text:
In the NFL, where many believe that winning supersedes stats, many outstanding players don't get the accolades or attention they deserve, just because the rest of their team was shit. We think that's dumb, so we've gathered up the best players out of the league who didn't make the playoffs this season.
Spots weren't decided by any single stat, but the numbers used are available at Pro Football Focus and Football Outsiders.
QB: Tony Romo, Cowboys
Romo had the best season of any quarterback not in the playoffs. His 2013 came out to 3,828 yards, 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, completing 63.9% of his passes at 7.16 yards per attempt. His 59.5 QBR is ahead of Russell Wilson and Cam Newton, though one of the weaknesses of that stat is that it rewards quarterbacks who have to come from behind, which Wilson and Newton haven't had to do very often. Matt Stafford may have thrown for more yards in Detroit's pass-heavy offense, but he also threw 19 picks and had a worse completion percentage. Romo was the only QB not in the playoffs to throw for 30 or more touchdowns. He also ranked seventh in DYAR of all quarterbacks, in front of several signal-callers heading to the postseason. Alas, his efforts went to waste as he sits on a couch, recovering from back surgery.
HB: Matt Forte, Bears
Second-most rushing yards among running backs (1,339), along with 74 receptions for 594 yards and three touchdowns. His DYAR was fourth among all running backs with at least 100 rushing attempts. Forte's not the reason why Chicago missed the playoffs this year.
FB: Marcel Reece, Raiders
Oh, go to hell. We honor the fullback around here. Reece was a total stud in the blocking game. He allowed zero hurries in 33 snaps in protection, and helped power Rashad Jennings to a +209 DYAR season. Reece also rushed for 218 yards and two touchdowns, with 4.7 yards per carry. Oakland's Pro Bowler caught 32 passes for 331 yards and two scores. When the Raiders had no healthy halfbacks in Week 14 against the Jets, Reece subbed in and ran for 123 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. He's a versatile, valuable guy.
WR: Josh Gordon, Browns
Most receiving yards in the league (1,646) and a staggering 18.9 yards per catch, best in the league if we don't count Kenny Stills, who had 32 receptions. (Come on, Kenny Stills doesn't count.) Gordon was easily the NFL's best wide receiver in 2013, and he only needed 14 games to put up numbers better than anyone else. He had the third-best DYAR out of non-playoff WRs, and when you include his five carries for 88 yards (all first downs), he's third overall in adjusted DYAR. Cleveland desperately needs to get him a decent quarterback and supporting cast.
WR: Calvin Johnson, Lions
Of course. It was an excellent year for wide receivers on underperforming teams—Antonio Brown, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Andre Johnson all deserve mentions—but Megatron didn't get this spot on name alone. He caught passes even when everyone knew it was going to him, and still accrued 84 receptions for 1,492 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging out to 106.6 yards per game, and tops in the league in raw yards per pass route run (2.72) among qualifying receivers. He isn't just a beast: he's a workhorse. His DYAR was the second-highest in terms of non-playoff receivers. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more physical receiver.
Let's stop and address what will probably the biggest complaint: Antonio Brown. His DYAR is the best of all non-playoff WRs, but he's not on here. DYAR isn't the final stat, though, or this would be the 2013 Non-Playoff DYAR Team. Gordon vastly outperformed him in two fewer games (as well as in composite rushing+receiving DYAR), and Johnson, who also missed two games, came up seven yards short of Brown's yardage total. Brown caught all 10 catchable deep (of 28) balls thrown to him all year, but Gordon and Johnson did more with fewer receptions, and both scored more touchdowns.
TE: Jason Witten, Cowboys
This was close between Witten and Jordan Cameron. Witten had similar receiving numbers, but, more importantly, didn't suck at blocking. Cameron was a great receiver but struggled at the key part of being a tight end, particularly run blocking (he was only asked to pass block two or three times a game). Witten performed well enough at both responsibilities, with 73 receptions for 851 yards and eight touchdowns. And when it came to DYAR, Witten's (135) was significantly better than Cameron's (100).
LT: Joe Thomas, Browns
Thomas had 10 accepted penalties, admittedly a lot, but the lineman only allowed two sacks and missed one whole snap out of 1,150 this season. The Browns' running game situation blew, but runs to the left tackle produced 5.13 adjusted yards, a league-best. There's no more consistent left tackle on a team that consistently stays out of the postseason.
LG: Matt Slauson, Bears
Andy Levitre of the Titans was in contention for this, as he only allowed one sack in a full season, but Levitre was hit with seven penalties. Slauson had only one accepted penalty. He also started all 16 games, played 1,070 snaps, and allowed a mere two sacks.
C: Dominic Raiola, Lions
He might allegedly be a dick to band members, but Raiola's an outstanding center. He started all 16 games, missed only two snaps out of 1,158, and allowed no sacks. Tough to get better than that.
RG: Larry Warford, Lions
Warford's simply been one of the best right guards in the league, regardless of the playoffs. The rookie started all 16 games, played every snap, allowed no sacks and excellently blocked for runs. Hell, the Lions' offensive line allowed the second fewest sacks this season. Reggie Bush and Joique Bell owe him 20 Xbox Ones.
RT: Tyler Polumbus, Skins
Yeah, it seems weird to have a guy from a line that allowed poor Robert Griffin III to get battered around for most of the season, but the competition was slim at right tackle. Runs to his side produced 4.14 adjusted yards, 11th-best in the league. Polumbus played all 1,172 snaps this season, committed one penalty, and allowed four sacks.
DE: J.J. Watt, Texans
This has to be my biggest peeve. The Texans may have been this season's worst team, but that's no reason to stop appreciating the radiance of JJ Watt. He was by far the most effective and disruptive defensive end this season, as he was last season, as he will likely be for the foreseeable future. Watt had 10.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, 35 quarterback hits (most out of all defensive ends), six batted passes (most out of all 3-4 defensive ends), 67 stops (most out of all defensive ends), and 80 total tackles (second-most of all defensive linemen).
Watt made a QB pressure on 12.8 of all his pass rush snaps, tops in the league for a 3-4 defensive end, and actually an improvement from his ridiculous season last year. He made a Stop (a "loss" for the offense) on 13.7 percent of all plays, a league-leading number, while playing the most rushing downs of anyone (he was seventh most for passing plays). And while PFF grades aren't the final determination, Watt's season grade was a 111.6, the highest of any player. And he won't sniff consideration for Defensive Player of the Year because Matt Schaub sucks.
DT: Gerald McCoy, Buccaneers
For a defensive tackle, McCoy's a stellar pass rusher, sacking the quarterback a career-high nine times and accounting for 56 hurries, near the top of the league among defensive tackles. He's a big reason why the Bucs' defensive line play has been so excellent against the ground game, stuffing 24% of opponents' run plays.
DT: Jurrell Casey, Titans
Where'd this guy come from? Casey had 5.5 total sacks in his first two seasons; this year, he had 10.5, and caused a hurry on 9.2 percent of passing downs he played. Casey also had 39 stops, tied for second among defensive tackles. He's on his rookie contract through 2014, but maybe the Titans will extend him in the offseason.
DE: Robert Quinn, Rams
The superb 4-3 end finished with 19 sacks, second-best in the league. Quinn also totaled 21 quarterback hits (second-highest among 4-3 ends), 51 quarterbacks hurries, and seven forced fumbles. Quinn's a menace, and if the Rams can draft competent help across from him, he could conceivably have a larger impact, which is scary to think about.
OLB: Lavonte David, Buccaneers
Second-most combined tackles out of all 4-3 outside linebackers (106), 83 stops, five interceptions, six sacks, two forced fumbles. When it comes to linebackers in the NFC South, Luke Kuechly's name comes up first, but David deserves equal acknowledgement. The sophomore's one of the best outside linebackers right now.
MLB: Kiko Alonso, Bills
In his rookie campaign, Alonso seemed to always be finishing the play for Buffalo, and his stats supported that sentiment. The linebacker had 159 combined tackles, third-most in the league, and made possible because he was an absolute workhorse, playing the most rushing downs of any inside linebacker, and the fifth most passing snaps. He was in the better part of all inside linebackers in tackling efficiency (a must at that position) at 14 made tackles for every one he missed. Alonso played well in coverage, also earning four interceptions, and led all inside linebackers by allowing his assignment to amass just 0.43 yards per snap he was in coverage. Linebackers who don't struggle against the pass are tough to find, and Alonso excels at it.
ILB: Karlos Dansby, Cardinals
Dansby didn't miss a beat in his return to Arizona. The inside linebacker had 122 combined tackles, 6.5 sacks, four picks and one forced fumble. Dansby played very well against the run, and was above average in coverage. Since he only signed a one-year deal, he's now a valuable free agent. It'll be interesting to see if he stays with the Cardinals for—presumably—the remainder of his career or go somewhere else.
OLB: Brian Orakpo, Skins
After missing most of 2012 with a torn pectoral muscle, Orakpo played in 15 games this season, earning 10 sacks and a pick-six. Though the Skins' pass defense is complete trash, Orakpo's individual play has given them some semblance of pressure on the passer. The defense still needs a lot of work, but it isn't a completely lost cause.
CB: Darrelle Revis, Buccaneers
Tampa Bay has a star at every level of the defense. Among other reasons, it makes sense as to why Greg Schiano was canned. There really isn't a better man corner in the league than Revis. His toughest assignment in 2013 was Calvin Johnson, and Revis held him to three catches for 44 yards on four targets in Week 12. He didn't resort to pass interference or even chance getting caught for something ticky-tack, only drawing one flag against him. Excluding the final game against the Saints, Revis didn't surrender more than 54 receiving yards in any one game. Out of eligible cornerbacks, Revis allowed just 0.72 yards per coverage snap, fewest in the league. He gave up just 400 total yards on the season, best of all cornerbacks. If he isn't still the best corner in football, he's damn close.
S: Antrel Rolle, Giants
Rolle might be mad that he didn't make the Pro Bowl, but at least he made this list! That's something, right? The safety tied for the second-most interceptions (six), and although he struggled at the beginning of the season, his coverage substantially improved in the second half. In 16 games, Rolle allowed 39 catches for 339 yards and a touchdown on 62 targets.
S: T.J. Ward, Browns
Ward was a key cog in Cleveland's secondary, almost letting you forget every time Buster Skrine would fuck up. He gave up 29 receptions for 250 yards and a score on the 50 balls thrown his way.
CB: Brent Grimes, Dolphins
It was an excellent comeback season for Grimes, who tore his Achilles tendon in 2012 and settled for a one-year deal with Miami. He proved he could subdue slot men and outside receivers. Grimes was targeted 98 times and allowed no touchdowns. Quarterbacks throwing against him had a total QB rating of 66.3. The 30-year-old Grimes should find a multi-year deal this offseason, despite his age.
Special Teams
K: Justin Tucker, Ravens
Respect the kicker. Tucker tied for the most successful field goals in the league (38), missing just three of his attempts. He also made six of seven from 50 yards and over and was good enough on kickoffs.
Johnny Hekker, Rams
Also, respect the punter. Hekker didn't see the field as much as some his fellow punters on worse teams, but he made the most out of his punts, with a league-best 44.3 net average. He had only four touchbacks and had a maximum hang time of 5.60 seconds on one punt.
KR: Cordarrelle Patterson, Vikings
Though the rookie didn't immediately click on offense in Minnesota, his return abilities were consistently electric. Patterson returned a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown in just his second game, and in Week 7, he topped that with a 109-yard return for six. It's apparently an immutable law of the universe law that the NFC North must have one incredible return man at all times.
Again, a big thanks to Pro Football Focus and Football Outsiders for their metrics.


