text: ×Close Product Image 1 of 1 Norway to Hide A Passport to Peril Mystery See image Norway to Hide A Passport to Peril Mystery By Maddy Hunter Sure, Jackie Thum's newly published novel might not be Hemingway, but bad reviews from her fellow travelers have Emily Andrew's transgender ex-husband (Jackie was formerly Jack) steaming like a sauna. It's a dismal start to their Scandinavian tour, and group leader Emily is getting that sinking feeling in Helsinki: something fishy this way comes. When Jackie's most outspoken critic, a Floridian from a picture-perfect gated community called The Hamlets, is found dead, suspicion falls on Jackie -- who surprises everyone with an airtight alibi. But when another guest turns up dead, Emily realizes there is a killer hiding among them. Herrings, both red and pickled, abound on a Norwegian fjord cruise -- and Jackie is suddenly nowhere to be found. With her mother arranging a wedding disaster for Emily back home in Iowa, Emily must somehow salvage her nuptials from overseas while icing a killer -- before someone else meets a nasty Finnish. × Added to Cart List Price $19.99 Your Cart ( items) Cart total Continue Shopping CHECKOUT NOW Choose a format: Trade Paperback eBook Choose a format: Trade Paperback Trade Paperback eBook Gallery Books | 304 pages | ISBN 9781476740959 | March 2013 Add to Cart Buy Simon & Schuster Add to Cart Amazon Barnes & Noble Books-a-Million IndieBound List Price $19.99 In Stock: Usually ships within 1 business day Browse Related Books Fiction > GeneralFiction > Mystery & Detective > Women SleuthsFiction > Mystery & Detective > General Buy from another retailer Amazon Barnes & Noble Books-a-Million IndieBound Get a FREE eBook when you join our mailing list. Plus, receive updates on new releases, recommended reads and more from Simon & Schuster. Email Address Free eBook available to NEW subscribers only. Offer redeemable at Simon & Schuster's ebook fulfillment partner.Offer expires in three months, unless otherwise indicated.See full terms and conditions and this month's choices. More Books from this Author G'Day to Die G'Day to Die By Maddy HunterBy Maddy Hunter Hula Done It? Hula Done It? By Maddy HunterBy Maddy Hunter Pasta Imperfect Pasta Imperfect By Maddy HunterBy Maddy Hunter Top O' the Mournin' Top O' the Mournin' By Maddy HunterBy Maddy Hunter See more by Maddy Hunter About the Author Photo Credit: Maddy Hunter Maddy Hunter has endured disastrous vacations on three continents in the past five years. Despite this, she aspires to visit all seven continents in the future. G'Day to Die is the fifth novel in her critically acclaimed, bestselling Passport to Peril mystery series featuring Emily Andrew -- Alpine for You (an Agatha Award nominee for Best First Mystery), Top O' the Mournin', Pasta Imperfect, and Hula Done It? are available from Pocket Books. Maddy lives with her husband in Madison, Wisconsin. BECOME A FAN BOOKS Related Websites Maddy Hunter's Official Site www.MaddyHunter.com


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I've hiked and explored amazing Turkey, the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, the Scotish Highlands, beautiful Death Valley, down into the Grand Canyon, across Sedona, the trails and tastes of Provance and snowshoed and skied through the Tetons and Yellowstone with REI Adventures and their great guides. They have all been amazing journeys and I look forward to more. I just saw a trip to Mt. Etna, l'd love to go to Mongolia, and so many more places.
Posted by: Sabine Schramm
Website: http://rei.com
I've been on half a dozen trips with REI Adventures, going on another in November - obviously I like them. Activities as posted on web. Mostly small group of reasonably actively-inclined Americans, mostly age late 20's - 50's. Great for single traveler looking for activity (not romance). Cheaper than some others in category because lodgings moderate. Uses local guide companies. Croatia trip looks like lots of fun - I may go next year.
Posted by: Anonymous
It's Havasu in Arizona.
Posted by: Anonymous
I'm looking for feedback on their trips. I can't find any third party reviews and hesitate to go without real testimonials. I have booked croatia but can still cancel.. Any real life comments?
Posted by: Monica
Have done three trips with REI on to the Amazon in Peru, one to Machu Picchu and the surrounding mountanin and on the Bryce and Zion NP. All three were great. They have something for everyone.
Posted by: Steve B
What is the name of this place pictured in this window (link pasted under website)? Thanks.
Posted by: T Lamm

subset: commoncrawl


text: CAIRO - Egypt will hold a referendum this week on a new constitution, in a vote seen as a test of popularity for army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as he eyes the presidency after ousting Mohamed Morsi.The military-installed interim government bills the referendum on Tuesday and Wednesday as the first of several polls it says will restore elected rule by the end of the year. The turn out, and the percentage of Yes votes, will be monitored by Sisi as he decides whether to run for president, military sources say.Sisi is easily the most popular leader in the country after he toppled the divisive Morsi in July, but the Islamist's followers revile the general for what they call a "coup" against Egypt's first freely elected and civilian president. Seven months after Morsi's fall, the country remains bitterly divided between his Islamist supporters and the millions of people. who had taken to the streets demanding his resignation.More than 1,000 people, mostly Islamists, have died in street clashes since then and thousands of Morsi's supporters have been imprisoned, but the Islamists continue near daily rallies for his return.Amid the crackdown, militants have escalated a campaign in the restive Sinai peninsula and elsewhere that has killed scores of soldiers and policemen in bombing and shooting attacks.The government, and Sisi himself, have called for a massive turn out in the referendum, amid fears that further violence will keep many voters at home.On Saturday, Sisi urged voters to turn out "in force", pledging at a conference that the army would protect them. The military had said it would deploy 160,000 soldiers to guard about 30,000 polling stations.Sisi also came closest to confirming presidential ambitions, saying he required "popular demand" to nominate himself."If I nominate myself, there must be a popular demand, and a mandate from my army," the state newspaper Al-Ahram quoted him as saying at the conference with Egyptian officials.An official close to Sisi told AFP a large turnout to approve the constitution would be an "indicator" of whether voters wanted Sisi as president.The official said the general had not made up his mind but feels he "would not have the luxury or choice" to stand aside in the election if there is a palpable demand for him.Analysts say the government, whose legitimacy is still in dispute, hopes for a popular stamp of approval in the referendum."Not only is this referendum to a certain extent a test of just whether people like the constitution, but also of the post-Morsi order and a new regime in place, and a test of Sisi's popularity," said Issandr El Amrani, North Africa director for the International Crises Group. "It is explicitly being portrayed by the country's ruling elite as such," he said.According to the government's timetable, the referendum will be followed by parliamentary and presidential elections this year, although it has not yet decided on the order.Egyptians have been asked to vote on new constitutions or charters three times since the 2011 overthrow of president Hosni Mubarak, which authorities presenting each referendum as a vote for stability.The newest draft has done away with much of the Islamist-inspired wording in the constitution passed under Morsi, and still allows the military to try civilians who attack it."In a way people aren't really being asked to go vote for a document, they are being asked to go give their approval to the July regime," said Andrew Hammond, a fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations."There are people on the street almost every day saying they don't agree with what happened on July 3," he said of protesters who oppose his overthrow on that date."They need a clear public vote of confidence that would then allow Sisi to stand up and run for president if he decided to," he added.Backers of the constitution are hoping for at least a 70 percent vote in favour of the constitution as a satisfying majority.Morsi's heavily Islamist influenced constitution passed with 64 percent of the vote, with a turnout of barely 33 percent of the country's 53 million voters.


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Jennifer Lee Directing Disney's Frozen
Wreck-It Ralph co-writer steps up
When Empire got a chance to chat with the creative team behind Wreck-It Ralph earlier this year (expect word from them closer to the film's February 8 UK release date), we talked to co-writer Jennifer Lee. We were also shown imagery from another upcoming project by the Mouse House, Frozen. Little did we know the two would combine, as Lee is aboard Frozen as co-director.
She's working with Tarzan co-director Chris Buck to bring the comedy adventure to life. Loosely based on Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen, Frozen focuses on Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell), who has to undertake a daring journey to find her sister Elsa (Idina Menzel), who has put the land under an icy spell.
Anna gets help from mountain man Kristoff and his sidekick reindeer Sven for a quest that combines adventure with songs from Avenue Q's Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.
"Jenn has a real connection to the film and creates dynamic and relatable characters," says Frozen producer Peter Del Vecho. Her sense of comedy, adventure and story structure paired with Chris Buck's vast experience and incredible instincts create an ideal situation for this film."
Frozen is set to arrive on December 20, 2013.


