text: Billy Mitchell takes on EastEnders Red Button Olympic challenge Perry Fenwick will be joined by Omid Djalili, Dame Kelly Holmes, Tessa Sanderson, Matt Baker and Alex Jones in a spin-off episode Comments Written By Tom Cole 10:27 AM, 22 June 2012 EastEnders mainstay Billy Mitchell will be the focus of a spin-off episode of the soap later this month. Mitchell is to carry the Olympic torch through Albert Square live on air during the episode of EastEnders due to go out on Monday 23 July, and Billy's Olympic Nightmare will air in the run up to the occasion. Available via the BBC's Red Button service, the episode will see Mitchell fretting about his responsibilities as an Olympic torch-bearer and suffering nightmares about things going wrong on the big day. Finding himself running late for a series of events at Olympic venues around London, Billy enlists the help of a "cheeky" cabbie called Hercules, played by comedian Omid Djalili, to get him around town. A brace of guest stars including Dame Kelly Holmes, Tessa Sanderson and One Show hosts Matt Baker and Alex Jones also make appearances in the mini-drama to help Billy out along the way, but, as the EastEnders website ponders: "Can they help turn Billy's nightmare into a triumph?" Talking about the episode, actor Perry Fenwick who plays Billy in EastEnders, said: "Like Billy, I am also terrified at what might go wrong as I carry the Olympic torch through Albert Square. "Filming this was like a dress rehearsal of my worst nightmare! It was strange filming at West Ham as again, like Billy, I feel it's my home. I'm over the moon to be carrying the torch through Walford, and working with the likes of Dame Kelly Holmes has made me even more excited to do so!" Billy's Olympic Nightmare will be available on BBC Red Button and BBC iPlayer straight after EastEnders on Monday 16 July. Watch the spin-off's trailer below: Like this? Share it. Facebook Twitter Google Tumblr Pinterest Blogger Reddit VKontakt Print Email


