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Noncommutative geometry entered the research programme of IMPAN in 1999. Five years later, with the help of the Warsaw University transfer-of-knowledge grant Quantum Geometry, this branch of IMPAN's mathematics gained an international dimension. Since 2004, there are about 10-20 visitors per year who contribute their research experience and give talks at the weekly Noncommutative Geometry Seminar held in the Institute. Among our invitees were Alain Connes and Maxim Kontsevitch, and the seminar talks are announced to about 200 mathematicians worldwide.
The aforementioned scientific activity helped to cristalize a local research team consisting of Piotr M. Hajac, Ulrich Krähmer, Tomasz Maszczyk and Bartosz Zieliński. Ulrich Krähmer was a Marie Curie fellow in the years 2005-2007. In January 2008, the Noncommutative Geometry Research Unit was formally created by the Institute Scientific Council. In October 2008, the team was enlarged by Emily Burgunder, who chose IMPAN for her European Postdoctoral Institute fellowship.
Another chapter of Noncommutative Geometry at IMPAN opened in 2009 with the EU- project Geometry and Symmetry of Quantum Spaces. Co-sponsored by the Polish Government, this 4-year international research staff exchange programme established a transcontinental network of 12 nodes with IMPAN as the co-ordinating node. In particular, we welcomed in our group Paul F. Baum who joined us as a Visiting Professor working at IMPAN a month each year. Our mathematical environment was further enriched by Adam Skalski who came as another Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow for the years 2010-2012. Together with Paweł Kasprzak, Andrzej Sitarz, and Piotr M. Sołtan employed on short-term position, our Research Unit got top expertise in topological quantum groups and spectral geometry. On the other hand, a Ph.D.-student Jan Rudnik started his collaboration with Baum and Hajac on computing the K-theory of triple-pullback C*-algebras.
The key words characterizing IMPAN's research in noncommutative geometry are: K-theory of operator algebras and free actions of compact quantum groups on unital C*-algebras, multi-pullback C*-algebras and free distributive lattices of ideals, index theory of Fredholm modules and spectral geometry of Dirac operators, locally compact quantum groups and universal (free) quantum groups, Hopf-cyclic homology with coefficients and Chern-Galois character, corings and monoidal categories. The assumed research strategy is to explore the feedback between solving concrete difficult problems and developing new mathematical structures. The proposed approach is to unite rather than separate different fields of mathematics by taking advantage of complemetary tools that they offer. To this end, a large scale and intensive international collaboration is currently sustained and planned for the future.
A more systematic and detailed description of the aforementioned research profile is as follows:
1. K-theory of operator algebras. Computing K-theory of C*-algebras of quantum projective spaces of Toeplitz-type. Noncommutative version of the Borsuk-Ulam for a family quantum spheres. Non-existence of Z/2-equivariant homomorphisms from a unital C*-algebra A into its unital suspension SA. Computing the K-theory of noncommutative Bieberbach manifolds. An example of a published paper in this area of research is: P. F. Baum, P. M. Hajac, R. Matthes, W. Szymański, The K-theory of Heegaard-type quantum 3-spheres, K-Theory (2005) 35:159-186.
2. Hopf-cyclic homology and Chern-Galois character. Applying new coefficients of Hopf-cyclic homology and cohomology. Studying relationships between De Rham cohomology with coefficients in flat vector bundles and cyclic homology with coefficients. Version of the local index formula of Connes-Moscovici for twisted cyclic cohomology. Extending cyclic (co)homology with coefficients from algebras to monoidal functors. Among pivotal papers for this area of research are: P. M. Hajac, M. Khalkhali, B. Rangipour, Y. Sommerhäuser, Hopf-cyclic homology and cohomology with coefficients, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 338 (2004) 667-672; T. Brzeziński, P. M. Hajac, The Chern-Galois character, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 338 (2004) 113-116.
3. Spectral geometry and index theorem. Proving an analogue of the 2-dimensional Gauss-Bonnet for spectral triples. Stability of spectral triples and regular spectral geometries. Constructing spectral triples on cross-products of C*-algebras and studying their topological properties. Studying contact structures by means of noncommutative geometry. An example of a published paper related to this area of research is: P. M. Hajac, R. Matthes, W. Szymański, Noncommutative index theory of mirror quantum spheres, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 343 (2006) 731-736.
4. Quantum group actions. Equivalence of principality of actions by compact quantum groups on unital C*-algebras and the Hopf-Galois condition for induced coactions of corresponding polynomial Hopf algebras. Applying non-contractibility of compact quantum groups to prove non-triviality of noncommutative principal bundles obtained by means of the join construction of compact quantum groups. Proving principality of piecewise principal actions. Constructing examples of quantum spaces without group structure and actions of non-compact locally compact quantum groups. Quotienting of locally compact quantum groups by their closed subgroups. Studying quantum symmetry groups of group C*-algebras, especially focused on their representation theory. In particular, classification of compact group actions on the C*-algebra of 2 by 2 matrices. Finding non-classical quantum permutations on two elements. Extending Hopf-Galois theory to monoidal categories. An example of a published paper in this area of research is: P. M. Sołtan: Examples of non-compact quantum group actions, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 372 (2010), 224-236.
5. Quantum spaces, sets, and cohomology. Noncommutative deformations of complex projective spaces glued from Toeplitz cubes and other multi-pullback constructions of algebras. Constructing of a category of quantum sets (or quantum algebraic sets) and extenting of the contravariant adjunction between the category of sets and the category of commutative algebras to noncommutative sets and associative algebras. Generalizing the notion of a discrete (or algebraic) group to the corresponding notion making sense for quantum sets (or quantum algebraic sets). Constructing a recursive algorithm for computing genus zero Gromov-Witten invariants of some Fano varieties, generalizing the formula of Kontsevich. An example of a published paper in this area is: P. M. Hajac, A. Kaygun, Bartosz Zieliński, Quantum complex projective spaces from Toeplitz cubes, J. Noncommutative Geometry, 6: 3 (2012) 603-621.


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Are you looking for a creative mind to help you with design work? Perhaps you're looking for ways to promote your company? Maybe you already have an idea but need help putting it together.
Whatever the reason is I am here to help you. With my talent and experience in Print, Web, and Identity Design, I will help you turn your ideas into reality.

subset: commoncrawl


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WILLARD -- Walter H. Leber, Sr., age 82, of Willard, died Friday, August 9, 2013 after a 3 month illness.
He was born April 1, 1931 in Monroeville, Ohio, son of the late Edgar and Rhea (Weilnau) Leber.
Walter had lived most of his life in the Greenwich area. He served in the U.S. Army in the Korean War as a truck driver, hauling troops and fuel. Walter owned and operated Alpha Acres family dairy farm for over 30 years. He was a member of the former Greenwich American Legion and a lifetime member of the Norwalk V.F.W. Firelands Post 2743, the Farm Bureau and he was the 1987 Firelands Farmer of the Year. Walter loved to pull tractors, collect antique "green" tractors, riding snowmobiles, and playing cards especially pinochle.
He is survived by his wife, Helen (Heitsche) Leber, whom he married September 4, 1954; his children, Walter (Fay) Leber of Greenwich, Patty (Russell) Paramore of Virginia, Theresa (Erik) Hansen of Sandusky, Lori (Don) Sparks of Plymouth, Larry (Mendy) Leber of Plymouth, Wendy (Bryan) Oney of North Fairfield, Norman Leber of Willard and Frances (Kelly) Bussart of Willard; 16 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren; 5 brothers and 2 sisters, numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by 2 great granddaughters, Abby and Taylor and 3 brothers.
Friends may call from 2 - 4 and 6 - 8 p.m. Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at the Eastman Funeral Home, 49 West Main St., Greenwich where funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday with Pastor Jim Gaston officiating.
Burial with military rites will follow at the Ninevah Cemetery, Greenwich.
Memorials if desired may be given to the United Methodist Church of North Fairfield, 105 West Main St., North Fairfield, Ohio 44855 or to the North Fairfield American Legion, P.O. Box 204, North Fairfield, Ohio.
Online condolences may be made at: www.eastmanfuneralhome.com.


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These Stars Do What: Weird Rituals And Quirks
August 13, 2013 9:00 AM
Diane Lyn
www.facebook.com/dianelyn1019 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com More
Today's 101.9 Features
Katy Perry does this to help prevent cavities…
She brushes 6 times a day.
Demi Lovato is a hotel thief. She has been known to steal pillows while traveling.
Jennifer Lopez sniffs grapefruit to fight her food carvings.
Beyonce' has a dirty little secret, she is a slob! The singer is a messy maker:)