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Long-awaited legislation on how supermarkets treat suppliers looks likely to be derailed or rendered toothless by "heavy artillery lobbying" from big retailers.
Asda, Sainsbury's, the British Retail Consortium and the Co-op have all told a Commons select committee that the proposed groceries code adjudicator is an unnecessary extra burden on supermarkets and that it would lead to higher food prices.
Though the draft bill reflects manifesto promises by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, the government is likely to heed the retailers' threat. Food price inflation, at 4.9%, is a major concern as global prices seem likely to rise in the long term.
Yet organisations ranging from the National Farmers Union to Friends of the Earth and ActionAid say the bill is crucial to tackle years of abuse and restrictive practices as the supermarkets have upped their profits during the downturn by squeezing smaller suppliers.
Three thousand farmers and other suppliers have gone out of business in Britain as a direct result of supermarkets' bullying and unfair buying policies, according to Andrew George, MP for West Cornwall, who heads the Grocery Market Action Group. He said the potential cost of the adjudicator to the retailers was "a gnat bite", as long as they carried out their business fairly.
The government introduced a binding code of practice on the 10 biggest retailers and processors after two damning Competition Commission reports. The supermarkets say that the code is working well – there have been no complaints made under it – and so there is no need for an ombudsman. But the NFU says that a "climate of fear" prevents hard-pressed farmers complaining lest there be "reprisals". Campaigners want the bill toughened to allow an ombudsman to hear anonymous complaints and impose fines.
An Observer investigation backs up the NFU's accusation. Among dozens of farmers interviewed, only very few felt able to let their names be used. Yet the practices they revealed – including "no-price contracts", being forced to sell their produce on two-for-one discounts, and having to use supermarkets' preferred middlemen at vastly increased cost – are all banned by the code of conduct and may be illegal.
Pig farmers have been selling their animals at a £10-£30 loss since August last year, when a huge and unexpected rise in the price of feed hit them. But supermarkets have largely refused to allow any price increases, and 30 farmers have gone out of business this year, according to the National Pig Association.
One dairy farmer complained to the Observer that he was getting only 1p more per litre of milk than he was in 1997, though the price in the supermarket has gone from 42p to 80p or more. The NFU says that at least one dairy farmer in Britain has gone out of business every day for a decade.
Andrew George MP said: "We need this measure: food producers here and in the developing world want to concentrate on being able to provide healthy food for customers, they do not want to perpetually fight the supermarkets for survival."


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Bates and B" signed Victorian style bangle bracelet
- Sold for: Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
- Item Category: Jewelry
- Source: eBay
- Sold Date: Aug 20, 2008
- Channel: Auction House
Bates and B" signed Victorian style hinged bangle bracelet - beautiful goldtone (probably gold or gold filled, but not marked ) finish w/ ornate engraved section on front w/ oval center monogrammed "MLE"? hard to read - this Very Good Condition Antique bracelet has "Bates and B" inside bangle and "patd. Dec 26 / 05 - bracelet is 2 1/4 by 2 1/2 inch oval - fabulous find for any jewelry collection


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Snowboarding News | Wednesday January 30, 2013 | Shared By: Arbor
Arbor Snowboards rider, Nick Visconti went on a the trip of a lifetime to South Africa to go snowboarding with friends Stevie Bell and Scott Stevens and the Snowboarder Magazine crew.. There they encountered amazing culture and more amazingly some decent snow to ride. Get into this one, it's a great story.
Snowboarding News :: Riders | Industry | Resorts | Events | Gear
Privacy | About | Contact Us | Site Map | Advertising | @Snowboardingcom
iVenture.com Website | Produced and Managed HennesseyIMM.com | Design: monstrositee.com | © 2013 Snowboarding.com


text: Hi all, we use Maui 3.2.6p13. Facing the problem that users who have jobs in multiple queues are sometimes blocked because of MAXJOBQUEUEDPERUSERCOUNT=4 although resources are available, we have looked for an alternative. In the new Maui docs, it says that one can use MAXIJOB on a per user and also per class basis to limit the number of eligible jobs. Alas, using CLASSCFG[DEFAULT] MAXIJOB=4 does not work. Maui just ignores the specification, it is not listed with "diagnose -c", and all queues jobs in a class are eligible. The correspronding USERCFG line is accepted, though, but that's not what we want. Is this a Maui bug or a doc bug? Thanks in advance, Georg. -- Georg Hager | Email: Regionales Rechenzentrum | Georg.Hager at rrze.uni-erlangen.de Erlangen, HPC Services | Tel.: (+49)9131/85-28973 Martensstr. 1, 1.020 | Fax: (+49)9131/302941 D-91058 Erlangen, Germany | http://www.rrze.uni-erlangen.de/hpc


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William Clark snored in his bed. His alarm sounded. He pressed SNOOZE and then pulled the tattered Star Wars comforter over his head. Sleep did not return quickly enough, and William lay there, trying not to count his breaths, willing himself to relax, smelling his breath hot against against his face, trapped by the bedclothes.
Outside his window, the birds chirped. The sun glowed through the comforter, and he could see Han Solo's silk-screened face leering at him in reverse. William held his breath as long as he could, and then he exhaled again. Oh, it smelled awful.
Why did he listen to Drew? Cheetos and Jack Daniels were a terrible idea.
Read the full story here.
Well, this has been fun. I've learned an incredible amount, and exhausted myself. I've grown as a writer, and my time management skills have improved…a little bit. I'm actually a bit at sea as to what I'll do with myself until next June.
Something will come along. It always does.


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"Jeopardy!" Contestant Dies Before Episode AirsAn upcoming episode of "Jeopardy!" will include a special contestant who is no longer around to see her appearance on the hit television game show. Cindy Stowell lost her battle with cancer on Monday.
"Wheel Of Fortune" & "Jeopardy!" Salute Veterans"Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune" aren't playing around when it comes to marking Veterans Day. The game shows are using this week's episodes to spotlight those who have served.
'Jeopardy!' Champ Chu Unseated After 12-Day Run "Jeopardy!" champ Arthur Chu, who won big money while taking heat for his renegade style, has been defeated. Chu finished in third place with zero dollars on Wednesday's edition of the syndicated quiz show.
Trending: Alex Trebek Raps, Sportscaster SlipUp, Michael Bay MeltdownJanuary 7, 2014
Trending: Alex Trebek Raps, Sportscaster SlipUp, Michael Bay MeltdownA look at the stories that are trending online for January 7, 2014
"Jeopardy!" Moves To TXA 21Beginning August 12, the 11:00 a.m. "Jeopardy!" will move from CBS 11 to TXA 21 at 6:00 p.m. while our TXA 21 airing of the show will move to 5:30 p.m. from its 6:00 p.m. slot.
"Jeopardy!" Host Trebek Suffers Heart AttackAlex Trebek, the host of the long-running TV quiz show "Jeopardy!," was admitted into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Saturday after suffering a "mild heart attack."
14-Year-Old Texan Wins National Geographic BeeA first-time national geography bee contender from Texas has won the annual competition in Washington.
Plano Teen Competes On "Jeopardy!"Plano High School's Ben Greenho won the "Jeopardy!" Teen Tournament semifinals in Los Angeles, and now heads to the finals in Washington, D.C.
The Foote Files: This... Is... Jeopardy!Happy 48th Birthday, Jeopardy! On this date in 1964, Jeopardy! premiered on the NBC Television Network, and to this day is going stronger than ever!
"Jeopardy!" To Test 'Power Players' In Washington"Jeopardy!" will put 15 of Washington's most influential figures to the test when the syndicated game holds "Power Players Week."
North Texas Student Competing On "Jeopardy!"The top-rated game show "Jeopardy!" is in the middle of its annual College Championships, and one contender happens to be from North Texas.


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Seven Quick Tips To Mastering Cleaning
Keeping up a perfectly clean home can be an all-day work; however I don't know any person who has the time of making house cleaning a top need all the time. The time you spend cleaning is to the detriment of other important household tasks, from trying to get a free time with the children. Mastering house cleaning is a progressing fight; however basically make an effort to understand things will yield prompt results–results that will motivate you to assume responsibility for the chaos. Here are some tips that my enabled you from progressing fight for a spotlessly clean home. A good alternative is to to find some cleaning services nyc to come and help your home, but here I write about ways to do it if you cannot afford it.
Efficiently remove soap scum.
Soap scum that is such a painful to get rid? Scratch it off with a plastic putty blade. It will require a large portion of the time it would take to rub it off with a cleaning sponge. To avoid future develop, liquid or gel cleansers, which are less prone to produce scum than bar soaps. It will spare you from future rubbish scratching — despite everything you'll come out clean after a shower.
Quickly dust.
Clothes can get rid of dust, and it's okay alright. However you can spare a ton of time with a feather duster. These dusters are truly proficient — particularly to clean blinds, pictures and difficult to achieve places. They're additionally incredible for routine tidying or to rapidly clean a room before organization comes. On the off chance that you have overwhelming dust development, you may need to utilize a material or vacuum; else, it's a fast, powerful way to deal with the understanding that light film off of surfaces.
Get shiny stainless steel.
While stainless steel is lovely, proficient and stain-safe, it's additionally fast to show smears and fingerprints. One approach to clean and keep up it is by pouring mineral oil on a cloth and wiping it over your ledges, sinks, and different surfaces. Mineral oil repulses water and builds resistance — keeping sticky materials from appending to the steel and eliminating your future cleaning time.
Remove smells from the disposal.
To rapidly clean a stinky disposal, drop lemon or orange peels down the drain. Run the disposal for fifteen seconds with the water going at half weight, then drop some ice cubes in the disposal and turn it on once more. Turn off the disposal, put the plug over it and top off your sink until it's about half-full. Haul out the plug and let the water flush out the disposal for a different aroma.
Streak-proof your windows.
A paper towel and window cleaner don't usually cut it. On the off chance that your windows are little, utilize paper to clean the glass and stay away from streaks. On the off chance that your windows are especially extensive, the best approach is to utilize a squeegee. This eliminates time and helps you achieve the edges where a considerable measure of dust can develop.
The vacuum in half the time.
To cover the most measure of floor covering at all measure of time, use the outlet in your home. By connecting your vacuum cleaner to the outlet, you spare time on re-stopping it — time you can spend keeping on vacuuming. On the off chance that your vacuum has an especially short line, include an additional string and hold it as you vacuum to abstain from sucking it up.
Make use of magic erasers!
Magic erasers are viewed as "fairylike or magical" since they can clean any surface, from floor to roof. This eraser can be utilized on an overlay, tile, and wood — and they can dispose of everything from stains to grime to colored pencil marks. Utilizing erasers can some of the time cut your cleaning time into equal parts, if not more.
By adding these tips to your particular cleaning schedule, you'll invest less energy chipping away at your home and additional time is simply appreciating it.


