text:
A Campbell couple was found dead Thursday in the Utah wilderness, apparently having been overcome by heat while hiking.
Ulrich and Patricia Wahli had permits to hike Wednesday to the Wave, a popular destination in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Kane County sheriff's Sgt. Alan Alldredge wrote in a news release. The temperature that day exceeded 100 degrees.
Thursday, other hikers found the body of 69-year-old Patricia Wahli lying under a tree "as though she was trying to find some relief from the heat, or may have been feeling ill," Alldredge said.
A helicopter crew flew in to retrieve the body. While at the scene they found Ulrich Wahli's body about 250 yards away.
View Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs in a larger map
Ulrich Wahli, 70, may have been trying to get help when he died in the heat, according to Alldredge. Investigators believed they died sometime Wednesday afternoon.
"This is a difficult time of year to be hiking in the Wire Pass area of Kane County," Alldredge said. "If you must hike, it is best to do it early in the morning, and make sure you have enough water and supplies."
The route from Wire Pass to the Wave is only three miles, but it is not marked and navigation is notoriously challenging.
According to his LinkedIn page, Ulrich Wahli went by "Ueli" and was an accomplished IBM systems engineer who worked for the famed tech giant for more than 40 years before retiring in 2009. He started working at the company's offices in Switzerland upon his graduation from ETH Zurich, a university renowned for its engineering and science pedigree.
He listed "growing cacti" as one of his interests, and in front of the Campbell home where the couple lived for decades, large specimens of the spiny plants make up the centerpiece of a well-tended garden.
Neighbors said the Wahlis were friendly but largely kept to themselves.
Rosemary Luck, who lives next door, said she became acquainted with Patricia when they would both be outside gardening at the same time. She said the couple would travel quite often, but she believed most of their trips were to Europe.
The Wave is a popular photo subject and hiking destination that allows only 20 visitors' permits each day. Ten permits are reserved in advance, and 10 are issued each day in a lottery at the Grand Staircase-Escalante visitors center in Kanab, according to Alldredge.
Up to 100 people have arrived at the visitors center for a single day's lottery. Last year, more than 48,000 people applied for the 7,300 available permits.
"This is such a tragedy," said neighbor Luck. "I keep trying to think why something like this could happen to this couple."
Mercury News staff writers Robert Salonga and Eric Kurhi contributed to this report.


text:
Austin performs regularly as a member of saxophonist, Jerry Bergonzi's Quartet and has recently performed and/or recorded with George Garzone, Joe Lovano, Ben Monder, Lionel Loueke, Lage Lund, Kate McGarry and Grace Kelly. He has also appeared as an opening act for Grammy award-winners Dianne Reeves and Esperanza Spalding.
On tour, Austin has performed at:
- Carnegie Hall
- The Kennedy Center
- Earshot Jazz Festival
- Aspen Music Festival
- Discover Jazz Festival
- Cape Cod Jazz Festival
- Bar Harbor Jazz Festival
- Lake George Jazz Festival
- Young Jazz in Town Festival (Foligno, Italy)
- Casa de Teatro Jazz Festival (Dominican Republic)
- Ballydehob International Jazz Festival (Cork, Ireland),
as well as performing at jazz clubs, concert halls and theaters throughout New England, the US, Italy, Germany, Finland, and France.
McMahon is the winner of the 9th annual Independent Music Awards for Jazz SongCategory and Nominee for Best Jazz Album in the 11th annual IMA's. His debut CD Many Muses was selected as a CDBaby Editor's pick and described as "subtle, reverential to tradition, and thoroughly new." He was recently featured on NPR JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater, WLRN Miami (NPR station) and live on WGBH radio, Boston, MA.
Austin currently teaches in the Jazz Department at New England Conservatory Preparatory and Continuing Education Division, Boston, MA and has been a Teaching Fellow for Jazz Improvisation at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA since 2010. He has given masterclasses at Harvard University, University of Miami, University of Mainz (Germany) as well as numerous colleges and high schools throughout the US.
Austin McMahon is also the co-founder, producer and recording artist for the burgeoning record label Fractamodi (fractamodi.com) and has recorded on over forty commercially released albums in the past several years.

subset: commoncrawl


text: HAHAHA!!! Touche' Atonalexpress-sama! I also think that this is all just a big "internet hoax" being played out by some wild and crazy google engineers (who are actually hard-core Pongi fans) just trying to spread the happiness and also prove that the whole entire celebrity social structure all over the globe is nothing but a bunch of hyped-up nonsense. And, that's a big reason why I always wear a costume on camera. Well, its partly to entertain but also partly to conceal my personal identity too. But, recently, some have identified me while out of costume so maybe its time for the second face life after all! Cheers! <*v*>


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News 12 at 6 o'clock / Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- It's a decision we make every day -- what to wear.
As a teen in school, that decision seems more important than ever, but you may need to think twice before putting on your favorite shirt in the morning.
What most people see as an innocent cartoon, some say has multiple gang references.
"He wears a red tie, he eats Krabby cakes -- that's a derogatory word for a gang, crab. And then, his best friend Patrick is a five-point star and that could possibly represent a blood set people gang," explained Gang Intervention Specialist Devon Harris.
Surprised? Well you're not the only one, and it's causing confusion when kids get dressed for school.
"The parents don't realize it has meaning, or the kid doesn't realize it has meaning. They just like it and it looks good," said School Resource Officer Sgt. Earl Roberts.
"They use that word or symbols to be cryptic in the normal world. They can still represent who they are and us as normal people won't even know what it is," Harris said.
Roberts says that's why the dress code is so important.
"When we do the dress policy, we try to make it where we don't have any issues, and we're not stereotyping other kids, so if we know that it's being used by gangs and for identifiers or claiming to show who they are and we see other people wearing it, we try to get it out of the system," Roberts said.
Keeping gang-related clothing out of school can be hard when the line between gang symbols and fashion blurs.
"A lot of that is due with the crowns and stuff that they'll wear on their necklaces. They also wear bandanas," Roberts said.
"We can't have normal things. You know, things that are of normalcy to us and wholesome to our kids," Harris said.
Roberts says the more prevalent fad right now are rosary beads. A child who came to school wearing a Spongebob shirt would probably not be asked to take it off or turn it inside out, but a child wearing rosary beads may face disciplinary action.
He says it all comes down to safety and keeping disturbances out of the learning environment.


text: These beautiful 700-piece panoramic jigsaw puzzles provide a nice wide view for framing and hanging over a mantle or other hard to decorate spots.*WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE: These 700-Piece Panoramic Jigsaws must be ordered in case packs of six to be eligible for wholesale pricing. You can mix puzzle titles to reach the six pack minimum.


text:
Get an overview of this hotelSpacious rooms in Midtown New York with wine reception
Collect 200 points
Simply enter your Nectar card number when prompted. Your points will be credited 30 days after you return from your trip.*Offers may apply
Near Fifth Avenue
Set in the dynamic center of Midtown Manhattan, Fifty NYC-an Affinia hotel is in close proximity to Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue shopping, and corporate headquarters.
Wine reception
Continental breakfast with a surcharge and complimentary wine and cheese are served in Fifty NYC-an Affinia hotel's inviting, red-accented lounge. The lounge includes 2 computers with high-speed Internet access and 2 plasma TVs.
Pillow menus
Fifty NYC-an Affinia hotel has 251 beautifully redesigned rooms, all with eclectic furnishings and curated details at every corner with little treasures that were discovered throughout Manhattan and well-considered design down to the last, elegant component.Would you like to give us feedback? Share it! Opens in a new window
Fifty NYC-an Affinia hotel155 E 50th St New York NY 10022
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
New to the lobby is a grab-and-go retail space featuring food, beverages, sundries and fun, curated merchandise for spur-of-the-moment splurges. The redesign connects the lobby and the Club Room via a sweeping, stainless steel-and-stone staircase to an updated oasis. The design of the second floor Club Room inspires guests to get out of their rooms with an inviting, eclectic mix of modern furniture and stylish accent pieces where they can relax, work and take advantage of complimentary WiFi. Each evening the hotel hosts a complimentary wine hour held in the Club Room and breakfast with a surcharge is served here daily.
Set in the dynamic center of Midtown Manhattan, Fifty NYC-an Affinia hotel provides a modern, artfully designed setting with a residential feel. Close proximity to Rockefeller Center – Fifth Avenue shopping and corporate headquarters makes Fifty NYC an appealing choice for a wide range of business travelers, couples, and international guests.
A laundry room has coin-operated machines. A spa provides in-room massages and other services. A concierge service is available to assist with any special needs or requests.
Ground transportation:
Shuttle vans and private cars of varying prices are available. They can be reserved during the process of booking a reservation for this hotel, via this Web site, and added to the total trip cost.
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Business center
- Meeting rooms
- Express check-in
- 24-hour front desk
- Porter/bellhop
- Express check-out
- Total number of rooms - 251
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Multilingual staff
- Laundry facilities
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Number of floors - 22
- Elevator/lift
- Valet parking (surcharge)
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- 24-hour fitness facilities
- Free WiFi
- Airport transportation
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Luggage storage
- ATM/banking
- Concierge services
- Free reception
- Smoke-free property
- Spa services on site
Family Friendly Amenities
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry facilities
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- Refrigerator
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
Available in all rooms: Wireless internet access ( USD 14.95 per 24-hour period )
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Valet parking (surcharge)
Room Amenities
- Premium TV channels
- Pay movies
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Premium bedding
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Free weekday newspaper
- Air conditioning
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Phone
- Refrigerator
- Coffee/tea maker
- Designer toiletries
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- In-room massage available
- Shower only
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- Pillow menu
- In-room safe (laptop compatible)
- Iron/ironing board
- Desk
- Daily housekeeping
- Cable TV service
- Flat-panel TV
- Room service (limited hours)
- Free cribs/infant beds
- WiFi (surcharge)
Where to Eat
Fifty NYC-an Affinia hotel serves a Continental breakfast (surcharge) each morning in the lounge. Complimentary coffee and tea are offered in the lobby from mid-morning to late night. Complimentary wine and cheese are served in the lounge each evening.
The hotel does not have its own restaurant, but there are numerous dining options within the surrounding Midtown New York area.
Nearby restaurants:
- George O'Neill's Steakhouse
- La Maganette
- Mint
- The National
Mint, adjacent to the hotel, offers room service for breakfast, lunch, and dinner without extra charge for delivery.
Nearby Things to Do
Central Park, 13 blocks away, offers a variety of recreational opportunities, including ball fields, tennis courts, rowboat rentals, horseback riding, and miles of trails for hiking, biking, running, and in-line skating. Rockefeller Center's famed skating rink, four blocks west, opens in winter, as does Central Park's Wollman Rink.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; fees may apply.
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
Spa Services
- Massages
- Facial treatments
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Minimum check-in age is 21
Special check-in instructions:
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
- Pets allowed for an extra charge of USD 50 per pet, per stay
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
Optional extras
- Fee for in-room wireless Internet: USD 14.95 per 24-hour period (rates may vary)
- Valet parking fee: USD 65.00 per day
- Pet fee: USD 50 per pet, per stay
- Rollaway beds are available for an additional fee
Hotel Name
- 50 Affinia
- Affinia 50
- Affinia 50 Hotel
- Affinia 50 Hotel New York
- Affinia 50 New York
- Fifty NYC-an Affinia hotel New York
- Fifty NYC-an Affinia hotel
- Fifty NYC-an Affinia New York
- Fifty NYC-an Affinia
- Affinia 50 Hotel New York City
- Affinia 50 New York City
Awards & Affiliations
- This property is affiliated with the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) and welcomes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) guests.


text: Geriatric massage is a growing practice within the field of Massage Therapy. It focuses on the specific needs of the aging population in the prevention, assessment and treatment of the joints and soft tissue systems of the body. Find more info on peachy massage london here. In some cases the objective is to maintain or enhance optimal functioning in healthy soft tissues, at other times, pain relief and specific dysfunction and disease is addressed. The need for physical touch and it's bennefits are another important reason why people are using geriatric massage. In general, the field of geriatrics is one of increasing focus as we have more people entering the older adult years than in any time in history. Many services are aimed at meeting the needs of this population with a focus on increasing quality of life. Geriatric massage can be performed by most massage therapists by modifying their existing techniques and positioning to meet the needs of this population. It is important to understand the difference between normal aging and age related disease in the elderly population. There are the normal processes and effects of aging that occur as the function of various organs and systems decline with use. These can be mistaken for "disease" processes when in fact they are not. With aging comes a specific set of considerations and contraindication to senior massage. Assessment approaches and techniques need to be modified to take this into consideration. As massage therapists, we do not diagnose medical conditions and therefore it is very important to work as part of a multidisciplinary team to ensure that a person is receiving medical care to diagnose any signs and symptoms that are occurring in the older adult years. Feel free to browse the site for more info on geriatric massage therapy geriatric health.


text:
1971-08-01 Char-Koosta News
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CHAR-KOOSTA Bulk Rate PAID Permit No. l Dixon, Mont. 59831 Published by the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes Volume 1, Number 2 August, 1971 Flathead Agency Dixon, Montana R. Dupuis, C. Woodcock are Indian M.P.R. specialists A National Indian Manpower Specialist Incorporation has been established by the Indian Manpower Trainees. Members of this selected group have resolved to form a NIMSIC. Manpower Trainee is a program under an HEW Manpower Development and Training act grant established in cooperation with Arizona State Deparart-ment of Vocational Education. The program's objectives are to train selected Manpower Specialists in techniques and methods of program development and utilization and provide technical assistance to Manpower Specialists and programs. The primary purpose of the NIMSI is to help privide assistance in development of educational and training programs to help unemployed and under-employed American Indians and Alaskan natives to fully participate in productive employment without loss of cultural identity. The NIMSI will be able to give technical assistance to program planners and writers of all state and local agencies involved in the field of employment or education. Clarence Woodcock and Russel Dupuis are members of this incorporation through their involvement in Manpower training. Fred Malroy Acting Forest Manager The frightful looking "disaster" areas in the lodge pole pine stands along the NFK Valley Creek Road, the Mill Creek, and Basso Truck Trails are more atractive after the initial shock wears off and you consider exactly what they are. They probably look like a bulldozer broke loose and took out a peronsal grudge on species of lodgepole pine. That's not quite true. The Flathead Reservation contains some 48,000 acres of over-stocked sapling and pole-size stands of lodgepole pine. These stands are characterized by stem counts of 1,500 to 20,000 trees per acre, and producing neligible growth. Most of these stands are poor in vigor and are prime candidates for insect and disease attacks. At present the only means of economically thinning these stands, so that growth and vigor will be improved, is dozer thinning. (Chain saw thinning would cost up to $100.00 per acre.) Only about 15 percent of the total lodgepole area on the reservation appears suitable for dozer thinning. A typical example, the North Ford Valley road dozer thinning project was initiated in 1970 at a cost of $19.45 per acre. The initial stocking was reduced from 5,000 trees per acre to approximately 400-500 trees per acre. Thinning was accomplished by leaving a two to three feet wide strip of trees at 14 feet intervals. The average age of this stand was 45 years. The thinned stand should reach commercial size within 30 years, whereas if left unthinned the stand would probably never reach commercial size. This concept of treatment has been used on the Colville National Forest in Washington for at least eight years and is a proven silvicultural tool. The increased fire hazard is temporary — about three years. Several members of the Tribal Council and the BIA Forestry Staff toured the Coleville area this spring. The reservation dozer thinnings compare very favorably with the Forest Service project. Releasing these stands and balancing stem count with the productivity of the site will materially accelerate timber growth and help sustain the annual timber production and income. Large areas of readily accessible untreated stands remain and will continue to be available for post and pole cutting. THE SIGHT-SEEING and fishing trips on the Flathead River net fish such as these caught by Charlie Prigmore. Prigmore is President of the Alabama Consevancy, which is a program to promote environment in the state of Alabama and he is also a professor at the University of Alabama. Prigmore was up here on a wilderness ride into the Bob Marshall Wilderness. He noticed the television ad and arranged for a trip down the river. Prigmore was overly delighted with the river and fishing and felt that the float trips were going to be very successful and felt that the river had a lot to offer for tourists. ^1 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Float trip offers plenty By Ann Lowe This past July I took two river trips, one on the Missouri and one on the Fathead. In some ways they are hard to compare because the Missouri trip was a four-day trip on an 8' by 30' raft while the Flathead trip was one day in an aluminum boat. In my opinion the Flathead trip oliers more tor the money than the Missouri one, and I'd like to cite a few points on which the opinion is based. First, cost. People who do not have time and money for the Missouri Cruise (four days and $160) can usually spare one day and $20 for the Flathead Cruise. More tourists come into this area than the Ft. Benton area and it would seem many would take a boat trip while here if they know one is available. A boat trip is something almost anyone can take, while many people, due to age or physical disabilities, cannot ride or hike in the mountains. Second, scenery. The Missouri offers more spectacular scenery, but the Flathead compares very favorably in variety, beauty and interest. Third, the river. The Flathead is clear and pretty. As everyone knows, the Missouri is simply mud too thin to plow. Fourth, fishing. The Flathead offers very good fishing. No one seems to have much luck fishing on the Missouri, and I understand any fish caught there are inedible. Fifth, birds. People on the Missouri Cruise were very thrilled by broods of wild goslings and by eagle sightings. The Flathead offers these sights and many more. The river miles between Buffalo Bridge and Sloan's Bridge are in the midst of the "birdiest" place I've ever seen in Montana. Bridwatchers are increasing and places for them to go are decreasing. If the Flathead continues to be such a bird haven, word will get around and attract these people here. Sixth, rock-hounging. It would seem that people interested in exploring river bluffs to look for rocks, etc. would have just as much fun along the Flathead as the Missouri. Seventh, wilderness. While the Missouri Cruise is advertised as a wilderness cruise, the Flathead one, which never gives a sight of habitation or farming, appears to be much more in the wilderness. fcignth, history. The Fiathead of course, can not possibly have the appeal to history buffs that the Missouri does with its old fort sites, battlefields, Lewis and Clark camps, etc. But I think a "spiel" could be worked up for the Flathead cruise that would be very interesting. For instance, the story of Pablo and his buffalo is a fascinating piece of history presumably few tourists know. There are undoubtedly many good stories in connection with early days and characters Neighborhood Youth Corps enrollees NYC enrollees began work on the Summer Program on June 14, with work stations at Elmo, Poison, Ronan, Hot Springs, Dixon, St. Ignatius, Charlo and Arlee. These young people are doing such jobs as clerical, custodial, secreterial, and yard man-tenance as well as working as aides with the Head Start programs throughout the area. Summer counselor for the program is Nick J. Herak and the supervisors presently are Alvin W. McCrea and Tom Haynes. The program is under the direction of Alvin E. Sloan, NYC director and Russell L. Dupuis assistant. Some of the worksites where enrollees are working are the various high schools, offices of the schools, the selective service office, ASCS office, BIA, Public Health, Bison Range, hospitals, cemeteries, Pow Wow grounds, bath house, city maintenance and the Ranger program. in the area. Just a few an-cedotes, jokes and folklore (not necessarily true) would add spice to the trip. The cruise I took on the Missouri was started six years ago, rather by accident, when some Denver people wanted to hire someone to take them down the river. I do not know how mucn advertising the Cruise Company has done — I happened to hear about it in casual conversation. In the past two years they seem to have formed some connection with the Four Winds Travel Agency in New York City. This expanded their business to the point that they had to build a new raft last winter. The cruise I was on had only 13 guests, but the next one had 26 — all sent by Four Winds. And Four Winds had scheduled several more trip for this summer. The Missouri Cruise has obviously been an economic boost to Ft. Benton. After all, who would stay in Ft. Benton? It is not on a main highway. Even tourists cutting by between highways would not stop in Ft. Benton with Great Falls only 40 miles down the road. The cruise bring tourists in. The owner of the quaint old Grand Union Hotel has fixed it up in the style of the 1880's, and people just love it. During the summer months, it is almost impossible to get a room in that hotel without reservations, and the owner is having to fix up an annex. The Cruise is not boosting just the Cruise Co. and hotel and motel owners, it is bringing more business to the grocery stores, drug stores (you should see the camera film alone they sell), filling stations and restaurants. This provides more summer employment for Ft. Benton young people than would otherwise be available in that town. A LIVING FOSSIL The Coelacanth was thought to be a fossil fish that died out 60,000,000 years ago until one was caught off the coast of South Africa in 1938.
Object Description
|1971-08-01 Char-Koosta News
|Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation.
|Salish Indians --Newspapers.; Kutenai Indians --Newspapers.; Pablo (Montana) --Newspapers.; Kootenai Indians
|R. Dupuis, C. Woodstock are Indian M.P.R. specialists; Flost trip offers plenty; Proposal to amend constitution, bylaws; E.T. Moran proposes new constitution and bylaws, tribal council asks members for their comments, suggestions.; Indian and Proud; Indian Books Offered
|Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Nation
|Date Original
|Date Digital
|Resource Identifier
|Rights Management
|Copyright (c) Salish and Kootenai Federated Tribes, all rights reserved.
|Contributing Institution
|Salish Kootenai College
|D'Arcy McNickle Library
|Vol. 1; No. 2
|Digitization Specifications
|Digitized at the University of Montana Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library; Scanned as master TIFF using Bookeye 3 scanner at 400 ppi, 8 bit grayscale; Optical Character Recognition with Abbyy FineReader Corporate Edition; Derivatives created using Photoshop CS
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text:
Every waterfowl hunt has memorable moments, especially when hunting with a retriever. Don't forget to bring your camera this season, capture those moments, and submit them to the Waterfowl 360 Retriever Photo Contest presented by Winchester Ammunition. This will be your first opportunity of the fall to win a grand prize from Winchester Ammunition valued at $1,000!
See official contest rules for more information.
The photo that receives the most votes will receive a prize package worth $1,000 from Winchester, which includes:
Winchester Blind Side Waterfowl Ammunition (3 Cases/750 rounds of ammunition of 3 inch, No. 2 Shot )
Winchester® Ammunition introduced one of the most innovative shotshell loads in the brand's 144-year history. The new Blind Side™ ammunition combines ground-breaking, stacked HEX™Shot technology and the new Diamond Cut Wad in the most deadly Winchester waterfowl load available. Loaded with 100-percent HEX™ Shot, you get more pellets on target, a larger kill zone and more trauma inducing pellets than ever before, meaning quick kill shots.
A Custom Framed Print
Custom framed print of the winning photograph. The custom frame is handcrafted from vintage barnwood and will feature a commemorative plaque.
Receive a free DU decal when you signup for our free monthly newsletter.
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President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act into law.
First duck stamp, designed by Pulitzer-prize winning editorial cartoonist, Jay N. "Ding" Darling, issued.
Prairie drought peaks.


text:
Lindsay Lohan will eventually have to be her own lawyer.
One of Lohan's lawyers is admitting she can't get in touch with Lohan and can't make the troubled actress sit down for a deposition in a pending lawsuit. The lawyer doesn't want to get blamed for Lohan's dumb behavior, according to TMZ.
Photographer Grigor Balyan recently filed documents saying Lohan has been too busy partying to give a deposition in his lawsuit against her. Balyan says Lohan's assistant drove into him while leaving a Hollywood nightclub back in 2010, with Lohan in the passenger seat.
Attorney Julia Azrael, who represents Lohan in the case, has filed documents saying she shouldn't be held responsible for Lohan's behavior.
According to TMZ, Azrael wrote, "I have made many efforts to convince Lohan to appear for her deposition. I do not know how to reach her directly."
Has she tried calling Amanda Bynes' house?
In the documents, Azrael said she has to go through Lohan's other lawyer, Mark Heller, to reach her, and that Heller has been stringing her along.
This should end well.
Contact Tony Hicks at email@example.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BayAreaNewsGroup.TonyHicks, or on Twitter at twitter.com/insertfoot.


text:
I thought I might once again tap into the wealth of knowledge on this forum.
This is a long one, so I apologize in advance!
I have been doing camera moves manually with a 410jr mounted on a linear motion guide (non-driven slider) and am having some issues;
I come from a live action background, so I have a huge liking for highly complex as well as very subtle camera moves to emphasise story points. I am finding it very difficult to achieve satisfying results using my current set up and think that I will have to inevitably move to motion control.
Now, before anyone suggests that I go out and spend $25,000 on an ARC MoCo (I wish!!!!), I really can't spend much more than $2000 USD.
I do have a simple engineering workshop available for use, but my skill-set in mechanical engineering is very limited. My skill-set in electrical engineering is virtually non-existent.
So this leaves me with few options. I think buying something, which I know for certain will work and do what I want would be the ideal option.
I've been researching and it seems that the eMotimo TB-3 would be the most sensible choice of head, although it only offers 3 axis - so that would be an issue if I ever needed to add a focus option.
http://ditogear.com have some really nice heads, but again, 4 times the price of the TB-3
As far as dollies go, the only affordable option seems to be the Dynamic Perception Stage Zero 6ft kit as a sort of "plug and play" with the TB-3.
Other options include: http://ditogear.com/products/omnislider-animators-edition/
Which would be great, as it would leave me an additional 7 channels of moco for upgrade purposes. However, I am not sure if it is possible to simultaneously run two different USB moco drivers through Dragonframe?
And then there are the Kessler cinesliders, which with an added servo would perform a similar task.
And lastly, linear actuators off of ebay with low-backlash ballscrews. The only problem with this is that I would have no way of knowing the quality of the product before arrival due to lack of reviews etc.
All points to consider.
I'm looking at purchasing within the next 2-3 months.
Does anybody have any further thoughts/experiences?
Views: 473
Or perhaps I could copy your wiring? Does yours integrate well with dragonframe? Does it take a lot of trial and error to get it all operating smoothly, or is it fairly straight forward?
The actual physical construction provided I can source parts for a reasonable price, looks fairly straight forward on second glance. I figure if I used bearings on all joints and full aluminium construction etc that I could get pretty reasonable repeatability etc.
What is your 7th axis? I count 1:pan, 2:tilt, 3,focus, 4:track, 5: boom, 6: swing. What does the 7th axis do?
But yeah, I don't really know the first thing about wiring up steppers, gearing etc etc, so may be a little ambitious.
Ahh, no:7 is roll.
Ok, commenting on my own thread, again, but...
I just got off of the phone with a friend who has been researching (conveniently) a lot into diy cnc machining lately. It would seem that the electrical portion of the rig is not overly difficult, and using dragons integration with the Arduino boards it is pretty feasible to make this myself.
My dad is an engineer, so I guess I better start offering up a bunch of yard work or something! Anyway, for the mean time it's to the drawing board and deciding on things like belt vs. chain vs. delrin gear driven components etc.
Are there any particular things to look out for in these homebrew systems?
Thanks for your patience,
Would love a wiring diagram, thanks! Some info on the power supply would be great too. The electronics are my weak point - so if I can just copy yours exactly I should be sussed. I have a friend who is a programmer, so he should be able to modify the Dragonframe Arduino sketch for me as far as calibration etc goes.
My email address is email@example.com - Please, no hurry on this. It's going to be a long, slow build anyway. I really appreciate you taking the time to offer the advice however. If I had more money I would probably just try and commission you to build me the electronics ;)
I've decided to go for full metal construction for the mechanical and structural components, aluminium and steel, as I have 24/7 access to a basic engineering workshop and limited part time access to an engineer too (my dad). I've been doing some sketches etc, I'll post build photos once I make a start on it.
I think I'm going to forgo the roll axis initially and consider adding it later as a "bolt-on" dutch tilt head. I think this will save a lot of build time initially as I have potentially sourced an affordable stepper driven pan/tilt head assembly that I can modify to fit on the end of the jib.
It sounds like I'm on much the same page as you. I've been researching MoCo for both live-action as well as stopMo, and attempting to put together a ~2k$ rig.
Here was my last brainstorming session and notes, looking at and comparing what is commercially available;
Its definitely do-able. You should also look into Dynamic perceptions, they have an open source platform which they are developing hardware for too.
I started a thread there as well;
Thanks Brad,
some good research there. Those worm bearing look pretty sweet!
I've decided to do a two phase build.
This is also a great design for a DIY pan/tilt head that would fit inside our budgets;
That looks pretty nice. I've actually already ordered my pan and tilt head.
Is this how you are building yours?


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'James' Law
Illinois HB 1610 was signed into law on Wednesday, July 6th by Governor Pat Quinn. Named James' Law, the law amends the Emergency Telephone Systems act to allow for bracelets which can be remotely activated upon alert from a missing person's registered caregiver. The bill was a labor of love, sponsored by Illinois State Representative, Karen May, with significant contributions from Elmhurst Mayor Pete DiCianni and Illinois State Representative Patti Bellock.
Autism Speaks Chicagoland Chapter board member, Nancy O'Brien, approached Mayor DiCianni in 2007 after enduring a two-hour ordeal when her son, James, went missing. The law was named James' Law in his honor and will be an additional measure to help ensure emergency personnel are able to respond quickly when someone needs assistance and can return them safely.
At the signing, Nancy shared her story:
Hello everyone, I'm James' Mom, Nancy O'Brien
4 years ago, on a Saturday morning, we were having a typical Saturday morning. My husband, Jim, was doing some laundry and I was upstairs doing other chores. A few minutes turned into a nightmare.
My husband came upstairs and asked as he had asked a million times before, "Is he with you?" and I said, "No?" and we both immediately headed for the door. I was in flip flops and my husband grabbed his car keys…I started running and he started driving. As I ran down the street, I immediately called out to my neighbors and everyone dropped what they were doing. James was gone.
We are blessed to live on a street with neighbors who have become our best friends. And doubly blessed to live in a community that cares. As I rounded the corner, I ran into the convenience store–"Have you seen my son?"–people stopped and started looking….I ran into the fire station–"My son is lost!"–I started to run some more. I was stopped by police officers. "Go home Mrs. O'Brien. We need you home when we find him."
Two hours and fourteen minutes. The longest two hours of our lives. I heard stories for days afterwards from friends who were gathered in a fast food restaurant when a paramedic came in yelling that a child was lost. A couple who stopped their garage sale, found a picture of James and photocopied it and started handing it out in downtown Elmhurst. My dear neighbor who went to Salt Creek and prayed he wouldn't find James. The kids who drove their bikes up and down the Prairie Path and stopped everyone.
Just as the County Bloodhound dogs had started on their trek, a lovely Jewel employee, who happened to be a special ed major at Elmhurst College, spotted James in the DVD section with a bag of Chesse Puffs. She knew the he was special needs and that he shouldn't be alone.
Two hours later, he was found.
Thank God for this neighborhood and for our neighbors and for our Mayor, who listened when I asked him afterwards that we find a GPS system to help find our kids.
You have given our family and many families of kids with autism and other disorders and adults with Alzheimer's some peace today.
We did something good today. Thank you for being such good neighbors.


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Source: The Atlantic
quote: Seriously, think about all the technology we have today that people would have laughed at in the past.
quote: With NOBODY in the car to "go manual" in case something breaks with the system or the car? Dude that's nuts! Would you trust that?
quote: What if someone wrecks your car? Oh let me guess, the car will automatically text you that it was in a wreck right?
quote: If your car runs over someone and kills them while it was driving itself, who do we blame? Who gets sued?
quote: This is fundamentally different. Nice try attempting to paint anyone with objections to this as some kind of Luddite.
quote: It's 2012 and computer AI frankly still sucks. It's going to take amazing AI for something like this to actually work in real life conditions for prolonged periods of time.
quote: If you told a biplane pilot in WW1 that it might be a good idea to have the plane be able to fly itself, he might think its a good idea in theory, but bloody impossible in principle. He probably would laugh at the notion of it actually being possible. If the idea ended there, then we wouldn't have autopilots on modern aircraft.
quote: You seem to want to turn this into some sort of "pro-autocar" vs. "anti-autocar," fight.
quote: The difference is I am willing to accept there are possibilities and they are worth considering.
quote: Well maybe if you explained first computers and GPS and modern avionics, he would have a more firm grasp on the autopilot concept. Also explain to him that it just holds a speed and course, not actually "flies" the plane. But I digress, this is another stupid analogy. The idea of a self-driving car isn't some super futuristic mind-blowing idea!
quote: Well yes, that's generally step #1 of any discussion I enter :) Divide and conquer!
quote: I already did that though. The difference is I applied realism, logic, and common sense. It's a radical concept called "critical thinking".
quote: Also explain to him that it just holds a speed and course, not actually "flies" the plane.


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Business buzz: Pioneer Days booth; new manager at Port Charlotte mall
Published: Friday, August 29, 2014 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, August 28, 2014 at 6:20 p.m.
Doing promotion at Pioneer Days
All Englewood Florida Chamber of Commerce members can display their brochures, coupons and other promotional literature at the chamber booth at Pioneer Days activities in Pioneer Park.
The material must be brought to the chamber office, at 601 S. Indiana Ave., by 3 p.m. today or to the booth, No. P13.
Members also can spend time at the booth to talk about their products and services, the chamber said.
For more information, contact executive director Ed Hill at firstname.lastname@example.com or 474-5511.
New manager at mall in Port Charlotte
Simon Property Group has appointed a new manager of its Port Charlotte Town Center.
Ruben Irizarry will handle all leasing, negotiation of contracts, staff supervision, office management, budgeting and monthly financial analysis, security and daily operations, the company said. Irizarry also will oversee the development and implementation of mall marketing, sales analysis and community relations
"Ruben is a proven performer with an excellent retail management track record," said Maria Prado, Simon's regional vice president for the Southeast region.
Irizarry has more than 20 years of leasing and operations experience. Most recently, he worked for JCPenney on the West Coast, as a store manager of several locations in seven years with the company.
Before that, Irizarry worked for the Navy Exchange and Army and Air Force Exchange Services, running retail operations. He has a degree in business management from Troy University in Alabama.
This story appeared in print on page D2
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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EAGLE COUNTY — We're No. 1.
We pay the nation's highest Obamacare premiums in Colorado's Central Rockies resort region, according to a study released Monday from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Obamacare is the most expensive in the country in Eagle, Pitkin and Garfield counties at $483 a month. Summit County residents get a slight price break at $462 a month.
That's more expensive than the Connecticut suburbs of New York City and the rural regions of Georgia, Mississippi and Nevada. The top 10 most expensive regions also include Alaska, Vermont and large parts of Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The rankings are calculated on "silver" plan, the midlevel plan that the majority of consumers are selecting, the Kaiser study says.
It's all about your market region and who's in it, says Marguerite Salazar, Colorado Division of Insurance commissioner. In Colorado, 11 regions were established as part of the Obamacare package, the Affordable Care Act. Region 11 is Eagle, Garfield, Pitkin and Summit counties.
The Kaiser study found that the causes for high cost premiums vary from region to region, although limited access to hospitals and the overall health of a region's population were contributing factors. The study also found that in Colorado's Central Rockies resort region, the high cost of Obamacare stems from high medical prices.
no surprise here
No one should be surprised that Obamacare is expensive in this region, Salazar says.
"The mountain and resort communities have had higher premiums than the Front Range, on average, over the past 25 years," Salazar said. "Data shows it costs more to provide services in those areas compared to other parts of Colorado."
The two main factors impacting the cost of health care are direct costs — the price of services — and utilization — the frequency of use of the health care system.
Local insurance broker Keith Thom works with businesses in the Vail and Roaring Fork valleys. He confirmed Salazar's assertion.
"Insurance rates are 30 percent more expensive up here than the Front Range," Thom said. "Insurance companies can't negotiate the same prices they can down in the Front Range."
two issues
That leads to two other issues, Thom said.
First, patients don't want to drive to Grand Junction or Denver to receive treatment, so local medical providers have a more captive market.
"If you live in a captive community, it makes it very difficult for insurance companies to negotiate," Thom said.
Second, Thom said industry data indicates that patients in this region have a tendency to access their health care more often. Sometimes it's the patients' idea, but sometimes their doctors want their patients to come in more often, especially when compared to their peers in the Denver metro area.
Then there's the cost of health care in the High Country. It's by far the most expensive in Colorado, Thom said.
Avoid the exchange?
Thom suggested you don't buy health insurance through the ACA's exchanges if you don't have to.
"The only reason people would go into the exchange is for some sort of premium assistance," Thom said. "If they don't qualify for that, they would be well served to look outside the exchange. They can find better and more affordable health insurance outside the exchange. If you go outside the exchange, you have lots of options."
In the meantime, Salazar says Colorado's Division of Insurance will study the issue of higher premiums in different parts of the state. The Division of Insurance will gather a diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives of hospitals, health care providers, insurance carriers and the pharmaceutical industry.
In the mountain region, Mili Vazquez is in charge of making sure residents in Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin counties get all of the information they need.
If you refuse to buy insurance, then it'll cost each adult a $95 tax penalty in 2014, or up to 2 percent of your household income, Vazquez said.
"The mountain and resort communities have had higher premiums than the Front Range, on average, over the past 25 years. Data shows it costs more to provide services in those areas compared to other parts of Colorado."
Marguerite Salazar
Colorado Division of Insurance commissioner


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(WOMENSENEWS)--When the council meeting ended at 6, the sun was just rising and the world outside was silver. The elders returned to their fields to do some work before the day became too hot.
From her house, Peggy saw a line of children with heavy metal buckets of water on their heads trudging down the path from the bore hole behind the house.
Auntie Esi stood next to Peggy as she gazed out the window. "How far do they walk?" Peggy asked.
"There are only two bore holes, so the kids that live farthest away have to walk about a half hour in each direction."
"An hour for a single bucket," Peggy said quietly.
"And some kids make two or three trips before and after school. Some walk for six hours a day."
"Is the water clean at least?"
Auntie Esi shrugged. "It's not clean if you haul it from the pond. That water is a yellowish-brown, and that's what the entire town had to use when the pipes first broke in 1977. But the local government representatives built two bore holes shortly after that which provide very clean water, though it costs money. A few pennies a bucket."
Peggy scowled. "You mean they charge for clean water?"
Auntie Esi nodded. "The pumps break down a lot, so they use the money to pay for repairs."
"And the people who can't afford the bore hole water drink the yellowish-brown water?"
Water Goddesses
Auntie Esi nodded again. "They don't get sick from it, though. For hundreds of years before the British brought piped water, people in Otuam got all their water from the pond. Many believe the goddess of the pond purifies the water and keeps them healthy."
Peggy sighed, a deep sigh that came from the soul and rumbled through her entire body. Evidently the pond contained one of the 77 gods and goddesses known to protect the village of Otuam. But even so, no American king could allow her people to drink that disgusting water. And besides, it was well known that sometimes nature gods and goddesses left their ancient spots without a word of warning. If the goddess left, those drinking the water would sicken and even die. She would have to get those kids more bore holes, free bore holes and eventually fix the pipes. How on earth was she going to afford it?
Auntie Esi put her weathered hand on Peggy's shoulder. "You will fix the water later," she said. "Remember the sparrow, who builds her nest one twig at a time. We are going to eat breakfast now and after that we are going to give you your first royal etiquette lesson. You don't want to disgrace the stool by doing something inappropriate for a Ghanaian king."
The Aunties Advise
After breakfast, the aunties taught Peggy how to walk majestically. A king, they said, was never to show any hurry. The whole world waited for a king. Flapping around here and there like a chicken was undignified.
Auntie Esi strolled at a glacial pace down the hall, head up, shoulders back. "Like this, Nana. You bounce around too much and go too fast."
"In the U.S., if I walked that slowly I would be hit by a car," Peggy pointed out. "No one there would wait for me to cross the street. They would run me down and as I bounced on the asphalt they would keep on going so they wouldn't be late for a meeting."
Auntie Esi smiled. "But there are very few cars in Otuam and here they wouldn't run over their king. Try it again, slowly."
Peggy sighed. Give just a hint of a smile, the aunties said. Shoulders relaxed. Head held high. Chin up. Slow, straight, determined steps. Self-consciously, she walked back and forth in front of them, like an awkward aspiring model training for the runway.
"Too fast!" cried one.
"Hold your chin higher!" said another.
"You're frowning!" said Auntie Esi. "Don't frown in public."
"Don't frown?" Peggy asked. "What if I see something I don't like?"
"Don't frown!" Auntie Esi repeated. "You can make a mental note of the problem and deal with it later."
"And you can't eat or drink in public. It's unseemly for a king to be shoving things into her face. Plus, if there is a witch in the crowd watching you she can make you choke to death on whatever you're consuming," said Auntie Esi.
"And Nana," Auntie Esi added, "the king can't argue in public."
"Argue in public?" she said, all wide-eyed innocence. Surely they hadn't heard anything of her arguments at the embassy in the U.S. "Me?"
Cousin Comfort chimed in, "Nana, we all know that even since you were a small child, when someone misbehaves, you can't let it go."
"When you see an injustice," Cousin Comfort continued, "you are like a village dog with his jaws locked on a bone. You just don't give it up. But as king you will have to deal with these things in the council chamber and not yell at people on the street or beat them with brooms." The aunties all laughed at that one.
Auntie Esi said, "And if you are wearing the crown and want to say a crude thing, you have to take it off before you speak so as not to dishonor it."
Excerpted from "King Peggy" by Peggielene Bartels and Eleanor Herman. Copyright 2012 by Peggielene Bartels. Excerpted by permission of Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Peggielene Bartels was born in Ghana and became an American citizen in 1997. She has been king of Otuam, Ghana, since 2008. She works at Ghana's embassy in Washington, D.C. Eleanor Herman is the author of three books of women's history, including the New York Times bestseller "Sex with Kings" and "Sex with the Queen."
For more information:
Buy the book, "King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village":
"King Peggy" website:


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Pocono Township Police Chief Phillip Riley is the third candidate running for the magisterial district judge seat serving Barrett, Paradise and Price townships. The seat is being vacated by John Whitesell, who is retiring.
Riley is running against Steven Henry and Robert Burns.
A lifelong resident of Monroe County and Paradise Township resident for the past 30 years, Riley, 50, is a graduate of Pocono Central Catholic High School, a married father of three, and a former U.S. Air Force military police officer.
Riley has been in law enforcement for 29 years, 18 of which he spent as the Pocono Mountain School District's Drug Awareness Resistance and Education officer. Riley thinks his background gives him the maturity to apply the law fairly, if he were elected as district judge.
In the community, Riley is a member and past president of the Tannersville Lions Club. He is also president of the Paradise Township Zoning Hearing Board, a member of the Barrett Youth Intermural Basketball League and is active with his family in Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Mount Pocono.
Riley has also served as a former board member and coach of the Pocono Mountain East Youth Association, as well as a former athletic director and coach at Monsignor McHugh School.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
Taylor Swift performed "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" at the Grammys.
And strangely, half the men in the audience looked incredibly uncomfortable.
But her target window narrowed when the 23-year-old sang in a weird, faux-British accent, which was likely about her latest boyfriend/casualty, Harry Styles of British boy band One Direction, according to E! News.
"So he calls me up and he's like, 'I still love you,'" she said mockingly in the middle part of her Alice in Wonderland-themed performance. "And I'm like, 'I'm sorry, I'm busy opening up the Grammys!' And we're never getting back together, like, ever."
Contact Tony Hicks at firstname.lastname@example.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BayAreaNewsGroup.TonyHicks, or on Twitter at twitter.com/insertfoot.


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Today: Sunny, with a high near 41. South southwest wind 9 to 11 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 24. South wind around 10 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. South wind 10 to 13 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 18. Northwest wind 8 to 10 mph.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
The Pepe Auto Group opened their doors in 1968 and has been serving the luxury market in Westchester County, New York and surrounding areas ever since. The group consists of Mercedes-Benz of White Plains, Pepe Infiniti, Pepe Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz of New Rochelle, Porsche of Larchmont, and Mercedes-Benz of White Plains Sprinter. The group is owned and operated by the Pepe Family. The Pepe Auto Group Is Westchester's Largest Luxury Auto Group.
Our experienced sales staff is eager to share its knowledge and enthusiasm with you. We encourage you to browse our online inventory, schedule a test drive and investigate financing options. You can also request more information about a vehicle using our online form or by calling (888) 975-0112.
If you don't see a particular vehicle, click on CarFinder and complete the form. We will gladly inform you when a matching car arrives. If you'd like to see a vehicle in person, click on Dealership: Directions for step-by-step driving instructions to our site, or give us a call. We look forward to serving you!


text:
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Taft boys open their season with win over Canterbury
Joey Flannery scored a team-high 18 points and also grabbed nine rebounds as the Taft boys basketball team defeated Canterbury, 65-54, on Saturday in its season-opener in New Milford.
Cade Kager added 14 points and nine rebounds while Shawn Strickland contributed 11 points and six steals for Taft.
Donovan Mitchell netted 20 points for Canterbury (0-2).
Chase Collegiate 63, NYMA 38: Ryan Shiel and Kyle Bonicki both contributed 15 points and six rebounds as the Highlanders posted their first win of the season in Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y
Billy Robinson added 14 points for Chase, which pulled away in the second half while outscoring the home team, 33-16.
Cheshire Academy 24, Westover 19: Shyla Boutillier scored eight points and Tre Kehoe added five for visiting Cheshire Academy in its season opener.
Marissa Littman led Westover with nine points. Paige Cunningham and Katie Solley added four points apiece.
Ethel Walker 49, Canterbury 27: Abby Woodworth scored 11 points and Abby Jones 10 for Canterbury in a losing effort.
Nobles 63, Taft 41: Morgan Manz scored 15 points for the visiting Big Red in a losing effort. Chelsea Robinson added nine points and Lauren Drakeley and Maggie O'Neil had six each for Taft (0-1).
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Obama: 'Nowhere to Go but Up'
President Barack Obama said he is confident that the health law will ultimately be judged a success, and he downplayed recent polls showing his approval and trustworthiness ratings hitting all-time lows.
"I got re-elected in part because people did think I was trustworthy and they knew I was working on their behalf," Mr. Obama said in an interview with ABC News's Barbara Walters that is set to air Friday night. The interview was a joint interview with Mr. Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
On his standing with the public, he said: "I've gone up and down pretty much consistently throughout," he said, according to ABC's writeup of the interview. He added: "But the good thing about when you're down is that usually you got nowhere to go but up."
Polls this month have shown deepening disappointment with the president. A Washington Post/ABC News poll released found Mr. Obama's approval rating at 42%, tied for an all-time low in the poll, and his disapproval rating at 55%, its worst reading to date. The most recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, released in late October, found a 42% approval and 51% disapproval rating for Mr. Obama, all-time worst readings in the poll. Recent polls have also showed sharp drops in his likeability and trustworthiness among Americans.
On the bumpy health care rollout, Mr. Obama told ABC News that he is "absolutely convinced that at the end of the day, people are going to look back at the work we've done to make sure that in this country, you don't go bankrupt when you get sick, that families have that security." He added: "That is going be a legacy I am extraordinarily proud of."
The health care-rollout has been marred by severe problems with the HealthCare.gov website and the cancellations of some existing health-care policies. The president has apologized for the insurance cancellations and has pledged to have the glitchy website running much better by Dec. 1. In a fresh delay, however, the administration announced Wednesday it would delay by one year the ability of small businesses to sign up for insurance through the site.
In the ABC News interview, Mr. Obama also indicated he may stay in Washington after he leaves office, at least for a few years.


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FFmpeg Codec Comparison Test – xVid vs x264
Recently I took the time to run a quick comparison test using FFmpeg for producing content with the x264 and xVid codecs. x264 produces H.264 content, while xVid encodes in MPEG4. I was a little surprised with the results.
The input file was sourced from BBC Motion Gallery.
It was an MPEG2 Program Stream with I-Frames, encoded at approximately
50Mbps. It also contained a single MP2 audio track at approximately
356kbps. To see the clip on BBC Motion Gallery, click here.
The clip was chosen because it is only 2 seconds long, so I could
transcode it quickly, and there is also lots of movement, so I expected
The output file container is QuickTime MOV, the video bitrate
around 2Mbps, the audio codec aac (through libfaac) at 128kbps. I
performed a 1 pass and 2 pass encode with x264 and xVid. The output
file was to be 720×404 in size, this is 16:9 aspect ratio. All files
were played back on a Windows XP machine using QuickTime Player 7.1.3.
Some cropping of the original MPEG2 was required to remove VITC at the
top and some black padding left and right. An example FFmpeg command
line I used is outlined below. As you can see, there are very few
optimisations other than the base settings.
FFMPEG command for the second pass x264 encode:
ffmpeg -i 2573-9.mpg -vcodec libx264 -f mov -b 2000k -acodec
libfaac -ab 128k -s 736×442 -croptop 34 -cropbottom 4 -cropleft 8
-cropright 8 -deinterlace -pass 2 2573-9_h264.mov
The final output file sizes are as follows:
- x264 1 pass: 599.558 kilobytes
- x264 2 pass: 553.767 kilobytes
- xVid 1 pass: 577.232 kilobytes
- xVid 2 pass: 559.947 kilobytes
So, while xVid one pass produced smaller file sizes than x264 one
pass, the x264 2 pass file is smaller than the xVid 2 pass file. Due to
the short duration of the input file, no comparison of encoder speed
could really be made. However, anecdotally from other ad hoc encoding
jobs, xVid does seem to be quicker.
Now, to the real proof of the pudding, what was the quality like. Have a look at the following image file, click the thumbnail for a larger version:
This is where I was surprised. The x264 files are on the left. 1
pass is bottom left. 2 pass is top left. The xVid files are on the
right. 1 pass bottom right. 2 pass top right. Clearly, the 1 pass xVid
file is superior to the 1 pass x264 file. I also believe that the 2
pass xVid file is slightly better quality then the 2 pass x264 file.
Areas for close inspection (we're looking at the two top files here):
- Bottom right corner. There is more blocking and artifacts on the x264 file.
- Top right wing tip. The xVid file has better definition here.
- The underside of the wings and tail. Again the xVid file has better definition.
- The background fire. I think the xVid file has less artifacts and better definition in general.
- As there aren't a lot of colours in the example video, it's hard to
say which codec handles colour better, but there is obviously more
depth in each of the 2 pass samples, compared to the 1 pass output.
I was surprised that to my eye the xVid
content appeared to be superior to the x264 output. Perhaps with a more
complext FFmpeg command and options this would have changed.
After a couple of tips on the FFmpeg user mailing list, I re-ran this test with some command optimisations. Specifically:
- De-blocking loop filter enabled with -flags +loop
- CABAC enabled with -coder ac
New FFMPEG command example for x264, second pass is:
ffmpeg -i 2573-9.mpg -vcodec libx264 -flags +loop -coder ac -f
mov -b 2000k -acodec libfaac -ab 128k -s 736×442 -croptop 34
-cropbottom 4 -cropleft 8 -cropright 8 -deinterlace -pass 2
New screen grab is here, again click for a larger version:
x264 still on the left, xVid on the right. Old 2 pass files
bottom. New 2 pass files, with – coder ac and – flags +loop added to
the FFmpeg command, on top.
The new x264 file is slightly larger than the old one (50 bytes increase). The xVid file is the same size.
From the new screen grab, it can be seen that the x264 output is
now clearly superior. In this case it can be really proved that
optimising the FFmpeg command can truly make a difference.


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82-year-old pilot identified in fatal ultralight crash
Published: Tuesday, January 1, 2013 at 4:00 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, January 1, 2013 at 4:00 p.m.
MANATEE COUNTY - The Sheriff's Office has released the name of a man who died while trying to land an ultralight craft in a field on Monday evening.
James Richard Clendenon, 82, appeared to be having mechanical problems after he took off from Manatee County Airport about 4:30 p.m. Several witnesses saw smoke coming from the aircraft's engine.
When he attempted a crash landing in a field, the ultralight hit a rut and flipped, killing him.
The crash is under investigation by the Sheriff's Office, but investigators said Monday they did not believe the crash was suspicious.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Oh la la Cheri are the words you might utter when women try on one of the French label's decadent lingerie pieces. Established in 2006 and headquartered in Miami, FL, Oh la la Cheri is an intimate apparel design about with obsessive attention to detail. The Parisian born designer and owner creates each piece with goal to enhance a woman's femininity and evoke sensuality. Don't hold back; fall in love with the French flare. A great fit, high quality fabrics and a truly unique design will have you coming back for more. Indulge; after all you deserve it…Just beware Oh la la Cheri is so good you might catch an attitude.
Dare to be sensual…
Company overview
Oh la la Cheri Oh la la Cheri brings sophistication in lingerie from a Parisian designer and owner.
Inspired by the desire to make women feel sensual, Oh la la Cheri uses the finest satins, laces and other fabrics which provide structure and support.
Oh la la Cheri combines function and intricacy to meet today's woman's needs. Why not have function AND intricacy in your lingerie?
Using European experience, French flair and knowledge of the North American markets, Oh la la Cheri is now offering the best French lingerie style at reasonable prices.
With more than 400 clients all over the US and more than 200 customers in Canada, Australia, Europe, Hong Kong and Japan, Oh la la Cheri now offers over 2 collections a year for its customers, while also offering them private label options.
Our products include intimate woman apparel such as Bras, Panties, Bustiers, Chemise, Baby dolls, Gartinis, an entire collection dedicated to making women feel special.


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Softball, tennis groups lobby for grant
March 6, 2013
Marietta City Council's finance and lands, buildings and parks committees heard testimony Tuesday from two local recreational groups seeking limited grant funding for improvements to the Lookout Par......
And maybe you can answer this one for me (Stone) doesn't every company or city or person take bids on contracting something in order to save them money ? I just wonder why when bids go out to local and Non local contractors on jobs for the city or college , Lowes , Hotels etc. local unions don't win bids ? Most all the contractors that win do hire Union and non union companies to do work. For some reason maybe your company is to high ? and others are willing to drive from Columbus , Cincinnati or where ever and can do it for less ? Just doesn't seem right to me you never win . Maybe your hungry but your boss is not ? Please help and fill me in . Thanks . Oh well enough rant and rave I really would like to see everyone around here have plenty enough work .
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(Stonecold )I think McCabe gives alot of good constructive comments on here in finding ways the city should handle things. Not answering for him but I see no reason to try asking multi. million dollar companies for some help in the community after all we spend millions a year supporting there stores here. Same with Shelly & Sands and it good advertisement for them also. There are others that might not be but would maybe also give like Thompsons or Green leef ,CBS and on and on When times are hard people should pull together I care about my neighbors in and around Marietta wheather they are Rep. Dem . Union Non Union. I'm a businessman and I would donate if I was ever asked and I know McCabe is one also and he is in construction he also helped the boy scouts figure matieral for 2 new dugouts at Indian hills for a project they did there as a donation .He does have some creative ideas.
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For whom ever disagreed with my comment may I remind them of all the free labor the local unions donated on repairing the railroad bridge and painting the facade of the Armory to then have Council members fight against them and give the work to renovate the new Court building to workers and companies from outside our area.
If you want the support of local people, businessmen or laborers, for your projects you then need to support them when it comes time to hire someone to work for you or purchase from them when it comes time to buy. It's a 2-way street McCabe.
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McCabe - Why would a local business continue to provide discounts or labor to the city for projects like these when in the future the city always awards "PAYING" work to out of the area firms?
I think all of the businesses and unions in the area are in the "Burn me once - that's your fault. Burn me twice - that's my fault." mindset.
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There are no construction minded people on council and when one does ask for a clause to be added in to a contract make sure there isn't a change order put in later they say no it's ok. Here is what happens . Let it roll request for change orders totaling $32,448 for the second phase of the Armory Square and they will continue to poor in and waste more of our money .
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Ask the electirc co. to put up money to raise the lights it would be a good gesture for the after all they also burn their power.
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I posted this yesterday. There isn't enough money to do all the projects needed and here is away they may get a little more done and it may only be a little at a time but what do we have to lose. I don't know if anyone on council or in the city ever thinks of taking time to go and ask local companies and businesses in the area for help on materials or even a little labor help on projects like these. In other cities around the country big and small business are somtimes willing to put back in to the commuities they serve by supplying such needs for ball feilds and parks etc. We have lots of contacts Lowes, Shelly & Sands etc. for some donations for recreation projects the city can't quiet afford . If they do help it needs to be recognized in some way by the city, the Times or Tv news banners so everyone knows its good advertisement for there business. Its worth a try maybe they would maybe they won't.
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PARKERSBURG - Some people say don't go into business with your family, but don't tell the Dugans that.
Shawn and Emily Dugan, a husband-and-wife duo, are working to make Wood County's wood-fired oven pizzeria successful.
The building, located in the 3000 block of Murdoch Avenue, was designed to house a McHappy's Bake Shoppe and was previously home to a Doppio Coffee before the Dugans renovated the building and took over operations in November 2012.
Article Photos
Photo by Mandi Cardosi
Owners of Shortys Pizzeria Shawn Dugan, left, and wife, Emily Dugan, prepare pizza pies in their new pizzeria on Murdoch Avenue in Parkersburg.
The official opening date of Shortys Pizzeria at 3601 Murdoch Ave., Parkersburg, was Nov. 19, they said. The business had what is referred to as a "soft opening" in the industry. Emily Dugan said the business is finally ready for the demand in customers the valley has to offer.
The Belpre natives said renovations on Shortys Pizzeria were no easy task, and getting the wood fired oven into the building was the hardest part.
"We actually had to take apart the door and door frame to get (the oven) in here," she said.
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Although the couple is working with a small location, the pizza pacts a true to Italy flavor. The company uses many imported products such as cheese, tomato sauce and meats. Ingredients are prepared fresh each day, Shawn Dugan said.
Shawn and Emily have two daughters, Sophia and Lila. Shawn's father, Brien Dugan, helps with business operations. The carry-out or delivery-only pizza business includes the three family employees, a sous chef (David Perdue) and a delivery driver (Zach Crouser), Shawn Dugan said.
Shawn Dugan said the inspiration in opening the pizzeria was after he took a trip to study abroad in Piedmont, Italy.
Fact Box
Information on Shortys Pizzeria can be found at www.facebook.com.
"I couldn't get enough (of the pizza) while I was over there," Dugan said of Italy.
He attended Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio, where he graduated in 2010 with an associate degree in culinary arts. Emily Dugan graduated from Hocking College with an associate degree in hotel/restaurant management.
The pizza parlor uses a 200-year-old starter recipe that originated in Naples, Italy. The pizza pies are cooked in the wood-fired oven at 725 degrees.
Each pizza takes about seven minutes to cook, they said.
Menu items also include salads, subs and desserts. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, including Sunday, with operating hours from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Emily Dugan said being family based will hopefully allow them to become successful in their business endeavor.
"We're excited to give Parkersburg something new," she said. "There's something to be said for fresh ingredients and fresh products."
The couple said they would love to open a sit-down restaurant in the future.


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Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers (WMCHC) and the Wayne Library Alliance are hosting seven county-wide programs designed to educate the public on enrollment with the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Certified Application Counselors Laura Long and Chelsea Lucchesi from WMCHC discussed eligibility requirements, documentation needed to create an account as well as enrollment deadlines.
Prior to attending the open forum at the Northern Wayne Community Library, Barbara Passarelli resident of Thompson, PA was feeling frustrated with the process of selecting a health plan, "I wasn't even going to go through the Marketplace. But they made it seem so easy; I'm going to see what's available." Passarelli stated attending the program "was well worth my time." She has already made an appointment to meet with Long and continue through the process which will give her side-by-side comparisons of plans she qualifies for.
Programs are scheduled throughout the library system over the next two weeks as follows: Wednesday, November 13, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Newfoundland Library; Tuesday, November 19, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hawley Library; Wednesday, November 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Honesdale Library and Thursday, November 21, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Hamlin Library.
The services of WMCHC's Certified Application Counselors are free to anyone. One-on-one appointments may be made by calling 570-251-6569 or 6554.
Location, ST | website.com