text:
Findmeagift is a company selling over 8000 gifts. Set up in 2000 from a spare bedroom, our MD wanted to create a site where people like him could go to find a plethora of gift ideas. As a young man, he struggled to find the perfect gift for friends and family and he believed there were many people in the same boat.
What do we do?
Findmeagift sell fun, unusual, and affordable gifts for all celebrations.
What do we believe in?
To keep our customers coming back, we believe we need to continuously add new products so we always have fresh gift ideas that customers haven't seen before.
We aim to intrigue our customers with our product selections, which often have an unusual spin.
If customers have a question or query then we get back to them as quickly as possible, usually within a few hours and we bend over backwards to make sure they are happy. Returning customers give us security and we treat them like gold.
We don't like to let our customers down and work hard to make sure orders placed before 2pm are dispatched the same day. Although our standard delivery service can take up to 5 days, 95% of these are delivered the following day.
We price compare hundreds of products every day to offer best value for money. Sometimes it's difficult to be the cheapest because we aim to be the best too – but we will always be very competitive while maintaining the brilliant service customers deserve.
We all work hard but we all like to have a laugh too – so customers are always greeted with a smile – even if you can't see it over the phone.
Delivery rates and timescales* Once your order has been dispatched Standard Delivery is 2- 5 days & priced from 3.95. Next Working Day Delivery is £5.95 (order must be placed before 2pm to be dispatched the same day. We do not class Saturdays as a working day.) We aim to deliver your order in one delivery. Occasionally your order may be sent in more than one parcel. If you do not receive everything you were expecting, please wait until the next working day before contacting us as the goods should be in transit.
Delivery locations and exceptions (areas / seasonal timings)* Mainland UK. Bank Holidays are not a working day for us.
Information on order tracking (if required) Tracking details will be available on all Next Working Day Deliveries and will be emailed to you.
Missed Delivery, Delivery cancellations and amendments* If the parcel cannot be delivered to you a card will be left for you to arrange redelivery (not guaranteed) or collect from your local postal depot.
Returns principles & process*
*** Please contact us if you need to return something to us and we will issue you with a returns number which will speed up the return process for you. We will send you all the information you need to return the item to us. Please email us mailto:email@example.com or call us on 01926 818800.
"I'm sorry - I don't like it!"
If you purchase something from us, it arrives and you just don't like it (or if the gift recipient didn't like it) - you can return it and we'll cheerfully refund your money providing the item hasn't been used and is in its original condition. We will deduct loyalty points from your account accordingly. (Faulty items do not have to be returned in original condition - see below.)
You can cancel or return your order within 28 days without reason. We will refund your money, less any giftwrapping or shipping charges which you requested, within 30 days. You are required to return the goods and have a responsibility to take care of those goods whilst in your control. Unless the goods are faulty or were sent in error you will bear any costs in returning the goods. You will be responsible for any carriage or legal costs we incur in retrieving the item(s) should you not return them.
PLEASE NOTE - we regret we cannot accept the return of opened or worn fancy dress costumes and masks (unless they are faulty) or flying toys if they have been used. Also if the product uses electricity and you live outside the UK, it is the responsibility of the customer to check whether the product uses batteries or mains electricity and that it will work using the end users domestic electricity supply.
Please note, the delivery charges for unwanted items will not be refunded nor will Find me a gift pay delivery costs for the return of unwanted items. Your refund will be processed within 28 days.
"Eek - it's broken!"
If an item arrives damaged or faulty, or we have sent you the wrong item in error, we will of course replace it and refund you the cost of the return postage. You must notify us of any damage or error within 7 days of receipt. If you do not want the item replaced, make sure you mention this in your return e-mail and you will be refunded in full upon return of the item to us.
PLEASE NOTE - we regret we cannot accept the return of flying toys if they have been used. Also items delivered outside the UK cannot be returned or refunded if they are faulty because their use outside the UK invalidates their warranty. Find Me A Gift will provide a returns label for faulty items so please contact us to arrange.
Charges for returns*
We do not refund original/return postage charges on unwanted items. Items must be returned in original packaging and in a resaleable condition.
Returns packaging guidelines*
Unwanted items must be returned in a resaleable condition. Where possible please return any item in their original external packaging. Please note, items that have been purchased via tesco.com cannot be returned to a Tesco store.
Talk to our Tesco Partner directly about their products or an order.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone : 01926 818800
*Calls charged at local rate from a BT landline. Other providers charges may vary, we recommend checking with your network provider.
Customer service opening hours* 9- 5.30 Monday - Friday
Postal address:
Northfield Road
Kineton Road Industrial Estate,
Southam, CV47 0FG
Registration number 4017992
Talk to Tesco
If you prefer, you can also talk to Tesco about your order:
We value your opinion


text:
Friday September 20, 2013, Germantown MD - Knights of Columbus, McKenna Council #11024, is hosting a $25 per/person 20 game Bingo Vera Bradley/Longaberger basket - Light snacks included. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. - first game at 7 pm. Special games - 50/50 raffle and a CASH Jackpot Bingo are planned for the evening. Bingo is held at Mother Seton Parish Center is located at 19951 Father Hurley Blvd on the corner of Father Hurley Blvd and Middlebrook Dr. Call (240) 252-1499 or email Mark Rummel at email@example.com for more information –
MAIL your CHECK - Payable to Fr. McKenna Council #11024
C/O Mark Rummel, 20408 Shore Harbour Dr., UNIT D, Germantown MD 20874
All proceeds support the LOCAL public programs of the Knights Columbus

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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Thread: clipbucket javascript
Dec 16, 2011, 16:25 #1
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clipbucket javascript
Hello, in the channel of a user in clipbucket, down page there are the tabs "Activity", "Infos", "Videos", "Groups" and "Photos"...
When I click in Videos, Groups and Photos tabs clipbucket doesn't load and show them, could you help me solve this?
the only problem sometimes I get in javascript error consol is "The object doesn't support the method appendTo". I marked red the line with the problem in the code below here.
you can see the problem in this page, logging in with "arvixe" as username and password
Thank you
function channelObjects(object,div,type,user,assign) { var obj = $(object), curRel = obj.attr('rel'), DIV = $(div), oldRel = obj.parents('ul').find('a.selected').attr('rel'); if(curRel) { if($("#"+curRel).css('display') == 'block') return false; else { obj.parents('ul').find('a.selected').removeClass('selected'); obj.addClass('selected'); $("#"+oldRel).hide(); $("#"+curRel).show(); } } else { var newRel = type+"DIV"; obj.attr('rel',newRel); $.ajax({ url : page, type : "POST", dataType : "json", data : ({ mode : "channelObjects", content : type, user : user, assign : assign}), beforeSend : function() { obj.append(loading_img) }, success : function(data) { obj.find('img').remove(); obj.parents('ul').find('a.selected').removeClass('selected'); obj.addClass('selected'); $("#"+oldRel).hide(); $("

").attr('id',newRel).addClass($("#"+oldRel).attr('class')).html(data.html).appendTo(DIV); } }) }
Last edited by ralph.m; Dec 17, 2011 at 02:12. Reason: link removed
Dec 17, 2011, 02:01 #2
The problem is that jQuery's html() method returns a string, not a jQuery object.
I think all you need to do is move the "appendTo" earlier in the chain, so that it's before the "html" method.
Of course, there might be more going on; that's just the first thing that jumped out at me.
Off Topic:
Are we allowed to link to porn?
I'm the web overlord for Graphic Business Systems
Dec 17, 2011, 02:13 #3
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No, porn links are not allowed. Hopefully the question can be answered without the link. Otherwise, in future, put up a test page demonstrating the code but without the porn on a test domain etc.
Dec 18, 2011, 13:35 #4
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I checked on the official clipbucket site and the function is exactly like mine so the problem isn't there and i don't know why it doesn't show them...
it call elements that are in the mysql database so i guess there is some php code associated with js doing that but where is?
thank you


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I'm seeing a ton of trackback spam here lately. What's going on? Someone is stealing my content, then tracking back to my blog here, all in an attempt to get traffic and spiders to come and visit. I've been marking all these things as spam. I think that Akismet (the blog spam killing service I've been using) has been using that feedback because other bloggers, like the BestBlog blog, notice that the spam problem gets better over time. I won't link to the sites that are doing this spamming, but if you go to centplus.com you'll see one such spam site.
I hate sites like this!


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Police are warning South Shore businesses of an increase in armed robberies of delivery men this month.
The suspects order takeout food from local restaurants, then two men approach the deliverymen upon arrival and rob then at gunpoint, according to a community alert from Area Central detectives.
Both robberies happened near the 7400 block of South Paxton Avenue, police said.
The suspects are described as 24- to 30-year-old black men armed with a silver pistol or blue steel revolver, police said. They are about 5-feet-9 to 6-feet and 140 to 200 pounds.
One man has short hair and the other has an Afro, police said.
Follow @fox32news
Police are investigating the murder of a homeless man who was beaten to death in an alley in Logan Square.
KSAZ-TV & KUTP511 W. Adams St.Phoenix, AZ 85003Phone: (602) 257-1234Fax: (602) 262-0177


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When open enrollment begins next week for the president's new healthcare program, chances are oneof your options will be a high-deductible insurance plan offered in association with a health reimbursement account—80 percent of companies said they planned to offer such a plan to their employees for 2014, according to a recent Towers Watson report.Read more
Used in combination, these two components can lead to cost savings of about 25 percent for both companies and employees (without factoring in the additional tax savings) – but they're still not well understood. Nearly two-thirds of consumers simply don't know how HSAs work, according to a Fidelity study.
Here's a quick primer on what you need to know about HSAs.


text:
Newegg.com - A great place to buy computers, computer parts, electronics, software, accessories, and DVDs online. With great prices, fast shipping, and top-rated customer service - once you know, you Newegg.
If you are reading this message, Please click this link to reload this page.(Do not use your browser's "Refresh" button). Please email us if you're running the latest version of your browser and you still see this message.
Newegg.com - Computer Parts, Laptops, Electronics, HDTVs, Digital Cameras and More!
PC Tools & Testers
+ 20% off w/ promo code LBDSALE35, ends 9/1 Rosewill RTK-002 Anti-Static Wrist Strap
+ 20% off w/ promo code LBDSALE35, ends 9/1 Rosewill RTK-002 Anti-Static Wrist Strap
Syba SY-ACC65058 Multi-Function Hammer Tool, Hammer + Screwdriver + Bottle Opener + Bit/Socket Adapter Storage
Special savings, limited offer Syba SY-ACC65042 18-Piece 2-in-1 Design Ratchet & Screw Driver Tool Kit
Syba SY-ACC65059 15-in-1 Ratchet Screwdriver with Hex Key Wrench, Adjustable Handle Shapes for Best Torque
WARNING: The products listed on this page and in this category may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, or birth defects or other reproductive harm.


