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Official: Windows 8 Launches Oct 26 at Midnight
Tiffany Kaiser
October 25, 2012 5:47 PM
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Windows 8 Pro will be available for download at 12:01 a.m.
Micosoft fans, the time has come -- Windows 8 will be available tonight at midnight, and you can pick it up via download or variety of new devices.
Microsoft sent out its official Windows 8 press release today announcing that the new operating system will be available at 12:01 a.m. on October 26. Alongside the Windows 8 launch will be the grand opening of the Windows Store, where customers can purchase apps for the latest OS.
Windows 8 Pro will be available to download
for $39.99 USD (Or $69.99 if you want it shipped to you). For those who would prefer to buy Windows 8 from retailers, there's the option to buy Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro. Companies can also buy Windows 8 Enterprise for all business needs.
Windows RT will also be available at 12:01. For those who aren't up to speed, Windows RT is a variation of Windows 8 that is specifically meant for ARM-based tablets. It was built for apps in the new Windows Store, such as Microsoft Office 2013.
According to Microsoft, there are over 1,000
certified PCs and tablets
that will feature its new OS. Some of these include the Dell XPS 10 convertible, the Acer Aspire S7-391, the
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13
and the
HP Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4
. These devices and more will be available at retailers such as Best Buy, Amazon and Staples.
For those with
Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7
, an uprgrade to Windows 8 Pro will be avilable for $39.99 USD via download through the end of January. If you bought a Windows 7 machine after June 2 and plan to buy one before January 31, 2013, customers in over 140 markets can download Windows 8 Pro for only $14.99 USD using the Windows Upgrade Offer
"We have reimagined Windows and the result is a stunning lineup of new PCs," said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO. "Windows 8 brings together the best of the PC and the tablet. It works perfect for work and play and it is alive with your world. Every one of our customers will find a PC that they will absolutely love."
Windows 8 offers the new user interface (formerly called Metro UI) that has been a topic of debate amongst consumers and business folks. Some love the new colorful tiles while others say it is
more suitable for mobile devices like tablets only
Microsoft recently announced its
Surface tablet
, which is Microsoft-built hardware running the new Windows RT OS. The new tablet will
include a 10.6-inch display, an ARM-based processor (NVIDIA quad-core Tegra 3), 32GB or 64GB storage options, 2GB of memory, 1366x768 resolution, 720p rear- and front-facing cameras, a USB port and a microSDXC slot. Also, the tablet has a VaporMg magnesium casing and a built-in kickstand with the option to purchase a touch cover or type cover keyboard/screen protector.
It's $499 for the 32GB, $599 for the 32GB with touch cover, or $699 for the 64GB with touch cover
Microsoft co-founder
Bill Gates
was recently quoted saying that Windows 8 and the new Surface tablet are "incredible" products, and are "key to where personal computing is going."
"Paying an extra $500 for a computer in this environment -- same piece of hardware -- paying $500 more to get a logo on it? I think that's a more challenging proposition for the average person than it used to be." -- Steve Ballmer
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As a valued Giants Group Leader, you have a dedicated Account Manager to assist you with your event from start to finish! Your account manager is your "Inside Connection" to the Giants and is available to you year 'round by phone or email! You may also contact our Giants Group Retention department by calling the Hotline at 415/972-2299 or by emailing us at firstname.lastname@example.com ».
Early Window for Individual Game Tickets:
As you know, Giants individual game tickets are dynamically priced so we encourage all fans to "buy early and save!" For you, this means you will have the opportunity to buy via an early window of opportunity - before the general public - to purchase Giants game tickets. You will be contacted via email regarding your onsale date.
Group Merchandise Flyer:
What better way to complete your group experience than to outfit your group in authentic Giants gear! Groups receive special discounts on select Giants merchandise, so don't miss out! Contact your account manager for details or download and browse the merchandise flyer here.
Splash Tickets:
Splash Tickets: Make a REAL SPLASH with your Group and enhance their experience on game day! Add stored food and beverage credit to your group tickets at a discounted rate! $50.00 in credit is available for $40.00 per ticket, $25.00 in credit is available for $20.00 per ticket or $12.00 in credit is available for $10.00 per ticket. Credit is redeemable at AT&T Park concession stands and at the Dugout Store on the day of your event!"
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Having starred in several family-oriented projects over the past six years -- including her title roles in the acclaimed film "Akeelah and the Bee" and the hit Nickelodeon TV series "True Jackson, VP" -- actress-singer Keke Palmer has developed a keen sense of how important it is to deliver good, solid family entertainment.
So when the opportunity came up to join the popular "Ice Age" franchise with the fourth film in the series "Ice Age: Continental Drift," the 18-year-old performer leaped at the chance. Having the opportunity to do fun family fare is one thing, she said, but when something like a meaningful "Ice Age" film comes along, the experience is elevated to a whole new level.
"I think the main reason people like going to see the 'Ice Age' films with their kids is because adults can have a good time, too," Palmer told me in a recent interview. "A family can really bond watching it, and get something out of it, too."
Palmer voices the role of Peaches in "Ice Age: Continental Drift," the character who was introduced as the baby of Mammoths Manny (Ray Romano) and Ellie (Queen Latifah) in "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs." Now a smart and sassy teenager, Peaches has a developed a habit of defying her parents as she begins to gain her independence, and much to the chagrin of overprotective dad, she's discovered teenage boys.
Even though Ellie has a better understanding of what her daughter is going through, her behavior still leads to a huge blow-up between Manny and Peaches. But the argument between the two seems trivial when a continental cataclysm separates Manny from his family.
Set adrift on an iceberg with his old friends Diego (Denis Leary), Sid (John Leguizamo) and accident-prone sloth's curmudgeonly grandma (Wanda Sykes), Manny promises he'll somehow reunite with his family.
Opening in theaters Friday in 2D and 3D, the film also stars the voices of Peter Dinklage, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Frost, hip-hop sensations Drake and Nicki Minaj, and "Glee" star Heather Morris.
A huge subplot in "Ice Age: Continental Drift" finds Peaches trying to break in the cool "in-crowd" of teen mammoths, even if comes at the expense of her loyal friend, a mole hog named Louis (Josh Gad).
"My character's story is about coming of age. I think there's a great lesson in here about being true to yourself," Palmer said. "I think every young kid comes to the point where they have one set of friends, but want to explore being with other people. It shows how tough it is to be on your own and try to figure out how tough those choices are to make. It asks, 'Do you want to stay with the people who are good or do you want to be part of the crowd?"
Palmer said the voice actors all recorded their performances separately for "Ice Age: Continental Drift," much in the same way the performances for most animated films are assembled. But what made this film unique from the others was that Palmer, who played Latifah's daughter last year in the musical comedy "Joyful Noise," also happened to be recording voice tracks around the same time her big-screen mom was for "Continental Drift."
"I remembering when we were shooting 'Joyful Noise,' she'd tell about the weekends she'd be off to record some 'Ice Age' voice stuff," Palmer recalled. "We were talking about how cool it not only to be a part of the 'Ice Age' film, but how flexible it was because we were shooting 'Joyful Noise' in another state and were still able to do the work."
While Palmer had the benefit of having direct contact with Latifah during the "Ice Age" process, she said her acting sensibilities definitely changed from when they were filming "Joyful Noise" together.
"You have to use your imagination a lot because things aren't right in front of you. Plus there are things like, 'How do I sound when I'm falling down a cliff?' You don't tend to think about those things where you're sitting around at home," Palmer said. "So from that point of view, it's really difficult."
The fun thing about the process, Palmer said, is that when she's making the effort to get into that different frame of mind, the artists on the film try to capture some of her personal characteristics to integrate into the animation.
"All the little eye movements Peaches makes are definitely something I can identify with. I looked at her and said, 'Oh, that totally looks like me in that moment," Palmer enthused.
The bonus for Palmer on "Ice Age: Continental Drift" was that the singing star also got to record the end title song "We Are," which features shots of all the voice actors in the film behind the microphones joining in.
"It was really cool because it was written by Ester Dean, who I love," Palmer said. "Plus, it was an awesome thing that all of the cast members got to be in the song with me. It's like having a souvenir from the job, being able to realize that."


