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This month's Fourteen Fiction is an unusual case. Normally I write my Fourteen Fiction, am pretty happy with it (lately, at least) and then move on. That's where it ends.
But these characters and their situation have captured my interest; I feel there's more to them than what I've written here and that's actually kind of exciting.
The Words:
The Last Woman Standing {calendar prompt}
Hat {Christopher}
Deluge {Amy, via The Hobbit movie, which we were watching as I wrote, one of the dwarves said it and Amy chose it.}
'Not here yet?' Esme asked, sweetly. Her smirk was barely contained.
'No,' Sebastian said, shortly, trying to exhibit an air of unconcern.
'You'd hate for her to be late,'
Sebastian couldn't help but glance into the dark courtyard; the clouds had turned the day into night long before dusk. Esme grinned and he cursed his falter. 'I'm not concerned.' He assured her.
'Of course, you aren't,' she said in mock believe, before flouncing off. He glared after her until she disappeared into the main hall. Her exit released the chaos of the tournament into the hall for a second, and then only rain was left to fill the silence.
Sebastian closed his eyes and tried to allow the rain to wash out his anxiety. It didn't work, so he turned his attention onto the festive tapestries. He was in the middle of discerning whether a crimson blub was a dancing woman or a fish when the sound of heels on stone prepared him for company. She stepped into the candle-lit hall and pushed back her hood, revealing wind ruffled hair and a wide grin. Sebastian tried not to let relief show on his face.
'Lucy,' he almost sighed, then quickly pulled himself up. 'This rain has cursed us no end of trouble. The tournament had to be moved inside, some events have been cancelled. Not to mention you had to make your way through this deluge.'
'I don't mind it,' Lucy said, slightly out of breath from her walk.
Sebastian looked down at her wet and muddy skirt and flicked his hand. Her hem dried in an instant. Lucy raised an eyebrow. He narrowed his eyes, taking in her rain frizzed hair. He tucked a strand behind her ear and her hair pulled itself together.
'I could have done that,'
Sebastian shook his head and held out an arm. 'We can't have you wasting any magic.'
'Always the thoughtful one, Sebastian, thank you.' Lucy took his arm and he led her to the competitor's entrance. The familiar panelled door looked rather more foreboding in the dim. Sebastian glanced at Lucy but she seemed unfazed. She patted her head, frowning. 'I forgot my hat.'
Sebastian reached up and clicked his fingers; her tall, gray casting hat appeared in his hand. Lucy exchanged it for her wet cloak and place in on her head, just so.
'Remember,' Sebastian said, nervously folding the cloak. 'Stay calm, you have everything you need to win.'
'Don't worry,' Lucy said. She flashed him a reassuring look, before pulling out her wand and setting her face in a confident smile. 'I'll make sure I'm the last woman standing.'


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Taryne Mowatt (16-4) tossed her first career Pac-10 shutout, as she gave up only three hits and struck out 11 Sun Devils in a crucial road win. She also got things done at the plate, as the sophomore from
ASU's Desiree Serrano (15-3) lasted 3.2 innings and drew the loss, as UA touched her up for three earned runs on three hits and three walks.
Mowatt helped her own cause in the top of the fourth, as she knocked her second career home run over the fence in left field, increasing UA's lead to 2-0.
Balko followed with her second single of the night and would advance to second on a wild pitch. Two Wildcat strikeouts slimmed the chances of a rally, but
Up 3-0 in the fourth, Mowatt maintained the three run cushion and kept the Sun Devils at that distance all the way through the game's end.
Up next: The Wildcats head to the Bay Area, where they will play at Stanford on Friday and at
Game notes:
- Callista Balko's stolen base in the fourth was a career first. It was also the first time any UA player has swiped third all year.
- Taryne Mowatt extended her team-high, five-game hit streak.

subset: commoncrawl


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Look around at Houston area restaurants and events and what do you see? Besides an enormous variety of cuisines from which to choose, an event growing in frequency is a beer dinner and one local establishment is at the forefront of this trend, with beer dinners dating back several years. The place I am talking about is Rudyard's Pub and it has another monthly beer dinner scheduled this week. Here are the facts:
Event: Monthly Beer Dinner
Location: Rudyard's British Pub, 2010 Waugh Dr., Houston, TX
Date and Time: Thursday, June 26, 2014, at 7 p.m.
Rudyard's Pub is anxious to host yet another one of its highly anticipated beer dinners and this one will feature one of the greatest and largest craft breweries in the land: Stone Brewing of California. Freddy Pompa, a Stone Brewing representative, will grace Rudyard's Pub with his presence and he will be joined by Vonnie from Ben E. Keith Distributors. They will be ready to answer your questions and talk about beer, beer, and…..beer.
Featured Stone brews for this five- course meal include:
- Stone IPA
- Stone Drink by 07.04 IPA
- Stone Cali- Belgique
- Stone Sproketbier
Each of the beers above is amazing in its own unique way and each will be matched with an appropriately amazing and compatible food dish. Guests can marvel at the different Stone brews and the complex flavors of each while enjoying the compatible tastes in each of the five food courses.
Reservations for Stone Brewing Beer Dinner can be made by clicking here or by calling 713-521-0521. The cost per person is $55 and seating is limited, so be sure to make your reservation today!


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Posts tagged bigpharma
Should You Trust BigPharma with Your Health? [12Nov10]
Nov 12th
Posted by Reid in Gut Smart Research
My answer?
A resounding "NO!"
Physician William D. Leak was found to have performed unnecessary nerve tests and excessive invasive procedures, including injecting some patients with agents that destroy nerve tissue. But that didn't stop Eli Lilly from using him as a promotional speaker and adviser.
Leak is part of the drug industry's sales force of doctors who are paid to promote brand-name drugs to their peers. Drug companies claim they hire the most-respected doctors in their fields for this purpose.
But an investigation has uncovered hundreds of doctors on company payrolls who have been accused of professional misconduct or lacked credentials as researchers or specialists.
But as an analysis by ProPublica found, drug companies are not always hiring "experts" to act as spokespeople. Instead, they're often hiring the bottom of the barrel, so to speak, including physicians who have some concerning pasts.
ProPublica has put together a comprehensive database that reveals just how much drug companies are paying doctors, and you can even search for your own doctor to find out if he or she is being paid by the industry.
They compiled data from seven drug companies, including nearly $258 million in physician payouts since 2009, and found some revealing data about the paid speakers and consultants.
- Sanctions against more than 250 speakers
- Some of the doctors had lost their licenses
- More than 40 have received FDA warnings for research misconduct, lost hospital privileges or been convicted of crimes
The idea that drug companies are recruiting only top experts and consummate professionals to do their promotions is a myth. In some cases, there are reputable physicians on their payroll, but many of the most prestigious universities, including Harvard, are now banning their staff from receiving money from drug companies for speaking.
Instead, industry whistleblowers have alleged that drug companies choose their speakers, as ProPublica reported, "on their prescription potential rather than their true credentials."
Sociologist Susan Chimonas, who researches doctor-pharma relationships, told ProPublica:
"It's sort of like American Idol … Nobody will have necessarily heard of you before — but after you've been around the country speaking 100 times a year, people will begin to know your name and think, 'This guy is important.' It creates an opinion leader who wasn't necessarily an expert before."
So the physicians being paid to counsel your physician — who in turn may influence the drugs you end up taking — are not only biased in favor of the drug company that is paying them a substantial fee, they may be vastly underqualified as well.
They attack the market on multiple levels. For instance, many of the articles that appear in medical journals purportedly written by well-known academics are actually written by unacknowledged ghostwriters on Big Pharma payroll.
Drug companies also employ an army of reps who often give gifts to convince doctors to prescribe the medications that they represent. These drug reps usually have no medical or science education. What they do have, however, is training in tactics that are on par with some of the most potent brainwashing techniques used throughout the world.
Worse yet, drug companies have compiled hit lists of doctors to be "neutralized" or discredited because they were speaking out against certain drugs.
Pharmaceutical companies actually spend almost twice as much on marketing than research, and this is how they are able to keep their medications front and center in your physician's, and possibly your, mind.
So please remember first and foremost that drug companies are nearly always trying to sell you something that there are better natural solutions for. And your physician, too, if he or she is intertwined in the conventional medical field, may be inappropriately advising you to take drugs when better options exist.


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A spring nor'easter is predicted for the Mid-Atlantic states and New England as a low-pressure system moves through Tuesday night. Star Tribune reports March 25 that the National Weather Service said how much snow expected to fall depends on the storm's path. Frigid temperatures and strong winds will develop throughout the region.
Over half a foot of snow is forecast to hit the southeastern area of Massachusetts Tuesday night and continuing through Wednesday. Minor flooding and beach erosion along the Massachusetts coast has also been forecast by the National Weather Service in the spring nor'easter. Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket will see the worst of the storm. Snowfall could total eight to 10 inches there. Boston and the northern part of the state could get two to four inches of snow.
New Hampshire could see one or two inches of snow. Maine is forecast to get between eight and 14 inches. New York City is predicted to get less than an inch of snow while portions of New Jersey and Pennsylvania may get two and four inches of snow. Connecticut, eastern Long Island, and coastal Rhode Island are expected to get two to five inches of snow.
Other spring nor'easter forecasts include one to two inches of snow in Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia. The snowfall will occur by Tuesday afternoon with precipitation turning it into rain by late evening.
Copyright © 2014 Heather Tooley
Heather focuses on trending news and entertainment headlines. To read more from this writer, her Twitter page is @HotTopicWriter or hit "Subscribe."


