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|By Admin1 (admin) (adsl-70-240-139-65.dsl.okcyok.swbell.net - 184.108.40.206) on Thursday, January 19, 2006 - 8:56 am: Edit Post
1980: Orin Hargraves served in Morocco in El Hajeb beginning in 1980
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Orin Hargraves can be contacted at orinkhacarrdorg
Country of Service: Morocco
Training Group: 1980 Omnibus
Cities you served in: El Hajeb
Arrival Year: 1980
Departure Year: 1983
Work Description: TEFL teacher
Originally posted: September 24, 2002
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| The Peace Corps Library
Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can use the Main Index to find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today.


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Not locked, mind you, but completely removed. No one has informed me of the reason why this happened, so I'm a bit puzzled. None of the threads were vulgar, explicit or anything like that. The common denominator, I guess, is that all three were about politics. The first was about whether anyone believed the recent Russian elections were fair and free. The second was about China, being a bit peeved about the Nobel Peace Prize having been awarded to Dalai Lama and Liu Xiaobo and thus creating their own Confucius Peace Prize, and then awarding it to Putin. Hilarious!
The third was linking to an English article on innocent people locked up at Gitmo.
Now, I've been reading the rules thoroughly, because I like this place and I do not wish to break the rules:
In none of the three threads did I violate any of the rules.Brian CC wrote:Here are the rules of this forum. The aren't hard to follow and I would hope you would respect them. If you can't you will have to find another place to hang out. Who put me in charge? I did
1. Please respect other posters. This forum is intended as a place to build friendships, Personal attacks will not be tolerated. This site is a hobby and people who make it a pain in the butt to run or any users who continually start squabbles and garner complaints will be punted from the forum.
2. Please remember that fans of all ages visit these forums. While I believe in free speech, excessive vulgarity will not be tolertated. Nor will racial slurs, sexually explicit content or threats made to any member of this site.
3. No sig file pictures. Why? They take up bandwidth, and for people with slower connections it slows down the site. Not to mention there are some damn gaudy ones out there.
4. If you have a problem with someone, settle it via the private messaging system. There is debate, then there is childish behaviour. Even in private, threats, insults and rude behaviour will not be tolerated.
5. The last rule? I reserve the right to revise these rules and make up new ones any time I see fit.
It's not rocket science folks, this place is meant for the enjoyment of mature Canucks fans. If you can't play nice, you won't be playing here at all.
Perhaps a matter of wrong content in the wrong place?
Let's look at the description of Creeper's Bar & Grill:
OK, so if I want to get something off my chest, like eg a frustration that Russia may be moving back toward totalitarianism, this would be the place, right?this forum is basically for anything off-topic, off the wall, or to just get something off your chest!
Well, that's what I figured.
So here goes another attempt. If there is a rule against discussing politics or foreign affairs, please let me know.
As long as no one has sent me a message saying so, and as long as there is no rule specifically stating so, I will go on trying, since international politics is an interest of mine, and I frequently want to get things relating to this "off my chest".
This time I thought I'd start a generic one, sort of like an OOTS thread, and so people can write about pretty much any international affairs they feel like here. OK? OK.

subset: commoncrawl


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I can't speak for the other assistant editors (and Edmund would telekinetically extract my voice box if I tried speaking for him), but there are some stories I've become extremely tired of recently:
Hospital Stories
So…I've spent a lot of time with loved ones in the hospital. So much time, in fact, I know the perfume and deodorants that the various nurses and doctors use. And when I smell it on the street, my subconscious triggers the emotions that I felt when I was there in the hospital—a soup of heart-sickness, anxiety, exhaustion, and boredom.
Writers RARELY get hospitals right. Even writers who are doctors or nurses rarely get hospitals right (from a patient or loved one's perspective). Not to say it hasn't been done well, but I'm extremely discriminating when it comes to accepting stories that treat on ideas of sickness, treatment, and relationships with the diseased.
(No—watching the execrable Robin Williams film 'Patch Adams' is NOT acceptable research for preparing to write a story set in a hospital. Nor, alas is House, ER, or Grey's Anatomy. I'll accept Scrubs but only because it's funny. Hilarity covers a multitude of sins. Uh…research the hilarity, NOT the practices of the residents or doctors…)
Time Travel Stories
I'm going to say what I know everyone is thinking: there are no more unique time-travel stories. Good stories remain to be told in this sub-genre, but if you're banking on the originality of your idea to carry your story, just…don't. The concept of time travel is well-worn enough that I dare to say that it's kind of tapped out. (Prove me wrong. PLEASE prove me wrong.)
Love Stories
Man, for a society obsessed with love and romance, I have to say, we're not really very good at depicting it. At least not in short story format.
I am biased. You know what was a good love story? Tara and Willow in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They didn't fall in love immediately. There were no star-struck moments of heady, desperate, you-were-made-for-me, LUUURRRVE. It was a natural progression from friendship, to close friendship, to romance, to commitment.
It took excellent writers MULTIPLE episodes over at least two seasons (by my recollection) to move them from friends to couple.
You know what was a terrible love story? Willow and Kennedy from the last season of Buffy.
Same show, same characters—completely different execution. One was a such a tremendous success that we could kind of sympathize with Willow's point in tracking down and executing the man who accidentally killed her partner. (And her subsequent attempt to destroy the whole Earth because reality without Tara SUCKS.) Sure. Because their relationship had bones. It was a product of time, energy, and consideration.
The other? Um…boring. Inconsequential. False. Because the writers not only did not take their time building to a believable relationship, they worked contrary to Willow's established character.
(Also, I'll be honest: I was kind of hoping for Oz to return. I love me some Oz.)
Here's where this tracks to short stories: there's just not enough time for most writers to put characters' romance into swing. At least not from my point of view—as seen above, I'm kind of a traditionalist. I do not believe that True Love is a product of sudden, sharp, mystical reactions between two individuals. My suspension of disbelief just won't reach that far (usually). For it to be believable, the relationship has to have some progression. There has to be some time devoted to getting to know one another, finding common interests, etc.
Love ain't cheap. The price needs to be figured into your story.
Let it not be said that I don't offer helpful suggestions for story themes.
Here are some things I'm always delighted to see in the slush pile:
- Retellings of classic fairy tales (I like both dark and lighter versions)
- Humorous stories (Think Terry Pratchett rather than Douglas Adams)
- Military science fiction (Battles and skirmishes are especially welcome, along with well-characterized protagonists)
- Alternate histories (Example: I loved Stephen Kotowych's Under the Shield)
--Scott M. Roberts
Assistant Editor, IGMS


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Photoshop Madness: Fail
Of course everyone loves those Photoshop "fail" sites -- we found a few of our favorites. You can certainly over-dose! As usual, Photoshop Madness finds the good and the bad ... where you practically go mad trying to find the most useful stuff for Photoshop! February 22, 2012


text: The controversies facing his administration could be creating a stiff headwind for President Obama's second-term agenda. Jack Plunkett/AP hide caption toggle caption Jack Plunkett/AP It's All Politics Controversies Risk Starving Obama's Agenda Of Air May 14, 2013 This was the critical moment, the brief time between his inaugural and when the nation's collective focus turns to whom his successor will be, when President Obama had to make real progress on his second-term agenda. Instead, controversies have intruded, eating up precious time.


