text:
Providing social bookmarking buttons can be a service to your visitors, and help highlight your best content on various social networks and news services, but you must think carefully about which ones you include, and where.
One of the biggest takeaways from Traffic Stampede Secrets that I reviewed a few months ago was how important it was to target the right social bookmarking and networking sites for your own sites, and also to evaluate and test how effective a particular bookmarking button might be.
I have just removed my StumbleUpon graphic that floats on the top right of every post, and the Technorati favorites button that was included in the same place.
I love StumbleUpon, I use it daily to find great sites, and my readers love it as well.
So why did I remove it?
I use a lot of tracking, and frequently I saw clicks of the StumbleUpon button, but no corresponding reviews.
Someone will click the button, and decide not to write a review, and then click their stumble button to go somewhere else. People are shy….
In that situation you don't get a vote even if one was intended!
If someone is using StumbleUpon, they have the toolbar installed. The "Thumbs Up" button is right next to the Stumble Button.
It is possible I will get a few less reviews, but hopefully I will also get a few more positive votes for my content – those people who clicked a graphic and were too shy to write a review.
Thus whilst StumbleUpon traffic is great, the button I was using, because it only links through to a review form, might not have been helping me, in fact it might have been a negative for gaining votes, reducing the amount your best content is shared with others.
None of my content is written specific to a Digg audience. I try to write good "in-depth" content and generally many of my articles are not appropriate for the mainstream Digg audience.
Those articles that are appropriate appear to hit a well known phenomena, as happened on my article on Digg friends (which wasn't about gaming Digg) or my in-depth review of PayPerPost Direct.
My recent articles on WordPress SEO, contain far more valuable information than the majority of "SEO Tips" articles that seem to make the front page of Digg.
Digg users often have short attention spans, and seem to prefer Digging shorter articles – I am sorry but I am not going to write short articles just for traffic. If an article needs more words, I am going to use them.
I am going to continue including the Digg button, because eventually I believe some of my content might become more appreciated by a wider Digg audience.
Technorati Favorites
The button was duplicating something I already include in my sidebar. I will still be reciprocating, many people find it valuable and it is my way of adding people to various OPML tools I am playing with.
There wasn't a need to have the button in quite such a prominent position.
I maintain my Technorati Favorites with EngTech's Technorati Favorites tool, the version from 23/05/2007 is working currently (see comments) – remember to clean up your favorites.
An example of how I use the OPML from my Technorati Favorites is the meme I created on Megite for the Technorati Favetrain.
The only way to be added to this special meme is to add me to your Technorati Favorites, and I reciprocate automatically.
This is how I get to read so many blogs, and seem to appear on blogs all over the blogosphere that have interesting articles.
PlugIM – New Addition
I have been a member of PlugIM for quite a while, and have always found it to be a good source of quality articles focused primarily on internet marketing.
Whilst many people might look on this as some kind of duplication with Bumpzee and the affiliate marketing community there, there is actually only a partial overlap in readership, especially among the dedicated reader base.
PlugIM is very much a niche community, whereas Bumpzee caters for many different communities, one widget fits all.
There are currently hundreds of niche communities which utilise some form of voting script.
Many might look on them as being Digg clones.
If you are a Digg user, let's be totally honest – do you want the hottest knitting pattern for this coming season (yeah knitters will be thinking about Winter clothing already) appearing on the front page of Digg?
Until Digg caters for all topic areas, there is room for clones. Knitting is probably a bigger niche than Tech industry news.
Now for me, PlugIM is appropriate for my niche, I think it deserves a spot in prime real estate.
I have been waiting a little while to mention Michelle's PlugIM plugin
When it was first launched it didn't have the flexibility I needed to position it in the "prime real estate" that I wanted, but it is there now.
It is also very "light" in coding, just 4kb, and I hope it doesn't affect load time too heavily. It certainly won't be a factor on single pages. My front page is probably going to change somewhat as I make a lot of SEO changes.
One great advantage of the PlugIM plugin is that once an article is already submitted (which happens automatically because they pick up your RSS feed), you don't have to be logged into PlugIM to vote, or even be a member.
I am also a marketer – PlugIM is designed for marketers and isn't selfish – when someone votes on your content, it doesn't take them away from your website.
Bumpzee stays
I get a huge amount of traffic from Bumpzee on a daily basis, many of my readers are active users, and I maintain one of the largest communities on Bumpzee for blogs that have removed nofollow from their comments area.
In many ways Bumpzee is more like a social network than a social news or bookmarking site.
Bumpzee is the most multi-purpose voting widget, because the service caters for any niche.
I am going to integrate something for Del.icio.us with my next major overhall. I find myself using it more frequently for content I really want to keep a bookmark of for future reference.
It is most likely going to be using Feedburner's Feedflares.
I know a few readers use Netscape, though I have seen only limited usage of it where it has been provided in Feeds for the last 6 months.
Someone browsing your site from Netscape might be doing it with a sidebar with a voting button, so in many ways providing a button is superfluous.
Other Services
I am always on the lookout for services that would be useful to add, which my readers would actually find useful. I can provide lots of different buttons using the hacked version of Sociable I use, if readers are going to use them.
If there is a social bookmark service that you actually use on a regular basis, and would like me to add, please let me know.
Facebook? Well I have included it in my feed for a long time, it doesn't seem to be used
Other Optimization
I am going to start adding some additional optimization, such as custom greetings for each source of traffic.
Liked this post? Follow this blog to get more.