text:
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With the Concept Coupé SUV, Mercedes-Benz is raising the standard to a new, higher level in literally multiple respects. This extremely sporty study impresses as a typical representative of the long-standing coupé tradition at Mercedes-Benz, with a flowing side line, stretched greenhouse and striking radiator grille with central chrome louvre. At the same time the Concept Coupé SUV stands out with its muscular wings, large wheel arches, imposing 22-inch wheels, high beltline and generous ground clearance. Its dynamic handling on the road is also on a superior level. Not only thanks to air suspension, but also to the networking of the powertrain, suspension and interior that it realises. The variable dynamic control system "Dynamic Select Control" provides four fundamentally different transmission modes and an individually programmable setup.
With the Concept Coupé SUV, Mercedes-Benz is raising the standard to a new, higher level in literally multiple respects. This extremely sporty study impresses as a typical representative of the long-standing coupé tradition at Mercedes-Benz, with a flowing side line, stretched greenhouse and striking radiator grille with central chrome louvre. At the same time the Concept Coupé SUV stands out with its muscular wings, large wheel arches, imposing 22-inch wheels, high beltline and generous ground clearance. Its dynamic handling on the road is also on a superior level. Not only thanks to air suspension, but also to the networking of the powertrain, suspension and interior that it realises. The variable dynamic control system "Dynamic Select Control" provides four fundamentally different transmission modes and an individually programmable setup.
"Sensual as a coupé – visionary as an SUV," is the succinct choice of words used by Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Mercedes-Benz, to describe the physiognomy of the Concept Coupé SUV. The four-door, all-wheel drive Coupé has a length of almost five metres, and an imposing width of a good two metres thanks to its broad shoulders and flared wheel arches. At the same time it has a modest height of around 1.75 metres, exhibiting the flat, extended roofline that is typical of a sports coupé. "The Concept Coupé SUV stands out thanks to its extreme proportions and in doing so interprets our hallmark Mercedes coupé design idiom perfectly. With its superior sportiness it conveys a sense of modern luxury and aesthetic aspirations of sensual clarity", continues Gorden Wagener. Like the recessed door handles, frameless side windows blend perfectly into the vehicle flanks to accentuate the coupé-like character even further. In line with a tradition and like all recent study vehicles, the Concept Coupé SUV is painted in the "ALU-BEAM" paint finish, which is also reminiscent of the technically ground-breaking Silver Arrows of the 1930s and 1950s.
The upright sports grille with single louvre, framed by the three-dimensionally designed modern, all-LED Multibeam headlamps, is the major feature of the front end with its short, stylish overhang. Soft cubes dominate the grille insert, and the forward-sloping bonnet with its typical Mercedes power domes underlines the membership of the Concept Coupé SUV in the line-up of particularly sporty Mercedes-Benz models. A discreet reference to the SUV genes of this study is provided by the harmoniously integrated, illuminated side sills, which are reminiscent of the running boards found on classic SUVs or off-roaders. Indicators have always pointed the way in the best sense of the word, however in the Concept Coupé SUV they take on a new form. The direction indicators operate with a moving digital light band whose lighting elements light up sequentially from inside to outside, indicating the change in direction in two ways.
Elegant rear end: in the style of the S-Class Coupé
The coupé-like nature of the Concept Coupé SUV is also emphasised by the design of the rear end with its obvious elements of the design line first presented with the S-Class Coupé, which will be followed by all coupé models from Mercedes-Benz in future. The styling characteristics of this include the slim band of rear lights with their ruby-like, three-dimensional look and the registration plate now incorporated into the rear bumper. Another feature that has for generations distinguished the large coupé models from Mercedes-Benz is the typical shape of the rear window which is rounded off at the top. A discreet SUV reference is made by the simulated underguard into which the tailpipes of the dual-flow exhaust system are integrated. Polished aluminium predominates here, as on the integral door handles, the side sills, the front air intakes and the edging of the greenhouse.
Wide, flush-fitted 22-inch wheels with tyres in size 305/45 R 22 make the vehicle sit squarely on the road, and leave no doubt about the passion of the Concept Coupé SUV: at very first glance this trailblazing study signals its sporty, dynamic ambitions.
Haute Couture: the Mercedes-Benz coupé range
Developing and creating new model families and vehicle classes has traditionally been one of the strengths of Mercedes-Benz, the inventor of the automobile. This is particularly obvious in the history of its coupés, and most especially in the very recent past. Models such as the four-door Coupés or the Shooting Brakes in the CLS-Class have not only created completely new vehicle classes, but have also had a lasting influence on the model policies of different manufacturers, found numerous imitators and proved to be an outstanding sales success. The same can be said of the CLA-Class, which has been able to transfer the success of the CLS into the compact class and is also extraordinarily popular with customers. With the Concept Coupé SUV, Mercedes-Benz is now taking a similar approach. The study follows this coupé theme within the SUV sector consistently and demonstrates how a four-door, all-wheel drive series production coupé might look.
Concept Coupé SUV – pilot project for new SUV worlds
As a compact all-rounder, the GLA has already translated the suggestion of a coupé-like design idiom into an SUV format, thereby giving indications of a new SUV line from Mercedes-Benz which the Concept Coupé SUV now fully brings to perfection. With this concept car, Mercedes-Benz is announcing the possible expansion of the previously uniform SUV off-roader family:
The Concept Coupé SUV illustrates the possibilities of a more sporty and dynamic "on-road line".
The model families of the GLA, GLK, M, GL and G-Class stand for a versatile and superior "off-road line".
This presents customers with definite advantages, as they are able to order a vehicle specifically meeting their needs and wishes.
2014 Mercedes Benz Concept Coupe SUV Picture gallery
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The 2014 model year Jaguar XJ is the latest in a long line of luxurious Jaguar sports saloons, incorporating enhanced rear cabin luxury features, comfort and in-car technology to create a truly elegant and contemporary luxury Jaguar.
The Jaguar XJ is offered with a choice of a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder i4 turbocharged petrol engine, diesel and supercharged petrol 3.0-litre V6 engines and four 5.0-litre V8 petrol engines, one normally aspirated and three supercharged.
Enhanced luxury features in the rear cabin of the 2014 model year XJ add to the already luxurious status of Jaguar's flagship saloon
A comprehensive range of engines – 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol, 3.0-litre V6 diesel and supercharged petrol and four 5.0-litre V8 petrol powerplants – enhances customer choice in key global markets
Intelligent All-Wheel Drive System, which monitors grip levels and driver input to provide maximum traction at all times, is available as an option on the 14MY XJ with 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine
An even more spacious long-wheelbase version of the 14MY XJ is available
A new Jaguar flagship sports saloon – the 550PS XJR – combines supercar performance and assertive looks with the XJ's typically high levels of luxury
All engines in the 2014 XJ range – including the 2.0-litre i4 Ti 240 turbocharged petrol unit – are now available with Intelligent Stop/Start system
All available engines deliver their power through smooth shifting eight-speed automatic transmissions
"The 2014 XJ represents the summit of Jaguar's luxury saloon range. The XJ's unparalleled breadth of talent combines class-leading levels of luxury, comfort and performance with the elegant, contemporary design for which Jaguar is renowned."
Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director, Jaguar
The 2014 model year Jaguar XJ is the latest in a long line of luxurious Jaguar sports saloons, incorporating enhanced rear cabin luxury features, comfort and in-car technology to create a truly elegant and contemporary luxury Jaguar.
The Jaguar XJ is offered with a choice of a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder i4 turbocharged petrol engine, diesel and supercharged petrol 3.0-litre V6 engines and four 5.0-litre V8 petrol engines, one normally aspirated and three supercharged.
The 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engine, which has been developed from the award-winning 5.0-litre V8, powers Jaguar's 'intelligent' All-Wheel Drive system which continuously monitors grip levels and driver inputs to provide maximum traction in all conditions.
The 2.0-litre i4 turbocharged petrol engine, now available with Jaguar's Intelligent Stop/Start system, uses a range of state-of-the-art technologies for power generation that belies its size. It produces 240PS and 340Nm thanks to the use of three key innovations – low-inertia turbocharging, direct fuel-injection and variable timing of both the intake and exhaust camshafts.
These engines, as well as the other XJ variants, are mated to Jaguar's eight-speed automatic gearbox which offers a broad spread of ratios for a perfectly balanced combination of smooth-shifting, economy and driver control.
The long-wheelbase models feature enhanced rear cabin luxury features which include 'airline' style reclining seats with massage function, increased headroom*, fold-out business tables and a specially re-tuned rear suspension set-up to enhance rear seat ride comfort.
*Not for the US market
The entertainment system has been enhanced with a Rear Seat Entertainment package featuring two hi-resolution touchscreens, and optional premium Meridian Reference Audio System with Conversation Assist.
The 14MY XJ's luxurious feel is underlined by the palette of materials used on the interior. This includes Bond grain, soft grain and semi-aniline leather, and a wide choice of veneers including Piano Black, Carbon Fibre, Gloss Burr Walnut and Satin Rosewood. The 14MY XJ also features a range of wheels including the newly designed Manra 18-inch lightweight forged alloy.
The 14MY 'R' version of the XJ incorporates bespoke chassis and aerodynamic developments to create the most focused, agile and responsive XJR ever. Seamless performance from its 550PS/680Nm, 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine makes the XJR capable of accelerating from zero to 60mph in 4.4 seconds (0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds) and on to an electronically limited top speed of 174mph (280km/h).
"With a dynamic set-up tuned for both performance and incredible comfort, the new XJR brings immense breadth of capability to the segment, creating the ultimate high-performance luxury saloon car."
Andrew Dobson, Chief Programme Engineer, Jaguar XJ
The 2014 XJ features a range of enhanced interior features focussed on the rear cabin of the car, which upgrade both the luxury and functionality of the XJ's rear environment, resulting in the most accomplished Jaguar luxury saloon.
The rear passenger compartment of the 2014 LWB car includes two individual 'airline style' reclining seats which both feature cushion and squab adjustment, three massage programs – Wave/Rolling, Lumbar and Shoulder – to provide optimum levels of relaxation during long journeys, lumbar adjustment and two memory settings for each seat. The total recline adjustment of each seat is 11 degrees, with 103mm lateral cushion movement and 14 degrees of upper articulation movement. The rear seat home positioning setting returns each seat to its home position at the touch of a button on the door panel, easing entry and exit.
The new centre armrest, which can be stowed in the upright position to allow the use of the centre seat, houses all the seat controls as well as the Front Seat Activation button which allows control of the front passenger seat from the rear.
Front seat enhancements include massage functions for each seat with five levels of intensity, allowing occupants to personalise their massage settings to their preference.
Through the use of the front touchscreen, any one of the four electric seats can be selected and then fully controlled via the driver's seat switches. The rear seats can be returned to their home position by the use of the touchscreen and driver's memory buttons, and can also be programmed to return to their home position on rear door opening for ease of entry and exit.
Rear-seat passengers in the LWB version of the 2014 XJ are provided with a wide range of entertainment features. The Rear Seat Entertainment package comprises two 10.2″ high-resolution screens mounted on the back of the front seat headrests. These can display inputs from a number of sources; the DVD player, digital TV tuner or an external media player that can be synced through the Rear Media Interface, which provides USB and RCA connections. Audio can be transmitted through the wireless headphones, allowing each passenger to watch separate entertainment sources. The rear seat environment, including the entertainment, is managed by a wireless controller housed in the centre console which also allows passengers to alter their individual climate zones and seat heating and cooling functions.
The LWB XJ also features leather-surfaced business tables in the rear, which fold out of the seatbacks of the front seats. To keep rear seat passengers shielded from the sun, and to offer privacy, the XJ offers electric rear-side window blinds that are operated via the window lift switches. An increase in rear headroom* by 13mm gives rear-seat passengers the optimum in luxurious, limousine levels of comfort.
*Not for the US market
The 2014 XJ engine range includes an ultra-efficient, high-powered 2.0-litre i4 turbocharged petrol engine, powerful and efficient 3.0-litre V6 petrol and diesel engines, as well as a 5.0-litre normally aspirated engine and three supercharged 5.0-litre units putting out 470PS, 510PS, and in the XJR, 550PS.
The XJ's 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engine powers the car's All-Wheel Drive system which operates 'intelligently', continuously monitoring grip levels and driver inputs to both pre-empt and react to wheel-slip, enabling maximum traction in all conditions. At speed in normal grip conditions the AWD system delivers drive to the rear wheels, thus providing the dynamic driving experience that all Jaguars are renowned for, while also maximising powertrain efficiency in all weather and road conditions.
The 2.0-litre i4 turbocharged petrol engine, which produces 240PS and 340Nm of torque, is offered with Jaguar's Intelligent Stop/Start system for 14MY.
Eight-speed Transmission
Maximising the benefit of the engine calibration is the eight-speed automatic transmission, which brings out the performance of the XJ while still maintaining the car's composure in town and in low-speed driving environments.
When operating in automatic mode, the transmission can detect the manner in which the car is being driven by monitoring acceleration and braking, cornering forces, throttle and brake pedal activity, road load and kickdown request. On detecting a more enthusiastic driving style, the transmission will automatically make the gearshifts more aggressive and move the shift-up point higher in the rev range. Steering wheel-mounted gearshift paddles give the driver higher levels of control.
Intelligent Stop/Start system
The 14MY XJ powered by the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine now features Jaguar's Intelligent Stop-Start system, which uses a Twin Solenoid Starter (TSS) to shut down the engine when the car comes to a halt, and restart it in less time than it takes for the driver's foot to move from the brake to the accelerator.
The system offers 'change of mind' functionality, enabling the engine to quickly restart even during its rundown phase to allow the driver to, for example, exploit a gap in traffic at a junction. An illuminated 'ECO' symbol appears on the instrument panel when the engine has been stopped by the system. Intelligent Stop-Start can be turned off manually, but it will automatically be turned on again for the vehicle's next journey with every ignition cycle. The system operates in all modes apart from Reverse. The 14MY XJ has a secondary battery fitted specifically for engine re-starting, meaning that all the normal car systems – such as the entertainment system, the ventilation and lights – continue to receive power from the standard car battery and are unaffected by the re-start. In addition, a sophisticated control system ensures that the Stop/Start operation only occurs when the car does not require the engine for other functions.
With the 14MY XJ, navigation is now available in nearly all the 101 markets that the XJ is sold in. A number of markets will now have an SD card based system, which uses the capacitive touch screen and integrates with the vehicle positioning systems to providing accurate and fast route guidance. As an industry first, a combination of Tracks4Africa and City Maps covering 15 African markets is offered.
To underline its purpose in ensuring that passengers remain luxuriously cosseted at all times, the LWB version of the 14MY XJ features revisions to the rear suspension for optimised ride compliance, providing a smoother journey for rear seat occupants.
While this provides a truly relaxing experience for rear seat passengers, the XJ loses none of the model's core dynamic abilities and so is as rewarding to drive as it is to be driven in. The XJ's lightweight aluminium construction means a weight saving over its rivals of as much as 150kg, resulting in great advantages in terms of agility, acceleration, braking and driver feedback and involvement.
14MY XJ customers can choose from an exterior palette comprising 15 colours: Polaris White, Ebony, Ultimate Black, Stratus Grey, Lunar Grey, Rhodium Silver, Cashmere, Osmium Blue, Dark Sapphire, Caviar, Carnelian Red, Black Amethyst, Italian Racing Red, British Racing Green and Satellite Grey.
The 14MY XJ also features newly designed 18-inch Manra lightweight forged alloy wheels, and soft closing door technology which ensures that the doors of the XJ are securely closed with minimum exertion and undue noise.
An optional range-topping 1300W Meridian™ Reference Audio System – with 26 super premium speaker drive units upgraded to reduce distortion and improve linearity – is available for the 14MY XJ.
The Meridian™ Reference Audio System incorporates two 80mm speakers and one 25mm tweeter set in the rear of the each of the front seats; this combined with the speaker drive unit upgrades delivers a concert-like experience for all vehicle occupants. The system also incorporates DEC, which is a progression of the successful Dynamic Volume Control (DVC). This utilises the microphones above each listening position to optimise the frequency response and level of the sound to compensate exactly for varying levels and types of noise registered.
The Meridian™ Reference Audio System is visually recognisable with unique badging on the doors and rear parcel shelf and also the red cones on the door speakers, which are visible through the speaker grilles.
Conversation Assist
Conversation Assist, which is only available with the Meridian™ Reference Audio System, utilises a microphone above each seating position and digital audio processing technology to reinforce the occupant's voice via the vehicle's audio system. This makes it much easier for occupants to be heard clearly by the other occupants in the vehicle above any cabin noise.
Conversation Assist can be activated whenever the infotainment system is on, whether audio sources are actively playing through the audio system or not, but the feature will not be active when in a phone call or voice session.
2014 Jaguar XJ Picture gallery
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subset: commoncrawl


