text:
Click on the links to read more.Leaving aside the notion that the local pronunciation is a "corruption", the BBC's discussion omits the most interesting part of the story, at least from an American point of view. They should have asked John Wells, whose discussion of the question I linked to at the time ("Myanmar is mama", 10/15/2007). And the explanations that I've heard and read this time around — yesterday on NPR, for example — again miss the key point. So here it is.
There is no 'r'!
Never was. Not in Burma and not in Myanmar. The 'r' is an orthographic imposition of post-rhotic British colonialists.
Observations on British and American English
by an American linguist in the UK
England and America are two countries separated by a common language.
--George Bernard Shaw
BrE = British English
AmE = American English
OED=Oxford English Dictionary (2nd edn. [1989], unless otherwise noted)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
more on orthographic r
41 comments:
- pne said...
Oh, but there *is* an "r" in Myanmar -- the second letter!
Only it's pronounced "y" now, since /r/ and /j/ merged quite a while ago in Burmese (as I understand it). (If that letter is pronounced at all; I've seen /mænma/ as a pronunciation too, I think.) - 15 May, 2008 08:48
- Paul Danon said...
A nameless student-friend from the eastern part of northern England (and therefore a non-rhotic) had to transcribe a speech by Elizabeth II, queen of the UK, and was rash enough to run it past me for a once-over. I accused her of making the queen rhotic. When she wanted to show HM saying /ɑ/ she wrote /ar/. When I remonstrated, she pointed out that that the queen was not rhotic but posh.
- 15 May, 2008 16:25
- Ellen K. said...
One of the articles says that the r signifies a long (in length) vowel. (Though I can't find it now.) Is this correct?
Also, I recall reading (again, not sure where) that the vowel plus r is pronounced like the a in father. But then you discussed here er and um being pronounced alike. Which is distinctly different than the vowel I use in father. Is father pronounced differently? Is there more than one vowel sound, with the r only signifying length? - 15 May, 2008 18:21
- lynneguist said...
Yes Ellen, the 'r' tends to intrude in BrE spelling when the vowel is long. (Note that 'long' here means that it's pronounced for longer, not that it's a different vowel.)
Er is like uh, rather than um, but both of those can vary a lot in their pronunciation. It's just a way of representing a long, usually middle-of-the-mouth vowel used in hesitating. It is usually different from the 'a' in father--and very different if you're from Boston. But the 'a' in non-Boston father would be more similar to the 'ar' in car, I think. I must always caution that I'm not a phonetician, so my judg(e)ments should be taken as approximations! - 15 May, 2008 18:53
A British feller in America is a fella. If he was posh or esteemed he would be a fellow. If he moved to Egypt he might be a fellah.
- 15 May, 2008 21:11
- Doug Sundseth said...
Some AmE dialects have a rhotic version of "feller" as well; used in the same way as the "fella" that mollymooly mentions. (I would say that both are in a very different register than "fellow" in AmE, which seems to match what mollymooly wrote about BrE.)
- 15 May, 2008 22:36
- Dougal said...
I've gotta say, most of the proclamations about British pronunciation here are completely alien to me.
"Feller" is definitely pronounced with an 'r' on the end. I've also always pronounced "er" like "to err is human...", which is very different from "uh" and "um". - 16 May, 2008 15:53
- lynneguist said...
Sure, there are plenty of BrE dialects that have post-vocalic [r].
- 16 May, 2008 17:42
- Red Squirrel said...
Thanks for clarifying the matter, I've been wondering about that as in Russian the country in question used to be called /'b i: r m a/ and now is called Myanma /m j a n m a/, so I was wondering where the r in the English name came from.
- 17 May, 2008 15:41
I have been getting all political commenting on the Language Log site, so I will leave that there. My first exposure as an AmE speaker to the rhotic / non-rhotic dichotomy in the US was in the Kinks song "Shangri-La", where Ray Davies rhymed words like "car", "hard", and "yard" with "Shangri-La" with a rhotic pronunciation. Since Ray grew up in London, I am guessing he tends towards the non-rhotic in his speech and that the pronunciation in the song was deliberate.
- 17 May, 2008 17:49
I meant to type "dichotomy in the UK".
- 17 May, 2008 17:51
- Did You Know? said...
your so lucky you can speak 'r'.. because my niece cannot speak r.. huhu.. sad
- 18 May, 2008 13:13
- Paul Danon said...
But doesn't the R in RP BrE "part" mean that the type of vowel is different from that in "pat", not just the length?
- 19 May, 2008 13:14
Paul, your comment reminded me of how the British pronounce the word "pasta", the first "a" like the "a" in AmE "patty" but even more so. It is the "a" sound that was often employed when making fun of how Americans speak so I found it ironic that in this case Americans pronounce pasta as if it were spelled in BrE "parsta" while the British use the obnoxious sounding "anh" sounding "a".
- 20 May, 2008 15:16
- Paul Danon said...
Obnoxious or not, the BrE pronunciation of pasta is closer to the Italian.
- 20 May, 2008 16:46
Obnoxious or not, I didn't know how else to describe the a sound I meant. I think the AmE pronunciation of pasta may be more near to the Italian pronunciation.
http://italian.about.com/library/media/audio/fare22525.wav - 20 May, 2008 18:42
- JohnB said...
Ohh - don't you just love the passion, of small minded people :)
Now I know my accent is obnoxious to someone, I will work harder to keep it that way :) - 20 May, 2008 19:09
- JohnB said...
OK. Now I have got over feeling insulted by that, I hope, thoughtless choice of words.
Pasta is pronounced differently on different parts of Italy. Like every other country, Italians have a range of different accents and pronunciations. - 20 May, 2008 19:15
The twangy "a" sound?
Better? - 20 May, 2008 19:32
And because I'm afraid of putting my foot farther into my mouth. Nevermind. I apologize for any offense taken.
It's a strong "a" sound that apparently Americans use more than the British, though with that one word, not.
Whereas if Americans were to attempt a British accent of some kind they would very likely use a lot of the long "a" sounds or long vowel sounds in general, the drop jaw "a" sound or "ar" that sounds stereotypically posh or Americans might even say snooty. But there I may have gone and done it again.
Apparently I am no diplomat. Nor am I particularly passionate or small minded.
Sorry. - 20 May, 2008 21:47
Anne: it's always dangerous to generalise, and especially tricky when you're trying to convey sounds in writing, but I believe I understand what you're saying.
Now, I'm no expert (just an interested observer) but what seems to me to be going on is that there are actually three vowel sounds in play here, all of them written with the letter "a".
First we have the sound in BrE RP "cat" or AmE "patty", which (I think) is the IPA "æ".
Then there's the sound in BrE RP "bath", which I don't know the IPA for, so we'll call that "aa".
But there's also another sound, which – being from the North of England – I tend to think of as a "simple a", and which sounds to me like the sound used in Italian: a short vowel somewhere between the other two.
My impression is that many Americans, in attempting to give the word "pasta" an Italian pronunciation (and why they feel that's necessary is another matter) are hypercorrecting away from "pæstuh" and producing something closer to "paastuh" – which to my ears sounds not only no more accurate, but affected to boot.
I think you're right in saying that some in the UK pronounce pasta as "pæsta", but I suspect it's fewer than you'd think: many English accents don't use that sound at all, and even among Oxbridge educated speakers (whom you'd expect to sound very RP) it seems to be being replaced with the short "a" sound.
Like I say, though, I'm no expert, so take all of that for what it's worth. - 21 May, 2008 10:08
- Janet said...
Related but somewhat off-topic: my English husband and I recently were in the States for two weeks. Especially while in New Mexico, I kept noticing how whiny accents sounded to my ear. Had they always sounded that way but I'd never noticed, living in the US all my life (until 5+ years ago)? Am I now becoming THAT accustomed to Brit-speech-sounds?
Has this happened to other American ex-pats?
Janet - 21 May, 2008 14:41
Thank you both David and Janet for rescuing the conversation!
It is indeed very difficult to describe different sounds. Compounding this difficulty, I am unfamiliar with the notation. Also I think there may be more a sounds then just three.
Thinking about it more, I am beginning to doubt that the "anh" -that, say, Chandler Bing's girlfriend in the sitcom Friends uses, is the "a" that some English use in pasta - they don't use that sound at all, but they do use a different "a" sound there. Like the "a" in cat, I guess. And I think I was mistaken too, in that we use an open sound, like the "o" sound in pot in pasta. What you are writing as aa, I think? But it's not particularly drawn out. And it is just the way I've always said it and heard it here. I don't usually think of it as being an adopted foreign word. I only checked to hear how it is pronounced in Italian, because curious whether it was indeed pronounced with the "a" sound of cat. (It didn't sound like it to me.)
Do Americans tend toward the nasal where as English tend more toward the gutteral?
Janet, it seems very likely that having emmersed yourself in BrE, when you return, you would hear AmE with new ears. Your impressions are legitimate.
A dear friend of mine, I realized a few years ago, sounds a great deal like Ernie of Sesame Street. And Chandler Bing's girlfriend sounds a lot like Bert from Sesame Street. Her laugh is exactly the same as Bert's. - 21 May, 2008 15:29
- 21 May, 2008 15:32
- Ellen K. said...
David Up North, in order for Americans to be hypercorrecting away from the "pæstuh" pronunciation, we would have to have that proununciation. I don't think that prounciation is anywhere close to common enough here for any pronunication to be a hypercorrection for it.
Nor do Americans generally, in my experience, pronounce pasta with the long vowel of the RP "bath". I do think such a pronunciation sounds affected. But while the vowel is the same or similar soundwise to that, it's short. - 21 May, 2008 16:20
Potentially helpful for this discussion: Merriam-Webster definition of pasta, which includes two different pronunciations you can listen to.
- 21 May, 2008 16:55
Anne: "And I think I was mistaken too, in that we use an open sound, like the "o" sound in pot in pasta. What you are writing as aa, I think? But it's not particularly drawn out."
That's more or less where I was going, yeah. I wasn't trying to describe the length of the sound so much as the "breadth" of it, if that makes sense. It's difficult because, to me, the "o" in pot sounds nothing like any kind of "a" sound. I appreciate that it does for (most?) Americans, though. I see in Ruth's link to Merriam-Webster that their first pronunciation of pasta has the vowel sound notated as the same as the vowel in pot.
Ellen K: the pronunciation I was trying to describe with "pæstuh" is the second one in Ruth's link.
Gosh, this is tricky, isn't it? - 21 May, 2008 18:59
- Ellen K. said...
David, I think you misunderstood me. Though I honestly can't see how you got the idea I don't understand what sound æ represents. I wouldn't have posted what I did if I didn't know the sound I was commenting on.
- 21 May, 2008 19:25
- Ellen K. said...
P.S. Ah, perhaps you didn't realize I'm American and thus misunderstood my "we"? We = Americans. Here = America. Or, more specifically, the middle part of the U.S.
- 21 May, 2008 19:29
Ellen K, there's certainly some confusion. You seemed to be saying that that pronunciation was very uncommon in America. I was pointing out that, since it was provided as a pronunciation option in an American dictionary, it can't be that uncommon. I know I've heard it.
- 21 May, 2008 19:58
Our hostess will be cross that a post on R has morphed into a discussion on A.
My understanding is as follows:
For many Americans, the same vowel occurs in PALM as in LOT; this vowel is also used in "pasta" and for the A in many other exotic words.
In Britain, the PALM vowel is longer than the American vowel, while the LOT vowel is short but rounded. LOT occurs only for letter O (except after /w/ as in "wan", "squad"). Maybe PALM is too long for "pasta", and so the vowel of TRAP must serve for "pasta" even though it is a poorer approximation of the Italian than the American PALM vowel.
American spelling alterations such as Tanya>Tonya and Sandra>Sondra look odd to cisatlanticans
@David up North: what English words do you pronounce with the "simple a" sound you mention? - 22 May, 2008 00:30
"You say tomato and I say tomato, let's call the whole thing off."
Actually, the a sound in BrE tomato is similar to AmE pasta. I assumed that the second pronunciation of pasta in the dictionary was maybe a nod to the BrE pronunciation. I don't think I've ever heard it here, and I think I would notice. (Though I have not been everywhere in the US.) Also, is that second pronunciation the BrE pronunciation? Because I recall the BrE a sound in pasta being more pronounced than that.
Mollymooly- I hope that our hostess will not be too cross, because it is related, isn't it-- vowel sounds? We were discussing how the r can indicate the vowel sound preceding it in BrE.
The vowel sound of palm and pot are different to my ears I think - and in my speech. I wonder if the l changes the a sound in AmE in a similar way that the r does for BrE. The a of palm sounds more like pawlm a hint of an aw sound, a slightly extended vowel sound, whereas pot doesn't have any hint of w and is brief.
Wan and palm have the same a sound maybe, and pot and squad have the same, but not wan and squad. But I see what your getting at, the sound in BrE wan and squad is like our AmE vowel sound in pot and lot.
I know the rounded o sound of which you speak of BrE pot and lot. It is very different than the AmE sounds in those words. So, it would be more helpful to say that AmE pronounce the first a in pasta with the vowel sound of BrE wan or squad?
However, that vowel sound that AmE use in pasta sounds like a common vowel sound in BrE to me, maybe a little shorter. Is it really so rare? - 22 May, 2008 01:31
Or, wait, are you saying that BrE use that rounded o sound (not the American o sound) in wan and squad too?
- 22 May, 2008 01:52
Mollymooly:@David up North: what English words do you pronounce with the "simple a" sound you mention?
Well, "pasta" for one. Also "bath" and "cat". Fairly typical for northern England.
Anne:I assumed that the second pronunciation of pasta in the dictionary was maybe a nod to the BrE pronunciation. I don't think I've ever heard it here, and I think I would notice. (Though I have not been everywhere in the US.) Also, is that second pronunciation the BrE pronunciation? Because I recall the BrE a sound in pasta being more pronounced than that.
No, the second pronunciation is certainly American: check out their entry for "tomato" to see how they note the BrE pronunciation there. I assume (though I could be wrong) that, being placed second, it's less common than the first, but not so rare or regional as to warrant being noted as such.
Allowing for accents (in as much as you can do that!) it is the same as a BrE RP pronunciation, I think. How pronounced the sound is would depend entirely on the person speaking – there's a lot of variation.
As to wan/squad/pot/lot, we get into the problem I mentioned with generalising: those sounds vary a good deal within AmE and within BrE, so it's a perilous business comparing one to t'other. - 22 May, 2008 10:14
- JohnB said...
David said: As to wan/squad/pot/lot, we get into the problem I mentioned with generalising: those sounds vary a good deal within AmE and within BrE, so it's a perilous business comparing one to t'other.
As an example of the range of sounds available ....
I used to live in the Wolverhampton (UK) and as an outsider I could differentiate between Black Country and Birmingham accents - a distance of about 20 miles. Locals could differentiate between Wolverhampton, Dudley and Walsall accents - each less than 10 miles apart. In that area we also had a number of Asian speakers and their pronunciation was completely different again.
Since then I have lived in Manchester, London, the south midlands and now on the south coast. In each area there is a significantly different accent, with different pronunciations and (to some extent) different 'shapes' for vowels.
To put that in some sort of perspective. England is about the same are as Pennsylvania (or so my wife and I) the places I listed cover about half of that area :) I haven't really lived in the north of the country of the south west, both areas with strong regional accents and pronunciation.
Even in the US - my family in Pennsylvania pronounce things differently to the people I visited in Texas and Washington state.
I came to the conclusion a long time ago that there isn't a right or wrong way to pronounce anything,
instead there are about as many different ways as there are people. So long as you are understood by your listeners - it is a right way to pronounce it :) - 22 May, 2008 11:15
- lynneguist said...
I've been away, but am still going to stay out of this one. The pasta problem has come up in the comments previously.
- 22 May, 2008 11:35
- Ellen K. said...
We American's are aware that the rest of the world exists. A pronuniciation being in a dictionary from an American publisher does not prove it is an American pronunciation. And, even if they did include it because some Americans say it, there's a HUGE gap between being used enough for inclusion in a dictionary as a secondary pronunciation, verus being used enough for what you claim to be true: that those of us who use the other pronunciation are hypercorrectiong for the æ pronunciation. Plus, the hypercorrection theory implies a third pronunciation in English. Which I haven't seen evidence for.
Personally, I think you would to best not to psychoanalyse Americans as far as why we use the pronunciation we do. Honestly, we pronounce it that way because that's how we heard it pronounced and thus how we learned it. Same as most words.
Now, I don't know the origin of the different pronunciations, nor do I know exactly what the range of sounds for that vowel is in Italian. But you clearly weren't commenting on the origins of the pronunciation, but why people pronounce it that way in the present. - 22 May, 2008 13:12
- JohnB said...
Ellen K. - you hit the nail pretty much on the head for me. Most of these pronunciation discussions tend to be a waste of time, they go around and around in circle and don't actually get anywhere.
They just finish up as 'I say it this way and you say it that way, and there is nothing wrong with that'.
As to original pronunciation - in my view chasing those is pretty much a waste of time. English (no matter who speaks it) is a living language and it changes.
At the moment we are hassling around about Anglo American pronunciation. In 15 years time -Chinese/Indian pronunciation will be more important. - 22 May, 2008 14:02
One thought on why the alternate pronunciation of "pasta" is shown in an American dictionary is that the "harder A" sound is sometimes used in the deep south (or at least when someone is faking a southern accent, wether it is accurate or not)
Think of Jethro from the Beverly Hillbillies saying "Pasta." I generally think of it ironically enough, closer to the BrE pronumciation.
But I think it is safe to say that 90% (if not higher) of AmE speakers say it the same way with the "AH" sound. - 22 May, 2008 15:05
- Fnarf said...
the thing about American, and British, vowels, in contrast to Italian ones, is that they are almost always dipthongs. Italian vowels are NEVER dipthongs, unless they're actually paired with another vowel.
So Americans don't really say "pæstuh" or "paastuh"; we say the a as if it slides between your "aa" and almost an "uh" sound. For an Italian, there's no doubt about it -- short sound, no movement.
To British ears, that sounds more like their very short-voweled "pastuh"; to American ears it sounds very different indeed. To American ears, the British way sounds like the a in bat. Britons would deny this, but it's what Americans hear.
That pronunciation used to be common in America, which is why it's still in the dictionaries, but about forty years ago it started to change, with the sophistication of food tastes. People sometimes don't realize that even forty years ago pasta was exotic food in America (and in Britain, in a form that an Italian would recognize, at least), unless you were Italian-American. Forty years ago an Italian restaurant outside of New York would be unlikely to use garlic in their food, for instance -- and Britain was even worse.
I can remember the change. And, going along with David Up North a little, it was indeed a matter of sophistication -- we were instructed (by whom? I don't know; Julia Child? My mother.) to say "paastuh" instead of "pæstuh". I remember these discussions clearly, along with instructions on how to twirl it around your fork in the bowl of your spoon, which was thought to be much classier than the old way of breaking it up into two-inch lengths before cooking. FRESH pasta was unheard of, of course, and as would have been more exotic and "gourmet" than shark-fin soup or live insects.
In parts of the American South you will still hear something that sounds like "pay-us-tuh", with the first a being somewhere between "pay" and "pie". - 24 May, 2008 18:14
Wow, that previous pasta discussion touched upon many of the same things we did here.
My Mom recalls when she was growing up the cleaning lady would say that that night she was going to have, what sounded to my mother like, "a piece of pie" for dinner. She was saying pizza pie.
It is strange to think how that was exotic and foreign not too long ago, because pizza pie would seem to have replaced apple pie for being American.
For as long as I've been on the scene, it's been called paasta. Do you really think, fnarf, there was a campaign to change the American pronunciation from Paesta to paasta? It sounds to me very possible that whoever introduced it to the American public, maybe Julia Child, pronounced it paasta and so that's how we've been saying it ever since. - 29 May, 2008 19:28


