinian.
But even these 126.25 BBC and 78 ITV lines of 'explanations' of the Palestinian perspective lacked substance: 'the bulk of the Palestinian accounts do not explain their case beyond saying that they will resist.' What was almost non-existent were crucial facts about 'how the continuing existence of the blockade affects the rationale for Palestinian action and how they see their struggle against Israel and its continuing military occupation.'
For the Palestinians, then, the military occupation of their lands and the crushing blockade of Gaza are utterly central to the 'conflict'. But on BBC News there were just 14.25 lines referring to the occupation and only 10.5 on the ending of the siege/blockade. ITV News had 12.25 lines on ending the siege/blockade and a single line about the occupation. The bias is glaring.
Instead of adequately explaining the Palestinian viewpoint, BBC and ITV news heavily reflected Israeli propaganda:
'The dominant explanation for the attack [Operation Cast Lead] was that it was to stop the firing of rockets by Hamas. The offer that Hamas was said to have made, to halt this in exchange for lifting the blockade (which Israel had rejected), was almost completely absent from the coverage.'
In short, news coverage of the brutal assault was skewed by the Israeli perspective, perpetuating 'a one-sided view of the causes of the conflict by highlighting the issue of the rockets without reporting the Hamas offer', and by burying rational views on the purpose of the attack: namely the Israeli desire to inflict collective punishment on the Palestinian people. (See our earlier media alerts: 'An Eye For An Eyelash: The Gaza Massacre', and 'The BBC, Impartiality, And The Hidden Logic Of Massacre')
In classic academic understatement, Philo and Berry conclude:
'It is difficult in the face of this to see how the BBC can sustain a claim to be offering balanced reporting.'
Based on their equally poor performance, the same would surely apply to ITV.
Tim Llewellyn, a former BBC Middle East correspondent, backs up Philo and Berry's careful analysis, arguing that BBC coverage of Israel and Palestine 'is replete with imbalance and distortion'. He points to his ex-employer's 'continuing inability to describe in a just and contextualised way the conflict between military occupier and militarily occupied. There is no attempt to properly convey cause and effect, to report the misery, violence and pillage that demean and deny freedom to the Palestinians and provoke their (limited) actions.' ('BBC is "confusing cause and effect" in its Israeli coverage', Guardian, May 23, 2011)
Llewellyn also rightly castigated the 'labyrinthine' official complaints procedure that means members of the public have to battle with an 'army of lawyers and layers of bureaucracy' that 'the BBC now deploys to see off all but the most assiduous.'
He continued:
'Editors and producers rarely respond individually to complaints and, if they do, do so with question-raising answers and self-justification.'
An experience which we and many of our readers can confirm!
Llewellyn sums up:
'The BBC, like a well-kicked hound, does not in its post-Hutton malaise wish to antagonise politicians. It goes with reporting that's as low-profile as possible on this most sensitive of issues. It lives in horror of being accused of anti-semitism, Israel's ultimate smear. Reporters and editors know they have to pitch the Israel story in a certain manner to get it on the air – in effect, self-censorship.'
The Guardian allowed the BBC to provide a response to Llewellyn's article. This ended with a sly comment:
'Although Tim Llewellyn was indeed a BBC correspondent some years ago, we note that he subsequently was active for a period with the Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU).'
Perhaps the BBC should end its Newsnight programmes with a similar warning:
'Although Jeremy Paxman is an anchor for the BBC flagship news programme, Newsnight, we note that he has also been actively involved with the British-American Project for some years.'
Something similar happened to John Pilger in 2002, when he was allowed to defend his film, 'Palestine is Still the Issue', in the Guardian opinion pages. Unbeknownst to Pilger, Stephen Pollard, a Zionist and later editor of the Jewish Chronicle, was to be given the same space to mount an ill-founded attack on the piece in the paper the following day. Pilger's film was later praised for its accuracy and integrity following an enquiry by the ITC.
A Stony Silence
We emailed David Mannion, editor-in-chief of ITV News, and Jeremy Bowen, the BBC's Middle East editor, for their views. Neither replied. We did not have much luck either with Jon Williams, the BBC's world news editor. No great surprise given that, earlier this year, Williams blocked Media Lens even from following him on Twitter (as did Alan Rusbridger, editor of the Guardian).
When one of our readers asked Williams why he had blocked us, he replied: 'That's what happens when people send you abusive tweets'. In fact, the sole Tweet we had sent him was this one, asking for his thoughts on observations made by journalists Jonathan Cook and Tim Llewellyn on Israel-Palestine news coverage.
We have always made it clear that we abhor abuse directed at journalists (or anyone else). We asked Williams via Twitter and email which 'abusive' messages he had in mind, saying that we would happily apologise if we had caused offence. He did not respond.
We did, however, get a reply from BBC Middle East correspondent Jim Muir - a nice example of the 'It's-not-my-job' response we have seen so often over the years:
'I'm afraid I don't have a "response" as I'm not a spokesman for anything other than myself. Nor, frankly, do I have time to study and evaluate the BBC's output; that's not my job, and it's rarely part of my input as I spend most of my time on primary sources. My own reporting is rarely on the Palestinian/Israeli issue as such; sometimes on its ramifications but I am normally engaged on Iraq and more recently Egypt, Tunisia, Syria and Lebanon. I'm sure you've been in touch with BBC editorial management in London, and equally sure that you will get a response from them.' (Email, May 16, 2011)
In an attempt to encourage Muir to assert his human right to freedom of speech, we emailed him back the same day:
'Many thanks for your email.
'"I'm not a spokesman for anything other than myself."
'Speaking for yourself then, what's your own impression of BBC news coverage of the wider Middle East – how fair and balanced is it? Surely you have a view?
'Feel free to offer your thoughts in confidence without named attribution.'
Muir did not reply.
In Part 2, to follow shortly, we present an eye-goggling exchange with one senior BBC journalist who did respond.


