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This is a discussion on XFree86 Frequently Asked Questions - X ; Archive-name: x-faq/xfree86 Posting-Frequency: monthly URL: http://www.XFree86.org/FAQ XFREE86 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ---------------------------------- This document is intended to provide answers to the questions most often received by the XFree86[tm] Project's support team (which can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com ). It is also ...
Archive-name: x-faq/xfree86
Posting-Frequency: monthly
URL: http://www.XFree86.org/FAQ
This document is intended to provide answers to the questions most often
received by the XFree86[tm] Project's support team (which can be reached
at firstname.lastname@example.com). It is also a source of information more recent
than the documentation included with the latest release.
Generally, if the information is already available elsewhere, this
document will supply a pointer to the information rather than duplicate
it. If you don't have access to the World Wide Web, see the section
below entitled "Access via Email".
The XFree86 Project is making the information in this document available
free of charge in the hope that it will be of use. However, the authors
specifically disclaim any liability for any direct, indirect, or
consequential damages arising out of its use.
This document is intended to be a source of up-to-date info regarding
XFree86, and as such, may change frequently. Make sure you consult a
recent copy, before relying on any information contained herein.
Additionally, this FAQ generally assumes that you are using the latest
release and, unless otherwise specified, the information contained
herein is likely to not be applicable to other releases. If you are
having problems and are not running the latest release, then upgrading
is often the answer to your problems. Really. If you have a fairly new
card, it is especially important to make sure you are using the latest
server release.
The latest version of this document is always available from the XFree86
Web site (http://www.XFree86.org/) or one of its mirrors:
* http://www.au.xfree86.org/
* http://www.uni-paderborn.de/mirrors/xfree86/
* http://sunsite.mff.cuni.cz/XFree86/
* http://xfree86.gw.com/
* http://xfree86.mirror.aarnet.edu.au/
* http://sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk/XFree86/
* http://www.noguska.net/linux/xfree86/
* http://www.kr.xfree86.org/
Last modified: Mon Nov 22 13:47:27 PST 1999
* Q.A1- What is XFree86?
* Q.A2- What is the current release of XFree86?
* Q.A3- What is the current release of SuperProbe?
* Q.A4- How do I find out what version I have?
* Q.A5- Where do I get the latest releases?
* Q.A6- What files do I need to upgrade to the latest release?
* Q.A7- Where do I find the latest documentation?
* Q.A8- Where can I get RPMs for the latest release?
* Q.A9- When is the next release?
* Q.A10- Which card do you recommend that I buy?
* Q.A11- Which card is the fastest?
* Q.A12- Has XFree86 been ported to OS/2?
* Q.A13- How about a MS-DOS or MS-Windows port?
* Q.A14- But I heard X supports Windows NT.
* Q.A15- Can I use more than one video card in the same machine with
* Q.A16- Are Overlay Visuals available?
* Q.A17- How do I report a bug in XFree86?
* Q.A18- About this FAQ
* Q.A19- Access via Email
* Q.A20- Related Information
* Q.B1- Do you have the config file for ...?
* Q.B2- I got an XF86Config file from ..., but things still don't
* Q.B3- How do I configure the server?
* Q.B4- How do I know which X server to use for my video card?
* Q.B5- My PC is PC98 compliant. Should I use the XF98 servers?
* Q.B6- My monitor isn't listed in the [ XF86Config | xf86setup ]
monitor database.
* Q.B7- What about "vgaset"?
* Q.B8- My card isn't on the list shown in XF86Setup. Is there a more
up-to-date list?
* Q.B9- Why does the server reject my mode lines?
* Q.B10- The preinst.sh script fails to run succesfully
* Q.C1- The mouse cursor doesn't display in the right position
* Q.C2- Why don't menus work properly?
* Q.C3- How come, in Tk-based applications, the buttons highlight, but
can't be depressed?
* Q.C4- I've installed the latest release and now some of my keys no
longer work. Why?
* Q.C5- The mouse is moving erratically. What's wrong?
* Q.C6- New Microsoft serial mouse protocol 2.1A mice don't work.
* Q.C7- How can I swap mouse buttons? How do I get an XFree86 for
* Q.D1- Part of the Displayed Image is Wrapping-around or is
Duplicated on the Other Side of the Screen
* Q.D2- My screen is too large. How can I disable the virtual desktop?
* Q.D3- wrong colors or black and white images in 24bpp modes for
Netscape, xanim, WABI and others
* Q.D4- Why do I get a mostly black screen with my Diamond Speedstar
A50 (SiS 6326)?
* Q.E1- How do I get the server to scale vector fonts, but not bitmap
* Q.E2- What can I do to keep the server from hanging while scaling
* Q.E3- The system locks up when I start the S3 server. What can I do?
* Q.E4- I've got a Cirrus Logic GD546x based card and am experiencing
system lockups. What can I do?
* Q.E5- I get a "broken pipe" error while unpacking the ".tar.gz"
files. Is something wrong with them?
* Q.E6- Why does the server quit with the error "xf86OpenConsole:
cannot open /dev/console" on Linux?
* Q.E7- How do I get the server to display more than 256 colors?
* Q.E8- Why do I get display problems with my ATI PC2TV card?
* Q.E9- I've just installed XFree86 3.3.5 for Linux, but I get "No
such file or directory" whenever I try to run something.
* Q.E10- XFree86 crashes on Linux systems with GCC 2.8.x
* Q.E11- Why does the X server exit with an error message about a
SecurityPolicy file?
* Q.E12- Is XFree86 Year2000 compliant?
* Q.E13- I get an error "_X11TransSocketUNIXConnect: Can't connect:
errno = 111". What does it mean?
* Q.E14- What is Xwrapper and why can't startx or xinit find it?
* Q.E15- Running XFree86 on portable computers, laptops and LCD
* Q.E16- Can TrueType fonts be used with XFree86?
* Q.E17- I'm using NetBSD-currnet and the `wscons' console code and my
X screen sometimes jumps.
* Q.E18- Slow or sluggish performance of XFree86 servers, jerky mouse
* Q.F1- My card is currently not supported - what can I do?
* Q.F2- How do I find out the current status of a driver?
* Q.F3- Unsupported Clock Chips
* Q.F4- Do you have an alpha or beta server for my ... card?
* Q.F5- Matrox chips
* Q.F6- Alliance ProMotion chips
* Q.F7- Cirrus CL-GD754x chips
* Q.F8- Sierra Falcon chip
* Q.F9- ISA-bus Mach64 cards
* Q.F10- S3 911 and 924 Cards with 512KB RAM
* Q.F11- Is there a server for 3Dlabs GLINT or Permedia based cards?
* Q.F12- Is a server for Riva 128, 128zx or Riva TNT based cards
* Q.F13- Is a server for Rendition chipsets available?
* Q.F14- What about AGP?
* Q.F15- Why don't you just make a VESA 2.0 driver so that all
compliant cards will work?
* Q.F16- Is a server for the Intel i740 chipset available?
* Q.F17- Is a server for the Mpact 2 chipset available?
* Q.F18- Is a server for the S3 Trio3D, Trio3D/2X or the S3 Savage3D
or the Savage4 available?
* Q.F19- S3 Trio3D/2X (86C362, 86C368) doesn't work or is awfully slow
* Q.F20- Is a server for SiS 530 or SiS 620 based motherboards with
integrated graphics available?
* Q.F21- Is a server for the Trident Blade3D chipset available?
* Q.F22- Is a server for the Voodoo Banshee or other 3Dfx chips
* Q.F23- How do I get XFree86 to work with my new ATI card?
* Q.F24- Is there any other way I can get an unsupported card to work?
* Q.F25- Does XFree86 support the ATI Rage128?
* Q.F26- Does XFree86 support the SiS 540/630 or the SiS 300?
* Q.G1- The tar files for Linux-ix86-glibc2 are too big / contain
additional stuff.
* Q.G2- I get an undefined symbol __deregister_frame_info with the
Linux-ix86-glibc2 binaries.
* Q.G3- My Trident TGUI9680 card has problems with fonts
* Q.G4- The "cyber_shadow" Option doesn't work on my Cyber 9382.
* Q.G5- Problems displaying resolutions above 640x480 on some Matrox
G100 cards.
* Q.G6- My Trident laptop goes glowing-white when I start the server.
* Q.G7- Display problems (streaking, shifted lines, tearing) at high
color depth on Matrox G100 cards.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A1- What is XFree86?
XFree86 is a trademark of The XFree86 Project, Inc., a non-profit
organization that provides X Window System servers (as well as some
supporting materials) for several operating systems on PCs and other
microcomputers. The X servers, client programs, documentation, etc.
supplied by the XFree86 Project, Inc., are collectively, also known as
XFree86. All programs are provided with source code, free of charge.
The XFree86 Project, Inc. is currently funded entirely by donations. If
you're interested in making a monetary or equipment donation, see
http://www.XFree86.org/donations.html or send Email to email@example.com.
A list of current sponsors is available at
For more information regarding The XFree86 Project, Inc., see
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A2- What is the current release of XFree86?
The latest full release is XFree86 version 3.3.5. It is based on
X11R6.3pl2 and was released in August 1999. See the Release Notes for
more info.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A3- What is the current release of SuperProbe?
The newest available version of SuperProbe is 2.20. It is included with
the latest XFree86 release.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A4- How do I find out what version I have?
Both SuperProbe and the servers print the version when they start.
However, depending on how the server is started, its output may not
normally be visible.
The server will display its version number, if you simply type "X
-showconfig" at a shell prompt (even if you haven't configured it for
your card and monitor yet).