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Spectators watch as thousands of people of Miao ethnicity gather in circles to dance and play folk instruments known as lusheng at a public square in Zhouxi township in Kaili in southwestern China's Guizhou province on Thursday, Feb. 16.
Seven Hong Kong police officers were jailed for two years Friday for what the judge described as a "vicious" attack on a protester during pro-democracy rallies in 2014, captured on film and beamed around the world.
Former Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang was Friday found guilty of misconduct during his time at the helm of the city in a high-profile corruption trial, but escaped conviction for bribery.
The prime minister of the self-declared Tibetan government-in-exile said Monday that he has high expectations for President Donald Trump to support dialogue between the Tibetans and Beijing, as Trump's predecessors have.
Hong Kong authorities have arrested a man for arson after a fire broke out in a subway car during rush hour Friday in a busy tourist district, injuring 18 people, two of them critically.
Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee (林榮基) on Wednesday said that his presence at the launch of the 2017 Taipei International Book Exhibition was not an attempt to seek asylum and denied he was looking to open a bookstore in Taiwan.
A Hong Kong dollmaker with a history of creating figurines of controversial world leaders has launched a replica of U.S. President Donald Trump complete with replaceable heads and hands.
Hong Kong actor Andy Lau has been injured while working in Thailand.
In a move to rein in extravagance, a city in Southwest China's Guizhou province bans remarried couples from holding wedding banquets.
At 4 a.m. the kettles crackle on a charcoal stove as regulars crowd inside an ancient Chinese temple turned teahouse, a relic in a country being overrun by Starbucks cafes.


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St. Petersburg & Tampa Bay
Why does the mysterious "Lady in White" appear at the Vinoy Hotel?
What haunting legacy remains hidden within the Blocker Mansion?
A lost cemetery, hidden treasure, Spanish conquistadors, Al Capone, Babe Ruth...discover the chilling tales that haunt Tampa Bay, and not just at Halloween!
Jannus Landing, the old Detroit Hotel, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and more haunted sites are featured on the Ghost Tour!
Peer into the shadows and mysteries of Florida's "Sunshine City"on a candlelight walking tour of downtown St. Petersburg!
Hear true ghost stories of wandering spirits, haunted mansions, phantom lovers, and age old curses...forgotten tales brought back to life. Join our costumed tour guides for a leisurely stroll along St. Petersburg's quaint streets and beautiful waterfront!
Tours depart from Sweet Divas Chocolates, 181 4th Ave NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Allow 90 minutes
Tours are scheduled every night at 8:00 pm, year-round.
View full schedule and purchase tickets >
If you are interested in a tour time not on the schedule, please call 727-894-4678.
$15 per person; $10 ages 4-12
Purchase tickets by calling 727-894-4678 or purchase tickets online >
We recommend purchasing tickets by 6:00 pm to ensure your spot on the tour. When you purchase tickets online or over the phone, your name will automatically be added to our tour reservation list. Just show up at the tour departure point with ID, and the guide will check you in.
Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Group Tours
Call 727-894-4678 for more information. The tour is available year-round, day or night, for groups of any size. Special group rates are available.
Gift Certificates
Ghost Tour gift certificates make a unique gift for everyone on your list! Gift certificates are available in any ticket increment and can be mailed or emailed. You can also add the book, Ghost Stories of St. Petersburg, with free shipping! Call 727-894-4678 to purchase.
We Know the Real Ghost Stories,
the Real Haunted Houses,
and Where They Buried the Bodies!
Cursed happenings at the Vinoy, Al Capone's love nest, Dead Man's Key, haunted forts and "deserted" islands, and more! Available at ghostlore.com and in bookstores.
+ Tampa Ghost Tour on ABC - Watch now >
+ Offthetrails.com captures some interesting photos on the Ghost Tour - Watch now >
+ VisitSouth.com: "Tampa's colorful past makes it a perfect host for ghosts."
+ VisitFlorida.com: The Ghost Tour "carefully documents all of the stories...This makes the tours equally popular with history buffs who want an entertaining trip through town. But it's still entertainment, not history. All of the guides are trained storytellers."
+ Florida's Ghostly Legends and Haunted Folklore: "This tour is entertaining and offers a good history along the way. The tour guides tell fun and fascinating tales of specters and haunted places throughout St. Petersburg."
+ Tampa Bay Times: "Where to get your scream on"
+ La Floridiana: "The location was magical. The smell of the adjacent salt water of Boca Ciega Bay wafted in on a warm gentle breeze ...An ancient Indian mound covered with moss draped Live Oaks and lush Cabbage Palms rustling in the windward breezes lay to the south of our...gathering point."
+ Recommended by destination360.com for a "candlelit walk through the most historic and mystic city streets."
+ Best in St. Petersburg Magazine and City Guide: Attractions and Entertainment


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Direct Marketing Through Broadcast Media: Tv, Radio, Cable, Infomercials, Home Shopping, and More (NTC Business Books)
A pioneer of broadcast direct marketing, Alvin Eicoff, covers the expansion of direct marketing into television and radio and examines the creativity behind successful campaigns. You'll get a grasp on the mathematics behind broadcast profitability, including the "Magic Number Concept", and the intricacies of campaign planning and follow-up. Plus, you'll discover how to: -- Test and select the right product for your medium-- Create direct response TV commercials that sell more product-- Get the most from radio, cable, and the new interactive technologies-- Handle customer responses and record keeping efficiently and effectively-- Measure and evaluate success
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Year end lists are starting to appear, and this one will hurt: the 25 worst passwords of 2011. Number one, yet again, is password.
Some companies demand a mix of alpha an numeric characters, so users get clever and use passw0rd. No hacker will think of that, right? And while 123456 may be a great password for some systems, more secure organizations require eight characters in a password. You know what's coming, don't you? 12345678. And where is ***** on the list?
No wonder Facebook accounts get cracked by the hundreds of thousands each day. And for those trying to break into your significant other's Facebook account to post embarrassing status entries, you now have the 25 most likely passwords. That assumes your significant other isn't smart enough to follow even the most basic password rules.
Good advice
My ex wife used the same easy password for everything, good thing for me though as I caught her having an affair and nailed her in court : )script on msn.com
Three words that would normally not be used together in a sentence (like "cat_vodka_Ferrari") is a strong password as well.ajd2006 on pcworld.com
I use password at work because i really don't give a damn. For real security I use an acronym from a line in a song lyric.dwgrift on msn.com
I had to choose a password with eight characters so I chose: "Snow White and the 7 Dwarves" :-)simonward on telegraph.co.uk
Well so much for my password to this site...Porchpup on msn.com
I always liked the password "obvious". That way when people ask what the password is for something I can tell them the password is obvious. Usually good for a few minutes back and forth dialogue about it not being obvious.sonofcassandra on telegraph.co.uk
A lousy system
To what extent are stolen passwords even a meaningful threat? Most systems don't hand out shadow files to the public and don't allow large numbers of quick guesses. Russian gangs setting up zombie networks aren't going to know my cat or my wife's name or similar "easy to guess" choices.karypm on pcworld.com
Forcing regular password changes sounds good, but causes endless problems with people who only use systems occasionally, or have been away.worldwatch on telegraph.co.uk
And as I've mentioned multiple times, software that 'remembers' your passwords for you is EVIL. DOUBLY ABSOLUTE EVIL for browser password caches.Evildave on pcworld.com
I had a password of @((#aM12_)g!1tty9 and it was broken. So consider what your password is and how difficult it is or how easy.ThaKhanKubla on msn.com
Thanks to SplashData for the list.


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GHOSTFACE KILLAH: Couples Therapy...HIP HOP NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW!!!
First DMX, now Ghostface Killah. VH1 has announced that the Wu Tang Clanlegend will be featured in the upcoming fourth season of Couples Therapy. Face and his girlfriend Kelsey Nykole will be among the stars working with Dr. Jenn Bermanto save their relationship. "These couples, at a crossroads in their relationships, will join together for over two weeks as they undergo intensive relationship therapy," says the network. "The couples will participate in group and individual therapy along with relationship exercises out in the 'real world' to see if they can rekindle the love they used to have for one another — or if it's simply time for them to move on."
Other celebs on tap for the season include Jon Gosselin and Liz Jannetta and Taylor Armstrong and John Bluher.
- We've been waiting for Ghostface to show up on reality TV. Maybe not on this show, though...
- Some fans are disappointed Ghost is doing this show. Should they be?


