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Roof concerns force evacuation at KC day care
118 children, 30 staff members taken to The Children's Spot
Kansas City firefighters evacuated St. Luke's Day Care Center Thursday morning because of roof concerns after this week's heavy snowfall.
Firefighters were called to 4231 Pennsylvania Ave. about 8:50 a.m. to inspect the roof after workers noticed tiles popping and bowing, according to a St. Luke's Hospital spokeswoman.
"It's definitely comforting that someone noticed it before it became a problem," said parent Alisa Shull.
Authorities said 118 children and 30 staff members were taken to The Children's Spot at 4330 Pennsylvania Ave. The parents of the children are all employees of the St. Luke's Health System.
Laurel Gifford of the St. Luke's Health System said the children didn't seem bothered by the change at all.
"(There was) no panic at all. In fact, they were singing 'Wheels on the Bus' as the firefighters were getting them loaded on the bus," she said. "l think they had a great, had a great day."
Shull said her 18-month-old son Zachary was fine after the relocation.
"Nobody was crying. Nobody was upset during the whole transition over there, so I felt comfortable about leaving him," she said.
Workers thought they would try to shovel the snow away to lighten the load on the roof, but decided to try to melt it instead and let the water drain through eaves spouts. They also turned up the temperature inside the building to try to get as much heat as possible in the building.
"Snow can be very heavy and definitely weighs down the roof," said Jeremy Bechtold of St. Luke's Facilities and Construction. "The roofs are designed for a certain amount of snow load but sometimes water adds to that as it melts too, making sure all the gutters are cleared out is important and we're doing that at our other buildings as well."
Other businesses, especially those with flat roofs, are also keeping an eye on the heavy snow.
The experts at the structural engineering firm Bob D. Campbell and Co. said that signs of an impending roof collapse are often visible long before it happens.
They suggested people keep an eye out for cracks in the ceiling drywall, sagging ceiling tiles, askew sprinkler pipe heads and leakage into the building. They said anyone with existing roof problems before a big snow will probably see that problem get worse.


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Alan Jackson's son-in-law, Ben Selecman, 28, died on Sept. 12 after suffering "severe injuries during a boating accident," according to the Nashville District Attorney's Office, where Ben was an assistant DA.
WSMV-TV reporter Jimmy Carter reported the news via Facebook.
The Davidson Country DA issued the following statement: "The District Attorney's Office is saddened to announce the passing of Assistant DA Ben Selecman. General Selecman suffered severe injuries during a boating accident and passed away on September 12. He was 28-years-old. District Attorney Glenn Funk said the DA's Office is thankful for every day that Ben had the opportunity to serve the people of Davidson County. Our prayers are with Ben's family. He will be truly missed."
Ben married Alan's oldest daughter, Mattie, in October 2017.
The wedding was chronicled by Southern Bride, with Mattie telling the outlet: "Ben will tell you we first met at a mutual friend's wedding, but I just remember dancing with a cute guy and never thinking about him after. We reconnected 2 years later while he spent a summer clerking for a judge in Nashville during law school. He asked me out and I said no, but he didn't give up. Three months later, he called. I finally relented, so he drove almost 4 hours just for dinner and we've talked every day since. He pursued me until I finally saw the handsome, outgoing, Godly guy I needed. After deciding we were meant for forever, he took me on a picnic on the Old Historic Natchez Trace, where we enjoyed incredible wine, cheese, dancing and the most romantic proposal."
We will bring you more info as it is made available.
[Content added on Sept. 14]
Alan Jackson's official website posted news of Ben's death, saying, in part: "Samuel Benton 'Ben' Selecman—husband of Mattie Jackson Selecman, son-in-law of country artist Alan Jackson—died unexpectedly Wednesday, September 12, in West Palm Beach, Florida. Selecman, a Nashville resident, had recently suffered severe traumatic head injuries in a fall. He was 28 years old."
The Tennessean is reporting that "Ben Selecman suffered severe injuries after falling while helping a woman onto a boat in Florida."
photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Thursday 3 August 2006
World of Warcraft developers Blizzard could well be returning to their real-time-strategy roots for its next project as the team is currently looking for level designers with experience in RTS development.
The job posting appeared on the Blizzard website which stated the company is looking for someone with 'experience building levels using any popular 3D Real-Time Strategy game toolset'.
If the team is thinking about developing an RTS, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise as it was in that genre that the studio established its reputation, with such hits as Starcraft, Warcraft II and Warcraft III.
Blizzard has not yet released an official statement on any new projects and Warcraft's publisher Vivendi had nothing to add when we contacted them earlier today.


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Please donate to help with the production of this film!
Donations are also tax deductible:
"Martyred in the USSR: Militant Atheism in the former Soviet Union is a documentary about militant atheism in the former Soviet Union. It tells the personal, emotional and horrific story of what people went through simply because they chose to cling to their faith, even at the risk of death. It did not matter what religion you practiced, if you believed in God in the USSR you were persecuted, and persecuted brutally. From 1917 to 1990 people of faith were shot, executed, thrown in the gulag and left to die because the Soviet Government hated religion. What makes this story extremely important is that the new generation in Russia knows nothing about their past and will deny that the brutality ever happened."
Official trailer:


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Abstract and Keywords
The advocacy coalition framework (ACF) was developed to explain policy processes where contentious coalitions of actors seek to translate competing belief systems into public policy. Advocacy coalitions may include interest groups, members of the media, scientists and academics, and government officials that share beliefs about a public issue and coordinate their behavior. These advocacy coalitions engage in various strategies using resources to influence policy change or stasis. As part of this process, advocacy coalition members may learn within and/or across coalitions.
This framework is one of the most prominent and widely applied approaches to explain public policy. While it has been applied hundreds of times, in over 50 different countries, the vast majority of ACF applications have sought to explain domestic policy processes. A reason for the paucity of applications to foreign policy is that some ACF assumptions may not seem congruent to foreign policy issues. For example, the ACF uses a policy subsystem as the unit of analysis that may include a territorial dimension. Yet, the purpose of the territorial dimension is to limit the scope of the study. Therefore, this dimension can be substituted for a government body that has the authority or potential authority to make and implement foreign policy. In addition, the ACF assumes a central role for technical and scientific information in the policy process. Such information makes learning across coalitions more conducive, but the ACF can and should also be applied to normative issues, such as those more common among foreign policy research.
This article introduces the ACF; provides an overview of the framework, including assumptions, key concepts and theories, and transferability of the ACF to foreign policy analysis; and discusses four exemplary applications. In addition, it proposes future research that scholars should explore as part of the nexus of the ACF and foreign policy analysis. In the final analysis, the authors suggest the ACF can and should be applied to foreign policy analysis to better understand the development of advocacy coalitions and how they influence changes and stasis in foreign policy.
Keywords: policy process, subsystem, coalition, policy change, learning, belief system
Access to the complete content on Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter without a subscription.
Please subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.
For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can''t find the answer there, please contact us.


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Damn you little brats from Star Singer junior! My reputation of being a tough ass cookie who listens exclusively to metal songs filled with throaty growls have been shattered! To clarify, the image was purported by folks who saw me headbang to Metallica and watch metal videos in Jukebox and Rosebowl. Fascination to black tees, unkempt hair, and torn jeans further added fuel to the fire. The image was held up by yours truly for God know what!
Not so any more!The little ones in the reality show Munch Star Singer junior have shattered that mythical me. Now my parents and my family knows that I enjoy melodious music as much as any other. Boohoo! So much for the bloody exclusivity! I have been turning up for dinner at exactly the same time as the show and does not even demand the remote to watch Cricket during the show! (Good time to be a cricket fan. A riveting South Africa-England contest, Aussies raping our Padosis...yummy time!) Later on, I am searching YouTube for the song videos and searching for the MP3. To play the song over and over again! Caught red handed multiple times! So much for the tough guy shit.
Todays show featured two excellent renditions. Anuraga lola gathri by a lad called Vishnu (the bigger one, the other small Vishnu is the best singer on TV right now!) supported by Swetha (Sujatha's daughter). Amazing song, beautifully sung. Only Yesudas could have done better than him!
The song is from the movie Dhwani, which happens to be the final movie of the great Prem Nazir. The other songs of the movie are as good, if not better than this song. My favourite is Rathi Suga Saare.
The second song was by a slightly older girl (I forgot the name), Vaasanthapanchami naalil from Bhargavi Nilayam. Once again, beautifully sang and as Sujatha commented, it would be impossible to surpass this live rendition by anyone.
Bhargavi Nilayam features some of the best songs including one of my all time favourites, Thaamasamenthe Varuvaan.
To be frank, I don't rate most of the participants in the flagship show, Idea Star Singer (or any other show for that matter!). There are some really good singers. But none of them can really give the established singers a run for their money. These kids on the other hand are truly exceptional and way more fun to watch. Just a sincere wish that none of these kids become fucked up like Britney Spears and a multitude of stars who became successful as little kids.
1 day ago