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The wait is over! Download the BeerAdvocate app on iTunes or Google Play now.
Get 12 issues / year of BeerAdvocate magazine for only $9.99!
Provider - Steel Toe Brewing
Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse.
Ratings: 100 | Reviews: 30 | Display Reviews Only:
Reviews by NilocRellim:
4.1/5 rDev +10.5%
The beer has a clear, golden look to it with virtually no head. There is not much to the smell... grains, yeast, and faintly hoppy. The taste is very refreshing. It has a slightly hop taste with no bitterness. It tastes like a nice lager.
Would I buy it again? Definitely! You could drink it all night and not get tired of it!
01-26-2013 07:20:22 | More by NilocRellim
More User Reviews:
3.75/5 rDev +1.1%
03-11-2013 20:30:45 | More by ryancl
3.2/5 rDev -13.7%
Serving glass: Poured from bottle into Nonic Imperial Pint.
Appearance: Hazy straw yellow with nice, brilliant white cap and minor lacing.
Smell: Lemon, grass and citrus. Pretty floral and dry smelling.
Taste: Bread, lemon and a light grassiness. Finish is floral, not bitter. Unfortunately, there is an aftertaste that I would almost say is medicinal, despite not having any cherry flavor.
Feel: Light but firm body. Lively carbonation. Finish is almost nicely dry, but the lingering aftertaste has some residual sweetness.
Overall: If not for the aftertaste, this would have been a top notch Blonde Ale. This is my first experience with Steel Toe, but I bought the other three year round bombers they offer, and I remain very hopeful about those.
05-10-2012 22:20:32 | More by bsp77
3.5/5 rDev -5.7%
06-14-2014 15:49:41 | More by warmbier804
4.18/5 rDev +12.7%
Poured from 22 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass.
Appearance: Pours a clear pale straw golden orange with lots of rising bubbles. Huge five finger white head with good retention. Leaves a lot of lacing around the glass.
Smell: A light but crisp and refreshing smelling aroma. Bready pale malts and wheat cereal grains with good hints of crackers and yeast. Nice hints of citrus lemon zest and orange. Some floral hops. Light hint of honey like sweetness. A laid back but solid smell.
Taste: Again, light and easy drinking as expected, but with some really nice subtle flavors. Pale malts and wheat grains with solid hints of bread, yeast, hay, and crackers. Good citrus fruit taste of lemon zest and orange. Light hint of honey. Floral hops add a light bitterness and earthy quality. Hop presence is actually fairly vibrant considering the style.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Crisp, creamy, and somewhat tart and juicy. Very easy drinking.
Overall: A very solid summer beer. One of the fuller tasting examples of the Blonde style. Nice citrus taste.
08-02-2012 05:25:08 | More by MattyG85
4/5 rDev +7.8%
11-18-2011 18:22:40 | More by dc55110
3/5 rDev -19.1%
01-08-2012 03:20:17 | More by jignrig
3.25/5 rDev -12.4%
04-14-2012 02:16:06 | More by Cooper
4.1/5 rDev +10.5%
Picked up a bomber at the Four Firkins for $5. I should have bought another. It's a simple, but very tasty and well-made blonde ale that borders on the lighter side of a pale ale. The aroma is a mix of lightly toasted pale malt and mild, floral tangerine hops. These carry through to the flavor, where the gentle, floral hops character picks up, reminding me of a for subtle Surly Bitter Brewer. It's smooth, very drinkable and finished with a little kick of pale malt grain instead of hops. Wow, this is a great session beer.
12-21-2011 00:20:26 | More by tempest
4.5/5 rDev +21.3%
01-18-2012 03:33:51 | More by djschnabel
3.53/5 rDev -4.9%
Pale golden color with a slight haze. A solid two fingers of head that had good retention. The head settles to a thick cap. Moderate amount of lacing is left down the glass.
Aroma is mostly sweet, bready malt. Not picking up much of the advertised floral hops.
Not picking up much hops in the flavor either. Not overly sweet thankfully. The malt has some bready, grainy qualities. It has a clean flavor but falling short of being a crisp beer.
I really dig the mouthfeel. Great texture for a light beer with the carbonation nearing perfection.
A good blonde ale. However it is ridiculously expensive. I would never buy another bottle again at the current bomber price.
09-29-2011 20:43:23 | More by morimech
3.75/5 rDev +1.1%
10-06-2012 20:24:44 | More by ElfKicker
3.25/5 rDev -12.4%
07-21-2013 13:29:20 | More by x37x
5/5 rDev +34.8%
11-14-2011 18:27:46 | More by Yulles
3.83/5 rDev +3.2%
Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.
A nice fluffy and bleach white head. Barely makes about three fingers tall, but seems to slow sink into a soapy retention puck. Body is a golden light brass yellow, slightly hazy a bit, with some fine carbonation.
The nose provides a little mellow bread, but not much else. Non existent or very subuded hop aroma. A little bit of pastry like sweetness slightly, but otherwise kind of basic if fine. Not much else to say here or going on.
For an otherwise boring start, things improve a bit. A good chewy body of wheat denisty with some surprisng fruit tones in the mid palate. Faint juiced lemon and mushy orange flavor a bit. Finishes quite clean with a good chewy coating to match. Has some creamy tones, almost in a sort of Blue Moon oats way perhaps, but with a much less sweeter finish.
Overall while not a fav style, and one that I seem to randomly fall into from time to time and don't seek out, this one is a decent if not one of the better American blonde ales I've had.
08-24-2014 23:45:46 | More by smakawhat
3.5/5 rDev -5.7%
01-05-2014 03:40:07 | More by bigbeers84
4/5 rDev +7.8%
08-04-2013 00:26:13 | More by StompingClover
4/5 rDev +7.8%
11-05-2012 04:04:30 | More by MN_Beerticker
3.93/5 rDev +5.9%
You gotta hand it to Steel Toe. While so many new breweries are charging butt-rape prices for their bombers despite lack of pedigree, Steel Toe's bombers are priced to move, despite their growing positive street cred. Bomber of Provider, split. Not looking for an earth-changer, just a good summer beer on a scorching, repressive night at the cabin.
Pour is dishwater blonde, with a head that rises and falls as quickly as the third reich.
Smell: Granary, lemon, flour
Citrus takes a bigger role in the flavor. As to be expected, not a real hop presence. Not a real strong presence for much of anything. This is a beer meant to be easy.
Mouthfeel: Thin and easy, light alcohol, spot-on carbonation. For a summer beer, Steel Toe nailed it.
This is a candidate for a go - to summer beer, but it is hampered by not being available in 12 oz bottles.
07-11-2012 15:49:12 | More by lurpy1
3.58/5 rDev -3.5%
Bright shade of goldenrod, with a light white head and decent retention.
Husky/grainy aroma with very light floral hops. Lacking staleness I associate the with this style.
Flavor is leans heavily toward malty (pilsner?) with hops barely discernible. Still there is a good balance between sweet and bitter. Finish is dry and pretty clean.
Feel is far from flat, but carbonation is fine and overall feel is pretty smooth as opposed to crisp, although it does finish with a nice dryness.
It's hard to get excited about this style, but this was a well made beer.
02-22-2012 04:24:20 | More by GeezLynn
3.25/5 rDev -12.4%
02-10-2014 21:54:48 | More by mayxday
3.9/5 rDev +5.1%
from a bomber
A- pours a nice slight hazed golden yellow color with a 1 finger white head with spotty lacing
S- was floral hops and baked bread with and a touch of lemon and spice
T- floral citrus hops with baked bread malts a lemon grass in the background a hint of spice
M- good carbonation very fresh it was just days old
O- a great hoppy citrus blond ale that i could drink all the time..but @ $5 a bomber its very expensive..put this in 6 paks pls
10-04-2011 22:24:32 | More by gatornation
3.5/5 rDev -5.7%
05-12-2012 22:44:48 | More by yokken
3.75/5 rDev +1.1%
07-04-2013 22:18:46 | More by PieOhMy
3/5 rDev -19.1%
04-14-2012 00:31:19 | More by LaCoursiere
Provider from Steel Toe Brewing
84 out of 100 based on 100 ratings.


text:
Metal Palm Tree Candleholder
Metal Palm Tree Candle HolderCTPPTM
Available to ship 10/30/14
Your Price: $12.99 each
Qty. of 1 - 4 price $12.99 each
Qty. of 5 + price $11.99 each
Bring the tropics to your event with the Metal Palm Tree Candle Holder. The Palm Tree Candle holder is 13 3/4inches high and 5 1/2 inches wide and holds a glass vase for your tealight. Tealight not included. Your guests will love the uniqueness of this Palm Tree Candle Centerpiece.
Please allow ample time for delivery. Our ship date for this product is noted in your shopping cart. Many items are shipped separately, so please allow extra time for these items to arrive. Shipping charges are based on the value of the merchandise and not the number of shipments. For additional shipping information, contact our Customer Service Department at (email@example.com or 1-800-227-2789).
Detailed shipping information
Detailed shipping information
Product Reviews
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®by PowerReviews
- Attractive (3)
- Good value (3)
Best Uses
- Celebration (3)
Reviewed by 3 customers
Sort by
- Attractive Design
- Good Value
Best Uses
- Adults
- Celebration
- Teens
- Themed Parties
I used the palm tree as a center piece for my wedding with some little additions and it was perfect for our beach themed wedding
- Was this a gift?:
- No
- Attractive Design
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Good Value
Best Uses
- Adults
- Celebration
- School Activities
This centerpiece worked great for prom. They were much sturdier than expected. Each of our prom committee members received one as a thank you for their hard work. They loved it!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
- Attractive Design
- Colorful
- Good Value
- Quality Construction
Best Uses
- Celebration
- Party Favors and Activities
- Themed Parties
Perfect for a Tropical Wedding Reception
Questions & Answers