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A5- Where do I get the latest releases?
The primary site for both SuperProbe and the XFree86 servers and clients
is ftp.XFree86.org.
A list of mirror sites is available at:
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A6- What files do I need to upgrade to the latest release?
Please read the README (or RELNOTES) file, in the directory
corresponding to your OS, on the XFree86 ftp site or one of its mirrors
(see the previous question). It contains a list of the filenames along
with their contents. It also lists which files are required and which
are optional.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A7- Where do I find the latest documentation?
The latest documentation can be found on http://www.XFree86.org/3.3.5/.
Many of the XFree86 specific man pages are also available at
http://www.XFree86.org/man/. The documentation is also available, in
ASCII form, from ftp://ftp.XFree86.org/pub/XFree86/3.3.5/doc/.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A8- Where can I get RPMs for the latest release?
If you need XFree86 binaries in RPM format (or any other vendor-specific
package format) you will need to contact your OS vendor. The XFree86
Project only supplies binaries in the vendor-independent ".tgz" (gzipped
tar) format (and ".zip" for OS/2).
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A9- When is the next release?
The 4.0 release, with significant changes, is being worked on. It is not
known at this point when it will be released. Work-in-progress snapshots
of this release are being made available from
XFree86-3.3.6 is planned for the fourth quarter 1999.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A10- Which card do you recommend that I buy?
We don't recommend any particular board or manufacturer (although it
would be good to support our sponsors, see
http://www.XFree86.org/sponsors.html). In general, the S3 based boards
have been the best supported, followed by the ATI based cards, however
that is no guarantee that any specific board will work. It is probably
best to look through the various "README" files at
http://www.XFree86.org/3.3.5/ to see which boards are currently
supported and pick one of them.
It is also a good idea to buy from some place that has a liberal return
policy or will let you try before you buy. Especially since some
manufacturers will sometimes change what RAMDAC or other chips are used
on a board _without changing the name of the board_.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A11- Which card is the fastest?
We don't know. Benchmarks are just that. Useless numbers trying to
capture something that is far too complex to be captured in a number. We
may occasionally comment on the relative speed of different cards, but
that is usually the personal opinion of the one who writes the note. In
general, The XFree86 Project is not publishing benchmark comparisons,
because even if you think that a number like 'xstones' can capture the
performance of a card, it is incredibly hard to create fair and
comparable numbers.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A12- Has XFree86 been ported to OS/2?
Yes, the latest release is available for OS/2. This port runs in
parallel to the Presentation Manager desktop, similarly to a WinOS/2
fullscreen session (there is no equivalent to a seamless WinOS/2
configuration). See http://borneo.gmd.de/~veit/os2/xf86os2.html for more
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A13- How about a MS-DOS or MS-Windows port?
There is some work being done to create a free port of XFree86 to
Microsoft Windows. However, in the mean time, if you need to run X on
such a platform you'll need to use one of the available commercial
One of the commercial products, X Appeal, is from an XFree86 sponsor and
is a port of the XFree86 servers to MS-DOS. They also have a freely
available demo version.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A14- But I heard X supports Windows NT.
X11R6.3 does include some support for MicroSoft Windows NT. However, it
is only for building the libraries and some client programs. If you want
an X server, for now, you'll have to buy one. See the previous question.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A15- Can I use more than one video card in the same machine with
Although it is technically possible to use multiple PCI-based SVGA cards
in the same machine, none of the servers currently support this.
The VGA16 and Mono servers are both capable of running both a VGA
compatible card and a non-VGA compatible monochrome card in the same
For XFree86-4.0 we are working on true multi head support.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A16- Are Overlay Visuals available?
Some X servers offer multiple visuals as overlays (e.g., 8bpp
PseudoColor and 24bpp TrueColor). At this point XFree86 doesn't support
Overlays, but we are working on this feature for XFree86-4.0.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A17- How do I report a bug in XFree86?
Use the bug report form on our WWW server (http://www.XFree86.org/), or
send email to email@example.com. Before sending a bug report, make
sure you are using the current release of XFree86. *In the bug report,
include the full server output, details of the XFree86 version, server,
description of the problem, and some way of repeating it and most
importantly, the _full_ server startup output.* Oh, and you'll greatly
increase your chances of getting a useful response from us, if you
include the full output of the server.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A18- About this FAQ
In addition to being available from the XFree86 web site (as
http://www.XFree86.org/FAQ/), this FAQ will be posted at least monthly
to comp.windows.x.i386unix, comp.os.linux.x, comp.answers, and
It is also available from the XFree86 FTP site (and mirrors) as
ftp://ftp.XFree86.org/pub/XFree86/WW...FAQ/index.html - HTML
version and ftp://ftp.XFree86.org/pub/XFree86/WW...cs/FAQ/faq.txt -
ASCII text version.
This document is maintained by Joe Moss (firstname.lastname@example.com) with
contributions from other members of the XFree86 support and development
teams. Particular thanks go to David Dawes, Dirk Hohndel, and Koen
Gadeyne for their contributions.
If you have questions or comments regarding XFree86 do _not_ send them
directly to me. They should be Emailed to email@example.com (which
will cause a copy to be sent to me, as well as the rest of the XFree86
volunteer support team). If you have comments regarding this document
itself, then you may send them to me. In particular, if you find
incorrect or non-functional URLs or any typos herein, please let me
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A19- Access via Email
If you only have Email access to the net, you should get a copy of the
"Accessing the Internet by E-Mail FAQ".
If you're in North or South America, send a message to
email@example.com containing only the line:
send usenet/news.answers/internet-services/access-via-email
in the body of the message.
Elsewhere in the world, send mail to firstname.lastname@example.com with only
this line in the message body:
send lis-iis e-access-inet.txt
This document explains how to retrieve stuff from the WWW, Usenet News,
etc. via Email. It also explains how to use ftpmail, which you can use
to get the latest version of XFree86.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.A20- Related Information
Many of our sponsors supply hardware, software, and services which may
be of interest to users of XFree86 servers. The list of our sponsors
(http:/www.XFree86.org/sponsors.html), points to the web sites of many
of them.
Here are some pointers to other documentation, regarding subjects
related to XFree86, that might be useful to readers of this document.
These are not published by the XFree86 Project, Inc. and are included
here only for reference. Questions or comments regarding any of these
items should be directed to their respective authors.
* X.Org Home Page (http://www.x.org/)
* X11 Applications FAQ
* Other X Window System FAQs
* X Window System and OSF/Motif WWW Sites
* [Linux] XFree86 HOWTO
* Connecting X-Terminals to Linux Systems
* The 3 Button Mouse Page [getting third button to work]
* Mini-HOWTO About Running XFree86 on Notebooks [mostly WD specific]
* How to Setup/Use Low-Bandwidth X
* Setting up X Authentication [Tk specific, but the concepts are
generally applicable] (http://cr-toolkit.crd.ge.com/tkxauth/)
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B1- Do you have the config file for ...?
There is a no such thing as *THE* config file for a particular card or
monitor. The "XF86Config" file you should use is dependent on your card,
monitor, operating system, mouse, keyboard, individual preferences,
network setup, available fonts, etc.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B2- I got an XF86Config file from ..., but things still don't
It is *not* a good idea to exchange XF86Config files. While it may be
safe to use certain parts of another's config file, in general, you are
better off generating your own.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B3- How do I configure the server?
All of the configuration information we have, is included with the
release. You should use one of the included configuration programs,
_XF86Setup_ or _xf86config_. This is explained in the QuickStart Guide.
For further information, you could also read the XFree86 configuration
guide (available from http://www.XFree86.org/3.3.5/Config.html), and the
manual pages XF86Config(4/5) and xvidtune(1).
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B4- How do I know which X server to use for my video card?
A list of video cards and the X servers they require can be found at
http://www.xfree86.org/cardlist.html. If you don't find an entry for
your card or chipset in that list, check the Chipset Support section
below to see if it is mentioned there.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B5- My PC is PC98 compliant. Should I use the XF98 servers? No.
The "XF98" servers and related utilities will _only_ work
with the Japanese PC98 architecture computers. This is a
Japanese computer standard that predates the Intel/Microsoft
PC98 specification, and the two are completely unrelated.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B6- My monitor isn't listed in the [ XF86Config | xf86setup ]
monitor database.
Try looking for information on your monitor's capabilities on one of the
following Internet sites:
* http://hawks.ha.md.us/hardware/monitor.html
* http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Misc/monitors/o-z.html
* http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Misc/monitors/a-n.html
* http://www.monitorservice.com/
* http://www.mela-itg.com/
* http://www.restorstone.com/MonitorMa...rchManINT.html
* http://www.nashville.net/~griffin/mondata.html
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B7- What about "vgaset"?
Simple. Don't use it!
The "xvidtune" program, that is part of the 3.3.5 release, has more
capabilities and works properly with the server extension
("XFree86-VidModeExtension") included in the 3.3.5 servers.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B8- My card isn't on the list shown in XF86Setup. Is there a
more up-to-date list?
Each release includes the most up-to-date list at the time of release.
If there are any updates after a release, they will be made available
as: ftp://ftp.XFree86.org/pub/XFree86/current/doc/Cards (if the file is
non-existent, i.e. this URL does not work, then there have not been any
updates to the Cards database since the last release). It should be
installed in "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/Cards".
If you still can't find your card listed, you should check if there is a
generic entry for cards using the same chipset as yours. If not, see the
Chipset Support section of this document to check on the current status
of drivers being written and what you can do if your card is
If after all of the above, you still are not sure what to do about
configuring your card, you can contact us about it.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B9- Why does the server reject my mode lines?
