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how about trips to take stuff to ACCRC? a trip to ACCRC could be just to take stuff, just to see the place, just to spend time working as volunteers, or some combo. --[[User:Jstockford|Jstockford]] 10:35, 17 November 2008 (PST)
how about trips to take stuff to ACCRC? a trip to ACCRC could be just to take stuff, just to see the place, just to spend time working as volunteers, or some combo. --[[User:Jstockford|Jstockford]] 10:35, 17 November 2008 (PST)
Revision as of 18:15, 29 January 2009
Please explore and add-to a list of project concepts.
When you add your concept give only a short description of your concept, then make another page to present further details, media, and discussion of the project. Make sure to sign your name or add contact info so interested parties can offer support!
Transit status information
I've written something that uses bart.gov schedules together with Festival to give announcements about BART trains approaching 16th Street. I intend on setting this up with a cron job to run around the time of the scheduled last trains every night (and maybe the first train in the morning if we think people may frequently stay until around 4:00 a.m.!), using the music server once it's stable. To avoid annoying people this should probably not be configured to make regular announcements at other times. Two extensions to make this more useful: (1) if we can get or make a USB-to-buttons/switches or parallel-port-to-buttons/switches adapter, we can have a big button somewhere that causes an announcement to occur (for use when people are thinking of catching BART and want to know when it's coming). (2) If we can get a big scrolling LED sign with computer control, we can have it constantly display train status -- as well as Muni bus announcements with data from NextBus, perhaps using a library to get it. Schoen 23:30, 9 October 2008 (PDT)
RepRaps are a kind of homemade 3D printers capable of self-replicating, as well as being used for rapid prototyping and manufacturing. There is interest in constructing a RepRap at NoiseBridge. See RepRap.
Ambient Activity Mutating Space
Place properly signed microphones in part of the space. Pick up conversations, feed them to voice recognition software. Extract nouns and phrases from the results. Render the top results from searching these phrases on displays in the space, twitter them on the Noisebridge twitter stream, and do other fun things. Maybe also do gesture recognition, too. See Ambient Activity Mutating Space.
there's a saying to the effect that the first batch is always ruined. a similar saying says don't buy any software with a rev of 1.0. is there such a saying about wikis? should there be? what about refactoring this wiki so's to make it easier to navigate (e.g. don't have two separate "infrastructure" sections)? --Jstockford 16:38, 19 October 2008 (PDT)
This falls very much into the category of Just Do It. That said, it's a fairly big job that I personally have not found time to take on. If anyone wants to collaborate on wiki reorganization I'm up for that (I like Organized). Rachel 16:49, 19 October 2008 (PDT)
see discussion page for collaboration. --Jstockford 21:59, 19 October 2008 (PDT)
Hologlyphic Video Art Project
Basic project proposal:
Create an extension of existing True 3D video art performance system that would be much larger and in full color. In the existing monochromatic 6" to 19" sized system viewers see true 3D stereoscopic moving images without special glasses. A viewer can move left to right and see multiple perspectives of the same object, and multiple viewers can each see their own unique view, as in the real world. The technical process is not holography, but the visual result is the same as a white light hologram.
Collaboration proposal:
Several designs for a larger system have been worked out, after a few people see the 3D video art system, we can discuss the various methods, to asses which approach we may take.There will be two main phases to the project, the technical development and then creative content development stage, although there will be some overlap, in a good sense. See Hologlyphic Video Art.
In person demo of the Hologlyphics: This Saturday, Nov. 22nd, at 3:00 pm -
ACCRC 1501 Eastshore Hwy Berkeley, California, 94710 Phone: (510) 528-4052
ACCRC Website- http://www.accrc.org/
Map- http://www.google.com/local?q=1501+Eastshore+Hwy.+Berkeley,+CA+94710&t=h
--Wfunk 21 November 2008
Electronics Essentials
seems likely that people working on electronic projects would find a variable power supply and a function generator handy along with some other basic test gear (e.g. pink noise generator, resistance bridge, LC measuring device...). many such things are available as kits. i've got one or two myself and would like to build them down there and leave them for people to use. what cautions wrt other peoples' careful use? signs or brief instruction sheets helpful? --Jstockford 16:38, 19 October 2008 (PDT)
anyone want to collaborate on building kits and devices? OtherElectronicProjects --Jstockford 16:38, 19 October 2008 (PDT)
I brought some random retro gear along those lines, they're on a shelf labeled as donated by Skory. If they look of use please take them and have your way with them. --elgreengeeto
I bought a bunch of cheap but universally useful components: about 1000 resistors, 300 capacitors, diodes, wire, etc. I'm taking suggestions for other cheap but handy electronics I aught buy in bulk. dstaff.
Python classes
Proposed at Python classes. Schoen 21:20, 26 October 2008 (PDT)
Pimping up the lights
I want to pimp up Noisebridge's lights with a digital web-controlled interface. (Don't worry, there will still be switches that just-work.) See Lighting. Once I have enough work done, I'll bring it up at a meeting. If anyone wants to help with construction or software, let me know. I think I have the electronics under control. -- Dstaff
how about LED lights on a 12VDC circuit? --Jstockford 08:55, 14 November 2008 (PST)
Every hackerspace needs a payphone, and we are no exception. Several of us have been working on making it a functional member of the community. Details can be found here.
Steen and Skory have been developing a gestural interface system using processing, IR leds, and chutzpah. Wiki page and documentation pending.
Gastrohacking SOE
We are enough mad food hackers that we should make sure that a SubOrganizational Entity with regular food hacking meet-ups, events, workshops, cook-offs, and participation in TGRWT challenges. We would like to work our way through the recipes or ideas from the great scientific chefs: Ferran Adria, Heston Blumenthal et.c. Make things like: Blue cheese / chocolate souffle and lemon tempura with licorice. Build and use a sous vide bath and a computer controlled automated bbq.
Wiki Watch
the wiki is getting wacky. over time it may get so crufty as to be unhelpful. this "concept" suggests some of us pay attention to our wiki to keep it useful, something like managing a garden:
- some items are old and no longer useful, like weeds, they should be removed. if an audit trail or history is needed, move old stuff to an antiquities section.
- there are redundancies which should be consolidated (move all the gardenias to the same bed).
- it might be nice to use the discussion (talk) pages more and the article pages less so the text on the article pages reflects concensus of the discussion (and reduces the amount of words the reader must slog through).
- wiki technologies offer some features that might be good to promote. an example is "categories": if you look at special pages, you'll see a categories page listed; click it and you'll see the categories, one of which is "projects". it might be nice that we're aware of the projects category and tag some articles as projects. the benefit is easier wiki navigation. the downside, of course, is that all humans, even enlightened intelligent and well-meaning humans, are at times douchebags and won't bother to read about how to do things in ways other than what the current feelings dictate.
if you have feelings about watching the wiki, add your voice, please. perhaps we can get up a wikiwatch group to encourage each other to manage the mess. --Jstockford 09:13, 14 November 2008 (PST)
Getting and Giving Stuff
if we get stuff, where to put it? there are the sharing and hacking shelves, probably incoming should go on one of those two sets.
it would be nice to have an outgoing shelf, a place to put stuff that we no longer want. maybe the very bottom shelf in the hacking set? other?
how about trips to take stuff to ACCRC? a trip to ACCRC could be just to take stuff, just to see the place, just to spend time working as volunteers, or some combo. --Jstockford 10:35, 17 November 2008 (PST)
Natural language Interest
With the success of Mandarin corner, people have expressed interest in covering additional natural languages. I've set up a page for people to sign up and state their level of competency in various natural languages.


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RIO DE JANEIRO – The UFC's ambitious World Tour 2013 wraps up Friday in Rio de Janeiro, but one famous face will be missing from the announced lineup.
UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will not take part in the final stop of the UFC World Tour 2013 after reportedly citing security concerns in Brazil. Combate.com first reported the fighter's decision, and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has since confirmed Velasquez's withdrawal from several sources close to the event.
Velasquez's camp confirmed the champion will not be traveling to Brazil but said he never intended to, despite UFC announcements to the contrary.
"He's never been scheduled to go," Heidi Seibert, a rep for Velasquez's camp, told MMAjunkie.com. "This isn't anything new. There's many reasons why he isn't going."
UFC officials declined to comment on Velasquez's absence from the previously announced appearance.
Former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos – who already took part in World Tour 2013 stops alongside Velasquez in San Jose, Calif., Los Angeles, New York and Houston – will still appear at the Friday session at Rio de Janeiro's HSBC Arena ahead of the official weigh-in ceremony for this weekend's "UFC 163: Aldo vs. Korean Zombie" event.
UFC 163 participant Phil Davis, whose weekend bout with Lyoto Machida represents his second time fighting in Rio de Janeiro, was asked about Velasquez's decision at Thursday's pre-UFC 163 press conference. While he declined to weigh in on Velasquez's potential reasoning, Davis said he's never felt uncomfortable in the "Marvelous City."
"To each his own," Davis said. "If he felt that need was there for him – I'm not Cain Velasquez, I'm just a lowly Phil Davis. So it's hard to say exactly what dangers exist for him. But I haven't felt imminent danger in this city. But again, everything is relative."
Velasquez (12-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) and dos Santos (16-2 MMA, 10-1 UFC) headline this fall's "UFC 166: Velasquez vs. dos Santos III" event, which takes place Oct. 19 at Houston's Toyota Center. The evening's main card, featuring the heavily anticipated trilogy fight between the two explosive heavyweights, airs on pay-per-view.
The UFC World Tour 2013 wraps up Friday and also includes UFC fighter appearances in Chicago and London, as well.
For the latest on UFC 166, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

subset: commoncrawl


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Glacier Posters
Glaciers are large pieces of fallen snow which in a long time end up thickening to ice masses. They act as good reservoirs for fresh water, and come in handy during certain seasons. Most glaciers can be found in Antarctica and Greenland. But don't be mistaken, they can found on every continent, even Africa. Many people are in awe of these massive rivers of ice. Posters and prints can give you a breathtaking glimpse into the world of glaciers.
Canvas prints and framed art
A poster is only one of the many ways you could display your favorite glacier image. Very popular are also canvas prints and framed art prints. High quality canvas prints and framed art are a great way for professional landscape photographs. They will bring about the beauty of glaciers amazingly. Imagine for instance a large canvas print of the Perito Moreno Glacier in Patagonia, Argentina, or a framed art print of the Aletsch Glacier in Switzerland. Stunning, right?
Use glacier posters for your home decoration
Landscape photographs are fantastic for decorating homes. Everybody loves nature and mother nature is often the one who creates the best paintings. Beautifully framed art prints of glaciers can add style to any room and home. But not only framed prints can be used to achieve that, posters and canvas prints are great too. Whichever you choose, whether it's a poster or a art print, make sure it suits your home.