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Cyril Benes, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Research Summary
The Benes laboratory, known as The Center for Molecular Therapeutics, is engaged in the design and application of personalized therapies for cancer. Targeted cancer treatments have emerged from research studies showing that the biology of cancer cells differs from that of healthy cells, and that each person's cancer has a unique genetic signature. Our goal is to pinpoint the cancer cells' biological weak points and then to attack those weak points with smart drugs that are specifically designed for such an attack. Using a large collection of human cancer cell lines, we have made major advances in identifying molecular genetic features, or biomarkers, of a tumor that predict responsiveness to targeted therapies. We are aimed at developing molecular diagnostics that will reveal the best treatment course for each patient and at discovering how gene mutations in cancer can be exploited to develop new treatments.
Cyril Benes, PhD
Principal Investigator
Group Members
Research Projects
We are studying the molecular basis of response to anticancer agents.
Genetics of Cancer Therapeutic Response
Clinical responses to anticancer therapeutics are often restricted to a subset of cases treated. In some instances, clear evidence is available that correlates clinical responses with specific tumor genotypes. Our goal is to identify tumor cell states (i.e., genotypes, gene expression) that predict sensitivity to anticancer agents. To accomplish this goal, we use high-throughput screening and expose 1,000 cell lines derived from a broad spectrum of cancers to known and potential anticancer therapeutic agents. For each compound, we characterize the variation in response across the cell line collection and correlate response to genomic and transcriptomic information, including cancer gene mutations, genome-wide copy number information, and mRNA expression data. We then work to translate these findings to clinical use by analyzing clinical specimens to possibly inform the design of clinical studies.
The use of a very large cell line collection allows us to capture some mutational events that—although relatively rare—are very important for therapeutic response. In addition, while some patient selection strategies have proven quite successful, a wide range of variation in response to treatment exists in almost all cases. Similar to this clinical observation—and perhaps related mechanistically—our large cell line collection allows us to observe important variation in drug response within a given sensitizing genotype. For example, among BRAF-mutant cell lines which are, as a group, remarkably sensitive to BRAF inhibitors, some lines do not respond significantly. Based on these observations, we aim to identify additional biomarkers that will permit more accurate prediction of drug response in the clinic.
Resistance to Cancer Therapies
Even for the most successful anticancer therapies, drug resistance invariably emerges and limits the impact on patient lives. The molecular mechanisms underlying acquired resistance to cancer therapeutics are not well defined but are likely to be different for each therapy and cancer. We are investigating how drug combinations could overcome resistance, and within this context, studying how changes in intracellular signaling pathways affect drug response.
We are tackling the problem of therapeutic resistance using cell lines made resistant in the laboratory or isolated from resistant tumors. Previous results have shown that these cell line models do recapitulate at least some of the mechanisms of resistance at play in patients. We interrogate combinations of a panel of clinically relevant anticancer drugs as a way to quickly identify candidate therapeutic strategies and to jumpstart mechanistic studies that will help characterize the molecular basis of acquired resistance.
We are also approaching the problem of resistance using a very different and complementary approach. We systematically identify genes that can cause resistance to a given drug in a given context using a transposon-based genetic screen. Transposons are mobile genetic elements that can insert into a host genome—in our case, the genome of cancer cells. We use an engineered version of a transposon so we can control its mobility and identify genes with expressions that are modified by its insertion, leading to drug resistance.
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute's alliance in cancer genome research aims to provide novel insights into genetic features of individual tumors that may determine their response to drug treatment.


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CONSCIOUS. Long-sleeved top with round neckline in organic cotton stretch jersey.
88% cotton, 6% spandex, 6% rayon.
Machine wash warm
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Stunning views, exemplary service and delicious food!
Situated on the Heritage Coast with panoramic views over the Bristol Channel and with probably one of the best views in Porthcawl, this very popular and proud Hotel has recently undergone further extensive refurbishment with the addition of a new Orangery. The Fairways is now one of the most up-to-date hotels in the area ideal for a base for business, pleasure or a golfing weekend. Sporting a beer garden overlooking Hutchins Point Bay, and only 3 minutes from the town center, you are guaranteed a relaxing stay without the distraction of town life.
Whether its for business or pleasure be sure to check out our 'Corporate Activities' for a chance at trying something new and exciting. If you are a keen golfer you will be keen to note that we were chosen as a participating hotel for the 2010 Ryder Cup.
All of our guest rooms have been decorated to a high standard. Every room is en-suite, and comes with the services you would expect from a 3 Star Hotel including a TV and Tea and Coffee making facilities. With the our updated IT facilities you are able to mix work with pleasure at your convenience.
Clicking this button will take you to our secure, external booking system
A passenger lift is available in the lobby to all floors
The ground Floor consists of a Lounge Bar with Satellite TV, Orangery with stunning sea views and an 80 cover Restaurant
Bar Meals and Restaurant meals are available Monday – Saturday
Our 2 Course Special Menu is served from
12.00 to 7pm
Our A La Carte Menu is served from
12.00 to 9.30pm and every Monday you can enjoy a Carvery Lunch
Over the years the Fairways Hotel has gained a reputation for good service, good food, good beers and great atmosphere. With the recent additional refurbishment, we feel that as well as all the above, you also now have great quality and a service second to none.
The Bar Lounge has been completely refurbished as has the restaurant, offering a wide selection of bar and restaurant meals, including traditional Welsh dishes, beers and whiskeys.
On behalf of the Hotel Staff and Management we look forward to welcoming you to the Fairways Hotel.