text:
Not a member yet? Sign Up Now
Forgot your Password?
Select text to translate
Next page: n or right arrow
Previous Page: p or left arrow
Next Chapter: j
Previous Chapter: k
You can choose your default native language when you sign up
Keyboard Shortcuts
Forgot your password?We'll email you a link to reset it.
(min. 6 characters)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
SPIN Fitness® Tubing - Medium Resistance
- Description
Use this safe and effective medium resistance tool from SPIN® Fitness for total body conditioning anytime or anywhere. Features nylon handles with thick padded grips for a stronger and more comfortable hold. Download Exercise Guidelines »
Call (1) 800.925.3674 or email email@example.com for more information or a quote.


text:
My name is Alisha! I am 22 years old and living the boring adult life lol. Nice to meet you all! Thanks for dropping by my world!
This is where I will post random things, basically like a journal or blog or whatever you want to call it lol
My other accounts:
Deviant Art: HametsuKuro
Tumblr blog: Hametsu's Corner
Tumblr Art blog: Hametsu's Art Blog


text:
Oncology At Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital patients receive the same state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment as they would at any other cancer treatment center. Patients don't have to go far for quality, caring, cancer treatment. Patients can easily get all their follow-up blood tests and X-rays without delay. Most of the treatment at Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital is on an outpatient basis. Our services include:
Cancer Program at SBCH
Cancer Resource Library En Español: Centro de cáncer de seno Calcium for Preventing Colon Cancer
Spiritual Care at Cottage Cancer Center of Santa Barbara Sansum Clinic Tri-Counties Cancer Surveillance Program National Cancer Institute American Cancer Society Natural Medicine Database


text:
North Face
Flash Fleece Beanie (out-of-stock)
Out of Stock Product Number: 22125
The North Face Flash beanie is your basic hat for warmth on the trail, at the crag, in camp, or just on the sidewalk. Made with the a super warm, durable Polartec 200 fleece that will keep your head warm throughout any sort of cold weather.
* This product does not qualify for shipping to all countries.
- Recycled fleece
- Embroidered logo
Gender: Unisex
Weight: 33.96 g (1.2 oz)
Material: Polartec® Eco-Engineering™ polyester
Season: F12
Vendor ProductId: AHJQ
Review ProductId: 5480


text:
Play It Again® and pick the 30 Somethings prize YOU'D like to win! Read more
Win free tickets in our Facebook and Twitter contests! Read more
Promotions plus results. Read more
These press releases about new products, games and other information were released in 2011.
Watch More Video
Since the lottery's start in 1985, its players have won more than $3.4 billion in prizes while the lottery has raised more than $1.6 billion for the state programs that benefit all Iowans.
Today, lottery proceeds in Iowa have three main purposes: They provide support for veterans, help for a variety of significant projects through the state General Fund, and backing for the Vision Iowa program, which was implemented to create tourism destinations and community attractions in the state and build and repair schools.


text:
An Innovation Union at the service of a sustainable future Published on: 10/12/2010, Last update: 19/05/2014
- Author:
- Enterprise & Industry online magazine.
The European Commission has unveiled an ambitious plan to boost Europe's innovative potential with the aim of turning ideas into jobs and green growth. The strategic approach streamlines efforts on key challenges, such as climate change, energy and food security, health and an ageing population. In addition, it seeks to improve co-operation between the public and private sectors, while removing bottlenecks which prevent ideas from getting to market.
Documents & links
Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry, 'Policy Development for Industrial Innovation' Unit


text:
New York Knicks Gear
New York Knicks Ladies
New York Knicks Ladies Ladies
$20 to $40
(146 items)
Product ID: 1077148
Main Content
This item ships within one business day.
Order as many items as you like with our $6.99 flat rate shipping.
Need it faster?
Experience the epitome of comfort in the adidas women's rollover shorts. These shorts feature the adidas logo on the front and the NBA team logo on the back.
- 80% Cotton, 20% Polyester suede fleece
- adidas logo on front and NBA team logo on back
- Elastic waistband
- Made in El Salvador
- Officially licensed
Knicks Customers also liked:
Special event items are produced by manufacturers only after the outcome of a game
or event. These are advanced sale items and will ship immediately after they are
received in our warehouse.
Manufacturer direct items are shipped directly from the manufacturer. These items
are not available for international or expedited shipping.
Customized items can be personalized with options such as your name, your favorite
number, and/or designs. Some options may be limited by league rules.


text:
What Should the Fed Be Doing?: Myths, Current Strategies and Alternatives Recorded: Monday, November 12, 2012
Research Fellow David Beckworth, editor of Boom and Bust Banking, and Research Fellow Scott Sumner, contributor to Boom and Bust Banking, discuss the role of the Fed.
Experts: David Beckworth, Scott B. SumnerType: Independent Institute EventIssues: Banking and Finance, Bureaucracy and Government, Business, Fiscal Policy/Debt, Free Market Economics


text:
About Weatherbase WeatherbaseSM is your one authoritative source for finding monthly weather records and averages for more than 16,439 cities worldwide. Climatological... -
Vostok Ice Core Stable Isotope Data Deuterium Concentrations and Temperature ...
A historical temperature reconstruction going back to 420,000 years before present based on Vostok ice core data. -
Land surface climate station records
The data downloadable from this page are a subset of the full HadCRUT3 record of global temperatures, which is one of the global temperature records that have underpinned IPCC... -
UK Met Office - HadCRUT3 dataset
About From the website: HadCRUT3 is a gridded dataset of global historical surface temperature anomalies. Data are available for each month since January 1850, on a 5 degree... -
Climate Research Unit - HadCRUT3
About The datasets have been developed in conjunction with Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office. Hosted by the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia. From... -
NOAA Global Surface Temperature Anomaly Index
The Global Surface Temperature Anomaly gives the global anomaly either for each year, or for each month. Hemispheric are also available. It is based on the GHCN dataset -
JMA Global Surface Temperature Anomaly
Global surface temperature anomalies gridded into a 5x5 degree grid. The 1971 to 2000 average is used as the climatology normal. -
Guardian - UK and US temperature changes
About Guardian website says: UK and US temperature changes, by weather station, for the last century. The Met Office has released data from 1300 weather stations around the... -
GISS Surface Temperature Analysis
A record of historical temperature anomalies. Global, zoned, and gridded. As the output from a branch of NASA, it's probably public domain, but I couldn't find a statement to... -
Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN)
About data Monthly climate data for thousands of worldwide weather stations. Data are available for each station and also gridded (onto 5x5 degree cells). The Global... -
ESA Earth Online
Large volumes of data from various satellite based instruments. Access canned data for research purposes is available on application (automatic acceptance) or via peer-reviewed... -
Canada's National Climate Archive
Climate Data Online: Provides direct access to historical climate data for specific locations and dates. Almanac Data: Provides average and extreme temperature and...


text:
A couple weeks ago on a Sunday, there was a lengthy legal notice in the classified ads section of the newspaper regarding garbage, recycling containers and a bunch of other stuff including wildlife. It seemed to go into excruciating detail and took up the better part of two pages of newsprint. It's been bugging me. What was that ad all about? – Reads the Fine Print Your query comes at a perfect time. Today is the first day of Durango's new single-stream recycling system – and that lengthy notice is all about this exciting new service. On Jan. 13, the city dutifully posted the complete text of the new Chapter 10 of the City Code, which covers trash collection and recycling. The old Chapter 10 had its problems. Most notably, it lacked the appropriate language for single-stream recycling. Rather than tinker with the code and craft a slew of amendments, the city junked the entire chapter and replaced it with a new one. So when it comes to rules on salvaging resources, the city tosses its law without reducing words, reusing text or recycling content. How ironic is that? The new Chapter 10 contains some interesting details. For instance, Dumpster-diving entrepreneurs are put on notice. It's now against the law for "anyone to remove from any container designated for recycling any material of any value." Thankfully, this section prohibits trash mining only from containers, and nothing is said about fall cleanup. Around these parts, fall cleanup should be called Hoarders' Holiday, as several people cruise around, seeing if anything "good" can be snagged from huge piles of debris and detritus. Junk and appliances have their own section in the code. In a nutshell, "dilapidated furniture, appliances, machinery, equipment, building material, vehicle or portions thereof" can't be accumulated outside unless enclosed by a "building" of some sort. We'll call this section the "No Disgusting Crummy Couches with Free Signs on Curbs" provision. The scourge of cement litterbugs is dealt with directly. The law specifically insists "persons mixing concrete or transporting concrete on city streets shall not drop or leave waste concrete upon such streets." The city is fully prepared for the next pandemic, as the ordinance covers "the removal and disposal of wearing apparel, bedding or other trash from homes or other places where highly infectious or contagious diseases have prevailed." Local victims of cholera and tuberculosis will need to make arrangements. "Such trash shall not be placed in containers for regular city trash collection," the law reads. Section 10-24 is titled "Dead animals." It reads, "No person shall deposit or otherwise place any carcass or portion of any animal, bird or reptile for collection by the city." The ordinance continues with a crucial kitchen clarification: "This prohibition shall not preclude the disposal of animal parts that are part of a meal or meal preparation." And speaking of animals, our new trash code specifically outlaws leaving or storing "any refuse, food product, pet food, grain, seeds or salt in a manner which would constitute a lure, attractant or enticement to wildlife, except for birdfeeders." OK. But the ordinance defines "wildlife" as "including but not limited to elk, deer, sheep, lynx, bears, skunks, squirrels, raccoons, magpies, crows, coyotes, bobcats, foxes, mountain lions, unrestrained livestock or unrestrained household pets." So you can feed birds but not magpies and crows? Action Line checked with our friend, City Manager Ron LeBlanc, regarding this ornery ornithological ordinance and the flap it could cause. "We took testimony from the 'nice' birds like sparrows and robins – and they had nothing nice to say about members of the corvid family," Ron chirped. Email questions to firstname.lastname@example.com or mail them to Action Line, The Durango Herald, 1275 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301. You can request anonymity if you know the multiple number of ways to sign up for single-stream recycling.
© The Durango Herald