text:
Free Press candidate endorsements are based on our judgment of each candidate's competence and ability to succeed in the position for which he or she is running, as well as our assessment about his or her commitment to the conservative principles of limited government, low taxes, fiscal restraint and individual responsibility.
U.S. Senate: Bob Corker
When Bob Corker began his career in the Senate, he was anything but fiscally responsible. He supported debt ceiling hikes, a minimum wage increase and the bank bailout scheme.
Then Corker changed. Over the past three years, he has been one of the most fiscally responsible members of the United States Senate.
Sen. Corker has been a leader on the issue of earmark reform, refusing to accept earmarks and supporting legislation that would effectively end the earmarking process.
He voted against the stimulus and the auto bailout.
Corker won "Taxpayer Friend" awards from the National Taxpayers Union in both 2010 and 2011. In its most recent annual congressional ratings, Citizens Against Government Waste named Corker a "hero" for, among other things, voting against state bailouts and more increases to the debt ceiling, and for voting to extend tax cuts.
In 2011, Corker voted against every single appropriations bill, citing concerns about the debt and increased spending at a time when the country could not afford it.
This year, Tennessee's junior senator became the national leader of the "CAP Act" legislation that would set an across-the-board, binding cap limiting all federal spending. This commonsense approach to injecting fiscal restraint into the federal budget is one of the most promising ideas to help address America's out-of-control spending and mounting federal debt.
Corker is one of the senate's leading lights for fiscal solvency, and he is a champion for reducing the national debt and reining in untenable entitlement programs.
The Free Press endorses returning Bob Corker to the U.S. Senate.
U.S. Rep. Chuck FleischmannPhoto by Ashlee Culverhouse /Chattanooga Times Free Press.
3rd Congressional District: Chuck Fleischmann
Chuck Fleischmann had been largely flying under the radar during his first term as a U.S. congressman until he introduced an impressive seven-point plan for reducing the size and scope of government and getting Americans back to work.
The document, which champions ideas such as tort reform, expanding free trade and reducing regulatory burdens, is a reasonable and compelling legislative agenda that should serve as a guide for all lawmakers in Washington hoping to stimulate job growth and invigorate the economy.
In addition to his jobs plan, Fleischmann has compiled a very strong limited government voting record. The congressman voted against Obamacare, and votes to repeal it at every opportunity. He voted to defund NPR, trim congressional office budgets by 5 percent and expand responsible offshore energy exploration.
He has also sponsored some very good bills, including H.R. 3318, which would eliminate the capital gains tax for two years. That bright idea would stimulate economic growth by allowing more money to be invested back into the economy, rather than by being captured — and largely wasted — by the federal government.
Fleischmann is not perfect. The Congressman's unwillingness to vote against his party, especially when the Republican Party is not representing the conservative principles its members claim to defend, is exasperating.
While he rightly calls for trimming the federal budget and cutting wasteful spending, he is unwilling to even consider the idea of reducing military spending, even though the defense budget is rife with waste, fraud and abuse of tax dollars. His fiscal conservatism also waivers when it comes to funding projects at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which sits squarely in the 3rd District.
On the whole, Fleischmann stands up for free market, limited government legislation more often than not. He has pledged not to vote for any tax increases. His voting record displays a consistent commitment to addressing the most pressing issues of the day in a reasonable, fiscally responsible way.
The Free Press encourages returning Chuck Fleischmann to Washington to represent Tennessee's 3rd District.
Tennessee state senator Eric StewartPhoto by Patrick Smith /Chattanooga Times Free Press.
4th Congressional District: Eric Stewart
As a state senator, Eric Stewart has been unremarkable. Now, more than six years into his service in the Tennessee General Assembly, Stewart may be best-known for sponsoring a ridiculous bill that would have doubled the cost of renewing a driver's license — essentially a tax that would disproportionately impact low-income Tennesseans the most.
Stewart has voted for increasing taxes — and against reducing them. He bends over backward in support of unions and is critical of proven methods to provide choice and competition in education. He has sponsored a number of preposterous bills, including one to regulate — and increase the cost of — honey products, and another that would create a welfare program for recycling companies.
His belief in an expansive, expensive government that interferes in the lives of individuals and intervenes in the operation of businesses is clear and undeniable, despite his claims of fiscal responsibility.
Still, Stewart is a more acceptable as a candidate, and a human being, to represent the people of the 4th District than incumbent Scott DesJarlais.
In the days since the transcript of a September 2000 phone call between DesJarlais, then a full-time physician, and a patient with whom he was intimately involved was released, the congressman has done little to prove that he is worthy of mercy — or votes.
According to the transcript, DesJarlais pressured his mistress to get an abortion by threatening to tell his wife about the affair and revealing the mistresses' name.
DesJarlais did not deny the content of the transcript, but claims that the patient he allegedly impregnated was, in fact, not pregnant. The fact remains, however, that DesJarlais was clear that his preference, if his mistress was pregnant, was for her to have an abortion.
The fact also remains that this patient was one of at least four women with whom DesJarlais had an affair during his first marriage.
DesJarlais' decision to strong-arm one of his mistresses into allegedly aborting their lovechild, and his choice to behave as a lustful philanderer, would not be an election issue if not for the fact that his chief platform issues are related to pro-life and family values policies.
By luring socially conservative 4th District voters into electing him based on a set of principles he doesn't practice in his own life, DesJarlais is not only a hypocrite, but a fraud. It seems he advocates the anti-abortion, family values ideals he claims to champion because he knew such a stance was necessary to appeal to voters in such a conservative district.
There is little doubt that on the House floor DesJarlais would vote consistently more conservatively than Stewart. He has been a steadfast voice for conservative principles. But is it justifiable to elect someone whose supposed "beliefs" now appear to be little more than a convenient facade?
Even if Stewart votes in a way that doesn't necessarily reflect the will of most people in his district, electing him is still preferable to voting for a hypocrite who has shamed himself, his family, his supporters, his party and the people of his district. For that reason, the Free Press endorses Eric Stewart to represent Tennessee's 4th District in the United States Congress.
In two years, if Stewart has not proven a good representative of the people of the 4th District, the number of quality Republican state legislators and local leaders who reside in the 4th Congressional District will offer a rich pool of potential replacements.
For now, however, it is more important to elect the better person than the better legislator.
The Free Press endorsed a Democrat, even if they did damn him with faint praise. This is truly a sign of the end times.
Shoot DeJarlais dead if he comes around your wife or daughter, and let other legal remedies take their course (yank his medical license for fornicating with patients?) but he's being elected to vote, and he'd do better at that than Mr Stewart, whose votes, as described, seem mostly harmful, and harmful not just to a few somewhat willing (?) participants but to all the people he works for as a legislator. Replace a seducer with a 'rapist'? Let Mr Stewart repent of his loathsome liberal paternalism and change parties, and let Mr DesJarlais repent of his loathsome hypocrisy and adultery. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Well, well, well. Andrew shows his true colors. Hypocrite: a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.
4th District...This is one of the most insane reasons to endorse someone I have ever seen in my life, especially with the fiscal predicament we are in now. Shame on you.
"There is little doubt that on the House floor DesJarlais would vote consistently more conservatively than Stewart. He has been a steadfast voice for conservative principles."
Yet you endorse the other guy. Insanity.
All the more reason to vote FOR Dr. DesJarlais.
Pretty damning endorsement there, TFP...thanks. That was all that was needed to firm up my vote.
Seems the TFP writer is sorely twigged off that Dr. DesJarlais has the temerity to tell the hide-bound, close-minded, good-ole-boy, better-than-thou, elite-wannabe idiots to take it and shove it.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
0115EPARulesonHighOzoneRead.cfm 0115EPARulesonHighOzoneRead.cfm
EPA rules on high ozone readings related to burning
The Environmental Protection Agency recently notified the Kansas Department of Health and Environment that certain high ozone readings in Wichita and Kansas City will not be considered in determining if these cities are meeting national air quality standards. This "exceptional event" ruling was related to prescribed burning in the Flint Hills on several days in April 2011.
Region VII EPA officials visited the Kansas Livestock Association office recently and confirmed the federal agency made the exceptional event determination because of the Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan, adopted by KDHE in December 2010. KLA was one of several stakeholders that assisted KDHE in crafting the voluntary smoke management plan.
Date: 1/28/2013