text: Your Next Mini-ITX Z77 Build with 10-Phase Digital Power Design, Home Theater Features and Remote Control Functions over Wi-Fi Dual Intelligent Processors 2 with DIGI+ VRM Wi-Fi GO! USB 3.0 Boost - Faster USB 3.0 Transmission with UASP(170%) USB BIOS Flashback - Easy, Worry-free USB BIOS Flashback Windows 8 Ready – Assured Compatibility Learn more about ASUS P8Z77 Series motherboard Shop Modal header Windows 8 Exclusive Features Fast Boot Instant OS Login ASUS has released new hardware and software designs to shorten system boot-up time to 2-seconds* for a smoother user experience that removes annoying delays under Windows 8, and even previous versions of Windows. Faster system boot and restart means Windows starts quicker and higher efficiency - No more waiting around. ASUS Boot Setting Multi-startup Options Thanks to ASUS Windows 8 hardware optimization, ASUS Boot Setting provides better flexibility in customizing your PCs startup process. You can enter the BIOS directly with one click through a user-friendly interface, and quickly select your preferred system boot up method: either get to the OS in seconds or opt for regular boot up. Whatever your choice, settings are saved and persistent, with no need to choose every time you power on. CPU, Chipset and Graphics features LGA1155 Intel® 3rd/2nd Generation Core™ i7/ Core™ i5/ Core™ i3/ Pentium® / Celeron® Processors Ready This motherboard supports Intel® 3rd generation Intel® Core™ processor-based platform and 2nd generation Core™ i7 / i5 / i3 / Pentium® / Celeron® processors, with iGPU, memory and PCI Express controllers integrated to support onboard graphics output with dedicated chipsets, 2-channel (2 DIMM) DDR3 memory and 16 PCI Express 3.0/2.0 lanes. This provides great graphics performance. Intel® 3rd generation Intel® Core™ processor-based platform and 2nd generation Core™ i7 / i5 / i3 / Pentium® / Celeron® processors are among the most powerful and energy efficient CPUs in the world. PCIe 3.0 Ready PCI Express® 3.0 (PCIe 3.0) is the latest PCI Express bus standard with improved encoding schemes that provide twice the performance of current PCIe 2.0. Total bandwidth for a x16 link reaches a maximum of 32GB/s, double the 16GB/s of PCIe 2.0 (in x16 mode). As such, PCIe 3.0 provides users unprecedented data speeds, combined with the convenience and seamless transition offered by complete backward compatibility with PCIe 1.0 and PCIe 2.0 devices. PCIe 3.0 will become a must-have feature for users who wish to improve and optimize graphic performance, as well as have the latest technology available to them. * PCIe 3.0 speed is supported by Intel® 3rd generation Core™ processors. Intel® Z77 Express Chipset The Intel® Z77 Express Chipset is a single-chipset design to support socket 1155 Intel® 3rd generation Intel® Core™ processor-based platform and 2nd generation Core™ i7/i5/i3/Pentium®/Celeron® processors. It provides improved performance by utilizing serial point-to-point links, allowing increased bandwidth and stability. Additionally, Z77 chipset provides 4 USB 3.0 ports for 10 times faster data retrieval speed. Moreover, Intel® Z77 Express Chipset can also enable iGPU function, letting users enjoy the latest Intel® integrated graphic performance. Dual Intelligent Processors II Dual Intelligent Processors 2 with DIGI+ VRM Digital Power Design: The New Standard The world's first Dual Intelligent Processors from ASUS pioneered the use of two onboard chips - EPU (Energy Processing Unit) and TPU (TurboV Processing Unit). The new generation of Dual Intelligent Processors 2 with DIGI+ VRM provides precise Vcore PWM, integrated graphics voltages and frequency module adjustments with minimal power loss through BIOS tuning and an exclusive user interface to increase the board's overclocking range while performance reaches its full potential. ASUS DIGI+ VRM digital power design empowers users with superior flexibility and perfect precision to ensure optimized performance, extreme system stability and greater power efficiency. DIGI+ VRM Herald the Arrival of a New Digital Power Design Era VRM, or voltage regulator modules, are considered among the most essential motherboard design components. They supply the voltage demanded by the CPU, and a good VRM must intelligently detect actual CPU power draw to provide precise power accordingly. ASUS DIGI+ VRM is an innovative, industry-leading technology that fully integrates Intel® VRD12 specifications on a native level, greatly enhancing power to go far beyond the limits of analog designs. TPU The Ultimate Turbo Processor Unleash your performance with ASUS' simple onboard switch or AI Suite II utility. The TPU chip offers precise voltage control and advanced monitoring through Auto Tuning , GPU Boost and TurboV functions. Auto Tuning offers a user friendly way to automatically optimize the system for fast, yet stable clock speeds, while TurboV enables unlimited freedom to adjust CPU frequencies and ratios for optimized performance in diverse situations. EPU Energy Efficiency All Around Tap into the world's first real-time PC power saving chip through a simple onboard switch or AI Suite II utility. Get total system-wide energy optimization by automatically detecting current PC loadings and intelligently moderating power consumption. This also reduces fan noise and extends component longevity! ASUS Exclusive Features Wi-Fi GO! Connect Your Life – The Perfect Fusion of Desktop, Smartphones and Pads ASUS Wi-Fi GO! makes enjoying home entertainment and remote control capabilities easier than ever by linking PCs, pads, smartphones and TV together. With a Wi-Fi module on board, ASUS Wi-Fi GO! adds a host of useful and free Wi-Fi functions, which provide DLNA streaming so you can enjoy a home theater PC, while also providing remote access to your PC with a smart device. This feature leads the market by integrating Wi-Fi connectivity, DLNA access and all smart devices with a one-stop utility for a futuristic connected lifestyle. > Click Here to Learn More Wi-Fi hotspot setup for convenience: quickly set up and connect anywhere at home thanks to instant soft access point and device detection. Build your network without an extra router! Turn smartphones and tablets into a remote control: Remote Desktop: access your PC from a tablet? No sweat! Control your PC in real-time from a mobile device for complete comfort. This function brings notebook-like convenience, by creating a virtual remote desktop, offering portable access to your data in desktop with a smartphone or pad. Motion control your PC: entertaining and customizable! Using natural gestures, you can move directionally to use applications with a smartphone or tablet's motion sensors. For example, in media players you can fast forward, go next, stop, or create a music playing motion control profile. You can even program sensor scenarios to design your own motion-based game! Remote keyboard and mouse: sit back and control your computer by using your tablet's built-in QWERTY keyboard to type and click ! (Ensure to download Wi-Fi GO! Remote to your smart devices either from Android Market or App store.) DLNA streaming made easy: enjoy HD content, music and photos from the PC on your DLNA devices via Wi-Fi connectivity, the perfect match for creating your own home theater! Easy file and screenshot transfers: File Transfer: send and share files between your PC and smart devices* with only a right click on the mouse. Capture & Send: capture and send screen shots from your PC to smart devices directly by pressing the hotkey** *iPad/iPhone can only send, not receive files from the PC. **Hotkey set by users. * Set up Your Home PC with Wi-Fi GO! Wi-Fi environment setup: connect PC and smart devices on the same home network Install Wi-Fi GO! software on your PC Download Wi-Fi GO! Remote to your smart devices (Supported Systems: iOS 4.0 or later & Android 2.3 or later) Set up complete - get a host of useful free apps with ASUS Wi-Fi GO! USB 3.0 Boost Faster USB 3.0 Transmission with UASP New ASUS USB 3.0 Boost technology supports UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol), the latest USB 3.0 standard. With USB 3.0 Boost technology, a USB device's transmission speed is significantly increased up to 170%, adding to an already impressive fast USB 3.0 transfer speed. ASUS software automatically accelerates data speeds for compatible USB 3.0 peripherals without the need for any user interaction. > Click Here to Learn More World's 1st USB 3.0 UASP Support – 170% faster instantly Complete USB 3.0 Solution – Performance boost for most USB devices Simple Plug & Boost – Auto detection design ensures best performance always USB BIOS Flashback Simple Plug & Press - Hardware-based BIOS Flashback A truly revolutionary hardware-based update solution. USB BIOS Flashback offers the most convenient way ever to update the BIOS! It allows users to update new UEFI BIOS versions even without hardware such as a CPU or DRAM installed into the motherboard. Just plug in a USB flash drive containing the BIOS file, and press the BIOS Flashback button for 3 seconds with the power supply connected. The UEFI BIOS will then automatically update without requiring further interaction. With its new, complementary Windows application, users can regularly check for UEFI BIOS updates and download the latest BIOS automatically. Hassle-free updating for the ultimate convenience! UEFI BIOS (EZ mode) Flexible and Easy BIOS Interface ASUS UEFI BIOS offers a user-friendly interface that goes beyond traditional keyboard-only BIOS controls to enable more flexible and convenient mouse input. Users can easily navigate the UEFI BIOS with the smoothness of their operating system. Quick and simple overclocking and setup sharing is facilitated by the F12 hotkey BIOS snapshot feature. The exclusive EZ Mode displays frequently-accessed setup info, while the Advanced Mode is for experienced performance enthusiasts that demand far more intricate system control, including detailed DRAM information. Supports Hard Drives over 2.2TB ASUS UEFI BIOS natively supports hard drives larger than 2.2TB in 64-bit, with full storage space utilization helping deliver far more exciting computing than traditional BIOS versions. AI Suite II One-stop Access to Innovative ASUS Features With its user-friendly interface, ASUS AI Suite II consolidates all the exclusive ASUS features into one simple to use software package. It allows users to supervise overclocking, energy management, fan speed control, voltage and sensor readings, and even interact with mobile devices via Wi-Fi. This all-in-one software offers diverse and ease to use functions, with no need to switch back and forth between different utilities. LucidLogix Virtu MVP LucidLogix Virtu MVP Up to 60% Hybrid Graphics Boost and 3X Faster Video Conversion LucidLogix Virtu MVP featuring HyperFormance™ Technology boosts your discrete graphics card up to 60% beyond its original performance through the test of 3DMark Vantage. Designed for Intel® processor graphics and Windows® 7 PCs, it perfectly combines the performance of discrete graphics cards with fast computing iGPU. Also with the newly designed Virtual Sync, users can enjoy a smoother gaming experience by eliminating tearing artifacts. LucidLogix Virtu MVP could also dynamically assign tasks to the best available graphics resource, based on power, performance and system load. This allows users to fully utilize 3x faster video conversion with Intel® Quick Sync Video 2.0 technology while retaining high-end 3D rendering and gaming performance, provided by both NVIDIA® and AMD graphic cards. When the discrete graphics card is not required, power consumption goes automatically down to near zero, making the system more environmentally-friendly. For users searching for perfection, LucidLogix Virtu MVP provides great graphical performance and the best flexibility and efficiency. * LucidLogix® Virtu Universal MVP™ supports Windows® 7 operating system. ** Intel® Quick Sync Video feature is supported by 3rd/2nd generation Intel® Core™ processor family. *** System Config: OS: Windows 7 64bit SP1 | MB: P8Z77-V DELUXE | CPU: CPU-1155-QB15-2700K-3.5G-Sandy BRIDGE100-8M |DIMM: DDR3 G.SKILL 17000CL9Q-16GBZH 4GB * 4 | Lucidvirtu MVP version: V126.96.36.19997 | On-board Intel VGA Driver version: V188.8.131.5298 | ASUS GTX580 Driver version: V126.96.36.19962 ASUS Crystal Sound DTS Connect Expand Your PC Audio Experience To get the most out of your audio entertainment across all formats and quality levels, DTS Connect combines two enabling technologies. DTS Neo:PC™ upmixes stereo sources (CDs, MP3s, WMAs, internet radio) into as many as 7.1 channels of incredible surround sound. Consumers can then connect their PC to a home theater system.DTS Interactive is capable of performing multi-channel encoding of DTS bitstreams on personal computers, and sending encoded bitstreams out of a digital audio connection (such as S/PDIF or HDMI) designed to deliver audio to an external decoder. DTS UltraPC II DTS UltraPC II delivers exceptional 7.1 surround through the most popular PC audio setups - your existing stereo speakers or headphones. In addition to virtual surround, it upgrades original sound to new levels with Audio Restoration, recreating the dynamic range of audio files. Symmetry mode improves the balance of perceived loudness across different input sources and Enhance boosts audio quality through high and low frequency equalization. With these technologies, users experience better home theater audio with ease. RoHS GreenASUS and ErP Ready The motherboard is European Union´s Energy-related Products (ErP) ready, and ErP requires products to meet certain energy efficiency requirements in regards to energy consumptions. This is in line with ASUS vision of creating environment-friendly and energy-efficient products through product design and innovation to reduce carbon footprint of the product and thus mitigate environmental impacts.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Mapleson Cylinders - Program Notes
|On Listening to the Mapleson Cylinders
by David Hall
"THIS RECORD IS NEITHER STEREO NOR HIGH FIDELITY"--thus, in large letters, the imprint on the outer sleeve of one of the 1950s LP discs containing rerecordings of Mapleson cylinders issued by William H. Seltsam's International Record Collectors' Club. Yet some of the sound Mapleson succeeded in capturing is quite astounding in its vividness and impact. This is especially true for some of the 1902 and 1903 performances recorded from the flies forty feet above the stage, using the giant horn shown elsewhere in these pages.
Unlike electrical recording, in use after 1925, whereby microphones could, in the words of one critic, transform the squeak of a mouse into the wail of a factory siren, the acoustic method--the sole practical technology from the time of Edison's original invention in 1877 until 1925--was wholly dependent on direct sound-wave pressure exerted on the recording diaphragm, which in turn activated the cutting stylus to form sound-wave analogues (vertically in the case of Mapleson's Edison wax cylinders, laterally in the instance of Emile Berliner's disc Gramophone or Eldridge Johnson's Victrola). The more sensitive the recording diaphragm and its linkage to the cutting stylus, the more effective the recording horn in gathering and concentrating sound waves toward the diaphragm with minimum spurious resonances, the more intelligible and esthetically pleasing in its verisimilitude to the performance was the resulting recording.
On some occasions, Mapleson was extraordinarily lucky in this respect--usually when he had a stageful of powerful soloists and chorus, and a Wagnerian orchestra or its equivalent going full blast in the pit: the final scenes of Meistersinger and Götterdämmerung are cases in point. On the other side of the coin, much of the most valuable documentation he captured predated his use of the outsize recording horn: if the singer was front-and-center, as was Nellie Melba's wont the result could be quite good, at least as regards the voice (e.g., Side 1/Band 2), but if he were a distance away--or, worse, out of line with the horn--the result could be a faint voice overwhelmed by the orchestra or by a deafening roar of surface noise. In some cases, Mapleson encountered further technical problems, such as a loose diaphragm (resulting in unbearable distortion), failure to maintain an airtight connection between horn and recording assembly, or failure to completely erase (by shaving the cylinder) an earlier recording.
What I do recommend, at all events, is that the Mapleson cylinder recordings, early and late, be listened to on high-quality headphones rather than through loudspeakers It is true that certain of the best recordings, as described above, can be heard very effectively on a good speaker system, and an unsuspecting listener would scarcely believe that the sound dated back to 1903. Nevertheless I am of the opinion that there is more to be gotten from Mapleson's handiwork, and more to be heard of the legendary singers documented on his waxes if headphones are used in preference to speakers. If one has only speakers available, it is best to set volume just high enough to hear the voice intelligibly, and then leave things alone. Otherwise, one just brings up background noise with no benefit to listening as a whole.