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Most American over twenty years old were old enough to understand the fear and anxiety that followed the terror attacks on that Tuesday morning in September of 2011. I remember a feeling of unreal disconnect. I've written about the eerie silence of that day. The lack of air traffic overhead. People walking in stunned silence. The entire country in uncertain fear. Most reasonable Americans, though reeling with disbelief and shock, wanted justice not revenge. President Bush's response wasn't perfect, but it was strong and reassuring. When Mr Bush sent troops to Afghanistan, I was behind him. Our nation was behind him. Then, under suspicion of weapons of mass destruction, we invaded Iraq. It was a diversion from our original directive. Our leaders took advantage of the confusion and anger of the American people. We were duped.
This was the moment in American history when things changed. This was when the NSA was given carte blanche. This was when we traded our constitutional freedoms for the illusion of security. This was the shameful moment, the first time in American history, when the barbaric act of torture and revenge was seen as just another unfortunate fact of life, like the a sudden rainstorm catching you without an umbrella or getting mud on your new shoes. Sure, it's unpleasant to think about but I've got troubles of my own. I forgot to set my TIVO to record Will and Grace! Stan died having sex with his mistress. Will Karen be left penniless?
To be fair, we lied to ourselves. We didn't call it torture. We called it EIT, or Enhances Interrogation Techniques. Doesn't sound so bad. If water boarding is simply an enhanced interrogation technique, why did we execute the Japanese for war crimes after WWII for doing it?


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Fucking Brad Childress. Only this prick would decline an offsides penalty on first down to take a seven-yard gain. Or dress like a woman on the flight to Pittsburgh to motivate his team. Wait, what?
From Chris Mortensen's Twitter feed comes this rather odd story about the Vikings head coach.
So coach Brad Childress dressed up like a female flight attendant, high heels, wig, blue hose, wig...and still a beard on the flight.
I'm told Childress had given a little lecture earlier to the team, reminding them to show the utmost respect to all flight attendants.
Um… okay. I guess flight attendant etiquette would be a good idea for a team like the Vikings, lest Bryant McKinnie decide to head into the bathroom with one and eat her pussy out over the sink.
But I'd prefer it if Childress spend less time putting on blue pantyhose and making players reach for their in-seat vomit bags, and more time finding ways to NOT FUCKING SIT ON THE FUCKING BALL WITH FUCKING FOUR GODDAMN MINUTES LEFT IN THE HALF. FUCKING DIPSHIT.


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Elsinore is a culture city with deep roots in history. World famous for Kronborg
Castle, Shakespeare´s Hamlet near Øresund, which was the basis for the
city´s prosperity for more than 400 years. In recent times was focused on
Elsinore Shipyard - now converted to Culture
Yard, a dynamic cultural center with concerts, theater, main library, etc.
The Culture harbor, which is under construction with particular the new Maritime
Museum, connects the Kronborg
Castle with the center of Elsinore in an inspiring meeting between past and
Elsinore is one of the best places for Angling,
sea fishing and deep sea fishing
Get Elsinore City Map here
Helsingor, also known as "Elsinore" lies about 45 kilometres (28 miles) north of
Elsinore has 60,000 inhabitants and is surrounded by the The Sound (Oresund) - the stretch of water between Denmark and Sweden.
Helsingør is the closest Danish city to Sweden. The Cities of Helsingør / Elsinore, Denmark and Helsingborg, Sweden are separated by a mere 4,000 metres (2.5 miles) of water and a short ferry ride of twenty
See Video from your next Port of Call Elsinore
The riviera of the Nordic Capital region and Kronborg Castle
Elsinore lies in the middle of Northern Europe's riviera close to Grib Forest, with bathing beaches such as Hornbæk and Gilleleje within easy reach. At the entrance to the
Sound lies the Renaissance castle Kronborg, which is known throughout the world as the Elsinore of Shakespeare's Hamlet. In the area around Elsinore, there are other castles worth a visit, such as
Fredensborg Castle, Frederiksborg Castle, Marienlyst
Castle, Gurre
Castle ruin and Vor Frue Kloster.
Louisiana, Karen Blixen and a maritime museum
Elsinore is the principal city in northern Zealand with quaint pedestrian streets and a cathedral, Sankt Olai Kirke, located in the centre. From Elsinore harbour, there is a frequent car ferry service to Helsingborg in Sweden. Kronborg castle also houses the Danish Maritime Museum. If you like art, you will enjoy viewing the collections at
Museum of Modern Art and Nivaagaard. The Karen Blixen Museum south of Elsinore offers a unique insight into the life of the Danish writer.
Helsingor / Elsinore is a very historical place with richly coloured, well preserved architecture and cobblestone streets. It has a small-town . There are castles, museums, churches, woods and golden, clean beaches to see.
Once the home of Vikings, todays Danes resemble little of their forefathers - only in stature. They are modest, reserved and straight-at-you sort of people. Danes are very helpful to tourists and most speak proficient English. They are strong believers in equality and fairness.
The City of Elsinore / Helsingør s history can be traced back to 70 AD. In about the 12th century, the first settlers arrived at the
narrowest point of the Sound. Prior to the Middle Ages it was a marketplace where people sold goods. In ca. 1200 its first church (St. Olai Church) was founded and still stands today on St.Olai Street, a minute's walk from the centre of Elsinore town. In ca. 1601
Shakespeare wrote Hamlet with Elsinore / Helsingør s
Kronborg Castle as its setting and in
1816 Elsinore Theatre opened.
Helsingør has some of the best golden, brown beaches in Denmark and unlike many other European countries, they
are not overly crowded. Helsingor's beaches start at
Kronborg and stretch from Nordhavnen towards Hotel Marienlyst.
Visit Restaurant Cafe Olai offers traditional Danish meals and the famous Danish open sanwich and pastry, Restaurant Cafe Olai is located centrally in Helsingor. The portions are overwhelming and you get great value for money. It's best to reserve ahead.
Sct Olaigade 19,
3000 Elsinore / Helsingør,
Cafe Olai.dk
Open from 11.00 - 23.00.
Kitchen closes at 21.00.
There are many quaint stores in Helsingor / Elsinore all within walking distance of one another between Stjernegade and Stengade streets. The downtown area is very harmonious and charming. "The Bycentret' shopping centre has approximately 33 shops. Fotex, Netto and Fakta are discount grocery stores. (Try "melt in your mouth" Lurpak butter.)
We are particularly proud of our many specialist shops, offering a little of everything, and these particular create the mood that makes you think back to the proud
Sound Tax City, Kronbog and the exciting history of the town. Visit the most charming
Watches Gold and Jewellery
There is a world-class 18-hole golf course. If you are an adventurer interested in hiking or cycling, Elsinore is the best. There are user-friendly bicycle paths over most of Denmark. Opportunities for sailing and swimming abound. Don't be surprised if you see Danes swimming in the
winter months. Brrrr!
WHEN TO GO ELSINORE / Helsingør
The best time to visit Elsinore / Helsingør would be in June, July or August. Denmark has a temperate climate. This means that it never gets extremely cold or extremely hot. Denmark s coldest month is usually February, with an average temperature of 31 degrees Fahrenheit (-1 degree Celsius). The warmest month is July, with an average temperature of 62 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Celsius) degrees. A breeze blows clean salt air almost every day.
Visit Elsinore By Air
Most major airlines fly to Copenhagen Denmark. Delta, American Airlines, Air Canada, British Airways, Air France all offer flights. There are trains that run every twenty minutes from Kastrup Airport,
Copenhagen directly to
Helsingør. Travelling to Helsingør by train takes about an hour and costs about
80 crowns. There are also car rental agencies at the airport of course.
Visit Elsinore By Sea
Scandlines sails from Elsinore to Sweden.
scandlines.dk Helsingør
Open: 24 hours/day
COST: Ca. 500 crowns/return with vehicle.
Like most things in Denmark, public transportation is orderly and efficient.
COST: varies - ask about a "clip card (klippekort)" to save up to 50% on a ticket. It can be used on both bus and train. Trains run to Copenhagen, Kastrup Airport and Malmo, Sweden every 20 minutes.
Tel: 45 7013 1415
A vehicle rental can cost about 600 crowns a day and rules vary as to how long you've had your driver's license etc.