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This antique style Buddha statue looks and feels like a tree carving from ancient times. Buddha's calming presence makes this statue the perfect accent for backyards and quiet gardens where serenity is treasured. Made of resin, this statue measures 10 inches high and weighs about 1 pound. Dents, scratches and scuffs may be present as an intentional design feature. This figure can be displayed indoors and outdoors. When used outdoors, the figure's coloring may diminish over time. Item should be stored inside during freezing weather.
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We operate from two buildings in Cardiff.
NoFit State, John Street, Cardiff, CF10 5PE
NoFit State, Four Elms Road, Adamsdown, Cardiff, CF24 1LE
For general enquiries, please call us on 02920 221 330 or email firstname.lastname@example.com. If you'd like to contact a particular member of the team, please click on one of the staff members below or visit our staff directory.
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Clare Fitzsimons
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Box Office Manager & Health and Safety Manager
Tim Adam
Community Programme and Agency Manager
Lynn Carroll
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Tom Rack
Creative Director
Ali Williams
Development Assistant
Olivia Richardson
Development Manager
Bethan Gamble
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Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom of behavior
The First Amendment of the US Constitution states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Recently this amendment has received a good deal of attention, particularly in regard to the anti-bullying legislation of various states, including Massachusetts.
At issue is whether what individuals post on a social networking website (such as Facebook or MySpace) is protected by said amendment, or can be considered cyber-bullying.
One might expect to find me, as a member of the media, standing firmly on the side of Free Speech. Well, I am a member of the media, but I am also a parent.
The issue of bullying – cyber or otherwise – is not a new issue to me. I have had experiences with many facets of this aspect of growing up, and because of those experiences I have been exposed to numerous perspectives on the issue.
I agree that the issue of bullying is complicated and complex. In today's society it has evolved into far more than simply bully and victim, and because of cell phones and the Internet, bullying is more pervasive than it ever was when I was a child.
Unless a bullied child has the wherewithal to turn off the technology, his or her bullies will, without a doubt, follow that child everywhere, well past the walls of the classroom or playground.
Text messages will be sent across the airwaves. Unkind Facebook pages will be created. Negative, hateful, spiteful status messages will be posted for all eyes to see, and "Like," should they see fit.
Again, the question becomes whether such actions are protected under the First Amendment.
While I am no expert, I'd like to offer my own insight. My feeling is this: freedom of speech DOES NOT mean freedom of behavior.
Nothing – no law, no amendment – gives a person the right to write, text, post or speak anything cruel, disparaging, harmful or disparaging about another.
Simply because we have an amendment in place that allows us to express our opinions doesn't mean we as people have the right to do so in a way that is so hateful it causes harm to another.
Basically, it all comes back to The Golden Rule: Do Unto Others What You Would Have Done Unto You. In other words, treat others the way you'd want to be treated and encourage your kids to do the same.
Ask kids engaging in bullying behavior to think about their actions. Ask them if they'd appreciate having an unflattering photo texted across town or posted on the Web. Ask them how they might feel about having a Facebook page created solely for the purpose of getting people to dislike them. Ask them how having to cope with unkindness on a daily basis might impact them.
Hold your children accountable for their actions. Inspire empathy for others. Promote kindness.
There is a poem I've read that says, "Children Learn What They Live." Children also live what they learn. If children learn that it's considered acceptable to treat peers with cruelty, hatred and spite, they will grow to treat adults the same way.
Please note that even the amendment itself contains the key words "respect" and "peace." Those are the attributes I'd like my son to learn and live, regardless of how someone might interpret the First Amendment.
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A technology company without a consumer strategy doesn't have a strategy
I was chatting with a friend who works for RedHat today. You don't hear much about them anymore. Remember when RedHat Linux was all the rage? I've still got that self-congratulatory book with the black-and-white guy with the silly red fedora hat photoshop'd onto his head on the cover. For that matter, remember when Sun was all the rage? Maybe this is the same story...
I remember trying out some video chat software from the NetBeans office in Prague in October, 1999. My "office" was a corner of a room, and it happened that there was some space in the corner, so all of these empty workstation boxes got piled there - we'd just been acquired by Sun, and had gotten a pile of computers for the trouble.
My friend was agog - "Is that really a giant pile of SUN WORKSTATIONS behind you?!?!" (I had to say, sorry, no, just cardboard boxes - but they're somewhere around here).
But here's the critical thing - nobody would say that today. Why is that?
So, enough biting the hand that feeds me - let's go back to my friend at RedHat. I had used Linux distros since the mid 90's ( Slackware still holds a special place in my heart for the sheer simplicity of its installer and how easy it was to end up with...something that didn't work - but Gentoo is the only easy way today to put together a similarly bare-bones (no gui) linux install). But at the end of the 90s, along came RedHat. And Netscape cum Mozilla. OMG! Companies are doing open source! And if you wanted a Free OS, but wanted it to work, you were using RedHat. Everybody was using RedHat Linux. It was the Linux.
Today, I have two machines with Linux installed. My coding machine runs Ubuntu, my server machine Gentoo. Anybody I know who knows what Linux is is running Ubuntu unless they're a sysadmin, in which case they're running Gentoo. What happened?
Well, at some point, I don't actually remember when, RedHat decided that this whole business of doing a consumer OS was costing a more than it returned. The money was in the enterprise. So eventually the whole consumer OS piece of it got sort of spun off into this Fedora-somethingorother thing (don't get me started about product naming), and progressively lost steam, but who cares - because they're at warp speed on the enterprise.
Back to Sun for a moment. In the dot-com heyday of the late 90's thru 2001, everybody bought Sun hardware. I remember one of the stupidest parties I've ever been to, in early 2000, at CeBit in Hannover, Germany (Hannover is nice, but avoid CeBit like the plague unless you like getting up at 5AM to spend 3 hours to drive 5Km to an exibition hall you won't get out of until 11 at night). You had to have a special pin being handed out at the show to get in. It was a Star Trek communicator pin with the logo "Dot Com The Enterprise." I think that was the moment I knew the bubble had to burst.
So what really happened to Sun? Well, sometime a few years before I arrived, Sun was making so much money on enterprise that, well, that whole workstation business didn't make the same kind of profits. Best to get out of it. I don't know if it was MBAs trained in the mantra of "focus on your core competency", malevolence, the fact that any large organization of human beings goes insane very quickly, or just pure stupidity (one day "focus on your core competence" will be studied curiously by anthropologists as a cult-like phenomenon - ask yourself this - do you have a core competency? Just one? You're only allowed one...) "Business" as it is studied today is a soft science like literary criticism with about as much credibility as Derrida deserved with deconstrution (i.e. none). It just scientififies itself by dressing unjustifiable assumptions up in pretty numbers.
There's just one problem with that whole "core competency" disease: Those unprofitable workstations were your marketing channel. They were your way to show the world that you do good engineering - to show that to the people who would be the decision makers at all those dot-coms to-be. To think the people who are deciding to buy your stuff today will be the buyers of tomorrow - that you've got a "permanent majority" isn't even the height of hubris, it's the height of stupidity. You can't even call it self-serving behavior because it's not even that! At best it's a malignant form of laziness.
For most any company in the enterprise market, what you put into *consumers'* hands is the determinant of your future success. If consumers - particularly college students - don't know who you are, the enterprise of the future likely won't either.
The big enterprise money is a distraction par excellance. Here I am watching two companies that both made their run to the top on consumers, and then forgot about them when the big bucks started coming in. Your loss-leaders that get young people using - and loving - your technology are the decision-makers of the dot.coms of the future - you live and die by those people's decisions.
One of the best examples of how to do the opposite comes from when I was in college. I wanted to take electronic music - they had all these 1960's Moog synths I wanted to play with. I got really lucky, and Everett Hafner was the guy who decided if I got in or not. My music reading skills were and are almost non-existent. So he tested me on intervals - play them - could I tell a fourth from a fifth - he actually tested what I intuitively *knew*, not my knowledge of classical music theory. And that's the ideal job interview - you don't want to find out what someone can regurgitate by memory, you want to find out how they think on their feet. That was a revelation - that there are people in the world who will look at your skills not your paper qualifications. I'd suggest that any company focused on paper qualifications is not one you want to work for. If they can't invest the time to find out who you are, they never will, and that doesn't lead to happiness.
So, back to RedHat, or my perception of what's going on there: it's sad to see the same sad story repeated. The enterprise bandwagon is very seductive. It lures you to think you're so comfortable that you're comfortable permanently. And if you're not careful, that's exactly what you'll be.
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by chandransuraj - 2009-04-20 02:20Well, Sun has this idea of parallely keeping their legs on various technologies parallely, and a huge advertisement campaign for each of them. But then given a giant as Sun, you shouldn't expect anything less. Considering this, I don't think that Sun is really suffering from "core competency disease", I mean I keep getting mails from Sun every single day, the most recent of them preaches JavaFX as the next generation RIA helper (ha ha ha), sometime back they almost garbaged my inbox with MySQL, Glassfish and wait, wait, wait...I almost forgot their 7210 Unified Storage system(Save upto 35% campaign). What they forget is that they have only two legs.
by davofanmail - 2009-02-13 23:58The basic thesis that "you have to have a consumer story or you're eventually cooked" -- hmmm, this may hold true for many tech companies, but this isn't a universal law. Think Cisco: yes, they do have Linksys, but most people don't realize that they're buying Cisco when they buy Linksys...and there's essentially no crossover in their technologies, sales mechanisms,etc. Same thing with WebEx (did *you* know that Cisco owned them?). That said, RedHat and Sun and SGI just aren't that relevant because they haven't updated their strategy since Y2K. None of them had a consumer story ever (don't tell me about Nintendo...that was consumer but it wasn't SGI), yet were very successful with their techno when their strategy was working. The real phenomenon here IMHO is the Innovator's Dilemma, where ultra-cheap begets uber volume, which brings better quality and the best value for customers. While the cheap vendors get better, the established vendors in the market have no choice but to go up-market. Wall Street won't let them do anything else. But by focusing too much on the high margins of the Enterprise, the established leaders get into lower and lower unit volumes. (BTW, the same phenomenon is what caused Detroit's suicidal love-fest with SUVs and Hummers). When any PC can do a million vectors a second, how many people really need an SGI that can do 100 million? If Pixar doesn't even need SGIs or Sun boxes the way they used to, how many organizations outside of the CIA will buy high end graphics systems or 100-way SMP boxes? Not enough. In both SGI and Sun's case, I have first hand knowledge that the move to oblivion had nothing to do with MBAs or marketing consultants. It was just a natural evolution from business pressures that everyone in management felt. In miniature, RedHat fell into the same cycle. They were just software, but the almost-good-enough-and-free Linices would rob them of all the "consumer" (read: student) volume no matter what RedHat did. And, once public, they couldn't disappoint Wall Street. Up-market they had to go...
by iguy - 2009-02-11 10:59Core Competence is an interesting MBA term for "What do you do and why do you do it?" Apple's Core Competence is consumer products and giving the customer what they want. They are providing technical products that Look Good and Simple to Work. (Yes this sounds obvious though many technological companies miss many of these points.) Sun's Core Competence is its software to make the network the computer. (Note the missing parts of "Looking Good" and "Simple to Work") Microsoft's is to put its products on every piece of hardware on the planet and be the controller of the hardware everywhere. I agree that RedHat is so yesterday. If I could get off my Fedora box I would though that takes time right now and it just works. I will probably do that this next go around. Sun has a great OS, just nobody working to get it out to the customers. If you can't basically give it away to students your selling your future away. You've got to make it "wanted" and "accessible".
by timboudreau - 2009-02-09 23:55Jaceck: >> who in their right mind would blow $1bln on a free database? Hmm, who would blow $1bn on owning the intellectual property rights - the ownership of - something almost everyone in the world uses? I don't know, put that way, it sounds like it might be a reasonable deal. Just to be clear, this is purely my macchiavelian fantasy world, but: Remember I said "large organizations go insane quickly." One of the hallmarks of that is that the bigger the organization, the less the accountability - when something goes wrong, it's harder to pin down what, where or who. That's where "support" comes in. Now, most of that "support" is a fantasy supporting a fantasy, but nonetheless, that's how the world goes. "Support" = Someone To Sue if something goes wrong and can't be fixed fast enough for you to keep doing business. It's an insurance policy. And people will pay for insurance. Probably more than $1bn over the long haul. MySQL will pay for itself. It probably already has.
by timboudreau - 2009-02-09 23:28cowwoc: "except that Sun wasted too much time making Java run better under SunOS than Windows" (Gili, is that you?) You know, I've been hearing that for years. In fact, my first lesson in what really happens when you get interviewed by the press was being shocked seeing myself quoted in print saying we'd fine-tuned NetBeans to run *just* a little bit better on Solaris when I'd said no such thing and knew no such thing was true (the reason I called it a lesson was that it was also how I learned you don't ask for a correction unless you want that reporter to trash you for the rest of your life). I can imagine there may have been attempts to do that. But in ten years at Sun I've never seen any evidence of it, nor met anyone who said they did anything to achieve that. I do know that for a while there was a completely separate JVM implementation for Solaris done by a different team, and some less-than-friendly competition between them, but as far as I know they got merged in 1999 or so. I've had my share of Solaris boxes and dual-boot machines, and even done performance tuning work where I profiled on multiple OS's. The only differences I ever saw were the same you get with native apps (e.g. determining if a file is or is not a directory is a bottleneck on Windows and not on unices). Anyway, maybe that multiple-VM era is what you're referring to?
by timboudreau - 2009-02-09 23:23itvguy2000: I agree. If you're a company that makes hamburgers, office buildings and chainsaws, you've got an identity crisis. What I object to is the lemming-like behavior that, because getting a company to focus on its "core competence" is rewarded, this breeds more and more extreme versions of the "focus on your core competence" mantra, where "core competence" becomes "whatever makes the most profit right now regardless of the long-term consequences." It's a sad fact that the way public companies are structured rewards this sort of short-term thinking. It's natural human behavior to find something that works and then repeat and refine it - when success is rewarded, do what got that success again. But it's also why most "movements" of any sort - pick your politics or genre - end up being taken over by extremists and marginalizing themselves - repeating what worked even when it doesn't work anymore. Focus on your core competence is great when you're figuring out if you're a chainsaw, hamburger or construction company. It's deadly when you're a chip, workstation, software and server company and all of those things do support and market each other - when you destroy synergy. But once you've got "core competence" disease it's easy to end up in a wasteland where there's no competence at all (hence my reference to Derrida) - it's like selling your house a sawed-off beam at a time for firewood. My objection to basing this sort of thing purely on the balance sheet is that economics, and "business" as a discipline is just a soft-science like literary criticism. It just happens to be good at dressing itself up in numbers and putting on a scientific-looking tuxedo. The intangibles that you can't draw a straight line of cause and effect on the balance sheet with have more to do with your profitability than the tangibles you can measure. Making that fundamental error of thinking correlation equals cause + effect is the sales pitch that comes before you swan dive off a cliff. Indulging in the notion that anything you can't draw a direct line to profits on is therefore something to be cut is indulging in pure fantasy at the expense of slitting your own throat. It's giving way too much credit to way too soft a science to deserve to be called one. -Tim
by cowwoc - 2009-02-09 21:19Great article. I fully support "focusing" the business, but in this case the two businesses did not interfere with one another (except that Sun wasted too much time making Java run better under SunOS than Windows). You are right: one has to retain a foot in the consumer space in order to sell future enterprise software. I hope Sun recovers its footing financially in a big way.
by fabriziogiudici - 2009-02-09 17:45"It's not your core competency." Right, but it just depends how you think to cover that competencies. Now it's out of question, but in the past, when there was plenty of money, a good way of expanding the business in a clever way was to buy a specialized company (and let it operate properly). Also, let's think of Apple. Two years ago making phones was not in their core competencies. It's known that I don't like the iPhone (nor Apple), but from Apple's perspective it's known to be a winning strategy. And looking back at the iPod, Apple's strategy has been a winning one when they decided to expand from the computer to the consumer (and later tech-fashion) segments. One might even say "mostly switch" in place of "expand".
by ewin - 2009-02-09 13:04Don't forget that Sun is doing the same with Java. Only that they switch their alleged core competence every few years. Desktop? Bah, enterprise was all the rage at some point in time. Then mobile, then enterprise again. PC interface support? The desktop? No, wait. That would have been to cater for ordinary bread and butter programmers - the consumer class of programmers. And sun doesn't touch consumers. No,it had to be the elitist RIA weed-doers who are now Sun's darling. Everything but consumers.
by jacek - 2009-02-09 08:38I guess you forgot to mention the fact that RedHat's market evaluation is the same as Sun's these days, even though they have far less revenue. Like it or not, their business model makes sense (i.e. money), while Sun's really does not (who in their right mind would blow $1bln on a free database???). The Register analyzed it quite nicely: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/23/sun_red_hat_marcap/
by itvguy2000 - 2009-02-09 08:33Great article, and I get your point, though your take on MBA types and "Knowing core competencies" is a bit over the top. I have worked at companies that want to be all things to all people, and that is an equally catastrophic strategy. Nothing gets done, way too much thrashing about. Imagine Sun or Red Hat making breakfast cereal, or for that matter automobile manufacturing parts. Betcha there is someone out there who can do it better. Why? It's not your core competency. Knowing what you are good at, knowing what the customer wants, and doing things well is what makes companies successful (IMO). Too narrow a focus and you miss market opportunities and are too inflexible to adapt. Too broad a focus and not much gets done. Or maybe it gets done, but not as well as it could/should due to the fact that you are trying to accomplish 20 other major initiatives at the same time. Like everything in life, itsa balance.


