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Circle Track Pre-Season Racing Tips - 10 Ways To Ready YourselfWritten by on May 1, 2009 The Upcoming Season Is Right Around The Corner, Are You Ready For It?
As this season draws closer, there are some drivers who will be ready for it more than others. These drivers understand that the foundation of a championship season starts with the very first week. These drivers will start off strong, and maintain focus and determination throughout the season. It doesn't matter if you're running on Friday night at a local short track or the World of Outlaw Late Model Tour; the same guidelines apply. Don't let this season sneak up on you; here are ten tips that will jumpstart you toward that championship you've been craving.
1. Assess And Upgrade Do you build your own motor? Are you getting beaten week in and week out by the guys who are running an engine from a professional shop? If you answered yes to both of these questions, it's time for you to assess your program and possibly upgrade to a better motor. This is just an example, but the point is by taking a critical look at your own program and comparing it with the guys who are winning on a consistent basis you could find the way to Victory Lane.
2. Get Into Shape, Or Start Working Toward That Goal I know, I know, the debate will always be present: Does being in shape really make that much of a difference on race day? Trust me, the answer is yes. It may not feel like that at the start of the season, but wait until the summer months. I can guarantee you the drivers who are in shape and take care of their bodies will rise to the top. Can you say Carl Edwards? Not to say that an out-of-shape driver won't win in the summer months, but a driver who is in shape will have a ton more focus because he/she is not distracted by the heat, or the sweat. All his focus is directly on capturing that checkered flag.
OK, so let's say you haven't even started working out. It's not too late! Start now, even if it's only a couple weeks from your first race. By the time the hot summer months get here you'll be working toward that goal of being in shape. And you'll be better off.
3. Eliminate Your Distractions At The Track Last year I attended a Late Model race at Hickory Motor Speedway with a friend of mine. We were standing in the pits waiting for the race to start when my friend tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to a car in its pit stall. The crew was working frantically to get the car ready for the feature. The driver was leaning up against the pit buggy, and believe it or not was racing RC cars! I kid you not, 20 laps into the feature the driver was exiting his Late Model during a red flag after he proceeded to destroy the front end of his car. The kid's head was never at the track, he was nowhere near focused enough for that green flag to drop. Don't let this happen to you this year; eliminate any distraction you have at the speedway. Regardless of what that distraction is, it will pull your attention away from where it should be on winning the main.
4. Find Speed In Last Year's Disappointments Remember those mistakes you made last year that cost you a win? Well, the only way you'll prevent those mistakes from happening again is if you learn from them. If you missed a shift on a restart and got spun down the front stretch, you better be practicing going through the gears.
But more than that, let's say there's a particular track that you struggle at every time you go. Before the season starts, you need to be on the phone speaking with other drivers about how they get around that track better than you. This will give you a basis of comparison and the foundation to build a game plan for when you first arrive at that particular track.
5. Set Goals Heading into that first race of the season, sit down with your team and make a list of primary and secondary goals. The thing to remember when doing this is to make them realistic. If you didn't win a single event last year; your first goal should be to finish in the top three. And your secondary goal should be to win a race by year's end. This will give you goals to work toward. Plus, at the end of the year you can look back and be able to judge how successful your season was.
6. Seat Time Is So Crucial One of the worst things you can do is to not test at all before the first race. You are setting yourself up for failure by doing so. I'm not saying that you have to go and rent the track, but most tracks will have a practice day leading up to the first race. By being there for the practice day, you can work out all the kinks in your car. Your goal shouldn't be to set a fast time during this practice day, but rather to get the car where she is prepared for that first race.
This will go a long way in preparing your focus for the opening race of the season. Remember valuable seat time is something everybody needs regardless of their skill level. It gets you back into the groove of driving after the long off-season.
7. Set A Game Plan For That First Race Having a game plan differs from setting goals; a game plan will give you a strategy when heading to that first race. This game plan should include what you need to do to the car when you first get to the track, and the times that you want certain jobs completed. For example, the car needs to be through tech by noon, while the tires mounted up and ready to go by 12:30, so that we can have the car on the scales by 1:00 p.m.
This game plan can also extend into what you are going to try during practice, and what changes you are going to make depending on how your car is handling. By writing this game plan out you're already turning your focus to the race at hand.
8. Discover Your Flaws Drivers, and I'm one, hate to admit where we need improvement. But the ones who can do so and improve on where they struggle are more apt to win the championship than the driver who just accepts his/her flaws. For instance, if you struggle at qualifying, I suggest you rent the track and make two-lap qualifying runs all day in an effort to improve your qualifying position. You can't expect to have a legitimate shot at winning the race if you're qualifying at the back of the field.
9. Set Deadlines For When The Car Has To Be Prepared For The First Race I've been a part of teams that let the season sneak up on them and it was a struggle to get the car ready for the first race of the year. It always ended up being a last second deal and we were always up to 3 a.m. the night before the first race. So what I'll do now is set deadlines a few weeks before the event. These deadlines might include when the motor has to be ready, when the car has to be painted, the first time the car has to be on the track, and so on. This will keep that first race from sneaking up on you. And the night before the race you can be in your bed getting the sleep you need.
10. Look Closely At Last Season's Notes We talked about looking at last season's disappointments, but now you need to look at last year's successes. Look at your setup notes from when you had the best run last year. Look for differences in your numbers that might have put you in the winner's circle that evening. Was there a little more left-side weight in those numbers, then in the rest of the notes? By examining your successful outings you might find a subtle difference that could put you back into the winner's circle.
More than anything these 10 tips help put your focus back onto that first race of the year. I can't stress how important it is that when that green flag drops for the first race of the year that you're ready for it. If your focus is anywhere else besides that race, you'll be thrust into a bad situation that will more than likely end up with you getting your car torn up. So don't let that happen, prepare for the first race of the year and turn your focus onto winning your first event of the year!
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Remember that disappointing wreck you had last year. Well, what got you to this point? Examine last year's disappointments so that you can avoid those situations this upcoming season. John GibsonEating right, and drinking plenty of fluids will be extremely important come the hot summer months. So get started early this year and get in shape.
 John GibsonSet some goals this upcoming season, so that at year's end you'll be able to judge how successful you were in your season.
 John GibsonIf you consistently find yourself in situations like these, you need to find out why this is happening. Examine your flaws, and determine the problem. It might be because you aren't a good qualifier. By qualifying up front you'll have a better chance to miss all of that mess. John GibsonThese tips are designed to pull your focus from every distraction you have, and back onto that first race of the year. So stay focused and who knows, you might just win!
 John Gibson


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Bulletin Issues
Current Issue
Past issues of the Bulletin are available here, or through the ASIS&T Digital Library.
Bulletin, August/September 2013
Inside ASIS&T
In Memoriam: Douglas C. Engelbart
Douglas C. Engelbart, a pioneer in the design of interactive computer environments and the inventor of the computer mouse, died at his California home in early July at the age of 88. Born in 1925 in Portland, Oregon, Engelbart was midway through his college studies at Oregon State College, near the end of World War II, when he was drafted into the United States Navy. While serving as a radar technician in the Philippines, it is said that he was in the library one day on a small island when he happened upon Vannevar Bushs article As We May Think. Engelbart was fascinated with the idea of Bushs information retrieval system called Memex. He made it his lifes work.
In 1996, ASIS&T honored Engelbart with a special award for long-term contributions to the advancement of information science and technology, particularly in recognizing enhancement of public access to information and discovery of mechanisms for improved transfer and utilization of knowledge. At the same ASIS&T Annual Meeting at which Engelbart received that award, he was one of seven participants on a special panel entitled Reflections on Our Future. Other panelists were moderator Chuck Davis, Indiana University; Candy Schwartz, Simmons College; Gary Marchionini, University of Maryland; Belver Griffith, Drexel University; Clifford Lynch, University of California; and Eugene Garfield, Institute for Scientific Information. The session featured these visionaries, researchers and academics looking at the state-of-the-art of information science at that time within the context of what it portended for the future of society, as well as for the information profession. An edited transcript of Engelbarts comments is included as a feature article in this issue of the Bulletin.
Gary Marchionini wrote the following words upon hearing of Engelbarts death.
Some of you might have heard that Doug Engelbart died on July 2. Engelbart was the father of interactive computing and the intellectual inspiration for my work over the past 30 years. In the post-WWII period he was the first to realize that computing could augment the intellect, and he began working to demonstrate how to achieve this vision. His 1962 paper "Augmenting Human Intellect: A Conceptual Framework" was always required reading in my HCI seminar because not only does he lay out his vision for improving the human condition through computing but he presents ideas that led to word processing and collaborative work. Engelbart is best known for inventing the mouse and for his demo at the Joint Computer Conference in 1968 that demonstrated online networking (NLS) that included hypertext, word processing and the mouse. Through his bootstrapping institute he aimed to augment our collective intellect through collaborative technologies. Although he recognized the importance of collaborative technologies for all organizations, he was particularly interested in developing ways that professional societies, community groups and other socially responsible organizations could leverage computing to improve their impact and effect. At the 1996 ASIS&T Annual Meeting he made a plea for ASIS&T and other professional societies to increase collaboration to achieve common scholarly goals, a theme that resonated with the strong digital library movement underway at that time.
His influence on information science is paramount because he gave us a practical (tractable) path toward an ideal. Engelbart stands with Shannon, Bush and Simon as inspirations for information science. He inspired a generation of information scientists who work in HCI, HCIR and CSCW to empower and augment human capabilities. Most of all, Doug Engelbart was a kind and humble human being who would take the time to talk to young scholars, who accepted the trials as well as the blessings of life and who inspired many of us to keep our focus on why we invest so much in information and technology to help people live productive and meaningful lives.
Articles in this Issue
Partnerships Between Institutional Repositories, Domain Repositories and Publishers
The Relevance of Research Data Sharing and Reuse Studies
Tracking Citations and Altmetrics for Research Data: Challenges and Opportunities
The Research Data Alliance: Implementing the Technology, Practice and Connections of a Data Infrastructure
The DCC's Institutional Engagements: Raising Research Data Management Capacity in UK Higher Education
An Asian-Pacific ASIS&T Chapter?
Obituary: Douglas C. Engelbart


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26"L Fixed-length Snow Brush with Ice Scraper
26"L Fixed-length Snow Brush with Ice Scraper helps you to quickly remove ice and snow from your vehicle's windows. Feature a flared brush head for additional surface coverage and an ice scraper made of a durable poly material on the handle end. Features a foam comfort grip wrapped around a tough poly handle. Brush is 9¼"L and blade measures 5"Lx4"W. Made in Canada.