text:
If you were hoping for some clarity on the NBA Playoff picture heading into the last week of the NBA season, then I'm sorry for you. We have just two games left, and basically nothing is settled. This is all we know at this point:
- The Cavaliers will be the number one seed in the East.
- The Magic will be the number two seed in the East.
- The Lakers will be the number one seed in the West.
Everything else is still up for grabs. Here are the standings as we speak.
- Cleveland: 61-20
- Orlando: 57-23
- Atlanta: 51-29
- Boston: 50-30
- Milwaukee: 45-35
- Miami: 45-35
- Charlotte: 43-37
- Chicago: 39-41
- Toronto: 38-42
Atlanta is currently the three seed, but if they and Boston finish with identical record, the Celtics will get the three seed because they are a division winner and Atlanta is not. The Bucks and Heat have the same record, but Milwaukee will get the fifth seed if they are tied by virtue of their 3-1 head-to-head record against the Heat. Charlotte will likely be the seventh seed, assuming Milwakee or Miami wins one of their final two games. Chicago's win over Toronto last night vaults them a game ahead of the Raptors in the race for the eighth spot, but the Raptors have the tiebreaker because of their 2-1 record against the Bulls this season.
So that's complicated. But check out the West right now.
- LA Lakers: 56-24
- Dallas: 53-27
- Denver: 52-28
- Utah: 52-28
- Phoenix: 52-28
- Portland: 49-31
- San Antonio: 49-31
- Oklahoma City: 49-31
Let me try to sum this up as best as I can. Dallas is in the driver's seat in the race for the two spot in the conference. They hold the tiebreaker advantage over Denver (head-to-head record) and Phoenix (division winner), and would hold the advantage over Utah unless the Jazz win the Northwest Division, because the Jazz are 2-1 against the Mavericks this season. Denver has the tiebreaker advantage over Utah if the two finish with identical records. At the bottom of the conference, Portland and Oklahoma City will play tonight for the right to avoid a first-round matchup with the Lakers. If the Thunder lose, they will be the eighth seed, because the Spurs hold the tiebreaker over them. If the Blazers lose, they could still avoid eighth, because they have the tiebreaker advantage over the Spurs.
Confused? Don't be. The bottom line is that this week's games carry extra weight because of their ramifications for playoff positioning. Here are the games you should be watching over the next three days.
Toronto at Detroit, 7:30 p.m., NBA TV - The Raptors need a win to stay in the race for the eighth spot in the East. If they lose, the Bulls will only need to win one of their final two games to finalize a first-round date with Cleveland. A Raptors win is by no means a sure thing. Not only are they playing terribly with Chris Bosh out, Andrea Bargnani space cadet-ing and Hedo Turkoglu partying, but Detroit has won three of their last four games, having not received the memo that it's tanking season.
Atlanta at Milwaukee, 8:00 p.m. - A Hawks win, combined with a Celtics loss to the Bulls on Tuesday, means the Hawks will have the number three seed. A Bucks win, combined with a Heat loss in Philadelphia tonight, means the Bucks will have the fifth seed. There is no truth to the rumors that Andrew Bogut will play through a shattered wrist.
Oklahoma City at Portland, 10:00 p.m. - As previously noted, this game is huge. A Thunder loss dooms them to the eighth seed, while the Blazers could still rise to seventh if they can match San Antonio's record. In other words, it's a pretty bad time for Brandon Roy to not play. Roy suffered a knee contusion in yesterday's win over the Lakers and will miss tonight's game. Oklahoma City also has an injury to worry about, but it's center Nenad Kristic, who is replaceable. Advantage, Thunder.
Dallas at LA Clippers, 10:30 p.m., NBATV - A Mavericks win means they will likely be the two seed. The only way they wouldn't be is if Utah won both of their final two games to steal the Northwest Division from the Nuggets.
Boston at Chicago, 8:00 p.m., TNT - A Bulls win combined with a Raptors loss, which is very likely because Toronto stinks right now, gives Chicago the eighth seed. Boston needs to win to keep pace with Atlanta for the third seed. Just to drive this point home, if Boston and Atlanta finish with identical records, the Celtics would get the three seed because they play in a terrible division, while the Hawks have to deal with the Magic. This would happen even though the Hawks are 4-0 against the Celtics this season. This is why divisions in the NBA are worthless.
Denver at Phoenix, 10:30 p.m., TNT - The Suns need this win to earn the tiebreaker advantage over the Nuggets, which, because of the dumb division rule, would only come into play if the Jazz finish with a better record than Denver. Have I mentioned that divisions are dumb?
Cleveland at Atlanta, 8:00 p.m. - How's this for a reward for the Hawks season? They're in the driver's seat for the third seed, but they'd have to beat both Milwaukee and Cleveland to ensure they get it. Then again, Cleveland is probably resting their starters, so the Hawks might have caught a break.
Milwaukee at Boston, 8:00 p.m. - This is a possible first-round playoff preview, either as a 3-6 or a 4-5 matchup. Boston would have nothing to play for if they lose to Chicago Tuesday and the Hawks beat the Bucks on Monday, but otherwise, the three seed could be on the line. The Bucks will definitely have something to play for, unless they beat Atlanta on Monday and the Heat lose to Philadelphia, which would allow the Bucks to wrap up the fifth seed. Confused yet?
Chicago at Charlotte, 8:00 p.m. - Charlotte will probably have the seventh seed wrapped up by now, so they probably won't have any reason to play hard. The Bulls could also have the eighth seed wrapped up if they beat Boston on Tuesday, but only if Toronto loses to Detroit on Monday. If that happens, the Bulls could still miss the playoffs if they lose to Charlotte and Toronto beats the Knicks on Wednesday. If that scenario seems improbable, rest assured, it isn't. The Bulls were a game up on Philadelphia for sixth last year, but they lost a home game to the crappy Raptors on the final day of the season and the Sixers vaulted ahead of them by beating the shorthanded Cavaliers. If the Bulls win that game against Toronto like they're supposed to, last year's epic seven-game series with Boston never happens. Maybe it's a good thing the Bulls lost.
San Antonio at Dallas, 8:00 p.m. - Dallas could have the number two seed wrapped up by now, so this might not mean anything to them. For the Spurs, however, this game is critical, particularly if the Thunder beat the Blazers tonight. I'll go ahead and give the Spurs a win over Minnesota on Monday, so let's assume they're 50-31 coming into this one. If the Thunder beat the Blazers, the Thunder are also 50-31, while the Blazers are 49-32. However, Oklahoma City has a home game against Memphis that they should win, so a Spurs loss coupled with a Thunder win puts them behind the Thunder. Worse, the Blazers hold the tiebreaker advantage over the Spurs and play an easy home game against the Warriors. If Portland wins and the Spurs lose, the Spurs are suddenly knocked all the way down to eighth and are forced to play the Lakers in the first round. Then again, maybe that's not such a bad thing.
Indiana at Washington, 8:00 p.m. - What do you mean this game doesn't matter? It's huge for lottery position!
Phoenix at Utah, 10:30 p.m., ESPN - Last year, the playoff seeding wasn't set until the Blazers knocked off the Nuggets in the final game of the year. The same could happen again this time around. Assuming the Jazz beat Warriors on Tuesday, they need a win coupled with a Nuggets loss to either Memphis or Phoenix to win the Northwest Division. Phoenix could still theoretically be the two seed, but they'd need to win out and the Mavericks would need to lose one of their final two games, so that's unlikely. They would, however, guarantee themselves the third seed if they beat the Nuggets and Jazz in the final two games of the season.