text:
You must be logged in to add to
your Wishlists.
- Home > Collections > Irony > Notes & Memos > Solar Calculator
Solar number cruncher is no larger than a credit card. Easy to read, performs basic functions, retains memory, does percentages and square roots. Super-slim size easily fits in your binder.
- 8-digit LCD
- Solar powered - never needs batteries
- FORMAT Undated
- SIZE 4-19/64 x 3 x 1/16
- STYLE Business Accessory
There is no licensing information for this product


text:
brad in IL
They were easy to install and so far very durable
Read All ReviewsLorenzo in AZ
Big, thin metal sign. Great for putting up in your work area or garage.
Read All ReviewsKevin in NY
to all 07 shadow spirit 1100c owners this product well fit your bike the instruction say 96-06 but the customer service was great in answering my email as for the bar there great
Read All Reviews


text: Reviews Nursery Reusable nappies Kushies Reusable nappies Search by keyword Add a review Choose By Brand Kushies (2) Bambinex (formerly Bambineo)(1) Bambino Mio(1) Bumgenius(2) Bumhugger(1) Duo System(1) Easy Peasy Nappies(2) Littlelamb(5) Minki(1) Motherease Sandy's(1) One-size contour(1) Perfect Size Nappies(1) Pop-in(1) reusable nappies(5) various(1) More... Baba and Boo(2) Bambinex(1) Bamboo(1) Blueberry(1) Bum Deal(1) Charlie Banana(1) Cotton Babies(1) Disana(1) Dotty Bots(1) Eco Earth(1) Itti Bitti(1) Kushies(3) Little Bloom(1) Little Kiwi(1) Little Lamb(1) Mommy's Touch(1) Monkey Foot Designs(1) Mothercare(1) Nappy & booster(1) Nature Babies(2) Naughty Baby(1) Onelife(1) Popolini(1) Smartipants(1) Swaddlebees(1) Thirsties(1) Weenotions(1) gNappies(1) itti bitti d'lish(1) lollipop(1) nappy systems(1) Choose By Type Reusable nappies Baby monitors Swim nappies Baby changing bags and nappy bags Cots, cribs and cotbeds Reusable nappies Disposable nappies Nappy creams Baby bouncers, seats and swings Children's beds Baby wipes Training pants for toddlers Baby sleeping bags Stairgates Be a Mumsnet reviewer Interested in joining our review panel? Businesses How to get your product reviewed on Mumsnet. Star rating Number of reviews Mumsnet reusable nappy reviews Kushies Kushies Ultra-Lite 1 review Kushies Kushies Ultra Reusable Nappy 5 reviews Kushies Infant 1 review


text:
Most visits to Las Vegas are confined to the Strip and downtown, so it is not necessary to hire a car as both are easily navigable by foot and there are several forms of transport that can be used. Local buses run the length of the Strip and into downtown and operate 24 hours a day with a flat fare including transfers. The old-fashioned Las Vegas Strip Trolley also runs the length of the Strip from 9:30am to 2am, and the Downtown Trolley circles between the Stratosphere and downtown from 7am to 11pm. A state-of-the-art monorail runs above the streets, operating from 7am to 2am daily between the Sahara Hotel and the MGM Grand. Taxis are plentiful and can be found lined up outside every hotel and casino and at taxi stands. Cars are the most practical way to explore outside Las Vegas, although there are bus tours offered to Hoover Dam.
GMT -8 (GMT -7 from March to November).
120 volts, 60Hz. Plugs are mainly the type with two flat pins, though three-pin plugs are also widely used. European appliances without dual-voltage capabilities will require an adapter.
The official currency is the US Dollar (USD), which is divided into 100 cents. Only major banks exchange foreign currency. ATMs are widespread and credit cards are widely accepted. Banking hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm.
The international country dialling code for the United States is +1. Mobile networks cover most of the country, including all urban areas, however unless you have a tri-band phone it is likely your cellular phone from home will not work in the United States. Internet cafes are prevalent in most towns and cities.
Emergencies: 911
There are regular buses going to and from the airport, downtown Las Vegas and The Strip, dropping off at most hotels; buses 108 and 109 connect to the Downtown Transportation Center and the South Strip Transfer Terminal. Shuttle services are available on the west side of the baggage claim area, outside exits 7-13.
Car hire companies represented at the airport include Avis, Budget, Dollar and Hertz. Rental agencies provide free transportation between their parking lots and the terminal buildings. There are more car rental companies in Las Vegas, which can be contacted by using the free telephones in Arrivals.
There are taxis available outside Arrivals at Las Vegas McCarran Airport, on the east side of baggage claim outside door exits 1-4. The meter starts at $2 when departing the airport. Taxis do not generally accept credit cards.
Terminals 1 and 3 are connected by free shuttle buses.
Las Vegas airport has a number of shops, bars and restaurants, and of course lots of slot machines. There are ATMs, a full-service bank, and currency exchange facilities in Arrivals and Departures. There is also a Fitness Centre, children's play area, shoe-shiners and information booths.
Short-term parking at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport starts at $2 per hour for the first three hours, then increases to $3 per hour up to a daily limit of $36. Long-term parking is $3 for the first hour and $1 per hour thereafter up to $16 per day. A free shuttle bus links the remote car park with the terminals.
Las Vegas McCarran International Airport has free wifi.


text:
Wide, curved front panel makes a fashion statement for the Austin collection. Modified wing back design, pub back, chaise seating and pillow arms offer comfort while you enjoy the three way reclining comfort of Austin.
The Klaussner Living Room Austin Recliner is available from Klaussner Home Furnishings.
Prices subject to home office audit & correction.


text:
in this location
Search for a business
0 Results found for
Plastics - Wholesale
(5 miles radius)
No results found.
This website would like to use cookies to enhance your experience.
Read our Cookie Policy.
* Is your business listed?
Make your business visible to thousands of potential customers daily.


text:
Research before you buy new KIA with our new KIA comparisons, auto reviews, vehicle rebates and incentives from local KIA dealers. Read new KIA reviews and get the best deal on a new KIA near Columbia County, WI. Showcasing a wide range of KIA models from various car manufacturers.
Find the best prices on new KIA, nearly new and used cars. Find a used KIA for sale near Columbia County, WI. CarClub provides you with a wide range of used cars near you. A large selection of used KIAs for sale near Columbia County, WI at the cheapest prices.
Flexible auto finance plans for a new KIA purchase. We help you get a low interest rate KIA loan near Columbia County, WI. Simple. Fast. Free. Get a free rate quote for your auto financing based on your credit, not on your negotiating skills.
Find out how much you can save on your new KIA's KIA insurance near Columbia County, WI. Recieve personalized competitive auto insurance quotes from mulitiple agents.


text:
This pink Iowa pig travel souvenir stuffed animal is embroidered with its state name replacing the "I" in Iowa with a corncob. Pigs are very intelligent and can be trained to do many things. They are also a very sociable animal and make a great pet. Every Souvies is unique to the region it represents, making it the perfect travel souvenir or gift.
Every Iowa pig travel souvenir measures about seven inches – head to toe, and about six inches wide – foot to foot.


text:
DBpedia Wikidata
Note to ISWC reviewers of DBTax: Please follow http://datahub.io/dataset/dbpedia-dbtax -
A general purpose taxonomy of 1.900 classes automatically generated upon Wikipedia categories. It provides exhaustive type coverage over DBpedia resources and serves as a... -
Dashboard Data
Questo dataset non ha una descrizione
Linked Data provenance and explanation. -
Hungarian WordNet RDF
Hungarian WordNet in RDF (Turtle) format for Linked Open Data / semantic web applications. The data model uses Princeton WordNet RDF's model... -
Linked SQ: a Linked Dataset describing SPARQL queries extracted from the logs of a variety of prominent public SPARQL endpoints. We argue that this dataset has a variety of uses... -
ZmapujTo reports
Reports from ZmapujTo - a reporting platform in the form of a mobile and web application intended for citizens to report civic issues. Hlášení z projektu ZmapujTo - nástroj pro... -
Lion's Den
Lion's Den is a RDF repository of link specifications. Lion's Den is intended to be an open community-driven dataset that allows data publishers to also publish their... -
DBpedia Events
Wikipedia is the largest encyclopedia worldwide and is frequently updated by thousands of collaborators. Currently, there are exactly 287~language versions of Wikipedia with... -
Council Budgets
Questo dataset non ha una descrizione
TourPedia is the Wikipedia of Tourism. It contains information about accommodations, restaurants, points of interest and attractions of different places in Europe. At the moment... -
Qualis encompasses indirect scores for research papers in journals, according to 48 knowledge fields, such as computer science, chemistry, medicine, among others. In Brazil,... -
LODStats: The Data Web Census Dataset. -
Cordaid IATI activity file
Questo dataset non ha una descrizione
GLAM Inventory Switzerland (beta)
Inventory of heritage institutions in Switzerland (including institutions in Liechtenstein). The inventory has been compiled from various sources (see: overview of... -
English Wikipedia pageviews by second
This file contains a count of pageviews to the English-language Wikipedia from 2015-03-16T00:00:00 to 2015-04-25T15:59:59, grouped by timestamp (down to a one-second resolution... -
San Francisco State University's buildings geolocation.
San Francisco State University's buildings and places geolocation. -
VZmB parky a stromořadí 2009
Veřejná Zeleň města Brna - parky a stromořadí. Rok 2009 -
Gemeinsame Normdatei (GND)
GND stands for "Gemeinsame Normdatei" (Integrated Authority File) and offers a broad range of elements to describe authorities. The GND originates from the German library... -
Deutsche Nationalbibliografie (DNB)
The Linked Data Service of the German National Library (Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, DNB) has expanded and includes bibliographic data since January 2012. As a first step, the...
E' possibile inoltre accedere al registro usando il API (vedi Documentazione API).