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I want to hear which you think is better, real reasons please. Not just, well I think Mac is stupid and for hipsters..or Aw PCs are for poor people..or crap like that. Thank you :)
Views: 1232
Another possibility is that we Mac users are so pleased with what we have, that we want to shout it from the rooftops, eliminating shutting "the fuck up" as an optiion --
errmmm, why would they go on about it if the user-experience was not infinitely better. I use both and there is simply no comparison.
This is from the OurBedOfNails.com blog. It covers the Apple product line in general so it gets into Android as well, since Apple's main competitor in the cell phone world is Google.
Apple Creaks Along Into Its Late Middle Age
If you had asked anyone even just a decade ago if Apple Computers would become the richest corporation in history, you'd have received a huge round of guffaws from a skeptical financial community. Overthrow the likes of Exxon? You need to get your head examined.
But then Steve Jobs got busy and along came items like the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, and of course their anchor product, the MacBook laptop computer. Their interfaces are well-known for their ease of use, which might be described as "so easy, a caveman can use it." Apple users have actually been encouraged to be proud of NOT knowing how a computer works on the inside. As a long-time Windows user, I know a bit about the hardware and softwRE architecture of my computers. Were I an Apple user, I'd be happily ignorant of things like drivers, DLL's,
Apple users have smugly asserted that their computers are immune to viruses and malware. That's only true to a degree, and mostly because the Apple user has tended to be a small target, a relatively poor student or a small business. For every Mac, it's been estimated there are around seven PC's out there. If you're shooting critters against the side of a barn, it's much easier to hit a fox than a rat. Relatively speaking, Mac's simply haven't been worth the effort of the bad guys.
There has been a belief propagated by Apple users that Apple hardware is better and more reliable than that of its PC rivals, but that simply isn't true. Apple computers are made in the same Chinese factories making HP, Dell, and other PC's. Apples arrive DOA and fail at much the same rate as Windows machines. Its so-called "geniuses" offering Apple support in the stores are the same sort of guys working down the street at the computer repair store. Some good, some brilliant, and some totally incompetent.
However, that is changing and now Mac users should be running anti-bad guys software, too.
If Apple only made computers, it wouldn't be the success it is. Steve Jobs steered Apple in totally new directions with its non-computer products, especially the iPhone at first, but then the iPad.
Speaking of software, while we talk in terms of Mac's, iPods, iPhones, and iPads, it's really the software which has made Apple the success it is. As I said, the hardware is rather pedestrian and not all that different from what you can get in the Windows world. It has a certain consistent look to it because if there's one area where Apple wins hands down, it's in the consistency of their products appearance. They all look sleek and well-made, but that's mostly just for show. Looking better doesn't make them better.
More than anything else, it's been the iPhone which has propelled Apple to become the richest corporation in the world. However, along comes Google with its Android phones. Suddenly, the iPhone doesn't look like the unique world-beater it once was, and I'm not even referring to Steve Jobs' "Your holding the phone the wrong way" defense of his phone having a poor reception problem and dropping lots of calls.
Take my phone for example, it's an HTC EVO 4G 3D. Yes, it does take actual 3D photos and videos viewable on the phone itself. No iPhone can do that yet. Its 4.3″ display is noticeably larger than the iPhone's 3.5″ display. The pixel density on the iPhone is technically better, but most people won't notice the difference unless the phones are actually displaying the same image side-by-side.
Yes, Apple phones have quite a few more apps than Android phones, but many of those apps overlap each other with slight differences in features. The more desirable ones are also available for Android phones, or else there's an equivalent or better one. Perhaps the several Siri-like programs for Android aren't quite as good yet, but then Siri isn't all that good, either. Entire blogs are devoted to the dumb things Siri sometimes says. And let's face it, what can Siri tell you that you can't find quickly and with better accuracy using software that isn't voice-based?
Apple's browser, Safari, is just okay. Most Apple users end up with Firefox or, embarrassingly to Apple, Google's Chrome as their everyday browser.
And let's not even get into the Apple Maps stumble, which forced Apple to go back to the maps application of its archrival, Google Maps. In case you don't know what the problems were, this page should be good for some laughs.
Apple loses more market share to Android phones every day, and there are no rumors of any sort of killer advance to be offered in opposition to Android. And now we have the entry of phones and tablets running neither Apple's OS nor Android but Windows. The Windows phones are slow to take off, but Windows is a very familiar OS, so expect Windows phones to gain market share as time goes by, if only gradually.
And speaking of Windows, it must be noted that the usual jab against Windows versions of the past, that it was buggy and crashed a lot, isn't heard so much anymore because Microsoft has made a huge and very successful effort to provide a dependable OS. Starting with Vista, and even more so with improvements of Windows 7, it now works quite well with minimal annoyance, and what annoyances are left are usually easily swept away. Windows 8 is taking off a bit slower than Microshoped, but that is largely due to the radically different interface which takes a little time to learn to use effectively. Time will tell if Windows 8 works well enough on a small screen to penetrate the smartphone market, though.
And much the same is happening in the Android world with a plethora of tablets with advanced features being offered by a variety of competitors. You see, Android is an open system. Unlike Apple's almost military control over its hardware, software, and apps, Android is open with Google neither approving nor disapproving of the products Android developers come up with. Each new update of the iPad so far is just an upgrade of the same basic design, whereas Android tablets offer a wide variety of options and features offering some real choices.
At one end consider the 7″ cameraless Nook HD which, along with its new big brother the HD+, has a display resolution about equal to the "Retina Display" touted on the latest iPads, but with a detuned and Nookified version of Android designed to make it a very fancy Barnes & Noble-oriented eReader with some Android features. At the far other end you have the Google Nexus 10 with front and back cameras as well as a 2560 x 1600 display resolution leaving the iPad's 2048 x 1536 and the Nook HD+'s 1900×1280 display resolutions in the dust and at a price, $399, which makes it a far better value than the iPad. (It should be noted that the Nook HD+ has a 9″ display not the 10″ of the iPad and Nexus 10, making its resolution quite comparable.)
There is talk of an Apple watch on the horizon, with supposed (or speculated) features like seeing text messages and getting GPS-based local information on one's wrist. Apple under Jobs was known for, as some have said, "products we didn't know we needed until we saw them." Frequently, those needs have been along the lines of needing to be an early adopter of new technologies, but not always. The iPhone was more than merely cool. It made many people's lives easier and better. It remains to be seen if a high-tech wristwatch can do that. Perhaps if you can use it to make voice calls or conduct voice-directed text messaging while driving. Without something like that, it might turn into one of Apple's many (but easily forgotten) flops.
At this time, Google is gaining ground on Apple. For a long time I went with PC's rather than Macbooks and Android phones rather than iPhones for fear that Apple was taking over the world. Now, it's starting to look like Google might do that instead. At least Google is an open system and doesn't try to manage things to trap the world into using its own products—or those it approves—exclusively. Many of us view that sort of thing as belonging within our own sphere of control, not that of the device's manufacturer.
I'm a lot more comfortable with Google than Apple, so I'm not unhappy to see Apple going into gradual decline.
On the other hand, Apple has surprised us before, but with Steve Jobs at the helm of product imagining and development. He may have left a couple projects yet to be seen in the development stage, and we may see a few of those in the next few years.
The question is, can Apple keep up with Google and Microsoft without Steve Jobs. I don't think so.
As a counter to the gripes about the Apple map stuff, sometime between last June and today, Google maps finally quit labeling US-24 through Colorado Springs, Colorado as "US-24 in Illinois."
They are well known for showing highway designators that haven't existed in 50 years even when they do have the right state. Just for instance "State Highway 217" hasn't existed since 1964 at the latest.
For a lot of us, while Macs are okay, it's the price problem that keeps us from being Mac users. I can go to TigerDirect.com any day of the week and find fairly nice little computers, comparable in performance to a Macbook, at 1/2 to 1/3 the price. But then Mac blindsides you with oddball connectors and devices that do the same thing as a PC equivalant at 2 to 3 times the price. Your Mac routers run $75-$265 ($265?!!!). By contrast, I'm using a perfectly good (and equivalent wireless "n") $28 Netgear router.
It's pretty clear how Apple became (temporarily) the richest corporation in the world: a stupid user base consisting of early adopter spendthrifts.
In a few years, Samsung may usurp Apple's place in the high tech personal technology world.
If I had a specific CPU feature on my current system I would have been able to boot and compare Windows 7, Windows 8, Mac OS X, and LInux. As it is I cannot add OS X to the list right now (though I'm planning a system upgrade). I already multiboot the rest. As a systems programmer who has been at this since the 1980s I find the the current Mac operating system pleasant enough, but for development work it's cost prohibitive for me to acquire the necessary hardware/software/documentation to get started at the moment. Apple simply prices themselves out of a competitive advantage. If they got rid of the monopolistic practices they would find themselves with a much larger available software/hardware base for their customers. As it is it's only their "i" products that's making them the lion's share of their profits. I have an insider that admits that Apple markets their products in a manner that promotes arrogance among the users. It appeals to people based on emotional elements rather than technical capability.
On the other hand, Linux has a different following that follows a simple creed: "Microsoft = evil". They simply go with a belief that has grown increasingly dated and absurd. I recently found it amazing that when I tried the trial version of Windows 8 Enterprise Edition that it actually booted and was ready faster than the latest build of Ubuntu Linux! Under the hood Windows 7 and 8 are vastly different beasts with only a cosmetic layer between them when you are in desktop mode. I also found 8 to be more stable. I did get it to "blue screen", but what it displayed was more elegant and friendly (but with less helpful information). Mac OS X and Ubuntu I have both found to have a problem with system crashes - they both tend to literally freeze the computer requiring a power off/on cycle to recover.
Linux users often tend to be younger than myself and tend to think line commands are the way to go not realizing why operating system developers dropped that interface as the primary means of system control in favor of GUIs. Why? Because of the visual nature of human thinking and memory. It also protects against typographic errors (which can be a disaster!) and having to recall a long list of obtuse (and often cryptic) command strings. Mac OS X and Windows (all versions) still retain a command line option because often software developers implement command line only settings for their products (probably those who develop first under Linux!)
RE: "Mac OS X and Ubuntu I have both found to have a problem with system crashes - they both tend to literally freeze the computer requiring a power off/on cycle to recover."
I've used OS X since it first came out, and I have never encountered this problem.
I used to do volunteer service work at an Einstein Bros coffee shop in St. Louis that was operated by the downtown Marriott hotel. I was good friends of the store manager and I could use the machines without prior purchase and often from store open to store close. They had a couple of Macs running OS X and I would frequently use them to to play the game RuneScape - this particular Java/browser game I found could literally lock the computer up solid. And it happened quite frequently. When the cursor would no longer respond to any mouse movement,no action of the keyboard would prompt any response, and none of the windows or software that were supposed to be active were doing anything - not even the "pinwheel" cursor present to indicate that at least the computer was doing something, I'd say it was quite locked up. And it happened across both machines. This not the only software that caused such lockups either, but I'm at a loss so many years later to identify all of the culprits. I think the last version that was installed was Mountain Lion at the time. It's likely because of the Linux-type OS core it uses (and I did access the command prompt on those machines because sometimes I would do diagnostic work that way so felt often like I WAS on Linux despite Apple's claims otherwise :p )
I don't know what you are doing with your machine, but I tend to push mine to their max when I can - I'm a game and software developer and I tend make machines scream and beg for mercy. :D
Oh, I can't disagree with you at all about how hostile Microsoft has been to Linux. I had problems with first setting up my machine as multiboot. I run a (yes, increasingly antiquated) HP G56 machine and the partitioning system that came initially wonderful and flexible but Linux simply could not be installed under it without eliminating other partitions. I had to purchase another piece of software to make an in place change. I hate the replacement old-style logical/extended partition crap I had to substitute but at least Linux could see all the other partitions on the drive at last. I LOVE my GRUB 2 loader :) Hewlett-Packard talked about loss of support if Linux was installed (I was out of their warranty anyways - fuck them). I've heard the horror stories of trying to install Linux under a OEM machine with Windows 8 pre-installed. So I'm entirely with you here. But I didn't misuse the word "creed". I've seen the same sort of fervor in the Linux diehards as I've seen with Apple. This isn't true of all such users of course, but I've seen the same degree of cliquish behavior and arrogance in both communities which have persisted despite any lack of substantial evidence.
Of course my system is not a production server system. I still would not use Windows for such. For my home use system the boot times were actually competitive. Win8 launched from GRUB 2 and had the login screen up and ready faster than Ubuntu. But Windows 8 was optimized for devices where such rapid start up is expected and necessary. Linux still has it beat for actual login, but the margin seemed to be pretty thin. I also know personally one of the principle contractors behind the interface design of Vista, Win 7, and Win 8 and have some inside info that Microsoft has been trying to break away from the legacy issues that have tended to compromise performance and security. MS used to be pretty arrogant about that crap and the competition has been a needed kick in the ass for them.
There is no "if I say so" issue here. My equipment meets, or even exceeds the necessary requirements to run the operating systems in question. But again, I'm running under a GUI environment which can easily become unstable. But that's also why I get frequent updates to fix those issues as soon as these issues are discovered and resolved. If an OS was bug free it wouldn't need updates :p You work in a data center which has a specific hardware and software setup to minimize downtime (thankfully!). But I also doubt you are trying to use the hardware to run an graphics intensive MMORPG which a general consumer machine might be expected to do (I also work for a game software company). But in my case crashes and freezes occurred with less intensive machine use (browsing the web, watching videos, running a local server for web development and testing, text editing with LibreOffice or similar work) so I was certainly shocked it happened at all with Linux. I believe the guilty culprit was Nautilus and I think the problems has since been resolved with later updates. f
Oops. Looks like I'm in that age bracket too. (46 this year). I use Ubuntu Linux and I'm quite familiar with its GUI. My mom also is set up to multiboot with Linux, (she's approaching her 70s) and she loves it too. But she's also completely crashed and lost data when she tried to do a update on it on her own - never recovered that data. either :'( - but I still find myself finding people giving me instructions like "sudo blah blah blah". Would I expect a typical computer consumer to comprehend such? No. Do I personally understand and comprehend the intent of such commands? Yes, but I"m also a systems programmer meaning I've been part of the development of operating systems and at the lowest level.
And command lines are, again, appropriate in a server farm environment where you work, but you would be hard pressed to justify why a software product like Google Chrome has options that are only available as command line switches and other browsers with the same features simple have them directly available within the functioning browser and don't require the user to fire up another program (the command interpreter shell) just to manipulate them.
My arguments were primarily focused on general consumers and not IT professionals. Personally, after over 30+ years in the industry I've found Things That Really Suck (tm) common to all modern OS. Things have improved but I still find a number of persistent annoyances that all of them are guilty of.
My reasons for sticking with Macs are not particularly compelling for most. I work as a commercial photographer and do a heavy load of digital editing on a daily basis, and Macs have simply become the industry standard in my region. While, historically, there were some legitimate reasons for this, I'm actually not sure any of them remain valid, but that's just the way it is. There is a certain degree of convenience in keeping work and home in-line on the same operating system.
I'm a commercial photographer, too. And much as with the hardware and software others expect you to be using, I'm sure you're aware that you'd be suspect if your main camera (assuming you use a DSLR) were anything but a Nikon or Canon.
For what I do—taking thousands of photos of the same subject much of the time—I have found a program, ThumbsPlus, that does batch processing of things ranging from rotation to resizing to color correction to watermarking, eliminating a lot of labor. It does it more easily than any other software I've found and having actually had a Mac for a while (because I thought that as a photographer I had to have one), I discovered that (a) there's nothing really equivalent in the Mac world and (b) ThumbsPlus's designer (Cerius Software) tells me they will not be porting their program to Mac. Before anyone mentions it, Photoshop "actions" are much clunkier than ThumbsPlus's approach.
I use a variety of different programs when doing art. A mix of PhotoShop; Corel PhotoPaint, PhotoImpact, and Paint Shop Pro; the original JASC Paint Shop Pro; and some freeware as well. ThumbsPlus is just the best and most powerful batch processor I've found. Originally designed to make thumbnail pages (hence the name), it does a whole lot more now.
Bought my first PC in 1986; IBM PC AT. No Microsoft Windows just PC DOS. Bought my first Mac the following year, end of 1987. It was a Macintosh SE30. Nine inch screen monochrome.
Around that time Microsoft released MS Windows. Ran out and bought it along with a really expensive digital art program called "Designer". The promise of gui based PC's was great but the actual product left me wanting. Windows was very slow, even for the most basic art based files and prone to crashing.
The little Mac ran circles around any 80x86 based intel PC out there in that time period. I did desktop publishing with Aldus Pagemaker and vector based graphics with Adobe Illustrator and despite it's black and white monitor it ran faster and printed graphics faster than it's bigger and faster competitor. Matter of fact at about the time most graphic art divisions, at the ad agency I worked at turned to the little monochrome Mac exclusively.
I've stayed with what worked for me. I use to buy a new, faster, sleeker Mac about once every year and a half. Which correlated with improvements in graphic and design software. When my kids were in their fives and six's I bought software for them and it was a whole lot easier on a Mac, to show them how to use a computer, than it was on my, then, 80386 IBM PS2 Model 70. At the time Mac's were more intuitive.
Today I still use Mac's. Why? It's what works for me. Have nothing against PC's and I still have one despite the fact that I rarely use it. Purchased it for my son, for college, and he uses it to play video games. He uses his Macbook Pro for school. Kids!