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"Steamy steampunk romance."
This book has more romance than steampunk but overall I liked it. Not a book I have to buy the next one and read it immediately type but overall a feel good type. This is a version Jane Eyre never dreamed of and of course the male hero is not married which is all the better. I liked all the characters, and there is a quite a lot of characters in the story. The story was smooth and flowed well. I wish there could have been more action involved but overall I enjoyed the story.
"As you wish."
Okay after reading four books in this series I am officially hooked. It took me a few books to really sink my teeth into the series. Now I'm in it to the finish. Kate is awesome a kick ass, smart ass who doesn't put up with anybody's crap. Curran and Kate make an explosive couple and I'm glad they finally came together. I love the references to the book Princess Bride. Each book has a disaster that has occurred usually by bad guys and somehow Kate figures out how to get rid of them with a little help from her friends. Not to mention I love her new dog. Narrator shines with this series.
"Love unexpected."
Let's just say that I really liked this book. The first part of the story was better than the last but it did have HEA. As a fan of Blue Lagoon, Six Days Seven Nights and Stranded I snatched this book up right away. I'm all about the romance while under extreme conditions, especially on a beach. I know there was some beef about the age difference for Anna and TJ. I think that it wasn't the age difference only that TJ was only 16 at the start. Knowing that he has survived cancer is a big way to grow up fast, so TJ was more mature than the average 16 year old. Not to worry nothing untoward happens until after TJ turned 18. If it had been an older man and a younger woman most people wouldn't have blinked an eye. There is some mild sex and cussing in the book. I kept wonder if the narrator had somewhere to go? Because she was racing to get through this book. It takes a bit to get immersed it the story because I felt like my mind had to race to catch up with the words to understand what was happening. I think she would have done an excellent job if she had paced herself.
"Classic Contemporary Romance."
I managed to get this audio for free back in 2013 for Valentines and I wasn't sure about it so it has taken me a while to listen to it. So I figured I would give it an hour chance, fortunately it is better than I thought it would be. It's a nice light romance that has a smidge of mystery involving a stalker. Narrator sounds a bit too much like a little girl and it is a little grating, but she improves over the book or at least I stopped noticing it as much. This book is the first book in a series, The Winning Season is the second. Thanks Audible for the freebie.
"Magic is up."
The more books I read in this series the better it gets. With the first book it was only okay to me but it was good enough to try the next book. The second book I enjoyed immensely and was glad I gave this series another shot. Now with this book I'm hooked and can't wait to find out what is going to happen next. There were a few small sections when Kate would flashback to memories that would be a little disjointed and I ended up confused. Partially because I didn't always realize it was a memory and I would be wondering where did the story go. I love how Curran leaves you will a big grin on your face at the end of each book. Narrator is good, she has the sound of dry humor down.
"Caught in the Act."
There are some pluses and minuses to this story. I loved the fighting back and forth between the main characters it was pretty funny. I liked all the pickup lines at the beginning of each chapter, they were also amusing. What I didn't overly like was how bitter and closed off the heroine had become after a child hood tragedy. It was just sad to see her so damaged that it affected her whole life which made her less likable. And although I liked this book it is kinda a man hating book, but the author points that out and tries to show that heart ache can go both ways. Overall it is a fluffy filler book, no real depth but funny and a quick read. The first half of the book is better than the last and I wasn't fond of the side story. Narrator was ok, nothing really stuck out as good or bad.
"Snooze Fest."
This book is the most boring and trite of stories. There was no romance and no agenda for the heroine to go home only lots of attempted rapes and stories of rape. I would have even been happy if it was a bodice ripper book but by the time the bodice ripping part actually came it was very disappointing. Then there was lots and lots of crappy sex scenes including abuse not romance/love. I don't get all the great reviews. This book is defiantly not a five star review with 8 additional books later worthy kind of book as many of the other reviewer seem to think.
There is a lot to be said about the details in books. This book is trying to be realistic by showing how awful life is back in the day, but the details are only good until the author decides to leave out obvious ones or change them to fit her story. It's amazing that everything that is written back in Scotland was in English. Claire seemed to be able to read everything and nobody commented on the fact that first she can read and second it is all in English. She also acts ignorant of medical procedures that were used back in the day, but claimed she is a nurse. Even I know about most of it.
Not to mention the heroine doesn't act like she has any desire to return home she goes about it only as an afterthought. I also don't get why she said she was a widow and that she believed it. She was supposedly in love with her husband Frank and instead of trying to get back, she settles in and tells everybody she's a widow. Now I understand she is in a difficult situation but back in those days it would have been safer to say you were married. This made it convenient for the story line that she wasn't married but to me it was a big fat lie. Another thing that bugs me is that she doesn't have any problems with the way life was lived, I would think that since she came from the future she would have had difficulties adjusting to it. Claire didn't act like she actual had any real emotion over the events that were happening to her.
These are just a few of the problems I had with this book, there were more. Narrator was okay, maybe a bit boring. She did mispronounce several words which was annoying. I defiantly will not be continuing with this series.
"Missing potbelly pig."
This series is like a song that you like really well the first couple of times you hear it, but it gets old fast the more you hear. Don't get me wrong I like this series, but maybe it should have ended a book back or so. I probably will continue to read as long as I put some time in between listening to the books in this series and I get it on sale. Overall I would give this book a 3.5 rating. I'm not a huge fan of the narrator, she is just too slow and I ended up listening to this on fast speed.
"Me, Myself and 42."
I really liked Confessions of a D-list Super Villain and the Dead Eye series so I went ahead and took a chance on this book. While good, detective stories are just not my thing. Mostly this is about coming to term with being a clone. I was hoping it would be funnier, in which case I wouldn't have cared what the main story line was about. There is no humor in this book. Only me, myself, 42 and a bunch of other clones that have vastly different personalities. Narrator was a little dry, but overall he was okay.
"I imagine this would be better in print."
While this book is slightly funny it tends to jump from characters to character without the benefit of letting us know it is from a different point of view. There was also a lot of out of the blue additions to the story without much explanation. This might be due to the transition to audiobook. I like to get short stories sometimes to break up the long audiobooks. While this book did the job it was only a filler book and I see there is more to this series, I won't be getting them. Narrator is slightly high pitched.
"Magic Flares."
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is way better than the first book and I'm glad I gave this series another chance. I bet there was a new editor because this book flowed much better than the first. I only liked the first book okay, which got better toward the end which was why I gave this series another chance. Magic Burns on the other hand was good and makes me want to read more of Kate Daniels. I like a strong heroine who doesn't think she is the best at what she does so when she gets hurt it isn't shocking and annoying. I also like to see characters who care about others. Kate taught Bran how to be a real hero, which was cool in my book. I'm also intrigued with how the relationship with Kate and Curran might develop. This book had me laughing out loud several times. Narrator was okay, she was a little over dramatic at the end.
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On the season 4 finale of Haven, Audrey is desperate to find William and break their connection.
New Troubles hit town just as William tells Audrey about her origins on Haven.
The Darkside Seekers come to town when a monster from folklore
When Audrey ends up in an alternate Haven, she must decide whether to leave it as it is or turn it back to the Troubled town she knows.
Audrey tries to rescue William from the mysterious thugs in the barn on Haven.
The entire town is in jeopardy when it faces a threat from the sea on Haven.
Duke lands in a difficult situation while trying to handle his brother and the residents in town are plagued with nightmarish dreams on Haven.
Lexie aides Duke and Nathan in trying to track down a person who can petrify people on Haven.
Nathan begins to realize that although Lexie and Audrey may look alike, their personalities are completely different on Haven.
Dwight and Nathan investigate when children seem to have disappeared under impossible circumstances while Duke and Jennifer try to find Audrey on Haven.


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Archive for the 'vinylrichie' tag
blog-friend vinylrichie has really cornered the market on the modern soul and funk mixtape scene. i frequently go back to his head over heels and take a chance mixtapes (VR knows this as i've been bothering him for several weeks trying to get tracklists for them), and his slower tempo mix from earlier this year is pretty great as well. he recently released a new mixtape, let's go all the way, that reaffirms the dude's ear for great modern soul sounds and skills at mixing them all together. stream and download below:
i briefly mentioned the quality of vinylrichie's mixtapes in the wheedle's groove post from a couple weeks back. i wanted to take some time to give the man proper credit both on those mixtapes, and the newest one he just dropped a few days ago. head over heels follows on the, uh, heels of mixtapes take a chance and body talk, which focus exclusively on modern soul and boogie, i.e. tracks from 2000-2010. which is great, because most modern soul and boogie mixes take from that (still really great) period between the late-1970s and mid-1980s. take a chance has become a regular listen for me, and i have a feeling that head over heels will be as well. stream head over heels below, head here to download the others, and please bookmark hear the sounds for good quality bloggery.


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Great shot! This has been on my to-do list for 20 years. A formidable wall. Great topos here: www.woodandironworks.com/beartoothclimbing/upperdoublet.html
Thanks Jason. Pretty spectacular and formidable place indeed. A friend from Billings just climbed the Upper Doublet. I must say I'm more drawn to the skiing up there than the climbing!


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"Ah, rain..." Flameteria, a red Xweetok sighed. She was sitting on a comfy pumpkin bean bag, gazing out of her window from her Neohome.
"Argh, I hate this rain," her sister Charmeteria, a blue Kacheek complained. It's getting me cooped up at home. I want to go out!"
"Rain is amazing," Flameteria murmured, ignoring her sister's complaints.
The red Xweetok took a deep breath. She loved the smell of rain. It was fresh, almost indescribable. It was calming, soothing, especially with the cooling breeze. She loved the gentle sound of the raindrops, and how it gradually got heavier.
There was lightning, then thunder. Charmeteria jumped, then quickly composed herself. "I wanted to go to town. I love going to town. Now I can't."
The Kacheek's hobby was wandering around town and window shopping. She loved looking around shops and getting to know the shop keepers. She loved making friends. It was pretty useful as well, as she knew where to get the best bargains in Neopia. Since Charmeteria was close friends with some of the shop keepers, she usually got to buy things at a lower price.
On the other hand, Flameteria preferred to stay at home to read a book. She was pretty much an introvert, though happy to make friends. Flameteria wouldn't have minded if she was alone, as long as she had a book to accompany her. There were times though, when Flameteria explored the lands in Neopia. It was practically bound to happen, since the red Xweetok loved reading adventure books. It was her favourite genre.
Charmeteria was walking around the house, muttering about how her fur was getting frizzy. Flameteria chuckled. She never knew her sister cared about her looks so much.
"Well, then, Flameteria, what are you going to do now? You're not just going to look out of the window for the rest of the day, are you? Who knows when the rain will stop?" Charmeteria asked.
"Hmm... I suppose I could read a book." Flameteria got off her comfy pumpkin bean bag and skipped towards the bookshelf. "Let's see, there's All About Air Faeries. Maybe I'll read this."
"Seriously, Flameteria? I'm sure there's something more interesting than that. Let's play Plushie Attack!" Charmeteria suggested.
Plushie Attack was a game the two sisters created. It was a sort of pretend game, whereby each player chose one plushie. One of the plushies was the villain, while the other was the hero. The villain caused trouble in the 'town', while the hero saved the day.
It was originally a game Flameteria made up just to occupy Charmeteria when she was bored. It surprised the Xweetok when her sister loved the game so much. Flameteria thought that the blue Kacheek would call the game "childish". It was ironic that although Charmeteria liked to appear mature, she loved to play such games.
"OK," Flameteria agreed. "I'll be the villain."
"Not fair! You were the villain last time!" the blue Kacheek complained. "Plus, I wanted to choose Darigan Faellie as the villain!"
"Darigan Faellie is an action figure, Charme," Flameteria chuckled.
Charmeteria pouted. "It doesn't matter!"
"It does," Flameteria insisted. "The game is called 'Plushie Attack' after all."
"All right," Charmeteria gave in. "I'll choose..." She looked around. "Faerie Cybunny!"
"As the villain?" Flameteria was surprised.
"Yup!" Charmeteria smiled. "Evil Faerie Cybunny!"
"She doesn't look evil to me," Flameteria grinned as Charmeteria frowned. It was fun to tease her sister sometimes. "Anyway, I'm choosing Halloween Ixi as the hero."
The game started anyway. Evil Faerie Cybunny was attacking the innocent plushies, while Halloween Ixi was swooping around, fighting the Evil Faerie Cybunny.
"You can't catch me!" Charmeteria taunted. "I'm the Evil Faerie Cybunny!"
Flameteria rolled her eyes (that is, if Xweetoks can possibly roll their eyes).
The Evil Faerie Cybunny was approaching the petpet pen. A very frightened Weeble stopped in its tracks as Charmeteria moved closer to it.
"Leave innocent petpets alone, Charme," Flameteria warned.
The petpets were, after all, left in their Neohome by their owner, who instructed the Neopets to take care of them. There were six petpets there, namely Weeble, Ditsy, Tapira, Quetzal, Altachuck and Yorkie. Although only the Altachuck and Yorkie belonged to the Neopets, they were responsible for the rest as well. Attacking them with plushies, even if it's just pretending, was certainly not what their owner wanted. In fact, it was probably petpet abuse.
"Oh come on, Flameteria." Charmeteria was annoyed. "It's not like I would have really hurt them." But she turned around and went back to where the plushies were.
"Yeah probably, Charmeteria," Flameteria said, pronouncing the Kacheek's name as 'Charmieteria'.
"It's pronounced as 'Charmteria'! Only my nickname "Charme" is pronounced "Charmie" and you know that!" the Kacheek snapped.
Flameteria was taken aback. She never knew Charmeteria was so touchy about her name. Had she gone too far with her teasing? She never meant to. How would she know that her sister would react like that?
Charmeteria seemed to be in a really bad mood and refused to speak to her sister. She stopped the game to play with her petpet, Yorkie the Yoakie. The petpet wasn't able to talk, let alone tease her after all.
Flameteria sighed. It was not common for the two of them to disagree so much. She hoped that it was all due to the rain.
Maybe it would have been better if it did not rain, she thought. But the Xweetok loved the rain. It would sadden her to wish that the rain did not come. "I hope it will be better when the rain ends," she prayed.
Flameteria ended up reading All About Air Faeries after all, since Charmeteria was still ignoring her. It was a pretty good book. Plus, reading helped her forget about her troubles. (At least, for a while.) She was too absorbed in reading and was getting oblivious to her surroundings. She didn't even know that the rain had stopped.
Suddenly, she felt a tiny nudge on her leg. It was her petpet, Allie the Altachuck. The shy petpet was looking at her with concerned eyes. Then it turned to look at the window. Flameteria followed her petpet's gaze. Then she saw it.
It was a rainbow. A colourful rainbow. Flameteria had seen the Rainbow Fountain in Faerieland, but had never seen a real rainbow as beautiful as the rainbow she saw right then.
"Charme! Charme!" She called her sister. "Look! A rainbow!" Flameteria pointed to the window.
Charmeteria forgot about her annoyance with her sister and looked out of the window. She smiled. Then she said, "Forget about the window! Let's go outside!"
They rushed out of their Neohome with their petpets.
The sky was no longer a dreary shade of grey. Instead, it was a lovely shade of blue. The sun was out, cheerfully welcoming the two Neopets. But the rainbow was the best thing of all.
"It's beautiful," Charmeteria gasped. "Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet! Just like you told me!"
With that, the sisters forgot about their argument. The rain had stopped, and there was a big, beautiful rainbow in the sky.
"You know what?" Charmeteria asked. "I think rain is wonderful after all. How would you get to see a rainbow without rain?"
Flameteria smiled. "Of course."
The End
Flicker was still baffled, however. "Never heard of it."