text:
Benjy Duke '10
"Since I have graduated, I have achieved my own personal goal of keeping my work experience in partnership with my own passion of being outside within nature. I was the head fly fishing guide for the A Bar A Guest Ranch in Encampment, Wyoming the summer of 2010. I have worked for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department as a fish tech to a few fisheries biologist last summer, and have spent the last two winters as a ski instructor at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. All of which have taught me how to interact with people and our environment on a professional level. But, what I'm most looking forward to is my upcoming summer. I am going back to work for the A Bar A Ranch, but this time as the lead guide and coordinator for the inaugural season of the Expedition Program. The Expedition Program is an interesting new way to lead guests through the vast open plains, mountains, and rivers of southern Wyoming by means of horseback, foot, and raft while teaching them about the natural ecosystems and cultures. The program is not designed to just entertain our guests, but rather teach them about the environment and the importance of western ranch heritage and how the relationship between the rancher and his natural resources must reflect proper stewardship. My position as the lead guide will give me the opportunity to guide remote streams and rivers, ride across wild land on horseback, and to camp under the stars. All of which will be accompanied with western education. I can say without hesitation that the Chesapeake Semester has taught me how to think about my environment and why proper stewardship is so important."
Thesis Title:
"Observing Nature for the Complete Understanding;
Environmental Writing, Landscape Painting, and Landscape Architecture"

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Update 6/10: Schedule slips — Terrafugia said it will not have one of its prototypes done in time to fly for EAA AirVenture. Instead, the earliest a test flight could occur is March 2012, and deliveries will occur no earlier than late 2012.
Terrafugia plans flight for Oshkosh
Will there be a flying car at AirVenture 2011? Terrafugia officials are building two prototypes and hope one of them will be done in time to fly for the big EAA Oshkosh show. It is hoped, assuming all goes well during testing, that production can begin by the end of the year. The Terrafugia Transition, as it is called, is intended to cruise at 93 knots carrying a useful load of 460 pounds. Useable fuel is 23 gallons. On the road, the company predicts the two-place car, with its wings folded vertically like a bird, will get 35 miles per gallon. The high center of gravity created by the folded wings will bring interesting challenges when driving in high winds. A Rotax 912S powers it, and a full vehicle parachute is available.


text:
The Home of Fashion Film and Live Fashion Broadcasting
Report by Lou Stoppard on 27 June 2014.
The easy, luxe bagginess that Ackermann champions is so different from the roomy sportswear we see on so many other runways, and speaks to a modern dandy - a sensual peacock. You find a lot of those types wafting around the music industry, so it's little surprise that Ackermann had gone a little bit more rock 'n' roll this season
De aantrekkelijke kant van sjofel met weelderige stoffen door #HaiderAckermann http://t.co/sPogI9UCVF
Check-out the Haider #Ackerman #SS15 Mens show here: http://t.co/W6ylRcU28J #PFW http://t.co/MxAG4RLgJd
Wait until you see how these get worked into the look #WellaFW #SS14 Haider Ackermann http://t.co/e9KCA3dC3M
Two words to describe Eugene Souleiman's men's look for Haider Ackermann? "Defined chaos" #WellaFW #SS15 https://t.co/v9D9160nUj
El menú de esta tarde @MaisonValentino #HaiderAckermann #pfw #ss15 http://t.co/o3FPKvgHvl
Controlled height with slight imperfections - the look of the day for Haider Ackermann #SS15 #WellaFW http://t.co/nGF3YCoieS