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Police will not act on TV house incident
Booted off: Ashley (top) and John (below) breached the rules. Camilla (right) remains on the show.
After watching tapes and interviewing contestants, police have decided there is not enough evidence to support a criminal investigation into accusations of a sexual assault in the Big Brother house.
But the Federal Government yesterday called in the television regulator, and politicians demanded the controversial reality show be axed.
Two young men were escorted from the Gold Coast compound by security guards after a "serious" incident, which was broadcast on the internet in the small hours of Saturday morning.
Michael Cox, a 20-year-old man from Perth known as Ashley on the show, and 21-year-old Michael Bric of Melbourne, who was dubbed John, admitted breaking the rules.
Pictures circulating on the internet appear to show one man holding a woman down while the other dangled his genitals in her face. Mr Bric's father tearfully defended his son yesterday.
Producers contacted police yesterday to pass on the footage and arrange interviews with the contestants, but police decided there was insufficient evidence for a criminal investigation.
However, the federal Communications Minister, Helen Coonan, said tapes had also been sent to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the television regulator, which
would assess whether there had been a code-of-conduct breach.
"I don't think it's very satisfactory," Senator Coonan said. "It makes me very concerned if there are these kinds of incidences on television and I think we do need to get to the bottom of it.
The adults-only version of the show was axed last month after complaints from MPs.
The Leader of the Opposition, Kim Beazley, said his advice to the management of Channel Ten was: "Make this Big Brother the last."
The Family First senator Steve Fielding said he would like to see the show axed. "How many more warnings before action is taken? How many more sleazy incidents do we need before this show is evicted?" he asked.
Last year's runner-up, Tim Brunero, defended the show. He condemned the behaviour of the male contestants, but warned that some politicians would use the incident to push their conservative agendas.
"You can't have a reality television show and complain when real things happen," he said. "As long as when controversial things do happen, they are dealt with appropriately and promptly."
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ByScott Cacciola
Laura Robson observed British actor James Corden taking in her match against Li Na on Friday morning. It was a distraction for Robson, who had important things to do: Defeat a second straight former Grand Slam champion, advance to the fourth round of the U.S. Open and send an adoring British public into near delirium. But there was Corden, sitting courtside.
"I spotted him midway through the first set," Robson said, "and then spent the rest of the time trying not to wave."
Expect the, ahem, timid British press to treat Robson's victory with its usual restraint. And none other than Wayne Rooney, the British soccer star, offered his post-match congratulations on Twitter: "Laura Robinson is playing brilliant good luck Laura."
"He called me Robinson!" said Robson, who wasn't buying Rooney's excuse that the autocorrect function on his phone had misspelled her name. "Can you blame that on predictive text? I'm not so sure."
This might be a good time to remind everyone that Robson is 18 years old. But with her 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2 victory over the ninth-seeded Li in Friday's third round, Robson is becoming something more than a novelty.
Two days after sending Kim Clijsters into retirement with a straight-sets victory, Robson took on Li, the 2011 French Open champion, and played a robust match. She flustered Li with her serve, overmatched her with her ground strokes and showed not the slightest bit of nerves—not even when the chair umpire botched a call in the third set.
"I was annoyed," Robson said. "But that's what happens from time to time, so you've got to deal with it. I think being a little bit annoyed seemed to help me."
It's been a glorious summer for British tennis fans, who watched Andy Murray win gold at the London Olympics—a brief, satisfying reprieve from his all-consuming pursuit of a first Grand Slam title in the age of Roger and Rafa.
Though she had a cameo at the Olympics, where she won
gold silver with Murray in mixed doubles, Robson has officially elbowed her way into the conversation this week. For tennis aficionados, Robson has been a name to watch since she won the Wimbledon girls' singles championship in 2008 at age 14. But for every precocious talent who fulfills outsize expectations, there are dozens who don't. (Witness this week's first-round losses by former American prodigies Donald Young and Melanie Oudin.)
For Robson, the spotlight hasn't always been kind. She lost in the first round in each of the year's first three Grand Slams, and the premature pressure on her only mounted. (When a reporter referenced that stretch of futility after Friday's match, Robson said, "Thanks for reminding me.") It's worth noting, of course, that no British woman has won a Grand Slam title since 1977, when Virginia Wade triumphed at Wimbledon. Then again, that drought seems brief compared to the collective plight of the British men, who haven't survived a Slam event since Fred Perry in 1936.
Robson's improvement has been steady, if unspectacular. Since 2008, her year-end ranking has gone from 559th to 419th to 206th to 131st. She entered the U.S. Open ranked No. 89, and it will take a quantum leap after victories against Clijsters and Li. "I've had a lot of tough matches against some very experienced opponents," Robson said. "So the way I see it, it was time to start winning a few of them."
There's no telling whether Robson can develop into a player who vies for championships, or even into a top-10 talent. But her baseline game is tremendous. She is an artist with her forehand. The knock against her has been that she lacks the quickness to cover the court—a challenge for a teenager who's growing into her 5-foot-11 frame.
Robson said she wanted to keep her feet moving against Li and make her "hit one extra ball." Robson also won 83% of the points on her first serve. Li blamed herself. "I was making a lot of mistakes," Li said. "It gave her confidence."
But that's part of tennis, and Robson hasn't exactly gotten many breaks in this tournament. Next up: a fourth-round match against defending champion Samantha Stosur. "I've had a fairly tough draw, haven't I?" Robson said.


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Under 'Rainbow,' a War: When Politics, Morals and Learning Mix
By JOSH BARBANEL
Published: December 27, 1992
It was to be simply a guide to teaching first graders tolerance and respect for all.
Instead, the Board of Education's "Children of the Rainbow" curriculum, with its teaching of respect and appreciation for gay and lesbian families, has become the latest battleground for liberals and conservatives in the city's cultural wars.
The standoff between Schools Chancellor Joseph A. Fernandez and a rebellious Queens school district continues. And an examination of the struggle offers a glimpse into the explosive mix of educational philosophy, political calculation, religious principles, clashing moral values and bureaucratic inattention that propelled what has come to be known as the Rainbow curriculum to the top of the city's political and social agenda.
The battle of the Rainbow Curriculum began in the late 1980's, as gay and lesbian organizations, with the support of Mayor David N. Dinkins, persistently pressed the New York City public schools to promote acceptance of their relationships as a way of bringing about broader changes in society.
"When I contacted the Chancellor and the members of the board it was clear to me that the inclusion of lesbians and gays would take a broad grass-roots effort, in collaboration with the Mayor's office," said Dr. Marjorie Hill, director of the Mayor's Office for the Gay and Lesbian Community. Response to Text Unanticipated
These groups finally won a voice in the schools, and representatives said they met every month or so with curriculum officials to try to shape various teaching guides. They finally succeeded with the Rainbow curriculum, and a member of the Gay and Lesbian Teachers Association was hired to help draft a section on "fostering positive attitudes toward sexuality."
But it does not appear that Mr. Fernandez or other top school officials anticipated the public response to the "Rainbow" contributions from lesbian and gay groups, or that they paid any special attention to its text.
Eventually, the Chancellor proposed revisions to the 443-page curriculum. One would eliminate the advice to first-grade teachers that "classes should include references to lesbian/gay people in all curricular areas." Mr. Fernandez has told superintendents that they can postpone lessons about gay and lesbian families until the fifth or sixth grade, and he replaced the top officials directly involved in the Rainbow project. But his efforts have done little to quiet the opposition.
The Rainbow guide might have disappeared forever had it not been noticed by the feisty president of one of the city's most conservative and confrontational community school boards, who in a burst of hyperbole, denounced the curriculum as promoting sodomy. At the time the local board, District 24 in Queens, was one of several conservative school boards feuding with Mr. Fernandez on other social issues. District 24 Adamantly Refuses
Now Mr. Fernandez is at a standoff with District 24, which has adamanatly refused to allow gay and lesbian relationships to be discussed in the classroom. How this issue is resolved could help determine whether the Chancellor remains in New York after his contract expires later this year.
Mr. Fernandez declined requests for an interview for this article.. But in a written statement distributed to reporters recently, he attributed the guide's troubles to a "malicious, highly organized campaign to distort" its contents.
"Valuable time and energy has been devoted to setting the record straight and getting out the facts about the teachers' guide," the statement said. "That time and energy could have been much better invested in addressing other student needs."
But to both gay and lesbian lobbyists and worried parents who have suddenly grown distrustful of their neighborhood schools, the curriculum raises bigger issues about what role moral values should play in the schools, and who should determine what is taught about those values. The History Rebuffed Minority Enters the System
When the Chancellor's Office established an advisory board on "multicultural education" in the late 1980's, no gay or lesbian representatives were included.
"The board viewed culture as being connected to a people or a land or a country, and sexual orientation was not included as a culture," said Sheila Evans-Tranumn, a chairwoman of the panel and a member of the New York Alliance of Black Educators. "The process of educating us and getting included took a long time."
Eventually, gay men and lesbians, in part by using their ties to the Mayor's office, succeeded in having two representatives namedto the panel, and gay and lesbian issues were later incorporated into a school policy that was adopted by the Board of Education in November 1989. The policy calls for multicultural education to "permeate every aspect of educational policy," including teaching materials and staffing.
But after the policy was adopted little happened, and gay and lesbian groups became frustrated again. They turned to the Mayor's office and Dr. Hill. She helped form a group known by its acronym Ecology, for Educational Coalition on Lesbian and Gay Youth, and led a delegation to a meeting with Mr. Fernandez. He assigned a deputy chancellor, Amina Abdur-Rahman, as a liaison with the coalition. Finally, a Say in the Curriculum


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Van Leavenworth, in his response to Hite, delves more deeply into Cthulhu's literariness, in particular the "large adventure book 'footprint' " of the series. He contends that the Lovecraft mythos provides a framework for the generation of narratives that - unlike many RPG stories - hold up beyond the game-play session.
Brian McHale looks back on the movement in "What Was Postmodernism?" He contrasts postmodernism's canonization with critical constructions of modernism, and moves through contemporary painting to reflect on intersections between the violence of recent history and postmodernism, as the postwar world lived "in the ruins of our own civilization, if only in our imaginations."
Will Hindmarch contests Greg Costikyan's challenge to the idea that "games have something to do with stories" by contending that "storytelling games reconcile the theoretically antithetical relationship between their two halves - story and game."
For Jay Murphy, Clayton Eshleman in his JUNIPER FUSE makes a resounding case for lived experience, for the tortuous growth, however partial or fragmented, as rooted in self-suffering as modes of vision and dream.
Ken Hirschkop questions whether poststructuralism and
self-referentiality offer workable alternatives to the military 'World
Target' that, according to Rey Chow, provides the framework for
knowledge production in Departments of Comparative Literary Studies.
As Christian Moraru argues here that the new is still the objective in contemporary writing. But writers and artists make it by making it anew rather than new ("Get it used," Andrei Codrescu invites us), a new not so much novel as renovated, reframed and reproduced rather than produced, which by the same token redefines and advertises authorship as deliberate plagiarism.
Linda Marie Walker writes an involved meditation on the concept of the interface and its relation to place.
Jon McKenzie, a former student of Gregory Ulmer's, traces the relations of influence and mentorship.
James Wallis uses genre as the fulcrum for balancing game rules and narrative structure in story-telling games, which he differentiates from RPGs through their emphasis on the creation of narrative over character development.
As I thread my way through ebr, I touch base with the artificial
intelligentsia that my work circulates in. The artificial intelligentsia is an
internetworked intelligence that consists of all the linked data being
distributed in cyberspace at any given time, one that is powered by artistic-
intellectual agents remixing the flow of contemporary thought.


