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Current Location Home About Taiwan Science and Technology
National Science and Technology Programs
In 1998, the government began launching national-level science and technology programs to accelerate the island's socioeconomic development and sharpen its competitive edge. Administered in coordination with numerous government agencies, these programs integrate up-, mid- and downstream R&D resources to promote innovative technologies. Seven such programs are currently underway, covering networked communications, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, e-learning and digital archives, genomic medicine, system-on-chip, nanoscience and nanotechnology, and energy.
Networked Communications
Telecommunications has been a focal area of the national S&T programs since 1998. After a decade of effort by the government and private sector, the industry's output has increased dramatically, reaching NT$1.03 trillion (US$32.68 billion) in 2008, making it Taiwan's third trillion-NT-dollar industry after semiconductors and TFT-LCDs. Now in its third phase, the Networked Communications Program lays out a vision of building Taiwan into an "intelligent island" with ubiquitous broadband access by 2013. The production value of the industry is also expected to reach approximately US$48 billion (NT$1.5 trillion) at that time.
Under the program, particular interest is being drawn to the development of WiMAX—or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access—an advanced technology providing wireless transmission of data, voice and video over long distances. Building on its success in the Wi-Fi industry (where local manufacturers enjoy more than 90 percent of world market share), Taiwan officially adopted WiMAX technology as the nation's next-generation wireless broadband standard in 2005 when the Science and Technology Advisory Group drew up the "Taiwan WiMAX Development Blueprint."
In line with this decision, the National Communications Commission licensed six companies to provide WiMAX services in Taiwan. The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) also signed memoranda of understanding with nine global telecommunication giants, including U.S. companies Intel, Nortel Networks, Motorola, Starent Networks, Rohde & Schwarz International and Sprint Nextel; Japan's NEC; France's Alcatel-Lucent; and Nokia Siemens Networks of Finland. Under the MOUs, these companies have committed to establishing testing centers on the island and increasing purchases of related technologies from Taiwan-based manufacturers.
In recognition of Taiwan's achievements in promoting the technology, the WiMAX Forum, a worldwide consortium for the global adoption of WiMAX, established three laboratories on the island between 2007 and 2008—one for application testing and two for certification work.
The local industry took a major step forward in April 2009 with Tatung InfoComm inaugurating the nation's first WiMAX network on the Penghu Islands. A few months after, Tatung launched services in the southern port city of Kaohsiung to coincide with the 2009 World Games. The other five licensees are slated to begin services in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Statistics from the Industrial Development Bureau under the MOEA show that Taiwan produced around 920,000 units of WiMAX consumer-premises equipment (CPE) in 2008, with output value totaling around US$165 million. This represents a whopping 100-percent year-on-year growth and a 90-percent world market share. The bureau expects to see the nation's CPE output value reach US$3.33 billion in 2013.
Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals
To harness the development potential of the high value-added biotechnology and pharmaceuticals industries, the government initiated the National Science and Technology Program for Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals in 2000. During its first two phases, the program focused on promoting pharmaceutical and biotech R&D, developing Chinese herbal medicine, and patenting drugs from genomics- and protein-based medication. The program entered its third phase in early 2007 and is developing new drugs for cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and neurological disorders, as well as providing better patent protection for biotech and pharmaceutical innovations.
Genomic Medicine
Launched in 2002, the National Research Program for Genomic Medicine aims to establish a genomic medicine infrastructure and lay out a roadmap for advanced medical biotechnology research in Taiwan. Now in its second phase, the program is focused on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Taiwan's three leading afflictions—cancer, infectious illnesses and highly heritable diseases. The program will locate the relevant genes, explore those genes' functions, devise treatment strategies, develop products and obtain patents. Additionally, the research facilities established under the program are providing scientists with high-quality services, while developing cutting-edge technologies.
e-Learning and Digital Archives
The Taiwan e-Learning and Digital Archives Program (TELDAP) is a continuation of related programs that have existed since 2002. Aside from facilitating e-learning for the public, TELDAP showcases Taiwan's social, cultural and biological diversities by digitizing artifacts from national institutions such as the National Palace Museum and the Academia Sinica, as well as from private collections.
This program, involving the collaborative effort of 19 government agencies and organizations, has archived over 3.5 million digital images of some two million artifacts over the past six years. The content covers the entire spectrum of the sciences and the humanities and has been divided into six categories: biosphere and nature, life and culture, archives and databases, maps and architecture, arts and illustrations, and languages and multimedia.
These images can all be found at http://catalog.digitalarchives.tw. In addition, the program has set up an e-learning platform at http://www.lort.org.tw that offers more than 35,000 courses to the public.
Taiwan boasts the world's most competitive and advanced semiconductor manufacturing process, characterized by a high degree of vertical and horizontal integration. Yet in recent years, developing economies such as mainland China and India have emerged as serious contenders by offering lower manufacturing costs and copying Taiwan's production model. To differentiate itself from these new competitors, Taiwan's IC industry is beginning to deliver superior designs in lieu of relying exclusively on its manufacturing capability.
To this end, the government launched the National Science and Technology Program for System-on-Chip in 2003. The first phase (2003-2005) saw substantial progress in the R&D of IC design, most clearly reflected in the number of papers local researchers presented at the International Solid State Circuits Conference—a leap from none in 2002 to 18 in 2009. Industrial R&D projects also resulted in the design of central processing units, digital-signal processors, and radio frequency (RF)/analog/mixed-signal modules, which were then integrated to produce chips.
Currently in its second phase (2006-2010) and with a total budget of around US$380 million, the program is targeting the following sub-areas for future development:
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
The National Science and Technology Program for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology was launched in 2003. Phase I of the program integrated the nation's resources in this field and expedited the commercialization of nanotechnology. Currently in Phase II, major development areas include nano-electronic and optoelectronic technology, nano-scale instruments, nanotechnology for energy and environmental applications, nano-scale biomedical research, and utilization of nanotechnology in traditional and emerging industries. The program estimates that total output value of nanotech-related products will exceed US$4 billion by 2012 and leap to US$10 billion by 2015.
Taiwan's Nano Mark is the world's first government-established system for certifying nanoproducts. Manufacturers wishing to have the mark appear on their products must have them tested to show that they contain material of dimensions less than 100 nanometers and exhibit new and useful characteristics. As of February 2009, 20 firms offering more than 100 products had been granted the mark.
The number of nanotech patents has been witnessing considerable growth. For instance, the total number of such domestic and foreign patents earned by Taiwanese scientists nearly doubled over the past six years, from 485 in 2003 to 947 in 2008.
The newest of the national-level programs, the National Science and Technology Program for Energy was created in 2009 in response to global energy shortages and excessive reliance on fossil fuels. Over the next five years, the government will invest over US$900 million to develop renewable energy and subsidize the installation of energy-saving equipment. Areas to be developed include solar energy, wind power, biomass fuel, ocean energy, geological energy, hydrogen energy and nuclear power.
To reduce the nation's carbon emissions, the program will study technologies relating to clean coal, carbon capture and sequestration, and afforestation. All of these initiatives will give Taiwan a safe and sustainable energy supply system and bring the island in line with international energy industry norms.
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The Step2 Lifestyle Deluxe Kitchen is one of the most realistic play kitchens on the market. It features a microwave oven, conventional oven, dishwasher, stove top range, phone and light - each electronics for added stimulation. The Lifestyle Deluxe Kitchen has faux "stainless steel" good looks that add realism to play time. It comes complete with a 38 piece accessory set, including a Lifestyle Dining Room and Pots & Pans Set, 2 baskets, and interactive skillet and pot with lid-activated electronic frying and boiling water sounds! This Step2 Kitchen will encourage hours of imaginative play. You'll be amazed what your child will cook up!. Price: $244.98
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Red, white and black is the sprightly color scheme of this postwar informal living room.
"Color Opens the Door" proclaims a Benjamin Moore consumer brochure from 1954. A sprightly black red and gray color scheme puts this room in the distinctively modern camp as do the vertical blinds. The television set is a relatively new item. The black-and-white check of the sofa upholstery is picked up in wallpaper or possibly fabric lining the open shelves of the wall unit.
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Big D New Year's Eve 2014 celebration at Victory Plaza
Photo: Louis DeLuca/Staff Photographer
The crowd enjoys moving to the music as they celebrate during the Big D New Year's Eve 2014 celebration.
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NOW With Alex Wagner 05/20/14
Mitch McConnell poised to dispatch challenger
Five-term Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell is ready to take on his most serious challenger in 30 years. Gov. Steve Beshear and Jonthan Chait join Alex Wagner to discuss. ... more Duration: {{video.duration.momentjs}}
Mitch McConnell poised to dispatch challenger
NOW gives touching final goodbye
The role of music in presidential politics
GOP candidates prep for debate in unique ways
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Outrage mounts after 'Cecil the Lion' death
Clinton, Boehner, Walker...and a cheesesteak
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The first game of a Michigan State football season, especially when it's at home, is always a big deal in the community. And a Friday night game against a solid opponent like Boise State, adds to the fun especially for students. They still aren't quite out of their summertime mode and seeing what Spartan football is like, especially this year with the new $10 million video boards in full swing should be special.
It will be hot for sure-- 90 some degrees and the campus will be packed-- it's a normal work day up until late afternoon and then the partying on the holiday week end begins. I remember that first night game 25 years ago against USC on Labor Day evening itself. Several days beforehand MSU looked at how the lights worked over the stadium for the very first time and what a magical setting it truly was. This will be MSU's 12th night game-- the Spartans are 7-4 in these home games at night. And this one could have plenty of fireworks since Boise is 50-3 in its last 53 games. Let the season begin!