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The Numerati: Big Brother in a Chip
A new book explores the mathematical tricks that make our lives easier.
Dec. 7, 2008 -- Numbers, numbers everywhere -- and nowhere to hide. This is the theme of BusinessWeek columnist Stephen Baker's book, "The Numerati."
With gee-whiz enthusiasm, he tells a number of fascinating stories about ever cheaper, ever more powerful computer chips and the tools and techniques they make possible -- tools and techniques that will increasingly and dramatically affect nearly every area of our lives.
Smart Carts in Supermarkets
The bulk of the book is devoted to examples.
A particularly nice one concerns the chips and new software being developed that will monitor our buying habits in supermarkets via the use of store cards and smart carts. These will note what we buy and infer from our purchases whether we're on a budget (relatively constant expenditures), whether we're following a diet (low- fat foods), and whether we've fallen off of it (high-fat ice creams).
The cart will also remind us if it finds that we've forgotten something and determine how brand-loyal and price-sensitive we are. It will discover our buying personalities and likely demographic characteristics, track our path through the store, and suggest changes in layout to stimulate sales of high-profit items.
Through interviews with scientists at various software companies, ranging from giants like Yahoo and Google to a number of smaller boutique firms, Baker attempts to humanize the story of those he terms the numerati. They are the mathematicians, computer scientists, and others who are, every day, devising better software models of us as consumers, workers, patients, lovers, voters, and even terrorists.
Despite its topic, the book contains no mathematics although Baker does periodically hint at notions from statistics, operations research, graph and network theory that make the new software possible.
Interestingly, a few numerati are even analyzing blogs because bloggers provide unfiltered, raw, generally honest reactions to products (from diarrhea medicines to golf clubs) that information-hungry companies want.
Countless blogs are scanned for mention of these products (or issues) and the computer is taught to determine the sex, approximate age, and other demographic characteristics of the bloggers. The information thus obtained helps the companies discern tastes and target ads (much like Google and Amazon are doing already).
Medical Data Mining, Terrorism and Pictures
On the drawing boards, too, are new medical software programs and devices which churn through volumes of information to monitor patients' health, especially that of older people. One example is a special floor sensor that can detect the changes in the speed and symmetry of grandpa's gait, the frequency of his visits to the refrigerator or bathroom, and other characteristics.
The sensor then determines whether he's especially unsteady in the morning (maybe too many meds the night before), whether he's on the verge of a stroke, as well as the probability of a host of other conditions. Phone software can detect if the time it takes him to recognize loved ones' voices has grown a fraction of a second longer and draw tentative conclusions and an invitation for specific tests. This would be especially helpful with Parkinson's disease, which often signals itself by changes in voice and gait up to decade before it's diagnosed by doctors.
The chapter on terrorism tells of the torrent of data available from the FBI, CIA, publicly available databases, as well as monitored phone calls (some legally, many not), Web site visits, transportation records, tax filings, ubiquitous cameras and who knows what else. This informational tsunami rushes past the National Security Agency's numerati, who attempt to pan nuggets out of the torrent.
Baker duly notes the danger of false positives in this endeavor. With ever more pieces of information and ever more superficially suspicious interconnections among them, the vast majority of the people picked out will likely be innocent. Note the million names or so on the airline watch list and appreciate the continuing importance of habeas corpus.
Baker mentions other ethical issues, too. What if a profile constructed from all available data had a certain probability of picking out a prospective pedophile. Would a school, for example, be liable if it uses or fails to use this information in the hiring of applicants? What if the probability were 25 percent? Or 90 percent?
More technical problems arise when data mining pictures, graphics and videos. These play an increasingly salient role in a less print-oriented culture and political environment, yet they're hard to search through and classify. If interested parties could quickly search YouTube, for example, and locate blatantly inconsistent statements by politicians, that would make lying (alright, spinning) less attractive.
Different Realms, Same Techniques
Since mathematics is a somewhat imperialistic discipline, the same software tools and data mining techniques useful in one domain apply in many disparate realms, as well. The ideas employed to find terrorists' messages and their senders are also used to find e-mail spam and its origins, to find dangerous molecules in our blood, to find suitable fits between workers and jobs, or to find potentially compatible mates.
The connection among these various tasks is often nominal, consisting in no more than the fact that they all use similar mathematical tools.
Despite the slightly sinister, Svengali-like sound to "the numerati," Baker writes near the end of the book that these folks and their mathematical tricks will, for the most part, make our lives easier (unless we're trying to hide our hangover from the snooping floor).
Far from being controlling, they will allow us to be more fully who we choose to be. Just as we all drive cars without understanding what a carburetor does, we'll all use these software tools without understanding how dynamic optimization works.
John Allen Paulos, a professor of mathematics at Temple University, is the author of the best-sellers "Innumeracy" and "A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper," as well as of the just-released "Irreligion: A Mathematician Explains Why The Arguments for God Just Don't Add Up ". His "Who's Counting?" column on ABCNews.com appears the first weekend of every month.


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Services on Demand
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Related links
- Similars in SciELO
Investigación bibliotecológica
On-line version ISSN 2448-8321Print version ISSN 0187-358X
SAID-HUNG, Elias. The Use of Web 2.0 for Collaboration in the Virtual Scenarios of Scientific Dissemination of the Atlas Project. Investig. bibl [online]. 2012, vol.26, n.56, pp.137-157. ISSN 2448-8321.
This article analyzes 110 links related to the Atlas Project's main website, in order to study the general features that characterize the use of Web 2.0 in the virtual scenarios of scientific dissemination, within this case study. The results suggest, among other things, that the dissemination of science is characterized by a low level of visibility on the Internet, an open access policy broadly appropriate by the scientific community, but with low implementation of multi-format communication models through Web 2.0, in which highly specialized contents are exposed, aimed to the presentation of reports and results, presenting low appropriation of tools for interaction and personalization of information. It is concluded that the presence of a virtual scenario discussed here presents limitations in relation to the usability of the Web 2.0 as it limits the exercise of this function to experts belonging to the same scientific collective connected with the case study.
Keywords : Dissemination; Science; Atlas; Virtual Scenarios; Web 2.0.


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Do new Iron Man images have a secret message? What superpower will John Carter of Mars' villain have? How crazy Daybreakers' vampire-overrun future get? Which much-loved Supernatural character is back? Discover the answers! Plus Doctor Who/Chuck/Caprica videos, and Lost spoilers.
So you've noticed that press clippings about Tony Stark are a big part of this sequel — and three of them have been appearing on various sites. The clippings talk about Tony Stark "coming out" as Iron Man, but they each have a different word highlighted: Secret, Stark, and Confession. Is Tony going to confess something else besides being Iron Man in the next film? [MTV]
John Carter Of Mars:
Mark Strong plays the villain, Matai Shang, and he's not doing any motion-capture — although his character is a shape-shifter, so he's had to be photographed by a 360 degree camera, so he can shift into things. He mostly turns into other people, says Strong. [ComingSoon]
Here's a new clip of dragon-flying excitement. [MTV]
And Sam Worthington and Sigourney Weaver were talking the film up on The View:
Apparently Eli Roth's Cloverfield-esque film is no longer called Endangered Species. Or else somebody misheard him. [Collider]
Wondering just how crazy it gets when the future vampire population starts to run out of blood? Behold for yourself, in a new clip:
Doctor Who:
Another new trailer includes a bit of new footage of John Simm's Master rocking the weird bottle-blond/hoodie/collar look. [Thanks again CJ!]
Michael Emerson says:
I think next year, after the conclusion of the final season, when people see the strength and style of how we go out, I expect Lost to have more recognition.
And he says Terry O'Quinn is continuing to do staggering work in the final season, and Josh Holloway is also having a really strong final season, with a gripping, moving storyline. [TV Guide Magazine]
Says Carlton Cuse:
I think we're doing something new in this final season narratively, so we have that combination of fear and giddiness. The fear is, oh, what if people don't like it, what if the audience doesn't like what we're doing?
[TV Guide]
The show was filming a beach scene with Locke, Ben, four scientists... and Widmore? Is this on the Island, or just some random beach? [SpoilersLost]
Apparently clues in the latest Lost posters include a flaming ankh in Hurley's hand, and an upside-down Oceanic logo. [SpoilersLost]
Felicia Day says the final episode, which she co-stars in, "wrap[s] up the storyline in an amazing way and I'm blown away by the writing." But doesn't really go into specifics. [TV Guide Magazine]
Rejoice! Ash, the mullet-sporting nerd, will be back soon, says actor Chad Lindberg via Twitter. [Twitter via SF Universe]
Chuck's new abilities may include speaking Thai and sky-diving, among other things. Someone else besides Awesome will learn Chuck's secret this season (my money's on Morgan). Robert Patrick is playing a soldier from Casey's past, and Stone Cold Steve Austin is a baddie that Chuck gets trapped on a plane with. [Sci Fi Wire]
And here is a sneak peek, plus some new promos!
Here are some new featurettes about this BSG prequel:
Remember this series? Well, it remembers you. And here's what's coming up when it returns:
As Claire becomes immersed in the world of the carnival, she becomes increasingly suspicious of Samuel's motives; Hiro goes on a mission to rescue one of his own; H.R.G. recruits Matt to help him take down Samuel.
Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths:
William Baldwin (Dirty Sexy Money) plays Batman, and here are some pictures of Bats from this new original animated film. [Warner Bros.]
Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff.


