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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post8230865311730647055..comments2017-04-19T03:42:56.359-07:00Comments on Preschool Activity Ideas | Toddler Activity Ideas | Mommy With Selective Memory: How to Improve Fine Motor Skills in Your PreschoolerKatie Norrishttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-24123288202359966332017-03-21T05:21:52.949-07:002017-03-21T05:21:52.949-07:00Its simple very much just take help from Udemy On...Its simple very much just take help from  Udemy Online learning course for discount and have your skills brushed up.james zordanhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-46492974320640509692014-09-13T05:23:38.551-07:002014-09-13T05:23:38.551-07:00Thank you! I am an Occupational Therapist and I e...Thank you! I am an Occupational Therapist and I end up working with more children who were forced to "fix" their skills or pushed to develop the "right" ways of doing things way too early. Kids need to play and explore when they're little, not spend years "preparing" for kindergarten! They're getting ready if they're allowed to develop in a normal sequence, not if they're pushed to the next step too soon. Kids need a wide variety of unstructured play experiences and safe opportunities to explore nature and art and music and "science-y" stuff and playgrounds and tricycles... much more than they need "preparing" for school. Those things, in actuality, are preparing them much more effectively than practicing their letters and numbers... They'll get there. Snuggling with your child and reading to him or her is a much better way of getting them interested in reading than any computer game or TV show, too. Sadly, I could go on and on. Anyway, thanks for writing!
kayhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-29269808961818542822013-07-31T03:36:41.304-07:002013-07-31T03:36:41.304-07:00Good post An interesting discussion is worth a com...Good post An interesting discussion is worth a comment as in this age group children learn quickly and as they grow older they start exploring.
Top Preschool education,
Pri Primary EducationAjay Singhhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-35383696900829743032013-02-08T07:07:53.767-08:002013-02-08T07:07:53.767-08:00Unbelievable. I would have seen the head of this n...Unbelievable. I would have seen the head of this nursery about this teacher's attitude Nd the negative learning experience she provided. Apart from being prejudiced and unprofessional, it is also perfectly normal to hold a pen this way at 3. The lack of fine motor skills is the reason why sensible countries like the Scandinavian countries, Germany etc. don't let children start school until 6 or 7 let alone learn to write. Children at that age aren't able to do 'pretty and 'neat' as nature would have it. We run an art retreat in Italy and ourselves have 3 and 5 year old girls. Both are perfectly normal, tri-lingual and as creative as any kid that age. Although we are both experienced teachers and expose our children to lots of arty activities, it wouldn't occur to us to force either of them to hold a pen or brush in a way un-natural for child that age. The accuracy and tidyness in their work will develop with age, encouragement and plenty of exposure to activities allowing them to develop skills naturaly, not by negative criticism through an unprofessional teacher.The Painter's Retreathttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-64318990967400703232013-02-06T16:08:47.602-08:002013-02-06T16:08:47.602-08:00I was told my daughter needed to work on her upper...I was told my daughter needed to work on her upper body strength when she was in pre-k. They suggested stuff like letting the kids play fight outside pool noodles, putting a poster board on the wall and having her draw on it so her arms are slightly raised up, or (my favorite) getting a bucket of water and a paint brush and let her pretend to paint the outside of the house. Kathleen Eccleshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-90582582391481716932012-12-16T15:41:03.176-08:002012-12-16T15:41:03.176-08:00In my kindergarten class, we use tweezers to pick ...In my kindergarten class, we use tweezers to pick up dried beans, peas, and corn. I purchased the suction shapes that you use in bathtubs and turn them upside-down. The
kiddos can then place the beans they pick up on the little suction pads.Lucy Brownhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-86598911931158481492012-09-15T15:23:49.332-07:002012-09-15T15:23:49.332-07:00Wow Katie!! I am soooo happy I have found your bl...Wow Katie!!
I am soooo happy I have found your blog!
I have a 5 year who turns 6 in a couple weeks and a 3 month old and I fit in that category of putting a dvd on for my son to watch when I'm busy getting dinner ready or breastfeeding. It is extremely tiring jumping back and forth between the two plus the domestic obligations that need to be done too.
However you have turned my frown upside down! YAY!
 I too never knew about the details of developing there fine motor skills. I was a fulltime working mother when my eldest was only 6 months and never did all these things that you mention above now I have vowed to be there for both of my boys this time around. I had found myself doubting whether I was a good mother for not teaching my son these skills before kindy. He is at primary school now and is a bit of a scholar, but it did take A LOT of practise to bring him up to scratch. I am soo buying your book to help me develop these skills with my youngest. I feel totally blessed to have someone answer my prayers. The past few weeks I had been racking my brain on finding fun games for my eldest to play while I was busy and thanks to you and Susan I can now teach and have fun with them at the same time!
Thank you and pinterest! With out pinterest I may have never have found you as quick as I have now. Looking forward to reading your book and sharing our experiences too
Kind Regards

Rach
SURPRISE MEhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-30803588077005329122012-08-24T05:36:19.004-07:002012-08-24T05:36:19.004-07:00I am surprised any teacher would ever say that, es...I am surprised any teacher would ever say that, especially in such a direct way!

Another tip aside from the great fine motor skills activities you've listed: tell the child to make an "L" with their pointer finger and thumb (just like in sign language). It's the perfect grip! I remind my preschoolers and they automatically switch. In no time, most of them have gotten into the habit of holding their utensils in the way we do as adults!Caitlyn and Chadhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-53362424161585966262012-08-18T20:01:02.488-07:002012-08-18T20:01:02.488-07:00Thank you Kim!!Thank you Kim!!Katie Norrishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-55091830200597578702012-08-18T19:58:14.818-07:002012-08-18T19:58:14.818-07:00Great idea thank you!Great idea thank you!Katie Norrishttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-68314595664845540562012-08-18T06:36:43.154-07:002012-08-18T06:36:43.154-07:00I have been teaching preschool for thirty years an...I have been teaching preschool for thirty years and yes kids 3 and 4 hold their pencils "the wrong way" and that is okay. The ideas listed in this post I have used with my children, one thing I would like to add is activities that build shoulder stability. The old wheelbarrow rides where you old their feet and they walk on their hands, overhead monkey bars (although they are getting hard to find) and laying on thier tummies for stories, coloring or at the very least watching tv, I had a student who struggled at 4.5 with his name and any crayon work foro that matter. The day he mastered the over head monkey bars was the day I could begin to recognize his letters. Susan was right about big to little having the strength of the torso to sit at the table and stability in the shoulder are a vital piece of the writing puzzle. good for you mom for seeking advice and providing your child opportunity to learn this skillin a fun and relaxed way. See Parents are teachers too!Unknownhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-39656728076885801412012-08-18T05:42:32.732-07:002012-08-18T05:42:32.732-07:00Light Brite is also an effective tool for this. No...Light Brite is also an effective tool for this. Not only are they grasping the peg, they need to push it through the hole and paper. Janinehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-26216805972394254272012-08-16T19:07:42.554-07:002012-08-16T19:07:42.554-07:00I'll add SWINGING to the list too. It's s...I'll add SWINGING to the list too. It's so great for building those muscles. Just pinned this onto our Fine Motor Board. http://pinterest.com/educatorsspinon/fine-motor-for-handwriting-and-vision/ Kim @ The Educators Spin On Ithttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-18649624796988046642012-04-19T16:47:45.695-07:002012-04-19T16:47:45.695-07:00By the way, love the ideas!!! Thanks!By the way, love the ideas!!! firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-3554213185534924052012-04-19T16:46:38.076-07:002012-04-19T16:46:38.076-07:00As a pediatric occupational therapist I have to co...As a pediatric occupational therapist I have to comment. Developmentally, your munchkin was grasping just perfectly! It is a natural progression in grasp development! Children then typically move into a grasp where their wrist/back of hand is turned to sky and thumb to paper. Next is the grasp we hope to see (about age 5) but they typically still move the crayon with their whole hand; the finger movements will come over the next year! Development is an amazing thing; God is email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-12733250615323275762012-04-17T12:19:12.585-07:002012-04-17T12:19:12.585-07:00Thanks for your post :) We do also do a lot of pou...Thanks for your post :) We do also do a lot of pouring and after doing a lot of cleaning I thought about using a tray where they place all the "pouring equipment", Most of the faling rice, water....falls into the tray. It works also very good when we work with glitter.Reinahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-54672553353916246402012-02-22T18:13:17.808-08:002012-02-22T18:13:17.808-08:00Hello I found this linked on pinterest. I have bee...Hello I found this linked on pinterest. I have been struggling with my 4 yr old on this issue. He has other issues so it has been hard to get him to continuously hold pencils and crayons correctly. You posted a great list but here are some things I was told by his OT that might help someone who finds your blog.

Improving preprinting skills
Connect the dots, mazes and stencils, tic tac toe, thumbprint shapes and letters - have the child trace something with stamps or paint using their finger.
 Have the child practice letters with a magnadoodle, a tray filled with salt or sand, side walk chalk, Popsicle sticks, cooked spaghetti noodles, or foil wrapped board with a Popsicle stick. Or as also found on pinterest a ziploc bag full of kids paint.