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Town Square
LA prosecutor and radio show host: Steve Wagstaffe tried to retaliate against me for writing a piece that was critical of Ayres prosecutor
Original post made by Lurker on Sep 5, 2013
The guest hosts for the Labor Day show were Leo Terrell and Robin Sax. Journalist Victoria Balfour, who brought the Ayres case to the San Mateo PD, was a guest on the show. You can hear the 10 minute segment here:
Web Link
Robin Sax , one of the hosts, is a former prosecutor in Los Angeles and currently works as a legal analyst for the Today Show.
Sax actually has some prior experience with the Ayres case, as she wrote an article in the Huffington Post in 2009 about Balfour being barred from access to the courtroom in the first Ayres criminal trial.
Sax recounted on this week's radio show about how bizarrely, San Mateo DA Steve Wagstaffe tried to retaliate against her for writing the opinion piece by calling up her then- boss, Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley to try to get her disciplined for speaking out about the matter.
Sax was not disciplined for her opinion piece.
Sax talks about how odd it was that Wagstaffe would try to retaliate against her.
on Sep 5, 2013 at 7:22 am
The question is: will Wagstaffe call up Robin Sax's boss at KABC in Los Angeles and try to get her into trouble for talking about how he tried to retaliate against her?
on Sep 5, 2013 at 7:43 am
Wagstaffe has long tried to retaliate against anyone who has complained about any form of mistreatment.
Rumor is some deep pockets will be financing a real candidate to run against him this time.
There's also another bar complaint being investigated against Wagstaffe and McKowan now for violating prior orders of discipline. Expect much more serious discipline to get meted out this time, including against Wagstaffe directly.
on Sep 5, 2013 at 8:08 am
Here's the piece that Robin Sax wrote for the Huffington Post that was critical of the San Mateo DA's office in the Ayres case.
Web Link
Pretty mild stuff. Truly bizarre that Wagstaffe would go to such great lengths to try to punish Sax for this.
Also given that a year earlier, Wagstaffe had permitted one of his prosecutors, Morris Maya, to write a very sharply critical opinion piece for the San Mateo Daily Journal about Senator Leland Yee's domestic violence bill, it seems hypocritical and thin-skinned of Wagstaffe to retaliate against Sax.


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"Bound for Glory: America in Color 1939-43" (Abrams), by Paul Hendrickson with photographs from FSA/OWI Collection, The Library of Congress. "Bound for Glory" takes us into rural worlds of the past, with prairie wives in aprons (like the one on the cover) and fairs complete with games and Ferris wheels. A pair of musicians tune up at a square dance, while a man and his horse haul boxes of peaches and a poster urges us to buy war bonds. There is something appealing about the time capsules here, reminiscent of a simpler age.
"True Crime Detective Magazines, 1924 to 1969" (Taschen), by Eric Godtland, edited by Dian Hanson. The outrageous tag lines that belong to these irresistible publications enliven the cover -- "Sin, Scandal, Sex and Death," "Wild Daughters of Satan," "Girls Priced to Sell" and "The Gutter Waits for Girls Like Me" -- with its image of a devilish looking, bejewelled young woman in a low-cut dress smoking a cigarette. "Sex Crimes! The acts of men who are lower than beasts! An aroused public demands to know the cause and the cure." -- Real Detective, July 1934. Hmm...interesting choice of words. The prurient interest behind these lurid magazines becomes more evident with each page. And their exaggerated, campy quality makes them wonderful. "I Was Queen of the Stag-Party Strippers," indeed.
"Louis Vuitton City Bags: A Natural History" (Rizzoli), by Jean-Claude Kaufmann, Ian Luna, Florence Muller, Mariko Nishitani, Colombe Pringle and Deyan Sudjic, with contributions by Rei Kawakubo, Yayoi Kusama and Takashi Murakami. This book delineates the genealogy of the Vuitton bag, with stops along the way to show amazing photos of vintage Vuitton bags, complete with travel stickers. There are terrific images from vintage advertising dating back to the beginning of the 20th century.
"Detroit 1968: Photographs by Enrico Natali" (Foggy Notion Books), edited by Jane Brown with an essay by Mark Binelli. Henry Ford 2nd, women at the beauty parlor and secretaries at work are some of the things that turn up on film here. Besides Ford, there are plenty of other shots of auto executives and their wives, often at play. Young boys sport awkward late-Sixties hair and clothes. This is Detroit long before its bankruptcy. There are signs of trouble, in the poverty of the black neighborhoods and in the sign urging us to get out of Vietnam. But this is still a city in full flower.
"The Ferrari Book" (teNeues), by Gÿnther Raupp with a preface by Piero Ferrari and texts by Werner Schruf and Rolf Sachsse. This book is for lovers of fast cars, and those who favor this maker in particular. It's divided into decades, and there are photos of gorgeous cars throughout, essentially pinups of them for fans. Raupp cleverly juxtaposes the vehicles with modern houses, traditional houses, hills, oceans, palm trees, night skies, racetracks and other settings and elements that will show them off. There are never any drivers, which is meant to amp up the fantasy factor for the reader, who can then imagine him or herself in the driver's seat.
"Beyond Chic: Great Fashion Designers at Home" (The Vendome Press), by Ivan Terestchenko. This is a sumptuous volume, with inspiring interiors created by top fashion figures. Fantasy elements and unusual combinations of classic and ethnic pieces and patterns are the norm. Among the wilder places are Franca Sozzani's Moroccan house, replete with flaking walls and a big-cat rug, and Christian Louboutin's house in Luxor, Egypt, with its arched doorways everywhere. And Giorgio Armani's Saint Moritz place features a standing stuffed polar bear.
"Richard Corman: Madonna NYC 83" (Damiani/D.A.P., available Nov. 30), by Richard Corman. Corman photographs a baby-faced Madonna wearing piles of PVC bracelets, torn jeans, petticoats and crucifix earrings during her early years in New York. Her considerable charisma comes across in every shot, even when she's wearing loads of little fake braids and a hat à la early Boy George or an Eighties' color-blocked sweater, with her hair bleached blonde with black roots and full of styling product. She has a powerful rapport with the camera.
"Bold, Beautiful and Damned: The World of 1980s Fashion Illustrator Tony Viramontes" (Laurence King), by Dean Rhys-Morgan, with a foreword by Jean Paul Gaultier and an afterword by Amy Fine Collins. Viramontes died at 31, but his ultradramatic, colorful drawings, influenced by his mentor Antonio Lopez, live again in the pages of this book. His images have a vibrant, kinetic line that is difficult to resist. It's just right, for instance, for showing what's special about Stephen Sprouse and his designs.
"Lettering Large: Art and Design of Monumental Typography" (The Monacelli Press), by Steven Heller and Miro Ilic. With their big-is-better ethos, Heller and Ilic set out to showcase all sorts of messages in large type in many kinds of media. Examples range from lettered parapets on an English country house to lettered minarets in Afghanistan and Morocco, to the big 9 in front of a 57th Street building in New York to a statue of the word "ego" in huge letters that went up in flames at the Burning Man Festival.
"Refashioned: Cutting-Edge Clothing From Upcycled Materials" (Laurence King), by Sass Brown. This book examines the work of a variety of fashion companies, from the French OTRA (On the Road Again), which uses bicycle tire inner tubes, to Australian MILCH, which turns men's wear into women's clothes, including bags and hats made of men's pants pockets, and Atelier Awash, which makes vegetable-dyed scarves from materials sourced on a small Ethiopian farm. Meanwhile, Steinwidder's off-the-shoulder sweater dresses and hoodies began life as damaged factory-made socks.
"Earth Matters: Land as Material and Metaphor in the Arts of Africa" (The Monacelli Press; available Nov. 12), by Karen E. Milbourne. Milbourne, a curator at the Museum of African Art, shows ceramics and earthworks from Africa here, along with mud-dyed cloth and stone or bronze sculptures. Also considered: artwork in ancient caves, and the patterns in a landscape created by miners panning for gold. This book accompanies a current exhibition at the Museum of African Art.
"Sixties Fashion: From Less Is More to Youthquake" (Thames & Hudson), by Jonathan Walford. With a teenage Twiggy in a yellow dress and flowered tie on the cover, and a first chapter devoted to high fashion in the early Sixties, this is a definitive book. Walford, a founding curator of the Bata Shoe Museum and a founder of the Fashion History Museum, both in Canada, traces the changes that come after fashion comes under the sway of the young, from Mary Quant's miniskirts to Biba's disposable fashion to the Sergeant Pepper look and paper dresses. Remember those?
"Pearls" (V&A/Abrams), by Beatriz Chadour-Sampson with Hubert Bari. This book is a tie-in with an exhibition currently at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Chadour-Sampson is a jewelry historian, while Bari is curator at the Qatar Museum Authority. Queen Victoria, the Empress Eugénie, Queen Alexandra...pearls, particularly in the form of necklaces, have long been a hallmark of royalty and aristocracy...or just plain high society. The jewelry ranges from a big pearl earring once worn by Charles I in a Van Dyck portrait -- and at his execution -- to classic, long pearl strands to a pendant of a ship with Venus and Cupid detailed in pearls. Queen Elizabeth I wore many of them to symbolize purity, chastity and the wealth of her kingdom. And pearls were shaped into an Art Nouveau dog collar called Yarrow, with the herb in question fashioned in enamel, by Maison Vever.
"Amber, Guinevere & Kate Photographed by Craig McDean: 1993-2005" (Rizzoli), with interviews by Glenn O'Brien. The title says it all. Here are some of the most iconic models of our day, early in their careers, photographed by a master. Amber, for instance, appears in everything from face paint to a fur-trimmed coat, while Guinevere is at her most striking in minimalist looks. Kate, for her part, is a pretty schoolgirl in a little camisole, a big white shirt or underwear.