This usually is due to incorrect parameters in the Monitor section of
the XF86Config file.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.B10- The preinst.sh script fails to run succesfully
If you install XFree86 using the description in the RELNOTES file, you
may see an error message from preinst.sh like this:
: command not found
var/tnp/preinst.sh systax error near unexpected token 'in
or a number of other strange errors.
In all cases, these could be traced back to downloading this file using
a MSWindows-based download program (MS Internet Explorer or any other
Windows FTP client).
These programs try to convert this script file to MSDOS text, which
breaks it completely. In most FTP clients you can force the program to
download in "image" or "binary" mode, which would solve this. Some
internet browsers don't allow this, so they can't be used for this.
The best solution is to use a UNIX Internet browser or FTP client: they
do the right thing.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.C1- The mouse cursor doesn't display in the right position
If the cursor appears to be horizontally offset by several pixels, it is
probably due to the same problems that cause the display to be wrapped
around. See item D1 below.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.C2- Why don't menus work properly?
If you are experiencing problems with menus not allowing you to select
items, try turning NumLock off.
In X11R6 (and newer), the NumLock key is a modifier. Many clients (X
programs) haven't yet been updated to the R6 way of doing things. They
need to ignore modifiers when looking for button click/release events.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.C3- How come, in Tk-based applications, the buttons highlight,
but can't be depressed?
See the answer to the previous question. You can also upgrade to Tk 4.x
which ignores modifiers by default.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.C4- I've installed the latest release and now some of my keys no
longer work. Why?
The 3.3.5 release is based on X11R6.3 which includes the XKB extension
and has it enabled by default. This may cause the mappings of some keys
on some keyboards to be different than they were in previous releases.
See the XF86Config man page and the sample XF86Config file for some
information on setting the key mappings to your liking.
Alternatively, you can disable the XKB extensions by starting the server
with the "-kb" option or by adding the keyword "XkbDisable" to your
XF86Config file.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.C5- The mouse is moving erratically. What's wrong?
Most likely, you've specified the wrong protocol for the mouse. Note
that newer Logitech mice do not use the "Logitech" protocol, but instead
use "Microsoft" (or "MouseMan") protocol.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.C6- New Microsoft serial mouse protocol 2.1A mice don't work.
This should not be a problem with XFree86 3.3.2 and later.
For earlier versions running under Linux, the solution is to get
gpm-1.13 (or later), run it as "gpm -t pnp -R", and configure XFree86
for "MouseSystems" Protocol with "/dev/gpmdata" as the device.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.C7- How can I swap mouse buttons? How do I get an XFree86 for
Run "xmodmap -e "pointer = 3 2 1"" in an xterm or put such a command
into your ".xinitrc" file.
See also the xmodmap(1) man page.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.D1- Part of the Displayed Image is Wrapping-around or is
Duplicated on the Other Side of the Screen
For Diamond Stealth Video VRAM: if the server is not recognizing your
card as a Diamond card, add this line to your "XF86Config":
Option "Diamond"
If the above does not work or you don't have a Diamond card, try running
the xvidtune program and adjusting various settings. In particular, if
you have a recent S3 based card, adjust the extra S3-specific settings
at the bottom.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.D2- My screen is too large. How can I disable the virtual
Two things influence the virtual desktop size:
* In the Screen Section of your XF86Config file (normally near the end
of that file), you may see a "Virtual" keyword for every screen
depth in that section. Comment that line (prepend a "#") or remove
it. In the example below, the virtual size was 1280x1024, while the
largest mode is 1024x768, so even in that largest mode, you would
need to scroll around the display.
Section "Screen"
Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
# Virtual 1280 1024
ViewPort 0 0
* If not given in a "Virtual" line in the XF86Config file, XFree86
will automatically select the largest-resolution mode as your
virtual screen size. E.g.:
Section "Screen"
Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
This will set the virtual screen to 1024x768 in 8bpp mode. If you only
want 800x600, remove the "1024x768" Mode from the list above.
In some installations, the first mode in the "Modes" line is the
smallest one, as shown below:
Modes "640x480" "800x600" "1024x768"
In this case, the server will _still_ select 1024x768 as virtual size
(the largest mode in the list), but start up with 640x480 (the first
mode in the list). This will put you in a "scrolling" mode again. If you
want 640x480 without scrolling, remove all the larger modes. If you want
the bigger display without the scrolling, use "CTRL ALT +" or "CTRL ALT
-" to switch to the larger modes, or re-order the "Modes" line so that
the server starts up in the mode you want.
Note that there is such a "Display" Subsection for every color depth, so
you may have to repeat the same editing steps several times.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.D3- wrong colors or black and white images in 24bpp modes for
Netscape, xanim, WABI and others
This is a long-standing problem with all those client programs. It is
NOT a problem in XFree86.
Technical details: it is caused by a relatively new feature of XFree86
(24bpp modes with 24bpp pixmaps) that is very poorly understood by many
client authors: they assume 32bpp pixmaps instead of asking the XFree86
server for those details. Others (like Netscape) do ask for the pixmap
size, but since they don't support 24bpp pixmaps, they fall back to
using 1bpp (monochrome) pixmaps...
The current public versions of XFree86 can only support a 1:1 mapping
between the framebuffer depth and the pixmap depth. Some commercial
Xservers support 32bpp pixmaps in 24bpp modes, and hence they present an
interface to client programs that happens to match their assumptions.
XFree86 4.0 will also support this feature.
There are two possible solutions to this right now:
* do not use 24bpp modes, but rather 16bpp or 32 bpp modes. 32bpp is
best, but it requires more video memory than 24bpp.
* don't use broken X clients. There are patches for Netscape and even
compiled binaries on the net that fix this bug.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.D4- Why do I get a mostly black screen with my Diamond Speedstar
A50 (SiS 6326)?
If you have a card with 8MB of video memory, first try telling the X
server that there is only 4MB present by adding the following line to
the Device section of your config file:
Videoram 4096
If you have a 4MB card, or if the above line doesn't help, try adding
the following line to the Device section:
Option "nolinear"
A drawback with this option is that colour depths higher than 8bpp can't
be used, but that is better than nothing.
If you see problems when moving windows with KDE, try the following:
Option "no_pixmap_cache"
These problems should be fixed in the next release.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E1- How do I get the server to scale vector fonts, but not
bitmap fonts?
In standard X11R6 (and later), in addition to the fonts in "scalable"
formats (i.e. Type1, Speedo), bitmap fonts are scaled. This can have the
undesirable effect of scaling a bitmap font, even though a Type1 font is
available (if the bitmap font is listed first in the path).
With the 3.2 and later releases of XFree86, you can add the text
":unscaled" to the end of any directory in the font path to turn off
scaling of the bitmap fonts in that directory. This works in both the
XF86Config file and the font server's config file.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E2- What can I do to keep the server from hanging while scaling
While scaling fonts, the server can hang temporarily. If you are
requesting a particularly large font, the period during which the server
is unresponsive, can be quite noticeable. Font scaling uses floating
point math and the effect is particularly obvious, if you do not have a
floating point coprocessor (getting one would help immensely).
This problem can be avoided by running the font server (xfs) and
indicating in your XF86Config file that the X server should request
fonts from the font server. This workaround prevents the X server from
temporarily freezing, but doesn't really speed up the time necessary to
scale the fonts (so the application requesting the font will still have
to wait).
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E3- The system locks up when I start the S3 server. What can I
This is most often caused by problems with directly accessing the linear
frame-buffer (this often happens with IBM ValuePoint systems, in
particular). Try adding "Option "nolinear"" to the Device section of
your XF86Config. If it still occurs, try "Option "nomemaccess"".
Lockups can also happen, with any server, if the system bus is
overclocked. Try some more conservative BIOS settings.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E4- I've got a Cirrus Logic GD546x based card and am
experiencing system lockups. What can I do?
Try adding
Option "xaa_no_color_exp"
to your XF86Config file (in the Device section).
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E5- I get a "broken pipe" error while unpacking the ".tar.gz"
files. Is something wrong with them?
No, this message is only a warning and can safely be ignored - assuming
it is the only error message.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E6- Why does the server quit with the error "xf86OpenConsole:
cannot open /dev/console" on Linux?
There is a problem with the /dev/console device file. As root, you can
run these commands to fix it:
cd /dev; ./MAKEDEV console
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E7- How do I get the server to display more than 256 colors?
As explained in the XFree86(1) man page, the "-bpp" option can be
specified on the command line when starting the server. You can specify
15 bpp, for 32768 colors, 16 bpp, for 65536 colors, or either 24 or 32
bpp, for 16.7 million colors.
However, the server is rarely started directly. The two most common ways
to start the server are with "startx" and "xdm". For example, to start
the server in 16 bpp mode from the command line:
startx -- -bpp 16
or to start the server from xdm in 32bpp mode, you would put a line like
the following in the _Xservers_ file (in the xdm library directory,
typically /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm):
:0 local /usr/X11R6/bin/X -bpp 32
All of the above is dependent on the server having support for your card
at higher than 8 bpp.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E8- Why do I get display problems with my ATI PC2TV card?
Make sure you don't have a TV cable connected to your card. The Mach64
server doesn't work properly when that cable is connected.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E9- I've just installed XFree86 3.3.5 for Linux, but I get "No
such file or directory" whenever I try to run something.
The most common reason for this is that you have installed the
Linux-ix86-glibc binaries when you don't have GNU libc 2 (aka libc 6).