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In this animated short, Frank proves he's no ordinary rabbit. He's a highly intelligent "wrabbit" with a philosophical world view that affords him great comfort. Unfortunately, his outlook is challenged when the farmer's carrots disappear. His quick wit allows him to survive and prosper. In Frank the Wrabbit, filmmaker John Weldon tells a deceptively simple tale with a subversive twist.
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why isnt this the most popular video, its so funny!mykem07, 7 Mar 2014


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June 2014
Raymarine is pleased to announce that two of the company's ground-breaking products are now compatible with selected Yanmar engine systems. Fully tested and certified by both parties,the Evolution™ DBW brings autopilot control to vessels equipped with Yanmar VC10 and JC10 (Joystick) Control Systems; connecting direct to provide unrivalled steering control of the Yanmar propulsion systems. The ECI-100Universal Engine and Control Interface gives access, via Raymarine multifunction displays (MFDs), to Yanmar engine data
Evolution™ autopilots perceive their environment and then instantly calculate and evolve steering commands to maximize performance. This breakthrough in autopilot intelligence uses Evolution AI™ control algorithms to give precise and confident course keeping, regardless of vessel speed or sea conditions. The easy-to-install Evolution™ DBWis supplied complete with the EV-2 9-axis sensor, p70R control head and cabling, and connects directly to the Yanmar control system. Once integrated into the system Yanmar owners can control the Evolution™ autopilot with the p70R or via touch screen using any Raymarine multifunction display powered by Raymarine's LightHouse II user interface.
Bridging the gap between engine instrumentation, drive-by-wire propulsion systems, and Raymarine network navigation systems, the ECI-100 is an innovative device that collects and connects engine information to give the user simple and immediate access to engine performance data, fuel consumption and alarms via a full range of customizable information screens on Raymarine's MFDs.
Raymarine's ECI-100 makes engine and navigation integration an affordable reality for virtually any size boat. A space-limited vessel can access vital engine data alongside Raymarine's industry-leading radar, sonar and navigation technologies via a single touch screen display. Each data port on the ECI-100 is independently powered and isolated, ensuring reliable and worry-free performance from both navigation electronics and engine systems.
T70164 - Evolution™ DBW autopilot with p70R control head;$2500 ex tax, £2000 ex tax
E70227 - ECI-100 Universal Engine and Control Interface;$299 ex tax, £250 ex tax
Notes to editors;
Raymarine is committed to delivering seamless integration with leading marine engines. ECI-100 engine compatibility is constantly updating. Please see www.raymarine.com for the most up-to-date list of compatible engines
Connecting an ECI-100 to a compatible Yanmar engine system couldn't be simpler. Depending on the type of engine, a single NMEA2000 (Devicenet) cable and NMEA2000 T-piece connector is all that is needed to link the ECI-100 to a Yanmar engine system; the NMEA2000 T-piece is inserted into the Yanmar system network with the NMEA2000 (Devicenet) cable running from the T-piece direct to the NMEA2000 (Devicenet) connector on the ECI-100, which is then connected to a Raymarine MFD.
Using the ECI-100 to connect to compatible Yanmar engine systems, the following engine data can be displayed on Raymarine's latest generation of multifunction displays;
Engine Speed (RPM)
Engine Hours
Engine Oil Temperature
Engine Coolant Temperature
Engine Oil Pressure
Engine Coolant Pressure
Engine Fuel Delivery Pressure
Engine Fuel Rate
Engine Boost Pressure
Battery Voltage
Transmission Oil Pressure
Transmission Oil Temperature Fuel Level
Engine Alarms
Over Temperature
Low Oil Pressure
Low Oil Level
Low System Voltage
Low Coolant Level Water in Fuel
Fully tested and certified by both Yanmar and Raymarine, the Evolution™ DBW autopilot connects direct to the Yanmar VC10 and JC10 (Joystick) control system; a Yanmar autopilot cable and autopilot ID key, supplied by Yanmar, completes the network.
About FLIR Systems
FLIR Systems, Inc. is a world leader in the design, manufacture, and marketing of sensor systems that enhance perception and awareness. FLIR's advanced systems and components are used for a wide variety of thermal imaging, situational awareness, and security applications, including airborne and ground-based surveillance, condition monitoring, navigation, recreation, research and development, manufacturing process control, search and rescue, drug interdiction, transportation safety, border and maritime patrol, environmental monitoring, and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) threat detection. For more information, visit FLIR's web site at
About Raymarine:
Raymarine, a world leader in marine electronics, develops and manufactures the most comprehensive range of electronic equipment for the recreational boating and light commercial marine markets. Designed for high performance and ease of use, the award-winning products are available through a global network of dealers and distributors.
The Raymarine product lines include radar, autopilots, GPS, instruments, fishfinders, communications, and integrated systems. Headquartered in Fareham UK, Raymarine is a division of FLIR Systems, a world leader in thermal imaging. For more information about Raymarine please go to
For further information contact Haley Ellison – FLIR Systems Tel: +1 503/919-0696 or Email: firstname.lastname@example.com. For high resolution images please go to


text: Our Sediment filters use a multi-media bed comprised of a variety of gravel and sand to trap suspended particulate matter, such as clay and silt, which gives water a cloudy appearance. The result is clean, clear water. The sediment filter filter bed facilities more thorough backwashing and prevents channeling. Periodic backwashing with our calendar clock control valves cleans the bed.


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Welcome to My Website!
!Read More...
Together Jeanne and Michelle have sold and settled approximately $180 Million in homes and properties in central Maryland. We work as a "Team" so you get double the TIME and double the EXPERIENCE! One of us is always here to take your calls. Jeanne combines professional skills with a lifetime of living in Anne Arundel County and boating on Maryland's famed Chesapeake Bay and its many tributaries. She raised her family to share her love and appreciation for the water. Trained in Art and Architecture at Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, Virginia, Jeanne partnered with William Dobson to establish a residential development and construction company. She has over 30 years experience in all aspects of residential construction from land development and permitting to final settlement. She spent two years working as a relocation specialist in a nationwide home inspection company learning the details of employee relocation and receiving technical training as a home inspector. In 1996 Jeanne became a licensed Realtor and has spent the past years growing and managing her personal Real Estate business. Jeanne and Michelle combined their skills in 2006 to form the Dobson Blanchard Group.
Michelle is a life long resident of Pasadena. Her specialized local knowledge comes from a lifetime of living, playing, and working in Anne Arundel County. She combines a strong technological background with a service-driven work ethnic. Michelle's introduction to the real estate industry began in 1992 when she went to work for the oldest multiple listing system in the country, Central Maryland Multiple Listing Service. Through her work with CMMLS, Michelle received extensive training to fully understand how licensed agents use technology in their business. During this time, Michelle received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Towson University, fully funding her tuition. In 2003, she decided to act on a long held desire and become a licensed Realtor. Michelle and her husband Joe live in Pasadena with their three children, one dog, and two cats. They volunteer in multiple school and church activities. As a family, they enjoy boating, traveling and spending time with friends and extended family.


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Publications des chercheurs
4 resultats trouvés[ Titre] Type Année
Filtres: Auteur est C Pagnout [Clear All Filters]
"Cross effects of salinity and ceria nanoparticles on two endobenthic bivalves Corbicula fluminea and Scrobicularia plana: multibiomarker assessment". SETAC Europe 26th Annual Meeting. , Nantes, 2016
"Influence of salinity on fate and behavior of silver-based manufactured nanomaterials and toxicity effects toward two endobenthic bivalves Corbicula fluminea and Scrobicularia plana". 25th Annual Meeting SETAC Europe. , Barcelona, Spain, 2015
"The influence of salinity on the fate and behavior of silver standardized nanomaterial and toxicity effects in the estuarine bivalve Scrobicularia plana". Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 2016. Vol. 35 p. 2550–2561
"Overview of silver Engineered Manufactured Nanomaterials: fate and effects on several estuarine and freshwater invertebrate species using a multimarker approach". The Fourth International Conference NANOSAFE. , Grenoble, France, 2014


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The developed engine gets the image and outputs a score showing the amount of the beauty inside the image! The code is also working on Android/iOS platform. The engine speed is good enough which makes it suitable for a real-time engine. The core computes aesthetic features from the image, and estimates the aesthetic score.
To be continued …
Check out > ACQUINE
The contributors: Jia Li, James Wang, Farshid Farhat.


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There's a petition that began recently to ask the White House to require academic and scientific research funded by federal dollars to be made available for all to read free of charge. This is called open access publishing, and support for open access has been growing in the scholarly and library community over the past several decades.
Here at the City Tech Library we're big fans of open access publishing, and have held many events over the years. We've even pledged to publish our own research open access whenever possible. When research is published open access everyone — students, patients, researchers who don't work at a wealthy university, you, and me — can read it free of charge, and use it to teach, learn, and innovate.
Help support open access to federally-funded research! Head over to the White House website and sign the petition. The petition has until June 19th to reach 25,000 signatures, which guarantees an official response from the Administration (which is currently considering a bill called the Federal Research Public Access Act).
For more details about the issues surrounding open access publishing, check out this short video, and great website. There's also the open access publishing network on the CUNY Academic Commons — if you're interested in more discussion and action about open access publishing, please join us!