text: I have followed the instructions for setting up Virtual Users And Domains With Postfix, Courier, MySQL And SquirrelMail (Ubuntu 12.04 LTS) but when I attempt to login with the test user account via the web front end I get an error. Error: Connection dropped by IMAP server. Anyone had a similar error and have managed to resolve it?


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When it comes to animal care, farmers should do what consumers want, but within reason, a leading expert in animal welfare told producers at the 92nd annual meeting of the American Farm Bureau Federation.
"We don't always know what consumers want, but research shows that they are concerned about how animals are treated," said Janice Swanson, an animal welfare specialist at Michigan State University.
Surveys by the Center for Food Integrity have found consumers believe animals raised for food have emotions and can feel pain, Swanson said.
And when they consider agriculture, "consumers evaluate the animal production system according to their ethics, not yours," she emphasized.
One of the best ways farmers can help build the public's trust in the way they care for animals is through industry standards or guidelines. For example, the National Pork Producers created the Pork Quality Assurance program, which requires producers to undergo training on how to care for their animals using scientifically sound practices.
"Creating industry standards for animal care is a major step in understanding your industry; what you do, how you do it, why you do it and why you should do it," Swanson said.
She advised farmers to think about the most "vexing issues" they have to deal with in their industry and then determine the true cost or benefit of implementing changes to address those issues. She also encouraged farmers to think about the long-term impact of not making any changes.
"Do what consumers want within reason. Continue to create and control your reality through standards and guidelines."


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Scarlett Johansson to Make Directorial Debut with Truman Capote Adaptation
Variety reports that Scarlett Johansson will soon join the ranks of actresses-turned-directors with Summer Crossing, Truman Capote's first novella, about a 17-year-old Manhattan socialite who breaks away from her family and has an affair with a working class parking lot attendant in the summer of 1945. The Avengers star had discussed her directorial debut previously this fall, but with backers and The Deer Hunter producer Barry Spikings it seems the project is actually happening. Yes, but will it measure up to Jen Aniston and Demi Moore's cancer dramas? Gauntlet dropped, ScarJo. [Variety]


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Home Shopping Website BRIKA
You'll Flip For This New Online Shopping Destination!
You'll Flip For This New Online Shopping Destination!
If you love the thrill of a good Etsy find but tire of the hunt, allow us to introduce you to our latest shopping obsession: BRIKA. Founders Kena Paranjape and Jen Lee Koss wanted to create a curated, more exclusive version that celebrated the artisans behind the products. Categories like house and home, jewelry, accessories, and little ones make navigating a breeze, while fun anecdotes, brief bios, and snapshots connect shoppers with the people behind the brands. Creating an account allows you to shop and receive updates on the latest artists (or "makers" added). Plus, discounted pricing for newly launched makers sweetens the deal. Keep reading for the BRIKA makers we're mad about and the products we're coveting for our homes.