Use small crayons, breaking them if needed.

Have child hold a small object such as a coin or marble with their pinky and ring finger while drawing.

Improving printing skills

Use a sheet of sandpaper under the child's paper for children who use inappropriate pressure, it gives them sensory feedback.

Have the child practice letters with a magnadoodle, a tray filled with salt or sand, side walk chalk, Popsicle sticks, cooked spaghetti noodles, or foil wrapped board with a Popsicle stick. Or as also found on pinterest a ziploc bag full of kids paint.

Place items in between words for appropriate spacing, such as Popsicle sticks, stickers, fingers, m&ms, etc.

For line placement with letters use grass, sky and dirt rules. You can use a highlighter to show where the letters go. SKY bdfhkly. DIRT gjpqy. GRASS email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-46868598466446632392011-12-15T17:12:58.260-08:002011-12-15T17:12:58.260-08:00Great post! My youngest daughter is 3 1/2 as well ...Great post! My youngest daughter is 3 1/2 as well and she holds her crayons the same way. Her teacher has never mentioned to me about the way she holds them, but I'm not if they help her with that at school.

I'm a new follower every way I could find. You have a great site and hope you can get the chance to visit mine and return the favor. I also just posted the Winter Wonderland Blog Hop if you'd like to join! Thanks! www.adeliciousobsession.comDaniellehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-37834780136408660442011-12-15T13:52:05.319-08:002011-12-15T13:52:05.319-08:00I would have been upset with the teacher, at leat ...I would have been upset with the teacher, at leat a little bit. Kids all take diffent amounts of time to do things, and with 2 years still to go, that was not what I would have called "welcoming". Thanks for the great ideas though!!!The Shepherd familyhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-46547638225925555772011-12-14T05:30:06.575-08:002011-12-14T05:30:06.575-08:00Thanks so much for linking up at Teach Me Tuesday!...Thanks so much for linking up at Teach Me Tuesday!! I hope to see you again next week too!

Carla @ Whole Child Creative CurriculumWhole Child Creative Curriculumhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-15923503390366479952011-12-13T15:38:47.635-08:002011-12-13T15:38:47.635-08:00Love these ideas that you have had. As a former t...Love these ideas that you have had. As a former teacher for primary grades I have no idea why that teacher did that. At certain points they are doing certain things. Kindergarten and First Graders still color the sky purple. They still write letters backward. It is part of development. So a three year old holding a crayon wrong....is all part of it. I never understand teachers like that. Why would she ever put your daughter on the spot like that! Ridiculous. Anyways love your ideas :) Thanks for linking up. Great post!!!Jennyhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-491415736518690112011-12-13T15:01:45.116-08:002011-12-13T15:01:45.116-08:00Hi, new follower via Tattletale Tuesday Blog Hop. ...Hi, new follower via Tattletale Tuesday Blog Hop.

http://www.sjb-myphotopage.comSJB AKA SUE J-B.http://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-81158385872692369382011-12-13T11:53:25.936-08:002011-12-13T11:53:25.936-08:00These are wonderful, specific ideas to help develo...These are wonderful, specific ideas to help develop fine muscle control! That teacher certainly could use them. Anyways, I'd like to invite you to share this post at my new link party: Teach Me Tuesday! You can link up at http://wholechildcreativecurriculum.blogspot.com/2011/12/teach-me-tuesday-new-linky-party.html. I hope to see you there!

Carla @ Whole Child Creative CurriculumWhole Child Creative Curriculumhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-70916033773400659382011-12-13T07:22:48.551-08:002011-12-13T07:22:48.551-08:00following from blog hop. I like your ideas on dev...following from blog hop.

I like your ideas on developing fine motor skills. These are activities we are working on right now on my blog. Hop on over if you'd like to see our idea.

Veornica @ http://watchmeplaynlearn.blogspot.com/2011/12/masking-tape-painting.htmlVeronicahttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481818368610489829.post-59985773464977554802011-12-11T06:44:02.395-08:002011-12-11T06:44:02.395-08:00Stopping by from "Finding New Friends Weekend...Stopping by from "Finding New Friends Weekend Blog Hop"! Happy Holidays!
Wouldn't mind if you stop by and follow me too:
http://www.mckinneymommas.blogspot.comMcKinney Mommashttp://firstname.lastname@example.com


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Criminal Law
Criminal Law Questions? Ask a Criminal Lawyer.
Good morning Barb, I'm Doug, and I'm very sorry to hear of your situation. My goal is to provide you with excellent service today. The Montana law regarding the recording of conversations without permission of all parties present at the conversation is contained in Montana Code Annotated, §45-8-213. Privacy in communications. (1) Except as provided in 69-6-104, a person commits the offense of violating privacy in communications if the person knowingly or purposely: (a) with the purpose to terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, annoy, or offend, communicates with a person by electronic communication and uses obscene, lewd, or profane language, suggests a lewd or lascivious act, or threatens to inflict injury or physical harm to the person or property of the person. The use of obscene, lewd, or profane language or the making of a threat or lewd or lascivious suggestions is prima facie evidence of an intent to terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, annoy, or offend. (b) uses an electronic communication to attempt to extort money or any other thing of value from a person or to disturb by repeated communications the peace, quiet, or right of privacy of a person at the place where the communications are received; (c) records or causes to be recorded a conversation by use of a hidden electronic or mechanical device that reproduces a human conversation without the knowledge of all parties to the conversation. This subsection (1)(c) does not apply to: (i) elected or appointed public officials or to public employees when the transcription or recording is done in the performance of official duty; (ii) persons speaking at public meetings; (iii) persons given warning of the transcription or recording, and if one person provides the warning, either party may record; or (iv) a health care facility, as defined in 50-5-101, or a government agency that deals with health care if the recording is of a health care emergency telephone communication made to the facility or agency. (2) Except as provided in 69-6-104, a person commits the offense of violating privacy in communications if the person purposely intercepts an electronic communication. This subsection does not apply to elected or appointed public officials or to public employees when the interception is done in the performance of official duty or to persons given warning of the interception. (3) (a) A person convicted of the offense of violating privacy in communications shall be fined an amount not to exceed $500 or be imprisoned in the county jail for a term not to exceed 6 months, or both. (b) On a second conviction of subsection (1)(a) or (1)(b), a person shall be imprisoned in the county jail for a term not to exceed 1 year or be fined an amount not to exceed $1,000, or both. (c) On a third or subsequent conviction of subsection (1)(a) or (1)(b), a person shall be imprisoned in the state prison for a term not to exceed 5 years or be fined an amount not to exceed $10,000, or both. (4) "Electronic communication" means any transfer between persons of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data, or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic, photoelectronic, or photo-optical system. You are right; that the recording is either illegal or it is not. If it is illegal, then it need not be returned to you. However, just because it is adjudged illegal does not mean that you MUST be prosecuted for the alleged crime. The prosecutor can take the position that they don't believe you can be convicted beyond a reasonable doubt, and choose not to prosecute you. Technically, they can hold the recording as potential evidence of the crime until the statute of limitations expires if they want to press the issue. You may petition the court for the return of the recording, or to have a copy of the recording made for your personal use. It is NOT the sharing of the recording with people who might not have been allowed to attend the meeting that makes the recording illegal. That act might be grounds for a claim of invasion of privacy---a very weak claim at that---but it would not make an otherwise legal recording somehow illegal. That is a preposterous suggestion.
I do tend to agree with you, that based on the people allowed into the meeting, that the meeting would qualify as a public meeting and the recording was entirely lawful. However, intimately the determination of that fact would be decided by a judge or a jury, and the police are violating no law at present by refusing to return the recording. You might give them notice that they are not to destroy the recording as it is evidence in a suit you plan to bring if the recording is not returned to you.
If your formal request for the property to the court doesn't result in its return, then you would need to file a Replevin claim against the police department and seek a court order that the tape be returned. Please keep in mind that, even though you have already paid your deposit money over to JustAnswer, until you rate me highly for my service, I will not be paid for having assisted you with your questions. If you have additional questions, you may reply back to me using the Reply to Expert link and I will be happy to assist you further until your questions have been answered to your satisfaction. I wish you the best in your future. Doug
Thank you for your positive rating of my service, Barb. It has been my pleasure to assist you and I hope than you will ask for me on JustAnswer should a future need ever arise. I am generally available at least 6 days a week, and often 7, and it would be my privilege to assist you again in the future.Please feel free to bookmark the following link so you can request me to answer any future legal questions you may have, or simply ask for me by name in the first sentence of your new question:http://www.justanswer.com/law/expert-lawtalk/Thanks again.DougWhen you receive your Customer Satisfaction Survey from JustAnswer, please do rate me highly (9-10) there as well. It would be tremendously appreciated.

subset: commoncrawl


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Affiliate Tracking Software: Who Can Use It
In the United States, and all about the world, there are a huge number folks who personal and operate their own company. Identify further on the affiliated portfolio - Click here: high quality backlinks. The purpose of any enterprise, however huge or little that company is, is to make income. Browse here at look into backlinks builder to compare when to see about this hypothesis. However, some organizations have a challenging time performing that on their own. If you are a organization owner who is struggling to make a profit, you may possibly be in a position to benefit from the creation on an affiliate plan. To do this, you will also want to examine affiliate tracking software it is a key competent to the profitable operation of an affiliate program.
In addition to categorizing companies by their size, it is also critical to examine what these businesses do. If you believe any thing, you will possibly claim to read about link building packages. Given that an affiliate plan relies on an affiliate tracking computer software to record sales that an affiliate website generates, it is a good thought that participating firms specialize in selling one thing, like a item or service.
As you can see, just about any kind of business owner can benefit from the use of an affiliate system. Navigating To a guide to quality backlinks probably provides cautions you might give to your boss. If, by likelihood, you do not sell any goods or solutions, you may possibly also be able to make cash as an affiliate. This is where you would finish up getting commission for helping another enterprise enhance their sales. Either way, you and your organization could make a substantial profit.