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Cassidy Campbell was homecoming queen at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, Calif. While choosing homecoming queen and court is something that thousands of schools do, this choice was different. On Sept. 21, MSN reported that Campbell was the very first transgender homecoming queen in the nation. Known by many for her YouTube videos which focused on her boy-to-girl transformation.
"I'm doing this for kids who can't be themselves," said Campbell, 16. Naturally she was thrilled with the honor but receiving the coveted title meant a lot more than just wearing a crown and carrying some roses -- perhaps for everyone at the whole school.
Cassidy Campbell was crowned homecoming queen by her peers, many of whom have supported her through her journey. Since receiving her honor (and national news attention), Campbell says that she really wants to be more active in the LBGT community. As she gets older, she may find herself wanting to work with the community and really make a difference based on her experience.
It seems as though everyone is proud of Campbell -- and with good reason. "We're proud of the message from (the) home of the Vikings has been one of equity, acceptance, tolerance and respect," said the school's principal Paul Morrow.
More on Cassidy Campbell as Homecoming Queen in the video above.
© Effie Orfanides 2013


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Darlington kicks off a busy month for race fans
- Details
- Last Updated on Wednesday, 04 May 2011 15:54
- Published on Wednesday, 04 May 2011 15:54
- Hits: 1511
Saturday night Darlington Raceway kicks off a busy month for race fans as it continues the new version of the Southern 500. A Labor Day Weekend tradition since the track's opening in 1950, the Southern 500 was NASCAR's first and longest running Super Speedway Classic.
Sad but true, after the 2004 season, NASCAR's brain trust got the brilliant idea that the circuit had outgrown its small town southern roots. They wanted to be big time. In order to compete with the NFL and Major League Baseball tiny Southeastern venues like Darlington and Rockingham
weren't going to get it done. What the sport needed was more events in major markets from coast to coast.
North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham, a fan favorite since the Speedway opened in 1965, was dumped from the circuit entirely. Darlington's traditional Labor Day weekend race date was given to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Labor Day in Southern California never did register with race fans.
Tiny Darlington? They got one date on the Cup Circuit schedule. A weekend that was previously thought to be poison for race promoters; Mother's Day Weekend.
Perfume, flowers, dinner at a nice restaurant, were traditional standby gifts for Mom on her special day. Somehow "Take Mom to the races on her special day" has not caught on as the track's slogan. Sounds catchy to me.
So they brought back the old standby, "The Southern 500."
This newest tradition is a Saturday night under the lights race, and surprise, surprise. The race has become a big hit.
This Saturday night could be another strong race for Joe Gibbs Racing. Gibbs drivers Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin finished 1 - 2 last week at Richmond. Richmond Runner-up Denny Hamlin is the defending race winner at Darlington. Hamlin set a new track record in qualifying last May, with a speed of 180.370 mph. He has proven to be quite a fast study when it comes to Darlington. In five Darlington starts Denny Hamlin has four top 10 finishes. The Virginia native accomplished a rare feat last year at Darlington, capturing both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series races in back-to-back days. Hamlin became the first driver since Mark Martin in 1993 to sweep a Darlington weekend.
You can't talk about current-day drivers and Darlington without mentioning Jeff Gordon. If anyone knows how to get around the Darlington, it's Gordon. With seven wins in 30 starts at the track "Too Tough to Tame," the four-time Sprint Cup Series Champion leads all active drivers in Darlington victories. Altogether, Gordon has recorded 21 top 10s, including 18 top fives and has led 1,720 laps. He also has three Darlington poles.
Gordon's most memorable Darlington outing was the 1997 Southern 500 on Labor Day Weekend. Needing to win the race to claim a $1 million bonus from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Gordon did just that by holding off a furious charge by Jeff Burton in the final laps. The win helped boost Gordon to a second series Championship and cemented his place as one of the series brightest stars.
The following week the circuit heads north to Dover Delaware for the FedEx 400 at the Monster Mile, before settling in for Charlotte's version of Speedweeks for the balance of the month of May.
The events at Charlotte kick off with the Sprint Cup All-Star Race Saturday Night May 21. Saturday night's All-Star race is followed on Monday, May 23, with the induction ceremony for The NASCAR Hall of Fame's second class. Being inducted this year are drivers David Pearson, Ned Jarrett, Bobby Allison and Lee Petty, and car owner/crew chief Bud Moore.
Friday night, May 27, the Memorial Day weekend racing kicks off with The World of Outlaws Sprint Cars in action on the Charlotte Motor Speedway's dirt track. Saturday, it's the Nationwide Series. Sunday of Memorial Day weekend is the year's biggest double header for race fans.
The day begins with the Indianapolis 500, then it's back to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600. Make your Memorial Day weekend plans now.


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The Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation (AA&MDSIF) is the world's leading nonprofit health organization dedicated to supporting patients and families living with aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), and related bone marrow failure diseases. AA&MDSIF provides answers, support and hope to thousands of patients and their families around the world.
AA&MDSIF Online Grant Application
The AA&MDSIF online grant application is designed to make the grant application process easier and more efficient. The system will prompt you to fill out online forms and submit application materials (project proposal, budget, certifications, etc.) as file attachments.
Applications are due by Friday, February 27, 2015. For more information, please see the complete AA&MDSIF Research Grant Guidelines.
Note: If you created an account during the application process in a previous year, you will need to create a new account for a 2015 grant application.
For technical assistance, contact Angie Onofre, Patient and Health Professional Programs at (301) 279-7202 ext. 112 or (800) 747-2820. You can also reach her by email.


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Let $c_i>0$ be a scalar, $v_i\in R^d$ be a unit-length vector, $i=1,...,n$. In a previous question, it is proved that
Fact: There exist $v_i$ such that $\sum_{i=1}^n c_i v_i=0$ if and only if $c_j \le \frac{1}{2}\sum_{i=1}^n c_i, \forall j$.
We can find a solution when $c_j \le \frac{1}{2}\sum_{i=1}^n c_i, \forall j$. The method is to reorder $c_i$ and form a triangle (please refer to here for details).
My question is: whether the solution to $\sum_{i=1}^n c_i v_i=0$ is unique? If not, can you show any other approaches to construct a different solution?
Many thanks.
Thanks to Xiaochuan, I think I have the answer to this question. In many cases the solution to $\sum_{i=1}^n c_i v_i=0$ is not unique. One general case is: if the vectors $v_i$ can be divided into some subgroups, and in each subgroup $\sum_{i\in g_k} c_i v_i=0$ holds, where $i\in g_k$ means the $i$th vector belongs to the $k$th subgroup. Then for the whole group of $v_i$, we have $\sum_{i=1}^n c_i v_i=\sum_{k=1}^{subgroupnum}\sum_{i\in g_k} c_i v_i= 0$. Xiaochuan's example is a special case. If $c_i$ is equal to each other, any two $v_i$ can form a subgroup and make $\sum_{i=1}^2 v_i=0$ hold.
However, another interesting question arises, what constraints on $c_i$ can make the solution unique? Obviously, the solution as well as its uniqueness is determined by $c_i$.


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Spore 1.1 is a project created by SWAMP (Studies of Work Atmosphere and Mass Production) a studio founded in 1999 by artists Douglas Easterly and Matt Kenyon. In this project the life or death of a rubber tree plant is tied directly to current market forces.
Wi-Fi signals are like water, information mined from the internet is food, and electronic pulses become sunlight.
The project consists of a Home Depot purchased plant hooked up to a self-contained watering mechanism and calibrated on a weekly basis via Wi-Fi according to the performance of Home Depot's stock. If the Home Depot stock is doing well the plant gets its proper water supply. If on the other hand Home Depot's stock does poorly the plant does not get watered. If the plant should end up dying due to poor stock performance, it is returned to the Home Depot and replaced with another at no cost due to Home Depot's one year plant guarantee policy.
"The premise of Spore 1.1 is to expose choice and convenience as mechanisms of control. Data is gathered from a corporation (the collective exhaust of various human, cybernetic and social activity) and then used to effect the rubber tree plant, consequently expressing a viewpoint regarding the relationship between the individual and corporation."
The results of the duo's experiment with the plant?
"Home Depot's stock ratings varied the whole time of the project. In November and December, however, Spore1.1 received water on 8 consecutive weeks. Its health seemed to steadily deteriorate after that, as its roots became rotted, and eventually died in January 2004. This was an unexpected result, as we assumed a weekly 1 minute watering would not kill the plant, rather only a lack of water would kill it. But it somehow seemed appropriate that the plant would die because of an overabundance of Home Depot stock gains"
You can see more of the studios work at: http://www.swamp.nu/
Via: @Bruces at Beyond the Beyond
Additional Coverage: MediaCommons, Project PDF
Image Credits: SWAMP


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An alibi often used to explain the origin of petty contraband. Often works because it is nearly impossible to disprove, plausible, and usually absolves the owner of guilt.
Officer: Son, mind explaining where you got those milk crates with 'Property of Milk Company' written on them?
Dude: Yard sale.
Officer: Dammit.
Dude: Yard sale.
Officer: Dammit.
door JamesXThompson 21 december 2006
to fall while skiing or snowboarding and leaving a trail of gear behind them
that two-planker is having a yardsale down there
door Eternity 28 mei 2003
To leave your possessions messily or haphazardly strewn about, in a manner resembling a yard sale.
Dude, your new housemate is a pig.
Yeah, my living room is a yardsale.
Yeah, my living room is a yardsale.
door AnonymousBoschToo 17 september 2012
A term used in Hockey when a player is body checked so hard, equipment such as gloves, stick and helmet, are sent flying through the air.
Wow, Johnny go rocked so hard coming down the middle that he had a yard sale.
door Flop_sg 20 oktober 2010
When a girl goes through their purse, normally large in size,pulling everything out. Sometimes including clothes, nail polish, pens, paper, etc.
"Wow, she she is having a Yard-Sale over there looking for her pen."
door Smammy Jenkins 2 mei 2010
Dropping one's phone, and having the battery cover (and any other detachable elements) come off, spilling the contents out onto the ground.
"I dropped my phone last week and it was basically a yard sale."
door Korb 16 maart 2008
People yell this when a sick hit is thrown in lacrosse
John just got the shit knocked out off him
door Mason DelaCourt 10 juni 2005


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Photos: Global March in Rio de Janeiro
Posted by mleyba on 06/20/2012 4:56pm MDT tags: Photo
Activists take part in the "Global March" along Rio Branco avenue during the People's Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 20 June, 2012, in the framework of the UN Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development. The UN conference, which marks the 20th anniversary of the Earth Summit — a landmark 1992 gathering that opened the debate on the future of the planet and its resources — is the largest ever organized, with 50,000 delegates.
[insertSlideshowjava xml="http://director.denverpost.com/images.php?album=870" api="dpmc"]
More Photos: Indigenous people gather for Rio+20 in Brazil