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Ford 400M Engine Rebuild - Dropping The DeuceWritten by on February 1, 2010 More Muscle For Ford's 400M
Let's face it, 400M Ford owners get no respect. Sure, mention the word Cleveland and watch everyone's eyes light up, but the fire dies right out when you try to include the Modified or Midland family in the discussion. This seems odd since the two motors share so many components. In fact, it can be argued that the 400M motors are nothing more than a tall-deck, stroker Cleveland. Think about it-that's all that separates the legendary 351 Cleveland from its torque-oriented 400M (try running that statement by a Cleveland fan some time). Run with the same combination of parts (heads, cam, and intake), the 400M will always make more power than a 351 Cleveland, making it a readily available and ideal classic truck powerplant. Nonsense you say? They key to the statement is that fact that one truck motor measures 400 ci and the other fancy race motor displaces just 351 ci. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that if both have the same head flow, cam timing, and induction system, the bigger motor will always make more peak and average power. The key is selecting the right components for your intended application.
How many Clevelands out there are running around with 568 hp and how may of those make 542 lb-ft of torque? These 400M motors are capable of some serious power, but for now we will stick with some basic mods, namely the induction system. Unfortunately for 400M owners, Ford saw fit to offer the motor with only a two-barrel manifold and carburetor. True enough, the motor was designed as a workhorse, but why limit the power and torque potential with a restrictive induction system? Heck, even the tiny 289 and 302 Windsor motors came with four-barrel carbs and intakes. If any motor could take advantage of the benefits of a four-barrel carb, it was the comparatively larger 400M. In fact, it can be argued that a proper four-barrel induction system would not only improve towing power, but might improve mileage as well, providing a spread-bore carb design was employed to allow cruising on the smaller primaries. Regardless of their reasoning, the factory deuce (two-barrel intake and carb) are restrictive even on a stock motor.
To illustrate the gains offered by dropping the deuce, we rebuilt a stock 400M yanked from the engine bay of a '76 F-250. The motor was in running condition, but we found a couple of bent pushrods and other evidence of abuse, so we took Demon Engines up on their offer to perform the necessary rebuild. Working with L&R Automotive (machine shop) and Probe Racing, the guys from Demon Engines were able to transform the tired 400M into a healthy stocker. In fact, the motor was treated to a piston upgrade in the form of a set of forged flat-top pistons from Probe Racing. The .030-over forged slugs were originally designed for a 351 Cleveland application, but fit perfectly in the freshly machined bores on our 400 block. The reciprocating assembly was balanced using a new 28-ounce balancer from Pro Comp. Additional changes included new rings and bearings, a new (stock) hydraulic flat-tappet cam from Elgin, and upgrading the factory connecting rods with ARP rod bolts. Care must be taken when rebuilding a motor equipped with a flat-tappet cam. The cam was liberally coated with assembly lube, ditto for the bottom of the lifters. We also added a container of high-zinc break-in lubricant from Lucas Oil before pre-lubing the 400M with a drill motor. Never start a dry engine.
All 400M combinations came equipped with factory 2V heads and matching intakes. Demon Engines and L&R treated the stock heads to a new valve job and a light surface before adding a fresh coat of Ford Blue paint. Since these heads were eventually going to be replaced by a set of aluminum Cleveland heads from Pro Comp, they were given only minimal care to bring them up to factory specs. Were we retaining these heads, we would certainly upgrade the tired and weak factory valvesprings as well as perform some minor porting to further improve the power output. The heads were installed using Fel-Pro head and intake gaskets with the factory half-inch head bolts. The factory 2V intake was installed using a stock-style gasket designed to shield the bottom of the manifold from the heated engine oil. Additional components employed by Demon Engines on this build up included a stock electronic distributor (with Pro Comp plug wires), Meziere electric water pump and a set of Hooker headers. Ideally we'd run this combination with 13/4-inch headers, but all we had at our disposal was a set of 17/8-inch Hooker Super Comp headers designed for a Boss 302 application. Since both the 2V and 4V induction systems were run with the same header configuration, the power gains offered would be the same with the smaller headers. The final component employed on the 400M was a 500-cfm Holley two-barrel carb. Someone managed to snag the factory Autolite carb off our 400M before we pulled it from the wrecking yard, so we borrowed the Holley two-barrel from the guys at Westech. This is a much better carb than the factory piece, so the gains offered by the four-barrel would likely be even greater than illustrated here.
Before running the motor in anger, we provided the new components plenty of time to get acquainted, especially the rings and bearings. After running through two complete computerized break-in procedures, the motor was loaded with impressive results. Equipped with the stock two-barrel intake and Holley carb, the 400M produced peak numbers of 265 hp at 4,100 rpm and 412 lb-ft at 2,900 rpm. Torque production from the 400M exceeded 400 lb-ft from below 2,000 rpm (we didn't load it lower than 2,000 rpm) to 3200 rpm. Obviously the stock cam and induction system were not designed with high-rpm power in mind. After confirming the baseline numbers, we replaced the stock 2V induction with the Weiand Action-Plus intake and 750 Holley carb. Since Westech had it jetted and ready to rock, we ran their Holley 750 HP Street carb, but know that this combination would work equally well with something as small (and inexpensive) as a 600-cfm vacuum secondary Holley. Equipped with the Weiand/750 Holley combination, the peak numbers jumped to 301 hp at 4,100 rpm and 429 lb-ft of torque. We certainly expected to improve the power output with the four-barrel set up (to say nothing of the weight savings over the hefty stock intake), but what was really amazing was the fact that these gains came with no penalty in the lower rev ranges. From 2,000 to 2,700 rpm, the two induction systems produced nearly identical power, but from there out to 5,000 rpm, the Weiand pulled away and never looked back.
What is most impressive about the results is not that the four-barrel Weiand combination made more power (that was expected), but that the combination never lost out to the stock intake and Holley two-barrel. The Weiand intake not only improved the peak numbers from 265 hp and 412 lb-ft to 301 hp and 429 lb-ft, but even matched the torque production of the 2V setup down at 2,000 rpm. The two induction systems produced near-identical power from 2,000 to 2,700 rpm, where the Weiand/four-barrel setup started marching away. Measured peak to peak, the four-barrel set up improved torque production by 17 lb-ft, but offered an additional 48 lb-ft at 3,700 rpm. The Weiand intake and Holley four-barrel are definitely the hot set up for even a stock 400M. This intake swap was only the first of many tests run on this 400M.
More Photos From This Article View Slideshow
After boring the block .030, L&R installed the stock crank and rods with new rod and main bearings. The factory rods were reconditioned and upgraded with new ARP rod boltsWe did step up in the piston department by installing a set of forged flat-top (351 Cleveland) pistons from Probe Racing to replace the factory dished pistons. While they still resided .060 down in the hole, this helped increase the static compression ratio to a more reasonable 9.0:1.We installed a new stock 400M cam courtesy of Elgin. The cam and new hydraulic lifters were liberally coated with assembly lube to ensure they survived the all-important break-in procedure. The motor received a bottle of Lucas Oil high-zinc break-in additive prior to being pre-lubed using a drill motor.The original timing chain was a tad on the loose side, so we installed a new set to ensure accurate cam timing.Here is the finished and painted short-block ready to receive a set of freshened stock 2V heads. It sure looks a lot better than when we pulled it from the F-250.The 400M relied on non-adjustable, positive-stop, stamped-steel rockers. Elgin supplied a fresh set of rockers for our 400M (same as Cleveland). The factory pushrods were simply reused (after replacing the two bent pushrods).Before installing the (heavy) stock, cast-iron intake, we installed the factory-style intake gasket/valley pan. The design helps keep hot oil off the bottom of the intake.
A stock Ford distributor was run with an MSD cap (the stock one was damaged) and a Pro Comp wire set.All testing was performed with a set of 17/8-inch Hooker Super Comp headers originally designed for an early Mustang Chassis. This 400M would likely benefit from smaller 13/4-inch headers, but we had none at the time of our test.Equipped with the stock 2V intake and Holley two-barrel, the rebuilt 400M produced peak power numbers of 265 hp at 4,100 rpm and 412 lb-ft of torque at 2,900 rpm. Torque production from the 400M exceeded 400 lb-ft from 2,000 rpm (and likely lower had we tested it lower) to 3,200 rpm.After backup runs confirmed the baseline power numbers, we installed the Weiand Action Plus four-barrel intake. The swap is worthwhile just to get rid of the extra weight of the cast-iron intake.We ran our test with a Holley 750 Street HP carburetor, but a 600-cfm vacuum secondary carb would work equally well on this mild motor. Equipped with the Weiand intake and Holley carb, the power output of the 400M increased to 301 hp at (the same) 4,100 rpm and 429 lb-ft of torque at 3,300 rpm. The best part about the swap is that the four-barrel carb and Weiand intake improved the power output of the 400M everywhere compared to the original 2-barrel set up.