text:
The human brain is like a library that stocks memories instead of books. In some ways, that makes the hippocampus, the part of the brain most involved in memory, the brain's librarian. The hippocampus has the most responsibility in this cranial library, juggling the new releases of short-term memory while cataloging materials for the permanent collection of long-term memory. It's not the only part at work, however, in storing these chapters of our lives. Different kinds of memory are stored in different areas of the brain. With such a large system, the brain needs a system of encoding and retrieving memories, something a bit more complex than the local library's Dewey Decimal System.
The brain has to be able to pull information at the drop of a hat, whether it's a fact on hold (such as a telephone number) or a dusty memory that's been sitting in storage for years (the memory of your first kiss). No one likes a library that loses books or shelves them in the wrong place. Yet sometimes we find ourselves with a very poor librarian on our hands, one that doesn't allow us to retrieve memories when we need them. Sometimes it's trivial, like when we tear apart our homes looking for glasses perched innocuously atop our heads, and sometimes these lapses in memories are more embarrassing, such as when we call a colleague "sport" because we simply can't remember his name.
Whether you're a college student studying for an important test or an aging baby boomer concerned about forgetting a recent doctor's appointment, there are a few things everyone can do to optimize the storage and checkouts in our private libraries of memories. Alert the librarian and head to the next page for the first tip.
10. Drink in Moderation
Before you settle in to read this article, you may want to get yourself a glass of wine. Surprised that such debauchery begins our list of memory improvers? Well, hear us out. Memory and alcohol have an interesting relationship.
First off, you'll notice we didn't advocate bringing the entire bottle back with you. Too much drinking handicaps the memory, as anyone who's ever woken after a binge with a fuzzy recollection of the night before can attest. And one component of a DUI test shows how overconsumption of alcohol can immediately affect the brain: Even simple mental tasks like counting backward and reciting the alphabet can become tricky under the influence. Alcohol abuse will have a negative effect on the cells of the brain related to memory.
But as long as you're not pregnant and able to maintain control of how much you drink, there's evidence that light to moderate alcohol consumption can improve memory and cognition. Though more research needs to be done, some studies have found that moderate drinkers do better on certain tests of memory and cognition than nondrinkers and heavy drinkers [sources: Victoroff, Minerd]. There may be some long-term effects as well. A French study that followed almost 4,000 people over the age of 65 found that light drinkers, who consumed up to two glasses of wine a day, were 45 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than nondrinkers [source: Victoroff].
But as we said, don't start tipping back beverages if you have certain risk factors, such as a family history of alcoholism. No one is recommending that teetotalers start drinking, either. Resveratrol, one of the flavonoids in red wine that's believed to have special benefits for blood vessels, is also in red grape juice.
If you tend to drink when you're sad, head to the next page for some information on how your blues affect your brain.
9. Seek Treatment for Depression
Anything that causes major stress in life, including anxiety or anger, will eventually eat away at the parts of the brain that are responsible for memory. Chief among these stressors is major depression. Depression is often misidentified as a memory problem since one of the main symptoms of the condition is an inability to concentrate. If you can't concentrate on schoolwork or the information needed to complete a task on the job, then you may feel as if you're constantly forgetting things. As it is, you're not even able to concentrate long enough to learn them in the first place.
Depression causes an increase of cortisol levels in the bloodstream, which in turns elevates the amount of cortisol in the brain. With the help of brain imaging devices, doctors have been able to see how that increased cortisol diminishes certain brain areas, chief among them the hippocampus [source: Tan]. One study showed that people who had been depressed, even if it was years ago, had suffered a 12 to 15 percent loss in the hippocampus [source: Victoroff]. Since the hippocampus is the clearing center for short-term memory, prolonged depression demolishes the brain's ability to remember anything new.
Additionally, depression affects the types of things a person is able to remember. While everyone's brain is selective about which memories make it into long-term storage, people with depression seem only able to retain negative memories [source: Crook]. That means there's a neurological reason why a person with depression remains obsessed with the one time a loved one forgot a birthday or anniversary, even if it was remembered every other year.
But happy memories needn't be lost forever to someone battling depression. Medications for depression, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), have been shown to jump-start the process of cell regeneration in the hippocampus [source: Tan].
The next item on our list can help fight depression while it improves memory as well.
8. Get Moving
If you've ever taken a break from work or studying to take a quick walk around the block, you may understand the rationale for this next tip. Exercise not only exercises the body, it exercises the brain as well.
Obesity is a risk factor for many diseases and conditions that eventually wreak havoc on the brain, including stroke and Alzheimer's disease. Without regular exercise, plaque builds up in the arteries and blood vessels lose the ability to pump blood effectively. While you may know how plaque buildup leads to heart attacks, you may not think about the way your brain is gasping for breath as well.
The brain depends on energy received through a constant intake of oxygen and nutrients from the bloodstream, and when those nutrients don't arrive, the brain's ability to work is compromised. So to keep the blood moving to the brain, you're going to need to get up from your chair (after you finish reading this article, of course) and get the blood pumping. It doesn't matter what you do -- a brisk walk, a swim and even a dance move or two can all provide a good mental workout. Studies show that the more physically active a person is, the greater his or her cognitive performance [source: Victoroff].
Keep a lookout on your brisk walk for interesting images -- you'll need them for the memory tip on the next page.
7. Visualization and Association
A picture's worth a thousand words, as the saying goes, so turning a list of random words into images may help you remember the words better. Explaining this method works best by example, so let's say that you need to remember that a parent-teacher conference is taking place at three in the afternoon. Take a moment and think of a visual image for three -- let's say that you and your son just love reading the story of the "Three Little Pigs." Visualize those three little pigs. To remember what exactly you have to do at three, picture your son's teacher cavorting with the pigs out in a meadow. Sometimes, the more unique the image, the easier it will be to remember. Here's another example: say you place your eyeglasses on the kitchen table. When you do so, imagine your eyeglasses eating all the food on the table. Later, when you're wondering where your glasses are, your brain has this image in the bank.
You can use visualization to remember an entire list of things if you associate the images together. Say that you need to remember to take the following things to your SAT exam: a No. 2 pencil, a calculator, your ID and a snack for the break. You can create a visualization that links all of the images together in a ridiculous story. Picture your pencil as a snake, curving itself into the number two. That snake just loves calculators, so it winds itself around the calculator, using its hissing tongue to press the buttons. When the snake pushes one of the calculator buttons, the calculator turns into a camera and snaps the snake's picture for an ID photo. All of this calculating and picture-taking has worn the snake out, so it wants a snack of pretzels.
Sure, it sounds bizarre, but you can't deny that it also sounds fun. Visualization is at the root of many of the memory tips left to go on our list, so go ahead and practice by visualizing yourself heading to the next page for another memory tip.
6. Pay Attention
Eight seconds is more than just a length of time that bull riders try to stay atop a bucking bronco, it's the amount of time you need to completely focus your attention upon something to effectively transfer it from short- to long-term memory [source: Crook]. No matter how wonderfully you can conjure up entertaining and useful visualizations for incoming information, the skill will be useless if you're not paying attention to what you need to remember in the first place.
Sometimes we can't remember things because we never got the information into the memory bank to begin with. Like an absent-minded professor, we all have moments where we put down keys or an important book without noticing. Or we scribble phone numbers or one-word reminders on Post-It notes, thinking that's all the information we'll need later. However, without paying attention to why you need the information and its value to you, that Post-It is useless.
Try to stay in the present and really pay attention to the task at hand, whether it's learning new information for a job or meeting new people. Minimize distractions such as music, television or cell phones to focus fully. One way to stay mindful of even the smallest actions is to repeat aloud what you're doing; as you take off your eyeglasses, say aloud "I am putting my glasses on the kitchen counter." While talking to yourself may feel awkward, you'll be grateful to find your glasses easily later.
When meeting new people, we can often be more obsessed with how we look and the impression we're making than truly paying attention to the other person. Simply staying focused will boost your ability to remember the names of new people. But we're not done with faces and names yet. Since that area is troublesome for so many people, the next tip is all about using some of these techniques to attend parties with ease.
5. The Name Game
This memory tip builds upon many of the tips we've learned so far. When you meet a new person, it's important to pay attention to the name and the face. As soon as you learn the name, repeat it back to the person by saying, "Nice to meet you, so-and-so." It's not a cheap trick; researchers have found that people have a 30 percent better chance of remembering a name when they repeat it as soon as they learn it [source: Herold].
Then it's time to put those visualization and association skills to work. Let's say you're meeting a person named Katie Lambert, who just happens to be this humble writer's editor. First, you want to repeat the name, but you also want to start looking for identifying features that will help you with the visualization and association. Check out the person's hair, nose, mouth, cheeks and eyes. Katie has chin-length blond hair, so you might take that feature and combine it with her last name, Lambert. Suddenly you're picturing little lambs with blond hair frolicking about. You name one of those lambs Katie to help you with your image, but you also take the "kat" from her first name and imagine little cats running around as well.
If you wanted another way to remember "Lambert," you could picture Katie on the "lam" with "Bert" from "Sesame Street." You could also use rhymes or a celebrity she resembles to make the association. If all else fails, you could just focus on how you would describe her later to a police sketch artist if you were to hear that a girl named Katie Lambert had committed a crime. Whatever it takes to remember her name and face together.
But enough about a HowStuffWorks editor committing crimes! Let's head to the next page for another valuable memory tip.
4. Chunking
Maybe you have no problems remembering your grocery list or names and faces but you repeatedly stumble over your PIN number, Social Security Number or license plate number. Chunking may be just the memory method for you. You've used chunking if you've ever read off a phone number as three sets of numbers as opposed to one long 10-digit number. Chunking puts a large amount of information into more manageable chunks so that you have less to remember.
Let's tease out the phone number example even further. Say you use this phone number every day but can never remember it: 404-760-4729 (for the record, that's the main line at HowStuffWorks). First, the area code -- do you love golf? Picture hitting a golf ball twice; you might yell, "Fore! Oh! Fore!" Then let's say you have seven children and you were born in 1960. By great coincidence, your soccer jersey number was 47, and you'll never be able to forget that the Great Depression started in 1929. To remember how to call HowStuffWorks, you just need to think, "golf, kids, year born, soccer jersey, Great Depression." Make a fun story out of it: Golfing with the kids in the year I was born while wearing my soccer jersey was more fun than the Great Depression. You'll never forget how to call us again.
OK, maybe that's not the handiest way to remember our phone number. The associations made with certain numbers will be different for everyone. What's important is to look for patterns and numbers associated with memorable things for you. Then you can break a long list into more manageable chunks.
Chunking's not limited to remembering numbers, though. Anything can be reduced to smaller chunks. Say that you need to send an e-mail to George, William, Greg, Jim and Jane. If you remember to invite the 2 G's, the 2 J's and one W, then you're set. If you have a long shopping list, try grouping it according to sections of the store, so that when you get to the dairy section, you'll know you have a few items to look out for.
Do you know your way around the local grocery store by heart? You may be able to put that knowledge to use with our next tip.
3. Method of Loci
The earliest recorded mnemonic device comes from Ancient Greece. One night, a poet named Simonides was called upon to recite a poem at a banquet. By some stroke of luck, Simonides briefly left the banquet hall, right when the entire building collapsed. Because the bodies of those that remained inside were so badly mangled, Simonides identified the dead for their families by recalling where people were sitting at the time of the accident. This memory device of associating things with a place or location became known as the method of loci, and it was all the rage for teaching in Ancient Greece. If you've ever said, "in the first place" or "in the second place" when rattling off a list, then you're using a modern derivative of the method of loci.
In using the method of loci, you're essentially piggybacking the information you need to remember on top of information that would be near impossible for you to forget. For example, it would be hard for you to forget a bus or subway route you use every day, or the setup of your own house. If you select between five to seven locations on these routes or in these places, you can use the landmarks to remember a list of errands by using the visualization methods we discussed earlier.
For example, let's say that you've selected places you pass daily on your commute to the office. You drive by a large yellow house, a fast food chicken restaurant and a tire shop. You need to remember to stop by the store to get detergent, bread and orange juice. For each familiar place, visualize an association with an item on the list. You could envision the detergent dripping down the sides of the yellow house, making the yellow even brighter. You picture the chickens eating pieces of bread thrown to them in their chicken coops, and you could imagine tires trying to move through a rising river of orange juice. You can expand the list with more landmarks as needed, and then when you arrive at the store, you just pull up this route information and think of your visualizations.
For another tip that uses familiar spaces with a twist, go on to the next page.
2. Use Your Environment
Tying a string around your finger to remember something has become a bit of punchline, but the reasoning for it makes sense. By putting something in your environment slightly askew, you create a visual reminder for yourself. The key, as with other methods, is to take the time to create a strong visualization for why there's a string around your finger before you mindlessly tie it on.
You can use other things in your environment as well. If you don't want to invest in string just yet, you could switch a ring, bracelet or watch from one hand to the other as needed to remember things. For example, if you needed to remember a doctor's appointment, you could visualize a large wristwatch wrapped around your doctor. If it bothers you too much to switch hands, try just turning the watch upside down or switching a ring so the stone points downward.
There are other things you can manipulate in your environment as well. If you wake up in the middle of the night with a thought you don't want to forget, make an association with something on your nightstand, like an alarm clock or a book. Then place the object on the floor. The next morning, when you trip over the item on your floor, you can bring up the visualization. You can also move furniture slightly if that helps. If you have trouble remembering to take morning medications, place your toaster on its side. When you stand it back up again, you can take your medications, enjoy some toaster waffles and then return the appliance back to its sideways position in preparation for the next morning. Move your telephone from one side of the desk to the other, depending on whether you have phone calls to return.
You could also place things that need to leave the house on the floor in front of the door to serve as an obvious reminder, or you could make use of the doorknob itself by hanging things on it. For example, if you return from home day after day without the dry cleaning you meant to pick up, place an empty hanger on the door. Put it on the front seat of the car, and it will serve as a daylong reminder of an errand you need to run.
Practice using your environment right now: Click "next page" to see our last tip for memory.
1. Practice Makes Perfect
Maybe you're thinking that some of the tips in this article sound a bit too easy. And that's the beauty of them -- but to get the full benefit, you're going to have to practice. Not everyone immediately begins creating helpful visualizations or using the method of loci to remember things, but when your brain becomes trained to think that way, it will become easier.
You can look at almost anything as a chance to practice these memory tips. If you're out to eat at a restaurant, randomly assign the people around you a name. Introduce yourself to them in your head and give them identifying features. Enjoy your appetizer, then look back around to see how many names you remember. It can also make the time fly by when you're standing in line at the bank or waiting in a doctor's office. You can do the same things with people in newspapers or magazines.
Speaking of newspapers and magazines, you can practice your ability to pay attention by reading an article and then explaining the article to someone else. Do you have all the details down, or do you need to pay better attention when you're reading? After enjoying your favorite television program, see if you can remember the outfits that various characters wore throughout the show. If you can remember the small details, then your memory is getting good exercise.
One of the simplest ways to practice these methods is to teach them to someone else. By explaining with examples, you'll be reinforcing them in your brain.
If you want to practice your ability to pay attention to what you're reading, there are plenty of great articles on memory and the brain for you to use on the next page.
Lots More Information
Related Content
- Top 5 Mad Geniuses
- Human Intelligence Puzzles
- 10 Ways to Improve Your Senses
- Geniuses Pictures
- Who Said It: Einstein or Hawking?
More Great Links
- Crook, Thomas and Christine Allison. "How to Remember Names." HarperCollins. 1992.
- Herold, Mort. "You Can Have a Near-Perfect Memory." Contemporary Books, Inc. 1982.
- Higbee, Kenneth L. "Your Memory." Marlowe & Company. 2001.
- Minerd, Jeff. "Moderate Drinking Linked to Quick-Witted Women." MedPageToday. April 7, 2006. (Oct. 1, 2008)http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/DietNutrition/tb/3029?pfc=101&spc=230
- Schacter, Daniel L. "The Seven Sins of Memory." Houghton Mifflin Company. 2001.
- Tan, Zaldy S. "Age-Proof Your Mind: Detect, Delay, and Prevent Memory Loss -- Before It's Too Late." Warner Books. 2005.
- Victoroff, Jeff. "Saving Your Brain." Bantam. 2002.