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Community-Based Research
Community-based Research at WKU
The WKU ALIVE CCP supports community-based research at WKU through our Community Partnership Funds. Key features of these applied research projects include efforts to:
(1) build upon community strengths, to identify community assets and to empower community members as a byproduct of the research process,
(2) focus, generally, on meeting information and analytical needs of society's most economically, politically, and socially marginalized groups and communities,
(3) actively involve local residents as co-investigators on an equal basis with university-trained scholars (and students) in each step of the research,
(4) promote social learning processes, and
(5) disseminate results and findings in multiple ways, for example, through academic journals, popular press, community meetings, foundation reports and publications, university and community forums.
Community-Based Research at the WKU Institute for Citizenship & Social Responsibility
WKU's Institute for Citizenship & Social Responsibility (ICSR) serves as a resource to students and faculty who have an interest in utilizing community-based research tools to conduct academic research.
Dr. Courte Voorhees, new faculty member in the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies program at WKU and Public Scholarship Coordinator at ICSR, is available to work with students and faculty in developing community-based research projects. If you would like more information on CBR at WKU, contact Dr. Voorhees at firstname.lastname@example.com.
For more information on ICSR, visit www.wku.edu/icsr.
Dr. Donielle Lovell, Assistant Professor in Sociology at WKU Elizabethtown campus, is also available to work with students and faculty in developing community-based research projects. If you would like more information on CBR at WKU, contact Dr. Lovell at email@example.com.


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Funding opportunities
Depletion of Teratoma-Forming Cells for hESC-Based Transplantation Technologies
Funding Type:
Tools and Technologies II
Grant Number:
Funds requested:
$1 819 101
Funding Recommendations:
Not recommended
Grant approved:
Public Abstract:
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have the potential to differentiate into all the types of cells in our bodies. They therefore represent a highly promising source for replacing cells and tissues in countless diseases and conditions (e.g., Parkinson's disease and diabetes). Many laboratories are working on controlled methods to differentiate hESCs into the cell types of their choice. To date, however, no method has been able to reach a 100 % differentiation efficiency. This issue poses a major roadblock to stem-cell based therapies. Specifically, hESCs that are only partially differentiated or remain non-differentiated (due to the inefficiencies in these methods) have the potential to cause harmful tumors or prevent proper integration of the differentiated cells into the body. We therefore propose a novel method to eliminate these potentially-harmful cells from the beneficial ones, thus enabling these cells to be used for therapy. The current, conventional methods that are used to purify one type of cell from another – either fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS) or magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) – suffer from several inadequacies. Cells that are purified using both FACS and MACS undergo direct modification by outside chemicals and reagents and cells that are purified using FACS do not survive. While MACS is gentler on cells than FACS, it still is not efficient enough to remove all of the potentially-harmful cells. Our device will allow us to efficiently and gently purify out the potentially-harmful cells from a mixed population of both beneficial and harmful cells, without modifying or damaging the cells. Our device will also be easily scalable so that we can rapidly purify enough cells to be used in a clinically-relevant application. Specifically, our device is made up of a microfluidic channel that will be attached to a glass surface that is modified with antibodies. These antibodies identify and bind to receptors that are present on the surface of the potentially-harmful cells and trap those cells in the channel. While FACS and MACS use a similar method of antibody-recognition of cell-surface receptors, they directly label the cells by attaching the antibodies to the cell, whereas in our method, we do not modify the cells in any way. Also, our device will allow us to screen several different surface receptors in one device by attaching different antibodies in each channel. In summary, our novel microfluidic device will provide a new benchmark for purifying out potentially-harmful cells from beneficial cells (derived from hESCs) thus allowing them to be safely used for therapy.
Statement of Benefit to California:
The proposed research will benefit the state of California and its citizens for a number of reasons, both clinical and economic. The ability to implant hESC-derived cells for clinical therapy without the risk of contamination of teratoma-forming cells is of extreme clinical importance. Our technology—a highly efficient, high-throughput cell depletion device that will remove all the teratoma-forming cells—will eliminate this critical bottleneck that has thwarted the safe and effective implementation of stem-cell therapies. This will lead to a significant advancement in the field of regenerative medicine and lead to the treatment of diseases that have thus far been untreatable. Aside from the clinical impact, the development of our technology with broad clinical application will likely lead to commercialization. This would generate jobs and spur economic development in the state of California. Furthermore, the development and utilization of our technology would educate and train new interdisciplinary scientists, who will be at the forefront of the Medical Sciences and Engineering, thereby providing a strong technological workforce in California. Overall, the successful development of our technology will enable the implementation of novel stem-cell therapies, improve human health, spur economic development within the state of California, and contribute to the scientific knowledge and technological resources of the state.
Review Summary:
This proposal is focused on the development of a novel microfluidic device to separate undifferentiated, potentially tumorigenic human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) from their differentiated progeny. The applicant identifies the lack of efficient methods to eliminate undifferentiated hESCs from cell populations intended for transplant as a bottleneck to clinical translation. There are three Specific Aims: (1) to develop and optimize a scalable microfluidic device to deplete undifferentiated hESCs from a heterogeneous cell population; (2) to further develop this device to also deplete cells of intermediate differentiation status; and (3) to validate the device by transplanting purified cells into animal models and monitoring for teratoma formation. The reviewers agreed that this proposal addresses a significant translational bottleneck, as currently available cell sorting technologies are limited in throughput and efficiency. However, they did not find the proposal to be particularly innovative, describing it as essentially an updated version of column-based panning, methodology that has been abandoned due to poor performance. Reviewers also raised concerns about the scientific rationale for key aspects of the proposal. The applicant proposes to rely on negative selection to deplete residual hESCs, but, for the large cell numbers that will be required for therapies, this approach demands extremely high efficiency. One reviewer estimated, using an optimistic scenario, that purification efficiency will need to be greater than 99.9%, and cautioned that this will be very difficult to achieve with a single process. Reviewers also questioned whether the goal of producing a low-cost device is reasonable, given that the applicant's cost estimate does not include clinical grade protein and antibodies. Reviewers raised significant concerns about the research plan and ultimately were not convinced of its feasibility. They appreciated the use of microfluidics combined with parallel processing as well as the applicant's recognition that large numbers of cells will need to be processed for the device to be therapeutically relevant. Reviewers agreed that a comparison of the applicant's device to fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) would be valuable, but would have liked more detail about these experiments. One reviewer described Aims 2 & 3 as exciting, but dependent on Aim 1. This reviewer especially appreciated the use of animal models in Aim 3 to validate their device. The reviewers generally found the preliminary data to be weak, demonstrating less than 50% hESC removal with single-stage sorting relative to a control. In addition, they noted that the throughput presented in an ideal model system is approximately 30 times slower than FACS, which would necessitate hundreds of parallel channels. Reviewers also described a number of technical challenges that were not addressed by the applicant. For example, each antibody will likely have different fluid-flow characteristics for optimal capture. Cells may aggregate in the microfluidic device and the first cells entering may clog the channel, subjecting subsequent cells to altered flow conditions. Certain hESC differentiation protocols may result in final cell populations that are not amenable to single cell manipulations (e.g. epithelial monolayers) and so removal of residual undifferentiated cells would have to occur earlier in the differentiation process. Finally, reviewers cautioned that the entire proposal relies on the development of specific high-affinity reagents that recognize hESCs but not their differentiated progeny. They noted that the applicant does not address how this specificity will be achieved, or the cost of developing such reagents in a Good Manufacturing Process (GMP)-compliant manner. The reviewers noted that the Principal Investigator's (PI) has significant expertise in microfluidics and cell sorting and their application to diverse biological systems. They appreciated the Co-Investigators complementary expertise in stem cell biology and animal models. In general, they found the team to be quite strong but were concerned about the large number of personnel to be hired. Overall, while reviewers agreed that this proposal addresses a significant bottleneck, they raised serious concerns about the scientific approach and research plan. In light of these concerns, reviewers did not judge the project to be feasible.


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Quick Pulse
Tag: Jennifer Lopez
Palm Beach tried to shut down "Parker," filmed here
- 8:46 pm Friday, January 18th, 2013 by Carlos Frías
WEST PALM BEACH — Filmmakers aren't welcome in the town of Palm Beach.
Director Taylor Hackford, at CityPlace with star Jason Statham for the premiere of their new action film "Parker," revealed on the red carpet Friday that the town council voted against letting the crew shoot on the island.
"Across the bridge, they don't like filmmakers," Hackford said.
But the crew eventually worked within the town's strict ordinances to get limited access to shooting in public places on the island. They were not allowed to film in private residences, Hackford said at a question-and-answer session after the screening.
Instead, they shot several key scenes in Boca Raton, he said.
"I don't know the meaning of the word, 'No,'" Hackford said.