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Soul and Substance of the Grateful Dead
By Neal Karlen;
Published: August 12, 1995
MINNEAPOLIS— The trouble for superheroes is what to do between phone booths," said the writer Ken Kesey, referring to the failure of many of his fellow counterculture icons to write second acts to their lives. He would have known; his last good book had already come out by 1965, the year he hired an unknown jug band fronted by a nine-fingered guitarist named Jerry Garcia to provide the live soundtrack for his San Francisco-based, LSD-laced hippie revolution.
Mr. Garcia, who died this week at 53 in a California drug treatment center, solved Mr. Kesey's superhero problem by forever staying in the same phone booth in which he had alchemized into the famous Captain Trips of the Grateful Dead. And though the 1967 Summer of Love died faster then you could say President-elect Richard Nixon, Jerry Garcia just kept playing on with the psychedelic optimism of one who still actually believed that flower children could stop war by sticking daisies into rifle barrels of National Guardsman.
His formula worked for 30 years. The Grateful Dead are the world's most popular touring band, last year grossing $50 million and drawing rock's longest-lasting mass audience.
But Mr. Garcia will always be remembered for unpretentious magnetism. As The New York Times obituary noted, "Within the music business, the Dead exemplified integrity in a sphere of hype and artifice." ABC's "Nightline" provided an appropriately hallucinogenic scene of Ted Koppel, the musician David Crosby and Senator Patrick Leahy exchanging elegies to Mr. Garcia's enduring greatness.
Lost amid the nostalgia, however, were several less-romantic realities.
There were always paradoxes to the group's version of anti-success. "We don't do what the system says," declared Rock Scully, the group's manager in the 60's. "When all the other groups were making it, we were playing free in the park, man."
But to Joe Smith, the button-down Warner Brothers executive who signed them, the anticommercialism worked as a marketing tactic. "We found we couldn't sell the Grateful Dead's records in a traditional manner," he said. "The packaging was important. The cult was important. Free concerts where you handed out fruits and berries were important."
And so was the acid. Mr. Garcia said that after he first took LSD, "the whole world went kablooey." Indeed. Drugs were his inspiration and his albatross. Besides his massive lifetime intake of hallucinogens, he also spent years as a heroin addict (a relapse sent him to the clinic in which he died) and a lifetime as a three-pack-a-day cigarette smoker and junk-food junkie.
To his credit, Mr. Garcia, unlike most rock stars, made no bones about what he was up to. "All kinds of drugs have been useful to me," he said in a 1991 Rolling Stone interview. "As far as I'm concerned, the results are not in." The final results came in on Wednesday, and though the death certificate indicates heart failure, few doubt that he died from anything but a lifetime of playing Captain Trips.
Mr. Garcia's legions, meantime, had been increasingly violating the band's ethos of better living through chemistry and good karma. This summer's tour was marred by a riot between rock-throwing Deadheads and the police at a concert in Indiana. It was really nothing new: wasted, unruly gate crashers had reached such alarming numbers in recent years that the band outlawed overnight camping at concert sites -- long a staple of a Deadhead pilgrimage.
Even Jerry Garcia seemed to give up. He appeared listless at his final concert on July 9 in Chicago, and even with the help of a Teleprompter he stumbled on classic lyrics. He had long stopped speaking between songs, wishing to escape the scrutiny of obsessional fans who analyzed his every utterance.
Still, Jerry Garcia will be remembered fondly by even today's rock fans who prefer their music to reek of youth, grunge and despair. Consider what happened in San Francisco in 1993 at Lollapalooza, the traveling Generation X concert-cum-circus that is as organized and cutting edge as Dead concerts were anarchic and retro. Dr. Timothy Leary mounted the stage and announced, "I'm having a flashback! Twenty-five years ago at this city's Golden Gate Park, there was the first be-in in the world!"
The cynical crowd was unmoved by the irrelevant history lesson. The one-time acid guru then pointed to the sky. "Look! There's the Jefferson Airplane!" More silence. "And Janis Joplin." Nothing. "And the Grateful Dead!" With those words, the audience finally let loose with a roar that was as long, loud and joyful as a Jerry Garcia guitar solo on the bearded Buddha's best day.
Photo: Anticommercialism as marketing tactic: In the parking lot outside a Grateful Dead concert, Oakland, Calif., 1991. (Source: Brooks Kraft/Sygma)


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Hey chowhound Outer Boroughs, I`ve lived in Minneapolis for the majority of my life and in about a week I'm moving to Bushwick (Wyckoff and DeKalb) and I'm getting super hyped on the food scene in New York. Bushwick seems to be a black hole in food, other than Puerto Rican and Mexican, but I am willing to go out of the way for some place special.
I'm wondering if there are any recommendations for places I would not otherwise be able to find. I've searched all over yelp and chowhound and there are some obvious places, (within the first week I'm definately heading to Flushing), but other places? I'm looking for cheap on the order of 3-7 dollars for a meal. Dives/hole in the wall type places would be great. Cheaper the better.
We have a fair amount of: Veitnamese, Thai, Sushi, German, Scandinavian (my family), Ethiopian, Middle Eastern, and Mexican.
We don't have much in the way of: Korean, Malay, Japanese (non sushi), Indian, African (other than Ethiopian), East European, Southern, Chinese (broad, I know), Spainish (Basque especially), and pretty much any other types of cusines.
Any places I have to try? Specific dishes? Personal favorites? Ultra cheap?
Any suggestions would be awesome and much appreciated.


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PM Press Conference – 3 February 2014
PM Press Conference – ACT Leadership | Election coalitions | Waitangi Day - 3 February 2014
by Anne Russell
The Prime Minister met briefly with the press gallery today and discussed the upcoming election, the ACT Party leadership, the minimum wage, and issues around changing the flag, Waitangi Day and national identity.
The last 10 minutes of press conference are unavailable on video. You can listen to the full audio below.
The Prime Minister was asked questions on the new ACT leader, Jamie Whyte, and National's relationship with the ACT Party leading up to the election. Reporters inquired about the ethics of National propping up minor parties like ACT and United Future when their party polling is extremely low, accusing Key of gerrymandering. Key did not give much substantive feedback, telling reporters to ask about National's coalition prospects nearer to the election. They may yet work again with the Maori Party, despite the fact pointed out by a journalist that the Maori Party has voted against National on most issues during their coalition. Key said that while they were bound by a confidence and supply agreement on some issues, the budget for that may have to be increased in order to ensure the Maori Party as a future coalition partner.
Key was asked if his floated proposal for a referendum on the New Zealand flag was an election ploy for NZ first and conservatives. However, he said that the electoral implications were hard to read, and that the proposal was related to a nation-building exercise.
When asked about Waitangi Day celebrations, Key opined that most protesters were opportunists looking to be on camera. However, he admitted that those living around Waitangi in Northland may have some reason to protest, given that it is a predominantly Maori area with a lot of poverty. He thought that many of the protesters gave a poor image of what Waitangi Day is about for most New Zealanders. He did not give a definitive answer to how his aforementioned nation-building exercise intersected with ideas about Waitangi Day and racism.
Other topics discussed included raising the minimum wage, the Genesis announcement, and the Christchurch rebuild.
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download) in either
MP3 format or in OGG format.
Click for big version.


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At their recent meeting Bradford Peverell Parish Councillors discussed the positioning of grit bins.
Hopefully before next winter 5 bins will be installed in various points round the village for residents to use in icy weather.
One will be placed by the churchyard wall. There will be one up the hill towards Poundbury and another near the top of the gradient with a further bin near Giles Close.
The position of the fifth has still to be decided.
Cllr Neil Howard was pleased to report that various potholes had been dealt with promptly both in the village and in Muckleford.
Grass had also been cut at the junction from the village to the A 37 and visibility was now good.
English Heritage has been contacted over the remains of the Roman Aqueduct as the listed part of the relic has disappeared and the remaining part is unprotected.
This is a long standing dilemma but a form has been sent off which might resolve the situation.
Cllr Neil Howard has attended a meeting concerning the proposed drainage scheme for Church Lane.
Surveys have been completed and computer modelling carried out and it appears there are several options for the run off water.
At the next meeting it is hoped that there will be a presentation to the Parish Council about this matter.
The Parish Plan is well under way and questionnaires have been sent out to villagers for return by August 6th.
It was also suggested by the Chair that trees be planted on the verges near Ash Hill where vegetation and trees have been trimmed to help river flow.
There has also been a meeting with Mr Comber over the sightlines of the Poundbury development.
Trees are on the plan to soften the distant views but are apparently to be contained in concrete to limit their height.
There was another reassurance at this meeting that Poundbury traffic would have no access to the narrow Poundbury Road leading to the village.
The next meeting is on Thursday 2nd September.


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In the News
June 20, 2005
University of California joins alliance to protect popular flower
The University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM) has teamed up with growers, ornamental plant organizations, and industry personnel to develop integrated pest management strategies to protect a $300 million cut flower industry in California.
California is our countrys largest producer of gerbera flowers, one of the most popular ornamental flowers in the world with more than 200 varieties. Gerbera growers often spray pesticides to control pests such as leafminers, whiteflies, and thrips.
With funding from UC IPM and other organizations in the Gerbera Pest Management Alliance (GPMA), researchers are investigating ways to improve the timing for releasing natural enemies, integrating biological control, and using new reduced-risk pesticides to control destructive pests. A key concern is to determine how many pests are present and the number of pests it takes to impact crop yields so that growers can skip treatments when they are unnecessary.
Four 10,000-square-foot sites in Encinitas, Carpinteria, Ventura, and Watsonville are being used to develop standardized sampling methods and thresholds for gerberas. Without knowing how different numbers of pests affect a crop, growers dont know the best time to spray pesticides or to release natural enemies, which can result either in crop losses or excessive control costs. With science-based information on pest pressure and risk gathered in these experiments, growers will have a better understanding of when to apply natural enemies or pesticides so they can obtain the best possible pest control and reduce pesticide use.
Researchers studied climatic factors such as temperature and humidity and non-climatic variables such as variety and leaf age to help determine optimal pest management practices. When complete, this study will serve as a model system for cut and potted floriculture crops statewide.
The Gerbera Pest Management Alliance has been designed to advance integrated pest management and biological control strategies for gerbera growers wherever they may fall on the pest management continuum, says UC Davis Entomologist Michael Parrella, who is one of the investigators of the project. We have some growers who are actively using biological control, while others are just starting. This program, based on developing solid sampling strategies, will offer all growers the opportunity to advance their integrated pest management. We meet three times a year at a cooperating grower's packing shed, review progress of the GPMA, share experiences, and tour the gerbera production area.
Other GPMA members are the California Cut Flower Commission, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, county advisors, allied industries and manufacturers of reduced-risk pesticides. The California Cut Flower Commission, the Hansen Trust, USDA (via the National Floriculture & Nursery Research Initiative), and the American Floral Endowment also provided funding.
High-resolution image (156KB) "Colorful gerbera heads." Photo credit: Courtesy of UC Statewide IPM Program, Jack Kelly Clark. Photos are for use with this release only. All other uses see Legal Notices.
Gerbera Pest Management Alliance
National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
Stephanie Klunk, Communications Specialist
Michael Parrella, Entomologist