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Printer Friendly Version
Standard ECMA-225
Private Integrated Services Network (PISN)
- Inter-Exchange Signalling Protocol - Transit Counter Additional
Network Feature (QSIG-TC)
2nd edition (June 1997)
This Standard specifies the signalling protocol for the support
of the Transit Counter additional network feature (ANF-TC) at
the Q reference point between Private Integrated Services Network
Exchanges (PINXs) connected together within a Private Integrated
Services Network (PISN).
ANF-TC is a feature that limits the number of Transit PINXs that
a call setup request may be routed through e.g., to protect the
network against indefinite looping.
The Q reference point is defined in ISO/IEC
11579-1 .
Service specifications are produced in three stages and according
to the method specified in ETS 300 387. This Standard contains
the stage 3 specification for the Q reference point and satisfies
the requirements identified by the stage 1 and stage 2 specifications
in ECMA-224.
The signalling protocol for ANF-TC operates in association with
the signalling protocols for basic circuit switched call control
(as specified in ECMA-143) and call
independent (connection oriented) signalling connections (as specified
in ECMA-165).
This Standard also specifies additional signalling protocol requirements
for the support of interactions at the Q reference point between
ANF-TC and other supplementary services and ANFs.
This Standard is applicable to PINXs that can interconnect to
form a PISN.
The protocol defined in this Standard forms part of the PSS1
protocol (informally known as QSIG).
The following file can be freely downloaded:
This Ecma publication is also approved as ISO/IEC 15056.
The previous replaced "historical" edition of this Ecma Standard is available here.


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Common Reading Program
About the Program
The Common Reading Program is a comprehensive first-year experience for students new to St. Cloud State University. It provides new first year students a coordinated, academic transition experience through summer reading and associated assignments, book talks at New Student Orientation, classroom use of the text in common first-year courses, and programming throughout the academic year.
Contact us by calling (320) 308-2931, coming to Centennial Hall 216 or e-mailing firstname.lastname@example.com.
Background on Common Reading Programs
Programs where students read a book during the summer before their first year at a college or university have become quite a regular feature of students' transition experiences. Increasingly in the 1960's universities began assigning students summer readings. In the last two decades, the number of universities focusing on common reading opportunities in some form or another for new students has increased dramatically.
While there is not an established standard for the structure and components of common reading programs at universities, the various types of programs in existence seem to share the goals of improving student success through the development of an academic transition experience; fostering partnerships across campus, including interdisciplinary faculty work; and cultivating a sense of community on campus around a shared experience.
A summer reading assignment gives the university an opportunity to address academic transition issues students will face before students arrive on campus. Book panels and lectures associated with the book give the university community an opportunity to gather around events which bring together diverse constituents around a community intellectual activity.
Partners of the Program
The Office of Academic Initiatives is partnering with programs, offices and individuals across campus to bring you this opportunity. We would like to thank those offices and individuals who have made this experience possible, including:
Book Selection Committee
Special thanks to the many faculty partners who are using the book in their classes.


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KidzLabs Cosmic Rocket Kit
by 4M
A hands-on rocket launching science kit for the whole family. This kit includes a 6 in. rocket to assemble and a booklet of fun rocket science with detailed launching instructions. Fuel the rocket with vinegar and baking soda and watch it blast off!
For ages 14+ if without adult supervision
For ages 14+ if without adult supervision
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Home > News & Events > Wayland Press Release Archives > 2001 Press Releases > August 2001 > Wayland junior to serve as intern for congressman during fall
Wayland junior to serve as intern for congressman during fall
T.J. Messer admits a long-time love for politics and possibly an interest in running for office in the future. His latest opportunity, then, is definitely a step in the right direction. Messer, a junior political science major at Wayland Baptist University, will be spending his fall semester in Washington, D.C. as an intern for U.S. Representative Mac Thornberry (R, TX-13).
"This has really been a dream of mine since coming to college," Messer said. "I thought if I could work in Washington for just three months, it'd be a dream come true."
Messer, a native of Amarillo, said he is excited about the networking possibilities that come with being a congressional intern. Following his undergraduate education, he hopes to either work in a political office or attend law school, pursuing a career in politics.
Thornberry represents the 13th district, which stretches from the Oklahoma border north of Amarillo, winds down through the Panhandle into the South Plains below Lubbock, then runs east across the Red River Valley and into Wichita Falls, before continuing on to Denton and the outskirts of Dallas. As an intern, Messer will learn firsthand how a congressional office operates. He will assist with administrative duties such as copying and delivering documents, giving Capitol tours, meeting constituents and other clerical tasks as needed. He will also learn about the legislative process by attending seminars, assisting staff members with research and attending committee hearings or briefings. Messer might also be called on to help with press releases and attend press conferences.
Messer said he learned of the internship opportunity through Dr. Geoff Wells, professor of political science at Wayland. Fellow student Sonia Munguia served in the same internship last fall. Two other Wayland students have interned for Thornberry in the past. Messer was chosen from a field of applicants from various schools.
"I think this is a good thing for us when you consider that there are several other universities in the district," Wells said. "(Thornberry's office) has been happy with our students. This is great experience, and I hope we can keep this up on a regular basis."
Wells said Messer and others who have served as interns can enroll in six hours of a practicum course titled "Studies in Congress," for which he will do research on some aspect of the legislative body and write a paper when he returns. He said the experience students receive from such an internship is invaluable.
"They bring back so much, but mainly just the experience of being in Washington, D.C. They are around all these power brokers, basically, that make important public policy. They may even meet other congresspersons," Wells said. "They bring back a sense of the reality of politics that makes the academic discussions more meaningful. They also get a chance to travel and see historical sites. They get a different taste of the nation and a small taste of the world."
While in Washington, Messer will live in intern apartments and have the opportunity to visit many of the capitol city's monuments, galleries and other historical sites. Though Messer will receive a monthly stipend, the allowance will only cover his housing. He is responsible for securing funds for travel expenses to and from Washington and any other living expenses while in the capitol.
Anyone wishing to make contributions to the Internship Program through Wayland Baptist University may send checks made out to Wayland, in care of the Mac Thornberry Internship Program, to the university at 1900 West Seventh St., CMB 621, Plainview, Texas 79072-6998.


