text:
Becky has a twin sister.
Becky's heroes in life are her mom and dad.
Becky's favorite judge on American Idol is Simon because if you can get him to smile, it makes your day.
Becky's definition of American Idol is someone who the rest of the country can relate to. Someone who is pursuing and fulfilling their dreams. Someone who will represent the country well.
If Becky couldn't sing, the talents she would want are breakdancing and gymnastics.
The proudest moment in Becky's life so far is obtaining a full scholarship to Niagara University.
Becky's most embarrassing moment is walking out of a party with a professional athlete/celebrity and tripping and falling flat on her face.
Becky always drinks green tea before she performs.
Becky's American Idol is Pat Benatar.
The album that Becky's friends would be surprised she owns is Welcome to Scotland.
Becky's personal goals in her life are to be happy, to live in the present, and to make sure everyone she knows that she loves them.
If Becky doesn't make American Idol, she will continue to become a recording artist and to be able to entertain the world.
Other talents that Becky has besides singing is playing basketball and volleyball.
Becky has had formal singing training.
Becky first started to sing when she was old enough to talk.
Becky's favorite male artist is Justin Timberlake.
Becky's favorite female artist is Gwen Stefani.
Becky auditioned for American Idol at Boston.
Becky is 25 years old.
Performances: 1.Because The Night (Patti Smith) - Eliminated 02/23/06


text:
The JBoss.org Maven repository automatically sync's certain groupIds/artifacts and POM files to the Central Maven repository hosted by Sonatype.
Currently sync'ed groupIds
- javassist
- jgroups (Deprecated for org.jgroups)
- org.jgroups
- org.netty
- org.hibernate
- org.hornetq
- org.resteasy
Next groupIds to include in sync
Work in progress
Other Information
Only artifacts from the JBoss releases repository may be sync'ed to central. The jboss-thirdparty repository cannot be sync'ed because it includes groupIds which conflict with existing Maven groupIds in central.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tag Archives: Thank You
A Great Big THANK YOU!
It's been a week since WordCamp Chicago 2010 ended and I, personally, have yet to really put thoughts and pictures together from the event – but it was a great success….and one that we are definitely going to repeat next … Continue reading A Great Big THANK YOU!
Posted in Announcements, Blog, Speakers, Sponsors, WCChicago 2010, WordPress Tagged 2010, Chicago, Speakers, Sponsors, Thank You, WordCamp 3 Comments


text:
Draft night report: Picking 21st and 29th
Rays officials are ready for the 7 p.m. start of the draft, which they consider incredibly important in their efforts to acquire the talent to be competitive.
The Rays have two first round picks, the 21st, which they earned based on last year's record, and the 29th, which they received as compensation for the loss of free agent B.J. Upton.
Based on the schedule, they should be picking at around 8:50 and 9:30.
They also will have the 60th pick tonight, which should take place at around 10:45.
With the Rays picking that far down, there is no certainly about who they will take.
Based on the latest mock drafts of several experts, some names to watch are C Nick Ciuffo. from Lexington High in South Carolina; OF Josh Hart, from Parkview High in Lilburn, Ga.; SS Hunter Dozier from Stephen F. Austin State.
Also mentioned in connection with the Rays are SS Tim Anderson of East Central (Miss.) CC, LHP Cody Reed of Northwest Mississippi CC, and RHP Phil Bickford, from California's Oaks Christian High.


text:
AHHH!! My split ends are driving me crazy! What can i do?
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Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 131
Thursday, August 30, 2012 at 07:46AM
: AHHH!! My split ends are driving me crazy! What can i do?
I am just about at my wits end with my split ends. It seems that NO MATTER WHAT i do, i STAY with A LOT of split ends! I
1.moisturize daily (or every other day)
2.sleep with a satin bonet on everyday
3.and clip my ends ALMOST regularly ( i try to do every 6 weeks but this last time i went about
The last time i clipped my ends, there werent AS MANY split ends, but there were still a lot. But this time (Sunday) when i clipped them after about 8 weeks there was a butt load of splits.
I just dont know what i'm doing wrong. It's discouraging and i feel like i'm not retaining the length that i could be.
Please help. any advice would be greatly appreciated


text:
Screw Mach Drill, HSS, TiN, 14mm, 120 Deg
OSG| Zoro #: G0915747| Mfr #: 61640
Zoro #: G0915747Mfr. Part #: 61640
$109.00 /ea
This item ships free. DetailsStandard ground shipping
Technical Specifications
|Zoro #: G0915747 Mfr #: 61640
|Application: For Aluminum, Carbon Steel, High Nickel Alloy, Stainless Steel And Titanium
|Drill Bit Grouping: Drill Bit
|Item: Screw Machine Drill Bit
|Drill Bit Material: High Speed Steel
|Grade: Heavy Duty
|Drill Bit Finish: TiN
|Drill Bit Point Angle: 120 Degrees
|Flute Type: Spiral
|List Number: 1100
|Shank Dia.: 16.00mm
|Point Type: Four Facet Point
|Overall Length: 114.00mm
|Decimal Equivalent: 0.5512
|Sizes Included: 14.00mm
|Drill Bit Dimension Type: Metric
|Flute Length: 54.00mm
|Drill Bit Size: 14.00mm
|Country of Origin (subject to change): Japan
Product Description
Screw Machine Drill, Standard, List Number 1100, Number of Pieces 1, Heavy Duty Grade, High Speed Steel, TiN Finish, Four-Facet Point, Drill Point (Deg.) 120, Metric Size 14.00, Decimal Equivalent 0.5512, Flute Length (mm) 54, Overall Length (mm) 114, Shank Dia. (mm) 16, For Aluminum, Carbon Steel, High Nickel Alloy, Stainless Steel And Titanium
Restrictions and Compliance
- *2 : California Proposition 65 : This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer.


text:
As a relationship counselor (among other things that a pastor - even a retired pastor - has to do), I've long been a very vocal critic of the 'dating game' (or the 'meat market', as some have called it). I regard much of the modern boy-meets-girl scene (or vice versa) as extremely unhealthy, not very moral (to put it mildly), and a recipe for exploitation.
That's why I'm delighted to read about Playdate.
Lynne Lucas is taking herself off the meat market. Monique Brown is sick of having to look cute all the time. And Scott Hayes is searching for his inner child.
Imari Havard, co-founder of PlayDate, dances with some participants on the dance floor.
It's Saturday night at PlayDate in Atlanta, Georgia, where 400 adults have gathered to play games, drink and socialize.
"It's not your usual bar scene where I look good, you look good, I'm scared to talk to you," Hayes says as he scans a giant Jenga tower for the right block to pull. "You'll talk to anyone when you're playing games, because you're trying to beat them."
Next to Hayes, Brown watches a rambunctious game of Pictionary while a twosome fights it out with Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots nearby. Across the room, Lucas joins her friends in a game of Trouble. And on the dance floor, Imari Havard is hula-hooping with some ladies.
Havard is the co-founder of Timeless Entertainment Concepts, host of PlayDate, with Ryan Hill and Ronald Gaither.
Timeless' mission is clear: provide a fun alternative to the typical nightlife scene for an entrance fee of just $10 per person. In other words, if you're looking for love in all the wrong places, try a game of Hungry Hungry Hippos.
. . .
"To be able to play games again and not be an adult for one night, it's kind of fun," [Alisha] says. "It's not the typical, uneasy having to go up to someone you don't know, because everyone has on these silly nametags, and [the games] are like an icebreaker."
Todd Jones agrees. A PlayDate veteran, Jones has been coming to the events since they started three years ago. He's even attended launches in other cities and says the atmosphere is the same everywhere.
"When you go to a club, people will stand around. They're very defensive," Jones says. "But here, you really have to intermingle."
Gesturing to the six women he's playing Uno with, Jones says he doesn't come to PlayDate looking to hook up. "I just come here really to have a good time. If something happens after that, then, fine."
Havard says that's the basis of his company, Timeless, which also offers Paint By Numbers and Call Me UP. Paint By Numbers lets people socialize while painting a 100-square-foot mural. Call Me UP is a new interactive take on a stand-up comedy club.
"You go to a nightclub, a lot of times, that scene is the same," Havard says. "It's too loud; it's too dark; it's too smoky. A lot of people have on their nightclub personas, so you don't get to know real people. What we've found with PlayDate is, it lets people let their guard down and be themselves. It's romantic, in a sense, because you begin to connect like you did when you were younger."
There's more at the link.
I find this very encouraging. I think one's far more likely to have fun, and meet someone compatible, in a relaxed, informal, relatively unstressed setting like this. Full marks to Messrs. Havard, Hill and Gaither for a great idea!


text: Over at the great book blog, Everyday I Write the Book! Sign up (at that site) now and you'll receive an advance copy of the paperback edition (on sale 2/26) that you can read in preparation for the book club discussion on the blog on Thursday, March 6th. I know some of you are already receiving advance copies from the promotion we ran in December so I hope you consider participating! Author Lionel Shriver will even answer a select number of questions from readers. You can browse inside a few pages of the book here, read my first post about the book here, and get all the info you need about the discussion at EDIWTB here.