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Mandated Training
Special Education
Professional Development Required for School District Staff
AAC 52.260 Personnel Development
Each district shall provide a program of on-going training for all general and special education administrative and instructional personnel, providers of related services, support personnel, including teacher aides, and, as appropriate, bus drivers and bus aides. The district program must implement and use the comprehensive system of personnel development established by the department under 34 C.F.R. 300.380 - 300.387, as revised as of May 11, 1999 and adopted by reference.
(History: Eff. 7/1/83, Register 86; am 11/26/93, Register 128; am 8/22/2001, Register 159)
Authority: AS 14.07.060, AS 14.30.250, AS 14.30.255
To view the regulation in its entirety, search for the regulation 4 AAC 52.260 here.
Available EED resources to comply with the above regulation
(please note: district staff are not required to utilize this resource. Districts may use alternative resources).
Staff may choose one or a combination of the following eLearning courses:
- Acting as an Advocate for Students with Special Needs
- Adapting Teaching Techniques to Meet Individual Needs
- Alaska Parent Guide
- Evaluation Summary and Eligibility Review (ESER)
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
- Introduction to Special Education
- Supporting Positive Student Behavior
- SPED Eligibility Categories
Last Updated 2/2/09


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Communicating with Arduino
Arduino popular robotics and automation platform - see [Practical Arduino], etc.
[Jurgen] demonstrates interfacing S60 phone with robot via Bluetooth. Also !!!!
We consider that interfacing a phone with Arduino brings a lot of benefit. The phone has a lot of sensors (camera, GPS), radios (3G, BT, WiFi), and Arduino is very good for controlling motoros, adding other sensors (temperature, PIR, etc).
The USB protocol
USB guest - maybe called slave!!!! USB host - requires 1!!!!Mbps transfer rate
All standard phones support USB guest (maybe called slave!!!) mode. Only phones from 2010 support USB host mode (i.e., like a PC...) - e.g., Nokia N8, C7. Therefore we want to have phones acting as USB guests and connect them to Arduino, which needs to act as a USB host.
One can buy an Arduino USB host shield from http://www.circuitsathome.com/ (I personally bought it from a local retailer that got a compatible USB host shield from Sparkfun - see http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9947. Note: Another option which I didn't try is the ...!!!!
The Arduino USB host shield library can be found at https://github.com/felis/USB_Host_Shield. The first application to try is board_test found in examples. With board_test I tested phones, USB memory sticks, USB Bluetooth sticks and a Sony DSC camera - normally all should work.
Other interesting projects are https://github.com/felis/Arduino-Bluetooth (see http://www.circuitsathome.com/mcu/bluetooth-code-for-arduino-usb-host), https://github.com/felis/Arduino_Camera_Control (see http://www.circuitsathome.com/mcu/controlling-canon-powershot-cameras-to-arduino). Info about all the projects can be found at http://www.circuitsathome.com/category/mcu/arduino/usb-shield.
Note: on the internet one can find pages describing attempts of connecting USB port of phones directly to Digital IOs of Arduino. THIS IS NOT FEASIBLE! The USB protocol is much more complex than simple serial Tx/Rx data communication. You need to transform the Arduino in a USB host which is possible ONLY if attaching a USB host shield to it (the solution described in chapter 3!!!! of [Practical_Arduino] is also not good since that transforms Arduno in a USB guest/slave and it is not possible to change the program to implement a USB host).
[Practical_Arduino] book!!!!


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Corydon, Ind. (WDRB) -- A herd of deer wreaked havoc on a southern Indiana shopping plaza, breaking glass windows and causing panic among some shoppers.
During the incident, two deer died - one struck by a car, another after running into a glass storefront. Firefighters from the Harrison County Fire Department spent time Saturday afternoon hosing off the sidewalk and sweeping up broken glass.
"We got called to several deer in the parking lot (that were) out of control," said Lt. Chris Walden of the Harrison County Sheriff's Department.
Katie Hall, a Fiesta Hair stylist, witnessed the incident. "All of the sudden we just heard a lot of really loud noises and then there were like ten deer running up and down the strip."
Katie Hall wasn't laughing as she watched shoppers run -- seeking refuge in her hair salon.
"It was crazy they were running to all the windows. And they went over to the Fashion Bug," said Hall.
Jerrad Simon, another witness, said: "It's crazy there was people screaming and all that."
The only moment of humor came from the firefighters who were laughing about the deer that busted through the glass door of the Dollar Tree and made its way through the store and out a back door.
Hall said an employee of the store wasn't laughing. She was shaken up by the incident.
"She was crying her eyes out. She said it knocked out about 10 shelves. It was just going crazy," Hall said.
"It is the high talk of the plaza. We've had several people wanted to know what was going on," said Walden.
Luckily, he said, no humans were hurt. Authorities believe the deer invaded the shopping plaza after crossing the highway from a nearby wooded area.
624 W. Muhammad Ali BlvdLouisville, KY 40203


text:
Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Botany
Academic Affairs
Medical insurance, voluntary dental and vision, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, short-term disability, long-tern disability, retirement plan and tuition remission.
Position Description
Rocky Mountain College invites applications for a non-tenure track position in the environmental science program with a preferred starting date of January 2014. The position may become tenure eligible beginning in the 2014-2015 academic year. Applicants must be prepared to teach a variety of botany and plant-ecology related courses that focus on the central Montana region of Yellowstone River watershed. Core course offerings include botany, field-based plant taxonomy, wetlands ecology, introduction to environmental science, and range ecology. Additional courses could include landscape ecology, aquatic ecology, and introduction to geographic information science (GIS). The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to develop new courses within the applicant's area of expertise. Plant specimen collection and preparation for the Rocky Mountain College herbarium is a part of the current position.
Applicants should have a strong desire to develop undergraduate research in the environmental sciences. A Ph.D. in botany, plant ecology, forestry, or an environmental science-related discipline is preferred. Prior teaching experience is also preferred.
To Apply
To apply, submit letter of interest, curriculum vitae, 3 letters of recommendation addressing the candidate's interest in and commitment to excellent teaching, a statement of teaching philosophy, and the Rocky Mountain College application. Submit required documents via email to firstname.lastname@example.com or mail to:
Human Resources
Rocky Mountain College
1511 Poly Drive
Billings, Montana 59102
Review of applications will begin on October 15, 2013.
Any questions regarding this position should directed to Kayhan Ostovar, associate professor of environmental science, at 406.657.1186 or firstname.lastname@example.com or Greg Kohn, director of human resources, at 406.657.1160 or email@example.com.
Additional Information
Rocky Mountain College is a private, comprehensive, baccalaureate college located in Billings, Montana, where the Northern Plains meet the Rocky Mountains, offering limitless recreational and cultural opportunities. Information about Rocky Mountain College is available at www.rocky.edu. Billings is a growing community of about 125,000 people that serves as the center of culture, commerce, and health care for a multi-state region.
As an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, we encourage applications from individuals with disabilities, veterans, minorities, and women.


text:
To clarify on the postNews
To clarify on the post below: R/H and H/G mean Ron/Hermione and Harry/Ginny - in other words, if you care about who Ron and Harry and Hermione and Ginny end up dating during and after Hogwarts, those are the "ships" the SQ supports. It's not exclusive to those and not all (not nearly all, actually) of the archived fics are romantic, but the site makes no secret of favoring those relationships. Honestly, who cares, as long as it's good, original writing that keeps these kids in character, you know? :-) Sorry that wasn't clear.


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Waterstone Names "Philosopher's Stone" As Top Book of the Last 25 YearsBooks
May 17, 2007, 11:02 AM
UK bookseller, Waterstones, released a list of their 'top 25 books of the last 25 years' to commemorate the companies quarter century in business and "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," the first book in the series by author J. K. Rowling, topped the list. The 'Top 25' winners were chosen by the public, via voting on an online poll we reported about before, from an original list of 100 nominees. Congratulations Jo!
Thanks to HarryLatino.com.


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Related Stories
The Chargers have placed OLT Marcus McNeill on injured reserve and signed free-agent OT Jared Gaither, the team announced Wednesday.
McNeill suffered a neck stinger in a Thursday-night loss to the Raiders in Week 10. The sixth-year pro out of Auburn had started nine games for the Chargers this season.
Gaither was released by the Chiefs Tuesday. He played in 10 games for Kansas City this season after spending the previous four seasons with the Ravens.
The way we see it
Losing McNeill for the rest of the season is a big loss for the Chargers. The offensive line has had problems protecting QB Philip Rivers without McNeill in the lineup, as Brandyn Dombrowski has struggled to replace him. This is the second Pro Bowl-caliber O-lineman San Diego has lost this season because of injury, with Kris Dielman going on I.R. a couple weeks ago with a concussion.
Gaither was a solid player for the Ravens as their starting left tackle in 2008 and 09, The Chargers hope he can play at that level again. He was unable to do so for a Chiefs team that could use an upgrade at the OT positions.