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Fwd: THE SKY IS FALLING!!!!!!!!!!!!
Key Words:
Donald Trump,
This entry was posted on 5/02/2017 03:30:00 AM
and is filed under
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This entry was posted on 5/02/2017 03:30:00 AM and is filed under Donald Trump , LIBERAL MEDIA , LIBERALS ARE BRINGING US DOWN . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
5 comments:
- Anonymous said...
Stop pretending this is normal.
This is fascism.
- 02 May, 2017 08:11
- CharlieE said...
The so-called President still has 96% support from people who voted for him.
The only conclusion I can draw is that none of these people have been reading or watching the news since Inauguration Day.
- 02 May, 2017 09:15
- Thx 4 Fish said...
I have to agree that Trump's fervent supporters aren't the type to watch any real news, but I think Trump-voters are happy with a reality-TV president who tells them how awesome things are going to be soon, while spending his days lurching from one embarrassing blunder to another. But we are only 100 days in. There's time for lots more to happen and many opinions to change.
On the other hand, there really are some left leaning talkers and writers preaching Trump-ageddon. I'm not crazy about this, but if the left is engaging in its own scare tactics, maybe more ppl will get out and vote next time so we can dilute the votes of the fascists.
- 02 May, 2017 11:27
- ferschitz said...
The M$M tends to engage in a certain amount of hysteria and hand-wringing no matter who's in office. It's about click baits and ad revenues, which is why I chucked out my tv long ago and listen to radio sparingly.
I have heard some media commentary that has been sensibly pointing out some of the many major gaffes and mess ups (I don't care about little things; we all make mistakes) by Trump and how woefully unprepared he truly is for this job. It's evident that he mostly doesn't know what he's doing and often comes off very clueless.
This cartoon's propaganda is meant to reassure Trump's fans that Trump is being victimized - as they've been taught to believe that they are, too - by the usual horrible LIEbruls who don't play fair. Of course, it's ONLY Liebruls who don't play fair in conservaworld, but we all know that politics is dirty on both sides of the aisle.
There has been some henny-penny-ing going on with Trump, for sure, but there are real grounds for genuine concern. Much as I had my issues with Obama, I simply didn't see him as unprepared and ignorant as Trump is. I would say Obama came into office somewhat underprepared and somewhat not so savvy, but he did "get" what the Presidency was all about and had enough education and intelligence to do it well enough.
Trump? Clueless, ignorant, apparently not well educated and totally out of touch with what's needed to do the job at least moderately well. Can Trump learn to do better? One hopes so, but only time will tell.
- 02 May, 2017 13:18
- Anonymous said...
"The sky is falling!!!!"
I'll bet it is for every Republican on the House and Senate intelligence committees looking into Flynn, Manafort, Lewandowski, Page, Lord, Kushner, Prince, Stone, Breitbart, InfoWars' Russia connections!
- 06 May, 2017 15:52


text:
Table of Contents: 2013 SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER No. 394
Changes Coming to Author Affiliations. NLM Tech Bull. 2013 Sep-Oct;(394):b4.
Beginning October 1, 2013, NLM will cease editing the Author Affiliation field in MEDLINE/PubMed citations. In the past, NLM policy was to carry affiliation for the first author only, quality control the data, and edit the field to add "USA" or e-mail address as appropriate. However, starting with the 2014 PubMed system in mid-December 2013, NLM will implement a new policy that allows publishers submitting XML citation data for MEDLINE indexed journals to submit Author Affiliations for each Author name, Investigator name or Corporate Author name. To prepare for and support this change, NLM will cease quality control review and editing of the author affiliation field in the MEDLINE citation. Searchers who were using a PubMed search to limit to US authors as the first author should be aware that it will no longer be comprehensive as of October 1, 2013.
[Editor's note: For additional information on author affiliation see Author, Corporate Author, and Collaborator Affiliation Display Changes.]


text:
Twins hold first official workouts on Monday
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The first day of official workouts for pitchers and catchers kicked off Monday with 15 pitchers throwing bullpen sessions with the other 13 healthy pitchers in camp slated to throw on Tuesday.
The day started with a meeting with the eight catchers in camp at 8:30 a.m. ET, to go over signs before a meeting with the pitchers was held at 9 a.m. The pitchers were then broken up into six groups, with three groups throwing under the watch of pitching coach Rick Anderson. The other three groups played catch and worked on pitchers fielding practice drills.
Several notable Twins pitchers threw their first official bullpen sessions of the spring on Monday, including Ricky Nolasco, Phil Hughes, Matt Guerrier, Jared Burton, Alex Meyer, Glen Perkins, Brian Duensing, Samuel Deduno, Ryan Pressly, Casey Fien and Caleb Thielbar.
Only Guerrier was held back, as the non-roster invitee is still only throwing fastballs after undergoing surgery in mid-August to repair the flexor mass in his right elbow.
"He's throwing all fastballs right now and is going to be on a little bit of a [throwing] program," said Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony. "He won't appear in any games probably for the first week or week and a half. But he should be fine. His arm strength is fine, but he's just throwing fastballs and will likely mix in breaking balls this week."
Of the 29 pitchers in camp, only left-hander Edgar Ibarra isn't ready to throw off a mound, as he was diagnosed with Hepatitis B two weeks ago, and is expected to take it easy at the start of camp. Ibarra rested for two weeks before camp and missed his scheduled bullpen session on Monday. But the disease is not contagious and Ibarra is already playing catch in hopes of pitching soon.