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I was recently looking for airplane tickets from San Jose, California to Seattle, Washington. The cheapest tickets available for the dates I wanted were $310 for a round trip. The natural question to be asked here is if it's cheaper to drive, or to fly? If you are planning a trip, you should follow these steps if you're looking to save the most amount of money.
1) Find out how expensive the plane tickets are going to be
Be sure to check out a couple sites such as expedia.com, Travelocity, or AAA if you are a member. Don't just look at the presented price; be sure to include tax and booking fees if applicable.
2) Find out how many miles the journey will be
I recommend using Google Earth to find directions from one place to another. This program may be a little slow if you don't have a good graphics card from nVidia or AMD, so you could try yahoo maps or MapQuest if you don't have a graphics card for your computer.
3) Find out how long the journey will take to drive
Google Earth and other websites will tell you an estimated time to arrival. These programs take the route that it calculated, looks up the speed limit and the distance for each segment of the road, and use that information to compute the estimated time to arrive. If you drive over the speed limit, you will get to your destination faster, but you will also use more gas. Typically, if you go faster than 65 miles per hour you will consume more gas for the same miles traveled.
4) Find out how many miles per your car gets
You can easily look up the EPA rated MPG for your specific car online. Be sure to record the miles per hour on the highway. Please note that these numbers are only an estimate. My car is rated at 36 MPG highway, but actually gets 43 MPG when using cruise control at 65 MPH. If you have an electronic meter to tell you your miles per gallon, that's even better.
5) Calculate how much it will cost you to fill up your car
Gas prices vary per region, but the national average will give you a good estimate. Be sure to calculate for both the trip to and from your destination.
6) Reality check
For long journeys, you can be in the car for over ten hours in a single day. You need to do a reality check. Now that you know how much money it's going to cost you to drive to and from your destination and you know how much tickets cost, you need to calculate how much money you will save by driving. Is this number worth it to you? For my San Jose to Seattle situation, driving for a day each way will cost me over 200 dollars less than flying. Since it's going to be a long Christmas break, it is worth it to drive instead of fly. But you need to do a reality check and make sure it makes sense for your specific situation.
Other considerations
Depreciation of your car
The more miles a car has, the less it is worth. If you plan on selling your car, you may want to take depreciation into account. If you are renting or leasing a car, make sure that they aren't going to charge you for the extra miles you're going to put on the car.
Driving in a car for 12 straight hours isn't the safest thing to do. Some people have trouble concentrating for that long, which can lead to an accident. Flying in an airplane is statistically very safe. Flying is actually safer than driving a car for a long distance.
On one hand, driving can save you money, but it can also be extremely boring. When you pay extra for an airline ticket, you can arrive at your destination much, much faster. You are paying for that convenience.
Rental car
Rental cars can be extremely expensive, especially if you are under 24. If you plan on flying to a location and using a rental car for a couple days, definitely take that into account. Of course, if you drive your own car, you won't need to rent one.
Hotel expense
If a trip is simply too long and you need to spend the night in a hotel, you need to take that into account. Generally, if you have to spend a night in a hotel on the way to, and on the way from your destination, it's probably easier and cheaper just to fly.
Posted under Saving Gas, Saving Money
This post was written by admin on November 18, 2008