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Is there somebody out there who can tell me when and why it has begun to be legal to deny a few the right to vote? I thought we took care of that during the historic marches of the civil rights of 1960's?
A lot of pundits and educated people have been quoted saying that the United States is very much like ancient Rome. Just like during the fall of Rome, our civil rights are slowly being taken from us. Just like the ancient Romans. Just like as long as we have beer and reality TV we are perfectly happy to turn over our rights of the magic people, which promise us safety, toys and the right kind of entertainments. All this just for the price of freedom. After all we really don't understand what freedom is or how to use freedom is, right? So how will we miss it? Isn't that something the Devil says when he is trying to buy a soul?
I mean those corporations seem to know how to handle freedom better than we do, right? I mean just look at the price gouging and toxic waste spills. Corporations have agreed to clean these spills up. Right? That is along as there is an EPA to pay for the clean-up and provide the personal to do the dangerous cleanings. As for the price gouging oh well a few appeals and a few donations to the right campaign funds bring that down to something much more 'agreeable'.
With Corporations totally in charge, these poor abused corporations wouldn't have to worry this would they. I mean aren't those poor corporations are so put upon,. Just Never mind the sickness their chemical and toxic chemical drops will cause. After all, if we spend our resources making a profit for a very few and already very wealthy citizens, will do this country so much good. Won't It?
Let's talk about how well corporations are taking care of right to voting rights shall we? This last November a 93-year-old World War II veteran is denied his right to vote. The right, which he risked his life in World War II to protects, Rights he watched friends and fellow soldiers, die to protect. The reason William Parsely, the Vote Judge, gave the reason for his denial 'was that according to current voting laws in Texas' the fact he did not have a current drivers. Our Veteran had his expired driver's license plus several other forms of picture ID, but this was not enough. He need's that all important driver's license
Voting Judge William Parsely said he had advised the 93-year old veteran to go over to the closest motor vehicle station and renew his license the comeback and cast his ballot. After all there was plenty of time before the polls close. So our veteran than has to go to the DMV. So after standing in line for anywhere up to five hours to get to a DMV desk. Our veteran must then explain to another 'public servant' that the medical reasons, he allowed his license expire some 20+ years ago, are no longer valid. Makes me wonder when the last time Judge Parsely's was in a DMV?


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It's fair to say that we belong to a species obsessed with sex. We are among the only species to have sex for fun, not just for reproduction. For some other species, though, sex is far from fun. In fact, as two recent review papers show, it's a war zone, involving things like penis fencing and love darts.
In 1897, the Italian zoologist Constantino Ribaga discovered a strange organ in female bedbugs, halfway up the abdomen. He suggested that they used it to produce sound, like cicadas. But something wasn't right: in the bundle of cells underneath this organ, he found large quantities of sperm. How did they get there? At the time, puzzled scientists concluded that males must flood females with sperm, and the female digested the excess—as a "nuptial gift"—using this organ. But this idea was tenuous at best.
It wasn't until 1913 that males were observed stabbing females through this organ with a horrifying syringe-like penis, then copulating with the wound. Sperm then swim directly to the ovaries through the body cavity. This process has been termed "traumatic insemination."
In the first of the two papers, appearing in Biological Reviews, Rolanda Lange and colleagues at Tübingen in Germany and Sheffield in the UK show that similar behavior occurs across invertebrates.
In snails, which are hermaphrodites, amorous advances involve "traumatic secretion transfer," blasting potential mates at close range with "love darts" covered in psychoactive mucus. Understandably, neither party is keen to play the female role, which involves being shot. In sea slugs, attempting to avoid this fate results in "penis fencing"—each party attempting to penis-stab the other. An inflicted wound inoculates the recipient with sperm.
To stab or not to stab
Why would a male want to impale the mother of his future children? In a paper in Annual Review of Entomology, Nik Tatarnic and colleagues from Sydney, Australia and Sheffield, UK focus on answering this question using examples from arthropods. They explain that stabbing is, in evolutionary terms, a game-changing tactic for males.
To sire offspring obviously requires mating, but this is only a prelude. Much more crucial is fertilization, and females understandably want to control when, where, and by whom their eggs are fertilized.
In many cases, females are highly successful at this—by, for example, using their reproductive tract as a powerful tool to screen out all but preferred males. Females often simply eject unattractive males' sperm or filter it out chemically and sometimes can close their tract entirely. Female control is especially widespread in insects, where females store sperm in a sac, sometimes for years, opening it to fertilize eggs at their leisure.
Each male that mates with a female would prefer his own sperm to fertilize the offspring. To achieve this, he must both overcome the female's defenses and beat her other mates—two never-ending arms races.
Males can beat rivals to the first step—that is, mating—by impressing females through courtship. This may also win favor at the fertilization phase. But males are more sneaky than that, with outlandish adaptations to ensure their sperm win the race, like plugging females up or scooping out rival sperm. Our own human organ may indeed have a dual function as a "sperm scoop."
Another solution is to try to directly overcome challenges posed by the females' reproductive tract. Fruit fly males spike their sperm, drugging females into releasing more eggs, even though this shortens females' lives. Wood mice females produce mucus that only strong-swimming sperm can cross. Ever resourceful, males' sperm team up into long "snakes" that, together, altruistically push one lucky sperm through the mucus to success.
Stabbing for the win
Penis-stabbing, though, shifts the goalposts entirely. By injecting sperm directly into females' body fluid, male bedbugs bypass the female's adaptations that control access to her eggs. The female is injured in the process, reducing her number of offspring. But in the cold language of statistics, this may be worth it for the male—a healthy female is no good if she doesn't bear his offspring. Males can both prevent females from excluding their sperm and also from preferring other males.
This has been such a successful strategy for males that it has evolved repeatedly across the animal kingdom. Male Myzostoma worms secrete corrosive enzymes from their penis, dissolving a hole in the female's skin into which they ejaculate. Male giant squid inject sperm packets into females' arms—although occasionally they end up inseminating themselves, shooting themselves in the foot. In Harpactea sadistica spiders, the male bites the female, then stabs her with needle-like genitals, ejaculating into the wound (as hinted at by the Latin name).
In some groups, like bat bugs, males spear females at random. In many others, though, females have evolved damage-limiting adaptations such as the bedbug "spermalege" (the organ discovered by Ribaga), offering an easy entry point to discourage indiscriminate stabbing. Some species have entire "paragenital systems" guiding sperm to their ovaries, while the former reproductive apparatus shrivels from disuse.
Males will often jump on and penis-stab anything that comes their way, even females of other species, sometimes killing them in the process—a phenomenon that has driven some species to evolve apart. Male bedbugs regularly jump other males by mistake, which is such a problem that males in one species have evolved their own damage-control spermaleges.
In an arms race, though, neither side can win—each can only gain a temporary advantage—and females are fighting back. Astonishingly, some female bedbugs have evolved modified spermaleges that mimic those of males to reduce harassment. Others have evolved ways of digesting the injected sperm and using it to repair their wounds, minimizing the damage.
The course of true love never did run smooth. For males and females locked in an arms race, though, it could be said to run in circles—vicious ones at that. And all to inject a little bit of yourself into the next generation.
This article was originally published on The Conversation.


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|Caterham Superlight R600
|Image gallery (3)
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Iconic British road and race car manufacturer, Caterham Cars, has developed its most extreme race-ready Seven to date - the Superlight R600.
With stunning performance potential and all the character of existing Caterham circuit cars, the new supercharged incarnation of the Seven will represent the top echelon of the Caterham racing spectrum in the Superlight R600 Championship from 2013.
Powered by a supercharged, 2-litre Ford Duratec engine, producing 275bhp, the R600's dedicated championship will further extend the Caterham Motorsport 'ladder', currently topped by the hugely successful R300 series.
The R600 race car, which costs GBP44,995, will be the first Seven ever to feature forced induction technology, making it the fastest ever production Seven and a natural progression from the advances made with Caterham's sports prototype, the SP/300.R, which uses a similar power plant.
Caterham is expecting at least a16-car grid for the debut championship season in 2013, with 30 cars anticipated to compete the following year.
Simon Lambert, Caterham's Chief Motorsport and Technical Officer, said: "Caterham racing just got even more interesting.
"As the fastest Seven we've ever built, this will provide our existing R300 racers with a real step up and a new and exciting challenge, even for experienced drivers. The R600 represents an increase in aggressiveness, although the linear power delivery of the supercharged engine makes it superbly driveable, much like the R300."
A clear development from the Academy, Roadsport, Tracksport, Supersport and R300 race cars, the R600 will transfer driving characteristics inherent to all Sevens but will be more aggressive - with 200lb-ft of torque, it represents a 13% increase on the current top-of-the-range road-going Seven, the legendary Superlight R500.
Meanwhile, 275bhp is directed to the rear wheels through a six-speed, sequential gearbox.
The headline specification also comprises a Titan limited-slip differential and Avon radial slicks or wets, for increased traction and quicker lap times.
The latest variant of the Seven can be bought as a new car or existing R300 owners can upgrade their vehicles to R600 spec. Exact price will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
As Caterham's brand profile continues to rise, thanks to its addition to the Formula One grid, the Company will also look to gather together its flourishing series of domestic championships - from the entry-level Academy to the premium new championship - to create dedicated, festival-style Caterham race days.
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|© 1998 - 2023 Ultimatecarpage.com


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St. Erentrude, Virgin, of Austria
Commemorated on June 30 (also on September 4)
St. Erentrude was the niece of St. Rupert of Salzburg. Her date and place of birth are unknown, but it may be surmised that she was born in present-day Germany or Austria, in the latter part of the seventh century.
She followed St. Rupert to Salzburg, where she was installed as the first abbess of Nonnberg Abbey. She died on June 30, 710, the same year as St. Rupert.
Her relics are in the crypt of St Mary's church, not far from her convent. Her feast is kept on June 30, and September 4 commemorates the translation of her relics.
St. Erentrude was recently selected as the main motif for the Austrian Nonnberg Abbey commemorative coin minted on April 5, 2006. The reverse side shows the crypt dedicated to Erentrude in Nonnberg Abbey, with a statue of the saint.
By permission of www.orthodoxwiki.org