The solution is to install the Linux-ix86 binaries, which are the
correct ones for most situations.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E10- XFree86 crashes on Linux systems with GCC 2.8.x If your
Linux kernel version is below than 2.1.79 (this includes
ALL 2.0.xx kernels), and is compiled with the new GCC
2.8.x, XFree86 will always crash and dump a core file. This
is NOT a problem with XFree86, but rather with the Linux
kernel. The problem is in the Linux kernel file
/usr/src/linux/arch/i386/kernel/ioport.c. This file is not
compiled correctly with GCC 2.8.0. There are a number
possible solutions:
* compile the entire Linux kernel with an older GCC.
* compile it with 2.8.0, but use an ioport.o file compiled with an
older GCC.
* replace ioport.c with the ioport.c file from linux kernel 2.1.79 or
later (this works for the 2.0.xx series kernels as well) and rebuild
your kernel. There have been reports that the same problem occurs
with some versions of egcs as well.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E11- Why does the X server exit with an error message about a
SecurityPolicy file?
If your installation of XFree86 3.3/3.3.3 is not complete you may see
the following error message when starting an X server:
error opening security policy file /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xserver/SecurityPolicy
This is a only a warning message, and is mostly harmless. If your server
is failing to startup, this is not the reason. Check the other messages.
The file being referred to is included in the Xlib.tgz part of the
XFree86 binary distributions produced by The XFree86 Project.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E12- Is XFree86 Year2000 compliant?
The X window system is not subject to year2000 problems. Neither is
XFree86. See the y2k statement from The Open Group for reference.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E13- I get an error "_X11TransSocketUNIXConnect: Can't connect:
errno = 111". What does it mean?
Whenever the XFree86 Xserver crashes, dies, ceases to exist or is
inaccessible for any reason, you will see this error message. It is a
message from an X-client (=any program running on your XFree86 Xserver,
for example the window manager) telling you that it tried to connect to
your Xserver, but failed to do something for "some" reason.
Quoting only this message in a bug report is therefore utterly useless.
Look in the server output for the real reason why the server died.
Normally you should see the real error message (=why the server stopped
working) a few lines before the "error 111" message.
If you still can't make head or tails of all those messages, make sure
to quote the *FULL* server output in your bug report. It is impossible
to provide you with any help, if you just mention the "error 111", as so
many people do.
Obtaining the full server output is normally accomplished by redirecting
both standard output and standard error to a file while starting the
server (eg, startx <& logfile.txt). On some systems this is done by
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E14- What is Xwrapper and why can't startx or xinit find it?
The XFree86 X servers require root privileges to access the video
hardware. In releases prior to 3.3.2 the X servers were installed
set-uid root so that normal users could run them with the required
privileges. This is a potential security problem, especially given how
large and complex the X servers are. One class of such security problems
is exploiting the set-uid program with carefully crafted user-supplied
data (either on the command line or in the environment). Starting with
the 3.3.2 release the XFree86 X servers are installed without the
set-uid bit set, and a small wrapper program ``Xwrapper'' which is
installed set-uid root is used to start the X server after checking the
command line and environment. This does not provide a 100% guarantee
that the X servers are not vulnerable to such exploits, but it does
reduce the chances of such exploits succeeding. Also, if vulnerabilities
are found in the future that the current Xwrapper doesn't catch, we can
easily supply an updated version. It is much easier to do that than to
provide updated versions of all the X server binaries.
The xinit command (which startx runs) provided with XFree86 3.3.2 and
later has been modified to look for an X server called ``Xwrapper''
instead of ``X''. If you don't have Xwrapper installed, you will get an
error message from xinit/startx when it tries to start the non-set-uid X
server without using the wrapper. The same thing will happen if you do
have Xwrapper installed but you have an xserverrc file (usually
$HOME/.xserverrc, but it can be any file pointed to by your XSERVERRC
environment variable) that references ``X'' instead of ``Xwrapper''. To
fix that, edit your xserverrc file and replace ``X'' with ``Xwrapper''.
If instead of X you have some other X server name (eg, XF86_SVGA) in
your xserverrc file, you will need to create a symbolic link from it to
/usr/X11R6/bin/X and replace it with ``Xwrapper'' in your xserverrc
We strongly recommend against making the X servers set-uid root because
of the potential security implications of doing so. We also recommend
running xdm at boot time to handle starting the X server on a multi user
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E15- Running XFree86 on portable computers, laptops and LCD
Computers using LC displays are more tricky to set up in XFree86 than
the ones with a normal (CRT) monitor. This is mainly due to the displays
themselves: LCDs basically have a fixed resolution, although some have
extra hardware built in that can cope with several different
Especially the modelines can be extremely tricky, and each new LCD seems
to need its own modeline. Refer to the Linux-laptop homepage for more
information and specific help for most common LCD-based computers:
or one of the mirror sites, e.g.
Although this page is Linux-oriented, the information on using XFree86
(especially the XF86Config files) is mostly OS-independent.
From: XFree86 FAQ
Subject: Q.E16- Can TrueType fonts be used with XFree86?
While XFree86 does not, at the time of writing, natively support
TrueType fonts, there is a number of third party solutions. Some
information about these options is included below. The XFree86 project
is not responsible for any of these; please send any inquiries about
them to relevant newsgroups or, eventually, to their authors.
XFree86 is planning to include native support for TrueType fonts in its
next major release.
The FreeType library includes in it's `contrib' directory the `ttf2bdf'
utility, by Mark Leisher, which can be used to generate bitmap versions
of TrueType fonts at any size, resolution, and with any encoding. The
generated bitmaps can be used by any X server that supports the BDF
format (including XFree86), or converted to PCF.
The FreeType library is available from http://www.freetype.org.
Xfsft, by Mark Leisher and Juliusz Chroboczek, is a font backend based
on the FreeType library (see above). Xfsft can be used as a standalone
font server, or linked into the X server. Xfsft will automatically
reencode fonts to a number of encodings, and new encodings can be
provided by the user.
At the time of writing, Xfsft does not delay rasterisation; this makes
it unsuitable for fonts with a very large number of glyphs (such as
fonts for ideographic scripts).
More information of Xfsft can be found on
Xfsft (sources, binaries for Linux/Intel/libc5 and Solaris 2.6/Sparc)
can be found on Sunsite at UNC
Additionally, you may want to check the additional Linux/Intel/libc6
binaries (including binaries of X servers) provided by Joerg Pomnitz, as
well as his supporting utilities (which includes a tool that creates
fonts.dir files for directories containing TrueType fonts):
and the FreeBSD/Intel binaries provided by Stephen Montgomery-Smith:
When downloading, please note that you will need the source tarball,
which contains installation and usage instructions.
X-TrueType, by T. Shiozaki _et al_., is another backend based on
FreeType. It can be run as a standalone font server or linked into the X
server. It is, at the time of writing, the only backend that provides
delayed rasterisation of glyphs; this makes it particularly suitable for
use with ideographic scripts. It will reencode fonts to a fixed, albeit
large, set of encodings (new encodings cannot easily be added by the
More information on X-TrueType may be found on:


text:
Crews are monitoring smoke and knocking down hot spots at a vacant, detached garage in Sacramento on Tuesday morning.
View photos
A fire started in or near the garage -- located on Santa Ana Avenue, near Interstate 80 and Joyce Lane -- about 6 a.m.
Fire crews sent to the area said they could see the orange glow from the blaze from about one mile away.
The garage sits next to a vacant home.
Officials have ruled out several accidental causes, but still haven't determined how the blaze sparked.
Stay with KCRA and KCRA.com for the latest information.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Source: Eurekalert
quote: Director J.J. Abrams goes where no Trekkie has gone before by "re-imagining" the classic 1960s series "Star Trek" as a bombastic, action-packed, "Star Wars"-esque -- and ultimately dumbed-down -- movie that is anything but true "Trek." The original crew of the Enterprise is re-cast with "Melrose Place"-like young hunks and hotties, and the action is ramped up for new audiences.What it lacks is the flavor, spirit, intelligence and character bonding of the original series. Newcomers will appreciate the glossy style, but diehard original series fans will cringe at the deliberate breakaway from the classic canon to create the movie's own set of rules (through a time-travel storyline that obliterates the original series' timeline). Beam me up Scotty, there's no intelligent life here. C+ -- Vince Horiuchi
quote: Beam me up Scotty, there's no intelligent life here. C+


text:
Businesses open despite downtown road work
ERWIN, Tenn. - Getting around downtown Erwin is proving to be a bit of a challenge -- road crews are hard at work, but businesses are still open.
Crews are repaving the streets, sidewalks, and putting utilities underground in an effort to revitalize downtown Erwin.
Work started in mid-May 2013 but town mayor Doris Hensley says while roads are blocked, shops are still open. "We do have easily accessible lanes coming into our downtown. All of our businesses are open, they are easily accessible. We will have detour signs directing the public to the towns or businesses they want to go to," said Hensley.
She adds improvements should help prevent downtown flooding.
Work is expected to wrap up on October 1, 2013.


text:
Timothy Roger "Bo" Hornick, 15, passed from this life Thursday, June 20, 2013, as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident.
He was born Wednesday, Oct. 15, 1997, in Elkins, a son of Timothy Hornick and Connie Tacy, who survive.