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Exxaro Resources says it has no plans to consolidate $338 million takeover target African Iron's Congo-based iron ore assets with those of its neighbour, Equatorial Resources.
But Exxaro's chief executive, Sipho Nkosi, said the South African coal giant had identified other targets if a rival bid for African Iron emerged to spoil the party.
"If this one doesn't happen there are still other projects out there, although we believe [African Iron's] an excellent opportunity," he said.
Any potential rival bidder has until Monday to make clear its intentions after African Iron's 25 per cent shareholder,
"A very important part of this process is entering into a pre-bid acceptance by Monday next week in respect of [Cape Lambert's] 19.9 per cent unless a higher bid surfaces by Monday," Exxaro finance director Wim de Klerk said.
Cape Lambert reiterated yesterday that it intended to accept the bid for its remaining 5.25 per cent holding in African Iron although it had longer to do so.
Exxaro has not talked with other major shareholders, including 19.9 per cent holder Equatorial Resources or fund managers BlackRock Investment Management and Och Ziff Holdings, who each own 7 per cent of African Iron.
"If we would have approached Equatorial as well, it would have extended the time and made it more complicated as well," Mr Nkosi said.
"If we were seeking deal certainty we could have spoken to many of the shareholders," he said.
Exxaro has set a minimum of 50 per cent acceptance as a condition of the bid.
Equatorial managing director John Welborn said his company remained focused on developing its own iron ore projects for the time being and did not expect to discuss the takeover with Exxaro in the immediate future.
"We've spoken to Exxaro in the past," he said, adding that he expected talks would restart before the offer closed on February 14.
"We obviously know African Iron very well and we've been in the data room before," he said.
Analyst Duncan Hughes of Ambrian Mining said that despite the offer price being less than his target valuation of 87¢ a share for African Iron, "given the current volatility and uncertainty in the equity market, we believe this represents a good offer to African Iron shareholders".
Argonaut Securities said the valuation placed on African Mining took the pressure off Equatorial to define a large reserve by mid 2012.
"To underpin its current share price based on the Exxaro – African Iron multiples would require Equatorial to come up with only 40 million tonnes of iron ore (or less than 20 million tonnes of contained iron) - will within its targeted 50 million to 100 million tonne hematite target," the broker said.
The Australian Financial Review


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Is This Subungual Pigmented Streak Cause for Concern?
Is This Subungual Pigmented Streak Cause for Concern?
August 02, 2010 | Skin Diseases
During a routine physical examination, a 3-mm dark brown streak is noted on the fourth toe of a 54-year-old man. The patient does not recall any trauma to the foot and was unaware of the discoloration until it was pointed out to him. There is no hyperpigmentation of adjacent skin.
What do you suspect?
(Case and photo courtesy of Caron M. Grin, MD and Marti Jill Rothe, MD.)
Answer: Subungual melanoma
For more information about this case, please click here.


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Tiger Woods admits short game coming up short
BETHESDA, Md. – Tiger Woods said Tuesday that his new swing is pain-free — for his surgically repaired left knee.
As for his short game, that's another matter.
"I finally have a swing that doesn't hurt, and I am still generating power, but it doesn't hurt anymore," said Woods, who overhauled his swing previously with Butch Harmon and Hank Haney and is now working with Sean Foley. "I would say certainly my short game has been something that has taken a hit, and it did the same thing when I was working with Butch and the same thing when I was working with Hank.
"During that period of time, my short game went down, and it's because I was working on my full game. Eventually I get to a point where the full game becomes very natural and I can repeat it day after day, and I can dedicate most of my time to my short game again."
Woods, speaking at a news conference for the AT&T National, which starts Thursday at Congressional Country Club, said he spent time with his two children last week and didn't do much work on his game following the U.S. Open. In the second major championship of the year, his game left him during a lost weekend in San Francisco on the Lake Course at the Olympic Club, when he tumbled from a share of the lead after 36 holes into a tie for 21st with closing rounds of 75-73 that left him six shots behind winner Webb Simpson.
"I think that overall, the way I struck the golf ball, I was very pleased by that," said Woods, ranked No. 4 in the world and a winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Memorial this season. "I didn't particularly chip or putt well that week, something that I had done at Memorial. I just didn't do that week, and obviously at the Open, that's just one of the things you have to do, and I didn't do that. I didn't make anything from 15 or 20 feet. I made a bunch of putts from 8 to 10 feet and in, but I didn't make any other putts.
"That week I played very conservative. My game plan worked for the first couple days. I was playing away from a lot of flags, lag putting, but I didn't make anything. I need to hit the ball a little bit closer than I did that week."
Posted | Updated


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French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his camp are trying to keep their cool and push on with a vote on pension reform that would change France's official retirement age, but the opposition isn't backing down. In fact, labor unions have set aside two more days to strike—Oct. 28 and Nov. 6—and in the meantime, everyone from school kids to transportation workers is doing his or her part to make things difficult for the government. —KA
The Washington Post:
Unions vowed that their striking workers would keep disrupting rail and road transportation. Teenagers marched through the streets and pledged to go on boycotting their schools. The government, trying to appear unfazed, urged Parliament to ignore the chaos and speed up the vote on a bitterly contested pension reform.
France remained stuck Thursday in what has become a major test of President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative presidency—the turmoil caused by a nationwide strike and protest movement that has maintained its momentum well into a second month.
AP / Francois Mori
Students shout slogans against the French government's plan to raise the retirement age during a demonstration in Paris on Thursday. The poster reads "Sarko-Fillon, Breakers of Society"—referring to French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Prime Minister Francois Fillon.


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Backed by the Good Housekeeping Seal – this is a classic must-have for every man's work wardrobe, in a wrinkle-free striped cotton fabric.
From the substantial 5.5 oz. wrinkle-free, non-iron fabric and lustrous finish to the remarkable durability and expert tailoring, this classic dress shirt is a standout.
Questions? Chat with an Expert


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Rent Migration And Development In The Caribbean 1st edition today, or search our site for other textbooks by Robert A. Pastor. Every textbook comes with a 21-day "Any Reason" guarantee. Published by Westview Press.
Need help ASAP? We have you covered with 24/7 instant online tutoring. Connect with one of our US-History tutors now.


text: Home > Products/Tools > Office Technology > Computers: Share and Share Alike: Setting Up a File Server Office Technology Computers: Share and Share Alike: Setting Up a File Server By Joe Stoddard Login or Register to download the PDF version of this article. (125.58 kB) Computers are cheaper than ever, which means contractors can afford one for each hand, some for their employees, and a couple of spares. That's the good news. The bad news is that multiple computers equal multiple Excedrin headaches when it comes to file and document management. Ask anyone who has wasted a day or two working on the wrong version of a set of CAD plans or has mailed a customer a detailed quote based on last year's prices.Luckily, more and more of you are using broadband Internet access and setting up networks so you can share the connection. That opens the door for the next logical step -- setting up a "file server." Login or Register to continue reading


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BONN (Aug. 26)
West Germany goes to the polls on September 15 to elect a new Bundestag, the Lower House of the German Parliament, and the expectations today were that the Christian Democratic Union(CDU) headed by Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) would attract more than three-fourths of the entire vote. Hence the electoral struggle is being fought with mounting heat and reports from various sections of the country indicated that attempts were being made to create opposition to the Social Democrats by falsely labelling Erich Ollenhauer, leader of the party, as a Jew. A word-of-mouth campaign stressed that "good Germans" could not support a party which might nominate a Jew as Chancellor.
In the first court case involving this whispering campaign, an official of Chancellor Adenauer's party offered a formal apology for having represented Dr. Ollenhauer as a Jew and the national executive manager of the party followed this up by expressing regrets to the Social Democratic leader for "the ludicrous and stupid asservation."
These apologies followed action by the Social Democratic Party in Aachen against Erich Rademacher of the CDU. The public prosecutor indicted Rademacher for insulting Dr. Ollenhauer. Prior to the opening of the proceedings, however, the defendant, on instructions from national CDU headquarters, proferred an apology and the Social Democrats deferred pressing the criminal complaint pending formal repudiation by CDU of the anti-Semitic innuendos. This was forthcoming with Dr. Heck's letter to Dr. Ollenhauer.
In the Bundestag elections four years ago, Dr. Ollenhauer was constrained to prove his "Aryan" origin. In the 1953 elections, the anti-Semitic appeal was restricted to provincial areas but took forms which lent themselves to reply. In this election, however, the anti-Semitic theme has been carried by word-of-mouth and has been most difficult to check.
A paradox in the situation has been that the only reply has been to sue on the grounds that a statement that a man is a Jew is libelous and insulting. But the Social Democratic campaign directors are aware that to ignore the whispering campaign and not reply to charges that their leader is Jewish would cost them heavily in votes.