text:
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Mobile robot operators must make rapid decisions based on information about the robot's surrounding environment. This means that terrain modeling and photorealistic visualization are required for the remote operation of mobile robots. We have produced a voxel map and textured mesh from the 2D and 3D datasets collected by a robot's array of sensors, but some upper parts of objects are beyond the sensors' measurements and these parts are missing in the terrain reconstruction result. This result is an incomplete terrain model. To solve this problem, we present a new ground segmentation method to detect non-ground data in the reconstructed voxel map. Our method uses height histograms to estimate the ground height range, and a Gibbs-Markov random field model to refine the segmentation results. To reconstruct a complete terrain model of the 3D environment, we develop a 3D boundary estimation method for non-ground objects. We apply a boundary detection technique to the 2D image, before estimating and refining the actual height values of the non-ground vertices in the reconstructed textured mesh. Our proposed methods were tested in an outdoor environment in which trees and buildings were not completely sensed. Our results show that the time required for ground segmentation is faster than that for data sensing, which is necessary for a real-time approach. In addition, those parts of objects that were not sensed are accurately recovered to retrieve their real-world appearances.
Remote operation of mobile robots is widely used in planetary exploration, search and rescue, surveillance, defense, and other robotic applications [
Conventional real-time visualization systems mostly apply a 2D image, a voxel map or a texture map to represent a terrain model. A 2D image is captured by the mobile robot's camera. For example, the 2D image in
In large-scale environments, a level-of-detail (LOD) method is used to render the near-field regions of the terrain model. In far-field regions, billboard rendering methods [
In this paper, we aim to constitute a real-time, large-scale terrain modeling system for photorealistic visualization, including our new ground segmentation method and 3D boundary estimation algorithm. The framework of the proposed system is shown in
The system includes three principal steps. Firstly, data from the integrated sensors are used to generate a voxel map and a textured mesh as terrain models. The multiple sensors mounted on mobile robots collect terrain information in the form of 3D point clouds, 2D images, GPS, and rotation states. Based on the rotation and position data, the received 3D point clouds are transformed to absolute positions which are quantized into regular grids and registered into a voxel map and a textured mesh by projection from vertices to 2D images.
Next, we develop a ground segmentation method to classify ground surface and non-ground objects in the voxel map. We apply a height histogram method, based on the spatial distribution of the ground and objects, to segment ground data in the voxel map. Because the voxels in the terrain model are highly affected by their neighbors, we apply a Gibbs-Markov random field (GMRF) [
Finally, our 3D boundary detection algorithm is applied to recover unsensed parts of non-ground objects. The missing portions of objects are reconstructed by detecting the object boundary in the 2D image, then estimating the true height from the incomplete boundary in the textured mesh.
This paper is organized as follows: in Section 2, we survey related work on terrain modeling, ground segmentation, and photorealistic modeling methods. In Section 3, we explain a ground segmentation method for voxel maps. In Section 4, we describe our non-ground object boundary estimation method for complete terrain reconstruction. The performance of the proposed ground segmentation and photorealistic visualization methods are analyzed and evaluated in Section 5, and finally, in Section 6, we draw our conclusions.
There are many approaches to terrain modeling motivated by techniques from large-scale voxel maps and textured meshes. For example, there are algorithms based on multiple-sensor integration, large-scale dataset registration, ground surface and non-ground objects reconstruction, and 3D point interpolation. In this section, we review the ground surface and non-ground objects reconstruction methods. In addition, we investigate non-ground the researches on objects segmentation and 3D point interpolation, in order to recover the unsensed parts of large objects in the reconstructed terrain model.
When we represent a robot's surrounding terrain in a virtual environment, it is necessary to reconstruct a terrain model using an integrated dataset obtained from multiple sensors [
A ground segmentation algorithm that classifies ground surface and non-ground objects in the reconstructed terrain models is necessary to recover unsensed parts of the non-ground objects. Conrad
To segment ground data in the reconstructed terrain model, we need to calculate each voxel's probability of being in the ground and non-ground configurations. An effective approach to object segmentation from 2D images and 3D point clouds is the Markov random field (MRF) algorithm [
The recovery of unsensed regions plays a major role in obstacle avoidance. Some researchers have applied interpolation algorithms to fill empty holes and smooth terrain [
In hardware design research, Früh
Point interpolation algorithms are used to fill small holes in the 3D grid. However, it is difficult for these methods to estimate the height of large objects, meaning that the actual shape of tall objects is often misrepresented. Point interpolation algorithms are also ineffective in representing porous objects, such as vegetation. To solve these problems, Song
In this paper, we integrate a colored voxel map and a textured mesh to construct a photorealistic terrain model. For the ground segmentation in the 3D voxel map, we present a height histogram method with a GMRF model. Further, in contrast to interpolation methods, we explain a 3D boundary estimation method to recover unsensed regions in the textured mesh, especially for high or tall objects outside the sensors' range of measurement.
Before recovering the unsensed parts of non-ground objects, we require a ground segmentation algorithm that classifies ground and non-ground data from the reconstructed voxel map. We aim to autonomously segment ground surface in rough and slopy terrain environment and segment non-ground object with as few errors as possible. In this section, we apply a height histogram method and a GMRF model for this purpose. To initialize the variables in the GMRF model, such as height observation and configuration, in Section 3.1 we roughly segment the ground surface using a height histogram method based on the spatial distribution of ground surface and non-ground objects. Some errors will exist in this segmentation result. To remove these, we apply the GMRF model to refine the segmentation in Section 3.2. Then, from the non-ground voxel segmentation result, we will estimate the actual height value for the non-ground vertices. This procedure is described in Section 4.
We usually segment the 3D points using the height of the robotic vehicle
The height histogram is a graph representing the distribution of height values, as shown in
A fraction of ground has a smooth, horizontal surface. The 3D sensor cannot pass through the solid ground surface, and no data is scanned below the ground surface. Hence, the height distribution of this ground fraction is highly localized within (−
We create a height histogram as shown in
By applying this estimated height value as a threshold for ground segmentation, we obtain the result shown in
When we segment ground data using the threshold generated from the 3D histogram method, some errors exist in the segmentation result. In order to remove them in the rough ground segmentation result, we explain a technique that determines the data configuration based on local and neighboring observations in the generated voxel map. We append the GMRF model definition at the end of this paper to explain our method's theoretical background.
When we apply the GMRF to ground segmentation in a 3D voxel map, we first determine a set of voxels whose configurations imply a high probability of being in the ground class. If the
As mentioned in Section 3.1,
The voxels with a ground configuration are grouped into dataset
When mobile robots detect information about the surrounding terrain, some parts of objects are outside the range of measurement of their 3D sensors. For example, in
Mobile robots require real-time boundary detection. Hence, we apply a simple kernel-based boundary detection method to estimate image gradients and detect the foreground and background in a 2D image. To account for noise in the image, we use dilation and erosion methods to smooth the boundary detection result.
We define a horizontal kernel to detect the boundary in the horizontal direction, and a vertical kernel to detect the boundary in the vertical direction, as shown in
By computing the convolutions
The coefficients
If the change in pixel (
We find that some noise exists in the boundary detection result. To remove this, we apply dilation and erosion filters. We firstly apply erosion process to remove the noise in the boundary detection result. The erosion process is performed by extending the background region in 'white' using an erosion mask, as shown in
We shift the erosion mask across the image and generate a boundary detection result
Using the erosion process to remove the noise, we find that some boundary pixels are filtered out. Subsequently, we apply the dilation process to recover the filtered boundary pixels. The dilation process is performed by extending the boundary region in "black" using a dilation mask, as shown in
We shift the dilation mask across the image and generate a boundary detection result D by the convolution function on image
The experimental result of removing noise from
In this section, we propose a 3D boundary estimation method for the 3D terrain mesh that allows us to recover the complete shape of non-ground objects. Using the boundary detection between the foreground object and the background in a 2D image, we find the boundary's 3D coordinates by projecting from 2D pixels to 3D vertices secondly.
From the ground data segmentation results, we consider a 3D non-ground voxel in the terrain mesh as part of the foreground object. This is because background data, such as sky, cannot be sensed.
When non-ground voxels in
We search for a boundary pixel
We find the
The direction of the vector
We derive the estimated height value as:
In this section, we describe several experiments to analyze the performance of the proposed non-ground object detection and 3D boundary estimation methods. The experiments have been performed in three steps. Firstly, we have reconstructed a voxel map and textured mesh in the virtual environment by integrating frames of 3D point clouds. Next, we have segmented ground voxels in the voxel map using the height histogram method with a GMRF model. Finally, we have estimated object boundaries in the 2D images using the object vertices in the terrain mesh and evaluated the height of each object cell.
Experiments were carried out using a mobile robot with integrated sensors, including a GPS, gyroscope, video camera, and 3D sensor. We used an HDL-64E Velodyne sensor, giving approximately 1.333 million laser shots per second, to scan 3D points in the unknown environment. The valid data range is approximately 70 m from the robot. Our algorithms are implemented on a laptop PC with a 2.82 GHz Intel® Core™2 Quad CPU, a GeForce GTX 275 graphics card, and 4 GB RAM. We drive the robot around an outdoor area of 100 × 100 m2, including buildings and trees. The upper parts of these objects are outside the range of the robot's sensors, but are captured in the 2D images. We also utilized an HDL-32E Velodyne sensor in other two environments, as shown in
In this section, we analyze the ground segmentation results, discuss the accuracy of the model for different densities of terrain map, and show that the proposed algorithm is fast enough to be used in a real-time approach. We apply the proposed height histogram method to estimate the height range of the ground surface, and then use the GMRF model to segment the ground data with the results of the height histogram.
The voxel map integrated from a few frames has a low density and small point quantity, so that rare neighboring voxels exist centered by a voxel. It is thus difficult to estimate the configurations of terrain voxels. In our projection, we collected 235,940 lasers in a frame, and implemented the ground segmentation once per frame.
We see from
We also implemented the GMRF-based ground segmentation method in 2D images. Firstly, we segmented the ground vertices in the terrain mesh and mapped them onto 2D pixels. Next, we segmented all the ground pixels using the GMRF model with the flood-fill algorithm, as proposed by Song [
Before terrain reconstruction, we apply a calibration of camera and the Velodyne sensor to the camera. In order to realize real-time terrain reconstruction, we implement the calibration method only once before the terrain reconstruction. In
In this section, we investigate the performance of the proposed boundary estimation method by comparing the obtained values with the actual object heights (2.90 m on average).
The textured terrain mesh with complete objects provides the remote operator with an intuitive 3D scene with foreground objects on the ground. This gives a better representation of the surrounding terrain than that generated directly from the sensed datasets. Whereas Huber's work [
By mapping the texture from the 2D image to the terrain mesh, we reconstructed a complete terrain model captured from the quarter view, as shown in
In this paper, we described a ground segmentation technique and a non-ground boundary estimation method for automated surveying and mapping by mobile robots. The methods are shown to be effective in an outdoor environment for a mobile robot with a 3D sensor, video camera, GPS, and gyroscope. The datasets from multiple sensors are integrated in the forms of voxel map and textured mesh in order to develop a terrain modeling system.
During remote operation, it is not convenient to classify non-ground objects using 3D point clouds. Ground segmentation is required for the classification of ground surface and non-ground objects, but traditional methods for 2D images must be implemented for each captured image, leading to a huge computational cost. To overcome this problem, we developed a ground segmentation approach using a height histogram and GMRF model in the reconstructed terrain voxel map. We showed that our method is faster than segmentation algorithms based on image processing.
To represent non-ground objects outside the measurement range of the robot's 3D sensors, conventional interpolation algorithms are applied. However, it is difficult for these methods to recover the shape of large objects. To solve this problem, we described a 3D boundary estimation method that estimates the true height value of an object from its boundary in the 2D image. The actual height of objects is estimated using a projection from 2D pixels to 3D vertices. This method enables real-time terrain modeling and provides the remote robot operator with photorealistic visualization support.
We tested our approach using a mobile robot mounted with integrated sensors. The simulation results demonstrate the intuitive visualization performance of the proposed method in a large-scale environment. The speed of terrain modeling and photorealistic visualization satisfies the constraints of real-time operation. Our works are compatible with global information database collection, streetscape representation, augmented reality and other multimedia applications.
However, in the ground segmentation results, if the computed voxel is far from the robot, it is difficult to evaluate the accurate probability for the configurations in GMRF model. Even in the rough terrain, such as vegetation areas, the irregular object shape distribution will cause the errors in ground segmentation results. We implement the 3D boundary estimation algorithm from textured mesh, which cannot model the empty areas inside the objects, such as trees. We need to improve and optimize the algorithms to deal with these problems in future.
This work was supported by the Agency for Defense Development, Korea.
The configuration of a voxel also depends on its connected neighbors. This phenomenon follows the property of GMRF. Hence, we apply GMRF to segment the ground data from the segmentation result computed by the height histogram method.
We define
A neighborhood system for
We define a clique as a set neighboring a given site. In our application, a clique contains the given voxel and its neighboring voxels within a distance of
Based on its MRF property, the configuration at site
To evaluate the PDF in
The potential function
According to Bayes' rule, the solution of
The energy function
When we apply the GMRF in the voxel map, we define a voxel site
The constants
Terrain models. (
Framework for terrain modeling and photorealistic visualization using ground segmentation and 3D boundary estimation.
Histogram examples of height value distributions. (
Height histogram generated from voxels in the voxel map. (
Ground segmentation in the voxel map. (
Kernel matrices for boundary detection. (
Foreground objects boundary detection. (
Erosion and dilation masks. (
Boundary detection for non-ground objects. (
Segmentation results. (
Ground segmentation performance over frames 1∼60. (
Projection from 3D points of 0.1 frame to a 2D image. (
3D boundary estimation results for non-ground objects. (
Reconstruction result after 3D boundary estimation for non-ground objects. (
Other simulation results using the proposed terrain reconstruction methods. (


text:
It seems a lot of people are getting fed up with these lies or a lot of people know DEMs are making crap up about Romney. See his not paying taxes thread. I said there all he has to do is show the records and it will shut them up.
Have the you seen the latest ad about a guy who was fired from Bain and lost his health insurance. Then his wife got sick and died because they had no insurance.
He blames Romney and said he doesn't even know or
care that he killed her. Typical DEM ploy.
That is a lie because Romney wasn't even at Bain in 07 when she died. He left Bain in 01
so he had nothing to do with the dismissal.
In fact, when the dude was fired the wife
had a job in a thrift shop and had her own
health insurance that kept her going.
So they had insurance.
The same thing happened to my brother when he lost his job. His wife got a job and got their health insurance and she's still working after being a stay at home mom for 21 years.
The lies are taking the focus off the economy and jobs and the people aren't being fooled.
That said, OBY is pulling ahead in Florida and Ohio at last count by +6. If OBY gets them it's over by 8:30 pm on election night.
Rasmussen still has them about even.