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Return to Ravenholm
From Combine OverWiki, the original Half-Life wiki and Portal wiki
|The contents of this article have been cut.
The subject matter of this article contains in-development information that was cut from the final version of an official and/or canonical source and appears in no other canonical source. It may also contain incomplete information since not all cut material is publicly known.
|Return to Ravenholm
|Release date(s)
Return to Ravenholm, also known as Ravenholm or Half-Life 2: Episode Four, was the working title of a cancelled Half-Life 2 Episode developed by Arkane Studios from 2006 to 2007. Set in the zombie-infested European town of Ravenholm, it was to take place sometime before the end of Half-Life 2: Episode Two.[1]
Timeline of released information[edit]
- In the May 2006 issue of PC Gamer USA (Issue 148), there is an interview with Gabe Newell concerning the future of the Half-Life series, it is revealed that an Episode Four is planned to be released after the conclusion of the Half-Life 2 episodic trilogy. Gabe states that it is to be developed outside of Valve with a stand-alone plotline.[2]
- In December of 2007, Doug Lombardi states that Episode Three will only represent the conclusion of the current Half-Life story arc. It will not be the end of the greater Half-Life franchise, nor the end of the Half-Life episodic series, with even more episodic games unconnected to the current story arc to be made.[3] This relates to the Episode Four mentioned in 2006.
- That same month, Gabe Newell states in an interview that Valve would like to expand on many elements of the original story that had only been referenced in previous games. In particular, he brings up the possibility of developing games about Alyx Vance or Dog.[4]
- Following the network intrusion of Eidos' servers in May 2011 and the subsequent data leak, community members report that among the leaked CVs are several CVs of industry developers who appear to have worked on an Arkane/Valve project built on the Source engine from 2006 to 2007. In some CVs, the project goes unnamed, but in others, it appears to be titled "Half-Life 2: Episode 4", "Ravenholm", or "Return to Ravenholm". These individuals include Sébastien Gaillard, Nims Bun, Florent Perrin, and Régis Capotosto.[5][6] Most of the CVs have since been edited to remove any mention of the project or Valve.
- On January 13, 2012, Marc Laidlaw confirms to LambdaGeneration that a fourth and now cancelled Half-Life 2 episode, titled Return to Ravenholm, was being developed by Arkane Studios from 2006 to 2007. He states that as big fans of Arkane and their work, Valve wanted to come up with a common project that both studios could work on. Valve threw ideas around, and Arkane built "some cool stuff", but Valve eventually decided that it didn't make sense to pursue Return to Ravenholm at the time. They felt like a lot of the staples of Ravenholm (Headcrabs and Zombies) were pretty much played out, and the fact that it would have to take place sometime before the end of Episode Two (so as not to advance beyond where Valve had pushed the story) represented a creative constraint that would hamper the project, as well as Arkane themselves. Episode Four and Return to Ravenholm are also confirmed by Laidlaw to be the same game.[1]
- On January 11, 2013, four screenshots of Return to Ravenholm are uncovered.[7]
- On June 3, 2013, several model renders of assets intended for the game are discovered, many reinforcing the idea of a hospital location.[8]
- On December 5, 2015, eleven additional screenshots from the project were revealed from the portfolio of Robert Wilinski, a Senior Environment Artist at Arkane between 2007 and 2008. The environment on display here depicts a dilapidated underground area with elements suggesting a relation to the previously seen hospital.[9]
At least one image in this gallery is not captioned. You can help by describing the files below.
Model renders[edit]
See also[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Marc Laidlaw On The Canceled Half-Life Spin-offs: Return To Ravenholm And "Episode Four" at LambdaGeneration
- ↑ The World According to Gabe - PC Gamer, May 2006
- ↑ Half-Life 3 on StuffWeLike.com
- ↑ Half-Life 2: Episode 4 possibly planned by Valve. Spin-off episode to feature Alyx and Dog? at Video Games Blogger
- ↑ New HL2: Episode 4 info surfaces at the Steam Users' Forums
- ↑ Ravenholm, the other cancelled Half-Life game at the Steam Users' Forums
- ↑ New Images of Half-life 2: Episode 4 / Return to Ravenholm at ValveTime
- ↑ Further Half-Life 2: Episode 4 Images Found at ValveTime
- ↑ New Half-Life 2: Episode Four Screenshots Revealed! - ValveTime Spotlight Exclusive at ValveTime


text:
Jerry's Corvette Driving Experience 2013
24. November, 2013
On Friday the 13th of August, we asked our many customers and friends to join us again for a day of fun on the race track. This year we visited Motorsport Park Hastings (MPH) in Hastings, NE. MPH is a 150 acre mecca for the car enthusiast. The heart of MPH is the 2.15 mile, 13 turn race track with 3 long straight-a-ways. The corners offer a variety of different radii and angles for a wide range of cornering speeds. The long straights are long enough for high speed thrills and passing opportunities. What started out as a dream on a napkin in a local restaurant with a few friends, became a reality in 2006 when renowned track designer Alan Wilson designed this beautiful road course. In February of 2009, Forbes.com named MPH one of the "Best Places to Speed Legally in the United States."
Our event began on Thursday night with a special invitation from, George Anderson, the managing partner of MPH for a dinner at the Guardrail Club catered by Murphy's Bar from downtown Hastings. The Guardrail club is a clubhouse located on the final turn of the track. After dinner, George allowed everyone to take parade laps on the track with passengers. Guests were also treated to a special tour of the Klatt Motorsports car museum.
Friday morning began at 9 a.m. with a drivers meeting in the Guardrail Club. George had driving instructors on hand for lead–follow shadow lapping. This allowed for those who had never been to the track to see the proper line by following a driving instructor. These instructors were also available for one on one in car instruction. George also had transponders available for everyone that would keep track of every lap time so you could measure your improvement throughout the day. MPH even has an app. for your phone so you can see your lap times in real-time in addition to being able to review them later. After the drivers meeting we divided the cars into 3 groups and began the event. Each group had 20 minutes of track time of every hour starting at 10 a.m. At noon, we took an hour lunch break where the drivers, their spouses, track officials and driving instructors were able to bench race and enjoy a relaxing meal catered by Murphy's. After the break we were back on the track running 20 minute sessions until 4 p.m.
Everyone had a great time. It is simply amazing how much horsepower and the variety of cars that show up to our annual Jerry's Chevrolet Corvette Driving Experience every year. This year was no exception. We had C5 and C6 Corvettes – Coupes, Convertibles, Grand Sports, Z06's, 427 Convertibles and a ZR1. We even had a modified CTS-V Cadillac and a modified Camaro ZL1. Horsepower ranged from 400 HP to just over 900 HP. I think the average horsepower of all the cars on the track was over 600 HP! The event gave everyone the chance to see just what their cars are really capable of doing. Most came home with a new found respect for just how amazing these cars are today. If you've always wanted to see what your car can truly do in a safe controlled environment without the worry of a speeding ticket you need to join us for next year's Jerry's Chevrolet Corvette Driving Experience or visit Motorsport Park Hastings, www.racemph.com.


text:
It's garnered a truckload of consumer media buzz recently because developers claim it's the most sophisticated augmented reality headset in development so far. Company literature plays up the stereoscopic 3D view that presents unique, parallel three-dimensional images for each eye the same way our eyes perceive images in the real world. The imagery spans approximately 100 degrees, stretching beyond a person's peripheral view.
The consumer gaming community probably won't be able to enjoy the Rift until at least later this year, but gamers aren't the only ones interested. Facebook bought Oculus VR earlier this year for $2 billion, presumably to enhance the social networking experience beyond instant messaging and random status updates.
But around the world, the military's already adapted the technology for training and intelligence purposes, indicating that the Rift's reach will extend to the highest levels of government.
Here are three places where trainees are using the headset to hone their skills:
- The Norwegian Army is testing the Rift's application in tank driving scenarios. M-113 drivers navigated using Rift goggles that were connected to image processing software and external cameras that captured tank surroundings. Thanks to the set-up's situational awareness, vehicle operators could maneuver independently without needing verbal commands. Testers experienced some dizziness and noticed that the goggles lacked screen resolution to see well at distances, but they believe these bugs can be fixed in time.
- The United States Navy is using the Rift in a similar fashion to train sailors in Project Blue Shark. Future war fighters could drive or repair ships with three-dimensional awareness while communicating with others in real time thousands of miles away.
- It's no secret that the American military is all about drones these days, and the private sector's experimentation with the Rift could enhance the drones' functionality. According to Digital Trends, many camera-equipped unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) need two people to operate: one to drive the drone, and one to control the camera. Norwegian researches, however, figured out a way to equip a drone with two cameras that forwarded images to the Rift and moved based on the headset wearer's head movements. The process is still in its early stages, but refinements could lead to a wave of VR-enabled and controlled drones.


text: Advertisement 8JEE main 2018 B.Arch answer key: The JEE Main exam will need for students in order to take the different sets of courses. In order to understand the need and importance of JEE Exam, the student first read out the features of the JEE exam in the online. The JEE Main will issue the question paper and answer key for ... Read More »


text:
Coming Soon
DISCONNECT New Movie Poster and Trailer
- Details
- Category: Coming Soon
- Published: Tuesday, 12 March 2013 06:50
Jason Bateman, Alexander Skarsgard, Paula Patton and Hope Davis star in DISCONNECT, a dramatic thriller about the dangers of the cyberworld. Watch a preview of the April 12th release.
Documentary filmmaker Henry Alex Rubin (Murderball) makes his transition to feature films with DISCONNECT, a cautionary thriller with intersecting stories of different experiences of online horror stories from identity theft, cyber bulling, and porn.
Ironically, one of the stories involves two punk kids pranking a loner by pretending to be a girl interested in his music. Given the whole Manti Te'o recent scandal, this plotline will resonate with many.
DISCONNECT is another entry in the recent spate of films making social commentary on the evolving technology which is changing human relationships for the worse. DISCONNECT debuted at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals last fall (2013) to mostly positive reviews. Collider.com wrote the movie was intriguing but "heavy-handed" while the Hollywood Reporter credits the film's excellent cast for powerful performances, specifically Jason Bateman.
DISCONNECT is in select theaters April 12, 2013.