text:
Former Newtown Oil operator faces new federal charges
Feds: Woman defrauded financial institutions
DANBURY -- A woman connected to the now-defunct Newtown Oil Co. faces new federal charges for allegedly defrauding financial institutions of more than $3.5 million, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The federal indictment was handed down last week against Heather Bliss, 34, of Norwalk.
Last year Bliss, along with her husband, William Trudeau, was found guilty of larceny in the bilking of Newtown Oil customers.
Bliss is charged in the new indictment with three counts of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, according to court papers.
The indictment alleges Bliss and her unnamed co-conspirators submitted false mortgage loan applications while she was working as a paralegal for a Wilton real estate attorney.
Bliss and the others, according to court documents, allegedly submitted the false applications to obtain mortgages on Fairfield County properties to develop and sell for a profit.
The indictment alleges the activity occurred between April 2006 and April 2007, well before Bliss entered a plea to the state larceny charges last fall.
State's Attorney Stephen Sedensky said because the alleged fraudulent activities took place before Bliss entered a plea in state court, the charges likely won't result in a violation of her probation.
Bliss and Trudeau pleaded guilty under the Alford Doctrine last year to larceny charges for bilking customers of Newtown Oil out of thousands of dollars. A plea under the doctrine means a defendant does not admit guilt but agrees the state has enough evidence for a conviction.
At the time, the couple received suspended prison sentences after agreeing to make restitution to their victims of more than $121,000.
The couple also reached a settlement in a related civil case with the state Attorney General's Office to pay more than $262,000 to about 1,400 Newtown Oil customers.
Sedensky said Bliss and Trudeau have been "on schedule in regards to the payment provisions, which is good for consumers."
Bliss entered a not guilty plea to the charges handed down last week and was released on a $250,000 bond.
The new charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, could result in fines of up to $7 million and up to 30 years in prison.
Attorney Andrew Bowman, who represents Bliss, did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Contact Dirk Perrefort at firstname.lastname@example.com or 203-731-3358.


text:
Most of our men's padded bike shorts are made in USA! All of our shorts are engineered help you Ride Longer and Feel Stronger. We use different pads in our shorts, so there is definitely one that will work for you. See and compare the different styles. If you're looking for a comfortable pair then you're at the right place. We have shorts, bibs, knickers, and MTB clothing.
Feeling wild? Take a look through our wild print bike shorts. If you're a runner or recumbent cyclist, look through our compression shorts. You're legs will feel better with a pair of our massaging compression cycling shorts. Get freedom of movement, and muscle support for your workouts. See you on the road.Men's Bike Shorts - We have cycling shorts for men to fit any style you like. From mountain biking shorts to road bike shorts to basic black bike shorts we've got you covered.
Made with care in Pennsylvania. Read more about us.


text:
Toluna is looking for Tester for Pantene Pro-V hair repair! There are 600 Products available and you can sign up until 30/06/2014. To sign up and see if you qualify as Tester follow these instructions: CLICK HERE and sign up or log in to your Toluna Account. After you complete the sign up you will receive a confirmation email, where you have to click the link you'll find to confirm your account. Once back on the site go to the top of the page where it says "Explore", click on that, then click "Test products". Click on where it says "Test". Answer the question and you are done. If you are selected they will email you and let you know in about 2-4 weeks.
Don't forget that with Toluna you can earn money and rewards by participating in surveys. Everytime you take one survey, you collect points, that you can reedem for rewards (as Xbox, Gift cards and much more)
Then uou will find the Gifties programm, an istant win game where you can redeem a small number of points for your chance to win big.( For example, you will need only 50 points for one Chanel n.5 perfume, or 10 points for one USB mug warmer)
Every month you'll find a prize draw: each month the prizes will be won by 20 lucky winners : 1x £2,000 in cash, 1x £1,000 in cash , 1x £500 in cash, 2x £150 in cash, 3x £100 gift vouchers, 12x £75 gift vouchers. To win you'll need to have a ticket for the prize draw. The first month there is nothing for you to do, as your registration to the website automatically entitles you to a ticket. In the following months you can purchase as many tickets as you want; for each ticket you will need to convert 500 points. Need more information? click here, then "Explore", then "Rewards centre".


text:
Want to look your best but never have time to visit your favourite salon? We know the feeling! That's why we've created an innovative solution for on-demand Prom Hair & Makeup in Lechlade and beyond.
At glamdeva.com we know how difficult it can be to find time in your busy schedule - particularly for things like beauty treatments. Similarly, we know how hard it can be for beauty professionals looking to fill their diaries and make a name for themselves in the industry. So, we launched our exciting website and app - designed to solve both problems with one clever solution!
The idea is simple - all you need to do is visit our website or download our app, and you'll have instant access to top [KEYWORD] working across Gloucestershire. And at the touch of a button, you can book on-demand beauty services in your own home. It's easy, convenient and affordable - and takes a fraction of the time of driving to your local salon.
What's more, you don't need to be concerned about quality - as all the professionals are carefully vetted by Glamdeva to ensure that only the best of the best qualify. So whether you want an everyday hair and makeup consultation or something dramatic for a wedding or a special occasion, we'll help you look your best - without the stress.
At Glamdeva our customers can choose from a wide range of Prom Hair Stylists options, all available on-demand. Want to find out more about Prom Hair & Makeup in Lechlade? Get in touch today!


text:
Prior to this emergency room visit I signed up for the Exergen TemporalScanner review campaign. Little did I know that I'd get to see the product in action before it was shipped to our home. In the emergency room triage area, the nurse took my daughter's temperature with this very thermometer. Intrigued, I asked her what she thought of the temporal scanner. She replied that at first she was skeptical about the claimed accuracy of the new device. The emergency room conducted their own week long test, comparing results of the TemporalScanner with their standard procedure of taking temperatures. Amazed, they discovered that the thermometer worked as promised and was just as accurate if not more accurate than taking temperatures orally. The temporal artery thermometer is now their method of choice for recording temperatures. If the Exergen TemporalScanner is good enough for the emergency room, it is good enough for us!
The Exergen TemporalScanner is an infrared thermometer that measures the blood temperature in the temporal artery, a main artery in the forehead. Here's the amazing part -- the sensor accurately measures body temperature to within +0.2ºF! That is a whole lot more accurate than taking the temperature using other means: oral, rectal, under the arm or ear. It is also way less invasive. And, according to the press release it is the only thermometer manufactured in the U.S.
The thermometer is super easy to use, only taking 2-3 seconds. All you need to do is:
1). Put the thermometer probe on the forehead.This is a dream thermometer for parents with small children. No discomfort is felt at all during the scan and it just takes seconds. Even my squirmy one-year-old sits still to get his temperature taken! We've used our several times and love it.
2). Push the scan button & gently scan across the forehead,
3). Release the button and read the temp.
(Just make sure to take off the protective cap before taking the temperature, otherwise the thermometer will not read correctly.)
You can find the thermometer at most major retailers. It sells for around $40-$50, but believe me, it is worth every penny. Currently, a $5 off promotion is underway. Click here to download a TAT-2000C Educational Pamphlet and rebate coupon [pdf].
Win one! Exergen Corporation has kindly offered to give one Brimful Curiosities reader an Exergen TemporalScanner.
To enter, visit Exergen.com and leave a comment letting me know why you think you need this thermometer.
• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section.Three ways to gain extra entries (Maximum total entries is 4):
• Contest is open to US only
• Contest ends on Monday, April 13th, 2009 at 11:59 PM CST.
• Winner will be chosen at random
1st extra entry: Follow Me! or subscribe by email or RSS reader
2nd extra entry: Blog about this contest then post your link in the comment section.
3rd extra entry: Follow me on twitter (iambrimful) and tweet about the contest.
Thanks to Family Review Network and Exergen Corporation for this review opportunity!