text: Crazy for kittehs: the quest to find the purring heart of cat videos Magazine features 30 August 12 by Gideon Lewis-Kraus This article was taken from the October 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.A cat wearing a short tie plays music on a cat-shaped keyboard ("Pancake Meowsic Video", 185,459 views). A woman performs sun salutations with a cat on her back ("Cat Loves Yoga", 1,539 views). A man slaps two cats on an ironing board to the beat of "Atmosphere" ("Cat Slap Joy Division", 357,605 views; watch this one). (Now, I mean.) Kittens try to keep up with an accelerating treadmill ("Treadmill Kittens" 3.4 million views). A fat cat walks on an underwater treadmill ("Fat Cat Walking on Underwater Treadmill" 133,434 views). Two cats cuff at a treadmill in perplexed inquisition ("Cats Try to Understand Treadmill", 1.9 million views). Search YouTube for "cat treadmill" and see how many results there are. Or, actually, don't.Writing that paragraph took more than an hour. To continue the catalog for a page would've taken weeks. But if one has set out to say something definitive about the relationship between cats and the Internet, it's important not to be delayed indefinitely by Internet cats.The obvious place to begin an inquiry into the Internet cat is with Maru, the most famous feline on the Internet. Maru's shtick, in brief: Maru gets into a box ("箱とねこ8. A box and Maru 8," 3.1 million views). Maru gets into some boxes ("いろいろな小さ過ぎる箱とねこ. Many too small boxes and Maru," 7.9 million views). Maru tries to get into a box ("入れない箱とねこ. The box which Maru can't enter," 2.2 million views).Maru, which means "circle" or "perfection" in Japanese, is a Scottish fold with nonfolded ears. He is 5 years old and lives in an undisclosed Japanese city that is, by consensual rumour, almost certainly not Tokyo, because no indoor cat in Tokyo has that much space to jump into boxes, especially not the bigger ones. Maru has upwards of 168 million YouTube views and, according to other rumours, has generated enough ad revenue to buy his owner a new apartment. His is the seventh-most-subscribed YouTube channel in Japan.But Maru is just one of Japan's famous Internet cats, and his reign will not last forever. Japan is also home to child-tortured Mao; to Shironeko (aka Basket Cat aka White Basket Cat aka Zen Cat), the cat who serenely closes his eyes no matter what is stacked atop his head; to Cute Overload's beloved Persian, Winston-san, who sometimes appears propped on pillows before plates of untouched gyoza; to the enormous Papi-chan, a Norwegian forest cat of considerable bulk and endurer of the Internet's first extensively featured cat diet.There's also the famous flying-Pop-Tart cat, of course, Nyan Cat; his tie to Japan remains obscure unless you've been made aware, by someone who knows something about Japan and cats, that nya is how Japanese cats say "meow." Some of Japan's most interesting cat activity originally appeared on TV, but by the time we've been exposed to the game show that turns cats into weight lifters by putting increasingly heavy fish onto scales, or the variety show in which a phalanx of kittens is invited to nest in a patch of cooking pots (a fad called neko-nabe), we're seeing them on the Internet, posting them to Facebook, emailing the links to our moms and yoga teachers.The Internet's preference for cats runs so deep that when Google's secretive X Lab showed a string of 10 million YouTube images to a neural network of 16,000 computer processors for machine learning, the first thing the network did was invent the concept of a cat. America might have inflated the Internet-feline bubble -- the Cheezburger Network raised $30 million (£18 million) last year in venture funding, and the Bible has been translated into Lolcat -- but Japan was where the Internet-feline market began, and persists, as a quiet, domestic cattage industry. If you want to know why the Internet chose cats, you must go to Japan.Lest I unfairly ratchet up your collective expectations: I will never get to pet Maru, and neither will you. Maru's supervisory documentarian is named Mugumogu, but beyond that fact, hardly anything is known about her. When I write Maru's US book publicist -- you read that right -- it turns out that she knows no more than you or I. The publicist loops in Maru's US book editor, who offers to pass along some interview questions to Mugumogu's Japanese agent, who could have them translated, answered, and sent back. But I have no questions for the human being called Mugumogu. My interest lies entirely with the cat. I write back to the US editor in my most professional tone, the one in which I don't sound like somebody who watches cat videos all day, and say that for my purposes I need to meet Maru IRL. I am willing to sign an IRL NDA. I promise I won't write a word about Mugumogu herself. I just want 20 or 30 minutes with that cat.A few days later the publicist writes back: Impossible. I'm welcome to write to the Japanese agent, she says, but I should know that not even the agent knows who Mugumogu is; her correspondence all goes through Maru's Japanese publisher, a certain Okumura-san, of Tokimeki Publishing, a boutique outfit specialising in Internet cat nya-alls and coffee table celebrations of Korean soap operas. I commence months of fruitlessly obsequious email courtship with Mugumogu but ultimately to no avail.All of this reticence is infuriating. In America people post a video of themselves whistling "Free Bird" in a tutu and they're heartbroken if they're not immediately invited on The View. It's different in Japan, though. There, they haven't yet cottoned to the idea that the whole point of the Internet is not only that it might make you famous and universally loved but that it might make you famous and universally loved overnight, and for no real reason, and that then it would give you fairly precise metrics for just how famous and loved you were, and for how long. For the Japanese, the Internet is primarily not about self-promotion and exposure but about restraint and anonymity. To help me understand this introversion -- and also in the hope of making contact with some famous Internet cats -- I enlist the assistance of David Marx. An American living in Tokyo, Marx writes a very intelligent, popular blog called Néojaponisme, which I'd stumbled upon in my cat-related forays. In a particularly interesting post, Marx offers three reasons for the Japanese cult of online anonymity. The first, which he deems silly, is the fear that criminals or con men might use personal information to harm an unwary Internet user. The second one, the fear that colleagues or bosses might discover personal details that could be problematic at work, he connects to the Japanese cultural milieu, where "any sort of questionable hobby automatically qualifies as a 'secret double life.'" The third reason -- fear that anonymous mobs might bash anyone who tried to stand out too aggressively online -- he considers totally legitimate, "in that the Internet in Japan so far has been almost exclusively about anonymous mobs making trouble for individuals and industry." (He notes that he once had his own photo posted on a Japanese board called Suspicious Foreigners.) I write Marx a fan email and ask if his theories might apply to the question of why the internet chose cats. He replies right away. Not only has he written about Japanese media trends, he works at YouTube. We Skype. Read page 2 12345 Read on one page Latest on wired.co.uk


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Hu Jintao and Barack Obama. The U.S. and China have an odd relationship. But it is arguably the most important business relationship on the planet.
Here's a look at the top 10 U.S. states where "Made in America" is setting sail or taking flight en route to China. (Though some of it should be defined as "Thrown Away in America".) Ranked in order of 2011 sales. Data from the U.S. China Business Council.
Also included in the slideshow is estimated job losses over the last 10 years to Chinese competition, from the Economic Policy Institute.


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A Missoula man pleaded with a panel of judges Thursday to lower his prison sentence
Former University of Montana football player Beau Donaldson is already serving the 10 years a Missoula County District Court judge handed down after Donaldson pleaded guilty to raping a friend.
"Somehow he thinks he's the one who's been punished too harshly," said Donaldson's victim who was present at the hearing in Deer Lodge.
"I don't get to go to review board and ask them to reduce that life sentence he has forced on me," she said.
The woman told the three judges from the Montana Supreme Court Sentence Review Division that she didn't want to sit in front of them at the hearing. But more than that she wanted them to know why Donaldson should serve the full 10 years.
"At the end of the day he has to be punished," she said.
Donaldson raped the woman in 2010 while she slept on his couch. He pleaded guilty in 2012 and earlier this year he was sentenced to 30 years in prison with 20 suspended in the Montana State Prison -- a sentence Donaldson and his attorney argue is too much.
They want 25 years suspended, with the remaining five years to be served with the Department of Corrections in a treatment program for drug and alcohol abuse -- a problem Donaldson has admitted. He was intoxicated and took prescription drugs the night he raped the woman.
"If I can get the opportunity to be sentenced to the Department of Corrections I can not only rehabilitate myself, but make myself a better person," Donaldson said.
Donaldson's mother and father also pleaded with the judges.
"Please, please, please look at everything, please," said Donaldson's mother.
But Missoula County Attorney Fred Van Valkenburg urged the judges to stick with the original sentence.
"I'll tell you it's a little tempting to ask for more but I won't," said Van Valkenburg. "I'll just ask that you uphold the sentence that Judge Townsend imposed."
Van Valkenburg added that the case if far reaching.
"It has severely injured the University of Montana in general and he (Donaldson) is one the people principally responsible for that."
It will be up to the review division to make the final call. The job at hand is to decide if the sentence imposed in Missoula County District Court is clearly excessive or inadequate.
"The only thing that is excessive in this case is the amount of suffering that Beau has caused," said the victim.
The review division judges will likely have a decision in the next three weeks. They can choose to decrease the sentence but they also have the option to increase it.
Last year, in two separate sexual assault cases they increased sentences.
NBC Montana will keep you updated.