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Join Date: Sep 2006
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|Each of those things can play a role in a baby's ability to breastfeed immediately after birth, but none of them require baby to have a bottle.
Mama to Nell (11/15/06) and Maggie (10/9/10) . AFTER 2.5 YEARS, I AM AN AUNTIE!!! HOORAY TEAR78 and welcome Anika and Brand New Baby Boy!!!! Circumcision: the more you know, the worse it is; please leave the decision up to your son!
oy... so is it true that having PCOS could hurt my supply?
as if i had another thing to worry about! :
Before DD was born I'd heard so many breastfeeding failure/horror stories I wondered if I would be able to do it. I never introduced a bottle because I wasn't sure if I could handle any interference. I took a class and read lots of books. We've been happily bfing for a year now.
okay i do feel better about the PCOS thing...
im a very weird cyster.. my doctor thinks i have something SIMILAR to pcos, called multi-follicular syndrome. It made me horribly irregular, bad skin, weight gain, all the classic PCOS signs, but my blood levels of testosterone, estrogen, prolactin, glucose, EVERYTHING was perfectly normal!
however, she told me just because i didnt fit inside the box didnt mean i didnt have pcos, and after 2 years of trying, and 4 months on metformin, i got pregnant, lol.
but since i dont have the actual technical hormone issues, i might be okay
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The Cup-of-Coffee Test
Huynh says that no matter how much attention and dollars planners and developers pour into projects, the truth is that "People define the TOD. People have always given a meaning to things."
And the reason why many TODs don't work, says Huynh, is the lack of agreement on how to measure success. His recommendation? The coffee test.
"Coffee shops are a good measure of how walkable an area is mainly because everyone walks to get their coffee. Starbucks has intrinsic data measuring the effectiveness of the walk-in coffee v. the drive through coffee shop, and has created many more walk-in coffee stores rather than the drive through coffee shops. By measuring the walking distance and time that exists between the closest coffee shop and station site, we can measure the walkability of the station."
Thanks to The Source


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Kim Clijsters of Belgium saved three match points just before a 74-minute rain break and rallied to beat Maria Sharapova of Russia 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 in the Cincinnati Open final.
Clijsters won her third crown of the year at the same $2-million US hard court event where last year she ended a two-year layoff to have a family on her way to winning the U.S. Open title for her second Grand Slam crown.
The victory gave Clijsters, 27, her 38th career singles title.


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Live updates
- ITV Report
Man charged with Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox's murder
A man has been charged with the murder of MP Jo Cox. Thomas Mair, 52, will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court later today.Read the full story ›
Celebrations start for 200th anniversary of Charlotte Bronte's birth
Members of the Bronte Society celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charlotte Bronte on the Terrace of the House of Commons.
The gathering marked the start of a five-year programme to highlight the bicentenaries of the births of each of the Bronte siblings.
Charlotte's is the first birth to be celebrated this Thursday, with Branwell to follow in 2017, Emily in 2018 and Anne in 2020.
Celebrations to mark Charlotte's birthday will take place around the world on April 21st. The primary focus will be on Haworth itself which will host a full day of community-led activities.
We at the Bronte Society have been planning these events for a number of years now. We are very excited to see the Bronte 200 launch on Thursday 21st April with a day of activities in Haworth, followed by a commemorative service in Westminster the following day. It was wonderful to come to the Houses of Parliament and help start the celebrations.
Row over MPs "selling off Parliament's silverware"
Cutlery manufacturers in Sheffield are furious at plans to sell off House of Commons silver and potentially replace it with stainless steel tableware from Vietnam.
For more than a century cutlery has been forged in Sheffield, the city where stainless steel was invented. The move has not gone down well with either business owners, or the Deputy Prime Minister. Martin Fisher reports.
Blomfield named Parliamentarian of the Year
Sheffield Central MP Paul Blomfield has been named Parliamentarian of the Year 2014 by the national charity Citizens Advice.
The Rt Rev John Gladwin, Chairman of Citizens Advice, praised the Labour MP for championing the need for better regulation of payday lenders on the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee to protect consumers.
A special award was also given to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Debt and Personal Finance, of which Mr Blomfield is Secretary, for the group's work campaigning on the issue of payday lending and debt management companies.
After receiving the Parliamentarian of the Year award Mr Blomfield said:**"It's a huge honour to receive this award from Citizens Advice. It's a tribute to everyone who has campaigned to stop the payday loan rip-off and forced the Government to act.
"Ministers could not ignore the sustained pressure from debt and consumer charities, churches, trade unions, MPs, Councils, and the thousands of people who signed our petition saying that the irresponsible behaviour and practices of payday lenders have to stop."
MP emotional at launch of sexual exploitation law report
Rotherham MP Sarah Champion has spoken emotionally at the launch of a report looking into child sexual abuse legislation.
The report carried out by the MP and charity Bernardo's will recommend stronger legislation to allow early intervention in suspected cases.
Paul Brand is there for Calendar.
Tears from @sarahchampionmp as she commends child victims of sexual exploitation at launch of her findings into how law should be tightened
Rotherham MP urges stronger child sexual exploitation laws
In the next few minutes the Rotherham MP Sarah Champion will speak in Westminster to call on the government to tighten up laws on child sexual exploitation.
A joint report by the MP and the Barnados children's charity says it should be made easier for police to intervene more quickly in cases where children are at risk. It also recommends giving specialist training to judges and lawyers involved in child grooming cases.
Calls for tighter restrictions on gambling machines
Tens of millions of pounds is being spent by gamblers in Yorkshire on one of the betting industry's most controversial gaming machines. The fixed odds betting terminals, as they're called, can leave you three hundred pounds out of pocket - in just one minute.
The Campaign for Fairer Gambling has released figures today which they illustrate the machines earning power - and are calling for tighter controls to govern them. Tina Gelder reports.
Betting machines spell trouble says former addict
Gamblers in Yorkshire lost more than one hundred and £10 million on controversial gaming machines last year, figures out today have revealed.
The fixed odds betting terminals have been dubbed the crack cocaine of gambling because of the speed at which the casino style games are played. £100 can be lost in seconds. Reformed gambling addict Vicky clark from Sheffield says they spell trouble.
Region's gamblers lost £110m last year on "fixed odds betting machines"
Figures released today are expected to reveal that more than £110m was lost by Yorkshire gamblers last year on controversial betting machines.
Figures due to be published this lunchtime will reveal an estimated £112m was gambled away in the region last year on fixed odds betting terminals.
In total, estimates by lobby group the Campaign for Fairer Gambling will suggest more than £3bn was staked on the addictive machines in Yorkshire in 2013 - around £600 for every man, woman and child.
The region's gambling hot spot is Leeds, where an estimated £16m was lost by punters last year, on 414 machines spread across 114 betting shops. Next highest was Doncaster, followed by Hull, Huddersfield and York.
The highest losses per head of population were in the Parliamentary constituency of Hull West and Hessle, where punters lost nearly £50 for every man, woman and child.
Campaigner Graham's drive to get motorists' fines overturned
Motorist Graham Auty from Leeds is taking on the system over a road camera that has netted four hundred thousands pounds in fines.
Graham's wife was driving when it snapped them in Manchester. He later successfully appealed against the fine, arguing that no warning signs were visible.
But not content with that, he is now taking his fight to Parliament to try to overturn those fines handed to thousands of other motorists. Helen Steel reports.


text: Ndiswrapper comes with BT3F by default, no need to install it in other words. What you however do need are the windows driver for your specific card to use with ndiswrapper. Also note that you will not be able to inject or even get your card into monitor mode using ndiswrapper.