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John D. McClement, 62, of Forest City, died Sunday, February 16, 2014 at the Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
A Funeral Service will be held Thursday, February 20, 2014 at 10:30 A.M. at the United Methodist Church in Forest City with Dixie Rauk officiating. A visitation will be held 4-6 PM Wednesday (February 19, 2014) at Petersen Lund Funeral Home, 505 North Clark St.
Inurnment will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the John D. McClement memorial fund in care of the family.


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âAmen. Come, Lord Jesus! â Rev. 22:20.
Expand Messages
- The Lord's Prayer we pray Your kingdom come.� The last prayer in the Bible is Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! Rev. 22:20. These two prayers show us how we may pray. If our hearts are set on the Lord's coming, the Spirit will draw us to prayer and help us to pray.
When we partake of the Holy Communion, we are not only remembering the Lord's death, but also proclaiming that He is coming again, 1 Cor. 11:26: For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.� Let us therefore remember the Lord's coming, and remind ourselves of His words about watching and praying. Of all the prayers we pray, the prayers Come, Lord Jesus and Your kingdom come� are perhaps the most important. The Holy Spirit guides us in the right direction in prayer as we pray with our hearts set on the Lord's coming. In my trials, I have found comfort in praying, Come, Lord Jesus. When I hear of the sufferings of people around the world, I receive hope as I pray, Come, Lord Jesus.�
When the Lord spoke about the end times and His coming, he emphasized that we should watch and pray. When we think of the Lord's coming, therefore, let us remember that we are to watch and pray.
The closing hours before His arrest, our Lord gave Himself to prayer. Let us remember this as we partake of the communion.
We have the example of Jesus prayer in John 17, the prayer He prayed on the eve of his death. As we remember the death of the Lord, let us commit ourselves to pray for one another.
John 3:16. When we remember Jesus death we are remembering God's love for us. Whatever be the circumstances of our life, let us be established in this: God loves us. we are loved. we are thankful. we must love. Lord Jesus, as you laid down your life for us, let us lay down our life for others. Amen.
Thankful for your prayers,
Shibu Podiyan
Washington DC
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Getting Around in this Research Guide
This set of pages can be navigated using the TABS along the top.
The ENCYCLOPEDIAS tab links to information and recommendations about online and print (book) reference works.
The BOOKS tab links to our library catalog for finding and obtaining books in our library and our sister libraries in the Northwest, and beyond.
The ARTICLES tab links to our research databases for periodicals (magazines and journals) for scholarly and other types of articles.
The INTERNET tab links to search engine suggestions for web sites as well as evaluative considerations to use when searching the open web to support academic work.
The ASK QUESTIONS tab links you to library Reference and Research staff who can help you if you have "large or small" questions about your research or library services.
The CITING tab links to guidance for APA, MLA and other citation styles, as well as information and links to various citation generators.
Reserve Readings for this Class
When your instructor directs you to readings or other materials she has placed "on reserve" in the library:
Go to the main library page
Click on Course Reserves
Find the drop-down menu to search by Instructor Name or Course Number
Getting Around in the Library Building
Library of Congress Classification System (we use this system instead of the Dewey Decimal System to organize our books)
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Send Email