text:
Christian Horner hopes that Red Bull can continue its winning momentum to the end of the season – and he would also like to see Mark Webber win a race before the end of the year.
Sebastian Vettel has built-up a remarkable streak of five consecutive wins.
Tags: Christian Horner, Formula 1, Japan GP, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel


text:
Posted December 2nd, 2008 |If you are on an F-1 or J-1 visa and plan to travel outside the U.S. this Summer, please do the following:
- Make sure your I-20 ( or DS 2019) is valid;
- Make sure the third page of your I-20 has been signed by me less than a year ago. The signature is valid for one year. If your I-20 needs to be signed again, please, come by the CIP and I will sign your I-20. Contact David Starling if you are a J-1 student; Call our office at (229) 333-7410 or e-mail me to make an appointment.
- Check to be sure your passport and visa will not expire before you plan to return,
- if your passport will soon expire, contact your embassy to ask how to apply for an extension. Information about foreign embassies located in Washington, DC can be found HERE
- if you have an expired F-1 or J-1 visa and plan to travel to Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean Islands for 30 days or less, your expired visa will still be valid for your re-entry, assuming you have with you a recently endorsed travel document (form I-20 for F-1 visa holders; form DS-2019 for J-1 visa holders) and your I-94 card;
- if you have an expired visa and plan to travel to places other than Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean Islands (or if you plan a trip to these places for more than 30 days), then prior to your return you will need to apply for a new visa at a U.S. consulate within your home country. Information about U.S. Embassies is available HERE - Even if you plan to travel within the United States, make sure you have with you your passport and valid I-20 form ( or DS 2019).