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Summer is here! Why do seasons change?
Published On: May 11 2011 02:15:21 PM CDT Updated On: Jun 22 2015 07:11:01 AM CDT
The first day of summer is June 21. With that comes thoughts of backyard barbecues and days in the sun. But what actually causes the seasons to change?
The views expressed are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms Of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms.


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College expands study abroad programBy Bryanna Allen
STAFF WRITER | June 09,2014CASTLETON Twice as many students will be encouraged to leave campus now that Castleton State College has joined the Institute of International Education Coalitions Generation Study Abroad initiative with the goal of doubling the number of students to travel abroad before the end of the decade.
The college hopes the annual average number of students studying abroad increases from 11 to 22 during the next five school years.
By joining the campaign, the college is showing further support of students to branch out and gain a deeper educational experience by being immersed in a new culture, said Jasmine Ziesler, associate academic dean.
Traveling and getting an education abroad lead to other opportunities. Ziesler said.
In order to increase the popularity of the programs abroad and reach the ultimate goal, students who have come back from a year or semester abroad are required to share their personal experience with other students through presentations and informative lectures.
CSC President David Wolk said the lack of full promotion for programs abroad in the past has been because of the financial restrictions.
By joining the Generation Study Abroad commitment, the college has redesigned its study abroad promotion plan and increased support to students wishing to embark on such an adventure, said Wolk in a news release.
Brian Garvey is one student who took complete advantage of abroad opportunities and programs offered at Castleton, starting with an 11-month stay in Spain his sophomore year in 2011.
Garvey said he was completely immersed in the culture. He took classes ranging from grammar to film studies, and became fluent in Spanish during the course of his stay.
It was life changing, Garvey said.
That was just the start of his passion for travel. He traveled to Argentina to teach orphans on a $5,000 Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship he was awarded through IIE.
Only weeks after finishing school, the 2014 grad will join the Fulbright Colombia English Teaching Assistantship Program after receiving the Fulbright Scholarship, a grant given to students by the IIE.
He was chosen from 180 applicants to teach English at a university in Colombia for one full academic year.
Its an amazing opportunity Ive been given all because I wanted to travel, Garvey said. He said he was hesitant about funding, but did his research and found that a year abroad was no more expensive than a year on campus.
I tell other students that its the biggest secret that is about to be exposed, Garvey said of financial aid offered through the program. You just have to go looking for it. He now hopes to one day work internationally as a diplomat, building intercultural relations around the world.
Garvey has become an advocate for the initiative, visiting Vermont schools to tell students that if they have the desire, they will find the resources.
This initiative offers students the chance to better themselves through travel and education abroad, Garvey said. I promise you will come back happier, more independent and with a richer outlook on life.
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By Tibor Machan: Freedom columnist
The theory of the big (but good) lie goes back to a certain reading of Plato's most famous dialogue, the Republic. There are more or less crude versions of it but the gist of the theory is that for reasons of state — to secure the chance of the ruler to rule smoothly — telling lies can be justified and may even be necessary.
Indeed, the big lie could well have been the very idea of the perfect political system itself that Socrates sketched in that dialogue.
Some have concluded from this that Plato (Socrates) never meant to advocate what the dialogue depicts as the perfect regime but merely presented it as a kind of model.
But ever since Plato appeared to make the big lie respectable in politics, quite a few regimes have made use of it. And in our era no less seems to be the tactic, at least for the cheerleaders of more government planning who routinely appear on the Op-Ed pages of The New York Times.
Check out the article by Alan Tonelson and Kevin L. Kearns:
"Trading Away Productivity" (March 6).
The gist of the piece is nothing less than the defense of international economic protectionism, a policy thoroughly discredited by now except for diehards desperate to keep their establishment and industry intact at the expense of domestic consumers and foreign competitors.
Nothing new here — every politician is tempted to offer to square the circle; just watch how in Washington nearly everyone believes that one can indeed get blood out of a turnip and pay for goodies with, well, nothing.
What is far more egregious than the advocacy of defunct theories is the premise with which these authors begin their discussion. What they say is, well, a big lie.
They state, clearly without any hesitation, that "For a quarter-century, American economic policy has assumed that the keys to durable national prosperity are deregulation, free trade and a swift transition to a post-industrial, services-dominated future."
There is no truth to this claim at all.
American economic policy has been protectionist in nearly every age. Indeed, such protectionism is often held to explain some of the anger of the Japanese at America that precipitated the invasion at Pearl Harbor.
Administration after administration has tried to boost the fortunes of American businesses and labor by way of imposing duties on foreign imports.
The means by which obstacles to honest trade were implemented are various — sometimes outright tariffs or duties, sometimes phony requirements that manufacturers needed to meet before their product would qualify for importation, thus making it very expensive to import and to buy the products.
America has always, from its beginning, been a mixed economy and the mixture is now markedly lopsided toward government interference, including thousands and thousands of pages of government regulations which keep increasing year by year.
But the big lie and the big liars will not hear of any of this and keep cheering on as the American government moves farther and farther away from even a semblance of a free market system.