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Cupcake Birthday Party Printable Decoration Pack Personalized, Custom in PDF Format, Pink and Purple
Product Info
Pink & Purple Princess Birthday Party Printables in PDF format
This listing is for the Pink & Purple Princess Birthday Party Printables in PDF format.This file is READY-TO-PRINT; a digital PDF file will be sent via email, and NO printed materials will be shipped.
Below is a list of all items included in this "Ready To Pop" collection.
This listing includes the following items:
- Invitation (4"x 5" flat)
- Personalized "Happy Birthday" Banner (each letter is on a 7.5" square)
- 1 Welcome Sign (7.5" square)
- Cupcake Toppers (2.25" squares or circles)
- 6 Blank Food Tent Cards (5" x 3.5")
- Thank You Favor Tags (2.5" square)
- Thank You card (3.5"x 5" folded)
Send us a convo if you are interested in only an individual item from this kit!
** Often times we can customize the colors and designs for you. We even like to create new items at customers' requests! Just convo us for more info so that we can create a special listing for it!**
HOW TO PURCHASE - It's very simple!
When purchasing, please indicate the following in the NOTES TO SELLER section:
Text Customization information:
- Guest of Honor's name as you would like it to appear on all personalized pieces
- Age that Guest of Honor is turning
- List of food items for food labels (up to 6) - for another 6 cards, there is an additional charge of $3.00
-Text for Invitation
-You will also need to send a picture of the birthday girl to be used in the invitation. Please send it to theprintcessshop[at]gmail[dot]com
Once payment is confirmed, we will email your initial PDF file proof to you within 48 hours (but possibly much sooner!) using the the email address on your Etsy account.
Once you receive your proof, please review and notify us of any edits or modifications. You will then receive your final PDF file within 48 hours after you submit your final edits. We're happy when our customers are happy, and we will work with you to be sure you are pleased with the finished product!
***** If you need your order rushed (any sooner than the typical 5 day turn-around), we can do so for a fee of $10.00. Just specify "Rush Order" in Notes to Seller & be sure to add to your cart the "Rush Order" item on the following link:
All files are formatted to print on 8.5" x 11" matte photo paper. Cardstock will also work, but print quality is best on thick matte photo paper. You can either print at home, send it to an online digital printing company, or take it to a local print shop like Office Depot or FedEx Office.
-photo paper or cardstock
-scissors or paper cutter
-circle cutter (circle or scalloped circle)
-hole punch
-hot glue
-coordinating ribbon or twine for signs, cupcake toppers, & banner
-lollipop sticks for cupcake toppers
This PDF file can not be altered, however you may print it as many times as you need for personal use. NO ITEM WILL BE MAILED. THIS LISTING IS FOR A DOWNLOADABLE PDF FILE ONLY.
*Clipart Graphics by Lilly Bimble on Etsy


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TC TO MARGARET A. CARLYLE ; 12 March 1853; DOI: 10.1215/lt-18530312-TC-MAC-01; CL 28: 73-74
Chelsea, 12 March, 1853
My dear Mother,
We got Isabella's Packet this morning, and I have already folded it up for Dumfries; Jean will send it on to Moffat probably on Monday. I need not say how glad we were to hear that you continue in your old tolerable way, and have no more of those bad fits. The weather here is now quite like spring: sunny, brisk, one day it was very warm; but the wind has now turned northerly again, and we have a temperature sharp enough, but natural to the season. I think you will be cautious of venturing out, beyond the bield of the Garden fence, even if you have it as sunny as we! Take care of yourself, dear Mother; and let us wait patiently for more genial days, which cannot be far off now.—
—(Just as I began writing this, there has come a body of vagrant musical scamps, under my windows, with clatter-bones, guitars and Nigger songs; which they are doing with a vigour beyond example, in hopes of a copper or two from somebody. Not from me surely! I could order them off, if I liked to shove up the window, and golly down upon them like a "living Saracen's Head,"1—as I sometimes do. I will rather put up with it for the present; and you will excuse any confusion I fall into. Poor souls, they too would fain live; and one cannot think the Nigger Song a very opulent fund of subsistence for them!)—
Maccall, of whom I wrote, is getting on better now: I went to him about a week ago; found a marked improvement of health;—and today a Charitable institution called the Literary Fund, with whom I had negociated for him, writes to me (as Maccall himself does) that the "Committee have given him £40, on my recommendation"; which really is very fine, and will perhaps set the poor soul up, and into some wholesomer way of existing: at all events, I am very handsomely relieved of him, and glad to be so.
I must tell you of another pleasant thing that has happened to me; or rather Jack will tell you, and explain anything you cannot understand of it: the thing is this. I was never member of any club, nor ever should have been, as almost all the men of my circle are here. But it costs £25 or so of entrance, and £5 or £6 a year besides, for the privilege of going in to see Books, Newspapers, your Acquaintances,—and also of treating the place like the cheapest and royallest of coffee houses (getting refreshment, dining, lounging on sofas &c) according to your pleasure:—and it always seemed to me too dear, and I had no desire for it. However, Lord Ashburton, it wd appear, had privately determined this spring to have it done, witht consulting me; and now it is done, and I am member of what is thought to be the best club of all, the Athenaeum; & all the money, both entrance and annual, is secretly paid for me, and the election (which needed to be unanimous, by a new law, and so was a thing of anxiety) all has been transacted without my ever knowing it, and I am, as it were, brought in in my sleep! I do not expect I shall ever very much use my privilege; but certainly it was a kind and handsome gift to make, and ought to give me pleasure, and does, a little. Men wait for 7 years sometimes before they can be so much as balloted for (only "famous" people, can be elected in this way at once), and then they have to pay (if they do it in a lump, and not annually), I suppose, £100 or better. "A good gift" indeed!
The Nigger Songsters are off elsewhither with their clatterbones, some time ago; but my paper and time—alas!— — Jane is pretty well; out, this fine day; gone visiting, I suppose. I too am trying to be busy. Let us be thankful, dear old Mother, let us be thankful, and hope forever! My blessings to all. T. Carlyle


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Stephen Byers Lobbying Scandal: How Corporatism Works, Part 94
Stephen Byers is in hot water. The former cabinet minister is at the center of a Sunday Times undercover investigation into lobbying and MPs making themselves available for hire to corporate interests keen to influence government policy in their favor.
He now says that when he was caught on tape he was exaggerating, presumably to impress the fake lobbying firm trying to establish what he could do for them. He denies any wrongdoing.
An extraordinary spin operation seems to have convinced parts of the BBC that actually there's not much to see here, and that the real story is that ministers are condemning their former colleagues (well, they would, wouldn't they, as someone from another scandal once put it). And also that Gordon Brown is determined to take action against lobbyists, something he seems to have overlooked in either the last three or 13 years.
Ultimately, this story just demonstrates, yet again, how corporatism works. When government is too powerful, free markets are too weak and competition insufficient, companies (clearly not stupid) will realise quickly that the main route to getting what they want lies in convincing government to give it to them. Thus doing business and making money hangs on who you know in power and what they can do for you — rather than in just making better products than your rivals and selling them to customers.
For a users manual, read Byers comments to The Sunday Times about National Express and the Department of Transport:
"He regards his greatest success, however, as his "work" for National Express when the company was in negotiation with the government over its loss-making rail franchises that cost £1.4 billion. This is how he tells the story: "They approached me, June of last year, and said, 'We've got a huge problem. We want to get out of the East Coast main line but not pay a huge penalty and we want to keep the other two franchises as long we can'."So between you and I, I then spoke to Andrew Adonis, the transport secretary, and said, 'Andrew, look, they've got a huge problem. Is there a way out of this?' And then we, we sort of worked together — basically, the way he was comfortable doing it and you have to keep this very confidential yourself."
"He [Adonis] said we shouldn't be involved in the detailed negotiation between his civil servants and National Express but we can give them a broad steer. So we basically got to a situation where we agreed with Andrew he would publicly be very critical of National Express and talk about, 'I'm going to strip you of the franchise' and be very gung-ho."And we said we will live with that and we won't challenge you in the court, provided you then let us out by December, by the end of the year, and we can keep the other two franchises for a little longer. So, and that's what we managed to do."
See how it works? "They've got a huge problem… so I spoke to Andrew… then we sort of worked together… broad steer… we will Iive with that and won't challenge you in the court, provided you then let us out… that's what we managed to do…"
We live, more than ever, in a corporatist world — as the conduct in recent years of some of the biggest banks demonstrates.
There's a great piece (also in the Sunday Times) from Michael Lewis (of Liar's Poker fame) which in passing notes the corporatist aspects of the financial crisis.
"A few Wall Street CEOs were fired for their roles in the sub-prime mortgage catastrophe, but most remained in their jobs and they, of all people, became important characters operating behind closed doors, trying to figure out what to do next. With them were a handful of government officials — the same government officials who should have known a lot more about what Wall Street firms were doing, back when they were doing it."
What Lewis describes is not free-marketeering. It's corporatism, a conspiracy between two powerful interests: government and institutions. The loser is the consumer and the taxpayer.