text:
From the article:
Robotics tournament brings hundreds of Montana students to MSU
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137 Joralemon StreetApt. 7
Clinton Street / Henry Street Brooklyn Heights
This home has been sold
We have 6 similar homes for sale.
Subway Lines
Nearby Subway Stations
- Price$650,000
- TypeCo-op
- Bedrooms3
- Bathrooms2
- Rooms6
- Exposure North & South
Key Features
- Duplex
- Roof deck
- Terrace
- Pet friendly
- Full skyline view
- Central air
- Dishwasher
- Excellent light
- Exposed brick
- Hardwood floors
- New windows
- Office
- Prewar detail
- Security system
- Storage space
- Washer/dryer
- Wood-burning fireplace
Dramatic duplex in a prime Brooklyn Heights location. This apartment offers two bedrooms and two full bathrooms. In addition you can have a home office and large loft area to be used as a family room or possibily a third bedroom. Other features include wbfp, w/d and a 650 square foot deck!
Additional features of this property include: State-of-the-Art A/V system, Ethernet, and 50" drop down plasma TV in media room.
Agents Ask us a question
email@example.com Email Me See my 1 other sale listing
email@example.com Email Me
Brooklyn Heights
Living in Brooklyn Heights
The true gem of Brooklyn Heights is the Promenade, a half-mile long waterfront esplanade that draws visitors all year round. With panoramic views of Manhattan and an easy commute to the city, Brooklyn Heights is the perfect marriage of convenience and beauty. The elegant townhouses that line the Brooklyn Promenade are some of the most coveted homes for sale in the area. These 19th-Century mansions were built to take advantage of the neighborhood's sweeping views of the water and the Manhattan skyline. Many of the homes also have details like multiple fireplaces, libraries, and even the occasional elevator.
137 Joralemon Street
Clinton St - Montague St7 mins
Clinton St - Montague St7 mins
Clinton St - Montague St7 mins
Clinton St - Montague St7 mins
Clinton St - Montague St7 mins
Smith St - Bergen St7 mins
Smith St - Bergen St7 mins
Red Cross Pl - Adams St7 mins
Red Cross Pl - Adams St7 mins
- Prewar
- Built in 1834
- 4 floors
- 5 units
- Pet friendly
- Central laundry room


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The event features dancing, pictures, corsages, a craft, snacks
and a keepsake to take home.
Have a magical night with dinner, dancing and fun. Dancing and
DJ-led games will follow dessert.
The Horner Park Jazz Band provides live music for this family
Enjoy dancing, snacks, games, fun, and giveaways. Contact Carmen
Colyer, [email protected]
The best martial
artists in the world compete for the Warrior Cups, the equivalent
of Olympic Gold Medals in the Martial Arts World. Meet Leo Howard,
martial artist and teen star of Disney's Kickin It and watch local
teen Micah Karns defend his world championship title.
Feature the black bear and its adaptations for survival in the
forest. Crawl into the bear's den, compare your senses to that of
the black bear, feel his fur, come face to face with a black bear
mount and more.
See a toy so amazing, so unbelievable, it has the power to
transform into anything you want it to be. Enter a world where
imagination rules, and ordinary becomes extraordinary.
The exhibit features the illustrations of W. W. Denslow, a
Chicago resident whose famous illustrations helped to inspire the
design of the classic 1939 MGM film starring Judy Garland. The
bright and colorful exhibit provides a variety of learning
opportunities and hands-on activities within a three-dimensional
representation of Denslow's distinctive illustrations.
Discover how sounds make music, and how music makes you feel,
with activities like making melodies on bolt- and wrench-a-phones,
using soft sculpture pegs to make a music box, blowing air over a
reed, moving musical notes on a staff, beating percussion
instruments, and creating an artistic masterpiece that reflects how
music makes you feel
Visitors become space adventurers and set off on a journey to
discover the Universe in a way never done before. Travel a billion
light-years and back, fly through space, orbit the Moon, zoom into
a canyon on Mars, and soar through the cosmic web where a million
galaxies shower down. The experience was created utilizing real
telescopic data and the best scientific imagery.


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Stream.Seek Method
When overridden in a derived class, sets the position within the current stream.
Assembly: mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)
'Declaration Public MustOverride Function Seek ( _ offset As Long, _ origin As SeekOrigin _ ) As Long 'Usage Dim instance As Stream Dim offset As Long Dim origin As SeekOrigin Dim returnValue As Long returnValue = instance.Seek(offset, origin)
- offset
- Type: System.Int64
A byte offset relative to the origin parameter.
- origin
- Type: System.IO.SeekOrigin
A value of type SeekOrigin indicating the reference point used to obtain the new position.
Return ValueType: System.Int64
The new position within the current stream.
An I/O error occurs.
The stream does not support seeking, such as if the stream is constructed from a pipe or console output.
Methods were called after the stream was closed.
For an example of creating a file and writing text to a file, see How to: Write Text to a File. For an example of reading text from a file, see How to: Read Text from a File. For an example of reading from and writing to a binary file, see How to: Read and Write to a Newly Created Data File.
Use the CanSeek property to determine whether the current instance supports seeking.
If offset is negative, the new position is required to precede the position specified by origin by the number of bytes specified by offset. If offset is zero (0), the new position is required to be the position specified by origin. If offset is positive, the new position is required to follow the position specified by origin by the number of bytes specified by offset.
Classes derived from Stream that support seeking must override this method to provide the functionality described above.
Seeking to any location beyond the length of the stream is supported.
Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98, Windows CE, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Xbox 360, Zune
The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.


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My wife told me that she is not happy about having our files and pictures stored online with an Online Server Backup. I explained to her how this works and that we can set up extra security if we have to make sure the information is safe. That made her feel better and I am sure she will be happy with the continuous backup process we get. This is the easiest way to get our data backed up in a second location.
Talking about the Online Server BackupPosted on by
Posted in Latest News Stories