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Let's get seriousJuly 18,2013
Lets get serious
The John McClaughrys are really an unfortunate distraction from our dealing seriously with accelerating climate change. While many of the spokesmen for right-wing think tanks like the Ethan Allen Institute are funded by coal and petroleum industry magnates like the Koch brothers, lets give John the benefit of the doubt and assume that his climate change denialism is due to ideological blinders.
Johns latest intervention is to cite the authority of two discredited Alabama scientists, Roy Spencer and John Christie, as proving that human-caused climate change is not a serious problem. Any reader wishing to bother would find ample evidence online from the climate science profession disproving Spencer and Christies hypotheses.
Where is Spencer coming from? Spencer is a signatory to An Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming, which states that Earth and its ecosystems created by Gods intelligent design and infinite power and sustained by His faithful providence are robust, resilient, self-regulating, and self-correcting.
In his book The Evolution Crisis, Spencer wrote, I finally became convinced that the theory of creation actually had a much better scientific basis than the theory of evolution.
Lets not let debate with the John McClaughrys distract us from the more serious problems that we have with a Democratic administration that acknowledges climate change while actually embracing policies that are accelerating global warming or for that matter the Shumlin administration that supports false solutions like expanding infrastructure for fracked natural gas, causing a sharp rise in methane leaks which are up to 105 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.
Traven Leyshon
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- Game Details
- News (7)
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- Previews (4)
- Videos (13)
- Images (3)
- Cheats & Walkthroughs
It is hard to appreciate all of From Dust's successes without actually playing it yourself. There are some noticeable A.I. and control issues for sure, but the environmental-based design and vibrant presentation offer something so refreshing that, if you're open to it, you can't help but be swept up by it.
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You might not know this if you only game on your console, but Ubisoft's PC release of Eric Chahi's God-sim From Dust has been slightly......
Ubisoft To Drop From Dust Always-Online DRM In PC Release
Ubisoft made a slight... let's call it a miscalculation, in releasing the PC version of Eric Chahi's From Dust with a built-in Digital Rights...
From Dust PC Release Joins Xbox 360 Version On July 27
The trailer for From Dust premiered at E3 last year, the first effort seen in some time from French game designer Eric Chahi. His gorgeous God...
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Check out our screenshot gallery for the new Ubisoft developed game codenamed Project Dust! Though little information has been released about the...
Ubisoft Reveals Three New Titles: Project Dust, Rayman: Origins, and maniaplanet
Ubisoft revealed three new titles at the end of their press event. Well, technically two games and a platform, but all three of them are drawing...
From Dust E3 2011 Hands-On Preview -- Trying Our Floating Hand at Playing God
Ubisoft gives us an updated hands-on look at its world-shaping god simulator.
Video Preview
From Dust Gameplay Preview
Eric Chahi, Creative Director from Ubisoft, explains the beautiful world you can create in Ubisoft's From Dust. Get a preview on how the gameplay mechanics will work when you are the creator of this world.
Video Preview
From Dust All Access Preview
In this early look at the upcoming From Dust, Blair Herter gets an all access preview from game designer Eric Chahi at playing god in this terrestrial simulator, in which you create a world and help a tribe survive.
My X-Play 1000Th Episode PosterLatest Post: Mar 18, 2013 by Smashdrama
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Recently a friend asked me for a CD of music I wrote and recorded many years ago. Unfortunately, the material existed only as a 4-track cassette tape master, but the tape had been recorded on a Yamaha MT120 home studio 4-track, with a speed of 9.5 centimeters per second and with dbx (a noise reduction method) enabled. Though the tape was hardly a sonic or musical masterpiece, it did sound good enough to warrant recording to hard disk for processing before eventually burning the songs to CD.
This article follows the process of recording the material to the hard disk, editing and filtering it with signal processing software, and finally creating an audio CD from the results, complete with custom covers for the jewel case. I'll present and describe the tools used in each stage of the process, and I'll explain how you too can turn your computer into a powerful audio CD mastering machine, using only free and open-source Linux software.
Kai Vehmanen's ecasound (Figure 1) is multitrack-ready, capable of recording as many channels as your sound card setup permits. The system used for this project includes two sound cards, a SoundBlaster PCI128 and an SBLive Value. It is possible to record two channels into one card and two into another to create a system with four-channel analog input, but due to clock drift, it is impossible to correctly synchronize the recorded tracks (see Paul Winkler's excellent Linux Audio Quality HOWTO for a summary of dual sound-card clock drift). Synchronized multichannel I/O is normally found only on high-end digital audio boards. Only a few such boards enjoy Linux driver support at this time. (Two notable examples are the boards from MidiMan and RME.) Alas, I don't own one of those boards, so I decided to simply mix the master tape's four tracks with the mixer on the MT120, sending the mixed stereo output to the input of the SBLive (its audio specifications are somewhat better than those for the PCI128).
Figure 1. Kai Vehmanen's ecasound.
Recording with ecasound (or with qtecasound, its GUI sibling (Figure 2) is extremely simple. I issued the following command from an xterm:
ecasound -c -b:4096 -r -i:alsa,0,0,0 -o my_song_01.wav
The command options are as follows:
-c starts ecasound in interactive mode
-b sets the audio buffer size
-r sets the realtime scheduler (SCHED_FIFO) flag
-i sets the input device and its parameters
-o names the output file
I have a lot of RAM (256 MB) in a decently fast machine (a PIII 550), so I set the buffer size to a relatively large number. You may need to adjust it for best results on your own system. Ecasound will work with any Linux sound driver, but in this example I've set the input device to the ALSA driver for my SBLive. The numbers indicate the first sound card in my system (the count starts at 0), the first audio input device (0, or /dev/snd/pcmC0D0), and the subdevice (also 0). The output file will be recorded at the default CD-quality specifications, i.e., a stereo recording with a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz and 16-bit sample resolution.
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Setting the realtime scheduler helps prevent underruns (gaps and dropouts in the recording), but to guarantee dropout-free recording, I suggest installing a kernel patched for low latency. (See my O'Reilly Network article on low-latency audio for the details.) The results are definitely worth the minimal effort, and if you intend to do much recording in Linux, I strongly urge you to patch your kernel for low-latency response.
The actual recording starts when you type
t at ecasound's command prompt. Press
s to finish. If all goes well, ecasound will report no errors. If underruns are reported, you probably need to upgrade to a low-latency patched kernel and tune your IDE drive with
hdparm (as described in my low-latency article).
After recording the songs to the hard disk, I wanted to edit them before burning the files to the audio CD. I used Doug Scott's MiXViews (Figure 3) to perform the following operations:
Figure 3. Doug Scott's MiXViews.
Readers who are familiar with other, more modern Linux soundfile editors may wonder why I chose MiXViews. My best reason is that I know it very well, having assisted in an early port to Linux. Other reasons include its ease of use (it can be controlled from the keyboard as well as the mouse), its accuracy and definition (the file view can be zoomed to single-sample resolution), its well-designed filters, and its speed.
Soundfiles are most easily edited in graphic displays, and Linux can claim a number of fine soundfile editors with graphic interfaces, including Snd, Broadcast2000, and DAP. All of those editors absolutely require the X-Window graphics system, but console users are not entirely shut out from the world of graphic editing: Bernhard Oemer's WaveTools is a suite of WAV-format soundfile editing utilities that includes wView, an interactive console SVGA soundfile viewer. Although wView isn't actually an editor, the information it provides can be utilized by the other tools in the suite (which includes mixing, cutting, and filtering modules). Traditional Unix pipes can be used to link operations together for a deceptively simple yet powerful soundfile editing environment at the Linux console.