text:
Admissions Consultants | Book Reviews | Discussion Board | MCAT | Premed | Medical School Rankings | Med School Advice | Wait List | Top Medical Schools
Admissions Criteria | Admission Essays | AMCAS | Financial Aid | International Med Schools | MCAT Score | Med Curriculum | Personal Statement | Post Bacc
Medical School: You're in for a Lot of Hard Work!
Looking for real med school admissions committee experience?
We strongly recommend:
Admissions Consultants
Discussion Topics
Ask Admissions Consultants
It doesn't pay to cheat on the MCAT
Caribbean or Hungary?
Why are dictators always short?
Medical school admissions committee experience!
Multimedia MCAT Prep
Live teaching, real past tests, Video CDs, MP3 and CBT MCATs
Business School ♦ GMAT ♦ Graduate School ♦ GRE ♦ Ivy League ♦ Law School ♦ LSAT ♦ Med School Programs ♦ Personal Statement ♦ Timeline
© Copyright 2005-2014 MedicalSchoolAdmission.com. All rights reserved. No content may be removed, borrowed, or appropriated from this site without our express written permission.


text: Something perhaps of interest to some of us... Polydore Michael Scofield wrote: > Greetings to all of the Norse, Danes, Finns, Icelanders, and those few > disgusting Swedes in Ansteorra. > > On April 28-30, 2000 a semi-annual gathering of the mundane Scandinavian > groups in Texas takes place in Georgetown (just North of Bryn Gwlad). For > the third time, I have been asked by the organizers to bring as many SCA > "vikings" as possible so they can have some real Viking Age people there. > So, if you have a persona from the areas now known as Norway, Finland, > Denmark, Iceland, or even Sweden, and you would like to spend a weekend in a > period encampment, explaining what the "vikings" were really like, getting > your picture taken a couple hundred times, eating some period food prepared > by H.E. Thordis, Mistress Rianlief, and others, meeting lots of folks from > Scandinavia, and going for short sailings on the Skelmir (our 22-foot > longboat, built by Ragnar Ulfgarsson and crew), let me know. > > We are looking for as many period "viking" tents as possible. > NO MUNDANE TENTS ALLOWED. We also need as many active period A&S activities > ongoing as possible in the camp. Also there will be a couple of fighting > demos per day. These will be done as much as possible like what would have > happened in period. And still be as entertaining as possible for the > mundanes watching. > > There is also a need for a few of us to be in a play that a Danish acting > troop will be doing. There will most likely be some fighting involved in our > parts of the play, but details on that have not been worked out. > > Check out the website of the festival at www.vikingfest.com . The group from > Bjornsborg, with help from a couple of folks in the Elfsea and Steppes area > have pulled this off the last two times. I think we need help, especially > since there are about 40-70,000 people expected at the festival this year. > We just can't talk to them all. > > If you would like to help out with this, and help us pick up a few new > members for the SCA, contact me soon. > > Thank you for your time. > > Hersir Ivar Runamagi > Bjornsborg > Ansteorra > ______________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com > ============================================================================ > Go to http://lists.ansteorra.org/lists.html to perform mailing list tasks. ============================================================================ Go to http://lists.ansteorra.org/lists.html to perform mailing list tasks.


text:
An entry by Dave Roberts, Virtualization and Private Clouds Track Chair at Cloud Connect.
It's a "coming of age" story, really. The cloud computing movement is reaching a new stage in its evolution. Many early clouds were built on top of existing server virtualization systems, with the primary objective of demonstrating the underlying technologies. Having proven that cloud computing works, enterprises are now looking to graduate to clouds that will support the long-term, production needs of the business; they are looking to build professional-grade clouds that will carry them the full distance. But that then begs the question, what makes a cloud "professional-grade?"
I see three primary differentiators that characterize professional-grade clouds:
- The ability to deliver a range of services to the broad group of end-users served by IT. Overwhelmingly, the first use-case targeted by most cloud pilots is software development and testing. Software development is a natural fit for cloud computing since developers and testers usually have a spikey demand for infrastructure, which makes the economic model a no-brainer. Further, these early users are quite technical, and so any rough spots in the cloud user-interface can be overlooked to keep the pilot project on track. But the simple user-interfaces delivered during the pilot phase typically don't work well as the cloud moves to production and the user base expands to include non-technical business users. Instead, you'll want a self-service interface that even a marketing intern could love, an interface that can deliver more than raw developer building blocks like Windows or Linux virtual machines. You'll need a service catalog with user authentication, role-based access control, and the ability to provision complete, fully-configured end-user applications like Sharepoint, wikis, and collaboration tools.
- The ability to support the diverse set of cloud platforms required by the enterprise, both current and future. Many early clouds were built as mere extensions of the existing server virtualization platform already deployed at the time. Take virtualization, add a self-service interface, and you're done! That's a reasonable decision for a pilot program or technology demonstration, but it won't go the distance. A professional-grade cloud will use a real cloud management platform to insulate cloud users from all the underlying implementation choices, making it easy to build hybrid clouds based on a variety of underlying implementation technologies: VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix XenServer, OpenStack, a variety of public cloud providers, and even bare metal. Further, we all know that needs and technologies will evolve over time; a professional-grade cloud anticipates that future change and takes it in stride.
- Integration with IT processes and systems needed by the business. Most early clouds are built with clean-sheet design principles, implemented as independent islands outside normal IT processes and not integrated with existing systems. This allows the pilot project to get up and running quickly and to remain uncluttered by traditional IT thinking. Over time, however, the enterprise needs to be able to manage the performance, capacity, security, and change capabilities of the cloud, just as it does today with physical and virtualized infrastructure. Does this mean weighing down your nice, sleek, agile new cloud with two-tons of ITIL? No, not necessarily. Well-built, enterprise-class clouds cooperate with other IT systems, delivering the appropriate I-dotting and T-crossing with integration and automation so that enterprise compliance requirements and business policies remain enforced.
Now that cloud computing is growing up and going mainstream, it's time that we got past the pilots and demos and started building professional-grade clouds that can meet real needs across the business, built for the long haul. We can leverage all the work we have done with those early projects and move them forward, building the advanced set of capabilities that will serve as the foundation moving forward.
Register for Cloud Connect Chicago with priority code SMBlog and save up to $500* on your All Access or Conference Pass.
*Discount calculated based on the on-site price and not combinable with other offers. Offer good on new registrations only. Prices after discount applied: All Access: $1,699.00 Conference: $1,299.00, Keynote & Expo Only: Free