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House re-elects Boehner speaker
Published: Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 12:26 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 3:28 p.m.
WASHINGTON — The Senate and House have ushered in a new Congress.
The 113th Congress convened at noon on Thursday, the constitutionally mandated time. Pomp and pageantry began simultaneously on either side of the Capitol.
In the Senate, Vice President Joe Biden joined his former colleagues. He was swearing in the newest members as well as those who won another term in November.
In the House, they were electing the speaker, with John Boehner poised to win another term. The speaker will then swear in the members in the afternoon.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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When you really want to indulge yourself with a disposition toward the natural, choose Klorane Treatments. This beloved French brand came to life during the upheaval of the 1960s, and creator Pierre Fabre, then a young pharmacist, found his own aspiration in botanical components. His ideas were fresh at the time, and quickly gained popularity.
Today, more than fifty years later, Klorane Treatments still lead the industry in putting admirable idealism to practice with stunning success. Every Klorane product is plant-based, using an active ingredient with proven success for the targeted issue. Klorane Treatment formulas follow a strict schedule of environmental and laboratory ethics, from the fields in which the plants are cultivated to the people who test the finished products.
For healthy hair maintenance or repair, Klorane Treatments use carefully studied ingredients and formulas to enhance your hair's natural beauty. Plant extracts like papyrus milk, chamomile, mango, and magnolia are not only unique choices for beauty products, they are a rare find anywhere else outside of Klorane. Klorane Treatments follow the brand's dedication to plant preservation and heritage, and a commitment to put these principles into the hands and hearts of children.
Klorane's primary focus has always been on hair. These Klorane Treatments include neo-vintage products and the latest innovations in beneficial plant extracts.
Your great grandmother may have softened her hair with a vinegar rinse. Perhaps vinegar doesn't seem like a luxurious ingredient, but this is one heirloom beauty treatment that should not be forgotten. Adopt sage beauty lore with this well-loved product: Klorane Sheen Enhancing Vinegar Finishing Rinse with Chamomile. The vinegar leaves no offensive smell, but the pH is perfect for cleansing hair of residue buildup and closing the hair shaft cuticle to make those strands soft and shiny. Chamomile's high pigmentation makes blonds brighter. The rinse can be diluted to stretch your dollar even further.
Few are acquainted with the benefits of papyrus milk, but its use goes back to 1551 BC by the ancient Egyptians. In some of the world's oldest medical documents, a prescribed beauty treatment for hair included raw papyrus rhizome powder. Klorane chose to use papyrus milk for its fatty acid and rich phospholipid content, two essential elements of the hair shaft. Klorane Leave-in Fluid with Papyrus Milk is a no-rinse treatment that keeps hair soft and fortified against the unpleasantness of heat and humidity. Touchably soft and smooth, you'll find styling your hair is easier than ever, with very pleasing results.
Dry hair gets the full treatment with Klorane Fluid and Nourishing Coating Care with Mango Butter. Starting at the hair shaft, where dry hair problems originate, this leave-in treatment dispenses three fatty acids and covers damaged hair strands. Indian-grown mangos are conscientiously harvested, and the kernels are cold-pressed for the active ingredient in this treatment.


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Explorations in Clinical Practice
Clinically based experience with options for either new or advanced clinical practice areas of focus, including (but not limited to) geriatrics, home health, public health, families with children, ICU/CCU, industrial health, school nursing, medical-surgical nursing, emergency nursing, oncology, renal disease, and mental health. Development of interventions for health promotion and facilitate adaptive responses to acute and chronic health problems at various stages across the life span. Clinical practicum is arranged through a student-initiated preceptor. Advanced clinical options are discussed. (Formerly NUR412) 3 Credits (2 Lecture - 3 Lab) Prerequisite(s): NUR327 and NUR352.


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Opening Doors provides a unique opportunity to explore the Academy's relatively un-seen permanent collection, timed to coincide with its move to a new home within the RWA. At the heart of the collection lies a large number of works bequeathed by Ellen Sharples in 1849, and added to by members of the Academy during the latter part of the 19th century. These works of art now exceed 1300 including diploma works donated by every new member and a gift of 12 works from the Arnolfini Trust.
The collection's move has unearthed photographs, catalogues, exhibition posters, letters and ephemera dating back to the start of the Academy. With a historical membership that includes a roll call of great British artists from Mary Fedden to Richard Long, alongside purchases of work from Vanessa Bell, Claude Rogers and Elizabeth Frink, the collection creates a fascinating insight into British Art from the 19th century onwards.


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From an earlier thread today I learned that someone, somewhere, is maliciously attempting to access my mail server. From the audit.log (thanks to jholder) I learned the IP Address of the individual and found that there were well over 100 attempts to access the mail server via pop3 - the individual had tried multiple accounts, locking all of them.
From a best practices, or from a security point-of-view, does any one here monitor this sort of activity on their Zimbra installs and block IPs as needed?
For instance, I was considering crafting a short shell script, I.e.:
cat /opt/zimbra/log/audit.log | grep "authentication failed" | mail -s "Authentication Failures" email@example.com
Then creating a crontab entry to run this nightly. From the report I could continue to block IPs via IPTables as needed. Obviously I would only look to block IPs which I recognize as not a customer and that attempted to log into multiple accounts, multiple times.
Any better suggestions? Or thoughts against doing such an activity?
I was just wanting to solicite ideas or feedback.


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Video: UPDATE: Missing Va. Hikers Safe
WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- Two hikers from Virginia who were missing in Montana were found alive late Monday and are heading home this morning.
Neal Peckens of Herndon and Jason Hiser of Richmond, who are both veterinarians, had been missing for four days in the back country of Glacier National Park. So many things can go wrong out there --- hypothermia, getting lost, grizzly bears -- but the family of these two men never lost hope. But a picture of Hiser right after he was rescued at approximately 4:30 p.m. Monday showed him looking great, without any injuries.
Hiser and Peckens met at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and are relatively experienced hikers. They have taken several hiking trips together.
They were reported missing on Friday when they failed to catch their flight home. About 50 people searched for them for days in terrible winter weather. Their efforts through high winds, limited visibility and nearly 2 feet of snow paid off.
A friend of Peckens called 9News's Bruce Leshan on Monday evening to say both men were found safe and were reportedly in good shape. Neal Peckens' mother Cathy told Bruce Leshan the hikers were "able bodied" and were probably able to walk out on their own, but rescuers were taking no chances. Neal Pecken's father Bruce and Neal's wife were out in Montana. Bruce Peckens told his wife that he cried all over the rangers when they told him his son was okay.
The big questions this morning: what happened? Did they get lost? How and where were they found?
The National Park Service has not released that information.


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ANNANDALE, Va. (WUSA9) -- Fairfax County Fire and Rescue officials battled a house fire on Sunday in Annandale, Va.
Firefighters say they encountered heavy smoke coming from the basement of a two-story home located at 6606 Reserves Hill Court. The fire was under control in 15 minutes, says fire officials.
According to fire officials, the bulk of the fire was in the mechanical room in the basement, and had spread to the ceiling and first floor subfloor.
Fire officials say the home had working smoke alarms; however, an occupant discovered the fire prior to alarms sounding and all 10 people escaped.
Officials say the damage is estimated at $60,000, and that four adults and six children have been displaced.
According to fire investigators, the fire was accidental caused by an unidentified electrical event in the basement.


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I went on a four day scouting trip and ended up seeing two Antelope. I found a lot of tracks that looked like deer but around half the size of deer. Either there are a lot fawns running around or they were Antelope tracks. However I am not sure so I thought I would ask you guys here. Are these antelope tracks?? I have more pics of tracks but I will load them later.
I have never hunted Antelope and this was my first of hopefully many scouting trips just a 250 mile trip to do it. I had a lot of fun and got to use my new spotting scope which is a Redfield Rampage which I am glad to have. However I believe I only needed a scope that would go 35 or 40 power max 60 power seems to be over kill. To get a scope that has great clarity and focus at 60 power you would need to spend a lot of money which I don't have. I really like the scope but 60 power it was hard to focus.
One of the antelopes I saw the smaller one. The other one I couldn't get pictures of wasn't thinking of that he was the first one I saw and he was pretty big. His fork part was above his ears by an 1/2 an inch or better. Good curles also.