text:
Good News
Job Search
Daring Red Carpet Dresses
See a 360 View of Jennifer Lopez's Sexy Met Gala Gown
Jennifer Lopez attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Larry Busacca/Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
See a 360 View of Jennifer Lopez's Sexy Met Gala Gown
Jennifer Lopez attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York.
Larry Busacca/Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Miranda Lambert Shows Some Skin at the ACMs
Singer Miranda Lambert attends the 50th Academy Of Country Music Awards at AT&T Stadium, April 19, 2015, in Arlington, Texas.
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Emily Ratajkowski Shows Some Serious Skin at the MTV Movie Awards
Model Emily Ratajkowski attends The 2015 MTV Movie Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, April 12, 2015, in Los Angeles.
C Flanigan/Getty Images
Paris Hilton Wears a Very Sheer Gown in L.A.
Paris Hilton arrives at Charbel Zoe store opening in Los Angeles, April 8, 2015.
Jordana Brewster Steps Out In a Plunging Neckline
Jordana Brewster arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "Furious 7" at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX, April 1, 2015, in Hollywood, Calif.
Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images
FKA Twigs, Robert Pattinson's Girlfriend, Shows Serious Skin
FKA Twigs attends the BRIT Awards 2015 at The O2 Arena, Feb. 25, 2015, in London.
Anthony Harvey/Getty Images
Rita Ora Rocks a Totally Sheer Gown
Actress/singer Rita Ora attends the 2015 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Feb. 22, 2015, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Suki Waterhouse Rocks a Revealing Gown
Actress Suki Waterhouse attends the Vanity Fair And Fiat Toast To "Young Hollywood" in support of the Terrence Higgins Trust at No Vacancy, Feb. 17, 2015, in Los Angeles.
Michael Tullberg/Getty Images
Chrissy Teigen Rocks a Plunging Top for Fashion Week
Chrissy Teigen attends Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2015 on Feb. 17, 2015, in New York City.
D Dipasupil/Getty Images
Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan Smolder at the 'Fifty Shades' Premiere
Dakota Johnson and actor Jamie Dornan attend the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' premiere during the 65th Berlinale International Film Festival at Zoo Palast, Feb. 11, 2015, in Berlin.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
New Mom Ciara Shows Some Serious Leg
Ciara arrives at the Essence 6th Annual Black Women In Music event held at Avalon, Feb. 5, 2015, in Hollywood, Calif.
Michael Tran/Getty Images
Kate Hudson Rocks a Sexy, Sheer Red Gown
Kate Hudson attends the Versace show as part of Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2015, Jan. 25, 2015 in Paris, France.
Marc Piasecki/Getty Images
Jennifer Lopez Rocks a Low-Cut, Sheer Gown
Jennifer Lopez is seen at a special fan screening of Universal Pictures "The Boy Next Door," Jan. 20, 2015 in New York.
Dave Allocca/Startraksphoto.com
Katharine McPhee Wears a Risque Gown
Actress Katharine McPhee arrives at The People's Choice Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Jan. 7, 2015 in Los Angeles, Calif.
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Rebel Wilson Rocks a Daring Black Dress
Rebel Wilson attends the "Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb" New York Premiere at Ziegfeld Theater, Dec. 11, 2014, in New York.
Ben Gabbe/Getty Images
Wowza! Alessandra Ambrosio Wears a Risque Gown
Alessandra Ambrosio attends the 19th Annual ACRIA Holiday Dinner at Skylight Modern, Dec. 10, 2014, in New York.
Thos Robinson/ACRIA/Getty Images
Ariana Grande Shows Off Her Figure During a Performance
Ariana Grande performs onstage at 101.3 KDWB's Jingle Ball 2014 on Dec. 8, 2014 in St Paul, Minn.
Adam Bettcher/Getty Images
Jennifer Lopez Dares to Bare at the AMAs
Jennifer Lopez arrives at the 2014 American Music Awards, Nov. 23, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Steve Granitz/Getty Images
Wow! Roselyn Sanchez Goes Completely Sheer
Presenter Roselyn Sanchez poses in the press room during the 15th annual Latin GRAMMY Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Nov. 20, 2014, in Las Vegas.
C Flanigan/Getty Images
Whoa! Nicole Richie Goes Totally Sheer
Nicole Richie at Chateau Marmont's Bar Marmont, Nov. 18, 2014, in Hollywood, Calif.
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images
Dakota Fanning Goes Sheer
Actress Dakota Fanning attends the 18th Annual Accessories Council ACE Awards At Cipriani 42nd Street at Cipriani 42nd Street, Nov. 3, 2014, in New York.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Jennifer Lopez Dazzles in Plunging Blue Sequin
Jennifer Lopez, wearing Gucci, attends the 2014 LACMA Art + Film Gala honoring Barbara Kruger and Quentin Tarantino presented by Gucci at LACMA on Nov. 1, 2014 in Los Angeles, Calif.
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Naya Rivera Rocks Her Most Risque Look Yet
Actress Naya Rivera attends UNICEF's Next Generation's 2nd Annual UNICEF Masquerade Ball at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Oct. 30, 2014, in Los Angeles.
David Livingston/Getty Images
Whoa! Miley Cyrus Bares All
Miley Cyrus arrives at the amfAR LA Inspiration Gala Honoring Tom Ford Hosted By Gwyneth Paltrow at Milk Studios, Oct. 29, 2014, in Hollywood, Calif.
Steve Granitz/Getty Images
Heather Graham Wears a Skirt With a Seriously High Slit
Actress Heather Graham is seen, Oct. 27, 2014, in New York.
ESBP/Star Max/GC Images/Getty Images
Toni Braxton Turns Heads on the Carpet
Toni Braxton arrives for an event at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on Oct. 23, 2014 in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Jessie J Rocks a Very Deep V
Jessie J attends the MOBO Awards at SSE Arena on Oct. 22, 2014 in London, England.
Danny Martindale/Getty Images
Jennifer Hudson Flaunts Some Serious Leg
Jennifer Hudson attends W Hotels 'Turn It Up For Change' Launch to benefit The Human Rights Campaign at W Union Square, Oct. 21, 2014, in New York.
Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images
Whoa! Jessie J Shows Some Skin
Singer Jessie J attends the William Rast celebration of its US debut at Lord & Taylor, Oct. 8, 2014, in New York.
Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images
Rita Ora Rocks a Chainlink Dress
Rita Ora seen at 34 Restaurant on Oct. 8, 2014 in London, England.
Neil Mockford/Alex Huckle/Getty Images
Selena Gomez Rocks a Red Mini
Actress Selena Gomez arrives at the Los Angeles VIP Screening "Rudderless" at the Vista Theatre, Oct. 7, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
Emma Roberts Looks "Scary" Good in Black
Emma Roberts attends FX's "American Horror Story: Freak Show" premiere screening at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., Oct. 5, 2014.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Emmy Rossum Wears a Plunging Neckline
Actress Emmy Rossum arrives at Michael Kors Celebrates The Launch Of Claiborne Swanson Frank's "Young Hollywood" Portrait Book, Oct. 2, 2014, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
Miranda Kerr Rocks a Seriously Deep-V
Miranda Kerr attends the Louis Vuitton show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2015 on Oct. 1, 2014 in Paris, France.
Michel Dufour/WireImage/Getty Images
Lindsay Lohan Rocks a Risque Gown
Lindsay Lohan at the GQ Men of the Year awards at The Royal Opera House on Sept. 2, 2014 in London, England.
Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images
Sofia Vergara Sizzles in a Hot Red Dress
Sofia Vergara arrives at the The Hollywood Foreign Press Association Installation Dinner at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, Aug. 14, 2014 in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Steve Granitz/Getty Images
Chrissy Teigen Rocks a Plunging Jumpsuit
Chrissy Teigen is pictured on July 16, 2014 in Los Angeles.
Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images
Emma Watson Bares Her Midriff in a Super-Sexy Gown
Emma Watson attends the Valentino show as part of Paris Fashion Week on July 9, 2014 in Paris, France.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Paris Hilton Rocks a Risque Gown
Paris Hilton attends the 2014 BET Awards at Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE, June 29, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Jason LaVeris/Getty Images
The Actress and Talk Show Host Bared Her Hip Bones
Keke Palmer arrives to the 2014 "BET AWARDS" at Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE, June 29, 2014, in Los Angeles.
C Flanigan/Getty Images
Bellamy Young Goes 'Scandal'-ous on the Red Carpet
Bellamy Young arrives at the closing ceremony of the 54th Monte-Carlo Television Festival, June 11, 2014, in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.
Pascal Le Segretain/French Select/Getty Images
Eva Longoria Makes a Daring Entrance to Cannes
Eva Longoria poses as she arrives for the screening of the film "Foxcatcher" at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, May 19, 2014.
Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images
Jennifer Lopez Goes Risque On the Red Carpet
Jennifer Lopez arrives at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. May 18, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nev.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
Zoe Kravitz Shows Off Her New Blonde Bob - And Her Curves
Zoe Kravitz attends the "Charles James: Beyond Fashion" Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2014 in New York City.
George Pimentel/Getty Images
Rumer Willis Rocks a Risque Dress
Rumer Willis arrives at ELLE's 5th Annual Women In Music concert celebration at Avalon, April 22, 2014 in Hollywood, Calif.
Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images
'Boy Meets World' Star Wears a Barely-There Dress
Maitland Ward arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "A Haunted House 2" held at Regal Cinemas L.A. Live on April 16, 2014 in Los Angeles, Calif.
Michael Tran/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Emma Stone Steps Out in Leather
Emma Stone attends 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' Paris Premiere at Le Grand Rex in Paris, April 11, 2014.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Shailene Woodley Takes the Plunge for 'Divergent'
Actor Theo James and actress Shailene Woodley attend the 'Die Bestimmung - Divergent' Germany premiere at Sony Centre on April 1, 2014 in Berlin, Germany.
Anita Bugge/WireImage/Getty Images
Emma Watson Shows Off Her Legs
Emma Watson attends the UK premiere of "Noah" at Odeon Leicester Square on March 31, 2014 in London, England.
Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images
Kesha Flaunts a Healthy New Look
Kesha attends The Humane Society's 60th anniversary benefit gala, March 29, 2014 in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images
Maggie Q Rocks a Risque Dress
Maggie Q hits the red carpet for her film "Divergent" at Regency Bruin Theatre, March 18, 2014 in Los Angeles.
Sara De Boer/Startraksphoto.com
Lea Michele Celebrates 'Glee' in a Hot Mini-Dress
Lea Michele arrives at the "GLEE" 100th Episode Celebration, March 18, 2014, in West Hollywood, Calif.
John Shearer/Invision/AP Photo
Kristen Bell Flashes Her Leg at 'Veronica Mars' Premiere
Kristen Bell attends the "Veronica Mars" Los Angeles premiere held at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., March 12, 2014.
Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images
How Lauren Parsekian Stole the Show at Aaron Paul's Premiere
Lauren Parsekian, left, and Aaron Paul, right, arrive at the premiere of "Need For Speed" on March 6, 2014 in Hollywood, Calif.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Mel B Goes Risque in Lace
Melanie Brown arrives at the 22nd Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscar viewing party held, March 2, 2014 in West Hollywood, Calif.
Michael Tran/Getty Images
Reese Witherspoon Bares Plenty In Plunging Oscars Dress
Reese Witherspoon attends the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Graydon Carter in West Hollywood, Calif., March 3, 2014.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
Alessandra Ambrosio Takes the Plunge for a Vogue Party
Alessandra Ambrosio dons a hot pink gown and floral head dress at a Vogue Carnival party in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Feb. 20, 2014.
Behati Prinsloo Goes Ultra-Sheer