text:
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text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, April 15, 2008, 8:50 PM
Town Square
Victor Frost cited for violating sit-lie ordinance
Original post made on Apr 16, 2008
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, April 15, 2008, 8:50 PM
Comments (100)
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 16, 2008 at 9:02 am
Good, He should be cited every time he sits there begging.
He should pay the fine promptly or be put to work picking up trash.
I see his true litigious nature has come through
it is way past time for him to move away, Palo Alto has done him no favors by enableing his dysfunctional behavior for too many years
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 16, 2008 at 9:21 am
It is time someone was actually cited for violation of this. Perhaps someone as visible and well known as this will be a good thing as it will send a message to the rest that we do not want vagrants and beggars fouling up our downtown.
I hope he gets everything that can be thrown at him and the press cover it in such a way that every beggar, vagrant and homeless person on our streets discovers that they are not wanted here and to go away. Yes, let them go to their shelters, but their presence on our streets is illegal.
a resident of University South
on Apr 16, 2008 at 10:31 am
If he's blocking the entrance to the parking lot, then yes, he should be moved. But he's not hurting anyone by just sitting there asking for donations. I always give him a little change if I have any. Woe to the city that is unfriendly to the poor and the homeless.
a resident of another community
on Apr 16, 2008 at 10:54 am
I'd like to run a goat ranch in the wooded hills of northern California too. Never thought of begging as a way to fund that dream.
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 16, 2008 at 11:09 am
We could buy mr frost a oneway ticket to a country with a lot of goats.
its great that that woman is calling the police to report these beggars and vagrants.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 16, 2008 at 11:24 am
don't tell me this town ain't got no heart-
a resident of another community
on Apr 16, 2008 at 11:44 am
I was so happy to read that Victor Frost has been cited. Happiness was short lived....Palo Alto will do NOTHING, NOTHING about him. It does'nt matter that he is breaking the law......Palo Alto does not care.
Perhaps he can be an attraction for Destination Palo Alto!!
a resident of College Terrace
on Apr 16, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Mr frost could move to Petes Coffee, they have a bench outside and he would be out of the way.
Then we will see how the bleeding hearts like sharing a bench with him.
a resident of another community
on Apr 16, 2008 at 12:55 pm
hey mikey- try being nice - you might like it!
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 16, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I'm tired of the constant loitering and panhandling on the benches that line University Avenue. These people add nothing to our economy. They often smell bad and frankly scare the heck out of kids. These people need to take a shower and get a job. They are an eyesore and nosesore.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 16, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Giving Victor a citation is one thing, actually removing him for violating the sit/lie ordinance is another. I bet this time next year he'll still be sitting right where he is today.
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 16, 2008 at 1:53 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 16, 2008 at 1:59 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 16, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Sorry Jack but Jill does reflect the feelings of many PA residents. The beggars are ruining Palo Alto and need to go! It's giving our kids the wrong message on how to be productive and contribute to society.
a resident of College Terrace
on Apr 16, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Panhandlers represent the beggars and lepers of old. Try giving them a smile; stop your busy day to say a few kind words. It will make you both feel better.
That said, something does need to be done to keep city parks, benches, and sidewalk tables available to *everyone*.
This is one of those recurring problems of urbanization that has no easy answer. Somehow, I think the answer points in the direction of better communication, and charity.
a resident of Stanford
on Apr 16, 2008 at 2:31 pm
In a sense there is a justice in Palo Alto being plagued by these vagrants.
The fact is that most of them are mentally ill, but the junk science by the Mental Research Institute( MRI ) in Palo Alto claimed that mental illness was a myth and the fault of evil mothers.
This nonsense research was part of the justification for closing the state mental hospitals, where the mentally ill had food, shelter, health care and mainly well meaning staff.
And thats why we have the problem with the homeless, maybe they should sue MRI for malpractice!
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 16, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Sorry SUMD but many of the homeless are educated and have degrees and CHOSE to drop out of society. Don't assume they are all mentally ill. About 3 years ago there was a documentary on the homeless here in PA. Many of them were interviewed and it was very interesting to see how educated most of them are.
a resident of Professorville
on Apr 16, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Panhandlers do not send our children the wrong message. It gives us the opportunity to tell our children that not all are as fortunate as us. And helps us show our children how to be charitable by being polite or sharing a bagel. If you don't like the panhandlers because it messes up the pretty streets, go and help solve the causes of homelessness and poverty. Don't just move people on, so it's someone else's problem.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 16, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Beggars really send the wrong message to our children. I sure don't want my child to opt for sitting on the street and begging for money rather than going to college and learning to provide for themselves. By supporting these people it shows our kids that it is ok, and in my opinion it's not ok.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 16, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Educated people can and do develop mental illness and try to self medicate with drugs and ETOH
I agree with SUMD that whole anti-psychiatry movement was a fraud and did a great deal of damage that we are now seeing on our streets.
I do not think it is good for our children to to exposed to so may vagrants.
Beside the fact that some of their health and hygiene practices make them vectors for diseases such as MRSA Web Link
and TB.
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 16, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Talk about hygiene, the other day my son and I were walking to whole foods and a homeless man urinated on the side of the whole foods building and we literally had to step over the stream of urine to continue walking on the sidewalk. I was appauled and had to figure out a good way to explain this to my 4 year old son.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 16, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Recently, a friend of mine in her 40s/50s lost her last surviving parent. She was shocked when tidying up her parents affairs to discover that she had unbeknown to her, an older sibling who had spent her entire life in a mental institution. This had happened because of the previous generation's reluctance to talk about mental health issues, and hiding them away in institutions. She has since visited her sister, and sadly found a woman who knew nothing about who she was and why she lived where she did, but she was well looked after and very content in her life. This sister had been hidden away for all the wrong reasons, but she had been treated humanely and was living in dignity. If she was the type of person who had been denied mental healthcare, she may be one of our homeless in Palo Alto.
Instead of being on the streets and a problem, she was in an institution where she was clean and well looked after. True, she had had no contact with her family, but in recent months she has, even though to her it is immaterial as to who the friendly face belongs to as a friendly face is a friendly face.
When it comes to discussing the homeless and mental health issues, we should ask ourselves how we would feel if this was a relative of ours living on the street that we don't know about. True, they may be there by choice, but that choice may have been through reasons of ignorance rather than choice of lifestyle. When it comes to compassion, we should try and find out some of the whys and then maybe we can come up with some of the answers.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 16, 2008 at 3:31 pm
That's a heartwarming story. The real story there is of a family that didn't face their own issues. If my family member was mentally ill I wouldn't abandon them in an institution or leave them on a bench in Palo Alto.
Perhaps you're not aware of the special 1% mental health tax that anyone that makes over $1 million pays on every dime of their annual income. This unfair tax was levied on me by our California welfare state. I've paid into the solution. Now I'm asking Palo Alto to do it's part.
-Palo Alto Resident
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 16, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Kudos to Whole Foods for finally doing something about Victor Frost. Knowing Victor's persistence he will not move on without a fight. Have you read his sign lately? He is now asking for fresh organic food! Come on, that is really pushing the limits of begging. He would rather have an organic apple that is much more expensive than a non-organic apple.
a resident of University South
on Apr 16, 2008 at 3:39 pm
The claim that the sight of beggars will encourage one's children to emulate them is frankly ridiculous. I'd argue that it in fact has the opposite effect and lends the perfect learning opportunity to Palo Alto parents who wish to reinforce bourgeois values in their children -- "that's what await those who don't follow our example, sweetie."
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Apr 16, 2008 at 4:00 pm
What we have in Palo Alto is an open air equivalent of Bedlam Web Link
Where wealth people could watch the antics of the mentally ill for a small fee.
I was not aware that a place in Palo Alto, The Mental Research Institute (id never hears of it, where is it exactly?) was responsible in part for open air Bedlam, it should be held to account for the horror it has unleashed on our town.
As the Rev Wright and ex professor Churchill say The Chickens Have Come Home To Roost.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Apr 16, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Brandon - So you're saying that we should use the beggars as an example of what we don't want our kids to be? Then you must be saying that beggars are not a good thing but we should keep them around as a learning opportunity. That is frankly ridiculous.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 16, 2008 at 4:10 pm
The elderly street people in Palo Alto are the left over flower children on the 1960s!!!
a resident of University South
on Apr 16, 2008 at 4:19 pm
"Yet citations are rare, Larkin and Brown said. Usually, officers enforce the sit-lie ban by asking violators to move. They nearly always do."
Why are the officers not citing these people and just telling them to move? To me, this is the real problem. It took many complaints for the police to finally issue Victor a citation? That is ridiculous! Why have the ordinance in the first place if it is not going to be enforced?
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 16, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Yes, we knew each other in the 1960s. Alot of grass passed our way back then. Keep up the good work. Flower Power to you Ace.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Apr 16, 2008 at 4:36 pm
The sad ending to this article is that it doesn't sound like anyone's efforts to get rid of Victor will work. The court will just give him probation rather than a monetary citation and he will not be sent to jail. PA's weak system. If he had to pay a fine then he would be quick to end his panhandling career.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 16, 2008 at 4:57 pm
the sad part about is
your lack of imagination
and creative solutions
don't hate the player
hate the game
and stop hiding
behind your computer screen
and do something
a resident of Crescent Park
on Apr 16, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Resident - If even Eileen Richardson, the director of the streets team, couldn't make a difference then who can? She sure doesn't lack in creative solutions. Victor needs to stop hiding behind his sign and do something tangible. Public support is not going to solve his problems.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Apr 16, 2008 at 7:02 pm
About time.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 16, 2008 at 7:06 pm
I'd take his case and sue the crap out of our rich city and citizens but what has this to do with global warming?
a resident of Barron Park
on Apr 16, 2008 at 8:02 pm
When he ran for City Council, Victor Frost said he wanted a job. But now he wants it on his own terms. I admire Ms Richardson for her work, but it's apparently no use trying to help Mr. Frost.
Question: If he gets a goat farm, who will do the work? I had a vision of him sitting beside the pasture gate and the goats coming by to drop something in his begging bowl.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 16, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Those who admire Vic are welcome to invite him to sit in their front yard and urinate on the side of their house. Based on conversations with my goat lady, Vic would not be a successful goatherd.
a resident of College Terrace
on Apr 16, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Charity begins at home
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 16, 2008 at 9:39 pm
This guy thinks he's Micheal Moore. Bet he's lovin' his name in the papers now. To see the downtown streets team in action each morning is great. I thank as many as I can when I see them working. Help build their self esteem. Help them view their work as valuable. The sooner you folks who give this guy money/food/attention realize you're just part of his next movie and tell him he's filmed the final cut, the sooner he'll find another location to film.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 16, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Frost used to sit in front of Printer's Ink bookstore on California Ave. One very cold night I saw him barefoot. I bought him a pair of shoes, but he kind of blew them off and said he said he was saving for a pair of Doc Martens.
If he refuses to work, how come he has an apartment at the Opportunity Center? Seems like he wants -- and gets -- everything his way.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Apr 16, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Vic Frost is the ultimate civic fraud and con artist and he's getting away with it. Maybe he's writing a book. Where does he park his old Mercedes?Don't give this guy money. If you do, you are feeding the problem.
a resident of South of Midtown
on Apr 17, 2008 at 12:03 am
Victor is not "these people" (mentioned many times above), nor a saint...nor, I think, any worse sinner than most of us. And he
is a human being. Like all of us, he has obligations and rights.
When I moved to the area in 1992, Victor used to sit in front of
Printer's Inc on California Avenue. His cardboard sign back then
said he wanted a 286 processor so he could work. He slept in a red
Toyota pickup truck he parked a few blocks away (by the road out of
the south end of the train station parking lot).
Victor's usually had a following. I've never spoken to him,
but have nodded on occasion.
I have no idea whether Victor is capable of working, mentally
or physically. I don't believe I've ever seen him standing or
walking in all of these years.
My children don't think it's a good way to live, but are also not
being taught to harshly judge someone else for being in that situation,
whether chosen or otherwise.
a resident of Southgate
on Apr 17, 2008 at 1:12 am
One thing that's always amused me about Foster is his sign that says, I'm Hungery. Here's a guy that's one donut shy of 400 lbs claiming he's "hungery". At his weight he could easily go a month without eating.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 17, 2008 at 1:25 am
Ever visited the downtown of Los Altos or Menlo Park? You'll find very few if any "homeless" beggers there. Why....because the police don't coddle and enable them the way the Palo Alto police do. As it says in the article, "citations are rare".
a resident of Southgate
on Apr 17, 2008 at 1:29 am
The article says that Eileen Richardson "spent more than a year trying to get him to take a job". MORE THAN A YEAR!!...if that isn't the definition of ENABLING, I don't know what is.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 17, 2008 at 2:13 am
I would like to see Vic's tax return.
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 17, 2008 at 4:33 am
To counter your point, neither Los Altos or Menlo Park offer the multitude of social services that Palo Alto does. Palo Alto also is the home of two major medical facilities, VA Hospital, as well as being a transit hub for the Peninsula. All of these factors add up to greater numbers of poor and needy. It's certainly not solely a police issue.
a resident of Stanford
on Apr 17, 2008 at 10:10 am
Mr Frost seems to need a good psychiatric evaluation to determine his competence and appropriate treatment.
Earlier in this thread someone mentioned drug use, there is very good evidence from the UK that high dose grass usage can predispose users to schizophrenia.
a resident of another community
on Apr 17, 2008 at 10:46 am
It would help if people would STOP giving Victor Frost money. That seems to me would be the fastest way to get rid of him. So, stop giving him money!
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 17, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Good point. However, I still think the PA police could do a better job of enforcing the law.
a resident of another community
on Apr 17, 2008 at 1:33 pm
The statement in the article, "blocking public right-of-ways during heavily trafficked times, creating a safety hazard, isn't covered by the U.S. Constitution" should be attributed to someonw other than the article's author.
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 17, 2008 at 1:37 pm
What happened to the idea of letting people do their own thing? And leaving other people alone if they're not bothering you? This issue is SO Palo Alto. A town of busy bodies trying to manage the lives of others. Maybe he's nuts. Maybe his health is in danger. That's his choice. Leave him alone.
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 17, 2008 at 1:40 pm
One more thing -- why is this a news story? You're writing about an individual, not an elected official or some important figure in the community. It seems to be a massive invasion of privacy and has little or nothing to do with public policy. I guess the Weekly become the Palo Alto Enquirer, but since there are no celebrities here, you're spotlighting the homeless. Sheesh!
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 17, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Joyce: Victor Frost turned himself into a TV celebrity by getting at least two segments of TV coverage on "5 Day News" on Channel 32.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 17, 2008 at 2:40 pm
The problem with beggars and vagrants has gone too far, my mother is afraid to walk down University Ave anymore.
There are 2 schools close to OC, who knows what the criminal history of some of these vagrants are.
Those who are mentally ill should have inpatient treatment at a state facility the rest should be encouraged to leave town.
a resident of Professorville
on Apr 17, 2008 at 3:30 pm
25% of cannabis users faces a tenfold higher risk of mental illness
Jenny Hope, the medical correspondent in the British Newspaper "The Daily Mail", reported today on research which suggests that 1 in 4 cannabis users faces a tenfold higher risk of mental illness due to their genetic profile.
The researchers, led by Professor Avshalom Caspi of the Institute of Psychiatry in London, will publish their study in the journal Biological Psychiatry.
They investigated whether susceptibility to psychosis triggered by cannabis could be linked with a particular gene, known as COMT, which makes people more prone to schizophrenia.
COMT is involved in the breakdown of dopamine in the brain, and has two variants, or alleles, called val and met.
The val allele has been linked with the risk of schizophrenia.
Research showed that those with two forms of the val allele were 10.9 times more likely to develop psychosis following cannabis use.
Source: The British Medical Journal Daily Health Alerts
a resident of South of Midtown
on Apr 17, 2008 at 4:08 pm
most school shooters were on drugs that you propose for ''mentally ill'. the real problem is overpopulation of materialistic ''americans'' who leave little room for fresh air and healthy animals
a resident of South of Midtown
on Apr 17, 2008 at 4:45 pm
What is the legal definition of "vagrant"?
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 17, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Is that one ticket a day? Perhaps one ticket a week?
How about one ticket at 9AM, one at 10AM, 11AM, Noon etc.
It's like everything else. The penalty keeps going up and up until you either conform or move on. I believe that's called pressuring Mr. Frosty to "de-frost" from his comfy but disturbing spot in front of Whole Foods and move to a place where he can meditate, smell and be an eyesore all to himself (= California Wilderness).
Our property taxes (= police salaries) should not be wasted making sure we don't trample on his rights. Does he pay any property tax? Our property taxes are high enough in Palo Alto for higher standards and higher social behavior. Because we choose to live amongst people of similar standards and conduct we live in Palo Alto and not the Tenderloins of San Francisco.
To the PAPD; take off the gloves and show some backbone.
a resident of The Greenhouse
