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Week of 8/17/09 - 8/24/09
Yes, I know that's eight days, not a week. I was out of town from Thursday afternoon through next Monday, on vacation with my daughter. My calendar for Monday through Thursday noon starting 8/17/09:
* Regular monthly meeting with Bruce Warner and Keith Witcosky, plus Paul Slyman, PDC. Covered Office of Healthy Working Rivers and Harbor ReDI, Convention Center Hotel/URA changes, new potential west side URA, etc.
* Meeting with Bernie Bottomly, PBA, Jeff Curtis of Tygh Capital and Pat Becker, Jr. of Becker Capital, regarding their hope for changes in the Business License Fee for some low-employee/high income companies
* Community Agencies meeting to review process for signing kids up for health insurance under the State's new expansion of the Oregon Health Plan, with State Representative Tina Kotek. Wonderful success - approximately 40 agency and community folks showed up. Multnomah Education Service District will help coordinate outreach from now on, with our assistance. Contact Sara Hussein in my office for details.
* Lunch with Dave Lister, discussed health care, press issues, current events, etc.
* Monthly meeeting with Commissioner Leonard
* Met with Chris Fick, a University of Maryland student who will be doing a Capstone project researching an issue for our office
* Monthly meeting with Amalia Alarcon de Morris, Director of the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, also later her annual performance evaluation - excellent
* Meeting with Jeramy Patton and Andrew Scott regarding the 2009-10 City budget process and how it can be improved in the next cycle
* Council meeting Wednesday morning only
* Retirement celebration for Ruth Roth, Office of Management and Finance
* Meeting with Dr. Herman Frankel regarding national health care insurance
* Quarterly meeting with Chief Sizer, discussed sidewalk laws, 911/Police issues
* Meeting with staff from the City Attorney's office regarding potential sidewalk regulations
* Phone calls with Beth Slovic, Willamette Week regarding office expenditures, and left message returning Jake Thomas's call from The Observer regarding racial profiling
* Concert in the Park at Ventura Park in Hazelwood on Wednesday evening
* New Leadership Oregon panel event at City Hall, for Portland high school girls
* Bill Naito Legacy Fountain dedication
* Left on vacation after noon on Thursday.back in the office on Tuesday, August 25.
Dinners at home: All but Wednesday, and out of town dining at Louie's in Ashland Thursday to Sunday.


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Abdallah joins Whitecaps
Vancouver, BC – Ghanaian midfielder Aminu Abdallah has joined the Vancouver Whitecaps, the club announced on Thursday.
Abdallah, 19 arrives in Vancouver after five seasons with Ghanaian club International Allies FC. The native of Accra, Ghana, is a member of Ghana's U-20 side and played with fellow 'Caps midfielder Gershon Koffie from 2008 to 2010 with International Allies FC.
While on trial with Whitecaps FC, Abdallah appeared in and started six matches, and registered one goal and one assist in reserve matches and scrimmages.
"Aminu is a big, young, powerful player with huge potential," said Whitecaps head coach Martin Rennie. "He is a left-footed box-to-box player who can bring a lot to the team with his ability to win balls in the air and connect passes."
Before joining Vancouver, Abdallah trained with several major European sides, including Italy's Juventus, Russia's CSKA Moscow, and the Netherlands' PSV Eindhoven.
"I am very excited to join Whitecaps FC," added Abdallah. "I am going to work hard and try my best to make the club and fans proud."

subset: commoncrawl


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NBA star Dwyane Wade is headed to Texas — no, he's not going to apologize sheepishly to Maverick's star Dirk Nowitzki. He's traveling to the Lone Star State to testify in a hacking case.
For the last five years, Wade has been under attack from hackers that live in Texas. These unidentified perps reportedly broke into his email account and stole both business and personal information they found inside.
It sounds like they had a lot of fun. The hackers changed his passwords, intercepted emails, and even impersonated Wade online. The fake Dwyane Wade was so convincing some acquaintances revealed personal and confidential information about themselves to these impersonators.
Part of the motivation for this prolonged attack may be related to Wade's behavior on the basketball court. Wade and his Miami Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks in 2006, some would say unfairly, and a bitter rivalry between the two teams began. Sports are taken seriously by Texans and it's possible that this hacking may be the 21st century form of booing your opponent off the court. [Computer World]
You can keep up with Kelly Hodgkins, the author of this post, on Twitter or Facebook.


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Daniel Kruger, Kasia Klimasinska and Caroline Salas Gage
Monday, 24 February 2014 02:14 PM
The Wall Street banks known as primary dealers because they get to trade with the Federal Reserve and raise the money that the U.S. government needs to operate are concerned that they are being marginalized because of advances in technology. So worried are they that the group wants the Treasury Department to curb the increasingly popular practice by investors of buying bonds directly from the government without their involvement.
In many ways, the request underscores the changing nature of the business, where greater access to information has leveled the playing field between banks and investors, and turned telephones into little more than paperweights. A record 49 percent of Treasury trading was done electronically in 2013 and the amount of debt sold directly to investors at auction rose to 17.7 percent of issuance from 2.5 percent in 2008. The number of primary dealers has shrunk to 22 from the peak of 46 in 1988.
"The Treasury needed the dealer community for its information, for its distribution," said E. Craig Coats Jr., who was the co-head of the government bond trading desk at Salomon Brothers in the 1980s, when the partnership was Wall Street's biggest bond trading firm. "Today there's so many different sources of liquidity and information and distribution that the dealers become less important to the Treasury."
'Breaking Down'
Primary dealers, which include JPMorgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc., are seeing their roles diminished just as the Fed begins to unwind the extraordinary monetary stimulus measures put in place after the 2008 financial crisis. That includes bond purchases that swelled the assets on the central bank's balance sheet to a record $4.15 trillion from less than $1 trillion.
At the same time, government borrowing has more than doubled the amount of tradable U.S. government debt to $11.8 trillion. That combination has dealers concerned that there's an increased chance of disorder in markets if demand for Treasuries declines. Forecasters predict higher yields, which would reduce the value of existing bonds.
"This is an oligopoly that's breaking down and the oligopolists are concerned," said Robert Eisenbeis, a former director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and vice chairman and chief monetary economist for money-management firm Cumberland Advisors in Sarasota, Florida.
Influential Membership
The request by the dealers was revealed on page 58 of a 74- page chart presentation accompanying the report that the Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee, or TBAC, presented to the government this month and made public. The 15-member group is made up of the world's most powerful and influential banks and investment firms.
The committee, which makes recommendations to the Treasury on its borrowings and briefs it on market conditions, suggested setting curbs on investors' ability to circumvent the dealers and buy bonds directly from the government because the unpredictable nature of that demand "could potentially lead to increased debt funding costs" for the government.
They also suggested the U.S. consider the potential for syndicated sales of securities such as ultra-long maturity bonds due in more than 30 years and granting underwriters the option to buy additional debt at the Treasury offerings. Those measures would tighten their grip on the sales process.
Taking Stock
TBAC Chairwoman Dana Emery, the chief executive officer of mutual-fund firm Dodge & Cox Inc. in San Francisco, declined to comment, said her spokesman, Steve Gorski. All of the 14 other members either declined to comment or didn't return calls.
"We're always trying to take stock of where we're at and make sure we understand how new developments in the marketplace are impacting our ability to finance ourselves," Matthew Rutherford, the Treasury's assistant secretary for financial markets, said in a Feb. 20 telephone interview.
Ensuring that the government is getting the best rates possible on its borrowings is no small matter with the Treasury selling more than $2 trillion of notes and bonds a year. That's up from an average of $659 billion in the five years before the 2008 financial crisis.
Unlike dealers, direct bidders aren't required to bid at every Treasury auction. That means their decision to participate makes government debt sales less predictable, the TBAC has said in its reports. As a result, dealers may need to reduce their bids to compensate for the added risk.
Rising Share
Direct bidders submitted $829.2 billion in bids last year, and were awarded $351.1 billion, or 17.7 percent of the $1.99 trillion in competitively sold U.S. debt, according to Treasury data compiled by Bloomberg. All were record amounts.
In 2008, direct bidders tendered $25.4 billion and were awarded $20.2 billion, or 2.5 percent, while dealers submitted $1.47 trillion of bids for $809 billion of competitively sold securities, winning $554.7 billion, or 68.6 percent.
The increased availability of data and the advancements in trading technology have leveled the playing field, giving investors access once enjoyed only by the dealers.
"I can enjoy a primary dealer level of access to both the primary and secondary markets," Jason Evans, co-founder of hedge fund NineAlpha Capital LP in New York and the former head of U.S. government bond trading at Deutsche Bank AG, said in a telephone interview.
Trading Decline
Trading in fixed-income, currencies and commodities at the 10 largest global investment banks declined 19.4 percent in 2013 to $73.9 billion, according to research firm Coalition Ltd. The "anticipation of rising interest rates, tougher capital adequacy regulations and concerns over the U.S. Fed 'tapering' weighed on the business," Coalition said in report last week.
Increased regulations after the financial crisis to limit banks' risk-taking "is increasingly stifling for the dealers," Evans said last week. "Primary dealers have seen the true value proposition in being a primary dealer eroded over time."
Even though the amount of debt has expanded, trading activity is stagnant, with $544 billion of Treasuries on average changing hands each day in 2013, down from $553 billion in 2008, Fed data show. Electronic trading has increased from 31 percent in 2012, according to a survey of institutional money managers by Greenwich Associates.
Coats, who worked at Salomon when its influence was caricatured in "Bonfire of the Vanities," said he trades Treasuries via exchange-traded funds. The 66-year-old retired in 2009 as co-head of fixed income at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Inc.
Bond Losses
Treasuries in 2013 suffered their first losing year since 2009, dropping 3.35 percent in value as yields rose, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch index data.
Yields on 10-year notes are forecast to climb again this year, to 3.37 percent, according to the weighted average in a Bloomberg survey of 74 participants. Last week, the yield on the benchmark 2.75 percent note due in February 2024 was little changed at 2.73 percent, Bloomberg Bond Trader prices show. The yield was 2.72 percent at 11:42 a.m. in Tokyo.
Banks began to exit the dealership business in the 1990s as the large number of firms and the increased transparency of electronic trading cut the spread between offers to buy and sell debt, making activity less profitable.
"It's a tricky balancing act about keeping costs as low as you can but at the same time not disenfranchising dealers," said John Fath, a former head Treasury trader at Zurich-based primary dealer UBS AG. He's now a principal at investment firm BTG Pactual in New York, which manages $2.5 billion.
'Meaningful Intermediary'
Treasury officials understand the difficulty posed for dealers by the erosion of their dominance at the auctions and as new regulations limit their ability to commit capital to their bond businesses, according to Karthik Ramanathan, a former Treasury debt management director
Dealers still "offer a meaningful intermediary" between the market and the Treasury, Ramanathan, who is now a senior vice president at Fidelity Investments, said in a telephone interview from Merrimack, New Hampshire. "I do not believe at this point direct bidding or technology is going to completely disintermediate the primary dealer structure."
A primary dealership still carries some allure. Toronto- Dominion Bank's TD Securities was named one by the Fed on Feb. 12, the first new dealer in more than two years. Stamford, Connecticut-based Pierpont Securities LLC is interested in becoming one, according to Mark Werner, its chief executive officer.
'Certain Distinction'
"Typically, central banks and sovereign funds, the biggest holders of U.S. Treasuries, will only deal with primary dealers," Werner said in a telephone interview. "There's a certain distinction that comes with being a primary dealer."
Werner, who worked at JPMorgan Chase for 22 years, where he rose to vice chairman before co-founding Pierpont in 2009, and in 2010 was a member of the TBAC, acknowledges the challenges.
"You're in a low rate environment, with relatively low volatility and low turnover in the asset class," he said. "The result is a somewhat less profitable environment for dealers."
The Treasury may face "perception issues" if it adopts the TBAC's recommendations, said Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a Washington-based group funded by labor unions and private foundations.
"The idea that somehow the Treasury would get a higher price for its bonds with fewer people bidding, that's not the economics I learned in school," Baker said in a telephone interview.
The Treasury's bailout of the banks during the financial crisis created the notion that the biggest lenders were too big to fail and created "implicit subsidies" for them, according to Cumberland's Eisenbeis.
"It's no wonder they're going to say they're concerned about their profitability," he said. "That's pure self-interest and has nothing to do with the efficacy or the functioning of that market."
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Release Date: 2012 |
Album Rating: 3.5This band is one of the lights at the end of the storm in terms of mainstream alt rock. Most bands in this genre admittedly suck nowadays.
Album Rating: 4.0Oh shit! I had no idea this was out yet. Great band. I need to give this a listen.
This band is apparently super obscure in Canada. My girlfriend got into them somehow, and we can't find any of their
CDs anywhere.
Album Rating: 4.0dam i didn't know they were coming out with anything new, this will go down on the to-do list
Album Rating: 4.5Good review, was waiting for one to come out. Could've written a li'l more about the music though, which ones you prefer and why and stuff like those.
My personal favorites from this are Running Out Of Time, Kamikaze Love and the title track. ^^
Pos. Great album, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The tunes sound a little similar in the mid-section of the album, but the general flow of the album is brilliant, and props for the vocals and the keyboards.
"Running Out Of Time" is my personal favorite, and "The Happy Song?" is one damn good out-of-the-box song.
And this...
This band is one of the lights at the end of the storm in terms of mainstream alt rock. Most bands in this genre admittedly suck nowadays. [2]
agreed hard fade
i'm everyone's best friend
This is one of the many bands I keep meaning to give a listen.
Album Rating: 3.5The last song admittedly kind of sucks, but the rest of the album is just so great that I don't really care, though its bound to piss some people off lol
Album Rating: 4.0"'The Happy Song', an original song written for Alan Wake's American Nightmare..." - Wikipedia's Poets of the Fall page.
Just FYI. I love the chorus but that's where my love begins and ends. However, knowing it's made for the downloadable game I don't have much of an issue with it. It probably shouldn't have been put on their main album though. I'll admit that I absolutely love their "Old Gods of Asgard" songs and would have preferred one of them on this album. I believe they did a new one for the game under their moniker even.
Great album overall though.
Album Rating: 3.0Wonderful album so far, definitely a solid 4
Album Rating: 3.5Yeah their songs for the original Alan Wake are phenomenal.
Album Rating: 4.0I generally dislike this alt-rock, poppy style, but the Poets are amazing. I'm yet to hear anything by them that's even simply "passable," much less bad. Glad to see they haven't lost their touch.
Album Rating: 4.0I just downloaded this, and so far I'm loving it.
This is out?!..goddamn..
Album Rating: 4.5POETS OF THE FALL IS THE BEST BAND!! accept the facts people!!
Album Rating: 4.0"they never run out of catchy yet intelligent hooks, and how they don't follow any stereotype pertaining to the modern age of alternative and rock in general"
So true!
Album Rating: 4.5POTF is indeed amazing, great review
Album Rating: 4.0great album, though the happy song is a horrible way to end the album, totally out of place and the worst song ive heard them put together
Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