Console and X users alike may also be interested in J.A. Bezemer's GramoFile. This utility was originally designed for cleaning up soundfiles created from phonograph recordings. Such recordings are often marred by clicks and pops caused by imperfections of the original medium, and GramoFile's greatest strength lies in its selection of audio filters (Figure 4).
The final step in my editing process dealt with the problem of uneven amplitudes between soundfiles, i.e., some files were louder than others, so I employed Chris Vaill's normalize. This handy little tool can batch process a group of WAV files to bring their relative volumes into balance with each other, ensuring that my listeners would not need to adjust their player's volume level for each song. In order to normalize all the files I intended to burn, I ran this simple command:
normalize -m /home/dlphilp/soundfiles/cd-audio/my_songs/*.wav
-m flag adjusts the level of each track to the average level of all the tracks. Once the levels had been normalized, it was time to move on to the next stage and actually burn the soundfiles to an audio disc.
Burning compact discs under Linux is a straightforward matter. Many writable CD drives are supported by current Linux kernels: SCSI drives are directly supported in the SCSI subsystem set up during kernel compilation, and IDE/ATA drives are indirectly supported via the SCSI emulation module (see the Linux CD-Writing HOWTO for a list of supported CD-Rs and CD-RWs). Many mainstream distributions include the SCSI emulation module (
ide_scsi.o), but if your distribution doesn't include it, you will need to configure and recompile your kernel for the emulation support.
My CD burner is a Creative Labs RW4224E CD-RW, correctly identified in the kernel boot messages as an IDE/ATAPI drive (
/dev/hdc). Figure 5 illustrates how I configured my kernel for SCSI support and Figure 6 shows the SCSI emulation configuration. (The emulation mode depends on some of the SCSI configuration options.) Rather than detail the emulation setup here, I direct the interested reader to Chris Stoddard's CD-Writing with an ATAPI CDR Mini-HOWTO for a step-by-step description of the process. Once the emulation module is installed, the system will recognize the IDE CD-RW as a SCSI device (
Jörg Schilling's cdrecord is the indispensable component for burning CDs under Linux. Happily, it is included with every mainstream Linux distribution, and it is very easy to use. Cdrecord can create CD-ROM data discs in standard ISO 9660 format or a hybrid format readable by Macintosh machines, CD-DA (digital audio) discs, and mixed-mode discs that combine ISO 9660 and audio tracks. Typing 'man cdrecord' at a console or xterm command prompt will bring up the very informative manual page, complete with examples and full explanations for every option.
Burning my audio CD from the command line required only this command sequence:
cdrecord -v speed=2 dev=0,0 -audio /home/dlphilp/soundfiles/cd-audio/my_songs/*.wav
Those command options are defined as follows:
-v verbosity level (progress display)
speed=2 sets the burner to 2x recording speed
dev=0,0 uses the device listing as reported by
cdrecord -scanbus (a utility to report available CD recording devices)
-audio tells
cdrecord that the recorded tracks are in CD-DA format (stereo 16-bit 44.1 kHz soundfiles)
It's really that simple, but for those of you who can't bear the thought of working at the Linux console, help is at hand with gcombust (Figure 7), a GTK-based graphic front end for cdrecord. Gcombust organizes cdrecord's many options into a sensible GUI, and if you're using the GNOME desktop, you can drag and drop your files into gcombust's data holding areas.
Note: CD audio is specifically defined as stereo sound sampled at 44.1 kHz with 16-bit resolution. My files were recorded with those specifications, but they were not yet "CD ready." CD audio has its own file format, and WAV files must be converted to that format before burning to disc. Fortunately this process is carried out transparently by cdrecord. Ecasound is also capable of direct conversion, and a number of other format conversion utilities are also available for Linux.
Creating an audio CD may involve some options not used when burning a data disc. For example, by default, audio tracks will be separated by a 2-second gap. This mode is called TAO (tracks at once); if you want your tracks to run together without a gap, or if you want to reset the gap value, you will want to use the DAO (disc at once) mode. Both modes are available from cdrecord; however, for finer control of the DAO mode, you may want to consider using cdrdao, a CD-burning utility specifically designed for disc-at-once recording.
Blank recordable compact discs are available in a range of formats, capacities, and prices. My experiences with a variety of discs has so far led me to these conclusions:
When selecting the speed for burning an audio disc, keep in mind that you increase the likelihood of "coasterizing" it (i.e., making it useful only as a beverage coaster) at the higher rates. My writer is capable of 1x, 2x, and 4x recording speeds, but the 4x is unreliable, creating a condition known as a buffer underrun (the data buffer empties while the laser is still burning the disc). Cdrecord employs BURN-Proof, a technology that enables the safe use of higher burning rates (it suspends and restarts the writing process when the CD recorder's buffer is about to empty); however, not all drives are compatible with the technology (mine is not). It must also be noted that BURN-Proof will only correct buffer underruns; it will not compensate for faulty or inadequate hardware.
For my project I found 1x and 2x to be the safest speeds. Your mileage may vary, but if you are consistently receiving underruns at high burn speeds, try recording at a slower rate (or see if BURN-Proof will work for your drive).
Stage 4: making the cover: cdlabelgen and Kcdlabel
Figure 8. The application gcombust provides a nice GUI for cdlabelgen's options.
No CD project can be called complete until the disc's case has a decorative and descriptive cover. I used B.W. Fitzpatrick's cdlabelgen to prepare the tray and cover labels for my disc. Cdlabelgen must be the simplest label generator available for Linux: It's a small Perl script with only a few options, but it creates perfectly usable covers for data and audio discs. Console-phobic users will be happy to learn that gcombust provides a nice GUI for cdlabelgen's options (Figure 8). Working in X also lets you use the ghostview PostScript file viewer to preview the output before printing.
Here's the command sequence I used to generate the simple cover seen in Figure 9:
cdlabelgen -c "Songs" -s "Dave Phillips" -o my_songs.ps
The command options used above indicate the following:
-c category (title)
-s subcategory (subtitle)
-o name for saved PostScript output file
Cdlabelgen works perfectly for quick and easy cover cards, but for a fancier, picturesque cover, I used Pascal Panneels' Kcdlabel (Figure 9). This program is wonderful for the creation of covers with my own images and favorite fonts. When used with the GIMP, Kcdlabel is a powerful tool for making and printing beautiful CD covers (Figure 10).
Figure 10. CD cover created with Kcdlabel and the GIMP.
On-line Resources:
The CD Building Project for Unix Jörg Schilling's exhaustive list of CD-creation software
The CD-Recordable FAQ Andy McFadden's greatly informative page
GUIs for CD Tools a list of front-ends for cdrecord, mkisofs, cdrdao, and other CD recording utilities
The Linux CD-Writing HOWTO Winfried Trümper's indispensable guide
Linux Music & Sound Applications The largest listing on the Internet. See especially the pages on CD software and soundfile editors.
Hard-copy Resources:
Hanson, S. 2000. "Learn To Burn: Mastering Your CDs Under Linux." Maximum Linux 1(4): 39-49.
Perlow, J. 2000. "Burn Your Own CDs Now!" Linux Magazine 2(4): 74-79.
Pohlmann, K.C., The Compact Disc Handbook, A-R Editions, 1992.
Pohlmann, K.C., Principles of Digital Audio, Howard W. Sams & Co., Inc., 1987.
My friend was quite pleased by both the audio and visual results of my project. I was equally pleased, not only with the appearance and sound of the results, but with the excellent Linux software available for each stage of the project. Ecasound provided dropout-free recording to the hard disk, cdrecord managed the CD burn with no buffer underruns, and cdlabelgen provided a simple way to create tray and cover cards for the completed disc. It's worth pointing out that each stage of my project could be realized either at the Linux console (with ecasound, Gramofile, cdrecord, and cdlabelgen) or in X (with qtecasound, MiXViews, gcombust, and Kcdlabel). It's also worth mentioning that every piece of software used in my project was free and open-source software, and almost all of it is licensed under the GPL. As usual, Linux provides me with an assortment of powerful tools and lets me choose how and where I want to use them. It definitely works for me.
Dave Phillips maintains the Linux Music & Sound Applications Web site and has been a performing musician for more than 30 years.
Related articles:
Coaster-Free Burning with IDE CD Writers
Broadcast 2000 Brings DV Editing to Linux
Achieving Low-Latency Response Times Under Linux
What Is This 3D Audio Business?
Creating Great Audio for the Web
Discuss this article in the O'Reilly Network Linux Forum.
Return to the Linux DevCenter.
Copyright © 2009 O'Reilly Media, Inc.