on Apr 17, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Victor Frost IS a "public" person. He has run for public office a number of times. Over the years he has give numerous interviews to print and television media to expound his views on the "homeless". He has stated that he plans on suing the city. This is a man who has actively solicited the spotlight.
And the question is not that "he's not bothering anyone", but that he seems to feel that he's above the law. Palo Alto's no sitting or lying on the sidewalk law is in place for a varitey of reasons. And it should apply to everyone equally.
a resident of Fairmeadow
on Apr 17, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Victor Frost is a minor league con. Regretably, Palo Alto is taken in by his type of bum. It is called liberal guilt.
If you all keep giving him his 26 cents, you will feed his con act. In case you have not figured it out yet, 26 cents is not a quarter, therefore you will problably just give him a buck, so you don't need to dig into your purses to provide the exact change. A sucker is born every minute, and Victor knows this. It is a better con than three-card monte.
His endless runs for city council are part of his scheme. So is his threat of law suits. If you really want to deal with him, don't give him a cent. However, you might consider givng him a baby goat.
This entire theatre is SO Palo Alto! We need to do better, but we will not get there until we wake up to the guilt factor.
a resident of Esther Clark Park
on Apr 17, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Shopper at Whole Foods,
Right On! You hit the nail on the head.
What gets me is Frost's complete arrogance. He thinks Palo Alto owes him a living. He only wants "organic" food...Give me a break! He's going to sue the city....Sheesh!
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Apr 17, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Way too much information. You're on the wrong thread. I think you were looking for "The New England Journal of Medicine".
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 17, 2008 at 7:42 pm
>>Palo Alto's no sitting or lying on the sidewalk law is in place for a varitey of reasons. And it should apply to everyone equally.<<
BeetleNut, you are right, but the point that you are missing is that the extension of the sit-lie ordinance was created because of Victor Frost. The extension was nicknamed by city officials as the Victor Frost ordinance. And he has been the only one to this dates sited for it.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Apr 17, 2008 at 10:31 pm
I hope the Police give him a citation every day. I am in total agreement with those that see what an arrogant con artist he is. And I love the idea of giving him a one way ticket to another country full of goats! Good riddance.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 18, 2008 at 1:04 am
It is all economics. I am sure that both Victor and the guy who is now a regular at Embarcadero at Middlefield make at least three times more selling us 21st century versions of "indulgences" than the minimum wage they would earn if they took an entry level job. Tax free as well. The guy on Embarcadero seems to get a bill every couple of signal cycles(he looks like hell, but he is no dummy, and knows it is too hard to hand over change from a car during the light cycle). I fully support safety nets, but all studies show that giving panhandlers lots of cash doesn't work.
I wish these haters of people who aren't worthy of their image of Palo Altans would quit bashing the non-cash support offered by the OC. I don't know if it is one jerk (Jill), but it seems to be a recurring them here. I am not aware of any serious incidents resulting from its clients. The clients may not be perfect role models, but just because you paid $2M for a house doesn't mean you get to exclude those who can't.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 18, 2008 at 1:08 am
Oh yeah, Jill re: your comment "There are 2 schools close to OC, who knows what the criminal history of some of these vagrants are." We don't know your criminal history either, and I bet you live by a school, by your standard does that mean that we should encourage you to leave town?
a resident of College Terrace
on Apr 18, 2008 at 9:17 am
ayn rand
In many communities through out the USA, certain criminals, ie sex offenders are not permitted to live near schools
That makes sense to me
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 18, 2008 at 10:24 am
I was at Whole Foods at opening time today (Friday) and saw Mr. Frost sitting comfortably as usual, happily ordering a friend to go get him a nice breakfast. His car was parked right there on the street. This really is the strangest thing, one would think some prospective PA residents would be put off by seeing this on a major downtown street.
a resident of another community
on Apr 18, 2008 at 10:38 am
At 9:30AM Friday morning,keeping Mr. Frost company, on the other side of the street, right in front of the "Whole Foods" front door- was another panhandler. He is a "regular" also.....I'm glad that the Los Altos Whole Foods is "panhandler free"
a resident of Charleston Gardens
on Apr 18, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Why doesn't the city get smart about this and fight fire with fire?
In clear view of Mr. Frost's panhandling sign the city should post some big signs of our own declaring the truth: that Mr. Frost has been offered help including housing and jobs, but that he prefers to violate a city law instead. The sign should not name Mr. Frost, but instead just say "Please Don't Encourage Panhandling Behavior" -- and it should be a large sign or more than one and in smaller print it should have all the details about the services offered to Mr. Frost and others like him and explain clearly how good citizens make these problems worse by encouraging this behavior by giving money. For much less than the cost of the legal proceedings now being contemplated the city could even assign a "legal compliance worker" to stand next to Mr. Frost, or even two or three of them, to discourage donations to him and explain their impact. Two or three weeks of surrounding him with truth tellers and Mr. Frost would move on -- maybe even to Los Altos. Ms. Richardson has been great. Clearly, she has done what she can -- and helped many others. But now is the time for other city officials to step in with some creative thinking of their own. Have we anyone on our well-paid city staff up to the task?
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 18, 2008 at 1:12 pm
How many people here would accept a job that pays less than minimal wage?
Maybe some of us can do volunteer work, but I don't think that is the case for Victor Frost. He has no place to go.
And, from what I read, he was not offered a job at Whole Foods. He was offered a "chance to apply" for a job.... can anyone explain??? He is not even allowed to go inside the store. And a chance to apply for a job, well, everyone has a chance "to apply" for any job, right?
a resident of Green Acres
on Apr 18, 2008 at 3:25 pm
I say we give Victor a seat on City council. He can help with
making city government stronger and understanding the importance of
pandhandling 101. Let us not forget he is the pioneer of sit and lie
ordinance so he has past a few bills in the palo alto council. Now
he wants to pass legislature for a goat ranch meaning that every
Palo altan provide 26 cents to help him with his goat ranch. [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 18, 2008 at 3:31 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of St. Claire Gardens
on Apr 18, 2008 at 3:46 pm
I'm glad someone finally cited Victor. He's breaking the law.
I have stopped shoping at Whole Foods and Peet's. I encourage others to do the same. They should be leading the charge against this man, not sidestepping the issue.
a resident of another community
on Apr 18, 2008 at 4:34 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 18, 2008 at 6:04 pm
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.] There are too many other people willing to work, to change, to do something other than to maintain a rent free begging business on a public sidewalk. (And I bet his car could never pass a smog check. Get both Frost & his car off of the street.)
Since there are several confused individuals here willing to enable Mr. Frost's pathetic public displays, I suggest one of you invite him into your home for bed & board. Just don't forget to make it organic only.
Come on, Palo Alto police..... do your job & write the citation. The community has spoken.
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 18, 2008 at 9:37 pm
The police could cite Mr. Frost every hour, but the police management and City Council have to back up the officer's efforts. They should direct the City lawyers to follow up in the court system.
There is reluctance at all city and county government levels to touch the lightning rod of civil rights. Please Council, don't pass legislation and then not follow through by supporting the police. If too many laws are not enforced, no one will feel it necessary to obey any of them.
a resident of College Terrace
on Apr 18, 2008 at 11:03 pm
"No man is an island, entire of itself; every
man is a piece of the continent, a part of the
main. If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory
were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or
of thine own were: any man's death diminishes
me, because I am involved in mankind, and
therefore never send to know for whom the bells
tolls; it tolls for thee."
-John Donne
Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, no. 17
(Meditation) 1624 (published)
a resident of Palo Alto Orchards
on Apr 19, 2008 at 1:41 am
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 19, 2008 at 8:45 am
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 19, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Does anyone know if the former CEO of Napster, Eileen Richardson, is working as a volunteer for the Downtown Street Team? Or does she have a paying job? Thanks.
a resident of Green Acres
on Apr 19, 2008 at 1:01 pm
another-question, why should it matter to you? and what have you done for humanity lately? btw, how much do you make?
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 19, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Sports lover, please, don't be offended by my question. Lot's of people volunteer their time for good causes. Some people get paid to work for a good cause. I am just wondering if the former CEO of Napster is a a volunteer or not at the Downtown Streets team. Does anyone know? Thanks.
a resident of Greenmeadow
on Apr 19, 2008 at 4:26 pm
I really don't understand why people give these panhandlers a few quaters or even a few dollars. Why do you think these people are out there b/c people give them money. I saw a guy out on Embarcadero and Coleridge across from a school, sign in hand looking for the "guilty" feeling souls who feel that a couple of cents is really going to do him or any other panhandler any good. PLEASE, donate your money to 2nd Harvest Food bank or the many other good organizations out there who are feeding families and individuals who are trying to get help. Assure yourself when you donate money that it is going to feed someone, not just to continue the chain of failure that has lead them to stand or sit on a street corner or at an intersection. The only way the panhandlers are going to go away is if people stop giving them money.
a resident of College Terrace
on Apr 19, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Based on Constitutional Law, Victor has a right to his Freedom of
speech as long as he is not violating any laws. Victor has a legal
right to sit as long as he is respecting the rights of others. The
question to all legal scholars is what is the true agenda of sit and
lie ordinance and is it being used as a tool for discrimination against Mr Frost. Is this sit and lie ordinance used for the right
reason in an equitable way. Is sit and lie odinance used to exploit Mr Frost's constitutional rights. A judge have to be very careful
and look at case law to ensure that Mr Frost civil rights are not being violated. Do you know what being poor is like! Why not look at
the positive side of things and embrace Mr Frost and help him to reach his goals. Maybe he can help others in understanding societal
issues that his situation is common in American cities. I say leave
this man alone he is not hurting anyone. I think Victor can be a
valuable asset to society if you give him a chance.
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 19, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Mr Justice, you have the right questions! Good.
Victor Frost has been trying to get a lawyer for a long time. One of the signs that he uses says that. And I find it interesting that in a city like Palo Alto, no lawer or law student has offer to help him.
a resident of Fairmeadow
on Apr 19, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Mr Justice (AKA Victor),
Nice try, but your con is up. Try some Internet scams.
a resident of Professorville
on Apr 20, 2008 at 1:33 pm
I notice that the Palo Alto Online staff here has removed several reader postings. If your posting has been removed you can repost in the Usenet newsgroup alt.society.homeless which is unmoderated. If you do not have regular Usenet capabilities from your internet account then you can post there from the web at
Web Link
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 20, 2008 at 4:23 pm
"No more cons," I find it interesting that you believed that Victors posted the message above. By the way, I believe that he was at his usually spot when the message was posted. And since he is no longer at the OC, I don't think he has been online lately.
a resident of Mountain View
on Apr 20, 2008 at 11:29 pm
I don't live in Palo Alto anymore, but the sheer number and tone of "anti-Victor" posts are fascinating and inadvertently reveal something about human nature. There is a common thread of tense and deep anger in these posts, considering that their contact with this fellow is minimal. They are very tribal; they seem to wish to harm this man if they only lawfully could; at the very least they wish him ill. I think there is a genetic component here: as an outsider, Victor is some type of provacateur and triggers a powerful attack reflex in these characters. They are reined in by ordinance and criminal statutes, but there's something very "Lord of the Flies" about them all. They'd love to get at Victor; you can just feel it. I wonder whom they actually take out this animus upon in their personal lives? I can guess: other drivers on the road.... the person in the next cubicle... people who don't speak English as a first language... their kid who didn't achieve enough this year... anyone weak, poor or helpless who presumes "above their station".... the chronically ill... the obese.... That intense intolerance is fascinating to me, actually. What eats at you folks?
a resident of Midtown
on Apr 20, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Re: Victor Frost
For a long time Victor had a sign asking for 25 cents. But one day he had a new white board with red writing on it saying: "26 cents (twentysix) will help". I just had to ask him why twentySIX? Indignantly he said: "Well, corporate expenses are going up and up, so finally we had to raise prices!". - I gave him a dollar and said he could keep the change, for his corporate coffers.
PS. Here is a novel idea: why don't you leave him alone. Aren't we all walking by him with our full shopping bags purely by the Grace of God? Be grateful that YOU are not sitting on his crate. Nature will take its course, anyway.
a resident of Green Acres
on Apr 21, 2008 at 2:11 am
I think you may be a little to much in la la land here. Yes there are a few people that are angered to see a delinquent bum receive so much attention but don't turn it into some metaphysical signifier of a deep rooted animosity amongst Palo Altans towards this man and people like him. Just because some Palo Altans are snobs certainly doesn't mean all of us are. I don't personally mind bums sitting on the streets as long as they're peaceful, but it is certainly not pleasant to smell urine and see a drunken, perhaps temporarily loony person when you're walking with your highly uncomfortable little sister. Bums were an integral part of my youth, without them who would've bought my booze and cigs?
I don't think anything beyond normal is wrong with most of us folks. I think there's something wrong with your logic though...
Live long and prosper commie ;)
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 21, 2008 at 5:10 am
HN says: "I gave him a dollar and said he could keep the change" This is the problem he/she says she gave Victor a dollar. Many other people give money to Victor that's why he sits there. Much of the problem is caused by passersby just giving him money, it's not Victor fault, he wouldn't stay there if he couldn't make money.
a resident of Downtown North
on Apr 21, 2008 at 8:48 am
Victor appears to be chronically mentally ill as do many of the the other beggars in Palo Alto.
They need to be on medication and in supervised care in some other community.
The changing demographics in Palo Alto will mean even less tolerance for such people moving forward.
The only decent thing to do is to get them in care and out of here.
a resident of College Terrace
on Apr 21, 2008 at 11:38 am
The constitution of the US enables Mr. Frost to Sit at his spot as long
as he respects the rights of others. Victor is not a fool and people
need to listen to his video at the url below:
copy and paste the url and then click on his picture to invoke video.
Web Link
Make no mistake Mr Frost is quite charismatic in his speech.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Apr 25, 2008 at 10:44 am
I just had to comment, speaking from a professional stance.
The debate regarding the legality of the sit/lie ordinance is not something I will comment on, although I will let my opinion be known: the ordinance could pass review.
I will, however, enter this thread by saying in no uncertain terms that Mr. Frost is not being helped by those continuing to give him spare change, or groceries. The term is enabling. Mr. Frost can only improve his unfortunate situation through therapy, & the focused efforts of the numerous organizations in Palo Alto that exist for that purpose. (The fact that he consistently refuses their assistance should be of primary note to everyone.)
It saddens me that Mr. Frost continues in his course of action, but he must also be held accountable as a citizen. If you really care about the homeless, the mentally ill, and others in our community struggling with socio-economic issues, please contribute to the organization of your choice. Do not give money to street beggars - you are not helping.
a resident of another community
on Jul 2, 2008 at 10:51 am
Once upon a time Victor was a very intelligent, resourceful and insightful person. Sitting on the streets all these years have hardened him considerably, i hardly recognize him today. He should be the first person to recognize that uppermiddle class american is on a crusade to criminalize poverty, and the homeless.
a resident of Barron Park
on Jul 2, 2008 at 11:24 am
Elect Obama, who truly cares about the unfortunate, and our homeless problems will disappear. We have a way to solve almost all of our problems this november.
End Homelessness. Elect Obama.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Jun 28, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Victor sits in front of my place of employment just about every day. I see people dump money in his dish all day long. This is a hard time for any small business. We are doing all we can to stay here and earn a living. Customers complain about Victor, they see him peeing, washing himself, and some avoid walking our way. That hurts business and personally effects me. According to a report from "The Post", Victor has a studio apartment in Redwood City. I think Victor will continue to use us as long as we allow it.
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text:
Featured Article: There's a New Look Coming to a Google App Near You!
It is expected that Google will be introducing a new look to the LakerApps suite of applications for all users in the December/January timeframe. This includes the Gmail, Calendar, Docs and Sites apps. In June of this year, Google announced it would be working on creating new user interfaces for its primary applications. Google cites three primary reasons for making these changes. Focus for streamlining a new look across all the apps and reducing clutter, elasticity for consistent user experience no matter what device you are using - computer, tablet or mobile, and effortlessness for incorporating the latest technologies in their products to quickly bring new features to users. Google has also been working diligently to make their products more effective for users with disabilities who may be accessing them through adaptive or assistive technologies.What does this mean for users? It means a more consistent look across all the apps and across all devices whether you are using them on a PC, a tablet computer (like an iPad) or a smartphone. It also means a little bit of change...Since their announcement in June, Google has been letting users preview the interfaces and provide feedback on what they like and dislike about the changes. Google is then incorporating any necessary revisions to be included in a final product release. For our LakerApps suite of applications, the preview option is currently available for all four applications - Gmail, Calendar, Docs and Sites. The FAQ article on the Google Apps New Look page describes how you can opt-in to the new interface for each app and then also how you can opt-out of it to continue using the "classic" interface. CTS encourages you try the new look. While you can opt in and out of the new interfaces right now, it is expected that the new interfaces will become permanent in the December/January timeframe with Docs and Sites going permanent in December, and Calendar and Gmail in early January. You will actually see the new look in Gmail mid-December as the default look, but will still be able to opt-out of it until January. Once they become permanent, the options to switch to the "classic" interface will no longer be available. You should also be aware that Google is no longer supporting Firefox 3.6 and below nor IE 7 and below with its applications, especially the new interface for Gmail. If you are using one of these browsers, please see the article "Google No Longer Supporting Older Firefox and IE Browsers."
For more information about the interface changes in each of the apps, please visit the Google Apps New Look Page.