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In China, the last female rafetus turtle is about to be introduced to her new home at the Suzhou Zoo. She will take up residence in a divided breeding pond where – on the other side of a metal gate – the last male rafetus turtle is waiting to meet her. The stakes are incredibly high: this is literally the last chance the scientists have to save this species.
available4901http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/the-loneliest-animals-video-the-last-living-pair-of-rafetus-turtles/4901/2350814946cove4901The Last Living Pair of Rafetus TurtlesThe last female rafetus turtle is about to be introduced to her new home at the Suzhou Zoo2009-04-19 20:00:00publishdisabledshowfalse8770Sea Turtle With One Flipper Gets New Rudder Prosthetic Sea Turtle Inc. Director Jeff George introduces Allison.http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/my-bionic-pet-video-sea-turtle-with-one-flipper-gets-new-rudder-prosthetic/8770/2014-04-09 20:00:00http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/files/2014/09/mezzanine_812-480x270.jpg2365206593cove7994The Tortoise and the GooseA 45-year-old female Aldabra tortoise was chosen by an unusual suitor: a male Brant goose.http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/animal-odd-couples-video-the-tortoise-and-the-goose/7994/2012-11-07 21:00:00http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/files/2014/09/Mezzanine_293-480x270.jpg2296006171cove


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The Division of Student Affairs presents leadership awards annually to recognize student contributions to the mission and activities of the various student affairs areas. Students are nominated by staff from the division and throughout the university and are selected by a committee representing each of the student affairs departments and Campus Ministry. Awards are presented at a program held each year in April. Read more about the student leadership awards.


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About Us
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CONTACT We Care is devoted to providing people in emotional distress an opportunity to express themselves to a compassionate listener in a confidential environment. We also offer training to people and organizations in the listening skills needed to support those in crisis. We facilitate opportunities for people to help other people.
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CONTACT We Care was established in Union County in 1975. Our roots stretch to a movement begun in Australia in the 1960s to provide anonymous, confidential telephone service where anyone in distress could call to speak with someone about their problems.
In 1993 CONTACT We Care established CareRing, an outreach program to homebound people to check on their welfare. In 2005 we were certified as a member of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network and began taking calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline that originate in New Jersey.
In 2007 we established a second listening hub in Middlesex County through an affiliation with the Scarlet Listeners at Rutgers University. In 2008 CONTACT added certified Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) to our core competencies, enabling us to provide direct ASIST training to enhance the skills of our volunteer listeners. More recently we became certified in Mental Health First Aid training, as well.
In 2012 CONTACT established a third listening hub in Essex County through an agreement with Caldwell College in Caldwell, New Jersey. That spring we launched our Save Our Youth campaign and established TextCWC, the first crisis texting program in New Jersey.
In 2013 we established a fourth listening hub, in Morris County through a new call center in Morristown, New Jersey. We created and introduced our Learning to Prevent Teenage Suicide program, a specialized curriculum for school teaching staff, and began targeted outreach to middle and high schools.
CONTACT We Care and our listeners have received numerous awards, including: New Jersey State Governor's Jefferson Awards for Good Neighbor and for Emergency Services; the Union County Human Relations Commission Unity Award for Achievement by a Community Organization; Best Statewide Volunteer Organization by the New Jersey Governor's Office of Volunteerism; and the GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Health Award.
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The Catholic University for Independent Thinkers
An ability to efficiently balance two jobs in the Offices of Student Life and Undergraduate Admissions while maintaining near academic perfection, a 3.9 grade point average, are but two of the reasons why Paige Hryszko '13 was recently named Student Employee of the Year.
"Paige is incredibly hard-working, responsible and mature," said Jill Corbin, associate vice president of enrollment. "She's a testament to the quality and intelligence of UD students, and I don't know what we would do without her."
Hryszko, a theology major, has worked in the Office of Student Life since her sophomore year and in the Office of Undergraduate Admission since September 2012. Her responsibilities include working at the front desk in Student Life and working with prospective students in Admissions. After graduation, she will begin teaching with Teach for America.
"I've had a blast working in Admissions and telling prospective students all of the things that I love abut UD!" said Hryszko. "It's been great to meet and interact with so many current students and resident assistants in OSL."
"We're not looking forward to her leaving us in May," said Valerie Landrum, assistant director of student and parent services.
This year, 15 students were nominated by their supervisors for the award. A faculty and staff committee then evaluated the nominees and selected a winner and two runners-up based on their reliability, quality of work and professionalism. The honorarium for the Student Employee of the Year was an iPad®. Runner-up Sarah Valdovinos '15, an education major who works in the Education Department, received a Kindle Fire® and an Amazon® gift card. Second runner-up Timothy Gesner '13, a biology major who works in the Biology Department, received an Amazon gift card. The remaining 12 nominees received Visa® gift cards.
PHOTO: Paige Hryszko with supervisors (from left) Ashley Casano, Jill Corbin, Betty Perretta and Valerie Landrum. (Rebecca Rosen)


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N-Control Avenger Is No Joke, Even If It Looks Like One
6 Comments to N-Control Avenger Is No Joke, Even If It Looks Like One
if its so stupid y in the world do u have 1 or are you to jelous that u don't understand how to use it or maybe because u don't have enough money to buy 1.
I got one of these and it wouldn't stay attached to either of my 100% original Xbox 360 controllers for more than 10 seconds of use. Seller said he would help and after 5 weeks still nothing. Seller is now saying they will not send one. Also threatened legal action if I posted any negative reviews.
Contacted Avenger directly and they did not respond after 5 weeks either.
Great concept but poor quality. Don't bother. Waste of money.
Bonus-Level.com is giving away a FREE Avenger Controller and all you have to do is like them on Facebook. Contest is going on now until May 13th, 2011. Sign into Facebook and search for Bonus-Level and like them to be entered. http://bit.ly/dNyRrg
I just ordered one of these bad boys…how long until it arrives? are they even out for sale yet? or did i just pre-order the dang thing
They are for sale, in fact… they're on sale. Just picked one up too because they dropped down to $40.
If your lucky you might get it by August…..sad but true they have done nothing but take my family's money (twice we purchased it) and have yet to recieve anything. My fiance finally talked to someone there today and now they are saying end of march. When that arives it will then be April I am sure.


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William & Mary v Purdue
Marcus Thornton of the William & Mary Tribe dribbles the ball to the... News PhotoBall,Basketball - Men's College,Basketball - Sport,Basketball Hoop,Dribbling,Horizontal,Indiana,Mackey Arena,Marcus Thornton,NCAA,Purdue Boilermakers,Shooting Baskets,Sport,Taking a Shot - Sport,USA,West Lafayette,William and Mary TribePhotographer Michael HickeyCollection: Getty Images Sport 2012 Michael HickeyWEST LAFAYETTE, IN - DECEMBER 29: Marcus Thornton #3 of the William & Mary Tribe dribbles the ball to the basket past Terone Johnson #0 of the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena on December 29, 2012 in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue defeated William & Mary 73-66. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)