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This month I have chosen to review some of the smaller distributions in the Linuxosphere.
Last week I wrote a review about Emmabuntus which is a French distribution that is based on Xubuntu 12.04.
This week I am writing a review about Mozillux which is a French distribution that is based on Lubuntu 12.04.
What is Mozillux?
Mozillux is one of those distributions that is built to run off a USB pendrive in a similar fashion to Puppy Linux or Slax.
The Mozillux website sets out its intentions with the following sentence:
"Mozillux has been designed with a particular attention to nomads users."
There are two versions of Mozillux available. The first version allows you to save information and install other applications for later use and the other is just used as a live DVD or pen drive. (Basically then you are choosing persistence or no persistence).
For full system requirements and to download Mozillux visit http://www.mozillux.org/.
You download Mozillux as a zip file and inside the zip file is a set of instructions telling you how to install it to a USB drive or a DVD.
There are 3 methods listed for installing to a USB drive. The "advanced" method is the method I used which involved running Unetbootin. The other methods involved partitioning the USB drive and extracting the ISO and running batch files or shell scripts. The Unetbootin root was easier and achieved the same goal.
First Impressions
Mozillux looks a lot like the stock Lubuntu 12.04 release. The main difference is the panel down the left hand side.
When you have a distribution like this that is so heavily based on another distribution then the thing that I think you have to review is the selection of applications that are included.
In the "What is Mozillux" section I told you that Mozillux is built to run from a USB drive well whilst this maybe true the first thing that is obvious is an icon to install Mozillux on the desktop.
If you run the installer then you get a fairly stock Ubiquity installer and the process works exactly the same except that it doesn't matter whether you install the 3rd party extras or not because they are included anyway.
A second thing to note is that when I tried to enter the security key for my broadband connection the key initially failed. The reason for the failure was the same reason that Emmabuntus failed in last week's review. The default keyboard layout and language for Mozillux is French.
The Mozillux team have placed an icon on the desktop for keyboard map settings which enables you to change the language quickly and easily.
If you choose to install Mozillux to the hard drive of your computer then the keyboard issue does not occur as you can choose the keyboard layout and language as part of the installation.
Connecting to the internet
Connecting to the internet in Mozillux is a simple process. (It is based on Lubuntu after all!).
Simply click the network icon on the top panel and choose the wireless network you wish to connect to. Follow that by entering the security key and you will be good to go.
As long as your keyboard layout is correct then you should not have any problems.
Flash and MP3
Flash works straight out of the box with Mozillux. There is a good reason for that which I will come to later on.
Playing music also works out of the box with Mozillux so no messing around having to install Lubuntu restricted extras.
As I mentioned earlier the key to differentiating Mozillux from Lubuntu is with the choice of applications.
I am not going to go through all the applications as there are a lot of them but I am going to go through some of the key ones.
First of all LibreOffice is installed which makes Mozillux immediately useful.
The default browser is FireFox and the mail client is Thunderbird. Mozillux is called Mozillux because the goal of the project is to "Promote Mozilla softwares embedded in a full desktop suite".
Other common applications that are installed are Skype, Keepass, Unetbootin, Dia, Inkscape, Shotwell, Filezilla, Pidgin, Transmission, Audacity and VLC player.
There are a couple of intriguing applications as well. One I quite liked was FreeTux TV.
FreeTux TV lets you choose from a large list of channels that enable you to watch television online.
The choice of channels is both long and ecclectic and the nature of the channels makes it a no no for children as there are some adult channels and a channel called "Knives and Guns".
Other applications that I quite liked were "Drum machine" and "Notessimo" which are small applications that let you compose music.
There is also an application called "Kazam Screencaster" which lets you record your desktop.
Installing Applications
Did I mention that Mozillux is based on Lubuntu 12.04? Oh I did? Well obviously installing applications in Mozillux is done by running Synaptic which is of course the same application you would use in Lubuntu.
Online Applications
Mozillux has followed a trait that is one of the key features of Peppermint Linux which is to include links to online applications such as Google Docs.
There are applications for generating strong passwords, composing music, transferring large files over the internet, cloud services, Picasa, image editing, FTP clients and IRC chat.
Now one striking feature of Mozillux is the huge list of games that are linked to from the "Games" menu.
For a Linux distribution the list of games in general is quite impressive and if you are bored and on the move, it could be a way of wasting a fair amount of time. I like the fact that there were SNES and Sega Genesis emulators included.
There is a menu item called "Flash games" which takes up the whole screen and a fair amount of scrolling. Why?
If you read the Mozillux frequently asked questions paged the question appears "Why so many games?". The answer is given as follows:
"Mozillux was also designed for families, as a safe environment for families"
If this statement is true then I would suggest that the developers look into the FreeTux application which includes adult television channels and a channel which promotes weapons.
On the Mozillux website there is a page called "Games" which shows a list of Flash games provided by Good Game Studios. There is a link for "Partners" at the top and if you click the link then you can sign up and get paid for getting people to play games made by "Good Game Studios".
My instant thought was "Ah Mozillux are being paid every time someone clicks one of the games links".
To test this thought out I tried a few of the games on the list. My inclination was to play the games I thought I would like, such as "Pacman".
The games I tried were all installed in the /usr/games folder and the links at the bottom pointed to various games publishers and there is nothing to suggest that the links are there for financial gain so I was wrong about that theory and the games are there purely for the pleasure of the users.
The desktop of Mozillux has widgets on the right hand side which tell you the memory usage and CPU usage.
I am using a fairly decent machine. Mozillux runs at about 100 MB off RAM without any applications running and uses 1% of the CPU available. With Firefox running the RAM goes up to 500 MB with 3% of the CPU used.
Mozillux is basically Lubuntu with a set of applications the developer has decided would make Lubuntu a better distribution.
Mozillux comes with Flash working out of the box which saves effort for the new user.
Mozillux comes with a decent set of applications for the sort of person who just wants to use their operating system without worrying about what is under the bonnet.
There is a mix of standard desktop applications and links to web applications and there is a large selection of games for the casual gamer.
Mozillux would make a decent distribution to keep on a USB drive to enable the travelling family to work, play games and surf the web.
I mentioned before about the FreeTux TV application which has questionable content but this is a small issue that can easily be resolved.
Mozillux doesn't bring much new to the table. Lubuntu works well already and it would be relatively simple to use the base Lubuntu distribution and add just the tools you need but if you are the sort of person that doesn't want to do that and want a more complete set of applications then Mozillux is a reasonably good choice.
An alternative distribution to Mozillux is Peppermint Linux which also uses the LXDE desktop. Peppermint does not include so many desktop applications and more web applications.
Thankyou for reading.


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Posted on Aug 08, 2013
In Home Dementia Care and Fun Classes for Alzheimers and Dementia Clients
Off To Class: Fun Classes for Alzheimer's and Dementia Clients and In Home Care for Dementia from Senior Helpers of Burnsville, proudly serving all areas of Burnsville, West St. Paul, South St. Paul, St. Paul, Apple Valley, Eagan, Lakeville, Minnesota. Call 952-892-8403 for more information today!
It may come as no surprise that expression through creative art can bring a lot of joy, especially in a loved one who is suffering from a dementia related disease such as Alzheimer's. It is important to keep your loved one interested in activities which will help them to stay active participants in their life and have a more positive overall outlook.
Continuing your aging loved one's education isn't necessarily the easiest task in the world, especially if they are suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia. However, having Alzheimer's or dementia doesn't mean they are incapable of learning.
A local art class may just hold the key to actively participating in life for your aging loved one. Art classes are a great way for your aging loved one with Alzheimer's or dementia to express their passions. For your aging loved one, their artwork may represent what they still can achieve as their lives are increasingly measured by what they are losing to the devastating neurological disorder. Give your elderly loved one an outlet and freedom to draw whatever they want. Art can also help with deteriorating motor skills.
People with Alzheimer's and dementia are very attracted to music. The familiar sounds can relax their mind and body and bring back pleasant memories from their past. You can help to retrieve these memories by creating a playlist on your computer or smartphone using a music streaming service such as Pandora. Try to watch for cues in their facial expressions and body language to make sure the music is having a positive effect on their mood. Music can be very stimulating or soothing, depending on the song and they types of memories they stir up. Music can help your loved one to connect to people and ground them.
There is something very therapeutic about cooking. Many people find great joy in whipping up a mouthwatering dinner or baking a favorite treat. For some, the steps of walking through a recipe and smelling the familiar scents of cooking can act as triggers to relive pleasant memories. A cooking class may be a wonderful way to connect with your aging loved one. Local community colleges and night education programs offer cooking classes that can help your elderly loved one remember recipes and measurements, as well as enjoy home cooked meals.
There are many easygoing classes out there that would be taught an appropriate pace for your aging loved one who is coping with Alzheimer's or dementia. Group settings can be a great place for your aging loved to get back into the learning spirit. Please call 952-892-8403 to speak to a friendly senior care expert who will guide to the right resources. Senior Helpers of Burnsville provides a wide range of services including Alzheimer's and dementia care, personal assistance, companionship, and so much more to all areas of Burnsville, West St. Paul, South St. Paul, St. Paul, Apple Valley, Eagan, Lakeville, Minnesota.


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A little over a week ago, we featured an interview between James Jean and Jeff Staple. This week, check out another vid of Staple stirring up some insightful chatter with a talented artist.
NYC artist Jose Parla is known for bringing the most subtle graff references to his abstract expressionist paintings. Tags and drips meld seamlessly with texture and scale in his atmospheric work, eschewing the familiar graffiti-aesthetic-as-gimmick-syndrome.
Full interview after the jump.