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A Streetcar Named Desire
by Tennessee Williams
A Streetcar Named Desire Scene Ten Summary
- It's a few hours later on the same night. Blanche has been drinking pretty steadily since Mitch left. She has also dressed herself in an old satin gown and her rhinestone tiara, and started talking to herself.
- Blanche pretends that she's standing before a group of admirers. When she looks in the mirror, though, she doesn't like what she sees and smashes it down on the dresser, breaking it. (Great. Her life already sucks and now she has seven years of bad luck on top of it.)
- Stanley comes home from the hospital, a few drinks in him and carrying a few more beer bottles. He whistles when he sees Blanche all dolled-up.
- Blanche asks about Stella, and he explains that the baby won't come until the morning, so they sent him home to get some shut-eye.
- She's a bit nervous about the two of them being alone in the apartment all night.
- Stanley asks why she's all dressed up, and Blanche explains that she received a telegram from an old admirer of hers, Shep Huntleigh, inviting her to a cruise on the Caribbean. She went through her old clothes to see what she had that was suitable to wear aboard the ship.
- Stanley plays along with her, though we can tell he doesn't believe her story. He takes off his shirt and Blanche tells him to go close the curtains before he undresses any further.
- Stanley stops at the shirt, though, and looks around for a bottle opened. He tells Blanche he once had a cousin who all he could do was open beer bottles with his teeth, until he broke his front ones off.
- He shakes up the bottle and sprays it all over when he opens it. He's clearly in a good mood on account of the baby, and asks Blanche to share a drink with him to bury the hatchet.
- Blanche declines the drink, but this doesn't dampen his spirits at all. Excitedly, he declares this is a great day for them both—she gets a millionaire, and he gets a son.
- Then he runs to the bedroom and says he's going to wear the red silk pajamas he had on his wedding night, to mark this red-letter day.
- Blanche says the thing she's most excited for is having some privacy again, once she's off with this millionaire.
- Stanley finds this odd—won't the millionaire "interfere with [her] privacy?"
- Blanche snootily explains that the man is a very refined gentleman interested in her company, not her body. Sometimes money makes people lonely, she says, and a woman like her, a refined woman of taste and culture and class and education, is exactly what he needs. Physical beauty may be fleeting, but she has beauty of the soul and mind, which will last forever.
- As she continues, she insults Stanley and Mitch, calling them "swine" who aren't cultured enough to appreciate her best qualities. She gave Mitch his walking papers earlier, she claims, for being so rude.
- Then she delves back into fantasyland. Mitch came back later that night, she said, begging her forgiveness, declaring his love for her. She thanked him for his apology, but maintained that "deliberate cruelty is not forgivable" and sent him on his way with no hard feelings between them.
- Stanley wants to know if this was before or after the telegram came from the Dallas millionaire. Then he more directly accuses her of making all this up, especially since he knows where Mitch has been for the last few hours, and it certainly wasn't with Blanche begging forgiveness.
- Then he starts really raging. He mocks Blanche for dressing up in "a worn-out Mardi Gras outfit"— who does she think she is, anyway, a queen? She might have fooled Mitch, he says, but she never fooled him. He's been on to her from the start. Stanley concludes by laughing in her face with a violent "Ha—Ha!" He stalks off into the bedroom.
- Blanche, left in the outer room, yells for him to stay away. She runs to the telephone and tells the operator to put her through to Western Union. She wants them to take down the message that she is in "desperate circumstances" and "caught in a trap."
- The door bangs open, so Blanche drops the phone. Stanley comes out from the bathroom, wearing his red silk pajamas.
- Blanche wants him to move aside so she can get by him. "You've got plenty of room to walk by me," says Stanley, clearly taking pleasure in her anxiety.
- Blanche again tells him to move, but he insists that she can walk by him. Then he grins. "You think I'll interfere with you?" he laughs.
- Blanche says nothing, and Stanley adds, "Come to think of it—maybe you wouldn't be bad to—interfere with."
- Uh-oh. This can't be good.
- Blanche gets defensive, ordering him to stand back and not come near her. "Something awful will happen!" she threatens, backing away.
- Stanley moves toward her, and she continues to back away until they are both in the bedroom.
- Blanche cries out that she's in danger. As Stanley steps toward her, she breaks a bottle on the table and faces him with the broken end held out as a weapon. She threatens to twist it in his face.
- "So you want some rough-house!" Stanley cries. He springs toward her, overturns the table, and catches her wrist before she can strike at him with the broken bottle.
- "Tiger–tiger," he calls her. "We've had this date with each other from the beginning!" he says.
- Blanche moans, drops the bottle top, and falls to her knees. Stanley picks her up without a struggle and carries her over to the bed.
- As the scene ends, "the hot trumpet and drums" are heard from the Four Deuces bar around the corner.
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horses RSS
News – Local vet treats pain with animal acupuncture
Dr. David Lane's vet clinic is called Points East West. It's an apt name, as the veterinarian combines both western and eastern medicine to help animals with mobility problems. I wanted to interview Lane after I heard he performs … Continue reading
Theatre review: Cavalia's Odysseo definitely has the horses
Odysseo is an ode to joy. The new show from Cavalia under the big top at Olympic Village celebrates the sheer physical wonder of animality, both horse and human, in a multimedia interspecies spectacle. It might be described less pretentiously … Continue reading
Real Housewives of Vancouver Ride out to Langley and Mary Zilba has Some 'Splaining to Do
A funny thing happened on Tuesday night on the Real Housewives of Vancouver (RHOV). The cast members went to a horse show dressed like they were going to an Academy Awards luncheon. Teetering sky-high stilettos and sporting over-the-top, shiny accessories … Continue reading
Ikea withdraws wiener sausages as European horse meat scandal grows
Swedish furniture giant Ikea today announced it was taking wiener sausages off its menu in 5 western European countries, after tests came back indicating traces of horse meat were found in the product. I don't think this will do any … Continue reading
Amanda Hansen has a Birthday and Jody Claman Cries on the Real Housewives of Vancouver
It was kind of a bodily fluid night tonight on the Real Housewives of Vancouver (RHOV). First up on the Slice reality TV show Amanda Hansen feeling the pressure of a morale smashing 34th birthday (hang in there Amanda it … Continue reading
Real Housewives of Vancouver New and Old Faceoff
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Real Housewives of Vancouver Celebrate Gay Pride and Get to Know Each Other
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Will Episode 2 Be More Exciting on Real Housewives of Vancouver
So folks it's Tuesday and we all know what that means. Yup the Real Housewives of Vancouver are back on TV tonight (Slice 7 & 10 p.m.) Even though last week's opening episode was about as exciting as watching former … Continue reading
Real Housewives of Vancouver Return and Party at Ronnie's House
Hang onto to your sparkly tank tops and sky-high stilettos the Real Housewives of Vancouver (RHOV) are back. The Slice network's top-rated TV show returned tonight for season two and did so with new cast members entering the shiny scene.… Continue reading


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April 11, 2014
DEKALB. Ill. - The Northern Illinois University women's golf team looks to build momentum heading into the Mid-American Conference Championship as it heads to Bowling Green, Ohio to compete in the Dolores Black Falcon Invitational at Stone Ridge Golf Club Saturday.
The final tournament before the conference championship, NIU is coming off a third-place finish at the Bradley Invitational last weekend. It's the fifth-straight year the Huskies will be competing in Bowling Green's home event. Last year, NIU finished in fifth with a 645, its lowest score in that tournament. NIU has finished as high as fourth, in 2010 (652) and in the weather-shortened 2011 (333) event.
"We've had an issue with not finishing tournaments the way we should," said NIU head coach Kim Kester. "Putting everything together this weekend and carrying it over into the MAC Championship is the goal for this weekend."
Joining NIU and Bowling Green are fellow MAC competitors Akron, Ball State, Eastern Michigan and Ohio as well as in-state foes Chicago State, UIC and Western Illinois. Cleveland State, Detroit, IPFW, Oakland, South Dakota State and Bowling Green's B-team make up the rest of the 15-team field.
Freshmen Lena Gautier (La Celle Saint Cloud, France/Creteil) and Sydney Brickey (Burtchville, Mich./Shattuck-St. Mary's) and sophomore Connie Ellett (Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire) lead the way for the Huskies. Gautier, who is averaging a team-best 77.3, posted her first career top-10 finish after placing ninth at the Bradley Invitational. Brickey is averaging 78.5, while Ellett is at 78.8.
Sophomore Samantha Coyne (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) and senior Jenny Niemiec (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East) are having solid seasons as well. Coyne is averaging 79.9 in 18 rounds of golf, while Niemiec is at an even 80 in 21 rounds of play.
The 15-team field will play single rounds on both Saturday and Sunday. Play begins with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. CT on Saturday and concludes with an 8:30 a.m. CT shotgun start on Sunday.


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few days ago i've found a great scandinavian band - Loop Troop. i think they're from Sweden and they have one of the best rap i've ever heard. To all those interested go to [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] and download the videos (3 of Promoe and 3 of Loop Troop)
Forum Rules


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Veteran tailback Ladell Betts has been released by the New Orleans Saints, his agent Tony Agnone confirmed. Betts played well in the preseason finale at Tennessee on Thursday night, but apparently the Saints didn't feel like he was far enough along in his recovery from knee surgery.
That could bode well for the injury news on rookie tailback Chris Ivory, who left Thursday's game with a knee injury. And it could bode well for the status of roster hopeful DeShaw Wynn, though the Saints will certainly keep an eye on backs who get cut around the league this weekend.
The Saints haven't confirmed any roster decisions yet, but Coach Sean Payton is expected to speak to the media around 2:15 or 2:30.


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NordicTrack T6.3 Treadmill
A high speed and incline treadmill, you'll be able to choose or change your workout easily with intuitive controls that adjust your workout at a touch. There are several workouts designed by a Certified Personal Trainer for achieving your specific goals while a music port and quality sound system deliver your favorite workout tunes from your iPod. Mile after mile, this treadmill performs just the way you want it to, only better.
- The Nordictrack T6.3 High Speed High Incline Treadmill offers an effective and safe workout with its FlexSelect™ Cushioning
- Two isolators offer a cushioned foot-strike area and a firm take off zone for better workouts
- 2.6 CHP DurX™ Motor with a drive system that offers smooth running and self-cooling so you can keep running as long as you want
- 1-Touch™ speed and incline controls to shift from 0 to 10 mph or 0% to 10% incline for ease of use
- 6" display panel shows speed, time, distance, pulse and calories burned to monitor


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Short review of company activity
Hartblei Company specializes on producing lenses and accessories for medium format cameras. Second orientation of company activity is modernization and tuning of Kiev medium format cameras.
The main production of the company now is Tilt-Shift Perspective Control lenses. The all optical elements of the lenses are well multicoated. Lenses are available with different types of mount - for Kiev 60 / Pentacon Six, Mamiya 645, Contax 645, Pentax 645 medium format cameras, as well as for most popular 35mm SLR / DSLR cameras with Canon, Nikon, Minolta, Pentax, Zenit, Praktica, and Leica R mounts.
Hartblei Company is acknowledged leader in the field of modernization and perfection of Kiev 88 and Kiev 60 cameras. Appearance of cameras that were proposed by Hartblei on the market caused resuscitation and forced to look at Kiev's phototechnique in a new fashion.
The optimal "price / quality" rate of produced goods attracts as professional photographers, so amateurs that make photos on wide film.