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Showing 97-192 of 647 items
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Blue Springs Cafe
Blue Springs is home to the "foot-high" pies, which are a sight to see, also delicious home cooking and friendly service.
Mueller's Antiques
Mueller's has a large selection of great antiques.
Fortel's Pizza Den
Fortel's Pizza Den was honored by USA Today, the Riverfront Times, and many more as an outstanding "Mom and Pop" Pizzeria. Fortel's uses only the freshest ingredients, their dough is made in the store everyday, and they use 100% real mozzarella cheese.
CITY:Fairview Heights
PJ's Diner
PJ's Diner offers a wide variety of great dishes such as ribs, steak, salad, baked potatoes, homemade rolls, pie, and much more, served with a smile.
Come to Teller's for a unique dining experience that cannot be found anywhere else in the Metro East. They are a locally owned and operated restaurant and bar located in the historic state bank building in Collinsville. At Teller's, they try to create an elegant experience at a family price. Join Teller's for dinner and drinks tonight!
Broadway Bar & Grill
From Burgers to Salads, to Pizza to Steak, they have it all at Broadway Bar & Grill.
Shrine Restaurant
American Cuisine
Bull and Bear Grill & Bar
From salads to BBQ to pasta Bull and Bear has it and it's delicious.
Papa Vito's - O'Fallon
Papa Vito's serves up the great pizza, salads, sandwiches, and wings. At Papa Vito's, every dish is created using only the finest, all natural ingredients. They use real cheese, real meat and fresh vegetables.
Silver Creek Mill
Silver Creek Mill has wonderful gifts for any occasion.
Hampton Inn
On the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, you'll find the quiet suburban community of Columbia, Illinois. Our hotel in Columbia is conveniently located adjacent to I-255. Columbia's small-town Midwestern charm provides a perfect retreat for travelers.
La Quinta Inn & Suites
Come be our guest at the La Quinta Inn & Suites located in quaint and charming Mascoutah. Your room will provide you with many wonderful amenities including microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker, hairdryer, iron and ironing board, 32-inch plasma televisions with HBO, free high speed internet and free local calls. In the morning, treat yourself to our Free Brightside Breakfast TM. Stay connected in our business center which is open 24 hours a day for your convenience. Or if you prefer to relax, have a refreshing swim in our indoor pool and spa. Our state-of-the-art fitness center will provide you with all of your fitness needs, and you can enjoy your favorite show while working out on the large plasma television. Pet lovers; please feel free to bring your furry friends. Your comfort is the heart of our business, and our friendly and courteous staff will do everything possible to meet your travel needs ensuring that your stay at our hotel will not be your last.
Doc Holliday's Saloon & Eatery
In the mood for a "Shoot Out" filet mignon? How about a "Cowboy" on your dinner plate? Steaks, fish, ribs and pasta are among the many entrees available at Doc Holliday's Saloon & Eatery located in Cottage Hills (between Alton and Bethalto). This full-service bar and restaurant carries out the western theme with its menu offerings from Doc's Smoked Ribs to the OK Corral Sirloin. For smaller appetites, pizza and sandwiches are also available. Hours: Daily 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. The bar is open until 2 a.m. Su - F and 3 a.m. on Saturday.
CITY:Cottage Hills
Gateway Motorsports Park
Racing enthusiasts of all kinds will find special events around every hair pin from the drag strip, oval, road racing track, National sanctioned carting track as well as concerts and corporate functions. Former race car driver Curtis Francois brought back the track and the NHRA Midwest Nationals. Don't miss many of the other events that are held through the year.
Candlewood Suites
Relish cozy surroundings at the Candlewood Suites® Hotel O'Fallon, Il. This hotel's all-suite, extended stay accommodations are just a short drive from the city, yet far enough away to enjoy the tranquility of small-town life. Guests searching the area hotels are pleased to know we offer free Wi-Fi access in every suite. There's also an on-site Business Center featuring copy, fax, print and PC services. Even government travelers in town to visit nearby Scott Air Force Base find that these apartment-style suites make the perfect home away from home. This hotel's facility is close to the Grizzlies Minor League baseball park, GCS Stadium. Take the family to an evening game and enjoy America's favorite pastime. During your stay, you can work off stress in the on-site Fitness Center or cook out using the natural gas grills in the outdoor gazebo area. Whether you're staying for a week or a month, you'll feel right at home here. We'll help you get to know O'Fallon.
The Good Ol' Days Restaurant
Go back to the good old days with delicious homestyle favorites like Southern fried chicken, roast beef, adn steak. Also, cod, catfish, shrimp, sandwiches, salads, and great homemade desserts, and if you're brave try the frog legs.
CITY:New Baden
Valentine's Restaurant
At Valentine's you can enjoy delicious, tender steak or many of the other fabulous dishes Valentine's has to offer.
Cardinal Inn
10 rooms, pets allowed, restaurant within walking distance
Hot Shots Sports Bar & Grill
Hot Shots has delicious American favorites, with lots of TVs to view the latest sports games.
New Frontiers Home Furnishings
See what sets New Frontiers Home Furnishings apart from its competition. High quality solid wood furniture grace the showroom floors. Plus, New Frontiers features a wide variety of unfinished wood furniture with finishing options available. It also offers locally made redwood garden furniture and will build the western red cedar frame greenhouse of your dreams. Open Mon. Tues. Thurs. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Wed., Fri. 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Thip's Thai Cuisine
Thip's has delicious Thai cuisine like pad kee mao, and more made with the freshest ingredients, and as spicy as you want it.
Wang Gan Asian Eats & Beats
Wang Gang is a cool Asian restaurant off the beaten path. They offer a blend of Chef created Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine at affordable prices.
JR's Place
Try the "Big Mac" pizza at JR's Place in Hartford and you'll be hooked. This signature pizza tastes just like it's famous namesake burger, but in pizza form. The menu is for those adventurous diners who like to step outside the box when they eat. The kitchen closes early on Saturdays and is not open on Sundays.
Phil's Bar and Grill
The locals call it one of the best kept secrets in Wood River. Phil's Bar and Grill features a steakhouse-quality pepper loin, which is a hit with customers. Sandwiches, barbeque, seafood, cheese steaks, fish and chips and hamburgers are also on the menu. This family-friendly establishment is open Monday - Saturday, 10:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
CITY:Wood River
Holiday Inn Express
Whether business or pleasure brings you to Pontoon Beach, this hotel's quality amenities can satisfy your needs. Complimentary high-speed Internet access is available in all of our rooms and public areas. Leisure amenities are included, as well, with an indoor pool and a whirlpool that's ideal for relaxation. When you visit Pontoon Beach, be sure to "Stay Smart" at the Holiday Inn Express® Hotel & Suites Pontoon Beach.
CITY:Pontoon Beach
First Western Inn
32-rooms, whirlpool, cable television
CITY:Fairmont City
Eckert's Country Restaurant
Eckert's Country Restaurant offers delicous home-cooked food. Try our all-you-can-eat fried chicken dinner or one of our homemade pies.
Piasa Photo
Eagle watch in style with binoculars from Piasa Photo. This full service camera shop offers binoculars for rent for the avid bird watcher as well as a complete line of camera equipment for the amateur and professional photographer. Hours: M-F 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., S 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Super 8 - Belleville
42-room motel with cable TV, restaurants in immediate area and complimentary breakfast.
Holiday Inn &
Situated between Southern Illinois and the "Gateway to the West" is the Holiday Inn® Hotel St. Louis - Fairview Heights. This Illinois hotel's location allows you to enjoy a number of memorable attractions. Whether a business trip or vacation brings you to Fairview Heights, Illinois, our hotel's free high-speed, wired and wireless Internet access keeps you connected. Start your day with breakfast from Kem's Restaurant. Later, burn calories in the Fitness Center and swim laps in the indoor pool. If you're looking for an accommodating stay in Fairview Heights, our hotel's staff offers quality service and a name you can trust! Our hotel's location near downtown St. Louis and Scott Air Force Base makes us the perfect destination for every traveler. We're also just minutes from casinos, dining, shopping and family attractions, like the World Shooting & Recreation Center, home of the annual ATA Grand American.
CITY:Fairview Heights
Wild Trak Bikes
Take a ride along the many bicycle trails around Alton with a bike from Wild Trak Bikes. The shop features new and used bicycles including road bikes, mountain bikes, comfort bikes and children's bikes. Service is also available for all bikes makes and models. Hours: T - F 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., S 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Geno's 140 Club
Geno's 140 Club in Bethalto is a great place to have lunch or dinner. The original owners began Geno's in 1942. The same traditions of excellent food and friendly service were begun on their opening day and have continued. Famous for our steaks, stromboli and salads, Geno's 140 Club has a wide menu that has something for everyone. Pasta and sandwiches are offered alongside steak and chicken entrees, with generous portions to satisfy the appetite. Venture out to Bethalto for your next meal at Geno's 140 Club. We'll be happy to see you and you'll be glad you came.
Bully's Smokehouse
Bully's specialize in slow cooked 'Award Winning' southern style barbecue as well as a variety of sandwiches, fish and desserts. They smoke their quality meats with fresh cut hickory and cook them at low temperatures for juicy tenderness. Bully's cooks its pork shoulders for over 15 hours and it's ribs for over 6 hours! If you have ever experienced 'fall off the bone' tenderness and a distinct hickory flavor, you can understand what makes Bully's Smokehouse legendary. After cooking is complete, they hand pull and chop on the best-selected portions. Bully's four signature sauces will make sure your cravings are filled! All of our soups and side dished are 'made from scratch' daily from the best ingredients! Bully's Smokehouse envisioned a restaurant that would feed the body as well as the soul with amazing food, great service and relaxing atmosphere.
Quality Inn & Suites
62 room motel that is handicap accessible, credit cards accepted, cable tv, restaurant within walking distance, complimentary breakfast.
Motel 6
121 room motel that is handicap accessible, credit cards accepted, cable tv, outdoor pool, pets accepted, restaurant within walking distance.
Gateway Fun Park Dining
Pizza, sandwiches and fun for the whole family,
Tomahawk Camp Ground
142 sites, electricity, water, sewer, showers.
First Western Inn
32-rooms, non-smoking, cable TV
Peking Gardens Restaurant
Peking Gardens offers some of your favorite, authentic Chinese dishes in a friendly atmosphere. Fresh ingredients, no MSG. Banquet room available.
Randy's House of BBQ
Randy's award winning House of BBQ is dedicated to providing excellent quality BBQ in a casual comfortable atmosphere. Their Pork, Chicken, Ribs, and Beef Brisket are prepared just like in the old days in a pit cooked over Hickory, Apple, and Wild Cherry wood. This is so you can taste as well as smell the flavors while enjoying your meal. Whether you are looking for a place to take your family to dinner or if you would prefer to just stop by and pick it up, we have the grill fired up and ready to serve you.
Ted's Motorcycle World
This is the place where biker's dreams come true. The showroom is packed with new Harley Davidson motorcycles, licensed apparel, jewelry, gifts, and a wide range of motorcycle parts and accessories. There is also a large inventory of used motorcycles and a complete service department on site. This is the region's premier Harley Davidson store! Open M - F 9 a.m. - 7 p.m., S 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Su 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Settle Inn & Suites
Comfortable Lodging Experience at a Great Value Welcome to the Settle Inn & Suites, an O'Fallon hotel near Scott Air Force Base. Our hotel invites you to be our guest. Relax in our clean spacious rooms featuring a host of amenities and comfortable King or Queen beds. Enjoy our secluded seasonal courtyard pool or indoor whirlpool. Take advantage of our complimentary cooked to order breakfast served to you at Schiappa's, our adjacent full service restaurant and lounge. Surf on our free high-speed Internet, or enjoy expanded cable TV with HBO in your O'Fallon hotel room. For your comfort and convenience every room is equipped with a microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker, hairdryer, speaker phone with voicemail, clock radio, hairdryer, hand held massage shower head, curved shower rod, safe, iron and ironing board. At the Settle Inn & Suites O'Fallon we want you to have everything you need to relax, refresh and replenish. Our friendly staff is waiting to welcome you.
Wild Country
Metro St. Louis premier country night spot. Free country dance lessons on Wednesdays. Dance mix music and country featured.
Skootr's Restaurant & Bar
Skootr's serves delicious food in a fun, casual environment. Steaks, chicken, classic American food. Outdoor patio, bar, children's menu.
Ponderosa Steakhouse - Collinsville
All-you-can-eat buffet and steakhouse.
Fischer's Restaurant
Fischer's offers outstanding food and service for any dining occasion. From a delicious breakfast to a succulent steak dinner, Fischer's is the dining experience you've been looking for.
India's Oven
India's Oven offers delicious authentic Indian food such as goat, chicken, vindaloo, mango pudding, and also vegetarian appetizers in a casual atmosphere.
Casino Queen Hotel
157 tastefully decorated rooms with queen and king sized beds, color television, minibar and incredible views.
CITY:East St. Louis
Dreamy Creamy Ice Cream
Satisfy your sweet tooth with cream scoop at Dreamy Creamy Ice Cream.
Bigelo's Bistro
Bigelos boasts an eclectic combination of unique pasta dishes, specialty entrees, pizzas, sandwiches, salads and daily specials. In addition to the carefully designed menu, beer connoisseurs will be right at home with Bigelos selection of craft brews as well as local favorites. We also offer many different wines by the glass or bottle.
Korte Recreation Center
This great building, operated by the city of Highland, offers a cardio/weight room, indoor walking track, indoor aquatic center and full-size gymnasium. The gym can accommodate two basketball or volleyball courts.
Dos Gorditos
Dos Gorditos offers a variety of authentic delicious Mexican cuisine in a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Pump House Bar and Grill
Combine gourmet burgers with a sharp bar atmosphere and you will have the Pump House Bar and Grill. The signature Pumpjack Burger is a great "go-to" burger with pepper jack cheese, onion jam, tomato jam and banana peppers. Sides are as fresh as the burgers and sandwiches. Hours: Daily 11 a.m. - 10 a.m. Bar is open until 2 a.m.
CITY:Wood River
Keil's Antiques and Collectibles
Keil's offers a unique blend of glassware, furniture, pottery, nicknacks, and a large variety of cookie cutters and cooking spices.
Michael's Swiss Inn
Michael's Swiss Inn has a restaurant next door called Michael's, offering delicious food served in a wonderful atmosphere.
Kumar's Cafe
Home of the bottomless cup of coffee with a nice blend of breakfast and lunch menu options, Kumar's offers a homey, friendly coffee-shop atmosphere for locals and visitors alike. Famous for their omelets and hashed browns. Open Tuesday through Thursday, 6 a.m. - 3 p.m., Friday, 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday, 6 a.m. - 3 p.m.
CITY:Wood River
Ramada Inn Fairview Heights
Indoor pool. Fitness room. Extended continental breakfast.
CITY:Fairview Heights
Comfort Inn & Suites
After a busy day of work or play, come back to this Illinois hotel and unwind in the exercise room, or relax at the indoor heated pool and hot tub. This Cahokia, IL hotel has an on-site business center that provides corporate travelers with modern conveniences like a computer with Internet access, and copy and fax service. When you stay with us you'll feel right at home in our well-appointed guest rooms that have coffee makers with free coffee, curved shower rods, hair dryers, irons, ironing boards and cable television. Ask about our rooms with spacious work desks and sofa sleepers. Non-smoking rooms can be requested. Guests can enjoy features like, free breakfast, wifi, local calls & pet friendly. If you want outstanding service coupled with countless amenities in Cahokia, look no further than the Comfort Inn & Suites hotel. We have everything you need to make your stay enjoyable. Make your reservation with us today.
Ice Cream Haven
Ice Cream Haven's menu is full of frosty delights for all ages.
Oatman Haus Restaurant
Lunch Tues. - Saturday. Dinner Wed. - Sunday. Candlelight dining Friday and Saturday nights. Homemade entrees. German and International cuisine. Wine, beer, and desserts. Patio seating in season. In a historic 1875 house.
Schiappa's Pasta Pizza & Wings
At Schiappa's try the challenge, two people must eat one 29" pizza in a 1/2 hour, or you can just come for the delicious pizza, salads, soups, shrimp, and more.
Westview Wine Cellar & Bistro
Come in and join us for some great food, wine, beer, and entertainment while enjoying the panoramic view from atop the bluffs in Collinsville.
Super 8 - Collinsville
63 rooms, complimentary breakfast, restaurant within walking distance
Gifts from the Heart
Gifts from the Heart has wonderful gifts straight from the heart.
Picture This & More
Preserve your family memories with the shadow box and memory box designs offered by Picture This & More, a full service custom framing store. Services include photo restoration, photo, negative and slide scanning and decorative framing to museum quality framing. This shop is located in the Piasa Shopping Center in North Alton. Open M - F 10:00 a.m. - 5 p.m., S 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Fairfield Inn - Collinsville
Come to the Fairfield Inn, where we will always make you feel welcome and give you a clean, fresh room. We will help you get started each day with the free Early Eats breakfast that includes Bold Beginning coffee, fresh fruit, make your own waffles, biscuits and gravy, and much more. We will respond promptly to any need you may have and give you service that will make you want to return. Complete smoke free environment, friendly well-trained staff, free breakfast, business center, heated indoor swimming pool with whirlpool, free wireless high-speed Internet and restaurants nearby.
Michael's Swiss Inn
20 rooms, credit cards accepted, non-smoking, cable television available, convention facilities, small meeting rooms, outdoor pool, pets accepted, restaurant within walking distance, loung/bar on premises, complimentary breakfast served.
Beyond the Garden Gate
Beyond the Garden Gate has a wide variety of great gifts.
Casa Azteca Restaurant
Casa Azteca offers delicious Mexican food for the whole family.
Econo Lodge & Suites
47 room hotel, handicapp accessible, credit cards accepted, cable tv, restaurant within walking distance. lounge/bar
CITY:Granite City
McKendree University Sports
The McKendree University campus houses two gyms: the Melvin Price Convocation Center and the attached IM gym, which can be configured to produce a total of four basketball or volleyball courts. Leemon Field, an artificial turf surface with the look and feel of natural grass, is home to several programs, including the nationally ranked football team, men's/women's soccer, and track & field.
Motel 6
104 rooms, non-smoking rooms, handicapped accesible, credit cards accepted, cable television available, outdoor pool, pets accepted, free local calls, free morning coffee, kids stay free and wifi available.
Relax Inn Motel
38 rooms, credit cards accepted, cable television available, restaurant within walking distance.
CITY:Granite City
Schiappa's Pasta Pizza & Wings
Schiappa's originated in Lebanon in 1979 with family recipes from Italy and the east coast. Schiappa's prides itself on having the best & most carefully crafted pizza in the area. The biggest as well! Our pizzas are not churned out on a factory line; we know that some people will wait a while for quality. Unlike many pizza parlors, Schiappa's makes its own dough & only uses the freshest ingredients on a daily basis. It's home of the 40" pizza. Check out our website for menu items.
Lighthouse Lodge
21 room hotel, credit cards accepted, cable television, pets accepted, restaurant within walking distance.
House of Plenty
House of Plenty has a quaint, old-fashioned atmosphere, with delicious homecooking. Be sure to try one of their excellent homemade pies.
Cross Patches
For over 16 years Cross Patches has been the one-stop-shop for all your quilting needs. Cross Patches has an amazing variety of sewing machines, including Berina. Classes are available. So come in and get the supplies and inspiration you need.
Bamboo Valley Buffet
The Bamboo Valley offers a large buffet full of your Chinese favorites, and some of your American favorites. Or, if you would rather have a great sit down meal, Bamboo Valley offers a large menu of made to order items.
Stagger Inn
Stagger Inn has dishes such as the "Nightmare Burger" and the "Stagger Burger", and also vegetarian friendly dishes like GardenBurgers and numerous salads. Stagger Inn has live performances by local blues and rock bands every Friday night.
Powhatan Restaurant
Powhatan Restaurant has delicious diner dishes such as burgers and sandwiches. Located next to the Powhatan Hotel. Beer and wine available.
Suburban Extended Stay Hotel
Welcome to the Suburban Extended Stay, an O'Fallon hotel near Scott Air Force Base! The Suburban Extended Stay® hotel is located near several area attractions and local points of interest. This O'Fallon, IL hotel is minutes from Scott Air Force Base, Southwestern Illinois College Belleville Campus, the MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, the Spirit of St. Louis Airport and Gateway Center multipurpose venue.
As The Crow Flies
As The Crow Flies offers country gifts, home decor, curtains, rugs, framed art, lamps, candles, and more.
Tri-Township Park
Just miles off I-55, I-70, and I-270, the park has easy access and has many features for travelers, like a petting zoo, playground equipment, picnic pavilions and a small lake.
Terrace Motel
28 rooms, handicapped accessible, credit cards accepted, and cable television available.
Trenton Floral
Trenton Floral has a large selection of flowers and gifts.
Tony's Restaurant
Tony's Place has sandwiches, soup, delicious sides, steak, chicken, seafood, pot roast, country fried steak, prime rib, pasta, great desserts, and more.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows Hotel
Deluxe accommodations with 200 acre expanse of unique architecture and landscaping.
Gifts for Individuals
Gifts for Individuals is a full-service awards, trophy, and ad specialty business and offers a large variety of clocks, desk accessories, Spirit of St. Louis, and trophies for sports, academics, military, and more.
Bella Milano
Bella Milano offers the Milano burger, Pasta Con Broccoli, and so many other excellent choices, served by a warm and friendly staff. While you're there, try the featured wine: Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel.
Drury Inn & Suites
This beautiful suburb combines small town values with a close proximity to St. Louis, making it a great place to live or visit. Our hotel offers clean rooms, friendly service and a dizzying amount of free amenities. We offer free wireless Internet, the free 5:30 Kickback® with hot food and cold beverages, free popcorn and soda in the lobby, free long distance calls and our free hot breakfast. At Drury, that means Belgian waffles, biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs and sausage (not a bag of mini muffins heated over a lighter).
Bully's Smokehouse
Bully's specialize in slow cooked 'Award Winning' southern style barbecue as well as a variety of sandwiches, fish and desserts. They smoke their quality meats with fresh cut hickory and cook them at low temperatures for juicy tenderness. Bully's cooks its pork shoulders for over 15 hours and it's ribs for over 6 hours! If you have ever experienced 'fall off the bone' tenderness and a distinct hickory flavor, you can understand what makes Bully's Smokehouse legendary. After cooking is complete, they hand pull and chop on the best-selected portions. Bully's four signature sauces will make sure your cravings are filled! All of our soups and side dished are 'made from scratch' daily from the best ingredients! Bully's Smokehouse envisioned a restaurant that would feed the body as well as the soul with amazing food, great service and relaxing atmosphere.
Fiona's Family Restaurant
Awesome homemade soups made daily at this little family-style diner which offers a larger, more varied menu than many bigger restaurants. One-of-a-kiind sandwiches include gyros, corned beef, and breaded tenderloin. Breakfast is also served. Billed as a "must" stop for anyone in the Wood River area. Hours: Daily 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.
CITY:Wood River
China King
China King has a wonderful variety of delicious Chinese food for the whole family.
Flavor's Cafe & Wine Bar
Enjoy delicious food, wine and atmosphere at Flavor's Cafe & Wine Bar.
Erato Wine Bar
The expanded menu options at Erato Wine Bar encompass not only a large selection of boutique wines but an array of international beers, over one hundred spirits, and locally derived cuisine. Erato Wine Bar continues to focus on an ever progressive menu to better serve our patrons.
Aroy Thai Cuisine
Aroy Thai Cuisine is just across the street from the Green Mount Crossing Shopping Center. You'll find all of your thai favorites... from crab rangoon to curry to pad Thai.