text:
Posted Saturday, December 21, 2013 --- 5:18 a.m.
Ice cometh before the storm
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Freezing rain is making travel difficult overnight in Wisconsin.
Jefferson, Johnson Creek, Lake Mills, Edgerton, Boscobel and Burlington are among the dozens of schools closed on Friday.
The National Weather Service says widespread freezing rain and drizzle has ended but some parts of south-central and southeastern Wisconsin were seeing patchy freezing drizzle Friday evening.
Forecasters say the ice is a precursor to a winter storm that's expected to arrive Saturday night. The storm is carrying the potential for significant snowfall, sleet and ice.
Fed court upholds injunction on Wis. abortion law
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- A federal appeals court panel has upheld an injunction blocking Wisconsin's new law requiring abortion providers to have hospital admitting privileges from taking effect.
Planned Parenthood and Affiliated Medical Services filed a federal lawsuit this summer alleging the law would force the organizations to close clinics in Appleton and Milwaukee because the facilities' providers lack admitting privileges. U.S. District Judge William Conley has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the law while he weighs the case.
State attorneys asked the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago to lift the injunction. A three-judge panel ruled unanimously Friday that the injunction can continue.
Judge Richard Posner wrote the clinics face greater harm than the state if the injunction is lifted, the law goes into effect and Conley then strikes it down.
Milwaukee alderman investigated for misconduct
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- A Milwaukee alderman is being investigated for allegations that he used illegal tactics to force two sex offenders out of his district.
A search warrant suggests that investigators are looking into whether Alderman Jim Bohl committed misconduct in office.
A WTMJ-TV report says Bohl met with neighbors in October who were upset that two sex offenders were moving into a nearby house. A week later, the city issued several code violations against the house's landlord requiring thousands of dollars of repairs.
The warrant alleges that Bohl apologized to the landlord for playing "hardball" but the "guys needed to go."
Bohl released a statement saying he's disappointed the allegations were made public before a full examination of the facts was completed. He says he's cooperating with investigators.
Former Walker associate to get out of prison early
RACINE, Wis. (AP) -- A former associate of Gov. Scott Walker who was convicted of stealing more than $51,000 meant for veterans is getting out of prison early.
A jury last year convicted 63-year-old Kevin D. Kavanaugh of felony theft. He was sentenced to two years in prison, and he's served just over half the time.
The state Department of Corrections said Friday that Kavanaugh completed certain requirements of an early-release program, which makes him eligible to convert the rest of his sentence to extended supervision.
Defense attorney Chris Hartley says Kavanaugh had an alcohol problem, but apparently completed treatment successfully in prison.
Prosecutor Kurt Benkley said he was aware of the court document Wednesday ordering that Kavanaugh be released within 30 days. He says the decision is routine for these types of cases.
Wis. man pleads not guilty in deputy shooting
MEDFORD, Wis. (AP) -- A 28-year-old Westboro man accused of shooting and wounding a Taylor County deputy sheriff has pleaded not guilty.
Alexander Schneider was charged with attempted first-degree homicide and five other felonies in the September 8th shooting of Deputy Chad Kowalczyk, who was hit once in the abdomen.
Kowalczyk was shot after he went to Schneider's home to investigate a woman's complaint that Schneider had sent her at least 16 text messages that day, in violation of a restraining order.
Prosecutors say Schneider shot the deputy through the front door with a .22-caliber rifle.
The deputy has been cleared to return to work but the exact date has not been determined.
Schneider has been jailed on $1 million cash bond since his arrest. WAOW-TV reports no trial date was set.
Man dies after clash in Wis. mental health complex
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- A 48-year-old Milwaukee man has died after being restrained by a Milwaukee police officer and security guards inside the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex.
Police were called to the man's home after he threatened his wife with a hammer around 12:30 a.m. Friday.
Milwaukee police say the man had a history of mental problems. According to a police news release, the two officers who responded were concerned the man "was in mental crisis," so they brought him to the Mental Health Complex.
Police say the suspect became combative and was restrained by security personnel and one of the arresting officers, and was medicated.
The man became unresponsive and died despite life-saving efforts.
The Journal Sentinel reports police don't know the cause of death and are waiting for autopsy results.
Brother of victim is shocked conviction is vacated
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The brother of a Wisconsin woman killed 15 years ago with antifreeze says he was shocked that a judge overturned her husband's conviction in the case.
A federal judge decided Wednesday that Mark Jensen was improperly tried in 2008 because he couldn't confront his dead wife, Julie Jensen.
The decision centered on a letter that Julie Jensen had slipped to her Pleasant Prairie neighbor because she was suspicious her husband was trying to kill her.
She died in 1998. The case was slowed by a legal debate over whether the letter and her statements to others could be used in court.
Paul Griffin, of Kenosha, told The Associated Press Friday that if Jensen is tried again, he's certain the other evidence will convince a jury to convict him again.
RB Melvin Gordon returning to No. 19 Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Running back Melvin Gordon will return to Wisconsin for his junior season in 2014.
The 1,400-yard rusher said in a statement released by the team Friday that he had room for growth, and that he hoped to get the 19th-ranked Badgers back to the Big Ten title game. He also cited a desire to complete his degree.
Third-year sophomore Gordon is half of Wisconsin's potent one-two backfield punch with senior James White. Gordon's 8.31 yards per rush career average leads active major college players.
Coach Gary Andersen last week said he gave Gordon his OK to seek an NFL draft evaluation, but encouraged him to return to school.
The Badgers (9-3) are preparing to play Number 8 South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl on January 1st.
Copyright 2013: Associated Press


text:
What is
Lectures on OphthalmicEdge.org offer instruction on the diagnosis and treatment of ophthalmic illness and disease. The lectures are delivered by leading physicians and are available as videos which can be viewed on your computer.
Featured Content
Video, Dr. Roger Goldberg
Dr. Thomas A. Albini discusses his approach to diagnostic testing in Uveitis. See Full
Dr. Ed Ryan steps through a surgery involving vitrectomy & scleral buckle. See Full


text:
This is a self-serve general events calendar.
You may submit your events for free by creating an account here »
Remember your username and password. Once your event has been submitted, our editorial team will review and approve your event for the calendar within 24 hours. Please note that we do reserve the right to edit all events.
Once your event has been approved you may make any edits, changes or updates to your listing as often as you wish. Simply log into your account and click on the My Events tab. Each time you submit a change the event will go through the approval process before it appears on the calendar.
It is up to the account holder to make the changes, Moffly Media does not make changes to events upon request.
If you have any questions regarding your calendar submission please email us.
This event occurs weekly, on Wednesday.
Introducing our brand new Buck Q Wednesdays at Bar Q!
$1.00 beers, sliders, skins. $.50 wings and $10.00 pitchers! Don't miss out on the best Wednesday night around!!
(203) 316-0278
We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of this information. However, you should always call ahead to confirm dates, times, location, and other information.


text:
Parks Canada
Home > National Parks of Canada > La Mauricie National Park > Visitor Information > Hours of operation
Summer season 2015 – Winter season 2014-2015
You can continue to come to the Park after March 31. However, the trails will no longer be maintained and you will have to look after your own safety. The Parcs Canada oTENTik are still available. The Rivière à la Pêche Service Centre's waxing room, washrooms and dining room will remain open until April 12th.
The network of cross-country skiing trails is maintained from December to March. Weather conditions can affect the length of the season and the trail conditions.