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Ready to move beyond Domino's, Pizza Hut, Papa Johns, etc? Maybe your hometown had good pizza (especially if you come from the East coast like New York, Boston, or Philly, or Chicago) and you're wondering where to find some good pie in sin city. When I moved to Las Vegas from the East Coast I remember ordering pizza from a local place and it sucked. At that moment my search began for finding the best pizza in Las Vegas.
Don't settle for the likes of Tropicana Pizza or Little Caesar's, there is decent pizza in Las Vegas, you just have to know where to look. (Have a suggestion? Let us know)
Had an experience with one of these places? Consider writing a review (you don't need an account--just click on the link for the place you want to review and submit your comment at the bottom of that page).
Check out our list of the Best pizza places in Las Vegas to find some good pie.


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Fox analysts say remarks about Palin were a joke
NEW YORK -- Two Fox News Channel analysts said Thursday they were joking when they spoke on the air about going easy on fellow Fox employee Sarah Palin.
The comments by Greg Gutfeld and Bob Beckel were taken seriously and given wide circulation after being made on Wednesday's edition of "The Five," the summer replacement series for Glenn Beck.
The talk show's Monica Crowley introduced a segment showing Palin angrily taking on critics of the tea party.
"I say, 'Amen, sister,'" Crowley said before asking other panelists how they felt.
Gutfeld said that "the only problem talking about Sarah Palin is that she works here and it's like a co-worker. And if I say something bad and I see her in the hallway I feel really awkward and wrong. So I just kind of say, 'That was a good job.'"
Beckel, a longtime Democratic strategist and 1984 campaign manager for Walter Mondale, immediately picked up on Gutfeld's comment.
"It has nothing to do with that," he said. "It has everything to do with your paycheck. That's why you feel awkward about it. I know exactly what you mean. Many times, I'll be honest, I've pulled my punches on it."
The only indication he wasn't serious came when Beckel then proceeded to criticize Palin. The former Republican vice presidential candidate had defended the tea party after there were suggestions they acted like "terrorists" in the debt ceiling debate. Beckel noted that a campaigning Palin had questioned the patriotism of Democrats.
"I was playing off what Greg was saying," Beckel said in an interview Thursday, noting that it's a mandate of producers to try to be funny on "The Five." ''People are so sensitive."
Beckel said that nobody at Fox had ever asked him to go easy on anyone, adding, "I'd punch them out if they did."
Gutfeld is host of Fox's satirical late-night show "Red Eye." He said that he's met Palin only once and that he'd have little opportunity to see her at Fox's New York headquarters since the former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate does most of her appearances on the network from a studio in Alaska.
"It was clearly a joke" that should be apparent to anyone who watches "Red Eye," he said.
"I don't pull punches," he said. "I've been fired from some jobs for not pulling punches." Asked for details, he said, "Check my Wikipedia page."
Gutfeld has lost editing jobs at Men's Health, Stuff and Maxim UK.
Palin has said she will decide later this summer whether she is running for president next year. Fox terminated contracts with contributors Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum after they took steps to run for president, while Mike Huckabee decided not to run and kept his Fox News weekend program.


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Casinos are awesome, especially once you accept the fact that the house always wins. And if you're going to give away your money regardless, you might as well do it at one of these incredibly, wonderfully weird games.
Hands up and gimme all your cash! A literal one-armed-bandit in Henry's Western Gift Shop in Reno, Nevada, 1955.
Photo: Mark Dadswell/Getty Images
Government-operated "Rocky" machines at the metropolitan government office building in Tokyo. Robot butler not included.
Photo: Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images
Even with a blurry image, SPAM slot machines shine bright.
Photo: Steve Schroeder
Pimp your ride with a manga themed slot machine! Taken at the 2008 Tokyo Auto Salon. Somewhere, Xzibit is smiling.
Photo: Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images
A presidential election slot machine at Comedy Central's Indecision 2008 Election Night. Everything's coming up Palin!
Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images
An online slot machine, featuring mug shots from Japan's wanted list instead of bells and cherries.
Photo: Famista Inc./AP
Rat Roulette aka Gerbil Roulette. Forget the physics of a bouncing ball; winners are decided here by the biology of rodents.
Photo: Scott Beale
May the luck be with you when playing these Star Wars machines in Las Vegas.
Photo: Daniel Lobo
Tic-tac-toe chicken. Yes, in this game you have to beat a real animal—Ginger the chicken—in tic-tac-toe to win $10,000. For real.
Photo: B.T. Indrelunas. (Opening image also by B.T. Indrelunas.)
Any other ridiculous games of chance we missed? Share them below!