Behati Prinsloo attends the 2014 amfAR New York Gala at Cipriani Wall Street in New York, Feb. 5, 2014.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Beyonce poses in the press room at the 56th GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on January 26, 2014 in Los Angeles, Calif.
Jason LaVeris/Getty Images
Paris Hilton Bares (Nearly) All
Paris Hilton attends 4th Annual Senate Music Group LLC Pre-Grammy Celebration, Jan. 23, 2014 in Hollywood, Calif.
Lucas Rossi/Getty Images
Jenna Dewan Shows Off Her Amazing Body After Baby
Jenna Dewan-Tatum attends Ocean Drive Magazine's 21st Anniversary event held at SL Miami at The James Royal Palm in Miami Beach, Fla., Jan. 21, 2014.
Johnny Louis/WENN
Ireland Baldwin Wears a Revealing Dress
Cheryl Burke attends the 2014 UNICEF ball presented by Baccarat at Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Jan. 14, 2014 in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images
Miranda Kerr Dares to Go Bare
Ireland Baldwin arrives at the 50th anniversary celebration of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Jan. 14, 2014, in Hollywood, Calif.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Miranda Kerr Dares to Go Bare
Miranda Kerr arrives at the 2014 InStyle and Warner Bros. 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards Post-Party in Beverly Hills, Calif., Jan. 12, 2014.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
Can You Believe Abigail Breslin Is 17?
Actress Malin Akerman attends The 40th Annual People's Choice Awards at Nokia Theatre LA Live on January 8, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.
Jeffrey Mayer/Getty Images
Can You Believe Abigail Breslin Is 17?
Abigail Breslin arrives at the premiere of 'August: Osage County' in Los Angeles, Calif., Dec. 16, 2013.
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Amy Adams Stuns In a Risque Lace Gown
Amy Adams stuns a black lace dress while attending the "American Hustle" screening at Ziegfeld Theater, Dec. 8, 2013, in New York City.
Jim Spellman/WireImage/Getty Images
Wow! Rihanna Dares to Bare
Rihanna accepts the Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist award onstage at the 2013 American Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Nov. 24, 2013 in Los Angeles.
Michael Tran/Getty Images
Jennifer Lawrence Goes Sheer - and Bares All!
Jennifer Lawrence attends the premiere of "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, Nov. 18, 2013.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Jenna Malone's Sheer Premiere
Jena Malone attends the premiere of "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, Nov. 18, 2013.
David Livingston/Getty Images
Ambrosio is Red Hot in Leather
Model Alessandra Ambrosio attends the after party for the 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at TAO Downtown, Nov. 13, 2013 in New York.
Jim Spellman/Getty Images
Ambrosio is Red Hot in Leather
Victoria's Secret Angel Candice Swanepoel attends the after party for the 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at Lavo NYC, Nov. 13, 2013 in New York.
Taylor Hill/Getty Images
Kerr is Single and Ready to Mingle
Miranda Kerr attends "Michael Kors and Miranda Kerr Celebrate Elle Japon December Cover" party (#MKTOKYO) at the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures of the Tokyo National Museum on Nov. 13, 2013 in Tokyo.
Jun Sato/Getty Images
Gisele Bundchen Turned Heads (Obviously)
Selena Gomez attends the Flaunt Magazine Issue Party with Selena Gomez And Amanda De Cadenet held at Hakkasan Beverly Hills on November 7, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California.
JB Lacroix/Getty Images
Gisele Bundchen Turned Heads (Obviously)
Gisele Bundchen wears a navy blue sequined dress to the Wall Street Journal Magazine's 2013 "Innovator of the Year" awards in New York, Nov. 6, 2013.
NCP/Star Max/Getty Images
Is Jaimie Alexander's Dress Too Risque?
Jaimie Alexander arrives at the premiere of Marvel's 'Thor: The Dark World' at the El Capitan Theatre, Nov. 4, 2013, in Hollywood, Calif.
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Kate Hudson Bares All
Actress Kate Hudson arrives at LACMA 2013 Art + Film Gala at LACMA, Nov. 2, 2013 in Los Angeles, Calif.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
Rachel McAdams Lacey Look
Naya Rivera attends ELLE's 20th Annual Women in Hollywood Celebration at the Four Seasons Hotel, Oct. 21, 2013, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Halle Berry's Low-Cut Dress
Actress Rachel McAdams attends the premiere of "To The Wonder" at Pacific Design Center, April 9, 2013 in West Hollywood.
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Kendra Wilkinson's Daring Cut-Out Dress
Actress Halle Berry displays her cleavage and toned legs in this seemingly strapless low-cut little black dress during an interview on "The Late Show with Jay Leno", March 11, 2013.
Margaret Norton/NBC/Getty Images
Kendra Wilkinson's Braless Cut-Out Dress
Reality TV Personality Kendra Wilkinson attends OK! Magazine's Pre-Oscar party at The Emerson Theater on Feb. 22, 2013 in Hollywood, Calif.
Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Swift Goes Daringly Sheer
Vanessa Hudgens opted for a racy gown for the Madrid premiere of her new film "Spring Breakers" Feb. 21, 2013. The actress wore a red and metallic Julien MacDonald gown with a racy slit up to her hip and a low back.
Europa Press/Getty Images
Solange Knowles Shows Leg
Taylor Swift has been vamping up her red carpet style as of late. The singer walked the red carpet at the Brit Awards in London wearing a black Elie Saab gown with a daringly sheer slit up to her hip. Swift's most recent ex Harry Styles also attended the event Feb. 20, 2013.
Dave M. Benett/Getty Images
'Dancing' Alum Shows Some Skin
Beyonce's sister Solange Knowles opted for a super short white dress for the New York premiere of her sister's HBO documentary, "Beyonce: Life Is But A Dream," Feb. 12, 2013.
Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images
Miley Shows Some Skin
Singer Miley Cyrus attends the Clive Davis and The Recording Academy's 2013 GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Gala held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on Feb. 9, 2013 in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images
'Housewife' Shows Off Too Much
Actress and "Dancing With the Stars" alum Julianne Hough showed some serious skin at the Los Angeles premiere for her new film "Safe Haven" at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Feb. 5, 2013, in Hollywood, Calif. The actress, who stars alongside Josh Duhamel in the film, wore a sheer and beaded Alberta Ferretti gown that was daringly low in the back.
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Alicia Keys' Daring Red Carpet Look
While walking the red carpet at the fashion show, Mariusz Przybylski, in Warsaw, Poland, Feb.1, 2013, Joanna Krupa showed off a little more than she intended. The "Real Housewives of Miami" star and model showed off some sideboob in her short, white dress.
Splash News
Alicia Keys' Daring Red Carpet Look
Singer Alicia Keys poses upon arrival at the Palais des Festivals during the 14th Annual NRJ Music Awards on Jan. 26, 2013 in Cannes, southeastern France.
VALERY HACHE/AFP/Getty Images
Taylor Swift Flashes Cleavage
Jennifer Lopez opted for a daring, white Kaufman Franco gown for the premiere of FilmDistrict's 'Parker' at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, Jan. 24, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nev. The 43-year-old's dress had sheer pieces all the way up to her famous bottom.
Steven Lawton/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Sofia Vergara's Plunging Gown
Taylor Swift opted for a plunging white Ralph Lauren gown paired with light blue earrings for the 2013 People's Choice Awards. Just days after reports that she split from flame Harry Styles, the country singer showed off a little bit of cleavage in the daring gown.
Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images
Rooney Mara's Sheer Statement
For 2013, Sofia Vergara went all out. The "Modern Family" beauty wowed at a New Year's Eve bash in Miami on Dec. 31, 2012, wearing a plunging silk and leather number that highlighted her curves.
Rooney Mara
"Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" actress Rooney Mara opted for a daring sculptural dress at the a charity gala at Dubai's Armani Hotel on Dec. 14. Aside from a well positioned strip of opaque fabric, her top was totally sheer.
Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images
Anne Hathaway's Daring Dress
Actress Isla Fisher wowed the crowd in a plunging white gown at the "Les Miserables" World Premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square, Dec. 5, 2012 in London.
Stuart Wilson/Getty Images
Anne Hathaway's Sheer Surprise
Anne Hathaway promotes "Les Miserables" in Tokyo, Nov. 28, 2012.
Splash News/ AP Photo
Cameron Diaz takes the plunge
Cameron Diaz displayed more of her figure than usual at the London premiere of "Gambit" on Nov. 7. The 40-year-old actress wore a plunging Stella McCartney outfit as she joined co-star Colin Firth at the Leicester Square premiere.
Mark Cuthbert/UK Press/Getty Images
Kate Hudson's Daring Dress
A slight shift in position could've spelled disaster for Jennifer Aniston. The actress wore a plunging Tom Ford gown to the LACMA 2012 gala on Oct. 27 and clung to fiance Justin Theroux on the red carpet. Maybe she thought he could hide a potential wardrobe malfunction?
Charley Gallay/Getty Images
Hollywood's Most Daring Dresses
Kate Hudson wore a plunging red gown to amfAR Inspiration Gala in Los Angeles on Oct. 11. She's not the only star to go with a daring look on the red carpet.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
daring red carpet dresses
Stacy Keibler wasn't afraid to let it all hangout -- well, almost -- at the Oct. 4 premiere of "Argo." She showed off her toned back, arms and abs while cuddling with boyfriend George Clooney.
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
daring red carpet dresses
Olivia Munn arrives at HBO's Annual Emmy Awards Post Awards Reception, Sept. 23, 2012 in West Hollywood, Calif.
Michael Buckner/Getty Images
daring red carpet dresses
Morena Baccarin poses in the press room at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards, Sept. 23, 2012 in Los Angeles.
Jason LaVeris/Getty Images
daring red carpet dresses
Miley Cyrus arrives at the 8th Annual Australians In Film Breakthrough Awards, June 27, 2012 in Century City, Calif.
Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images
daring red carpet dresses
Kim Kardashian spotted leaving her New York hotel, Sept. 5, 2012.
daring red carpet dresses
Jessie J arrives at 2012 amfAR's Cinema Against AIDS during the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival, May 24, 2012 in Antibes, France.
Venturelli/Getty Images
daring red carpet dresses
January Jones attends AMC's 2011 Golden Globe Awards Party, Jan. 16, 2011 in Los Angeles.
Jerod Harris/Getty Images
daring red carpet dresses
Heidi Klum arrives at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards, Sept. 23, 2012 in Los Angeles.
Dan MacMedan/Getty Images
daring red carpet dresses
Fergie arrives at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, Feb. 12, 2012 in Los Angeles.
Dan MacMedan/Getty Images
daring red carpet dresses
Beyonce Knowles attends the "Schiaparelli And Prada: Impossible Conversations" Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, May 7, 2012 in New York City.
Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images
Brooklyn Decker and Andy Roddick Are Expecting: See Her Baby Bump
Vanessa Lachey Looks Svelte Just a Few Months After Giving Birth
Cindy Crawford Stuns Without Makeup
Fergie Shows Off Her Incredible Figure
Daring Red Carpet Dresses
All ABC News Photos
Daring Red Carpet Dresses
Join the Discussion
comments powered by Disqus.
blog comments powered by
See It, Share It
Courtesy Gutzler family
Hear Final Moments Aboard Doomed Plane With Young Survivor
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
Shaq Wipes Out, and a Meme Is Born
Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library
Who's This Future Debonair Movie Star?
Gonzalo/Getty Images
Kylie Jenner Admits to Using Lip Fillers
Alyssa Newcomb/ABC News
Getting Messy With Nintendo's Splatoon Game
Woman Held Hostage Calls for Help by Ordering Pizza
Ashton Kutcher Surprises Mom With Renovated Home