text:
Web browser makers line up battleships
Microsoft has seen its grip on the global browser market share loosened by nearly 12 per cent since March, according to one web monitoring firm. Statcounter spun out the latest results over the weekend. It found that Microsoft's combined market share of Internet Explorer 6, 7 and 8 had slipped, even as the software giant's most …
MS being disingenous...
Microsoft tried to push IE8 into one of my IE testing setups today. The Installer message reads...
"Internet Explorer 8 is the latest version of the familiar Web browser that you are most comfortable using. Internet Explorer 8 helps you get everything that you want from the Web faster, easier, and more privately and securely than ever."
>the latest version of the familiar Web browser that you are most comfortable using...
Um, no. Making a bit of an assumption there - are they trying to get Firefox users to click INSTALL by accident? Are they desperate?
broken in IE7
IE7 won't display the map!
29.97% of a 'market' worth £0.
Who cares?
Re: MS being disingenuous...
I'm more annoyed by the fact that I've had the IE8 upgrade prompt two or three times despite most definitely choosing "No, and never show me this update again" the first time. That's just rude.
The answer to your first question is an unqualified, unambiguous, "YES !!!", for sure.
The answer to your second question is an emphatic, "HELL, YES !!!", no matter how the spinmeisters try to sugarcoat it.
Why no mention of Opera?
It's got double the marketshare of Chrome and Safari...
"Internet Explorer 8 is the latest version of the familiar Web browser that you are most comfortable using."
Isn't that just an outright lie?
I have tried IE8
I have a test setup at work where I have installed IE8 for testing with our web interface.
After installing I have decided there is not a pray in hell of putting it on any machine at home as it is constantly coming up requesting that I complete a form everytime I start IE.
> Are they desperate?
11.07 per cent
Of which 11.06 is probably the Windows userbase who had IE8 foisted upon them as a "Critical" update when the OS last auto-updated.
ie6 still has over 16% Why Bill, why! *sniff*
ie6 *still* clings onto life with significant market share, making a web devs life miserable worldwide.
This is because:
a. ie7 has a crap UI
b. ie8 has a crap UI
It's also because:
Windows Vista is a crap OS
and because:
99% of company IT bosses are scared crapless about upgrading, because 99% of company Intranets are cr@p and will only work in ie6.
@Jamie 19
<--- You need this.
Like most newly installed pieces of software which have a variety of configuration options, IE8 offers to lead you through a few on first use (including some rather un-Microsofty options like making Google the default for search, maps 'n webmail).
If you'd bothered to scroll down you'd have found the "sod off and don't annoy me with this shit again" button so you could either stay in happy MS-luser land or wade through the config yourself.
If you're going to diss MS, try to pick something they're actually guilty of to criticise, it's not like there isn't enough of a choice here.
It's a sack of manure and nobody in their right mind should use it.
Multiple IEs
I still have IE7 as the main installed version because if you upgrade to IE8, stand-alone versions of IE6 and IE7 break horribly. You can still use IE8 by installing that as stand-alone.
@ James 47
Perhaps "Market" isn't quite the right word -- but unless you don't actually browse the web, or browse in text only, then these figures will likely affect you somewhere along the line. If you use IE you may find less Silverlight and built for IE versions of websites -- and if you use Opera, Chrome, Firefox or and other browser you should find your browser is better supported.
Personally, I think any decrease in the use of an MS product, and the corresponding lowering in the number of people who just expect all things MS is a good thing for everyone.
Read title wrong
I thought this was an article on playing te tradtional battleships game on different browsers.
Instead it just an excuse for the tired old my-browser-is-better-than-yours arguments to appear in the comments section.
FWIW - i maintain a small business system. IE7 works without issues, is easily updated on patch Tuesday, has never let anything evil into our building, and users never ask me how to do things on it. By these standards it is fine. Should I feel the need to go to IE8, I don't doubt that (once setup is completed) the same will be the case
RE: #c_530910 (Zzz)
Who cares? How about people that have to write software to cater for as close to 100% of that market as possible?
If I saw IE's share go to 0% I would be a very happy man.
"loosened by nearly 12 per cent since March"?
Either I need to resit my maths exams or something is wrong here:
According to the graph....
In March
Total 62.48%
In July
Total 59.65%
@ Anonymous Coward 12:50 GMT
Who gives a shit about Opera?
works well for me on Windows 7 64-bit.
Shame I can't use the 64-bit browser as Flash is still 32-bit.
Why the fuss?
IE6 still on 23%
Somebody please tell me I don't have to code for it any more... please?
<sits whimpering in the corner>
http://marketshare.hitslink.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=8&qptimeframe=M&qpsp=125&qpmr=100&qpdt=1&qpct=0&qpcustomc=*1 is the site you get from the Net Applications link in the Reg story. Ask it for browsers, browser percentages, operating systems, the answer:
"This report's data is currently under review. It will become available as soon as possible. "
It is a very good looking page, much better than when people used an animated GIF of a guy digging a hole with a spade.
RE: Shame I can't use the 64-bit browser as Flash is still 32-bit.
Is it? Then I must be imagining the fact I've had a native 64bit version of Flash 10 running happily inside Firefox on Kubuntu for the last few months. ;~)
Slightly OT
but there is a bloke who comes into my local, you know the sort - knows everything, anyway he spent hours trying to convince me that experts (he knows they are experts because the FT said so) had proven that IE8 was much faster than any other browser available.
I tried to reason with him, but then he came out with how Bing is ruining Google and half of googles searches are Bings....I walked away after that....
IE8 is the best one
Always this same talk of Firfox against the Internet Explorer. Why must people try to always put the Microsoft one down when we know it comes for free and works best on the web sites? Also as I say before the Firfox Javs will always be its large downfall as it is most slow and also uses all my memory up in one go.
For me and my friends it is a no brain to choose IE8 as the best one.
P.S. also to please take some salt on the statistic that they say about users of the browser - due to some details in confusion with something we call the "users agent" most people are not sure which browser the customer chooses - many IE browsers flavour appear as though they are the Firfox through IE sending Mozilla to be sure that site will still serve it. This dates back to time when Sun tries to hoodwink the web from Microsoft with Java applets.
I have IE8 installed on some of my WinBoxes. Around here, it's used only if whoever is using that box absolutely positively has to go to a site which uses ActiveX, usually Microsoft's own sites. For all other sites we use FireFox or Safari, except for the one guy who uses Chrome and the other who uses Opera. (Well, the relative small group which insists on web-surfing using their phones use Opera; for long, complex, reasons we're stuck with Windows Mobile, and one reason why most of our users refuse to surf from their phones is that no-one could pay them enough to use IE on a phone.)
If we must go on a site which uses ActiveX, we take precautions about what that site really is downloading and we bail as fast as we can... and shut down IE immediately when we bail. And the number of sites we use which have ActiveX is falling; we scream at the webmasters in question about their lack of support for non-IE browsers, and if they don't change quickly we find what we need elsewhere. (Except for Microsoft, of course. We're stuck with them... right up until I can persuade the powers-that-be to scrap every single Windows install around here and replace 'em all with OS X and Ubuntu. Soon enough it'll be bye-bye, Mickeysoft. Bye-bye, ActiveX. Bye-bye, Silverlight. Bye-bye, never to be sufficiently cursed Exchange Server.)
Here you go, it's even on pro-MS cnet:
(Safari 4 benchmarked at 42 times faster than IE7, 6 times faster than IE8; IE 7 and 8 slower than any other browser tested).
Talk about getting all worked up...
I work in web development and I have to admit to a reasonable hatred of IE6 as it is a nightmare to code for.
Having said that, IE8 is pretty damned good, so is Chrome and FF (whilst being rather slow) is also good. There is really not a lot to choose between these browsers anymore, from an end-user perspective it just comes down to personal choice (apart from Safari, which any right-thinking person knows is horrible).
So get over it.
RE: IE6 still on 23%
It's bad, but not that bad. Look closer into the stats and you'll find two things.
First, in North America and Europe the figure is closer to 12%, the worldwide figures is skewed by Asia where IE6 is above 30%.
Second, take a look down at the day resolution graphs. IE6 usage drops another quarter at the weekend in those territories, which indicates that many people are tied to it at work due to the usual legacy intranet problem.
Hopefully after Win7 IE6 will finally start to die completely.
That whole domain has been blacklisted in my squid config for ages, and I suspect I'm not the only one snubbing them. So their numbers might be a tad off.
Browser that you are most comfortable using?
So Microsoft has taken over development of Lynx then? I never have any virus problems when I'm browsing the intertubes with Lynx. In fact, it never crosses my mind. Oh sure, IE and FF and the rest do the fancy pictures and annoying Flash, but really, if I'm not browsing for porn, why do I need pictures?
Statistics bombard us. I was wondering if, in the Land of Beancounters whether or not they raise beans anymore? They probably passed laws against it on the basis that more beans just 'confused' people. Sort of like G-8 countries don't manufacture anything but defense weapons and video games.http://www.theregister.co.uk/Design/graphics/icons/comment/troll_32.png
....Trying to pull an Apple and push it out with EVERY windows update, labelling it as "Important" along with shittylight......i mean Silverlight
I stopped developing/fixing/supporting IE6 ages ago. If a client wants their website to work with IE6, it's an extra £5k+ - nobody has gone for it yet. :-).
I use as many transparent png's as possible (without the IE6 fix code).
For my backend CMS I've blocked IE completely - I use AJAX alot for inline editing/drag&drop and coding is a joy not having to bother with MS product at all. After the initial shock of my client's being weaned off IE, they all seem happy running FF or Safari, especially with some AdBlocking running.
Opera doesn't have double the market share, safari 3's downward shift neatly coinsides with safari 4's upwards shift, total safari market share was pretty static (and about the same as opera)
IE6 Popular Because of Cracking?
I wonder how many "cracked" versions of XP floating around the world, which are generally never updated, are inflating the IE6 market share.
Posted from Genuine XP Pro SP3 running SeaMonkey. Does that give me an advantage? ;-}
Most people running cracked versions of XP will have upgraded to the latest IE. There is no reason you wouldn't, i've always used a cracked version of XP and never had any problems downloading updates, every time Microsoft releases a new version of WGA, another crack comes out.
@ gribbler
Sane, rational people like you are not welcome on this site. Demented fanbois and poison dwarfs are all over the sodding place like a contagious disease. Leave them to fester in their own juice.
Most read
- Vid Antarctic ice THICKER than first feared – penguin-bot boffins
- Hi-torque tank engines: EXTREME car hacking with The Register
- Antique Code Show World of Warcraft then and now: From Orcs and Humans to Warlords of Draenor
- Review What's MISSING on Amazon Fire Phone... and why it WON'T set the world alight
- Product round-up Trousers down for six of the best affordable Androids