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The 2013 SAG Awards were held last night and the winners were very close to the ones we saw the prior week at the Golden Globes. In fact, there were quite a few similarities between the two.
First, the SAG Awards are held by the actor's union the Screen Actors Guild, along with AFTRA, or the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. That means that they recognize film and television achievements, much like the Globes. However, at the SAG Awards, the ensembles win, so rather than "Best Picture" you get "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture." There are no Best Director, Writer or music awards. It's all about the actors and there are many who feel that this award is very much an honor since the winners are determined by their peers.
Second, the awards have a loose feel, much like the Globes. The casts sit together at tables and there is food and some sort of beverages (whether or not they are alcoholic, I don't know). This usually means that the SAG Awards are more of a party and less of a formal thing.
The main difference between the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards, at least this year, was that the winners did not have to walk incredibly far to get up on stage and collect their prizes. Also, the winners were allowed to talk a little bit longer than at the Globes.
One of the highlights was the Life Achievement Award which was given to actress Rita Moreno. Moreno was fantastic, dancing on stage with friend (and fellow Electric Company star) Morgan Freeman. She also flirted with Jeremy Renner and Brad Pitt, before launching into a lovely song and thanking everyone for her long, fantastic, and awards-rich career. At 82, she also looked like she could still dance in West Side Story if need be.
The one main difference in the awards came in the Supporting Actress award (here called Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role) which was won at the Globes by Jennifer Lawrence, but won here by Lupita Nyong'o for 12 Years a Slave.
Here are the rest of the winners at this year's SAG Awards:
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role:
Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role:
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role:
Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture:


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To provide resources to women who have survived domestic violence and other setbacks that empower them to become strong, confident contributors to their communities.
Annie's Legacy was founded in 2006 by Beverly Billy, who was inspired by her mother's ability to successfully escape domestic abuse. Beverly recognized the need for a resource center that provides women with knowledge, a sense of empowerment, and the skills to become self-reliant.
Annie's Legacy is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 2006.
Our one-on-one mentoring program, Good Girlfriends, is unique in Chicago.
The women we help are dealing with domestic abuse, poverty, under-education, and under employment.
We work with women in five core areas: relationships, budgeting and finance, personal well-being, employment, and personal assistance.
Pat is the Board Chair of Annie's Legacy, a women's resource center that provides women with one-on-one mentoring and life skills. She is the former Board Chair for Centers for New Horizons.
Eric sits on several boards/councils including University of Chicago's Community Advisory Review Council for the Institute for Translational Medicine, Guide Right Organization, Fearlessly Love Youth, and Jackson Park Hospital. Eric has worked with AdvancED for the past eight years and has served as a lead evaluator on many school and district teams. Additionally, Banner and all of its schools are accredited by AdvancED. Over the past 20 years, Eric has been able to educate and improve the lives of thousands of students.
Dr. Ebony Dill
Dr. Dill has over 20 years of experience as a researcher and over 11 years of experience in government program administration. As a program administrator, she has been responsible for evaluating and coordinating domestic and community violence programs, researching best practice and performance measurement efforts for programs, and providing education and technical assistance to agencies. Additionally she had led strategic planning efforts, supported the development of promotion campaigns to reduce exposure to domestic and dating violence, developed and coordinated funding opportunities, and coordinated multidisciplinary, collaborative partnerships. As a member of the Board of Directors for Annie's Legacy, Dr. Dill will use her skills and passion to advance its mission.
Dr. Dill lost a close, dear family member to domestic violence 20 years ago and knows personally the impact of domestic violence on families, including the need to heal and thrive after the violence. She considers her work in domestic violence to be her calling to help victims and families live violence free lives.
Dr. Dill received her Doctorate in Community and Prevention Research from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her Masters degree in Developmental Psychology from Howard University in Washington, D.C. She lives in Chicago with her daughter. In her spare time she enjoys playing golf, attending the theater, mentoring young women, and serving as a parent volunteer for her daughter's programs/school.


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« Opera Browser to Transition to WebKit Backend | Home | Interactive Audio Quickstart Tutorial + expanded example »
February 26, 2013
Firefox on Windows 7 gets H.264 and MP3 support
Good news for audio on the web: the latest nightly builds of Firefox on Windows 7 have H.264 and MP3 support enabled by default! Work is ongoing to bring these features to the Mac OS X and Linux versions.
Also, Web Audio API support is starting to appear in Firefox, starting with a preference to enable Web Audio API in about:config. AudioContext.decodeAudioData appears to be functional at this time. I look forward to finding out how far the implementation goes at this point.
And as if that wasn't enough, WebRTC is enabled on by default, too!


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A-B Tech Construction, Building Sciences, and Sustainability Programs
Contact: Heath Moody
(828) 398-7349
340 Victoria Road
Asheville, NC 28801
We offer curriculum programs in Construction Management, Building Sciences, Carpentry/millwork, and Sustainable Technologies. We are within the Engineering & Applied Technology Division at A-B Tech.
Green Opportunities
Contact: Torin Kexel
(828) 398-4158
220 Livingston St.
Asheville, NC 28801
The GO Energy Team provides energy audits, building performance contracting and BPI certification trainings for industry professionals. We support a triple bottom line. People-Planet-Prosperity.
Southern Green Living Expo
Contact: Mandy Berger
(828) 255-2526
172 Charlotte Street
Asheville, NC 28801
The Southern Green Living Expo is an annual event showcasing the best of the Southern region's eco-friendly products and services, green opportunities, knowledge and success in sustainability and conservative environmental stewardship.


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Poll expected to be very tight
Praphan Jundalertudomdee
The Nation
Democrat candidate Tankhun Jitt-itsara, centre, spends time with Don Muang residents as part of his election campaign. Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has accompanied him on several occasions.
Democrat candidate's dedication to locals may earn him more votes
BANGKOK: -- The Don Muang by-election is expected to be a neck-and-neck race between the Pheu Thai and Democrat Party candidates.
In fact, it is expected to be so tight that observers have not been able to predict the outcome, with many even saying that the opinion polls are incorrect.
On Sunday, however, we will learn whether it is the government or the opposition that will get another seat in Parliament.
The ruling-Pheu Thai Party is fielding former teen heartthrob Yuranunt Pamornmontri, while the Democrats have nominated actor Tankhun Jitt-itsara.
Tankhun previously lost to the now red-carded Pheu Thai MP Karun Hosakul by 8,000 votes in 2011. During the Bangkok gubernatorial election this year, Pheu Thai candidate Pol General Pongsapat Pongcharoen won 40,073 votes in the Don Muang constituency compared to Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra's 28,092 votes.
Over the past few years, the ruling party has repeatedly won in this obviously pro-red district. So it is obvious that most observers would place their bets on Yuranunt.
But then again, Don Muang district today is different and Yuranunt has certain weakness that cannot be overlooked.
First of all, he has no political base in the district even though his house registration papers now say he hails from the area. In comparison, Tankhun has worked diligently on garnering local support, especially during the 2011 flood crisis.
Also, the fact that municipal councillors are under the Democrat banner makes one doubt the prediction of a Pheu Thai victory.
Many pollsters are also shifting their focus on Tankhun emerging as a winner, prompting Pheu Thai to boost the number of its door-to-door campaign teams from nine to 27.
Clearly, Pheu Thai has reason to be afraid, especially since its opinion polls, which have come out with accurate predictions time after time, seem to have lost their magic.
Another indicator might be the candidates' presence in cyberspace. Tankhun regularly tweets messages and photographs and has 40,000 followers.
Plus, his Facebook page is regularly updated to woo young voters who are addicted to social media.
Yuranunt, on the other hand, has not sent out a single tweet, which means he is at least one step behind the competition.
Hence, it is perhaps safe to believe that the Don Muang by-election might end up being a repeat of the Bangkok governor's election.
-- The Nation 2013-06-12
Don Mueang by-election expected to be very tight
39 replies to this topic
Posted 2013-06-12 06:21:48
Posted 2013-06-12 07:19:44
My concern is: Will Pheu Thai attempt to sway the election by buying votes like they do in Isaan? I hope the residents of Don Muang will resist the temptation to be bought and let real democracy rule the land.
Posted 2013-06-12 09:37:08
Hopefully the DM voter will have been exposed to enough truths to be able to decide against Yaranunt. Unlike many parts of rural Thailand they have a better choice of media to choose from, newspapers on every corner, and a chance to converse with their neighbours and work mates from all sides of the political divide. I should be very surprised if the Dems don't go close.
Posted 2013-06-12 10:24:09
"Hence, it is perhaps safe to believe that the Don Muang by-election
That would be great the Bangkok governor's election was a rout.
With results like that there is a slim outside chance the PTP might get the message they are not wanted and change their tactics towards policies designed to help Thailand not line their pockets with money.
Posted 2013-06-12 13:09:25
If it goes like in the Bangkok governor election it is more likely that some rather not vote than vote Democrat party. That doesn't help the Pheu Thai party candidate either.
Posted 2013-06-12 13:32:05
Should the Dems win then PT would have to seriously look at their chances in a national election.
There seems little doubt that the so called 'social media' via the internet plays an increasing part in peoples awareness of what goes on in the country.
Even in the last 2 years since the last election people have had increasing access to the internet all over the country, making it more difficult to hide things that a Government may not want known.
Statements and actions that in the past may not have got any publicity are getting round the country and the world very quickly.
A great example of this was the reds actions in Lampang which never got a mention in the newspapers but were on facebook as they were happening.
Now as we see the 'minister of Vice' or whatever his title is, was forced to make a statement.
Posted 2013-06-12 13:44:09
remember all governments suffer a protest vote,like the uk,mid-term,,,,,,just a piont of view form a non voting farang,,,
Posted 2013-06-12 14:09:40
I think they have already had their token 'protest vote', there could be a pattern setting up now
Posted 2013-06-12 15:58:15
Just started to rain again. Lots last night as well. Let's hope the 15/16 will be dry otherwise we get all kind of funny comments on the effect of rain on elections in a flood prone area
EDIT: correct weekend
Edited by rubl, 2013-06-12 16:17:24.
Posted 2013-06-12 16:03:41
Will Tankhun's dedication to the locals outweigh Yuranunt's (spelling?) dedication to the BB....?
Posted 2013-06-12 16:06:04
Not sure why rain the week after the election would have any effect.
Posted 2013-06-12 16:19:29
Weekend corrected, Election Commission agreed to postponement
PS my internet connection has been doing flipflops every 5 minutes since it started to rain. Mind you, I'm out in the sticks, khet Dusit near Sukhothai Rd. in Bangkok that is
Edited by rubl, 2013-06-12 16:19:53.
Posted 2013-06-12 19:05:05
Seem the prediction of a PTP landslide win have been premature.
Posted 2013-06-12 19:11:43
Thaksin is more likely to shoot the messenger rather accept any blame for his leadership or policies
Posted 2013-06-12 20:42:54
...when you run the country...and everything else...with all the peoples money at your disposal.....how could you lose....
...but......make it close...to not raise any suspicions...and announce it beforehand...
Posted 2013-06-12 20:47:09
Looks like it will be very close with PT winning by just a few million baht.
Posted 2013-06-16 02:03:41
I expect a nice new topic in five / six hours time. No rain this Saturday, maybe a nice sunny Sunday. The weather forecast doesn't mention any flooding. Let's hope the electorate will let their voice be heard.
Edited by rubl, 2013-06-16 02:04:00.
Posted 2013-06-16 05:10:49
It must be pretty important to PT, more important indeed than what will happen to the rice mountain.
I see that Yingluck was lending her support to their candidate instead of chairing the Rice Policy Committee she made herself chairperson of.
Posted 2013-06-16 10:58:46
Is there a live blog on the Internet giving progress? I know in Thai of course. Would get my missus to monitor it..... Or any channel covering on GMM or Truevisions?
Posted 2013-06-16 16:38:15
Mrs says that after voting has closed it looks like the Dem man has won.
Nothing certain as yet, we wait to see.
Posted 2013-06-16 16:41:29
Latest from the Mrs who is watching apparently live.
Very close only about 5or 600 difference at this point
Posted 2013-06-16 16:54:15
Preliminary results from polling booths coming in now and all very close, most within a thousand either way.
Totals at present No8 26261, No9 24491
Posted 2013-06-16 16:59:01
If I remember correctly #8 is the Democrat party candidate and #9 the Pheu Thai party candidate?
BTW like with the BKK governor elections I expect a larger number of invalid votes. From red-shirts who don't like the PT candidate but don't want to vote Dem's either.
Edited by rubl, 2013-06-16 17:00:23.
Posted 2013-06-16 17:18:59
Latest update from the Mrs
No 8 30218
No 9 28280
Posted 2013-06-16 17:28:12
With 4 polling places yet to be included totals now
No 8 31,823
No 9 29,735.
That is a total of 61,585 out of an estimated total voters of 70,000 assuming a 70% voter turnout of 100,000 eligible voters.
Sponsored by ...