text:
I will start off by saying this ring sparkles like CRAZY!! As with any piece of jewelry bought online, it IS smaller than the picture, but it is just as beautiful, if not more. It looks way more expensive than the price I actually paid. But it seems as if this ring was on sale for MUCH less than the MSRP. There is one inclusion a diamond that looks "grey"ish, but I am observant and would think that no one other than me would notice it, unless they were looking for it. Finding a band will be the next challenge, but I have no doubt that adding a beautiful band to this ring is going to make it look rich and amazing. The only complaint I have is that Overstocks shipping SUCKS, it took them 7 FULL days to even ship the item out after it was place and paid. I believe there is no excuse for this. All in all, these "Miadora" Rings are recommended by me, judging by the quality and beauty of this one. If you are on a budget, skip the mall stores and take your chances on the ring you have your eye on from overstock. The quality is going to be the same, and you are going to get way more bang for your buck. Keep an eye on clarity and color, do some comparisons, and you can't go wrong.
I became engaged in December, and was given an absolutely breathtaking $4,000 engagement ring. It was a little too big but I never got a gaurd for it. It fell off my finger 6 months later while I was shopping, and we haven't seen it since. I had no insurance on it, and with our wedding date getting closer, we thought we couldn't afford another engagement ring. My friend suggested overstock.com and thanks to her I was able to buy this beautiful ring without sabotaging my wedding budget! This ring is extremely different, which is my favorite thing about it. No one has an engagement ring that looks like mine. It is also very glamorous and stands out alot, especially on my petite hand. I absolutely love it! It sparkles like crazy. The only bad thing I have to say about it is that the prongs in the center cluster are visible and you can tell it is made of a bunch of small diamonds. So if you are looking for something that gives the illusion of one big diamond, I wouldn't go for this ring. I actually like the look of the small diamonds, the halo adds elegance and the band was such a stylish idea for this ring. It gets an A+ in my book! And trust me I'm picky when it comes to jewelry! If you buy this for your future bride she will be very impressed. Even more impressed if you tell her the price. Lol
Gorgeous ring! Plus it was so nice to find major discounts on the web and through Overstock.com. Definitely ordering from Overstock again!!!
Photo & description were accurate. It is quite dazzling in natural light. I have received many compliments.
Sparkly, dainty, well made and beautiful. well packaged, presentable box. I gave it to my wife as engagement ring then bought curved wedding band later. They look awesome and she loves it.
Much like love, this ring is beautiful and delicate, much like one's heart. I was amazed at the speed in which I received the ring. I received the ring two days ahead of the promised delivery date... Under promising and over delivering is my mantra, and Overstock.com seems to be in line with that kind of thinking. Huge win! Notice that I haven't even mentioned the price yet... A $1,400.00 for just $***and it is immaculate! I am traveling out of the country to propose to my soon to be fiancee and she is going to be blown away. I recently bought a house, so I really needed to be responsible and not overspend. This was a great way of getting it done. Plus 6 months same as cash??? Whaaaat? Huge win! Thank you so much overstock.com! You are a life saver!
Delivered by Mother's Day *
Items must be returned in new or unused condition and contain all original materials included with the shipment.
More details
Our standard shipping method is ground shipping. We also offer expedited shipping for most items. Your final shipping cost and estimated delivery timeframe will be available at checkout.
Standard shipping details
Expedited shipping details
* For your protection, all orders are screened for security purposes. If your order is selected for review, our Loss Prevention Team may contact you by phone or email. There may be a two business day delay to process your order.
** Most Oversize orders are delivered within 1-4 weeks. Some orders may take 6 weeks to be delivered.