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Rats, I was going to squeeze an entry in before the last day of the month but this is a done deal I guess. I thought we always had till the end of the month?
Oh well I'll just post in the wip threads.
Ascension - Hassassine
Clercon - Armadien
Diamond - Western American Empire
Djekspek - No Title
Greel - Amosi
jbgibson - Basse-Georges
jtougas - Leggarium
Lalaithion - Calema
Master TMO - Saytehn Empire
PlumCrazy - Xenitia
morikahn - Broken Empire
Ravells - Silmencia
RecklessEnthusiasm - Tripartite
RjBeals - Molta
Rythal - Empire
Sapiento - Tyddarheym
Torstan - Thulaan
Zar Peter - Espantia
This month's main challenge was to map a nation in any style that you wanted to do.
Here is the link to view all of the maps.
Make sure to throw some rep to those that you vote for.
If the radiance of a thousand suns was to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...I am become Death, the Shatterer of worlds.
-J. Robert Oppenheimer (father of the atom bomb) alluding to The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11, Verse 32)
My Maps ~ My Brushes ~ My Tutorials ~ My Challenge Maps
Rats, I was going to squeeze an entry in before the last day of the month but this is a done deal I guess. I thought we always had till the end of the month?
Oh well I'll just post in the wip threads.
When its over and you look in the mirror, did you do the best that you were capable of? If so, the score does not matter. But if you find that you did your best you were capable of, you will find it to your liking. -John Wooden
* Rivengard * My Finished Maps * My Challenge Maps * My deviantArt
I was going to enter this challenge as well, but doing ones back in doesn't really help with sitting at a computer. Besides, now that I see what I was up against I realize I didn't really have much of a chance.
Anyways, there's so many great entries I'm glad I can vote for three. In no particular order, my votes are;
RjBeals - Molta --> Love the crisp clear lines and the colour choices.
Diamond - Western American Empire --> Nice clean layout, and I love the border.
Djekspek - No Title --> One of the best 'artsy' maps I have seen.
All the rest of the entries were great as well, and I hope one day I actually finish something half as good for one of these challenges.
As for the map I was going to enter into the challenge, well hopefully it'll be posted as a WIP soon enough.
So glad I withdrew, I would have never stood a chance this month. On thatn note, my vote are...
Sapiento's Empire of Tyddarheym - Love the sense of scale
Ascension's Hassassine - Love the indianna jones feel, ah nostalgia...
Ravell's Silmencia - Same as Sapiento
People come and people go. I walk amongst them, I see their faces; but none see mine. I pass them in the streets but nary a glance is spared my way, for what interest would they have in a Wanderer? Not of this world... Forever Alone... Forever Wandering... LoneWandererD...
My DeviantART
Finished Maps
RIP Angel "Ingy" Yates - The first inspiration that guided me towards art. You will be missed...
@jax - the challenge runs to the 25th - but is often prolonged to end on a weekend for those last minute edits
regs tilt
:: My art on Deviant Art :: My work Catapult ::
:: Finished Maps :: WIP Breakwater - Gungnerhafn -Battle City :: Competion maps - A Ghastly Rest ::
:: FREE Tiles - Compasses :: Other Taking a commision - Copyright & Creative Commons ::
Works under CC licence unless mentioned otherwise
Why not come in from the cold by voting and making broad commentary!
Ascension: Generally I love your stuff, but the quasi-Indiana Jones map just didn't grab me. Something about it didn't feel right.
Clercon: Its very neat, but feels drab... Army-Fatigue drab. It would have been good to have a bit more zing in the colour scheme. But it looks well done.
Diamond: Man I like that Art-Deco kind of thing going on... but the "slanted banners" for the land features bug me.
Djekspek: Felt magical, called magical, looked sort of magical. Only complaint is the text for the neighbouring regions feeling out-of-whack... Overall I like it!
Greel: Its a nice almost computerised sort of map and I like it. Thumbs up here.
Lalaithon: The mountainous areas seem not to fit, but I do like the font and in general it feels pretty darned good.
MasterTMO: If there was a bit more of a feeling of Star Trek about it (probably through eliminating the white background), this would be excellent.
Plumcrazy: As a teacher, I love the pull-down chart of this thing. Felt a little too 'clean' and "jpg on website"... if you get what I mean. Maybe some more guts in the colours would work.
Reckless: Felt good, but empty. I know the "less-is-more" theory but this was more of the "less is not much" feeling.
RJBeals: Man, I remember how much of a pasting you gave everyone for the Manhattan Island competition... Again a big-hitter in these and a vote from me.
Rythal: The fonts didn't grab me. They felt too dark and a strain to read. But the rest looked pretty good.
Sapiento: Man another great one. So hard to keep up with that kind of skill.
ZarPeter: Font says "screen", image says "schoolbook". Didn't quite gel for me.
JBGibson: Wow, nice classic semi-modern map look. *ding* Vote for you!
jtougas: Another one with lots of great stuff but the font leaves things to be desired.
Morikahn: Great background... shame about the no-map.
Ravells: As much as it pains me to say this... didn't love it Ravs. You do great work and there is heaps that is great... but I didn't love it.
Torstan: Great start... touch incomplete. Shame.
"Sacrificing minions... is there any problem it cannot solve?" - Order of the Stick
- Budding Founder of the Geopolitical Police
- Resident Random Science Nerd
- VTES Geek (http://juggernaut1981.blogspot.com/)
Some of the books I have written, or am still writing...
My Lulu Store
Great work all ... my votes went to Ascension - beautiful map with a cool indy feel ... Diamond for his great looking map of the "The American Empire" my favorite this month ... and to Sapiento for his cool map of the Empire of Tyddarheym - very nicely done guys
regs tilt
:: My art on Deviant Art :: My work Catapult ::
:: Finished Maps :: WIP Breakwater - Gungnerhafn -Battle City :: Competion maps - A Ghastly Rest ::
:: FREE Tiles - Compasses :: Other Taking a commision - Copyright & Creative Commons ::
Works under CC licence unless mentioned otherwise
Ascension: I like the idea but the execution didn't work. The obviously computer generated effects like the white text, fractal/noise generated looking mountains, and the poor contrast and readability kind of killed it.
Clercon: Similar to Ascension in that it has poor contrast and obviously CG text effects. Otherwise I like it.
Diamond: I like it, although the coastline looks a bit weird, like you applied an erode filter to it.
Djekspek: Again, CG looking text in an otherwise fantasy/historical map disrupts the feel for me.
Greel: Not bad but it's rather noisy which makes it hard to read.
Lalaithon: Obvious CG text effects in a fantasy/historical map again. Sorry, I know I sound like a broken record and I know it doesn't bother other people, but it bothers me. The font doesn't help readability.
MasterTMO: Dark, noisy and hard to read. It seems like every label is in a different font and a different colour with no clear idea what the differences mean. The call out boxes cover up a lot (even if they are partially transparent)
Plumcrazy: I like this one. It really is functional and easy to read, though it would be better if the blacks were a bit darker. Using some of the excess space to provide descriptions of the physiographic/political regions would have been nice. Also a proper map like this would have a date, description of source date, name of the cartographer, projection and datum, and copyright information in a little block somewhere. Although a lot of maps that have scales shouldn't, this one doesn't have one, but probably should.
Reckless: The gradient effects on the scrolls kind of stand out and the lack of geographic detail looks off in comparison to the impressive graphical detail. Also the text is hard to read. I like the art though.
RJBeals: I'm not sure but something bothers me about this one. Maybe it's the intense saturation.
Rythal: Really dark with poor contrast and unreadable text. Hard to interpret as the intensely coloured geophysical base layer makes it seem the red for the country is just another physiographic region; it took me a while to figure out what you were up to.
Sapiento: Beautiful and functional. I enjoy looking at it, and I can read it and interpret it easily. Definitely my favourite.
ZarPeter: The rivers and lakes have a rather pixelated look and are perhaps to thick. The text just looks bland; it's simple but not elegantly so. It looks like a screen font rather than a print one which just doesn't work in this context. The underlines just look ugly.
JBGibson: Text is a bit crowded, but otherwise a very nice map, obviously carefully optimised for on screen display.
jtougas: Dark and poor contrast with unreadable font. Once again those CG effects that look out of place to me in a fantasy map. The geography looks weird too.
Morikahn: Well, it's a pretty background.
Ravells: It's more subtle than the others, but there are still those CG elements disrupting the historical/fantasy vibe for me. It also seems rather blurry in places, particularly along the coast. Other than the blur, I do like the coast effect.
Torstan: This looks like a great start and would have had a good chance to be my favourite if it were finished.
I know I probably came across as overly critical but I'm just trying to be honest and I suppose my tastes are a bit different from the majority.
Djekspek got off to an early lead but Diamond and Ravells and are coming around on the outside! I love close comps
People come and people go. I walk amongst them, I see their faces; but none see mine. I pass them in the streets but nary a glance is spared my way, for what interest would they have in a Wanderer? Not of this world... Forever Alone... Forever Wandering... LoneWandererD...
My DeviantART
Finished Maps
RIP Angel "Ingy" Yates - The first inspiration that guided me towards art. You will be missed...
A lot of great maps! Diamond wins my main vote this month.


text: This is bad because it minimizes the incentive to see a doctor. Seeing a doctor can require time off work. Once diagnosed, the prescriptions cost money, which is especially hard for seniors on fixed incomes. These factors work against the critical importance of maintaining stable blood glucose levels. Failure to maintain the proper blood glucose levels over time will almost certainly lead to severe, if not life-threatening complications. These debilitating and enormously expensive complications, include, but are not limited to, heart disease, neuropathy and amputation, skin disorders, impotence, coma, and death. The cost of diabetes in the United States alone, including direct medical costs and indirect costs related to disability, work loss, and premature mortality, was approximately $174 billion in 2011, according to a joint report from the American Diabetes Association, CDC, and NIH. Diabetes is also the leading cause of kidney failure and new cases of blindness in the United States.


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Youth and the Presidential Candidate Contrast
I run into people often who say that Obama is the 'youth choice' and he will be the better choice for our nation's young voters. I find that odd enough…sure there was a lot of hype back in 2008, but many have seen reality now– for one thing they may be out of a job or under-employed! The unemployment rate for young adults 16 to | Read More »