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What 108M Lines of Code Tell Us
Results of the first annual report on application quality have just been released by CAST. The company analyzed 108M lines of code in 288 applications from 75 companies in various industries. In addition to the 'usual suspects' – COBOL, C/C++, Java, .NET – CAST included Oracle 4GL and ABAP in the report.
The CAST report is quite important in shedding light on the code itself. As explained in various posts in this blog, this transition from the process to its output is of paramount importance. Proficiency in the software process is a bit allusive. The 'proof of the pudding' is in the output of the software process. The ability to measure code quality enables effective governance of the software process. Moreover, Statistical Process Control methods can be applied to samples of technical debt readings. Such application is most helpful in striking a good balance in 'stopping the line' – neither too frequently nor too rarely.
According to CAST's report, the average technical debt per line of code across all application is $2.82. This figure, depressing that it might be, is reasonably consistent with quick eyeballing of Nemo. The figure is somewhat lower than the average technical debt figure reported recently by Cutter for a sample of the Cassandra code. (The difference is probably attributable to the differences in sample sizes between the two studies). What the data means is that the average business application in the CAST study is saddled with over $1M in technical debt!
An intriguing finding in the CAST report is the impact of size on the
quality of COBOL applications. This finding is demonstrated in Figure
1. It has been quite a while since I last saw such a dramatic
demonstration of the correlation between size and quality (again, for
COBOL applications in the CAST study).
Source: First Annual CAST Worldwide Application Software Quality Study – 2010
One other intriguing findings in the CAST study is that "application in government sector show poor changeability." CAST hypothesizes that the poor changeability might be due to higher level of outsourcing in the government sector compared to the private sector. As pointed out by Amy Thorne in a recent comment posted in The Agile Executive, it might also be attributable to the incentive system:
… since external developers often don't maintain the code they write, they don't have incentives to write code that is low in technical debt…
Congratulations to Vincent Delaroche, Dr. Bill Curtis, Lev Lesokhin and the rest of the CAST team. We as an industry need more studies like this!
(Note: Opinions expressed in this article and its replies are the opinions of their respective authors and not those of DZone, Inc.)
Anthony Mak replied on Tue, 2010/09/28 - 9:07pm
Hi Israel,
Great article.
>… since external developers often don't maintain the code they write, they don't have incentives to write code that is low in technical debt…
I find your reason why government code seems to have poorer quality very englightening.
So as Size increase -> Total Quality Index decrease. Is there any study or paper on how best to tackle or reverse this problem?
In your study, are there any special circumstances where increase in Size do not lead to a decrease in Total Quality Index?
Anthony Mak
Alessandro Santini replied on Wed, 2010/09/29 - 6:46am
Dear Dr. Gat,
thanks for this interesting reading - I am relatively new to the concept of Technical Debt and statistics are indeed not my best area of expertise but nevertheless I tried to draw some conclusions out of this article.
- Surprisingly, the highest TQI is not achieved with the smallest number of code lines; the highest TQI is achieved by an application which is roughly 10x in size. The same can be said for the lowest TQI which is at 1,000 kLOC instead of 10,000 kLOC.
This makes me wonder if there is uniformity in the kind of samples adopted; are all these applications written for the same industry? Is their logical complexity comparable? Have these application been developed by teams with comparable skillsets, experience and education?
- Looking at the graph I can see that the highest TQI is 3.7 and the lowest is somewhere close to 2.75; per se, it does not seem a dramatic drop considering that the increase of LOC is 1000x (or 100x if you consider highest and lowest TQI). Now, bearing in mind the $2.82 of average technical debt, is there a function to correlate the TQI and a technical debt amount?
- Is there a correlation between other software metrics like cyclomatic complexity and technical debt?
- Just a note, the use of a linear scale for the X axis would have emphasized that the TQI decreases not so linearly as it seems at first sight.
Stephane Vaucher replied on Thu, 2010/09/30 - 1:01pm
- It is unclear what they consider a violation. Their tools might support 10X more potential violations for Java code than for COBOL code. That alone might explain findings 1 and 2
- Using static analysis is a stretch to assess performance. Their tools might not even be able to identify if it is analysing dead code.
- Size is a factor that impacts quality? Funny, I would have said the opposite. Bad quality software might be bloated because a change requires more code. Old Cobol code might be less understandable (to new coders), thus changes might be bigger and then break encapsulation... Correlations go both ways. Also, size is generally correlated with the age of a system, and age is correlated to the number of developers who touched the system. Thus, age and # of devs are confounding cases of bad quality. Everything I said are equally valid as their explanations.
- Finding 6 about top code violations is a bit weird. Gotos are not bad. It is the unstructured programming that is allowed by gotos is bad. In the report, the authors do not distinguish good from bad gotos. The authors also seem to find funny the fact that refactoring is not performed to legacy cobol code. Cobol refactoring is not as easy and safe as Java/.Net refactoring. If we consider that the main cost of development iterations of legacy Cobol code comes from the execution of regression tests, obviously there are many gotos in the code. You could say these gotos produce technical debt, but only if used in a dangerous manner and if it is not the standard way software is developed in the organisation.
- Finally, I'm not sure what is the justification for the statement that high fan-out is bad. High fan-out is sometimes correlated to faults, but rarely when size is controlled. Additionally, high fan-out can be a sign of software reuse.
- Their conclusion that good practices are slow to be adopted is odd. These are large systems. Do the authors really expect for a company to hire a team of maintainers to clean up their code if there is no business reason? Let's remember Y2K. How much did that cost the industry to check on the number of digits used in a system, and how much would it to correct these violations? We can talk about technical debt, but, as they state, it is a loan that for the software owners are willing to pay.
Baruch Atta replied on Mon, 2010/10/25 - 3:32pm
In other words, it is all still a hypothesis, black magic, waving of wands, wearing of funny masks.
We have known for decades what good code looks like. We know what bad code looks like. We know if a program can be modified easily. We know that good systems have good documentation.
So, I view with much skepticsm any new attempt to measure "application quality".
As for "average technical debt per line of code" measures, I have no doubt that bad, spaghetti, undocumented code is more costly to maintain, and the figure of $2.82 per line of code may be accurate. Or not. What is that figure compared to? What is the average technical debt per line of code for well written, well documented code?
The difference between the cost to maintain bad code to the cost to maintain good code, that is important. Is the cost of extra maintenance of bad code worth the re-engineering effort to transform to good code? That is the "to be or not to be" question. Is it worth it to re-engineer? I say - in every case - YES!
Is it better to migrate to a "more modern" platform, from COBOL to JAVA?
I say, in very many cases, no. No, because the risks of migration are high, and the costs are even higher. The return is marginally small.
It is probably cheaper and less risky to migrate from a bad coded COBOL system to a good coded COBOL system, and then if desired, to a new platform, than it is to migrate directly to a new platform. I know, I have done it a few times.
Two final comments.
Performing a GOTO to a paragraph-end is considered good programming practice in COBOL. It is an easy way to bypass without deep nested IF statements. And it doesn't add to complexity, just the opposite.
And I would disagree with the report, and say that the reason that government owned systems are harder to maintain is not because of the outsourcing. The real reason is due to strict cost controls, and the lack of constant code improvement efforts. That is, government code is left to run longer without modifications, than commercial systems code. It is the cost containment in government systems that costs more in the long run. Penny smart but pound foolish. That's my two cents.
Baruch Atta


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The Volunteer Center of North Texas sent out a news release Tuesday night calling for North Texans who can volunteer to help those whose homes were destroyed or damaged in Tuesday afternoon's tornadoes and storms.
They are assembling a Mass Care Task Force, including the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, the North Texas Food Bank and the Volunteer Center of North Texas.
If you are interested in helping, the Volunteer Center of North Texas asks you visit their Web site to register to become a potential disaster volunteer. Should the situation call for major volunteer assistance, you will be notified.
You can also make donations to the Red Cross via text message. Text "REDCROSS" to 90999 to make a $10 donation.


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Miley Cyrus Slips Into A Metallic Maxi Dress
The Olsen Twins' Style Transformation
Emma Watson's Intentional "Side Boob"
Celebrities Who Have Aged the Worst
24 Celebrities You Didn't Know Were Related
The Hottest Pictures of Old Celebrities When They Were Young
30 Child Stars Who Died Young
Kendall Jenner Drops Her Famous Last Name
Is Kate Upton Fat?
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Marry at Chateau Miraval in France!
The 8 Most-Hated Celebrities in Recent History
Kristen Stewart's Shockingly Glam Makeover
Emma Stone Stuns in Emerald
Kylie Jenners $1 Million Plastic Surgery Shocker
What's the Big Deal About Blue Ivy's Hair?
5 Things You Didn't Know About Rihanna
You Won't Believe Nicky Minaj's Natural Hair
2014 MTV's VMAs Best and Worst Dressed
54 Photoshopped Celebrity Before and After Photos
Why Amanda Seyfried & Anne Hathaway Are Feuding
The Plastic Surgery That Changed Lisa Kudrow's Life
Style Queen Blake Lively's Top 10 Fashion Moments
Beyonce's Real Face Revealed
11 Hottest Celebrity Dads
Ariana Grande: From Girly Girl to Sexy Star
49 Celebrities Accused of Horrible Crimes
24 Celebs Who Couldn't Stop Eating and Got Fat
Gross Out! Which Star Has Nasty Pits
66 Celebrities Whose Real Names Might Surprise You
Paris Hilton's See-Through Purse is Filled With...


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Using specialized encyclopedias to become familiar with your topic is the most efficient way to get started on your research. These encyclopedias, written by knowledgeable scholars, will summarize your topic, provide you with social and historical context, familiarize you with specialized terminology, and often provide lists of additional resources on your topic. They are providing you in condensed form information from multiple books and articles. Think of them as CliffsNotes ... that you are allowed to use.
The encyclopedias listed below may be useful for many of the topics suggested by your instructor, but there are many, many more. The easiest way to locate them in the Library is to do an Oskicat search like this:
1. Use the keyword search so that it looks for the words everywhere in the record.
2. The asterisk is a truncation symbol, which will retrieve variations of the word: ethic, ethics, ethical, etc.
3. The Doe Reference collection includes many encyclopedias and limiting your search to this collection will retrieve a manageable number of records. If you retrieve nothing, change the search parameter to All Collections, or limit it to a subject specialty library.
Try different terminology and be persistent. If you are not finding a relevant resource, be sure to ask for help.
Search strategies
In the article databases and library catalogs, your search strategy should include combining keywords that represent the main concepts of your topic. Take a couple minutes to think about your topic and keywords to use in your searches.
Suppose you're starting with the thesis: "Global warming is having adverse impacts on agriculture in America." What keywords might be used to search for relevant sources?
Break your question down into its major concept terms:
global warming | impacts | agriculture | America
Think of synonyms and variations of your keywords to use when searching. You should go through this quick exercise because you may find out that while you use the word "global warming," the database you're searching uses "climate change." Using synonyms guarantees that you're casting a wider net.
Construct a search using your keywords, combining them with AND and OR
- AND narrows your search by looking for articles with all of the words
- OR broadens your search by looking for articles with any of the words


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ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — The Redskins have placed LB Brian Orakpo and DE Adam Carriker on injured reserve.
The team replaced the two players Tuesday by promoting DE Doug Worthington from the practice squad and signing LB Markus White from Tampa Bay's practice squad.
Orakpo injured his left shoulder and Carriker hurt his right knee in Sunday's 31-28 loss to the Rams.
Worthington was drafted in the seventh round by the Steelers in 2010 and spent most of last season on the Redskins' practice squad.
White was a seventh-round pick by the Redskins last year and played in two games as a rookie. He was cut at the end of preseason last month.
The Redskins also signed DL Dominique Hamilton to the practice squad.
©2012 by STATS LLC and Associated Press.
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Criminal justice students at Mid State Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids will not soon forget the events of March 20th. Fond du Lac police officer Craig Birkholtz was killed during a stand-off. Officer Ryan Williams and his K-9 Grendel were also wounded in the incident.
This class knew they had to help a grieving department.
Criminal Justice Corrections Instructor Courtney Kostuchowski says "One day, my students and I were out to lunch and the situation in Fond du Lac had just occurred. And they said Ms. K, don't you think it would be really good of us to step up and do something for those officers and their families?"
And so they decided to make bracelets honoring Birkholtz, Williams, and Grendel. They set a goal of raising $1,800 to help defray Grendel's medical costs, help pay for a vacation for Ryan, and assist with the memorial for Birkholtz.
120 students hit the streets with fliers, ready to sell, and it sure paid off. They have already far surpassed their goal, raising more than $3,500. Students say they didn't think twice before lending their assistance.
2nd year student Lee Rokke says "We're like a big brotherhood, between the law enforcement and corrections and we felt like we wanted to help them." 1st year student Trevin Szulczewski says "It was nice to be there for them because hopefully if something happens around here like that, people will be here for us."
And with many of these students graduating this week, there's no better way to go out.
Kostuchowski says "They really came together and they showed what brotherhood and sisterhood is all about."
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