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If you believe that you've had to learn more about the safe online operation and ongoing management of your PC than you ever wanted to know, then you'll be pleased to discover that there's relief on the horizon. According to the latest market study by Gartner, the reign of the personal computer is coming to an apparent close. By 2014, the personal cloud will replace the personal computer -- and this transition will likely include greater use of media tablets, chromebooks or other similar devices.
Gartner analysts said the personal cloud will become the foundation for a new era that will provide users with an increased level of flexibility with the devices they use for daily activities -- leveraging the strengths of each device, ultimately enabling new levels of user satisfaction and productivity. However, Garner says that it will require enterprise IT leaders and their staff to fundamentally rethink how they deliver applications and services to their end-users.
Seeking New Fundamental Ways to Achieve Goals
"Major trends in client computing have shifted the market away from a focus on personal computers to a broader device perspective that includes smartphones, tablets and other consumer devices," said Steve Kleynhans, research vice president at Gartner.
He says that emerging cloud computing services will become the glue that connects the various digital devices that people will choose to use during the different aspects of their daily life.
"Many call this era the post-PC era, but it isn't really about being after the PC, but rather about a new style of personal computing that frees individuals to use computing in fundamentally new ways to improve multiple aspects of their work and personal lives," said Kleynhans.
Transition is Defined by a Series of Megatrends
Several driving forces are combining to create this new era. Gartner believes that these "megatrends" have roots that extend back through the past decade, but are aligning in a new way:
1. Consumerization
Gartner has discussed the consumerization of IT for the better part of a decade, and has seen the impact of it across various aspects of the corporate IT world. However, much of this has simply been a precursor to the major wave that is starting to take hold across all aspects of information technology as several key factors come together
- Users are more technologically savvy and have very different expectations of technology.
- The Internet and social media have empowered and emboldened users.
- The rise of powerful, affordable mobile devices changes the equation for users.
- Users have become innovators.
Through the democratization of technology, users of all types and status within organizations can now have similar technology available to them.
2. Virtualization
it has improved flexibility and increased the options for how IT organizations can implement client environments. Virtualization has, to some extent, freed applications from the peculiarities of individual devices, operating systems or even processor architectures. Virtualization provides a way to move the legacy of applications and processes developed in the PC era forward into the new emerging world. This provides low-power devices access to much-greater processing power, thus expanding their utility and increasing the reach of processor-intensive applications.
3. Software App-ification
When the way that applications are designed, delivered and consumed by users changes, it has a dramatic impact on all other aspects of the market. These changes will have a profound impact on how applications are written and managed in corporate environments. They also raise the prospect of greater cross-platform portability as small user experience (UX) apps are used to adjust a server- or cloud-resident application to the unique characteristics of a specific device or scenario. One application can now be exposed in multiple ways and used in varying situations by the user.
4. The Self-Service Cloud
The advent of the cloud for servicing individual users opens a whole new level of opportunity. Every user can now have a scalable and nearly infinite set of resources available for whatever they need to do. The impacts for IT infrastructures are stunning, but when this is applied to the individual, there are some specific benefits that emerge. Users' digital activities are far more self-directed than ever before. Users demand to make their own choices about applications, services and content, selecting from a nearly limitless collection on the Internet. This encourages a culture of self-service that users expect in all aspects of their digital experience. Users can now store their virtual workspace or digital personality online.
5. The Mobility Shift
Today, mobile devices combined with the cloud can fulfill most computing tasks, and any tradeoffs are outweighed in the minds of the user by the convenience and flexibility provided by the mobile devices. The emergence of more-natural user interface experiences is making mobility practical. Touch- and gesture-based user experiences, coupled with speech and contextual awareness, are enabling rich interaction with devices and a much greater level of freedom. At any point in time, and depending on the scenario, any given device will take on the role of the user's primary device -- the one at the center of the user's constellation of devices.


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|Previous Page | Table of Contents | Index | Next Page
Proof of Loss(p4)
Casualty loss proof.(p4)
Theft loss proof.(p4)
It is important that you have records that will prove your deduction. If you do not have the actual records to support your deduction, you can use other satisfactory evidence to support it.
|Previous Page | Table of Contents | Top of Page | Index | Next Page


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THE LEVANT – Israel's prime minister is trying to capitalize on the gruesome video of an American journalist's beheading by the Islamic State extremist group, saying Hamas is an equally vicious foe as he tries to rally international support in Israel's war in the Gaza Strip. But the comparisons between Hamas and Islamic State are being met with reservations by Israel's allies and enemies alike.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu always has prided himself on his ability to attract media attention. Netanyahu, who grew up in the U.S. and speaks fluent English, often uses catchy quips, props or visual aids in public speeches or briefings to journalists.
A day after the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, posted the video of journalist James Foley's killing, Netanyahu debuted his latest catchphrase: "Hamas is ISIS. ISIS is Hamas." He voiced the slogan at a news conference, on Twitter and even at his weekly Cabinet meeting Sunday.
As Israel's military campaign against Hamas in Gaza nears its eighth week, Netanyahu is fighting an uphill battle for international support. While the international community generally supports Israel's right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket fire, the world has grown increasingly uncomfortable with the scenes coming out of Gaza.
Hundreds of Israeli airstrikes, along with tank and artillery fire, have killed more than 2,100 people and caused widespread destruction. U.N. and Palestinian officials say most of the dead have been civilians, including some 500 children.
With powerful images of flattened buildings and dead children coming out of Gaza each day, Israel's argument that the civilians have been used as "human shields" by Hamas seems to be making little difference to perceptions abroad. Sixty-eight people have been killed on the Israeli side, all but four of them soldiers.
"There is complete agreement, almost a consensus, that (the Islamic State group) is a monstrous organization. But there is no international agreement that Hamas is a monstrous organization," veteran Israeli television commentator Moti Kirschenbaum said.
Perhaps with this distinction in mind, Netanyahu has tried to frame the military operation in Gaza not as a local conflict, but as part of a broader global fight against a unified Islamist threat.
"Many countries in the region and the West are beginning to understand that this is one front," Netanyahu said Sunday. "They are branches of the same poisoned tree."
He said both groups had carried out extra-judicial killings, a nod to Hamas' public shooting Friday of suspected spies for Israel.
But his pairing of Hamas and the Islamic State group has hit bumps.
When asked about Netanyahu's comparison last week, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the U.S. considers both groups terrorist organizations, but said: "I think by definition they are two different groups. They have different leadership. And I'm not going to compare them in that way."
Netanyahu's office posted a graphic on Twitter of an image from the Islamic State video of journalist Foley kneeling next to his killer, paring it with a 2012 photo of a Hamas motorcyclist dragging an accused spy's corpse. But it quickly deleted the tweet amid world criticism over images of the video being shared on social media.
In subsequent tweets, Netanyahu's office replaced the image with a picture of the black Islamic State group's flag.
Israeli journalist Amir Tibon, writing on the news website Walla, called the comparison hypocritical because Israel has held negotiations with Hamas over a long-term cease-fire, while the U.S. refuses to negotiate with the Islamic State group – and because Hamas has not beheaded American journalists in Gaza.
"Journalists who strayed from Hamas's strict line and reported on rocket fire at Israel, were threatened, and in extreme cases, expelled from Gaza, but none of them ended their lives like James Foley," Tibon said.
Hamas itself condemned Netanyahu's comparison, saying its battle is against Israel, not against the entire West.
Hamas official Izzat Risheq said James Foley was "executed in a brutal matter."
Hamas is a "national liberation movement" whose forces are "freedom fighters who are seeking the liberation of the Palestinian people and their civil rights," Risheq said.
Since Hamas overran the territory in 2007, it has cautiously attempted to enforce its deeply conservative version of Islam and has at times placed some restrictions on women's behavior. But it has refrained from passing sweeping Islamic legislation and rescinded certain orders, apparently fearing a public backlash.
Hamas also claims it protects religious minorities. But under its rule, Christians have felt embattled and their numbers have dwindled through emigration.
Yoram Schweitzer, a researcher at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, said unlike the Islamic State group, Hamas believes in postponing full implementation of Islamic religious law to a later stage and has taken part in democratic elections, he said.
"In this sense Hamas is more pragmatic," Schweitzer said. But he added that "Hamas, whether ISIS or not ISIS, is a very brutal organization."


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SurveilStar Any Parental Control
|Free to try
|Op. System:
|Windoows All
|Last updated:
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Publisher description for SurveilStar Any Parental Control
SurveilStar Any Parental Control is a powerful personal monitoring software which can help you to monitor, record, control kids internet activities. SurveilStar Any Parental Control is comprised of Server, Console and Agent. Agent is installed on the computers you need to monitor, and server will invisibly collect all the data from the agent computers, then parents can use Console to review the data and control the computers with flexible controlling policies. SurveilStar Any Parental Control provides the necessary degree of interactivity, allowing you to monitor your kids actions remotely over the email. There's no need to rush home during the launch hour just to check the logs. See what your kids are doing with their computer without leaving your office! With SurveilStar Any Parental Control, Parents can watch real-time screen to monitor what they your children are doing, multi-screen monitoring is available. Or simply record their screen snapshots and view the screen history whenever you are free. You can monitor your kids incoming and outgoing emails, record their instant message such as MSN, record all visited websites with HTML tile and URL. And this web version of Parental Control Software also can be used in many browsers such as IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera and etc. Besides, SurveilStar Any Parental Control also provides parents the ability to password protect your web traffic statistics to ensure that only authorized people have access to SurveilStar Control Center. In a word, SurveilStar Any Parental Control can provide parents a reliable solution to make sure your kids online safety by monitoring their any online activity.