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Liverpool is a unique city in many ways. It is a city that is divided by football but also united by it. My family is like a lot of Scouse families: we're split between the red and the blue halves of the city's footballing divide. I'm a Liverpool supporter, so was my grandfather, my mum and one of my aunts who'd married a Kopite. The others, my uncles (one of whom played for Tranmere) and aunt, are/were Toffees. You'd always find Blues and Reds at Prenton Park on Friday nights to watch Tranmere Rovers before going to their respective side's matches the following day. What other city would you find supporters from rival sides getting on so well? Only in Liverpool. Hillsborough affected not just the city of Liverpool but the rest of Merseyside.
It was 1989 and I was in the final year of my undergraduate degree at Newcastle Poly. I'd gone to the Student Union bar with some of my friends with the intention of watching a cracking tie. Within minutes of the kick-off it was obvious that something wasn't right, the camera had panned to the Leppings Lane stand and we could see people clambering over the bars at that end of the ground. After a lot of end-to-end action, police and officials appeared on the pitch and the match was stopped. Within minutes we got the news that people were being crushed to death. I started sobbing; it was uncontrolled sobbing. I told my mates that I could have been there. I could have been one of those supporters who'd been crushed. I felt the unfolding tragedy. I can still feel it today.
In the days that followed, stories emerged in the press that pointed the finger of blame, not at the police's lack of crowd management skills, but at the fans. The Sun, as we know, was the worst of the lot, with its editor, Kelvin Mackenzie, standing by its front page splash.
Mackenzie was unrepentant. In the years following Hillsborough and the subsequent Taylor Report, he repeated his version of the 'truth' on each and every occasion when he has been asked to retract his lies. To this day, no one on Merseyside buys The Sun. Mackenzie has apologized but it's 23 years too late. We don't want his apology. He can go to hell.
Today, the truth behind that tragic day has been revealed when documents were released which includes letters of complaint to the Press Council , the local press agency story from which The Sun's 'truth' was derived (Tory MP Irvine Patnick was also a source), the coroner's reports and the shocking revelations that 41 of the 96 victims could have survived and the 3.15pm inquest cut off point that sealed the fate of the unfortunates.
Thatcher also believed the lies told her by a senior office of the Merseyside Constabulary. Many documents and CCTV footage have mysteriously disappeared leaving plenty of unanswered questions. What was Bernard Ingham's role in all of this? As Thatcher's press secretary, Ingham was a master practitioner of journalism's dark arts. He accepted the police's version of events and went on record as saying,
"You can't get away from what you were told," Ingham said. "We talked to a lot of people; I am not sure if it was the chief constable. That was the impression I gathered: there were a lot of tanked-up people outside."
Ingham was asked about the Taylor report and said rather tellingly,
"I think the police are a very easy target."
We now have the truth about what happened on 15 April, 1989. What we now need is for those responsible, and I include The Sun and Kelvin Mackenzie for their smear campaign, to face justice. The liar Patnick should also be stripped of his knighthood.
Then perhaps we can get some proper closure.
Justice for the 96!
Don't buy The Sun!


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The Friends of the National Park Service for Green Spring, incorporated in 1997, is a non-profit organization dedicated to researching, preserving, and presenting Historic Green Spring and its history for public education and enjoyment. The Colonial National Historic Park has been the steward of Green Spring since 1966.
Green Spring
Built as a home for Governor Sir William Berkeley in 1645, Green Spring is located three miles from Jamestown, near Williamsburg, Virginia. This historical site, while closed to the public, is significant in its potential for learning about the complex roots of what we know today as the United States of America.


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Dataviz of the Week: Map It Yourself
FortiusOne, a Washington-area digital mapping company, has released something called Maker!. It's a roll-your-own data visualization tool that allows you to mash up maps with a database and produce something that makes Google Maps look like they were produced by a computer running Windows386.
Below is a Flash-based map that takes a database of funding that's gone to tech companies based on size and location. You can instantly see where the money is going.
The data is entirely play-friendly–zoom into geographic areas, choose big or small investments, etc.
Here I've zeroed in on the D.C. area, where I ply my trade. A popover shows me that one of the big recipients of capital in my home town is Clearspring, the nation's lead widgeteer. [Huh. I wonder if they are hiring extremely good natured, value-priced, virtually hairless web consultants.] But it also reveals dozens of digital businesses I'd never heard of–GeniusRocket, Acumen, Price Comparison Guru, Brainware–within a 20-minute commute of my home.
The site is easy to build with [though beyond the skills of rank amateurs]. And it's already got a gallery full of some fascinating stuff.
Let's say, for instance, that you're a political operative trying to target women aged 18 to 30 to vote in November. Bam, you've got a map that breaks down this population down to county and city level, all across the U.S.
Of course, such a map could have multiple uses. Let's say you're an unmarried man aged 18 to 30 wondering where the numbers are most likely to work in your favor, potential-mate-wise.
Gentlemen, start your engines.Explore posts in the same categories: dataviz, mapping, mashups comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.
One Comment on "Dataviz of the Week: Map It Yourself"
3, October, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I just came to the DC tech scene a few months ago to join GeniusRocket. Since attending a lot of the events in the area, I have been surprised at the number of tech startups that I have never heard of, yet that seem to be really taking off. I am always impressed. Tools like this really help give the DC tech scene the credit that it deserves.


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Lamb cooked with potato and very hot spice sauce.
A delicious curry in the south-Indian style, meat cooked with chilli paste, tomatoes, curry leaves & mustard finishing with coconut cream.
A very famous curry among Bengali community and suitable if you are on diet. Curry tossed in onion and tomato sauce enhance with Julian peppers and onions.
Meat cooked in medium sauce with Lentils and pineapple
Pieces of lamb cooked with fresh pepper, onion, tomato & coriander.
Meat dishes cooked with fresh spinach flavoured with ginger, garlic spices and finished with liaison of butter cream.
Meat cooked in onion & tomato sauce with cumin, ginger-garlic, and tomatoes. Rajastani style.
Curry cooked at high temperature to retain the full flavour of the meat, and then simmered with tomatoes, peppers & onions to create an aromatic and colourful dish.
Fresh peppers, onions, tomato, mushrooms, coriander and spice in thick sauce.
Curry cooked in Onion and Tomato based sauce with fresh coriander & Indian spices.


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So, listen.
I have a sweet tooth. It was cultivated in my youth by a grandmother who saw it as her mission in life to fatten up her sweet little grand-babies. And since my sister and I found ourselves at her house every day after school, we always had a cookie in our hand.
Or a spoon-full of homemade frosting.
Or a plate of pie.
Or a bowl of homemade ice cream.
Or a paper bag full of homemade 'tater chips (which aren't sweet, but OH HELLS YEAH THEY WERE AMAZING).
Now that I'm a grown up whose metabolism and pancreas has decided that sugar really isn't all its chopped up to be, I've all but cut the stuff out of my diet. *takes a moment of silence for the death of that childhood love* It was EFFING hard to do – the first three weeks or so were basically a Detox Hell the likes of which had the Hubster seriously considering calling a Catholic priest to Evict The Demons That Had Risen To Power In My Body.
These days it's not so bad. I don't tremble at the sight of sugar. I don't feel like I need to be restrained at the sight of a cookie in a toddler's hand. Really, I'm pretty chill about the whole thing.
And it's all thanks to Sweet Tooth Wednesday.
Thursday through Monday I surf Pinterest for the best desert recipes I can find. Tuesday I go buy the stuff for one desert. Then, on Sweet Tooth Wednesday, I make said desert…
…and eat it.
Not all of it, mind you. Just one serving. But I eat that one serving with a kind of tantric slowness that, if we're being honest, makes the rest of my family a trifle uncomfortable.
There's nothing healthy about the deserts I make for Sweet Tooth Wednesday. They are a full-sashay foray into the world of Crap That Isn't Good For A Person To Eat. But OH. MY. LORD. IT. IS. GOOD.
So, for funsies, I thought I'd link you up to some of the things I've made over the past few months. I stumbled across all these blogs on Pinterest, and there are many more recipes on my ME WANT FOOD Pinterest page. Head over there sometime. The Hubster calls it Food Porn. He might be right. *shrug*
Okay – now for my faves thus far:
Pip & Ebby's CRACK BROWNIES are a revelation. We're talking brownies, peanuts, marshmallows, peanut butter cups, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and rice cereal. If you're not swooning just from that description you don't have a pulse. Go to the doctor immediately and request the paddles. STAT.
Did you know that you can MAKE nougat? Yes. It's true. You can. These Homemade Snickers Bars from How Sweet It Is are rich and addictive. My rule of just one serving was sorely tested with these…
You haven't lived if you haven't had Pavlova. I first tried this yummy concoction when I was in New Zealand in high school. It was topped with pomegranate and kiwi and homemade whipped cream and it was nothing short of a morgasm. (mouth + well…you know) Gourmet Traveler has Pauline Kwong's version of it and yeah…it fit right in with Sweet Tooth Wednesday.
Four words: ICE CREAM SANDWICH CAKE. We're talking ice-cream sandwiches layered with whipped cream, caramel sauce, and your favorite candy. This dish is total junk and so effing good it ought to be a sin. I LOVED it with a hot cup of coffee…the hot and cold and sweet and bitter had me flying on a sugar/caffeine high for more than a couple hours.
Okay, well, these aren't as sinful as most, but Frozen Banana Bites from neverHomemaker are really delicious and easy, and some Sweet Tooth Wednesdays that's exactly what I need. We're not talking fireworks here. This is more like the meatloaf of deserts. Easy, predictable, and satisfying.
Continuing with the banana theme, these Banana Pudding Squares from Kraft are so yummy it's stupid. It's a good thing I only eat one serving on STW because the rest of my family falls upon these with the force of a hundred starving vampires. It's frightening.
With a name like Sex in a Pan, you have to try it, at least once! And after you do you'll keep going back over, and over, and over again. You'll find yourself fantasizing about eating it in inappropriate places – the dressing room at Victoria's secret, in your dentist's chair, the elevator in Von Maur. This desert will screw you up, in the best way possible.
Now that I've talked myself into a frenzy with all these deserts, I'm going to totter off and make plans for this week's Sweet Tooth Wednesday. Maybe I'll try this, or this…
unless you can suggest something equally as tempting!