text:
The Department of Labors Employee Benefits Security Administration has extended the deadline for 401(k) plans to disclose fees and expenses to participants to 120 days after the Jan. 1, 2012 deadline. Originally, the deadline was 60 days after the effective date. As a result, plans now have until April 30, 2012 to provide the information.
All Employee Benefit Adviser articles are archived after seven days. REGISTER NOW for unlimited access to all recently archived articles, as well as thousands of searchable stories. Registered Members also gain access to exclusive industry white paper downloads, web seminars, podcasts and blog discussions. Members may also choose to receive any of our daily or weekly e-newsletters covering the latest breaking news, opinions from industry leaders and developing trends with specialized topics like defined contribution/defined benefit, healthcare insurance news, voluntary benefits, and legal issues.


text:
Terms of Use
Terms of Sale/Use
All sales are final. Due to the nature of the product—a PDF that can be stored and printed, no refunds are available. Please be sure you're okay with this before you purchase.
Purchase of this PDF gives the purchaser specific, limited rights. Purchaser has the right to print multiple copies of this document for personal use with family, friends and colleagues. The right to print for personal use has no time limitation.
Purchaser, by purchasing this PDF, agrees not to forward PDF to third parties who have not purchased a copy of this PDF. Purchaser agrees not to distribute printed copies to others to be photocopied.
If you receive this PDF as a gift, please abide by these terms as they apply to the Purchaser.
In other words, we ask you to enjoy this work with family, friends and colleagues, and honor the author's and publisher's right to fair compensation for it. Please don't print, copy or email for distribution any printed or electronic version of this work.
These terms apply to this, and all previous versions of Christmas Fun: 21st-Century Animals Reflect on Who Was Present, Who Was Absent (and Why) on That First Christmas Eve – An Ongoing Research Project and Interactive One-Act Play for Humans (the work). Previous versions of the work include, but are not limited to, these titles: Crashing the Crèche, The Manger: An Interspecies Recollection, and A Fly on the Wall Before the Big Manger Scene.
Thanks for your integrity in honoring this agreement.
Copyright © 1996, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 by Reggie Marra
All rights reserved
This digital version of Christmas Fun is published by From the Heart Press, an imprint of Integral Journeys. For more information, please visit http://reggiemarra.com.


text:
While on an instructional cross-country flight in visual meteorological conditions, the airplane experienced an in-flight breakup during an aerobatic maneuver. Five maneuvers of interest were identified in the radar data for the accident flight. During the last maneuver the airplane's airspeed exceeded 134 knots calibrated airspeed (KCAS). According to the airplane's type certificate data sheet, the airplane's maximum maneuvering speed was 116 KCAS. Fellow flight instructors revealed that the accident flight instructor had reported performing "rolls" and/or "snap rolls" in the past while in the flight school's airplanes. In addition, one primary flight student reported that the accident flight instructor had demonstrated "rolls" and "spins" to him during flight lessons. No preimpact mechanical deficiencies with the airplane were noted, and all fracture surfaces were consistent with overload separations.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
Index for Nov2007 | Index of months


text: When that happens, Papa, it will be the *most* amazing party! --Maire, who has no doubts about that.... ----- Original Message ----- From: Michael Gunter<mailto:countgunthar at hotmail.com> To: Cooks within the SCA<mailto:sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org> Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 1:47 PM Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Boil in bag > Maybe these people should hire you to prepare those dishes they want? In > fact, there is an idea, have patrons pay (bribe?) you to produce the dishes > they want at the feast. It might make for an interesting fund raiser.> > Bear I've had sort of a fantasy that if I ever became a Laurel I'd either do a feast or hold a get together and people could ask me to make some dishes they remembered and wanted to have again. Gunthar _________________________________________________________________


text:
Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don't upset us. We all love customization, but when manufacturers give security products too much of their own "secret sauce," it ends up being difficult to make them work together in an integrated system. Some degree of standardization is needed.
See all the latest links and resources that supplement the current issue of Security Management magazine.


text:
Canaves Oia Suites Facilities:
Each of the suites offered at the Canaves Oia Luxury Suites in Santorini is elegantly designed preserving the traditional island architecture.
The view to the Caldera is breathtaking and the service provided is bound to satisfy even the most demanding guest.
VIP amenities and modern comforts are offered in all suite types, including air-conditioning, satellite TV, CD player / radio, Internet access, direct dial phone, safe deposit box, mini bar, fridge, bathrobes, slippers and hairdryer.


text:
Together with The Friends of Fremont Park, the Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen (hey, that's us!) will again be hosting a Bicycle Swap Meet in Midtown Sacramento.
Back by popular demand, this year's event looks to be even bigger. Here's your chance to get a great deal on used bikes, parts and clothing from other bike riders and enthusiasts. If you've been waiting to sell something — old, new, vintage, or perhaps something that's been sitting in your garage, this is a great opportunity to finally get it done. Proceeds will go to benefit both non-profit organizations: The Sac Bike Kitchen and The Friends of Fremont Park.
There are only so many spots available and are reserved on a first-come, first serve basis.
WHEN: Sunday, May 22nd, 9-2PM (rain date Sunday, June 5th)
WHERE: Fremont Park in Midtown Sacramento, 1 square block, between P&Q and 15th &16th Streets. It's the green space located in front of the the restaurant Hot Italian.
RESERVE A SPACE: register at: www.fremontpark.net
• 10′ x 10′ space – $10.00
• Each additional space 10′ x 10′ is $10.00
Check-in starts at 8 AM. All reserved spots must be claimed and paid for by 8:30 or will be forfeited. NO EXCEPTIONS.
No cars are allowed in the park. Items must be carried or rolled in.
Since this is Sunday, most parking in the area is free!
Set up can start as early as 8:00 AM
For information, contact: frem...@gmail.com
We look forward to seeing you at the Park!