Also left to cherish Bo's memory are his step mom, Nicole Hornick of Mill Creek,; stepdad, Elmer Tacy of Huttonsville; sister, Summer Hornick of Beverly; stepsister, Nicole Tacy; stepbrothers, Gary Tacy, Justin, Jacob and Joey Taylor; grandparents, Betty and Clarence Hornick, Don Calain and Donna Staten, all of Elkins, Roger and Debbie Wamsley of Mill Creek, Sheila Wamsley of Indiana, Nick and Gilberta Taylor of Mill Creek; aunts and uncles, Nick Hornick, Michelle and Elmer Watson, all of Elkins, Mishie and Rob Ewashkow of Beverly, Millie Taylor of Mill Creek, Shawn and Michelle Swecker of Clarksburg, and Jeff and Tina Mullennex of Montrose, Melinda Jordan of Bridgeport; cousins, Caitlyn Swecker, Ryan and Linsee Mullennex.
Article Photos
Bo was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy full of life and never knew a stranger. He enjoyed racing dirt bikes, hunting and fishing. Bo was always energetic, thought he was a ladies' man and loved to make people laugh. He had a rough and tough attitude, but had the kindest heart and was loved by all.
Visitation will be held at the Randolph Funeral Home on Tuesday, June 25, 2013, from 4 to 8 p.m. Funeral services will be held at the funeral home on Wednesday, June 26, 2013, at 11 a.m. Rev. Curlie Ray will officiate and interment will follow at the Brick Church Cemetery in Huttonsville.
The Randolph Funeral Home and Cremation Services has been entrusted with the arrangements for Timothy Roger "Bo" Hornick. Send online condolences to the family at www.therandolphfuneralhome.com.


text:
Visit the Finnriver Orchard & Cider Garden at 124 Center Rd. Open daily 12-6pm. Fridays & Saturdays open until 9pm. Woodfired pizza all weekend & oysters on Sundays. Live Music on Sat nights & Sunday afternoons!
For the love of land, the art of farming & the spirit of community
© Copyright 2003-2016 Finnriver Farm. Finnriver is a Certified B Corporation. POLICIES


text:
Harbour of Gothenburg
© Göran Assner/imagebank.sweden.se
The Grand Market Hall in Gothenburg
© Nicho Södling/imagebank.sweden.se
Gothenburg and the West Coast have got international travel journalists and food bloggers eating out of their hands. Why? World-class seafood, world-class restaurants and a coastline and archipelago to die for.
The world is discovering Gothenburg and West Sweden. You should too.
The Bohuslän coastline was made for paddling. There are no strong currents or tidal waters, but there are 8,000 islands, islets and rocks to explore and discover in a kayak. One of them could be yours
Giant cinnamon rolls, tables spilling on to cobblestoned streets and probably the best chocolate café in Sweden – hello Gothenburg.
Sea, wildlife, kayaking, fishing and a whole lot of sailing lifestyle.
Are you so loopy about lobster that you'll join us on a lobster safari? Want to worship at a fish church? Or forage the deep, dark forests of Dalsland for berries and mushrooms. Let your food trip to West Sweden begin.
Order brochures over different activities and destinations in Sweden.
Partner with us. Contact us and we'll tell you more. In Swedish only!
Go here for press releases, images and press contacts.
Find your contacts for Meetings & Incenitives in Sweden
About VisitSweden.com
Contact us
VisitSweden's official channel on Youtube


text:
An old-school lacrosse term for when a player or his stick is checked hard enough to make him drop it. Not many schools still follow with the tradition belowmentioned:
::Player is checked and drops stick::
Opposing team on sideline: "YARD SALE!!!"
Opposing team on sideline: "YARD SALE!!!"
door talkshow 29 april 2005
A person who is scattered and uncollected
A person who is drunken and disorderly
A person who is drunken and disorderly
Damn, that guy is a yard sale
door Zach 25 maart 2005
a sale in one's yard, but not usually of one's yard.
for people in the UK, it is similar to a boot sale, but held in a private person's yard. See also Garage sale
for people in the UK, it is similar to a boot sale, but held in a private person's yard. See also Garage sale
One person's trash is another person's treasure, which accounts for the popularity of yard sales.
door Anonymous 1 september 2003
In contact sports when a player is hit, checked or tackled by an opponent so hard the equipment from the player being hit fall off the player and spread all over the playing surface. Make the playing surface look like the front yard at a Garage or yard sale covered in used sporting equipment. The opposition will then yell "Yardsale" to complete the act.
"Did you see me yardsale that guy last quarter. His helmet landed 10 yards away."
door lax1355 18 maart 2010
When you are skiing down a mountain and all of your gear flies
in every direction after a big wipe out or small avalanche. It sux trying to gather it all together afterwards.
in every direction after a big wipe out or small avalanche. It sux trying to gather it all together afterwards.
Dude, I was flying down the pass yesterday when a noobie cut me off and I bit the slope at like 100 mph. My gear was a total yard sale. I lost my snoopy beannie.
door deletedu 27 februari 2008
Having a really bad wipeout.
That snowboarder tried to hit the kicker, but dug his edge and had a yard sale.
door B-Doc 29 augustus 2003
When a girl is giving a guy head and jerking two guys off at once. Dervied from a skiing term, because a face plant during alpine skiing is called a yardsale. So when the girl is skiing (jerking two guys off at once) and falls down on the third guy's cock, its called a yardsale.
That gang bang really got crazy last night when we yard saled that bitch.
door Wiggles37 4 januari 2007


text:
Online Marketing Using Google AdWords • 1 hour • Free
Thinking about online advertising and don't know where to start? This seminar helps you understand the world of online advertising, including pay-per-click and target specific advertising. Create a successful sales campaign, increase website traffic and improve sales by implementing Google AdWords.
Tarrant SBDC is part of the North Texas SBDC Network, and is an accredited member of the Association of Small Business Development Centers.
Funding for the Tarrant SBDC is provided in part through a cooperative agreement with the Small Business Administration and Tarrant County College.


text:
The socialite, 29, is due before Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure on Monday, at which time she will formally plead guilty to misdemeanor drug possession and misdemeanor obstructing an officer, says the newspaper, which obtained a copy of Hilton's plea deal.
"We fashioned a resolution which would give us complete control over her future. If she does not toe the line and stay out of trouble she will do one year in the Clark County Detention Center," said Nevada's Clark County District Attorney David Roger.
Should Hilton be arrested during her probation, her plea deal stipulates that she serve a full year behind bars.
"Defendant shall stay out of trouble. Defendant agrees that an arrest for any charge, excluding minor traffic violations for which a citation is issued, shall result in the immediate termination of her probation and the execution of the suspended sentences," reads the deal.
Also demanded: That Hilton successfully complete a substance abuse program, pay a $2,000 fine and perform 200 hours of community service, whose nature and location is to be later determined.
Hilton, who served three weeks in 2007 for violating probation in a drunken driving case, had been charged with felony drug possession after an Aug. 28 arrest in Las Vegas.
See what other readers have to say about this story – or leave a comment of your own


text:
Ken Cochran, 63, of Williamsport, has lived in the area his entire life. A former truck driver, Cochran worries that government policies have become intrusive and have focused more on garnering profits than serving the community.
He also is concerned that appointed officials have too much power over the general populace.
"There's such a thing as the government helping people, and there's such a thing as the government being too overbearing," Cochran said.
Article Photos
Ken Cochran, 63, of Williamsport.
"Right now, we have an intrusive government. Their focus is how they can help themselves; the only thought given to the taxpayers is 'how can we take their money,'" he added.
Cochran is against officials entering private residences without a search warrant for any reason.
"Nobody has the right to come knock on my door and demand to enter my home unless I am causing a problem for the public," Cochran said.
"If you want to enter my house, you better have a search warrant," he added.
Cochran believes many appointed officials wield too much power. He feels these officials have little to fear from the general public and only are concerned with furthering their personal agendas.
"I see many people with jobs in the public sector who have authority over what policies get passed, who were appointed rather than elected," Cochran said.
It frustrates Cochran that many appointed officials appear to have just as much influence as elected officials.
"If you're being paid by the taxpayers, you need to listen to the taxpayers. Your job is to have their best interest at heart," Cochran said, adding there can be little accountability when officials are appointed to their positions.
"If those appointed officials want power, let them put their name on the ballot and have the people vote them into office," he said.


text:
on January 30, 2013 - 9:09 PM
, updated January 31, 2013 at 8:58 AM
Antoine J. Garner, considered "a person of interest" by police in the mysterious death of Amanda L. Wienckowski, began his first day of trial Wednesday in an unrelated case in which he is accused of choking and assaulting a 43-year-old prostitute.
A prosecutor opened the Erie County Court trial alleging that Garner, then 24, picked up the woman in the early morning of June 26, 2011, at Broadway and Mills Street and drove her to an abandoned house on Jewett Avenue.
She agreed to perform oral sex for money but then grew scared and tried to flee as Garner made more demands, said Rosanne E. Johnson, chief of the Special Victims Bureau of the Erie County District Attorney's Office.
The tall, heavy-set Garner grabbed her from behind and pushed her into a corner, where he squeezed her neck, Johnson told jurors.
Garner lifted the 5-foot, 4-inch, 135-pound woman off the ground and dragged her upstairs, Johnson said, and she blacked out and woke up on her stomach with the defendant on top of her.
"[Expletive], you're going to learn the hard way," Garner said, according to Johnson.
Half-naked, she again tried to escape, but he struck her with a ceramic ashtray and cut her head, Johnson said.
"It's him," Johnson said of Garner. "He's the attacker. He's the strangler."
After Garner left the house, the woman staggered out and collapsed on the steps of a nearby home, Johnson said. A neighbor called 911.