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By Starym
He's finally come to the live servers which means you can now go ahead and punch everyone, up down left right, just PUNCH IT ALL! There's also a new trailer for the character's release showcasing his abilities pretty well.
We also got the newest patch notes bringing the PTR changes to live and more:
July 27 (source)
PATCH HIGHLIGHTS New Hero: Doomfist (Offense):
Equipped with charisma and ambition, Doomfist is a consummate tactician and one of the leaders of Talon: literally throwing down his gauntlet as he joins the fight. From his base in Nigeria, Doomfist is a commanding offense hero equipped with hard-hitting melee abilities. Driven by a belief that conflict is essential to humanity's progress, he's committed to advancing his vision of the future—even if the agents of Overwatch disagree with his methods.
Doomfist's cybernetics make him a highly mobile, powerful frontline fighter. His primary attack is the Hand Cannon; this four-shot weapon fires projectiles from Doomfist's knuckles one at a time or in a single blast. With his secondary attack, Rocket Punch, he charges forward and delivers a devastating blow, knocking back any opponent it connects with and dealing extra damage if the enemy is hurled into a wall.
Seismic Slam smashes into a targeted area, knocking opponents toward him so he can deal further damage. His Rising Uppercut tosses enemies high into the air, while his passive ability, The Best Defense…, grants him shields every time he uses one of his abilities against an opponent. Lastly, his ultimate ability, Meteor Strike, causes him to leap high and drop into a targeted area, dealing massive amounts of damage.
To learn more about Doomfist, click here.
Loot Box Updates
We always want the experience of opening a loot box to feel exciting and rewarding, and in our latest patch, we're working to improve that experience in two key ways. First, we're drastically reducing the amount of duplicates you will receive when opening loot boxes. Second, to compensate for this reduction of duplicate items, we're also increasing the overall amount of credits you will receive from loot boxes. On average, you should be earning just as many credits, if not slightly more, from loot boxes as you did prior to these changes.
New Highlight Options
Our highlights system has received several major updates:
The game will continue to automatically generate highlights for you based on your recent gameplay. These auto-generated highlights—now categorized as "Today's Top 5"—will be surfaced on a daily basis and persist for a full 24 hours (or until the game client is patched, whichever happens first). Players can now generate their own highlights! The ability to capture 12 seconds of your own gameplay has been added to the game, and can be bound to a single button of your choice (or a button per highlight slot) in the Options menu under "Request Highlight." These player-generated highlights will be saved under a new section called "Recently Captured" and will persist until the game client is patched. Players can have up to 36 recently-captured highlights stored at one time. With the above, players can now record any of their "Top 5" or "Recently Captured" highlights, exporting them as a video file to their gaming platform's designated media library (on console) or directory (on PC). On PC, players will also have the option to select the quality at which these highlights are exported, supporting up to 4K for Windows 8 or higher operating systems, and up to 1080p on Windows 7. To learn more about this feature, check out our recent developer update: https://youtu.be/OkYJlPMdWNA
Adjusted the respawn timing to limit defensive stalling strategies when the offensive team has a clear advantage and plays aggressively Custom Games and Game Browser
Clarified the text on the "Flag Carrier" options under the Capture the Flag settings for Custom Games Removed the "Projectile Speed" and "Projectile Gravity" options for heroes who do not have projectile weapons Minimum movement speed has been changed to 50% (formerly 10%) Players can no longer select Roadhog during Limited 1v1 matches User Interface
Added ability to create customized reticles Reticle options can be found under the "Controls" tab in the "Options" menu (click the "Advanced" expander under the "Reticle" heading) The name of Mercy's "Stethoscope" spray has been changed to "Heartbeat" Statistics gathered from 6v6 Elimination matches will now be added to statistics in the Career Profile Tie games will no longer be included in the win percentage calculation that's listed under the Player Profile HERO UPDATES
Defense Matrix New sound effects and voice lines have been added, indicating when Defense Matrix has absorbed an enemy's ultimate ability Genji
Deflect New sound effects and voice lines have been added, indicating when an enemy's ultimate ability has been deflected McCree
Flashbang Stunned targets are now slowed heavily, meaning they're less likely to escape while stunned (especially while in the air) Developer Comment: This change will make McCree's Flashbang consistent against fast-moving targets like Genji or Lúcio.
Shadow Step Sound effect and VO distance has been reduced by 50% Developer Comment: Even though Shadow Step wasn't intended to be used as a way for players to teleport right next to an enemy without their knowledge, the sound effects were audible from distances that made teleportation difficult from nearly anywhere. This change allows Reaper to be a bit more sneaky with his flanking options.
Rocket Hammer Swing speed increased by 10% Developer Comment: In the last update, Reinhardt's Rocket Hammer had an issue that allowed players with higher latency to swing faster. We fixed this bug, which suddenly made the swing speed feel too slow, so we're compensating by increasing his standard swing speed. During this process, we also found and fixed a few bugs with Rocket Hammer's hit registration. Overall, the hammer should feel much better.
Graviton Surge Now disables mobility abilities on all affected targets Developer Comment: In the past, the abilities that allowed heroes to escape Zarya's Graviton Surge felt fairly arbitrary. We're cleaning this up and increasing Graviton Surge's overall power by rendering all movement abilities unusable when an enemy is trapped.
Fixed an issue preventing "Best In Game" stats from being updated Fixed a bug that could cause the user interface to incorrectly indicate that an enemy player has been hit when colliding with them Fixed a bug that could allow projectiles that would normally pierce shields (i.e. Reinhardt's Fire Strike) to pass through other surfaces Fixed a bug that caused some players to lose audio during the match Competitive Play
Fixed a bug that caused players to get a leaver penalty during offseason matches, even after the in-game banner advised it was safe to leave the match Custom Games and Game Browser
Fixed a bug that prevented players from being added to a Custom Game with 12 Spectator slots Fixed a bug in Custom Game settings that prevented some heroes with Self Healing from having a Healing Dealt modifier Removed the Projectile Gravity slider from heroes who do not have abilities affected by gravity Heroes
Fixed a bug with D.Va's Call Mech ability that allowed you to see her inside the mech before entering it Fixed a bug that could cause eliminations from Junkrat's Total Mayhem to be mislabeled in the kill feed Fixed a bug that would cause Junkrat to use his Ultimate Callout when he is unable to use his Ultimate Fixed a bug that allowed Roadhog's Chain Hook to latch on to Orisa's Supercharger Fixed a bug that allowed Sombra to take damage after activating her Translocator The sound effects on Reinhardt's Bloodhardt, Blackhardt, and Wujing skins have been updated to reflect the use of an axe instead of a hammer Fixed a bug preventing Lucio from receiving the full speed boost when traveling backwards during a Wall Ride Fixed a bug that occasionally prevented Torbjörn from building and upgrading his turret Fixed multiple hit registration bugs in Reinhardt's Rocket Hammer Maps
Fixed a bug on Eichenwalde that prevented Soldier 76 from placing his Biotic Field in certain locations of Point A Fixed a bug that caused AI-controlled players to perpetually move toward the objective on the Gardens point in Oasis Fixed a bug that prevented Training Bots from facing the right direction and returning to their original location after being moved by player interactions on the Practice Range Fixed a bug with that was causing unusual camera angles for Highlight Intros on Route 66 Fixed a bug that could cause D.Va to fall through the floor while boosting into the ground in a specific area on Volskaya Industries
By Starym
Doomfist is so close to live we can almost taste it! It being his fist, of course. Blizzard reveled that the new Hero is joining the flock on July 27th, aka next Thursday and we get a brand new preview video to go with the announcement! In it Jeff Kaplan and the team talk about the history of the character, his origins from the very first OW trailer and how he literally just came from a cool sounding name Chris Metzen made up.
By Zadina
Α new build is available on the Overwatch PTR, bringing multiple hero changes and Doomfist's skins, victory poses, sprays and more!
In this update, McCree, Reaper, Reinhardt, Zarya and the new hero, Doomfist, have received some tweaks.
Geoff Goodman
There are some new hero changes on the PTR to test out. Some of these are new as of this latest update and some have been there for a bit longer.
Rocket Punch
Total distance traveled reduced by about 20% (This change has been on the PTR for a little while now)
Seismic Slam
Added a new UI indicator to show how much damage it will deal, and how much it dealt. Previously this was only indicated by the default crosshair filling in, but this is only visible when using the default crosshair. The new indicator should always be visible, regardless of any crosshair changes. Also, targeting this ability while in the air is now restricted to locations lower than your current height.
Now slows targets significantly when they are stunned. This makes them less likely to slide away around a corner or something similar once they are stunned.
Shadow Step
VO and SFX distance dramatically reduced.
Swing speed increased by ~10%. On top of the swing speed increase, we've gone through and tweaked many timings and other things about the Hammer to make it more responsive. Overall it should feel a lot better to swing and make contact with enemies.
Impacting another charging hero (Doomfist or Reinhardt) no longer deals damage to both characters, but still causes a knockdown on both.
Graviton Surge
Now disables all movement abilities of affect targets. This is similar to how Junkrat's trap affects abilities. (source) Meanwhile, Doomfist's "progression" has also been revealed with this PTR update. I have managed to find a video showing all of his skins, voice lines, highlight intros, victory poses and sprays by KydroTV:
By Starym
The Game Director himself talks in-depth about the state of balance in OW today.
In what can only be described as a gargantuan post, Game Director Jeff Kaplan takes on the topic of balance and how it applies to pros, regular players, competitive players and specific hero mains. In general he doesn't feel there are any OP heroes that break the balance, but there are many issues that need to be addressed, so let's get right into it.
Jeff Kaplan (source)