text:
Will LA Kings Clinch the Stanley Cup Tonight on NBC?
The Los Angeles Kings look to clinch their second Stanley Cup in three years in front of a raucous STAPLES Center crowd with a Game 5 win over the New York Rangers tonight at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. NBC Sports Live Extra - NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets - will provide comprehensive streaming coverage of Game 5.
Emmy Award-winning play-by-play broadcaster Mike "Doc" Emrick, analyst Eddie Olczyk, and Emmy Award-winning "Inside the Glass" analyst Pierre McGuire will have the call of Game 5 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Calif.
Pre-game coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN with NHL Live, co-hosted by Liam McHugh and Dave Briggs alongside former NHL players and analysts Mike Milbury, Jeremy Roenick, Keith Jones and Anson Carter on-site from STAPLES Center.
The Kings aim for their second Stanley Cup title in franchise history and second championship in three years. Two years ago, the Kings held a 3-0 series lead against the New Jersey Devils in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, and eventually won it in six games.
The Rangers need three straight victories to become only the fourth team in NHL playoff history to win four straight games in a series after falling into a 0-3 deficit. One of those four teams to complete the feat is this year's Kings, who climbed out of a 0-3 hole to the San Jose Sharks in the first round. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs are the only team to win a Stanley Cup Final after losing the first three games of the series. A win on Friday night in Los Angeles would shift the series back to New York for a potential Game 6 on Monday night at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
Following is the television schedule for the remaining games of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, all times Eastern and subject to change.
|Fri., June 13
|Stanley Cup Final - Game 5
|N.Y. Rangers at Los Angeles
|8:00 p.m.
|Mon., June 16
|Stanley Cup Final - Game 6*
|Los Angeles at N.Y. Rangers
|8:00 p.m.
|Wed., June 18
|Stanley Cup Final - Game 7*
|N.Y. Rangers at Los Angeles
|8:00 p.m.


text:
August 20, 2010
This week has been CRAZY, and awesome!
The energy around campus is definitely exciting, and the fact that classes have started is not squelching the enthusiasm. Today we had the record-setting, 500-pint blood drive at the gym. I'll keep you posted on the final numbers of pints donated.
Tonight is Friday Fest!, and tomorrow morning is the Service NC State meal packaging event, followed by the Silent Disco. Wolfpack Welcome Week has seriously been a blast, and a big thank you goes out to everyone involved.
Over the last two weeks Student Government has come together and truly become a team. I am very lucky to work with such proactive and engaged volunteers, and I know we'll keep this momentum up all year. One of our main goals is to create synergy on campus and find ways to let student organizations utilize our resources (advertising, administrative and institutional contacts, networking, helping to identify funding sources, etc.). We'll also be bringing together organizations that are working on similar endeavors.
How? We have two Directors of Communication, Scott and Natalie, that will be going out to various organizations, colleges, the Greek Village, and classes to keep students informed, engaging everyone in what's going on and listening to concerns. We're really looking forward to doing this on Centennial too (starting with the Centennial Campus Challenge)
Also, we are in the process of making some informative (not cheesy) videos that highlight what's going on. Our team is out around campus often, so look for students wearing a circular pin marked with the SG logo, and ask them what's up! We'll be active, engaged and there for you – in order to make this truly effective, though, we need you to talk to us when you see us!
The Student Senate will be having its first meeting of the year on August 25, and then Freshman elections open up, so be on the lookout for their infamous campaigning. Email Senate President Stephen Kouba to learn more about his goals and how to get involved with Student Senate. It has some great leadership and I think we'll see very smart legislation passed through Senate this year.
Our Transportation Commission and Transportation Appeals Board still need students! Email the Transportation Chair, Matt Gromlich, to learn how to be a part of that Commission. And speaking of transportation, we asked the Dept. of Transportation to keep us informed regarding updates on parking, etc. so please see the below message from them regarding West Deck Construction:
"Regarding commuter parking, "Due to West Deck construction and shrinking parking during the construction phase, all West Lot permits are sold out. Consider the Varsity Commuter Lot ($99) and ride Varsity Rt. 5 or the new Varsity Rt. 5a Express (every 11 minutes)."
Check out Student Carpool, and refer to earlier blog posts for some alternative transportation options. And, not to be redundant but, feel free to join the aforementioned commission to help make transportation a better experience for students!
And now, for a few announcements:
- Our good friends at WKNC are having interest meetings – so check those out if you're looking to get involved with the best university radio station in the country (the official Wolfpack opinion)! Just as a side note, the Student Government office is on the same floor as WKNC, TECHNICIAN, Agromeck and the African American Cultural Center, on the third floor of Witherspoon Student Center – making for one awesome floor.
- The Technician is looking to fill some positions as well. Email the editor, Amanda Wilkins to find out more.
- Students in landscape architecture just completed the Syme Hall Rain Garden and it looks really amazing. This project was the first ever design/build studio offered at NC State. GREAT SUCCESS (said in Borat voice)!
August 12, 2010
There's definitely a "calm-before-the-storm" vibe permeating around campus right now.
Student organizations are gearing up for Wolfpack Welcome Week, RA's just finished their training, professors are finalizing their syllabi and a large number of students are returning back to Raleigh. The "storm" of Wolfpack fever doesn't begin with Wednesday's first classes – it started yesterday with the African American Symposium and will keep gaining momentum until the Silent Disco, which takes place at 10 a.m. next Sunday.
Check out all the Wolfpack Welcome Week events here, and make sure to grab as much free food and as many giveaways as you can. (A note to new students – this is definitely the best week to stock up on red t-shirts!)
Cates Crawl, Friday Fest, convocation, Target runs, dances, grilling out, open houses, dining events, soccer games and Wolfpack paraphernalia… bring on the storm and WELCOME BACK PACK!
July 28, 2010
Have you ever read NC State's mission statement? In all honesty, I hadn't seen it before last Friday's University Council meeting.
The mission statement, along with the overall plan for NC State's future, is being reevaluated (it's standard protocol when a university hires a new chancellor). University Council was tasked with articulating very general priorities for NC State to focus on throughout the foreseeable future. For example, "student success" came out as a top priority from Friday's meeting.
So now, the steering committee will assign a task force to figure out what exactly "student success" means, and how we go about implementing it. It's a pretty big undertaking and input from the whole student body will be the critical component to actually figuring how to make students even more successful.
I get overwhelmed just thinking about how to define the term. Is success measurable? If so, how? Success, you see, doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. What are all the qualities of a successful person? How much of it depends on particular attributes? Sigh.
This will all be happening pretty soon – what do you feel are the best ways to collect student input and engage students in the process? (Let me know!) The task force will definitely need our help but, then again, that's just ONE task force – I'll think we'll be looking at around eight other priorites that will prove to be just as broad in scope.
Switching gears, it's time to register for a new, free Go Pass for the upcoming year! It's a great way to see the Triangle, from Durham, Hillsborough and Chapel Hill all the way to Wendell and Zebulon on the east side of town. With the annual pass, NC State students, faculty, staff can hop a free ride on any Capital Area Transit (CAT) and Triangle Transit Authority (TTA) vehicle.
Dining has a new Wolfpack -to-Go fresh-food lineup which is available at the Creamery, Hill of Beans, the Vet School Café and the McKimmon Corner Café, in order to give us some more substantial – and hopefully healthier – eating options to accompany our caffeinated beverages. Pretty cool.
Finally, as a part of this year's Service NC State event, we're holding what we hope will be a record-setting blood drive on campus! Join me August 20 from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. to donate blood at the Carmichael Complex. NC State needs to register 650 donors to set the record, so sign up as soon as possible!
July 19, 2010
I'm sure everyone is now aware of the tuition increase that is set for this coming school year. Students and families will now shoulder the burden of a $900 tuition increase ($150 was added last year and $750 this year). The decision was handed down from the NC General Assembly and the Board of Governors in attempt to help offset economically driven budget cuts. 20% of the $750 and 50% percent of the $150 increase must be used for financial aid, which still leaves our university with a significant difference between how much money we are pulling in and how much we need.
NC State won't raise tuition past $900, so the administration will have to make up that difference elsewhere.
Therefore – even with the increase – we're going to see some changes this year, and we may have to prepare for potentially larger classes and a finite amount of resources. That being said, we will need to be vocal about how these cuts affect our academic and student life here at NC State. This will all come up again in 2011 and, when it comes to keeping tuition low, fewer people have a greater vested interest than students.
So, if we're going to say that keeping tuition low is something students truly care about, it's up to us to take proactive strides regarding next year's budget. Be in contact with your North Carolina state representatives as the year progresses and engage them in discussions about how budget cuts and increases have affected your student life. The budget cuts were not as bad as they could have been, but they have still initiated a significant increase that we all have to deal with. Let's do so with class and gumption, as only NC State students can.
For more student perspectives on the tuition increase, take a look at the Technician's article. Also, Chancellor Woodson has made a big effort to communicate about the increase with students and parents via email and online sources – which I think we've all appreciated.
Here is a link to the Scholarships and Financial Aid office, which has proven to be a great resource in keeping NC State affordable for everyone.
"The strength of the pack is the Wolf,
and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack."
– Rudyard Kipling
• • • • •
July 9, 2010
"With each new sunrise, life begins anew" is written on a pen laying in front of my keyboard.
University Transportation gives these pens out, and I was lucky enough to receive one when I met with transportation petition hearing officer Debbie Beach.
I'm not sure how that phrase ties in with Transportation, but I will say that I've gained a new level of appreciation for our transportation office and the work its team does. Once September rolls around, Beach will be looking at anywhere from 50 to 100-plus parking-ticket appeals everyday, and making the decision whether or not to reduce, deny or grant those appeals.
If we're ever thinking we're being inventive or creative with our excuses, the chances are that, during her six years on staff here at NC State, Beach has heard it before. She sees appeals from students, visitors, staff and faculty (who knew that staff, faculty and visitors get parking tickets?).
Once she makes a decision, the appeal gets looked over by at least five other people to ensure the right choice has been made. If the person making an appeal doesn't agree with the decision handed down, they have the opportunity to re-appeal to the Appeals Board (comprised of students, staff and faculty). I'll make eight or so appointments to this board, and appointees will rotate based on their availability. The Appeals Board usually meets once a month on a Friday between 2-4 p.m.. If you're interested in learning more, or exploring possible appointment, please let me know.
Also during this meeting, we discussed the 1/2-off parking ticket payment policy that's in place at UNC-Charlotte. Beach said that the topic has been tossed around before, and she gave me some names of people I'll be contacting about this issue. We'll keep everyone posted on this endeavor.
Finally, one last important takeaway I had from our meeting is that transportation staff members easily recall repeat offenders. We don't get a clean slate with every new appeal so, if we appeal all the time or get lots of tickets… they know, and remember!
• • • • •
Our new Wolfpack men's basketball recruits have been doing pretty awesome in the Greater NC Pro-AM summer league. Jeffrey Johnson, Student Government's Executive Branch Athletics Chair, further explains what the Greater NC Pro-AM is all about:
"Although summer league pickup games don't always provide the most accurate predictions for future performance, it is always exciting to get a sneak preview of our current and future players. The NC Pro Am provides an exciting opportunity for Wolfpack fans to see future players in action alongside other local standout players including those in the ACC and NBA.
"I definitely encourage all NC State fans to go check out some games and show support for our Wolfpack players."
Get a sneak peek here, and then go out and cheer on the Pack at the Greater NC Pro-AM!
July 8, 2010
Bear with me because this is kind of boring but, on July 5th and 6th, NC State hosted an Association of Student Governments meeting, basically an umbrella student organization that works with each of the 16 campuses in the UNC school system (even Chapel Hill).
It was actually a pretty enlightening two days for me (the ASG officers, student body presidents and two delegates from each campus attend) and I feel compelled to share. It's pretty clear that ASG has been underutilized by all our campuses in the past – I mean, every single student in the whole system pays a fee to this Association and we haven't really used it at all. They have tons of resources that can help each campus achieve our goals, as well as relay messages that collectively impact student life throughout the whole system, like budget cuts and the new health insurance policy.
We have an opportunity to apply for grants through ASG and the officers are extremely efficient at researching. Collaborating with them will definitely help us to work smarter and make the most we can out of our one-year stint.
Also, meeting with the other Student Body Presidents was pretty interesting as well. While I know they definitely took away good ideas from our university, I have to admit that we'll be trying to adopt some of theirs, too. For example, UNC Charlotte has a system in place where, students who pay their parking tickets during the first week receive half off. I'm going to immediately start looking into how we can implement this at NC State. Potential roadblocks – most of the money from parking tickets actually goes to the City and not to the University – exist, but maybe enough parking tickets go unpaid and it's a large enough hassle for Raleigh that there will be an incentive to give us 1/2 off in the first week… I will work with our SG transportation chair, Matt Gromlich, along with our newfound friends at ASG and we'll seriously try to make this happen.
Speaking of parking tickets, today I'll be meeting with the Transportation Petition Hearing Officer to talk about the Petition Appeals Board. Debbie Beach informed me that "the Appeals Board offers the appellant an additional review of their case by their peers which may result in a reversal of the decision or a better understanding for the appellant." So, essentially, a few times during the year, students review appeals and influence the outcome. I never knew this process even existed, and today we'll talk a bit more about what it entails.
At a later time, I'll have the opportunity to appoint students to this board – if it's of interest to you, let me know. At this meeting I'll also bring up the 1/2-off parking tickets idea.
Finally, I have a meeting with Dr. Jeff Braden, Dean of CHASS. Dean Braden is currently a Co-Chair on the Chancellor's installation committee and he's working with me on our students' role in the installation process. We'll also be discussing some CHASS-related things – I have received quite a few questions (go ahead, email me!) for him via Twitter and Facebook so I'll be sure to bring those up and get back to everyone.
Until next time… GO PACK!
June 29, 2010
OK, I've got LOTS of updates and information to go out. I'll try to keep it brief:
Dining just launched a blog that will keep us up to date with what's going on at the Atrium. It's pretty interesting, check it out here. Release your feelings about campus food with this two-second survey. Personally, I'm a fan of dining hall food – not sure if it's one of those things you just get accustomed to or if our dining halls just serve good food. Like the block S waffles which they serve through the afternoon on the weekends. I guess they assume some students sleep until the afternoon on weekends, then wake up and head to a dining hall for breakfast… Dear University Dining, we never do that, but thank you for serving breakfast late on weekends!
Also, Coca- Cola and University Dining just donated close to $4,000 to help sponsor students for the Service NC State meal packaging event. Way to go, Dining and Coke!
NC State has updated ePACK! We all know Craigslist can be a semi-effective job-searching tool, but ePACK has much higher-caliber job and internship listings. ePACK is definitely an effective way to get our resume out to businesses and browse for internships and jobs. There are also constant updates regarding career fairs, on and off campus. By the way, the university didn't ask me to post this or anything – I'm being serious, if you don't have your resume on ePack, I highly recommend doing so. After all, we're ultimately here to get the tools that prepare us for the workforce (aka get a job).
A few days ago I met with the University's Associate AD for external operations and the university's chief communications officer. Prior to meeting with them I Twittered about it a day in advance and asked students to share questions they wanted me to bring up during this meeting. I responded individually to most of those questions but I think some of them would be of interest to everyone.
- This year's Red Rally (more commonly known as Midnight Madness at other universities) will be awesome. SG is going to partner with Athletics, the Student Wolfpack Club, University Communications, and possibly combine it with the Chancellor's installation. We are talking giveaways galore, loud music, and the works. Plan on being there to support Wolfpack basketball! (It's not until October, though – am I getting too excited too early?) I'll save the rest of the hype for fall.
- Our new director of athletics, Debbie Yow, will be starting on July 15th.
- The university is currently in the planning stages of expanding the brand, and although we are sure to see some changes in the upcoming year, we will especially see them the following year.
- Our contract with Adidas (as it pertains to Athletics) ends in 2012. We will have to see what brand is in store for us then. That being said, Adidas has actually treated us pretty well over the years, but it would be nice to get some consistency in our brand across every sport.
I wanted to give you a brief update about Parking at the Health Center over summer – there are no spots. Check out their site to stay updated on patient parking, etc.
Finally, I've got some exciting news about sustainability on our campus: Plants on the roof! Seriously, this is so cool.
Alright, I'll save some extra info for other blog posts but keep up with The Wolfpack Facebook group to stay updated in between! Thanks to those that submitted questions and I'm excited about this new-found level of communication. Have a great weekend NC State!
June 28, 2010
And so it has begun, the orienting of new students to our campus. Today: Transfer students. Tomorrow: Freshmen.
This year, NC State has given the new students a pretty nifty bag – equipped with handles, back pack straps, pockets and a genuine NC State logo. When I was a freshman, my friends and I decided we would not carry our bags beyond orientation week since they marked us as freshmen (A note to this year's freshmen: your bags are way cooler than ours were – I would definitely carry the one you're getting!)
On another note, I met with Provost Arden last week to talk about tuition increases and a few other things. Additional tuition increases have been proposed in an NC Senate bill and are currently being discussed in conference at the General Assembly in downtown Raleigh. We don't know what will happen with that, but the Provost agreed that we will do everything we can to keep tuition as low as feasibly possible. He and I co-chair the tuition committee and will face tough decisions this year regarding budget cuts, class sizes, technology grants, research, and tuition, etc. Student Government will be reaching out to students in the fall to get your opinions on the proposed increases.
Last week, I received a message from a student concerned about how NC State was delivering degrees to students. Provost Arden helped me clear up that concern and quickly address the issue and respond with an answer. So, it goes without saying, if you have questions or concerns about something, or if something on campus is bothering you, please shoot me an email about it. We are here for you!
Also, when I'm about to meet with people like the Provost, the Chancellor and our Deans, I will Twitter about it a day in advance. If you have something you would like me to bring up, please let me know!
Before I go back to checking emails, I have to throw out a quote from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. A friend reminded me of this earlier today and was like, "Hey, you should blog this!" (I suppose blog can be used as a verb – like Google.)
"Now this is the Law of the Jungle — as old and as true as the sky;
And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back –
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack."
June 25, 2010
Congratulations to NC State! Debbie Yow has been named the new director of athletics, and the future of Wolfpack Athletics is looking awesome! After speaking with our new AD and seeing her at the press conference today, it is quite obvious that she is genuine in her desire to take NC State athletics to the next level. Like it or not, athletics is often the main porthole through which every university is viewed, and the time has come for us to ramp up our game. I'm excited to be a part of that this year, and hopefully you'll join me in letting everyone know that THE PACK BACKS DEBBIE YOW!
• • • • •
June 24, 2010
If somebody asked you, "What does it mean to go to NC State and be in the Wolfpack?" What would you say?
Email me at email@example.com – I'd love to hear what you think.
• • • • •
June 23, 2010
Benefit concert tonight in Harris Field (EDIT: Due to rain, it'll be at Witherspoon) from 6 to 9. UAB, WKNC and SG have partnered together to host this concert for free, but bring canned food to donate to The Food Bank of Eastern NC. Bright Young Things will be the opener and the feature band is What Laura Says. So come out and, and as the free t-shirts we're handing out say, Rock CAN Roll!
• • • • •
June 17, 2010
The Executive Branch's Tradition Commission has already knocked out its first project for the year! Incoming NC State freshmen will receive a deck of cards that highlight the Top 54 Things to Do at our university. Students can go online and keep up with the traditions they complete. I feel like this site is testing my love for NC State… and I accept the challenge!
• • • • •
June 16, 2010
Be ready for some more construction (oh boy!) Just a quick heads-up on some construction updates to be aware of as we come in to the fall semester. Most notably is the Atrium Renovation in the Brickyard. Basically, there is going to be a giant "bubble" in our Brickyard that will house some extra seating while they renovate the inside of the Atrium.
Con: A giant bubble might force us to think outside the box regarding our Brickyard events.
Pro: The Atrium is being renovated… I think we all understand how AWESOME that is!
• • • • •
June 15, 2010
My name's Kelly Hook, and I'm the 2010-11 Student Body President here at NC State. It's an exciting opportunity to serve you, and one that I am really looking forward to. We have a great university family and I can't wait to see where the next year takes us.
As president, my #1 role is to ensure that students and student life are kept at the forefront of university policy and decisionmaking. I attend a lot of meetings to make sure that's happening, and – before I go any further – I have to mention how much this job involves the help of other students.
Student Government (SG) has a ton of hard working, dedicated students in the organization – making it possible for us to positively and significantly impact the University in only a year. On that note, when the fall semester begins, we'll have qualified and proactive students sitting on all university standing committees, and others who will be present at relevant meetings across campus on a daily basis.
It's been a huge relief on my end, and allows our team to turn our focus on creating new programs and continuing to enhance student life on our campus.
As SBP, I want to work toward alleviating the everyday stresses that we all face as students and enhancing our overall NC State experience. Let's reignite Pack Pride, and focus on some of the remarkable things students, staff and faculty are accomplishing here at NC State. Seriously – let's get the word out!
People should know how awesome NC State is, and be able to hear about all the amazing things that happen here – from NC State alums garnering Nobel prizes to our fellow students pitching in to raise the awareness of issues like hunger and poverty to their technological breakthroughs in industry and design. It's up to us to howl about our Wolfpack Pride, and, all cheesy puns aside, I pledge to work as hard as possible to catalyze the spread of Wolfpack fever this year.
That being said, this year should be pretty exciting in and of itself with the upcoming installation of our new chancellor, Randy Woodson, and the hiring of a new athletic director and provost.
Student Government has been hard at work over summer too. Right now we're putting the finishing touches on our Wolfpack Student Discounts program, which will allow NC State students to show our ID's at a number of Hillsborough Street businesses (and eventually those in Cameron Village and Mission Valley) for special discounts. We're also incorporating an online ranking system to provide an incentive for those businesses to offer competitive discounts and for others to join in.
The branch of SG that I manage – the executive branch – has many goals for the 2010-11 school year, which I will address in future columns. But for now, as the end of June approaches, I'm looking forward to the start of new student orientation and welcoming new students into the NC State family.
This is going to be an amazing year at State and I look forward to being a part of it with you! Throughout my term as president, I want to be available and accessible to you. If you have any questions that I can answer (either in future columns or one-on-one), please shoot me an email.
Also, if you have a second, check out The Wolfpack Facebook group which we will keep up to date with campus events and important announcements.
I look forward to hearing from you, and, if you get a chance, go tell the next person you see that you go to NC State University – home of the Wolfpack!
Go State!


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WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama plans to further bolster American forces in Afghanistan and for the first time set benchmarks for progress in fighting al-Qaida and the Taliban there and in Pakistan, the administration told Congressional leaders on Thursday.
In imposing conditions on the Afghans and Pakistanis, Obama is replicating a strategy used in Iraq two years ago in hopes of justifying a deeper American commitment and prodding the governments in the region to take more responsibility for the political, military and economic missions there.
"The era of the blank check is over," Obama told the congressional leaders at the White House, according to an account of the meeting provided on the condition of anonymity because it was a private session.
The new strategy will send an additional 4,000 troops to train Afghan security forces on top of the 17,000 extra combat and support troops he already ordered to Afghanistan shortly after taking office. For now, Obama has decided not to send more combat troops, although commanders at one point had requested a total of 30,000 more American troops.
The benchmarks Obama plans to set are, in effect, the most explicit demands ever presented by Washington to the government in Kabul, and Obama telephoned President Hamid Karzai on Thursday to share the main elements of the strategic review, which is to be made public today.
Officials did not provide details on Thursday, but American officials have repeatedly said Afghanistan needs to make more progress in fighting corruption, curbing the drug trade and sharing power with the regions, while they have insisted that Pakistan do more to cut ties between parts of its government and the Taliban.
The key elements of Obama's plan, with its more robust combat force, its emphasis on training and its far-reaching goals, foreshadow an ambitious but risky and costly attempt to unify and stabilize Afghanistan, as well as its increasingly chaotic neighbor, Pakistan. It comes at a time when the conflict in Afghanistan is worsening, the lives of the people are not visibly improving and the intervention by American-led foreign powers is widely resented.
The goals Obama has settled on may be elusive and, according to some critics, even naive. Among other things, officials said he plans to recast the Afghan war as a regional issue involving Pakistan as well as India, Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the Central Asian nations.
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Armed Services Committee that would have to approve increased spending to carry out the new strategy, emerged from a closed-door briefing with Defense Secretary Robert Gates to declare that he thought administration's review "was right on track."
Senate Republican leaders skipped the White House meeting, citing scheduling conflicts, although Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., later attended a separate briefing by Gates. Republicans generally withheld comment.


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I promise to share happiness!
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I am a newly married wife, in my mid twenties. Software Engineer by profession, I am quite tech friendly and I love to read and write. Maths was my favorite subject at school :) Now, I am working on my vocabulary and drawing skills. I am totally a family person!
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Arty Crafty Wednesday
Posted on April 12, 2017 by Dhanashree
So finally I have brought colors for myself!! And here I am sharing my latest colored drawing – Advertisements
Posted in Blogging, Bucket List, Learn to draw and paint | Tagged art for kids, artforkidshub, doodle, drawing, facebook, fun, instagram, learning, mobile, mobile apps, my thoughts, Pinterest, Snapchat, stressbuster, timepass, trying, twitter, whatsapp | 10 Comments


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text: This news item expired on Saturday, May 18, 2013 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect. On Saturday, May 18, from 2 - 4 p.m., Pack Memorial Library will host a FREE workshop with genealogical researcher Sasha Mitchell with a special focus on African American family history research. Topics will include: the meaning and importance of Buncombe County's slave deeds and their publication online, gathering and recording information from oral history and home sources, searching for local records, and using new technology for collaboration and online sharing. For more information, contact Pack Library at 250-4700 and ask for Tammy Silver. CEU's are available for educators through the Center for Diversity Education. Workshop for Teachers On Monday, August 12 from 1 - 4 p.m. there will be a workshop where teachers will be able to view these primary source documents with a closer look, and out of the box, to create ways to use them in the classroom for grades 4 - 12. The workshop will take place in Lord Auditorium at Pack Memorial Library. It will include a downtown walking tour of sites significant to the African American community. To register, email firstname.lastname@example.com. There is no charge for this workshop with CEU's. For more information, please go to www.buncombecounty.org/slavedeeds.


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Mayer: We really let you down this week
Last week I wrote that Yahoo Mail could be Marissa Mayer's downfall if she didn't take it seriously. Well, it seems she is taking it seriously.
On Friday evening, the Yahoo chief executive personally apologised to Yahoo Mail users for the web-based mail service's continuing technical glitches, which the company posted on Tumblr.
"This has been a very frustrating week for our users and we are very sorry," Mayer's post said. "For many of us, Yahoo Mail is a lifeline to our friends, family members and customers. This week, we experienced a major outage that not only interrupted that connection, but caused many of you a massive inconvenience - that's unacceptable and it's something we're taking very seriously. Unfortunately, the outage was much more complex than it seemed at first, which is why it's taking us several days to resolve the compounding issues.
"As of this afternoon, we've restored access to almost everyone and delivered the backlog of messages. We will continue to work on rolling out IMAP access and to fully restore inbox state (for example, which folders messages were placed in, which messages were starred, etc).
"This process differs for each user and as restoration continues, we're committing to communicating directly with you on progress on an individual basis.
"Above all else, we're going to be working hard on improvements to prevent issues like this in the future. While our overall uptime is well above 99.9 per cent, even accounting for this incident, we really let you down this week. We can, and we will, do better in the future."
A few sincere-sounding words from the CEO obviously aren't going to magically fix Yahoo Mail's problems. And they aren't likely to fully soothe the users who've been affected - nor the millions more who still chafe at the site's controversial redesign.
Still, the personal apology represents an about-face from the dismissive attitude that the company seems to have taken initially. It's a rare step for a tech-company chief, reminiscent of Tim Cook's mea culpa for Apple Maps. If nothing else, it shows that Mayer understands that her reputation and that of her company are at stake, and is taking responsibility for it. Better late than never.
Will Oremus is the lead blogger for Slate's Future Tense, reporting on emerging technologies, tech policy and digital culture.
- Slate


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Talent and storylines aplenty at U18 European Championship
REGENSBURG (David Hein's Eye on the Future) - The European youth summer hoops festival shifts its focus this week to Konya for the U18 European Championship, which promises once again to be a great showcase of elite talent - and great storylines.
Scouts and talent observers from throughout the world will be convening on Turkey for the next 10 days and the level of the tournament will make up for any disappointment about not having a nearby beach to beat the summer heat.
Almost all of the 16 teams will have two or three interesting prospects to watch and a handful of teams have as many as four or five guys who will be on NBA or top European teams' radars over the next few years.
Let's look at a handful of the top storylines to watch as the action tips off today, 24 July 2014.
Another Croatian wave
The Croatians youth movement is slowly becoming a golden era instead of just an age group as this group has almost an embarrassment of riches. Dario Saric led Croatia to the U18 title in 2012 while Paolo Marinelli as well the Zganec twins Bruno and Karlo reached the 2013 Final. Looking to give Croatia another title this season will be 2013 veterans Lovro Mazalin and Marko Arapovic as well as Dragan Bender, Ante Zicic and Nik Slavica. Croatian games will undoubtedly be must-watch fun in Konya.
Already living up to his name
Domantas Sabonis has the huge burden of having that last name, but the son of the legendary Arvydas is doing a good job of making a name for himself - as much as that's even possible. One thing to watch in this tournament will be how Domantas plays in the low block whereas he usually plays more of a power forward position at the club level. Gonzaga University fans will have a special interest in the tournament as Sabonis will head to the United States after the tournament to start a collegiate career.
Ugurlu, Guven, Ulubay ready to please home crowd
Turkish fans are well known for coming out in strong numbers to support their teams and the fans in Konya will have a good team to cheer for with the likes of Berk Ugurlu, Okben Ulubay, Egemen Guven and Ayberk Olmaz. This Turkish side has a chance to become the first team to repeat the U18 European Championship since Yugoslavia in 1986 and 1988 and greats such as Predrag Danilovic and Zan Tabak.
Albert Schweitzer Tournament winners Italy
Italy come into the U18 European Championship as a legitimate contender in my eyes. Not only do they have two absolutely fantastic playmakers in Federico Mussini and Diego Flaccadori but they also have a gutsy glue guy in Alberto Cacace and an athletic big man in Curtis Nwohuocha as well as a great coach in Andrea Capobiano. Oh, and Italy have a winning mentality as they proved by winning the Albert Schweitzer Tournament back in April.
A couple other storylines to watch in Konya are: how good will Serbia be with Stefan Peno and Stefan Lazarevic leading the way; how many new people will fall in love with Marc Garcia's shooting ability for Spain; how far can underclassmen Georgios Papagiannis and Vasileios Charalampopoulos lead Greece; and will Etienne Ory be able to lead France back to the podium for the first time since 2009.
Of course, not to be forgotten will be a huge battle for fifth place as the top five finishers in the tournament secure berths in the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship.
In general, this is my favorite youth tournament to attend. The 18-year-old age group offers so much promise and "dream-on-ness", while also providing knowledge that the development to this point has a certain meaning.
The elite players are knocking on the door of their clubs and senior national teams (or breaking it down in some cases of clubs). And an underclass player standing out at this tournament is a sign of a major talent.
It will be a pleasure to be at the tournament, my first U18 European Championship since 2011 when a certain unknown Alejandro Abrines blasted on the scene and said 'Hello world, here I am'. And we've been enjoying him ever since.
Will there be another Abrines this summer? I can't wait to find out.
David Hein
FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.
FIBA takes no responsibility and gives no guarantees, warranties or representations, implied or otherwise, for the content or accuracy of the content and opinion expressed in the above article.


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Lewis Hamilton says he is looking forward to being able to race a competitive car on his second visit to Suzuka for next week's Japanese Grand Prix.
Suzuka is very much unfinished business for me. I raced the best I could last year, but our car just wasn?������t fast enough.
This year, I?������m holding nothing back ?����ǣ I need a strong result to get my title hopes back on track, and that will be my complete focus from the moment I first sit in the cockpit on Friday morning.
Now is not the time to hold back; now is the time to fight.
Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton said he prefers the John Hugenholtz-designed Suzuka circuit to the Fuji track F1 last raced at two years:
The first two Japanese Grands Prix of my Formula 1 career were held at the Fuji Speedway. While that?������s a great circuit, on arrival at Suzuka for the first time last year, it was clear that this was one of the great racetracks of the world.
It?������s a real driver?������s circuit ?����ǣ you need to be committed and precise to do well there, and there?������s no room for error either: no tarmac run-off, and all the barriers are pretty close, so any mistake is going to hurt your chances big-time.
It?������s also a place with a lot of history. Before I first went there, it was a place I always associated with Senna and Prost, and their incredible rivalry. But it only ever existed on the television screen ?����ǣ walking the track for the first time, and knowing I was standing on the same spot of tarmac where two giants of the sport traded blows was an exciting experience.
Lewis Hamilton
Team mate Jenson Button believes the Japanese track is a good fit for his driving style:
I?������ve had some great results at Suzuka, but I?������ve never won in Japan.
I think it?������s a circuit that suits my style ?����ǣ it?������s all about scrubbing off as little speed as possible through the corners and maintaining a very smooth and precise rhythm: get it wrong and you?������re usually scrabbling to regain your momentum for several more corners. It?������s a punishing place.
Jenson Button
2010 Japanese Grand Prix
- Force India pair expect busy Friday
- Technical review: Japanese Grand Prix
- Massa pleased by di Montezemolo's support
- Hamilton takes heart from McLaren pace
- Mercedes admit missed opportunity to keep Schumacher in front of Rosberg
- Alonso says five drivers can still win title
- 2010 Japanese Grand Prix: the complete F1 Fanatic race weekend review
- Who was the best driver of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend? (Poll)
- Dominant win for Vettel piles pressure on Webber (Red Bull race review)
- Disaster for Massa (Ferrari race review)
Image ?�?� www.mclaren.com


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Australia's ban on mobile phone jamming technology has come under renewed debate, with one local reseller encouraging the implementation of a Bill to allow such devices to be used here.
Mobile phone jammers are used to block annoying mobile phone calls in places such as restaurants, cinemas, museums and libraries, but have been widely criticised for unintentionally jamming phones and equipment outside the area of intended use and interfering with emergency communications.
It has been an offence to operate or supply, or possess for the purpose of operation or supply, such a device in Australia since March 1999. But on the back of the release of a Hong-Kong developed device that claims to better previous versions by not spilling out into unintended areas, one Australian reseller Chris Larmour is encouraging ZDNet readers to contact him (email@example.com) to discuss the implementation of a Bill to allow this product to be used here.
News source: ZDnet Australia


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As SQL Server and BI users ourselves, we've designed the PASS European Conference to be the one, must-attend conference of the year. We believe the cost to attend is paid back many times over through the wealth of learning, connections, and immediate solutions we gain in 3 action-packed, exhausting, and completely exhilerating days.
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PASS European Conference is the only conference that brings together hundreds of SQL Server MVPs, Microsoft team members, authors, experts, and peers for 3 days of SQL Server-focused learning, sharing, and networking. Network and share best practices with your peers and grow both knowledge and expert contacts.
Keep skills up-to-date
Sharpen your edge and stay current on SQL Server topics and technologies.
Improve the return and performance of our SQL Server environment
Learn strategies and skills that help improve the ROI of your SQL Server environment such as virtualization technologies, performance tuning and scaling, better hardware utilization, simplified management, effective business intelligence, and more.
Increase the knowledge and skills of the entire team
Take advantage of the group discount – send 5 employees and save. Additionally, gain access to all session recordings for year-round learning on all aspects of SQL Server.
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Contact IRAC
JERUSALEM – On Tuesday, May 19, 2009, the Israeli High Court of Justice, in a ground-breaking case, awarded equal funding to Reform and Conservative Jewish conversion programs. The Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), the legal advocacy arm of the Reform Movement in Israel, originally filed this petition in 2005 against the Immigration Absorption Ministry for discrimination and today the Supreme Court agreed.
To date, the State of Israel funds privately-run conversion centers alongside state centers; however, only Orthodox centers are recognized and therefore only Orthodox centers received state funding.
The State defended its position in court based on the fact that Reform and Conservative conversions are not recognized in Israel.
The Court noted that most converts in Israel immigrated by the Law of Return, but are not Jewish according to halacha, traditional Jewish law. They wish to convert in order to embrace their Jewish identity and to become more integrated into Israeli society, a goal achieved in conversion programs of all Jewish streams.
The Court called the State's practice of favoring only one Jewish stream discriminatory and contradictory to the State's responsibility of ensuring freedom of religion: "The duty of the State to pluralism is not only a passive duty, but an active one as well." They also sited their previous ruling (Naamat and IRAC in 2002) that "Jews in Israel cannot be seen as only one religious sect."
The verdict in this case calls for all private non-Orthodox conversion programs to be reimbursed retroactively for the years 2006-2009 and for all future funding to be given equally to conversion programs of all Jewish streams.
Attorney Einat Hurvitz, IRAC's Legal Department Director, responded to the Court's ruling: "Today's verdict reaffirms the fundamental right to equality and religious freedom by ruling that the State may not discriminate between people based on their choice of Jewish stream. Today, the Court set a precedent, mandating State-funding for religious services of the Reform Movement and other non-Orthodox streams of Judaism. We hope that this clear message from the court leads to a change in government policy and puts an end to the exclusion of the Reform movement by the State."
For a translated (English) summary of the High Court of Justice's verdict on government funding for non-Orthodox conversion programs, click here.
Israel Religious Action Center
33 Jaffa Street, P.O.B. 31936, Jerusalem, Israel 91319


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Effect of Flax, Poppy, Sesame & Salba on Postprandial Blood Glucose Response, Vascular, Appetite & Sensory Parameters
This study has been completed.
St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Vladimir Vuksan, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: August 26, 2011
Last updated: March 6, 2014
Last verified: March 2014
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
No Study Results Posted on ClinicalTrials.gov for this Study
|Study Status:
|This study has been completed.
|Study Completion Date:
|August 2012
|Primary Completion Date:
|April 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)