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Hello its me The Girl Who Read Too Much again. While Simon is still having a break of sorts I thought that I would take over the blog for the day and let you all know of some books which I have been reading of late. All of these books are books the publishers very kindly sent me which I really wasn't expecting and so has been very exciting. Thanks publishers!
Dead Man's Cove – Lauren St John
When I first saw the book I thought it would possibly be really childish and about pirates but in fact it wasn't! I'd give it to either 11 or 12 year olds. It's a really good book to read in bed though you might not get to sleep very quickly as it's a book with a cliff hanger at the end of every chapter!
Laura Marlin is in an orphanage but they don't know wkether her Dad is alive or not but their is a possibility he's in America yet they've given up looking. But, what they have found is her Mother's brother, who lives right by the sea. He has agreed to take Laura in to be her guardian. When they arrive at his house it's the dead of night and all she can hear is a dog barking inside the house. She suddenly feels the terror boiling up inside her and she wants to go back to the orphanige but she can't. Her driver goes up and rings the bell and the dog goes silent for a minuite but then they can hear it coming closer and closer. Her Uncle opens the door and peers out. He greets them with warmth but Laura isn't convinced. He still could be a villen out of one of her favourite books, Matt Walker the detective. As she thought of her childhood idol she felt stronger as she was introduced to Lottie the dog who was calmer than she sounded. She was invited in and offered cake. As her new life started she noticed some strange things about the town. Like everyone was scared of a Coast calle Dead Man's Cove, but why?
The storyline is thrilling and unpredictable I would definitely read more of this series in the future. It's a spooky ending and is scary to read before bed! See if you dare!
Mistress of the Storm – M. L. Welsh
This book isn't the best ever book and it takes a while to get into the story, I think I expected more. It has a very good ending though. The main character is interesting yet is also quite hard to understand.
Verity is a bullied girl the sort that every day has something taken out of her school bag. One day in gym class her teacher announces that she needs another girl for the sailing race at the end of the week. Verity is the only girl avalible so she, against her will, is volunteered to do the race. Before the race a strange visitor is announced in the house so she is kicked out of her room. The guest is her horrible Grandma. She needs a kit for the race so all the females in the family come with her (her, her Mum, her sister and her Grandma). She has a lovely kit in mind and finds a perfect one but her Grandma sees a disgusting one and because her Mum wants Grandma to feel welcome she buys the horrible one. All the girls tease her at the race as she gets into the boat. Then when she gets in she feels upset. But, then as if by magic she feels at home. She steers the boat with another girl so well it's like she'd been doing it for years. She wants to find out more about her family history to see where that gene comes from and that is how it all starts… what happens next you will have to read it to find out. This book has a lot of detail and unfortunately takes too long to set up, maybe it's because there is a series planned. I am not sure if I would read more. If you want a long read choose this book as it does take a while without being that big.
Half a Sister- Kelly McKain
When I received this book I didn't think it would be the best book ever. But, when I'd read it all it ended up just that! I recommend it as a present to female teenagers for Christmas!
When I got this book I was instantly pulled into its pages and couldn't get myself out. An only child called Hannah is always pushed aside by her best friend Maya who has become best friends with another girl called Beth. Beth is a really selfish, spiteful girl who wants to hurt Hannah as much as possible. But, when Hannah's parents do nothing but fight Hannah is determined to find out why but when she tells Maya and Beth they aren't at all sympathetic they don't really even care. The source of all the fighting is that her Dad has another daughter that he never realised he had. The only problem is the daughter's not her Mum's. Her name's Ellie and she's half French. Her Mum was in a car crash so she's now in a hospital in France so she has to go and live with them for a while. Ellie is lovely and beautiful but what Hannah doesn't realise is that Ellie has a darker side.
The book is in diary format and is a really good read. I found the ending surprising and really suspention full. All in all an amazing book!
So that is all from me for a while, I'll be back soon. Thanks for reading! Enjoy your books!
The Girl Who Read Too Much.


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War Horse – Review
December 23, 2011 7 Comments
War Horse (2011)
Directed by Steven Spielberg. Starring Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Niels Arestrup, Peter Mullan, David Thewlis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Celine Buckens.
War Horse has probably some of the best Spielberg we've seen in a while, but unfortunately it has some of the worse too. The result is a strange hybrid of a film that at times showcases true mastery in Film-making (some real craftmanship that very few directors have these days) but other times falls flat (and almost into self parody) with some incredibly misjudged moments and, worst crime of all, (especially for a Spielberg's film) is actually devoid of any real emotional drive: each set piece works as an individual piece in itself, but as a whole film "War Horse" lacks a certain narrative unity which in the end prevents one for getting completely swept away despite the glorious score by John Williams.
I was ready to let myself go on this one: on paper this is the ultimate weepy! But strangely while I was left admiring the nicely composed frames and the beautiful cinematography, I found myself emotionally detached from the actual story. Whatever happened to that great manipulator of emotions that still makes me cry every time I watch ET? Why was I so underwhelmed and not reduced to tears as I should have been?
Spielberg films his horses just like he would film a human being: close-ups, tracking shots and all sorts of filmic tricks bring them alive as their faces turn to camera and their eyes reflect the light from yet another great vista. He's so good at making us see what the horses are actually feeling at any point in the film, that he almost forgets to make us care for the actual human beings the populate the rest of the film.
Human characters come and go in this film like bell boys in a hotel and yet few of them really leave any mark. Rarely you really feel sorry for these people when they die (crucially some of them die off camera too!), maybe because they're so many of them, or maybe because most of these are slightly two-dimensional or maybe because there isn't enough time to get close to them (However look at Pixar's "Up": we were all crying during that 5 minutes montage scene!). Let's face it, the real star of the film is the horse and that's it. We don't really care about the humans…
I'll give you an example: At the end of the film (watch out… spoiler ahead) there's a big reunion moment between our hero, Joey, (and his horse) and his family. It's supposed to be a bit climatic moment, as the music swells and the cinematography pays tribute to Gone with the Wind itself. The old parents are finally able to hug their son who's just returned from war. Potentially this is a heartbreaking moment unravelling under our eyes and yet I was coldly thinking to myself: "Oh… I didn't realise the parents were actually worried and waiting for him… because I've never actually seen them being worried while the kid was away. In fact I don't think I ever even seen the kid being in difficulty during the war. Was he suffering? Was he missing his parents? All he seemed to care about was the horse, and that one seems fine to me". How could that be the big climatic moment of the film, if I wasn't really prepared for it by anything I've seen so far.
And what about all those people dying? Was I meant to feel something for them? I really didn't, because I was only given the point of view of the horse. It looked like I was only meant to care about the horse.
Are we all basically just supposed to feel sorry for people dying, simply because they just… erm… die, even if the film hasn't really made care about them?
The beginning of the film is probably the worst part. It's a very lengthy first act, which despite continuous nods to Spielberg's intellectual mentors like John Ford (just to mention one) feels cheap, corny, cheesy, slow and just dated in the worse possible sense. Spielberg may call it old-style film-making, but those words actually disguise some pretty bad and indulgent sequences, with some caricature acting that makes it all look more like a bad episode of "The Little House in the Prairie" than "How Green Was My Valley".
Especially considering what's coming later on, this first part feels like a totally different film. It is all plastered with a constant unsubtle soundtrack, without a single moment of silence, that tells us what we are supposed to think at each given point. Worst of all are the more comical-moments in this first part, which are really unfunny and yet the music make them sound almost as if they belonged to a Lauren & Hardy film.
But just when you think this is getting so predictable and really beyond bad, finally war breaks and the film becomes something completely different, and actually quite good one.
This is the best Spielberg of the best moments Saving Private Ryan (and to a degree the one behind the scenes of both Band of Brothers and the Pacific). There are hints of his genius popping up every few minutes
There are some absolutely beautifully and impeccably crafted and choreographed sequences: some thrilling battle scenes, some great memorable moments (a massive crane reveals the aftermath of a battle and shows us that the casualty of war are not just humans. An execution sequence, seen through a windmill chilling in its beautifully timed production), there are some breathtakingly locations, some wonderful cinematography, and of course a heartfelt score by John Williams (more successful here where it has more time to breathe than it did in Tintin.
One of the most beautiful scene which obviously everyone will remember is when our horse gets trapped in big cluster of barbed wire (amazing special effects by the way. Surely that must have been some CGI work, though I couldn't quite tell how it was done) and then is saved by two soldiers from two opposite armies: it's an almost poetic moment which gets away from being panned as a cheap trick and manages to be funny, sad, poignant and tense all at the same time.
There are some great new characters too peppered throughout and there will be moments to leave anyone speechless for their powerful honesty and epic scope.
But unfortunately, despite all these elements and all these little stories, the overall arching narrative still feels bitty and choppy and even though what's actually happening under our eyes is so powerful that we could almost forgive anything, the ultimate emotional journey of the main human character, Joey, is not as strong or compelling as the sum of all the other parts and eventually I couldn't quite connect to him.
What we are left with is a very uneven film which wants to reach everyone (never the terms "a film for the whole family" has been more appropriate and I'm sure everyone will enjoy if not love parts of it) and yet I can't quite help feeling that if it hadn't tried so hard to please everyone it probably would have been a stronger film. There were moments I loved and moments I really hated, and if my rating may seem a bit high is probably because after 3 weeks since i saw the film, those great moments in it are still imprinted in my mind.