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Our Class Programs
Training My Employees
Train your employees with the knowledge and skills they need for effective leadership in the event of an emergency. From First Aid and CPR training, to Lifeguard and EMT certification, the American Red Cross has the emergency health and safety training and certification options available to suit your employee's needs. Our trained solution specialists can custom tailor a program specifically around your organization. Learn more about all of our comprehensive courses, with online, blended simulation learning, and in-person options, as well as all of the latest learning tools and resources available in the United States today.
How We Teach
- Local classes held at convenient locations and times
- Participate in hands-on training
- Provides full certification
- Learn from experienced instructors
Online + Classroom
- Combines the flexibility of online with hands-on training
- Provides full certification
- Start taking your course immediately
- Work at your own pace and schedule
- Engaging and Interactive courses
Course access after completion
- Start taking your course immediately
For Instructors
Join our elite group of trained health and safety professionals and learn how to teach individuals, businesses, schools, and communities the most effective lifesaving and disaster preparedness skills available today. From CPR and Water Safety, to First Aid and CNA training, our instructors are armed with the latest and most up-to-date manuals and training supplies, including printed and online materials. Find convenient course information and certification options today.
For Students
Become a student of the American Red Cross, while obtaining life-saving knowledge and skills designed to keep you prepared in the event of an emergency, with all the latest health and safety training techniques and certification programs. Our comprehensive courses include Lifeguarding, First Aid, and Basic Life Support Instruction for Healthcare Providers, incorporating all of the most up-to-date emergency practices in the Unites States today. Conveniently access course information online, detailed reference pages and manuals designed to support your learning experience, as well as the latest in continuing education opportunities.
Why Red Cross?
Programs range from in-person to online training and in-between. Learn and get certified when it's convenient to you.
All programs focus on what you need to know right away to get you trained and certified as quickly as possible.
Founded 135 years ago, preparedness training is at the core of what we do. All training and certificates are OSHA and Government compliant.


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Online Exhibitions
The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture produces online exhibitions illustrating themes and ideas related to Native American material culture. Some online exhibitions complement the exhibitions on view in the galleries, others are created specifically for the Web.
Turquoise, Water, Sky
This online version of "Turquoise, Water, Sky: The Stone and Its Meaning" highlights the Museum?s extensive collection of Southwestern turquoise jewelry and presents all aspects of the stone, from geology, mining and history, to questions of authenticity and value.
Travels With my Aunt
"Travels With my Aunt" tells of a unique collection of objects acquired by Sue Bacharach (1902-1999), a woman whose love of travel was exceeded only by her discerning eye for collectibles.
Touched by Fire
Showcases the life and work of Maria Martinez, the legendary San Ildefonso potter who forever changed the world of Indian art.
Tourist Icons
"Tourist Icons: Native American Kitsch, Camp, and Fine Art Along Route 66" highlights Native American art and artifacts of the Route 66 era.
Comic Art Indigene
In Comic Art Indigène Indian artists articulate identity, politics, and culture using the unique dynamics of comic art.
Roads to the Past: 50 Years of Highway Archaeology in New Mexico
This exhibit celebrates the history of the New Mexico Highway Archaeology Program and highlights some of the many important discoveries that benefit both professionals and the public.
Road to Rediscovery
In recent years, highway archaeology projects have begun to use more rigorous scientific objectives. Find out what was learned about one site using new techniques.


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Proposed "buffer zones" around high-voltage power lines will stifle economic growth and make millions of dollars of land unusable, says a group of Auckland business and property owners.
Government policy dictates that councils should include an "appropriate buffer corridor" around major power lines in their district plans.
The policy statement does not, however, say how large these zones should be.
Auckland Council is addressing the size of these zones in its Unitary Plan, a draft of which is due out in March.
State-owned Transpower, which manages the national electricity grid, is suggesting a buffer zone of 24m - 12 on either side of a line - and said building or renovation projects inside these areas might need resource consents before they could go ahead. The "buffer corridors" were necessary to ensure electricity infrastructure could be operated and maintained properly, Transpower said.
But a group of 11 Auckland business and land owners, some of them based in Onehunga where Transpower lines pass through, says the proposed buffer zones are "overly restrictive and impractical".
It is understood this group - which collectively employs 1350 people and has a combined turnover of more than $100 million - will issue a letter to Auckland Council on the perceived impact of the zones.
Companies which are part of the group and will provide briefs of evidence to the council include Ports of Auckland, the Wilson Group and Lowe Corporation.
The Business Herald has been sent some of the material set to go to local authorities, which outlined some firms' fears on how the buffer zones could harm their growth.
"While we cannot shut down the business due to our existing commitments and obligations, we have had to cease hiring or making any capital commitments" said one firm, which did not want to be identified.
One land owner said: "On my own calculations, applying Transpower's buffer corridor would, at today's value, deem approximately $24 million worth of my land unusable."
Outside Auckland, Federated Farmers said this year that the buffer zones amounted to a "land-grab" and would restrict land owner rights and normal farming activities.


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Food & Drink
Beyond Mickey Mouse: Disney tops cruise ship rankings
By Katia Hetter, CNN • Updated 27th February 2013
View Gallery
9 Pictures
Enough talk about drifting cruise ships with overflowing toilets -- that's cruising's rare dark side. On the other hand, how about a four-story waterslide, lots of kids' programming and a private island?
Decked out with these spiffy amenities, Disney's newest cruise ships took top honors at the 2013
Cruise Critic
Cruisers' Choice Awards, the website announced Wednesday.
"Disney has done a great job at expanding without losing what makes it unique: characters and Disney-style entertainment," says Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of CruiseCritic.com, a popular website for cruising aficionados. "You can have multigenerational groups because they're providing something for every generation."
Five things we've learned about cruising
The Disney Fantasy trounced the competition in the best large ship category, winning for best overall ship, best cabins, best entertainment, best public rooms and best service. The Fantasy's maiden voyage was in March of last year.
The Disney Dream, which first sailed in 2011, won for best shore excursions in the large ship category. Large ships carry at least 2,000 passengers.
Carnival cruise investigation under way
While the Cruise Critic website boasts more than 100,000 reviews, this year's winners are culled from the thousands of reviews posted in 2012. While anyone can join the website to discuss the ins and outs of cruising, Brown promises that staffers vetting the reviews and veteran cruisers can spot phonies or industry plants. It helps that every ship has had a Cruise Critic staffer sailing on it at some point. "Cruise travel is so much more complicated than a hotel stay and we have (reviewing) guidelines," she says.
Disney has fine dining and tours for adults
The new Disney ships feature almost Michelin-level fine dining, elegant on-board spa services, and adult-only tours, says Brown. The "fantastic kids program" is spread over almost an entire deck of space and includes animation projects, princess and hero dress up, Disney movies, outdoor fun and other activities. The children are divided by age to ensure toddlers and teens have different activities.
In other best large ship wins, the Celebrity Reflection won for best dining, and Celebrity Eclipse won for best value for money. The Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas won for best for fitness and best for embarkation.
"Celebrity has most the interesting, beautiful and fun ships in cruising for an adult and the Reflection is the newest," launching last October, says Brown. The ship is known for its food, the spa has become pretty and there's an actual lawn on the top deck, which attracts birds in the middle of the ocean, she says.
A cruise is a safe and healthy vacation
In the midsized ship category (1,200 to 1,999 passengers), Holland America's ms Noordam won for best overall ship while sister ship ms Westerdam won for best for fitness and best shore excursions. Oceania's Marina won for best cabins, best dining and best public rooms. (The "ms" in the Holland America ship names stands for "motor ship.") The Thomson Dream won for best service and best entertainment, the Norwegian Spirit won for best value for money and Celebrity Summit won best for embarkation.
In the small ship category (1,199 passengers or fewer), the Azamara Quest won for best overall ship, best for fitness and best for service while the Azamara Journey won for best value for money. The Crystal Serenity took the prize for best dining and best entertainment while the Crystal Symphony won for best public rooms. The Seabourn Odyssey won for best cabins, Regent Seven Seas' Seven Seas Navigator took best shore excursions and Windstar's Wind Surf won for best for embarkation.
Opinion: What cruise lines don't want you to know
If you've been on a cruise, please share any tips for first-time cruisers in the comments section below. If you've never been on a cruise, please ask questions here.
A year of the world's
Best Beaches
There's a perfect beach for every week of the year. Join us on a 12-month journey to see them all
Go to the best beaches


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Ditte Isager
Lime zest is a fresh addition to macaroons, and a Microplane is our zesting tool of choice. If you can't find unsweetened coconut chips, use two 7-ounce bags of sweetened shredded coconut and reduce the sugar to 1 tablespoon.
- Yield
- Makes 24
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 7 ounces unsweetened coconut shavings (about 4 cups)
- Ingredient info: Coconut shavings (also called coconut chips) are available at many natural foods stores and some supermarkets.
- Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 325°F. Whisk egg whites and sugar in a large bowl just until frothy. Whisk in lime zest and salt. Add coconut and fold to coat.
- Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of coconut mixture onto 2 parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheets. Bake, rotating pans halfway through from top to bottom and back to front, until golden brown, 18-22 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets. DO AHEAD: Macaroons can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.


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The Three Most Vulnerable Groups
As GoSafe seeks to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured through enforcement and education. It is important that we identify and understand those people most at risk of a road traffic collision so that our resources can be used most effectively.
In line with the wishes of Edwina Hart MBE CStJ AM, Minister for Economy, Science and Transport, targets have been introduced to ensure continued focus.
Our proposed targets, compared to the average figures for Wales, between 2004-08 are:-
GoSafe focuses on the following vulnerable groups which demonstrate the need for education.