text:
An emergency within an emergency
Law enforcement has used facial compositing to help solve crimes since Billy the Kid was a fugitive in the American Wild West.
Conventionally, sketch artists created hand-drawn renderings with charcoal or pencil. But today the use of sketch artists is becoming increasingly rare in criminal investigations, often reserved for only the largest departments. The sketch artists of old are quickly being replaced by facial composite software.
While the work of artists is being taken over by computerized tools, the functions of forensic composite imagery have expanded. It is used for identification of persons or objects, image modification, depictions of crime scenes, and reconstruction and post mortem identifications, says James Lucas, adjunct faculty at Oakton Community College of Illinois.
But some experts are questioning the accuracy of these tools — and of composites or photofits in general.
In an article appearing in the February issue of "Current Directions in Psychological Science," Gary Wells, professor of psychology at Iowa State University whose studies of eyewitness memory are widely known and cited, and co-author Lisa Hasels, also from Iowa State University, point to several studies that indicate facial composite systems produce a poor likeness of the intended face. According to the article, researchers had inferior results in studies where individuals attempted to create composites of famous celebrities. In one study, just 2.8 percent of participants correctly named the likeness of a well-known celebrity created with face composite software.
Researchers like Wells are concerned because of the potentially negative consequences of a bad composite. Broadly distributed to law enforcement, newspapers and the public, an inexact image may lead an investigation astray and produce wrongful convictions. A sketch of the Unabomber in a hood and sunglasses created a virtually useless rendition of Ted Kaczynski, and he eluded law enforcement for many years. On the other hand, strong links tied Timothy McVeigh to the Oklahoma City bombing, among them the fact that his appearance matched eyewitness accounts used by FBI artist Raymond Rozycki to develop a composite drawing.
"There is a presumption — if we have a tool use it. But [what we're saying is] wait a minute, be careful here," Wells cautions.
Flaws in thefacial composite process
Dr. Harry Wechsler, a noted expert on biometrics and face recognition, who serves as professor of computer science and director of the Center for Distributed and Intelligent Computation at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, points to articles by G. Daniel Lassiter published in "Current Directions in Psychological Science" (2002) and Dr. Charlie Frowd, a researcher at University of Central Lancashire, whose primary research involves improving the quality of facial composites, in "Psychology Crime and Law" (2005).
Frowd's article titled "Contemporary composite techniques: The impact of a forensically relevant target delay" outlines the lackluster performance of composite naming using a two-day delay between the time a witness saw the perpetrator and when he or she worked with the forensic artist. His study concludes that composite naming, that is, identifying a subject by matching a composite against a database, though a photo lineup or a police bulletin, "was surprisingly low," says Wechsler. In fact, composite naming was successful in only 3- to 8-percent of the studied cases.
Yet facial composite software may not be to blame, Wechsler says. Numerous factors affect the accuracy of eyewitness composites: A delay following the event, exposure time to the subject, target distinctiveness, emotion, stress, all play an important role in the composite produced.
Whether manual or computerized, composites depend on verbal descriptions that are not always accurate. A basic problem, Wechsler says, is that photofits mostly consist of shape and very little texture. These contours are embellished with scant skin texture, and lack other details that make a person recognizable.
In addition, researchers find issue with the method in which eyewitness composites are assembled — by individual features.
Psychological research has shown that people store faces in memory in a holistic way, says Wells, whose research on eyewitness identification is funded by the National Science Foundation. "They don't store individual features but an overall holistic image of the face. And if faces are stored holistically, the best retrieval is holistic," he says. "[Witnesses] don't really have good retrieval access to individual features. Any task to retrieve individual features is going to be profoundly difficult."
Knowledge of holistic processing may be a boon to future face composite systems that will utilize "whole-face" methods for face recall, according to a February 11, 2007, article in "Science Daily," for which Wells was consulted. Such systems begin by generating a random set of faces. The witness then selects the face most similar to their memory of the perpetrator. This will be the "parent" face that yields a set of similar looking faces, which are the result of several mutations to the parent face. The witness again makes a choice and the process continues until it's impossible to discriminate between the options from his or her memory of the perpetrator.
EvoFIT software, with British firm ABM as its industrial partner, is one facial composite system based on a holistic face coding scheme and an evolutionary interface. Using this system, witnesses choose from a selection of faces that bear a resemblance to an assailant (a composite is evolved over time by breeding together the selected faces). In recent experiments by Frowd, EvoFIT has outperformed other current composite systems (in the most recent realistic study, EvoFIT reached a level of naming roughly twice that of another United Kingdom composite system).
Frowd, who has conducted extensive research in the area of facial composites, along with principal investigator Dr. P. Hancock, is currently working on a U.K. government grant at the University of Stirling, Scotland. The aim of the project, called Evolving a Better Composite, reports www.psychologoy.stir.ac.uk/staff/cfrowd/index.php, is to develop and exploit the holistic (whole face) nature of EvoFIT. There is good evidence that composites produced by EvoFIT are better than other U.K. systems, but research is now required to optimize performance, notes Frowd. Currently, the system generates faces with random characteristics, for a given sex and race, and the user selects those that most resemble the target.
Researchers wish to make the system more user-friendly by identifying psychologically useful variables, such as age and obesity, and implementing these within the model. This would allow a witness to request that a face be made older, for example, something which requires considerable artistic skill with current facial composite systems, explains Frowd.
A second aspect of the project is to explore better ways to help witnesses remember relevant details. Current police interviewing techniques concentrate on facial features (e.g. describing the nose), which may work well for today's feature-based composite systems, but gets in the way of remembering what the face as a whole looked like. The researchers' aim is to develop interviewing methods that better match the holistic nature of EvoFIT, and to predict that a combination of these approaches should also enable witnesses with a limited recall (of an assailant) to construct useful composites.
Computerized vs. manual composites
Frowd et al. also conducted a study titled "An evaluation of U.S. systems for facial composite production" that evaluated the reliability of two systems:
- San Mateo, California-based Wherify Wireless Inc.'s Faces 3.0, and
- Scottsdale, Arizona-based Identi-Kit Solutions' Identi-Kit 2000.
The study, which is to be published later in 2007 in "Ergonomics" is posted on www.uclan.ac.uk/psychology/research/people/Frowd.html.
In this study, Frowd states researchers found U.K. software programs produce composites that are correctly named about 20 percent of the time when participant-witnesses attempt construction either immediately or a few hours after seeing a target face. Unfortunately, he says, when participant-witnesses are required to wait two days before they can construct the composite — a situation typical of real police witnesses — composite naming fell to a few percent correct at best, according to statistics gathered in research for journal articles "The Process of Facial Composite Production" in "Forensic Psychology and Law" and "Parallel Approaches to Composite Production" in "Ergonomics."
A comparison of three U.K. programs, a sketch artist and Faces 3.0 (a program not differing so much from later version 4.0 that results are invalid) were the subject of another Frowd study. It found that composites done by a sketch artist were correctly named 8 percent of the time, but the other systems were worse — naming was less than 4 percent.
A 2005 study by Frowd et al. comparing computerized systems with manual systems found that all other composite systems tested were inferior to a sketch artist. While it may be that the skill of the person was responsible for this, he says the mode of representation might be as well. It turns out that sketch artists working with witnesses tend to produce composites with less shading compared with systems, such as ABM's PRO-fit and FACES, which utilize photographed features, especially in areas around the forehead, cheeks, nose and chin. It might be that these features, Frowd notes, are better left blank rather than including potentially misleading shading information. As such, sketched composites may contain less incorrect information and may be more identifiable.
More research needed
More research is definitely called for. Anecdotal evidence touting the successes of composite sketches can be dangerous. "It's in the nature of anecdotes to be selective and to ignore all cases where it didn't work," says Wells. "Our approach has been to drop the anecdotes — we like to study in controlled conditions … we know which face [witnesses] saw and how well they do in generating the face. Software has improved incredibly but there's still a problem in getting likenesses. The [issue] doesn't seem to be within the software itself."
Wells calls Frowd's research "promising," and continues to hope for more controlled studies and police software programs that stand up to scientific criteria. "If we can't make them better," he says, "we should use them less or as a last resort."
On the other hand, taken with other evidence, composites can assist investigators. "Photofits factor out many biometric features," says Wechsler, "narrowing down the police work to identify suspects and thus making [their job] easier and more efficient." Efficiency increases because investigators narrow the subset of suspects, and accuracy improves because they can spend more time on a reduced set of suspects.
Perhaps Lee Farrow, FACES global account manager at Wherify Wireless Inc., says it best: If we compare finding a suspect through use of facial composites to finding a needle in a haystack, "facial composites may make the haystack a little smaller or the needle a little shinier."
She continues it's critical to remember that a facial composite gives investigators "a direction but it's not the nail in a coffin — there's additional evidence like DNA or fingerprints." It narrows down the suspect, but "it's not the finalized tool to arrest someone."
Donna Rogers is a freelance writer based in Huntington, New York. She can be reached at email@example.com.


text:
Rhabdomyolysis occurs when skeletal muscles are damaged and release myoglobin into the bloodstream. Myoglobin is an iron-containing pigment that can cause severe damage to the kidneys.
Rhabdomyolysis results from any condition that causes significant muscle damage. These include:
- Excessive muscle activity
- Certain muscle diseases
- Severe muscle injuries, such as a crush injury
- Overuse of alcohol or illicit drugs
- Uncontrolled seizure disorder
- Hypothermia
- Contact with an electrical current
- Toxins, such as snake or spider venom
- Extensive surgical procedures using large, muscle-dividing incisions—rare
Risk Factors
Factors that may increase the risk of muscle damage include:
- Extreme exertion, such as running a marathon
- Heat stroke
- Use of some prescription drugs
- Alcohol or drug abuse
- Severe seizures or convulsions
The most common symptoms include:
- Dark urine—brown or red in color
- Muscle pain
- Muscle weakness
Other symptoms include:
- Muscle swelling
- Back pain
- Nausea and vomiting
In severe cases, rhabdomyolysis may result in:
- Kidney damage or failure
- Multi-organ failure
- Abnormal heartbeat, also known as arrhythmia
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. Tests may include:
Your bodily fluids may be tested. This can be done with:
- Urine tests
- Blood tests
The activity of your muscles and heart may be tested. This can be done with:
- Electromyography
Treatment may include:
Giving large amounts of fluid is the main treatment. Fluids are usually given by IV. Hydration helps to quickly flush myoglobin out of the kidneys to restore their function.
Bicarbonate may be used to minimize myoglobin's toxic effects.
Dialysis is a procedure that uses an artificial kidney machine to filter blood. The clean blood is then returned to your body.
Steps for prevention include:
Drink plenty of fluids when:
- Exercising
- Sitting or working in hot, humid weather
- Avoid overuse of alcohol
- Avoid illicit drugs
Revision Information
- Reviewer: Adrienne Carmack, MD; Michael Woods, MD
- Review Date: 07/2013 -
- Update Date: 05/11/2013 -


text:
Started my system one day to have a message, disk full, cannot write to it. I was using btfrs as installed by Fedora 18 Anaconda.
I tried cleaning up by visiting /tmp and removing a few files. (YUM istallers as rm -fr yum2013*
df showed that there was lots of empty space. I figured I would delete some files and perhaps that would help.
Next thing I saw was a dozen yum files in /home, and my /boot was empty.
I have multiboot, so I restarted with Mint14.
Mint could see the files but when it tried deleting, it also got the messages "cannot write, unable to delete".
Fortunately, Mint could read what was left on the disk. I backed up again (2nd backup) and essentially reinstalled using lvm and ext4.
I will try btfrs again as the main file system for Fedora 19, but only on a separate test system on a drive reserved for testing.