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2013 Renault Scenic XMOD review
* MPV with beefed-up styling * Grip Xtend traction control system * On sale now, priced from 17,955...
The Renault Scenic XMOD is a pumped-up version of the recently face-lifted five-seat MPV.
It's amazing what a bit of plastic and a fresh set of alloy wheels can do for a car's image. Remember the VW Polo Dune? How about the Dacia Sandero Stepway? Ordinary hatchbacks transformed into quasi-SUVs, albeit without four-wheel drive.
Now Renault has done the same to its Scenic MPV. Beefy bumpers, sill guards and roof bars? Check. Special alloy wheels? Check. Raised ground clearance? Check. There's also a fancy traction control system called Grip Xtend and even fancier mud and snow tyres. Still no four-wheel drive, though.
SUV-style goodies aren't the only things that set the XMOD apart from the Scenic. The XMOD gets a new entry-level Expression+ trim, which means that, at 17,955, its starting price undercuts the regular Scenic's by 1200.
What's the 2013 Renault Scenic XMOD like inside?
Large windows mean visibility is excellent, while plenty of soft-touch plastics, smart trim and leather steering wheel and gearknob ensure the overall ambience is tasteful.
You get manual seat controls as standard and it's not difficult to find a comfortable driving position but can specify electric adjustment as part of the 1800 Relax Pack, which also brings leather upholstery.
There are two central colour screens. The one closer to the driver displays speed and revs, and the one to the left conveys sat-nav and radio info. The latter is controlled via a joystick between the front seats, but its not that straightforward to operate and can be distracting to use while driving.
Move to the rear and the Scenics seats arent as clever as some of its MPV rivals'. The three individual seats slide and tumble forwards to boost legroom or boot space, but they dont fold into the floor. They can be removed, but this isn't the easiest of jobs and, naturally, you'll need somewhere to store them. On the plus side, the boot will hold a useful 437 litres even with the rear seats in place although the rival Ford C-Max has an even bigger load bay.
Expression+ trim gives you a four-speaker CD radio and aux/USB inputs, air-conditioning, Bluetooth, cruise control, 16-inch alloys, front fog lights, black roof bars and LED daytime running lights. However, you only get the 1.6 VVT 110 petrol (17,955) and 1.5 dCi 110 diesel (19,745) engines with this trim.
Move up to Dynamique TomTom trim and you'll pay at least 19,155 (for the 1.6 VVT 110), but youll get auto headlights and auto wipers, Carminat TomTom Live navigation system and dual-zone climate control. This trim allows you to specify the rest of the Scenic's engines: the 1.2 TCE 115 and 130 turbo petrol units, the 1.6 dCi 130, and the 1.5 dCi diesel.
You can also spec a Bose+ pack, which adds 17-inch alloys, keyless entry, heated and folding door mirrors, rear parking sensors, a nine-speaker Bose stereo, plus all manner of interior and exterior styling embellishments.
Whats the 2013 Renault Scenic XMOD like to drive?
We tried the 1.5- and 1.6-litre diesel engines, which have 109 and 128bhp respectively. The latter is unsurprisingly stronger and is also more refined, but both feel fairly flat until you get beyond 2000rpm. That means you'll spend much of your time rowing through the gears in town, although at least the manual gearbox is pleasant to use, with a precise action.
Body roll is kept neatly in check by MPV standards, although the Scenic's relatively stiff set-up is no doubt to blame for its slightly firm ride. The suspension deals with most bumps well enough, but you can certainly hear it working to quell things on rougher roads, and sharper ridges and drain covers will jar occupants.
Even worse is the steering. Its slow, vague and doesn't inspire confidence when cornering; lots of arm twirling is required when you're manoeuvring in town, while it needs constant correction on the motorway.
Grip Extend is what the XMOD is all about, though. This advanced traction control system makes its debut here, and is controlled via a centre console-mounted rotary switch. There are three modes: Expert, which applies the brakes automatically; Loose Ground, which optimises braking and engine torque; and Road, which is the default option that takes over as soon as you exceed 25mph.
In testing on wet roads it was hard to discern the benefits of Grip Extend over a regular traction control system. Smart getaways out of junctions will get the front wheels spinning whichever mode you're in, but power is quickly cut to maintain control.
The Continental mud and snow tyres are of far more interest - they're designed for year-round use and will do a better job of getting you out of a sticky situation than regular rubber. However, there's only so much that two-wheel drive can do, so Ray Mears-style adventures are best left to proper SUVs.
You might expect these special tyres would generate lots of road noise at motorway speeds, but that isn't the case. However, the Scenic's door mirrors and A-pillars create lots of wind noise at anything above 40mph.
Should I buy one?
You normally have to pay a premium when a manufacturer tarts up a regular model. Not here, though. In fact, in Expression+ trim the 1.6 VVT 110 XMOD costs 1200 less than the next cheapest model in the Scenic range. True, you miss out on sat-nav, climate control and auto headlights and wipers, but in return you gain the XMOD goodies.
The 1.6 dCi 130 is the better of the two diesels to drive, but it costs 22,195, so the cheaper 1.5 dCi 110 makes most sense in Expression+ trim. Its not available with stop-start in this spec, but still averages 61.4mpg officially and emits just 120g/km CO2, so its attractive to company and private buyers alike.
What Car? says...
Chevrolet Orlando
Skoda Yeti
Read the full Renault Scenic review>>
Read the Renault Scenic review for parents at Mumsnet Cars >>
Specification 1.6 VVT 110
Engine size 1.6-litre petrol
Price from 17,955
Power 109bhp
Torque 111lb ft
0-62mph 11.7 seconds
Top speed 115mph
Fuel economy 36.7mpg
CO2 emissions 178g/km
Specification 1.5 dCi 110
Engine size 1.5-litre diesel
Price from 19,745
Power 109bhp
Torque 177lb ft
0-62mph 12.5 seconds
Top speed 112mph
Fuel economy 61.4mpg
CO2 emissions 120g/km
Specification 1.6 dCi 130 S/S
Engine size 1.6-litre diesel
Price from 22,195
Power 128bhp
Torque 236lb ft
0-62mph 10.3 seconds
Top speed 112mph
Fuel economy 64.2mpg
CO2 emissions 114g/km
By Rob Keenan


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FDA Food Code
FDA Food Code
The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) publishes the Food Code, a model that assists food control jurisdictions at all levels of government by providing them with a scientifically sound technical and legal basis for regulating the retail and food service segment of the industry (restaurants and grocery stores and institutions such as nursing homes). Local, state, tribal, and federal regulators use the FDA Food Code as a model to develop or update their own food safety rules and to be consistent with national food regulatory policy.
Between 1993 and 2001, the Food Code was issued in its current format, every two years. With the support of the Conference for Food Protection (CFP), FDA decided to move to a four-year interval between complete Food Code editions. During the interim period between full editions, FDA may publish a Food Code Supplement that updates, modifies, or clarifies certain provisions. The 2005 Food Code was the first full edition published on the new four-year interval, and it was followed by the Supplement to the 2005 Food Code, which was published in 2007. The 2017 Food Code is the most recent full edition published by FDA.
Food Code Adoptions
- Benefits Associated with Complete Adoption and Implementation of the FDA Food Code
- Adoption of the FDA Food Code by State and Territorial Agencies Responsible for the Oversight of Restaurants and Retail Food Stores
- Military, Tribal, Local and National Park Service Adoptions
- Initiatives for Food Code Implementation and Foodborne Illness Risk Factor Reduction
- State Retail and Food Service Codes and Regulations by State
- Food Code Reference System
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- Risk Assessment: Listeria monocytogenes in Retail Delicatessens
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U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
Supervisor Attempted Sexual Assault on Employee, Federal Agency Charges
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today that it has filed a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Ann Arbor Nights, Inc., doing business as Days Inn Hotel of Ann Arbor, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division (Case No. 2:10CV12197).
The EEOC's suit charged that the Days Inn violated federal law when a supervisor subjected a female housekeeper to a sexually hostile work environment including inappropriate sexual comments, physical assaults, and at least one attempted sexual assault. The EEOC also said that the housekeeper was discharged following her repeated attempts to complain about the harassment.
Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed suit after first attempting to reach a voluntary settlement out of court through its conciliation process. The EEOC is seeking to recover monetary compensation in the form of compensatory and punitive damages and an injunction enjoining Days Inn from further subjecting its employees to a sexually hostile work environment or retaliating against individuals who complain.
"Attempted sexual assault is one of the most egregious forms of sexual harassment," explained EEOC attorney Nedra Campbell. "When it's at the hands of a supervisor, it's even worse," she added.
The Ann Arbor Days Inn is a franchise of Days Inns Worldwide, which is part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of hotels.
The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.


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Atmospheric Sciences & Global Change
Research Highlights
October 2004
For Estimates of Cloud Optical Thickness, Simple Equation is Good Enough
In contrast to complicated algorithms and extensive computer time required to obtain cloud optical thickness from surface measurements, researchers funded by the DOE's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program have developed a simple equation that does the job—as long as only reasonably close estimates are needed. Using data from several geographically diverse ARM sites, the researchers calculated cloud optical thickness from both their empirical method and a well documented transmission-based algorithm developed by Min and Harrison (1996). When compared, the median distributions were well within 10% of one another, and the shapes of the distributions were very similar. Because this new expression relies only on readily available solar flux measurements, it provides a much wider base of cloud optical depth values on a global basis than have previously been available.