text:
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This preloaded resin is a useful tool for the synthesis of peptides with a C-terminal aspartic aldehyde. After completion of solid-phase peptide synthesis using standard Fmoc-chemistry, side-chain protecting groups are removed with anhydrous trifluoroacetic acid. The release of the fully deprotected peptide-aldehyde is achieved by treatment with a mixture of acetonitrile/water/trifluoroacetic acid.


text:
At the June 12 monthly meeting of the Cochecton Town Board, the cursory review of correspondence directed to Supervisor Gary Maas was unusually remarkable. A letter from Mark DePaul Lowery, Climate Policy Analyst with the Office of Climate Change at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, was openly critical of Town of Cochecton Resolution 29, Climate Smart Community Pledge.
The letter stated in part, "I appreciate the town board's passage of this resolution to adopt the Climate Smart Community Pledge but, upon review of the adopted resolution, I have noticed that the adopted resolution does not include the following pledge elements: pledge to combat change by becoming a Climate Smart community; Set goals, inventory emissions, move to action; plan for adaption to unavoidable climate change; support a green innovation economy.
"I grant that pledge element one is redundant with the action of adopting the pledge, but the agencies that sponsor the Climate Smart Communities program believe that, even allowing for the great diversity of local community circumstances, priorities and aspirations, there is room for local action on all aspects of the pledge, if not immediately, then in the future…Moreover those agencies that award preference points to Climate Smart Communities on competitive grant applications must be assured that communities so designated have expressed the same level of commitment…Adoption of the complete pledge will be required of all communities seeking certification."
After reading the letter aloud in its entirety, Maas explained the rationale behind Cochecton's selective editing of the Climate Smart Community Pledge furnished by Sullivan County. The board was unaware that towns were initially required to adopt all elements of the pledge in order to be certified as Climate Smart Communities, and so Cochecton pledged adoption of only those elements on which the town can currently deliver.
Action on adoption of the entire pledge was left open.
In other news, councilman Larry Richardson's Upper Delaware Council report detailed remarks made by Thomas Fikslin of the Delaware River Basin Commission at the June 6 meeting of the UDC. Fikslin informed the group that the Delaware River from the Upper section to Trenton is designated as anti-degradation waters. The DRBC has established monitoring stations on Delaware tributaries to record baseline water quality. In the event that gas fracking occurs along the Delaware River and/or its tributaries, the DRBC will be able to identify water pollution and determine its source; he noted that there is at this time no waste water treatment facility in the Delaware River Basin licensed to process flow-back or fracking production water.
The board passed two resolutions: the first was adoption of a new notice of claim process mandated by New York State. Parties desiring to file a claim against the town must now do so through the office of the Secretary of State, which will then act on behalf of the claimant. The second was for road closures in conjunction with the July 13 Day on The Lake parade and festivities. Details of the closures are excerpted from the resolution:
"WHEREAS, In order to protect the assemblage and activities, it is necessary to close off to traffic State Route 52, between Nearing Road and County Road 116, then up County Road 116 to the intersection of Smales Road, in the Hamlet of Lake Huntington for a parade at 11:30 A.M. to12:30 p.m. and County Road 116 between Smales Road and Mitchell Pond East, during the event from 11:30 A.M. until 4:00 p.m."
The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 PM.


text:
One day last winter, I watched in horror as my beloved and ever-so-faithful iPod mini got run over by a car.
It happened as I was leaving the Hamburg's Abaton cinema after wife K and I were through watching Untouchable, one of the best films we'd seen in ages.
It was dark and rainy, and I'd been fiddling with various zippers and clasps getting everything just right before mounting the bike and heading home.
But just as I was heading out onto the street, I hit a bump. Pothole maybe, perhaps it was just the fall from the curb. But then I heard a clacking sound as another cyclist who was coming in the opposite direction shouted that something had fallen out of my bag.
I turned around in time for the light to catch the silver outline of the iPod just as the left front tire of a passing car ran right over it. I saw it bounce up and clack back down again on the wet pavement. By the time I realised what was happening, the back tire caught it as well.
I swore, propped my bike up against a lamp-post, ran out into the street, scooped up the iPod, swore some more, thrust the iPod into the jacket pocket I should have stashed it into in the first place, and headed home, all the while contemplating what kind of iPod I should start looking for on eBay. Perhaps a used iPod touch? Or maybe one of the new nanos? Because the way that thing bounced off the road, there was no way it was going to be good for anything more than a paperweight.
But after I got home and told my tale, I took it out of my pocket, touched the click wheel, and I couldn't believe it. It still worked perfectly. OK, it's a little scratched up now. The metal casing's got a nick or two it didn't have before, and in places it looks like someone hacked away at it with an ice pick, but by some miracle the screen stayed clear and the click wheel – the Mini's most sensitive part and one most prone to breakage – is still intact.
It's a good thing it wasn't an iPhone or iPod Touch. Those things are all screen on one side, and I'm sure they'd never have survived such abuse.
It's also a good thing it was only a car, and not a cement truck passing by.


text:
Who would prescribe the medicine to increase milk production? Ped or Obst.?
Where can y ou get the tea? Thanks
Printable View
Who would prescribe the medicine to increase milk production? Ped or Obst.?
Where can y ou get the tea? Thanks
The tea is available at most health food stores. The kind I drink is by Traditional Medicinals and it's called Mother's Milk tea.
Two drugs that are available for increasing milk supply are Reglan and Domperidone. Your OBGYN could prescribe the Reglan. I'm not sure if he or she could prescribe Domperidone in the US. You may need to order it online.
I would highly recommend that you use the drugs as a last resort. First, try to increase your nursing frequency. That alone works for most women.
my mother told me that she used to drink plain decaf tea with milk and sugar, and that that helped her....i'm yet to try it though.
Did you know that tea (both regular and decaf) can block the absorption of iron? Thought I'd mention that because iron deficiency is the most common deficiency in the US, especially for women in their child bearing years. And low iron can cause low milk supply.Quote:
Originally Posted by ellas_mum
fenugreek (available at GNC) also helps to increase milk supply. i used it for about 2 weeks and definitely noticed a difference! the breastfeeding center at the hospital told me to take 3 capsules 3 times a day. i don't think you need to/should take it past 2-3 weeks...your local LLL or breastfeeding center should be able to advise you on this.


text:
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"This show is a huge part of my conversion. I've learned more from it in six months than I had in my twelve years of Judaism and 30-plus years of atheism. Your answers always have a solid foundation and the show is inspirational."
~ Joseph, Rockaway, New Jersey
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"Do as you wish; for we are Christians, and we do not sacrifice to idols."
~ Six companions of Justin Martyr, martyrs all; speaking to the Prefect Rusticus after he threatened them with "torture without mercy" unless they sacrificed to the Roman "gods;" from the trial transcript by Tatian (A.D. 165).


text: My son is 6.5 weeks old and although he is gaining well, no soreness in my nipples, he has a problem with spitting up and gasiness. At first I thought I had an overactive let-down and my son was getting too much foremilk and not enough hindmilk. While that might have been the case because he was having mostly green diapers, he now has mostly yellow diapers with 0-1 at night. He still is gassy at times and spits up when I breastfeed him, but not when my husband gives him a bottle when I am at work. Because the problem with the spitting up only comes when I am home I think that his latch is not correct, but efficient enough to get milk from me. He was tongue tied at birth and it was corrected right away, but the pediatrician said his tongue was short and he would have latching problems and possibly speech problems later. When he is nursing, sometimes I can hear a sucking sound like he does not have a good seal around my nipple and he is sucking in air along with milk. No matter what I cannot get him to get a good seal. Does anyone have any suggestions? I feel like I have tried everything. While he does not mind so much spitting up, he does mind having wet clothes and I mind doing laundry all the time in order to keep him in dry ones! :)