text:
The skinny: The loss of defenceman Alexei Emelin took some of the joy away from the Canadiens' 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday night at the Bell Centre. Emelin left the game with a left knee injury after a collision with Boston's Milan Lucic.
Where they're at: The win tightened the Canadiens' grasp on first place in the Northeast Division. Montreal, which took three of four games from its Boston rivals this season, has 55 points for a three-point edge over the Bruins, who hold a game in hand. Montreal is also three back of idle Pittsburgh in the battle for first place in the Eastern Conference and the Canadiens have played one fewer game in that race.
Playoff feel: There was a playoff atmosphere to the game and Carey Price, who made 28 saves in his first win over Boston this season, described the three goals in the game as "playoff goals, lucky goals." Rookie Alex Galchenyuk scored for the second consecutive game with a bank shot off Bruins defenceman Matt Bartkowski and Michael Ryder redirected P.K. Subban's power-play shot from the point for his 16th goal. Daniel Paille tipped a shot by Johnny Boychuk for the Boston goal.
Hard but clean: When Andrew Ference and Francis Bouillon received coincidental minors for roughing at 1:56 of the first period, there was an sense this game might get out of hand, but there were only two other penalties. Lucic took a dumb cross-checking penalty late in the first period and Ryder made the No. 1 penalty-killing team in the NHL pay when he scored a power-play goal 57 seconds into the second period. Lars Eller went into the box for holding Zdeno Chara at 19:03. The Bruins pulled goaltender Tuukka Rask for a 6-on-4 advantage, but failed to get a shot on goal.
Jagr ineffective: Deadline acquisition Jaromir Jagr was among the Boston players who seemed to lose track of time during the power play at the end of the game. The Bruins seemed so intent on getting the perfect shot that they let the clock run out without attempting one. Jagr played 18:53 and managed only one shot on goal.
Defence steps up: After Emelin went down at 10:54 of the first period, the Canadiens asked the remaining defencemen to play a larger role. Newcomer Davis Drewiske played 23:50 and blocked four shots, while Josh Gorges led the team with six blocks in 26:15. While Yannick Weber and Tomas Kaberle are available to fill in for Emelin, the Canadiens called up Nathan Beaulieu from the American Hockey League's Hamilton Bulldogs on Sunday.
What's next: The Canadiens are home to Alexander Ovechkin and the surging Washington Capitals on Tuesday (7:30 p.m., TSN-HABS, RDS, TSN-690 Radio). The Canadiens finish the week on the road with games Thursday in Buffalo and Saturday in Toronto.
Twitter: @zababes1


text:
Welcome to our new and exciting website. Please let us know what you think about it.
HND Qualifications are level 5 Higher Education Qualifications widely recognized by universities and professional Bodies internationally Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) are international qualifications by BTEC recognized by the QCA (UK), the Ministry of Higher Education science and Technology (Kenya) and the Commission for High Education Kenya.
Script Writing (Fiction) for Television and Film Digital and Video Post Production and Editing, Promotional Video Production, Camera and Lighting for Film
Making a vehicle or model-such as car, truck, airplane, or s... Read more
Character animation has always been difficult to create in... Read more
Story boards are created as the first step after the rough... Read more
Classic cel animations, such as Walt Disney's Beauty and t... Read more
Computer animations are starting to be in more and more of... Read more
3D graphics provide much more control over than 2D graphic... Read more


text:
One of the most immediately recognizable and influential series of paintings produced in the twentieth century is Josef Albers's Homage to the Square. Beginning the series in 1950, at age 62, Albers was to produce more than a thousand Homage paintings and prints, in four different formats.(1) The works became widely known (one appeared on a 1980 United States postage stamp) and influenced two generations of hard edge and Minimalist art. The collection of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth includes three Homage to the Square paintings, from 1951, 1966, and 1967.(2) All are the same size, and have the same format of four color squares, but each evokes different moods and visual effects through its colors.
Albers constructed his Homages by laying in paint as thinly as possible with a palette knife directly on a white ground. He likened his technique to intarsia and mosaic. Paint generally came straight from the tube, and edges of the squares were painted without masking tape. Reproductions of the paintings make them appear harder-edged than they actually are. Albers would begin a composition with the center square and work his way out, never painting one square on top of another. The artist set his masonite support flat on a table, not vertically on an easel, which reinforced his notion of the paintings as "platters to serve color."(3)
Homage to the Square (La Tehuana) and the artist's other compositions in the series offer more than academic exercises in color manipulation, and differ in aim from the idealist and mystical geometric abstractions of Piet Mondrian and Kazimir Malevich. Through his concentrated exploration of, and insightful feeling for, color, Josef Albers produced compositions that evoke an extraordinary range of "character and feeling," while affirming and celebrating the directness and subtlety of vision.(4)
– Mark Thistlethwaite
(1) Nicholas Fox Weber, "The Artist as Alchemist," in Josef Albers: A Retrospective (New York: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1988): 14. The formats vary in number of squares (three or four) and in the size and proportions of the squares. The commencement of the series appears in the literature as occurring in both 1949 and 1950. The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation accepts the latter date. The Homage to the Square paintings were introduced to the public in a January 1952 exhibition at New York's Sidney Janis Gallery.
(2) All were received as a gift from Mrs. Anni Albers and The Josef Albers Foundation in 1980.
(3) Weber, 14.
(4) Josef Albers, "On My 'Homage to the Square'," in Josef Albers: Homage to the Square (New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1964).


text:
A Pennsylvania lawyer is blaming an addiction to video games for his shoddy work on a multitude of cases, the York Dispatch reports.
Matthew Eshelman, a 43-year-old now suspended-lawyer, was fired from his firm in 2007 because of multiple cases that he flubbed on because his attention was split between his job and his addiction to video games. Eshelman cites stress at home and from work as the root of the addiction.
Instead of seeking treatment for his addiction, Eshelman opened his own firm, and the situation got worse, he says. Enough of his new clients complained about his failure to do his job that the case was taken to court, where Eshelman was originally sentenced to a five years suspension. However, the court took into account his record before the addiction and lessened the suspension to three years.
At least 17 cases which were mishandled by Eshelman in his private firm were used as evidence against him during his trial. Most involved bankruptcy, divorce, and debt collection. Apparently, Eshelman not only mishandled his clients' money and ignored their angry calls, but also missed multiple deadlines and was caught lying during at least one case filing.
No information has been released regarding the games to which Eshelman is addicted.
Pa. lawyer suspended, blames video-game addiction [York Dispatch]
You can contact Jen Schiller, the author of this post, at email@example.com. You can also find her on Twitter, and lurking around our #tips page.


text:
Like a Dog
One man's heartfelt and irreverent record of his time on this rock, Zak Sally's unflinchingly veracious book, Like a Dog, is both direct and oblique, which we find rather miraculous considering the messy and murky waters of human experience it manages to navigate. Like a Dog is among the few comic book testimonials burdened by the yen to understand and articulate the mundane and the magnificent. Don't be surprised if you find yourself laughing and crying as you claw your way through each hard fought page!
Of all of Sally's creative pursuits (including a career in music spanning 15+ years), Like a Dog is the one he's been working a lifetime toward. This hardcover book collects the best of his acclaimed short stories from the past 15 years, created in between band tours and recording sessions, published in his Eisner-nominated self-published series Recidivist (the first 2 issues of which are reprinted here in their entirety) and in publications like Mome, The Drama, Your Flesh, Dirty Stories, and more.
Like a Dog spotlights Sally's uncanny ability to create emotional havoc out of claustrophobic images, situations and dialogue. Stories like "Don't Move," "The War Back Home," and "Two Idiot Brothers" share little in common on the surface but are united by Sally's forbidding style, creating a sense of dread that permeates almost every page.
Sally also turns his eye towards nonfiction in Like a Dog, including "At the Scaffold," the story of the imprisonment and trial of Fyodor Dostoyevsky for allegedly subversive behavior, and "The Man Who Killed Wally Wood," a story about Sally's brush with a former publisher of the legendary comic artist (who, contrary to the title of this strip, took his own life after a long battle with alcoholism). It also includes two collaborations: "Dread," written by NEA Fellowship recipient, Edgar Award finalist, and O. Henry Award winning author Brian Evenson (Altmann's Tongue); and "River Deep, Mountain High," co-created with fellow cartoonist Chris Cilla.
Like a Dog also includes extensive "liner notes" by the artist, previously unpublished material, an introduction by John Porcellino (King Cat), and other surprises.
"It's impossible for me to be objective about this book, as Zak is one of my closest friends, but this is a really powerful, fascinating collection of comics. Very dark, and even brutal sometimes, but bracing, and highly original."- John Porcellino
"Sally's one of those artists who can convey a sense of dread or horror out of seeming thin air, and he's really been on the periphery for far too long now. Hopefully this book will thrust him into the limelight."- Chris Mautner, Robot 6
"This is a gloriously rough-hewn and hands-on collection from a compulsive cartoonist and storyteller packaged with... flair and imagination ...Sally's dedication to innovation, exploration and imagination will astound and entrance anyone who knows capital A Art when they see it."- Win Wiacek, Now Read This!