I've been reading the feedback regarding the current metagame and a general desire for "radical" balance changes to mix things up. I'll offer some of my personal perspective but I'm a little nervous doing that for a few reasons. Even though I am the Game Director and a spokesperson for OW, I don't make decisions in a vacuum and I am only one part of a very awesome team. Not everyone on my team agrees with me and we have different opinions on the state of game and balance overall. We do have a lot of alignment, but we talk things through – a lot. And we don't always agree. So I know this will become the "official" response on the subject but I am really offering this from a very strong personal viewpoint first and foremost.
The most controversial thing I'll say here (hopefully) is that I believe the game is currently balanced. What I mean is that I don't feel like there are any heroes who are way too strong to the point of breaking balance. That doesn't mean that I personally don't think there are some problems with heroes. While I believe moving Roadhog away from a 1 shot combo was a necessary thing we had to do, I'm not entirely satisfied with where he's at right now. I also think we need to do some brainstorming when it comes to Mercy's resurrect, for example. The ability is extremely powerful in a very unfun way for both Mercy and everyone playing against that Mercy. But it's not doomsday. These aren't game breaking issues. They are better fixed slowly and carefully as the overall game is not ruined by them. I'm just using these as examples.
But I think the game is balanced. Statistically, the things that are most unbalanced aren't what you think they are. Symmetra and Torbjorn win rates are not balanced. They are too good. But this is why we don't balance on statistics alone. I don't sense a great community uproar over the fact that Torb and Symmetra are "overpowered" right now (at least, statistically).
As I said last week, the perception of balance is more powerful than balance itself.
I really do not like summarizing the feedback from a large community because I think it's unfair to so many people. But in general, I am getting the sense that the real issue people are feeling is that the "meta" does not shift as frequently as they would like. My sense is that players start with the pro scene and work their way down and base this feedback mostly on pick rates. In the pro scene, it's true that the teams settle into using a subset of the hero pool. We tend to see high level (let's just say the top 3rd of all players) competitive slowly catch up to the pro scene with some considerable lag of weeks if not months. The rest of us – the vast majority of us – don't really play this meta at all but we're aware of it either through community discussion or because we enjoy watching the pro scene.
There are a lot of ways the meta can change but if I had to boil it down to three main ways (that we see in video games at least) I would point to 1) something changes with the balance 2) players innovate new strategies 3) the game forces meta change through mechanics.
To comment on all 3…
I like when the meta changes on balance only when the game is not balanced and something was adjusted to make the game more balanced. Another way of putting this is, I do not agree with the philosophy that we should just make balance changes solely to shift people off the meta. The game team should be constantly evaluating balance and making changes that are actually needed because a hero is unbalanced. But making changes to a hero because their pick rate is too high or too low is not my idea of responsible game balance. Symmetra's pick rate is very low right now. We could make changes to make her a "must pick" in the meta (and thus shifting the meta) but I feel like, if anything, I am concerned about Symmetra's balance and worried that when she does eventually make her way back into the meta she is not balanced properly. So to summarize: balancing heroes who are unbalanced is good, balancing heroes just to make them picked more or picked less is not good (in my humble opinion).
Regarding the meta changing because players have innovated a new strategy – well – this is the best-case scenario. We've seen this happen time and time again. This usually happens in a pro tournament where a team pulls out a new strategy and performs well. This was how triple tank rose into fashion. Innovating out of a meta is extremely hard. All players are very different. Some are highly creative and some are excellent at executing. Some at both. Having the time and freedom to innovate on strategy is difficult no matter what level of play you're at. Pros have busy schedules and it's not always easy for them to practice new, out of the box things – especially if their tournament schedule is hectic. But when all is said and done, to me personally, the meta shifting because players innovate is the best possible outcome.
Lastly, a game can force a meta shift through mechanics. The MOBA genre has huge hero pools yet without pick and ban systems teams would inevitably play the same comps over and over. The game – through the mechanics of picking and banning – is forcing variety. We could do this in Overwatch. We could prevent certain heroes from being played some or all of the time or we could let your opponent prevent you from playing your desired hero. We could also force you or allow your opponent to force you to play a hero you don't want to play. Personally, I am not a believer in these systems for OW (while I understand and respect why they use them in MOBA). I prefer to think that OW allows you to be creative which is different than forces you to be creative. I don't want to watch the best Genji player in the world play Zarya – I want to see him/her play Genji. And also, seeing how many of you "main" heroes because you love them, I don't want the game – or your opponent – telling you you're not allowed to play that hero.
We recently added 6v6 Elimination to the Arcade and I think the mode is strong enough to exist in Quick Play and Competitive. That mode is a good example of a mechanical "forcing function" where the game causes shifts to happen in pick rates and team comps. The winning team is forced to play 18 diverse heroes. I would be willing to bet that if that mode was considered competitive, eventually a meta would settle in where 18 heroes were mostly picked and 7 would be rather neglected. Again, I don't think this is horrible or the end of the world – I think it's reality.
There are games with a set meta that evolve very slowly or remain stable for long periods of time and this doesn't mean the game isn't balanced or fun or fun to watch. Most of the pro sports fall into this category. TF2 was largely played Demo/Medic/Scout/Scout/Solider/Soldier and that was sort of just… accepted. It was fun to play and fun to watch. Baseball isn't terrible or broken because every team puts their strongest batter 4th in the lineup.
But maybe I am off on what the expectation is from players here? I know the desire – and mine too – is that during every match of Overwatch all 25 heroes are viable at any time. The reality of gamers and video games is that any perceived (whether real or not) advantage is going to cause players to assume that they must play hero x over hero y. A professional Overwatch player will not player hero x if he/she thinks hero y is even 1% stronger. We can balance the heroes to equality but if there is the slightest perception of advantage, it won't matter.
Looking at the perception of the meta, it's obvious that "dive" is the predominant strategy. Correction. It is the predominant strategy being used in the professional scene. The majority of Overwatch players play Quick Play as their primary mode. The top 6 picked heroes (over the last month) in Quick Play are Genji, 76, Hanzo, McCree, Mercy and Junkrat. For the statistical majority of Overwatch players who are not pros and don't play Competitive, this is your meta.
It drives players crazy when I post stats like that because they want to know about Competitive and not Quick Play. The point I am trying to make by posting Quick Play is that the numbers show that that is what the majority of players are *actually experiencing* which is different from *perceiving*. But looking at Competitive only… here are the top 6 picked heroes: Mercy (by a long shot), 76, D.Va, Lucio, Ana and Genji. Interestingly, number 7 is Reinhardt. Next tank after that is… Wi… no Roadhog. So in the past month in Comp, that's what you've been actually playing.
But let's talk about the elite players… maybe the top 3rd of all MMR. Their top picked hero over the past month was…. Ana. Yes, Ana.
I don't mean to discount your fatigue with the "dive" meta but I also want us looking at from a realistic standpoint. Dive itself is an interesting comp. It's fun to play and watch. It features super high skill heroes doing very OW things. Watching top Genji's and Tracers is fantastic. I don't think dive comp is bad but I think what players want is to see more comps in addition to dive comp. I too would love for this to happen. But in a non-forced, non-damaging way. I don't think we should just throw a balance grenade at the heroes to change pick rates. And I don't think long-term for the game it's good to start imposing restrictions on you as to what hero you're allowed or not allowed to play. I think we also need to be careful about demanding drastic change. A few months ago we nerfed D.Va and we faced the ire of many very upset players who thought we "ruined" the hero and she would never be played again. There was mega thread after mega thread demanding she be buffed. We held our ground because we believed she was fine. We did not touch her. And now she is one of the dominant heroes in the dive meta – clearly not in need of a buff.
Players think that every change we make to hero has the intent of buffing or nerfing that hero. Changes to heroes are usually made to make the game better. That's what we were trying to do with Roadhog. Our goal wasn't a nerf – our intent wasn't a nerf. Our intent was to try to remove a behavior that had become "not ok" with our player base – the one-shot combo. Maybe he needs to be adjusted again? Probably. I am just using this as an example that not everything is super black and white. There is a gray area in making the game feel good. Sometimes we need to hold our ground and not make dramatic swings to the game.
I know this post will be met with a lot of disagreement. The desire for dive comp to go away will not be satisfied from some of you until Winston and D.Va are nerfed into the ground. But we're not going to do that. We are going to make balance changes to heroes when they need it – and we do this more frequently than you give us credit for. 3 months from now there will be a new meta. If you're the type of person who feels like the meta should shift every 2 weeks, then you'll probably be sick of that meta and wishing it was back in the good ol' dive comp days… I just caution against wanting change for the sake of change. The meta will shift soon enough.
By Starym
He's finally here! We have an Origin story video, dev update and more.
Not only has the long teased hero been given his own Origin Story trailer, he's also shown up on the PTR and got himself on the official page with all his abilities etc as well! Long awaited, since the Overwatch intro cinematic, in fact, where the then unknown heroes were fighting over his very gauntlet, Doomfist (shockingly) turns out to be an offense hero and will have some shorter ranged attacks as well as the melees you'd expect. But first off let's take a look at his origin story.
As you can hear, he is unfortunately not being voiced by Terry Crews, so a lot of fans will be disappointed, but he is voiced by Sahr Ngaujah, a talented actor and theater director.. And then there's the dev update:
Here are all of his abilities:
Here's a taste of Doomfist, with a gid of his ultimate, Meteor Strike:
And here are a few more screenshots, but if you're really interested in the character, you should really just head on to the OW PTR and try him for yourself!