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Deacon Daniel Chavez performs the "Veneration of the Cross" at Mass Friday at San Jose Mission Catholic Church in Texico. Catholics celebrate the ressurection of Jesus Christ on Easter. (CNJ staff photo: Eric Kluth)
By Marlena Hartz: CNJ Correspondent
Pope John Paul II will be on the hearts and minds of area Catholics today as they celebrate Easter.
Due to health complications stemming from Parkinson's disease and a recent tracheotomy, the normal Easter duties of the 84-year-old pope have been delegated to top churchmen. It is the first time in 26 years that the pope has been absent from the most important season on the Christian calendar.
"When one of our family members hurts, we all hurt," said Father Sotero Sena of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church.
The pope, Sena said, is the heart of the Catholic Church. "We do feel that he is the head of the Church. His illness affects all of us."
Sena expressed concern over the pope's age — but ultimately, he said, matters concerning the pope's health and recovery rest in the hands of God.
The pontiff traditionally has used the Easter Sunday message to reflect on war, poverty and terrorism. He also has delivered an annual Easter greeting in some 60 languages to the delight of the thousands of tourists and faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.
The Vatican said John Paul this year was expected only to give a blessing. It was not clear if he would utter any words or just silently bless the crowd as he did on Palm Sunday.
John Paul last spoke to the faithful March 13, shortly before he was released from a Rome hospital for the second time in a month.
Manuela Torres, a long-standing member of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and her family always attend Easter Sunday services. Her thoughts on the pope's health stand in stark contrast to her eager descriptions of today's ceremonies.
"We always pick 12 members of the church to play the 12 disciples. We recreate the Lord's Supper and washing of Jesus' feet," Torres said.
Torres said the parish will set aside extra time today to pray for the ailing pope. "We are sad. It is a sad situation."
Dr. Glenn McCoy, professor emeritus of religion at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, said the pope's role in the Catholic church is much different than leaders of other Christian religions.
"Catholics view the pope as Christ's chief representative on Earth," McCoy said. "It goes back to biblical times and Saint Peter, leader of the Apostles. Catholics recognized Peter as being the first pope."
McCoy said the Catholic church likely won't change much with the passing of John Paul.
"Of course it would have a temporary impact and there would be a deep sense of loss," McCoy said. "In many respects, it would be a personal loss because of his status."
In Portales, more than 900 members of St. Helen Community Catholic Church will congregate to celebrate Easter.
The church's pastor, Father Tobin Hitt, said the long and respected service of John Paul heightens the church's awareness of the need for good leaders.
"Our prayer is that the pope would be completely recovered, but God's got his own timetable and a plan for everything," said Hitt, who balances two important roles in the Catholic community — in addition to his service in the ministry, which began eight years ago, he is a member of Eastern New Mexico University's religion department.
The Davalos family is one among the hundreds of families who celebrate Easter at St. Helen. Lucero Davalos said her family, rather than dwelling on the pope's illness, will focus on the traditions that accompany this celebrated season. On Good Friday, Davalos said the family refrains from eating meat and alters their routines.
"We show that even though we have all the luxuries, such as running water, we do not need to use them," Davalos said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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WEST MIFFLIN, PA (December 5, 2006) – The Allegheny County Airport Authority has approved a plan to improve and add new facilities to the Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin, PA.
This new plan includes the building of an aircraft taxi lane and 12 new hangars for small aircraft. The purpose of the expansion project is to improve facilities at the airport and to attract new tenants. Funding for this $2 million project is provided by federal grants and the Airport Authority. Construction is slated to begin May 1, 2007.
Fifteen small aircraft hangars and an airport maintenance facility will be demolished in order to make way for the new T-hangar facilities scheduled to be completed by December 2007. Tenants affected by this construction will be offered airfield accommodations at the airport.
The Airport Authority also will be implementing a new lease program in an effort to become compliant with legal and insurance requirements as well as to make rates more competitive. Some guidelines include standard one-year leases, no subleasing and limiting leases to aircraft storage only. The FAA is also requesting that the Airport Authority maintain a record of all based aircraft identification and provide this information for the National Based Aircraft Inventory.
Currently, Voyager Jet Center, a Fixed Base Operator based at Allegheny County Airport, is implementing a major $15 million expansion program. Voyager Jet Center began construction this summer and has plans to construct two hangars, a 40,000 square foot office building with a private road, and four acres of aircraft ramp area. This is the first new development at Allegheny County Airport in at least 25 years.
The Airport Authority has a great deal of interest from current and prospective tenants who wish to expand at Allegheny County Airport. When it first opened in 1931, Allegheny County Airport was the primary airport for southwest Pennsylvania and served as the region's aviation pioneer. Today, Allegheny County Airport continues to be a tremendous economic generator and these plans will advance the Airport Authority's mission of providing the region with the best facilities for general aviation, aeronautic education, aircraft maintenance and air medical transportation.


text: Put your best boot forward and step into Cowboys Nation with Dallas Cowboys Womens Footwear from. Gear up with the best footwear a Cowboys fan could own, we offer the best options for you to support the Cowboys all year long. Head out to the pool or beach with a pair of our team-colored flip flops. Head out looking your best with our beautiful Dallas Cowboys Lucchese Boots, perfect for pairing with your favorite jersey or tee. And end the day comfortably with our Cowboys slippers or socks. No matter the season, we've got your feet covered here at the Official Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop.


text:
Collection Mapping the National Parks
Results: 1-1 of 1 | Refined by: Part of: Mapping the National Parks Remove Location: Knoxville Remove Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park Remove Location: Tennessee Remove
MapTennessee-North Carolina. Available also through the Library of Congress web site as a raster image.
- Contributor: Geological Survey (U.S.)
- Date: 1895