Johnson said police found genetic material from Garner and the victim inside the abandoned house, as well as her blood and his fingerprint on a windowpane.
Garner, 26, faces charges of second-degree assault and strangulation in the trial before Erie County Judge Kenneth F. Case.
If Garner is convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Defense attorney Joseph A. Agro asked jurors to keep an open mind and not to rush to judgment.
Agro, in his opening statement, told jurors that "you're not going to believe how many issues" will come up in the trial. Of the 66 items of prosecution evidence so far, 49 are photos, he said.
"Don't assume something happened here just because the pictures are bad," he said.
"I think, in the end, the pictures will not tell the whole story here."
The woman's story will be the key to the trial, he said. "You're either going to believe her or you're not," Agro said.
"We are finally going to be able to break down this woman's story," he said, adding that "ultimately, you'll see the story does not make sense."
Four years ago, Wienckowski's frozen body was found upside down in a garbage tote outside a church at Clinton and Spring streets on the city's East Side, across the street from the home of Garner, the last person known to have seen her alive and who has been described by authorities as a person of interest in the death.
The Wienckowski family believes that the 20-year-old Kenmore woman was murdered and have tried to get the County Medical Examiner's Office to revise the death certificate from an accidental drug overdose to a homicide.
At a Buffalo Common Council committee hearing Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the family told Council members that Dr. James F. Chmiel, an ear, nose and throat specialist, determined that bone and cartilage in Wienckowski's neck was crushed and that she could not have survived that type of injury.
email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
on December 15, 2012 - 11:48 PM
, updated December 15, 2012 at 11:49 PM
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell this week floated the proposal of expanding the playoffs to 14 or 16 teams. He said the league's Competition Committee would be considering it.
You know the television networks would like the idea of selling advertising for more playoff games. You know NFL owners would like to make their television business partners happier. You know NFL owners would like to have a slightly better chance of selling "success" to their fans. We just made the playoffs, let's raise ticket prices.
There are so many financial reasons to do it, I give the league credit for holding off this long. In fact, this idea was on the agenda of the competition committee way back in 2002.
No doubt the argument will be made that Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl as both a fifth and a sixth seed in recent years.
Furthermore, it could address a couple issues that have nagged at Goodell. The commissioner justifiably wants to protect the integrity of late-season games. The league doesn't like to see teams with playoff positions sewn up resting big chunks of their rosters in Week 17. Adding another round of playoff games might even be a way of getting rid of a week of preseason games, which Goodell justifiably sees as a bad product foisted on the ticket-buying public.
Expanding from 12 to 14 playoff teams is a particularly bad idea. Only one team in each conference would get a first-round bye under a 14-team format. That's too much of an advantage for a team that might get the No. 1 spot based on a tie-breaker or the fact it played an easier schedule than the No. 2 seed. So a 16-team playoff, with every team needing three wins to get to the Super Bowl, seems fairest if the playoffs must expand.
The problem is it decreases the chance that the best, most deserving teams get to the Super Bowl. Injuries are a bigger part of the game in football than in the other major sports, and an expanded playoff field throws more luck into the equation of declaring a champion. The Jets (6-7) currently are the No. 8 seed in the AFC. New York would go to Houston in the first round to get blown out by the Texans. But what if the Texans lose QB Matt Schaub to injury in a first-round rout they shouldn't have had to play?
Imagine it's 1990. The Bills have their best shot ever to get to the Super Bowl as the No. 1 seed. In the first round, they whip an eighth-seeded Pittsburgh team quarterbacked by Bubby Brister. But they lose Andre Reed to injury. There's a good chance they don't beat Miami at home the next week without Reed. (Miami's Dan Marino played one of his great games in a 44-34 Bills win.)
It's not a good idea. It's bound to happen.
Big Ravens move
Cameron had been the offensive coordinator since 2008. But he was not popular with fans and he was brought back this season on a one-year contract. The knocks on Cameron are he doesn't run star running back Ray Rice enough and he has not brought quarterback Joe Flacco along well enough. A couple weeks ago, for instance, the Ravens led Pittsburgh entering the fourth quarter but Rice never touched the ball the final 15 minutes. Baltimore lost. Flacco has wanted to run a more up-tempo attack, and the Ravens worked a lot on a no-huddle offense in the summer. It hasn't been up-tempo, to the dismay of Flacco.
Baltimore has great skill players but ranks 18th in yards and ninth in points. The highest Ravens' yardage ranking under Cameron was 13th.
Harbaugh had a convenient option on his staff, giving the coordinator reins to QB coach Jim Caldwell, former head coach of the Colts. Caldwell never has been a coordinator in the NFL. Caldwell, however, now must deal with the same hindrances Cameron faced. The Ravens' offensive line has slipped. Flacco's pocket presence seems to have regressed. And a no-huddle offense may not be the best thing for a defense that is missing leader Ray Lewis.
Meachem struggles
Meachem now has been benched in favor of young Danario Alexander, who has 33 catches. In his last two games, Meachem played just two plays (against Baltimore) and nine plays (against Pittsburgh). Meachem got a $7.5 million signing bonus, and his base salary of $5 million next year is guaranteed. Over his previous three seasons, Meachem averaged 43 catches for 630 yards.
Meanwhile, the biggest free-agent catch at receiver is paying off in a big way. Tampa signed San Diego's Vincent Jackson to a $55.5 million contract. Jackson stands eighth in the league in receiving yards with 1,145, and his average of 20.4 yards per catch is best in the league. Jackson has eight touchdowns.
Revisiting 2007
The Bills had needs at running back, middle linebacker, cornerback and receiver entering the 2007 draft. They had just traded Willis McGahee to Baltimore a month before the draft. But Lynch had character question marks on him entering the draft, and capable running backs are more readily available later in the draft. The Bills had only Fred Jackson and Anthony Thomas in the fold at running back. Granted, Jackson was an unknown commodity. Michael Bush was the best middle-round pick at running back in that draft. He was taken in the fourth round by Oakland and gained 3,000 yards in his career.
All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis went two picks after Lynch, at No. 14, to the Jets. Kansas City took quality wideout Dwayne Bowe 23rd overall. For what it's worth, making Revis the Bills' pick was advocated in this space the day of the draft.
Onside kicks
• The Steelers are famous for crucial wins under Mike Tomlin. They need another one today against Dallas. They are without their best cornerback, Ike Taylor (leg injury). His replacement, Cortez Allen, is out with a groin injury. Some guys named Josh Victorian and Robert Golden will likely be the second and third corners vs. Tony Romo.
• Buffalo and San Diego have the worst strength of victory percentage in the league (.277). The teams the Bills have beaten are a combined 18-47.
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BRADENTON, Fla. - At some point in April, the door to the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen will open in the top of the ninth inning. The Pirates will be ahead, and Jason Grilli will jog onto the field.
Over the PNC Park speakers, a Pearl Jam song - Grilli won't say which one - will play while images of the National League's oldest closer will flash across the video board.
It will be a moment an entire career in the making. One the 36-year-old right-hander thought might not come after spending a decade-plus as a baseball nomad, bouncing from team to team and role to role without seeming to find the right fit.
Just don't expect Grilli to waste much time taking it all in.
"I'm not going to be running in looking over my shoulder going, 'Oh man, dig yourself," Grilli said with a laugh. "This isn't about me."
Only it kind of is. The player was out of baseball three years ago and was toiling in the minors less than two years ago waiting for the phone to ring now finds himself replacing a two-time All-Star for a team very serious about contending in 2013.
Oh, and he's doing it at a time when most pitchers his age are hanging on, not thriving.
Ask Grilli how a guy - who spent Opening Day 2010 sitting on a trainers' table in Orlando trying to block out the pain in his surgically repaired right knee somehow - became one of the best setup men in the majors while inching toward his late-30s and he just smiles and shrugs his shoulders.
Faced with his baseball mortality, he had two options: walk away or fight back. Guess which one he chose.
"There's something inside of me that just kicked in," he said.
Now the pitcher who has all of five career saves in 330 appearances finds himself the last line of defense for a franchise - much like Grilli - trying to shake an enigmatic past.
How confident are the Pirates in Grilli's fearlessness, his 95 mph fastball and his health? Confident enough to trade Joel Hanrahan and his 76 saves over the last two seasons to Boston.
The decision wasn't exactly due to Grilli, and he knows that. Hanrahan's effectiveness made him too expensive. He will make $7 million this season for the Red Sox, or more than Grilli will make during the entirety of the two-year, $6.75 million deal he signed in the offseason.
There were other suitors for Grilli, but the Pirates offered more money and perhaps just as importantly, some stability. If he stays healthy and plays through the end of his contract, Grilli will have pitched more games for Pittsburgh than any of the five teams he's suited up for in his career.
"I'm comfortable here," he said. "My heart is here. I'm tired of changing colors, changing teams, changing agents. It's been all change for me."
Pittsburgh took a chance on Grilli in July 2011, plucking him off Philadelphia's Triple-A roster and asking him to shore up a bullpen that needed help and a veteran presence. Manager Clint Hurdle, whose relationship with Grilli dates back to 2008 when both were in Colorado, called it "taking a chance on the man."
One that's paid off considerably for both sides.
Grilli was steady in 2011 but spectacular for long stretches in 2012, when he went 1-6 with a 2.91 ERA and an eye-popping 13.9 strikeouts per nine innings, well above his career average. Though he was considered a setup man, the truth is he was more a "heart of the order guy." If the Pirates were leading in the seventh inning or beyond and the opponent's middle of the lineup was coming to bat, Grilli found himself with the ball in his hands.
