text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Sep 21, 2010
|Filing date
|Nov 29, 2005
|Priority date
|May 25, 2005
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Anders Larsson, Martin Lars Bäckstrom
|Original Assignee
|Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ)
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (34), Non-Patent Citations (21), Referenced by (7), Classifications (9), Legal Events (3)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/684,188, filed May 25, 2005, the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
This application is related to the following related U.S. patent Applications Ser. No.:
60/684,216 entitled "GSM VoIP PS-to-CS Handover at Allocation to Frequency-Hopping Edge TRX," filed on May 25, 2005, and corresponding 10/298,939 entitled "Connection Type Handover Of Voice Over Internet Protocol Call Based On Resource Type," filed on Dec. 12, 2005, incorporated by reference.
60/684,214 entitled "GSM VoIP PS-to-CS Handover at Low-Quality Detection," filed on May 25, 2005, and corresponding 10/298,938 entitled "Connection Type Handover Of Voice Over Internet Protocol Call Based On Low-Quality Detection," filed on Dec. 12, 2005, incorporated by reference.
60/684,215 entitled "Local Switching AGC," filed on May 25, 2005, and corresponding 10/314,973 entitled "Local Switching of Calls Setup by a Multimedia Core Network," filed on Dec. 12, 2005, incorporated by reference.
60/684,232 entitled "Method to Improve VoIP Media Flow Quality by Adapting Speech Encoder and LQC Based on EDGE MCS," filed on May 25, 2005, and corresponding 10/346,565 entitled "Enhanced VoIP Media Flow Quality By Adapting Speech Encoding Based On Selected Modulation And Coding Scheme (MCS)," filed on Feb. 3, 2006 incorporated by reference.
60/684,233 entitled "Authenticated Identification of VoIP Flow in BSS," filed on May 25, 2005, and corresponding 11/370,171 entitled "Authentication of an Application Layer Media Flow Request for Radio Resources," filed on Mar. 8, 2006, incorporated by reference.
The present invention pertains to telecommunications and finds advantageous example application to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications.
VoIP is the transport of voice traffic using the Internet Protocol (IP). In the mobile world, VoIP means using a packet-switched (PS) service for transport of Internet Protocol (IP) packets which contain, e.g., Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR) codec speech frames for voice mobile phone calls. A packet-switched connection is often simply referred to as a data connection.
Circuit-switched networks use circuit switching for carrying voice traffic where the network resources are statically allocated from the sender to receiver before the start of the message transfer, thus creating a "circuit." The resources remain dedicated to the circuit during the entire message transfer and the entire message follows the same path. While this arrangement works quite well to transfer voice, IP is an attractive choice for voice transport for many reasons including lower equipment costs, integration of voice and data applications including multi-media like email, instant messaging, video, the world wide web, etc., lower bandwidth requirements, and the widespread availability of IP.
As VoIP becomes more accepted and commonplace, some users will likely upgrade from an existing circuit-switched phone to a VoIP phone. It is likely that each such upgrading user will bring a benefit for the operator in terms of increased hardware efficiency.
In packet-switched networks, the message is broken into packets, each of which can take a different route to the destination where the packets are recompiled into the original message. The packet switched (PS) service utilized for VoIP can be, for example, GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution), or WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access). Each of these example services happen to be built upon the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), a second generation ("2G") digital radio access technology originally developed for Europe. GSM was enhanced in 2.5G to include technologies such as GPRS. The third generation (3G) comprises mobile telephone technologies covered by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) IMT-2000 family. The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a group of international standards bodies, operators, and vendors working toward standardizing WCDMA-based members of the IMT-2000.
EDGE (or Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution) is a 3G technology that delivers broadband-like data speeds to mobile devices. EDGE allows consumers to connect to the Internet and send and receive data, including digital images, web pages and photographs, three times faster than possible with an ordinary GSM/GPRS network. EDGE enables GSM operators to offer higher-speed mobile-data access, serve more mobile-data customers, and free up GSM network capacity to accommodate additional voice traffic. EDGE uses the same TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) frame structure, logical channels, and 200 kHz carrier bandwidth as GSM networks, which allows existing cell plans to remain intact.
In EDGE technology, a base transceiver station (BTS) communicates with a mobile station (e.g., a cell phone, mobile terminal or the like, including computers such as laptops with mobile termination). The base transceiver station (BTS) typically has plural transceivers (TRX). A time division multiple access (TDMA) radio communication system like GSM, GPRS, and EDGE divides the time space into time slots on a particular radio frequency. Time slots are grouped into frames, with users being assigned one or more time slots. In packet-switched TDMA, even though one user might be assigned one or more time slots, other users may use the same time slot(s). So a time slot scheduler is needed to ensure that the time slots are allocated properly and efficiently.
Traditionally, time slots for data packet connections are allocated assuming an asymmetry between the uplink (mobile-to-network) and downlink (network-to-mobile). Thus, time slot allocation schemes have been used that optimize for that asymmetry. Example asymmetric data packet connections include: File Transfer Protocol FTP downloading (asymmetric in the downlink), web page download (downlink), streaming download (asymmetric in the downlink), multimedia messaging services (MMS) (asymmetric in the downlink for reception and asymmetric in the uplink for sending), and ping-pong type services (asymmetric first in the uplink, then asymmetric in the downlink). Example asymmetric scheduling methods for GPRS include "Weighted Round Robin" and "Virtual Clock Multiplexing." In contrast, VoIP service is symmetrical in the downlink and uplink. Because current radio resource/channel allocation schemes are tailored for asymmetrical services, they are not optimal for symmetrical services like VoIP.
Radio channel resources are allocated in a radio communications system based on whether a requested data communication is associated with a symmetric service or an asymmetric service. If the data communication is determined to be associated with a symmetric service, a symmetric connection between the mobile radio station and the radio network is established for communicating data packets associated with the data communication. Radio channel resources are assigned to the symmetric connection for transporting the data packets between the mobile radio station and the radio network using a symmetric connection based allocation scheme which is different from an asymmetric connection based allocation scheme. In a preferred, non-limiting, example embodiment, the symmetric connection is assigned substantially the same amount of radio channel resources in an uplink direction as in a downlink direction.
The amount of radio resources assigned in both the uplink and downlink directions may be is limited, even though the mobile radio station has a capability for transmitting or receiving using more radio resources than the limited amount assigned. In one non-limiting example, the symmetric data communication is a Voice over IP (VoIP) communication. One example environment is a GPRS/EDGE type system where the radio channel resources are time slots and the symmetric connection includes an uplink temporary block flow (TBF) and a downlink TBF.
For multiple symmetric communications, timeslots are scheduled for the symmetric communications taking into account that substantially the same amount of radio channel resources will be used in the uplink direction as in the downlink direction. One way to do this is to use a "pairing" approach where time slots are reserved and allocated for pairs of VoIP users. For example, a first VoIP data communication in a pair may be assigned a first time slot A in which to transmit and a second time slot B in which to receive, and a second VoIP data communication in the pair may be assigned the first time slot A in which to receive and the second time slot B in which to transmit.
In addition, radio conditions associated with at least one of the uplink and downlink data flows of a VoIP communication may be determined and taken into account. For example, the number of timeslots to be assigned to both the uplink and downlink based on the determined radio condition. For a pair of VoIP communications having a superior determined radio condition, one time slot is assigned in each direction, and for a pair of VoIP communications having an inferior determined radio condition, two time slots are assigned in each direction.
In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth such as particular architectures, interfaces, techniques, etc. in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these specific details. That is, those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are included within its spirit and scope. In some instances, detailed descriptions of well-known devices, circuits, and methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary detail. All statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.
Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that block diagrams herein can represent conceptual views of illustrative circuitry embodying the principles of the technology. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, state transition diagrams, pseudocode, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.
The functions of the various elements including functional blocks labeled as "processors" or "controllers" may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in association with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by a plurality of individual processors, some of which may be shared or distributed. Moreover, explicit use of the term "processor" or "controller" should not be construed to refer exclusively to hardware capable of executing software, and may include, without limitation, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, read only memory (ROM) for storing software, random access memory (RAM), and non-volatile storage.
Each mobile station (MS) 30 includes a radio transceiver and data processing and control unit functionalities for providing a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) capability. The person skilled in the art will recognize that the mobile station 30 and its data processing and control unit typically include numerous other functionalities and applications. The mobile also includes input/output devices such as a display screen, a keypad, a speaker, a microphone, and the like.
For asymmetric services, asymmetric data connections are established for the data flows (step S2). Radio channel resources are managed and assigned using traditional or other methods/algorithms suited for asymmetric type connections, which is the normal case today (step S4). For symmetric services, a symmetric data connection is established for the data flow(s) (step S3). Radio channel resources are managed and assigned using methods/algorithms tailored for symmetric type connections (step S5). A non-limiting example of how radio channel resources can be allocated for a symmetric data service is described below in the context of a GPRS/EDGE type system for VoIP. But it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this example or to any specific details pertaining to this example.
Further illustrative details are provided in the context of a non-limiting example implementation for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) packet flows. In EDGE, EGPRS, or GPRS, a first link layer protocol context, called a temporay block flow (TBF), is set up uplink from the mobile to the radio network, and a second TBF is set up downlink from the radio network to the mobile radio. A TBF can be viewed as a logical connection between a mobile station (MS) and a packet control unit (PCU) in the network, e.g., the BSS.
When a user has data information to transport, a TBF is established and divided into a number of radio blocks each including four bursts on a particular channel in four consecutive TDMA frames. A PSET is defined as a number of physical packet data channels (PDCH) in the TDMA frame assigned to packet switching users on a radio frequency. The remaining time slots in the frame are used for circuit-switched traffic and control information. Each user gets a reservation by selecting a the PSET for its TBFs.
Normally in GPRS/EDGE, there is just one PSET. But in this example implementation, rather than just having one PSET, the GPRS channel handler 56 maintains two PSETS: an asymmetric PSET for asymmetrical TBFs and a symmetric PSET for symmetrical TBFs. The GPRS channel utilization controller 54 thus determines the type of data connection requested and then selects the appropriate PSET. For example, a symmetric PSET is selected for a data connection request detected as a VoIP connection. The non-limiting time slot examples below have been simplified to aid in understanding and illustrate the principle rather that a specific implementation. For example, time slot 0 in the uplink is assumed to occur at the same time as time slot 0 in the downlink. But in GSM/GPRS/EDGE systems, this assumption is not necessarily true. The naming convention in GSM is that time slot 0 in the uplink occurs three (3) time slots after time slot 0 in the downlink.
For an asymmetric PSET, the GPRS packet channel controller 52 can employ conventional time slot allocation schemes tailored for asymmetric services. For example, more time slots might be assigned for data flows having a higher quality of service requirement. Time slot assignments are conveyed to the appropriate BTS transceiver 58 for communication with the mobile.
But for a symmetric PSET, which would be selected for VoIP data connections, the GPRS packet channel controller 52 assigns time slots using a VoIP mobile "pairs" approach to create a paired symmetrical PSET. Two VoIP mobiles in a cell associated active VoIP data connections are "paired." Typically, they are different connections where each mobile is talking to a different party, but they could be the same connection where the paired mobiles are talking to each other. For example, the uplink timeslot allocation for a first VoIP mobile (MS1) in the pair is the same timeslot allocation for a second VoIP mobile (MS2) in the downlink. The following example illustrates this pairing for four VoIP mobile users MS1-MS4.
First Pair:
An advantage of this pairing approach is demonstrated using
In contrast,
The GPRS packet channel controller 52 thus optimizes use of the time slot resources by reserving and allocating time slots in pairs, rather than allocating individual time slots to individual mobile users. Although different optimization procedures to assign time slots to mobile pairs may be used, one example optimization approach is to start from the rightmost time slot position (the highest time slot number) and try to fit the mobile pair into that rightmost time slot position. If that is not possible, the next time slot to the left is included to determine if the mobile pair fits. This process continues until a fit is achieved.
While most mobile terminals have the capability of receiving downlink data on 4 or even 5 timeslots simultaneously, normally that limits the mobile's capability of sending data uplink to 1 timeslot. Similarly, while a mobile terminal may have the capability to transmit on 3 time slots on the uplink simultaneously, that may impair the mobile's ability to receive on more than on timeslot simultaneously. So instead of utilizing the mobile terminal's maximum unidirectional capacity in the time slot allocation for the symmetrical services, the symmetrical allocation will only use time slot allocation combinations that result in symmetrical transfer speed, such a 1 time slot in the uplink and 1 time slot in the downlink, or time slots in the uplink and 2 time slots in the downlink.
In a further (optional) refinement, mobiles are paired based on similar radio conditions. To help illustrate this, consider a third pair of VoIP mobiles MS5 and MS6 in addition to the first and second mobile pairs MS1, MS2 and MS3, MS4 set forth above:
MS 5: DL on TS 4+5, UL on TS 6+7
MS 6: DL on TS 6+7, UL on TS 4+5
For example, if a detected radio condition, e.g., a carrier-to-interference ratio C/I, is favorable for MSs 1-2, relatively favorable for MSs 3-4, and less favorable for MSs 5-6, MS's 5 and 6 will require more timeslots in each direction (uplink and downlink) to compensate for the poor radio conditions that decrease the effective throughput per time slot. By pairing based on C/I, the scheduler can work around the fact that some mobile pairs may require, for example, 1 time slot in each direction, while other mobile pairs may require 2 time slots in each direction.
Optimizing the utilization of the available timeslots is a very complex task. Nevertheless, even small improvements in the utilization percentage result in substantial benefits because a more efficient allocation increases the data capacity of the operator's entire radio network. By noting that symmetrical services like VoIP require both uplink and downlink channels during at least the majority of the connection time and that GPRS/EDGE mobiles cannot receive and send data at the same time, the inventors determined that by pairing a first VoIP user on the uplink with a second VoIP user on the downlink for the same time slot(s), they can guarantee that both uplink and downlink resources are available throughout the conversations for the first and second VoIP users.
The uplink flow of data for a VoIP mobile is still handled as an uplink TBF by the system and the mobile station, The downlink flow of data to that VoIP mobile is still handled as a downlink TBF by the system and the mobile station. This enables reuse of other TBF setup, maintenance, and handling mechanisms in GPRS/EDGE that are still applicable.
Although various embodiments have been shown and described in detail, the claims are not limited to any particular embodiment or example. None of the above description should be read as implying that any particular element, step, range, or function is essential such that it must be included in the claims scope. The scope of patented subject matter is defined only by the claims. The extent of legal protection is defined by the words recited in the allowed claims and their equivalents. It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements. For example, claimed references to paired time slots include direct time slot number pairing as well as offset time slot number pairing between uplink and downlink time slots.
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Owner name: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL), SWEDEN
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:LARSSON, ANDERS;BACKSTROM, MARTIN LARS;REEL/FRAME:017484/0883
Effective date: 20051213
|Jul 31, 2012
|Certificate of correction
|Mar 21, 2014
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4


text:
Bolding is one of the lucky ones from a mortar attack May 4. The attack injured 17 of Bolding's platoon, four seriously enough to be evacuated from Iraq. "Kind of hard to fathom that one mortar round can take out 17 people," says the soldier from Sturgis, S.D., who missed his high school graduation a year ago so he could enter basic training. (Related item: Photo gallery)
Bolding and the others of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, would have been home unscathed had their mission ended as scheduled in early April. The company had not sustained a single combat injury before then. Now they've got more than two dozen Purple Hearts they'd rather not have. One soldier is dead, another blinded, and several face long hospitalizations, mostly from mortar attacks and a car bombing.
The 1st Armored Division, which arrived in Baghdad in the first week of May 2003, spent most of the past year in and around the Iraqi capital. Then, just as the division's 20,000 troops were about to head home, they were ordered to race south to counter the bloody insurgency of renegade cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his militia. The Pentagon extended the division's tour by 90 days, until mid-July. (Related audio: 'We're here for a reason' | 'The landscape changed in April')
Adding to the shock of lives disrupted was an unexpected death toll throughout the 1st Armored. Of the division's more than 90 combat deaths, 19 have occurred in the past two months, when the soldiers expected to be home.
"We never thought that we would be hit. We were always bragging that we never lost a casualty," says Bravo Company member Sgt. Ryland Davis, 23, of Appomattox, Va. He holds out his burned hands, scorched from the car bomb that exploded next to his Bradley Fighting Vehicle on May 21.
Now, few Bravo Company soldiers think about going home, fearful it will jinx them. The soldiers say they know they're needed, and they're proud of what they do. The company has conducted raids against insurgents, protected reconstruction projects and worked to develop democracy.
"We still have a mission we have to accomplish, for the good of the Iraqi people and the future," says Staff Sgt. Brad Watson, 29, of Kansas City, Mo.
But these soldiers don't hide their concern that their extension has been violent, hard on their families, and left them wondering how things could have been.
"Gosh, we could have got out of here in 12 months with little or no casualties, and all of a sudden 17 people in your platoon become a casualty?" Watson says. "It's something I never dreamed could happen."
High hopes
Members of Bravo Company, whose insignia is the Grim Reaper, arrived in Kuwait on May 1, 2003, just as President Bush declared major combat operations over.
In Baghdad, they found problems — bombings, crime, firefights — but after a while, the troops and the rest of the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry, or 2-6, knew their turf well and were confident that Iraq was mending. By May 1, 2004, they expected to be back at their base in Baumholder, Germany, preparing for some well-earned time off.
Then came April, the cruelest month for the U.S. occupation. Deadly clashes between Marines and insurgents followed the killing March 31 of four American contractors who were burned and strung from the girders of a bridge in Fallujah, northwest of Baghdad. To the south, radical militiamen loyal to al-Sadr rose up and took the cities of Kut, Karbala, Najaf and Kufa. By the end of the month, 134 U.S. troops had been killed in Iraq, making it the deadliest month for American forces.
Help was needed fast, and 2-6 Infantry, along with the rest of the homeward-bound 1st Armored Division, got the call. They headed south to confront al-Sadr's militia. Kut and Karbala were retaken. But an uneasy stalemate remained in Najaf and Kufa. Amid the fighting, the Pentagon announced that it was extending the division's tour.
"The option left to the nation, the Army, was to keep 1st Armored here or pretty much concede defeat," says Lt. Col. T.C. Williams, the battalion commander. Soldiers were disappointed, he says, but they also knew that after a year in Iraq, they were prepared for anything. "Nobody does this better than we do," he says.
By late April, the battalion took over security in the area around Mahmudiyah, an area of stubborn resistance 20 miles south of Baghdad. The troops settled into an old chicken processing plant, abandoned by other Army and Marine units. They learned their new area and braced for a second blistering summer in Iraq.
"What I would compare that to is telling a marathoner to run 26 miles and then, right as he's getting ready to cross the finish line, add another 5 miles to it," says Brig. Gen. Mark Hertling, the assistant division commander.
Equal to the soldiers' strain was the struggle of the families back home. The division dispatched Hertling to Germany for three days to break the news to the families. "I've got to tell you, that was the hardest thing I've done in 29 years in the Army," Hertling says.
When Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Army families in Germany on June 7, he said he could not rule out keeping soldiers from the 1st Armored Division in Iraq longer than the previously announced extension, past mid-July.
The families at home
When the doorbell rang recently at 9 p.m., Heather Wall took another terrifying walk toward the front door.
She shares a fear with thousands of soldiers' families whenever there's a knock at the door, particularly at night. "Please don't let it be me," Wall whispered as she crept down the stairs of their home on a base in Baumholder. "I took a really deep breath and said to myself, 'I can do this,' and I opened the door," recalls the 31-year-old wife of Capt. Michael Wall, 30, Bravo Company's commander.
She was dreading a chaplain and news that her husband had been killed in action. But it was only a friend dropping something off. "Don't ever come over at 9 o'clock at night again," she said.
Life is like that for the families of troops stationed in Iraq. Michael Wall has been away from his wife and daughter since February 2003. They were expecting him home for 4-year-old Olivia's birthday May 1, but now, sometime in mid-July is the best they can hope for.
"It was really hard to tell her that Daddy wouldn't be home," Heather Wall says. "He wasn't home for her last birthday, either."
Bruce Erickson had planned to take his son, Spc. William Erickson, 23, fishing near his home in Palmyra, Va. That's tabled for now, along with the big flag-waving celebration at the airport that the family was cooking up.
"We were inviting everyone — friends, family, church members, the fire department. Anyone who wanted to go out and show support for the troops," Erickson says.
"There have been a couple of times when I've really lost it," says Carol Landis, 51, of Charlottesville, Va., mother of William Erickson. But, she says, "Billy is so positive, so upbeat. I can only trust in God. Politically, I think it's the right thing to do, to stay there until the Iraqi government takes over."
Vicki Watson, 55, a receptionist from Kansas City, Mo., and mother of Staff Sgt. Brad Watson, says she had a "sick feeling" and was "very upset" when she heard about the extension. "It's time for him to get out of there. The longer he's there, the more risk it is."
For the family of one Bravo Company soldier, the fear became reality. Staff Sgt. Jeremy Horton, 24, would have been home if the division had returned on time. He was killed May 21 when a suicide bomber pulled his car alongside Horton's Bradley Fighting Vehicle and detonated. Horton, who was standing in the hatch, suffered fatal head injuries. Sgt. Davis, who was in the gunner's seat, burned his hands in the same incident.
"There isn't anything more I can say," says Horton's uncle, Richard Wittenburg. "Everybody can figure out what the effects are when you lose someone."
"I wish Americans could remember that when you hear about the soldiers over there, it's not just them who are living under hardship," Heather Wall says. "They have wives and children and mothers and fathers. We're doing fine, but it's a constant state of anxiety."
Staying connected
By the time most 1st Armored Division soldiers come home, they will have spent 15 months wearing desert camouflage uniforms, eating chow hall food or field rations and enduring endless stress.
Spc. Derek Bayne, 22, says the long deployment makes you "lose track of the things you used to like about civilian life and what goes on and what's new out there."
He tries not to count the days. "I look forward to seeing friends and family, first and foremost. And after that, wearing a nice pair of tennis shoes again," he says, glancing at his dusty tan desert boots.
Meanwhile, the Army tries to provide soldiers with telephone and Internet service.
Sgt. Jeremy Mullins, 23, has been Internet dating with a woman he met during two weeks of home leave last winter.
Looking over the shoulders of soldiers at an Army-provided Internet cafe, there's a sea of e-mailed photos of spouses, children and girlfriends. Often they are accompanied by recorded messages, a modern version of the tape recordings that soldiers in Vietnam enjoyed.
But not all relationships can stand the strain. Davis says he and his wife have argued during his absence and decided to split.
"And that's going to be happening to a lot of soldiers when we get back, too," says Davis, whose father also was a soldier. "That's like the reality side of being out on deployments. It's rough, but it's life."
'You have to get back up'
As company commander, Capt. Wall has had to keep troops focused even when pressure mounts. After Horton was killed, Wall sent the platoon back out on a mission the next day. "Because you have to get back up," he says.
The chicken plant was shelled by mortars on seven of the first eight days that 2-6 Infantry occupied it. The frequency has gone down as the battalion has aggressively searched for, and fired back at, the attackers.
The soldiers have fortified their base to make it safer. But soldiers filling sandbags to protect the base from mortars were hit by the first of 10 rounds that landed on the base May 4. "It's a very helpless feeling, because those are your guys, you want to take care of them," Wall says.
Pfc. Juan Escamilla, 18, of Alamo, Texas, joined the company six months ago. He was wounded in a mortar attack June 4.
"Even though I haven't been here that long, I want to go home, too," he says, and not just because of his injuries. Ever since Horton's death, there has never a sense of security, he says. As they patrol, the troops know that any car can be a bomb, like the one that killed Horton. Iraqis "look at you like they don't want you here. And it's just scary that ... your life might just end right there. That scares me a lot," he says.
"I don't feel like going out," he says. "But it's a job I've got to do."
Sgt. 1st Class Craig Copridge, 38, a veteran of the 1991 war with Iraq, has been wounded twice in the past two months. He says the tragedies have kept the soldiers wary, and thus safer. "They just know if you let your guard down, bad things can happen," he says.
Contributing: Valerie Alvord in San Diego

subset: commoncrawl


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|Message view
|« Date » · « Thread »
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|"Florian Hopf (JIRA)" <j...@apache.org>
|[jira] [Commented] (ODFTOOLKIT-240) Code coverage analysis of unit tests
|Sat, 01 Sep 2012 11:14:07 GMT
[ https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/ODFTOOLKIT-240?page=com.atlassian.jira.plugin.system.issuetabpanels:comment-tabpanel&focusedCommentId=13446647#comment-13446647 ] Florian Hopf commented on ODFTOOLKIT-240: ----------------------------------------- The attached patches are already applied at revision r1168187 r1168188 and r1168189 > Code coverage analysis of unit tests > ------------------------------------ > > Key: ODFTOOLKIT-240 > URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/ODFTOOLKIT-240 > Project: ODF Toolkit > Issue Type: Improvement > Components: unittest > Affects Versions: 1.0 > Environment: Operating System: Windows > Platform: PC > Reporter: Robert Weir > Priority: Minor > Attachments: ASF.LICENSE.NOT.GRANTED--do808.patch, ASF.LICENSE.NOT.GRANTED--patch1&2.zip > > > The goal should be to verify that our unit tests provide adequate coverage of our code. > 1) Identify a code coverage tool that we can use and figure out how to use it. > 2) Determine our function coverage, e.g., what functions in the API are not covered by tests. Add more test cases until we have 100% function coverage. > 3) Try to achieve also 100% line coverage. > This might be a good task for a new member of the project, to help them familiarize themselves with the project. -- This message is automatically generated by JIRA. If you think it was sent incorrectly, please contact your JIRA administrators For more information on JIRA, see: http://www.atlassian.com/software/jira
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text:
No. 4, Motorola chief Sanjay Jha
Now that Google ( GOOG) is in a $12.5 billion deal to acquire Motorola Mobility ( MMI), CEO Sanjay Jha could be called on to perform another death-defying deed elsewhere. You'll recall Jha came to Motorola from Qualcomm ( QCOM) in 2009 and completely rebuilt the company around Google Android phones. Not only did that avoid what looked to be certain doom for the phone maker, it revived Motorola enough to catch the interest of Google. In tech turnarounds, there have been very few recent success stories, but Jha certainly authored one at Motorola. If called upon, he could try his hand with HP. Strength: Has a big turnaround trophy with Google/Motorola. Weakness: A deep wireless background isn't on HP's criteria list.


text:
|By [[User:Evatar114
|Evatar114 ]]
(fanon)|More from Evatar114
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I do not own anything from The Knife of Never Letting Go or Chaos Walking! All rights go to Patrick Ness and Candlewick Press!
Author's Note
Hooray! It's out! Please read and reveiw! Evatar114 (talk • click to crossover...)
Zuko tries one more time to convince Mai to let Azula live in the palace. Aang and Viola encounter countless enemies in the Spirit World.
Fire Nation Asylum
"Mai? Mai!" She looked at me, her eyes shooting daggers. If looks could kill. I flinched and pulled back. "Please talk to me." I pleaded.
"Fine, tell me why we're here for the second time in a week?" She radiated hostility as she stared out the window of the carriage. I opened my mouth to speak but Mai put her hand up. "Never mind. Nothing you do can convince me, and this time I mean it, Zuko."
"Mai, what if we just ask Azula if she wants to come live with us?" Mai stared at me like I was the crazy person.
"Let me get this straight... You plan to ask a mental patient where she wants to live for the rest of her existence."
"Yeah. You and I have been arguing about this for awhile, but we don't know if the person we've been fighting about even wants to leave. If Azula says no, then I'll drop it and never talk about it again. If she says yes, then we'll take it from there," Mai regarded me warily, then shrugged, leaned over, and kissed me.
"Fine. Let's get this over with," She opened the door of the carriage and stepped out, devoid of her usual grace due to her oversized stomach. I sat there, stunned at how easily she had been convinced. Mai turned around.
"Come on, Zuzu!" She said, sarcasm practically dripping from her voice as she grinned.
"You think she's going to say no, right?" I said as I clambered out of the carriage.
"You know me so well. Now c'mon, let's go visit your crazy sister."
Spirit World
I slammed into the ground, knocking all the breath from my lungs-
Then a heavy thing crashed into me from above, driving away any air I had left-
A muffled sorry drifted down to my ears, and then the heavy thing got off me. I lifted my head and gasped for breath. The first thing I noticed was the fact that I didn't need the air. I was panting on reflex. The second thing was that Viola was standing next to me, her broken leg healed and looking at me with concern. The final thing was the trees, big and small, black and white and everything in between, that cast dappled, altering shadows everywhere you looked.
"Where are we?" Viola said, turning and staring in wonder at nothing in particular.
"I'm guessing it's the Spirit World, but it's not any part I've seen before," I scratched my head. "I wasn't even trying to get here or bring you with me. Guess you were just too close."
"You didn't come here by accident, if that's what you're saying," A tired voice groaned from the tree next to us. Viola walked over to it and looked up.
"Oh, look! It's a monkey that talks," She said dryly, crossing her arms.
"You sound skeptical, my girl. I thought you'd seen talking animals before," An ape's head lowered from the lowest bough of the tree. Its hair had gone grey with age and deep wrinkles cut through its skin. It turned its brown eyes on me and nodded once. "I apologize for my rudeness, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Jia, and this is my little part of the Spirit World. I assume you're here looking for your friend?" Viola's eyebrows furrowed.
"Todd's here?"
"Boy about your age, maybe a little older with a brown shirt and says 'ain't' a lot?"
"Yeah, that's him." A small smile bloomed on her face.
"The boy came through a little bit ago, and no, I can't say exactly when... All I know is that he went that way..." He pointed towards the path leading out of the clearing.
"Thanks," I said as I stood up. Jia's head pulled up into the tree, out of sight, but came back down again.
"By the way, you might want to hurry. Faces from another world are a high commodity here," I felt my eyes widen as Jia pulled up and loud snoring rattled the tree.
"What did he mean by that?" Viola was looking at me in confusion.
"Bad things. We need to move fast." I took her hand and pulled her out of the clearing.
I narrowed my eyes as I watched the Avatar and the girl leave the woods. Acting nice to humans? Unthinkable. I shifted back to my natural form and shuddered in exhaustion. Shifting and staying that way was becoming more difficult, and it was all Sen and Kekka's fault.
And by the way, I wasn't lying about Koh wanting the otherworlders' faces. The Avatar's face would be valuable too. And with luck, they were headed right for him.
Ah, revenge is sweet... I thought drowsily as I drifted off.
Fire Nation Asylum
"I have to apologize in advance, Firelord. The patient is being- difficult today," The doctor clicked his tongue as he pulled out his keys. "Maybe seeing you will have an effect on her." I nodded and took a deep breath.
"You're not going to chicken out on me, are you Zuko?" Mai sniggered.
"You're enjoying this way too much."
"Let's see... You're going to ask your crazy and 'difficult' sister whether she wants to come live with us and decide our whole argument, maybe in my favor? Yeah, I'm enjoying this." I scowled as the door swung open. Azula immediately swung towards the sound, her eyes wide, and then continued pacing wildly around the room. I looked at Mai and shrugged, then walked into the room, with her right behind me. As I got closer to my sister, I noticed she was mumbling under her breath, but then she stopped and grabbed her hair in her hands. "But what does it mean..." Azula whispered, then turned and looked at us. I raised my eyebrows at the crazed look in her eyes. "What do you want?" She growled.
"He needs to ask you a question," Mai said quickly then nudged me.
"Azula, we've been arguing about you a lot, because I want you to come live in the palace." Her gold eyes wandered around the room and settled on Mai's face.
"But she doesn't want me to," Mai looked uncomfortable under Azula's unwavering stare. Azula blinked and lurched back as if she had been hit. She slammed against the wall and slid down it, holding her face in her hands. She started rocking erratically and panting, then threw her head back and wailed shrilly. I stepped back towards the door with Mai and Azula stopped, jumped to her feet, ran towards us, and grabbed me by the shoulders.
"DON'T TRUST THE DECIVERS FOR THEY TELL YOU ONLY LIES!!" She screamed as she shook me. "HE WILL LEAD YOU ASTRAY WITH FALSE PROMISES!!" The door opened, and a nurse came in, cradling a small glass vial in her hands.
"Miss, miss, please calm down!" the nurse shouted over the screeching. Azula whirled around and with stunning precision, knocked the vial from the orderlies' hands. It shattered against the wall nearest Mai and a sickeningly sweet stench filled the room immediately. Mai gagged and held her nose.
"That is foul!" She yelled as she darted from the room. I followed her down the hall before she leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. Mai looked at me as I ran up, and then threw up on the floor. She fell against me, still gasping and shaking. Mai threw up again and sick splattered the floorboards. I saw two doctors hurrying towards Azula's room with a straitjacket, and loud yells and shrieks were echoing across the hallway.
"I think we should leave now." Mai nodded then retched again. I turned her towards the door, but a loud scream came from just across the hallway. I turned towards the noise, and Azula stood there, staring at me.
"Don't leave me here, please don't leave me, don't leave me, DON'T LEAVE ME!!" Her voice rose until she was screeching madly.
"We'll come back. I promise." Mai said hoarsely. Azula looked at her and nodded, then sank to the floor, rocking. The two doctors we saw before ran up to Azula and dragged her away.
"Remember your promise!" She yelled after us as we left the chaos.
Spirit World
"How long have we been walking?"
Aang looked back at me. "A long time," he said shortly.
"Thanks for that, master of the obvious." I said irritably.
"Hey, I'm sorry, but time is weird here. I can't tell how long we've been here because I don't know," I muttered something under my breath, and Aang whirled around. "What did you say?"
"Nothing, I just thought this was your job and I thought you might have some answers about something!"
"Sorry, but leading people from a different world around another world wasn't exactly in my job description," He huffed. "If you want to help find Todd, then you need to be quieter." Aang turned back around and continued walking.
"Fine..." I followed him, but promptly crashed into his back when he stopped. Aang swore.
"Dammit! This is Koh's realm! The monkey tricked us!"
"Who's Koh?"
"He's the spirit that steals faces. That's the thing Jia was talking about."
"Wait, how can he steal..."
"Don't ask me how, but we need to get out of he-" Aang was cut off by a violent scuttling noise then a loud crashing. His face mirrored the complete panic I felt inside. "If we can't get away, then don't show any fear or emotion. That's when he steals your face." He walked carefully towards the two trees that seemed to mark the entrance of Koh's realm with me in tow-
The crashing and scuttling got closer-
My heart seems like it's going to burst out of my chest-
Then the crashing came from right behind me-
I held my breath and turned around slowly-
A painted face framed by black pinchers stared me down, smiling-
I bit my cheek to keep my face from contorting wildly with fear-
"Hey Koh," Aang said next to me. I looked over and his face was completely devoid of all emotion.
How is he doing that? I bit down harder and blood spilled into my mouth-
"It's been a while since I've seen you. And you've brought me a new face," Koh slithered over and looked me directly in the face. "A child, and an otherworlder no less... You, my dear, shall become a rarity in my collection... Along with your friend, that is."
"You stay away from Todd."
"Or what? It's not like you could stop me if I tried," His eye blinked, and woman with long brown hair stared at me. "I also suppose it isn't really your fault. After all, you weren't brought here by your choice... And those hypocrites say that's what they are protecting." The woman let out a harsh bark of a laugh.
"Who's protecting what?" Aang asked.
"It's none of your concern. I'm sure you'll see them eventually. That is, if you make it past me first." The woman smiled smugly. Behind Koh, I saw Jia pop up and give me an evil grin before miming a face being taken off. I barely managed to keep my fury under control as I stared at him.
"What are you looking at?" Koh frowned and turned around. Aang glanced too and a look of anger briefly passed across his face before returning to blankness just as Koh turned back around-
"Oh, you two are tricky..." The woman clicked her tongue as the face changed again. "Normally Wangji's tactics work. He sends me all sorts of faces in return for him being the only one I can't steal," The smooth voice sounded odd coming out of a baboon's mouth, but my face didn't move. "Oh well... I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to this one." Then Koh's eye blinked again and my heart about stopped as my eyes widened and my mouth opened in horror-
Because his face is staring back at me, smiling-
Koh reared back and Todd's mouth screamed-
Fire Nation Royal Palace
I gagged as we walked inside the Palace.
"Are you going to be sick again?" Zuko's voice was full of concern.
"Nah, I think I'm good." We walked in silence for a minute, then he spoke again.
"Did you really mean what you said?"
"I did. No one deserves that, Zuko, no matter how horrible you've been. I smelled that medicine from a little aways and it made me barf my guts out. Imagine what that would have been like under your nose and in your mouth," My voice was cold. "No one deserves that." I repeated under my breath. I felt a slight nudge in my stomach, as if the baby was agreeing with me. I smiled, but was interrupted by a guard running up and bowing.
"Sir, the Avatar's bison arrived a couple minutes ago. They're at the West Gate and are requesting to see you immediately."
Spirit World
Aang swore, his face dropping as he realized my mistake and sprinted one way while I ran the other-
I tore through the swamp, not caring where I was going, only as long as I got away, away, away-
Then a large white tentacle came down and wrapped around my torso-
Whipping me up so fast and high that my head almost snapped back-
Depositing me on a high tree branch so big that it would have taken three of me to encompass it fully-
A girl in red grabbing me and steadying me-
"You okay?" she said. There was an undercurrent of laughter in her voice.
But also something else-
"What was that thing that pulled me up?"
"Oh, it was me. Koh was right on your tail, you know. So I helped you out." Her bright red hair bounced in a breeze that blew just for her and crimson eyes stared me down. "Now it's time to watch the show..." The girl got on her hands and knees "Hey, asshole!" She shouted. I grabbed her shoulder.
"Why are you baiting him?"
"Another disadvantage to his big, ugly, bug body..."
"... Is that he can't climb or jump." A second girl popped out from the shadows next to the tree's trunk. I started and she raised her pale brows. Besides everything being white, she looked exactly like the first girl, only a lot cleaner.
"Shut up Kekka! I want to see what he does..." The first girl whined as she parted branches with a wave of her hand. I peered down and saw what looked like a giant centipede staring up at the tree. I shuddered as I saw that Koh still wore Todd's face.
"You do know that's not Todd's face, right?" Kekka asked, kneeling next to me.
"Yeah. That's some poor soul that wandered in here by accident..."
"... A couple centuries ago. He just looks enough like Todd..."
"... That he was able to trick you." They finished each other's sentences seamlessly. I watched to see how Koh would react to the insult, but he simply scuttled away in the direction he came.
"Damn... I wonder why he left... Unless..."
"...Something more valuable was the other way." They stared at each other and then swung towards me.
"Which way did the Avatar go?!" They shrieked together. I pointed wordlessly towards the way Koh went and they jumped off the branch, seeming to float slowly towards the ground.
Two tinny whispers came back to me."Stay here. We'll come back with the others."
Fire Nation Royal Palace
Katara looked frazzled as Zuko and I came into the courtyard. She jumped down from Appa once she saw us with Toph in tow. They both had purple bags under their eyes and stumbled around like they had been flying for a while, but they smiled at us as we got closer to the huge furry beast.
"Hey guys."
"Hey! Where's Aang?"
"He's gone." Toph interjected, but Katara rolled her eyes.
"She doesn't mean it like that. We came here to warn you about something and we would have gotten here sooner, but things went crazy."
"How crazy?"
"Why don't you be the judge of that?" Appa put his rudder-like tail down with an almighty grunt and Zuko and I climbed up. In the saddle, Aang and two other children were on their backs, eyes closed.
"Who're the other two?"
"The girl is Viola and the boy is Todd. They're... special."
"What do you mean?"
"Long story. The bad news is that Aang and Viola have been in the Spirit World for two days now, and Todd's been gone for even longer than that," Katara rubbed her eyes with her fists and sighed. "When we left the Western Air Temple yesterday, Toph noticed his heartbeat slowing down. I'm afraid that if Todd doesn't wake up soon, he'll die."
"Isn't there a way to wake them up?" I asked. Toph shook her head.
"We tried a couple times, but nothing worked."
"But when I had Aang at the North Pole, he woke up within a couple hours. What's so different about this time?"
"Aang wasn't trying to go into the Spirit World; He just went, and Viola was pulled in along with him."
"So if he can't control the way in, he can't control the way out?"
"I think so."
Spirit World
I watched as Viola's face dropped and twisted into something that resembled pain-
I started running as soon as Koh screamed-
I thought Viola was following me, but when I looked behind me, all I saw was an empty swamp-
I turned back, but then I ran straight into someone else-
I stood up, wincing-
The person got to their feet grumbling-
He looked at me and squinted-
"Why're you bald?" Todd said, blood trickling from his nose.
"Why are you here?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. I fell here awhile ago," Todd tilted his head up, pinching his bleeding nose. "How do you know me?"
"I'm Aang. Your body's with my friends." His eyebrows rose in surprise.
"Oh! Yer that Avatar kid!"
"Yeah, but how do you know that?"
"Sen told me. She said my body was with Viola and a kid named Aang," Todd's eyes narrowed. "I imagined you older."
"Lots of people say that." I grimaced.
"So how's Viola?"
"She's safe..."
"...And we're glad you're safe too." Twin voices came out of the trees, and then two girls in red and white came floating down from the branches. They settled gently next to us.
"Sen? What're you doing here?" Todd asked.
"Koh came this way after we made sure Viola was safe. I'm just glad we beat him." The girl in white flipped her hair over her shoulder and scanned the trees around us.
'Wait, where is she?"
"She's up in a tree..." She declared nonchalantly.
"... Because Koh can't climb..." The girl in red added.
"...By the way, she's Sen..."
"... And she's Kekka..."
"... And we're the Spirits of Choice..."
"... And Consequence..."
"... We were trying to call you here earlier..."
"... But someone beat us to the chase..."
"... And Wangji got to you first..."
"... The bastard." They said together. My head spun as Todd and I stared at them.
"Do you know how annoying that is?" he asked.
"What?" They said together.
"Never mind," I said quickly. "Shouldn't we be worrying about Koh?"
"Yeah, we've got it under control." Kekka waved us off. Sen rolled her eyes and flung her arm up. A dazzling white rope sprouted out of her hand and wrapped around the branches above us.
"Climb up," She joked, and then floated upwards with her sister. They alighted on one of the branches nearest the white rope and watched us expectantly.
"You wanna go first?" Todd asked.
"Sure..." I climbed up quickly with Todd close behind, the rope dissipating as soon as we jumped onto the branch. The sisters watched the ground anxiously, then burst out laughing as Koh scuttled into the clearing. Sen waved cheerfully as Kekka smiled.
"What's up!?" Sen called. Koh started screaming insults and death threats, which just sent them into further hysterics.
"Keep dreaming, bastard!" Kekka screamed. Todd and I exchanged glances.
"These girls are wild," He said. I nodded back.
"Okay..." Kekka sighed.
"... let's go..."
"... We left Viola back a little ways..."
"... So we'll go get her..."
"... And then we need to talk...
"... To all three of you," Sen breathed deeply. "Just jump with us. If you slip, we'll catch you." We left the screaming spirit and went on our way.
Fire Nation Royal Palace
"So you're saying that Todd and Viola are from another world?" Mai asked suspiciously.
"I swear we're not making this up." Katara pleaded.
"Sadly, I wish we were." Toph said, running her hand across the stone floor of the room we had moved to. The three bodies were on a mat at the far end of the space, and we sat ourselves facing them, watching for any signs of life.
"How do you know?" I asked.
"One, Aang had a dream about them. Two, they don't look like anyone else on this planet. And three, check out this stuff Viola had in her bag." Katara held out a thin metal tube and showed it to us, then flicked a switch and a thin beam of light shone around the room. She pointed it towards my face and switched it off, then pulled a small box out of the bag. Katara handed it to Mai.
"Look through the lenses." Mai complied and smiled.
"Cool, but why is everything green?" Katara shrugged. Then she went for the bag again and pulled out a thick book covered in leather with a bloodstained hole through the center. She flipped through it and slanted, joined writing unlike anything I've seen filled every page.
"I couldn't make heads or tails of it. Maybe you'll have better luck." Katara handed the book to me. I took it and flicked gingerly through the yellowed pages, selected one at random, and scanned it quickly. I shook my head as I read, then handed it back to Katara.
"No. Can't understand any of it."
"You believe us now?" Toph asked. Mai and I looked at each other, then nodded.
"So what do we do now?" Mai said.
"We wait." Katara murmured simply.
- Stuff in the bag:
- flashlight- obvious
- Binoculars- freaking awesome "binocs" that let you see in the dark and over long distances. The green was because of the night-vision mode
- the book- Todd's mother's diary. The hole was from when Aaron stabbed Todd and the book caught most of the knife.
- This is one of the first chapters with Mai's point of veiw.
- This chapter has the most changes in points of veiw so far.
- This chapter is also the longest so far (8 pages in Word)
See more
For the collective works of the author, go here.
|v - e - dAvatar: Choices Chapters
|Book One: White Bones
|Prologue: Nightmare - Dreams Really Do Come True - Watch Me - Truth and Trust - The Forgotten - Remembrance - Fall - Things Not Seen - Falsehoods - Parallels


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2 Henrico delegates offer different plans for reducing gun violence
By Maria Rajtik, Capital News Service 01/18/13
Two Henrico delegates agree measures need to be taken to lessen gun violence, but offer different approaches to regulation.
Del. Joseph Morrissey, D-Henrico, is focusing on a bill that would ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that hold 20 or more rounds.
HB 2207 would make the import, sale, barter and transfer of assault firearms a Class 6 felony, and the import, sale, barter and transfer of high-capacity magazines a Class 1 misdemeanor, respectively. Law enforcement officers and military personnel would be exempt from this legislation.
"To me it's an absolute no-brainer to ban these assault weapons," said Morrissey, who has served as a delegate since 2008.
The federal ban on assault weapons expired in 2004, and now Congress is considering reintroducing this legislation in the wake of recent mass shootings.
President Obama and Vice President Biden spoke on Wednesday encouraging Congress to pass legislation to help reduce gun violence including: stronger background checks, bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, increased safety measures at schools and greater access to mental health services.
"I think Virginia ought to act now," Morrissey said. "There is no use, legitimate use, for these automatic rifles and high capacity magazines, save causing mass carnage and destruction."
The gunmen used these weapons and magazines in the mass shootings at Virginia Tech, Aurora, Colo. and Newtown, Conn.
"There is no place for these weapons except for perhaps on the battlefield," Morrissey said.
These guns are not used for sport, for target practice or for defending yourself, he said.
"A blind person, pointed anywhere near it, could hit a target with 100 shots," he said.
Del. John O'Bannon, R-Henrico, does not believe that the best route for reducing gun violence is through changing the current laws regulating firearms, but instead the focus should be on offering more help to people with mental illness.
"Virginia's already had one terrible disaster in a school at Virginia Tech," he said, "and we actually learned a lot from that. We responded and did some things to try to improve the way we handle folks who have mental heath issues, mental illness. And I really think we have a lot more opportunity to make things safer and reduce the chance of that happening in that venue."
Gov. Bob McDonnell put together a school safety task force with a group focusing on education and another focusing on mental health. O'Bannon is a member of the mental health portion of the task force under Bill Hazel, Virginia secretary of health and human resources. The group is meeting this afternoon.
HB 2207 was assigned to the House Militia, Police and Public Safety subcommittee #1, which was set to meet Jan. 17.
Eyes in the sky
By Patty Kruszewski, Citizen Managing Editor 07/21/2017 General NewsGovernment
Members of the Henrico Citizens Police Academy Alumni (pictured) got a rare peek at the "high" side of law enforcement recently, with a trip to the Metro Aviation Hangar adjacent to Richmond International Airport.
About 25 academy alumni gathered at the hangar July 11 to hear Officer Shaun McCarthy describe a typical day aloft - and some not so typical – in a Cessna owned by the Metro Aviation Unit. > Read more.
Rock on!
By Patty Kruszewski, Citizen Managing Editor 07/21/2017 FeaturesGeneral News
The painted rocks craze is thriving in Henrico, as a walk around the grounds of local libraries and parks will demonstrate. This rock was spotted near Libbie Mill Library, and there's a slideshow of many more uniquely-painted stones on the RVA Rocks Facebook page (https://facebook.com/groups/RVARocks/).
Painting and hiding rocks is a family activity appropriate for all ages, and parents especially like the way it fosters creativity and gets kids outdoors. > Read more.
Goochland man arrested at RIC with gun
Citizen Staff Reports 07/20/2017 General NewsPublic Safety
A Goochland County man was arrested at Richmond International Airport July 19 after Transportation Security Administration officers found a loaded semi-automatic handgun in the traveler's carry-on bag.
A TSA officer detected the 9 mm caliber handgun inside the man's carry-on bag as it entered the security checkpoint X-ray machine. The handgun was loaded with 12 bullets. > Read more.
Kansas man struck, killed while crossing West Broad Street
Citizen Staff Reports 07/20/2017 General NewsPublic Safety
A 54-year-old Kansas man was struck and killed by a car while attempting to cross West Broad Street near Bethlehem Road in the Near West End at about 10:30 p.m., July 19.
Julius A. McBride of Overland Park, Kansas, was struck by a car traveling east on West Broad Street. > Read more.
Julius A. McBride of Overland Park, Kansas, was struck by a car traveling east on West Broad Street. > Read more.
Henrico Police warn citizens to 'Take it, Lock it or Lose it'
By Ashley Luck, Special to the Citizen 07/20/2017 General NewsPublic Safety
Eastern parts of Henrico County have witnessed a recent increase in larceny from automobiles, so Henrico Police officials are spreading the word to encourage citizens to lock their vehicles.
Police are handing out and posting fliers and putting message boards in neighborhoods to educate residents.
There usually is a rise of larceny from automobiles during Christmas, spring and summer break, said Henrico Police Officer James Bupp. > Read more.
Henrico Police warn citizens to 'Take it, Lock it or Lose it'
Glover to be inducted posthumously into Babe Ruth Hall of Fame
Rolls-Royce supplier lands in Henrico
New Walmart opens in Eastern Henrico
Unattended oily rags cause fire in commercial building near Richmond Raceway
- More News
Print Edition
Jul. 20, 2017Current edition | Archive
Weekend Top 10
'Five Flights' opens July 20 at CAT Theatre
Henrico actress lands role in Christian TV series
All's fair in food and fun
Restaurant Watch
- More Entertainment
Obituary – Hoyle S. "Chick" Walters
Obituary – Janet Sue Vest
Obituary – Barbara Jean (Chilton) Crider
- More Obituaries
Glen Allen woman raising companion dog
Guided tour of Malvern Hill planned as part of 'History at Sunset' series
Anthem LemonAid registration now open
- More Community
Growing a grown-up: Part II
How to grow an adult
Make 'em take the pledge: no more snuff boxes!
- More Opinions
Code Lacrosse joins Richmond Strikers
5 Henrico student-athletes win scholarships at awards dinner
RIR to host playoff race in 2018
- More Sports
|July 2017
Place an Ad | More Classifieds
CalendarThe Cheswick Walking Club for ages 50+ meets every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Cheswick Park, 1700 Forest Ave. This club combines fitness and fun for the walker who likes to socialize. A club meeting is held on the first Tuesday of each month at Belmont Recreation Center. Visitors are welcome. For details, visit http://www.henrico.us/rec. Full text


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Society & Culture, Personal JournalsFollow
|Personal Journals
|Society & Culture
Desert Island Discs was created by Roy Plomley in 1942, and the format is simple: a guest is invited by Kirsty Young to choose the eight records they would take with them to a desert island
March 1st, 2009
Episode 40 of 602 episodes
Kirsty Young's castaway on Desert Island Discs this week is Brian Rix. For many years he brought farce to a large and appreciative audience - dropping his trousers thousands of times for the benefit of television viewers and theatre-goers. He was one of the most successful actor-managers that Britain has produced. But, more than 30 years ago, he called a halt to his first career to devote himself to altering legislation and attitudes towards disability. His eldest child, Shelley, was born with Down's syndrome and her birth prompted him towards his extraordinary second career. As a campaigner and fundraiser he has been described as having done more for people with learning disabilities than possibly anyone else in the country. [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Love by Nat King Cole Book: Encyclopædia Britannica Luxury: A proper orthopaedic cushion.
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Welcome to the Brain Training Podcast, the daily audio workout for your head. In this podcast we have two games for you, each with three rounds which get progressively harder. To enjoy the full experience, relax, and avoid distractions whilst you listen.


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Eagerly awaited
· IPC is lavishing £18m on the launch of a new women's magazine, Project Honey - 'for readers living out their decade of indulgence' - more than it's ever spent before. If all goes to plan, it could challenge Emap's all-conquering weekly Grazia. Chanel handbags at the ready...
· Tyler Brule's big idea, Monocle, reaches fruition next year. It's a glossy periodical aimed at global citizens who dress in Jil Sander but care about Somalia. OK, it's easy to ridicule, but so was Wallpaper
· Apple's much-anticipated iPhone can't possibly replicate the success of the iPod... can it?
Trouble at the top
· When does a series of minor setbacks become a major problem for Emap chief executive Tom Moloney? When the City detects a pattern and looks for a scapegoat.
· Once the City's great love, Pearson chief Marjorie Scardino has become its great survivor. But if that share price doesn't start rising, chairman Glen Moreno could yet end her 10-year tenure.
· GCap's Ralph Bernard answered his merger critics by halving the number of ads on Capital Radio. If that doesn't do the job, he could yet lose his.
Early departed
· Diminutive director of television Simon Shaps is the big man at ITV, but he may not have experienced much festive cheer following Michael Grade's appointment as chief executive.
· Arch-Blairite Tessa Jowell, so often overlooked for promotion by Tony, could find herself demoted by Gordon.
· Chronic under-investment suggests that the People, the paper that survived owner Trinity Mirror's last strategic review, might not escape its next one.
A big year for
· BT Vision: it's a box on top of your telly that lets you download programmes when you want to. But doesn't Sky Plus do that?
· Big names have been hired and millions have been spent, but al-Jazeera English needs a few scoops to make its mark (and, no, another 'Osama' tape will not suffice).
· France 24, the Chirac-inspired news channel, aims to challenge American cultural hegemony. Bon chance, mes amis
Next big thing
· Marmalade is a London underground magazine with a silly name but a cult following among creative types. A content deal with MySpace could presage a move into the mainstream.
· She's got beauty, brains and the ability to read an autocue; stardom beckons for Alexa Chung, talented co-presenter of Channel 4's tongue-in-cheek music show Popworld.
· We don't know who it is yet, but somewhere in the blogosphere a star is about to be born. This will be the year the internet confers celebrity on a do-it-yourself journalist.
Tips for the top
· News of the World editor Andy Coulson is said to covet Rebekah Wade's job at the Sun, despite the fact the two are mates. Could this be the year he finally lands it?
· After seeing off sibling rivals, James Murdoch is Rupert's heir apparent at BSkyB's parent News Corp. Odds are that he'll swap his London home for a Manhattan penthouse by the year's end.
· BBC4 controller Janice Hadlow has created an eclectic channel on the margins of the digital world. This could be the year she gets handed a bigger job.
Big chance
· Dawn Airey has escaped Sky TV's corporate death star in search of more creative fulfilment (and oodles of cash) at TV start-up Lostar. Once tipped for greatness, she needs to demonstrate that it's still within her grasp.
· Ed Richards's public service publisher idea (stay awake at the back) has been resuscitated following his promotion to the top job at Ofcom - but it steps all over the BBC's giant toes. Time for the egghead to win his intellectual spurs.
· The Daily Telegraph's new editor, Will Lewis, is an internet evangelist. By the end of the year we'll know whether he's an industry visionary or a false prophet.
Foeign Legion
· The unassuming yet gifted Daniel Battsek, who heads Miramax, Disney's Hollywood studio, could become the most powerful Brit in Hollywood since David Puttnam ran Columbia Pictures.
· Currently living the American dream, and once expected to end ITV's nightmare by taking charge of the broadcaster, Michael Jackson, the former head of Channel 4, could name his job - and his price - should he decide to return to these shores.
· Sarah Ivens, editor of American OK!, will become the most successful British media export since Tina Brown if she can win over the great US public.
Comeback kids
· He says he's keeping busy, and won't stop banging on about Hutton, but he's still the most charismatic media executive in town. When will Greg Dyke get the big gig he surely craves?
· He may be counting his payoff in Cape Town, but the nation could benefit from Charles Allen's cost-cutting. Did someone say 'Olympic tsar'?
· Hell hath no fury like an editor scorned, and former HarperCollins publisher Judith Regan - sacked by Rupert Murdoch in the wake of the OJ Simpson book scandal - could write a cracking yarn herself. In the meantime, a big corporate job awaits.
Grudge matches
· Martin Clarke v Stefano Hatfield: the London freesheet battle may look like a localised affair, but it's war by proxy between the nation's two most ruthless newspaper groups.
· Michael Grade v Mark Thompson: the mother of all TV clashes as the biggest egos this side of Jupiter prepare to do battle at the BBC.
· David and Frederick Barclay v Murdoch and Robert Thomson: the twins begin libel proceedings in a French court after the Times dared to question their integrity (allegedly). Murdoch's favourite editor is expected to take the stand.
Event TV
· Five Days: No, not the amount of time it takes the BBC to pay Jonathan Ross another million. It's the title of the Beeb's big-money thriller in which James Nesbitt plays Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
· Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse laugh off their differences and return to the BBC with a brand new sketch show, - The Harry Enfield Show. No doubt about who receives top billing, then.
· Ugly Betty, the latest US import, is being heavily promoted with Channel 4's marketing millions. It lost Lost to Sky, but another American hit could leave it sitting pretty.


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Oval London Blue Topaz and Lab-Created White Sapphire Ring in Sterling Silver - Size 7
Item# 19962163
The Peoples Difference
Why shop Peoples?
An indulgent gift for the December birthday girl, this blue topaz fashion ring will take her breath away. Created in sleek sterling silver, this ring showcases an 11.0 x 9.0mm oval-shaped London blue topaz centre stone. The ring's shank glistens with round and baguette-cut lab-created white sapphires, wrapping the centre stone in a sparkling embrace. Bold and brilliant, this ring is finished with a bright polished shine. This ring is available in size 7 only. Sterling silver rings cannot be resized after purchase. View product details.
Special Offers
Topaz may be subject to enhancement processes or treatments such heating, irradiation and diffusion, which may not be permanent and may require special care. Gently clean by rinsing in warm water and drying with a soft cloth, and avoid chemicals, strong light, heat and ultrasonic cleaning. Typographic errors are subject to correction. Merchandise enlarged to show detail and may not always be exactly as pictured. Promotions, prices, styles and availability may vary by store and online.


text:
We are seeking friendly, enthusiastic, team minded individuals to join our team at the New York Show. Blue Man Group is a global entertainment company with shows performed in 15 countries and seen by more than 35 million people worldwide since 1991. Blue Man Group has permanent theatrical productions in Las Vegas, Orlando, Boston, Chicago, New York and Berlin, and a North/South American Tour.
The Assistant Box Office Treasurer is responsible for supporting and assisting the Treasurer with all operations of the Box Office, as well as providing coverage as needed. Candidates should have several years of Box Office experience and great customer service skills. Responsibilities include overseeing all ticket operations, maintaining box office bank accounts, preparing advance report & box office statements, insuring good customer service and providing coverage for treasurer as needed. Must be outgoing, motivated self-starters who are able to multi-task within a busy work environment. Sense of humor, great customer service skills, and patience are a must. This is an assistant supervisory role, candidates ideally have some experience managing or supervising others.
Candidates should be able to maintain good customer relations and have a pleasant personality. Positive Attitude is a must! Applicants should have a flexible schedule with holiday availability and be willing to work within the scheduling needs of the Treasurer.
General knowledge of the Ticket Master host ticketing system preferred, but not required. Good computer and phone skills required (Excel, Word, Outlook, Internet, and Multi line Phone Systems)
Qualified candidates must be customer focused, detail-oriented, an excellent communicator/collaborator, organized, and capable of having fun while maintaining high work standards.
We are committed to building a creative and dynamic workplace that celebrates individual differences and diversity and treats everyone with fairness and respect. BMG does not discriminate in practices or employment opportunities on the basis of an individual's race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local regulations.
5+ years of related experience required. Bachelor's or Applicable Degree preferred. This is a full-time hourly position, eligible for overtime and holiday pay that requires night and weekend hours. Competitive Benefits package that includes Medical, Dental, Life Insurance and 401K Plans.
We are seeking to hire this position immediately; resumes will be accepted until role is filled.
Interested applicants should send (please include position title in subject line) cover letter, resume along with 2 references to
Astor Place Theater
Attn: Dahanny Rodriguez, Treasurer
Email to: firstname.lastname@example.com
Astor Place Theatre
434 Lafayette St.
New York, NY, 10003
No Phone Calls Please


text:
Judicial Branch Kiori Tanaka Checks and Balance
Prezicast Legislative Branch Executive Branch What does the Legislative consist of? What does the Executive Branch consist of?
Control over the military
To preserve and protect the constitution May override Presidential vetoes
Power to declare war
Senates approves treaties Powers over Executive senate approves federal judges
Alter the size of the Supreme court Powers over Judiciary Powers over Legislature Veto Power
May force adjournment
Compensation cannot be diminished Power to appoint judges
"Pardon" power Powers over Judiciary Judicial review
Compensation cannot be diminished Judicial review
Chief Justice sits as President of the Senate during presidential impeachment Powers over Executive Powers over Legislature "Constitutional Topic: Checks and Balances." - The U.S. Constitution Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2012. <http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_cnb.html>.
"The Executive Branch." The White House. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2012. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/our-government/executive-branch>.
"The Legislative Branch." The White House. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2012. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/our-government/legislative-branch>. BIBLIOGRAPHY/ IMAGE LINKS http://cdn.freedomspeaks.com/Web/Branches/188/be0e0c65ec9a4a39a4f1bdfa314335af_xl.png http://www.hqmc.marines.mil/portals/61/Site%20Images/OLA/House%20II.jpg http://images.politico.com/global/news/101215_obama_smile_tax_reut_605.jpg http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/imagecache/page_masthead/the_white_house_0.jpg http://courts.mt.gov/content/2420,0,0.jpg http://xuwebquests.pbworks.com/f/1303171743/judicial.jpg http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-piNZPQrnvXo/TxMTgFG5ZCI/AAAAAAAAAyA/lbheM1DXZT4/s1600/judge-not.jpg http://photos2.fotosearch.com/bthumb/CSP/CSP156/k1564224.jpg http://www.nhteapartycoalition.org/tea/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/preamble_to_the_united_states_constitution.jpg http://www.clipartillustration.com/royalty-free-image-1632/clipart-illustration-of-orange-man-lifting-weights-exercising-muscles-workout.jpg
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Kiori Tanakaon 13 November 2012
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