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Questions on companions and TDE comparisons
View Single Post
September 25th, 2011, 22:42
Well, in Drakensang you can have only up to 3 (or 4 ?) party members at the same time in your group. The rest waits for you where they were going to after you have dismissed them.
I assume that you aren't very far into the game, so I fear that everything I write might become a spoiler …
- The focus of the story that was seemingly based upon my class choice. (Origins like in a way…)
Yes, but the main story is the same for every character.
You're seemingly in the very first stages of the game. Everything opens up as you proceed with the story.
Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction. (E.F.Schumacher, Economist,
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ACM TechNews is published every week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
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Supreme Court justices on Wednesday heard challenges to the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, which opponents say violates the Constitution. Leading the opposition is online archivist Eric Eldred, who argues that the mandate is unfair to scholars and publishers who rely on the availability of works within the public domain; he challenged the law in 1999, balking at having to pay royalties on online material that would have been free without the extension. Artists, organizations, and copyright holders such as photographer Richard Avedon, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, and the Screen Actors Guild sent the justices friend-of-the-court briefs to voice their support of the law, while others such as novelist Ursula K. Le Guin and the American Historical Association did the same to express their criticism. "Just as a limited-edition print is not limited if you print a new one each time a customer leaves the store, so a limited term is not limited if it is extended" before it expires, argued Stanford University law professor Lawrence Lessig, who was at the hearing to support Eldred. Opponents note that the Constitution grants Congress the power to set copyrights for "limited times," but U.S. Solicitor General Theodore B. Olson came to the law's defense by claiming that it is Congress' job to balance the constitutional mandate to reward creative people so that "science and the useful arts" can be promoted with the public's right to access. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor acknowledged that the passage of the extension act contradicts the original intentions of the Constitution's architects, but was not sure whether it was truly unconstitutional. Meanwhile, Justice Stephen G. Breyer was concerned that the Bono Act would offer more economic incentives to the heirs or estates of deceased artists than it would to still-living artists.
Researchers say that single-photon communications via fiber-optic cable could keep sensitive data hacker-proof, as indicated by experimentation. Because such single-photon pulses cannot be reliably produced by conventional light sources, scientists are investigating quantum dots and other possible alternatives. Hackers attempting to intercept a single-photon transmission could be easily detected, since the very act of observing a light particle alters it, tipping off both sender and recipient; even hackers who use beam splitters could be thwarted with such technology. Stanford University researcher Charles Santori reports that his team has demonstrated a device that generates "consecutive emitted photons...usually in the same quantum state," and adds that such a breakthrough could prove very significant in the drive toward quantum cryptography and quantum information. Stanford chemistry professor W.E. Moerner predicts that quantum information technology could be used to facilitate single-photon messaging or decryption key transmission within the next five to 10 years. Philippe Grangier of France's Institut d'Optique comments that a single-photon source such as that developed by Santori's team will help keep quantum-encrypted messages safe when transmitted across long distances; he adds that single-photon sources could be ready immediately, as long as they are affordable, reliable, and simple. Santori also notes that his team's experiment demonstrates "two-photon interference" for the first time, which involves photons produced independently and at different times. Researchers say that Santori's breakthrough represents an important stride toward the creation of molecular logic gates for quantum computing.
Indian software engineers looking to get employment overseas usually try to find jobs in the United States, with England being their second choice. However, new British work permit rules in effect since September could limit their options. The rules do not allow jobs to be filled by foreign workers unless it is firmly established that there are no British counterparts available, and they also require foreign engineers to have at least six months of previous corporate employment in order to qualify for a U.K. work visa. "This ensures that we have to anticipate business requirements well in advance and employ accordingly," notes Wipro CEO Laxman Badiga. Indian companies that have subsidiaries in England can circumvent the new requirement, but most Indian firms possess U.S.-based subsidiaries. Processing visas takes longer because of the rules, which means consultants are delayed in flying in to client sites, according to Badiga. Britain is increasingly popular among Indian engineers because the business downturn has had less impact there than in the United States, where demand for engineering talent is continuing to fall. However, Advantage CEO C.N. Kumar contends that the institution of the new employment regulations signifies that "There is in fact, no demand from the U.K. at all."
A number of grass-roots groups are emerging to battle repressive government Internet filtering in countries such as China and Saudi Arabia. These "hacktivists," or hackers with political motivations, want to enable Web users in those countries to be able to access the Internet without fear of monitoring or recrimination. Solutions include software that erases online identity, peer-to-peer file-trading networks, and proxy sites. The peer-to-peer network Freenet China is created through the thousands of computers comprising that network, each with installed software that can be passed around on just one diskette. Because information is traded directly between participant computers and not through central servers, the only way for Chinese authorities to shut down the network would be to shut down every individual node. The Triangle Boy software from server maker SafeWeb makes users anonymous online and received backing from the CIA, but has since been discontinued while awaiting new funds. Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Calif.) wants to support such efforts through a new Office of Global Internet Freedom that would follow the same premise as the Voice of America radio program. Meanwhile, the Hacktivismo group has released encryption-based Web access software, called Six/Four after the date of the Tiananmen Square incident, that aims to hide the origination of requests for data from government monitors. Hacktivismo member Nat Villeneuve, a University of Toronto computer science student, says, "I think of hacktivism as a philosophy: taking the hacker end of understanding things by reverse engineering and applying that same concept to traditional activism."
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Research has shown that carbon molecules and carbon-based polymers have unique electronic properties that could outclass silicon and lead to better displays, batteries, and computer memory once certain technical challenges have been resolved. Buckyball (C60) molecules, for instance, can act as photovoltaic cells and emit light, while carbon nanotubes show even greater promise. Both conducting and superconducting nanotubes can be produced by vaporizing heated carbon, but separating them is essential for them to be useful electronically. IBM made progress in this area with last year's announcement that it was able to eliminate the conducting tubes from the conductor-semiconductor mix in order to produce a single-nanotube logic gate in its quest to build a nanotube transistor. Meanwhile, Beijing University researchers have extended nanotubes to a length of 20 cm, whereas in the past they were restricted to much smaller lengths. Carbon-based polymers, such as compounds of C60 and poly-p-phenylene vinylene, are also being utilized as photocells and handheld displays. Possible applications include 3D memory arrays with more storage capacity than traditional hard disk and DVD memories, and handheld batteries that run on light. Successfully synthesizing self-assembling carbon-based computer elements will extend Moore's Law, which states that computer chips' power doubles every 18 months.
Various projects are underway to develop wearable computing devices that could be beneficial for both ordinary and not-so-ordinary users. Georgia Institute of Technology researcher Thad Starner says that wearable computers would be very useful for tasks such as note-taking and scheduling reminders. He maintains that such easily-available devices can be taken for granted and used without interrupting other user activities. Starner predicts that laptops, notebooks, and even desktops will eventually be replaced with a single pocket-sized instrument. Fellow Georgia Tech researcher Maribeth Gandy believes wearable computers will be especially helpful for disabled users: Their availability and constant presence could be combined with designs that do not attract attention to the users' handicaps. Gandy is part of a team developing a standard for a universal control interface that would give cell phones, PDAs, and other wearable controls the ability to read hand gestures. Another project involves a head-mounted visual display that controls wireless devices via captioning, tele-health systems that monitor patients' vital signs in real time, and global positioning system-enabled "way-finding systems" that could relay directions to people with memory problems, or help caretakers find persons who have wandered off.
Japanese telecoms firm NTT and its subsidiary NTT DoCoMo have developed a system that allows two PDA-equipped people to transfer electronic data by shaking hands, according to the Japanese daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun. The system relies on the conductivity of skin to transfer up to 10 megabits of data per second, say sources at the two firms. Wearable computing expert David May of UK's Bristol University says the system could be useful for transferring large amounts of data securely. "If you rely on a wireless connection then you are vulnerable to eavesdropping," he says. But the system's speed of 10 megabits-per-second was achieved in lab settings, not under normal conditions. Possible uses for the system include transferring email addresses, digital business cards, and other relevant data. Furthermore, the system could be used as an automatic authentication tool as people touch door knobs or computers. The companies say the modified PDAs would not have to be attached directly to the skin since they could rely on the conductivity of clothing.
An optical clock developed by Peter J. Delfyett Jr. of the University of Central Florida could allow computer chip manufacturers to build future generations of products that do not suffer from potential timing problems. In his research, Delfyett used a laser that is continuously active, but whose light is modulated by a series of micromirrors and diffraction gratings; this solves problems associated with direct modulation, in which the laser is toggled on and off to increase its pulse rate. His mode-lock laser system uses timing control devices to generate as many as 168 wavelengths from a single laser, and a laboratory demonstration involved flashing signals from all wavelengths six billion times a second, resulting in a transmission speed approximately three times faster than the previous data transmission world record. The precision of the laser's pulse could make it highly useful as a computer chip clock, especially because its timing signals are protected against distortion. Delfyett's research team has built a mode-lock laser that can generate one wavelength that flashes 10 billion pulses a second, and which Delfyett claims can relay the correct time within one-thousandth of one-trillionth of a second. Although he admits that atomic clocks are more accurate than his optical clock, he notes that his invention is highly stable. He is collaborating with researchers from the University of Colorado and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to create a hybrid atomic-optical clock that is both precise and accurate.
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The iGesture device developed by University of Delaware researchers John Elias and Wayne Westerman allows users to control computers and execute commands by finger gestures. Elias explains that the system offers "thousands of times" more communication power than the conventional mouse interface; whereas a mouse uses only one point of movement, iGesture utilizes 10 points of contact from both hands. Furthermore, users can operate the system without having to worry about stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. Five years of research went into the making of iGesture, which is being marketed by its creators through FingerWorks. The company is commercializing standalone touch pads, and touch pads incorporated into nonmechanical keyboards that allow operators to switch between mouse and keyboard without moving their hands. Elias says that the touch pad records the objects that come into contact with its surface, and then uses an algorithm to translate those recordings into computer commands. He adds that such a system is much more effective than speech recognition technology. Elias explains that the system was created so that the gestures used are easily understandable--for example, pinching one's fingers tells the computer to cut text, while flicking them is a paste text command.
Jaron Lanier, lead scientist for the Internet2 project's National Tele-immersion Initiative, is planning a presentation at this month's PopTech! technology conference in Camden, Maine. Lanier incorporates music and other creative functions with virtual reality worlds, and he himself was the one who coined the term "virtual reality." In an interview, he says his recent work on the Internet2 project involves figuring out a new way to approach computer science so as to radically reinvent software creation. Computer software is currently based on strict protocols that require the bit-by-bit reading of electronic signals, whereas human visual sensory, for example, immediately coalesces many disparate signals into a recognizable pattern. Lanier says computer science needs a new type of software that is massively scalable. He also weighs in on the issue of content ownership, especially as it applies to digital technology and the Internet, which he previously said would supplant all other communication mediums besides in-person communication. Lanier maintains that current attempts by the media industry, electronic device manufacturers, and government to control how technology develops is wrong-headed, mainly because no one can accurately predict what course technological development will take. Mandates for new high-definition television and digital-rights management, for example, limit the potential of technology. He also says that in light of the Sept. 11 attacks he is willing to give up some of his privacy as long as the same standard applies to everyone. He says "what makes a society both democratic and desirable is not so much the degree of transparency but the degree to which it's symmetrical and similar for everyone."
In an effort to produce better-quality educational software for K-12 students, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has allocated $3.2 million for nonprofit SRI International to develop such software with the help of University of Colorado and Stanford University computer science students. The collaborators will create university-level courses designed to publish online resources, educate undergraduates, and find mentors via the Training and Resources for Assembling Interactive Learning Systems (TRAILS) program. The Stanford and Colorado students will be grouped into teams that will build educational software prototypes and put them through their paces next fall in local K-12 classrooms. The goal of the project is to help students better understand K-12 software requirements as well as gain hands-on experience in interdisciplinary collaboration. The initial software yielded from the TRAILS program will focus on building mathematical skills, while later software will cover science and other topics. Jennifer Knudsen of SRI's Center for Technology in Learning says that both classroom teachers and software should be trained or designed to fulfill specific functions: Good teachers coordinate the students' learning objectives, are engaging, relay concepts, encourage teamwork, and evaluate each student's performance; quality software promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and concept modeling. TRAILS uses an earlier NSF-funded SRI research project, ESCOT (Educational Software Components of Tomorrow), as its foundation, but focuses on undergraduates rather than professional programmers.