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Ice bucket challenge goes awry, firefighters hurt
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Four firefighters were injured - two seriously - when a fire truck's ladder got too close to a power line after they helped college students take part in an ice bucket challenge, police said Thursday.
The firefighters had just finished dousing cold water on the Campbellsville University marching band and were lowering the ladder when they were shocked by electricity. Two firefighters were in the bucket and two were on the main part of the truck.
The two in the bucket were at a hospital burn unit. One was in critical condition and the other was stable, Campbellsville Police Chief Tim Hazlette said. The other firefighters were treated and released.
No students were hurt.
"It's tragic, I feel for all the band members who were still there when it happened, that they had to see that," said nursing student Julie Smith, who said she was nearby when it happened and spoke to a couple of students who witnessed it.
About 100 students and people from the small town in central Kentucky gathered on a lawn at the center of campus to pray for the firefighters Thursday evening.
"A number of our students, of course, the entire marching band, witnessed the event and so we're concerned about them and the tragedy of this accident," university president Michael Carter told WHAS-TV.
Power was knocked out for about an hour to 4,500 customers, including the school, said Natasha Collins, a spokeswoman for Kentucky Utilities, which owns the line.
The Public Service Commission will investigate whether the line had the correct clearance from the ground, trees and structures, said Andrew Melnykovich, a spokesman for the state Public Service Commission.
The police chief said the ladder never touched the line, but it carried such a high voltage, it could shock people close to it.
Police said Capt. Tony Grider, 41, and Simon A. Quinn, 22, were in the fire truck bucket. Grider, a 16-year veteran of the department, was in critical condition at the University of Louisville Medical Center Burn Unit. Quinn, a part-time firefighter, was in stable condition.
Firefighter Keith Bricken, who has worked with Grider for about three years, said he was a tough firefighter who trained colleagues.
"He's real outgoing. He loves to help in any way he can," Bricken said.
Also injured was Capt. Steve Marrs, 37, who has been with the department for 11 years, and Alex Johnson, 28, who has been there three years.
Campbellsville University, a private college, is a Christian institution that has about 3,600 students, according to its website.
It is about 65 miles south of Louisville.
The ice bucket challenge has been sweeping social media websites. The ALS Association said it has raised more than $41 million.


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In Religious Studies, students analyze fundamental questions relating to the meaning of human existence. The program provides a strong basis for compassionate global citizenship and global cultural literacy. It interests students associated with a particular religious tradition, and those with no formal religious traditions.
The StFX Religious Studies Department is growing and, in addition to traditional courses, offers you innovative studies covering topics that range from the paranormal to cults and new religious movements.
You learn from dedicated faculty who also work in the areas of ethics and religion and health, who have extensive knowledge in the study of mindfulness, and who bring a strong ability to work in primary languages and a series of modern languages.
Students have presented research papers at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, and have opportunity to enroll in a one-of-a-kind course offered in cooperation with Gampo Abbey that includes one week residential study at this Buddhist monastery on Cape Breton Island.
As a first year student, you will take two classes, "Compassionate global citizenship: World Religions I and II", which covers indigenous traditions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and contemporary religious movements. Senior students complete more advanced study of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity and contemporary religious movements.
Many students go on to pursue a graduate degree with the intention of becoming priests, ministers, or university professors. Graduates also have an excellent chance of obtaining teaching positions in Roman Catholic school systems throughout the world.
Religious Studies students often continue on to work as lawyers, or in areas relating to international development or education. Familiarity with the world's religious traditions is increasingly essential in healthcare-related, government or any field with a global view.
As a Religious Studies student, you may pursue a major, advanced major, or honours with a subsidiary subject of Celtic Studies, English, History, Modern Languages, Philosophy or Psychology.
Department Home PageFacultyTestimonialsInternet ResourcesCourse OfferingsCourse Descriptions
Phone: (902) 867-3946
Fax: (902) 867-5647
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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The data released last week generated a lot of news stories, first bad ones about the GDP numbers and then good ones about the employment numbers. When you put the numbers in perspective, however, the economic story is little changed from what we have been experiencing for several years now: a continued weak economic recovery.
If you average out the -.1% and 3.1% growth in the third and fourth quarters, you get 1.5% growth for the second half of 2012 which is the about the same for the year as a whole, and down from 2% in 2011 and from 2.4% in 2010. Here is an update of two charts I have used in past posts to show the weak growth compared to the early 1980s recovery and compared to the economy's potential. Growth is still much less than the 1980s recovery, and the gap between actual and potential GDP is not narrowing.
The jobs report shows that employment growth is still barely keeping up with the growth of the population, and not nearly enough to bring labor markets to pre-recession levels. The percentage of the working age population with a job has yet to take off. Here is an update of a chart I have used in earlier posts to illustrate this. It is the same worrisome story.


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Mathew Zefeldt of Vallejo and a recent grad school graduate from UC Davis emailed over some brilliant new large scale paintings. Like them mucho. They are all in the 80" x 60" range.
My paintings are still-life arrangements that take place in my head. The subjects in my paintings are self-consciously aware of the fact that they are made of paint while simultaneously aware of the flatness of the picture plane in which they reside.
These figures are based around my own ideas of the fictional potential of paint. The entities often appear as illustrations of heaps of paint, objects covered in paint, cross sections of imaginary impasto paintings, classical statue heads that multiply into larger heads, studio detritus, or simply figures that are liquefied into gooey, lumpy, colorful painterly abstraction. Exploring the materiality of paint as well as its capacity for figuration, my paintings self-reflexively reinterpret the history of abstraction as a collection of codes to be referenced and reworked.
My work addresses the multiple visual languages of painting and brings them together in one plane, creating an overlay of styles and gestures that echo the fragmented, heterogeneous nature of contemporary reality.
My paintings are windows into a fictional world, governed by rules that are based on the real world, but can be bent or broken as I see fit. Painting provides a venue for expansive experiences beyond the limitations of my corporeal and tangible situation- the ultimate escapist experience. Occupying the line between fiction and nonfiction, the work draws from my own experience, imagination and painterly fantasies embellished to the point of non-recognition– an alternate fantastic reality.
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All News Releases By Date
Cities Competing to Win EPA's Green Power Community Challenge / District of Columbia and Brookville, Md. currently lead the green power charge
Release Date: 03/18/2011
Contact Information: Stacy Kika, email@example.com, 202-564-0906, 202-564-4355
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) first Green Power Community Challenge has reached its mid-year point with 36 communities setting an example for other cities, towns, villages, and Native American tribes to use renewable energy to help protect people's health and the environment. At this point in the competition, the two category leaders are Washington, D.C. for its total green power usage and Brookeville, Md. for the percentage of its total electricity use that is green power.
The top five communities in the usage category are Washington, D.C., Portland, Ore, Santa Clara, Calif., Gresham, Ore., and Bellingham, Wash. The top five communities in the percentage of green power usage category are Brookeville, Md., Swarthmore, Pa., Bellingham, Wash., Rivers Falls, Wis., and Corvallis, Ore.
At the end of the year-long national challenge in September 2011, EPA will recognize the community that uses the most green power and the one that achieves the highest green power percentage of total electricity use.
Green power communities are collectively purchasing nearly 2.6 billion kWh of green power annually. This is equivalent to the electricity use of more than 226,000 average American homes.
Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas, and low-impact hydropower. Green power resources produce electricity with an environmental profile superior to conventional power technologies, and produce significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
More information on EPA's Green Power Community Challenge Rankings: https://www.epa.gov/greenpower/communities/gpcrankings.htm
More information about EPA's Green Power Communities:
Search this collection of releases | or search all news releases
View selected historical press releases from 1970 to 1998 in the EPA History website.