"The majority of the time what he did when he came in, he faced 3-4-5, he faced 2-3-4," pitching coach Ray Searage said. "That's pretty darn hard. What does it matter if you face those guys in the seventh or the eighth? Why can't you get 'em out in the ninth? What's the thing? What's the problem?"
The Pirates certainly don't think there will be one.
"He's actually taken the words 'I've got nothing to lose' and he's brought them off the page," Hurdle said. "They're not just words anymore. It's the way he thinks. It's the way he conditions. It's the way he competes."
And this is not a one-shot deal. There may be bumps along the way but Pittsburgh is committed to turning to Grilli. Searage points out there were some growing pains while Hanrahan - a middle reliever for before becoming a full-time closer in 2011 - found his footing.
"It wasn't always smooth as silk when Hanny got in there," Searage said. "I was sitting on the bench chewing my nails to the cuticles going 'Oh my God.'"
It's a phrase Searage has repeated more than once watching Grilli harness his four-seam and two-seam fastballs with a potent curveball that can keep hitters off balance. Grilli didn't suddenly become a better pitcher the last two seasons, just a smarter one.
The fact he no longer worries about his future helps. Grilli began his professional career as a starter before Detroit moved him to the bullpen eight years ago. Earning a living in middle relief is noble if anonymous work. He's put in his time. Now he hopes it is his time.
"Nobody says 'I want to mop up some innings. Geez let me mop up some innings,'" Grilli said. "Does a lineman wish he was a running back or a quarterback? Sure. I just know 'Alright, these are the cards that I've been dealt. I'm going to make my mark in the big leagues."


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Four-time champs
Career records of the 11 IHSA four-time state wrestling champs with the year of their last title, plus the three more who could win their fourth title Saturday in C...
Four-time champs
Career records of the 11 IHSA four-time state wrestling champs with the year of their last title, plus the three more who could win their fourth title Saturday in Champaign:
Year Wrestler School W-L
1981 Mark Ruettiger Providence 152-5
1989 Joey Gilbert Andrew 163-1
1992 Mike Mena Newman 157-0-1
1993 Joe Williams Mt. Carmel 159-1
1996 T.J. Williams Mt. Carmel 155-3
1997 David Douglas Thornridge 130-3
2003 Chase Beebe Montini 177-11
2005 Conor Beebe Montini 161-13
2007 Albert White St. Rita 199-4
2007 Mike Benefiel Montini 200-4
2009 Seth Milks Dakota 160-10
2014 Josh Alber Dakota 173-0
2014 Jered Cortez Glenbard North 182-6
2014 Johnny Jimenez Marmion 158-10
Note: Mike Mena tied the first match of his junior season.
Source: IHSA
Thirty-four area Class 1A wrestlers are in Champaign this weekend trying to win a state title.
One is trying not to lose his place in history.
Dakota senior Josh Alber is in both an exalted and uncomfortable position. Three wrestlers are expected Saturday to join the 11 before them who have won four state titles. But only one of them - Alber - has won every high school match he's ever wrestled.
It seems pre-ordained that Alber (173-0) will pass Sterling Newman's Mike Mena (157-0-1), Tinley Park Andrew's Joey Gilbert (163-1) and Chicago Mt. Carmel's Joe Williams (159-1) for the best record in Illinois wrestling history.
Alber, in effect, "finished" with a perfect record the minute he beat the two other soon-to-be four-time champs, Class 3A stars Johnny Jimenez and Jered Cortez, a week apart in December.
"After the Cortez match, it was pure joy," Alber said. "But the second half of the year has been tough for me, really nerve-wracking. Just one move and I could screw it all up. I've basically just been avoiding disaster. Once it's all over, it's going to be just a huge relief."
Even a fourth state title won't end the wait. No. 1-ranked Dakota has a possible four matches remaining next week in the dual team state tournament series. Both Gilbert and Williams suffered their only loss as freshmen in the dual team sectional.
That's a long wait for something Alber has been thinking about for four years.
"After I made it through the first two years undefeated, I figured I was halfway there," Alber said. "I didn't see myself losing."
No one does. So nothing he does now can possibly impress anyone. Not after beating Cortez, the No. 1-ranked 132-pounder in the nation at the time, in the Dvorak Tournament at Harlem.
"I've struggled with that," Alber said. "I won 15-3 in the finals in sectionals and some people took that as a loss for me because I went the full match. It's tough, but I've had a lot better mindset. Last year, that would have really bothered me. Now, I'm just trying to enjoy it."
Josh Alber, who has also been invited to the March 16 Dapper Dan event, where Pennsylvania's best wrestlers take on the nation's best, has won so easily and for so long that you can sometimes take him for granted. His biggest noise has not come at the state tournament, but rather a regular-season win over three-time state champ J.J. Whaley of Stillman Valley and his two Dvorak title wins as underdogs over Jimenez, whom he beat again in a dual this year, and Cortez.
"That means the most to me," Alber said. "Being in 1A, I have to fight for respect. Knowing I have beaten two of the best wrestlers in Illinois history speaks for itself."
Page 2 of 2 - That was the last big statement Josh Alber could make on a wrestling mat this year. The state individual and team tournaments are simply two last chances for someone else to say Josh Alber isn't the greatest Class 1A wrestler ever.
Josh Alber, though, can't say anything new. He can only make sure no one else says anything. For two more weeks. Then, at last, he can celebrate history that was four years in the making.
"It's amazing that I've gotten to sit through this," said Dakota coach Pete Alber, Josh's uncle and a former state champ himself. "I feel blessed. How many people get to do that?
"It's hard to comprehend. And the thing that's best about it is he's not just a Single-A kid. He's beat the best."
Matt Trowbridge: 815-987-1383; firstname.lastname@example.com; @matttrowbridge
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Good shampoo/body wash Review by Mariko
Price Value Quality
I started to use this shampoo/body wash when I found out that the one I was using was not as eco/baby friendly as I thought. I love the smell, it is an orangey smell. It is easy to use with one hand b/c of the way the dispenser works. When by daughter was really young she hated baths and preferred to shower with me and I needed a shampoo and body wash that I could use with one hand. The only thing that I didn't like was that it is not tear free so that only means that I need to use extra care when washing her hair.Would you recommend this product to a friend? Yes
A note from the bynature.ca team: Earth Mama Angel Baby products are not tear-free as they are free chemical detergents and synthetic anesthetics. They also contains no petrochemical, synthetic surfactants, foaming agents or toxins of any kind. That means no sodium laureth sulfate, cocoamidylpropyl betaine, Quaternium-15, 1,4-Dioxane, formaldehyde or phthalates. Please use care around your angel baby's eyes. (Posted on 1/1/11)
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Craftsman 51-1/4" Wide 9-Drawer Ball-Bearing GRIPLATCH® Top Chest - Black
Premium Features Step Up To the Plate in this Craftsman Griplatch® Top Chest It's official! With much more space than you thought possible, this premium, heavy duty Craftsman Ball Bearing Griplatch® tool chest is the ultimate storage to organize, protect and showcase your extensive tool collection and expensive equipment. The 52 inch wide tool chest offers double the storage capacity of a standard size and its variety of drawer sizes lets you systematically organize your tools according to your needs. Though it's built tough like a bull, the top chest works like a smooth operator. Its ball bearing drawers feature the exclusive Griplatch® technology that allows your draws to open only when you want and latch securely in place. There are also two cover stays that keep your top lid open securely while you work, giving easy access to the tools you need the most. The Craftsman Griplatch® nine drawer top chest with its enormous storage capacity, security features and versatility will have you impressing one and all with your superior organization skills and competent style.
- Craftsman Ball Bearing Griplatch® top chest boasts 12,218 cu. in. of storage to let you keep your important tools and equipment in order
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Sources: Samsung [1], [2], [3]
quote: 3 or 4 years ago, people said it was over and Apple won. A few years before that, and Blackberry was the undisputed king. Your Google fanboyism is blinding you to how fickle the consumer market is.
quote: And don't forget, Samsung is the one driving the Android phone market, not Google, right now. If Samsung develops their own OS, or buys Blackberry, or decides to actually do more than dabble in WinPhone, things could change.
quote: Smartphone war still has many battles left.


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Posted: Friday Aug 5, 2011
business magazine again listed Saint Vincent College among the top colleges in the nation this week in the release of its fourth annual ranking of "America's Best Colleges."
"Saint Vincent College is pleased to be included in the rankings again in this rating of American colleges," said Br. Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., President. "With 650 of the accredited post-secondary institutions in the United States selected for inclusion on the list, Saint Vincent is, in Forbes' judgment, among the top 20% of all undergraduate colleges and universities in the nation."
Forbes uses more than ten factors in compiling the rankings with no single factor counting as much as 20%. The rankings are objectively determined with the only subjective judgments being those of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity and Forbes as to which factors to include and the weights to be used in evaluating each factor.
The factors that are considered in the rankings include student satisfaction, postgraduate success, student debt, four-year graduation rate and competitive awards.
Ten percent of the ranking is based on alumni listings in Who's Who in America, so the success of Saint Vincent alumni in many fields is a significant factor in this determinant. Another 15 percent is based on the salaries of alumni from Payscale.com so that is another important measure of the career success of Saint Vincent graduates. Taken as a whole, the Forbes ranking underscores the excellent value that Saint Vincent provides as one of the top colleges in the state and in the nation.
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PITTSBURGH - There's no sense in further dissecting the Pittsburgh Steelers' loss to the San Diego Chargers, so let's take a broader view.