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German researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, in conjunction with American scientists, have successfully developed clusters of fluorine-containing dendritic polymers, which combine conductive polymers and organic molecules in a nanocylinder configuration. The scientists' experiment involves the self-organization of various organic materials into supramolecular liquid crystals. The nanocylinders feature a core of conductive molecules or polymers and a molecular coating to act as insulation. The core is thus shielded against humidity and other outside forces. The German scientists utilized solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy methods to analyze the architecture of the aromatic ring scheme, which lays out the nanocylinders' optoelectronic characteristics. Using such techniques allows desired results to be reached practically overnight, and such an approach will benefit the electronic applications of supramolecular materials. One possible application involves separate use of each individual cylinder in the cluster, which could lead to the substitution of supramolecular electronic devices for conventional molecular electronics. Combining liquid crystals and polymers in this way gives the resulting molecule high charge carrier mobility and makes it easy to handle.
This year's European Technology Roundtable showed the situation in the European IT sector is similarly grim, with many venture capitalists saying their portfolio companies were falling short of business plans. Hermann Hauser, the Briton who started Europe's first pure-technology venture fund in 1997, estimated an approximately 75 percent reduction in the amount of technology venture funding over the past two years. However, he also said the past few years had helped lay a foundation for future innovation. He gave the example of Cambridge, where academia and industry continue to create new synergies, and startup companies have easier access to both talent and money than before. Conversely, German entrepreneurs appear more discouraged. Intel CEO Craig Barrett said that prospects for the tech economy would improve only after a resurgence in the general economy, but that the convergence of communications and computing promised a new driver of innovation and that IT companies had room to grow. Infineon CEO Ulrich Schumacher agreed, adding that technology providers need to pay closer heed to consumer interest and create products that meet demands, not products that create demand themselves. Barrett also noted that eastern Asia is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the technology arena, which is sobering news. New technology on display at the conference included a holographic video screen from a Hungarian company and a description of a pervasive computing project involving an intelligent beer glass in which a small radio transmitter at the bottom of the glass signals the bartender when the glass is empty.
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IRobot's chief customers are the military and industry, but the company plans to penetrate the consumer market with a slew of robots it has developed, such as the Roomba automated vacuum cleaner, designed to lift the burden of menial chores. CEO Colin Angle explains that partnerships with companies such as Hasbro and Johnson Wax Professional provided insight on the mass market and cleaning industry, as well as the kinds of products they desired. One of IRobot's products, the CoWorker, is a machine that a person can control via a standard Web interface; Angle says that the robot is particularly useful in the oil industry, where remote control and observation of remote locations is essential. He adds that the PackBot, which the military used in Afghanistan, is a robust, laptop-controlled platform that can deliver payloads to or gather intelligence from high-risk areas--potential applications include bomb disposal, for instance. Meanwhile, the MicroRig, currently in beta testing, is designed to transport payloads into oil wells in a economical way. Angle thinks that multiple robots will hit the homeowner's market next year, and predicts as many as 30 floor-cleaning robots will be available to consumers by the end of 2004. "Our [consumer group's] mission is to look at the tasks today and see what is robotizable and then work on developing the performance required to do it--whether it's washing your car, mowing the lawn or cleaning the bathroom," he declares. Angle says future robots will be increasingly sophisticated, and he predicts that the rate of innovation will take off once robots become a mass market item, much like what happened with PCs.
A group of CIOs, IT workforce specialists, and educators discussed the origin of the current IT market slump, strategies that employers and IT workers can follow to deal with the current situation, and predictions about when the downturn will end. KeyTech President Ronald Divinere noted that there is more IT talent available for less, but former PRI Automation IT VP Robert Barrett doubted that companies are restructuring themselves because of this fact; Cranston Print Works VP David Brown warned of a high rate of turnover among highly skilled professionals who are hired at lower salaries, particularly if they receive no increases or promotions once the economy recovers, while Jerry Luftman of the Stevens Institute of Technology argued that senior staff are probably less concerned about salary than about keeping their positions. He also observed that many unemployed senior workers are complaining about age discrimination, while Carol Brown of the Kelley School of Business reported that younger workers have been disillusioned by the erosion of their jobs' perks and glamour. Mr. Brown said that companies can upgrade with a low level of risk by hiring contractors, and explained that bringing in personnel who may be overqualified has both positive and negative aspects. Divinere noted that hiring has been further depressed by the presence of offshore talent, while another contributing factor is decreasing application system development cycles. Luftman pointed out that predicting the end of the recession is a difficult challenge. Although the members of the group agreed that IT is less secure than it used to be, it still has many attractive features, such as a challenge, dynamism, and a sense of fun. Mr. Brown noted that developing business skills is essential for getting into IT, while Ms. Brown said that people can use the recession as an opportunity to expand their skills.
Legislators contend that the doubling of the National Institutes of Health's budget has created a funding imbalance between the physical and the life sciences, and they are hoping to resolve it by doubling the National Science Foundation's (NSF) budget over the next five years. Upon taking office, President Bush allocated $4.5 billion for the NSF in fiscal 2002; this represented a increase of only 1 percent over the fiscal 2001 budget, while the NIH budget was raised almost 14 percent. On June 5, the House voted to double NSF funding. The next month, the Senate Appropriations Committee apportioned a 2003 NSF budget of $5.3 billion, but the Bush administration supports a budget increase of $5 billion. A Senate bill would raise the NSF budget annually through fiscal 2007, when the agency would receive $9.8 billion. The bill was approved in September by both the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) in an August draft report said unbalanced funding was "detrimental in the long run to all of the disciplines." The rekindled emphasis on national security is one the major reasons legislators are lobbying for a budget raise, according to Howard Garrison of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. However, Kei Koizumi of the American Association for the Advancement of Science maintains that "the community has been careful about not appearing to jump on the bandwagon of homeland security."
Three major areas of the Internet's infrastructure have been labeled as highly vulnerable to cyberattack, according to the White House's cybersecurity strategy: Internet Protocol (IP), DNS, and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), all of which lack communications authentication functionality. The Internet engineering community has spent over 10 years developing fixes, but ISPs and their corporate clients have been reluctant to use them because they are too expensive and complicated for companies to implement. In addition, IP, DNS, and BGP are rarely exploited by hackers. Of the three security protocols that have been devised--IP Security (IPSec), DNS Security, and Secure BGP--IPSec is too complicated for many network managers, while IPSec products from different vendors are incompatible; DNS Security is still too expensive; and Secure BGP has not been standardized and is not supported by any Internet domain name registries, ISPs, or router vendors. The IETF's IP Security Policy Group is busy simplifying IPSec's key exchange method and developing a consistent series of words to describe the policies enforced by IPSec devices. Meanwhile, the same agency is working on Delegation Signer Resource Record and Opt In, which are supposed to mitigate problems with DNS Security. Experts estimate it could take up to five years to deploy these solutions across sufficient area of the Internet, even with more government support, and AT&T researcher Steve Bellovin believes the government should instead add incentives that would be advantageous for ISPs and software vendors that make secure products. Furthermore, some experts think that errors in deploying software patches would keep the Internet infrastructure vulnerable even if the three protocols are successfully implemented.
Segway transporter inventor Dean Kamen has spent more than $10 million to turn an old textile mill into a complete inventor's workshop for his company, Deka Research and Development. He follows an unconventional philosophy--rather than focusing on achieving a specific solution, the key to invention is, in Kamen's words, "to change the question." For instance, instead of merely fixing a valve defect in a bulky kidney dialysis machine, Kamen's company reconfigured the entire machine into a smaller self-service device that can be used in the home. Deka's machine shop is set up so that inventors can build and test their ideas in three dimensions as accurately and quickly as possible, while an injection molding machine helps them create components that do not exist. Testing involves real-world objects rather than computer simulated prototypes, and Kamen notes that breakthroughs originally supposed to advance one project can lead to the development of other projects. Such was the case with the Segway, which grew out of research on the iBOT, a wheelchair that can negotiate stairs; both products use similar gyroscopic technology, Kamen explains. Perfecting the technology, a process Kamen describes as "kissing frogs," is the most arduous phase of invention: Engineers must physically build, study, and eliminate as many concepts as they can. Such a process was essential to the development of the Segway's user interface, which involved three years of development and many rejected designs.
The world's nanotechnology effort is led by the United States, the European Union, and Japan, but while the United States is currently maintaining its leadership position, its two chief rivals are adopting new strategies to improve their standing. The intense competition was triggered in 1991 when Japan launched its Nanomachine Technology Program; the United States responded by creating a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) research and development strategy coordinated by the Department of Defense, and later the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Meanwhile, the EU organized an initiative to research microsystem technology (MST), which gave its industry a boost in manufacturing and processing, and led to the creation of unifying projects such as Europractice. Japan's effort now lags behind the other two, reportedly because its focus on metallic microbots was too far ahead for commercialization. The latest wave of nanotech competition was spurred by the Clinton administration's launch of the National Nanotech Initiative, and Japan, for one, appears willing to try new approaches: Analysts note important changes, such as better education, foundry accessibility, increased interdisciplinary and collaborative research, and more transparent R&D funding decisions. The EU has also made progress, but its ability to turn R&D into solid commercial products leaves a lot to be desired, so the EU's Sixth Framework Program aims to make that a priority. But all of these initiatives will not help the nanotech sector grow unless there is an exchange of knowledge via collaborations between industries and researchers. One critical U.S. weakness is a lack of U.S.-born science and engineering students and workers. One-third of the industry's workers in the U.S. with Ph.D.s in science and engineering are from another country, according to the National Science Foundation.
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The Texas State Board of Education has been ridiculed in recent weeks for its efforts to rewrite the curriculum standards of the state's K-12 textbooks. Starting today, the conservative majority on the 15-member board is expected to approve a rightward lurch in those standards. According to MSNBC:
"Among the recommendations facing a final vote: adding language saying the country's Founding Fathers were guided by Christian principles and including positive references to the Moral Majority, the National Rifle Association, and the GOP's Contract with America.
"Other amendments to the state's curriculum standards for kindergarten through 12th grade would minimize Thomas Jefferson's role in world and U.S. history because he advocated the separation of church and state; require that students learn about 'the unintended consequences' of affirmative action; assert that "the right to keep and bear arms" is an important element of a democratic society; and rename the slave trade to the 'Atlantic triangular trade.'"
In the past, Texas has had an outsized influence over textbooks nationwide. The Lone Star State's textbook buy was so large that publishers often used its standards as a national template. Thanks to the uproar over the new standards, publishing executives have tried to reassure people that this Texas-sized rewrite won't spread to other states.
"It's an urban myth, especially in this digital age we live in, when content can be tailored and customized for individual states and school districts," Jay Diskey, executive director of the schools division of the Association of American Publishers, told the Associated Press. Education Week has a great story about how Texas' influence may be shifting thanks to technology.
But even if Diskey is right, what's happening in Texas has national implications. The board's decisions affect 4.7 million Texas school kids—4.7 million potential future voters who will be acting on biased information.
And Texas is not the only state with conservative activists bent on hijacking education policy. They are doing it in Arizona by banning ethnic studies. They are doing it in Wake County, North Carolina, by dismantling a model diversity program. They are doing it in New Jersey by banning an LGBT-friendly book from a school library. And they are doing it in Florida by creating a religious-oriented charter school. The attack on Texas school curriculum is simply a more ambitious effort than most.
Texas should be a wake-up call. Progressives must be activists in return. Voting and campaigning are vital. But they are only a start. Progressives must show up at boring school board meetings. They must be armed with data, write letters to the editor and push back against efforts to water down evolution or attack immigrants. This week's State Board of Education votes will be a dismal influence on Texas school kids. But this is not happening just because conservatives are so organized or politically clever. It's happening because we let it happen.