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A Brief History of SpreadsheetsGeneral: Main page Early history A Brief History Historical Background
Software on windows: Excel Lotus 1-2-3
Software on Linux: Free Spreadsheets Commercial Spreadsheets
A Brief History of Spreadsheets
by D. J. Power
Spreadsheets have been used by accountants for hundreds of years. Computerized or electronic spreadsheets are of much more recent origin. Information Systems oral history and some published newspaper and magazine stories celebrate Dan Bricklin as the "father" of the electronic spreadsheet. In 1978, Harvard Business School student, Daniel Bricklin, came up with the idea for an interactive visible calculator . Bricklin and Bob Frankston then co-invented or co-created the software program VisiCalc. We can look back and recognize that VisiCalc was the first "killer" application for personal computers.
What is a spreadsheet?
In the realm of accounting jargon a "spread sheet" or spreadsheet was and is a large sheet of paper with columns and rows that lays everything out about transactions for a business person to examine. It spreads or shows all of the costs, income, taxes, etc. on a single sheet of paper for a manager to look at when making a decision.
An electronic spreadsheet organizes information into software defined columns and rows. The data can then be "added up" by a formula to give a total or sum. The spreadsheet program summarizes information from many paper sources in one place and presents the information in a format to help a decision maker see the financial "big picture" for the company.
Beginnings and the "Tale of VisiCalc"
In 1961, Professor Richard Mattessich pioneered the development of computerized speadsheets for use in business accounting. Some historical information on the computerization of accounting spread sheets using mainframe computers is discussed on Mattessich's page "Spreadsheet: Its First Computerization (1961-1964)". Mattessich's work and that of other developers of spreadsheets on mainframe computers probably had little positive influence on Bricklin and Frankston. Therefore, a history of the modern era of electronic spreadsheets should begin with the "Tale of VisiCalc".
The tale of VisiCalc is part myth and part fact for most of us. The story is that Dan Bricklin was preparing a spread sheet analysis for a Harvard Business School "case study" report and had two alternatives: 1) do it by hand or 2) use a clumsy time-sharing mainframe program. Bricklin thought there must be a better way. He wanted a program where people could visualize the spreadsheet as they created it. His metaphor was "an electronic blackboard and electronic chalk in a classroom."
By the fall of 1978, Bricklin had programmed the first working prototype of his concept in integer basic. The program helped users input and manipulate a matrix of five columns and 20 rows. The first version was not very "powerful" so Bricklin recruited an MIT acquaintance Bob Frankston to improve and expand the program. Bricklin calls Frankston the "co-creator" of the electronic spreadsheet. Frankston created the production code with faster speed, better arithmetic, and scrolling. He also expanded the program and "packed the code into a mere 20k of machine memory, making it both powerful and practical enough to be run on a microcomputer".
During the fall of 1978, Daniel Fylstra, founding Associate Editor of Byte Magazine, joined Bricklin and Frankston in developing VisiCalc. Fylstra was also an MIT/HBS graduate. Fylstra was "marketing-oriented" and suggested that the product would be viable if it could run on an Apple micro-computer. Bricklin and Frankston formed Software Arts Corporation on January 2, 1979. In May 1979, Fylstra and his firm Personal Software (later renamed VisiCorp) began marketing "VisiCalc" with a teaser ad in Byte Magazine. The name "VisiCalc" is a compressed form of the phrase "visible calculator".
VisiCalc became an almost instant success and provided many business people with an incentive to purchase a personal computer or an H-P 85 or 87 calculator from Hewlett-Packard (cf., Jim Ho, 1999). About 1 million copies of the spreadsheet program were sold during VisiCalc's product lifetime. Dan Bricklin has his version of the history of Software Arts and VisiCalc on the web at www.bricklin.com/history/sai.htm. Bricklin includes early ads and reviews and pictures of the VisiCalc packaging and screenshots.
What came after VisiCalc?
The market for electronic spreadsheet software was growing rapidly in the early 1980s and VisiCalc stakeholders were slow to respond to the introduction of the IBM PC that used an Intel computer chip. Beginning in September 1983, legal conflicts between VisiCorp and Software Arts distracted the VisiCalc developers, Bricklin and Frankston. During this period, Mitch Kapor developed Lotus and his spreadsheet program quickly became the new industry spreadsheet standard.
What is Lotus 1-2-3?
Lotus 1-2-3 made it easier to use spreadsheets and it added integrated charting, plotting and database capabilities. Lotus 1-2-3 established spreadsheet software as a major data presentation package as well as a complex calculation tool. Lotus was also the first spreadsheet vendor to introduce naming cells, cell ranges and spreadsheet macros. Kapor was the VisiCalc product manager at Personal Software for about six months in 1980; he also designed and programmed Visiplot/Visitrend which he sold to Personal Software (VisiCorp) for $1 million. Part of that money along with funds from venture capitalist Ben Rosen were used to start Lotus Development Corporation in 1982. Kapor cofounded Lotus Development Corporation with Jonathan Sachs. Before he cofounded Lotus, Kapor disclosed and offered Personal Software (VisiCorp) his initial Lotus program. Supposedly VisiCorp executives declined the offer because Lotus 1-2-3's functionality was "too limited". Lotus 1-2-3 is still one of the all-time best selling application software packages in the world (see email from Mitch Kapor, 04/15/1999).
Kapor served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Lotus from 1982 to 1986 and as a Director until 1987. In 1983, Lotus' first year of operations, the company reported revenues of $53 Million and had a successful public offering. In 1984, Lotus tripled in revenue to $156 Million. The number of employees at Lotus grew to over a thousand by 1985. This rapid growth led to a shakeout in the spreadsheet segment of the personal computer software industry.
In 1985, Lotus Development acquired Software Arts and discontinued the VisiCalc program. A Lotus spokeperson indicated at that time that "1-2-3 and Symphony are much better products so Visicalc is no longer necessary."
What about Microsoft Excel and Bill Gates?
The next milestone was the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Excel was originally written for the 512K Apple Macintosh in 1984-1985. Excel was one of the first spreadsheets to use a graphical interface with pull down menus and a point and click capability using a mouse pointing device. The Excel spreadsheet with a graphical user interface was easier for most people to use than the command line interface of PC-DOS spreadsheet products. Many people bought Apple Macintoshes so that they could use Bill Gates' Excel spreadsheet program. There is some controversy about whether a graphical version of Microsoft Excel was released in a DOS version. Microsoft documents show the launch of Excel 2.0 for MS-DOS version 3.0 on 10/31/87.
When Microsoft launched the Windows operating system in 1987, Excel was one of the first application products released for it. When Windows finally gained wide acceptance with Version 3.0 in late 1989 Excel was Microsoft's flagship product. For nearly 3 years, Excel remained the only Windows spreadsheet program and it has only received competition from other spreadsheet products since the summer of 1992.
By the late 1980s many companies had introduced spreadsheet products. Spreadsheet products and the spreadsheet software industry were maturing. Microsoft and Bill Gates had joined the fray with the innovative Excel spreadsheet. Lotus had acquired Software Arts and the rights to VisiCalc. Jim Manzi had become CEO at Lotus in April 1986 and in July 1986 Mitch Kapor resigned as Chairman of the Board. The spreadsheet entrepreneurs were moving on ...
Legal Battles
In January of 1987, Lotus Development filed suit against Paperback Software and separately against Mosaic Software claiming they had infinged on the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet software. In a related matter, Software Arts, the developer of the original VisiCalc spreadsheet software filed a separate action against Lotus claiming that Lotus 1-2-3 was an infringement of VisiCalc. Briefly, Lotus won the legal battles, but lost the "market share war" to Microsoft. According to Russo and Nafziger (1993) "The Court granted Lotus' motion dismissing the Software Arts' action and confirming that Lotus had acquired all rights, including all claims, as part of the earlier transaction."
Most people have probably forgotten the Lotus clones, TWIN and VP Planner. Twin was designed to work like Lotus' 1-2-3 and advertising proclaimed it "offers you so much more, for so much less." Paperback Software published a spreadsheet software product called VP Planner.
Russo and Nafziger note "Both Mosaic's TWIN and Paperback's VP Planner had most of the same features, commands, macro language, syntax, organization and sequence of menus and messages as Lotus' 1-2-3. Their visual displays were not however identical to 1-2-3 or to each other. Both TWIN and VP Planner reorganized and placed their respective menus, sub-menus, prompts and messages on the bottom of the screen."
On June 28, 1990, Judge Keeton of the Federal District Court in Boston upheld the copyright of the Lotus 1-2-3 user interface. The Court ruled that "[t]his particular expression of a menu structure is not essential to the electronic spreadsheet idea, nor does it merge with the somewhat less abstract idea of a menu structure for an electronic spreadsheet....the overall structure, the order of commands in each menu line, the choice of letters, words, or 'symbolic tokens' to represent each command, the presentation of these symbolic tokens on the screen, the type of menu system used, and the long prompts -- could be expressed in a great many if not literally unlimited number of ways." Lotus Dev. Corp. v. Paperback Software Int'l, 740 F.Supp. 37, 67 (D.Mass. 1990).
What about recent history?
In the late spring of 1995, IBM acquired Lotus Development and Microsoft Excel is the spreadsheet market leader.
In February 2000, Dan Bricklin is still working at Trellix Corporation at www.trellix.com and he is maintaining an interesting Web Site at URL www.bricklin.com. Dan has VisiCalc at his site. Lotus gave him permission to post a working copy of the 1981 IBM PC version of the VisiCalc spreadsheet program on his web site. You can download it and run it on a PC using MSDOS in Windows 95 or 98.
Bob Frankston is "pursuing a number of projects ..." at www.frankston.com.
According to a Red Herring Profile, Mitch Kapor "gradually traded in his position as an entrepreneur searching for the next big technology idea for the long-term advisory role of angel investor". In January, 1999, Mitch Kapor joined Accel Partners, a venture capital firm based in Palo Alto, California (URL http://www.accel.com/). Mitch's web site is Kapor Enterprises, Inc. at http://www.kei.com/.
Currently, Dan Fylstra is president of PC software vendor Frontline Systems, Inc. at www.frontsys.com. Frontline Systems Inc. is a developer of spreadsheet solver add-ins for Excel, Lotus 123 and other spreadsheet programs. A solver add-in can be used for both equation-solving (often called goalseeking) and for constrained optimization using linear programming, nonlinear programming, and integer programming methods.
Professor Richard Mattessich is retired and an emeritus Professor of Commerce and Business Administration at the University of British Columbia (email: firstname.lastname@example.com).
"VisiCalc '79: Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston", Creative Computing, November 1984, vol. 10, p. 122, 124.
"VisiCalc Production Ends", PC Magazine, August 6, 1985, vol. 4, p. 33.
Bajarin, T. "VisiCorp was PC software industry's training ground." PC Week, August 13, 1990, v7 n32, p.117.
Browne, Christopher. "Historical Background on Spreadsheets", at URL http://www.ntlug.org/~cbbrowne/spreadsheets.html, visited March 24, 1998; also checked http://www.hex.net/~cbbrowne/spreadsheets.html 04/12/1999.
Claymon, D. "Profile: Mitch Kapor, The Lotus cofounder goes to bat for startups", Red Herring Magazine, February 1999, URL www.herring.com/mag/issue63/news-profile.html.
Henderson, T.B., D.F. Cobb, G.B. Cobb. Spreadheet Software from VisiCalc to 1-2-3. Indianapolis: Que Corp., 1983.
Mattessich, Richard. "Early History of the Spreadsheet", at URL http://www.j-walk.com/ss/history/spreadsh.htm
Russo, J. and J. Nafziger. "Software 'Look and Feel' Protection in the 1990's", copyright 1993, check URL http://www.computerlaw.com/lookfeel.html .
Spreadsheet Newsgroup FAQ at URL www.faqs.org/faqs/spreadsheets/faq/
Key Dates in the history of Microsoft Excel
1985 Excel 1.0 launched.
1986-88 Microsoft releases versions 1.0.6 and 1.5.
10/31/87 Launch of Excel 2.0 for MS-DOS version 3.0
1989 Launch of Excel 2.2 for Macintosh. New version includes improvements in the calculation speed by 40% and added flexibility of different styles within a single document.
12/9/90 Excel 3.0 is launched. This version includes Workbooks and is one of the earliest Macintosh applications to offer Users Publish & Subscribe functionality.
4/1/92 Microsoft Releases Excel 4.0 for Windows 3.1.
11/1/92 Excel 4.0a for Windows 3.1.
12/14/93 Excel 5.0; This version includes improved Workbooks and the replacement for Excel Macro Language with Visual Basic.
7/27/95 Excel 7.0 for Windows 95/NT.
1/15/97 Excel version 8 for Windows.
(based on http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/ps/exceldir/excelhist.html and http://support.microsoft.com)
Note: This page is modified from A Brief History of Spreadsheets.


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Broad Range of Jewish Groups Drawn to March for Women's Rights
This weekend's march on Washington for reproductive rights, an election-year exercise in mass message-sending, has a substantial Jewish component. Two major national Jewish women's organizations and three religious denominations are organizing busloads of participants for Sunday's March for Women's Lives on the National Mall in Washington. Many more Jews are expected to participate with other… More ▸


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norakaren :: Peacock painted ----Unique original design
great handpainting on a dress
The print on this beach towel is surreal and like a dream, reminding you of those special summer vacations. I always keep a towel in my beach bag.Tags: blue, towels, ocean, sea, palm trees, Summer beach bag, Cool n'DryAdded 6 Years Ago from Walmart
a decal that leaves you feeling like you've been sitting at the beach all day...instead of in your office.
This is cute if you have a tropical theme in your bathroom.