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The Danner Hood Winter Light 200 gram hunting boots are perfect for late fall or early winter hunting. Made in the USA and one of Danner's premier hunting boots, the Hood Winter Light offers features such as GORE-TEX lining, which provides the ultimate in breathable, waterproof protection. 200 grams of Thinsulate Ultra Insulation keep you comfortable on cold days. A full-grain leather upper combined with Danner&rsuqo;s stitchdown, construction provides rugged durability. Traction and stability can be trusted with a Vibram Kletterlift outsole.
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UK rents up £62 in a year
Published by Anonymous for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Finance
UK rents up �62 in a year
The average advertised rent in Britain increased by £62 (6.56%) in July 2014 compared to the same time last year, reaching £1,029 per month.
National rents surpassed the £1,000 per month mark in June 2014, and have since continued to climb steadily, rising an average of £11 per month over the past four.
Significantly contributing to the sustained national growth is the average rent in Greater London, which stood at £2,376 per month in July and showed no signs of abating having increased consistently for the last 12 months.
On average, renting a property in the capital is now £43 more expensive that it was at the beginning of July and £223 (10.11%) per month more expensive than July 2013 when rents reached a low of £2,148 per month.
Elsewhere, a monthly increase of £9 in the South East means properties in the region are also becoming more expensive to rent, with average prices £90 (8.07%) per month higher than the same time last year.
And as house prices in Scotland stalled in July, the rental market flourished. Average rents stood at £737 per month in July, approximately £60 per month more than when compared to the same time last year.
Other northern regions also experienced growth in July. The North West saw a slight decline over the last 12 months of 1.43%, with average advertised rents at £625 per month in July 2014.
Robin King, director of Move with Us, said: "Typically if the sales market improves, the rental market falters and vice versa. However, any fears that the rental market would decline as the sales market sprang back to life have now been allayed. The rental market has continued to grow alongside the sales market. It's as strong as it's ever been.
"For once it's not just the South that's driving climbing advertising rents as improvements have spread up to the northern regions too. While the North West was the only region where the average advertising rent declined in a yearly comparison, we expect to see rents in this region increasing in the coming months."
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The Sound of a Million Dreams by David Nail
David Nail's instinctive infusion of country music with soul and R&B has been catching the ears of radio listeners, first with his 2009 Top 10 single, "Red Light," and now with his sophomore album's first single, "Let It Rain." The new album's 11 polished tracks are distinguished by higher-quality lyrics than are often found on country radio.
In "She Rides Away," David portrays a free-spirited girl with the poetic line, She flies as wild as the wind on the border of Laredo. "Half Mile Hill" finds old drunks and dreamers both searching for something. "Grandpa's Farm" also appears on guitar rocker Frankie Ballard's debut disc, though David steers the song toward soul, aided by a spirited gospel choir. He tones things down with the understated yet passionately performed "Songs for Sale," featuring Lee Ann Womack, while the amorous "Catherine" gets a vocal lift from roots-rocker Will Hoge. David's version of "Desiree," while earnest, lacks the affecting rawness of Keith Urban's version from his early days with The Ranch.
Though David's tenor sounds akin to that of Rascal Flatts' Gary LeVox at times, David could be country music's most soulful singer since Ronnie Dunn.
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HOUSTON - One of several small pieces of foam that popped free from Discovery's external tank during launch may have struck the orbiter, but likely caused no significant damage, shuttle managers said Thursday.
"We think that little piece of foam at that altitude did not cause damage of concern," said Wayne Hale, NASA's deputy shuttle program manager, during a press briefing here at Johnson Space Center (JSC), adding that he fully expects the orbiter will be free of any debris concerns as data is processed. "I expect that on Flight Day 6, we're going to get the go ahead to fly as is."
Earlier today, NASA officials said they were confident that Discovery's heat shield is intact and the orbiter fit for an Earth return, but are awaiting additional analysis.
After two days of image analysis, analysts have tracked several small pieces of foam insulation as they popped free from the tank very near the origin of a larger, 0.9-pound chunk that missed Discovery as it fell, shuttle officials said.
They originated from an ice frost ramp, very close to another ramp that shed the larger foam chunk, and separated from the tank about 20 seconds after the bigger piece, Hale said. There is no definitive evidence - based on surveys conducted Wednesday with a sensor-laden orbital boom and sensors inside the wing - that the foam debris made contact with Discovery's right wing leading edge as it fell away, he added.
But even if the small foam piece did strike the orbiter, it would have hit with only 1/10th the energy needed to cause damage, according to debris transport analysis, Hale said.
Nevertheless, shuttle officials would like to know why the additional foam pieces fell away at all and will study the incident. NASA plans to address the current foam loss issue before launching another shuttle into space.
Discovery's STS-114 spaceflight is NASA's first shuttle flight since the 2003 Columbia disaster.
Hale said that Discovery's mission management team (MMT), which he chairs, will now hand off the external tank work to others and shift their focus onto verifying the shuttle's thermal protection system comprised of heat-resistant tiles and reinforced carbon carbon panels (RCC) along its wings and nose cap.
Earlier today, the STS-114 crew and space station astronauts worked together to photograph Discovery's belly, obtaining high-resolution images of the orbiter's belly-mounted tiles to be reviewed by specialists on Earth. The image survey came a day after Discovery's astronaut crew deployed the shuttle's 50-foot (15-meter) orbital boom sensor system (OBSS) to scrutinize the orbiter's wing leading edges for any hint of damage.
"We are very satisfied with the results we are getting," Hale said of the shuttle's tile-lined belly.
The measures are designed to search for damage like that which crippled the Columbia orbiter in 2003. The orbiter broke apart during reentry on Feb. 1, 2003, after suffering wing damage from external tank foam at launch.
Steve Poulos, NASA's orbiter projects office manager, said Discovery is a "very clean orbiter" that sustained about 80 percent fewer impacts than past shuttle flights.
The OBSS detected very slight scuffs to some of Discovery's RCC panels - one such incident leaving a mark smaller than the dot atop the letter 'i' - but additional passes are needed to catch every view flight controllers want, Poulos added.
In the history of the space shuttle program, most orbiter averaged about 150 nicks, dings or other damage to its heat-resistant tiles per flight, Hale said, adding that some of that damage admittedly occurred during descent as the landing gear deployed. Of that average 150 incidents, about 31 are typically larger than an inch in size, he added.
Shuttle tile specialists have picked out about 26 specific points where Discovery's belly tiles appear to have been dinged during flight. All but one of those - an apparently chipped tile noticed during video captured during launch - are smaller than 1/2 inch in size, and they are all expected to be cleared of concern by July 31, the sixth day of Discovery's STS-114 mission, NASA officials said.
Some of those tile dings may be chosen for follow-up looks with the OBSS on Friday, though tile specialists were still discussing that issue late Thursday, NASA officials said.
Meanwhile, Hale said he has sent e-mails to Discovery's crew expressing his concern for the foam shedding seen on launch day.
"I told them, frankly, that I was mortified of the external tank's foam loss, and that we're going to fix it before we fly again," Hale said.
- Fixing NASA: Complete Coverage of Space Shuttle Return to Flight


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Daniela Edburg: Killing Time
March 18 - April 19, 2014
4411 Montrose, Houston, TX 77006 Get directions
Edburg's intricate photographs challenge the boundaries between the surreal and the commonplace. Elements of the bizarre in otherwise ordinary settings call attention to the self-destructive and obsessive nature of humankind. In conjunction with the 2014 FotoFest Biennial.


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JAN 31, 2013 - Forbes
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Word to the wise: If you're going to strike a deal that you're maybe not entirely proud of, wait until after your book tour to announce it.
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Family Webicine
Friday, February 25, 2011
Why Are There So Many School Holidays?
Every time I turn around, it seems that kids are off school for some holiday, teacher's meeting, or whatever. This week it was President's Day, so I guess its appropriate to honor Lincoln and Washington by not going to work or school. Granted, these two presidents accomplished some great things, but should we also have a day off for Rutherford B. Hayes, Grover Cleveland, and James Buchanan? Martin Luther King fought for civil rights and for equal opportunity in the work force, so it seems odd to celebrate his efforts by not working on his birthday either. Maybe I am just bitter, because I had to work on the holiday. I even work on my own birthday.
The banks and post offices are closed, and most of the state workers have a legal holiday so that they can go skiing or just sleep in. Half of the kids that I saw in the clinic today do not know the reason they are not in school. When I asked one 8-year old today, about which presidents are we honoring today, he thought it was President Obama. President Obama may be working today, too, even if it is hanging a wreath at the Washington or Lincoln memorials.
American children are supposed to get 180 days on instruction per school year; considerably less than other countries (like Japan) that put our educational methods to shame. Japanese high school children go to school for 240 days per year. Add that up over 12 years, and it comes out to an extra 720 more classroom days; or four more years of instruction compared to U.S. schools. No wonder why we are falling behind. The Japanese students only get a few weeks of holiday per year; classes are really year-round. They do not have an entire summer off to run the family farm and bring in the crops like American students.
We have had three different Japanese exchange students living in our home over the years, and had the opportunity of visiting them in Japan once. As a part of our visit, I wanted to see their school. So one Friday my wife and I were invited to Kyoko and Eriko's private high school. We were greeted warmly, removed our shoes, and were escorted to Kyoko's classroom. Surprisingly, during the one hour window that we were permitted to visit, classes were not in session. All of the kids had mops, scrub brushes, dust clothes, and toilet brushes — they were cleaning their school! And remember, this was a pricey private school. For a few hours, every Friday, the entire school cleans their building. We were told that this practice teaches humility and fosters respect. And respect, they do have. They respect their teachers and each other. It was amazing to see the cultural differences.
Japanese students are under immense pressure from their parents and society to succeed. They have to pass entrance exams to enter high school, as well as college. By the time they start college, they are extremely prepared. Japanese universities are prestigious and expense, so no one really wastes their money on junk classes. Education is taken very seriously.
Like many issues, there is a flip side. Japanese students are also under more stress. Perhaps the answer is somewhere in the middle. American kids need to be in school more days per year. I think it would be better if there is not a long summer holiday to de-educate and mill about. Kids and teachers need breaks, but not all summer. Teachers (and I have been one) do like to continue their education during this time, but they can do it online easier and cheaper and with less disruption in the kids' education.
I am also in favor of school uniforms. There is plenty of time outside of school for kids to express their fashion quirks. I get a little tired of seeing underwear half way up the back, exposed butt cracks, and some very inappropriate t-shirts on school-aged kids.
Americans spend a lot of money on education, but I don't think we are getting our full bucks' worth anymore. We can do better. We must do better.


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It wasn't the type of season that General fans are use too. The Red Rage finished with their first losing record in 24 years and now will have to find a way to bounce back in 2013.
Sheridan hasn't had back to back losing seasons since 1983-1984, so the pressure is on this group to get back to the promise land. We check in from Thornville with Sheridan's 2013 football preview.


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ECB Has Become Harder to Predict Under Draghi
European Central Bank President Mario Draghi has done a good job recently of keeping markets and observers on their toes. Veteran followers of the central bank's moves say that he has developed a reputation of acting more flexibly than his predecessor Jean-Claude Trichet. Yet this flexibility has a flip side to it, namely that bank decisions are harder to predict than they once were.
Under Mr. Trichet, who served as ECB boss for eight years before handing over to Mr. Draghi in late 2011, ECB watchers listened closely for verbal cues that meant a rate rise was coming soon. If Mr. Trichet said "strong vigilance" was warranted in the fight against inflation, markets generally knew that a rate rise would come soon.
One clear difference between Mr. Trichet's verbal cues and Mr. Draghi's time as ECB head is that then Mr. Trichet would use "vigilance" to signal a rate rise. The current ECB chief has a much tougher job. He is communicating central bank action as the ECB's rates approach zero, meaning that the central bank has less ammunition in conventional monetary policy, namely the ability to move interest rates.
"I think the reaction function has never been [less clear] than in recent weeks," said Carsten Brzeski economist with bank ING in Brussels, referring to the ECB's reaction to economic conditions. This assessment is based on the ECB having cut rates in November after October's inflation rate hit 0.7% and then failing to act when inflation hit the same level in January.
This inconsistency has market implications. Deutsche Bank analysts wrote Thursday that the ECB's decision not to act in February could precipitate market confusion and undermine the ECB's dovish path. This might lead to a rise in the euro, which could hurt the euro zone's economy by throttling exports. "The ECB today could not decide because of too much uncertainty. It has today added to uncertainty," wrote the analysts.
Mr. Draghi tries to explain to markets what he's doing, but sometimes even these attempts come up a bit short on clarity. For example, at the most recent press conference, he said:
"As you can see, I gave you a fairly complete and complex picture of what we look at in order to decide upon our reaction to an inflation rate which is going to stay lower for a protracted period of time. I think that what I have said before in these long answers is enough to construct a fairly accurate reaction function." Got it?
This is a long way off from Mr. Draghi's legendary "whatever it takes" speech from late July of 2012, which some argue single handedly gave sovereigns the upper hand in the euro crisis over skeptical markets. In fairness to Mr. Draghi, this presaged the controversial bond buying program, OMT, that the ECB has yet to use, and which Germany's Constitutional Court has now called into question. It's arguably easier to use strong language when one is pre-announcing the ECB's preparedness to fire up the printing presses, less so when explaining how the ECB might react to certain situations.
Not everyone is so critical of Mr. Draghi's communication. Erik Nielsen, economist at UniCredit in London said Mr. Trichet "used code words to de facto pre-announce their intentions, which added nothing to our understanding of the way they think of matters – and occasionally left them in an awkward position."
By contrast Mr. Draghi "seems more comfortable discussing the analytics of their calibrations, which ultimately provides better quality information to help guide the market."
Mr. Draghi's emphasis now is to stress that the ECB has the right tools to deal with whatever situation emerges and that it will react accordingly. Though even here, some experts say there are serious drawbacks to some of the tools the ECB could use, such as fully-fledged buying of government bonds (quantitative easing), buying packaged bank loans or targeted longer-term loans to banks. "The tools are there…but then at second thought, they are not as convincing and powerful as they might look in the first instance," said Mr. Brzeski. He said that ECB's "first line of defense" would be a small cut in the main rate, but he reckons this actually won't make much of a difference.
Some observers thought that Mr. Draghi was signaling another rate cut in March when he said the Governing Council needed more information before it could make a decision and then added that the March forecasts would include 2016. Still, it's far from clear. "They are very non-committal at the moment," wrote Exane BNP Paribas economist Astrid Schilo.
–Brian Blackstone contributed to this article.


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Events Musings: Hello Australia!August 14th, 2012 – Comment
I am so excited to announce that the Claire Pettibone bridal collection is coming to Australia! For years, our very determined and lovely brides have been seeking us out and either A.) ordering dresses through the mail/phone from our Flagship salon (without ever seeing or trying on the gown in person) or B.) making the long journey to another continent just to see the collection. Either way, quite a dedicated and devoted leap of faith, and I'm just so completely flattered that brides will literally go to any length to have my creations!
Well good news, things have just become a bit easier! It's taken a while, but we have finally found the perfect home for our dresses in a fabulous new salon in Melbourne called Intique & Co. Owner/creative director Natalie and her team have been styling and planning unique and inspired weddings…just the kind our brides swoon for, and now, Intique is expanding into a full service Bridal Salon! The doors will open very soon…official launch is September 8th, but they have just received some of their first Claire Pettibone gowns, and are pre-booking appointments already!
Please check out their website, give them a call, and by all means enjoy choosing your dream dress and planning a fabulous wedding with Intique & Co!Intique & Co Bridal Styling & wedding design
| 283 Bay Street Brighton VIC 3186, Australia
1300 858 016
(in order of appearance, left to right, top to bottom)
Musings: Dragonfly dreamsAugust 9th, 2012 – 4 Comments
Just had to share this gorgeous story photographed in a mystery garden somewhere in the English countryside…
Venue: that's a secret!
Photographer: Sarah Gawler
Styling: Hannah Gooch
Dresses: Claire Pettibone
Linen 3 piece suit: A Suit That Fits
Hair: The Hepburn Collection
Make-up: Daniel K Palmer
Flowers: LK Lily
Vintage china: Roses All Over
Cake: Tempting Cake
Dark corduroy suit: Favourbrook
Jewellery: Libery in Love
Shoes: Jimmy Choo available to hire from Cinderella Me
Floral headband: What Katy Did Next
Jewelled headpiece: Jenny Packham
Wire Chandelier: Rayment Wire
Models: Kate and Dag from MOT models
Musings: Petals from HeavenJuly 24th, 2012 – Comment
These gorgeous images captured in an almond orchard in full bloom are almost too beautiful to be real! A lovely bride in the midst of flowering trees is pretty much heaven if you ask me! Featuring Dew Drop and Orange Blossom gowns, enjoy this dreamy stroll through a springtime wonderland.
Thank you for the lovely features on newsstands now in Pacific Weddings Magazine and featured on Green Wedding Shoes
Photography + art direction: Stephanie Williams – This Modern Romance
Hair + make-up : KC Witcamp
Produced by: Leila from Be Inspired PR
Hair + make-up: KC Witcamp
Hair pieces:Erica Elizabeth Designs
Cake: Cupcakes Couture
Flowers: Dolce Designs Studio
Pink ombre dress and bolero: "Dew Drop" Claire Pettibone
White dress: "Orange Blossom" Claire Pettibone
Shoes and Jewelry : Ruche Bridal
Umbrella : Bella Umbrella
Rentals: Found Vintage rentals
Models: Madeleine and Branden from Vision Model Management
Musings: Midsummer's DreamJuly 17th, 2012 – Comment
That irresistible feeling of luxury and lightness…lush textures, details galore, and yet, sweet simplicity. Genevieve was inspired by a languid summer in the French countryside…here she is photographed by the talented Sarah Gawler in one of London's most beautiful settings, The Orangery. A glass and stone palace built for Lord & Lady Holland's soirees, it provides an elegant and charming space that is now one of my favorite daydream getaways…I can just imagine the guests, the cocktails, the dancing…isn't it the sign of a great party, when the ladies are wearing ethereal, and flowing formal gowns, but the vibe is kick-off-your-heels relaxed?!
I'm longing for an end-of-summer party in full bloom. Can't you just smell the jasmine wafting on the soft breeze of a warm night? What a lovely mood to capture for a summer wedding…
Photographer: Sarah Gawler
Venue: The Orangery, Holland Park
Stylist: Hannah Gooch
Hair and Make-up: Daniel K Palmer
Model: Zsanet – MOT Models
Stylist Assistant: Emily Nicholson
Florist: LK Lily
Stationery: Artcadia
Cakes: Victoria Made
Jewellery: Alex Monroe
Plates: John Lewis
Cutlery: Zara Home
Table linen: The Linen Works
Musings: Then and NowJuly 11th, 2012 – 2 Comments
Vintage jewelry often finds its way into my mind when designing wedding dresses (and often, onto my fingers, ears and neck!) Many years ago, before the current trend of "vintage weddings" appeared, I devoted an entire collection to two of my favorite eras of jewelry design: Art Nouveau 1890-1910 and Art Deco 1920-1939.
Still one of our most popular silhouettes, Cloisonne features intricate "inlaid" velvet on delicate tulle embroidery with ribbons and beading along the neckline…almost takes the place of a necklace, although a lovely pair of earrings might be nice!
The Art Deco style of the 1920's has always been a favorite of mine (and many of my brides). The Renee gown has vintage brooches at the bodice and the lace rose motif is based on the classic Paul Poiret rose seen in his classic "La Rose de Rosine Parfum, 1912.
This season, I've been tempted to visit this era again, especially with a couple of gowns, Haviland and Deauville…1920's glamour seems oh so now! How to keep it modern yet timeless? Don't OVER-do on the vintage details…if your dress is classically retro, keep the shoes modern and sexy. Maybe the venue is city chic, and you arrive in a classic car and serve Absinthe! Or vice-versa, and the venue is a 1920's estate, and you add some modern clean lines to the décor…or how about your whole décor and story IS retro, but you have a rockin' band and the bride and groom each sport a few tattoos?! You know me, I'm really not one for "rules" about a wedding…to me, the magic lies in each individual couple telling a story that is so perfectly "them".
I love to see how our brides interpret these fabulous eras as inspiration for weddings…they always look like such fun parties, and so memorable for their guests! It's all about finding your own personal details and inspiration to create a love story uniquely you.


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Get your project from zero to tested leveraging the power of Cucumber and Factory Girl
Testing can be a daunting task, especially for developers who are new to Rails. It sounds like a great idea, but where do you start? What do you test? What don't you test? For many developers, the hardest part of testing is jumping in and getting your feet wet. Luckily, Cucumber makes getting started with testing easy, you'll be testing your code form top to bottom in no time.
What is Cucumber?
Cucumber, in simple terms, is a framework for writing human-readable, meaningful tests that allow you to test the full functionality of your Rails project from database access to business logic to what's displayed in your views.
From the Cucumber Wiki:
Cucumber lets software development teams describe how software should behave in plain text. The text is written in a business-readable domain-specific language and serves as documentation, automated tests and development-aid – all rolled into one format.
When you write your tests with Cucumber you get full-stack automated tests, documentation and a tool to help you communicate with your product owner.
Who's the Factory Girl?
Factory Girl is a fixture replacement for Rails that allows you to create meaningful objects for use in your tests.
From the Factory Girl Github Page:
factory_girl is a fixtures replacement with a straightforward definition syntax, support for multiple build strategies (saved instances, unsaved instances, attribute hashes, and stubbed objects), and support for multiple factories for the same class (user, admin_user, and so on), including factory inheritance.
When you use Factory Girl in conjunction with Cucumber you can simplify complex test setup and use real objects from the database, not brittle mocks.
Getting Setup
Getting your project setup with Cucumber and Factory Girl is pretty straightforward. First, you'll need a few gems installed:
sudo gem install cucumber-rails
sudo gem install webrat
sudo gem install thoughtbot-factory_girl --source=http://gemcutter.org
Note: As of 0.5.0 the Rails specific functionality was extracted from the cucumber gem into the cucumber-rails gem
Cucumber comes pre-packaged with some generators for getting your project ready for testing. From the root of your Rails project, run the generator:
ruby script/generate cucumber --webrat --rspec
You'll notice that we're passing a couple of flags to the generator,
--webrat specifies that we want to use webrat as our automated browser and
--rspec specifies that we want to use rspec as our test framework. If you don't pass these options Cucumber will guess which options you want based on the gems which you have installed.
After running the generator, you will see some output about the files that were created:
create config/cucumber.yml create config/environments/cucumber.rb create script/cucumber create features/step_definitions create features/step_definitions/web_steps.rb create features/support create features/support/env.rb create features/support/paths.rb create lib/tasks create lib/tasks/cucumber.rake
Here's a brief description of what some of the important files do:
*config/cucumber.rb*: This is your cucumber environment, similar to
production.rb or
development.rb. Typically you'll add cucumber specific
config.gem directives and similar "cucumber only" items in here.
*features/step_definitions/web_steps.rb*: These are the webrat steps that you get for free with Cucumber and Webrat.
*features/support/env.rb*: This file has Cucumber specific setup and configuration options. This changes often, so it's recommended to not alter this file directly, but to create your own custom
env.rb (e.g.
*features/support/paths.rb*: Cucumber needs to be aware of the custom routes in your application that you plan on using when testing, this is where they are specified.
Cucumber from 10,000ft
Now that you've got your project configured to use Cucumber, let's go over a high level view of the general concept of testing with Cucumber.
Cucumber uses "Features" to describe the functionality of your application. Features, stored in the
features directory, are written in a simple human-readable format called Gherkin. The "Steps" in your feature files that describe the functionality of your application are backed up by step files in the
features/step_definitionsdirectory. The step files act like translations between the human-readable feature files and the underlying Ruby code of your Rails application.
Typically you will be using Cucumber in conjunction with Webrat to test your application. Webrat acts as the person behind the keyboard clicking around the site, filling out forms and viewing resulting pages. If you've ever tested your project by manually filling out forms and verifying output, that's exactly what Webrat does for you, except it's automated.
Let's Get Testing Already
Rather than go into detail about TDD or BDD and why you should use them, I'm going to assume that you're like most Rails developers looking to learn more about testing. You probably have an application or two out there in the wild, seemingly working just fine. However, you know that you should get some test coverage in there so that you can confidently make changes and debug problems as they come up. With that in mind, I am going to use a sample application that already has some functionality and we will add our Cucumber tests where needed.
A Veterinary Patient Management System
Our sample application is a simple patient management system for a Veterinarian that deals with Owners, Pets and Visitations. Let's take a look at some of the models.
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class Owner < ActiveRecord::Base has_many :pets validates_presence_of :name validates_presence_of :email end class Pet < ActiveRecord::Base belongs_to :owner validates_presence_of :name validates_presence_of :species validates_inclusion_of :species, :in => %w( dog cat bird snake ), :message => "Species: %s is not included in the list of accepted species" end class Visitation < ActiveRecord::Base has_one :pet end
The first thing for which we'll be adding a Feature is the process for creating a new Owner record. When a new client calls the Veterinarian's office, an employee needs to enter them into the system.
Writing a Feature
Cucumber features are very straight forward. The feature file explains a set of functionality by describing different cases through scenarios.
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Feature: Manage Owners In order to value As a role I want feature Scenario: title Given context When event Then outcome
Each Cucumber feature represents a desired software feature that a certain user of the system wants in order to achieve some end goal. The scenarios are formatted so that a context is setup, an event occurs and an outcome is evaluated.
Let's examine our real
Manage Owners feature.
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Feature: Managing Owners In order to manage our client list As an employee I want to be able to CRUD owners Scenario: Creating a new Owner Given I am on the homepage And I follow "Owners" Then I should be on the owners index page Given I follow "New owner" And I fill in "Name" with "Clayton" And I fill in "E-Mail" with "firstname.lastname@example.com" And I fill in "Address" with "100 Cactus Rd" And I fill in "City" with "Scottsdale" And I fill in "State" with "Arizona" And I fill in "Postal Code" with "85000" And I fill in "Phone" with "480-555-1212" When I press "Create" Then I should see "Owner was successfully created." And I should be on the owners index page
Note: When you specify "And" in a Cucumber feature the step inherits the Given/Then/When from the previous step
Our scenario covers the act of creating a new Owner record. We first setup a context (I am on the homepage). Next we click a link in the navigation (I follow "Owners"). Once we're on the
index view for the Owners controller (I should be on) we can click another link to get to the
new view for the Owners controller. From there we are simply instructing Webrat to fill out our form (I fill in) and click the submit button at the bottom (I press "Create"). Finally we are asking Webrat to read the resulting page and see if there is some text present (I should see).
Our feature is looking pretty good, but we still have a few more steps before we can get this scenario passing. Running the this feature from the command line will give us some output and more direction. Once you're run
rake db:migrate and
rake db:test:prepare run the following from your application's root directory:
ruby cucumber features/manage_owners.feature
Looks like we're failing, and Cucumber gave us some information about what's wrong.
Can't find mapping from "the owners index page" to a path. Now, go and add a mapping in patient-management/features/support/paths.rb
If we open up our
features/support/paths.rb file we can add the correct path right below the default path for the "home page". The paths file is really just a list of regular expressions that Cucumber uses to match named routes to words in scenarios.
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when /the homes?page/ '/' when /the owners index page/ owners_path
With that little change we have our first passing Cucumber scenario! When running Cucumber features from the command line, Cucumber will print out a little summary message.
1 scenario (1 passed) 14 steps (14 passed) 0m0.290s
Complex Scenario Setup
In our above example the setup, or Given steps, were pretty simple. However, sometimes you need more complex setups for your scenarios, like editing a record for example. Cucumber makes it easy to create objects in your scenarios using tables in multiline step arguments.
Here is a feature that goes through the process of editing an owner's address. You'll see the Cucumber table that is used to setup our existing owner record. The first row in the Cucumber table correspond to some of the attribute names for our Owner model.
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Scenario: Editing an existing Owner Given the following owners: | name | email | address | | Clayton | firstname.lastname@example.com | 100 Cactus Rd | Given I am on the homepage And I follow "Owners" Then I should be on the owners index page When I follow "Edit" And I fill in "Address" with "567 N Scottsdale Rd" When I press "Update" Then I should see "Owner was successfully updated." And I should be on the owners index page
When we try to run this, Cucumber will give us the "shell" for our custom step definition "Given the following owners".
Given /^the following owners:$/ do |table| # table is a Cucumber::Ast::Table pending # express the regexp above with the code you wish you had end
Since we never created a step definition for this Cucumber feature, we can go ahead and add a new file,
features/step_definitions/manage_owners_steps.rb. It is important to note that Cucumber will load all of the files in
features/step_definitions and that steps can be used across scenarios and features. If you think you're going to re-use a step definition, it might be a good idea to place it in something like
Note: You should put some thought into your step organization as your project grows in size.
Cucumber takes the table argument from your scenario and turns it into an array of hashes, which is technically a
Cucumber::Ast::Table object. By iterating through each hash of the array, we can build up an object that we can use later in our tests. Since we want this object to live in the database and we don't want to describe every attribute of the owner in our scenario, we can use Factory Girl to simplify the process.
The factory for our owner is simple. I won't go into the specifics of how to create factories as that's a whole other article. You can read more about using factories on the github project page
Create a file to store your factories in
features/support/factories.rb and copy the following.
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require 'factory_girl' Factory.define(:owner) do |o| o.name "John Doe" o.email "email@example.com" o.address "123 Elm Street" o.city "Phoenix" o.state "Arizona" o.zip "85000" end
When we use the factory to create our object, Factory Girl will take the attribute hash that we've passed in when creating the object and use those values for the object. Factory Girl will also fill in any blank attributes with the defaults we've specified in the factory definition. The record that is created will actually exist in the database, it is not a mock and it does not have any stubs, as far as our Rails app is concerned it is just a regular record in the database.
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Given /^the following owners:$/ do |table| table.hashes.each do |attributes| # {:name => "Clayton", :email => "firstname.lastname@example.com", :address => "100 Cactus Rd"} Factory.create(:owner, attributes) end end
Another place we could use our
Given the following owners step would be when creating a feature that deals with creating Pet records. An owner
has_many pets while a pet
belongs_to an owner. When we create a pet record, we need an existing owner record to which we'll link the pet record. Start by creating a new feature file,
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Scenario: Creating a pet Given the following owners: | name | email | | Clayton | email@example.com | Given I am on the homepage And I follow "Pets" And I follow "New pet" When I fill in "Name" with "Bruno" And I select "Dog" from "Species" And I select "March 19th, 2005" as the "DOB" date And I select "Clayton (firstname.lastname@example.com)" from "Owner" When I press "Create" Then I should see "Bruno was successfully created." And I should be on the pets index page And a pet named "Bruno" should be owned by an owner named "Clayton"
In this example we have re-used our
Given the following owners table. We have also made use of some new Webrat steps like
I select for interacting with select lists and
I select [DATE] as the [DATE LABEL] date for selecting a date from Rails'
date_selector helper. Finally, there is a custom step that we are going to use to make sure that the connection between our newly created pet and the existing owner is in place.
Let's take a look at the step definition for our custom step above.
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Then /^a pet named "([^"]*)" should be owned by an owner named "([^"]*)"$/ do |pet_name, owner_name| Pet.find_by_name(pet_name).owner.name.should == owner_name end
When you place something in double quotes in your scenario steps, like "Bruno" and "Clayton" in our example, they are captured using regular expressions in the step definition. Cucumber then passes the matched values along so that then can be used in your assertion. We can find the pet based on the
pet_name and make sure that the
owner linked to this pet via the
belongs_to association is the same as the
owner_name we specified in our scenario. This is an example of how Cucumber can be used, with RSpec matchers, to make an assertion that has nothing to do with inspecting the DOM of a resulting webpage.
Note: Beware of the Conjunction Steps Anti-pattern
Scenario Outlines
Cucumber provides a very simple way to test multiple different situations with a single scenario. These might be edge cases or just repetitive examples that don't require their own scenario.
We have some business logic in our application that determines when an appointment, or
Visitation, can be made with the Veterinarian:
- Visitations less than three days from today require approval before being booked
- No visitations can be booked more than six months in advance
- No visitations can be booked in the past
We can easily represent this using a Cucumber Scenario Outline. Start by creating a new feature
features/visitation_logic.feature. Also, because we're going to be working with time and date specific business logic, this is a good time to point out that we can stub methods when using Cucumber, however, this practice is frowned upon and should only be used for things like dates and connecting to external APIs.
To add stubbing support add the following to your
features/support/custom_env.rb file.
require 'spec/stubs/cucumber'
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Scenario Outline: visitations Given the following owners: | name | | Clayton | And the following pets: | name | | Bruno | Given today is "<today>" Given I am on the home page And I follow "Visitations" And I follow "New visitation" And I select "Bruno (Owned by Clayton)" from "Pet" And I select "<date>" as the "Appointment Date" date When I press "Create" Then I should see "<message>" Examples: | today | date | message | | 2010-01-01 | January 2nd, 2010 | Visitation requires short notice approval. | | 2010-01-01 | January 31st, 2010 | Visitation succesfully created. | | 2010-01-01 | November 2nd, 2010 | Visitations cannot be booked that far in advance. | | 2010-04-01 | January 2nd, 2010 | Visitations cannot be booked in the past. |
Cucumber will go through the
Scenario Outline you have created and substitute the values in <>'s with their corresponding value in the
Examples table at the bottom. Cucumber goes through each line in the
Examples table and runs the scenario using your specified values.
First, lets implement the step for stubbing our today's date.
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Given /^today is "([^"]*)"$/ do |date| Date.stub(:today).and_return(Date.parse(date)) end
features/step_definitions/shared_steps.rb we can add the implementation for
Given the following pets. We are cheating here because we're not explicitly linking the Pet to the Owner in our scenario outline. This example isn't so bad, but keep in mind that this association is not obvious when reading the scenario. This type of "behind the scenes" scenario setup is generally a bad idea as it obscures what's really happening. Since we've already created the owner we can just find the first one in the database and create the pet records using the appropriate Rails' association method.
Given /^the following pets:$/ do |table| table.hashes.each do |attributes| Owner.first.pets.create(attributes) end end
The other steps in our scenario already exist, either because we created them, or because they come for free with the built in steps. In this one scenario we were able to test four different business logic outcomes. This test could be expanded to go beyond what is shown on the resulting page, perhaps to ensure that an Approval record was created for the short-notice appointment.
Advanced Cucumber Goodies
While you should now have an understanding of the basics of Cucumber, there are a number of other powerful features.
Cucumber allows you to "tag" your scenarios and features so that they can be run, not run or have special other tasks run before and after them. Out of the box you get the
@wip tag (Work In Progress) which isn't run as part of the normal
rake cucumber:ok process.
Using tags, you can run
Before and
After tasks that run some code before or after a given feature or scenario. You can even run these hooks before or after all of your features. You might need to do some cleanup of generated files in an After hook or some CPU expensive operation before a single scenario that you don't want running before all of your scenarios.
Table Transformations
The tables that we have been creating use the exact model attribute names for their header rows. This is convenient for the developer, but makes the scenarios harder to understand. This is especially true if you have very strange or legacy attribute names like
record_quote_ext_type__c. Using table transformations you can use "Record Extension Type" in your scenario table and map that to
record_quote_ext_type__c in your step definition.
Calling Steps from Steps
It's possible to take a multi-step process, expressed in Cucumber steps, and call them all at once from another step. You might have a few steps that describe logging in to a system (filling out login credentials, pressing a button etc.) You can easily put them all into one step,
Given I am logged in, and then reference that elsewhere. This helps to reduce unnecessary repetition of steps and keep your scenarios to a manageable size.
Cucumber allows you to specify a profile to use when running your features. By default Cucumber will not run any
@wip tagged scenarios and the output will contain any failing files and the line number of the failure. However, if you wanted to run the
@production tagged stories and output a nice HTML report, you could setup a new profile for that in
config/cucumber.yml and use it when running your features.
Testing Javascript
You can even use Cucumber to test complex javascript. Tools like Celerity with Culerityor Selenium give you the ability go beyond the interactions provided by Webrat. A new addition to Cucumber is Capybara support which aims to unify the language used in steps so that you can use Webrat, Selenium and Celerity side-by-side.


text:
Coos lawmakers want state law to address valuation of renewable energy projects
BERLIN – The Coos County delegation is working on legislation to address the valuation of renewable energy projects that have Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreements.
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text:
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) � The family of a Vermont State Police trooper who was killed while trying to stop a fleeing suspect in 2003 has received a $4.5 million settlement from the state and its insurance carrier.
The Valley News reports (http://bit.ly/11JrUj2) Washington Superior Court Judge Robert Bent this week approved a settlement to compensate Trooper Michael Johnson's widow, Kerrie Johnson, and their three children. The details have been sealed.
Johnson became the first Vermont trooper in the history of the state to die in the line of duty when Eric Daley, who led police on a chase after they attempted to check his vehicle for drugs, struck Johnson with his vehicle.
Daley, of Lebanon, N.H., is serving a 26-to-33-year prison sentence for gross negligent operation of a vehicle.
Information from: Lebanon Valley News, http://www.vnews.com
Comments are currently unavailable on this article
Location, ST | website.com


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The A2Z Monster Mill is in a class of its own. A high quality American made mill boasting travels of 14"x, 11"Y, and 16"Z; it is truly a monster sized bench-top machine. The mill features Kerk Motion precision lead-screws and anti-backlash nuts available in your choice of 20TPI, 4TPI or 5MM pitch. The 20TPI screws are the same pitch as the stock Sherline lead-screws which makes manual work easier. For CNC use the 4TPI or 5mm screw offer improved performance.
For CNC use we offer Monster Mill packages with our STDR-4C control system.
Not sure what you need. Feel free to contact us for a quote on a system customized for your needs.
Shipping Note: Out automatic shipping calculator does a good job but with large items like a complete mill it may not be precise. Please feel free to contact us for a personalized shipping quote.
At this time please contact us to inquire about options. In the near future we will have the options selectable from the website
Coming soon...


text: I joined the FMX staff not long after the station was formed in 1981. Worked my way up to mornings (The Breakfast Flakes) & bossman. Did radio Austin for a couple years, and about a year and a half in lovely Spokane Washington. Got a call to come back to Lubbock as bossman and did not leave. Did mornings as "Jacqui & Wes", rocked some middays and eventually put the RockShow together with the Heathen. I am also midday host on another one for the most respected radio stations in America, the legendary Rock 108 in Abilene and enjoy my many visits to the city. I love blogging and am one of the most widely read bloggers in the company with over a million page views last year. I work on several websites and a bunch of social media. I am not afraid of stating ANY opinion; I feel it's important to be real. I am co-owner of Nightmare on 19th Street. I believe strongly in blood donation and in helping animals. My musical tastes are all over the map. You are always welcome to email me at email@example.com (sorry it's not hotlinked)


text:
News Archive:
Why Cyclists Should Pay For Rego
The Mail: Why Cyclists Should Pay For Rego
A common comment that I hear from motorists is that cyclists should pay for rego. The argument goes like this, "Cyclists use the roads therefore they should pay to use them".
It is usually in the form of a rant from some angry driver yelling out their car window or obnoxious media personality. It sounds simple enough, but not only is this argument flawed in it's logic, it's also a simple fact that the money from rego goes towards insurance and administration rather than construction and maintenance of roads. Roads are not a a user pays system. If you pay taxes, you pay for the roads. If you're a motorist who argues for a user pays system for roads, you should be careful what you wish for. You could end up paying much more than you already do.


text:
Harpeth High school is hosting a VOLLEYBALL SKILLS CAMP
1 day event
Saturday, May 21, 2011
9 am - 12 noon
You can sign up at the door the morning of the camp - you will need to complete a waiver which will be provided.
Harpeth High school is located at 170 E. Kingston Springs Road, Kingston Springs, TN 37082 just 2 minutes from interstate 40 West.
ACTIVE is the leader in online event registrations from 5k running races and marathons to softball leagues and local events. ACTIVE also makes it easy to learn and prepare for all the things you love to do with expert resources, training plans and fitness calculators.


text:
Vytoringate: Congress Investigates Exec's Stock Sale
Congress is pressing Merck and Schering-Plough for information on the timing of executive stock sales in the wake of the delayed release of results from the Enhance trial — a long-awaited study whose results became public last week. The findings suggest the cholesterol drug Vytorin doesn't slow heart disease any better than a generic statin alone. Schering-Plough's stock has taken a beating since then (see 10-day chart).
"We have … discovered that a Schering-Plough officer, Carrie Smith Cox, sold significant numbers of shares of Schering-Plough in the time between the end of the ENHANCE study and the release of the results on January 14, 2008," Congressmen Bart Stupak and John Dingell wrote in their latest letter to the companies today.
But Schering-Plough spokesman Steve Galpin told Dow Jones Newswires that Cox followed required company procedures before initiating her stock sales, which he said occurred well before the Enhance data were "unblinded" to company executives this month. The Web was buzzing about Cox's stock sales last week; BrandweekNRX was the first to report on the sales.
Bonus Letter: Stupak and Dingell can't get enough of the drug business. Today they also continued their investigation into Pfizer's use of Robert Jarvik as the Lipitor man, asking the FDA if its Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications (DDMAC) has been involved with the Lipitor ads.


text:
"Tosh Tour Twenty Ten: A Comedy Central Live Event" is set to kick off in September in Arizona, then travel to more than 60 cities, with additional shows to be announced.
Tickets are to go on sale Thursday.
Tosh also recently shot an original 1-hour stand-up special in San Francisco, which will premiere Oct. 3 on television. It will then be released with extended material on DVD and CD Oct. 5.
The network also announced the renewal of "Tosh.0" for a third season, which will consist of at least 29 episodes and premiere Jan. 12.
Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).


text:
Audio Bibles
Listen to the word in your car or anywhere else with our collection of audio Bibles. You can hear the Bible on CD, including the King James audio Bible (KJV audio Bible).
NVI El Nuevo Testament Con Salmos y Proverbios
Zondervan, Vida Publishers, Zondervan Bibles
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Top Definition
busted; extremely bootleg. ugly, messed up, not pleasing to the senses.
dude, did you see sydney's hair? it's totally chaga.
damn, your breath is chaga.
damn, your breath is chaga.
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by goku goku goose goku goose June 29, 2011
an asian from ramsey
chaga is asian
by jon gersht March 29, 2010


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MASON-It has been quite an eventful month for the White Falcons from Wahama High School and their veteran head football coach Ed Cromley.
When senior quarterback Trenton Gibbs crossed the goal line with the game-winning two-point conversion, the Mason Countians found themselves atop the Class A standings for the first time in the school's history-beating Madonna by a 43-42 score in the title game at Wheeling Island Stadium.
Now, the small-school power finds itself atop the division once again as three members of that team-senior Zach Wamsley and juniors Kane Roush and Zack Killingsworth-were named to the Class A all-state football team selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.
"It says that when your team works together well, then your kids get noticed," said Cromley. "Individuals receive the awards, but they are really team awards."
The trio is a part of a dozen local individuals who will receive their all-state certificate at the annual Victory Awards Dinner in early May. Joining the three Wahama players are Williamstown placekicker Garret Butler, Doddridge County defensive back Daniel Plaugher, offensive linemen Scott Lowe from Wirt County and Allen Pratt from St. Marys, linebackers Derek Barnhart of St. Marys and Kage Rohde of Magnolia, the Blue Eagles' Stephen Rogalski at wide receiver and Drew Keller at running back and Tyler Consolidated's Hunter LeMasters at defensive back.
Wamsley, who led the White Falcons with nearly 100 tackles as well as more than 1,200 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns, was selected as the captain of the first team defense while Rogalski (53 receptions, 775 yards and 6 TDs) was chosen as the offensive captain.
"Zach (Wamsley) and Crandale (Neal) brought a level of toughness to our program that did not exist before they played," continued Cromley. "(Trenton) Gibbs gave us athletic ability at the quarterback position while Kane (Roush) gave us speed in the backfield."
Roush, who still has one year left at the Mason County school, finished with 1,777 yards and 25 touchdowns on 145 carries.
Rounding out the first team offense are Ross Comis of Madonna at quarterback, Meadow Bridge's Jake Parker at running back, Josh Parker of East Hardy at wide receiver, Greenbrier West's Zack Johnson and Clay-Battelle's Tyler Menas on the offensive line and Wheeling Central's C.J. Burch as the utility player.
The first team defense includes the Maroon Knights' Braxton Nolte, Tug Valley's Isaac Parsley, and Madonna's Nate Guio on the front line, Tucker County's Mike Adkins at linebacker, Buffalo's Levi Jordan and Derek Nestor of Tucker County in the secondary, Malik Boatwright of Greenbrier West as the utility player and Midland Trail's Jake Grimmett as the punter.
Keller finished with more than 1,300 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns to help Magnolia reach the Class A semifinals before the Blue Eagles' season ended with a 10-7 loss to eventual state champion Wahama.
Pratt and Barnhart were two of the main reasons the Blue Devils from St. Marys had the season they had as Pratt was an intrigal part of an offensive front that opened holes for running backs Noah Spitzer and David Gray while Barnhart, who also played fullback, was the leader on a defensive unit that helped the Pleasants Countians reach the Class A semifinals.
Butler, a first team selection as a goal keeper in soccer, was Mr. Automatic for the Yellowjackets as the senior made good on all, but one of his point after attempts as well as six of nine field goal attempts-one from 50 yards away.
Plaugher, who picked off three passes from his defensive back position, was one of the key ingredients for a Doddridge County team that finished just out of the 16-team playoff field in head coach Bobby Burnside's first year at the helm while LeMasters' four interceptions were key in the Silver Knights 4-6 finish in Rob Caldwell's last season as the team's head coach.
Locals named to the second team offense includes Tyler Consolidated's Alex Doak at wide receiver and Williamstown's Avery Goff and Wahama's Wesley Harrison on the offensive line. On defense, the Yellowjackets' Chris McDuffy and Magnolia freshman Kyle Ritz were selected on the front line while St. Marys' Andrew Cosper and the White Falcons' Gibbs were selected for their play in the secondary.


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Bertrand, who can perform at either full-back or left wing, was only a year into a four-year deal agreed last summer but has been rewarded for his remarkable progress in recent months.
The 23-year-old became the first man ever to make his Champions League debut in the final itself in May and made his England debut in last month's friendly win over Italy.
He has also started two of Chelsea's three Premier League games this season.
Prior to Roberto Di Matteo's appointment as manager in March, he barely figured for his parent club since making a controversial move from Gillingham seven years ago.
Ashley Cole's arrival as Chelsea's undisputed first-choice left-back saw Bertrand spend much of his early Stamford Bridge career out on loan.
Meanwhile, Malouda has claimed he has been banished from training with the Chelsea first team for what remains of his career at the club.
Winger Malouda took to Twitter to reveal he had been ordered to train with the club's youth team.
He posted a picture of the headquarters of their under-21 squad, along with the message: "This is where I'll train for my last season with the blues !!!"
The 32-year-old, who is in the final year of his contract, has been left out of Chelsea's squad for their Champions League group stage campaign.


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NORWALK — The trial for a former Bellflower High School coach charged with molesting an underage family member over a period of several years could begin as early as next month.
Bryan E. Shepherd, 48, who is accused of molesting the girl over a five-year period, appeared briefly Wednesday morning at the Norwalk Superior Court for a pretrial conference.
Shepherd, who remains jailed in lieu of $1 million bail, was ordered to be returned to the court on Oct. 23, when a trial date is scheduled to begin within 15 days of that time.
If convicted as charged, he would face mandatory prison time, prosecutors said.
Shepherd was arrested in December by Los Angeles County Sheriff's investigators from the Special Victims Bureau. Detectives notified the Bellflower School District, where Shepherd worked as a part-time coach, at that time of the investigation and allegations, said Sheriff's Lt. Carlos Marquez.
The criminal complaint alleges Shepherd began molesting the girl when she was 13 in 2005 and that the abuse continued until she was 17, in 2010. Among the 20 felony counts are allegations of child molestation, oral copulation of a minor, sodomy of a minor, sexual penetration by a foreign object and unlawful sexual intercourse, court records show.
Marquez said the alleged crimes didn't occur at the school, where Shepherd worked for several years.
Bellflower Unified School District officials said Shepherd was a part-time coach who didn't teach at the school.
The girl "is a former student and had participated in basketball and track programs in which Mr. Shepherd coached," the district said in the statement. "Mr. Shepherd was released from his employment with the district for abandonment of his position. At this time, there are no allegations regarding any other students."
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Prosecutors Fight DNA Use for Exoneration
By ADAM LIPTAK
Published: August 29, 2003
SHARPES, Fla., Aug. 26 — After seeing more than 130 prisoners freed by DNA testing in the last 15 years, prosecutors in Florida and across the country have mounted a vigorous challenge to similar new cases.
Prosecutors acknowledge that DNA testing is reliable, but they have grown increasingly skeptical of its power to prove innocence in cases where there was other evidence of guilt. Defense lawyers say these prosecutors, who often relied on the same biological evidence to convict the defendants before DNA testing was available, are more committed to winning than to justice.
The fight has become particularly heated in Florida, where prisoners will soon be barred from seeking DNA testing for old cases under a 2001 law that set an Oct. 1 deadline for such requests.
In this state, the cases of two prisoners illustrate both the power and limits of DNA testing.
In one case, Wilton Dedge was convicted of rape based in part on two light-brown hairs found in the victim's sheets here in 1981. It was the only physical evidence against him. The hairs were, the prosecutor said at his trial, "microscopically identical" to those of Mr. Dedge.
In a 1983 trial of another man, Richard McKinley, for the rape of an 11-year-old girl in Homestead, the prosecutors told the jury that semen recovered from the girl matched his blood type.
DNA testing, which was not available at the time of either trial and which was performed recently only after fierce resistance from two sets of Florida prosecutors, showed that the hairs and the semen could not have come from the defendants.
Yet both men remain in prison serving life terms, and the prosecutors who relied on the biological evidence to convict them now say the DNA testing is not proof of their innocence.
Other Florida prisoners may never have the chance to argue about whether DNA evidence exonerates them. In 2001, the state Legislature opened a two-year window for DNA retesting in older cases. The window will close on Oct. 1, after which courts cannot hear the cases of hundreds of inmates who say that testing could free them, and lawyers across the state are in a race against time to file motions on behalf of such clients.
While prosecutors concede that DNA can prove whether someone is associated with a given piece of biological evidence, they insist that is not the same thing as proving whether a defendant committed a crime.
In the cases of Mr. Dedge and Mr. McKinley, for example, the prosecutors say that the remaining evidence in those cases was strong enough to uphold the men's convictions.
Defense lawyers say these arguments amount to prosecutorial vindictiveness. Prosecutors respond that it is time to reconsider the power of DNA evidence, saying its usefulness in many cases is overstated.
The debate about the value of DNA evidence also rages in other states.
In Houston, prosecutors have resisted an appeal for an unconditional pardon by Josiah Sutton, who was cleared by DNA testing in a 1998 rape and has been freed. The victim continues to maintain that she identified the right man.
"If this is not categorically dispositive evidence of innocence," said David Dow, a lawyer for Mr. Sutton, referring to the results of the DNA testing of sperm collected from the victim, "there is no such thing."
Chuck Rosenthal, the district attorney in Houston, saw things differently. "From the standpoint of the law, he's innocent until proven guilty," he said.
"Whether he's actually innocent, I don't know," he said. "I'm not about to call the victim in this case a liar."
Mr. Dow said this exchange illustrates a trend. "What we're seeing is a double standard," he said. "Evidence will be considered more than sufficient by prosecutors if it establishes guilt and questionable or insufficient if it established innocence."
Barry Scheck, the cofounder of the Innocence Project at Cardozo Law School in New York, said prosecutors in New York, Illinois and many Texas counties have embraced DNA testing. But in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi and New Mexico, Mr. Scheck said, prosecutors often resisted testing requests on the ground that even a positive result would not conclusively establish innocence.
On Monday, for instance, Lonnie Erby was released in St. Louis after 17 years in prison for rape. The prosecutor there, Jennifer Joyce, had opposed efforts to perform DNA testing, calling it pointless because tests could not conclusively clear Mr. Erby, since biological evidence was available in only two of three rapes with which he was charged. She changed her mind after testing excluded him as a suspect in those rapes.
In Florida, Mr. Dedge had to sue to have the evidence in his case retested, over the objections of prosecutors who said that the state's interest in finality and the victim's feelings should preclude it.
Judge Winifred J. Sharp dissented in a 1998 appeal ruling that initially turned down his request. "The results of the tests, if successfully performed, will likely be absolutely conclusive of either guilt or innocence," she wrote.
The tests were performed in 2000. Though the victim said that only she, her sister and the rapist could have left the hairs in her sheets, the tests excluded the sisters and Mr. Dedge.
But prosecutors say that Mr. Dedge has not proved his innocence or his entitlement to a new trial. They rely on three other pieces of evidence against him.


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(this is an older blog post from my blog at http://www.blog.amigaguru.com but i decided that this would be a good way to introduce myself post...)
I was totally exhausted when i woke up this morning, i had just woke up from a action nightmare thing... if there is one thing i can say about my dreams.... they're generally fucked up hehe.
The ZAP mark is typical in my dreams... it means that i just jump from dream to dream or that i fast forward or whatever...
There was a young girl named Alyson and me and we where surrounded by a ghost town, half demolished buildings and shattered glass everywhere, there was no one about...the only thing i felt was a small breeze of wind, it was very peaceful yet very scary.
(ZAP) me and Alyson were running, running really fast and she told me not to look behind us, i heard sounds but i was uncertain if it was us or something else but i can safely say that the sound was absolutely horrifying.
After a long run we eventually made it to a small rowboat, the boat was very small and in the boat we found a "2 way radio/walkietalkie", Alyson decided to keep that just incase...
It was dark, so dark that we had no idea where we were headed, no idea where to go.. we just had to get away was the only thing Alyson said.
We must have traveled miles upon miles by now so we decided to stop somewhere and get some rest and eventually we made it to a small island and while i nor she had no lighter/matches she still specified that we could not do a campfire or whatever.
(ZAP!) i was running around on the island, i heard Alyson screaming but i couldn't find her and eventually her screams faded away and everything went silent again, i managed to find back to the place we had camped and took the radio and a rugsack with me and headed for the boat.
When i entered the boat there was a noise in the radio , i could hear some talking but no idea what, i decided to stay quiet as maybe the guys was out to get me or Alyson?.
(ZAP!) i was swimming like crazy, the boat had sunk behind me and the only thing i saw in the horizon was light from the moon and it looked like a beach infront of me.
(ZAP) i was walking on loads of timber, i wasn't wet at all and i knew i was looking for Alyson but had somewhat forgot how she looked like and now that i was on the mainland again and i had no idea where i was (again)...everything felt hopeless so i decided to call on the radio, the first thing i could think of was "HELP!" and in a matter of seconds i got a response and it was "WHO IS THIS?" , the voice was really scary and it just screamed evil and how he would kill everything around him kind of voice.
I had no idea what to say and again i said the first thing i could think of and that was "WHERE IS SHE!!!", the response i got was "WHO!" and as soon as he said that i heard dogs barking and people talking not too far from where i was, i switched the radio off and ran...ran very fast.
I had no idea why i was running, i was scared, i had no idea why i was scared.
(ZAP) I was a t a cabin now,a small one, looked almost like a house so i decided to try and hide there, when i opened the door lights hit me, there was power in this cabin, i got the feeling that the cabin belonged to a small family, probably dead by now but that there was a small boy living there, i heard sounds... scary sounds and it didn't make it better with the lights on as i had no idea what to expect... i approached the living room, the tv was on, cartoons but no sound and it was almost like "they" knew i was comming, i decided that i couldnt stay so i went outside again but as soon as i went through the door a gigantic "blower" (from umm Dead Island") showed up, i ran...ran ...ran, i noticed flashlights infront of me and almost like they were attached to dogs.
(ZAP) i woke up next to a huge tree, daylight was approaching slowly, i felt all strange and then i saw here, Alyson was just a few meters away and waving at me while she moved her mouth like saying "come here, this is the way", i stumbled myself over there, she was gone but there was a hatch in the ground... i opened it...
And i woke up..... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHG!!!!!!!!!
gotta love and hate these kind of dreams... seems my head is confusing and mixing a lot of stories/games/movies while sleeping.. it was fun but i wish i could have finished this one as it felt pretty good.
I bet the dream had more details but since it was a dream and dreams can be very hard to follow....well this is what i remember :(.
PS:I have no idea why i knew she was called Alyson, it's almost like she had an talkbox over her head stating her name hehe.
Thanks for reading.


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Fresh from winning the 10km sprint Malyshko returned to the German track looking to continue what had already been an impressive trip for Russia, with compatriot Olga Zaitseva having won the women's 10km pursuit earlier on Sunday and the men's team also claiming victory in Friday's relay.
And the 25-year-old did exactly that as he was perfect with the rifle to cross the line in 32:22.9 minutes for his third trip to the top step of the podium in Germany.
There was even more for Russia to cheer as Evgeniy Garanichev crossed in second with one penalty, 42.1 seconds further back, while Ondrej Moravec from the Czech Republin finished third.
Martin Fourcade could only manage 14th in the 12.5km pursuit but the Frenchman is still top of the overall World Cup standings, although his lead has been cut to 46 points as nearest challenger Emil Hegle Svendsen was fourth in Oberhof.
Malyshko's double winning performance has propelled him up the rankings and the Russian is now fourth on 324 points, 40 behind compatriot Evgeny Ustyugov.
- Sports & Recreation
- Olga Zaitseva


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This is a discussion on Re: Status of Flash 9 on stable - FreeBSD ; On Tue, Oct 14, 2008, at 22:28:58 +0200, Tijl Coosemans wrote: > Patches have been committed to CURRENT and should have been MFC'ed > last weekend, but haven't for some reason. > > The port has a PR waiting for ...
On Tue, Oct 14, 2008, at 22:28:58 +0200, Tijl Coosemans wrote:
> Patches have been committed to CURRENT and should have been MFC'ed
> last weekend, but haven't for some reason.
> The port has a PR waiting for maintainer feedback:
> http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=127839
> The relevant thread on emulation@ is:
> http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/f...er/005311.html
> (continues in October archives)
I'm using RELENG_7 as of yesterday which appears to have the linprocfs
fixes from CURRENT, and I also updated linux-flashplayer9 with the
patch from the above PR.
When trying to use Flash 9 in linux-opera a few Flash items work (such
as Adobe's test page which confirms it is using version 9 and sound
does work on the rollovers there), but most things including YouTube
videos or videos from other sites either do not play at all and lock up
immediately or play for a few seconds and then lock up:
opera: Plug-in 90514 is not responding. It will be closed.
opera: Define environment variable OPERA_KEEP_BLOCKED_PLUGIN to keep
blocked plug-ins.
Trying with linux-firefox and linux-firefox-devel gives similar
results except Firefox crashes entirely on most Flash sites.
I was using linux_base-fc4 and 2.4.2 however I updated to linux_base-f8
and 2.6.16 since I saw others in the above emulation@ thread having
success with f8. There doesn't seem to be any change with f8.
Is this still the expected behavior? I'm not sure if these fixes were
supposed to fix everything related to Flash 9 or if there are still
things to be done, so I'm just giving it a try and posting the results.
I am running amd64 by the way.
Thanks very much in advance,
FreeBSD 7.1-PRERELEASE #14: Thu Oct 16 00:12:09 CDT 2008 amd64
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Don't waste your singleness. I think we spend a lot of time griping about how we're single, and we spend a lot of time and energy being angry about that when we could be spending that time to really serve other people and use the free time we do have to do so much more for the Kingdom of God. So don't waste that time. Use it. You only get so much time and then you'll most likely get married and have kids and a husband and not have as much free time. So enjoy it and use it to serve other people.
— Andy Mineo