text:
FAQs about Peace Corps in Zambia
|FAQs about Peace Corps
For information see Welcomebooks
- 1 How much luggage will I be allowed to bring to Zambia?
- 2 What is the electric current in Zambia?
- 3 How much money should I bring?
- 4 When can I take vacation and have people visit me?
- 5 Will my belongings be covered by insurance?
- 6 Do I need an international driver's license?
- 7 What should I bring as gifts for Zambian friends and my host family?
- 8 Where will my site assignment be when I finish training and how isolated will I be?
- 9 How can my family contact me in an emergency?
- 10 Can I call home from Zambia?
- 11 Should I bring a cellular phone with me?
- 12 Will there be e-mail and Internet access? Should I bring my computer?
How much luggage will I be allowed to bring to Zambia?
Most airlines have baggage size and weight limits and assess charges for transport of baggage that exceeds this allowance. The Peace Corps has its own size and weight limitations, and will not pay the cost of transport for baggage that exceeds these limitations. The authorized baggage allowance is two checked pieces of luggage with combined dimensions of both pieces not to exceed 107 inches (length + width + height) and a carry-on bag with dimensions of no more than 45 inches. Checked baggage should not exceed 80 pounds total with a maximum weight allowance of 50 pounds for any one bag.
Peace Corps Volunteers are not allowed to take pets, weapons, explosives, radio transmitters (short-wave radios are permitted), automobiles, or motorcycles to their overseas assignments. Do not pack flammable materials or liquids such as lighter fluid, cleaning solvents, hair spray, or aerosol containers. This is an important safety precaution.
What is the electric current in Zambia?
The local current is 220 to 240 volts, 50 cycles. You will need a transformer to use American appliances here. There are also power surge fluctuations and outages that take a toll on equipment. A solar battery recharger may be useful.
In general, most Volunteers recommend against bringing electrical appliances because 95 percent of Volunteers do not have electricity at their sites. The exceptions are Volunteer leaders in the provincial capital and a few Lusaka-based Volunteers.
How much money should I bring?
Volunteers are expected to live at the same level as the people in their community. They are given a settling-in allowance and a monthly living allowance, which should cover their expenses. Often, Volunteers wish to bring additional money for vacation travel to other countries. Credit cards and traveler's checks are preferable to cash though it is becoming increasingly difficult to use traveler's checks in Zambia. If you choose to bring extra money, plan on bringing the amount that suits your own personal travel plans and needs.
When can I take vacation and have people visit me?
Each Volunteer accrues two vacation days per month of service (excluding training). Leave may not be taken during training, the first three months of service, or the last three months of service, except in conjunction with an authorized emergency leave. To allow for more cross-cultural experience, Volunteers are also allocated an additional four days per quarter for in-country travel. Your associate Peace Corps country director must approve all leave. The country director must approve out-of-country travel. Family and friends are welcome to visit you after pre-service training and the first three months of service as long as their stay does not interfere with your work. Extended stays at your site are not encouraged and may require permission from your country director. The Peace Corps cannot provide your visitors with visa or travel assistance.
Will my belongings be covered by insurance?
The Peace Corps does not provide insurance coverage for personal effects. However, such insurance can be purchased before you leave. Ultimately, Volunteers are responsible for the safekeeping of their personal belongings. If you wish, you may contact your own insurance company; additionally, insurance application forms will be provided, and we encourage you to consider them carefully.
Volunteers are cautioned not to ship or take valuable items overseas. Jewelry, watches, radios, cameras, and expensive appliances are subject to loss, theft, and breakage, and in many places, satisfactory maintenance and repair are not available.
Do I need an international driver's license?
Volunteers in Zambia do not need to get an international driver's license. Operation of privately owned vehicles is prohibited. Rural travel ranges from buses to mini-buses to trucks to lots of walking. On very rare occasions, a Volunteer may be asked to drive a sponsor's vehicle. But this is only with prior written permission of the country director. Should this occur, the Volunteer may obtain a local driver's license. With the approval of the country director, you may also rent a vehicle for use away from your site during approved leave. Your U.S. driver's license will facilitate the process, so bring it with you just in case.
What should I bring as gifts for Zambian friends and my host family?
This is not a requirement. A token of friendship is sufficient. Some gift suggestions include: knickknacks for the house; pictures, books, or calendars of American scenes; souvenirs from your area; hard candies that won't melt or spoil; or photos to give away.
Where will my site assignment be when I finish training and how isolated will I be?
Peace Corps trainees are not assigned to individual sites until after they have completed their pre-service training. This gives the Peace Corps staff the opportunity to assess each trainee's technical and language skills prior to assigning sites, in addition to finalizing site selections with ministry counterparts. If feasible, you may be able to provide input on your site preferences, including geographical location, distance from other Volunteers, or living conditions. However, many factors influence the site selection process and the Peace Corps cannot guarantee placement where you might ideally like to be. Most Volunteers live in rural villages, usually within three to four hours from the nearest Volunteer. Some sites will require a two- to three-day public transport trip from the capital.
How can my family contact me in an emergency?
The Peace Corps' Office of Special Services provides assistance in handling emergencies affecting trainees and Volunteers or their families. Before leaving the United States, you should instruct your family to notify the Office of Special Services immediately if an emergency arises, such as a serious illness or death of a family member. During normal business hours, the number for the Office of Special Services is 800.424.8580, select option 2, then ext. 1470. After normal business hours and on weekends and holidays, the Special Services duty officer can be reached at 202.638.2574. For nonemergency questions, your family can get information from your country desk staff at the Peace Corps by calling 1.800.424.8580, select option 2, then ext. 2334 or 2333.
Can I call home from Zambia?
Long-distance telephone communication is available, but it can be difficult at times and it will always be very expensive.
A call from Zambia to the U.S. will cost about $4.00 per minute. Calling cards can be used on private phones with the assistance of an operator and the cost will be considerably less. Many Volunteers use this method when they are in Lusaka or in their provincial capitals. Each of the Peace Corps Volunteer leader houses, situated in five provinces, has a phone, so it is possible to arrange a time to receive a phone call. Most post offices in the major cities have international services but only during their regular hours. Within Zambia, telegrams take two to three days, are inexpensive, and are sometimes the best way to communicate.
Should I bring a cellular phone with me?
Most cellphones from the U.S. are not adapted for use in Zambia. Cellular service (especially SMS) and SIM cards are quite inexpensive , it is free to receive calls, and service is good in most towns and cities. It may be limited in rural areas.
Will there be e-mail and Internet access? Should I bring my computer?
Computers and e-mail access are available at the Peace Corps Volunteer leader houses situated in each of the provinces where Peace Corps Volunteers work. Internet access is more difficult because there are only a few Internet cafes around the country. The cost of these cafes varies but tends to be relatively expensive. Internet access is available free of charge in the resource library in the Peace Corps office in Lusaka.


text:
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/231676
- Title
- A review of Alfven wave heating
- Author(s)
- Besson, G.; De Chambrier, A.; Collins, G. A.; Joye, B.; Lietti, A.; Lister, J. B.; Moret, J. M.; Nowak, S.; Simm, C.; Weisen, H.
- Abstract
- Reviews the experimental status and recent advances in Alfven wave heating (AWH). The authors discuss the underlying physics of Alfven wave heating, as seen by the experiments. The use of Alfven waves for plasma diagnosis is discussed. The results of plasma heating on TCA are summarized. Apparent changes in the current profile are inferred, caused by changes in the evolving Alfven wave spectrum excited. The implications for AWH on larger devices are mentioned.
- Publication type
- Journal article
- Source
- Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, Vol. 28, no. 9 A (Sept 1986), pp. 1291-1303
- Publication year
- 1986
- FOR Code(s)
- 0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics
- Keyword(s)
- Alfven wave heating; Antenna system; Kinetic alfven wave; Plasma diagnostics; Profile control; Plasma physics; TCA; Tokamak
- Publisher
- Institute of Physics Publishing
- 0741-3335
- Publisher URL
- Copyright
- Copyright © 1986 Institute of Physics and Pergamon Press Ltd.
- Peer reviewed


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text:
The moment after the moment
Even as it happened, we all knew the big story of Jerry Manuel's first game as the Mets' manager–win or lose–would be the moment in the very first at bat when he took Jose Reyes out of the game. Jose had clutched the area around his knee, and Jerry wanted to be conservative to avoid any serious injury. As we watched Jose protest, and then finally bark something out while throwing down his helmet, we all knew we'd hear about it in the post-game show and all the papers the next day.
But what the papers wouldn't catch was Jose Reyes' expression as he apologized later to Jerry Manuel. He threw his arm around his new skipper's waist and gave the kind of "I'm sorry, I know I did bad" smile you'd expect from a puppy. Or, ya know, from Jose Reyes. One hopes that Jose learned his lesson. But one also enjoys that sheepish "I'm sorry, papa" smile. I have a feeling that smile lets Jose Reyes get away with a whole lot, if perhaps mostly off the field.
3 Comments
In a precious moment of comic relief from all this drama, I deeply appreciated the shot of Joe Smith with the pink Hello Kitty backpack yesterday.
The win, too, of course.
Maybe I am in the minority with you Zoe in that I wish they had not fired Willie just yet. Some of the posters on Cerrones Metblog are pretty cruel about it but I like Willie . I am with you too on whether Manuel is the answer. Crazy Met fans already have crowned him the second coming of Bobby Valentine….after 4 games? I think not. Anyway, I do not do change very well so maybe that is my problem. But lets go Mets!!!
Lee Ellen
Oh I'm with you, Lee– the Willie firing does leave a very bad taste in my mouth. Probably because I (foolishly?) expect the Mets to behave better than other organizations, because they are The Mets. And there have been times when the organization acted like such @$$holes, that I have had to turn away. Times in the 70s and 90s come to mind– time when the @$$holery frankly hurt more than losing– even losing to (shudder) the yankees.
But if the Mets start winning (and I won't say they have yet)– I think this season will still be problematic. Losing exposes and aggravates problems that don't seem to exist when they're winning. Winning makes everything so much easier– relationships with the press, the fans, each other. But I will continue to wonder from time to time– there was nothing wrong with Willie– why did thing have to be so wrong for him?