text:
SINGLE FAMILY HOME: 3 bed, 2 full bath. Welcome home to this darling like-new house in an awesome location. ALL NEW paint inside and out, cMore info
CONDOMINIUM UNIT: 2 bed, 2 full bath. HOA'S INCLUDE RESERVES, WATER, SEWER AND TRASH. COVERS EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE. AMENITIES INCLUDE TWOMore info
SINGLE FAMILY HOME: 3 bed, 1 full bath. New carpet and paint, exterior paint, covered patio, family room has wet bar and tongue and grooveMore info
BUILDING LOT: . Okay to split and build 2 homes side by side, or a duplex. Owner/agent is in process of designing aMore info
BUILDING LOT: . Must see to appreciate the view. Absolutely Beautiful. Watch the deer and elk roam by or enjoy theMore info
MOBILE-MANUFACTURED HOME: 3 bed, 2 full bath. Wonderful turnkey 3 bedroom 2 bathroom split floor plan manufactured home in Rustic Acres subdivisiMore info
LOTS FOR SALE: IDAHO CITY Beautiful treed Clear Creek lot. 8.4 acres, great hunting and snowmobile area. US Bankruptcy Sale. Auction Dec. 5th. All bids must be received by 5pm. Min. bid $13,000. Call Jude Gary, Metropolitan RE 208-362-2027 or 208-867-2056More info Email a friend
DUPLEX: 2 bed, 2 full bath. Single family or duplex lot, for sale or build to suit, great Boise location. Fairview and 5 Mile aMore info
DUPLEX: 2 bed, 2 full bath. Single family or duplex lot, for sale or build to suit, great Boise location. Fairview and 5 Mile aMore info
SINGLE FAMILY HOME: 4 bed, 3 full bath. Great home in desirable Walden Pond. Home has two master suites, one on the main level and one upstMore info


text:
Authorities: Stafford deputy's fatal shooting of teen was 'justifiable homicide in self-defense'
RELATED: View the full investigative report
By KEITH EPPS
The fatal shooting of a Fauquier County teenager who was gunned down by two Stafford deputies in his home last month was a justifiable homicide, authorities said Friday.
Evan Newsom, 17, was killed at his home in the 12000 block of Tacketts Mill Road in Fauquier near the Stafford County line. Deputies from both jurisdictions went there early Nov. 2 in response to an abandoned car and an assault.
A joint statement issued Friday by Stafford Commonwealth's Attorney Eric Olsen and Fauquier Commonwealth's Attorney James Fisher indicates that Newsom committed what could be described as "suicide by police."
The prosecutors wrote that Newsom set the fatal chain of events into motion when he attacked a Stafford deputy with a knife, cutting his sleeve and his arm. That deputy and another Stafford deputy responded to the "clear, direct and imminent attempt to kill or do grave bodily harm" by opening fire, they said.
Prior to that, according to the statement, Newsom had assaulted his mother and a neighbor. He also brandished a knife and made statements such as "it's over," "I'm not going to jail," "just shoot me," and "I'm not going down like that."
He also had exhibited "self-injuring" behavior and had told his mother that he would never return to the Department of Juvenile Justice and that "they would have to kill me."
"The facts strongly suggest that the subject had a clear prior intent to have a fatal encounter with the police and that he acted in conformity with that state of mind," the prosecutors concluded.
Newsom's mother, Angela Newsom, said Friday that she was not yet prepared to respond to the results of the seven-week investigation. But Newsom has previously made it clear that she does not believe the shooting was justified.
In a letter sent to The Free Lance-Star last month, Newsom disputed claims that her son attacked a deputy and said there was no good reason for police to go into the home to confront her son, who she said was posing no threat at the time.
Angela Newsom said that she was dubious of the police investigation and wanted the matter to go before a jury. She said that while her son did some things wrong that evening and would have faced consequences, "he wouldn't have gotten the death penalty for it and I wouldn't have unloaded a gun in him for it."
Police began an investigation about 4 that morning after someone reported a Hyundai Elantra in a ditch a short distance from the Newsom residence. Evan Newsom had taken the car following a dispute with his mother.
Police said Stafford and Fauquier deputies routinely work together on cases in that rural area, and that's what occurred that day. Fauquier deputies were outside the home while Stafford deputies went inside. Angela Newsom and others were outside when multiple shots were fired.
Evan Newsom was a senior at Liberty High School in southern Fauquier and was Angela Newsom's only child. His mother said he was planning to go to college and eventually become a veterinarian.
Angela Newsom said that while her son had had some issues in the past, he'd been doing well for the past year until the evening of Nov. 1.
The prosecutors' joint statement called Newsom's death a "tragedy. Unfortunately on November 2, 2012, Evan Newsom placed the deputies responding to his violent acts in a position where it was necessary for them to use deadly force."
Video from press conference on day of shooting:
Permalink: http://news.fredericksburg.com/newsdesk/2012/12/14/police-stafford-deputys-fatal-shooting-of-teen-was-justifiable-homicide-in-self-defense/


text:
Whether you are just starting out, hoping to advance your career, looking to give back to the community, or gain valuable education, we offer a variety of opportunities to meet your needs.
HCA is a leading provider of healthcare services, and its more than 180,000 employees serve approximately 18 million patients annually. We are listed among Fortune Magazine's "Most Admired" healthcare companies.
Certified Nurse Midwife Needed to join OB/GYN practice


text:
The Leisuretime Centre is Geelong's biggest indoor open spaced stadium and is a truly multi-purpose venue with something for everyone of all ages and abilities.
With facilities holding sporting activities such as Basketball, Badminton, Futsal (indoor soccer), Street Soccer, Volleyball, Indoor and Outdoor Netball, Squash and Racquetball courts plus supporting services such as a Cafe, Multi Purpose Room as well as Meeting & Training Rooms.
Participate in one of the following programs:
Located just 6km from Geelong's CBD, just 1.5km off the Melbourne Road and 1km from the Geelong Ring Road, the Leisuretime Centre is located at 262-282 Anakie Road in Bell Post Hill.
The Leisuretime Centre is located on the edge of the Fountain of Friendship Parkland which incorporates walking/cycling tracks, skate bowls and a kids playground. Next door is the Bell Post Shopping Centre and we are also close to accomodation, restaurants and many other attractions Geelong and the Surfcoast has to offer.
The Venue has a large car park to cater for our peak times and major events, we also have bicycle parking at the front of the centre where you can secure you bike to the posts provided.
Operational Dates/Times
Monday - Thursday:
9:00am - 10:45pm
9:00am - 8:30pm
8:30am- 3:00pm
Public holidays and school holidays hours vary. Event bookings may book outside of these times listed.


text:
Add any of these special treats to your stay to send a personal message to your special someone. Want to do something that isn't listed here? Just call us—we'll work with you to make your vision a reality!
Chocolate Covered Strawberries. Six delicious strawberries are smothered in rich chocolate. Perfect for a special evening. $20
Breakfast in Bed. The ultimate indulgence! Have one of our delicious breakfasts brought to your room for a service charge of just $20. Add champagne mimosas for an additional $10. You can still choose the breakfast items you'd like, and you can choose the time you'd like to be served. Also, ask about signature coffee mugs or champagne flutes to take home with you (mugs are $20/two; flutes are $15/two).
Champagne/Wine Service. Arrange to have a bottle of champagne or wine chilled and waiting for you in your room. $25.
The Perfect Touch. Want to relax super quick? Schedule a blissful massage in your room! Get a massage for one, or ask for two masseuses for a relaxing couples massage. $90/hour per person.
Carriage Rides. We'll arrange a private carriage ride for you and a guest—the perfect way to see Saint Augustine! Your carriage will pick you up and drop you off at our front door. $95
Say it with Flowers. Our staff will be happy to create a custom bouquet to punctuate your romantic getaway. Ask for roses ($45/dozen) or any other special flower (call for prices) and we will be happy to put them together for you and have them in your room upon arrival.
Fruit Baskets. Whether you want to feed grapes to your loved one, or just eat healthy during your stay, we'll be happy to create a beautiful fruit basket for you. $50 and up.
Signature items. Want to take a little Bayfront Marin House with you? We have a full selection of our soft and comfy robes, coffee mugs, t-shirts, champagne flutes, and caps. All items are on display in our inn, or call us to order a special reminder of your trip!
To order any of these options, call us at 904.824.4301 or choose the options you want on our online reservation form. All extras will be available in your room at check-in, unless you request another time.


text:
My Profile
Member since May 2011
Flag This ProfileFlag as Inappropriate
Reviewed Chicken Piccata
Aug 7, 2012 in Food Network Community Toolbox on FoodNetwork.com
"This is an easy recipe to make and it tastes soooooo good! I used a bit more stock because I felt it was a little too "lemony" for my taste. I used the juice of one lemon, which was less than the suggested 1/3 cup. If you watch the video, Giada tells you to use 1 cup of stock, and the recipe calls for 1/2 cup. I ended up using about 3/4 cup. The c""
Reviewed Cherry Pie
Aug 1, 2011 in Food Network Community Toolbox on FoodNetwork.com
"This recipe is so good. I even made extra pie filling and used it in my crepes for a fantastic dessert. I used sweet cherries, and if you like sweet pies, they work quite nicely. Otherwise, add a bit of fresh lemon juice.
Note: I used 1/8 TEASPOON almond extract. I think that must be a typo because no recipe in the universe ever calls for..."
Reviewed Greek Orzo and Grilled Shrimp Salad with Mustard-Dill Vinaigrette
Jun 20, 2011 in Food Network Community Toolbox on FoodNetwork.com
"This recipe was so good, I ate it the next three days as there was enough left over. My family of four loved it. Absolutely will be making this again. I did not deviate from the recipe, although I did cook the orzo in 50/50 water and chicken stock instead of just plain water. Served warm, it is a great side dish or main course.""