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Name is Khade on Norgannon. I am Prot/Fury specced. I mostly tank during raids, but need to have my DPS up
in cases that only one tank is needed.
us battle net/wow/en/character/norgannon/Khade/simple
Right now my DPS is sitting at about 15.5k. I know I have some gear that needs to be upgraded, but this still
feels very low. I feel like part of my problem is my rotation.
Below is a World of Logs for a Heroic Staghelm attempt:
www worldoflogs com/reports/njbkykezanrcmcrb/analyze/dd/source/?s=2648&e=2884
Below is a World of Logs for a Normal Staghelm kill:
www worldoflogs com/reports/njbkykezanrcmcrb/analyze/dd/source/?s=3156&e=3461


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RELIGST 117: Christianity in 21st-century America (AMSTUD 117R)
As the largest religion practiced in the United States, Christianity not only shapes the lives of a large number of its citizens but also impinges on public discourse, policies, and debates. This course investigates the ways in which Christianity in America is changing and what these changes bode for its role in the public and private spheres. Issues include shifting demographics lead to declining numbers in 'mainline' denominations; the polarization of Christian conservatives and religious 'nones'; interfaith toleration and cooperation alongside interreligious conflict; the rise of 'spiritual, not religious' young adults; the effects of immigration; religion and science.
Terms: Spr | Units: 4 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-AmerCul, WAY-A-II, WAY-ED
Instructors: Pitkin, B. (PI)
2016-2017 Spring
4 units |
UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-AmerCul, WAY-A-II, WAY-ED |
Class #
Section 01 |
Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) |
| In Person
| Students enrolled: 8 / 15
04/03/2017 - 06/07/2017 Mon, Wed 1:30 PM - 2:50 PM at 110-101 with Pitkin, B. (PI)
Instructors: Pitkin, B. (PI)
RELIGST 119: Religion, Violence, and Nonviolence
College courses and public events often address "religion and violence"--an important topic, but one-sided. We will study ways in which religious leaders, movements, and discourses have (1) promoted violent conflict, aggression, and oppression; and (2) contributed to nonviolence, peacebuilding, and liberation of the oppressed. An overarching theme will be a view of religions as fields of interpretation. No religion is essentially violent or peaceful; intricately connected to the world around them, religions become what they become through interpretation and action. Each week will have two meetings: one featuring an outstanding guest lecturer and one to discuss the lecture topic, with assigned readings and films. Topics under consideration include: Buddhism and Violence; Dorothy Day and Catholic Nonviolent Resistance to Nuclear Weapons; Just War and Jihad; The Contribution of Negro Spirituals to Liberation; The Quakers: Pacifist Convictions and Activism; Violence/Nonviolence in Jainism; The Role of Christian Faith in M.L. King's Political Work; Spirituality and Religious Peacebuilding. For lecture series with required attendance and written reflections for 2 units, take RELIGST 29.
Last offered: Winter 2016 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-A-II, WAY-ER
RELIGST 124: Sufi Islam
The complex of Islamic intellectual and social perspectives subsumed under the term Sufism. Sufi mystical philosophies and historical and social evolution. Major examples include: Qushayrî, Râbi'a, Junayd, Hallâj, Sulamî, Ibn al-'Arabî, Rûmî, Nizâm al-Dîn Awliyâ'. Social and political roles of Sufi saints and communities. Readings include original prose and poetry in translation, secondary discussions, and ethnography.
Last offered: Autumn 2015 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II, WAY-ED
RELIGST 126: Protestant Reformation (HISTORY 126B)
The emergence of Protestant Christianity in 16th-century Europe. Analysis of writings by evangelical reformers (Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Sattler, Hubmeier, Müntzer) and study of reform movements (Lutheran, Reformed, Anabaptist, Spiritualist) in their medieval context and as expressions of new and influential visions of Christian belief, life, social order.
Last offered: Autumn 2014 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
RELIGST 132D: Early Christian Gospels (CLASSICS 145)
An exploration of Christian gospels of the first and second century. Emphasis on the variety of images and interpretations of Jesus and the good news, the broader Hellenistic and Jewish contexts of the gospels, the processes of developing and transmitting gospels, and the creation of the canon. Readings include the Gospel of John, the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary and other canonical and non-canonical gospels.
Last offered: Winter 2015 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
RELIGST 144: John Calvin and Christian Faith
Close reading and analysis of Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion as a classic expression of Christian belief.
Last offered: Spring 2016 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
RELIGST 151: Religious Poetry of India
India has a rich literature of devotional and mystical poetry composed by "poet-saints" in common vernacular languagesa, This passionate and contemplative poetry flourished between the 6th and 18th centuries, inspiring religious and social movements that are still vibrant today. It also lives as music, remaining popular and powerful in the form of songs in many styles. We will study this material through the lenses of poetry, religion, performance, and politics
Terms: Win | Units: 4 | UG Reqs: WAY-A-II
Instructors: Hess, L. (PI)
2016-2017 Winter
4 units |
UG Reqs: WAY-A-II |
Class #
Section 01 |
Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit |
| Students enrolled: 6
01/09/2017 - 03/17/2017 Fri 9:30 AM - 12:20 PM at 50-52H with Hess, L. (PI)
Exam Date/Time: 2017-03-21 8:30am - 11:30am (Exam Schedule)
Instructors: Hess, L. (PI)
RELIGST 174: Religious Existentialism-Kierkegaard
Existentialism is often understood to be a secular or anti-religious philosophy of life, a substitute for Christian ethics in a post-theistic world come of age. Yet this twentieth-century philosophical movement owes many of its concerns and much of its vocabulary to the hyper-Protestant Danish thinker Soren Kierkegaard, and much of the best Christian and Jewish thought in the 20th-century (Bultmann, Buber, Tillich) adopted existentialism as the ¿best philosophy¿ for making sense of these traditions in a secular age. This course will examine the origins of existentialist thought in the writings of Kierkegaard and its appropriation by a handful of influential 20th- century religious thinkers.
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
RELIGST 179: Doing the Sacred: Religion and Performance
This course investigates religion as practice and performance, rather than as belief and doctrine. A performance-centered emphasis helps us understand how domination and authority, as well as creativity and individual resistance, underlie culture. From initiatory rites to cyber sermons, human action offers raw, physical data that unveils the mechanisms of social control, ideology, and individual resistance. Reorienting religion from the perspective of religious acts / actors -- those who are doing something they consider sacred -- evokes many interpretive possibilities: How do these performances create and maintain communities? How do they resolve conflicts that arise within everyday affairs? In what ways do they generate meaning and shape identity? What can these enactments reveal about the constructions of power, gender, and race? This course explores such issues, probing the complicated relationship between human intention and social reality. Ultimately, a study of religion and performance seeks to understand how performance and transcendence interact to make participants into who they are.nnThe readings cover an array of religious traditions -- medieval and evangelical Christian, Hindu, Native American, Jewish, Buddhist, African and Haitian Vodou -- all of which present a rich repertoire of sacred drama, dance, and music. We will discuss performances that make modern readers uncomfortable, such as sacrifice and flagellation, and examine why they are meaningful within their specific cultural context. Finally, we will consider how secular practices and the internet mimic religious behavior. However divergent, all of these examples demonstrate how religious performance is no mere artifice, but a vehicle for the practitioner's own pious posturing -- one that is spiritually innovative and self-affirming -- yet shaped by hierarchical regimes.
Last offered: Spring 2015 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II, WAY-ED
RELIGST 180: Gender Relations in Islam
This course investigates the ways in which gender identities and relationships between men and women have been articulated, constructed, and refashioned throughout the Muslim world. Starting with problematizing the fixed notions of gender and sexuality, we map the attitudes toward these notions through visiting a diverse array of sources from the Qur¿an, Sunna, and legal documents to historical and anthropological case studies, literature, and film from South East Asia to Europe and North America. We examine the notions of femininity and masculinity in the Qur¿an, family laws, and attitudes toward homosexuality and transgendered populations. We read examples of ambiguous use of language with regards to gender and sexuality in Persian poetry and mystical traditions. We study the dynamic relationship between Islam and Feminism in the Muslim world. Finally, we witness the implications of these attitudes in our case studies and stories, from a divorce court in Iran to a wedding in Sudan.
Terms: Spr | Units: 3 | UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-SI
2016-2017 Spring
3 units |
UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-SI |
Class #
Section 01 |
Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit |
- -
Notes: This class section has been cancelled!
Filter Results:


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'Breaking Bad' recap: Jesse goes on rampage
Don't you love how "Breaking Bad" messes with our expectations? Just as Walter White manipulates his rivals and family, creator Vince Gilligan and company take giddy delight in manipulating viewers -- pushing us in one direction and then veering another.
Sunday's episode, "Confession," was a master showcase for that kind of maneuvering. To wit:
-- Early on, we had to wonder if Jesse (Aaron Paul) just might spill his guts in that interrogation room with Hank (Dean Norris), but he didn't.
-- At one point, it looked as if Walt (Bryan Cranston) might cave in and videotape a legitimate confession. He didn't.
-- Then it appeared that Walt just might kill Jesse during an ominous meeting in the desert. He didn't.
-- And, finally, we were being led to believe that Jesse was ready to flee Albuquerque and start anew in Alaska. But he didn't.
The latter plot thread, of course, is the one that propels the story in a tense and terrifying new direction. For a long time now, I've believed that Jesse would be the loose link -- the one who could potentially cause the most harm to Walter and his best-laid plans. And tonight we see tangible hints that could happen.
Of course, Walt's world began to unravel the moment Hank took a seat on the john. But our man Heisenberg appeared to be getting things locked back down. Skyler (Anna Gunn) is solidly in his corner (for now) and it's becoming more and more clear that Hank doesn't have a whole lot of solid evidence to nail his brother-in-law. Then, Walt's bravura piece of theater that he delivers via his "confessional" DVD (more on that later) looks to be yet another brilliant, one-step-ahead move.
And when Walt convinces Jesse during the desert powwow that his young partner should change his identity and build a new life elsewhere, that piece of the puzzle seems to be in place. Only Jesse doesn't flee. Instead, he shifts into Tasmanian-Devil mode and douses Walt's home in gasoline as the episode fades to black and we're left to wonder how all hell is about to break loose.
The steps leading up to Jesse's turnaround are plotted out by writer Gennifer Hutchison in precise and riveting fashion. Jesse meets with Saul in the lawyer's office. The plan is for big-man Huell to deliver Jesse to a place along the road out of town, where he'll rendezvous with a man who will help Jesse make his way to Alaska. But before Jesse departs, Saul advises him to dump his marijuana stash. Jesse refuses.
The anxiety we begin to feel after Jesse has been delivered to the drop-off point is a sign of how "Breaking Bad" has conditioned us to be constantly, nervously on edge. I found myself thinking that Jesse just might be gunned down in a drive-by shooting -- or that the man who picks him up will take him out to the desert and do the job there.
Instead, neither one happens. While waiting along the lonely road, Jesse delves inside his pockets to retrieve his pot stash. It's not there. He checks again. Not there.
Then, as he plucks out his cigarettes, the proverbial light bulb clicks on. Saul had Huell lift the pot off him! It triggers something in Jesse's brain. He thinks back to a prior incident when Saul surely must have used Huell to pull the same trick -- only with the ricin cigarette! The horrifying realization crosses his face. The crap is about to hit the fan.
A red van pulls up to the curb, but Jesse doesn't get in.
Moments later, Jesse bursts into Saul's office, locks the door, and unleashes his fists of fury on the lawyer's face. As Saul goes to grab his gun, Jesse reaches it first and points it at Saul. He wants him to admit that he stole the ricin cigarette to help Walt. Saul pleads with Jesse:
"I'm sorry. Yes OK. I had Huell lift your cigarette, but Walt made me. He told me he was helping you. He was saving you. I never would have agreed to it if I knew what he was going to do. Jesse, you've got to believe me. I never wanted any of this."
After Jesse leaves the office in a rage, Saul manages to make it to the phone and presumably calls Walt.
"Hey, it's me. We've got a big problem."
Indeed they do. Jesse is on the warpath. Now, all bets are off. Anything, once again, can happen. Now, these crazy "Breaking Bad" writers have us thinking that the M60 in Walt's trunk has Jesse's name on it. Then again, we could be totally wrong. ...
Some random thoughts:
-- The other key plot line, of course, revolves around the DVD "confession" in which a tearful Walt accuses Hank of being Heisenberg and forcing him to be his meth-cooking puppet. He has meticulously taken a number of prior incidents out of context -- the Season 1 ride-along, Gus Fring's murder, Hank's hospital bills, the punch in the garage, etc. -- and built them into a stunning case against Hank. It's an incredible Emmy-worthy performance, made all the more credible because Walt totally milks the pre-Heisenberg image everyone has of him: The meek, hapless chemistry teacher who wouldn't hurt a fly. Oh, the brilliance! Oh, the gall!
-- Yes, Gilligan and company teased us into thinking Walt was putting together a legitimate confession. But we should have known better. There is no way Walt's massive ego would allow him to be taken down by Hank. He just couldn't stand that. This was one, big, in-your-face way of showing macho-man Hank that his brother-in-law had outsmarted him again. Oh, and the look on Hank's face when he views the tape. Priceless.
-- We're still waiting to see how the whole Todd/Lydia plot thread is going to play out. Walt certainly wouldn't be pleased to know that Todd is shooting his mouth off to two scuzzballs in a diner about the great train heist.
-- Before this run of the eight final episodes, Gilligan promised that they would be turbocharged and so far they have lived up to that promise. The pace, the tension, the dire twists all seem to have been amped up in comparison to the show's typical pace, which can be methodical at times.
-- I wrote earlier that Skyler is "solidly" in Walt's corner, but that might be an overstatement. Based on her expressions and her questioning Walt about whether he really wanted to record that faux confession, she's still having some doubts. Do you think she'll stand by her man 'til the end?
-- There's an immediate inclination to connect Jesse's gasoline dousing of the White house with the flash-forward we've been seeing of the abandoned, vandalized residence. But in that flash-forward there doesn't seem to be any fire damage. Did Jesse have a change of heart mid-dousing? Did someone bust in on him before he could finish the job? Or are the scenes totally unrelated?
-- The meeting between Walt and Jesse in the desert was absolutely heart-wrenching, and I let out a little cheer of encouragement for Jesse when he uttered the line: "Would you just, for once, stop working me?"
-- Again, we appreciate the moments of humor during "Breaking Bad." Two examples tonight: The brief argument over "Hooper" in the Todd cafe scene, and Saul handing Jesse a Hello Kitty phone to take with him on his trip to Alaska.
-- Then again, there was nothing humorous about Marie's suggestion to Walt that he just kill himself to spare the family any hurt or humiliation. So chilling. So honest.
-- It's been fun watching the new "Talking Bad" post-show discussions, and I'm somewhat surprised that two guests so far -- Julie Bowen and Samuel L. Jackson -- have, more or less, suggested that they're still rooting for Walt to get away with it. Do you feel that way, after all the sins he has committed? Or are you rooting him to go down in flames?


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Speech-Language Pathologist
The Stepping Stones Group is currently interviewing Speech Language Pathologists (AAC/AT Specialists) for the 18/19 SY in Pasadena, CA!
Join one of our teams today and help us continue our mission to positively impact the lives of children and communities across the nation.
- Moderate/Severe population
- Serving grades K-12
- CA SLP license or AAC/AT certification required
The Stepping Stones Group includes our family of healthcare brands such as; Cumberland, MyTherapyCompany, AlphaVista, Staffing Options and Solutions and Cobb Pediatric. We work in some of the largest districts throughout the US, with continual access to our clinical teams for support and guidance - no matter where you're located!
As part of one of our teams we can offer you:
- Travel assignments
- Foundations Mentoring Program (not just for new grads)
- Student Loan Repayment Plans
- Clinical Support - where and when you need it the most!
- Comprehensive Benefits
- Wellness Programs to keep you healthy and active
- CEU courses offered at no cost to you - All year long!
Call today and help us as we continue to make changes in a child's life - one child at a time.


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Taking To The Waves As The World Catches Fire
Otelo, a lanky, reticent 16-year-old, is standing on the beach outside Durban, South Africa, watching in disbelief and envy as his friend and periodic rival — the older, aggressive Mandla — does what Otelo has only heard of white people doing. Mandla is surfing.
"That's what people mean when they talk about freedom?" Otelo asks, half-heartedly trying to minimize what he's seen as Mandla, elation on his face, rides in on a wave.
When Otelo (Jafta Mamabolo) dares to pick up a surfboard and go out with Mandla (Sihle Xaba), he finds he feels that same sense of open possibility, as the world drops away and leaves only him, the board and the water. It's almost a moment out of time, but the world painfully remains as it is when Otelo returns to the shore. The feeling surfing provides evaporates as he heads back home to Lamontville, a poor, mostly black township south of Durban.
A heavy-handed but forceful coming-of-age story set circa 1989, against the backdrop of the violent beginning of apartheid's end, Otelo Burningexamines different paths to freedom — finding it in moments of escape, fighting others for it — and the significant costs inherent in each approach.
Getting out of Lamontville is foremost on Otelo's mind, so he's truly hooked when Kurt (Matthew Oats), a white surfer with a stoner-uncle vibe, observes that with his talent, Mandla could go professional and reap the rewards of contest winnings and sponsorship. A life of swag and room service appeals to Otelo — considerably, given that the lot he can look forward to otherwise is caring for his younger brother Ntwe (Tshepang Mohlomi), and driving his abusive and neglectful father's taxi.
Otelo hides his budding interest from his father, who harbors strong superstitions about water, while Otelo's best friend and fellow aspiring surfer New Year (Thomas Gumede) is pressured by his older brother Blade to do something that advances actual freedom by joining the militant wing of the African National Congress. Meanwhile New Year's sister Dezi (Nolwazi Shange), whom Otelo and Mandla both fancy, increasingly sees only a dead end in taking over her mother's tavern, frequented by men who often take liberties with the proprietor.
Kurt encourages Otelo, New Year and Mandla, and they train over months to compete at the local, regional and national levels. Otelo Burning maintains a consistent undercurrent of tension as it tracks the increasing violence between the ANC and the Inkatha Freedom Party near Durban, but when the guys hit the water, it has the rhythms of any other redemptive sports movie whose hero makes a grab for the brass ring: Mandla undermines Otelo's superior raw talent whenever possible, while Otelo's developing relationship with Dezi motivates him further. And, of course, more time surfing also means he's there to look after Ntwe less.
Conventionally shot surfing sequences barely arouse a sense of excitement. Mamabolo convincingly illustrates the change in Otelo's naturally closed-off demeanor with actual cheerfulness when he's surfing, but the performance isn't quite strong enough to evoke the necessary contrast between the confinement of Lamontville and the adrenaline-fueled optimism of the ocean.
As the death toll rises in Lamontville and across the country, and as the political intrudes on the world Otelo and his friends have created for themselves, an audience unfamiliar with the specifics of the conflict and the relationships between the ANC, Inkatha and the government won't immediately catch up — but then that limited point of view more closely resembles what Otelo and his friends know. A sense of complete context during the film isn't necessary to understand the kids' experience of the moment — they know what they don't have and what they hope to have, and they know getting it will involve sacrifice of one kind or another.
Revealing its allegory late as it draws comparisons between Nelson Mandela's release and its own climax, Otelo Burningsuggests that the larger political victories achieved in South Africa since majority rule cannot redeem the years of lives wasted under oppression — and warns of the consequences if the mistakes of the past are allowed to overshadow the opportunities of the future. The film presents a stark choice: seek escape in vengeance and blame, or gamble on the freedom gained by embracing a new world, however scarred it may be.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
Deputies find no sign of lion loose in Warren County
Man reported lion to dispatchers
Warren Co. deputies aren't 'lion' about their efforts to find a big cat Friday morning.
Dispatchers said they got a call from a man on Marcella Avenue in Franklin Township at about 9:30 a.m.
Welden Workman told a dispatcher that he had seen a lion.
"I'm in my back room, looking out the window, and it looks like there's a lion back there," he said. "A lion out there, cleaning itself."
"A lion?" the dispatcher asked.
"Yeah, a real lion!" Workman responded. "Real big!"
Moments later Workman said he and his wife saw the lion get up and leave the yard toward McGuire Lane.
Deputies searched the area for about an hour without finding any sign of a lion.
Dispatchers said they've received no reports of lions missing from any enclosures or habitats in the region. A Ohio Department of Agriculture spokesman said the state does not have any registered lions in Warren County or the 45005 zip code.