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Thursday, 19 January 2012
Seasonal shot !
As we are about to get some snow this weekend, I thought I'd post this lovely shot of the top of Joel Lane to get us in the spirit. :)
I can't remember who sent the shot in - if this is yours, please drop us a line so we can add your name.
Thanks :)
Posted by Hydonian at Thursday, January 19, 2012
Labels: Werneth Low
5 comments:
- Tom said...
Lovely shot..
- Thursday, 19 January, 2012
Brrrrr! Great picture.
- Thursday, 19 January, 2012
Well done, whoever took the photo, for trekking all the way up there in those conditions.
- Thursday, 19 January, 2012
That is exactly as i remember the top of joel lane in winter,i've ran many miles over and around the low in the past and its one of the more testing i've done,especially bottom to the top of joel lane!! my dad was a postie back in the 70's and this was his round,he loved it too,and still does.
Quick note for all,Grant Oliver has put himself out for me over the last week,to sort some photos for my sister,he did all the downloading,bought them and sent them south to me, they are brilliant,so a massive thanks to Grant.
- Thursday, 19 January, 2012
Talking of testing runs, didn't the Hyde 7 race finish at Windy Harbour in the early days?
- Thursday, 19 January, 2012
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Foolishness & Mayhem
Somehow, I got addicted to Clean House on the Style network.
The show goes to houses owned by "Clutter Bugs" and cleans them out… making them low-budget showpieces with the money they make from the yard sale of many of their belongings. (The show matches the money made at the yard sale up to $1000. Plus, they paint and organize for free. They often "gift" the people who struggle with parting from their belongings.
Good god, do these people know what they look like on tv? Do they realize how deep their illness is? Many times, the homeowners and family members are downright compulsive hoarders, not clutter bugs.
The definition of a compulsive hoarder:
Compulsive hoarding (or pathological hoarding) is extreme hoarding behavior in humans. It involves the collection and/or failure to discard large numbers of objects even when their storage causes significant clutter and impairment to basic living activities such as moving around the house, cooking, cleaning, showering or sleeping.
Do they know how foolish they look keeping so much CRAP in their houses? Do they look at the tv show and think, "Egads, I am one sick puppy!" I have never heard so many adults whine over the smallest, ugliest, oldest things ever! They cling to tattered tee shirts, high school underwear, broken tools, baby toys when there're no kids in the house… and the SHOES! My god, how can people have so many shoes?!
One woman "only" had 100 pairs of shoes. She was much better than her mom who had 300 pairs! She said her 8-year old daughter didn't have her shoe fetish; she only owned 45 pairs.
People bring Clean House into their homes and then cry over their wanting to sell off their broken, old, collectible or multiple items. And I mean cry!
The show is campy as heck and some of the situations seem quite contrived, but in watching their outtakes, they aren't as fake as I originally thought!
Parts of the show are sad, sad, sad because people cling to their dead loved ones' belongings. Does that make their loved one proud? That after they die, their family members turn to pigs? Wouldn't that loved one be happier if they got rid of the trash, old clothes… THINGS… and gave them to people who could benefit from the things? I've played out what I would do if my kids were gone… or Sarah. And I know I would keep some things as memories, but they would all be pissed at me if I stopped my life and never moved beyond the moment of their deaths. I kept several pieces of the kids' clothes from when they were little, but I wanted to make a quilt out of them. Meggie took the box home on the last trip here, saying she would get the quilt made.
I'm sure that at least part of the issue of not letting go of loved ones that have passed or are gone in our lives (including ex'es) comes from our society not teaching the skills of the mourning process. Dying is more hidden than birth used to be before television invaded the space. (It was surely seen as more normal and typical when we lived in tribes and saw birth and death as a regular part of the cycle of life. We don't have that anymore.)
There's nothing worse than an ex-smoker.
I used to "collect" (cough cough) books. I bought new and used books like I was stocking a library. I collected cookbooks – loving old cookbooks! I collected birth books and kids' books. I have a phenomenal collection of vintage lesbian books (from the 60's and 70's) that were given to me by another bibliophile. I couldn't get rid of books for anything. And then, when I had over 3000, my house was a hot mess and it was time to start purging. I could only let them go if I found them good homes; used bookstores were not an option. Once I started giving them away, I began to feel less clingy. Over the years, I have hoarded, then purged thousands of books. I am in a purging place.
I gave away all but the oldest midwifery/nursing texts to a bibliophile former client who wants to be a midwife in the distant future, took the vintage cookbooks to the used bookstore where the owners drooled over the books. I knew they would be well-loved. My son-out-law is going to sell the dyke books on eBay for me.
And then there's Disney.
When I gathered all my own Disney paraphernalia (memorabilia!) together, it filled a large plastic box thingie. Hopefully, it's being sold on eBay as we speak. Dozens of pins and buttons, watches… do I have watches! I have 6 for sale and at least 10 more that I wore within an inch of their lives. While that certainly isn't a huge collection, how many watches does one wrist need?
I also have a pretty big collection of earrings, though I've given some to Aimee. I also purge those now, whereas I used to keep every pair, no matter what they looked like or if they'd lost their match. Why? I don't know.
One of the things hoarders seem to say a lot is, "I want to keep it in case I need it in the future," but it seems many are also compulsive shoppers and could buy what they need when they need it! One girl kept every piece of homework she'd had since junior high. She was in college! She said she might need those papers she wrote, use the references. But, for goodness sake, there's the Internet! It isn't like we have to schlep to the library anymore; at least for most mundane papers.
There are hoarders in my life. Family members have family members whose houses are so filled with eBay items they can't even pee without moving the tv off the toilet. That is just so sad. Mostly because they can't even see anything wrong with it.
I wonder if hoarding is a throw-back to an earlier time when it was imperative to grab and keep food for our survival. Instead of hoarding food, "things" get hoarded… in case it's an empty winter.
As I continue purging things from my life, I find deeper and deeper thoughts and activities to spend my time and energy on. When I see a beautiful Disney watch I'd like, I put it on, but take it right off and hand it back to the salesperson. If I want something in a store, I'll sometimes carry it around during the whole shopping trip and then give it to the checker as something to put back. By the time I've gotten to the cash register, I am done wanting it.
I go to Barnes & Noble and read books now that I want. Or I read the synopsis on the Net and decide then if I want to own it. I should go to the library more.
I think once I'm done watching all the episodes of Clean House, I will have abandoned the voyeuristic, judgmental part of why I watch. And then I can move on to another show.
I wonder what it will be?


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DeKALB – Having more than 200 gardens that provide vegetables to people across DeKalb County wasn't enough for Dan Kenney.
Neither was donating more than 16,000 pounds of vegetables to residents in need.
This year, Kenney and his prolific nonprofit organization, DeKalb County Community Gardens, will add a community orchard and "food forest" to provide fruit and nuts to DeKalb County while launching a project that encourages residents to start their own gardens.
By the end of the organization's third growing season, Kenney hopes to donate more than 50,000 pounds of vegetables and provide county residents with greater access to locally grown food.
"It's really about teaching people to fish, providing access to land, tools and food and educating them on how to grow, prepare and preserve their food," Kenney said, referring to the proverb: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
Community Gardens is an organization aimed at ending hunger by providing a reliable source of food and teaching people how to grow their own food. Kenney, a retired teacher from Clinton Rosette Middle School, started the organization in 2011. Today it is supported by more than 300 volunteers and dozens of community partnerships.
The organization has expanded from 16 gardens in its first year to more than 40, which each contain 5-by-10-foot raised wooden garden beds. More than 200 raised beds dot the area, in locations such as DeKalb and Sycamore public schools, Golden Years Plaza and the Voluntary Action Center. The produce is donated to food pantries, senior centers and community meal sites.
Community Gardens is expanding vertically this year by starting an orchard at the Annie Glidden Outreach Garden near the DeKalb County government complex on Annie Glidden Road in DeKalb and a food forest at Old State Route 64 and Five Points Road, west of Sycamore. The latter is a space where the organization will plant root vegetables, bushes and trees to grow fruits and nuts. The organization is partnering with the DeKalb County Forest Preserve District for the land and DeKalb High School and Northern
Illinois University to cultivate the two new edible parks.
"We wanted to increase the amount of fruit available to people in DeKalb County," Kenney said. "We're moving a long way with providing the vegetables, but there's also a need to provide fresh fruit."
Some trees will be planted this year, but it will be years before the organization can purchase and plant all the trees. Raspberry and blackberry bushes should produce a crop next year, Kenney said.
The organization also is fostering the desire for residents to grow their own food while using sustainable practices.
This year, the organization is pioneering seed libraries at the DeKalb and Sycamore Public Libraries. Starting on April 22, members of the community will be able to "check out" seeds to plant in their own gardens. In exchange, people will be asked to return the seeds they collect from the vegetables they grow in order to replenish the seed library from year-to-year.
Residents can choose from peas, tomatoes, pumpkins and other varieties of seeds.
Jesse Butz, the head of adult and information services for the Sycamore Public Library, said the seed library would match the burgeoning interests of library patrons.
"When I look at the trends in the books we're checking out, there are lots of items about becoming more self-sufficient," Butz said. "People are interested in being more sustainable."
The organization is starting to piece together money to start a regional food hub, where farmers within a 150- to 200-mile radius would come to DeKalb to sell their products. The hub would also host a commercial kitchen and freezer.
Lisa Cummings, co-coach for Live Healthy DeKalb County, which partners with Kenney's organization, said Community Gardens' tremendous growth will help curb the 30 percent adult obesity rate in DeKalb County.
"We really want to see people eating healthy and eating locally grown food," Cummings said. "We want them to grow their own food not only to be healthier but to be more sustainable."
Kenney expects the weather will push back the time when vegetables can be planted in the gardens, the organization has partnered with DeKalb High School. By using the green house at the school, the organization has some sprouts already coming up that will be transplanted in May.
While the weather has slowed the planting process, it didn't slow the planning.
"People ask me when I started getting ready," Kenney said. "I've been getting ready since November. This is going to be a really exciting time."


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What's New on HartfordInfo.org
October 2005
What's New on HartfordInfo.org is a periodic update announcing recent additions to HartfordInfo.org. Please feel free to forward this message to others. To be added to the distribution list send an email message through our feedback page.
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Dear visitor, welcome to SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers. If this is your first visit here, please read the Help. It explains how this page works. You must be registered before you can use all the page's features. Please use the registration form, to register here or read more information about the registration process. If you are already registered, please login here.
Wednesday, March 19th 2008, 7:09am
Wednesday, March 19th 2008, 10:54am
Wednesday, March 19th 2008, 1:40pm
...I am going to make one suggestion that isn't "professional" but it could save you some money. Sixteen station controllers aren't cheap. You could possibly wire two valves together. I rarely do this but I must admit sometimes it's the best option for everyone involved. Now it doesn't always work but it usually will with no complications.
Good luck!
Wednesday, March 19th 2008, 7:32pm
Wednesday, March 19th 2008, 9:37pm
I said it wasn't professional. It could save him a bunch of money. He said he has a Rain Dial. It'll easily handle it. So what if the controller stops working down the road? He's gonna replace it anyway. Obviously he'll have to choose two lines that are compatible. I didn't mention that. I figured he was smart enough to test to see which two can run at the same time. He could just abandon one of the valves and hook the pipes up together. I've never had a controller go bad from hooking two solenoids together. If I can run two valves at the same time and save an elderly person who's on a limited income some money. I'll do it.
Wednesday, March 19th 2008, 10:12pm
Thursday, March 20th 2008, 6:03am
Friday, March 21st 2008, 11:45am
Friday, March 21st 2008, 8:43pm