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Don't let it get away!
Keep track of the stocks that matter to you.
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In a nutshell, you can sum up today's market action like this: China tried to throw a party, but Ben Bernanke ended up spoiling the mood. With China cutting interest rates overnight, investors hoped that the Federal Reserve might signal that it would follow suit with further easing of monetary policy of its own. But instead, the Fed not only failed to give hints that it would ease but also suggested stricter capital requirements for banks, and so after having gained almost 140 points early in the session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEX: ^DJI ) had to settle for a 46-point rise, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq finished down on the day.
Despite the Dow's overall gains, several stocks within the Dow didn't do well. The big loser on the day was Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) , which gave up part of its big gains yesterday and fell nearly 3%. The Fed's proposal would force B of A and other big banks to raise their capital reserves to 6% of assets, up from the current minimum of 4%. Even though B of A has been working hard to raise capital by selling off non-core assets, the higher standard would force it to go even further to build reserves and hamper its ability to boost its profits.
Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ ) was also among the Dow's losers, falling about 1.3%. Between strategic announcements, job cuts, and new initiatives, HP has been pulling out all the stops in its effort to restructure and get back some of its past growth. But impatient investors see other companies making steps forward and wonder when HP's moves will finally bear fruit in the form of a higher stock price. So far, that hasn't happened.
Finally, AT&T (NYSE: T ) lost more than 1% after Virgin Mobile announced that it will offer a no-contract iPhone starting June 29. Although the iPhone's initial price won't be subsidized, Virgin's $30-per-month plan is a big discount compared with rates that Verizon and AT&T charge. Virgin has the Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S ) network behind its service, and sales will count toward Sprint's iPhone purchase obligations, so the move is a likely win for Sprint. But the big question is whether buyers will be willing to pay a whole lot more upfront -- $649 for an iPhone 4S, versus $199 from carriers requiring two-year contracts -- in exchange for the flexibility of not having a long-term obligation.
Don't be down
Uncertainty always holds back some stocks, even when the market's having a good rally. A big source of uncertainty for investors this year is the coming presidential election, but we've identified some stocks we think are poised to benefit once November ends. Discover the names of these companies in our brand-new special report, "Stocks That Could Skyrocket After the 2012 Presidential Election." Downloading a free copy is as easy as a click, so do it right now.