text:
Medic's wife welcomes husband home, looks forward to simple moments
Operation Homefront helps give Robert Sanders 3-week visit home
An Overland Park soldier will enjoy the holidays back home with his family, thanks to Operation Homefront.
The group funds trips home for the holidays for members of the military, and troops and their families consider it a godsend.
When Robert Sanders came home Wednesday, the first person to greet him was his 3-year-old son, Donovan. His wife, Vicki, and infant son, Bennett, weren't far behind.
The return drew applause from people at the airport.
Vicki Sanders said the five-month wait has been long. Her husband is stationed in Virginia but travels a lot because he's an Army medic. She said her husband has hardly had the chance to get to know Bennett.
The trip from Operation Homefront will give him three weeks at home. Vicki Sanders said she's looking forward to the simple moments.
"Just having someone to talk to, watch TV with, go to the grocery store with, you know, just help me with the kids, the dogs, rake the leaves, you know," she said. "Just everyday things that people do every day."
Robert Sanders said his Christmas is already complete.
"It means everything," he said. "I mean, being around family is the most important thing, right?"
Operation Homefront sent 500 service personnel home for the holiday season, including eight from the Kansas City area. A $1.5 million grant from Walmart helped to make the trips possible.


text:
The Affiliate System plugin provides a way for you to offer members a new enhanced membership option. People who purchase the new option will have their own personal PTClick, PTSignup and PTReview pages on the site. General members can visit these pages to earn from PTC, PTS and PTR ads, and additionally the person whose page it is will earn a 'Paid-to-promote' type bonus for the visit. This bonus can be either cash, points or both. You can control the amount of the bonuses as well as how often the Affiliate member can earn it for each unique visitor.
NEW: Now rotator ads in either banner or text ad formats can be added - meaning that your Affiliate Pages can feature ads for each Affiliate automatically shown on their specific pages.
Please note that the Scripts-R-Us Affiliates System is different from other Affiliates System addons on the market. With our system, you do not need to make individual pages for every affiliate you have. This is all done automatically for you. If you wish to have a central page with links to all the Affiliates' individual pages, you can still do so, and we provide an automated page for that purpose too.
The plugin also includes the ability to have a page to use as a general purpose Paid-to-promote page, which can be promoted to non-members. A basic template design for this purpose is included with the script - contact us if you would like a more advanced page designed to your specifications.
Requires the Cash Crusader script - sold separately
See a demo Here
Admin demo Here
All Sales Final. Refunds will not be issued.
Copyright © 2003-


text:
This course examines the roles of strategic sourcing and purchasing management in managing a company's value chain. Topics include strategic sourcing, outsourcing/off-shoring, e-procurement, procurement integration, and supplier management (e.g., capability development, cost management, quality management).
This course employs readings, cases, guest speakers (e.g., Motorola, Ariba, Dell Computer), and experiential exercises in its delivery.
Job Titles that Involve Topics Studied:
- Procurement/Purchasing Manager
- Supply-Chain Manager
- Sourcing Manager
- Supply/Material Manager
Suresh Chand: Scheduling and production planning for multiperiod production inventory problems with varying demand forecasts.
Maqbool Dada: Inventory systems, pricing models, service systems, and international operations management.
Vinayak Deshpande: Supply Chain Coordination, Service Parts Management, and Contingency Logistics Systems.
Joice Hu: Assistant Professor of Management.
Ananth Iyer: Analysis of the impact of promotions on logistics systems in the grocery industry and analysis of the impact of competitors on operational management models.
Shrikant Panwalkar: Visiting Professor
Leroy B. Schwarz: Supply-Chain Management, Manufacturing, E-Enterprise, and Operations Strategy.
James Ward: Inventory-distribution system design, planar location models, and interactive computing.
Svenja Sommer: Assistant Professor of Management.
MGMT 460: Operations Management
MGMT 462: Supply Chain Design, Planning and Control
MGMT 490: Logistics: Concepts and Models
MGMT 560: Manufacturing Planning & Control
MGMT 561: Logistics
MGMT 562: Project Management
MGMT 564: Management of Service Operations
MGMT 590D: Strategic Sourcing and Procurement
MGMT 590Y: E-Commerce & Supply Chain
MGMT 661: Management of Operations Systems
MGMT 663: Analysis and Improvement of Processes in Service
and Manufacturing Operations
MGMT 667: International Operations Management
MGMT 669: Operations: Practice & Models
MGMT 690A: Doctoral Topics in OM I
MGMT 690B: Workshop in OM
MGMT 690C: Doctoral Topics in OM II


text:
Brandywine Valley oral history interviewees' photographs
About this collection
Hagley Museum staff conducted a series oral history interviews between 1954 and 1990, speaking primarily with individuals who had worked at the DuPont Company powder yards on Brandywine Creek during the yards' final decades of operation or who had lived near the yards as spouses or children of DuPont Co. workers. Some of the individuals who were interviewed donated, lent for copying, or provided information on the photographs in this collection. The images primarily depict the worker communities which surrounded the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company powder yards on Brandywine Creek or the powder yards themselves. For a detailed description of the entire collection, click here to view the finding aid.
- Click here to view and listen to the collection of Oral histories on work and daily life in the Brandywine Valley.
- Image: DuPont Co. workers enjoying a drink near the Club House at Thompson's Bridge. Click to view.
Search Collection
- View of several houses and yards damaged in explosion. Bell tower visible in background, field of cabbages or cauliflower in foreground. Typed caption: "Information supplied by Mr. Daniel Shields. Upper Yard--Residences (double houses) reading from right to left: Samuel Grogran, Tom Callahan, James Ward, Mary Dougherty. Building with tower known as Bell House, basement used in winter to split chestnut fence and rail posts for farm property. Willow for charcoal house stored in Bell House. Charcoal house to left of Bell House. Eleutherian Mills Barn in background. Vegetable garden (cauliflower) in foreground."


text:
Convert to Natural Gas
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Helping You Save Energy and Money!
If you're using electricity, fuel oil or propane for your home or business, you can save energy and money when you switch to clean, affordable natural gas. It's America's number one energy choice – shouldn't you be using it in your home or business?
Learn how one customer saved nearly 40% on their energy bills by switching to natural gas heat.
The helpful team at NJNG will make your conversion easy by handling all the details. Follow these easy steps to get started.
Switching to natural gas heat today can save you time and money.
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- Use our to see how much you'll save.
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- Heating with electricity or propane could cost two-to-three times more than natural gas heat.
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If you have any questions, call NJNG at 800-221-0051 (at the prompt say "Natural Gas Conversion"), or e-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Hotels and B&Bs in Wells
Accommodation listed here is located within Wells and details for each place have been supplied by the owners. It is best to book early as accommodation can quickly fill up. Staying in or around Wells provides a great base to explore the city and surrounding area. The map shows where all the accommodation along with the restaurants are located.
The letter 'B' on an image below shows that the accommodation provider has their own booking system. See the accommodation provider's page where you can click on the 'Book Online' link.
Wells Accommodation & Restaurant Map [ 368kb ]
City of Wells Accommodation Guide [ 3245kb ]
Ancient Gatehouse Hotel B
Beryl (B&B)
City Arms & Restaurant B
The Crown at Wells (Inn) B
The Swan Hotel B
The White Hart Hotel
19 St Cuthbert Street (B&B) B
23 Glastonbury Road (B&B)
26 Glastonbury Road (B&B) B
Ashford House (B&B)
Bay Tree House
Belleview House (B&B)
El Atico (B&B)
Glengarth House (B&B)
Islington House (B&B next to Bishop's Palace)
Magdalene Cottage (B&B)
The Old Farmhouse (B&B)
Old School House (B&B) B
Stoberry House
York House (B&B)


text:
+ taxes & licensing
81 Ontario St North, Milton, ON L9T 2T2
+ taxes & licensing
You won't want to miss this excellent value! The safety you need and the features you want at a great price! This 4 door, 5 passenger sedan has not yet reached the hundred thousand kilometer mark! Top features include a split folding rear seat, heated seats, power windows, and 1-touch window functionality. It features an automatic transmission, front-wheel drive, and a 2 liter 4 cylinder engine. We'd also be happy to help you arrange financing for your vehicle. Please don't hesitate to give us a call. COME SEE WHY PEOPLE BUY FROM MILTON CHRYSLER TODAY!! OVER 100 USED VEHICLES @ WWW.MILTONCHRYSLER.COM CREDIT ISSUES WE CAN GET YOU THE CAR YOU WANT TODAY!!! WE SELL NEW USED VEHICLES ALL OVER CANADA! Do Not Pay For 90 days, OAC! Get a free CarProof with every vehicle. All our vehicle come with a Safety Certified, they have all been professionally Reconditioned by our factory certified technicians Detailed unless otherwise indicated and stated on our ads. * Selling Price does not include HST Licensing. * Got a vehicle to trade? Drive it in and have our professional appraiser look at it! * Financing available! Bad Credit? No Credit? Bankrupt? We'll help you rebuild your credit! OAC* Our Professional and Friendly staff are ready to assist you! We are located in Milton and are very close to Misssissauga, Toronto, Campbellville, Erin, Rockwood, Etobicoke, Oakville, Dundas, Ancaster, Brampton, Brantford, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Fort Erie, Georgetown, Goderich, Grimsby, Guelph, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Stoney Creek, Stratford, Waterloo, Welland, Woodbridge Woodstock! We have over 400 new used vehicles for sale featuring all makes and models including Acura, Audi, BMW, Buick, Chrysler, Dodge, Chevrolet, Fiat, Ford, Alfa Romeo, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jeep, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Pontiac, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Ram, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo Cars, Minivans, Trucks and SUV to choose from! COME SEE WHY PEOPLE BUY FROM MILTON CHRYSLER TODAY!!!
Please contact the seller to confirm pricing, features, odometer, and availability of this vehicle.
See the Carpages.ca Terms & Conditions for more details.
* Remote buying options subject to local restrictions due to COVID-19. Please contact dealer for availability.
81 Ontario St North, Milton, ON L9T 2T2