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Most end-of-the millennium voters have been making what I think of as a couple of wrong calls. Contemplating the most recent 100 years:
• Babe Ruth was the athlete of the century, I'd say, not Muhammad Ali.
• O.J. Simpson was the football player of the century, I'm quite sure, not Jim Brown.
• The negative--if that's the right word--on front-runners Ali and Brown is that, like Michael Jordan, they were specialists.
Great athletes are by definition not specialists.
The great ones do several things very well, at least two things, as Ruth did in the century's early dawn.
A winning World Series pitcher to begin with, he jarred baseball into a drastically different direction as the first of the great long-ball hitters.
Later, Simpson excelled in two mainstream sports.
A sprinter to begin with, he was on the USC 440-yard relay team that still holds the world record.
Next, after winning the Heisman Trophy as the best player in college football, Simpson went to the NFL's bottom team, Buffalo, where he quickly established himself as the best player in pro football--as well as the first running back to gain 2,000 single-season yards.
As ballcarriers, Gale Sayers had more moves and Brown more power, but Simpson did it all faster.
Top 11 NFL Players of the Century
In their 11-man sport, the roll call of the century's top 11 football players starts with Simpson and continues, I'd say, with passers Joe Namath, Steve Young and John Unitas, defensive players Deacon Jones, Dick Butkus and Deion Sanders, runners Jim Brown and Gale Sayers, and receivers Don Hutson and Jerry Rice.
As for Jim Thorpe, he's a legend whose greatness is now hard to verify.
As for Ali, he's the boxer of the century--he would have been too fast for Joe Louis.
But as a great athlete, Ali only proved it in the ring.
Brown as a mainstream athlete proved his greatness only as a running back.
He wasn't much blocker.
And lacrosse, Brown's other sport, doesn't count.
In basketball, which does count, Jordan didn't win his first NBA championship for five years--until he got a winning coach, Phil Jackson.
Jordan doubled as a baseball player but couldn't hit the ball, failing where the greatest active athlete, football player Deion Sanders, succeeded.
Magic Johnson, a point guard who as a rookie turned center for a day to win his first NBA championship, was the basketball player of the century.
But as an athlete, nobody is close to Babe Ruth.
Redskins Run Themselves Down
In the NFL's game of the week, the Washington Redskins lost to the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, 24-21, for these five reasons:
After the league's leading rusher, Stephen Davis, had hustled the Redskins into a 13-10 halftime lead, he missed the second half with a foot injury, terminating a duel that he and Redskins passer Brad Johnson had been winning against passer Peyton Manning and runner Edgerrin James of the Colts.
Johnson was allowed to throw only four first-down passes in the first 55 minutes. He completed three of the four, one for the touchdown that kept Washington ahead for three quarters.
Because the Redskins' new owner, Daniel M. Snyder, continues to interfere in the coaching there--reportedly learning in interviews with his offensive linemen last week that, like all offensive linemen, they like to run the ball--Washington's coaches continued to call running plays on the important downs of the second half.
What beat them was running to nowhere with second-stringer Skip Hicks.
Setting up Indianapolis' two winning touchdowns, the key Redskins play was a run that failed on third and three at the Colts 33.
The odds against any third-and-three run there are roughly 100 to 1.
Kicking is a Hit-or-Miss Job
On a Miami afternoon when the field-goal kickers scored all the points for both sides, the Dolphins escaped with a 12-9 win Sunday after San Diego's John Carney blew a makable last-second kick.
That's a reminder that when football fans or media people enthuse over a kicker--any kicker--they often hear something like this from football players:
"Love him while you can, because someday he'll break your heart.''
But how could San Diego hold Dan Marino without a touchdown?
A sequence of Miami plays in the third quarter helps explain it.
The sequence began with a long sideline pass that Marino completed with his customary good timing and accuracy.
Next, on first and 10, Miami Coach Jimmy Johnson called for a run. He had proved that his team could pass, but now he wanted to prove that it could run. During NFL games, that's the way conservative coaches reason.
After the run failed, Johnson, on fourth down, got to see another punt.
McNown, Jauron are Chicago's Future
After the Chicago Bears' top three quarterbacks went down with injuries this season in their first 13 games, they began the rotation all over again Sunday, starting rookie Cade McNown against the formidable Detroit Lions.
Said Chicago's rookie coach, Dick Jauron, "You know your first quarterback hardly ever stays healthy for the whole year, but to go through all three of them, that's been a surprise.''
What happened next was another surprise to the I-Hate-McNown club, whose president threw for all four touchdowns to upset Detroit, 28-10.
As some of us have been saying, McNown is the best quarterback drafted this year--so this time, Jauron wasn't surprised.
He had prepared McNown intelligently all season, giving his young passer at least one series of plays in every game.
They'll be heard from next year, Jauron and McNown.
Ram Defense Raises Storm Signals
In one sense, the 12-2 St. Louis Rams were impressive Sunday, overcoming the New York Giants by a rout-type score, 31-10.
The Giants defense is one of pro football's most distinguished.
But football fans watching closely noted that the Rams scored two of their four touchdowns on interception runbacks.
And to subtract those 14 points is to conclude that their offense only prevailed by a touchdown, 17-10.
Does this mean that the Rams, who have scored more defensive touchdowns this year than the other contenders, are defensively wonderful?
Possibly not.
Throughout the season, the defensive Rams have been giving up a lot of yards, if not points--including 328 yards to the Giants Sunday.
When measuring a pair of playoff teams defensively, you compare not just point totals but also yardage totals--and on that gauge, the Rams, who breezed through a mostly soft regular-season schedule this fall, appear to be less than perfect.
Pass-Minded, Chiefs Have Chance
In the Saturday morning game, two conservative old teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers, came out throwing the ball, surprisingly, and throwing it pretty well.
The temperature was 28 degrees, and it got colder as well as windier, and still they threw, proving again that grown men can throw and catch footballs in the freezing East.
For years, that had seemed unlikely if not impossible to doctrinaire conservatives--among them the coaches of Kansas City and Pittsburgh.
Kansas City won Saturday's game, 35-19, with quarterback Elvis Grbac throwing darts to Tony Gonzalez, one of the NFL's great young tight ends, and if that means that Kansas City Coach Gunther Cunningham is ready to open things up, you give him a shot in the playoffs.
You'll learn more in the next two weeks, the last two of the regular season, when the 9-5 Chiefs play for the AFC West title against 8-6 Seattle and 7-7 Oakland.
Walsh Can Fix the 49ers
As Carolina won a Saturday game with San Francisco, 41-24, the most obvious thing about the 49ers was that they need a new defensive backfield.
Almost everything else in 49erland seemed reasonably well tuned for 2000 with Fred Beasley settling in at fullback, Charlie Garner delivering at halfback, Jeff Garcia improving at quarterback, and the defensive front performing.
Indeed, the coach, Steve Mariucci, remarked that his man Bryant Young is playing better football this year than any other NFL defensive tackle.
But the secondary has disappeared--as it did once before in the 49ers' unprecedented 18-year run at the top.
That was at the very beginning, when they drafted three defensive backs in one year, 1981--the year that Bill Walsh coached the 49ers to their first Super Bowl championship with three rookies in the secondary.
In this more competitive era, Walsh, back now as general manager, can't make that kind of fix in one year. If he stays in charge, it may take two or three.
Selected Short Subjects:
Nashville reporters covering the 11-3 Tennessee Titans say it's by design that whenever possible, the offensive team "controls the clock by running, throws only as much as it needs to, and has a chance at the end.'' That is a recipe for pure conservative football, which can prevail against Atlanta, as the Titans did Sunday, 30-17. But it's harder to win playoff games conservatively.
Perhaps hoping that a change of scenery can help, the Falcons will move their base camp next year from a Georgia town with a marvelous old Southern name, Suwanee, to one with a less masculine name, Flowery Branch.
There's a good reason why you should think of Cincinnati's Corey Dillon as a great running back: Players who stand out on bad teams must have something--as Dillon proved again the other day when he gained 192 yards, averaging 7. Others who succeeded on bad teams in this century were Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears, who were mostly ineffectual in his time, and O.J. Simpson of the Buffalo Bills, who were worse.
If you don't get any new toys for Christmas this week, don't worry about it. The NFL is playing Christmas eve (Dallas at New Orleans), Christmas day (Denver at Detroit), the day after Christmas (12 games) and December 27 ( New York Jets at Miami).


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Missoula College Plans Open House at Golf Course Clubhouse [AUDIO]
University of Montana President Royce Engstrom and UM officials invite the community to learn about the future of the proposed Missoula College building and take part in a community conversation from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, at the UM Golf Course Clubhouse.
The open house will give community members the opportunity to ask questions and learn the history of the how the location was selected, see where the buildings will be located and how it fits into the South Campus Master Plan, and learn how the golf course can be reconfigured.
Interim vice president for integrated communications Peggy Kuhr says the University and the Montana Board of Regents have made funding a new Missoula College building a top priority for the 2013 Legislature.
Various organizations and groups have voiced their opposition to placing the new Missoula College on the site of the UM golf course. Kuhr says there will be stations set up in the clubhouse during the open house manned by UM officials and students to answer questions about why the golf course is the best location for the new facility.
Interim Vice President for Integrated Communications Peggy Kuhr