The Steelers have played badly in three of their last four games. They were fine in an unexpected win at Baltimore two weeks ago.
But they wrapped terrible games around that: The one in Cleveland on Thanksgiving weekend, and Sunday's stinker against the Chargers.
Before Cleveland, they needed an overtime field goal to beat a bad Kansas City team at home.
This isn't trending well, especially not when the two most recent losses have come because of apathetic efforts. It's even more disturbing that last Sunday's flatline came after veteran Brett Keisel delivered a pre-game talk exhorting the team to be diligent against San Diego.
If that had any effect, it didn't last beyond the time it took to run to the field from the locker room.
Three games remain, and they're all up for grabs. Sunday wiped out any thoughts of "automatic" wins. That Dec. 30 visit from the Browns should no longer be considered a sure thing.
Injuries have piled up, but every team has those issues at this point of the season. The Steelers need an attitude adjustment, and they'd better get to work on that immediately.
High stakes
How about the Baltimore Ravens, with a 9-4 record and a very secure playoff position, firing offensive coordinator Cam Cameron with three games left in the regular season?
One of the by-products of NFL parity is an urgency to win now. Sacrificing assistant coaches during the season reflects that.
Going for it
The Kansas City Royals haven't had a winning season since 2003, and they're anxious to change that.
They traded a prime prospect, Wil Myers, in a deal with Tampa Bay that brought back pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis.
The Royals get immediate help, but they'll lose in the long run if Myers is as good as he's projected to be.
There's always a temptation to make trades for temporary help, but that's not the kind of deal a franchise like Kansas City can afford to make.
Even with the additions, the Royals aren't as good as the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox in the American League Central.
End of an era
The Sporting News announced it will no longer regularly produce a print publication, ending a 126-year history.
The brand name will continue with online content and annuals devoted to the major sports.
I have some thoughts about this on my blog, Mainly Mehno, at altoonamirror.com.
Mehno can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Blackshear, Ware out for Pittsburgh game
Published 4:12 PM EST Jan 28, 2013
Two University of Louisville men's basketball players will not play in Monday night's game against Pittsburgh in the KFC Yum Center.
The university said Wayne Blackshear suffered a sprained right shoulder in practice on Sunday.
According to the team, Blackshear's injury is expected to heal quickly.
The team also said Kevin Ware has been suspended indefinitely for an unspecified reason.
Blackshear has started in 19 of the Cardinals' 20 games.
Ware is averaging 3.8 points and nearly 16 minutes a game.
Copyright 2013 by WLKY.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Wall Street Decline Takes Its Toll...
As Immunotherapy Revolutionizes the Cancer Treatment...
LC-MS Gains Favor Due To the...
NSCLC is "Major Battlefield" as Merck,...
Under fire on several fronts in recent months, the beleaguered FDA is facing particular scrutiny regarding the safety of drugs approved for human use. Recent high-profile drug safety failures such as Trasylol, Pergolide, Zelnorm, Ketek, and Avandia add to a litany of dangerous drugs, many still prominent in the public's memory, including Vioxx, FenPhen, Propulsid, Rezulin, Seldane, and Accutane.
While most analyses and proposals have focused on improving postmarketing drug surveillance, the inability of preclinical drug testing including animal toxicity testing to predict human drug responses and toxicities has also garnered attention. According to the FDA's own data, only 8% of all drugs progressing to human trials after demonstration of safety in animal studies will gain approval.
Remarkably, this approval percentage is down from 14% in 1985 despite two decades of efforts to improve the accuracy of preclinical drug testing—efforts that notably have not addressed the inherent and seemingly immutable inaccuracy of animal toxicity testing. About half of clinical-trial drug failures are due to undetected toxicities, and about half of the small percentage of sanctioned drugs will later be withdrawn or receive black-box warnings for the same reason.
After all this attrition, even marketed drugs do not work for most patients. More than 90% of these therapeutics only work in a minority of patients, and efficacy rates are as low as 25% for oncology treatments and 30% for Alzheimer's disease products. Something is clearly amiss with preclinical drug testing when only 4 in 100 drugs entering clinical trials are truly safe and effective and that effectiveness means that only a minority of patients will benefit.
The seriousness of the drug-safety problem and the role of unreliable animal toxicity testing, is underscored by several recent reports including well-publicized critiques from the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the Science Board of the FDA, and the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies.
In its response to a September 2006 IOM report "The Future of Drug Safety: Promoting and Protecting the Health of the Public," the FDA acknowledged the inadequacy of animal toxicity testing and outlined its approach to the problem: "The FDA is involved in an ongoing scientific collaboration intended to yield more sensitive, specific, and informative tests for drug organ toxicity than the toxicology-screening techniques currently in use."
A July 2007 NRC report, "Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy" was prepared at the request of the EPA. The report makes sweeping recommendations regarding the replacement of animal testing with human-based toxicity measures, and many of its recommendations are equally applicable for chemical and drug toxicity testing.
The report states that advances in toxicogenomics, bioinformatics, systems biology, epigenetics, and computational toxicology could transform toxicity testing from a system based on whole-animal testing to one founded primarily on in vitro methods that evaluate changes in biologic processes using cells, cell lines, or cellular components, preferably of human origin.
The November 2007 Science Board report, "FDA Science and Mission at Risk", is critical of several aspects of FDA performance and specifically charges that the agency lacks the scientific expertise to fulfill its regulatory responsibilities.
The Science Board concluded that science at the FDA is in a precarious position; the agency suffers from serious scientific deficiencies and is not positioned to meet current or emerging regulatory responsibilities. Among the Science Board's conclusions is the following: "Today, not only can the agency not lead, it can not even keep up with the advances in science."
Consequently, the FDA continues to rely on inaccurate animal testing data for IND applications and drug approvals, contributing to the extraordinarily high clinical trial-drug attrition rate and the ongoing approval of dangerous drugs.
As FDA toxicology reviewer Anita O'Connor stated in 2004, "Most of the animal tests we accept have never been validated. They evolved over the past 20 years and the FDA is comfortable with them." The hazards of such inertia are now widely recognized and reported. The FDA must no longer be comfortable with a failed drug-testing paradigm that puts the public health at risk.
Because the FDA has not made substantial efforts to adopt validated, accurate alternatives for animal testing of drugs or to investigate and approve potential alternatives through its National Center for Toxicological Research, a coalition of organizations submitted a formal petition requesting targeted action by the FDA. The Mandatory Alternatives Petition (MAP) was presented to the FDA in November 2007 and signed by more than 120 physicians, scientists, and other professionals.
The MAP reviews problems that make animal drug testing unreliable, such as species differences in anatomy, organ structure and function, drug absorption and metabolism, toxicokinetics, drug efficacy, and toxicity endpoints. Many examples are given of favorable animal-toxicity testing results followed by dangerous or lethal human results and conversely of long-standing beneficial drugs that display lethal animal toxicities.
The MAP also describes fields of drug development that have a 100% failure rate in human trials despite decades of successful animal testing. Prominent examples include stroke treatments (more than 150 failures), HIV/AIDS vaccines (more than 80 failures), and the entire field of cancer therapeutic vaccine research. Such disparate results can only be attributed to fundamental species differences that assure animal-testing results will be unreliable for humans.
The history, development, and advantages of scientifically sound replacements for animal-testing are presented in the MAP, including a variety of human cell and tissue methods, drug toxicity databases, computer modeling and simulations, microfluidics and tissue engineering methods, various omics techniques, scanning technologies, and microdosing.
Specific and definitive action is asked of the FDA in the MAP. "We request the FDA to promulgate a regulation to mandate that an animal experiment should not be performed if another scientifically satisfactory method for obtaining the result(s), not involving the use of animals, is available."
This action would bring the FDA in line with European Council Directive 86/609/ EEC, which governs drug and chemical testing in the EU and would contribute to international harmonization for the validation, adoption, and implementation of alternatives. Several steps are recommended to facilitate the regulation.
The MAP comes at an opportune time, when there is unprecedented concordance on problems, consequences, and solutions regarding preclinical drug testing. Whereas postmarketing safety strategies can only improve identification of dangerous drugs after they are in widespread use, better preclinical drug testing can prevent unsafe drugs from reaching the public. For an FDA squeezed between good science and limited resources, the MAP provides a straightforward approach to issues surrounding animal testing of drugs that is scientifically sound and consistent with international best practices.
John J. Pippin, M.D., is a cardiologist in Dallas. He is senior medical and research adviser for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which is a member of the Mandatory Alternatives Petition coalition. The petition is available at www.alternatives-petition.org. E-mail: [email protected]
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Green Day played a secret show in a pub in Sydney, Australia last night (February 20). See above to watch the band perform 'Brain Stew' now. The gig, which took place at Captain Cook Hotel in the Australian city, was announced just hours before it began with fans forced to dash to the venue in order to gain entry. Green Day are currently on a tour of larger venues in Australia and will headline the Soundwave Festival on Sunday (February 23). The gig was organised by Captain Cook Hotel owner Darren Wood, Inferno Music instrument-supplier boss Tim Davy and author of the My Sydney Riot blog Ray Lalotoa. "It happened in all of about five minutes," Lalotoa told The Daily Telegraph Australia. "Green Day came and checked it out and said, 'This is going to work, we're 99 per cent going to play', and just said, 'Don't tell anyone about it'." Stepping onto the tiny stage, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong reportedly said: "I guess a few of you saw the tweet" before playing a set consisting of newer material, fan favourites and requests from the audience. The short set concluded with 'American Idiot'.
Full article and video at NME: HERE