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Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls responded to Rep. Steve Chabot's Wednesday attempt to block federal funding for Cincinnati's streetcar construction by calling it "an outrageous interference in local government decision-making." The Enquirer today recapped the situation, which involves Chabot adding the following amendment to a massive federal transportation bill: "None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to design, construct, or operate a fixed guideway project located in Cincinnati, Ohio." The amendment has little chance at being included in the final passage of the bill, as the Senate and President Obama would both have to approve and sign it.
A parody video of a Western & Southern PR representative explaining why the insurance company should build condos at the site of the century-old women's shelter has earned a response from W&S. The company's VP of public relations told The Enquirer: "Whoever created the video, we think it's unfortunate that they've taken this approach," he said. "We think it's a distraction from finding a win-win for all involved." The video is no longer available on YouTube, however, due to "a copyright claim by Canipre inc."
Speaking of funny videos, MSNBC posted this video of Rep.
Jean Shmidt apparently reacting to someone incorrectly telling her that
President Obama's health care law had been struck down. Schmidt can be
seen twisting around and making strange screaming sounds.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
City Council is expected to vote this morning to divert the $4 million for the City Hall atrium project to jumpstart the Music Hall renovation, which has brought the city and arts supporters interested in owning and operating the historic venue closer to a compromise. Council could vote on the renegotiated deal later Wednesday, though details of the lease agreement have yet to be released.
Council is also expected to approve a property tax increase of $10 per $100,000 in valuation to fund capital projects such as a new West Side police station and additional road paving.
Today's Hamilton County Transportation Improvement District meeting will include a presentation about the Brent Spence Bridge that will probably include polls.
Gov. John Kasich today will sign a human trafficking bill that makes the crime a first-degree felony rather than second-degree and includes funding to help victims.
The ACLU will represent the Ku Klux Klan in a legal fight involving Georgia's highway cleanup program and a pending First Amendment lawsuit.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday will rule on President Obama's health care law.
Obama and Biden are still jamming Romney up on his outsourcing history.
A Walgreens store and other pharmacies in Washington, D.C. are offering free HIV tests to make diagnosing the disease more convenient and to increase awareness.
College football has approved a four-team playoff to determine its national championship rather than the computer-human two-team plan that has faced scrutiny over the years. The new format will start in the 2014-15 season.
The Kentucky Speedway and state of Kentucky will find out
soon whether the $10 million they spent on highway infrastructure
improvements in response to last year's traffic mess at a NASCAR race
was worth it. The Speedway and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will hold
a news conference today to outline plans to actually get all of the
race attendees into the venue to watch the race rather than sit in
traffic all day and get super mad.
A Cincinnati police officer with a long record of wrecking police vehicles was arrested on Monday and charged with assaulting a woman who he's already been charged with assaulting once before. The Enquirer detailed the disciplinary history of officer Kevin Jones, who was also charged with two counts of assault from an incident that occurred May 19.
Politico says President Obama's recent announcement of a new immigration policy that allows many young immigrants who have never been in trouble with the law to stay in the country, and even travel across its borders, was a really smart move. The policy is not permanent, which leaves Mitt Romney to answer the question of whether or not he would repeal it if elected. The idea is reportedly similar to legislation that Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a potential Romney running mate, has been considering introducing.
"This is a stroke of political genius," Bruce Morrison told me. A former Democratic congressman from Connecticut, Morrison was chairman of the House Immigration Subcommittee, a member of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform and House author of the Immigration Act of 1990. He's now an immigration attorney and lobbies on a wide variety of immigration issues.
"Obama has taken Rubio's idea and put it into action," Morrison said. "He has given these people a work permit, the ability to remain in this country, but no permanent status." Their legal status can be terminated at any time. "But it won't be terminated by Obama," Morrison said.
A breast cancer survivor who has undergone a double mastectomy has been allowed to swim topless by the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation after stating that wearing a bathing suit over her chest causes pain.
(Jodi) Jaecks opted against reconstructive surgery. "I don't see a need to fake having breasts," she said.
"My ultimate goal is to change policy at beaches and pools, to increase people's awareness of cancer and the realities of the human condition," Jaecks told Reuters.
LeBron James and the Miami Heat won the NBA title last night, completing a 4 games to 1 series victory over the Oklahoma Thunder. It is the first title for James, who has been widely mocked for stating that he'd like to win more titles than Michael Jordan's six. James, who is 27, won his first a year younger than Jordan did, thought Jordan then won the title in six of eight years.
Two alien plants planets around the same star apparently rise in the night sky of each other, looking like a giant full moon. The planets, Kepler-36b and Kepler-36c, are 1,200 light-years from Earth and 1.2 million miles apart, the closes two planets known.
Here are two ways to report the latest news regarding potential Duke Energy rate hike connected to streetcar construction:
• From The Enquirer: "Duke customers could face streetcar tab"
• From The Business Courier: "Cincinnati, Duke making progress on moving utility lines"
A 15-year-old girl was killed in Over-the-Rhine around 11 p.m. last night. She was reportedly standing with a group of people, though Police haven't released any details about the shooter.
A new poll shows support for President Obama's shift on
immigration policy.
More Asians are immigrating to the U.S. than Hispanics these days.
Adult humans are 16.5 million tons overweight, which
researchers say will threaten the world's food security and environmental
Approximately half of all new AIDS cases are occurring in the South, and the region is severely short on HIV specialists.
Attorneys for the Penn State football coach who showered with a bunch of boys are starting their defense by painting him in a positive light.
Spotify will stop charging $10 per month for use on mobile devices. Free now.
Facebook acquires Face.com. Ha.
Former baseball player Roger Clemens was acquitted of perjury charges, the latest in a bunch of wasted time by the federal government investigating athletes who can afford really good lawyers.
Former Bengal Chad Ochocinco will return to Cincinnati
Oct. 7 as a member of the Miami Dolphins, if reports by his OchoCinco
News Network are true: Ocho says he has signed with the Miami Dolphins.
Cincinnati Public Schools on Monday
voted unanimously to put a levy renewal on the November ballot. The
current levy is set to expire in 2013, and the renewal would be for
$51.5 million for five years.
The second day of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial continues today, with a second accuser expected to testify. In his opening statement, Sandusky's lawyer questioned the credibility of the eight young men accusing him of multiple crimes over several years, claiming that they have a financial motive to make false claims. He also acknowledged that Sandusky's behavior and his showering with young boys was "kind of strange" but said it was not sexual abuse.
Mitt Romney says Barack Obama's "Forward" slogan is absurd. And so is the notion that he wants to reduce the number of police, firefighters and teachers. Absurdity.
The LA Times says Obama's complicated message will pose a challenge to convey, especially against Romney's simple argument: Y'all mad and it's Obama's fault.
Obama's counter-argument is layered with nuance and complexity.
It starts with an attempt to undercut Romney. As a corporate buyout executive, Romney shipped jobs overseas and reaped millions of dollars in fees from takeover deals that destroyed U.S. factory jobs, the Obama campaign says. As Massachusetts governor, Romney built a poor record on job creation, the argument continues.
Turning to his own record, Obama tells voters that he inherited an economy on the brink of collapse and averted a depression. He takes credit for a resurgence in manufacturing, the rescue of the automobile industry and the creation of more than 4 million jobs since February 2010.
Obama also slams Republicans in Congress for blocking his plans to stimulate more jobs. To inoculate himself from potential setbacks over the summer and fall, he warns of economic trouble spilling over from Europe.
In the end, Obama says, he would keep the country moving forward while Romney would take it back to the George W. Bush policies that wrecked the economy in the first place.
Verizon is changing up its cell phone plans, moving toward monthly plans that allow users to connect up to 10 devices, including tablets and PCs, to their cell phone network.
There's a new Retina-display-bearing MacBook Pro. Whatever that means.
Sunday night's Mad Men season finale broke a ratings record with 2.7 million viewers.
The Los Angeles Kings won the NHL's Stanley Cup on Tuesday, the organization's first ever championship.
County Commissioner Todd Portune's idea to borrow more money and extend a half-cent sales tax in order to keep up with stadium costs has been shot down by a Bengals lawyer who used 15 bullet points to demonstrate that Portune's plan "proposes to breach one or both leases."
Duke Energy is asking state regulators if it can bump customers' rates up again. Duke says the increases are to pay for infrastructure investments. The change would increase customer costs of electric service by $86 million and for natural gas by $44 million. A federal appeals court on Monday reinstated an antitrust lawsuit against Duke Energy that accuses the company of paying kick-backs to corporations opposing a 2004 rate increase.
A rally for "religious freedom" will take place on Fountain Square today in response to federal health care legislation requiring women to have abortions employers to provide insurance that covers birth control. The law includes a religious exemption, which bishops have said isn't enough.
A group pushing to ban dog auctions in Ohio has halted its effort to put the issue on the November ballot due to lack of funding and time. CityBeat in February reported the group's efforts to ban the sale of dogs through auctions or raffles, as well as all trafficking in dogs from out-of-state auctions.
New York City officials, including
Brooklyn Democratic Rep. Yvette Clarke, are arguing that the city's
"Stop and Frisk" policy is racist. The policy allows police to
stop an individual and pat him or her down for contraband if they
suspect illegal activity. From USA Today:
Clarke says the program, known as "Stop, Question and Frisk" or "Stop and Frisk," amounts to racial profiling. It is based on a 1968 Supreme Court ruling that police could stop people on the basis of "reasonable suspicion."