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Wide-Angle Underwater Photography
A comprehensive guide to shooting wide-angle
By Todd Winner & Scott Gietler
I spoke with Todd Winner at length on the phone regarding his approach to shooting wide angle underwater photography, including camera settings, photo tips, etc. Todd shot film for 14 years, before switching to digital in 2004. The following are excerpts from his interview on wide-angle underwater photography technique.
Check out Todd's latest book "Shipwrecks of Truk Lagoon", available here and his website at www.toddwinner.com.
Here are some excerpts from our discussion, rewrote in my own words:
Camera settings
I shoot manual exposure underwater. Aperture, shutter speed, and strobe power are all set manually. I usually shoot at base ISO, ISO 100 on my camera. To determine the shutter speed, I meter off the blue water. I use spot metering or center-weighted metering. I point the camera towards a bright blue, not right at the sun, but near the sun, about 30 to 40 degrees from the center, and adjust the shutter speed until the exposure meter is centered.
My aperture is usually between F5.6 and F11, sometimes as high as F22 if I'm shooting right into the sun.
Now that my shutter speed and aperture is set, I only have to worry about strobe power. My strobe power changes all the time – sometimes ¼ power, ½ power, sometimes full power. I usually know what power to set the strobe on based on the subject distance and my F-stop.
I'm not a fan of using TTL because I think it's important for the photographer to control the lighting themselves, it's not that hard.
The #1 mistake people make is not shooting close enough. I usually shoot from 6 inches away to 3ft away, quite often at a six inch distance.
Lighting and Strobes
I shoot a ton of verticals. When I shoot vertically, one strobe is above the camera, one is to the side – but I move my strobes around a lot. If the water is clear, I'll point the strobes right at the subject. If the vis is not great, I point them straight out or slightly outwards, and pull them in a little bit.
If I am shooting horizontal, I typically have my strobes out to the sides.
When you are shooting a fisheye at 10mm, you really have to pay attention to the corners, and watch out for flair from your strobes. When using my Tokina 10-17mm, it's much easer to control the backscatter at the 17mm range, so that's a good option when you have lots of particulates in the water.
Underwater Composition
The rule of thirds is important, I try to pay attention to this rule, and put the key area of my subject at one of the intersecting points. You should make sure your horizon is straight, keep your angles straight, and avoid sloping sands. For example, in "Stingray City", I know the sand is flat, but some people shoot it at awkward angles. I also like having diagonal and "S" lines in my photos if possible.
A strong shot has a lit foreground subject, and a strong silhouette in the background, like the oil rigs structure or a wreck or boat. If I see something cool like a large wreck that I can use as a silhouetted background, I'll look for something to put in the foreground.
I also like using the sun in my photos. Having a big reef in the background sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. If it's just a big black blob it won't look good.
If I see a good foreground subject, sometimes I'll wait until something interesting swims by I can use as a good background.
Improving your Underwater Photography
There's many ways to improve your underwater photography. If I'm in a rut, I'll just shoot ambient light for a while. For someone trying to get better at wide-angle photography, this is what I recommend.
First, start off just shooting blue water. Understand how to meter the water, understand what gives you the blue color that you prefer.
Second, shoot the water with the sun in the photo. Find out what settings give you the results you like.
Third, shoot only silhouettes. You should have the blue color you like, and be comfortable getting nice dark silhouettes.
Fourth, practice shooting foreground subjects; learn how to light them properly. Don't worry about the background.
Last, combine steps 3 and 4, shoot foregrounds with a silhouette in the background. It should all come together.
Further Reading
- Todd's Tutorial on Ambient Light Underwater Photography
- Utilizing Instant Recall Modes on your dSLR
- St. Lawrence River Wrecks
About future upgrades
I might upgrade to the D700X, if it ever comes out. I'd like a camera with more dynamic range than what I'm using now.
Some Photos from Todd
Underwater settings used in the above photographs:
- Wreck: F3.5, 1/60th, ISO 400, 10mm
- Squid: F11, 1/160th, ISO 200, 10.5mm fisheye
- Bird: F5, 1/60th, ISO 100, 17mm
- Light beams: F6.3, 1/8th, ISO 800, 10mm
- Lionfish: F7.1, 1/50th, ISO 100, 13mm
To learn more about wide-angle photography
Read about close-focus wide-angle underwater photography
- Read more about Settings for wide-angle underwater photography
- Read more about Good blue color in underwater wide-angle shots
- The underwater lighting chapter covers strobe position, types of lighting, color temps, hotspots, and getting good blues.
- Wide-angle photography in giant kelp forests
- How to shoot over-under shots
- Taking wide-angle photos using the Canon G12 compact camera.
- Tips for Dive Model Photography in the Ocean
- Learn to Shoot and Edit Underwater Panoramas
Free wide-angle underwater photography online tutorials
Where to Buy
Please support the Underwater Photography Guide by purchasing your underwater photography gear through our sister site, Bluewater Photo & Video. Click, or call them at (310) 633-5052 for expert advice!