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Proper Preparation Optimizes Pride: Pride of America Cruise Review by moonzblue
Overall Member Rating
Proper Preparation Optimizes Pride
Destination: Hawaii
Embarkation: Honolulu
After thorough research we booked a few excursions: waterfall hike on Maui, Volcanoes National Park hike and Akaka Falls in Hilo, Captain Zodiac snorkeling in Kona, and Wiamea Canyon tour on Kauai. In addition we picked three helicopter tours: Honolulu, Maui, and Kauai. We originally booked a balcony mid-ship on deck 7 but were upgraded to a larger cabin on deck 11 about a month before sailing. We called Norwegian directly when More rates went down. A week before sailing we got a call offering an upgrade to a penthouse (can't recall the exact amount) which was declined. After consideration, we called back but there were no penthouses available. Instead we were offered an upgrade to a balcony aft family suite starboard. As I recall we paid an additional $800 for cabin 7178, one of many last minute changes that made our trip!!!!
Along with the upgrade came a butler, priority boarding, and other perks like a fancy coffee maker. Momma like! Also, two separate sleeping areas and a seating area. The best feature was the huge balcony furnished with four chaise lounges, four chairs, and two cocktail tables that wraps around the side of the boat giving a sweeping view. We began each morning with coffee and ended each evening with wine on the balcony and instead of crowing up on a higher deck for views, we just sat back and watch them unfold before us.
We arrived early for priority boarding and were escorted off to the side to a private waiting area then escorted onto the ship right past the hundreds seated in the waiting area. Our group of about 20 were taken to the Napa Wine Bar where we had some crew introductions, champagne, and then moved into Cagney's for lunch. This would be our breakfast and lunch reserved restaurant for the duration. We were less then impressed and ending up eating here only one other time. Best early lesson: food is institutional similar to a hospital, school cafeteria, college dorm, etc. Do not expect gourmet or even quality ingredients (canned fruit in Hawaii really?), proper preparation, or good service. The buffet at least allows you to see what you're getting and be selective.
We went to our cabin and one of two suitcases had been delivered. Luckily our "Easy Traveler" pouches were intact. Read about them on these forums, and immediately ordered the "Spring Break" package. We easily packed two bottles of vodka, two bottles of wine, and a bottle of Bailey's.
If you are planning a cruise, stop reading now and go order some of these bags; they will save you literally $100s (google smuggle alcohol on cruise) in fact, they probably paid for the upgrade. No worries packing them in your checked baggage, purse or backpack (even where they were doing visual screening!), or even into your swimsuit. Hilariously Mom was able to get two pouches in the swimsuit and with the towel draped over, she was just another fat lady walking by!
Our butler came in and gave us a brief lesson on making coffee. Not only do you need a lesson, you will be lucky to get three cups made before it needs attention of some sort. We kept our butler busy just trying to get two people two cups of coffee in the morning. We waited and waited for the second suitcase and finally decided to give up and go explore. We we walked down the hall we spotted it in front of the wrong door despite being very clearly labeled. Second early lesson: lower your expectation of service personnel. We had several of them "school" us on how things work right off the bat. First night, we called for someone to come make up the fold-out bed in the second bedroom. After a good wait, two people showed up who had no idea what they were doing, leaving out a piece that actually made the bed adult-size! The next day it was mentioned that the bed was too short and our steward said bluntly that they could not read our minds and they we had to COMMUNICATE our needs from now on. We were told they intentionally left the bed short since belongings had been placed in the storage at the foot of the bed and they didn't want to restrict access. Given the choice between a comfortable sleep and access to a drawer, most would choose sleep, but from then on we were sure to call early and supervise carefully while the bed was made so an adult could sleep in it.
First morning we had planned to go to Cagney's but instead ordered room service. Because we had not gone through proper channels (ordering the night before by leaving a card on the door) we were told it would be a 45 min wait. No problem since we had changed plans and cancelled the excursion leaving at 8:45. When breakfast arrive it was cold and inedible. We never ordered room service again. Instead, the first morning in Maui we went to Whole Foods, a short walk, a stocked our fridge. We had to ask several times for it to be emptied, but we were able to eat quite well from then on.
We kept a constant supply of ice and a pitcher of pineapple juice which we mixed with coconut and pineapple vodka. Some ports have good restaurants in walking distance (Duke's in Kauai).
As for the excursions: do the helicopter tours, as many as you can afford. Really the best way to get to see the most. We loved the volcano hike, but the second portion (Akaka Falls) was too far away requiring too much driving time. As soon as we got back to the ship we cancelled the Waimea Canyon trip. Unless your idea of a good time is a lot of driving, avoid these excursions. Rent a car and get out to explore on your own. Remember, the ship is your hotel and transportation only. Make your own fun, explore, relax at the beach and you will fall in love with Hawaii like we did.
BTW, the final bill was only $151. Less
Published 09/25/13
Cabin review: SI7178 2-Bedroom Family Suite with Large Balcony
Aft cabin with great view and huge wrap-around balcony. PoA has 2 of these suites on decks 7-12. We upgraded to this suite and it literally MADE or trip!!!Read All 2-Bedroom Family Suite with Large Balcony (SI) Reviews >>
Port and Shore Excursions
Akaka Falls
Loved the volcano hike, very tough terrane, 4 hours mostly in full sun. After hike group was taken to park headquarters for lunch. Turkey and cheese wraps were quite warm having been kept in a plastic bin in the hot van with no ice! With mayo and sprouts inside. Note to tour operator...proper food storage is more than just a good idea; it's potentially deadly. One bite then in the trash, leaving a bag of chips for lunch.
We stopped on the way back to Hilo (1 hour drive time) at Mauna Loa tourist trap, er....candy factory for a factory tour. Nothing to see there, operation is closed, so just shopping opportunity.
Once back in Hilo, Akaka Falls was another 1 hour drive north. All nine people groaned when we realized this. Sweaty and tired after a 4 hour hike, if I would have known 2 more hours in that van stuck to the plastic seat was ahead I would have bailed out in Hilo and taken a taxi back to the ship. This day was WAY too long and WAY too much drive time.
Especially since we essentially had a bag of chips to eat all day!
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Loved this part. Not for the feeble.
Large and efficient facilty.
Helicopter Tour
Captain Zodiak tour had major problems.
Read Cruise Critic's Pride of America Review >>
Great destination! Unfortunat...
Food not good but a nice time ...
First time with NCL
Great destination! Unfortunat...
Food not good but a nice time ...
First time with NCL
Not the best, but definitely n...
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Middle school sports program popular
Published: Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 1:32 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 1:32 p.m.
The Alachua County Middle School sports program is in the middle of its eighth year and officials say the popularity of the successful program is still soaring.
Unlike most other sports programs for teens, parents do not have to pay a fee for their children to participate in the Alachua County Middle School sports program, which includes volleyball in the fall, basketball, which began last month and ends in March, and soccer, which begins on March 11.
In the fall, the High Springs girls volleyball team defeated Bishop in the championship match and Bishop defeated Kanapaha in the boys championship match.
Charlie Wise, overseer of the program for the School Board of Alachua County, said now that the program is in its eighth year, it is hard to believe it has not been around longer.
"We are very pleased with our program," Wise said. "It's become highly competitive, and we wish we had the resources to field more teams. Interest in the program is tremendous."
Wise said all middle schools in the county field boys and girls teams in all sports, except Hawthorne Middle/Senior High School, which normally has just a boys basketball team. Wise said Hawthorne plans to add other teams next school year.
Wise said middle schools are also involved in a fee-based baseball program operated by the city of Newberry Recreation Department. Teams have begun to practice and the season will start this month.
Wise said the School Board purchased the Diamond Sports Complex in Newberry in 2006 and entered into an inter-local agreement with the city of Newberry to operate the middle school baseball program, which Wise said also is extremely popular. He said some schools, including Bishop and Lincoln, have two baseball teams.
The middle school sports program began in the 2005-06 school year and Wise said it costs the district about $75,000 annually to operate it. Wise said that includes paying 48 coaches, officials for all three sports, trophies and a district allocation of $1,500 per school ($500 per sport). Wise also said player eligibility includes maintaining a 2.0 GPA and having good behavior.
Wise said Superintendent Dan Boyd and middle school principals are responsible for the success of the program. He said Boyd came to him several years ago and asked him to research the idea of a middle school sports program before coming up with a plan for implementation.
"He has attended every championship game in the history of the program and he has personally handed out all of the certificates and trophies," Wise said.
Mike Gamble, principal at Bishop, said the program has been "overwhelmingly positive." He also said Boyd deserves a lot of credit for being a staunch supporter of the program, which, Gamble said, is tailored to be just another extracurricular activity.
"It's fun and exciting, but we're not going over the top with it," he said, adding that the minimum GPA requirement helps some students with their academics and behavior because they know they won't play if either is not up to par.
Lawson Brown, assistant principal at Lincoln, agreed with Gamble. Brown said the minimum GPA requirement has had a "profound impact on some of our underachieving students." He said they work harder in the classroom because they want to be on a team.
"This is a great avenue to prepare them to be student-athletes at the high school level and beyond," Brown said.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Home > Entertainment > Film > Article
They have been wandering around Sydney like two excitable tourists, pointing out sights they know from the animated American movie Finding Nemo.
But the big difference from other first-time visitors is that Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich directed the hit comedy.
"It's been like walking around the set of your movie," Stanton said yesterday. "It's been very strange. We've been looking like crazy people to tourists, hitting each other and going 'Look! It looks just like it!"'
Unkrich added: "It's like we somehow made the film through virtual reality from halfway around the world and now, for the first time, we're actually getting to visit the location."
Finding Nemo, which is now the 10th-highest grossing movie in American cinemas, is about a clown fish tracking his missing son from the Great Barrier Reef to a dentist's aquarium in Sydney.
The film-makers, who previously worked on both Toy Story movies, A Bug's Life and Monsters, Inc for Pixar Animation Studios, sent their production designer on an early research visit.
He came back with videos and photographs of the harbour, various suburbs, marinas and even of the ferries.
Stanton said it gave them a fish's perspective on the city.
Having learnt about Australia through such films as Gallipoli, My Brilliant Career and Breaker Morant while working as an usher in his local cinema, Stanton was concerned to portray the country accurately.
"I was worried that I would have a foreigner's stereotypical view of Australia if left to my own devices, without even meaning to . . . just out of ignorance. So I made sure I did my research."
Having Australian staff at Pixar helped. "I'd call them out of meetings and say 'Look at this shot. Does this look right?' or 'Would somebody say this?' "
The film-makers also took advantage of the Australian actors who supply voices for the movie, including Geoffrey Rush, Eric Bana, Barry Humphries, Bruce Spence, Rove McManus and Bill Hunter.
"Bill Hunter we'd seen in Muriel's Wedding, Strictly Ballroom and tons of other films," Unkrich said. "We found out after the fact that you can't really make a film in Australia without having Bill Hunter in it."
So, have they discovered any mistakes in their movie during a trip that has included three days of diving on the Great Barrier Reef?
Stanton confessed to only one - using the American diving flag rather than the Australian version.
Unkrich added: "We're almost more flabbergasted that we got so much of it right given we'd never actually visited the location."
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