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There was once a period of time when rare people paid attention to Panerai, but now with more and more collector joining, the success of this auction will facilitate the development of Panerai and makes more popular among people, he added. Developing the base of people of Panerai watches could be helpful in diminishing their gaps with Patek Philippe or Rolex. Obviously, the sales of Patek Philippe or replica rolexes really dwarf Panerai. A couple of weeks ago before the auction, Patek Philippe Henrey Graves Supercomplication was bid for 24 million dollars. In the November 2014, the total revenue of auction of Patek Philippe watches reached 24 million dollars in the Sotheby. The year before last year, Christie gained 13million dollars only in the Rolex Daytona Lesson One themed auction. CHristie and Sothybe may avoid talking about it, but Artcurial will try to gain more customers through one or two antic watches from Patek Philippe or Rolex.
Among all the Panerai watches, the Panerai PAM604 has a 47mm case which is the same size as the 1936 one. It is completely manual engraving, and the most important thing is that PAM604 is engraved by the experience Italian engravers. The engraving pattern is influenced by the Florence patterns, such as Florence lily which has been the symbol of Toscana since medieval. Every case from this special edition would take an week to engrave it because the problem is that difficult exists as the case is made of .stainless steel. Through the manual engraving, it requires absolute adroit skills in engraving.
And if you are interested on collecting Swiss watches, the Panerai PAM604 is a great choice for you for its invested value or at least you can have a replica one if you are in budget economic situation to show your own personality and your style.