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Buy a Galaxy S8, get a free Gear VR
For a limited time, when you purchase a Galaxy S8, S8+ or S8 Active get a free Gear VR, a $129 value.*
The most beautiful TV you've never seen.
Purchase a Frame TV with 24 months special financing. Subject to credit approval. Restrictions apply. See Samsung.com/Financing to learn more.1
The new Gear Fit2 Pro.
Introducing the fitness smartwatch for all the ways you work out.
*Limited time offers. Free Gear VR Offer: Purchase any Galaxy S8, S8+, or S8 Active device on Samsung.com or the Shop Samsung App and receive a Free Samsung Gear VR. Free Gear VR will automatically be added to your cart. Price of Gear VR will automatically be reduced to $0 in the cart. Must check out with both items in same transaction. If qualifying purchase item is returned, customer will either forfeit free "gift" item or if customer has already received the gift, customer will be charged the retail price of the gift on the payment method for the qualifying purchase. Offer valid while supplies last/ Offer cannot be combined with any other rebate, offer or discount. Taxes, shipping fees and other costs may apply. Additional terms apply. See Samsung Standard Gift with Purchase terms here. Subject to availability. $300 Off Trade In Offer: Requires qualifying purchase of Galaxy S8, S8+ or S8 Active on Samsung.com or the Shop Samsung App and receipt of qualifying trade in by Samsung. The following devices are currently eligible for trade-in under the Samsung Trade In Program in exchange for the applicable Trade-In Values listed above: iPhone 5 and above, iPhone SE, Galaxy S5 and above (including Galaxy S active models), Note 5, LG G4 and above, Google Pixel & Pixel XL. The devices must be in good condition (meaning it powers on and holds a charge; has a functioning display; has no breaks or cracks or other visible defects that go beyond normal wear and tear; and is not on a black list of any kind) to be eligible for Trade-In. Prior to trading in device, you must perform a factory reset and remove all personal information from device and eligible devices must have reactivation lock, Google Factory Reset Protection and all other anti-theft locking software disabled. Trade-ins must be received within 15 days of qualifying purchase. Devices not meeting these criteria will not qualify for the trade-in program. Additional terms apply. Click here for the Samsung Trade-In Program Terms to learn more. Samsung reserves the right to modify or discontinue these offers at any time.
1No Interest if Paid in Full within 6, 12, 18 or 24 Months: Available on purchases of select products charged to a Samsung Financing Program Account. On purchases of $250 to $499.99 for 6-month and $500 or more for 12-month, 18-month, or 24-month. To avoid interest, you must pay the full promo balance before the promo period ends. If you do not, you will be charged interest from the purchase date at the standard Purchase APR. After the promo period ends, the standard APR also applies to the remaining balance and the charged interest. You are required to make minimum payments, but minimum payments will not pay off the balance on time. You must make larger payments to avoid the interest. Advertised monthly payment, if any, is greater than your required minimum monthly payment and excludes taxes, delivery or other charges. Limited Time Offer. Regular account terms apply to non-promo purchases. Minimum interest charge: $1. Standard Purchase APR: 29.99%. Prior purchases excluded. Account must be in good standing. Subject to credit approval. Samsung Financing Program Account issued by TD Bank, N.A.
While supplies last at participating authorized Samsung retailers. Subject to change. Actual retail prices may vary. Additional restrictions may apply. Check with your participating Samsung retailer for complete details and availability. Items are subject to available inventory. Promotion dates and prices are as listed for each item. While supplies last. Samsung is not responsible for lost or mishandled orders, either by Samsung's Merchant of Record (the company that processes orders place through the Samsung.com website) or the carriers delivering the order. Delivery for televisions 50" and larger requires an appointment, which will be up to the schedule of the carrier and the individual receiving the order. Most home appliances and connected tablets are not available for purchase through Samsung.com. Price, Promotion, Processing: Pricing, delivery date and other errors may be withdrawn or revised and/or your order may be cancelled at any time before we have both (a) shipped or provided access to your product or service, and (b) received your payment for the product or service. All sales on Samsung.com are subject to the full Terms of Sale. Samsung is not responsible for any errors, omissions or misdirected or lost orders, or orders which may be delayed. Samsung reserves the right to modify pricing and modify or cancel promotions at any time, without prior notice.
© 2017 Samsung Electronics America, Inc. Samsung, Galaxy S, Samsung Gear, and Shop Samsung are all trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.


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Tamil Tigers
It's been just two years since some resemblance of peace returned to the island nation of Sri Lanka, with its 25-year civil war drawing to a close. But now, Britain's Independent Television News charges that government forces herded thousands of Tamil civilians into a "no-fire zone" and opened fire on them. Ray Suarez reports. Continue reading
Ray Suarez discusses allegations that Sri Lankan forces killed thousands of civilians toward the end of the country's civil war with Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the U.S. Jaliya Wickramasuriya and Mark Schneider of The International Crisis Group. Continue reading
Sri Lanka declared Monday that its 26-year war against the Tamil Tigers had ended in a climactic, bloody firefight that reportedly left rebel chief Velupillai Prabhakaran dead along with some 250 of his fighters. Continue reading
As Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers lose more territory in their fight against the government, international powers including the United States, European Union, Japan and Norway have urged the rebels to lay down their arms to avoid more civilian deaths. Continue reading
In a blow to the goals of the separatist Tamil Tigers, Sri Lankan government troops captured the northern town of Kilinochchi Friday, which has served as a de facto headquarters for the rebels in their fight for an independent homeland. Continue reading
Sri Lanka's government ended a six-year cease-fire with Tamil Tiger rebels Wednesday amid continued violence, including most recently a roadside bomb that exploded near a bus in the capital city of Colombo, killing four people. Continue reading
Suicide bombers make the news almost daily in Iraq, but the tactic has long been employed elsewhere around the world. NewsHour analysts explain how recruitment for suicide bombers has become easier and why people would kill themselves for a cause. Continue reading
Landmines in northern Sri Lanka ripped through a crowded bus Thursday morning, killing 64 people, including 15 school children, and wounding 78. Continue reading


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Russia's Billionaire Heiress
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Girls get just five years of formal education before going to work. They are four times more likely than men to contract HIV.
HAITI: Nearly 50 percent of women in the capital's shantytown, Cité Soleil, have beensexually assaulted - not surprising when you consider that rape was criminalized only three years ago.
The Year in Women


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Hi all,
Okay sorry for jumping ahead. I realize the first priority and the reason for this thread is to realize Structured Light in David.
I am seeing the difficulties in using it for the purpose of facial animation and forgive me if this is off topic but I have another idea I would like everyones opinion on.
What if we create a high detail base head using either the traditional david laser scanner or the projection method (eyes and mouth closed). Then we project the De Bruijn illumination pattern while the actor is performing. The 3d frames are stored and then each 3d frame is auto aligned with the base model and a normal or displacement map is created and fitted to the base mesh (such as in xNormal) Could facial animation be solved by applying the normal/displacement map to the base mesh in succession at the original video capture framerate?
EDIT: I have started a Motion Capture discussion here: http://www.david-laserscanner.com/forum ... =4506#4506 So we can continue on with the original topic


text: Houston Texans starting linebacker Zac Diles was hospitalized with an illness. Texans coach Gary Kubiak told reporters today that he's hopeful that he'll be released from the hospital today. "Zac is still not feeling better," Kubiak said in remarks distributed by the team. "Hopefully he will be released sometime this afternoon from the hospital, if everything is okay. My expectations are that he will be ready to go. "He just hadnt been feeling well, just trying to get fluids in him and get him feeling better. I thought maybe hed be over here today, but didnt feel good about that this morning. So well see where were at this afternoon. Diles has been hospitalized since Thursday morning. If he can't go, rookie Darryl Sharpton will start in his place. "He started feeling ill in the meetings," Kubiak said. "Thats when we put him in and had been through the night. link http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Texans-Zac-Diles-hospitalized-with-illness.html


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How many guests can a Disney employee sign into the park at one time? One of my good friends is an employee in animation, and some of our other friends are deluxe pass holders. Is is possible for a Disney employee to sign in a passholder on their blockout day? Thanks for any info.
My friend is married, so his wife also has a spouse pass (not sure what the term is for that). Can she independently sign in more people on the same day? Is it all linked together or are they treated like individual accounts?
I'm asking because my husband and are friends with four other couples. The husband of one couple is the Disney employee. Two couples have deluxe APs, one couple are not passholders, and my husband and I have PAPs. The four couples that have passes want to take the fifth to DL for a birthday celebration, but the only time we have in common is on a blackout day. I know about the $30 pass. But we're trying to minimize costs. I'm wondering how many people we can get in for free.


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But this year, the curtains may be coming down.
Utah lawmakers are considering whether to repeal the requirement, a move that would ease restrictions and encourage new business. Right now, the requirement applies to restaurants that have been in operation for less than three years.
Doing away with the curtain would mark yet another small step by the state to relax its liquor laws.
Lawmakers have introduced a handful of pending bills this year that would ease Utah liquor regulations, including a measure allowing customers to order a drink before they order food and another to make more liquor licenses available to restaurants.
They are scheduled to discuss whether to do away with the curtains Wednesday; the measure has not yet been voted on by either chamber.
The Zion curtains have a long history in the state, and its nickname nods to Utah's legacy as home to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The barriers first went up decades ago in the social clubs that existed before bars were legalized in 2009, unmistakable glass walls separating customers from bartenders.
Those who oppose the Zion curtains say the law forces restaurant owners to waste money and space on configurations to keep bartenders out of sight of patrons using barriers or strategically positioned service bars. Curtain opponents also say the law hinders tourism by annoying outsiders and reinforcing their perception of Utah as staunchly sober.
At Rovali's, an Italian restaurant in Ogden that opened in 2010, waiters explain the state's befuddling liquor laws to out-of-towners and, Montanez said, "you see the eye roll."
"That kind of stifles guests," he said. "They're a little rankled by these weird laws."
Some lawmakers warn that removing the mandate could encourage underage drinking and influence customers to drink too much.
The majority of Utah legislators and residents belong to the Mormon church, which teaches its members to abstain from alcohol.
"Alcohol is a drug," said Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, who opposes the law. "It has social costs. We have DUIs. We have underage drinkers. We have problems that are caused by drinking."
Valentine said he would consider supporting the proposal if the state promised trade-offs such as bulking up police presence around restaurants and nearby roads, or a measure keeping children from entering restaurants serving liquor.
For restaurant owners moving into existing spaces, the law presents a nightmare, said Rep. Ryan Wilcox, R-Ogden. Restaurants sometimes have to cut into floor space, he said, where more tables should be.
"It really just hampers the new guys, the little guys," Wilcox said. "A lot of these guys, too, they're not large operators. They've got one shop: 'This is my restaurant. My lifelong dream. I've invested everything into this.'"
At Rovali's, Montanez plays sommelier for guests who order wine service, setting off a presentation that underscores the patchwork nature of current laws. Montanez opens the wine at the table and invites guests to sniff the cork. If they purchase the bottle, he can pour and serve the bottle. If they order by the glass, however, he must slip away to pour the drink behind a partition.
"Everything we do is show," Montanez said, likening the visible pouring of drinks to a dessert cart.
The display of pastries and sweets bolsters dessert sales at the restaurant by about 15 percent, he said. In comparison, Montanez estimates that removing the curtain would boost wine sales by a similar margin.
"You can't get creative, that's for sure," he said of the partition. "You have to stick with the rules."
Melva Sine, president of the Utah Restaurant Association, said the curtain mandate confuses diners and raises eyebrows. Utah should impose one set of rules for all restaurants, regardless of their start date, Sine said.
"It lessens consumer confidence: What's the reason that you're doing this in the back room?" she said.
Sine rejects the notion that the visible flow of liquor would tempt youngsters to drink.
"We have got to stop feeling like everyone who drinks alcohol is doing something wrong," she said. "We all want people to go out and enjoy themselves and be responsible."