text:
Our government is in knots over ways to lower the federal budget deficit. Well, what if we told you we found a pot of money - over $60 billion a year - that could be used to help out?
That bundle is tax money not coming in to the IRS from American corporations. One major way they avoid paying the tax man is by parking their profits overseas. They'll tell you they're forced to do that because the corporate 35 percent tax rate is high in relation to other countries, and indeed it seems the tax code actually encourages companies to move their businesses out of the country.
Tax havens: Do companies pay their fair share?
"60 Minutes" correspondent Lesley Stahl talks tax havens and the new ways American companies are stashing their profits abroad.
Companies searching out tax havens is nothing new: in the 80s and 90s there was an exodus to Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, where there are no taxes at all.
When President Obama threatened to clamp down on tax dodging, many companies decided to leave the Caribbean. But instead of coming back home, they went to safer havens like Switzerland.
Several of these companies came to a small, quaint medieval town in Switzerland call Zug.
Hans Marti, who heads Zug's economic development office, showed off the nearby snow-covered mountains. But Zug's main selling point isn't a view of the Alps: he told Stahl the taxes are somewhere between 15 and 16 percent.
"And in the United States it's 35 percent," Stahl pointed out.
"I know. It's half price," Marti said.
Marti told Stahl that Zug most probably has the lowest tax rates in Switzerland.
"So you're kind of a tax haven within a tax haven?" she remarked.
"Maybe, yes," he acknowledged.
The population of the town of Zug is 26,000; the number of companies in the area is 30,000 and growing at an average rate of 800 a year. But many are no more than mailboxes.
Texas Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett questions whether the recent moves of several companies are legit. "A good example is one of my Texas companies that's been in the news lately, Transocean," Rep. Doggett told Stahl.
Transocean owned the drilling rig involved in the giant BP oil spill. They moved to Zug two years ago.
Extra: Benefits of bringing back cash
Extra: How to shift profits
"I'm not sure they even moved that much. They have about 1,300 employees still in the Houston area. They have 12 or 13 in Switzerland," Doggett told Stahl.
"And yet they claim that they're headquartered over there," Stahl remarked.
"They claim they're Swiss. And they claim they're Swiss for tax purposes. And by doing that, by renouncing their American citizenship, they've saved about $2 billion in taxes," Doggett explained.
Stahl and "60 Minutes" decided to visit their operations in Zug.
A woman at the door told Stahl, "At the moment my boss is not here."
She said her boss wasn't there and we should call someone halfway around the world, in Houston.
"But this is the headquarters," Stahl remarked.
"I know," the woman said.
When asked if the CEO was there or is normally at the Zug office, the woman said "No."
Produced by Shachar Bar-On


text:
US tops Russia, China in women's gym qualifying
Recommended Video:
LONDON (AP) -- The U.S. women were atop the Olympic gymnastics standings, as expected, with little standing in their way -- except themselves.
More than the Russians, Romanians and Chinese, the biggest challenge for the gold medal may come from how they deal with world champion Jordyn Wieber losing out on the all-around event Sunday and how she lost it -- bumped by her best friend on the very last routine.
"I'm definitely worried," national team coordinator Martha Karolyi said. "You try to find words ... what do you say? But the fact is the fact. She did her best, she was edged by her teammates."
Considered a heavy favorite for the individual all-around title -- plus the attention and riches that go with it -- Wieber instead lost her chance with a series of uncharacteristic mistakes. Countries are limited to two gymnasts in the all-around and event finals, and Wieber finished behind pal Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas.
Russia's Viktoria Komova, who was runner-up to Wieber at last year's world championships, is ahead of all three Americans.
The Americans were 1.4 points ahead of Russia, scoring 181.863 points despite a weak finish on floor exercise. Defending Olympic champion China was a distant third (176.637) with European champion Romania still to compete. Britain is fourth.
The team final is Tuesday.
The Americans have only one Olympic title, winning it back in 1996 with the Magnificent Seven. They arrived at the last two Olympics as world champions, only to leave without gold both times. But this team is stronger than the 2004 and even 2008 squads, and has a swagger LeBron and his buddies would appreciate.
Part of that is skill, a collection of gymnasts who do the most difficult tricks in the world yet make them look like child's play. But the Americans' have a unique bond, too, a closeness that comes from traveling the world together for events and spending weeks at the Karolyi ranch for training, little to keep themselves entertained besides each other.
Wieber, Raisman and McKayla Maroney are so close they talk or message each other every day, no matter where they are on earth.
But Wieber is devastated now, and the shock waves rippling through the rest of the squad has the potential to threaten its chemistry.
"That's what I told her. She's going to handle this with as much class as she handled the victories. Make no excuses," said John Geddert, the U.S. coach and Wieber's personal coach. "The job's not done yet. Team USA has got a big day on Tuesday."
The 17-year-old Wieber was sobbing as she made her way through the mixed zone, so distraught she couldn't speak to reporters. A quote attributed to her and distributed by the London Games' internal news agency said: "It is a bit of a disappointment. It has always been a dream of mine to compete in the all-around final of the Olympics."
Only four reigning world champions have won Olympic gold, with Ukraine's Lilia Podkopayeva the last in 1996. If anyone was going to avoid the 16-year curse of world champions going without Olympic gold, it was going to be Wieber. She had lost only two all-around competitions -- both to U.S. teammates -- since 2008, and the only thing more impressive than her gymnastics was her steely composure.
But Wieber appeared vulnerable these last few months while Raisman and Douglas have been on the rise. Wieber's troubles began on vault, when she stepped slightly out of bounds. Then there was a form break on uneven bars, followed by a few wobbles on balance beam. On floor exercise, she got too much power on one of her massive tumbling passes and had to steady herself with a step back -- right out of bounds. It was only a 0.10 point deduction, but it put her squarely on the all-around bubble with Raisman, the world bronze medalist on floor, still waiting her turn.
Raisman needed less than a 15 to knock Wieber down to third place, and she got it easily -- and then some. She gets such great height on her tumbling passes that you could park a Mini Cooper beneath her; and she lands them with such pinpoint accuracy you want to check her feet for glue. The crowd was grooving and moving to her "Hava Nagila" music, and she lit up the arena with her performance and smile.
As Raisman climbed off the podium, Douglas, Maroney and Kyla Ross greeted her with hugs. By then, Wieber had already disappeared, knowing her chance at the Olympic title had, too.
"I'm devastated for her," said Geddert, who has trained Wieber her entire career. "Things just didn't go her way today. It's not that she had a bad day, it's that other people stepped up and did better."
The sudden shift in fortunes put a damper on what was otherwise a spectacular day for the Americans.
"We knew the Americans were going to be up there," said Rebecca Tunney of Britain, which was in the same qualifying session as the Americans. "They're going to be unbeatable."
The Americans won the world title by four points last year -- pretty much a runaway -- and they've gotten even better, particularly on vault.
All four Americans do Amanars, one of the toughest vaults in the world -- a roundoff onto the takeoff board, back handspring onto the table and 2.5 twisting somersaults before landing. It's got a start value -- the measure of difficulty -- of 6.5, a whopping 0.7 above the vault most other gymnasts will do, and it gives the USA a massive advantage after just one event.
Even worse for their rivals, the Americans make those vaults look easy. Douglas' toes were so pointed in the air she looked like a directional arrow while Maroney's legs were ruler straight. Each American took a hop on their landing, but it was a minor deduction and the U.S. left the event with a score of 47.633.
Compare that to the Russians, who, despite Komova and Maria Paseka doing Amanars, still gave up 1.3 points on that one event.
They got some of it back on uneven bars, where Komova looked like a ballerina as she pirouetted on the upper bar. But the Americans also had the highest scores on balance beam and floor exercise -- even with Wieber, Douglas and Ross going out of bounds.
Give Raisman some credit for that. She may not have Douglas' elegance or magnetic smile, but she is steady and solid, and her routine on balance beam is a wonder to behold. She lands her skills with such assuredness she may as well be doing them in an open field rather than a 4-inch wide beam that's 4 feet in the air, and there was barely a wiggle on her dismount.
Raisman scored a 15.1 or better on all but one event, and is in the running to make finals on both floor and balance beam.
"I think that we were really strong out there today," said Raisman, the team captain. "Hopefully, we can do the same in finals."
That depends on how well Wieber can put Sunday's disappointment behind her.
"We will deal with that. We will try to help her as much as possible," Karolyi said. "I would be very disappointed, too. She is reigning world champion, also U.S. champion. Today she wasn't quite as sharp. She was very good, but not quite as sharp and the other two girls (who) surpassed her. So we will give her all the support.
"What can you do? Sport is sport."


text: Hi, Is there any specific function / method / class for communicating with a Sys file? let me explain what I want to do, I'm writing an Anti-Virus system, the main part is a sys file ( a kernel driver which I'm writing with C language ), well, for communicating with kernel driver the C programmers use DeviceIoControl(), with this function the user-mode program could send or get data from kernel mode program . I want to make my anti-virus with remote-control , For example I can send my commands to the base anti-virus from my office with a web script and see the result back to my web page. Is it possible? could anyone point me to some snippet which can be useful? thnx .


text: Gareth's 2010 post about Petaluma, CA, propmaker Shawn Thorsson's insane HALO costumes was one of our ten most-trafficked posts of the year, so when Shawn sends in a link, we sit up and take notice. This time it's a ray gun propcasting project featuring one of the pistols from Mass Effect 2. Among other clever tricks, Shawn shows you how to recycle old, cured molds to use as filler when making new ones, thereby saving on expensive silicone. [Thanks, Shawn!]