text:
|By Elizabeth White
Article Rating:
|September 3, 2014 10:45 PM EDT
SYS-CON Events announced today that Ixia will exhibit at SYS-CON's 15th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 4-6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Contact @IXIAcom for your FREE @CloudExpo pass.
Ixia develops amazing products so its customers can connect the world. Ixia helps its customers provide an always-on user experience through fast, secure delivery of dynamic connected technologies and services.
Through actionable insights that accelerate and secure application and service delivery, Ixia's customers benefit from faster time to market, optimized application performance and higher-quality deployments.
Ixia Blog:
Keep Your Security Up-To-Date with Ixia ATI and Evergreen
By David Avery
Cyber attackers are constantly evolving their mode of assault as they target sensitive data, financial assets, and operations. At the same time networks are under the strain of ever growing dynamic applications and user behavior. The traditional approach of simply reacting to attacks and traffic evolution is costing organizations and governments billions. The only way to stay one step ahead is to predict the impact before it happens.
The Ixia BreakingPoint Application and Threat Intelligence (ATI) program provides comprehensive and current application protocols and attacks for BreakingPoint platforms. The company's simulation and testing platforms are kept current via this exclusive subscription service, which regularly pushes newly discovered attacks, malware, and other intelligence aggregated from proprietary research, strategic customer relationships, and carrier feeds. [continued]
Cloud Expo's giant Silicon View billboard, on Highway 101 in the heart of Silicon Valley, is viewed by more than 1.3 million motorists per week
The 15th International Cloud Expo has just expanded its conference program, to bring together Cloud Computing, APM, APIs, Security, Big Data, Internet of Things, DevOps and WebRTC at one location.
The show now has three tracks devoted exclusively to the IoT (with WebRTC present in one of the tracks), a full single track focusing on Big Data, and a two-track DevOps Summit, in addition to four tracks devoted exclusively to Cloud Computing in the enterprise.
Cloud Expo is the single show where delegates and technology vendors can meet to experience and discuss the entire world of the cloud.
With Cloud Computing driving a higher percentage of enterprise IT budgets every year, it becomes increasingly important to learn about the latest technology developments and solutions.
Attend Cloud Expo Nov 4-6, at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA. Craft your own custom experience. Learn the latest from the world's best technologists. Find the vendors you want and put them to the test.
15th Cloud Expo Expanded Conference Program
Cloud Expo
Track 1: Enterprise Cloud Adoption
Track 2: APM, Cloud and Hot Topics
Track 3: Cloud APIs & Business
Track 4: Cloud Security - Mobility
Big Data Expo
Track 5: Big Data/Analytics
Track 6: Consumer IoT
Track 7: Enterprise IoT
Track 8: IoT Developer & WebRTC
DevOps Summit
Track 1: "Dev" Developer Focus
Track 2: "Ops" Operations Focus
More than 150 all-star faculty members will discuss the hottest technology topics in November. In addition to the expanded APM and API coverage, Cloud Expo Silicon Valley will offer a variety of Linux containers and Docker sessions.
DevOps Summit at Cloud Expo also doubled its content from June, in two full simultaneous tracks for three days.
Tracks and topics for DevOps Summit at Cloud Expo will include:
- Application delivery
- ROI and business value
- Site reliability
- Continuous delivery
- Kanban, Scrum, and Agile
- Continuous integration
- Release scalability
- Continuous release
- Service virtualization
- Operational monitoring
- Capacity management
- Load testing
- Quality assurance
- Manager and exec support
- Release automation
- Cultural change
- Breaking down IT silos
- Cloud development
- Cloud platforms
- Test automation
- Teaming
- Application security
- API management
- Identity and access
- Audit and control
- DevOps and ITIL, ISO, Six Sigma, COBIT
- Mobile DevOps
- DevOps for legacy systems
- Software-defined servers
- Network automation
- Server automation
- Configuration automation
- Continuous support
- DevOps anti-patterns
- Enterprise DevOps
- DevOps system architecture
- IT orchestration
- Containerization
- DevOps skills and training
- WebOps, CloudOps, ChatOps, NoOps
- Change management
Tracks and topics for Internet of @ThingsExpo will include:
Consumer IoT & Wearables
- Wearables
- Smart Appliances
- Smart Cars
- Smartphones 2.0
- Smart Travel
- Personal Fitness
- Health Care
- Personalized Marketing
- Customized Shopping
- Personal Finance
- The Digital Divide
- Mobile Cash & Markets
- Games & the IoT
- The Future of Education
- Virtual Reality
Enterprise IoT
- The Business Case for IoT
- Smart Grids
- Smart Cities
- Smart Transportation
- The Smart Home
- Authentication/Security
- Wiring the IoT
- The Internet of Everything
- Digital Transformation of Enterprise IT
- Agriculture
- Transportation
- Manufacturing
- Local & State Government
- Federal Government
IoT Developers
- Eclipse Foundation
- Cloud Foundry
- Linux Containers
- Node-Red
- Open Source Hardware
- AJAX and the IoT
- Leveraging SOA
- Multi-Cloud IoT
- Evolving Standards
- WebSockets
- Security & Privacy Protocols
- GPS & Proximity Services
- Bluetooth/RFID/etc.
- Nest Labs
Sponsorship Opportunities
for Cloud Expo® 2014 Silicon Valley
Cloud Expo® 2014 Silicon Valley "show prospectus" has shipped. Sponsorship, exhibit, and keynote opportunities can be obtained from Carmen Gonzalez by email at events (at) sys-con.com, or by phone 201 802-3021.
Early Bird Registration Options
for Cloud Expo® 2014 Silicon Valley
Cloud Expo® delegates can pre-register for Cloud Expo® Silicon Valley with Early Bird savings here.
About SYS-CON Media & Events
SYS-CON Media (www.sys-con.com) has since 1994 been connecting technology companies and customers through a comprehensive content stream at www.sys-con.com - featuring over forty focused subject areas, from Cloud Computing to Web Security - interwoven with market-leading full-scale conferences produced by SYS-CON Events. The company's internationally recognized brands include among others Cloud Expo® (www.CloudComputingExpo.com), Big Data Expo (http://BigDataExpo.net), Virtualization Conference & Expo (www.VirtualizationConference.com), DevOps Summit (http://DevOpsSummit.sys-con.com), Internet of @ThingsExpo (http://www.ThingsExpo.com), SDDC Expo (http://SDDCExpo.sys-con.com), WebRTC Summit (http://WebRTCSummit.net), Government IT Conference & Expo (www.GovITExpo.com), Cloud Computing Bootcamp (www.CloudComputingBootcamp.com), and UlitzerLive! New Media Conference & Expo (http://events.sys-con.com).
Cloud Expo® is a registered trademark of Cloud Expo, Inc.
"We work in the area of Big Data analytics and Big Data analytics is a very crowded space - you have Hadoop, ETL, warehousing, visualization and there's a lot of effort trying to get these tools to talk to each other," explained Mukund Deshpande, head of the Analytics practice at Accelerite, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 18th Cloud Expo, held June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY.
Jul. 2, 2016 01:30 AM EDT Reads: 824
Cloud Expo, Inc. has announced today that Andi Mann returns to 'DevOps at Cloud Expo 2016' as Conference Chair The @DevOpsSummit at Cloud Expo will take place on November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. "DevOps is set to be one of the most profound disruptions to hit IT in decades," said Andi Mann. "It is a natural extension of cloud computing, and I have seen both firsthand and in independent research the fantastic results DevOps delivers. So I am excited t...
Jul. 2, 2016 01:00 AM EDT Reads: 730
Basho Technologies has announced the latest release of Basho Riak TS, version 1.3. Riak TS is an enterprise-grade NoSQL database optimized for Internet of Things (IoT). The open source version enables developers to download the software for free and use it in production as well as make contributions to the code and develop applications around Riak TS. Enhancements to Riak TS make it quick, easy and cost-effective to spin up an instance to test new ideas and build IoT applications. In addition to...
Jul. 1, 2016 08:30 PM EDT Reads: 800
IoT is rapidly changing the way enterprises are using data to improve business decision-making. In order to derive business value, organizations must unlock insights from the data gathered and then act on these. In their session at @ThingsExpo, Eric Hoffman, Vice President at EastBanc Technologies, and Peter Shashkin, Head of Development Department at EastBanc Technologies, discussed how one organization leveraged IoT, cloud technology and data analysis to improve customer experiences and effi...
Jul. 1, 2016 06:30 PM EDT Reads: 775
Internet of @ThingsExpo has announced today that Chris Matthieu has been named tech chair of Internet of @ThingsExpo 2016 Silicon Valley. The 6thInternet of @ThingsExpo will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Jul. 1, 2016 06:00 PM EDT Reads: 546
Presidio has received the 2015 EMC Partner Services Quality Award from EMC Corporation for achieving outstanding service excellence and customer satisfaction as measured by the EMC Partner Services Quality (PSQ) program. Presidio was also honored as the 2015 EMC Americas Marketing Excellence Partner of the Year and 2015 Mid-Market East Partner of the Year. The EMC PSQ program is a project-specific survey program designed for partners with Service Partner designations to solicit customer feedbac...
Jul. 1, 2016 05:30 PM EDT Reads: 791
The cloud promises new levels of agility and cost-savings for Big Data, data warehousing and analytics. But it's challenging to understand all the options – from IaaS and PaaS to newer services like HaaS (Hadoop as a Service) and BDaaS (Big Data as a Service). In her session at @BigDataExpo at @ThingsExpo, Hannah Smalltree, a director at Cazena, provided an educational overview of emerging "as-a-service" options for Big Data in the cloud. This is critical background for IT and data profession...
Jul. 1, 2016 05:15 PM EDT Reads: 648
"There's a growing demand from users for things to be faster. When you think about all the transactions or interactions users will have with your product and everything that is between those transactions and interactions - what drives us at Catchpoint Systems is the idea to measure that and to analyze it," explained Leo Vasiliou, Director of Web Performance Engineering at Catchpoint Systems, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 18th Cloud Expo, held June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York Ci...
Jul. 1, 2016 04:15 PM EDT Reads: 260
Ask someone to architect an Internet of Things (IoT) solution and you are guaranteed to see a reference to the cloud. This would lead you to believe that IoT requires the cloud to exist. However, there are many IoT use cases where the cloud is not feasible or desirable. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Dave McCarthy, Director of Products at Bsquare Corporation, will discuss the strategies that exist to extend intelligence directly to IoT devices and sensors, freeing them from the constraints of ...
Jul. 1, 2016 03:15 PM EDT Reads: 329
Connected devices and the industrial internet are growing exponentially every year with Cisco expecting 50 billion devices to be in operation by 2020. In this period of growth, location-based insights are becoming invaluable to many businesses as they adopt new connected technologies. Knowing when and where these devices connect from is critical for a number of scenarios in supply chain management, disaster management, emergency response, M2M, location marketing and more. In his session at @Th...
Jul. 1, 2016 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,433
Extracting business value from Internet of Things (IoT) data doesn't happen overnight. There are several requirements that must be satisfied, including IoT device enablement, data analysis, real-time detection of complex events and automated orchestration of actions. Unfortunately, too many companies fall short in achieving their business goals by implementing incomplete solutions or not focusing on tangible use cases. In his general session at @ThingsExpo, Dave McCarthy, Director of Products...
Jul. 1, 2016 01:15 PM EDT Reads: 353
There are several IoTs: the Industrial Internet, Consumer Wearables, Wearables and Healthcare, Supply Chains, and the movement toward Smart Grids, Cities, Regions, and Nations. There are competing communications standards every step of the way, a bewildering array of sensors and devices, and an entire world of competing data analytics platforms. To some this appears to be chaos. In this power panel at @ThingsExpo, moderated by Conference Chair Roger Strukhoff, Bradley Holt, Developer Advocate a...
Jul. 1, 2016 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,052
The Internet of Things will challenge the status quo of how IT and development organizations operate. Or will it? Certainly the fog layer of IoT requires special insights about data ontology, security and transactional integrity. But the developmental challenges are the same: People, Process and Platform and how we integrate our thinking to solve complicated problems. In his session at 19th Cloud Expo, Craig Sproule, CEO of Metavine, will demonstrate how to move beyond today's coding paradigm ...
Jul. 1, 2016 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 706
Apixio Inc. has raised $19.3 million in Series D venture capital funding led by SSM Partners with participation from First Analysis, Bain Capital Ventures and Apixio's largest angel investor. Apixio will dedicate the proceeds toward advancing and scaling products powered by its cognitive computing platform, further enabling insights for optimal patient care. The Series D funding comes as Apixio experiences strong momentum and increasing demand for its HCC Profiler solution, which mines unstruc...
Jul. 1, 2016 12:30 PM EDT Reads: 692
SYS-CON Events has announced today that Roger Strukhoff has been named conference chair of Cloud Expo and @ThingsExpo 2016 Silicon Valley. The 19th Cloud Expo and 6th @ThingsExpo will take place on November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. "The Internet of Things brings trillions of dollars of opportunity to developers and enterprise IT, no matter how you measure it," stated Roger Strukhoff. "More importantly, it leverages the power of devices and the Interne...
Jul. 1, 2016 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 663
In addition to all the benefits, IoT is also bringing new kind of customer experience challenges - cars that unlock themselves, thermostats turning houses into saunas and baby video monitors broadcasting over the internet. This list can only increase because while IoT services should be intuitive and simple to use, the delivery ecosystem is a myriad of potential problems as IoT explodes complexity. So finding a performance issue is like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack.
Jul. 1, 2016 10:45 AM EDT Reads: 582
Machine Learning helps make complex systems more efficient. By applying advanced Machine Learning techniques such as Cognitive Fingerprinting, wind project operators can utilize these tools to learn from collected data, detect regular patterns, and optimize their own operations. In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, Stuart Gillen, Director of Business Development at SparkCognition, discussed how research has demonstrated the value of Machine Learning in delivering next generation analytics to imp...
Jul. 1, 2016 10:30 AM EDT Reads: 1,114
Whether your IoT service is connecting cars, homes, appliances, wearable, cameras or other devices, one question hangs in the balance – how do you actually make money from this service? The ability to turn your IoT service into profit requires the ability to create a monetization strategy that is flexible, scalable and working for you in real-time. It must be a transparent, smoothly implemented strategy that all stakeholders – from customers to the board – will be able to understand and comprehe...
Jul. 1, 2016 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 537
The cloud market growth today is largely in public clouds. While there is a lot of spend in IT departments in virtualization, these aren't yet translating into a true "cloud" experience within the enterprise. What is stopping the growth of the "private cloud" market? In his general session at 18th Cloud Expo, Nara Rajagopalan, CEO of Accelerite, explored the challenges in deploying, managing, and getting adoption for a private cloud within an enterprise. What are the key differences between wh...
Jul. 1, 2016 09:30 AM EDT Reads: 1,208
The IoT is changing the way enterprises conduct business. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Eric Hoffman, Vice President at EastBanc Technologies, discussed how businesses can gain an edge over competitors by empowering consumers to take control through IoT. He cited examples such as a Washington, D.C.-based sports club that leveraged IoT and the cloud to develop a comprehensive booking system. He also highlighted how IoT can revitalize and restore outdated business models, making them profitable ...
Jul. 1, 2016 09:00 AM EDT Reads: 708


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The Age has an interesting article on how the new security measures companies are taking may affect us all. With Microsoft's Palladium creeping up on the horizon and Hollywood's "Digital Restriction Management", you might find yourself asking one question: Who controls your comptuer?
The technical idea underlying treacherous computing is that the computer includes a digital encryption and signature device, and the keys are kept secret from you. (Microsoft's version of this is called "palladium.") Proprietary programs will use this device to control which other programs you can run, which documents or data you can access, and what programs you can pass them to. These programs will continually download new authorization rules through the Internet, and impose those rules automatically on your work. If you don't allow your computer to obtain the new rules periodically from the Internet, some capabilities will automatically cease to function.More information @ The Age AU