text:
The seventh novel in Simon Scarrow's bestselling Roman series.
Trouble is brewing in Syria, on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire. With the troops in a deplorable state, centurions Macro and Cato are despatched to restore the competence of the cohort. But another challenge faces them as Bannus, a local tribesman, is brewing up trouble and preaching violent opposition to Rome. As the local revolt grows in scale, Macro and Cato must stamp out corruption in the cohort and restore it to fighting fitness to quash Bannus - before the eastern provinces are lost to the Empire forever.
©2006 Simon Scarrow (P)2012 Headline Digital
There are no listener reviews for this title yet.
"Entertaining Romans in the Field"
So glad this was not abridged. The friendship between the two centurians welds this story together and provides a good adventure. Although the author does not delve into Roman camp life as much as I would like, the story is still cohesive and the characters believable. All together a good story and fine narrator. I'd like to see more non-abridged works by Simon Scarrow.
Better than any of the abridged books.
Solid performance.
More non abridged books by this author.
"Well done"
Excellent read all around. Its difficult to find an author with the love of historical accuracy and detail, while being imaginative enough to spin a good yarn.
"Could have been set any time up to modern era …"
I haven't listened to the first 6 books. This one stands on its own, so doing so isn't essential; mostly they aren't available from audible at the time of this review.
I've listened to 5hrs and I just don't care. The plot is unsophisticated; predictable. It seems to be written for teen readers. The characters, reading and story don't draw me in; and I'm a fan of this style of book: Falco series, Medicus Ruso, Ship of Rome, etc.
The characters seem unfleshed and they behave with inconsistency; both within their own development and the "Roman" setting. This could be due to the reading; voices that I can see in a TV series (Spoiler? I think Sean Bean would play Macro in the style of "Sharpe"), but detract from the drama for me. They frustrated me.
I'm Australian so the voices chosen probably are less satisfying because the accents haven't resonance although that hasn't been a problem with other books' readings. The best voices are of the non-Romans.
Could have been set any time up to modern era … French Foreign Legion?
The volumes between the narration and the dialogue vary quite a bit, so listening with head phones might be a problem.
I want more Simon Scarrow! Stop messing about with the abridged versions and make available the unabridged!
Narrator is incredible, and story is just as good as previous titles in the series
Loved the book. Narrator does great job of differentiating voices. Am rooting for Macro to find love. Love roman history
"Good read...for the Roman history buff"
Nice change of venue for the Macro & Cato guys! Interesting take on the eastern Empire dynamics. You will like this episode.
"Great series!! Macro & Cato: SPQR 'Green Berets'"
This book about Macro & Cato bring them to all so familiar a place that brings serious problems with foreign occupation. Scarrow also added a nice historical stew of catholic/Judaism history of the 'savior & his disciples.' Not to spoil anything but once u read this book u will think about the old testament in a different perspective, believable & placed in a continuous action/betrayal that eventually brought Rome down.
Its depressing in its own philosophical way how the region described in this book has not changed nor have wanted to change from the period this book is suppose to take place to current events. The area & the people are still obsessed with religion & any little slight produces a hive of angry bee's regardless of the circumstances... nothing has changed lol. Macro shows his ability to be the military leader his character usually takes on balanced with his conscience/intellectual muse which is Cato, the pair always complimentary like peanut butter & chocolate. Ok, no more cheese analogies... The book continues to make the series very good & leaving the reader wanting more. Well worth the credit, although there are multiple things unresolved which is always upsetting, especially about characters u come to despise
"Thrilling read"
I missed 4/5/6 in the series as some were not available on audible and went straight for this on. It was very easy to pick up and hugely interesting set in a new province. Some well described skirmishes and an interesting insight into the period. A recommend!
Ben Kane/Conn Iggulden
A change from the previous books gave Cato a much more grown voice sound reflecting his experience
Laugh and got the heart rate going!
"The Characters continue to grow "
.....both as characters and on you. an enjoyable read and here's to the next one
"Never disappointing"
Narrator is brilliant. It is the hardest job in the world to characterise a reading but Russell Boulter does a fantastic job. The story as ever is boys own adventure made all the more enjoyable because I have spent several days at Petra.
"Great Performance and Story"
I am a big fan of Simon Scarrow's Macro & Cato series of books, I have read all of his books and listening to the books again as a way of refreshing my memory. I found the audio version of the book to be very good.
"Worth a listen."
There are a number of authors writing in this genre but I always find Simon Scarrow's story telling superior to the rest. As a Roman military novel this one works well and its offers some interesting insights into the politics of the region combined with enough action to keep you happy. Where it is slightly less satisfactory is in its somewhat mystical storyline about early Christians which gets tedious at times. Overall though worth a listen.
"Below Par"
An adequate storyline and pretty well narated but the re-writing of the Gospels was an unecessary and a rather silly distraction.
Ok but not as good as some of the other espisodes.
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text:
September 6, 2012 —
Did they really camp it up?" a friend asked when I returned from a nephew's wedding. "Well, no" I said. "They're the straightest gay couple I know." Not that it wasn't a fun wedding—it was. The reception was held in an artist cooperative near Rochester, where the artists also serve as staff for events that foot the bill for studio space. Their artwork is everywhere. There is a whole room dedicated to Marilyn Monroe, but she was not the mascot for Eric and Andy's wedding.
Young men, they met on their first day of teaching and have been pretty much inseparable since then. Two years ago, when Massachusetts passed a law making same-sex marriage legal, they high-tailed it to Boston to tie the knot in a civil ceremony. When their home state followed, they knew it was time for the church wedding they always wanted.
Eric was raised Catholic, and he was a "good" one. But when his mother took issue with some of the Church's doctrine regarding women and gays, she was excommunicated and forbidden from attending her church or receiving Catholic communion. A group of like-minded parishioners formed a new church and found space in a local Baptist church for services. That is where her son was married last weekend.
I don't remember when we knew Eric was gay. But I remember a phone call from his father who adopted a somber tone to inform us of the revelation. My first reaction was fearful. I was afraid for the safety of this sweet, ebullient and trusting spirit in a world of ignorance and hatred. I tried to imagine him meeting another gay man to love and make a family with, a family like the one his sister and mother and father had—close and warm and loving and safe. All I could think of was the gay bar scene in Greenwich Village and in my mind, Eric didn't fit the picture.
That was the level of my own ignorance and fear and I had grown up as a liberal-minded New Yorker. What must the rest of the world think?
As it happened, Eric met Andy, a co-worker, and sparks flew. At the wedding they spoke about the things they loved about each other. They included the way Eric approaches his work, with energy and enthusiasm and creativity, and the way Andy's quiet demeanor belies his thespian talents and sense of humor. They seem the perfect yin/yang couple. After a stressful week, they drive to the Finger Lakes region for relaxation. When they bought a house together, they painted every room a different color, so it could be their "rainbow house." (Okay, they are gay.) Their gift registry included all the colors of Fiesta Ware.
At the reception, which was attended by both men's families and friends, we talked with one of Eric's boyhood friends. The young (heterosexual) man was an Eagle Scout who renounced his rank and lifelong membership in Scouting to protest the ban on gays in Boy Scouts. He said he knows that Scouting will someday change its rules, but he felt it his duty to be one of the many who stood up to be counted.
Eric's mother told us how much it meant to them for us to be there. My husband and I acknowledged to each other how much this wedding was like any other—the same tears needed wiping. But not only was it a great and joyous celebration, it added to our own conviction about the absolute right of all people to make a life of happiness in their own way.