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Little Caesars Pizza Bowl - Western Kentucky v Central Michigan
Parole chiave
Ryan Radcliff of the Central Michigan University Chippewas holds up... Foto di attualitàCentral Michigan Chippewas,Composizione orizzontale,Detroit,Football americano,Ford Field,Michigan,NCAA,NCAA College Football,Sport,Stati Uniti d'America,Successo,Western Kentucky HilltoppersPhotographer Mark A. CunninghamCollection: Getty Images Sport 2012 Getty ImagesDETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 26: Ryan Radcliff #8 of the Central Michigan University Chippewas holds up the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Most Valuable Player Trophy after the victory against the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers at Ford Field on December 26, 2012 in Detroit, Michigan. The Chippewas defeated the Hilltoppers 24-21. (Photo by Mark A. Cunningham/Getty Images)


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Five years ago, I had the privilege of attending Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings with a friend who was struggling with addiction. I listened carefully to The Twelve Steps, hoping to learn how to help spare my friend years of physical pain and heartache. I was arrogant enough to think that I could "cure" her, but it was in these barren rooms inside of churches and addiction centers where I was first introduced to the concept of powerlessness and the importance of giving back.
1. We admit we're powerless over our disease.
When I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, I thought I could "cure" myself. I honestly believed that Crohn's disease would be a tiny asterisk beside an even smaller footnote of my life. I had no idea that there were varying degrees of the disease, and that mine would quickly take a wrong turn down the dangerous streets of IBD town. I tried every diet in the book and blamed myself for every failure and flare. I spent hours angry at myself when I woke up sick, running down the lists of the things that I ate the night before. Soon, I found that it didn't matter if I had a piece of dry toast or a chocolate cupcake–food was not the determining factor in my disease.
It's taken me almost six years to admit that I'm "powerless" over my disease. I didn't do anything to myself to make my immune system decide to chew on my intestines like my dogs chew on rawhide. I can't change who I am and I can't change the fact that a gluten-free diet helps others but it doesn't help me. I am a responsible patient and take my medication and meet regularly with my doctor; but I know, now, that it's not my fault that I am sick. By letting that go, I have given away the stress and shame that comes with this disease.
2. We carry this message to others suffering from chronic pain or disease.
When I first became sick, I Googled the crap out of my disease [excuse the pun]. I was pretty sure that I not only had IBD, but bowel and pancreatic cancer, too. If Google told me I was going to die, then who was I to argue? There is so much information on the Web, including medical sites that appear to be run by preschoolers. Conventional treatments are expensive, and adding alternative therapies like acupuncture and massage can break the bank. How do you know if floating in a pod of salt water will help your achy joints without spending a hundred bucks to try it?
That, my friends, is the beauty of the Crohn's writer. It wasn't until I connected with Crohn's disease forums and blogs before I began to breathe easier. I found out that if I got a paper cut while on Remicade or Humira, I wouldn't end up an amputee. Our disease is a tricky one and no two symptoms are alike. I am but a small fish in the Crohn's disease pond, but it's my obligation and privilege to share my experiences with those who are facing some of the scariest moments of their lives. Crohn's and chronic disease writers have taught me that through writing, comes understanding; and through sharing, comes the gift of giving back.
2 thoughts on "Giving Back"
education is power….
Your friend is blessed that you were there for her.