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Once again I am facing the moment of truth. Sometimes we can think we are doing well and spending less but the figures at the end of the month never lie.
Overall for February the total outgoing money was much the same as January but the amounts in each category had shifted around – a bit like the sand and pebbles on our beach at the cottage.
To summarise; the housekeeping, household bills, cards and gifts were lower than last month but fuel costs, eating out, health and wellbeing were higher.
The housekeeping money (which for me includes groceries, whole foods and supplements, magazines, cleaning supplies, toiletries, face creams, make-up, postage, stationery and flowers for the house when I buy any) came in at £367.00, but of course it was the shortest month so maybe this wasn't a great achievement and remember I am not an all out frugal blog by any means (stop reading now if you were expecting severe thrift or you will be disappointed) – I like a bargain and I like to live within my means – I also like hanging on to my savings for dear life but I don't particularly buy cheap in all cases in fact I like quality and value for money so I assess everything I buy with that in mind whether it be food, clothes or a garden tool.
I know there are many of you out there who would do much better than me but this is my way of cutting the spending down and buying less without making myself totally miserable or obsessed and I am pleased with myself if I find I have spent less than last month. I haven't even set category budgets for myself – I suppose I should really but I know I have to stay within the bounds of our one state pension for most of our day-to-day living costs and save a bit if we can. When we have lived on the pension for a while and have definite figures to work on then I can adjust and budget.
So how did I do…
Transport and fuel costs
February was heavy on fuel costs not just for the car but during the warm spell we had recently we had to buy petrol for the mower in order to cut the grass! The trip up to Scotland and 2 round trips up to North Yorkshire increased this category to £180 ouch! In compensation there were no other transport or car related costs but we do have an MOT coming up next month.
Total costs of seeing the world and shaving the grass: £186.87
Health and wellbeing costs
February saw us both at the hairdressers for a cut and blow dry. We go to the same local hairdressers – not together I might add, that might be a little strange!….and whilst mine is £26, DH only has to pay £11 but then his hair is much shorter and he has less of it. For me it is worth the expense, I always feel much better afterwards.
Total cost of a brand new me and him: £37
Our central heating and hot water runs on gas and we have a coal effect gas fire in the living room. The heating is on from 5 pm to 8pm – after that we will just put the gas fire on if it is really cold whilst watching the TV or sometimes for a bit of glow on the lowest setting. The gas bill for February came in at £69 plus VAT. I didn't think that was too bad – helped of course by the milder weather and watching TV during the evenings wrapped snuggly in a throw rather than putting the fire or heating on.
Total costs for the joy of warm toes: £72.63
Grocery and housekeeping costs
Surprisingly I spent less this month than last (but then it was only 4 weeks long) however the average per week on groceries alone worked out at a little more than last month @ £77, (£309 for the month) but we did take advantage of a lot of items on offer so are pretty well stocked in the grocery department. Some weeks I do better than others and have more time to plan – sometimes it is all a bit rushed and that is when I do spend more but we have been having some nice meals recently and I have been trying new recipes.We had a surprise freebie in Tesco in Castle Douglas in Scotland when they were handing out free rolls one evening. You couldn't beat this yellow sticker price! I didn't buy any toiletries or face creams during February but did treat myself to some flowers for the house.
Total cost to eat and be merry £361.87 and a bunch or two of cheerfulness £5.
Home and garden purchases
Once again just bits and pieces bought in this category but it still added up to an alarming £106 – I had to look twice at this in disbelief – but it is there in black and white and needless to mention this cost will be taken from savings not the pension – the pension does not allow for frivolous purchases that consist of:-
- 2 large storage boxes with lids for in the loft to replace some old cardboard bankers boxes
- 3 lidded craft storage boxes to hold our old slides
- 1 small 4 litre Maslin pan to make jam and marmalade reduced by £10 to £19.99
- 2 glass lidded containers from Muji for cotton wool and cotton wool buds (this was a definite treat); I love Muji products for their simplicity and have wanted these for ages and couldn't resist when DH gave me the OK nod.
- Portable Muji diffuser – on offer at the Muji store – gives out 2 hours of real essential oil fragrance
- 2 Pillow protectors on sale in Sainsbury's for £3.60 – decided against the dearer John Lewis ones and will return them.
This is certainly a category to watch – those little bits here and there add up to quite a lot.
Total cost for unavoidable household
needs wants: £106
Gifts and card costs
Gifts and cards came in lower than last month – only a couple of birthdays and mum's belated birthday book token. I already had a Valentine's card and a stock of birthday cards and luckily none of the birthdays required a gift, so much cheaper month than last.
Total cost to gift away: £22.50
Crafts and hobbies
Confession – I bought two books (I include books in my Craft and Hobbies category). Simple Sewing posted here, and The Stress Solution by Dr Rangan Chatterjee. I bought his book The Four Pillar Plan a while ago and it is one of the best general health books I have read and continue to reread and am trying to put into practice. I couldn't wait for his new book to appear cheaper in The Works so splashed out the £8.49 in Sainsbury's.
Having tried a bit of crotchet with the hooks and wool I bought last month it became apparent I would not be making any baby clothes any time soon – I couldn't even crotchet a square and will need more time to practice so I decided to try my hand at knitting again. I bought a baby pattern £3.10 and 3 balls of Sirdar Baby Crofter from Hobbycraft @ £4 ball to make a jumper for Sweetie and now realise knitting your own is not a cheap option. DH just smiles!
Total cost to keep me busy: £27.78
Leisure and Entertainment
I spent a worthwhile £15 on the pantomime tickets (no discounts even though I am related to the stars of the show!), however I do still have to pay my sister for these when I see her. Of course the petrol costs to get there would have been about £30 – but she is my sister and of course Libbie (Little L) was so thrilled.
Other than that our other entertainment this month was visiting Ikea – totally free!
Total costs of a good belly laugh: £15 (not including the fuel a definite boo!)
Eating out
This continues to be much reduced now we take picnics everywhere or get free drinks in Ikea – but is higher than last month as we had our trip to Scotland and bought a chip butty tea each on the way up and back £7.70. Mainly though our only regular expense is the pre shop drinks in Sainsbury's café every week £4.10, DH always comes along with me now since I am no longer at work (probably to keep an eye on the spending!) so it doubles this little indulgence – if we gave this up we would be down to zero pounds unless we elect to treat ourselves for lunch out, which we did at Costa en route to the Pantomime.
Total costs to satisfy our healthy appetites: £52.25
Clothing and footwear
I bought a grey long-sleeved t-shirt from Sainsbury's – it was, I am pleased to say, a considered purchase. I bought one last Autumn and love it so much I invested in another before they disappear, they are great to wear under a jumper and keep me snug and warm in the cold weather – so a small price to pay. I also needed to replace some old wornout black socks that I wear with my jeans and leggins. One pack of five from Tesco for £5 – they have the same patterned rib as the previous ones I bought two years ago which is great as I won't need to spend time matching socks after washing them.
Total cost to looking totally
glamorous presentable: £9.75
As you might expect the spending in the different categories has 'see-sawed' a bit this month. What was a low figure last month was higher this month and vice versa. I am enjoying the books, enjoying the knitting (more on this another day) and will no doubt enjoy making some jam and marmalade.
So a few new items have entered my home but what has gone out…I will reveal later.
As usual hoping to do better next month and any advice is always welcome….xx
If you want to read January's tally click here


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Do everything in love. – (1 Corinthians 16:14, NIV)
Let love prevail in your life, words, and actions. – (1 Corinthians 16:14, VOICE)
Let love and kindness be the motivation behind all that you do. – (1 Corinthians 16:14, TPT)
It is amazing how much better life goes when love is the motivation behind every word and deed. Though there are times that love feels like the farthest thing from what we want to extend, it is a choice. Last night, my Viking and I landed in Reno, shortly before midnight. His brother and the love of his life greeted us at the airport and handed off one of their vehicles, so that we would not have to rent one. They are early risers, so not only was the sacrifice of a vehicle an act of love, but the decision to stay up late and abandon opportunity for a full night's sleep, also demonstrated a clear choice of love in action. When we arrived at our accommodations for the night, a lovely occasion to choose to speak and act in love, presented itself. Exhausted, the Viking and I quickly checked in and received our room keys. Upon arrival at our door, we soon discovered that the key cards did not work in the door to which they were assigned. Frustrated, we walked the quarter-mile back to the office with our things, with a less-than-loving attitude, only to communicate kindly to the gentleman who apologetically reprogrammed our room keys and sent us back to our room. Sadly, the keys still would not work. With even more aggravation, combined with the lack of sleep, I was not sure how it would go, as we walked back, yet again, to the office to remedy the situation. This time, Mark simply asked if we could please be placed in a different room, as it appeared that there was a problem with the lock on the other room's door. The concierge obliged willingly, and we thanked him and were on our way. Sometimes love is found in what we choose to not say as well. We are grateful for the blessing of time with family, and the opportunity to love and be loved well. May we all seek our Heavenly Father for His strength and grace, so that we may go forth in love in every word and deed.
To love is a choice,
We have all our days;
In word, thought and deed,
At work, home and play.
Each time that we choose,
To love and be kind;
We show the Lord's heart,
For all of mankind.
Lord, help us to love,
To choose love like You;
Prefer each other,
Let Your light shine through.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You call us to love. Thank You that You do not call us to anything that You are not also willing to equip and empower us to do. Thank You that You loved us first. Thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit that dwells in us and reminds us what it is to love in each circumstance we encounter. Forgive us for the times that we have chosen poorly and have not spoken or acted in love. Teach us to trust You more, so that we clearly reflect Your heart to the world. Show us how to love those around us in ways that communicate love to them best. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You and love You, so that we may in turn love others too. Amen.
© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. – 1 Corinthians 13:4


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Fingers lovingly probe the letters of these keys.
Emotion tries to rescue me.
Where will they take me?
Like a Disc Jockey plays,
A rolling stone full of moss.
It is late, but the songbird of my life called me out of the blue earlier this afternoon,
In the daylight for a change,
We usually talk late at night.
She calls me unexpectedly,
Holla at a brotha excitedly to say she thinks
She was nearby where my mother lives.
Few have permission to go there.
An ongoing thing,
Is this fling;
I stopped it for twenty-five years.
Let the sap descend back to the roots;
Banned and then I forgave her
Upon shockingly returning as a caregiver.
Many a year it seemed,
I was just her chauffeur to parties
Nothing more afterwards.
I was in love with a ride-share client;
She spoke her love for me,
However it was never consummated,
While I could lay many others.
We are still both single,
Early sexagenarians who have not yet exchanged sexual generics.
Would it be worth it now having desired her for so long?
As uncharacteristic as a cold cactus on a desert night,
I still do not trust her to visit and be denied and teased again.
Therefore, and because she lives now in the dark of the Bronx,
Yet I did it to get it over with.
The tolls over the bridges,
Are also somewhat prohibitive nowadays from when it was a quarter.
Lay lady never laid,
Maybe on my new almost brass bed,
If only I could finally get her into it.
Never taking me seriously,
Thinking I was too skinny genetically.
That I can never control.
If now that we are older Baby Boomers,
She would perish before I do,
Would be the saddest day,
Save my own mother's time before mine.
Her voice is still the same,
Except when she is loud street braggadocios.
Our octaves never change I guess,
Unless health issues do.
Once a songbird to my heart,
Always a special symphony singer into my soul.
She insists "last night a DJ saved my life".
Thirty years I have known her;
Yet through it all never boned her.
No hook-up from the friend zone.
Nyet benefits – why?
This verse is masturbation alone.
Caring in-truthful conversations,
This time wasn't our mind blown?
To have loved and to slice like a cherry tree;
Tasted tart fruit distantly from one's own;
Now I know never there will we have sex;
Not a pie are we,
No French Vanilla-skinned ice cream;
Only a forever fly-by.
She is huge in weight and afraid of the freight.
It will slightly be morose to have lost the chance ,
When one of us soon goes "bye-bye".
Thanks for the friendship dance.