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DIY - DVB-T Upgrade Cheap Option!
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DIY - DVB-T Upgrade Cheap Option!
Hi Guys,
Hope you have all had a good xmas and new year!
As most of you know if you have the old analogue TV tuner in the UK its almost now 100% useless! and upgrading to the BMW hybrid version can be expensive if you can get hold of one!!!
I will explain here what I did to convert my old analogue tuner to digital.
This is my set-up as it stands:
The tuner I used was an Eonon V0012, it's a cheap chinese unit found on ebay from anything between £70 - 100, to be honest the quality is not bad, even when dissecting the unit out of curiosity I was surprised at the overall manufacturing quality and board layout.
Anyway anything will suffice, a more expensive Alpine unit would have been nice etc... depends on your budget.
Right, there are pros and cons to this setup. Pros being its a cheap alternative, you can listen to digital radio etc.... the con being the channels cannot be changed from the iDrive or steering wheel (yet!).
To perform this upgrade you MUST have the factory fitted analogue TV module in the boot! basically the TV module has a CVBS video output (yellow plug on many TV and DVD platers etc) this is easy, this signal is sent directly to the sat nav computer where it is scaled and converted to RGB and then sent to the control display in the dashboard.
The audio is a little more tricky! the E65 has the fibre optic MOST bus, all audio is converted to digital and split into packets and sent around the fibre loop until it reaches the ASK or Logic 7 amp where its extracted, converted back to analogue and blasted out of the speakers!
Below is a picture of the standard TV unit with the cover removed:
Most of the board is the power supply, MOST interface circuitry and a processor that controls the tuner module itself (vertical shielded box).
On teh rear of the board almost directly under the MOST bus interface circuit is a 14 pin SOIC marked PCM1801U. This is the IC that converts the analogue audio to digital.
The tuner itself only outputs MONO audio, therefore Left and Right channels need to be joined together, I simply joined both channels with resistors and connected to the 1uF capacitor on the board.
The 1uF cap is lifted from the PCB and placed on the little mod board and then linked back down to the pad that connects to pin 1 of the PCM1801U.
The grounds are also joined together and soldered to a common ground on the PCB.
The TV module now modified with 'aux' input. when 'VIDEO' is selected on the iDrive the audio from the TV module is now output through the car speakers.
Another tricky problem is powering the new tuner on and off without it interfering with the power management module in the boot!
I designed and built the circuit below:
Basically it has a permanent 12V from terminal 30 in the rear fuse box, the ACC line of the new tuner is switched on using a P-Channel mosfet, the gate of the mosfet is pulled high to switch it off and to GND to switch it on, unfortunately the opposite way we want! hence the need for another smaller N-Channel mosfet, this takes a signal from the power management unit (pin 18 of the 37 way connector) this input (to switch the tuner on and off) is switched high whenever the key is in the ignition.
A constant 12V is also fed to the tuner via terminal 30, there is negligible current draw on this input so the car will go to sleep as normal.
pictures of rear fuse box with the two extra fuses(top right) and the blue wire switching the power on and off to the new tuner.
Grounds connected to stud of comb connector:
Thats it really, if anyone wants schematics of how its wired then let me know, hope this may of be some use to someone!
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Moderator: Cupped-n-Committed
papageno wrote:To be little helpful. When the river is high, it floods back up the tributaries and makes calm flooded eddies. There are some tribs that can be accessed without going into the mainstem. The sandbar points, where the normally fast flowing little tribs enter, flood over. .
Hunting waterfowl from a boat that is drifting or being sculled (or paddled) was formerly termed "sneakboating". Hunting from a boat that is drifting or being sculled is legal only in specified waters of the state. The specified waters of the state where hunting by this method is allowed are the Sea Duck Zone, the Offshore Waterfowl Hunting Zone (often referred to as the gunning rig zone) and the nontidal waters of the Potomac River, Conococheague Creek and the Monocacy River.
A person hunting waterfowl from a boat that is drifting or being sculled in the nontidal waters of the Potomac River, Conococheague Creek and the Monocacy River must stay at least 250 yards from all licensed offshore stationary blinds or blind sites or any other person hunting waterfowl offshore. However, there is no general requirement to remain a certain distance from shore. There are some areas on the nontidal Potomac River and most of Conococheague Creek and the Monocacy River, where the bottom of the river is privately owned. You may float over these privately owned areas but you may not walk on the bottom unless you have the written permission of the landowner.
papageno wrote:
It's a great place to hunt - carefully.
Cupped-n-Committed wrote:The smallies are hitting on bottom rigs. Small crayfish on a jig head are good.
Cupped-n-Committed wrote:fished Sunday near Shepardstown and only caught fish on a dinger when I put it right in front of them. The cold temps seemed to have shut them down again.
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May 25, 2005
Tennessee senior Mark Dietrich dropped a tough three set match to Ryler DeHeart of Illinois 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in the first round of the NCAA Singles Championships at the George P. Mitchell Outdoor Tennis Center Wednesday to finish his season and career at UT.
Dietrich dropped the first set to the Illinois junior. Both players held serve and with the score 4-3, DeHeart broke Dietrich's serve and then captured the set one game later. Dietrich battled back in the second set winning 6-2 to set up the crucial third set. In the third set, Dietrich led at the first break 2-1 but DeHeart won the next 5 games to win the set and clinch the match.
Deheart is ranked eighth nationally and is the seventh seed in the singles championship. Dietrich is ranked No. 54 in the latest rankings and was unseeded.
The Memphis native finishes his career 75-54 in singles and 75-35 in doubles. Dietrich spent his senior season playing at the No. 1 slot in the singles line-up and the No. 2 slot in the doubles line-up. Dietrich has been ranked as high as No. 43 in singles
Tennessee sophomores Ockie Oosthuizen and Ben Rogers begin doubles play tomorrow. The UT duo received a 5-8 seed and face Jonathan Chu and Ashwin Kumar of Harvard in the first round. Oosthuizen and Rogers are currently ranked No. 9 in doubles. Chu and Kumar are ranked No. 30. Live stats can be accessed at UTsports.com.
NCAA Singles Championships
First Round
No. 8 Ryler DeHeart (UI) def. No. 54 Mark Dietrich (UT) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2


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Interstitial Cystitis
Interstitial Cystitis
Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a condition that causes pelvic pain, pressure, or bladder-related discomfort, often accompanied by increased urge to urinate or frequency of urination. It is not caused by infection, bladder stones, or other abnormalities of the bladder.
IC is also referred to as painful bladder syndrome (PBS) and bladder pain syndrome (BPS). IC can affect people of any age, race or sex, but it much more common in women than in men. It may be associated with chronic pelvic pain syndrome.
The exact cause of IC remains a mystery, but research has identified a number of different factors that may contribute, including:
- a chemical deficiency of the bladder wall
- past bladder trauma, including things such as pelvic surgery
- past bladder overdistention
- pelvic floor muscle dysfunction
- autoimmune disorder
- severe bacterial infection (UTI)
- hypersensitivity or inflammation of pelvic nerves
Most IC experts agree that IC is caused by multiple factors and is not a single disease.
Note: In recent years the relationship between IC and abuse (sexual, physical, and childhood sexual) has been hotly debated. Results of studies are conflicting: some show significant correlation, others no correlation at all. These findings are similar to what has been discovered about other pain syndromes, such as chronic pelvic pain.
Symptoms differ from person to person and may even vary in the same person at different times. Symptoms include:
- Urinary frequency: voiding more than 10 times in a 24 hr
- Urinary urgency: a strong sensation of having to urinate immediately, which can occur with cramps, pain, or pressure
- Pain: usually felt in the lower abdominal, vaginal, or urethral area. Pain may be associated with menstruation, exercise, or perhaps with sexual intercourse.
Symptoms typically wax and wane: people with IC experience times of relative relief punctuated by flare-ups. Flare-ups may be caused by fatigue, stress, certain foods, temperature change (cold), and numerous other triggers; there is no set length of time for which they last. It is possible to halt flare-ups by learning certain techniques.
More Information
For more information, see the Yale Medical Group's Interstitial Cystitis online health resource.