text:
Tens of thousands of the most vulnerable patients are effectively being kept prisoner in care homes and hospitals through misuse of mental health laws, a damning House of Lords investigation has found.
In the worst cases, safeguards aimed at protecting patients with a range of conditions are being used to oppress people and force decisions on them, peers said.
They found measures supposed to be used to look after at-risk patients – such as those with dementia who might get lost if they left their care home – were being used on a significant scale to deprive them wrongly of their liberty.
The House of Lords committee set up to investigate how mental health reforms introduced in 2005 are working said it was so concerned about deprivation of liberty safeguards that they should be scrapped and a new system drawn up from scratch.
The committee chairman, Lord Hardie, said: "We were very concerned by what we heard about the safeguards. The evidence suggests that tens of thousands of people are being deprived of their liberty without the protection of the law, and without the protection that parliament intended.
"Worse still, in some cases the safeguards are being wilfully used to oppress individuals and to force decisions upon them, regardless of what actions may be in their best interests.
"The criticism of the safeguards extended to the legislative provisions themselves; we were told the provisions were poorly drafted, overly complex and bureaucratic. A senior judge described the experience of trying to write a judgment on the safeguards as feeling 'as if you have been in a washing machine and spin dryer'. Even if implementation could be improved, the legislation itself is flawed.
"In the face of such criticism, the only option is to start again. The government needs to go back to the drawing board to draft replacement provisions that are easy to understand and implement, and in keeping with the style and ethos of the Mental Capacity Act."
The report highlights the case of Steven Neary, a man in his early 20s with autism and a severe learning disability, whose father asked Hillingdon council to provide some short-term respite care.
It said staff had found Neary's behaviour very challenging and were concerned about his return home, so it was agreed that he would stay in care for a couple of weeks.
The report adds: "In fact, the council had already decided that Neary should not be allowed to return home and kept him at the facility for nearly a year, including a period when he was subject to the deprivation of liberty safeguards.
During this time plans were made to send Neary to live permanently at a facility in Wales. The court of protection held that Neary had been unlawfully detained and ordered that he must return home to live with his father."
The safeguards are part of the wider Mental Capacity Act, drawn up to simplify how patients who lack capacity are dealt with and to "empower, protect and support" them.
Peers found there had been patchy takeup of the measures it contains and called for the creation of a single independent organisation to take responsibility for implementation.
Lord Hardie said: "When the act came into being, it was seen as a visionary piece of legislation, which marked a turning point in the rights of vulnerable people; those with learning difficulties, dementia, brain injuries or temporary impairment. The committee is unanimous that this is important legislation, with the potential to transform lives.
"However, what is clear from the substantial volume of evidence we have received is that the act is not working at all well. That is because people do not know about the act, or do not understand it, even though many professionals have legal obligations under it. Those who may lack capacity have legal rights under the act, but they are not being fulfilled. In many cases complying with the act is treated like an optional add-on – nice to have, but not essential. In short, the act is not being implemented.
"The committee believes that the act is good and it needs to be implemented. What we want to see is a change in attitudes and practice across the health and social care sector which reflects the empowering ethos of the act."


text:
That new wave of talented Canadian male distance runners made another breakthrough Sunday.
Eric Gillis of Guelph, Ont., became the first homegrown Canuck in 13 years to win the prestigious Vancouver Sun Run 10K, outkicking Kenya native Kip Kangogo coming off the Cambie street bridge to cross the finish line in 29 minutes, six seconds.
Kangogo, who now lives and trains in Lethbridge, won the 2010 Sun Run by three seconds over Gillis to become the 14th Kenyan in 17 years to win the race. On Sunday, Kangogo had to settle for third when he was edged at the line in a photo finish by a hard-charging Dylan Wykes, a Kingston, Ont. native now living in Vancouver. Both were timed in 29:15.
"It's important," Gillis, 30, said of ending the Kenyans' domination of the race. "We can't have a big race like this, the biggest 10K participation-wise in Canada, and have a stretch that long without a Canadian winning. It feels good."
The bonus for Gillis on the partly sunny, but relatively cool, day was that it turned into a terrific pay day. He collected $3,000 as the overall winner and $2,000 as top Canadian.
"As a professional runner, you don't get many days like this," said the slightly built, sandy-haired Nova Scotia native. "So, it's sweet in two ways. It's the most I've ever won in a 10K road race."
Winnipeg native Chris Webber was the last Canadian to win the Sun Run, in 1998, sandwiched between 10 straight winners from Kenya. Australian Michael Power won in 2005 and Soloman Tsige of Ethiopia triumphed in 2007.
Gillis, Wykes and Kangogo ran in a group most of the race, along with Kenyans Kibet Rhutto and Willy Kimosop, the 2009 winner. But it was just the top three who turned onto Cambie Bridge together for the final kilometre.
Kangogo tried to make a break on the uphill side, but Gillis and Wykes quickly covered.
"I knew about the hill this year," said a laughing Gillis. "I didn't do a course tour last year and it was a bit of a shock to the system. So I saved a little bit for the downhill [side on to Pacific Boulevard]. I started pushing near the top of the hill and coming down and on the day I was stronger.
"I knew I had a kick with them and I was going to give it my all. Kip is a good 1,500-metre runner and he's got a strong kick and if he was going to go toward the end I wanted to be there with him."
Wykes said he was disappointed not to win, but "it was close all the way. No one really wanted to show the cards until the end. I came off the top of the bridge and my legs were just gone, although I kind of regained my composure a little bit right at the finish."
The lanky Wykes said it was "fantastic" to see a Canadian win.
"I know Eric really well, been racing against him for years. There's a great group of guys in Canada right now running 10K, half-marathon and marathon. Everyone's doing well and got the confidence that we can take on whoever shows up. Both Eric and I had the same mentality. It didn't matter who else was there, we were going to go for the win."
Gillis and Wykes both have a couple more 10K road races on their schedule this spring, but the big race on their horizon is the Scotiabank Toronto Marathon on Oct. 16.
In 2010, both just missed Athletics Canada's A+ standard of two hours, 11 minutes, 30 seconds to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics — Gillis running 2:12:08 at Toronto and Wykes running 2:12:39 in winning the California International Marathon.
At Toronto this year, they'll be joined by Reid Coolsaet of Guelph, who ran a 2:11:23 last year, the fastest marathon by a Canadian male in 24 years, and Rob Watson, Canada's fourth-ranked marathoner.
"It's going to be really exciting," said Gillis. "I would love it if everyone came healthy and as fit as they've ever been and we just duke it out for those [three] Olympic spots."
They'll also be looking to cash in on a $36,000 bonus being put up by organizers for the first man to break Jerome Dayton's 36-year-old Canadian marathon record of 2:10:09.
"If there was just one of us, I would say it's possible, but don't count on it," said Gillis. "But with the number of people we have for this one and the preparation people are going to do ... it's going to be exciting for us to take a shot at that record."
Vancouver Sun Run 2011 Results Search:
Enter your name below to find where you finished.


text: What was the "PLUS" is now the "SportsVan". The Golf SV is the third variant of the seventh-generation Golf, alongside the hatchback and the Estate. t 4,338 mm long, the new SV is 134 mm longer than the Golf Plus that it replaces, and 83 mm longer than the Golf.


text:
Purchase one of our prepaid data plans to get highly discounted data rates to cheaply access the internet and download data almost anywhere in the world! You can save up to 300% with a Prepaid Global Data Plan.
Zone-A150+ countries, including all popular tourist destinations in Europe and Asia, and many intrepid locations in the rest of the world.
Zone-BExtends zone A to over 160 countries, including some newly promoted destinations such as India and Morocco.


text:
Studying abroad
Studying abroad is a great way to broaden your horizons. It's beneficial for both your academic and personal development. Not only will you gain new experiences, but you'll also learn to get by in a different environment. A period of study abroad is an asset on your CV. With the increasing internationalisation of job markets, many employers regard international experience as a real advantage.


text:
'Homeland' set to return, but where's Brody?
Showtime's Emmy-winning drama, "Homeland," returns for its third season on Sept. 29, but don't expect to see any trace of Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis).
No, he hasn't been killed off. Not yet, at least. He'll just be missing from at least the first two episodes as "Homeland" concentrates on the home front.
"Brody is on the lam. He's disappeared into a tunnel system ...," Lewis told reporters Monday at the TV critics press tour. "He's the most wanted criminal in the world at this point."
To have Brody AWOL was "strictly a function of the story," according to executive producer Alex Gansa, who refused to say when, exactly, viewers will see him again.
The early focus instead will be on Washington, where CIA analyst Carrie Mathison is again in a fraglie state and off her meds. When Season 2 ended, she had helped Brody flee the country after he became a suspect in a deadly explosion that rocked CIA headquarters.
"She is always sitting on her own personal ticking bomb. It's just an impossible dilemma," Danes said. "She's not great on the meds and even worse off of them. It's pretty bleak in the beginning."
Meanwhile, Saul (Mandy Patinkin) is acting head of the CIA, a position that causes him a lot of anxiety.
"One of the themes of Season 3 is the cost of being an intelligence officer," said Gansa. "As a result of the attack last year, the CIA is itself on trial. If the CIA can't protect itself, how can it be expected to protect the country? Saul is confronted with that very question."
"Homeland" is coming off a season in which it was the target of critical disdain for the first time, as many viewers became fixated on what they saw as implausibilities and holes in the plot. Still, it earned 11 Emmy nominations, including nods for best drama, actor (Lewis) and actress (Danes).
Gansa said he and his writers didn't allow the criticism to impact their approach to Season 3.
"Obviously, we wished the backlash had never happened," he said. "But the show built its audience through Season 2 and our 11 Emmy nominations are a nice comeback."


text:
Your search did not match any results.
We suggest you try the following to help find what you're looking for:
Mass production technologies spawned modern consumerism. While most agree this was a beneficial development that profoundly changed the human experience—it also presented inherent tradeoffs, namely less individualism and personalization in our products and transactions.
The digital age is turning convention on its head as we increasingly expect—and even demand—to have it our way, whether transacting, communicating, working, or simply enjoying leisure time. Welcome to Era I, the Age of the Individual. Millennials and Generation Z behind them lead the way, but the impact of Era I extends well beyond these two demographic juggernauts.
What does this mean for enterprises? Organizations must be ready and able to turn on a dime and deliver content, experiences, services, and technology to individuals however and wherever they desire. So how are the enterprises doing?
Oracle's "The Era I Enterprise: Ready for Anything" report surveyed 300 North America C-level executives—across the communications, education and research, engineering and construction, financial services, healthcare, hospitality, life sciences, public sector, retail, and utilities industries—to understand the emergence of Era I and, importantly, how prepared organizations are to manage this shift.


text:
Trans Aging
The Transgender Aging Network (TAN) exists to improve the lives of current and future trans/SOFFA (significant others, friends, family and allies) elders by:
- Identifying, promoting communication among, and enhancing the work of researchers, service providers, educators, advocates, elders and others who are interested in trans/SOFFA aging issues;
- Promoting awareness of concerns, issues, and realities of trans/SOFFA aging among service providers, researchers, advocates, health care professionals, the lesbian/gay/bisexual and trans communities, and other relevant audiences;
- Advocating for policy changes in public and private institutions, services, organizations, programs, etc. to provide better access for and respectful and appropriate treatment of trans/SOFFA elders; and
- Providing communication channels through which trans/SOFFA elders can give and receive support and information.
TAN is a proud partner in the federal-government funded National Resource Center on LGBT Aging, headed by SAGE.
TAN membership is free. We offer two listservs, and our numerous publications are available for free download. We can offer onsite training, provide assistance in making publications and training materials inclusive, and set up one-time or ongoing expert consultations for your staff for a negotiated fee.
Loree Cook-Daniels – founder of TAN.
National Resource Center
on LGBT Aging
FORGE Transgender Aging Network is proud to be the only Midwest and only trans-specific partner in the groundbreaking, federally funded National Resource Center on LGBT Aging.
EXTERNAL SITE Latest from the GrayPrideParade Blog
- No items.


text:
Difference between revisions of "Silicondust HDHomeRun Prime"
m (→Illustrated Guide (Master/.25): Tweak)
(Reverted two of my edits based on Raymond Wagner comments on Talk page)
|Line 49:
|Line 49:
|Give your tuner a descriptive name.
|Give your tuner a descriptive name. Change the '''Video Source''' to the one we just created. '''Press Fetch channels from listings source.''' You will see '''Starting channel''' read ''Please add channels to this source''. You can press '''Next''', then '''Finish'''. Press enter on the same tuner, and you will find that you can now successfully set a starting channel for this tuner.
Revision as of 08:52, 31 August 2013
The HDHomeRun Prime, by SiliconDust USA (a wholly owned subsidiary of SiliconDust Engineering, New Zealand), is an external HDTV tuner for personal computers. It has three or six independent tuners, interfaces to the computer via ethernet, and supports a multi-stream CableCARD. Support has been added as of the 0.24 release. The Hauppauge DCR-2650 is a similar, USB-based CableCARD tuner manufactured by SiliconDust.
The Prime is essentially SiliconDust's HDHomeRun tuner with over-the-air ATSC support removed and CableCARD support added. (It thus retains the HDHomeRun's ability to receive clear QAM channels without a CableCARD.) Unlike the Ceton InfiniTV 4 the Prime does not require a PCI slot; it has an Ethernet port instead.
Full support of CableCARD requires that every device and software in the recording chain be certified as enforcing the copy protection mandated by the software. For insurmountable technical reasons, MythTV cannot comply with this. Because of this, the HDHomeRun Prime will only allow MythTV access to those shows that are not copy protected. These copy freely shows may be encrypted and inaccessible to a standard QAM tuner, but will be decrypted and made available through the HDHomeRun Prime. These are the same shows that can presently be accessed through firewire capture from a cable box.
While a digital tuner, CableCARD does not support the kind of access needed by multirec to record multiple shows from a single tuner. This device can only record three (or, for the rackmount version using two CableCARDs, six) shows at a time.
The Prime has an internal Web server at
http://insert.prime.address.here/ that provides configuration and status information such as signal strength and copy protection.
Note: This guide assumes that you have correctly set up and configured MythTV itself, including setting up a working database and all the other setup steps common to a working MythTV setup
Illustrated Guide (Master/.25)
- I'm not able to tune any of my channels! The OSD simply says "Partial Lock" and "LAMc". What gives?
- A lock message of LAMc indicates the channel is encrypted and untunable. There are multiple possibilities. Either the channel might not be copy-freely, and thus is uncapturable in MythTV, or your CableCARD may not have been properly activated. Check your HDHomeRun Prime's Web page (by bringing up its IP address in a Web browser). Click Status Menu. You should be able to see the tuner which is currently recording, and the channel to which it is tuned. Click the link for that tuner number at the top. The value for Authorization should be subscribed (A valid value in some cases is "unspecified". If a non-working channel says "unspecified", see what appears for nearby working channels before assuming that it indicates an error.) and the CCI Protection should be unrestricted. If either of these values are different, and you are certain your CableCARD and HDHR Prime are properly paired, then this channel may not be capturable in MythTV. A value of "unknown" most likely means that your card is not properly provisioned. For clear QAM channels (channels which can be tuned with any QAM tuner), Authorization may be unknown, but the channel may still be capturable.
- Because many technicians (even those allegedly trained on the subject) are unfamiliar with CableCARD setups, particularly with devices like the HDHomeRun Prime, there is a good chance that you will have to call your cable provider a couple of times to get things worked out. If a regular reset doesn't work (sometimes it can take more than one to "stick"), ask for a "Cold Hit", "DAC Init" or "Grand Slam Init/Hit". For some reason, the phone representatives are hesitant to try these, so be insistent.
- The direct number to the Comcast CableCARD activation line is 877-405-2298, which should connect you directly to a human. Don't bother calling the number that your device recommends; that is just the normal customer service number.
- I have defined my tuners by IP address, but when I try to use more than one of them, all my recordings fail!
- You must update to (at a minimum) latest .24-fixes to use the HDHomeRun Prime. Numerous bugs, notably one which caused failed recordings when defined by IP address, have been fixed.
- I want to use the Prime only to tune in Clear QAM channels.
- The PrimeUpdateScript will be of interest.
- My recordings are being mysteriously truncated.
- Try increasing the network buffers: sysctl -w net.core.rmem_max=1048576
- There is a bug in certain HDHomeRun Prime tuners with the 20120405 firmware which leads to it dropping off the network, leading to truncated recordings, broken LiveTV streams, and glitchy recordings. The workaround is to continuously ping the HDHR.
- Check for packet loss, see the Troubleshooting section on the SiliconDust HDHomeRun page.
- My HDHomeRun Prime cannot tune certain channels
- You can get a lot of information from the web interface on the hdhomerun prime. You can look at the logs, and if you are tuned to a channel you can look at information about the channel. Also you can get a listing of all of the channels that the hdhomerun knows about. If you know the ip address of your hdhomerun, just point a browser to it.
- If that doesn't work, you can tune to virtual channels and see what the CCI and other information is using the hdhomerun_config tool.
- I had an issue where some of my channels weren't tuning, and I powercycled the hdhomerun and it started working.
- Sometimes DRM may affect tuning some channels. The channels you lost are likely being protected with the "One Copy" protection scheme (or other) that requires DRM to allow access to the stream.
- I am having trouble configuring MythTV 0.24 with the HDHR Prime
- If using MythTV .24-fixes, it is currently necessary to use some "tricks" to get a working lineup, and to use all three tuners on each HDHomeRun Device. A summary of the steps needed in the older version of this page.
More Information
- SiliconDust HDHomeRun Prime
- Official HDHomeRun forum (hosted by silicondust.com) Official HDHomeRun forum


text:
Reba McEntire and Rascal Flatts Lead All-Star Lineup for 'The Country Christmas Collection' CD
Christmas is a time that reminds us of home and family traditions — two things that have always been celebrated in country music — so it's only natural that so many country artists have contributed classic songs to the holiday season.
This year, Colonial Candle is extending that tradition with the help of Big Machine Records and an all-star roster of artists that includes Reba McEntire, Martina McBride, and Rascal Flatts, not to mention a candle that will keep your house smelling like the holidays, all yuletide long.
The gift set, dubbed 'The Country Christmas Collection,' includes Reba's take on 'I'll Be Home for Christmas,' Steel Magnolia covering 'It's Christmas Time,' the Band Perry doing 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,' Edens Edge's version of 'O Holy Night,' and more, boxed up with a Holiday Sparkle-scented candle.
'The Country Christmas Collection' retails for $25 and will be available at select stores, as well as the Colonial Candle website, starting in October.
'The Country Christmas Collection' complete track listing
Reba McEntire, 'I'll Be Home For Christmas'
Rascal Flatts, 'Mary Did You Know'
Martina McBride, 'Please Come Home For Christmas'
Jewel, 'Angels We Have Heard On High'
The Band Perry, 'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town'
Justin Moore, 'Run Rudolph Run'
Eli Young Band, 'Wonderful Christmastime'
Steel Magnolia, 'It's Christmas Time'
Edens Edge, 'O Holy Night'


text:
Train derails in northern Nevada, no injuries
Twenty cars of a Union Pacific train hauling grain derailed Saturday afternoon in the northern Nevada desert, but no injuries were reported.
Union Pacific spokesman Aaron Hunt told the Reno Gazette-Journal ( https://on.rgj.com/Z9kAKY ) that the derailment occurred shortly after 3 p.m. near Sulfur, about 50 miles west of Winnemucca.
He says the 105-car train was headed to Roseville, Calif., but its origin and the company it was hauling grain for were not immediately known.
Hunt says train traffic was being rerouted on another line through Nevada, and no trains were being held up because of the derailment.
The cause of the derailment is under investigation.
Information from: Reno Gazette-Journal, https://www.rgj.com


text:
New Catholic Dictionary – Saint Beuno
(died 660) Confessor, Abbot of Clynnog Fawr, born Powis-land, Wales; died Carnarvonshire. He studied in the monastery of Bangor, North Wales, where he was ordained priest, and became active in missionary work. Cadvan, King of Gwynedd, was his benefactor. In 616 he founded the Abbey of Clynnog Fawr in Carnarvonshire. According to tradition he restored his niece Saint Winefride to life at Holywell where many miracles have since then taken place. Eleven churches and a Jesuit house, formerly of theological studies, now of novices and tertiaries, in the Diocese of Saint Asaph are named for him. Feast, 21 April.


text:
Special Report: Health Care Abroad
Getting medical treatment when you're traveling can be more complicated—and expensive—than you think. Here, how you can better prepare yourself
Insurance 101
By Barbara Benham
Having the right health insurance coverage is essential no matter where you are. Consider the retiree who fell down a manhole in Oaxaca. The college student with appendicitis who had to be evacuated by helicopter from Papua New Guinea. The IT executive whose hot-air balloon crashed in Kenya.
Yet, by some estimates as few as 5 percent of American travelers have health insurance coverage while they're abroad. According to Larry Akey, spokesman for the Health Insurance Association of America, most U.S. insurance plans—even the more comprehensive point-of-service plans—do not reimburse you for any medical expenses outside the country.
For this reason, travel agents, tour operators, cruise lines, and clinics across the United States sell a host of supplemental travel health insurance plans to cover you when your regular provider doesn't. But is extra coverage always necessary?And how do you know what kind of plan to get?
To determine if you need travel health insurance, first check with your insurer about whether you have international coverage. Mercifully, this is a more straightforward question than you'd think: the answer tends to be a simple yes or no (it's usually no).
Supplemental coverage isn't just for international travelers, either. Some insurance plans divide the United States into geographical "markets"—if you receive care from a doctor who accepts your insurance but isn't in your market, you might not be covered, and the doctor wouldn't necessarily be aware of this. Also, many plans do not extend to U.S. territories, such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Although emergency treatment is sometimes exempt from such restrictions, it's a good idea to check on the rules with your insurance company before you travel, especially if you're in an HMO.
Separately, if you're insured through your employer, you should ask whether the company has already taken out travel insurance coverage. Your regular insurer might not know about this, since travel insurance is sometimes arranged through a different company.
If you find out you're not covered abroad or in a particular region of the country, it is prudent to consider purchasing supplemental insurance. And if you're going to a remote area or a country where medical standards are not high, you might also think about signing up with a medical evacuation service, which will help arrange and finance transportation to a hospital. See "The Fine Print," below, for more on how to evaluate your options.
Supplemental travel health insurance generally comes in three forms:
• A per-trip or annual plan, to cover medical expenses and/or evacuation, that you purchase directly from a provider.
• A customized plan, typically including trip-cancellation insurance and sold by a tour operator or cruise line you've booked with. One of the biggest providers is BerkelyCare, which designs plans for companies such as Tauck World Discovery and Silversea Cruises.
• A bundled package—travel health and trip-cancellation insurance—that you buy yourself from a large travel-insurance firm such as Travel Guard International.
Prices vary but tend to be based on your age, the length of your trip, and the amount of coverage. Location can also be a factor, especially with custom plans. The State Department publishes a useful guide to insurance options (available on-line at travel.state.gov/medical.html); see also "A Guide to Travel Medical Providers," below, for basic plans from leading companies.
Seeking Treatment: What to Expect
By Michelle Andrews
For the most part, health care in foreign countries is not regulated to the extent that it is in the United States. Physicians are less likely to be trained as specialists, so board certification is uncommon. And many countries are just beginning to put hospital accreditation programs in place.
"Accreditation procedures aren't very advanced in Central and South America or Asia and Eastern Europe," says Paul vanOstenberg, executive director of accreditation for the Joint Commission International (JCI), the overseas arm of the organization that accredits U.S. hospitals. "But we've been working with countries on accreditation." Those include France, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Germany, and Brazil.
A hospital accredited by the JCI meets standards equivalent to those in the United States for infection control, blood-banking practices, patient assessment and care, and ensuring the competency of medical personnel, among other criteria. Go to www.jcrinc.com and click on Joint Commission International to find a list of the 40 or so hospitals worldwide that meet these standards.
If you're traveling in an area where you don't have access to a JCI-accredited hospital, you can probably find one with similar standards by checking with the American Embassy or Consulate where you're staying. They can typically refer you to an English-speaking doctor or a hospital that they recommend for their own employees. Some travel insurers and medical assistance companies also maintain lists of approved doctors and facilities that you can access if you've purchased their plans or services.
Even if you have health insurance that covers medical care in a foreign country, you'll almost always need to put money on the table to receive treatment—and that often means cash, not a credit card. In many cases, you'll have to pay up front, even in an emergency, although travel health insurance and medical assistance providers may be able to help by guaranteeing payment.
Individual doctors and smaller clinics are the most likely to have a cash-only policy for foreigners, even in developed countries such as Japan, Australia, and Spain. Hospitals are more likely to accept credit cards, though they may demand that you surrender your passport and/or make a cash deposit before they'll treat you.
The Germans calculate fees based on, among other things, the services received and the patient's finances. But prices elsewhere are not so predictable. In fact, travelers may be charged inflated fees. The State Department cautions that travelers to Mexican resorts like Cancœn, for instance, have been charged exorbitant rates and been billed for services not provided. The best advice: whenever possible, agree on a price before you agree to treatment.
If you've forgotten your prescription drugs or lose them while traveling in Europe or any developed country, you can most likely get the same medicine you use at home. In developing countries, that may be more difficult. Either way, know what to ask for: drugs overseas will probably have different names from the ones you're used to. The antacid Prilosec, for example, is called Losec in Canada and Gastroloc in Germany. So ask for a drug by its generic name—in this case, omeprazole. (Go to www.drugstore.com and type in a drug to learn its generic name.) Note that dosages may differ as well; the 20-milligram pill you take may come only in 40-milligram strength overseas.
Although you should always carry prescription information for any necessary medications, many can be obtained over the counter abroad. "In Brazil, 'dispense only with a prescription' isn't really the law, it's a recommendation," one pharmacist there recently told Paul Doering, a pharmacy professor at the University of Florida.
When an overseas doctor writes you a prescription, be aware that many drugs used in other countries have been rejected or pulled from the market here. For instance, a heartburn drug with the generic name domperidone that's commonly prescribed in other countries has been repeatedly rejected in the United States because of its side effects. If you get a prescription for an unfamiliar drug, ask the doctor whether it is available in America. If it's not, request one that is or ask for an explanation of why the proposed drug is an equally good—and safe—choice.
The Fine Print—Understanding Insurance Coverage
Things to look for when choosing a travel health insurance plan:
Preexisting conditions Many plans won't cover them. However, some will waive the exclusion if you purchase insurance shortly after you put down a deposit on your trip. The grace period typically runs between 7 and 15 days. Be sure to check how the plan defines a preexisting condition, and whether you might be off the hook if your diagnosis was made a few years ago.
Age Check for any special limitations on older travelers. Some plans won't cover those 75 or older; others go up to age 80.
Medical services The best plans offer round-the-clock assistance, referral and translation services, and a network of accredited health-care providers.
Adventure sports If you have an accident while engaging in a "high risk" activity—anything from scuba diving to hot-air ballooning—you'll usually need to have purchased a "sports rider" to be covered. Inquire about specific activities: some plans exempt parasailing, for example, while others don't. If you're traveling within the United States and are covered by your own health insurance, this isn't an issue; injury caused by any legal activity tends to be covered.
Pregnancy/childbirth Most travel health plans do not cover pregnancy-related episodes or childbirth. Those that do usually have restrictions.
Credit cards Some gold and platinum cards offer medical evacuation assistance. That usually means arrangements to get you to a hospital, but not the expense (though you might get your credit extended).
Medical evacuation The most comprehensive plans cover transport to the nearest high-quality medical facility as well as repatriation—that is, the trip back home. Watch out for plans that cover only "medically necessary" transfers, since this may mean you can't choose where you're treated.
Wire transfers/direct payment Some plans will wire cash or pay a hospital or doctor directly; others will not.
Prescription drugs Most plans will help you fill a prescription overseas or replace a lost one from the States. Some also offer limited reimbursement for prescriptions.
A Guide to Travel Medical Providers
- 800/487-4722; www.insuremytrip.com
- The Product 30 travel health insurance plans from 11 providers
- What's Covered Typically, medical expenses, evacuation, and repatriation
- The Cost Based on age, length of trip, and amount of coverage—anywhere from $20 for a standard single-trip plan to $250 for an annual plan
- 888/243-2358; www.highwaytohealth.com
- The Product TravelGap Vacationer
- What's Covered Up to $100,000 in medical expenses and $50,000 for evacuation
- The Cost Based on age and length of trip—a 15-day plan for travelers in their forties is $65; for those ages 60 through 74 it would be $87.50
- 800/989-2345; www.buyinternationaltravel.com
- The Product Patriot Travel Medical Insurance
- What's Covered Up to $100,000 in medical expenses, evacuation, and repatriation costs
- The Cost Based on age and length of trip—a 15-day plan for travelers in their forties is $37
- 800/826-1300; www.travelguard.com
- The Product Cruise, Tour and Travel plan
- What's Covered Up to $10,000 in medical expenses and $50,000 for evacuation
- The Cost Based on age and cost of trip—averages between 5 and 7 percent of trip cost (higher for older travelers)
- 800/963-3538; www.medjetassistance.com
- The Product MEDJET Assistance program
- What's Covered Medical transport, including repatriation, for one year as long as you're at least 150 miles from home
- The Cost $195 for individuals 75 and under; $295 for a family plan (up to seven people)
Traveling for Elective Surgery
For years, Jane Shealy, 45, had been thinking about liposuction. "I wanted to be able to buy jeans and not need to have them professionally altered," she says, noting that her size 12 legs were out of proportion to her size 6 waist. Still, the $11,000 to $14,000 she'd been quoted was just too high.
Then Shealy learned about a South African company, Surgeon & Safari, that promises top-notch plastic surgery at low rates, capped by a safari. The price for liposuction: $2,800. She booked a ticket to Johannesburg.
After the procedure, Shealy spent a night at a clinic and three days recuperating at a luxury hotel. Following a post-operative visit, her doctor said she was clear for a safari in Kenya. "It was more like a vacation," says Shealy. "I could get my mind off any discomfort I felt."
More and more countries like South Africa, Thailand, Mexico, and India are marketing themselves as "medical tourism" destinations for procedures such as plastic surgery, lasik eye surgery, and dental work. Surgeon & Safari, which serves about 30 clients per month, is small compared with Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok, a pioneer in medical tourism that treated 264,000 international patients from 144 countries last year. Bumrungrad is internationally accredited, and a third of its 600 doctors are trained overseas and/or board-certified. "We knew that we'd have to instill confidence in consumers," says Ruben Toral, the hospital's director of international operations.
If you're considering surgery abroad, be sure to evaluate the facility and the surgeon. Ask whether the doctor has completed specialty training and is licensed to perform procedures both in private practice and at a public hospital. A trained anesthesiologist is equally important. Membership in either the International Confederation for Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery or the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery is a good benchmark for plastic surgeons. If possible, use an internationally accredited hospital (see "Medical Standards," above) as well as one that has an intensive-care unit. And keep in mind that, should something go wrong, chances are you won't have legal recourse in the United States.


text:
No record was found.
This website serves as the consumer education website for New Hampshire's lead agency of the Child Care and Development Block Grant. The preparation and maintenance of this website was financed under a Contract with the State of New Hampshire, Department of Health and Human Services, Division for Children, Youth and Families, Bureau of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration with funds provided in part by the State of New Hampshire and the US Department of Health and Human Services.


text:
Stories by Susi [2] Series by Susi [0] Reviews by Susi [0] Challenges by Susi [0] Favorite Series [0] Susi's Favorites [0]Series
Stories by Susi
|The authors own nothing. Joss, UPN, WB, etc. own Buffy, the show, the characters, the places, and the backstory. The authors own any original plots.


text:
Vieux Port, Terrasse, Palais des Festivals à pieds, Appartement, 42m², 4 couchages
0 € *
Réf. 54006
Back to the list
Book Informations See location
4 bedroom(s)
x 1
x 1
Bathroom / Shower room
x 1
x 0
Housing description
Cannes - Vieux Port. 1 Bedroom with terrace situated in a recent residence in the peace in only 350 meters of Beach and 600 meters of the Palais des festivals. This apartment offers, a kitchen US outing, a bathroom, independent toilets and a bedroom with cupboard. The apartment is completely air-conditioned. WIFI
* The price includes the final cleaning


text:
New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/09/2013 --Magnum Hunter Resources Corp. (NYSE: MHR) stock closed its latest trading session at $4.20, up 1.45 percent from its previous close of $4.14. However, its today's volume of 1.705 million shares was significantly lower than its usual trading volume of 3.357 million shares. The stock opened the session at $4.12 and touched its highest price point at $4.20. Magnum Hunter Resources shows bullish trend and its stock can touch $4.31 in the coming sessions. After breaching this level, it may go as high as $4.73. The company is an oil and gas outfit. It was earlier known as Petro Resources Corporation and changed its name in 2009.
Get everything investors need to know on MHR by getting the free full report here: http://www.wallstreetreport.net/market-scan/?symbol=MHR
AuRico Gold Inc. (NYSE: AUQ) shows neutral trend as the stock made an up movement in its latest trading session. It opened the session at $8.17 and remained in $8.10 and $8.29 price range during the session. The stock closed 1.34 percent higher at $8.29. AuRico Gold's first resistance level is at $8.44. Upon breaching this level, the stock may go as high as $8.96. AuRico Gold explores and develops gold and silver properties. The company is operational in Mexico, Australia and Canada. It owns 15,000 hectare Ocampo mine. The company was established in 1986.
Find out more about AUQ by getting the free full report here: http://www.wallstreetreport.net/market-scan/?symbol=AUQ
About WallStreetReport.net
WallStreetReport.net issues momentum alerts on stocks that can provide gains to day traders. WallStreetReport.net provides members with timely information and exclusive alerts on cheap and under-valued stocks in the United States with the potential to deliver gains of 100% - 200% or more. WallStreetReport.net monitors and scans the markets for stock related signals as well as any external factors that might bring trading opportunities.Through a vast network of IR professionals WallStreetReport.net is often in the know of several large investor awareness campaigns being deployed.
Timing is everything when trading Penny Stocks. Gain an Edge by joining the WallStreetReport.net newsletter and receiving alerts from a Pro-Active team of researchers. Wall Street Report believes traders should have a chance at successfully trading Penny Stocks and invites traders and investors to be part of the Free VIP membership.
Simply sign up for free and start receiving exclusive alerts.
Subscribe Here: http://www.WallStreetReport.net
Disclosure: WallStreetReport.net is not a registered investment advisor and nothing contained in any materials should be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell securities. Investors should always conduct their own due diligence with any potential investment. Please visit WallStreetreport.Net website, for complete risks and disclosures.
BlueLys, its employees, officers, directors, shareholders and affiliates, hold no positions in the above-mentioned stocks.
Contact Info:
Michael Baine


text:
I have a problem to understand how i need to do/create a formula.
So, for example I have two column, with ranges
A1:A100 - contain only numbers from 1 to 100
B1:B100 - contain any text data
Now i need to get all data from B1:B100 to list, where A1:A100>=20 AND A1:A100<=50
How I can do that ? whic what functions ?
I have i little example what work fine but.. it have only one condition : IF(A1:A100>=20; B1:B100) (i put this formula in Data>Validity>Range Cell) and it's work fine ! but i need TWO conditions.. so my idea it's like a BETWEEN searching..
I hope you understand what i say and my logic.


text:
ZestFinance Aims to Fix Underwriting for the Underbanked
Show more sharing options
Share Show more sharing options
Former Google CIO Douglas Merrill is rolling out today the fifth generation of his Google-like underwriting platform for loans to the underbanked.
Merrill started his Hollywood, Calif., company, ZestFinance, after his sister in law, a single mother of three who has a full-time job and is a full-time student, needed money to pay for a new tire. "Like 60 million Americans, she is underbanked," Merrill says. "She has a bank account but no access to traditional credit. I said, what would you have done if I hadn't answered the phone? She said she would have taken out a payday loan."
Merrill didn't know what that was. Research told him payday loans are a form of subprime lending where a person (usually without access to credit) borrows against a future paycheck, typically in small amounts and over a short period of time. There are 25,000 payday lenders in U.S. These types of loans typically cost 400 percent annual interest (APR) or more, and the finance charges range from $15 to $30 on a $100 loan, according to the Consumer Federation of America.
Nearly 19 million households in the U.S. use payday loans; industry analysts say this adds up to more than $30 billion in short-term credit every year.
"I thought that wasn't fair — is there a way to provide loans to these people that's not so expensive?" Merrill says.
Payday lenders aren't evil, but they don't know how to underwrite, Merrill believes. "They have to charge a lot because they have to assume people won't be able to repay," he says. He considers this a machine learning/Big Data problem. Traditional underwriting methods use logistic regression, feeding 10 variables into that regression, he says. "If any of those variables are incorrect, people get slammed. If you could get access to thousands of signals, you could correct that."
A lot of data for the underbanked is inaccurate or missing, Merrill points out. "A heavy weight is placed on a small number of signals - bankruptcy, credit card default. Traditional math doesn't work."
Merrill's group of ex-Googlers and ex-Capital One people have developed a new underwriting model named Hilbert. "We name all our models after famous dead statisticians," Merrill explains.
Hilbert takes 70,000 signals, runs them through 10 separate underwriting models, each able to consume hundreds of thousands of variables. "The 10 models vote in a way, it's like getting your 10 smartest friends around a table and asking their opinion about something," Merrill says. Results are produced in 250 milliseconds to deliver results. "We're about 50% better than our previous model on approval rate and default. And [the previous model] Hollerith was 50% better than industry average." (The models are evaluated by looking back at loan scores and noting which went bad and which didn't.)
ZestFinance's data sources include ten "alternative" credit bureaus that payday lenders report to. Its new model weaves more human understanding into the mathematical calculations. For instance, there are good bankruptcies and bad bankruptcies, Merrill says. "You have to understand the implications of bankruptcy on the underbanked," he says. "Sometimes it doesn't matter, sometimes it does matter."
Merrill describes Hilbert as "ridiculously stunning." "What I want to do is use math, science and art to give more credit to the underbanked." The goal is to help people save money and develop relationships with loan providers. A $500 loan made through ZestFinance's platform would cost the borrower $400 in interest and fees. A comparable payday loan would rack up $900 in costs, Merrill says.
"The ultimate win will be when major banks realize this is a huge win for them," Merrill says. "They don't know how to underwrite and they're scared."
ZestFinance has one public partner, SpotLoan, that makes first-term installment loans. It also works with banks that prefer not to have their names used publicly.
BillFloat in San Francisco has a similar program for underwriting loans to the underbanked, and it also works with banks. The company derives its data from utilities and telecom operators, who provide information about how well people pay their bills. Atlanta-based credit reporting company Equifax is also starting to provide payment data for the underbanked.