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We are a global leader in the development of state-of-the-art of Computer hardware diagnostic tool. The testing tools are designed to reduce the expenses associated with the repair and building of computers: thus limiting downtime, unnecessary repair, unwarranted technical support, excessive warranty issues and costly RMA returns.
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Our Professional PC hardware diagnostic tool allows its user to maintain quality service and support during the four phases of a PC's life cycle. The Professional version of our Computer hardware diagnostic tool has the added ability to perform hundreds of extensive test routines which can better assist in detecting problematic PC hardware failures.
By including our Computer hardware diagnostic tool in your tool-kit, the professional technician can be assured that both valuable time and money will be saved. The features of the Professional version include a detailed reporting of the computer's components and operating system.
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This is one of those mornings when you wake up to find lovely things in your Inbox. Nothing makes my cuppa Earl Grey go down better, I have to confess. First, I found my entire Wake-Robin Ridge series was displayed today on Sally Cronin's Summer Reading Blog feature. Wow! Such a nice thing to see! Thank you, Sally. To read (and mostly, to share far and wide, pleeze?) you can go HERE.
Then I discovered my latest book, Harbinger, was being featured on Rosie Amber's blog as a #TuesdayBookBlog post, and with a 5-star review, no less. THANK YOU, Rosie! To see, and hopefully share, what Rosie thinks of Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3, go HERE.
This is the kind of thing that makes the LOOONG hours worthwhile. Just knowing there are some readers who enjoy my stories makes me happy I finally decided to give writing a go. And belonging to our caring and supportive community of writer and bloggers is the icing on the cake.
Color me happy . . . as a clam! 🙂


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Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/4/2006
Publication Date: 10/4/2006
Citation: Britch, S.C., Linthicum, K. 2006. Preparing for rift valley fever in the u.s.: implementing gis and remote sensing to detect elevated populations of mosquito vectors. Proc. of the North West Mosquito Vector Control Association, Newport, OR, October 4-6, 2006.
Interpretive Summary:
Technical Abstract: New and emerging mosquito-borne viruses such as Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus pose a global threat to animal and human health. An introduction of RVF into the U.S. could severely impact livestock industries and wild ungulates, and cause significantly more human illness than West Nile virus (WNV). Unlike WNV there is no approved RVF vaccine for animals or humans and the virus could spread rapidly not just by mosquitoes, but also by contact with infected tissues. One approach to preparing for new mosquito-borne diseases is to know more about the vectors. We are developing a GIS-based early warning system that flags areas of the U.S. at risk for elevated vector populations. The system is driven by the association between long-term changes in mosquito populations and changes in climate at the local, national, and global level. The association is analyzed using mosquito surveillance data collected by mosquito control and public health agencies, and climate data measured by satellites and terrestrial weather stations. We have received data from four regions of the U.S., and we will continue to request data to cover the whole country to form as comprehensive a picture as possible regarding changes in mosquito populations over the last 50 years. The product of the early warning system will be predictions of vector population densities that may be used to coordinate and target vector control and disease containment strategies in the event RVF is detected. Ultimately the system will be of value to research in applied as well as academic settings, and will be a step towards unifying the efforts of mosquito control districts around the country should climate indices alert us of upcoming outbreaks. The system is easily adapted to provide information on vectors of any mosquito-borne disease, and can be used by mosquito control agencies to inform routine control activities at the local level.


text:
Since 1999 Indidge Systems has been providing quality solutions for organizations across the country. Indidge Systems has developed separate business segments catering to healthcare and other IT solutions for better customer service and efficiency. Indidge Systems has developed separate web sites serving information for the specialized business segments. You can visit the specific web site you are looking for from the following links.
Thank you for visiting Indidge Systems


text:
About Gevril Group
Gevril Group, watchmaker and wholesale watch distributor, is the exclusive U.S. agent for exquisitely designed and crafted European luxury and fashion watch brands, distributing and servicing some of the best affordable luxury and Swiss watches and trendy fashion watches. Gevril Group also operates a full-service watch repair, staffed by master Swiss watchmakers. Contact Gevril Group by email or by calling 845-425-9882.
Join the conversation! Follow Gevril Group on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Please subscribe to the Gevril Group newsletter and blog digest.


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One of the prettiest ways to see Helsinki is by a boat ride in the Gulf of Finland, or Baltic Sea. We did it twice because it was so beautiful! We went on a sunny afternoon as well, and unfortunately I didn't take pictures.
Make sure you check out the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress (above) and the Helsinki Zoo.
Read more about our time in Helsinki.
Read more about our time in Helsinki.


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This week, we get a Columbo-style mystery. Guest starring Alicia Witt.
Check out our review:
Image Source: CBS Broadcasting Inc.


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Rice Krispy cereal isn't the only thing that can Snap, Crackle and Pop! Watch as the DFW skies light up July 3rd through July 4th all across the metroplex. Various cities will be celebrating Independence Day with heart pumping fireworks shows. Just the thought of it might give you an adrenaline rush. Last year we had some issues with the dry land and risk of grass fires which prevented certain counties from having their annual show. This year we want to hone in on the best of the best. Check out some of the biggest Fireworks shows in Dallas and surrounding cities. (We've listed our favorites below)
Apart from the country gaining their freedom, it's one of the best things about the July 4th holiday and one attraction most of us look forward to. Surrounding the fireworks shows are festivals and day-long events. With the 4th of July being smack dab in the middle of the week this year, pay attention to some of the 2012 dates for these DFW Independence Day events. Let the skies light up and the festivities begin!
Kaboom Town! Addison
Date: Tuesday, July 3rd
Time: 5:00pm to Midnight
Location: Addison Circle Park
Fireworks Showtime: After Dusk
Addison's Kaboom Town! has been nationally recognized for its fireworks display. Enjoy 30 minutes of choreographed fireworks to patriotic music along with live entertainment taking place throughout the evening on the Dos Equis Stage. There is also an Air Show set to amaze onlookers from the large Addison park below. After the #3 fireworks show in America is done, families can stick around for the after party featuring a performance by Emerald City. Expect great food, fun and an energetic atmosphere!
Fair Park Fourth
Date: Wednesday, July 4
Event Time: 4:30pm – 10:00pm
Location: Dallas Fair Park – 1300 Robert B. Cullum Blvd, Dallas 75210
Fireworks Showtime: 9:30pm
Fair Park Dallas hosts an Independence Day festival with family friendly activities and eye popping fireworks. Fair Park Fourth is FREE to the public with reduced admission to the area's museums between 4:30 and 7:30pm. The Dallas Wind Symphony will give a performance at 8pm in front of the Hall of State.Stadium seating, swan boats and concessions will all be available at the 2012 Fair Park Fourth, which ends at 10pm.
Lone Star Park – Lone Stars & Stripes Celebration
Date: Wednesday, July 4
Time: First Live Race at 5pm, Gates open at 3pm
Location: Lone Star Park –
Fireworks Showtime: After Dusk
Fun 4th of July activities paired with live Thoroughbred racing make up the annual Lone Stars & Stripes celebration which takes place in Grand Prairie's Lone Star Park. The kids will love jumping around in bounce houses, going on pony rides, visiting the petting zoo, meeting clowns and other games. Adults and children alike can watch fast races right on the track and then witness a dazzling 20-minute fireworks display to music. Between 6 and 11pm Incognito will provide live music on the Courtyard Champions Stage.
Arlington Highlands 4th of July Fireworks Extravaganza
Date: Wednesday, July 4th
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Arlington Highlands
Fireworks Showtime: 9:30pm
The Independence Day Celebration taking place at Arlington Highlands includes live music from The Chant Band, free sno cones and fireworks. The first 3,000 people get a complimentary sno cone from 7 to 9pm, and after that each sno cone will cost $1. Fireworks viewing for attendees is recommended by Dave & Busters.
Lake Grapevine Fireworks Extravaganza
Date: Wednesday, July 4th
Location: Lake Grapevine
Fireworks Showtime: 9:30pm
The 30th Annual Fireworks Extravaganza at Lake Grapevine will be on July 4th. Viewers can grab a post along the lake before they shut down Fairway Drive at 9pm thirty minutes before the 9:30 fireworks show. Most lakeside viewing locations are free. However, some parks might charge a minimal admission fee. Several spots can be found throughout Grapevine as the city celebrates the 4th of July.
Irving – Patriotic Parade and Fireworks
Date: Wednesday, July 4
Time: 9:00am
Location: Intersection of Las Colinas Blvd and Lake Carolyn Pkwy
Fireworks Showtime: After Dusk
The City of Irving's 4th of July parade begins at 9:00am downtown. It will loop around Irving Boulevard beginning at Sowers Road, and then end with a free celebration featuring watermelon and a live concert held in Heritage Park (217 Main Street). Event parking can be found at Irving Convention Center for $5. The fireworks spectacle will commence after dusk.


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I, Maintainer
Maintaining an open source project is a rollercoaster ride with high peaks and very low troughs.
Release frequency is down. Questions increasingly go unanswered. Issues remain in a triage, unresolved state. Uncertainty and frustration brew within the community room.
Brian's experience with Pattern Lab very much mirrors Mark's experience with Fractal. The pressure. The stress. But there's also the community.
A maintainer must keep the needs of their project, their community, and their own needs in constant harmony.
This is hard!


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This point, from the comment section below is well taken.
"I think you have drawn the wrong conclusion from the article that you posted. Yes, broadly international justice is expensive. However, the article is referring to the wastage at the an Ad-hoc Special court for Sierra Leone. Similar claims of waste have been leveled at the Rwanda tribunal in Arusha. It should be remembered that one of the reasons for the establishment of the ICC was to reduce the wastage that came as a result of such ad-hoc courts. So in a sense, the expense of the Sierra Leone court justifies the ICC more than anything."
I am on record as being pro the ICC. But this got me thinking about the absurdity of having such procedurally expensive justice systems meant to serve people who's own justice systems are left to crumble….
"The entire budget for Sierra Leone's domestic justice sector is roughly $13 million per year, including the Sierra Leone Police, the Prisons Department, all levels of the court system, and the various human rights and legal services commissions. There are just 12 magistrates for the whole country outside of Freetown, and they hear between 4,000 to 5,000 criminal cases per year. The lack of judges, lawyers, and police investigators –even the lack of a few cents in cell phone credit to contact witnesses that might implicate or exonerate a defendant –is a serious obstacle to a functional justice system.
In contrast, a quick tally using the Special Court's [that tried Charles Taylor] annual budget reports reveal costs of approximately $175 million for the prosecutions of 13 other defendants in Freetown, in addition to the hefty bill for Taylor's trial in the Hague. And the Special Court boasted 11 judges and hundreds of staff members for its 14 cases spread over the past nine years. Add on the testimony of Naomi Campbell, and it appears international war crimes have become a red-carpet affair."
For more on the contrast between the under-financed and poorly staffed Sierra Leonean justice system and the special court's extravagance check out a post by friend of the blog Alaina Varvaloucas [and her colleague] over at the CGD.
H/T Alaina.