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The Great Republic by the Master Historians
Retreat of Cortes from the City of Mexico
Bancroft, Hubert H.
[The first step towards the discovery of Mexico was made by Francisco Fernandez de Cordova, who, in 1517, explored the northern coast of Yucatan. Instead of finding naked savages, as in former explorations, he was surprised to discover well-clad people and large stone edifices. The natives were so bold and warlike as to drive off the Spaniards, killing many of them, and mortally wounding Cordova. In the following year, Juan de Grijalva explored a portion of the southern coast of Mexico, and obtained much treasure by traffic with the inhabitants. Velasquez, governor of Cuba, who had fitted out this expedition, now determined to attempt the conquest of the wealthy country that had been discovered, and prepared an expedition of ten vessels, manned by six hundred and seventeen men, which he placed under the command of Hernando Cortes, and adventurous cavalier who had already shown much military ability. He landed in Mexico on March 4, 1519, where his ships, his horses, and his artillery filled the natives with wonder and terror and caused them to regard the Spaniards as divine beings. After several victories over the natives, who were repulsed with great slaughter, Cortes founded the city of Vera Cruz, burned his vessels to cut off all thought of retreat from the minds of his soldiers, and commenced his march towards towards the Mexican capital. He was opposed by the people of Tlascala, enemies of the Aztecs, but he conquered this warlike republic and converted its inhabitants into useful auxiliaries. In the city of Cholula, where an ambuscade had been laid for him, he defeated his enemies with terrible slaughter. He finally reached the city of Mexico, which was situated on an island in a lake and connected by causeways with the mainland. Here he took Montezuma, the Aztec emperor, prisoner, and converted one of his palaces into a fortress. Velasquez had, meanwhile, sent an expedition under Narvaez to deprive Cortes of his command. Leaving two hundred men in the city, he marched against Narvaez, defeated him, and enlisted his men under his own banner. During his absence the Mexicans attacked the Spanish garrison. Their attacks were continued after the return of Cortes with such fury that Montezuma was mortally wounded by his own subjects, and many of the Spaniards were slain. So persistent and threatening became the Mexican assaults that the invaders found themselves in imminent peril of being entirely destroyed, and their leader was forced to order a retreat. There is nothing more exciting in fiction than the story of this terrible night march, the "noche triste" of Spanish historians. We give it in Prescott's eloquent description from his "Conquest of Mexico."]
The general's first care was to provide for the safe transportation of the treasure. Many of the common soldiers had converted their share of the prize, as we have seen, into gold chains, collars, or other ornaments, which they easily carried about their persons. But the royal fifth, together with that of Cortes himself, and much of the rich booty of the principal cavaliers, had been converted into bars and wedges of solid gold and deposited in one of the strong apartments of the palace. Cortes delivered the share belonging to the crown to the royal officers, assigning them one of the strongest horses, and a guard of Castilian soldiers, to transport it. Still, much of the treasure, belonging both to the crown and to individuals, was necessarily abandoned, from the want of adequate means of conveyance. The metal lay scattered in shining heaps along the floor, exciting the cupidity of the soldiers. "Take what you will of it;" said Cortes to his men. "Better you should have it, than these Mexican hounds. But be careful not to overload yourselves. He travels safest in the dark night who travels lightest." His own more wary followers took heed to his counsel, helping themselves to a few articles of least bulk, though, it might be, of greatest value. But the troops of Narvaez, pining for riches of which they had heard so much and hitherto seen so little, showed no such discretion. To them it seemed as if the very mines of Mexico were turned up before them, and, rushing on the treacherous spoil, they greedily loaded themselves with as much of it, not merely as they could accommodate about their persons, but as they could stow away in wallets, boxes, or any other means of conveyance at their disposal.
Cortes next arranged the order of march. The van, composed of two hundred Spanish foot, he placed under the command of the valiant Gonzalo de Sandoval, supported by Diego de Ordaz, Francisco de Lujo, and about twenty other cavaliers. The rear-guard, constituting the strength of the infantry, was intrusted to Pedro de Alvarado and Velasquez de Leon. The general himself took charge of the "battle," or centre, in which went the baggage, some of the heavy guns, - most of which, however, remained in the rear, - the treasure, and the prisoners. These consisted of a son and two daughters of Montezuma, Cacama, the deposed lord of Tezcuco, and several other nobles, whom Cortes retained as important pledges in his future negotiations with the enemy. The Tlascalans were distributed pretty equally among the three divisions; and Cortes had under his immediate command a hundred picked soldiers, his own veterans most attached to his service, who, with Cristoval de Olid, Francisco de Morla, Alonso de Avila, and two or three other cavaliers, formed a select corps, to act wherever occasion might require.
The general had already superintended the construction of a portable bridge to be laid over the open canals in the causeway. This was given in charge to an officer named Magarino, with forty soldiers under his orders, all pledged to defend the passage to the last extremity. The bridge was to be taken up when the entire army had crossed one of the breaches, and transported to the next. There were three of these openings in the causeway, and most fortunate would it have been for the expedition if the foresight of the commander had provided the same number of bridges. But the labor would have been great, and time was short.
At midnight the troops were under arms, in readiness for the march. Mass was performed by Father Olmedo, who invoked the protection of the Almighty through the awful perils of the night. The gates were thrown open, and on the 1st of July, 1520, the Spaniards for the last time sallied forth from the walls of the ancient fortress, the scene of so much suffering and such indomitable courage.
The night was cloudy, and a drizzling rain, which fell without intermission, added to the obscurity. The great square before the palace was deserted, as, indeed, it had been since the fall of Montezuma. Steadily, and as noiselessly as possible, the Spaniards held their way along the great street of Tlacopan, which so lately had resounded with the tumult of battle. All was now hushed in silence; and they were only reminded of the past by the occasional presence of some solitary corpse, or a dark heap of the slain, which too plainly told where the strife had been hottest. As they passed along the lanes and alleys which opened into the great street, or looked down the canals, whose polished surface gleamed with a sort of ebon lustre through the obscurity of night, they easily fancied that they discerned the shadowy forms of their foe lurking in ambush and ready to spring on them. But it was only fancy; and the city slept undisturbed even by the prolonged echoes of the tramp of the horses and the hoarse rumbling of the artillery and baggage-trains. At length a lighter space beyond the dusky line of buildings showed the van of the army that it was emerging on the open causeway. They might well have congratulated themselves on having thus escaped the dangers of an assault in the city itself, and that a brief time would place them in comparative safety on the opposite shore. But the Mexicans were not all asleep.
As the Spaniards drew near the spot where the street opened on the causeway, and were preparing to lay the portable bridge across the uncovered breach, which now met their eyes, several Indian sentinels, who had been stationed at this, as at the other approaches to the city, took the alarm and fled, rousing their countrymen by their cries. The priests, keeping their night-watch on the summit of the teocallis, instantly caught the tidings and sounded their shells, while the huge drum in the desolate temple of the war-god sent forth those solemn tones which, heard only in seasons of calamity, vibrated through every corner of the capital. The Spaniards saw that no time was to be lost. The bridge was brought forward and fitted with all possible expedition. Sandoval was the first to try its strength, and, riding across, was followed by his little body of chivalry, his infantry, and Tlascalan allies, who formed the first division of the army. Then came Cortes and his squadrons, with the baggage, ammunition- wagons, and a part of the artillery. But before they had time to defile across the narrow passage, a gathering sound was heard, like that of a mighty forest agitated by the winds. It grew louder and louder, while on the dark waters of the lake was heard a plashing noise, as of many oars. Then came a few stones and arrows striking at random among the hurrying troops. They fell every moment faster and more furious, till they thickened into a terrible tempest, while the very heavens were rent with the yells and war-cries of myriads of combatants, who seemed all at once to be swarming over land and lake!
The Spaniards pushed steadily on through this arrowy sleet, though the barbarians, dashing their canoes against the sides of the causeway, clambered up and broke in upon their ranks. But the Christians, anxious only to make their escape, declined all combat except for self-preservation. The cavaliers, spurring forward their steeds, shook off their assailants and rode over their prostrate bodies, while the men on foot with their good swords or the butts of their pieces drove them headlong again down the sides of the dike.
But the advance of several thousand men, marching, probably, on a front of not more than fifteen or twenty abreast, necessarily required much time, and the leading files had already reached the second breach in the causeway before those in the rear had entirely traversed the first. Here they halted, as they had no means of effecting a passage, smarting all the while under unintermitting volleys from the enemy, who were clustered thick on the waters around this second opening. Sorely distressed, the vanguard sent repeated messages to the rear to demand the portable bridge. At length the last of the army had crossed, and Magarino and his sturdy followers endeavored to raise the ponderous framework. But it stuck fast in the sides of the dike. In vain they strained every nerve. The weight of so many men and horses, and above all of the heavy artillery, had wedged the timbers so firmly in the stones and earth that it was beyond their power to dislodge them. Still they labored amidst a torrent of missiles, until, many of them slain, and all wounded, they were obliged to abandon the attempt.
The tidings soon spread from man to man, and no sooner was their dreadful import comprehended than a cry of despair arose, which for a moment drowned all the noise of conflict. All means of retreat were cut off. Scarcely hope was left. The only hope was in such desperate exertions as each could make for himself. Order and subordination were at an end. Intense danger produced intense selfishness. Each thought only of his own life. Pressing forward, he trampled down the weak and the wounded, heedless whether it were friend or foe. The leading files, urged on by the rear, were crowded on the brink of the gulf. Sandoval, Ordaz, and the other cavaliers dashed into the water. Some succeeded in swimming their horses across. Others failed, and some, who reached the opposite bank, being overturned in the ascent, rolled headlong with their steeds into the lake. The infantry followed pell-mell, heaped promiscuously on one another, frequently pierced by the shafts or struck down by the war-clubs of the Aztecs; while many an unfortunate victim was dragged half stunned on board their canoes, to be reserved for a protracted but more dreadful death.
The carnage raged fearfully along the length of the causeway. Its shadowy bulk presented a mark of sufficient distinctness for the enemy's missiles, which often prostrated their own countrymen in the blind fury of the tempest. Those nearest the dike, running their canoes alongside with a force that shattered them to pieces, leaped on the land, and grappled with the Christians, until both came rolling down the side of the causeway together. But the Aztec fell among his friends, while his antagonist was borne away in triumph to the sacrifice. The struggle was long and deadly. The Mexicans were recognized by their white cotton tunics, which showed faint through the darkness. Above the combatants rose a wild and discordant clamor, in which horrid shouts of vengeance were mingled with groans of agony, with invocations of the saints and the blessed Virgin, and with the screams of women; for there were several women, both natives and Spaniards, who had accompanied the Christian camp. Among these, one named Maria de Estrada is particularly noticed for the courage she displayed, battling with broadsword and target like the stanchest of the warriors.
The opening in the causeway, meanwhile, was filled up with the wreck of matter which had been forced into it, - ammunition-wagons, heavy guns, bales of rich stuffs scattered over the waters, chests of solid ingots, and bodies of men and horses, till over this dismal ruin a passage was gradually formed, by which those in the rear were enabled to clamber to the other side. Cortes, it is said, found a place that was fordable, where, halting, with the water up to his saddle-girths, he endeavored to check the confusion and lead his followers by a safer path to the opposite bank. But his voice was lost in the wild uproar, and finally, hurrying on with the tide, he pressed forward with a few trusty cavaliers, who remained near his person, to the van; but not before he had seen his favorite page, Juan de Salazar, struck down, a corpse, by his side. Here he found Sandoval and his companions, halting before the third and last breach, endeavoring to cheer on their followers to surmount it. But their resolution faltered. It was wide and deep; though the passage was not so closely beset by the enemy as the preceding ones. The cavaliers again set the example by plunging into the water. Horse and foot followed as they could, some swimming, others with dying grasp clinging to the manes and tails of the struggling animals. Those fared best, as the general had predicted, who travelled lightest; and many were the unfortunate wretches who, weighed down by the fatal gold which they loved so well, were buried with it in the salt floods of the lake. Cortes, with his gallant comrades, Olid, Morla, Sandoval, and some few others, still kept in the advance, leading his broken remnant off the fatal causeway. The din of battle lessened in the distance; when the rumor reached them that the rear-guard would be wholly overwhelmed without speedy relief. It seemed almost an act of desperation; but the generous hearts of the Spanish cavaliers did not stop to calculate danger when the cry for succor reached them. Turning their horses' bridles, they galloped back to the theatre of action, worked their way through the press, swam the canal, and placed themselves in the thick of the melee on the opposite bank.
The first gray of the morning was now coming over the waters. It showed the hideous confusion of the scene which had been shrouded in the obscurity of night. The dark masses of combatants, stretching along the dike, were seen struggling for mastery, until the very causeway on which they stood appeared to tremble and reel to and fro, as if shaken by an earthquake, while the bosom of the lake, as far as the eye could reach, was darkened by canoes crowded with warriors, whose spears and bludgeons, armed with blades of "volcanic glass," gleamed in the morning light.
The cavaliers found Alvarado unhorsed, and defending himself with a poor handful of followers against an over-whelming tide of the enemy. His good steed, which had borne him through many a hard fight, had fallen under him. He was himself wounded in several places, and was striving in vain to rally his scattered column, which was driven to the verge of the canal by the fury of the enemy, then in possession of the whole rear of the causeway, where they were reinforced every hour by fresh combatants from the city. The artillery in the earlier part of the engagement had not been idle, and its iron shower, sweeping along the dike, had mowed down the assailants by hundreds. But nothing could resist their impetuosity. The front ranks, pushed on by those behind, were at length forced up to the pieces, and, pouring over them like a torrent, overthrew men and guns in one general ruin. The resolute charge of the Spanish cavaliers, who had now arrived, created a temporary check, and gave time for their countrymen to make a feeble rally. But they were speedily borne down by the returning flood. Cortes and his companions were compelled to plunge again into the lake, - though all did not escape. Alvarado stood on the brink for a moment hesitating what to do. Unhorsed as he was, to throw himself into the water in the face of the hostile canoes that now swarmed around the opening afforded but a desperate chance of safety. He had but a second for thought. He was a man of powerful frame, and despair gave him unnatural energy. Setting his long lance firmly on the wreck which strewed the bottom of the lake, he sprung forward with all his might, and cleared the wide gap at a leap! Aztecs and Tlascalans gazed in stupid amazement, exclaiming, as they beheld the incredible feat, "This is truly the Tonatiuh, - the child of the Sun!" The breadth of the opening is not given. But it was so great that the valorous captain, Diaz, who well remembered the place, says the leap was impossible to any man. Other contemporaries, however, do not discredit the story. It was, beyond doubt, matter of popular belief at the time; it is to this day familiarly known to every inhabitant of the capital; and the name of the Salto de Alvarado, "Alvarado's Leap," given to the spot, still commemorates an exploit which rivalled those of the demi-gods of Grecian fable.
Cortes and his companions now rode forward to the front, where the troops, in a loose, disorderly manner, were marching off the fatal causeway. A few only of the enemy hung on their rear, or annoyed them by occasional flights of arrows from the lake. The attention of the Aztecs was diverted by the rich spoil that strewed the battle-ground; fortunately for the Spaniards, who, had their enemy pursued with the same ferocity with which he had fought, would, in their crippled condition, have been cut off, probably, to a man. But little molested, therefore, they were allowed to defile through the adjacent village, or suburbs, it might be called, of Popotla.
The Spanish commander there dismounted from his jaded steed, and, sitting down on the steps of an Indian temple, gazed mournfully on the broken files as they passed before him. What a spectacle did they present! The cavalry, most of them dismounted, were mingled with the infantry, who dragged their feeble limbs along with difficulty; their shattered mail and tattered garments dripping with the salt ooze, showing through their rents many a bruise and ghastly would; their bright arms soiled, their proud crests and banners gone, the baggage, artillery, all, in short, that constitutes the pride and panoply of glorious war, forever lost. Cortes, as he looked wistfully on their thin and disordered ranks, sought in vain for many a familiar face, and missed more than one dear companion who had stood side by side with him through all the perils of the Conquest. Though accustomed to control his emotions, or, at least, to conceal them, the sight was too much for him. He covered his face with his hands, and the tears which trickled down revealed too plainly the anguish of his soul.
[The story of the conquest of Mexico may be briefly concluded. Cortes, in his retreat, found himself opposed by a vastly outnumbering army, filling a valley through which he was forced to pass. A desperate conflict ensued, in which the Spaniards were in imminent danger of annihilation, when Cortes, followed by his bravest cavaliers, spurred to the point where the great Aztec standard rose in the center of the army, cut down the general, and seized the imperial banner. On seeing their standard fall, the army at once broke into a panic and fled in all directions, leaving free passage to the remnant of the Spanish force. Cortes proceeded to the coast, where he received reinforcements, and returned to besiege the city. It was defended with desperate determination, and yielded only after a siege of several months, when the city was nearly levelled with the ground, and after the inhabitants had endured the extremities of famine. The submission of the city was that of the empire, and the Aztecs experienced the fate which had been visited upon the natives in the other Spanish colonies.]
William H. Prescott
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