Last month, U.S. District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin approved class-action status for a lawsuit that alleges the practice subjects people to race-based illegal searches.
President Obama's health care law helped
6.6 million young adults stay on their parents' plans during the
first year and a half.
Rick Santorum has formed a new conservative organization aiming to recruit 1 million supporters to help get Barack Obama out of the While House. No word on how Santorum's "Patriot Voices" group will differ from the tea party patriots.
NASA says it has spotted the universe's first objects.
Black members of the Netherlands soccer team were subjected to
racist chants at their Euro 2012 practice facility in Krakow, Poland.
The team says fans were making monkey chants at the players.
LeBron James scored 45 points to lead the Miami Heat over the Boston Celtics last night, forcing a deciding Game 7 for the Eastern Conference championship. The Oklahoma Thunder await in the NBA Finals.
A local music teacher says Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy offered him a job and then rescinded the offer after asking him if he is gay. Jonathan Zeng says he went through the school's extensive interview process, was offered a position and then called back in for a discussion about religious questions in his application, during which he was asked directly if he is gay. Zeng says he asked why such information was pertinent, and an administrator said it was school policy not to employ teachers who are gay because they work with children and something about the sanctity of marriage. When contacted by local media CHCA released the following statement:
CHCA keeps confidential all matters discussed within a candidate's interview. We're looking into this matter, although the initial information we have seen contains inaccuracies. We will not be discussing individual hiring decisions or interviews.Cincinnati's deficit isn't going to get better any time soon, according to a new report.
The Reds drafted high school pitcher Nick Travieso in the first round of the MLB draft on Monday. Here's a rundown of their other picks Monday and Tuesday.
Senate Republicans yesterday blocked a Democratic bill calling for equal pay in the workplace, and the Dems are going to stick it in their faces during this year's campaigns. From the AP:
As expected, the pay equity bill failed along party lines, 52-47, short of the required 60-vote threshold. But for majority Democrats, passage wasn't the only point. The debate itself was aimed at putting Republicans on the defensive on yet another women's issue, this one overtly economic after a government report showing slower-than-expected job growth.
"It is incredibly disappointing that in this make-or-break moment for the middle class, Senate Republicans put partisan politics ahead of American women and their families," Obama said in a statement after the vote.
"Even Mitt Romney has refused to publicly oppose this legislation," added Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. "He should show some leadership."
The Washington Post wonders whether Mitt Romney can use Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's template for surviving a recall election to try to win the presidency. It involves "big money, powerful organization and enormous enthusiasm among his base." Exit polls in the state suggest Obama is ahead, however.
China wants foreign embassies to stop releasing reports and Tweeting about its poor air quality.
Gonorrhea growing resistant to antibiotics? Rut roh.
Dinosaurs apparently weighed less than scientists previously thought. Adjust paper-mache Brontosaurus as necessary.
Facebook is considering letting kids younger than 13 use the site.
The Boston Celtics took a 3-2 series lead over the Miami Heat on Tuesday and could send Bron Bron and Co. back home on Thursday.
"The Republicans who are informally auditioning would each bring different strengths — and drawbacks — to the presidential ticket.
Ohio Sen. Rob Portman supported Romney early, has a solid rapport with the candidate and hails from Ohio, a critical battleground state that could decide the election. But he wouldn't necessarily appeal directly to Hispanic or women voters.
(Louisiana Gov. Bobby) Jindal, the Louisiana governor, could help Romney turn out the religious right and would add diversity to the ticket as an Indian-American, but he struggled during a national debut rebutting the 2010 State of the Union address.
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell appeals to social conservatives but signed a controversial state law that requires Virginia women to have ultrasounds before having an abortion.
New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who's campaigned frequently with Romney, could help with female voters and in her swing state of New Hampshire. But she's from New England, the same region of the country as Romney, while (New Jersey Gov. Chris) Christie, a conservative favorite who can work a crowd, is from New Jersey.
(Florida Sen. Marco) Rubio could bring Florida, always a deciding factor in a general election, and appeal to Hispanics, a fast-growing voting bloc, but he's run into some trouble over a foreclosed home and possible misuse of an official credit card. And Ryan is a serious, leading policy mind with a bright future — and a brand name that's directly tied to a controversial budget that would make major changes to Medicare."
Meanwhile, Romney says Obama doesn't even understand free
A Columbus tavern owner has lost his freedom isn't free battle in the Ohio Supreme Court, which yesterday unanimously ruled that the state's smoking ban is constitutional. The owner of Zeno's Victorian Village had racked up thousands of dollars in fines after 10 citations for violating the ban from July 2007 and September 2009. The state has reportedly threatened to seize the bar if the fines are not paid.
Meteorologists say after this weekend's heat wave this spring could be the hottest on record.
The Reds defeated the Atlanta Braves last night on a Todd Frazier walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. It was the Reds' fifth straight win, and they're currently a half game behind St. Louis for first place in the division.
The Pakistan conviction of the Osama bin Laden doctor who helped the CIA find him is not going over well with the U.S. government. Pakistani authorities sentenced Shakeel Afridi to 33 years in prison for treason, and Afridi was not entitled to representation, though he has a right to appeal. The U.S. has threatened to cut aid to the country, arguing that informants work against al-Qaeda and not Pakistan.
Britain's recession is worse than expected, as the country's economy shrunk by .3 percent during the first quarter.
The SpaceX shuttle passed some tests necessary to move forward with its landing on the International Space Station Friday morning. President Obama called the company's CEO to congratulate him and he answered despite thinking it might be a telemarketer.
John Malkovich is in the latest Apple advertisement for Siri, during which Malkovich gets some life advice. The ads follow those released starring Hollywood actors Zooey Deschanel and Samuel Jackson last month.
The Music Hall Revitalization Co. will meet Thursday to consider its next move after the city of Cincinnati decided not to sell the historic building to the nonprofit organization, prompting the resignation of the Revitalization Co.'s leader. The resident arts organizations issued a joint statement yesterday offering to work with the city and private donors to revive the project in some form. Some arts supporters contend that local philanthropic leaders will not donate to the project while it is city owned.
In the wake of last season's Crosstown Shootout melee, officials from UC and Xavier have decided to play the annual game at U.S. Bank Arena for the next two seasons. The behavior of players and fans will reportedly be evaluated after that time. The game was scheduled to be played at UC's Fifth Third Arena this year.
The commercial space vehicle today finally launched after shutting down its first attempt to fly to the International Space Station without the government's help. Exploration Technologies Corp.'s SpaceX rocket is scheduled to touch down on May 25 and could help jumpstart the privatization of space station servicing.
Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama in 2008, but he's not quite ready to do it again.
Facebook shares went down a little bit after analysts revised their outlooks.
Fuel economy is more important to consumers than overall car quality, according to a new survey by Consumer Reports.
Is Brad Pitt's new film Killing Them Softly an anti-capitalist screed? Pretty much.
Everything you need to know about (writer-director Andrew) Dominik's worldview came with a moment in the news conference in which the Australian said that in his experience America is largely about making money, and that that went double for Hollywood.
Or, as the film's touchstone piece of dialogue has it: "America isn't a country -- it's a business."
Ever wonder what would happen if the NBA rookie of the year dressed up like an old man and played ball with dudes at some random courts, with at least some of the players not knowing what's going on? Wonder no more:
Bike to Work Week today kicked off its series of morning commuter stations offering free coffee and treats all week long in an effort to encourage residents to try cycling to work, meet fellow cyclists and learn about bike advocacy. The city was scheduled to announce an award for its Bike Program this morning at the Coffee Emporium bike commuter station on Central Parkway in Over-the-Rhine.
Find a schedule of Bike to Work Week morning and afternoon commuter stations here.
The Enquirer over the weekend checked in with another of its "in-depth" pieces, this one detailing the huge amounts of money energy companies will make once they're allowed to treat northeastern Ohio's land like they do Texas. The story accurately described the fracking process as "controversial," though it took the liberty of describing Carroll County as an "early winner" because 75 to 95 percent of its land is under lease to an oil or gas company. Here's a link to the weird slideshow-style presentation. And here's a sidebar on the issues surrounding fracking, which includes the following regarding the industry's oversight:
Fracking was exempted from the federal Safe Drinking Water Act under the Bush Administration, so it now falls under state jurisdiction. In Ohio, the Department of Natural Resources issues permits for all oil and gas wells, including fracking wells. The department also inspects the drilling of all wells in the state.
The New York Times came to Ohio to see how the good, working class folks feel about the president who has spent three-and-a-half years trying to help people like them during a recession he didn't start. Turns out many still won't vote for him because he's still black.
Madiera is a really nice suburb, and some residents plan to keep it that way by blocking developers from building luxury condos so "renters" can't move in and "alter the landscape of their charming suburb."
Ohio State University has released a plan to combat hate crimes in response to several incidents on its campus this spring. The "No Place to Hate" plan includes 24 recommendations including a public safety division "hate crime alert" line staffed by operators. The OSU campus reportedly had a mural of President Obama defaced and found spray-painted messages supporting the death of Trayvon Martin.
Good news from the AP's strangulation beat: "States cracking down on strangulation attempts."
Newsweek's May 21 cover shows Barack Obama with a rainbow-colored halo over his head and the headline, "The First Gay President."
National media are talking about HBO's Weight of the Nation, a four-part documentary detailing America's obesity epidemic. CityBeat's Jac Kern told y'all about it last week.
John Edwards' defense attorneys are reportedly basing a lot of their case on the definition of the word "The." That should go well.
A Russian
satellite has taken an awesome 121-megapixel photo of Earth.