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The irony is somewhat amusing when you've got ostensibly mature, adult superheroes shooting at each other instead of having a grown-up conversation in the big Marvel events like Avengers vs. X-Men, while in the less-publicized books like Avengers: The Children's Crusade and now Avengers Academy #28, you've got teenaged characters acting with ten times more wisdom than their supposed role models do. In the former, the Young Avengers tried to solve problems while the big-name teams fought and yelled, and in the latter, the conflict between the AA kids and the Runaways, sparked by the well-meaning intentions of the teachers at the school, is resolved not with fisticuffs, but with everybody listening to each other and trying to understand each other's points of view.
The result of which is that the big blockbuster event looks to be viscerally fun to watch but pretty dumb overall, while the smaller story gives you the feeling that your intelligence is being respected and engages your higher brain functions. Sounds like the entire medium of film. Go figure. Perhaps that's the point – these big event books are supposed to be 'check your brain at the door' entertainment, and maybe they require a whole different way of appraising them. Then again, The Descendants never had to incorporate plot elements from The Twilight Saga.
Anyway, the two-part guest-starring role of the Runaways makes for a great book in Christos Gage's hands, as the kids find their lost dinosaur Old Lace in another dimension, and then the magic rod (*snicker*) wielding Nico Minoru reveals that she spied on Professors Hank Pym and Tigra and learned that they plan to take the youngest members of the Runaways – Molly Hayes and Klara Prast – out of the teens' custody to try to find them homes and families, constituting ultimate betrayal. Yes, a fight starts, but they actually talk to each other, and more importantly, listen to each other. They allow competing thoughts to co-exist in their heads, and they weigh the pros and cons of both sides of the issue. In fact, the stalwart young Reptil even comes up with the idea for Nico to use her magic rod (*snicker*) to cast a spell of understanding, so they can all get into each other's heads and truly comprehend the experiences that brought them to this impasse. It's a pretty intense and personal experience for everybody involved. The rift is then resolved with concessions on both sides and everyone leaves as friends. Hell, Julie Power's even going to start dating Karolina Dean. You go, rainbow girls. And hey, Chase Stein appears to be getting it into his head that maybe he can go back in time to rescue his dead love Gertrude Yorkes.
All of that, and it's still a highly entertaining read. The focus is on the characters, not showing off powers. But Giant Hank Pym climbing up trees like a monkey is still fun, regardless.
Gage's writing is completely engaging, as usual, and we like all of these people. The art from Karl Moline is also pretty sharp, doing a very good job at juggling this huge cast of characters and managing all their expressions deftly. Avengers Academy is one of the best things Marvel has going for it right now, and the fact that they can publish stories like this that completely undercut their blockbuster endeavors without fear speaks well of them. There's room for all kinds here – and there's no better illustration of that than Avengers Academy, where all kinds mingle free and relatively easily.


text: Ian Gavan, Getty Images [ So, Do You Think You Can Sing? Part 2 By Scott Blaine March 24, 2011 Calling all you singers out there! Tonight is the second of four opportunities for you to win $5,000 cash. It's the 2nd edition of our Country Idol Karaoke contest at Vapor in the Saratoga Casino and Raceway. Read More Category: Contests Tags: casey danton, Country Idol Karaoke, jay yager, scott blaine, vapor Send to a friend! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr!


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Industry Market Trends
Worth a Look: Turning Your Supply Chain into a Supply Circle
Dec 19, 2012
Plus: Fiscal Cliff Talks Yield Progress, EPA Introduces Tighter Soot Regulations, Personalities that Ruin Meetings, Better Ways to Use Technology and Learning from the Worst CEOs. Sometimes the Internet seems like it's gotten too big. To help navigate this sea of information, Industry Market Trends' weekly Worth a Look feature spotlights some of the more interesting, informative and amusing resources that might have slipped under your radar - all in bite-sized chunks.
- Latest Fiscal Cliff Talks Seem Promising | In a meeting on Monday, President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner moved closer to an agreement on the fiscal cliff issue. Obama made concessions on his tax proposal, agreeing to reduce the amount of new revenue he is seeking to $1.2�trillion over 10 years and limiting tax hikes only to households earning more than $400,000 a year. Meanwhile, Boehner agreed to allowing certain tax increases in exchange for deep cuts to healthcare and retirement programs. While they have yet to settle on a permanent plan, the latest discussion suggests progress toward an agreement.
- EPA Tightens Soot Rules | The EPA has issued a new air quality standard that will cut the maximum allowable amount of soot released into the air from smokestacks, diesel trucks and other sources of pollution by 20 percent. The new rule sets the annual standard for soot at 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air, down from the previous 15 micrograms per cubic meter. While the provision is being praised by environmentalists, industry groups claim the policy could hurt economic growth and cut jobs in areas where pollution levels are deemed too high.
- 5 Personality Types that Derail Meetings | One of the most common complaints in today's workplace is that we all have too many meetings, and there are certain types of behavior patterns that can reduce the effectiveness of these meetings, stretch them out or derail them entirely. CBS MoneyWatch provides a list of five personality types to watch out for in a meeting and how to neutralize their effect, including: the bully, the would-be visionary and the rambler.
- Why We're Using the Web Wrong | Widescreen monitors, Web browser tabs and other technological improvements haven't actually benefitted everyone, primarily because many users simply don't know how to take advantage of them effectively. Google researcher Dan Russell discusses the various misconceptions about the "average user" and explains how the now-standard features of computer technology can be better harnessed in day-to-day life.
- Best Leadership Lessons from the Worst CEOs | A major mistake by the head of a company can do serious harm to business or even bring the company down entirely. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, there are many lessons leaders can learn by studying the failures of the worst CEOs, as Inc.com explains. These lessons not only show what to avoid when running a business, but also how to strengthen one's skills.
- How Manufacturers Can Beat Rising Commodity Prices | By improving resource productivity and using less for each unit of output, manufacturers can improve value, cut costs and reduce their exposure to volatile commodity prices. McKinsey & Company shows how new business models that transform the supply chain into a "supply circle" can significantly improve efficiency and profits.
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Washington, June 2 (ANI): Jumping genes provide extensive 'raw material' for evolution, an American study has shown.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that any two peoples' genomes differ at roughly 285 sites out of the 1139 sites studied.
These results were found by scanning the genomes of 25 individuals, 15 of which were unrelated.
Jumping genes - also called transposons - are sequences of DNA that move to different areas of the genome within the same cell.
Study co-author Haig Kazazian, Seymour Gray Professor of Molecular Medicine, in the Penn Department of Genetics, said:
"The significance of this work is that there is much more diversity in our genome due to insertions by this family of transposons than previously thought.
"This movement of genetic material provides the raw material of genetic evolution, and it doesn't take into account the insertions that we believe occur outside of the sperm and egg cells studied in this project."
Transposons are a source of diversity within a species' gene pool, with implications on many levels.
For example, slight changes in genes help organisms adapt and survive in new environments, and populations with genetic diversity are less vulnerable to disease and problems with reproduction.
Insertions into certain spots in the genome can also cause cell function to go awry, so understanding their placement and variation in the human genome is important for a fundamental understanding of disease.
Insertions can cause many genetic diseases, such as hemophilia and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and may play a role in the development of cancer.
Retrotransposons are the major class of jumping genes, with the L1 family the most abundant type of retrotransposon in the human genome.
L1s comprise about 17 percent of the human genome.
Eventually, continuous jumping by retrotransposons expands the size of the human genome and may cause shuffling of genetic content.
For example, when retrotransposons jump, they may take portions of nearby gene sequences with them, inserting these where they land, and thereby allowing for the creation of new genes.
Even otherwise unremarkable insertions of L1s may cause significant effects on nearby genes, such as lowering their expression.
Retrotransposons move by having their DNA sequence transcribed or copied to RNA, and then instead of the genetic code being translated directly into a protein sequence, the RNA is copied back to DNA by the retrotransposon's own enzyme called reverse transcriptase.
This new DNA is then inserted back into the genome.
The process of copying is similar to that of retroviruses, such as HIV, leading scientists to speculate that retroviruses were derived from retrotransposons.
The team also found that on average 1 in 140 individuals have obtained a new L1 insertion from their parents.
When all retrotransposon insertions, including L1 and others, are considered about 1 in 40 individuals have received a new insertion from their parents.
The current study counted insertions in the heritable germ cell line, that is in egg and sperm cells.
Kazazian said: "The real elephant in the room is the question of the incidence of somatic insertions, insertions in cells that aren't eggs or sperm.
"We don't yet know the incidence of those somatic insertions."
The findings of the study appear online in Genome Research. (ANI)