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|The instructions provided in this article or section are considered advanced.
You are expected to be knowledgeable in the UNIX shell.
PEAR is an open-source framework and distribution system for reusable PHP components. PEAR is object-oriented and works with PHP 4+. Modules undergo a peer-review process and must adhere to strict coding standards, both in regards to coding style and implementation.
Dreamhost includes only a bare set of PEAR modules on shared hosting accounts, and does not allow users to add more to the base install. To install your own set of PEAR modules on a Dreamhost shared hosting account, SSH into your account and issue the following command):
$ pear config-create $HOME .pearrc
Note: It is important that your .pearrc file reside in your $HOME directory.
You may also need to run the following commands if you get a message like Error: cannot download "pear/Console_Getopt" Replace <username> with your DH account name
$ pear config-set download_dir /home/<username>/tmp/pear/cache $ pear config-set cache_dir /home/<username>/tmp/pear/cache $ pear config-set temp_dir /home/<username>/tmp/pear/temp
$ pear install --installroot ~/.pear -o PEAR
For more information on the commands available, just run pear help:
$ pear help
Using PEAR from the command line
It is highly suggested that you modify your ~/.bash_profile to ensure that your environment is properly configured to access your local PEAR installation before defaulting to the shared installation. PEAR also tests for the existence of the PHP_PEAR_PHP_BIN environment variable.
If your local installation of PEAR is v1.4.0 or above, you should also update your PATH variable to point to the proper PHP5 location.
Here is an example bash_profile that provides support for PEAR v1.4+ and PHP5 on a shared DreamHost account. It is important that you use export to have the paths stick when using PEAR from the command line.
export PHP_PEAR_PHP_BIN=/usr/local/php5/bin/php
export PATH=/home/username/.pear:/usr/local/php5/bin:$PATH
Note that the changes become effective upon the next login!
To see if your environment is correctly set use the following commands in your BASH session:
To determine which PHP (local or shared) command will be used:
$ which php
To determine which PHP version is being used enter this command: Note: This returns v4.4, but when I use phpinfo() it returns 5.1
$ php -v
To determine which PEAR (local or shared) command will be used:
$ which pear
To determine which PEAR version is being used enter this command:
$ pear -V
Use this command to display all your PEAR settings, your local configuration data should be displayed.
$ pear config-show
Installing Packages
Pear packages can be installed right from the command line. To see a list of packages, go to http://pear.php.net. To install a package, issue the following command:
$ pear install --installroot ~/.pear pear/PackageName
Where PackageName is the name of the PEAR package (Mail, Mail_Mime, MDB2, etc.)
Some packages have additional features that can also be installed, for instance MDB2 contains features that are database specific. To add a feature to an already installed package, issue the following command:
$ pear install --installroot ~/.pear pear/PackageName#featurename
In the MDB2 exampe, the command would be:
$ pear install --installroot ~/.pear pear/MDB2#mysql
Installing All Available Packages
PEAR does not have an 'install-all' option, but you may wish to install all available packages. Using some command-line magic:
$ pear list-all | awk '/pear/ {print $1}' | sed -e 's@pear/@@' | xargs pear install --installroot ~/.pear
This will take a long time to execute. Also, if your preferred package state is 'stable':
$ pear config-get preferred_state stable
... then the PEAR will generate error messages for every beta package in the repositories. These messages resemble:
Failed to download pear/Console_ProgressBar within preferred state "stable", latest release is version 0.5.0beta, stability "beta", use channel://pear.php.net/Console_ProgressBar-0.5.0beta" to install Cannot initialize 'channel://pear.php.net/Console_ProgressBar', invalid or missing package file
...but are harmless. I haven't tried this using the --alldeps or --onlyreqdeps options, but this is not recommended as it may result in the installation of deprecated packages such as DB.
Including PEAR modules in scripts
To use local PEAR modules within your PHP, you need to alter the include_path setting to include your directory. This can be done as follows. This code has to go into every php script you write. If you have a bunch of pages, you should probably put it in a configuration file, which you include on every page.
ini_get( 'include_path' ) . PATH_SEPARATOR . "/home/(youruser)/pear/php"
Additionally, you may need to include the configuration file that you created. The configuration file includes variables for template and data path, which are required for some PEAR modules.
$pear_user_config = '/home/(youruser)/.pearrc';
(youruser) is your Dreamhost home directory, e.g. '/home/user')
Note: home directories
For me on pretzel.dreamhost.com only referrers like '/home/.cyndar/user/' worked even if on a console the following result was shown:
[pretzel]$ pwd
You can get the correct include_path resp. home directory information via a PHP phpinfo();-script phpinfo-script.
Note: PHP 5 & PEAR
As pointed out here, if you are using PHP 5, it was installed to different directory, so you will need to use the following code block instead:
get_include_path() .
PATH_SEPARATOR . '/usr/local/lib/php'
(The <pre> tag strips the underscores from set_include_path and get_include_path. Be sure to add those.)
It's unclear where to use this code block. What file do we modify? Is it one of the PEAR files?
set_include_path (as is ini_set above) is a PHP function. You use it in any php files you want to make use of your local PEAR.
PEAR channel server
One reason DreamHost users might want to install their own local version of PEAR on a PHP 5 enabled account is to provide themselves with the infrastructure to host a PEAR channel. For details on how to install a PEAR channel server, read the official instructions
Alternatively, consider using Pirum
I followed these steps to install a PEAR channel server on DreamHost. I installed the Chiara_PEAR_Server 0.19.0RC1 at, http://pear.qubit-toolkit.org/
$ /usr/local/php5/bin/pear config-create /home/example .pearrc
$ pear/pear channel-discover pear.chiaraquartet.net
$ pear/pear install chiara/Chiara_PEAR_Server-devel
$ pear/pear install MDB2_Driver_mysql-devel
- Create MySQL database
- Change default character set from utf8 to latin1, to avoid #1071 - Specified key was too long; max key length is 1000 bytes,
mysql> alter database qubit_toolkit_org_pear character set latin1;
- Drop <source lang="php">$this->checkSetup($answers);</source> from line 104 in pear/php/Chiara/PEAR/Chiara_PEAR_Server_Database.php because it fails if the database exists, but tables have not yet been created
$ pear/pear run-scripts chiara/Chiara_PEAR_Server
- Add <source lang="php">set_include_path('/home/administrator/pear/php'.PATH_SEPARATOR.get_include_path());</source> to line 2 in admin.php
PEAR & PHPUnit
To get command line PHPUnit working on a local install of PEAR I had to add the following to the phpunit executable:
get_include_path() .
PATH_SEPARATOR . '/home/(username)/pear/php'
I'm not sure this is the best solution or if it is indicative of some other problem in my environnment, but it did the trick on my freshly installed domain.
External Links
Official Site: http://pear.php.net


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The last time Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat were in the Palais des Expositions in Nice, France they danced away with their first and only World title.
And so it was with fond memories that 12 years later the duo returned to the French Riviera to take in the action at the 2012 World Championships.
"Being here brought back loud memories," Peizerat said with a smile. "You could hear during this whole week how loud it was in the arena, but back in 2000, it was double. It was really loud and it was very impressive."
Peizerat recalled that during the warm-up for the free dance, he and Anissina could not hear each other due to the volume in the arena. "For six minutes, the noise never stopped. It was crazy."
Originally published in June 2012


text:
By Tafadzwa Mudambanuki*
BAYOMBONG, Philippines (UMNS) — Bishop Rodolfo Alfonso Juan, who presently leads the Baguio Episcopal Area, has been re-elected as a United Methodist bishop by delegates at the Philippines Central Conference.
The conference re-assigned Juan to serve the Manila Episcopal Area, which encompasses 11 annual (regional) conferences, beginning Jan.1, 2013.
His new episcopal area has faced its share of controversy in recent years with the suspension and eventual departure from The United Methodist Church of former bishop Lito C. Tangonan.
Tangonan was suspended as bishop in 2009 and, under complaint, was replaced in January 2010 by retired Bishop Daniel C. Arichea Jr. The complaint accused him of misconduct under Paragraph 2702 of the Book of Discipline, the denomination's law book. That provision lists chargeable offenses of bishops under church law. No details were released about the complaint itself.
Tangonan left The United Methodist Church in 2011 to form his own church, called Ang Iglesias Methodista Sa Philippinas (The Independent Methodist Church of the Philippines).
"We will call for dialogue and prayer in a bid to reach out to people confused by Tangonan's activities," Juan said.
Juan, 51, was re-elected Dec. 14 at the central conference's quadrennial meeting in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines, more than an eight-hour drive north of Manila. On the fifth ballot, Juan received 335 of 481 votes cast. The 481 delegates, an equal number of United Methodist clergy and laity, met Dec. 12-16.
Unlike in the United States, United Methodist bishops in the Philippines Central Conference are not elected for life. A bishop is elected for one four-year term at a time. If the bishop continues to be elected every four years until reaching retirement age, then that bishop becomes a "bishop for life." If the bishop is too young to retire, the bishop returns to the annual conference as a pastor and surrenders the "episcopal status."
"My dream and prayer is to help establish vital congregations and build more church buildings in the Manila Area," he said. "In the Filipino culture, people treasure well-built church buildings as assets for the church."
Besides this, Juan said he intends to facilitate the equipping of church workers through continuing education so that United Methodist pastors will get better skills in preaching and evangelism.
"Every United Methodist counts and is precious and important. There is need to care for their spiritual needs in an intentional way," Juan said.
More than 80 percent of the Philippine population is Catholic.
Addressing the departure of Tangonan, Juan stoutly defended the church's position to pursue the matter through the Philippine courts.
The Philippines United Methodist bishops are pursuing litigation against Tangonan over disputed church property.
That is not the only challenge Juan will face in his new assignment.
Juan argued that some Filipino United Methodists have deserted the denomination because they are not receiving enough word of God and have not had their spiritual needs met.
"We have to take care of those church members that back slid and the unchurched in our communities now that the Philippine Congress has approved the (United Methodist) application to have a franchise to operate radio and TV stations," Juan said.
He said he is relying on initial financial support from the collective partnership of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry and United Methodist Communications to jumpstart the Philippine Central Conference radio ministry.
Juan went through a catalog of programs the radio ministry will amplify for the common good. He said the following programs will benefit from the radio ministry: Christian education, youth ministry, mission work and evangelism, responsible parenthood, efforts to fight incurable diseases like HIV/AIDS and reaching out to farmers to promote integrated agriculture.
Population growth in the country has posed serious problems for family incomes and sustainability, the bishop said.
Juan said he strongly feels The United Methodist Church has to complement the Philippine government's efforts to address responsible parenthood. The nation's congress on Monday, Dec. 17, approved the debated Reproductive Health Bill, which calls for government-funded contraception and sex education. President Benigno Aquino is expected to sign it.
The issue of galloping population growth has seen the erosion of sustainable resources for various communities around the Philippines, Juan said.
"To curb this, I have and will be lending my support as bishop of The United Methodist Church, drawing my conviction from the UMC Book of Discipline's Social Principles that clearly state advocacy for responsible parenthood, protection for the rights of women and children and promoting quality health for childbearing women," he said.
In the past, some United Methodists in the Philippines had advocated breaking away from the global denomination to become an autonomous church.
Juan pointed out that he had seen support for such a move dwindle in the last couple of years.
"There was a time when the numbers statistically were convincing and fueled the debate for the need for self-determination in the church, but now the embers of fire for it are weak," Juan said.
As in the United States, local United Methodist churches around the globe are organized into increasingly larger groups: numerous districts, dozens of annual conferences and seven central conferences in Africa, Asia and Europe. Three bishops lead the 24 annual and provisional conferences that form the Philippines Central Conference.
The United Methodist Book of Discipline directs each bishop to "guard the faith, order, liturgy, doctrine, and discipline of the Church" and to "lead all persons entrusted to their oversight in worship, in the celebration of the sacraments, and in their mission of witness and service in the world." Bishops also are to be "prophetic voices and courageous leaders in the cause of justice for all people."
Juan is married to Dr. Lurleen Lapuz Juan, an optometrist. The couple has two children, a boy and a girl.
*Mudambanuki is director of Central Conference Communications for United Methodist Communications.
News media contact: Heather Hahn, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or email@example.com.