text:
KABUL — Afghan militants armed with explosives and firearms attacked a NATO compound just outside of Kabul early Tuesday, killing seven people and wounding several others, according to a high-ranking police official.
The seven killed include four private security guards from Nepal, one Afghan guard and two Afghan truck drivers waiting to get inside the compound when the attack began.
Kabul provincial Police Chief Mohammad Ayuob Salangi said the attack was carried out by four men, one of whom rammed an explosive-laden truck into the compound's gate. The others were wearing suicide vests, Deputy Chief of Police Dawoud Amin told USA TODAY. All four were killed in the explosion and subsequent gunbattle.
A truck packed with explosives left a crater more than 30-feet wide, blowing open the compound gate. The other militants entered the breach before exploding their vests. The blast destroyed several buildings and reduced more than a dozen tractor trailers to smoldering, twisted heaps of charred metal.
The attack occurred just off a main highway linking Kabul to the country's eastern provinces that is lined with compounds for private companies that supply NATO forces.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest in a series of attacks carried out in and around the capital.
Shopkeeper Bismillah Khan said he was just about to open his store when there was a large explosion about 100 yards away, sending him and others scurrying for safety. "It was a huge blast that knocked all of us to the ground," Khan said.
Bombings and other violence are on the rise in the Afghan capital in recent weeks, targeting both local government offices and foreign interests. The uptick in violence comes amid U.S. efforts to hold peace talks with the Taliban in Qatar, home of the militant group's recently opened office.
Earlier this week, Afghan military officials reported that attacks on policemen left nearly 300 security forces dead over the last month, one of the highest counts since the beginning of the war.
Local and national police are increasingly targeted by the Taliban and other militant groups as they take over security operations throughout the country.
At the same time, deaths tolls for U.S. and NATO forces are down as they scale back combat operations.
Photo: Carmen Gentile for USA TODAY


text:
Mobile Phones Guide
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Overview & Design
Entering New Territory
When the Motorola Milestone was released in March 2010, it was one of the few QWERTY sliders in the market. Motorola did what few could by packaging impressive specifications into a surprisingly slim profile. The Milestone was praised for its smooth performance, seamless integration of a physical keyboard and a commendable touch screen experience.
However, the pace of development for Android picked up in the later part of 2010 with many companies jumping on the bandwagon. The year ended with the introduction of dual core processors and Android 2.3. With its single core and Android 2.1, the Milestone was feeling its age. It was about time for Motorola to renew its flagship model to take on the newer competitors.
Launched in February 2011, the Motorola Milestone 2 retains a similar form factor, though there have been significant changes under the hood. For one, the Milestone 2 is equipped with a 1GHz processor running Android 2.2, also known as Froyo. It also has a new version of its custom user interface, known as MOTOBLUR.
When you first set sight on the Motorola Milestone 2, you will hardly notice any difference from its predecessor. Indeed, the Milestone 2 retains an almost similar chassis, with only minimal changes to its dimensions and QWERTY keyboard. The Milestone 2 weighs slightly heavier at 169g, a negligible increase of 4g. More importantly, it maintains the same excellent build quality that gives it a solid feel in your hands.
Gracing the front of the handset is a 3.7-inch TFT capacitive screen with four touch sensitive keys located at the bottom. Strangely, Motorola has changed the order of the keys. In its predecessor, the buttons are in this order - Back, Menu, Home and Search. In Milestone 2, except for the Search button, the other three buttons have exchanged positions, with an order of Menu, Home and Back. Existing Milestone owners who are used to the old layout may take some time adapting to the new one if they upgrade to the Milestone 2.
The physical buttons around the chassis remain largely unchanged. On the top right corner, you will find the 3.5mm audio jack and Power / Screen lock button. We definitely prefer the new Power / Screen lock button as it has a slight bump as well, compared to the previous one which was flushed with the surface. However, there is still room for improvement as there were occasions when it was hard to find the key without looking. It would have been easier if the button is made even bigger or longer.
Slide up and you will uncover the four-row QWERTY keyboard. The slider mechanism works smoother now, compared to the original Milestone where you need to exert some force. Once fully extended, the slider locks firmly in place. The QWERTY keyboard has an improved design that will have existing Milestone owners and messaging junkies cheering. The keys are no longer flushed with the surface. They have a slight bump, which provide a better tactile feel. This allows for a faster and more accurate typing experience.
The directional pad in the first Milestone is now replaced by a set of arrow keys, which makes space for more and larger keys. The arrow keys come in handy when you scan through large bodies of text. Commonly used keys such as Enter and Alt are larger. Moreover, three new keys are added - the voice input, OK and Alt Lock keys. The Alt Lock key is a welcome addition as you do not need to press Alt each time you want to type a digit. Now, you just have to engage the Alt Lock key once and you can bang out strings of numbers quickly.
At the back, you will find the 5-megapixel camera and dual-LED flash in the same position. We would have liked the inclusion of a lens cover to protect the camera from scratches as the lens is exposed.
Occupying about two-third of the back is the battery compartment which houses a 1390mAh Li-ion battery. The SIM and memory card slots are only accessible if you remove the battery, which is troublesome if you need to change cards often.
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Article content
Call it a stunning case of dis-Kinect.
Beginning June 9, Microsoft will begin selling a version of its Xbox One video game console for $399, $100 less than the current offering, and which does not include the Kinect sensor in the box.
It's a surprising reversal for Microsoft, who had maintained from the get-go that the motion- and voice-sensing Kinect device was an integral, inseparable part of the Xbox One console, which launched last November.
But the $100 price gap between the Xbox One and Sony's $399 PlayStation 4 appears to have forced Microsoft's hand. In Canada, a recent PS4 price increase will actually make the Kinect-less Xbox One $50 cheaper than its rival.
"What's changed really is just the feedback from our gaming customers that said, 'Hey I want a more affordable way to get there, and then buy a Kinect accessory later,' " said Yusuf Mehdi, Xbox's chief marketing and strategy officer, adding that a separately sold Kinect sensor will go on sale this fall at a yet-to-be-announced price.
"We remain deeply committed to Kinect as an integral part of the Xbox One premium experience," said Mehdi, adding a $499 version of Xbox One bundled with Kinect will still be available.
The Kinect sensor is an array of cameras and microphones, used to detect player movements in games like Kinect Sports Rivals, and to issue voice commands to the Xbox One console.
While the previous generation of Kinect was a separately sold add-on for the Xbox 360, Microsoft made the contentious decision to bundle it with the Xbox One, despite some game fans saying they didn't want or intend to use the sensor.
Mehdi said 80% of Xbox One owners user their Kinect sensors regularly, but admits that figuring out the best ways to include Kinect in games has been "a learning experience. It's kind of like in the early days of touch – how do you redesign a game for touch?"
And while the decision to make Kinect optional might hurt developers such as Harmonix, whose upcoming Fantasia: Music Evolved game is designed around Kinect, Mehdi said game developers as a whole support the move to separate Kinect from the Xbox One.
"We made this decision in part with our developer partners, talking to a lot of them, and they all kind of see the balance of, 'Hey, we love having Kinect, but we also love having the largest installed base possible for our games.' So in the end, I think it was the right decision to have an option to get it without."
tap here to see other videos from our team.