text:
BAsel Syncope EvaLuation (BASEL IX) Study
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Know the risks and potential benefits of clinical studies and talk to your health care provider before participating. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01548352
Recruitment Status : Recruiting
First Posted : March 8, 2012
Last Update Posted : April 8, 2019
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Syncope is a major health problem. In the emergency department (ED), the management of patients with syncope still remains a clinical challenge because underlying diseases and prognosis can be extremely various. Structural heart disease and primary electrical disorders are major risk factors for sudden cardiac death and mortality in patients with syncope. In contrast, patients with reflex syncope and exclusion of structural heart disease have an excellent prognosis.
Therefore The investigators test the hypothesis that the use of a meticulous patient history, clinical examination and novel biomarkers can improve the rapid and accurate diagnosis of cardiac syncope in patients presenting to the ED and is able to improve risk stratification regarding adverse outcomes.
The prospective multicenter cohort study is designed to enroll 720 patients presenting with transient loss of consciousness within the last 12 hours to the ED. Blood samples for the measurement of novel biomarkers will be obtained at presentation.
All patients will be contacted by phone at 6, 12 and 24 months to determine major adverse events (death, resuscitation, recurrence of syncope, hospitalization for syncope).
|Condition or disease
Background: Management of patients with syncope is a serious problem concerning 1-2% of emergency department (ED) visits. In 6-20% of these, syncope will be due to a cardiac origin. The rapid and accurate identification of these patients is an important unmet clinical need.
Aim: The aim of the study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of patient's history, clinical judgement and novel biomarkers, alone or in combination, in the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients > 40 years of age presenting with syncope to the ED.
Patients and Methods: This prospective, observational, international multicenter study is initially designed to enroll 720 adult patients > 40 years presenting to the ED with syncope within the last twelve hours. Patient history will be standardized using a predefined form. Treating physicians will be asked to quantify their clinical judgment regarding the presence of cardiac syncope. Digital 12-lead ECG will be recorded at presentation and stored electronically. Blood samples for the measurement of novel cardiovascular biomarkers (including copeptin, pro-endothelin-1, pro-adrenomedullin, natriuretic peptides and high-sensitive cardiac troponins) will be obtained at presentation and stored anonymized. Patients will be contacted by phone at 6, 12 and 24 months to determine major adverse events (death, resuscitation, recurrence of syncope, hospitalization for syncope) and results of follow-up examinations. The final diagnosis will be adjudicated by two independent experts after review of all documents pertaining to the individual patient after 6 months. The primary endpoint is to assess the performance of a standardized form of patient's history, clinical judgment and biomarkers, alone and in combination, in the diagnosis of a cardiac syncope, as adjudicated by two independent experts. Secondary endpoints include the accuracy of the above cited items in prognostic stratification and the determination of the cost-effectiveness of the best approach.
Clinical significance: A more accurate and more rapid diagnosis and risk stratification of cardiac syncope can significantly improve patient management and therefore reduce patient morbidity and treatment cost. Overall, we expect this study to provide novel insights, holding important scientific, clinical and economic implications.
|Study Type :
|Estimated Enrollment :
|3500 participants
|Observational Model:
|Time Perspective:
|Official Title:
|BAsel Syncope EvaLuation (BASEL IX) Study
|Study Start Date :
|April 2010
|Estimated Primary Completion Date :
|December 2020
|Estimated Study Completion Date :
|December 2022
- diagnostic and prognostic value of various novel and established biomarkers, clinical assessment and detailed patient history [ Time Frame: within 24 months ]
Biospecimen Retention: Samples Without DNA
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|40 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Probability Sample
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients presenting to the emergency department
- Age > 40 years
- Syncope within the last 12 hours
- Written informed consent
Exclusion Criteria:
- Age < 40 years
- Patients without loss of consciousness and with certain neurological causes (e.g. recurrent epilepsy, hemiplegia at presentation)
- No written informed consent
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01548352
|Contact: Christian Mueller, MD
|United States, Texas
|Baylor College of Medicine
|Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
|Contact: William F Peacock, MD 713-798-1000 email@example.com
|Principal Investigator: Gil Shlamovitz, MD
|Sub-Investigator: William F Peacock, MD
|Royal Brisbane and Women's hospital
|Brisbane, Australia, QLD 4029
|Contact: Louise Cullen, MD firstname.lastname@example.com
|Université Libre de Bruxelles
|Not yet recruiting
|Brussels, Belgium
|Contact: Ruben Casado Arroyo, MD
|Principal Investigator: Ruben Casado Arroyo, MD
|University Hospital Brno
|Not yet recruiting
|Brno, Czechia
|Contact: Jiri Parenica, MD
|Principal Investigator: Jiri Parenica, MD
|Klinikum Nürnberg
|Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany, 90419
|Contact: Michael Christ, MD PhD +49 911 398 2369 firstname.lastname@example.com
|Principal Investigator: Michael Christ, MD
|Sant'Andrea Hospital
|Rome, Italy, 00189
|Contact: Salvatore Di Somma, MD PhD +39-(0)6 33775581 firstname.lastname@example.com
|Sub-Investigator: Rossella Marino, MD
|Principal Investigator: Salvatore Di Somma, MD
|New Zealand
|Christchurch Hospital
|Christchurch, New Zealand
|Contact: Than Martin, MD firstname.lastname@example.com
|Medical University of Silesia
|Zabrze, Poland
|Contact: Beata Morawiec, MD
|Principal Investigator: Beata Morawiec, MD
|Hospital del Mar
|Barcelona, Spain, 08003
|Contact: Joaquim Gea, MD 0034932483138 email@example.com
|Principal Investigator: Joaquim Gea, MD
|Sub-Investigator: Isabel Campodarve, MD
|Hospital Clinic of Barcelona
|Barcelona, Spain, 08036
|Contact: Oscar Miro, MD 0034-93 227 54 00 firstname.lastname@example.com
|Principal Investigator: Oscar Miro, MD
|Kantonsspital Baselland
|Liestal, Baselland, Switzerland, 4410
|Contact: Nicolas Geigy, MD 0041 61 92 52 248 email@example.com
|Principal Investigator: Nicolas Geigy, MD
|Spital Lachen
|Lachen, Schwyz, Switzerland, 8853
|Contact: Imke Poepping, MD 0041 55 45 13 111 firstname.lastname@example.com
|Principal Investigator: Imke Poepping, MD
|University Hospital Basel
|Basel, Switzerland, 4031
|Contact: Christian Mueller, MD 0041-61-2652525 email@example.com
|Contact: Michael Freese, RN
|Principal Investigator: Christian Mueller, MD
|Sub-Investigator: Michael Freese, RN
|Sub-Investigator: Christian Puelacher, MD
|Sub-Investigator: Thomas Nestelberger, MD
|University Hospital Zurich
|Zurich, Switzerland, 8091
|Contact: Albina Nowak, MD +41-(0)44 255 24 30 firstname.lastname@example.com
|Principal Investigator: Albina Nowak, MD
|Principal Investigator:
|Christian Mueller, MD
|University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|Responsible Party:
|Christian Müller, MD, Prof. Dr. med., University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01548352 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|March 8, 2012 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|April 8, 2019
|Last Verified:
|April 2019
Keywords provided by Christian Müller, MD, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland:
Syncope, vasovagal, neurally-mediated
Syncope, cardiogenic
Cardiac arrhythmia
Sudden cardiac death
Syncopal episode
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Consciousness Disorders
Neurobehavioral Manifestations
Neurologic Manifestations
Nervous System Diseases
Signs and Symptoms


text:
Giant birthday cake served up for Nevada's 150th
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Colorful characters from Nevada's past mingled with present-day dignitaries Friday to carve up a giant birthday cake as part of yearlong celebration of the Silver State's sesquicentennial.
Nevada's first lady, Kathleen Sandoval, had the honor of carving the first slice of the 1,300-pound angel-food creation at Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center, wielding a sword that belonged to Nevada's fifth governor, Charles Clark Stevenson.
The cake is a replica of the one baked 50 years ago to celebrate Nevada's 100th birthday in 1964.
Kay Winters remembers it well. Now 93, Winters was among the volunteers who organized and helped serve that cake during the centennial celebration. The first lady at the time, Bette Sawyer, used a different sword belonging to Nevada first governor, Henry Blasdel, to cut it.
Winters was equally impressed with the latest creation.
"I think it's beautiful," she said.
Heidi Englund, her friend Misti Gower and a team of volunteers baked 170 sheet cakes over four days, and it took them seven hours — until 10 p.m. Thursday — to assemble them in the shape of Nevada.
The finishing touches — 520 pounds of white citrus frosting and blue piping, and the state's "Battle Born" logo — were completed early Friday.
The 21-by-13-foot confection was expected to serve 9,000 people.
A proclamation declaring March 21 in honor of the "Battle Born Birthday Cake Celebration" signed by Gov. Brian Sandoval was read by Mark Twain, as portrayed by McAvoy Layne.
The day marks the 150th anniversary of when President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation that allowed Nevada to write a constitution, paving its way to statehood on Oct. 31, 1864.
Portrayals of Lincoln and Paiute educator Sarah Winnemucca also mingled in the crowd, and noted cowboy poet Waddie Mitchell recited "Dame Nevada" — a work commissioned by the state Sesquicentennial Commission as the official 150th anniversary poem.
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.


text:
Allergies: When food does more harm than good
For those who live with a serious food allergy, eating away from home at a restaurant or party can be unnerving and worrisome.
While a "peanut table" is common in schools these days for students who have peanut allergies, staying away from foods that could result in a reaction severe enough to take a life requires a concerted effort.
The most common food allergies are caused by tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish. Sometimes children can outgrow a food allergy. On the other hand, adults can develop an allergy to a food they had eaten without any trouble in the past.
From Hives To Breathing Fears
With a food allergy, a particular protein found in a food triggers the immune system to overreact. Food allergy symptoms include:
- Hives
- Swelling
- Itchy skin and itchy/tingling in mouth
- Drop in blood pressure
- Metallic taste
- Coughing, wheezing
- Throat tightness
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
The most common chronic illnesses associated with a food allergy are eczema and asthma.
Life-Threatening Allergic Reactions
The first exposure to an allergen may produce a mild reaction. Repeated exposures may lead to more serious reactions. Once a person has an allergic reaction, exposure to even a small amount of the allergen later can trigger a severe reaction.
The most severe allergic reaction is anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition. Symptoms of anaphylaxis typically start within five to 30 minutes of coming into contact with the allergen. Warning signs include wheezing, breathing difficulties, chest tightening and passing out.
Keeping an epinephrine pen on hand and using it quickly is critical for those who have serious allergies. Epinephrine slows down blood circulation, breathing and metabolism. Emergency treatment at a hospital may also be required.
Allergy or Intolerance?
For some people, a reaction to a certain type of food is actually intolerance, rather than an allergy. Food intolerance doesn't involve the immune system like an allergy does. For example, lactose intolerance can lead to bloating, cramping and gas but not an allergic reaction. A milk allergy can cause hives, vomiting and breathing problems after consuming a dairy product.
An elimination diet, food journal, and skin and blood tests can be used to diagnose specific food allergies. Once that's determined, avoid the food and learn how to read labels to check ingredients on prepared foods.


text:
The Moon May Soon Become a Stargazer
Jul 19, 2013 4:11 PM PT
The International Lunar Observatory Association and Moon Express have definitively announced the first mission to the Moon's south pole, tentatively scheduled for 2016.
It will involve delivering the International Lunar Observatory to Malapert Mountain, a roughly 3-mile-high rise on the surface of the Malapert lunar crater, to conduct astronomical observations and communications with Earth.
The robotic lander from Moon Express will also explore the area for mineral resources and water, traces of which have been found there by lunar probes.
The Final Frontier
"Our primary customer for this mission, the [International Lunar Observatory], has its own value proposition," Moon Express cofounder and CEO Bob Richards told TechNewsWorld.
"Moon Express will utilize about 50 percent of the lander capacity to deliver other payloads on a non-interference basis that will meet our business models of profitability," he noted.
"The time is right for private landers on the Moon," remarked Erik Asphaug, the Ronald Greeley Chair of Planetary Science at Arizona State University.
"There is cash floating around, and a growing recognition that someday one of these companies is going to win big once a pipeline for lunar resources is opened up," Asphaug continued. "It is limited only by the human imagination."
More About the Mission to Malapert
The International Lunar Observatory has a 2-meter dish antenna. It will conduct astrophysical observations and broadcast findings back to Earth, which will be available on the Internet.
The ILO-X lunar telescope is a shoebox-sized apparatus weighing about 4.4 lbs. It uses optical technology, advanced software and microminiaturized electronics. The telescope was demonstrated at the Singularity University/Fox Studios "Backstage Pass to the Future" event held in Los Angeles in June.
The lander that Moon Express will use is the descendant of one it developed jointly with NASA. Moon Express was awarded an R&D contract by NASA in 2010.
The Dark Side of the Moon
The Moon's south pole is "extremely hazardous with mountains and vast craters," Moon Express's Richards said. "Our robotic lander will need to use new autonomous precision landing and hazard avoidance technologies to land safely."
However, Malapert Mountain's peak is always lying within sight of the Earth, and its back side lies within the radio shadow of the planet, meaning the radio noise would be blocked, making it easier to transmit data back to Earth.
The mission will target Malapert's so-called "peak of eternal light" where solar energy and Earth communications are almost constant, which will allow a mission life of several years without maintenance, Richards explained.
"The fact that [Malapert Mountain] is in sunlight almost all the time means that a lander can be operated in real time from home," Arizona State's Asphaug told TechNewsWorld. "It is also in continuous microwave visibility to Earth, so the landing site can be operated in real time from home ... greatly reducing the operation's cost and complexity."
Further, the location is close to regoliths on the dark and the sunlit sides of Malapert, which "are at the top of the list of resources," Asphaug continued. "So they've picked the right spot."
Money Talks
Objections to locating a telescope on the Moon focus on money. Opponents contend existing ground-based experiments will serve at a fraction of the cost.
A lunar lander will cost at least $100 million, estimated Arizona State's Asphaug.
That doesn't deter Moon Express, however.
"Like any business, our main challenges are finance, markets, products and attracting amazing people to our staff," Richards said.
Moon Express will launch its first mission to the Moon in late 2015, carrying "a number of commercial and government payloads" in a bid to win the $30 million Google Lunar X-Prize challenge for the first privately funded team to send a robot to the moon.


text:
|Esta página es parte de la documentación de la API de acciones de MediaWiki.
Also read the quick start guide. It answers some questions not answered here and points to other useful pages.
- Read this FAQ.
- Try to find the answer to your question in the API documentation here, in the API sandbox or on the self-documenting API home page.
- If you can't find the answer to your question on the web, you can ask your question on the mediawiki-api mailing list.
Request limit
There is no hard and fast limit on read requests, but we ask that you be considerate and try not to take a site down. Most system administrators reserve the right to unceremoniously block you if you do endanger the stability of their site.
If you make your requests in series rather than in parallel (i.e. wait for the one request to finish before sending a new request, such that you are never making more than one request at the same time), then you should definitely be fine.
Also try to combine things into one request. For example: specify multiple '|'-separated titles in a
titles parameter instead of making a new request for each title; use a "generator" instead of making a request for each result from another request.
Parsing of revisions
While it is possible to query for results from a specific revision number, this is an expensive operation for the servers. To retrieve a specific revision use the 'oldid' parameter, example:
- en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php?action=parse&format=xml&prop=images&oldid=254862759
- en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php?action=parse&format=xml&prop=images&oldid=462841413
Use maxlag parameter
If your task is not interactive (i.e. a user is not waiting for the result) you should use the maxlag parameter. This will prevent your task from running when the load on the servers is high. Higher values mean more aggressive behavior, lower values are nicer.
Véase: Manual:Parámetro maxlag
User-Agent header
Use a descriptive
User-Agent header that includes your application's name and potentially your email address if appropriate.
This ensures that if a problem does arise it is easy to track down where it originates.
See m:User-Agent policy for details.
Thinking about performance generally
If you are trying to figure out why you are getting results more slowly than you would like, try Performance guidelines to help you think about performance generally. If you are finding that reading via the API rather than directly reading from databases is impeding your client's performance, consider whether to put it into Wikimedia's Toolforge.
|This page or project is maintained by Core Platform Team.
Get help:


text:
I don't have any memory of colouring the little flowers, outlining the heart shape in red crayon, or gluing the heart-shaped red paper doily. I don't even remember writing, in what looks like my best cursive penmanship, the little poem. My teacher, Mademoiselle Blanche Desjardins, must have had a copy of the poem on the blackboard for us students to copy.
|Valentine made at school, 1967
Here's my translation of the French text:
Little Valentine,
Go along this good morning,
Carrying kisses
To loved parents.
One, to my mother,
Because I love her so.
The other, to my father
Who I do not forget.
Soon on their way
They travel briskly
Carrying kisses
To those who are loved.
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!
Copyright © 2013, Yvonne Demoskoff.


text:
I had the chance to have a small discussion with one of the most models loved hair creators. Either it is in prims or mesh, her hairs fits the lifestyle of the fashion industry, which is why you can see models at the store every time you go there. Tabata Jewell is the owner of Vanity hair.
Hello Tabata! Thank you so much for speaking with us.
MB: What made you decide you wanted to make hairs?
TJ: Hi Morgane, i decided to make hairs, cause I needed hairs. I use to be a model in sl, and the fact that i could not find the exact hair i wanted to style my clothes made me go bald in many fashion shows, so i finally decided to give a try and make my own :)
MB: Do you have a favorite hair color you're particularly drawn too?
TJ: Not at all, depending on the outfit, skin, styling i will choose the color.
MB: How did you choose the name of your brand?
TJ: well, i use to be a real hair whore, so in order to find new hair stores, i use make up names and look for them in search. So one day i typed " Vanity Hair", there was no shop named like this. I thought that if i ever had a hair shop that would be the name for it :)
MB: What hair pack would you dub as your favorite?
TJ: the Fatpack LOL
MB: Are there designers in real or SL (or both!) that you idolize?
TJ: I usually like more the songs than the singers. Meaning i don't really follow any designer, but if i am in love in with one product i try to buy no matter who is the designer ( some times i like very expensive stuff..then i have to save the money in order to get it, but it really is worth it.) In SL is different cause you get to know who is behind the designs, and when you have a personal relation ship with those designers, the whole thing changes. You love a designer, yes, but in my case i love the person that is behind the designer tag.
MB: Describe your design aesthetic in 3 words.
TJ: Not a clue :D
MB: What are your hobbies in Second life other than designing?
TJ: Obviously shopping, when i am done with a hair, i love styling the vendor picture. So i go around and shop the items for that specific hair, it takes me a whole day or even more to do so. I am very picky with my stylings.
MB: What's your favorite quote (from a movie, designer, etc.) that influences your daily life?
TJ: "It takes 5 seconds to get to the door and leave my apartment, i give you 3" This quote is from the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's, may not be exactly like that, as i am translating it from spanish. But i have used it a couple times to get rid of undesirable and rude companies. Well, i guess i am not the only one who has had a bad date :)
MB: What's next for Vanity Hair?
TJ: I really have no idea, i just go with the flow :)
To visit Vanity Hair inworld: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Waterton%20Way/197/111/22


text:
News & Events
For the Media
Clarkson University Seeking Speakers for April TEDx Event by March 12
Clarkson University will be the site of a TEDx event on Saturday, April 13. The primary sponsor of "TEDxClarksonU" is the student organization SPECTRUM. Applications to be a presenter are now available and due by March 12.
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to "ideas worth spreading." It started out in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: technology, entertainment and design-- hence "TED." Since then, its scope has become ever broader.
Created in the spirit of TED's mission, the TEDx program is designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level. TEDx events are fully planned and coordinated independently, on a community-by-community basis.
The TEDxClarksonU event must maintain the spirit of TED itself: multidisciplinary and focused on the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world.
The theme of TEDxClarksonU is "sustainability as a global challenge to integrate, among other possibilities, environmental (green, renewable energies, consumption of resources, climate), economic (environmental management, earth science, environmental science, conservation biology, agriculture and technologies, etc.) and human/social challenges (health, trade, international and national law, ethical consumerism, urban planning and transport, lifestyles, change agents, etc.)"
A series of talks, demonstrations and performances are sought on a wide range of subjects that foster learning, inspiration and wonder.
Speaker applications are now open to community members, as well as to Clarkson faculty, staff and students. The deadline is March 12. Early submissions will receive priority review with a rolling deadline thereafter until spots are filled. You must apply and be accepted to be a speaker or a participant; however, at this time applications are open only for speakers.
Speaker application forms are available in the Clarkson Center for Advanced Materials Processing (CAMP) building Room 100, by e-mailing firstname.lastname@example.com, at https://www.facebook.com/TedxClarksonU.info, or by calling 315-268-3785.
Only 100 individuals can participate in TEDxClarksonU. This includes speakers, production personnel and the audience. There will be approximately 20 slots set aside for production personnel with the remainder open to speakers and the audience. Speaker presentations cannot exceed 15 minutes. If you've seen TEDx videos on YouTube, you might have noticed that shorter presentations can gain more attention than longer ones.
Applications must be accompanied by a TEDxClarksonU permission release form. The latter is required by TED to give TED and others the right to edit and distribute video of the presentation. All applicants must pay a $10 entrance fee. The conference is not permitted to make money from the event or to raise funds for charities or other organizations -- only to cover costs.
The entire day of presentations will be videotaped and provided to TED who will release to YouTube those that they like most.
The content and design of each TEDx event is unique and developed independently, but all TEDx events have several features in common. TED's celebrated format is a suite of short, carefully prepared talks, demonstrations and performances (live or just TEDTalks videos from TED.com) on a wide range of subjects to foster learning, inspiration and wonder -- and to provoke conversations that matter. TEDTalks videos that are available free on TED.com. Last, but not least, is bias-free programming that offers a lack of any commercial, religious or political agenda.
Along with two annual conferences -- the TED Conference on the West Coast each spring, and the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh UK each summer -- TED includes the award-winning TED Talks video site, the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize.
Find out more about TED at https://www.ted.com .
Clarkson University launches leaders into the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as a CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. Located just outside the Adirondack Park in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university for undergraduates with select graduate programs in signature areas of academic excellence directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, sciences and health sciences, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise.


text:
Pine County approves tax levy for 2013
At its December 11 meeting at the Pine County Courthouse in Pine City, the Pine County Board of Commissioners approved several measures connected with budget issues for 2013. County Administrator David Minke outlined four areas that needed attention: property tax levy, county budget, 2013 wages for elected officials and non-union pay scale. In discussion, the board quickly passed the property tax levy at $14,075,000. This is the same amount presented at the Truth in Taxation hearing, and it is the same as was adopted for the 2012 budget; in fact, the levy has been the same in Pine County since 2010.
The board then approved the county budget for 2013 with projected revenues at $39,470,683 and expenditures at $38,766,559. The matter of wages for elected officials brought some discussion. It was proposed that there be no change in salary for county commissioners; that the county attorney salary would increase 1.5 percent to $99,361, noting that there was an increase of 5.4 percent in 2012 for this position; the salary for the county auditor would increase to $80,000, noting that combining the positions of auditor/treasurer was working well and has saved the county money by eliminating the treasurer position; and increasing the county sheriff salary by 1.5 percent to $81,200, noting that this position had a 13 percent increase in 2012. Commissioner Mitch Pangerl said that he felt these increases would put the county over budget, and suggested that either the levy go up or the wages should be frozen. Commissioner Doug Carlson said, "We've been frugal. We're cutting it close, but there are some people who hold the county together." After a roll-call vote, the board approved the wages for elected officials by a vote of 4-1 with Pangerl voting nay. A motion was approved to increase the non-union pay scale 1.5 percent and to grant non-union employees a 1.5 percent COLA effective January 1, 2013. An exception was made in the grade E82 (health and human services director and public works director/county engineer) where minimum and maximum pay was increased by 8 percent to account for market conditions. According to Minke, this was discussed at the November 28 Budget Committee meeting.
In other business: The board reappointed Kelly Schroeder as Pine County assessor. She was approved for this position for the period of January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2016. Schroeder has now been with the county for nine months.
The board approved a resolution for the acquisition of property for highway purposes. The project, identified as SAP 58-641-15, would have the county reconstruct and improve a portion of County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 41 located between 1 mile east of Maple Road and 1.5 miles west and north of Maple Road. Improvements would consist of widening, re-aligning, and reconstruction of the roadway and surfacing. Certain lands (new right-of-way) would be required to construct the project. Since no agreement has been reached with the landowner after ongoing negotiations, the board proposes to begin condemnation proceedings. The board was told this would probably take about four months, but County Attorney John Carlson cautioned that a six-month period would be more realistic. In discussion, the board was told that the landowner has a right to get his own attorney in this matter. County Engineer Mark LeBrun pointed out that the value of the land was in dispute. He said that the land is not commercial and it is not wooded.
The board approved a cooperative agreement with the city of Pine City on a project identified as SAP 58-608-17 for improvements involving reconstruction of CSAH 8 from CSAH 61 to CSAH 65. The county and the city will split the costs of the project in a mutually agreed upon matter.


text:
SAN DIEGO — Staff members of the American Council on Exercise recently banned together to support Operation FitKids, ACE's public outreach program that is dedicated to improving the health and fitness of America's youth. For the 17th annual Carlsbad 5K Run/Walk, 15 racers solicited individual donations and brought in more than $1,000 for the program.
The Carlsbad 5K draws more than 10,000 participants, including champions, from around the globe and has a reputation of being "America's Premier 5K."
More than half of the ACE group had never raced before. To prepare, the group trained for the event for 10 weeks. Each session included time on the open road surrounding ACE headquarters.
"Raising money for Operation FitKids through the Carlsbad 5000 was the perfect way for us to stand behind our own mission," said Jennifer Schiffer, Carlsbad team organizer and editorial assistant for ACE. "We had a tremendous amount of support from the rest of the staff and I'm hoping that we can make this a tradition here at ACE."


text:
When you click on Order to send us a message, please be sure to include the Title, the Item No, and your mailing address so we can provide you with the correct shipping cost to your location.
SK Books
P.O. Box 252, Lebret, Saskatchewan S0G 2Y0 Canada
E-mail: Books Inquire
|Terms: Certified checks, International & Canadian money orders, welcomed, or you may use postal money orders. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding your payment options.
Shipping: All books shipped immediately upon receipt of certified cheque and or money orders drawn on a Canadian bank. Priority and Express services are available at additional cost. International shipping available, rate based on location and package weight. Please let us know if you have specialized shipping requirements -- we'll do our best to serve your needs.
We've been in business for 12 years serving both the general public and collectors of all types. If you didn't find what you were looking for, please let us know and we'll make a sincere effort to find it for you. Please continue looking -- we know you'll be pleased with both the quality and prices of our offerings.
SK Books Home Back to Categories Catalogues
Site last updated 05-21-2013 13:42:25
This page was composed automatically by SK Books using BookWriter Web


text:
Over a short period of time in April, the Vikings restructured defensive tackle Kevin Williams' contract in a way that will make him a free agent after the 2013 season and then drafted defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd with one of their three first-round picks.
It wasn't hard to connect the dots in a way that led to Floyd replacing Williams as the starter in Minnesota come 2014. It's even easier now that coach Leslie Frazier has outlined the team's plans for Floyd during his rookie season.
The team will have Floyd serve as Williams backup this season instead of trying him at the nose tackle spot next to Williams on the defensive line. They have Letroy Guion and Fred Evans at that spot and Frazier said things will stay that way unless Guion and Evans show that they can't handle the job.
"I don't foresee such a dropoff with Letroy or Fred for that to happen," Frazier said, via Ben Goessling of the Pioneer Press. "That would be optimal if [Floyd's] able to get in the rotation, have success, and we can gradually add more to his plate as the season goes on."
Williams is one of four impending free agents up front for the Vikes, including defensive end Jared Allen, so it makes sense that they'd be trying to think about starting options for 2014. If Floyd proves up to the task, it's a plan that can bear fruit for the Vikings now and in the future.


text:
Biological Sciences
Research Highlights
June 2007
A New Systems Strategy to Study Cell Surface Receptor Dynamics
A novel computational approach to systems biology research
Results: Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed a new computational approach for comparing receptor networks in cells. This new approach is based on systems science concepts and can be applied to a wide range of biological problems. A simple but realistic mathematical model was created and then used to explore the design principles of signal transduction and transport receptors. Results, which were published in the June 1 issue of PLoS Computational Biology, have implications for how evolutionary pressures can improve the function of receptor systems by selectively optimizing a few fundamental dynamical parameters.
"Biological systems are shaped by evolution," says senior author Steven Wiley. "Traditionally, it's been difficult to translate this conceptual framework into quantitative terms, which is necessary so that we can use computers to help understand design principles. This work provides one conceptual framework by which to do this."
Why it matters: Cells communicate with their environment through molecules on their surface known as receptors. Receptors bind ligands—specific companion molecules that either carry information about the outside environment or are critical cell nutrients. A variety of receptors are internalized into the cell through a process known as endocytosis. Receptors display a wide range of state-dependent endocytosis rates, but the functional significance of these patterns was not understood.
Methods: Researchers Harish Shankaran, Haluk Resat and Wiley paired a new module-based systems theory approach with quantitative metrics for network function to show that receptor/ligand properties such as endocytosis can be described by just a few control parameters. Using mathematical analysis, they showed that receptor system efficiency and robustness are encoded by two fundamental parameters: the avidity, which quantifies the ability of a receptor system to capture ligand, and the consumption, which quantifies the ability to internalize bound ligand (see figure).
This figure illustrates how each control parameter for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), transferrin receptor (TfR), low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and vitellogenin receptor (VtgR) can be identified based on its ability to move the system in the appropriate direction in the parameter space. The arrow lengths provide a sense of which receptors are the most sensitive to parameter changes. Sensitivity is in the order TfR > LDLR > EGFR > VtgR. Solid arrows indicate the effect of increasing the control parameter, while the broken arrows show the effect of decreasing the parameter. The contours demarcating the most robust (ms < 0.8) and the most sensitive (ms > 1.2) regions of the parameter space are indicated in gray. Enlarged View
By examining a number of receptor systems (see figure), the researchers demonstrated that receptor system response can be characterized as being either avidity-controlled, which depends primarily on ligand capture efficiency; consumption-controlled, where the ability to internalize surface-bound ligand is the primary control parameter; and dual-sensitive, in which both the avidity and consumption parameters are important. The location of various receptor systems in control parameter space dictates their specific function and regulation.
Most significantly, the researchers believe that the evolution of a given receptor system can be understood in terms of its optimal location in avidity-consumption parameter space. For example, induced endocytosis can be shown to be an optimal solution for transmitting high-fidelity information by signaling receptors.
What's next: In a related article not yet published, the same team of researchers shows that biological signaling networks can be understood in the context of human-engineered electrical and mechanical systems. By analyzing a widely used receptor signaling module, they show that the module behaves like an electronic low-pass filter with a definite frequency bandwidth or as a damped mechanical oscillator. Even though the dynamical parameters may be quite specific to a particular receptor system, the underlying structure of the module is essentially the same for different signaling receptors.
Acknowledgments: The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Biomolecular Systems Initiative at PNNL.
Reference: Shankaran H, H Resat, and HS Wiley. 2007. "Cell surface receptors for signal transduction and ligand transport - a design principles study." PLoS Computational Biology doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.0030101.eor.


text:
Multichannel Audio Report Card (2001)
Our readers are intensely curious about both Super Audio CD and DVD-Audio, if recent mail is any indication. But most have stayed on the fence, unsure which format is going to come out with the music they want - or is even going to be around in a year.
Unfortunately, the respective camps haven't done much to coax these sitters down from their perches. Given all that, an early assessment of the format launches seemed to be in order - and thus this report card.
But the situation isn't completely chaotic, and some things have come into focus lately. For instance, we now have a better idea of which major record labels are in which camp - but there doesn't appear to be any logic to where they landed. EMI, for instance, is releasing classical titles in the "populist" DVD-Audio format and plans to release mainstream boomer pop in the "purist" SACD format. Universal Music Group, the world's largest music conglomerate, was originally a vocal supporter of DVD-Audio but, for reasons unknown, has since defected to SACD - maybe. Since situations like these have been typical of both launches, we decided to use this report card not only to judge how the formats have fared in the early going, but also to clear up some of the considerable confusion that they've created. - Michael Gaughn
Software DVD-Audio: C+ SACD: C+ Grading the selection and quality of multichannel releases on DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD reminds me of the time five years ago when I considered the launch of the enhanced CD format. And what did I write back then? "Reviewing a stack of enhanced CDs reminds me of the time seven years ago when I stared down a similar stack representing an earlier format, the CD-Video." Yes, friends, there's an alphabet goop of dead or dying formats: ECD, CD-V, DAT, DCC. Will DVD-A and SACD be joining them PDQ?
First, let's look at some of the names involved. No, I don't mean the Warner Music Group and Sony Music, the prime backers of DVD-Audio and SACD, respectively. I mean Larisa Stowe and Christy Baron. Forget about the relative merits of Stowe's DVD-A and Baron's SACD - has the average person even heard of these singers? Accordingly, are they sensible choices to help launch new formats? True, both are on small, independent labels. But a surprising number of multichannel discs are coming from indies, with their limited rosters - primarily, DTS and Silverline on the DVD-Audio side, Delos and dmp on the SACD side, and Chesky and Telarc straddling both.
If you want to talk Warner and Sony, then yes, we're in more recognizable territory. Stone Temple Pilots? Check. Mozart and Midori? Check and check. But did STP's relatively rudimentary Core belong in Warner's first batch of DVD-A releases? And were Mozart's relatively small-scale Sinfonia Concertante in E and Double Concerto in D the best choices for Sony's first multichannel classical SACD?


text:
282 members13 Likes
Pete Shannon has not received any gifts yet
Hi there, Kate here. Feel free to show up and hit with me and my tennis gang as I host 4 sessions per week further south...M/W/S/S Kate email@example.com 858 527 9672
Hi, I'm Mark, the founder of Tennisopolis, the world's largest and most active tennis network. Please share Tennisopolis with your friends by supporting our Facebook page. Click here for a Guide to Meet Tennis Partners.
Have a look at our introduction page which will help you navigate the massive network which now has over 43,000 members and 650 local tennis groups.
Also, I recommend that you upload a profile pic; it can be of anything, but people with pics meet more players.
Friend me,
Mark, The Mayor of Tennisopolis
© 2019 Created by Mark / The Mayor. Powered by


text:
I doubt it's used much on WWW, but null cipher TLS is widely used within enterprise environments where mutual SSL is needed for machine-to-machine authentication but encryption/confidentiality isn't required. My page security scoring formula at http://www.w3.org/2006/WSC/wiki/RecommendationDisplayProposals/PageScore docks the score by 5 or 10 points if null cipher SSL/TLS is used. (See TLS-2 variable.) -----Original Message----- From: firstname.lastname@example.com [mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com] On Behalf Of Luis Barriga (KI/EAB) Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 8:35 AM To: email@example.com Subject: TLS with integrity protection & no encryption ( ACTION-209 & ACTION 260) TLS supports server authentication with integrity protection and no confidentiality (NULL encryption). There is even RFC4785 that specifies this mode for the pre-shared secret version of TLS (RFC4279). Would such a page be considered "secure"? Which SCI should be displayed for this case? A transparent padlock? :-) (https is there though) I don't have any statistics on how widely such (esotheric?) mode is used on the Internet, but it should be. The reason is that most users and HTTP web sites *implicitely assume that this the the case today*, i.e. they assume that whenever users access a certain site, they are reaching the right site and the retrieved information has not been manipulated on the way to their browser. But we know this is not always true and may become worse. Confidentiality is not an issue. This (esotheric) mode should be (and may become) the default for HTTP sites that care about information integrity. Luis -----Original Message----- From: firstname.lastname@example.com [mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com] On Behalf Of Yngve Nysaeter Pettersen Sent: den 7 juni 2007 01:32 To: Mary Ellen Zurko Cc: email@example.com Subject: Re: ACTION-209: What is a secure page? Hello Mex, Thanks for the comments. On Wed, 06 Jun 2007 15:56:09 +0200, Mary Ellen Zurko <firstname.lastname@example.com> wrote: > "Some clients give a warning (which can be disabled) when the > displayed document changes from an unsecure to a secure mode, or vice versa, " > > It seems patently obvious to me that a "warning" is the last thing you > want when things are getting more secure. I can't figure out how this > convention ever got started (except I can, it was the easy thing to do > quickly with little thought). "Warning" may be the wrong word in this case, "information dialog" may be better. Whatever you call it, most users probably disable it, and the corresponding "leaving secure mode" dialog, the first or second time they see it, just like the unsecure form submit dialog. If I recall correctly this dialog was present at least 10 years ago, probably earlier. A possible reason may have been to highlight (advertise) secure connections at a time when they were new. We would probably have to ask some of the people involved with the major browser projects at the time to find out exactly why. > "All login forms to a secure service must be served from a secure > server, and must not not be included inside a page containing unsecure content. " > > For understandability and conformance, you'll need to use differenct > words for "secure" and "unsecure", and/or define those words. The > definitions you would propose may be implicit in your lead in > material; call them out explicitly. I need them for several other > proposals you make. I am open to suggestions for alternative wordings. Essentially (in web-context), by "secure service" I mean a (presumably sensitive) service hosted on a ("secure") HTTPS server (Personally, I also include encryption strength in the consideration). "Unsecure content/service" is content/service served by a non-HTTPS, HTTP-only server (in the particular quoted context it is intended to head off the use of a HTTPS iframe to hold the login form in a HTTP page in order to say "But ... the login form IS hosted on a _secure_ server" (how would the user be able to tell?). > "If a service require secure login," > > I'm not a fan of insecure logins. You seem to be allowing their > existance. > I think that's a bad idea. It is more an acceptance of reality; there are many sites with login, such as forums, that does not have a https server. > "then all transactions/presentations based on those credentials must > be protected by the same level of security. " My point is that if a site is using SSL/TLS for login to ensure confidentiality etc., then the authorization credentials cannot be made available to the unsecure parts of the service, and that all parts of transactions which require those credentials also have to be performed over SSL/TLS. Examples of such services are online bookstores, like Amazon that know who you are even in the unencrypted parts of the site. I haven't checked, but I certainly hope they are not sending the one-click authorization cookies to the unecrypted servers. > You need to define levels of security. I need that for some of your > other proposals as well. > I'm concerned that that might be out of our scope, but not certain. I > could see some Good Practice recommendations around how difficult it > is for users to understand/track varying levels of security and the > importance of consistency within some scope/context. My primary point here is to not jump back and forth between encrypted and unencrypted parts of the site just to save a few CPU cycles on the server. As for scope, I would consider this a recommended (and obvious) authoring technique. > "Cookies on unsecure connections are vulnerable to interception, and > can be used for replay attacks even if they were set by a secure > server, and servers should not set credential cookies from secure > servers that can be sent unencrypted. " > > I personally wholeheartedly agree, but am almost sure this is out of > scope. I encourage you to put anything that seems to be out of scope > in http://www.w3.org/2006/WSC/wiki/FuturesAndOnePluses It is meant as part explanation for why jumping back and forth between secure and unsecure servers is not a good idea (information leakage). The specific point about how to set the cookies is probably out of scope, though. > "Change from and unsecure to secure parts of a service should be done > by direct links, and not redirects. If unsecure->secure redirects are > needed then the redirect should be immediate, and not multistep. " > > I can't quite tell how this is in scope. How does it relate to SCIs > and helping users with trust decisions? The initial implementaion of Opera's padlock was that if even the first load of a redirect sequence was from an unsecure server then we displayed an open padlock. Presently, we have been forced by the extensive use of "Sign in" buttons that do an unecrypted HTTP 302 redirect to https to permit the security level to be reset to Level 3 if the user initiated the action. My point is that for a page to be considered secure all elements of the page, even the initial redirects should be secure. Or to put it in terms of RFC 2965 (Cookies) sec 3.3.6 A transaction is verifiable if the user, or a user-designated agent, has the option to review the request-URI prior to its use in the transaction. A transaction is unverifiable if the user does not have that option. Unverifiable transactions typically arise when a user agent automatically requests inlined or embedded entities or when it resolves redirection (3xx) responses from an origin server. Typically the origin transaction, the transaction that the user initiates, is verifiable, and that transaction may directly or indirectly induce the user agent to make unverifiable transactions. IMO the transition HTTP->HTTPS from a redirect is an unverifiable transaction. The user cannot inspect the frontpage URL and find that it goes to a secure server, and therefore do not know where he will end up. > "Do not POST passwords from an unsecure page (even if the form is in a > "secure" frame) to a secure server." > > This does seem out of scope. In fact, it seems like the TAG password > finding that has stalled: > http://www.w3.org/2001/tag/doc/passwordsInTheClear-52.html Authoring techniques are part of the charter (in fact, secure login forms is mentioned), although I am not sure active methods to enforce it is. In this case we are talking about examples like the Chase bank <URL: http://www.chase.com/ > having a login form for their netbanking on their unsecure homepage (with a padlock on top). In this particular use-case no client is, currently, displaying any SCI that indicates, before or after the submission, that the action is unsecure. One possible way the SCI could be used in this case (if we do not mandate clientside blocking) could be to not display a padlock for the server, or any servers it references, at anytime in that run of the client. Using cookie tainting it might even be possible to make it persistent (Opera has a similar feature that marks all apparently login protected pages as such and deletes them on exit, and does not register them in the history). A problem with this type of forms is that the sites are saying 1) "everybody is doing it" and 2) "the credentials are sent encryption" never stopping to think that the form could have been infected with a trojan en route to the user and that the password could have been stolen before the user hit submit. I prefer a full block of such forms, because that reduces the chance that a site will say "Ignore the missing padlock" or put up their own, and warnings are of course just irritating speedbumps. A block would however require a coordinated launch effort from the vendors to have effect. > "Should not display a padlock if (at least) one of the resources > required user interaction to accept the certificate of the server " > > I disagree that self signed certificates are inherently less secure > than CA generated ones. My enterprise runs on them. I do continually > find it frustrating that there's not some administrative way to push > down certificates, so that this use case can be differentiated from > the "random prompt and accept" use case. I would rather think through > recommendations around the user trust decision to accept a > certificate. It clearly violates safe staging the way it is presented > today (what basis does the user have to accept such a certificate?). > Why not use the certificate for the encryption but not the > authentication (until the user has some reason to make an > authentication decision)? Selfsigned certificates are just part of the area this is covering, and selfsigned certificates can be installed as roots (even though I would want to move selfsigned server certificates into a non-CA section) Other problems are: - Missing CA certificates (roots excepted, those can be installed) - Mismatch of hostname - Expired certificates - Weak encryption These are the primary target for this particular proposal. -- Sincerely, Yngve N. Pettersen ******************************************************************** Senior Developer Email: email@example.com Opera Software ASA http://www.opera.com/ Phone: +47 24 16 42 60 Fax: +47 24 16 40 01 ********************************************************************Received on Monday, 30 July 2007 17:54:38 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 6 January 2015 21:14:17 UTC


text:
STOCKHOLM (AP) — The European Union's climate commissioner says she hopes that President Barack Obama's renewed attention to global warming after the election will translate into greater U.S. involvement in U.N. climate talks.
Connie Hedegaard told The Associated Press during a visit to Stockholm on Thursday that many Europeans were disappointed that climate change didn't get more attention during Obama's first term.
"But I hope that the re-elected president will pull his whole weight now into this area," she said "I'm absolutely sure that that could make a difference not only internally in the United States, but also at the international scene."
Climate change was virtually absent during the presidential campaign until Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast, so climate activists were elated when Obama mentioned the "destructive power of a warming planet" in his victory speech.
The president also addressed the issue in a news conference Wednesday, saying he hopes to begin his second term by opening a national "conversation" on climate change.
Obama took some steps in his first term to slow global warming, such as sharply increasing fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks, but said "we haven't done as much as we need to."
Hedegaard said it was "very encouraging" to hear those words from Obama because internationally it was necessary to engage the U.S. more.
Governments will meet in Doha, Qatar, on Nov. 26 for a new round of talks on crafting a global climate treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol, a pact limiting the greenhouse emissions of industrialized countries. The U.S. never ratified that treaty, which expires this year, because it didn't impose any binding commitments on major emerging economies like China.
China insists that as a developing country it shouldn't face the same requirements to reduce emissions as Western countries that have polluted the atmosphere for centuries. That remains a major sticking point that is unlikely to be resolved in Doha.
Countries last year said the new agreement should be adopted by 2015 and take effect five years later.
"From 2020, when the new regime enters into force, we will all have to be equally legally bound," Hedegaard said. "In other words, we get rid of that old firewall where some will be committed and some only do something voluntarily."
Karl Ritter can be reached at http://Twitter.com/karl_ritter