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Director of 'Parkland' tries to re-create history's human drama
Small gestures rather than grand conspiracies are what Peter Landesman went looking for when he decided to write and direct the film "Parkland," about the immediate aftermath of John F. Kennedy's Nov. 22, 1963, assassination. Starting with Vincent Bugliosi's nonfiction book "Four Days in November," he turned his journalist's eye to the seldom-examined trove of banal facts surrounding the days in Dallas experienced by players on the periphery of history.
By Matthew Fleischer
October 25, 2013


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Sony Introduces New VAIO Pro 11/13 and Duo 13 Hybrid PCs
In case my fellow yanks didn't know, it's Computex this week in Taiwan. This is the reason I continue to find myself violently "yoinked" from my slumber to report on something just too sumptuous to wait for me to–oh I don't know–have a decent cup of coffee. Yesterday was Asus. Today Sony is the worm-munching early bird, announcing some tech well-worth the lost beauty sleep.
Today Sony intros the VAIO Pro in 11- and 13-inch variants, supposedly the "world's lightest touch enabled Ultrabook" and a new generation VAIO Duo 3 slider style hybrid PC. Both will be running Windows 8. Each makes use of Sony long year in perfecting their TV tech. The display for both uses the company's Triluminos display used in the Bravia line to produce 1080p HD resolution and boast unprecedented color range and depth. The displays are apparently intelligent and autonomous to a degree a la the Triluminos X-Reality super resolution picture engine. Sony state, "X-Reality for mobile analyzes each image by comparing each frame to its built in database and reducing visual noise, replacing corrupted pixels and correcting black levels to optimize quality, creating the sharpest videos, regardless of the content source."
The VAIO Duo 13
This is another Transformer style PC that works both as a traditional laptop and quickly morphs into a fully functional touchscreen slab that all kiddies are using. Plus it only weighs 2.93lbs. I've met many burritos that wished they were so dainty. This hybrid is brandishing a new slider design for easier transitions between its split personalities. The Duo 13 also enjoys a 8mp rear-facing camera with Exmor RS for PC image sensor. The unique sensor also acts as a scanner. So you can scan documents by merely taking a picture of them.
For precision Sony has included a digitizer stylus in with the VAIO Duo 13 for more accurate and natural handwriting. The PC wakes once you take hold of the stylus. It works for writing and digital editing like photo re-touching and the like.
VAIO Pro 11/13
This one is even lighter at 1.92lb for the 11-inch and 2.34 for the 13-inch. The looks and construction are drool-worthy. It's made from carbon fiber with only a hint of a bezel to maximize the viewing experience. Sony is using an aluminum palm rest design and full-pitch keyboard. Each Pro is packing a high speed solid state drive storage solution, optional extended sheet battery for expanding the batt-life to 13-14hrs.
Both Pro and Duo 13 are equipped with a host of premium feautres included NFC support, Rapid Wake, USB charging even when the devices are powered down, backlit keyboards, solid state drive options and more. The AC adapter even houses a USB charging port.
Pricing and Availability
The VAIO Pro 11/13 models are available beginning June 9th in Carbon Black and Carbon Silver for about $1149 and $1249. The VAIO Duo 13 model is available beginning June 9th in Carbon Black and Carbon White for about $1399. Both lines are available at Sony retail stores and other authorized dealers nationwide. For images and information, please visit www.sony.com/news.


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It's a carrot-and-stick approach, where the carrot is the benefit of streamlined review, local control and greater flexibility. The stick is the commission's existing review process. While certainly thorough and protective of natural and man-made resources, the review process is pointed to by developers as a hinderance in time, expense and desirability in locating here.
The new regulation allows Growth Incentive Zones under the regional policy plan, the commission's guidance document for development. To gain a growth incentive zone designation under the draft regulation, town will need to do a lot of work planning for what they want and making investments in adequate infrastructure to support it.
The basic tenet of GIZs is to encourage development where it exists and discourage it where it doesn't. That could mean increased density in the already developed areas in exchange for keeping undisturbed areas undisturbed. For the commission, it could mean an increase in the thresholds for specific projects or entire areas if proper planning is in place. The Town of Barnstable is taking it a step further, adding the incentive of a local regulatory agreement to the mix. A regulatory agreement is a negotiation process between the town and developer that is intended to provide relief from local zoning on factors such as height and density, while gaining some concessions, which may be as simple as capital investment and as complex as affordable housing creation as a by-product.
For the regulatory agreement, the key is that no one has to use it.
Developers are not going to be forced to follow the process and if the town doesn't like what's being offered, it doesn't have to agree to anything. Now take the ability of the town to negotiate its own regulations and add to it the ability to increase thresholds for development of regional impact before tripping Cape Cod Commission review. Barnstable officials hope that's too attractive for developers to pass up, and hope it will prompt a slew of investment downtown.
Commission planner Martha Hevenor said that the intent of the regulation is to allow flexibility, both in what towns can suggest and in what the commission could approve through a GIZ process. The draft regulation also provides the option for towns to decrease DRI thresholds (read: make more restrictive) outside of GIZ designations. This would further encourage development in the Growth Incentive Zone.
Expect changes in the final product, but the commission staff has done a fine job putting the regulation in easily understandable English, leaving no doubts about what the GIZ regulation is intended to do and what's expected of towns to gain the regulatory freedom these zones promise.
The concept is sound. It begins to answer many of the commission's critics on points of overregulation, but it remains true to what residents have sought from the commission: preservation of the remaining open spaces.
The full commission will take testimony on the Growth Incentive Zone regulation at its Thursday meeting, which begins at 3 p.m. in the county Assembly chambers of the first district court house in Barnstable Village.
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CONTACT US | The Barnstable Patriot | 4 Ocean Street | P.O. Box 1208 | Hyannis, MA 02601 | 508-771-1427 | Copyright © 2015 Local Media Group, All Rights Reserved.


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Upcoming Events
Jack Frost Festival
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Click Here To Register For Pond Hockey
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Near Tony's Riverside in Spooner, WI, on the Yellow River Flowage
Brought to you by Spooner Area Chamber of Commerce and Spooner Health System
*Events subject to change.
Jack's Family Ice Fishing Contest- 8 a.m.—12 p.m. Registration on day of event beginning at 7:30 a.m., $5 per person
Ice Pond Hockey Tournament—Call 715-635-2168 for registration (Printable Registration form)
Antique Snowmobile Show 10am-2pm—Register on day of event.
Snowshoe Sprints 10 am-2 pm Presented by Bio Active Nutrients in Spooner
Turkey Bowling 10am-2pm Presented by Spooner Physical Therapy
Intro To Ice Fishing 10am-2pm– Presented by The Spooner Hatchery & F.I.S.H.
Ice Golf Game 10 am-2pm Presented by Spooner Physical Therapy
Minnow Races beginning at 2 p.m. at Big Dick's Buckhorn.
Bonfire and Smore Bar 10am-2pmPresented by Schmitz's Economart
$1 Cosmic Bowling Special 2pm-5pm-Presented By Northwoods Lanes & Lounge
Hot Drinks (cocoa, cider, coffee)10 am-2pm
Bloody Mary Bar 10am-2pm outside of Tony's Riverside
Chili and Ribs Contest at Big Dick's Buckhorn Inn– Entries must be dropped off at the Buckhorn between 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Registration forms available at the Spooner Chamber Office. Click Here For Rib and Chili Registration Form.
Various Kids Activities, Raffle Drawings and More!
Click Here For Sponsorship Opportunities
Please Support Our Fine Sponsors
Rolling Hills ATV and Snowmobile Club
A Special Thank You To The Following Jack Frost Fest Supporters
Hidden Bay Graphics
WRLS Radio
WJMC Radio
WHSM Radio
Trinity/United Methodist Church Youth Group
St. Francis de Sales Youth & School
Big Dick's Buckhorn Inn
Red Cross Pharmacy/RC Gifts
Northwoods Lanes & Lounge


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Pet Of The Week
October 18, 2013 8:58 AM
Bubba Show Videos Read More
Every week, the Western PA Humane Society brings in a great pet, who needs a home. This week, it's a beautiful cat named Gabriella. She's two years old and is just a sweet, loving cat. Wish I could've taken her home myself! Please help find Gabriella a home. Just click here to find out how you can help.


text: Care Instructions Care Info You've put a lot of care into choosing your furnishings. And with continued care at home, they should share your address for many years to come. Now for your owner's manual… Marin Side Table Dust with soft dry cloth. Do not leave spills unattended. Refer to additional Care Information brochure or our website. Do not use liquid or aerosol products. Expansion and contraction will occur with changes in humidity. For indoor use only. Avoid direct sunlight. Clean soil build-up with mild soap and water, then dry. Do not use cleaners that contain ammonia.


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- Northern New York Newspapers
- Watertown
- Ogdensburg
- Massena-Potsdam
- Lowville
- Carthage
- Malone
- NNY Business
- NNY Living
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THERESA A Town Court jury on Tuesday cleared a man of allegations that he shot a gun too close to a house.
Following about seven hours of jury selection and testimony, jurors deliberated about 45 minutes before ruling that Mark L. Osmundson, 56, of 29881 County Route 20, was not guilty of discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling and having a loaded firearm in a vehicle.
The charges stemmed from a July 13 incident on County Route 20.
Mr. Osmundson was defended by Watertown attorney Eric T. Swartz.
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