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"Game changer" is a term you hear often when people talk about how technology has changed their industry.
In today's challenging economic environment, it is more important than ever to become a rainmaker—someone who can generate new money for a business enterprise. Sales and service professionals must do more than merely sell great products or provide great service in order to survive and prosper. Now often they are required to generate increasingly more business to maintain their status within an organization, take home the money they believe they deserve, and, in some cases, even hold onto the jobs they thought—until recently—were secure. Make no mistake: Today's business culture demands results. People are waking up in service firms and sales departments in companies everywhere and realizing they need to sell themselves and their companies, especially service professionals who never considered themselves in sales. They need to start right now and develop marketing skills that will help them today and endure throughout their careers. There is an approach to sales and marketing that works immediately, without fail. It is inside everyone.

 While many sales and marketing theorists have proffered numerous strategies on how to become a rainmaker, the fact remains that there is a paucity of rainmakers. Why? I believe one of the main reasons is that it is still a mystery to many people—through no fault of their own—why a business prospect would select and stay with one of two vendors, both of whom have educated themselves about and implemented the same marketing strategy. This article attempts to demystify this phenomenon with the idea that it is imperative to not only have great sales and marketing techniques at your disposal, but to implement those techniques in ways that will be 100 percent UNIQUE TO YOU. If you learn how to implement marketing strategies in ways that are unique to you, you will exponentially increase your chances of getting and keeping new clients and customers. Your ability to do so is inside you right now. Let's tap into your unique personhood and put a little personality into your pitch.

 My approach is rooted in a deep understanding of and heightened sensitivity to the concept of self and the importance of developing and maintaining unique relationships with other people. A business prospect is bombarded with too many options in today's marketplace. She wants to give her business to the vendor with whom she has the best relationship. Or, as my approach postulates: All other things being equal, a prudent purchaser of services or products will choose to give her business to the person with whom she has the most unique relationship.

 Here's an example of how the approach works. Let's take a specific marketing strategy—or mind-set—and apply my approach to it. Take the age-old strategy of schmoozing the business prospect. This example is a good one because while many vendors try to schmooze, few make the schmooze unique. Light-hearted flattery will get you everywhere. Everyone likes to feel good. Everyone wants to feel important, appreciated, and special. Say something nice about a person. Throw in a little humor. People will remember your encounter, and a part of them will feel good about what you said. They'll appreciate your kind words. When you make your business prospects feel good, they will feel good about you, and, in turn, they will be more inclined to give you business.

 If you want to be a good schmoozer, then try schmoozing in a way 100 percent UNIQUE TO YOU. Do this by simply being yourself. Identify those unique aspects of your personality that can be infused into the schmooze.

 The biggest mistake people make when they schmooze business prospects is trying to be someone else. I think this is exactly why schmoozing has evolved into having certain negative connotations. People consider schmoozing insincere. And they are often right. Too many sales and marketing professionals try too hard to be the "master schmoozer." They aren't being true to themselves. If you try to schmooze like someone else, you will fail.

 Schmoozing is based on sincerity: If you aren't sincere, you have no business trying to schmooze and make someone feel good. Your insincere efforts will backfire. But if you speak the truth and use discretion in how you schmooze a business prospect, you will continue to build good will.

 If you remain true to yourself and strategically use those unique aspects of who you are inside when schmoozing a business prospect, you will be charming. You will be charming because you are being real. Your smile is real. Your laughter is real. Your compliment of the other person is sincere. Everything you say is from the heart. People can—and will—be enamored with this sense of sincerity. They come into contact all too often with people who are insincere. They get tired of it. They want something refreshing. When they get the real thing, they are charmed by it. Effective schmoozing is as simple as that.

 Be yourself, and you will schmooze uniquely and, thus, more effectively. But you need to take an honest look at that bundle of characteristics and behaviors that defines YOU. Below are a few brainstorming ideas and questions to help you identify how your unique personality can be infused into the schmooze and get business prospects to feel good about themselves and you:

 • What are you good at? Can you do these things with your potential clients and have some fun?

 • What makes you laugh? How can you most appropriately add your sense of humor to conversations with potential customers?

 • In what ways have you been complimented by others? Were those compliments sincere? If so, how did you feel? What are a few sincere ways of complimenting your business prospects?

 • Identify common interests between you and your referral sources. Can you send them gifts related to those common interests? How do you think your referral sources will feel—about you—when they get those gifts? More inclined to remember you when recommending a vendor, perhaps?

 • Have you ever tried to schmooze someone before? Did it work? What worked and what didn't? Were the things that didn't work consistent with your personality?

 Just implement any marketing strategy, tip, or guideline in a way that is 100 percent UNIQUE TO YOU and you will increase your chances of turning potential customers and clients into existing ones. Personalize your sales and marketing strategies to create, grow, and sustain better and more rewarding business relationships. Use your imagination and creativity to brainstorm ideas on how to make the implementation of any sales and marketing strategy 100 percent UNIQUE TO YOU. There is still ample opportunity to prosper in these difficult economic times. Do so by becoming a rainmaker for your company. Remain confident in yourself and your unique qualities.

 And put a little personality into the pitch!

 J.B. Brocato is the author of the forthcoming book, "The Rainmaker Inside: Unleash The Sales & Marekting Power Inside YOU Now!" and the story, "Learning From A Child," about rainmaking skills, inspired by his young daughter. He is also the chairman of the Executive Committee and chief marketing officer of Pedersen & Houpt, a Chicago law firm. Mr. Brocato graduated Summa Cum Laude from Loyola University Chicago, where he studied Economics. Brocato also is a musician and the founder and CEO of Intense Artist Management, a full-service music management company, and is a licensed Illinois Real Estate Broker. E-mail him at email@example.com.


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Actually, PHP is very able to start with an unencrypted connection and then switch to an encrypted one - refer to http://php.net/stream_socket_enable_crypto .
PHP 4, PHP 5. ssl:// & tls:// since PHP 4.3.0 sslv2:// & sslv3:// since PHP 5.0.2
Note: If no transport is specified, tcp:// will be assumed.
Internet Domain sockets expect a port number in addition to a target address. In the case of fsockopen() this is specified in a second parameter and therefore does not impact the formatting of transport URL. With stream_socket_client() and related functions as with traditional URLs however, the port number is specified as a suffix of the transport URL delimited by a colon.
Note: IPv6 numeric addresses with port numbers
In the second example above, while the IPv4 and hostname examples are left untouched apart from the addition of their colon and portnumber, the IPv6 address is wrapped in square brackets: [fe80::1]. This is to distinguish between the colons used in an IPv6 address and the colon used to delimit the portnumber.
The ssl:// and tls:// transports (available only when openssl support is compiled into PHP) are extensions of the tcp:// transport which include SSL encryption. Since PHP 4.3.0 OpenSSL support must be statically compiled into PHP, since PHP 5.0.0 it may be compiled as a module or statically.
ssl:// will attempt to negotiate an SSL V2, or SSL V3 connection depending on the capabilities and preferences of the remote host. sslv2:// and sslv3:// will select the SSL V2 or SSL V3 protocol explicitly.
Actually, PHP is very able to start with an unencrypted connection and then switch to an encrypted one - refer to http://php.net/stream_socket_enable_crypto .
@pablo dot livardo : I think that the problem you found is caused by the difference between the client/server encryption methods used.
The 465 port is used for SMTPS, and the server starts the encryption immediately it receives your connection. So, your code will work.
The 587 port is used for Submission (MSA or Mail Submission Agent) which works like the port 25. The server accepts your connection and doesn't activate the encryption. If you want an encrypted connection on the port 587, you must connect on it without encryption, you must start to dialog with the server (with EHLO) and after that you must ask the server to start the encrypted connection using the STARTTLS command. The server starts the encryption and now you can start as well the encryption on your client.
So, in few words, you can not use :
<?php $fp = fsockopen("tls://mail.example.com", 587, $errno, $errstr); ?>
but you can use:
<?php $fp = stream_socket_client("mail.example.com:587", $errno, $errstr); ?>
and after you send the STARTTLS command, you can enable the crypto:
<?php stream_socket_enable_crypto($fp, true, STREAM_CRYPTO_METHOD_SSLv23_CLIENT); ?>
P.S. My previous note on this page was totally wrong, so I ask the php.net admin to remove it.
@pablo dot livardo : I think that the problem you found is caused by the difference between the client/server encryption methods used.
You tried to access the port 587 using TLS encryption, but the server uses the SSLv3 encryption on this port.
You can communicate with the Google server on port 465 because on this port the communication is encrypted using TLS and your client is configured to recognize the TLS.
So, if you want to connect on the Google server over the port 587, you simply must write:
$fp = fsockopen("ssl://mail.example.com", 587, $errno, $errstr);
instead of:
$fp = fsockopen("tls://mail.example.com", 587, $errno, $errstr);
I've been having a problem with a TLS connection.
$fp = fsockopen("tls://mail.example.com", 587, $errno, $errstr);
Which gives me an error of:
SSL operation failed with code 1. OpenSSL Error messages: error:1408F10B:SSL routines:SSL3_GET_RECORD:wrong version number
I believe this is caused by PHP not being able to start with an unencrypted connection and then switch to encryption even though the functionality is built into OpenSSL.
For Google Mail users you can avoid this by using port 465 instead of 587.

subset: commoncrawl


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Crop tour results again weighed on corn and soy futures. A privately sponsored tour of Corn Belt fields is yielding some very high forecasts for the fall harvest, thereby exerting fresh downward pressure upon new-crop corn and soy futures. The nearby corn contracts are threatening to fall decisively below short-term moving average support, which might spark more substantial losses. September corn closed 3.0 cents lower at $3.595/bushel Wednesday afternoon, while December sank 4.75 to $3.675.
The soy complex moved in surprising directions today. Spot market strength and vigorous demand once again supported nearby beans and meal Wednesday, whereas big harvest forecasts depressed new-crop prices. However, the soyoil market posted a big bounce, with no news apparently responsible for the move. September soybean futures skidded 0.5 cent to $11.1975/bushel in late Wednesday trading, while November futures fell 14.75 cents to $10.38. September soyoil rebounded 0.20 cents to 32.86 cents/pound, and September soymeal gained $2.8 to $402.6/ton.
The wheat markets turned decidedly lower Wednesday. Although recent news has seemed somewhat supportive of wheat market prospects, futures proved unable to sustain their early-week rebound. Indeed, the fact that they seemed to fail at pivotal technical resistance associated with 40-day moving averages today may have set the stage for larger declines. September CBOT wheat tumbled 6.5 cents to $5.395/bushel at its Wednesday settlement, while September KC wheat dropped 5.75 cents to $6.1875/bushel, and September MWE wheat slumped 6.5 to $6.1025.
Cattle futures bounced from midsession lows. Concerns about the demand outlook and its potentially negative impact on cattle prices apparently sparked a fresh dive in CME cattle prices this morning. The sharp drop seemingly implied further short-term losses, but futures rebounded substantially from their midsession nadir. That confused the technical picture. October live cattle futures dropped 1.82 cents to 145.40 cents/pound as Wednesday's pit session ended, while December futures plunged 2.00 to 148.45 cents/pound. Meanwhile, September and November feeder futures collapsed the 3.0-cent daily limit to 211.25 and 209.55 cents/pound, respectively.
Hogs followed cattle lower. The ongoing breakdown in cash hog and wholesale pork values continued at noon Wednesday, thereby keeping pressure on CME futures despite discounts already built into Chicago prices. The breakdown in the cattle pit rather clearly exacerbated the hog/pork weakness as well. October hogs tanked by 2.32 cents to 92.50 cents/pound at Wednesday's CME close, while December plummeted 2.20 cents to 86.42.


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Dog-friendly Gloucestershire & 9 People
The Farmhouse occupies a superb position on the edge of Regency Cheltenham. With views across to the Malvern Hills and the Black Mountains, this 19th-century farmhouse has undergone major refurbishment to offer guests a beautifully appointed, well-equipped home with an extensive lawned garden.
This stunning modern house is one of a small row located in the Cotswold Water Park, a justly renowned holiday destination and a SSSI. Swallow's Nest lies on the private Lower Mill Estate and visitors have complimentary use (excluding treatments) of the well-equipped Art Spa on site, including two heated slate…
Foxes Manor sits within a very secluded setting at the end of a quiet lane, but has a gate leading on to a pathway with easy access to the heart of Bourton-on-the-Water, ofter referred to as the Venice of the Cotswolds. With mullioned stone windows, oak panelling and floors, and a 'priest's hole',…
Situated in the peaceful, rural location of Forthampton, in the grounds of the owners' home, The Stables at Southfield House offers guests ideal detached holiday accommodation from which to explore the many delights of the surrounding areas.
Conveniently located and within a few minutes' walk of the centre of the village, this lovely detached holiday house is an ideal base from which to explore and savour the delights of the Cotswolds, much of which is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Perfectly located in the heart of the beautiful Cotswold village of Chipping Campden, this imposing, detached holiday property offers accommodation of a very good standard. The village has super restaurants, country inns, quaint tea shops and cafés. This is a perfect base for exploring other Cotswold towns and…
Green Farm, one of 3 holiday properties, is situated on the Witcombe Estate which has been in the same private ownership for over 400 years. Witcombe Estate is situated on the edge of the Cotswold escarpment, in an AONB, and is surrounded by unspoilt countryside, with views to the Malvern Hills and Welsh Mountains.
Occupying a superb position with wonderful rural views, yet within a mile or so of Cheltenham's town centre, Walnut Tree House is one of a collection of holiday cottages that have been created from a range of 19th-century barns and are furnished and equipped to high standards. All cottages enjoy a good choice of…
- 1


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Let's get physical!
About This Episode
In 1995 Howest,University College West Flanders became a single autonomous Higher Education Institution because of a merger of six prominent institutions of higher education in Flanders. Since then the development within Howest has taken on a fresh impetus and we are now one of the leading providers of higher education in the province. Today about 5600 full-time students are enrolled at Howest pursuing 24 Bachelors and 7 Masters covering a wide range of disciplines. Howest consists of four campuses situated in Bruges and Kortrijk. In this session Wouter Verweirder will talk about how he challenges students in the experimental development course he teaches. Learn how the students have to collaborate to create small installations with arduino's, kinects and smartphones
Get the latest tutorials, information and more about any Adobe cloud solution on Adobe Learn.


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NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, Texas - Texas Gov. Rick Perry indicated Monday that he supported allowing teachers and administrators to carry concealed handguns in response to the Connecticut school shooting that left 20 children and six adults dead.
Local school districts should decide their own policies, Perry said. But if someone has obtained a concealed-handgun license, he said, "You should be able to carry your handgun anywhere in this state."
He clarified that private property owners should be allowed to impose their own restrictions.
Perry was asked about calls for stricter gun control laws Monday at a Tea Party forum in North Richland Hills, a Fort Worth suburb.
Perry said that he believed lawmakers should consider mental health issues as well as ways to make schools safer.
"It appears that this was a young man who was very disturbed," Perry said.
When Perry talked about how he had read about one district allowing teachers, administrators and others to carry weapons, he was interrupted by loud applause from the crowd.
Perry has already directed Texas school districts to review their emergency operation plans in the wake of the massacre. His voice broke and he paused several times as he first acknowledged Friday's shootings, calling them a tragedy that "is not right."
"One of the things that I hope we don't see from our federal government is this knee-jerk reaction from Washington, D.C., when there is an event that occurs, that they come in and they think they know the answer," he said.
Some former and current educators said they support the idea of allowing guns on campus, but admit there could be issues.
Houstonian Larry Cullen said, "The biggest problem of course, they'd have to have it well concealed where no one cold take it off their person like a student."
The President of the Houston Teachers Union said there are other more effective ways to protect students, like limiting access.
Gayle Fallon said, "At most schools, there are multiple entrances that are open and you just go in and wander around, which is not a good thing."
"I think it's a horrible idea. Arming police and putting them on campus is fine. They are trained to use a weapon. A lot of teachers wouldn't want to be armed. We have a lot that don't want to hold a gun in their hand. I think the last thing we need is to have more guns on campus," Fallon said.
No school districts in the Houston area allow guns on campus, including those with concealed-handgun licenses. There are currently no plans to change that policy, district officials said.
The Harrold School District in northwest Texas has allowed an undisclosed number of teachers and staff members to carry concealed handguns to work. The superintendent said it enhances student safety.
Copyright 2012 by Click2Houston.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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A SPECIAL Father's Day concert with Bahamian bass-baritone Franz Hepburn is planned for the Cramphorn Theatre next month.
Hepburn, who has performed sold-out concerts around the world, will present a programme of his favourite show songs and big band classics, on Sunday, June 15.
He is often compared to the great American singer Paul Robeson and made his operatic debut in the world premiere of Our Boys, the first Bahamian opera in 1987.
His latest programme of songs will include Ol' Man River, What a Wonderful World, the Music of the Night and Let's Face the Music and Dance.
The concert will also include music trivia and sing-a-longs.
There is also a chance for prizes to be won.
Tickets are £10 and available from the Civic Theatre box office on 01245 606505, or online at chelmsford.gov.uk/theatres


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The Kung Fu Panda kicking butt highlights this week's edition.
Timeout for a shameless piece of self-promotion: Don't forget to tune in to hear Rick Wolf and me on Colton and the Wolfman on SiriusXM fantasy sports radio (Sirius 210 XM 87) Tuesday nights from 11pm-1am Eastern time. We will have fantasy baseball pennant races, fantasy football week 3 recaps and more.
Now back to why you clicked this column to begin with . . . .
Pablo Sandoval : The Kung Fu Panda had another big night last night, going 3-3 with a two-run homer. That's 3 jacks in three days for the Panda. Overall, he has a solid .291 average, but because of his DL time, only 12 HR and 59 RBI. Here is the good news: over the last week, Panda has 4 HR, 9 RBI and a SB. If you can, ride the Panda because he should stay hot for the last two weeks. As for next year, if you see the Panda come into camp heavy, cut his auction price by 40% as he will get hurt again. However, if it looks like he has finally grown up and taken conditioning seriously, then you could have a serious bargain on your hands. Next year he will be only 27 and in his 6th major league season -- a prescription for success IF, IF, IF he stays healthy. [Note: I still think "Kung Fu Panda" is the best nickname in sports].
Hisashi Iwakuma: Hisashi Iwakuma continued to prove he belongs by holding the big bats of the Texas Rangers to three runs on eight hits in seven innings Friday. Overall, Iwakuma has a pretty 3.41 ERA and respectable K/BB over 2.0. If you are looking for a star, this is not your guy. However, if you need cheap pitching late in your draft or auction next year, this pitcher is one to keep on your radar screen. As for this year, the next start in Anaheim is not one I would feel very good about. Just sayin.
Justin Masterson: Justin Masterson was, well . . . not good Friday giving up four runs in six innings to the Royals. Add in that he struck out just 3 and gave up 8 baserunners and you have an unhelpful roto outing. Yes, every now and again he looks great. However, for the year, the inaptly named Masterson has a pretty ugly 4.97 ERA, an equally ugly 1.45 WHIP and a K/BB below 2.0. In his four years as a starter between 2009 and 2012, he has been roto positive in only one of those four. Paying anything other than flyer money for Justin next year is hoping rather than evaluating. And, as the Wolfman always says "hope is not a management strategy."
Jonathan Niese: Unlike Masterson, Jonathan Niese added more personal positive to yet another bad season for the NY Mets. Niese struck out seven while walking only one to get the win. Overall, Niese has a sweet 3.49 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 152/46 K/BB ratio. I like him to finish strong, so grab Niese if you need a good start or two (but not necessarily if you need a win as the Mets still cannot hit). As for next year, he will be 26 and seems to have established a new and higher level of play. There is a very good chance Niese will be a bargain in 2013.
Tyler Clippard: Things are not good if you are Tyler Clippard. Not only did you lose half your closer role, you responded by blowing a game in your first outing as half closer. Overall, Clippard has had yet another strong season with 32 saves and 79 K in fewer than 70 innings. However, over the last two weeks, he has a 7.94 ERA and 1.76 WHIP. Perhaps the huge workloads have worn him down. Bottom line -- Clippard is not a good bet for many saves down the stretch. Even if he straightens out, the Nats will do all they can to keep him fresh for the playoffs.
Eric Hosmer: Eric Hosmer got the big hit Thursday helping the Royals deal a tough defeat to the division leading ChiSox. There is no question that Hosmer has fallen victim to the sophomore slump this year, hitting a paltry .240 with just 14 HR. That said, the question remains -- will Hos help you down the stretch? Probably not. His .189 average over the last two weeks looks good only compared to the .167 over the last week. However, when 2013 rolls around, you will have a player in his third year with a world of talent who has the requisite 1000 AB under his belt. Translation: Hosmer could be a bargain at next year's draft table.
B.J. Upton: BJ Upton continued his scalding September this week. Thursday, BJ hit a clutch 3-run walkoff home run to beat the Red Sox. 17 HR and 15 SB in the second half have made Upton one of the fantasy stars of the second half. Ride him to a pennant if you can but don't overpay next year. He will be on a new team with a big contract and suffer both from "new team/big contract-itis" and maybe even some customary lack of focus.
Now, because so many of you are now focused on fantasy football, I provide here some thoughts for this week and weeks to come:
1. Yes, it is a passing league, but remember that when fantasy playoff time comes, it will be cold and wet in December and the good teams will run the football. Don't give up on those running backs any time soon!
2. Injury prone players get hurt. If you are betting that Ryan Matthews plays the next 14 games, well, shame on you.
3. Don't save FAAB money when yearlong quality is there for the taking. Get while the getting is good!
And last and but not least, this from the Baron of the Bottom of the Page -- Schultz says: "Like politicians and advertising executives, roto-sports writers are partial to short pithy phrases that seem to convey much knowledge in a modicum of words (unlike your humble narrator here that has never opted to say in two words what he could say mellifluously in ten). While I know my not-so-humble overlord did not invent the phrase, it's probably time to address the folly of following the logic of "injury prone players get injured" as it oversimplifies a slightly more complicated issue of discerning which players are at-risk for missing time and which are not. In lumping any player that has suffered more than one injury into the category of injury prone, it's easy to mistake a player that has a chronic injury or bad workout habits with one that is simply unlucky.
Mark Prior will likely go down in history as being an injury prone player, a misnomer if there ever was one. After being overworked by Dusty Baker as a 22-year-old, Prior suffered a shoulder injury which led to the elbow issues that effectively ended his career. Prior wasn't injury prone - he was simply injured. He wasn't prone to injury, he was simply already injured. Those who are wondering whether the Nationals made a smart move in shutting down Steven Strasburg should remember the ghost of Prior's past. It may hinder the Nationals chances for winning a World Series but it's keeping Strasburg from becoming an injured pitcher. It's also the reason Brett Anderson consistently gets mentioned in the same sentence as "potential." On the other hand, Roy Halladay had the unfair reputation of being injury prone early in his career. However, he was only unlucky, his "injury proneness" the result of two errantly hit balls that broke his leg and gave him a concussion and an emergency appendectomy. Those that could tell the difference between injury prone and bad luck likely got the best pitcher in baseball for the second half of the last decade for a bargain. That wouldn't have happened by blindly following pithy maxims.
An outfielder that habitually runs into walls? That's likely an injury prone player until he stops. Once that happens, likely injury prone no more. A base stealer that consistently pulls leg muscles? That's a sign of an athlete not properly stretching before games and likely an injury prone player until his work habits change. A pitcher with a habitually bad shoulder? Not injury prone - just injured and you could probably do well to let others take the risk. Don't let your roto-life be guided by catchy phrases. Dig deeper and make educated choices. Knowledge is power and knowing is half the battle."
Response: Quality advice from Schultz. Yes, one cannot say ARod is injury prone because he got hit on the hand or Andy Pettitte because he got hit on the leg. However, Nick Johnson, he is the poster boy for injury prone, no?
Final thoughts: Two requests of the Dallas Cowboys this week. 1) Jason Garrett please remember to stick with the run and 2) Felix Jones, when you find yourself 5+ yards deep in the end zone, kneel down and take the 25 yards you get by automatic placement at the 20 rather than run out, risk a fumble and get only to the 15. Please!


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If you missed Cole's TODAY Show performance this morning never fear! You can watch the chart-topping, Gold-selling version of "Ain't Worth The Whiskey" here.
Watch Cole's interview with the show's hosts Read More
Blake Shelton is releasing the sexy new single "Sangria," turning the emotional page after his wistful "Lonely Tonight" duet with Ashley Monroe became his record 14th straight No. 1 single.
Although "Sangria" won't be hitting country radio until April 6th, the edgy new music video Read More
Warner Music Nashville is celebrating a little March Madness of its own with three songs by four of the company's recording artists reaching No. 1 this month. WMN is the first label group to land three singles in the No. 1 spot this year.
Blake Shelton, Ashley Monroe, Brett Eldredge and Read More
'Ain't Worth the Whiskey' Certified Gold by RIAA; Rising country star to perform on 'TODAY' this Wednesday
Cole Swindell is three for three as a Warner Bros. Records recording artist, notching his third No. 1 single this week as "Ain't Worth the Whiskey" reaches the top of the Billboard Read More
Blake Shelton knows a little something about drawing a crowd, but it gets kind of crazy when he shows up in Houston.
Shelton played for more than 75,000 fans Thursday night at Rodeo Houston, a standing-room only crowd that's far beyond capacity. The Houston Chronicle says Shelton now has Read More
Country superstar Blake Shelton's "Lonely Tonight," which recently became his 14th consecutive No. 1 single, has now officially been certified Gold by the RIAA. The Academy of Country Music Awards-nominated duet with Warner Bros. Records label mate and friend Ashley Monroe became Shelton's 19th Read More
With "Mean to Me," CMA New Artist of the Year Brett Eldredge joins a prestigious group of artists who've written and recorded three consecutive No. 1 singles from their debut album. Atop this week's Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and Mediabase/Country Aircheck, "Mean to Me" follows his two Read More
The folks over at Taste of Country caught the vibe immediately when they heard the latest single from Warner Bros. Records recording artist Ashley Monroe: "Fans can hear Ashley Monroe smiling as she sings her new song Read More
Latest hit single from self-titled debut rockets into Top 5 as Swindell tours with Jason Aldean.
iHeart Radio Music and Academy of Country Music awards Best New Artist nominee Cole Swindell makes a personal salute to U.S. troops in his touching new video for new Top 5 hit Read More


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CANADA WOMEN vs SRI LANKA WOMEN
It was a difficult day for Canada's National Women's team as they faced off against tournament favourties Sri Lanka in their opening match at the ICC Women's World T20 Qualifier in Ireland.
Winning the toss and electing to bat, the Canadians were pegged back immediately and with regularity as opener Suthershini Savanantham (13) was the only batter to reach double figures.
At the close of the innings, Canada has only managed 44 runs from 17.5 overs, a target that was met easily by Sri Lanka, getting over the line in the 7th over for the loss of 1 wicket.
The match marked the first time Canada's Women have played in an ICC global qualifying tournament.
Prior to the match, former national team member and Women's head coach, George Codrington recognized that his team was nervously excited to be playing at this higher standard of competition and noted that the players were cognicent of the historical nature of the match and how it related to the future development of Women's cricket in Canada.
Looking ahead, Canada will look to shake off any opening day jitters when they take on home side Ireland on Thursday.
National Women's Coach George Codrington shares his thoughts ahead of Canada's opening match vs Sri Lanka at the... http://t.co/xfaakvTDe9
— Cricket Canada (@canadiancricket) July 23, 2013


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Google IO 2014 Keynote Live Blogby Anand Lal Shimpi on 6/25/2014 10:47 AM EST
- Posted in
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anandreader106 - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkFingers crossed for Nexus 8 with Adreno 420 or Tegra K1! Please Google, DO NOT raise the resolution from 1200p. Let me keep the extra battery life instead. :) Reply
Vepsa - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkAnd a sub $200 price tag (hey, I can dream). Reply
Creig - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - link*sigh* And the Speedtest for my office of 20+ engineers, designers, technicians and secretaries is 1.3 Mbps up/down. Reply
Vepsa - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkLast couple of weeks, my office has been as low as 20 Kbps up and down due to some issues. Reply
anandreader106 - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkOuch. I usually get 420 Mbps down at TargetHQ in Minneapolis. Reply
Pcgeek21 - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkUNC Charlotte - 788Mbps down / 821Mbps up: http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/3586110457 Reply
mmrezaie - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkThats nothing in Sweden: http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/3585497799.
This is our speed in the KTH university on my own workstation. Reply
mmrezaie - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkSorry the link doesnt work: http://www.speedtest.net/result/3585501268.png Reply
hughlle - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkAlright for some!
The one annoying thing about living in nice houses. In the city i used to live, the grottiest slummiest areas of town had silly fast vigin fiber. Where i lived, every house was a highly listed building so there was no tearing up roads and walls for new cabling etc. I currently max out at 10 down 1.5 up. Reply
flashbacck - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - link"10:14AM PDT - all from your wrist
10:14AM PDT - You can see when your car has arrived, rate your driver as well
10:14AM PDT - call a Lyft car
10:13AM PDT - Using Android Wear to car a Lyft car"
If this is the best example of what wearables can do we should just stop now. Reply
hughlle - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkOr use it as a recipe book....
Call me an oddball, but when cooking, i don't wear jewelry or a watch, especially not a watch costing many hundred dollars. Why create the hassle of cleanup and possible risk of damage? Not to mention, someone willing to pay out for a smart watch, probably owns a tablet, which works perfectly as a recipe book and has a screen large enough that it can be placed away from any splishy splashy areas.
so that's two terrible use cases. They're really grasping at straws to try and justify this concept. Reply
ArthurG - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkTegra K1 is the reference platform for AndroidTV box that will come this fall. Another big design win for nvidia Reply
ezridah - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkI really hope that's true, and that it has Steam streaming and Bluetooth connectivity for controllers. All I've wanted since the Shield came out was a console version of it (just a box sans controller and screen). Maybe we'll finally get one. Reply
dwade123 - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkWhy the UI gotta be so ugly doe. Reply
satai - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkWho are the protestors? What are thai agains/for? Or are they just some attention whores? Reply
Ryan Smith - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkOne would assume these are the anti-gentrification protestors who have been regularly protesting Google's employee buses. Reply
mmrezaie - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkWhat are the protesters saying? Reply
SeleniumGlow - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkBeing into real time data analysis domain myself, Google's cloud data flow is deeply interesting, at least for me.
will look more into it. Reply
Guspaz - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkI don't know why Google expects anybody to use Cloud Compute Engine. Their prices for bandwidth are insane, they charge about 50x per gigabyte when compared to Linode, or around double what's charged by Amazon. Reply
Morawka - Thursday, June 26, 2014 - linkLinode is hosting not cloud compute Reply
Roland00Address - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkSo I am reading this and the feeling of awesomeness and how much I want this now can only be communicated by channeling Charlie Sheen.
I am not Google, I am not Android. I am bi-winning, I win here and I win there.
I am Android L, I got tiger blood and I am made with Adonis DNA.
So someone maybe Google show me how to make an image backup of my nexus 7 so all my stuff is safe and how to reimage my nexus to Android L.
That or do a dual boot with kit kat and android L. I want to play right now!!! Reply
random2 - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkAre we expected to read through all of this? There's no video? Any DLs of a video available? I have so many questions. Reply
Roland00Address - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - linkGo here and click the watch the keynote button
https://www.google.com/events/io Reply
HangFire - Thursday, June 26, 2014 - linkNow that the issue of Android in automobiles is officially on the table, will AT please start paying attention to these questions in phone reviews- does BT even connect to a standard set of car audio brands? How useful is the Car Dock mode? How well do priority overrides between streaming audio, Nav and incoming calls work? How good is noise rejection on speakerphone on the highway?
As I've said over and over again, handheld use in autos is illegal most anywhere, yet these issues are ignored in every AT smartphone review. Reply
Ram Reddy - Monday, July 28, 2014 - linkHi thanks lot for the neat and crisp information, having plans to buy Xiaomi Mi3. Regards <a href="http://www.onlinedada.com/2014/07/xiaomi-mi3-revie... Mi3 Reply


text:
Ashish Nanda; Takia Mahmood
|Format: PDF
|Also Available In:
|English Hardcopy Black & White Spanish PDF Spanish Hardcopy Black & White Chinese PDF Chinese Hardcopy Black & White
|List Price: $7.46
|Source: Harvard Business School
|Publication Date: Feb 20, 1997
|Product #: 397078-PDF-ENG
|Discipline: Entrepreneurship
|Length: 10 p, English PDF
|Revision Date: Jul 2, 1997
Charles Ferguson has just heard from a venture capital (VC) consortium that it is willing to finance Vermeer Technologies, a company he has cofounded for developing Internet software. The funds are sorely needed, but the VCs have imposed some onerous conditions, including a request that Vermeer's first CEO be an outsider.
To identify several tasks that need to be performed before a business idea can be realized as a business entity. Highlights the process of early product definition and the key role of employee selection in building an organization.
Acquisitions; Applications; Business policy; Entrepreneurial finance; Entrepreneurship; Hiring; Organizational design; Product development; Venture capital
Vermeer Technologies (A1): Hiring the CEO
Ashish Nanda; Takia Mahmood
Published Feb 20, 1997
|Harvard Business School
|3 p, English PDF
|Also Available in
Supplements the (A) case.
Vermeer Technologies (A): A Company Is Born, Video
Ashish Nanda
Published Dec 1, 1998
|Video Supplement
|English Video VHS (NTSC)
The founding team of Vermeer Technologies, an entrepreneurial software start-up, discusses the opportunities and challenges confronting the company.


text:
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text:
Big game against the angry Pens, coming off a loss in Philly last night which ended their 12-game winning streak (their first loss since the Rangers beat them at the new Igloo a month earlier). So we get to see Sid the Skid, Malkin, Fleury and that piece of carcillo Cooke, who beat the Rangers at MSG Nov. 29.
Captain Drury returns, so Todd White and Matt Gilroy will be prucha'd. Derek Boogaard remains out with a shoulder injury. Vinny Prospal was sent home with the flu.
Henrik Lundqvist starts in goal (maybe Martin Biron tomorrow vs. the Desert Dogs?).
Probable lines:
Drury/Christensen-Avery (Tortorella told reporters he's not sure whether Christensen or Drury would play center).


text:
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text:
Today's Mets headlines
It'll be a special night in the SNY broadcast booth after the third inning of the Mets vs. Tigers game today when Amazins' fan Jerry Seinfeld joins Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez. He's scheduled to provide commentary and banter for at least three innings. Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com reports that… Read More →


text:
Discussion of the nature of Ultimate Reality and the path to Enlightenment
Dennis writes:
the indescribable lightness and joy of being.
don't need a Story.
Dennis writes:
That the separate self exists is not denied.
How it exists is the question.
Its ultimate status.
We'll have to go through the reasoning to show it out.
As for "ultimate status," I don't quite know what you mean, so you can take it from there.
thus time does not exist absolutely with respect to physical or mental events.
time as it is conceived by human mind does not exist in some independent, objective world,
it exists only in relation to the mind that conceives it.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
May it not be universally true that the concepts produced by the human mind, when formulated in a slightly vague form are roughly valid for Reality, but when extreme precision is aimed at they become ideological forms whose real content tends to vanish?
From this singular seat of consciousness there is something else to look at, but only under these ambiguous conditions. Doesn't mean the emptiness of that self anymore than it means the emptiness of the world it looks at. I want to make it clear that I've understood the very-much something you mean by 'emptiness.' Nevertheless, there is still existence and there is still a phenomenal self to look at it. Better-looking - the bringing into being more of this being - being here with it - becoming more conscious-of it (which includes our selves in-it), well, what else then?
p.s. the physicists are often trailing in the footsteps of the intuitive leaps of the philosophers, :) so Julian Barbour says as much about the non-existence of time in The End of Time: The Next Revolution in Physics (2000) wherein he claims that the discrepancies between quantum and mechanical physics can be eliminate if one also eliminates the equations of time. Everything that has ever been still is; everything is here. For Barbour the only really interesting question becomes why we see things in sequence, for that doesn't change . . . . knowledge and truth. pesky bedfellows.
what has to be understood is the art of conceptually designating on a base that allows for meaning making.
one can then have a 'for the ultimate sake of which',
and then you die. stiff.
Laird writes: If "existence" refers to an unqualified "everything", then your reasoning stands, but (speaking only for myself) when I suggest a "direction", "formulation", "pre-determination" or "intention" behind existence, I do not use the word in that sense; instead I use it in the sense of material existence, as contrasted with an immaterial, spiritual and/or transcendent existence.
Laird: I suggest that on that definition, you (can) have no purely logical argument against "predicates to existence", and, in fact, you would have a hard time mounting an empirical argument against such a thing given the many and varied spiritual experiences of countless men and women over the ages.
Laird: Isn't the notion that "there's no separating these things" itself an assumption?
Laird: How do you discount the possibility of a purely immaterial, spiritual and/or transcendent existence that in some way or sense precedes the existence that we currently experience?
Pye wrote:Hi Laird. Why be so tentative about philosophical disagreements?
Pye wrote:Years of intellectual acquaintanceship might account for something, you know . . . . :)
Laird: How do you discount the possibility of a purely immaterial, spiritual and/or transcendent existence that in some way or sense precedes the existence that we currently experience?
Pye: I would account for such a thing by it existing (and you make this problematic with the addition of the word "current" experience).
Laird writes: To your post: you emphasise that the spiritual is part of existence, which I don't deny, but parts of your response seem simply like bald assertions, e.g. 'Neither [the material nor the immaterial/spiritual/transcendent] are "behind."' and 'There is no separating anything on the level of being'. I wonder why you believe these to be true.
but what I was trying to get at is that there could be a temporal or some other causal sense in which the material aspect to existence is a consequence of the spiritual aspect, so that in some sense "pure spirit" is "behind" the existence that we currently experience . . .
Laird writes: As for human nature and your noting of exceptions to sociability, speaking, walking upright, boasting, attention-seeking, ego-inflating, loving, surviving and thriving, I would suggest in response that deviations from a template do not negate the existence of that template.
Dennis posits:
how about bringing about the perfection of the human form.
that seems to be the 'go-to' that wisdom opens up.
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text: There is now officially nothing Jennifer Lawrence can't do. We all know she has amazing acting skills — even without The Hunger Games, she still has an Oscar nod from Winter's Bone — she can, like, literally fight to the death, and now, there's proof that she can sing. In the new House at the End of the Street trailer, JLaw croons "All You've Gotta Do is Fall in Love." It's a totally sweet song — for a totally not sweet film. Watch it above, and make sure to subscribe to our friends at ClevverTV for more celeb news! Meet Jennifer Lawrence's HATES Crush, Max Thieriot! 1 Comment | Leave Your Comment by: Kaitlin Cubria on September 19, 2012 at 7:00 pm EDT | in Movies Spread the Word Tagged: Clevver, House at The End of The Street, Jennifer Lawrence, Trailers fun We already knew she could sing when she sung deep in the meadow to Rue.


text:
>Look What I Can Do!>2012 HoeKers Half Marathon
Over the Christmas holidays, we visited my in laws in Daytona Beach, Florida (yes, life is rough when you have Christmas in Florida on the beach....).
I've been training (actually, "I've been motivating") my Father in Law as it relates to running for the past year and a half, and in early December, I convinced him to run a half marathon before the end of the year. We decided to call it the "HoeKers Half Marathon" (it includes part of both of our last names, and sounds funny....)
So, on 12/28, we ran the HoeKers Half Marathon. He ran the first 2 miles by himself. My wife joined in at Mile 2. My 9 year old joined in 7. I joined in on mile 8. My oldest son was the sag wagon riding along to pick up whoever wanted to quit (other than my father in law). The 4 of us ran until his Garmin read 13.1 miles (yes, I know it's not an official half marthon distance without the proper tools to make it a half marathon).
His finishing time was 2:28:48.
Maybe it'll be an annual event.
Regardless, this isn't necessarily a "Look What I Can Do". It's more of a "Look What He Can Do" post. He logs his stuff here on RunningAhead, but doesn't post on here (and likely doesn't read any posts).
But, this 'old man' (65 +/- years old) began running in the summer of 2011, and was able to run 400 miles in 2012 and finish his 1st half marathon in a decent time.
My 9 year old got to run 6 miles with his grandpa! (and he hasn't run much other than on the playground)
My wife (who doesn't run more than 4 miles very often) ran 11 miles with him!
That was my favorite half marathon in 2012.
Only 1 finisher this year.
I was the race director.
Cheers,Brian Kers____
2017 Goals:
#1: Do what I can do (200+ training days, 200+ aerobic hours).
#2: Race shape (1/2 marathon, 2 half Ironmans, marathon)
#3: Prepare for 2018
Consistently Slow
Run until the trail runs out.
The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff
Nice! I look forward to being able to run like that with my kids and grand-kids when I'm 65!
Maybe the SimanTalleys will join you next year! :-). I believe your father-in-law is now passing his knowledge on to my Dad!
That's awesome! I've heard that he's been running with "D.Siman___" for a couple months. It's great to see these guys get out and do what they never believed they could do. BTW, I've heard a lot of great things about your dad and mom. Look forward to the 'race' next year, and hope we can meet you then! Cheers,Brian
My son got me into running a few years back- I will be 62 next month.
Congrats to your Dad- it can be very rewarding!
PBs since age 60: 5k- 24:36, 10k - 47:17. Half Marathon- 1:42:41.
10 miles (unofficial) 1:16:44.
Hill Slug
What a great thing to do as a family. I hope it is the first of many Hoekers Runs!
All time PR: 1:20 HM. 2:49 M
2013 goal: Master's PR HM Recover from illness/finish the year strong
Rage, rage against the dying of the light


text:
About the new logo and home page redesign
As I told you in my post here, version 5.67 of SWIFT is something that I always wanted as a blogger. It's mission accomplished for me. Now that I have something that I'm proud of, it's time to present it to the world in its best face. I wanted a logo that represents the objectives […] Continue reading


text:
Looking for more information about Rudolf Acohen?
Search through millions of records to find out more.
Search through millions of records to find out more.
June 4, 1922 — Amsterdam, Netherlands
Rudolf, known as Rudi, and his brother were born in Amsterdam to a Jewish family of Spanish descent. The family lived in a pleasant neighborhood in the southern part of the city. Rudi attended Montessori grade school and high school.
1933-39: For summer vacation in 1935 Rudi's parents rented a house near the beach in Zandvoort, near Amsterdam. There he met a girl, Ina, and they became good friends. In the summer they discovered that they would be attending the same Montessori high school. Rudi and Ina and their many friends liked to get together in the evenings at someone's home and listen to records of Frank Sinatra, classical music, and popular French songs.
1940-42: Germany invaded the Netherlands on May 1940, but for a while there was still a sense of normal life. Rudi still met with his friends to play tennis, and sometimes they took long bike trips together. In the summer of 1941 they biked for several days, and Rudi kept a diary of their adventures.
On Sunday, June 7, 1942, Rudi was arrested in a raid in retaliation for the murder of a German in Amsterdam. Rudi was immediately deported to an extermination camp, where he perished.
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text:
- Contemporary Art at the Gardner
- ExhibitionsCurrent ExhibitionsForthcoming ExhibitionsPast Exhibitions
- Ambreen Butt: I Need a Hero
- Maurizio Cannavacciuolo: A Lecture on Martian History
- Rachel Perry: What Do You Really Want
- Charmaine Wheatley: Souvenirs
- Bharti Kher: Not All Who Wander Are Lost
- Jean-Michel Othoniel: Secret Flower Sculptures
- Nari Ward: Divination X
- Luisa Rabbia: Waterfall
- Carla Fernández: The Barefoot Designer: A Passion for Radical Design and Community
- Sophie Calle: Last Seen
- Hamra Abbas: Wall Hanging I
- Adam Pendleton: Untitled
- Raqs Media Collective: The Great Bare Mat & Constellation
- Stefano Arienti: Wild Carrot
- Luisa Lambri: Portrait
- Magic Moments: The Screen and the Eye–9 Artists 9 Projections
- (TAPESTRY) RADIO ON: New Work by Victoria Morton at the Gardner
- Points of View: 20 Years Artists-in-Residence at the Gardner
- Stefano Arienti: Ailanthus
- Danijel Zezelj: Once
- Taro Shinoda: Lunar Reflections
- Su-Mei Tse: Floating Memories
- Luisa Rabbia: Travels with Isabella, Travel Scrapbooks 1883/2008
- Cliff Evans: Empyrean
- Stefano Arienti: The Asian Shore
- Sculpture and Memory: Works from the Gardner and by Luigi Ontani
- Henrik Håkansson: Cyanopsitta spixii Case Study #001
- Michele Iodice: A Pagan Feast
- Variations On a Theme by Sol Lewitt and Paula Robison
- Danijel Zezelj: Stray Dogs
- Dayanita Singh: Chairs
- Maurizio Cannavacciuolo: TV Dinner
- Elaine Reichek: madamimadam
- Joseph Kosuth: Artist, Curator, Collector
- Nari Ward: Episodes: Bus Park & Forevermore
- Manfred Bischoff
- Ackroyd & Harvey: Presence
- Laura Owens
- Joan Bankemper: A Gardener's Diary
- Lee Mingwei: Living Room
- Josiah McElheny
- Abelardo Morell: Face to Face
- Mona Higuchi: Bamboo Echoes
- Juan Muñoz: Portrait of a Turkish Man Drawing
- Denise Marika: New Works by Denise Marika
- Dorit Cypis: The Body in the Picture
- Artists By Year
- Multimedia
- Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey, Script, 2001.
- Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey, installation view of Script and Mother and Child, 2001. Photo: John Kennard.
- Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey, installation view of Bust of St. John the Baptist and Bust of Woman, 2001. Photo: John Kennard.
- Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey, installation view of Betina Rose and Timmy Allen, 2001. Photo: John Kennard.
- Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey, installation view of Triptych, 2001. Photo: John Kennard.
- Presence: The Ephemeral In Focus, an interactive CD-Rom produced in conjunction with Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey's exhibition, 2002.
Ackroyd & Harvey: Presence
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum presented a new series of works by British artists Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey, who use grass as a photographic medium. Ackroyd and Harvey have adopted a sophisticated photographic system of projecting images on specially prepared clay screens of implanted grass. Working with organic material the artists harness the photosynthesis process to create and fix images. In so doing they are revisiting the early photographic techniques of over a century ago while using today's most advanced studies in plant breeding. As the seeds germinate each individual emergent blade of grass produces a concentrate of chlorophyll that corresponds to the amount of light it receives. If the light is absent the blade grows quickly and stays yellow. The green pigment is activated by light and in this way grass images are created. The stay green process, using a specially developed grass, stabilizes the transient image, which in time will fade. In order to conserve the image for longer period of time it is dried and exhibited in low light.
The germination of life and death, the generating and corrupting influences of light, the desire to arrest time, to possess an image, the inexorable process of decay and loss are some of the ideas that the artists explore in their work. Observing these images may help us understand and accept how change is inexorably woven into the very fabric of our existence.
Publication: Presence: The Ephemeral In Focus, CD-Rom, 2002; This CD-Rom contains videos interviews and works by the artists.
The Generating and Corrupting Influence of Light
Light plays a complex role at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, since the galleries rely heavily on natural light. Not only does light illuminate the collection, allowing us to see it, but it also creates the unique ambience of the museum. Mrs. Gardner was well aware of this, and she placed many masterworks near windows where they would be seen to best advantage. In addition, bright, direct daylight enters from the skylight, making possible the lush greenery of the garden courtyard.
Although light is essential to our ability to see and enjoy the world around us, it can also have a damaging effect on many objects. Some materials, such as textiles, drawings, photographs, and stained wood, are extremely susceptible to damage by light. Not only does light fade colors, it can also weaken the structure of an object.
The photograph above shows a detail depicted in a 17th-century Flemish tapestry. The leaves now appear blue, or blue-green, but when the tapestry was first woven, they were green. The green color is the result of mixing natural plant dyes of blue and yellow. Yellow plant dyes are generally very sensitive to fading when exposed to light; whereas blue, often made from indigo, is very stable. Over the years, the yellow component of the green dye has faded, allowing the blue to dominate the coloring of the tapestry foliage.
The Gardner Museum's conservation staff works hard to protect the collection from light damage while maintaining the evocative ambience of the galleries. All the windows in the museum are treated to block ultraviolet (UV) light, which is the most damaging form of light. UV light is not perceived by the human eye, and thus its elimination does not reduce our ability to see. Unfortunately, visible light also causes damage, and most windows have some fabric screening to partially block visible light as well. You will also notice case covers in some galleries, which protect highly susceptible documents and books from overexposure to light. When the museum is not open, room darkening blackout shades are used to keep light levels as low as possible to further protect sensitive artworks.
The museum conservator's goal is to slow down the natural degradation of objects as much as possible. The Mother and Child grass image displayed to the left was grown by Ackroyd and Harvey in 1998, and is a good example of the fragility of their art medium. In the case of these contemporary images, however, their ephemeral nature is essential to their presence.
Works in the exhibit: Presence
Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey
1. Script
Negative 2001
8ft x 7ft
Stay-green grass, clay, water, light
Dante Aligheiri
Comedia del Divino Poeta Fiorentino Danthe Aleghieri
excerpt from Dante's Inferno, Canto IV
Commentary by Christopher Landino, Published in Florence, 1487
Long Gallery
2. Mother and Child
Negative 1998
4ftx 6ft
Stay-green grass, clay, water, light
Photograph taken by Dan of Heather and their infant daughter Adele
St. John The Baptist
Projection 2001
3ft x 4ft
Stay-green grass, clay, water, light
3. Bust of Woman
Negative 2001
3ft x 4ft
Stay-green grass, clay, water, light
Bust of a Woman
Painted and gilt stucco
19th century
Gothic Room
4. St. John the Baptist
Negative 2001
3ft x 4ft
Stay-green grass, clay, water, light
St. John the Baptist
Workshop of Benedetto da Maiano
Polychromed terracotta
Florentine, ca. 1480
Dutch Room
5. Timmy Allen
Negative 2001
3ft x 4ft
Stay-green grass, clay, water, light
Staff member of Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
6. Bentina Rose
Negative 2001
3ft x 4ft
Stay-green grass, clay, water, light
Visitor to The Gardner Museum
7. Triptych
Negative 2001
16ft x 8ft
Stay-green grass, clay, water, light
Crawford Bookcase, Blue Room
Wooden Doors (at museum's original entrance)
Spanish 12th century
A series of video's by Mark Lipman show the creation of Ackroyd and Harvey's work Script from conception to realization was also included outside the exhibition.
The Ephemeral in Focus Project: An example of how artists and scientists can collaborate for the future
November 1, 2001, 6:30 p.m.
Artists Heather Ackroyd and Daniel Harvey spoke about their fascinating work with photosynthesis and genetic research joined by Carole Kismaric, co-curator of Paradise Now, the groundbreaking exhibition on contemporary artists exploring genetics and via telephone by British scientists Professor Howard Thomas and Dr. Helen Ougham from IGER.
The Generating and Corrupting Influences of Light
November 14, 2001, 12:00 p.m.
With Gardner Museum conservator Bonnie Halvorson
Exploring the Color Green
December 12, 2001, 12:00 p.m.
With Gardner Museum conservator Valentine Talland.
Gallery Talks
Gallery talks about Presence Saturdays at 12:00 p.m. throughout the exhibition.


text: weymiensn 180 Report post Posted June 29, 2013 Greetings, Regardless of your intent and/or input I want to thank you for reading my topic. The following content which you are about to read, whether it will be enjoyable I cannot say, is the game I wish to create in several steps. First a very simplified prototype (2D, sucky graphics, ...) and build further and further until I create a will polished game. This will be, of course, a personal endeavor that will span a period of months, perhaps a year or two, three. Why so long? First I want to program the game myself in C++, a language I just recently started to learn. Smart? Probably not, but what better way to learn then a real project? It will be a long road filled with depression, happy feelings and many, many, many compile errors. I have foreseen it. Do I have any game developing skills whatsoever? No, beside a programming experience, though, alas, in C#. So why not write this game in C#? I want to learn C++, simple. I am not in a hurry to develop a game and make a quick buck out of it. No, I just see it as a learning experience which will slowly teach me the skills to be a decent C++ developer. I, of course, hope and will try to garner the help of this fine community whenever I am in need and depression is near. So forgiveness in advance for silly problems and endless rambling posts such as this one. Currently, I am writing down my idea in a design document, while I am used to write documents for software I have written most often they were pretty technical, mere documentation actually. So I took to the internet and looked up what a design document for a game should include and I hope I did a decent job at the game overview, which I was made to believe should be a short version of what the entire document will describe. So is the text beneath acceptable and did I explain my vision/idea clearly enough so others will know what I am thinking off or am I just a simpleton that got everything wrong. All input is welcome, the good, the bad and the off topic, but please try on topic... Feudalism is an city-building simulation game with strategy and role-playing elements added to it. In it the player will play as a landed noble, in the Dark Ages, ordered by his/her liege to found and govern a new settlement in the newly conquered lands for the glory of the realm. The game is one where management skills and a keen eye for detail will enable to bring out the maximum potential of his land during these harsh and dark time. The game targets due to its setting and genre to those who love both history, the medieval period and city-building simulation games such as SimCity. The game itself is aimed for PC only. The player's main task in Feudalism is constructing and ruling an estate while reaching specific objectives given at the start of a mission when doing campaign. Constructing and planning the settlement is done by zoning the lands as either demesne, which is the land reserved for the personal use of the lord (the player), plotted lands, which is land available for peasants to hire, or service buildings. While constructing and planning the settlement is a major aspect of the game, the greatest challenge for the player will be managing his estate. This is done by optimal people management skills and squeezing the maximum potential out of the land and your peasants. If the player fails to properly run his estate, the settlement will fall prey to various dangers such as peasant rebellions or famine and should the player character, the lord, die either from hunger or be killed in a rebellion the game ends. The game will reward the player by allowing him to further customize the manor, the center of the settlement and home of the lord. This is done by adding modular pieces available when certain requirements have been met. Extending the manor does not always serve only as an aesthetic reward, but can also be functional such as increasing its defensive or storage capabilities or offering completely new functionality such as a dungeon. Feudalism will be an easy to pick up game as the controls will be intuitive and reminiscent of other games of its genre such as SimCity, Caesar and Stronghold. The first mission in the campaign will also serve as the tutorial introducing the basic the player should know to start building his estate. This tutorial should be as short as possible, leaving most to be discovered by the player himself. The player however will be accompanied by his advisor who throughout the game will direct the player's attention to any pressing issue the settlement is currently facing. The setting of the game is the early medieval period in Europe, when the feudal system was in full swing. This is the era where the first "castles" were nothing more but wooden motte[1], with the villages surrounding these defensive structure. As the game progresses the player will gradually see his wooden motte transform into a more solid stone variant and eventually to the iconic well-known stone castles often associated with this time period. The game will be try to bring a colourful touch as to not bore the player with too much greyness and bleakness. Due to its nature the game, it will have a minimalistic story, even the campaign. However, the campaign will offer a little back story; placing the tasks in a historical perspective so to teach the player a little bit about the situation in a certain region in that time period. Events such as the Treaty of Verdun, which divided the great empire of the Charlemagne, or the Norman Invasion of England, with which William the Conqueror pressed his claim for the crown of England, will serve this purpose. While the game is serious in its nature, the game will be accessible by most demographics, though it would not be suited for the very young since the game will include the less beautiful aspects of history and aspects of life such as war, crime and racism which must, of course, be place in their proper historic perspective. The game will especially be suited for gamers who enjoyed previous games of this genre as the Caesar and Stronghold series. [1] A fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork or hill, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Heading into the deal's final weeks, Chilean grapes are still lagging behind last season's volumes.
As the Chilean deal gets closer to its spring end, there are no signs of a last-minute surge in volumes, said John Pandol, special projects manager for Pandol Bros. Inc., Delano, Calif.
"Volumes are still below expectations," Pandol said. "People are saying that 'it's late rather than light,' but in reality the deal is light. With five or six weeks to ship, I don't see them catching up."
Shipments through late February are still lagging behind 2012 totals, Pandol said — a surprise, given that crops suffered severe freeze damage last season.
While Chilean exports are down by nearly 18% this season, and exports to the U.S. are down slightly compared to last year, U.S. exports are recovering, said Karen Brux, North American managing director of the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association, Sonoma, Calif.
"Recent weeks have been showing a strong increase in arrivals, mainly in the later varieties, like crimson," Brux said.
In addition, retail pricing is strong and steady, Brux said.
"As more fruit arrives to the market, there will be ample opportunities to promote throughout the month of March," she said.
On Feb. 26, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported prices of $22-24 for containers of extra-large flames from Chile, up from $18-20 last year at the same time.
The association's merchandising team is working with retailers nationwide on promotions for St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Passover and National Nutrition Month, Brux said.
It's not just volumes that have been a problem this season, Pandol said.
"There are a surprising amount of condition problems, mostly on flames," he said. "We're having to recondition, which is unusual."
That has created a strong market for grapes in good condition, particularly larger ones, Pandol said.
All in all, Pandol is looking ahead to a better season out of Chile in 2014.
"It's kind of depressing," he said. "We have people asking when Mexico is going to start."


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|This page is an image gallery for Aurora Beam. If any images are missing, feel free to add them. Images should be placed under a proper header, be ordered by appearance, and should have a caption.
In the games
Main games
Battle arena games
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
In the anime
Main series
Original series
Advanced Generation series
Diamond & Pearl series


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Tour Candela Designer Gabriela Perezutti Hearst's Gorgeous Home in Punta del Este
I know the grief you bear. I bear that same grief. I am a Dallasite. I saw you yesterday. I hope to see you again. I saw Mr. Kennedy yesterday. I'll never see him again. I'm very disturbed because I saw him a mere 2 minutes before that fatal shot was fired. I couldn't believe it when I heard it over the radio 5 minutes later. I felt like I was in a daze. To Dallas, time has halted. Everyone is shocked and disturbed. My prayers to you.
Tommy Smith
Dallas, Texas; Age: 14
A Tour Of Skincare Guru Dr. Brandt's MoMA-Worthy Art Collection


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Pacific Theatre, WWII
2ND Lt. Robert P. Budd
188TH Parachute Infantry
Parachute Glider Infantry Unit Commander
Bronze Star / Purple Heart / Distinguished Unit Citation
Parachute Badge / Combat Infantryman's Badge
American Defense Service Medal
American Theater Asiatic-Pacific Campaign (invasion arrowhead with 5 battle stars)
Victory Medal / Philippine Liberation Medal (1 bronze star)
Commanded a machine gun platoon of a parachute infantry company.
Enlisted January, 1941 / Honorable Discharge June 1, 1945
His Army Separation Qualification Record summarizes his record as:
"Parachute Infantry Unit Commander: Commanded a machine gun platoon of a parachute infantry company in Asiatic-Pacific Theater. Directed and controlled tactical employment of unit in combat. Lead unit in seizing and holding or otherwise exploiting such important tactical localities as installations in conjunction with or pending arrival of other ground units.
Enlisted man Jan 1941 to June 1942, duty as Platoon Sergeant with 11TH Airborne Division in Asiatic-Pacific Theater. Received a battlefield commission as 2ND Lieutenant Infantry."
He was five feet three and one half inches tall, and weighed 135 lbs.


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Puerto Rico lacks depth of past Classics
FT. MYERS, Fla. -- Injuries to players such as outfielder Andres Torres, the retirement of perennial stalwarts such as Pudge Rodriguez and a decline in the number of Puerto Rican stars in the Major Leagues have made Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez's job much more difficult this spring.
"It has been challenging," Rodriguez said Wednesday.
"Before, you already had a team," Rodriguez explained. "You didn't have to scramble around. Now, we've got Minor Leaguers along with the Major Leaguers. Before, you didn't have to scout out the Minor Leaguers like we do now."
Puerto Rico finished fifth in the 2006 and '09 Classic tournaments.
There are currently 15 Puerto Ricans with Major League teams.
According to Baseball-Almanac.com, 18 Puerto Ricans played in the big leagues last year. There were 20 Puerto Ricans on Opening Day rosters in 2011. Two of them played in the All-Star game. In 1997, according to the New York Times, there were eight Puerto Ricans on the All-Star team.
"I'd say 10-15 years ago, the good athletes from Puerto Rico, they started to have more options," said Rodriguez, who managed the Florida Marlins in 2010-11.
Sports such as basketball, volleyball, golf and even American football have risen in popularity in Puerto Rico, while the popularity of baseball has declined.
Puerto Rico's roster includes several of the same players who represented their native country in the recent Caribbean Series, where Puerto Rico was a disappointing 2-4.
Jim Hawkins is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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By Frank Keegan | State Budget Solutions
Thousands of businesses planning to flee high-tax states and communities must be ready to conduct their own due diligence, because standard affordability studies don't begin to show how extreme future tax hikes and service cuts will be.
Consider the Tax Foundation's Location Matters study released Wednesday. This 198-page "Comparative Analysis of State Tax Costs on Business" provides excellent "comparisons of actual state business tax burdens."
The danger word here is "actual." Right now, actual tax burdens do not even begin to tell how huge the true cost of government is because state and municipal leaders have spent more than a decade hiding and deferring costs. Those costs are going to hit the fan over the next 50 years, according to the Government Accountability Office.
GAO reported that even under the most optimistic assumptions, state and municipal governments had to begin real spending cuts of 12.3 percent a year "each and every year for the next 50 years" to pay off deferred costs.
No state or municipal government did that, so the tab is even higher now.
None of those costs show up in the official numbers the Tax Foundation used to calculate business tax burdens. But somebody is going to have to pay, and politicians always make business and industry their prime target.
"Location Matters" certainly is the best tool for determining where things stand now.
"… the Tax Foundation, in collaboration with KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm, set out to develop … a landmark, apples-to-apples comparison of corporate tax costs in the 50 states. … economists designed seven model firms, and KPMG modeling experts calculated each firm's tax bill in each state. The study accounts for all business taxes: corporate income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, unemployment insurance taxes, capital stock taxes, inventory taxes, and gross receipts taxes. Additionally, each firm was modeled twice in each state: once as a new firm eligible for tax incentives, and once as a mature firm not eligible for such incentives."
That is as good as it gets as far as it goes. It just cannot go far enough, because politicians have buried the real time bombs of government cost so deeply nobody can find them for sure, until they detonate right under some business that relocated because of relatively low apparent tax burden.
The hidden real total is at least $18 trillion, about 15 months of total U.S. gross domestic product.
Here are some things to check:
- Dig through a few years of state, municipal and pension system Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports.
- Check the official unfunded liabilities for pension and retiree health-care promises against reality-based estimates.
- Find out whether apparent low unemployment insurance costs are real or due to gimmicks such as bonding, and if the state is replenishing its fund for the next downturn or acting as if there never will be another one.
- Check out the real Medicaid burden a state faces over the next decade and what tax structure is in place to pay it.
- Try to tally real public debt by checking State Budget Solutions' aggregate state debt report, then cruise the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board's Electronic Municipal Market Access database for specifics. But take it a step farther by asking how many bond issues by "authorities" — and for how much — do not even show up in the database.
- Ask if any entities in the state are betting against their own bond issues.
- Ask if the state or any municipalities and school districts got suckered into complicated derivatives or other sophisticated financial deals. Nobody knows how many of those are ticking out there, but when they blow up, taxpayers must pay up.
- If the state has an alleged catastrophe fund, find out how far in the hole it is. Again, GAO found a pit $2.7 trillion deep two years ago. When a catastrophe happens, taxpayers get the bill one way or another.
- Check which states have "balanced" budgets by delaying projects. Maybe the most important for business is the fact that at least $2.2 trillion in vital public infrastructure is beyond design life and must be replaced or refurbished in the next five years, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The Tax Foundation's "Location Matters" study is a great way to find out current business tax burdens and a better way to start investigating future burdens. It has two-page breakouts for each state.
The challenge is to find out which states might have low taxes now for all the wrong reasons.
Frank Keegan is editor of Statebudgetsolutions.org a project ofsunshinereview.org. The State Budget Solutions Project is nonpartisan, positive, pro-reform, proactive and anchored in fundamental-systemic solutions. The goal is to successfully engage political journalists/bloggers, state officials and opinion leaders in a new way of thinking about state government and budgets, fundamental reforms, transparency and accountability. [email protected]


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Hey now, Hey now
Iko, Iko, an day
Jockomo fee no wah na nay
Jockomo fee na nay'
It's Louisiana Creole and comes from Mardi Gras. It's a long post but a very interesting one, showing how some of the Creole words developed from French and Old French.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!


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SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo women's lacrosse team easily handled Mount Olive College on Thursday evening, pulling out an 11-6 victory over the Trojans at University Turf Stadium. The win marks the first of the season for the Lions, and advances their record to 1-4 on the season, while Mount Olive drops to a mark of 3-4.
Alix Murray and Stephanie Marran paced the Lions with three goals and one assist each for five points apiece on the night. Joanna Chadwick netted two goals, with Christiana Minneci, Allie Sheftall, and Paige Leggio scoring one goal each. Minneci added an assist to her total, while the Lions saw a team best two assists out of freshman Cassie Miller.
In cage for the Green and Gold, Brittney Millsap picked up eight saves while facing 18 shots and 14 shots on frame. Mount Olive's Sarah Snell saw a full 60 minutes between the pipes, setting aside 10 shots while facing a total of 24 shots and 21 shots on goal.
The Trojans saw scoring efforts from five players, led by Riann Daziel with two goals.
The Lions made easy work of their opponent in the opening minutes, running out to a five goal lead in the initial 15 minutes. Mount Olive's Jihee Choi final broke the Lion scoring streak, converting a free position shot with 10:04 on the clock to set the score at 5-1.
Six minutes ticked off of the clock before another goal, scored by Marran with 4:46 before the half to give the Lions a 6-1 lead. But Mount Olive answered right back 16 seconds later, and then rattled off two more goals within 17 seconds of each other two minutes later to pull within two, 6-4, with 2:41 to go.
Despite the late flurry of action from the Trojans, Saint Leo stayed composed. With 1:15 left before the break, Murray connected a pass to Marran for the final goal of the half, setting the score at 7-4.
Saint Leo entered into the second stanza focused and ready to play, scoring two quick goals in three minutes to pull ahead 9-4. A goal from Murray off of an assist from Marran with 15:59 to go pulled Saint Leo ahead 10-4, but 54 seconds later the Trojans snapped Saint Leo's streak with a goal from Candace Corkin to pull to within five, 10-5.
Both teams scored one goal apiece in the final 15 minutes of play, closing out the contest with a score of 11-6, and giving Saint Leo their first win of the season.
The Lions led the shot count 24-18, and placed 21 shots on frame compared to the Trojan's 14 shots on goal. Saint Leo won the ground ball battle, 27-20, and came up with 11 draw controls to Mount Olive's nine. The Lions were successful on 17-of-21 clear attempts, and converted one goal on two free position shots. Mount Olive was 4-for-8 on free position shots, but only caused 19 fouls to Saint Leo's 30.
The Lions return to action on Saturday, March 9, when they host Belmont Abbey College. Game time is slated for 1 p.m. at University Turf Stadium. Fans who cannot make it to the game can catch all of the action live on the Saint Leo Sports Network at saintleolions.com. For the latest ews, updates, and information, fans can 'Like' the Lions on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.


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The Big Anchor Project aims to develop a global tool for the identification of anchors. The initiative is managed by the Nautical Archaeology Society with the help of various project partners and supporters.
Although anchors are considered iconic symbols of the maritime world, little work has been undertaken to date in terms of collecting and organising the wealth of information that exists in the form of anchors found on wreck-sites, in museums and on public and private property globally – something that the NAS is actively seeking to address with this project.
The project is building a freely accessible, on-line database of anchors which can serve as a valuable tool for anybody undertaking research or with a general interest in the subject.
Looking ahead, the Big Anchor Project is interested in developing materials for use within the UK schools national curriculum, especially at Key Stages 1 (5-7 years) and Key Stage 2 (7-11years).
For a leaflet on the project click here.


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Preparing small businesses for pandemic flu
Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director of Public Affairs
703-324-3187, TTY 711, Fax 703-324-2010
Media Pager: 703-324-NEWS (6397)
April 26, 2007
Fairfax County Takes Pandemic Flu Preparedness Message to Small Businesses
Series of Seminars Planned for May and June in Supervisory Districts
Fairfax County will present the seminar "Keeping Your Business Healthy: Strategies for Small Businesses During an Influenza Pandemic" to small businesses throughout Fairfax County in May and June in a series of presentations at Board of Supervisors district offices.
The seminar will focus on the latest pandemic flu information and the significance of building a plan to continue business operations when a flu pandemic happens. Experts from the Fairfax County Health Department will offer presentations and resources to help business owners develop a pandemic flu preparedness plan.
"The economic health of Fairfax County is dependent on the personal health and well-being of the owners and employees of the businesses located here," said Gerald E. Connolly, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. "It is important that business owners understand the significant impact that a flu pandemic could have on local commerce."
All seminars are 6 to 8 p.m., on the following dates at the locations below:
- May 9, North County Governmental Center, 12000 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston
- May 15, McLean Governmental Center, 1437 Balls Hill Road, McLean
- May 21, Franconia Governmental Center, 6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria
- May 23, Springfield Governmental Center, 6140 Rolling Road, Springfield
- June 5, Mount Vernon Governmental Center, 2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria
- June 6, Sully Governmental Center, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd., Chantilly
- June 12, Mason Governmental Center, 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale
- June 19, Kings Park Library meeting room (adjacent to Braddock District Office), 9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke
- June 20, Luther Jackson Middle School, 3020 Gallows Road, Falls Church
"Small businesses should plan for 30 to 40 percent of employees, suppliers, contractors and vendors being unable to work due to illness, or caring for a loved one at home," said Gloria Addo-Ayensu, M.D., M.P.H., Fairfax County health director. "Business owners must take responsibility to prepare themselves and their business operations for pandemic flu."
The small business seminars are part of several pandemic flu outreach initiatives by Fairfax County. The county began planning for pandemic flu in 2005, and has posted its Pandemic Flu Response Plan online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency/pandemicflu. The county will continue its outreach activities and hosting educational events to help residents, businesses, health care providers and community organizations prepare for pandemic flu and other public health emergencies.
Seating is limited so attendees are encouraged to pre-register by calling Mercedes Riddick, outreach coordinator, on 703-246-6016, TTY 711, or send her an e-mail at email@example.com.
For more information about the seminars or pandemic flu preparedness in Fairfax County, call the Health Department at 703-246-2411, TTY 703-591-6435, or visit the county's pandemic flu Web page at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency/pandemicflu.
For more news and information, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news.


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Students Apply Legal Knowledge to Protect Voters' Rights
Students and faculty at American University Washington College of Law teamed up during the 2012 election season to inform and protect voters as they exercised their fundamental right at the polls.
As experts predicted a tight presidential race, faculty members and students stood ready to educate the community about voter identification laws.
"The Center's interest in this is that anyone who is eligible to vote is able to vote for any candidate they choose and that their vote is duly counted."
The Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law and the Program on Law & Government hosted a lunchtime panel discussion entitled "Human Rights Perspectives on U.S. Elections: Free and Fair?" The non-partisan event featured Patrick Merloe, senior associate and director of electoral programs of the National Democratic Institute, and Marcia Johnson-Blanco, co-director of the Voting Rights Project of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
The panelists spoke about the universal right to political opinion, fairness of the political process, discriminatory voter identification laws, and efforts to disenfranchise voters. Hadar Harris, executive director of the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law and moderator of the discussion, said the Center is interested in ensuring that people understand that there are international standards on free and fair elections.
"Our hope and desire is that the U.S. will abide by those standards in the upcoming election," Harris said. "The Center's interest in this is that anyone who is eligible to vote is able to vote for any candidate they choose and that their vote is duly counted."
"Misinformation is the big issue—many people are unaware of what types of ID they need."
Students at the law school have organized several two-hour election protection trainings so that participants will have the necessary information to inform voters of the current voter identification laws at the polls. This year law students are headed to Virginia to poll-watch because it has been identified as a state with the highest need.
Virginia recently changed its voter ID laws requiring voters to now show a form of ID before they cast their ballot.
According to Jay Shannon, 2L and co-director of American University Washington College of Law's election protection effort, some voters do not know what forms of identification are acceptable.
"Misinformation is the big issue," Shannon said. "On election day a lot of voters will come to the polls and not understand the intricacies of the laws that were passed in the last two years. Many people are unaware of what types of ID they need."
"We hope that by learning about election protection, students will be connected to voting and will share that with their peers."
The Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights Under Law also provides nonpartisan election protection training at the law school. Meredith McCoy, election protection legal fellow at the Lawyer's Committee, said students at the law school are great resources because they are willing to go above and beyond to assist voters.
"This year, more than years in the past, we're seeing an incredible number of barriers to voting for students and other members of the community," said McCoy. "We hope that by learning about election protection and the importance of voting that students will be connected to voting their entire lives, and will be able to share that with their peers."
Keep up to date with recent news about the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law and the Program on Law & Government.


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We previously had a first look at Joker (along with Green Lantern), but now DC is giving us a close up of the famous foe. To celebrate All Hallows' Eve, we've been given a treat: a bigger and closer look at Joker's oh-so-pretty mug. One quick look and it's clear they've accomplished making a creepy model of the character. Just gaze into those eyes. I dare ya.
There's some concern over Joker's playstyle being too similar to Harley Quinn's, but the developer's history gives me full faith the two will have a more than unique set of moves. It's safe to say this is his standard costume, so what alternate costumes would you like to see for The Clown Prince of Crime?
'Injustice: Gods Among Us' comes out April 2013.
Source: DC Comics


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Smoked (2) 8lb Boston Butts this weekend at 225, for 12hours total. Half of it fell right apart, and the rest of it took a little more "elbow grease" to shred/pull apart.
We got worried about the timing, so the temp did get up to 300 for about 1 of the hours.
I mopped it with a vinegar base, filled the water bowl with half water, half beer.
Any suggestions what I should do, so that it all falls right apart. Thank you!