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love the last sweater ! http://www.stylesurani.com
Add teddy bears to your list of must-have accessories because today marks the cutest holiday ever! Bring Your Teddy Bear to Work Day! This bizarre, yet amazing, holiday calls for all cuddle monsters to share their love for Mr. Teddy with the whole world! But if you're concerned that dragging around your beloved snuggle buddy in public all day would result in you being 51/50'ed, then we have a more age-appropriate solution. Let's just wear fuzzy sweaters and be our own teddy bears! Let's take this crazy holiday and make it ours. Fashionistas, we're gonna need you to get your teddy bear on!
Here's a hug-worthy collection of loveable GoJane sweaters and cover-ups that remind us of sweet fuzzy teddy bears…
Click on any of the fuzzy sweaters above to find them @ GoJane.com!


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You can't follow the election without a scorecard. As the polls close tonight, clues will emerge regarding the fortunes of President Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, as well as the battle for the Senate, the House and 11 governors' offices.
Here, USA TODAY's Richard Wolf, Catalina Camia and Susan Davis provide a guide for what to watch as the returns come in. All times listed are Eastern. States are grouped based on the latest poll closings. States with multiple time zones or varied hours are marked with an asterisk.
7 p.m.
South Carolina
President: The state everyone will watch is Virginia, which could be one of the closest results in the nation. Obama captured almost 53% here in 2008, but Romney is given a better chance of winning the Old Dominion than John McCain. Romney probably needs it to have a chance of winning the White House. Indiana, which Obama stole from Republicans in 2008, is safely back in GOP hands.
Senate: Both Indiana and Virginia could go a long way toward determining whether Democrats or Republicans run the Senate next year. In Indiana, GOP state Treasurer Richard Mourdock's recent comments about rape and abortion didn't help in his race against Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly. Mourdock defeated veteran Sen. Richard Lugar in the GOP primary. In Virginia, two ex-governors, Demo crat Tim Kaine, who also ran the Democratic National Committee, and former Republican senator George Allen are locked in a tight race for the seat of retiring Democrat Jim Webb.
House: Georgia Democratic Rep. John Barrow has managed to make a competitive bid to hold onto his 12th Congressional district that was redrawn to heavily favor Republicans. A Barrow victory against GOP state Rep. Lee Anderson means one less key opportunity for Republicans to grow their majority. The district includes Laurens, Wheeler and Treutlen counties.
Governors: Look for GOP Rep. Mike Pence to defeat Democrat John Gregg in Indiana. Pence is a national player with a strong following among social conservatives and a potential 2016 presidential contender. Republican Mitch Daniels could not run again because of term limits.
7:30 p.m.
North Carolina
West Virginia
President: Two prizes here, led by Ohio, perhaps the crown jewel of this and many a presidential race. Obama leads in Ohio, while Romney holds a slim lead in most polls in North Carolina. An Obama win in North Carolina would doom Romney's chances. A Romney win in Ohio could be bad news for the president, who spent more time there than in any other state, emphasizing his rescue of the auto industry.
Senate: Independent groups have been spending like crazy in Ohio's Senate race, which pits Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown against GOP state Treasurer Josh Mandel. The liberal Brown has been the target of $30 million worth of TV and radio ads paid for by outside groups such as the Karl Rove-affiliated Crossroads GPS.
House: Republicans used the 2012 redistricting process to redraw North Carolina's congressional lines. Now they're favored to pick up at least three Democratic seats currently held by retiring Reps. Heath Shuler and Brad Miller and underdog Rep. Larry Kissell. Ohio is home to perhaps the most hotly contested U.S. House race in a redrawn district, pitting Democratic Rep. Betty Sutton against GOP Rep. Jim Renacci.
Governors: North Carolina may be the most likely state to flip control of the governor's mansion. Republican Pat McCrory, a former Charlotte mayor, is casting himself as a centrist in his race against Democratic Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton. McCrory would be the first Republican governor in North Carolina since 1988.
8 p.m.
District of Columbia
New Hampshire*
New Jersey
Rhode Island
President: Most polling places in Florida close at 7 p.m., but the western panhandle is on Central time, so results shouldn't be announced for another hour. Romney badly needs to win Florida to keep his chances alive, but the race remains close. New Hampshire also is close, while Obama has maintained a steady, but not insurmountable, lead in Pennsylvania, a state Republicans invested in at the last minute.
Senate: The marquee race in the nation is in Massachusetts, pitting moderate Republican Sen. Scott Brown, who captured the late Sen. Edward Kennedy's seat in 2010, against consumer rights advocate Elizabeth Warren, a darling of liberals who's already been touted as presidential timber.
In neighboring Connecticut, Republican Linda McMahon has spent nearly $42 million of her own money against Democratic Rep. Chris Murphy. The former pro-wrestling executive, who lost a Senate race in 2010, has tried to appeal to women in the race to replace independent Joe Lieberman.
The Missouri race between Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill and Rep. Todd Akin has dominated the news because of the Republican's comments about "legitimate rape." McCaskill, once considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats, is now leading in statewide polls.
House: A member of the Kennedy family is likely to return to Congress from Massachusetts. Joseph Kennedy III, son of a former congressman and grandson of Robert Kennedy, is running against Republican Sean Bielat for the seat of retiring Democratic Rep. Barney Frank. In Illinois, Democrat Tammy Duckworth, a former top Veterans Affairs official who lost her legs in combat in Iraq, is challenging Tea Party freshman Rep. Joe Walsh in a redrawn district. And in Florida, Tea Party favorite GOP Rep. Allen West is in a bitter race against Democrat Patrick Murphy.
8:30 p.m.
House: When Democratic Rep. Mike Ross announced he wouldn't seek re-election this year, Democrats didn't even try to keep the seat. It has trended so conservative that Republican candidate Tom Cotton, a Harvard-educated Marine and Iraq veteran, is guaranteed victory. Ross' exit signals the dwindling ranks of Blue Dog Democrats -- a caucus of fiscally conservative Democrats who are disappearing in Congress.
9 p.m.
New Mexico
New York
South Dakota*
President: There are two close races and three at the margins here. The states to watch are Colorado, like Virginia a dead heat, and Wisconsin, where Paul Ryan's candidacy gives Romney an outside shot. If Romney can peel off Michigan or Minnesota, he'll have a good night. The same goes for Obama in Arizona, a state trending Democratic.
Senate: Several races could factor into the battle for Senate dominance. In Arizona, GOP Rep. Jeff Flake is in a surprisingly tight race against former U.S. surgeon general Richard Carmona, recruited by Obama to seek the seat of retiring Republican Sen. Jon Kyl. In Wisconsin, former governor and U.S. Health and Human Services secretary Tommy Thompson is seeking to replace Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl in a comeback against Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin.
House: In Arizona, Democratic Rep. Ron Barber, a former aide to Gabrielle Giffords, who was injured in a 2011 shooting that nearly claimed her life, is running in a close race against former combat pilot Martha McSally, who has compared herself to the former congresswoman. In Michigan, reindeer farmer and Santa Claus impersonator Republican Kerry Bentivolio is in a surprisingly good place to win the Republican-leaning 11th District, thrown into disarray when GOP Rep. Thaddeus McCotter abruptly resigned over a ballot petition scandal.
In Minnesota, firebrand GOP Rep. and former presidential candidate Michele Bachmann goes against political newcomer Jim Graves, the strongest opponent she's ever faced.
10 p.m.
President:The last two swing states to close their polls could play a big role in determining the next president. Obama has held on to small leads in Iowa and Nevada, but Romney has fought hard for both. If the race hasn't been all but decided by now, these two states could hold the key to the White House.
Senate: Nevada Sen. Dean Heller, who was appointed to the seat last year, says his political fortunes are tied to Romney's in the Silver State, where Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid is helping his home-state colleague, Rep. Shelley Berkley. The same could be true for Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg, who's challenging first-term Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in Montana. Both races are critical for Republicans' uphill chances of taking over the Senate.
House: In Utah, one of the GOP's most trumpeted 2012 candidates, Mia Love, is taking on Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson. Love was given a high-profile speaking gig at the Republican National Convention this year, in part because she'd make history as the first black Republican woman elected to the U.S. House. In Iowa, Democratic candidate Christie Vilsack, wife of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, is making a spirited effort to oust Rep. Steve King, a popular figure among Tea Party conservatives nationally. Polls show the race close, but the seat leans in favor of King.
11 p.m.
North Dakota*
Senate: Republicans have long hoped to pick up the seat of retiring Sen. Kent Conrad in North Dakota, but Rep. Rick Berg hasn't totally pulled away from former state attorney general Heidi Heitkamp. In Hawaii, Democrat Mazie Hirono is the favorite to succeed retiring senator Daniel Inouye. She's running against Republican Linda Lingle, a former governor, in Obama's native state.
House: Long a sleepy state for competitive U.S. House races, California has a handful of hotly contested races after a non-partisan redistricting commission redrew the lines for 2012. The most talked about race is the battle between incumbent Democratic Reps. Brad Sherman and Howard Berman, which has divided the party.
Governors: In Washington, former Democratic representative Jay Inslee and GOP state Attorney General Rob McKenna are vying to succeed Democrat Chris Gregoire, who decided not to run again.
1 a.m.
House: Rep. Don Young, the second-longest serving Republican in the House, is poised to win re-election to his at-large Alaska seat. Young ruffled some GOP feathers earlier this year when he endorsed Hirono in Hawaii's Senate Democratic primary. The support is a testament to the enduring partnership in Congress between America's two non-contiguous states.


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Rated 3 out of 5 by 1 reviewer.
Rated 3 out of 5 by DaveandStacy just okay I usually love everything I get from World Market, this is a great site with wonderful and unique products. However, I wasn't especially pleased with this particular purchase. The tips of these tongs don't line up nicely, which is not exactly a big deal but it does bother me. I even tried steaming them into proper alignment with no luck. It's only maybe 3 or 4 mm off but I'd never have bought them, even as inexpensive and otherwise nice as they are, if I'd seen them in the store instead of on the website. It's probably just a fluke but just to let you know... August 19, 2013
1-1 of 1
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Hi there forum,
I have had the luck to get this brevis from a friend. First of all I don't know the revision of my brevis.
Unfortunately it has no micro collimation and no oscillations adjustment from the outside. And the power knob is kinda loose, it can be turned round the clock. Is this to be considered normal?
When adjusting oscillation speed, the motor sometimes turns up into a high buzzin noise with very little vibration. So far, I can see no reason for that (e.g. contacts or low battery).
BUT.... my main issue is the grain which is visible in all oscillation speed levels and under all camera/lens preconditions. Its like seeing film projected on a grainy wallpaper . I haven't seen this on any test footage of brevis and HVX200 on the web before. GG is (pretty) clean.
Equipment is:
Brevis (?? version)
72mm Cinevate Achromat
28mm Nikon Lens
Can anyone help?
Thanks a lot for your tips...


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She said she is taking the matter to county officials, hoping they can track down the source of the dumping problem and deal with it.
The problem has been plastic bags of what appears to be medical wastes from someone's home. The mess includes rubber gloves, soiled bed pads, used syringes and empty medication bottles.
The resident said she or her husband have had to pick up at least three bags of the unhealthy discards at least once a week.
"They don't even throw it on the side of the road now. It's in the middle of the road," the resident said.
That means the mess cannot be ignored.
Gary Kent is a reporter at the Bee-Picayune and can be reached at 358-2550, ext. 120, or at email@example.com.


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Video: How to Get a Free Smoke Detector
ATLANTA -- By law, every Georgia home is required to have a working smoke detector, but many metro Atlantans can't afford them.
If you can't afford a smoke detector, you can request one from your local fire department for free. First Alert, working with the 11Alive Help Desk, has donated 5,000 of them to insure that every homeowner who needs a smoke alarm gets one.
"If you have a local station down the street, you can reach out to them, or you can call your city or county office and ask for the local fire department," said Glenn Allen, spokesman for Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens.
If your fire department has a smoke detector available, they will come out and install it for you for free. If they do not have them, they will be sent the units for free.
Homeowners can also call Commissioner Hudgens' office at 800-656-2298.
They will double check with local fire officials. If one still isn't available, Allen said "We'll send the fire department a smoke alarm that has your name and address on it, and they will come and install it for you."
Additionally, he said anyone can ask their local fire department to come out and inspect or install their smoke alarm for free. They'll also help you replace the battery.
Counties that offer smoke detectors


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Auburn Gear 541008 - Auburn Gear Differential Service Kits
Representative Image
Product images may differ from actual product appearance.
JEGS Part Number: 109-541008Pinion Shaft Service Kit
Differential Part Numbers
Ford 8.8, 31 Tooth
Auburn Gear Differential Service Kits
Get all the parts needed to service your Auburn Gear Differential with Auburn differential rebuild kits. Differential kits are a convenient way to get the parts you need to perform a complete service.
Pinion Gear
Service Kit
Spring Retainer
Service Kit
Pinion Shaft
Service Kit
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Auburn Gear 541008
Manufacturer's Part Number: