text: We've got a bunch of stocks that I would describe as "on the precipice" that could go either way. You could argue that I am being wishy-washy even labeling stocks this way, but recall that the Fed Chief does speak Tuesday and these stocks would be ripe to knock over if the testimony leaves you cold. First up is Bank of America ( BAC). The stock of BofA does not look like the regionals. It is a sink or swim moment for the bank and if Bernanke delivers I would buy some. There are a ton of retail companies that report this week, so keep in mind that the following are all at levels that could precipitate a big win or a big loss, notably Bed Bath & Beyond ( BBBY), which has given you several weak reports of late, Nordstroms ( JWN), which, like Toll Brothers, I felt was poorly reported on as it says it will emphasize growth in Nordstrom's lower-priced outlets, which I thought just represented good business sense. Ross Stores ( ROST) and Urban Outfitters ( URBN) seem hanging on by a thread, yet Ross reported a pretty darned good quarter and Urban reported a stupendous one even as some analysts detected a weakness in the Anthropologie line. Even as I mentioned the housing-related stocks as having nice charts, two stocks I am worried about, chart-wise, are Pulte ( PHM) and Toll. I don't know what gets them moving again except Bernanke, who, if he says he had to keep rates low because of fears of sequester and higher gasoline, could ignite a next leg up for two very strong stocks over the last 18 months, even if they have been exceptionally weak as of the latest trading. With the BP trial starting today you can understand how that one certainly fits on the precipice and you would need a settlement to define the upside. Devon ( DVN), on the other hand, seems poised for another breakdown. I guess anything's possible with that stock, but it did have about the worst quarter of any of the major oils when it reported last week. Be careful of the refiners. Valero's ( VLO) coming close to the edge and this group has had a remarkable run, perhaps too remarkable. I find it worrisome and it is the leader of the band.


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Extra volunteers to work in nature reserves around Wharfedale could help combat a nationwide decline in many wildlife species.
The State of Nature report from some of the country's largest conservation bodies recently revealed 60 per cent of targeted species were in decline – with 30 per cent of those under enough of a threat for extinction in the UK to be a serious possibility.
Another report in November, by the Wildlife and Countryside Link, showed Government targets on biodiversity not being met and heading steadily in the wrong direction.
Wharfedale Naturalists Society is committed to making an effort at a local level to counter these declines and hopes to find new people to help with its work in nature reserves.
The Society is actively involved in supporting conservation projects through the provision of grants and plays a major role in the management of Ben Rhydding Gravel Pits, Grass Wood, near Grassington, Otley Wetlands Nature Reserve and Sun Lane in Burley-in-Wharfedale.
In addition, the Friends of Gallows Hill in Otley are hoping to expand their work at the Gallows Hill Nature Reserve.
Work parties are active at the nature reserves, carrying out work to maximise their potential as wildlife hotspots.
The Naturalists say there has been has been a great deal of positive news to report over the years as a direct consequence of volunteering efforts.
Wharfedale Naturalists president Peter Riley said: "Each of these reserves has a steady core of volunteers who have been involved, in some cases, for many years and who have the satisfaction of knowing that they have made a difference.
"This is what partly motivates them to keep coming, but also they find that volunteering of this nature is usually great fun and contributes to promoting their physical fitness – which is why this sort of activity is referred to as the Green Gym."
Mr Riley says new volunteers are always welcome as there is usually more than enough work to be undertaken at all these sites.
"There is immense satisfaction to be gained from participating in this sort of exercise and seeing a positive end result, both at the time and in the future, as the work undertaken by volunteers gradually improves the habitat on-site thereby increasing the biodiversity over time," he added.
Contact Mr Riley on (01943) 862916 for more information.


text:
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017 - Weighted Sterling Silver Footed Bowl
Current Price: $41.99
Seller: Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina, Inc.
Vintage Gorham Sterling Silver Bookmark 5.6g
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Seller: Goodwill Industries of Lane & South Coast Counties
Brass WWII Era Airplane Paperweight
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Two Keighley district groups that successfully applied for £500 each in a community grants scheme last year are urging other organisations to bid for cash.
Strike Taekwondo and Airedale Hockey Club were among 160 applicants to win support from the Skipton Building Society Grassroots Giving project.
Stuart Blake, junior development manager at the hockey club, said: "The funding has enabled us to allow newcomers to have a couple of free training sessions and will ensure that, come the new season, we have plenty of qualified coaches in place to make sure our junior section keeps growing.
"We are calling on other community groups across the region to take advantage of the opportunity Grassroots Giving offers."
Strike Taekwondo, a martial arts club for young people, has used its funding to help buy a new electronic scoreboard.
Roy Prenton, for the Skipton Building Society, said applications are now open for this year's round of grants. "We have set aside £40,000 to give to grassroots organisations around the country, with the public deciding which causes win their share of the funds in November," he added.
Visit skiptongrg.co.uk.


text:
Resources from this workshop, including videos and presentations, address the use of traditional and new media to communicate evidence-based information for violence prevention and new applications of social media and new communications technologies to prevent violence.
© 2016 National Sexual Violence Resource Center – Founded by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape
This site is supported by Grant/ Cooperative Agreement No. 1UF2CE002359-04 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


text:
Thank you, now you understand what brings us here, your good water. Thanks.<quoted text>
Mexicans are accustomed to foul water, they are fine. We can't even drink the water in Mexico, due to bacteria and illness.
What makes you think they can't drink American water?
It's a step up for them.
P.S. Our flow, just like your water, will not stop..enjoy, have one of our tacos.


text:
The web search service will be supported BY google.Don't worry. This action will let you stay in our website.Google
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|A DNA sequence encoding the N-terminal segment (Met 1-Arg 362) of the influenza hemagglutinin (B/Malaysia/2506/2004) (ACO05957.1), termed as HA1, was fused with a C-terminal polyhistidine tag.
|Influenza B
|Human Cells
|In general, recombinant proteins are provided as lyophilized powder which are shipped at ambient temperature.
Bulk packages of recombinant proteins are provided as frozen liquid. They are shipped out with blue ice unless customers require otherwise.
|> 95 % as determined by SDS-PAGE
|< 1.0 EU per μg of the protein as determined by the LAL method
|Samples are stable for up to twelve months from date of receipt at -70℃
|Asp 16
|The secreted recombinant HA1 subunit of influenza B HA (B/Malaysia/2506/2004) comprises 358 amino acids and has a predicted molecular mass of 39 kDa. As a result of glycosylation, it migrates as an approximately 55-60 kDa band in SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions.
|Lyophilized from sterile PBS, pH 7.4
1. Normally 5 % - 8 % trehalose and mannitol are added as protectants before lyophilization. Specific concentrations are included in the hardcopy of COA.
2. Please contact us for any concerns or special requirements.
|Store it under sterile conditions at -20℃ to -80℃. It is recommended that the protein be aliquoted for optimal storage. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
|A hardcopy of COA with reconstitution instruction is sent along with the products. Please refer to it for detailed information.
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text:
Android sucks though. Live wallpapers is the only good thing it has.
Why am I not surprised...
This benchmarks are incorrect and irrelevant as they tested the Android browser witch is about to be replaced by chrome, they should have tested the chrome beta.
these are idevice enthusiast and tweaker forums. Not everything on your preferred platform is going to be better. i'm thinking about half will be worse. please do us all the favor of getting over it.
i have android and ios devices and i can't even stand to use ios anymore, android just feels nicer to use to me
There has to be two operating systems on top. (i.e. Windows Mac OS) one is ultimately going to be better at some things just as one will be more widely used. Competition is good. I for one don't see a problem with either. I use iOS, but would also like the more open Android. I just happen to prefer iOS.
Apple bought a flash storage company which is used in iPads, iPhones, iPods and Some MacBooks and iMacs etc.
Who gives a rats *** what the benchmark is for rendering HTML 5. These people that do these irrelevant to real life tests are purposely trying to stir the who is better than who pot.
Use what you like and that's it. iOS is Better than android in Some areas and android is better than iOS in some areas.
I personally like iOS better and enjoy knowing that there isn't 7 companies making products for my iOS constantly trying one up each other with hardware and different proprietary software.
My iPhone 4s will get every update apple has to offer for many years and I can only afford one phone a year not 4-6 with how many new android phones come out.


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A52 / Acura
I guess this is ad week – A52 created this stunning ad for Acura.
I guess this is ad week – A52 created this stunning ad for Acura.
A selection of works from a series by illustrator Peter Judson based on day to day images he shoots with his phone. See more below.
Our talented friend Andrea Wan has just released a fun collection of 60+ iMessage stickers! Check out the sticker app HERE or search for 'Andrea Wan' in the app store. We have 6 promo codes to giveaway so if you want one leave a comment below with a joke for Andrea. We'll hook up 6 of you tonight!
A selection of images from "Wayward State" by photographer Jamie Ho, who grew up in Florida and is currently based in Madison, Wisconsin. See more below.
Drawings and watercolour paintings by artist Alice Fennessy. More images below.
A selection of images from "Strange Terrain" by photographer Jeff Dietz. See more below.


text:
Prosecutors Won't Charge Ex-Ohio Education Leader
Prosecutors have declined to file charges against Ohio's former superintendent of schools, who resigned amid ethical questions about his work for an educational testing contractor.
Stan Heffner left office last month after the state watchdog released a report that found Heffner was on the payroll of a Texas-based testing firm when he lobbied state lawmakers last year on a bill that benefited the company.
The Inspector General's report also found that Heffner misused his state email and cellphone to communicate with the testing firm.
The IG's office confirmed Monday that city and county prosecutors wrote Inspector General Randy Meyer to inform him of their decision.
The prosecutors said they believed Heffner acted inappropriately but evidence did not support the filing of criminal charges.


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When learning about the gluten free diet, one of the first things a person might be told is to substitute a plain baked potato for bread at dinner. You really cannot beat potatoes for comfort, simplicity, nutrition, versatility, availability and even cost. Yeah, something that is gluten free and cheap!
planting-potatoes photo by mike_warren
Did you know that potatoes have lots more potassium than a banana? They are also a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, niacin, and iron. They have fiber and are fat free, until you add some.
Potatoes are delightful at any time of the day. In the morning, enjoy the sizzle of hash browns frying, or thready potato pancakes. At lunch, imagine the toasty aroma of oven-fries (see recipe below). How about tangy potato salad, crisp chips, or simple boiled potatoes?
At dinner serve fluffy baked potatoes, or twice-baked boats loaded with cheese and bacon, or roasted wedges with fragrant herbs.
Or consider quick microwaved spuds, mashed potatoes with rivulets of melted butter, smashed reds with bits of skin and cream cheese, scalloped in cream sauce, chunky soup, cheesy gratins, and on, and on. Stay tuned for more mouthwatering recipes.
potato-plant photo by cygnus921
And you may be continually amazed how many fun colors of potatoes there are. The flesh can be white, yellow, red and blue. The skin can be brown, red, yellow or blue. The tubers may be big or small, round or long and skinny. Bored with the same old, same old? No way.
The flesh of potatoes can be starchy or waxy. Starchy potatoes are best for baked potatoes since the cute little granules of starch fluff up so well. Waxy are best for potato salad, the smooth cubes hold their shape well and do not fall apart when mixed with the other ingredients.
We planted several kinds of potatoes this year. Including a new variety called Cranberry Red, the skin and flesh are both red. And Swedish Fingerlings, yellowish flesh in the shape of a fat finger.
Turning the fragrant earth to find buried potato treasure is a real summer treat. In July and August, we will let you know how our backyard potato harvest turns out.
red-and-white-potatoes photo by mike_warren
Availability and Cost
Fresh potatoes of some kind, especially white and red, are available year round. They cost as little as 25 cents per serving. Since there are so many ways to simply prepare a fresh potato, that is what I usually do.
Organic fresh potatoes are available and cost more than non-organic potatoes. If you eat a lot of potatoes, you might want to choose organic to reduce your exposure to chemicals.
I buy organic potatoes in 3-pound bags. That is quite a bit for the two of us and it takes a while for us to eat them all. I have to make sure they are in a very dark place to keep them from sprouting, since organic potatoes are not coated with an anti-sprout spray. It freaks me out when I open the cupboard and long wormy sprouts wave at me.
Processed potatoes are found throughout the grocery store. These include dehydrated, canned, refrigerated, and frozen potatoes. These cost more, and may or may not have gluten added. Be sure to read the label.
oven-fried-potatoes photo by vsimon
The Simplest Oven Fried Potatoes
1 medium potato per person, any kind
oil, I prefer canola
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut potatoes into sticks, thick or thin. I leave the skins on.
Put on a baking sheet. Using parchment paper or non-stick foil makes clean up a snap.
Drizzle with oil and massage it over all the surfaces of the potatoes. Use a lot of oil if you want more calories, use only a little if you want fewer calories.
Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how thick the sticks are and how crispy you like your potatoes. The skinny fries pictured took 30 minutes. There is no need to fuss turning the potatoes during baking, please leave them alone. They will brown on the bottom where they contact the pan. And in other spots on the top and sides.
Serve with ketchup if desired. Heinz and Annie's Organic are gluten free, as are others. Again, read the label.
Please share. What is your favorite kind of potato, and your favorite way to eat them?


text: NEW YORK ( TheStreet) - A massive tornado has cut a swath of destruction across the suburbs of Oklahoma City, according to published media reports, leaving at least 51 people dead. The Associated Press reports that the tornado flattened multiple buildings in Moore, about 10 miles south of the city. At least 51 people were killed, with officials saying that the death toll was expected to rise. Local Oklahoma news service News9.com reported that two schools were destroyed by the twister. Oklahoma hospitals say that they have treated about 120 people, including 50 children. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has already deployed an Incident Management Assistance Team, Urban Search & Rescue Teams, and an Medical Emergency Response Support Team to hard-hit areas in Oklahoma, according to the White House blog. -- Written by James Rogers in New York. Follow @jamesjrogers >To submit a news tip, send an email to: firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Once again, our entertainment correspondent Chris Azzopardi got a cool sit-down with Greta Gerwig — a nice companion piece to my earlier interview with her Damsels in Distress director Whit Stillman. She's an up-and-comer — in my opinion, the next Chloe Sevigny. Here's the chat — enjoy!
Greta Gerwig: The New Gay-Loved Girl
It was only a matter of time before Greta Gerwig would enter gay consciousness. Roles in the Arthur remake, in Greenberg and as Natalie Portman's bestie in No Strings Attached made her a bona fide character actress, but it was Damsels in Distress — gleefully riffing on the power of dance in suicide prevention — that earned her queer cred and movie star buzz. Why? Just ask her. "It's like an absurdist college version of Mean Girls," Gerwig says.
Gerwig, 28, stars in two recent films: Lola Versus, a post-breakup dramedy about one woman's (reckless, slutty and drunken) journey to self-fulfillment, and the just-out Woody Allen comedy To Rome with Love, which is currently playing at Landmark's Magnolia.
Charming and upbeat, Gerwig spoke to us about the gay best friend she didn't have in Lola, how even straight guys can like Ani DiFranco and the best era to be lesbian.


text:
Basically what I want is, if I have a file that looks like:
1 2
3 4
I want to read that in where list[0][0] = 1, list[0][1] = 2, list[1][0] = 3 and list[1][1] = 4 (i may have those indices switched, its been a while but that doesnt matter). How can I do this, where the numbers in the target file are seperated by spaces?
First I tried:
- Code: Select all
f = open('file.txt', 'r')
for line in f:
but that doesnt work cause you can't append to a 2d array. Then I tried:
- Code: Select all
with open('file.txt','r') as f:
f = open('file.txt', 'r')
for line in f.readlines():
a = line.split(' ')
where l is defined as: l=np.zeros(shape=(15,15))
I tried the last one at the suggestion of a friend but it would even compile. I also tried the method:
datain = np.loadtxt('file.txt')
and all that did was append to the list the first element of each line.
What am I doing wrong and how can I read this data in to create a list like the one I want? Thanks in advance for any help.
- Bill


text:
MBFW: Big and Bold is Better for Nanette Lepore's Vision of Spring '13
Nanette Lepore steered away from pastels and went for the totally cool vibe instead.
-Amanda Holstein
The singer of the live band at the Nanette Lepore show was, in my opinion, the girl the spring 2013 collection was made for. She was stunning and feminine, yet totally cool and laid back. Her quirky dance moves, French lyrics, and wild free-flowing locks perfectly fit the mold of the Nanette Lepore girl.
Nanette Lepore's spring 2013 collection was a refreshing break from the feminine pastels we've been seeing on the runway. Don't get me wrong, I will certainly be wearing my baby blues, mints, blushes, and lilacs next spring. But I highly enjoyed her collection's bold black and white prints with splashes of kelly, lime, and neon greens. She mixes prints impeccably and unexpectedly all at the same time. Printed blazers paired with striped Bermuda shorts, checkered dresses with bold wide belts: These were just some of the unique combinations Nanette Lepore put together.
Read MBFW: Did Brad Goreski Have a Moment at the Christian Siriano '13 Show? We Did!
My one criticism is that the collection did not end with a jaw-dropping showstopper (something I look forward to at the end of every show!). The final piece was beautiful, a fitted black lace dress, but didn't quite capture the essence of the entire collection for me, nor did it leave me wanting more.
If it wasn't for Nanette Lepore and her gorgeous teenage daughter dancing on the runway to the lyrics "pussy, pussy, pussy, marijuana" at the end of the show, I might not have left with a huge smile on my face.
Amanda Holstein is a special Fashion Week Betty correspondent, and the author of Advice from a Twenty Something


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HOUSTON - Police patrols in Meyerland will increase after a string of break-ins, authorities said.
Investigators said a criminal on the run has been targeting homes near 610 west to Hillcroft and Braeswood south to West Bellfort.
In total, there have been eight break-ins this month in Southwest Houston. The most recent break-in happened on Aug. 22 around 4 p.m. on Valkeith Drive.
Resident Staci Beinart said the robbery happened at her elderly neighbor's home a few doors down.
"Everybody is scared. We want this guy caught," said Beinart.
Detectives said someone entered through a back window they broke with a brick, but only had time to grab a small jewelry box before the alarm went off.
"I always have my alarm on but I don't think they care. They go inside and they know they have a certain amount of time before police do come," said Beinart. "It is horrible that it has happened this many times."
Investigators said a resident reported seeing a suspicious man driving away from the scene after the victim's alarm started blaring. That same neighbor told police she spotted a guy in the neighborhood knocking on doors the day before.
Police said the suspicious man is described as a white male, about 5 feet 8 inches tall and heavily tattooed around his neck. He was last seen driving a blue or green Ford Escape.
Copyright 2012 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Champs! Dutch clinch 17th league men's basketball title with OT comeback
DECORAH—The Central College men's basketball team clinched its 17th Iowa Conference championship outright with an 81-78 overtime win at Luther College and a 77-75 Dubuque loss at Buena Vista Wednesday night.
Guard Nile Eckermann (junior, Cosgrove, Clear Creek Amana HS) knocked down a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation to force overtime and the Dutch (18-6 overall, 11-2 conference) rallied for the three-point win over the Norse (15-9 overall, 7-6 conference). The win combined with Dubuque's loss assures Central, the team picked to finish last in the league preseason poll, the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
"It's a compliment to the hard work put in this offseason," coach Craig Douma said. "It's a compliment to these seniors and our entire team. It's also a tribute to our coaching staff. I'm pretty blessed. Joe Steinkamp, Bobby Quayle, Mark Holan and Justin Madsen all care deeply about this program and our student-athletes.
"It's been a special season."
It was not exactly a rookie performance by forward Colby Taylor (freshman, Creston), who scored a career-high 24 points and hauled in a career-high 12 rebounds, leading all players in both categories. He also chipped in two assists, two steals and one blocked shot in 58 minutes. Taylor connected on Central's lone overtime 3-pointer to put the Dutch up four points with less than two minutes to play.
"Colby came to play," said Douma. "He made some big plays around the basket. His 3-pointer in overtime was huge. We felt we had a mismatch, so we ran a lot of plays his way and he was great."
Guard Kevin Kaerwer (senior, El Paso, Texas, John L. Chapin HS) delivered yet another stellar performance in his final campaign, scoring 21 points on a mere 13 shots. He tallied three rebounds and three dimes as well. And he did it all at less than 100 percent.
"Kevin carried us throughout the game," Douma said. "He hit shot after shot. He kept hitting shots and getting to the rim, putting pressure on the defense. He was able to come up big despite feeling a bit under the weather."
But without Eckermann's late-game heroics, it all would have been for naught.
"Nile has hit some big shots this year and he hit one again tonight," said Douma. "It was a huge shot and exactly how we drew it up. He said it felt good when it left his hand and it was."
It was a tale of two halves as Central and Luther struggled to defend in the first half, but struggled to score in the second. The Dutch scored 41 points on 53.1 percent (17-of-32) shooting in the opening frame, while the Norse scored 45 on 50.0 percent (14-of-28), including 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from 3-point range. Central's point total dipped to 28 on 34.5 percent (10-of-29) shooting in the second, while Luther scored 24 on 40.0 percent (10-of-25).
The Dutch made only six 3-pointers in the game compared to 11 for the Norse, but Eckermann made the one that mattered most.
"It wasn't our best performance, but we found a way again," Douma said. "We just keep finding ways to win."
Central held a 41-36 advantage on the glass, thanks in part to Taylor's big game. Forward Matt Greenfield (senior, Huxley, Ballard HS) also hauled in double-digit boards with 11 and chipped in nine points, a rather quiet game for the three-time league player of the week.
According to Douma, that's what this team is all about.
"Different players step up and make plays every night and it doesn't matter who," said Douma. "Great teams play great team basketball. And there's nothing selfish about this team."
Douma also cited the minutes played by guard Fred Pratt (senior, Rosenberg, Texas, Lamar Consolidated HS) and forwards Yaw Sapon-Amoah (senior, Ghana, Africa, Des Moines Christian HS), Kyle Newendorp (junior, Pella) and Ryan Kunkel (freshman, Solon) and center Spencer Bakerink (senior, Creston).
Pratt scored seven points, while Newendorp and Yaw netted four and two, respectively. Newendorp also added three rebounds, while Yaw snagged two and added one blocked shot.
But Douma said the credit goes to more than just the players on the floor.
"Our whole team, varsity and junior varsity alike, deserves the credit," Douma said. "We face one of the toughest defensive teams in the conference when we practice. We get better each and every day because of their effort.
"It's also a tribute to (former head coach) Mike Boschee. This senior class says a lot about his legacy and the legacy of the 2010 championship team."
Jake Martin led the Norse with 20 points and eight rebounds, while John Androus and Cale Austin joined him in double figures with 19 and 12 points, respectively.
The Dutch return home for their regular season finale against Wartburg College (12-12 overall, 6-7 conference) Saturday. Central has the chance to win its 10th consecutive league game, which would match the season-ending streak by the 2009-10 Iowa Conference championship team. The Dutch topped the Knights 74-63 behind 22 points from Greenfield in this season's Jan. 15 meeting at Pella.
"We want to bring the conference championship home and finish it right," said Douma. "We want to win the last game of the regular season. We're prepared, focused and we're going to play hard. It's going to be a fun day."
Tip is scheduled for 4 p.m. inside P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium.


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HTC Desire X: One of the First Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Play Smartphonesby Stefan Constantinescu on 8/30/2012 3:26 AM EST
- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Android
- Mobile
- Trade Shows
15 Comments
Back to Article
lowlymarine - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - linkI'm just going to take this opportunity to lodge my obligatory complaint about the insanity of Qualcomm's part numbering "methodology" (if it could really be called such). We have here a "Snapdragon S4" MSM8225 that shares absolutely nothing whatsoever in common with the other "Snapdragon S4" parts, including the maddeningly similarly named MSM8227. Things have never been particularly decipherable in Qualcomm's numbering schema (see: APQ8060 and APQ8060A being completely different architectures, process nodes, etc.), but at least until now you could deduce the process node by the "S#" generation. Now even that modicum of sanity has been hurled out the window. Reply
S_Constantinescu - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - linkI'm in 100% agreement with you. Reply
powerarmour - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - linkThrice agreed! Reply
dishayu - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - linkThis will be a huge marketing ploy. I did not know that there were non-krait S4 chips as well.
Unsuspecting customers will be tricked by "dual core" and "snapdragon s4" and will be stuck with sub-par performance. Really sad/ Reply
aegisofrime - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - linkIMHO, people who know what a Snapdragon S4 is and what makes it good (the Krait architecture) will likely know to double-check when they check the price of this thing. Reply
yankeeDDL - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - linkIt puzzles me why HTC keeps forking phones that are so similar one another.
I have the HTC sensation: a phone which has a slightly larger screen, slightly higher resolution and a dual-core Cortex A8 cpu, 768MG of ram ...
Yes, Sensation was "high end" in May 2011, but this DesireX seems spec'd lower, and yet so close.
Why not keep the Sensation in the product line and give better/faster support (like Jelly bean, Sense 4.0/4.1) instead of making a new phone so similar?
I don't like Apple's one-size-fits-all strategy, but 4~5 well designed products, ranging from small to large screens, should cover the vast majority of customers: no? Reply
powerarmour - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - linkThere's no money to be made in free updates though unfortunately :P
Why update an old phone to a similar level of performance to a newer one, when you can sell somebody a new phone...
That's basically why I stick to the Google Nexus's (Nexi?) Reply
yankeeDDL - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - linkYou know, there's a certain company that sells only 1 type of phone and is making boatloads of money with it.
It's true that you make money with free SW updates, but you make even less money if your products are all "blah", look about the same, and if the phone you released 15 months ago is "better" than the one you are releasing today.
Not to mention cost of support: hoping that my sensation will be supported still a few years down the road, now HTC is "stuck" having to support two nearly identical phones, which happen to be quite similar to many other already around (Rezound, EVO, ...).
They should one small size (like the Wildfire, only with enough memory to be usable), a mid range with 3.7" screen, a high end with 4.3" screen and the top of the line with whatever screen size can fit 720p.
Update each line every 2 years with more memory, storage. power and maybe higher resolution, and guarantee at least a couple of Android revs.
My Sensation is more powerful than the Desire X, yet I don't know if I'll get Jelly Bean (I am currently on ICS but with Sense 3.6 ... because instead of supporting only Sense 4.0 with ICS, they decided it was better to make a half-ass release of their 4.0 and call it 3.6: more work for them, one more customer lost) Reply
andrewaggb - Friday, August 31, 2012 - linkI would have to agree with all of you. As an owner of several htc phones, and knowing others with them as well, I find the overall lack of software support to be a deal breaker for future purchases. I've installed custom roms on all my htc phones (even when I had an htc windows mobile before my androids).
Personally I think 2-3 smartphone models, refreshed yearly, is probably enough for any smartphone company. Focus on quality, polish, and support. As others have said, apple releases 1 phone a year, and they're doing great. The market will certainly sustain more than a single model, but currently it seems to be.
iPhone size 3.5-3.7" no keyboard
iPhone size with a slide out keyboard
4.3" size
4.8-5" size (possibly stylus)
Blackberry style (half keyboard, half screen)
Isn't that just about the entire smartphone market? And then we have variations of all them with better screens, faster chips, LTE etc.
Seems to me that blackberry style and slide out keyboards seem to be losing popularity, 4.3 could be ditched and people would either buy slightly smaller or slightly larger, and you could just have a 3.7" and 4.8" offering updated yearly with excellent build quality and user interface.
I think these companies just release new devices to get new reviews and hype. The problem is, if they made excellent devices, they'd keep customers and be used as industry benchmarks. Instead they make good enough devices that quickly are forgotten when the next thing comes along. And they change the names so frequently you have no idea how one relates to another.
Eg the Galaxy, Galaxy S/S2/S3, Iphone 2/3/4/4s are pretty easy to figure out.
How about Desire, Desire HD, Desire Z, Desire S, Desire C, Desire X
Do you have any idea how they relate to one another, which is better, newer, etc? It's a marketing fail in my books. Either advertise it so well that people know, or name it in a way that's obvious so you don't have to educate people. Reply
yankeeDDL - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - linkAAAHH!!
"It's true that you make money with free SW updates"
should read
"It's true that you DON'T make money with free SW updates"
Where's the Edit button when you need it?!? Reply
powerarmour - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - linkI guess what I mean is, although you don't make money with free updates, HTC don't currently have the pulling power they once had that they could guarantee sales of their older hardware, if they could then updating the older phones better would make more sense.
Only Google and Apple seem to be able to get away with it, the rest have to scrabble in a pissing contest month after month to ensure they constantly attract new buyers. Reply
Death666Angel - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - linkThere's no money to be made in free updates though unfortunately :P<< I bet there are quite a few people who are buying phones because of that though. And if the history of your company shows you are not updating your sold phones well, they will not buy a phone from you. And those people also likely influence the purchase decision in the family (since they tend to be better informed). There is a reason Nexus devices are doing pretty good even though they often have shortcomings. Being guaranteed the next few software updates is a selling point. Reply
name99 - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - link"That's basically why I stick to the Google Nexus's (Nexi?)"
If you switched to iOS, you'd have an OS with a built-in dictionary that would tell you the plural of nexus is nexus or nexuses :-) Reply
powerarmour - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - linkOk clevercogs, you may win a cookie! :D Reply
zaandaruwala - Monday, November 12, 2012 - linkWhy can't it record 720p videos....I have seen its benchmark like nenamark2 and they are on par with mid-range cortex A9 dual cores like galaxy ace 2 or xperia sola...
so why can't it record 720p videos Reply


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David Ramos Receives Distinguished Service Award
Dave Ramos, Research Director for the CWB, received well deserved recognition for his efforts to improve production research for the walnut industry.
Dr. David E. Ramos, Pomology Specialist Emeritus, Department of Pomology, at UC Davis, and Research Director for the California Walnut Board, received the Distinguished Service Award at the CWB/CWC Winter Meeting on February 20, 2014 in Napa, CA.
Dr. Ramos has acted as the Research Director for the California walnut industry for the past 18 years. In that time he has taken the extensive knowledge he gained as a Farm Advisor and later as specialist at UC Davis to move the industry forward through guiding production research and establishing a grant for the breeding program. His efforts have addressed key needs within the industry and helped California walnuts enhance our position in the world market through exceptional agricultural practices which provide unrivaled walnut quality.
Congratulation Dr. Ramos for an award well deserved!


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Celebrity News For March 10, 2014 | Early Edition
There's a Big Change in Will and Kate's Household
- Prince William and Kate Middleton welcome Prince George's new nanny — People
- Elisabeth Moss opens up about "traumatic" marriage to Fred Armisen — Us Weekly
- Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were spotted making out in public — ET
- Jennifer Aniston wants Gisele Bündchen's body — HuffPost Celebrity
- Sean Penn looks very different with long hair — Lainey Gossip
- Is this Harry Styles's new girlfriend? — Gossip Girl
- This Harry Potter star went all Magic Mike and is totally sexy now — BuzzFeed
- Cristin Milioti debunks rumors that the mother dies on HIMYM — Hollywood Reporter
- Jaden Smith is a big part of the Kardashian family now — TooFab
- What has Miley Cyrus pouting? — Wonderwall
- See what Lorde said when asked if she and Taylor Swift are dating — The Frisky
- Are you surprised this movie is No. 1 at the box office? — Rotten Tomatoes
Source: Michael Middleton / Getty Images


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I am constantly referring people on the Wilton.com forum to videos on your site. (The ones referred most often are "Cake Construction" and "How to cover a cake with fondant using The Mat". ) New bakers have SO many questions and your videos hit the cake nail right on the head!
I began cake decorating at the age of 56 with the first of the Wilton classes at my local Michaels store. Like many others, it has turned into a passion. I have spent hundreds of hours online learning and videos like those from Sweetwise, Inc. are a blessing.
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April 8
Boys and Girls Clubs of La Habra Golf Tournament: Help raise funds for the Boys and Girls Clubs of La Habra with a golf tournament, lunch, silent auction, helicopter drop, dinner and awards. 8 a.m. at Friendly Hills Country Club, 8500 Villaverde Drive, Whittier. $35-$1,500. 562-693-3623.
April 11
52nd Annual Patroness Tea by the Sea: A tradition in conjunction with the Tennis Classic, the Tea includes boutique shopping, silent auction and a presentation from Holy Family Services. 1-4 p.m. at Hacienda Golf Club, 718 S. La Habra Hills Drive, La Habra. $150-$5,000. 714-871-1391.
Wild and Crazy Taco Night: 25 of OC's chefs and restaurants each prepare an unusual and unique taco. The event supports the SOS Orange Aid Project. 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Share Our Selves, 1550 Superior Ave., Costa Mesa. $70; VIP: $150; 21 and up. 949-270-2134.
April 12
Charity Casino Night and Poker Tournament: Poker, blackjack, craps and roulette games will be held amid rare and exotic cars at the Charity Casino Night and Poker Tournament at Crevier Classic Cars. Hosted by the Whittier Law School Student Bar Association, all proceeds will benefit DonorsChoose.org. 6 p.m. at Crevier Classic Car Company, 365 Clinton St., Costa Mesa. General admission: $50; admission and poker tournament: $65; 21 and up.
April 13
WHW's Two Martini Lunch and Fashion Show: This retro luncheon will feature a silent auction, luncheon, fashion show and martinis. All proceeds will benefit WHW's Employment Success Program. 11 a.m. at The Island Hotel, 690 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. $100; table of 10: $1,500; 21 and up. 949-631-2333, ext. 316.
OC Brew Ha Ha's Newest Micro Festival "Gray Cloud": A personal and intimate pairing experience featuring a lineup of award-winning cigars, limited release craft beers, along with small plate food offerings. This event raises funds for the Fallen Fire Fighters Relief Fund. 3-7 p.m. at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, 26772 Avery Parkway, Mission Viejo. $55-$75; 21 and up. 949-363-1774.
Be Aware Foundation Pearls and Pink Ribbon Soiree: Event features champagne, lunch, silent and live auction and boutique shopping. Proceeds will benefit Be Aware Foundation's free Pearls of Wisdom community education program. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at UCI Campus University Club, 801 W. Peltason Drive, Irvine. $65; table of 9: $520. 714-915-3101.
Ride for AIDS 11: A bike ride of 25 miles for beginners, or 40/65 miles for advanced riders Ride to support The Laurel Foundation, which provides year-round support programs to children and youth affected by HIV and AIDS. 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at The Laurel Foundation, 75 S. Grand Ave. Pasadena. $50; 18 and up. 626-683-0800.
April 14
St. Francis Fiesta Fundraising Dinner: St. Francis Assisted Living Home is holding a Mexican Fiesta Fundraising Dinner catered and sponsored by La Casa Garcia Restaurants. Join for food, entertainment, car show and raffles. 12:30-4:30 p.m. at St. Francis Home, 1718 W. Sixth St., Santa Ana. Adults: $15; kids under 10: $10. 714-542-0381.
5th Annual Carnaval Infantil: The event celebrates International Children's Day with the coronation of the Queen and her court, dancing, music, games, food and an opportunity drawing. Proceeds will support the Bolivian Dialysis Assistance League. 2-6 p.m. at Delhi Center, 505 E. Central Ave., Santa Ana. Adults: $20; kids: $5. 714-608-1439.
Save the Date
April 20: Purple Heart Baseball at Angel Stadium, Anaheim.
April 24: OCAHU 17th Annual Golf Classic at Coyote Hills Country Club, Fullerton.
May 05: 7th Annual Jimmies Invitational Charity Golf Tournament at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, Mission Viejo.


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World War I Service
1918-1919 — Camp Taylor, Louisville, Kentucky
Otto L. Koch was drafted into the Army. He was stationed at Camp Taylor just outside of Louisville, Kentucky. In civilian life he had worked in a place that made and installed headlights on cars, probably as a result of that work he was assigned as a waggoner. His service in Camp Taylor came at the highth of the flu epidemic, but as far as we know, he did not succumb to that illness. As a result of his WWI military service he was given a life time free license to hunt and fish in the state of Indiana..


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Department of Health
The Respiratory Care Program
Mr. Brian Kellar
Health Department
Bryn Mawr Hospital
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
The Program offers job placement assistance to all of our graduates who wish to enter the workforce. A large percentage of graduates secure employment immediately post graduation. The Program enlists the assistance of twelve clinical sites to complete the educational process. Most graduates become employees of those institutions; however, respiratory care professionals are needed throughout the United States. There are even opportunities to work in underdeveloped countries for extraordinarily high salaries.


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Academic Support for Athletes
Welcome to the Academic Support for Athletes page! We hope you find it to be valuable during your years at Saint Leo University. We realize that each athlete has to balance a demanding schedule with the commitment to academics and the commitment to his or her sport. The ASA is designed to help you: identify academic resources, learn more about NCAA and Saint Leo University rules and regulations, and celebrate academic accomplishments.
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ONE HUNDRED and fifty soldiers from Yorkshire's cavalry regiment have today exercised their right to march through York in a colourful ceremony recalling the city's military past.
The Royal Dragoon Guards exercised their freedom of the city this morning, marching through the city before an inspection of the troops while two RAF Typhoon fighter jets conducted a flypast, and ending with a special service in the Minster.
This year's parade took on special significance with the First World War centenary, as the regiment's antecedants were involved in both the first shots fired, and the final cavalry charge, of the war.
Lead by Commanding Officer Lt Col Tom Bateman and three other officers on horseback, the regiment saluted an official party including Lord Mayor of York Cllr Ian Gillies, and Brigadier Johnny Torrens-Spence.
Before the parade, Lt Col Bateman said: "As Yorkshire and Ireland's Armoured Cavalry, the Regiment's ties to the great city of York are equally important to us so it is apt that we should commemorate our respect by exercising the Freedom of York.
"We are therefore honoured to march the Standard through the city's streets to remember those that went before us. We will mark the supreme sacrifice that was made by both soldiers and civilians over the course of the war whilst also enhancing out enduring relationship and commitment to the city."
The city council's chief executive Kersten England read the citation which granted the Freedom of the City April 1999, giving the regiment the "right, priviledge and honour" to march through the streets with "colours flying, swords drawn, bayonets fixed, drums beating, bugles sounding and bands playing."
Among the crowds were many former members of the regiment who return to freedom parades to meet old comrades and remember their Army days.
William and Lesley Mulroe travelled from Featherstone, near Pontefract, to honour their son Shaun who died while serving with the regiment in Belize in 1992.
Mr Mulroe said: "Since then we have been adopted into the RDG family and always supported anything they have done."
Mrs Mulroe added: "Events like these tug at the heart strings, and it's difficult because we lost our only son, but he loved the Army."
The Royal Dragoon Guards, based at Catterick, recruit in North and West Yorkshire and have served two tours of duty in Afghanistan in the last four years.


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The Baha'i Faith is an independent world religion that was founded in 1844 and has been present in Australia since 1920. The Faith's central theme is that humanity is one family and the time has come for its unification into a peaceful global society.
The universe and all creatures and forces within it have been created by a single supernatural Being.
All of us, as creations of one God, are part of one human family, with no superior race, nation, ethnic or cultural group.
Full equality and a firm sense of partnership between women and men are essential to human progress and the transformation of society.
The fundamental obligation of human beings is to acquire knowledge and to "see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others".
Economic justice and prosperity will come about only when the essential connection between the spiritual and practical aspects of life is recognised.
God has revealed Himself throughout history by a succession of Divine Messengers, the Founders of the world religions, Whose purpose is to guide and educate humanity.
So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. Baha'u'llah
Open to the public from 9 am to 5 pm every day.
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PEARLAND, Texas - A teenager collapsed at a Pearland school and later died, investigators said.
Pearland police said the teen, Folabi Akanbi, was playing a pick-up game at Silverlake Elementary, 2550 County Road 90, on Wednesday afternoon.
The 17-year-old teen suddenly collapsed on the playground court while playing with friends. They called 911 and when paramedics arrived, they took him to Memorial Hermann where he was pronounced dead, investigators said.
Number 79 on the Dawson Eagles team at Dawson High School, many said Akanbi was impressive.
At 6-feet 5-inches tall and 290 pounds, Akanbi had signed a letter of intent to play football for Montana State.
But Akanbi was more than an athlete. The honors student was a scholar as well, and teammates say his presence will be missed more than anything.
"He was a great guy, a great friend, a great teammate," said Trey, one of Akanbi's teammates.
Akanbi's death quickly spread amongst his classmates on social media.
"I couldn't believe it at first, and it didn't really hit me," said Trey. "He affected so many people's lives. He affected a lot of people."
Officials have not said if the teen had any pre-existing conditions.
Copyright 2013 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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D.C. Council vs. the Catholic Church Poll
The Washington Post has a poll out on whether or not Washington D.C. should require the Church to follow a law it considers immoral?
This is in regards to whether Catholic Charities should be forced to go against the Catholic Church teachings because they receive funding from the Washington D.C. city council.
In previous TAC posts we wrote about DC Bigotry and about Setting the Record Straight on the Church in D.C. (by Donald R. McClarey and Joe Hargrave respectively).
Of course not, but the Know-Nothings are in force and are skewing the numbers so go to the poll to vote!
To vote click here.
So far as of November 15, 6:15pm CST:
D.C. Council vs. the Catholic Church
The D.C. Council is considering a law forbidding discrimination against those in gay marriages. The law would apply to all groups that have contracts with the District, including Catholic Charities, one of the city's largest social services providers. The Archdiocese of Washington says that because of the Church's opposition to same-sex marriage, it would have to suspend its social services to the poor, the homeless and others rather than provide employee benefits to same-sex married couples or allow them to adopt.
Should the city require the Church to follow a law it considers immoral?
Father John Zuhlsdorf and I voted "NO".
11 Responses to D.C. Council vs. the Catholic Church Poll
I voted no. Surprise!
The presiding Priest at the 10:00 Mass this morning at St. Matthew's Cathedral (Fr. Knestout) preached on the controversy surrounding Catholic Charities as it relates to this bill. Fr. Knestout is very reserved, but you can feel the force of his disgust with the media coverage of the situation. He suggested that after all the emails he received from irate individuals, perhaps those emails should now be sent to the people on the City Council responsible for this unconstitutional abomination.
Sadly we can expect this sort of mess when the Church accepts terms and missions from pagan governments. We should stay clear. The Church is not a welfare agency. Before you bleeding hearts jump on me for being callous and unCatholic, I am not suggesting that we do not have a commandment to feed, clothe, etc. and take care of the poor and infirm; I am saying that it is more important for the Church to help get their souls saved than to feed them.
Ideally the Church will do both; however, when the Church begins to take money and queues from pagan governments the worshipers of the spirit of the present darkeness will seek to silence the Church (no proselytizing). DC has decided to bunt the Church – good. Do the work anyway and preach the Gospel while doing it.
BTW – I voted no! Did you read the misinformed venom in the comments? This is scary stuff – its not funny and it should not be taken lightly. Hating Catholics that aren't with the program, nudge, nudge, wink, wink is cool. Bring it on!
Thanks guys for voting.
It seems to be helping a little. The 'No' are now 26% instead of 25%.
There must be a lot of bigoted people in DC for the numbers to be skewed that way.
That comes as no surprise to those of us trapped behind enemy lines in enemy-occupied Northern Virginia (Greater Washington, DC).
Pray, pray, pray.
St. Michael the Archangel defend us in battle. . .
So much for democracy, the best form of government?
I voted "no" – It is an act of charity to give those with same-sex attraction a united Catholic face- that stays with the truth/mercy of our Catholic teaching. Those who enable sin may be even more accountable for that sin than those who ignorantly engage in the sinful act itself. The sin of misleading the little ones- with the image of the millstone tied around one's waist and being cast into a deep Sea- should be sobering for any Catholic who seeks to re-write the Catechism.
the father z approach to online witness! way to go!
Here's another lesson in the difference between charity and government. Would that our bishops learn from these lessons and lose their habit of plumping for government spending labeled 'welfare.'
P.Z. Myers has posted this poll on his blog and has asked his readers to skew the results.
While I agree with Fr Z on the question the poll asks, I'm not sure starting a poll skewing war with the sundry inhabitants of cyberspace is .. a worthwhile pursuit.


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DT Solar did a great job installing our solar. The solar panels have saved us a good deal of money on our electric bills. I like having the solar on our house. It looks and works great. read more
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In his strongest criticism to date, Gov. Bobby Jindal said Friday he wants the state out of Common Core and the tests that go with it.
"It is time for the Department of Education to come up with a plan B," he said.
The comments are significant for two reasons.
While the governor has said for weeks that he thinks he has the option of shelving the Common Core exams, his remarks Friday appear to all but ensure such a move.
In addition, Jindal has repeatedly blasted the standards in recent months but, until Friday, had stopped short of saying he wants the state to drop them.
The exams are being prepared by a consortium called the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers, or PARCC.
"I am committed to getting us out of PARCC, out of Common Core," he said in a brief interview.
Asked if that means he is ready to order the tests dropped, he said his office is "still finalizing our options" on how to get Louisiana out of both PARCC and Common Core.
The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education endorsed the standards in 2010 and 2014. How the state would get rid of them, short of a BESE reversal or a new state law, is unclear.
BESE President Chas Roemer noted that the Legislature rejected bills to scrap the standards and the tests.
"He challenged the Legislature, and the Legislature didn't agree with him," Roemer said of Jindal. "Our children deserve better than a plan B."
State Superintendent of Education John White, who like Roemer is a supporter of Common Core and the tests, noted that the new school year starts in two months.
He said plans for the new academic goals have been in the works among students and teachers for the past four years.
"They do not need a last-minute change," White wrote. "They do not need chaos in the classroom."
Common Core represents new academic goals in reading, writing and math. They are set to take full effect in Louisiana and most other states for the 2014-15 school year.
Backers contend the changes will add needed rigor to classrooms and improve student achievement.
Jindal, a former Common Core backer, has charged that federal officials have been too involved in the development of the standards.
In an interview, the governor said Common Core requires local education officials to adapt their curriculum to meet the new academic goals.
"Therefore, you really do have Washington, D.C., driving what is taught in our local classrooms," he said.
Jindal's comments came three days after White made a ringing defense of Common Core and the tests to a gathering of about 4,000 teachers at a conference in New Orleans.
White and Roemer also contend that any state withdrawal from Common Core tests requires the consent of Jindal, White and Roemer, not just Jindal alone.
The governor made his comments one day after Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, who like Jindal is a Republican, signed legislation to shelve Common Core in that state.
South Carolina, where Jindal was set to deliver a speech on Friday, took similar action earlier this week. That state's GOP Gov. Nikki Haley also is a Common Core critic.
Indiana left the drive for new standards earlier.
Florida also is bowing out of Common Core test plans under orders from Republican Gov. Mike Scott.
State Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles, one of the Legislature's most outspoken critics of the standards, said Friday he is encouraged by Jindal's latest comments and optimistic that he can get Louisiana out of Common Core.
"A lot of states are rethinking their decision," Geymann said.
Follow Will Sentell on Twitter, @WillSentell. For more coverage of Louisiana government and politics, follow our Politics blog at http://blogs.theadvocate.com/politicsblog/


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The Prophet Moses (pbuh)
The Corrupted Reasoning of Pharaoh
On Mount Sinai, together with the revelation, the Prophet Moses (pbuh) was bestowed with great wisdom from our Lord. There, Allah enlightened the Prophet Moses (pbuh) on two subjects especially: destiny and putting one's trust in Allah. Allah inspired the Prophet Moses (pbuh) that his entire life had been within the confines of a certain destiny, and had pursued his journey in line with that destiny. Also, Allah revealed him that he should not fear Pharaoh, but put his trust in our Lord because Allah is with him, sees him, and helps him. As Allah relates in the Qur'an, with this awareness, the Prophet Moses (pbuh) and the Prophet Aaron (pbuh) had gone to Pharaoh and his inner circle, referred to in the Qur'an as "a people of evildoers":
Then after them We sent Moses and Aaron with Our Signs to Pharaoh and his ruling circle, but they were arrogant and were a people of evildoers. (Surah Yunus: 75)
The dialogue between the Prophet Moses (pbuh) and Pharaoh is related in the Qur'an. A close examination of the answers Pharaoh gave to the Prophet Moses (pbuh) discloses his highly unreasonable and irrational way of thinking. From what he said, we understand that, rather than considering the words of the Prophet Moses (pbuh), he witlessly sought to defeat him and denounce him. Surely this was an end he could never attain. To this purpose, Pharaoh tried to win over the people around him or impose his crooked rationale on others. The dialogue between the Prophet Moses (pbuh) and Pharaoh was as follows:
Pharaoh said, "Who then is your Lord, Moses?"
Rather than evaluating this message with a sound mind and clear conscience, Pharaoh and his inner circle assessed it based on their accustomed way of thinking, founded on the deviant religion of their ancestors. According to their superstitious beliefs, Pharaoh was a deity (Allah is beyond that), far from admitting the idea of the existence of Allah:
But when Moses brought them Our Clear Signs they said, "This is nothing but trumped-up magic. We never heard anything like this among our earlier forefathers." (Surat al-Qasas: 36)
As the above verse makes clear, Pharaoh's people were deluded to think the Prophet Moses' (pbuh) intention in proclaiming the existence and unity of Allah, was to seize power in the land, by abolishing the perverted religion inherited from their ancestors. The perverted religion entitled Pharaoh and his inner circle to obvious advantages, and the change of this perverted religion implied a loss of power for Pharaoh and the shift of authority to the Prophet Moses (pbuh). They considered the Prophet Moses (pbuh) and the religion revealed to him by our Lord with this deviant viewpoint and believed that the Prophet Moses (pbuh) had simply come to oppress the people, just as Pharaoh had. This narrow understanding of theirs is best expressed in the answer of Pharaoh and his inner circle offered to the The Prophet Moses (pbuh) and the Prophet Aaron (pbuh). Allah reveals as follows in the related verse:
They said, "Have you come to us to turn us from what we found our fathers doing, and to gain greatness in the land? We do not believe you." (Surah Yunus: 78)
However, as Allah relates in the verse, the accusation expressed in the words "Have you come to us to gain greatness in the land" by Pharaoh and his followers was merely an insincerely motivated attempt at slander. The Prophet Moses' (pbuh) intention was far from desiring to rule Egypt; he had only asked Pharaoh to send the tribe of Israel away with him. The Prophet Moses' (pbuh) request was the release of the Children of Israel, an enslaved nation who had been living under grief-ridden conditions:
Moses said, "Pharaoh! I am truly a Messenger from the Lord of all the worlds, duty bound to say nothing about Allah except the truth. I have come to you with a Clear Sign from your Lord. So send the tribe of Israel away with me." (Surat al-Araf: 104-105)
Nonetheless, Pharaoh, denying his request, tried various other methods against the Prophet Moses (pbuh). By reminding the Prophet Moses (pbuh) of how he had been brought up in his palace, he was attempting to remind him of the loyalty he owed to him and, with his foolish mind, to allegedly humiliate him in the eyes of his inner circle. Furthermore, with his shallow mentality, he tried to coerce him by mention of the Egyptian man he unintentionally killed. The Prophet Moses' (pbuh) response to all such mistreatment was one particular to a true believer, who unconditionally submits to his destiny, and has a full grasp of its implications. Allah tells in the related verse of the Qur'an as follows:
He (Pharaoh) said, "Did we not bring you up among us as a child and did you not spend many years of your life among us? Yet you committed the deed you did and were ungrateful."
He (Moses) said, "At the time I did it I was one of the misguided and so I fled from you when I was in fear of you but my Lord gave me right judgement and made me one of the Messengers." (Surat ash-Shu'ara: 18-21)
The Prophet Moses (pbuh) explained to Pharaoh that his growing up in the palace was not a favor but a result of his cruel oppression. Allah relates in the Qur'an thus:
And anyway you can only reproach me with this favour because you made the tribe of Israel into slaves! (Surat ash-Shu'ara: 22)
Despite any hesitation he may have previously felt, the Prophet Moses (pbuh) delivered the message fearlessly and forthrightly to Pharaoh and his circle of rulers, mindful that Allah had reminded him of His companionship. Pharaoh first asked the Prophet Moses (pbuh) about our Lord:
Pharaoh said, "What is the Lord of all the worlds?'
In his response, the Prophet Moses (pbuh) was explaining that the religion of Pharaoh's ancestors was invalid since they were also transgressors. Allah was the Lord of those ancestors as well. Having nothing to say in reply, with his shallow mentality, Pharaoh resorted to slandering and threatening the Prophet Moses (pbuh) in order to intimidate him:
He (Pharaoh) said, "This Messenger, who has been sent to you, is mad."
As is evident, the Prophet Moses' (pbuh) concise explanations and clear evidence clearly defeated Pharaoh. This led him to accuse the Prophet Moses (pbuh) with the slander of being allegedly insane. Here, Pharaoh's primary concern was to try to counteract the powerful influence the Prophet Moses (pbuh) was having on the people. The forthright and convincing manner of the Prophet Moses' (pbuh) speech infuriated Pharaoh. Ultimately, he threatened the Prophet Moses (pbuh) with imprisonment if he continued denying his divinity (Allah is beyond that). This action was merely another manifestation of Pharaoh's cruel character.
At this point, the Prophet Moses (pbuh) declared that he had come with signs proving his prophecy, and performed the two miracles granted to him by Allah:
He (Moses) said, "Even if I were to bring you something undeniable?"
Pharaoh, and his inner circle, witnessing the two great miracles of Allah performed by the hand of the Prophet Moses (pbuh), thought with a grave foolishness they could have been possible only through sorcery. In order to refuse being impressed by these miracles, they inspired each other to think in the following way:
The mentality exemplified here is typical of those who deny the truth. In many stories related in the Qur'an, there are numerous examples of similar people and their responses evidencing a flawed rationale. This condition of mind, blindly committed to following the faith of their ancestors, and rejecting the truth despite clear signs, was not particular only to Pharaoh and his inner circle. Throughout history, deniers similarly always sought a so-called way out. Allah conveys the distorted mindset of the arrogant in the Qur'an as follows:
I will divert from My Signs all those who are arrogant in the earth without any right. If they see every Sign, they will not believe in it. If they see the way of right guidance, they will not take it as a way. But if they see the way of error, they will take that as a way… (Surat al-A'raf: 146)
Pharaoh and his inner circle clearly preferred taking the route of denial and evil rather than choosing to be rightly guided. Despite these miracles, they decided to defy the Prophet Moses (pbuh). Surely for Pharaoh and his inner circle, this was a struggle lost from the very first beginning. To this purpose, they, with their shallow mindset,sought out in their own way so-called opponents to the Prophet Moses (pbuh), who they accused of being a "magician":
They said, "Detain him and his brother and send out marshals to the cities, to bring you all the skilled magicians." (Surat al-A'raf: 111-112)
Pharaoh claimed the miracles of the Prophet Moses (pbuh) were a magician's tricks, and according to his shallow mindset believed that they could be undone by his own magicians. Therefore, he could allegedly defeat the Prophet Moses (pbuh) to regain his leverage. In reality, however, they were doomed to an all-out defeat by Allah. Moreover, their defeat came from the least expected source.
Their shallow mentality fooled them into being certain of their ultimate victory. Thusthey allowed the Prophet Moses (pbuh) to appoint the time and place for the confrontation:
He said, "Have you come to us to expel us from our land by means of your magic, Moses? We will bring you magic to match it. So fix a time between us and you which neither we nor you will fail to keep at a place where we can meet halfway."
He (Moses) said, "Your time is the day of the festival. The people should gather in the morning." (Surah Ta-Ha: 57-59)
The Prophet Moses (pbuh) chose "the day of the festival" so that all the people could witness the encounter. There was a superior wisdom in this choice. In this way, all the people would hear the message of the Prophet Moses (pbuh) and witness the defeat of Pharaoh and his magicians. Pharaoh accepted the appointed time. The related verses read:
So Pharaoh went away and concocted his scheme and then he arrived.
Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair admonition, and argue with them in the kindest way. Your Lord knows best who is misguided from His way. And He knows best who are guided.


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Tolmer Monobloc Brushed Steel Kitchen Mixer Taps - Swivel Spout
Price £89.00
Tolmer Monobloc Brushed Steel taps have a traditional and stylish design that would make a great addition to any basin.
- Free Delivery
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- Minimum 0.5 bar water pressure required, though we recommend 1 bar for best performance.
- Supplied complete with fittings (hoses & washers)
Tolmer Monobloc Brushed Steel basin taps will work with the following systems:
- Combination boiler systems
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- Megaflow system
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Hi all,
I always liked grilling and had a few "secret" recipes for steaks and burgers. When BBQ Bible came out, my repertoire expanded substantially with crowd pleasers like the Bengali shish kebabs and bool kogi I made for friends.
I have also gotten HTG, and BBQ USA, but I have to say that besides being able to make better meals at home, the best side-effect from the books has been exposure to many new cultures and cuisines. I have always enjoyed trying different ethnic meals. However, I continue to learn much more about dishes from specific parts of the Middle East, Indonesia, and Asia by reading Steven's books.
This increased awareness has helped me better appreciate trips to the many ethnic restaurants in the area (I live in Northern Virginia), and we have Maryland Public Television on our cable system so the Mrs. and I get to enjoy BBQ U every Saturday.
Thanks again to Steven for improving our backyard cooking prowess and teaching us how it is done on other parts of the planet.
Better living (and understanding) through food!


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CLEVELAND (AP) — A prosecutor is grilling a mental health expert on his diagnosis that a serial killer who hid the bodies of 11 women in his Cleveland home and yard suffers from mental illness.
Assistant Prosecutor Richard Bombik read aloud Friday from a sex offender report taken in 2005, when 51-year-old Anthony Sowell (SOH'-wehl) was being released from prison after serving time for attempted rape. The report says Sowell denied any abuse or neglect during his childhood and said he got along well with his parents.
Dr. George Woods, a mental health expert hired by the defense, has said Sowell suffered from mental illness due to childhood sexual and physical abuse.
Sowell was convicted last month of killing the 11 women. A jury will recommend either the death penalty or life without parole.


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THREE winners of a Fairtrade poster competition will go bananas when they show off their designs to the Mayor of Worcester.
The annual competition for schools is run by Worcester City Council and it aims to raise awareness of how food is produced and the effect UK price wars can have on third world farmers, producers and communities.
The winner of this year's competition, Lorenzo Fragiotta, attends St George's Catholic Primary School, second place went to Lily-Anne Tolputt of St. Clements Primary School and in third place was Amelia Kojscarz of Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School.
Cllr Pat Agar will greet the creative trio at the Guildhall, High Street, on Tuesday, March 4 at 4pm.
The focus of this year's Fairtrade Fortnight, which runs until Sunday, March 9, is the banana, with more than five billion of them being eaten every year in the UK.
Worcester gained Fairtrade Town status in 2006 and Fairtrade stalls will be pitched in the courtyard of the Guildhall tomorrow (Saturday, March 1) from 10am to 1pm, with a Fairtrade-themed quiz being held at the Bromyard Road Methodist Church on Saturday, March 8 at 7pm.


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Voice Support
Troubleshooting Calling Features and Hardware
Last Updated: Tue, 20 Dec 2016 > Related Articles
Instructions for addressing issues with phone Calling Features and Hardware.
Calling Features
I Have Anonymous Call Rejection Enabled, but I am Still Receiving out-of-area and Unavailable Calls.
Anonymous Call Rejection does not block unknown or out-of-area callers. This feature only blocks callers that have Caller ID blocking.
I Cannot Dial 900 Numbers.
Verify that you do not have 900/976 call blocking on your phone by checking the services listed on your bill. If you are having a problem dialing a 900/976 number, call 611.
I am Having a Problem Dialing an International Number.
When dialing an International number, it is not necessary to start your dialing with a "1." This is replaced by the "011" code.
I Cannot use Some Features on my Phone.
If you hear a fast busy signal when you try using a feature, this means that you do not subscribe to the feature. Please contact us to add the feature to your telephone services.
I Cannot Dial out, When I try I Hear Beeps and Clicks.
Check your phone setting and make sure the phone is set to "Tone" and not "Pulse."
Why do I Need to Dial Area Codes for Certain Local Calls?
With the large volume of telephone numbers being used today, many area codes have been split to allow for more telephone numbers to be introduced. These new area codes are associated with routing the call to specific communities and are required to complete the call.
I Have no Dial Tone on my Phone.
- Check to make sure there are no telephones off the hook.
- Unplug all telephone equipment on that phone line for 5 to 10 minutes and then plug in a single hardwired phone.
- If you are able to restore dial tone temporarily, call 611 for assistance.
- If you are not able to restore dial tone, use a different phone; or you may call or email your local Cox Technical Support office.
My Phone is not Ringing.
Check the volume and ringer controls on your phone to make sure the settings are correct. If the problem persists call 611.
I am Getting Short Rings on my Phone and no one is There When I Answer.
- If your phone is giving only one short ring, you may have Call Forwarding activated on your line.
- To disable call forwarding dial *73.
One of my Telephone Jacks is not Working.
- Try plugging another telephone into the jack to verify that the problem is not the telephone itself.
- Check all connections to make sure that all telephones are securely plugged in.
- If you continue to experience problems with the jack, dial 611 for assistance
I Cannot use my Fax Machine or Modem Because my Voice Mail has a Stutter Dial Tone.
If you are unable to clear the stutter tone by retrieving your messages, try adding commas in front of the phone number you are dialing.
- Commas tell the equipment to delay before dialing.
- Try adding 6 to 8 commas to delay the equipment until the stutter dial tone for voice mail goes away.
If my Cable Goes out, Will my Phone go out Also?
Not necessarily because cable outages can occur for a variety of reasons that may not affect the telephone service.
- Cox's Network Operations Center constantly monitors the network for potential problems, quickly identifies interruptions in service, and remedies the problem.
- If the problem is an electrical power outage, Cox provides back-up power so your phone keeps working.
Need More Help?
- Contact Us Online Email Us
- Find your nearest Service Center
- Give us a call 24/7 Phone Support
- Additional Contacts Local Information


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Python, Italian lambskin backing. Bowtie closure.
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November 2, 2012
Members of The Master's College women's volleyball team are treading on unfamiliar ground these days, and that can only mean one thing. Events are unfolding according to plan.
Bobby Blanken, who took over a struggling Lady Mustangs volleyball program in 2010, came to turn a team around, and to do that, he knew he had to change the culture. He had to instill in his players a new way of thinking about their sport. He had to get them to buy into a mission – a big mission.
"Sports is just a great metaphor about the Christian life and how you can live it on a minute-by-minute basis," Blanken says. "Our mission is achieving excellence. And for us, excellence is defined by winning a national championship."
Blanken has his team pointed in the right direction. As of November 1, the Lady Mustangs are the No. 7-ranked NAIA team in the nation, according to the Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Coaches' Top-25 poll.
The Mustangs' record of 23-4 is even more impressive than it looks. Two of the team's losses have come at the hands of No. 4-ranked Biola. One other loss was to Concordia, which currently sits atop the coaches' poll. In their last two matches, TMC beat No. 21 Vanguard, 3-0, and then traveled to Santa Barbara, where the Mustangs bested No. 12 Westmont, 3-2.
With four regular-season matches remaining before the NAIA National Tournament, the Mustangs seem to be peaking at the right time.
"We're playing not to plateau … to not be satisfied to be where we are," Blanken says. "It's about where we're going. The goal at the end of the season is to play the best we could have played, and hopefully that's in the national championship."
If Blanken keeps repeating a familiar refrain, it's because he believes in aiming high. From his perspective, high isn't just the noblest target. It's the only target. It's a philosophy that's rooted deeply in his spiritual moorings. He sees excellence as a way to honor the Lord. And excellence, he believes, is a minute-by-minute commitment.
"We have an identity and we have a mission," he says. "To boil it down, our identity is fundamental execution. I know it's a cliché, but to be honest, that's what it's going to be about. Serving tough, passing well, choosing the attack lines and staying aggressive.
"Behind all of that is a commitment to a team mission. It really binds us together, whether we're in good place or a bad place. We can look back on that as our anchor. We're tethered to the team mission."
The players are also tethered to a shared faith – that and a desire to live out that faith on the volleyball court.
During the course of a match, there will be moments that test a team's character and its resolve. A call goes the wrong way. A set misses the mark. A pivotal serve falls into the net. In volleyball, the potential for despair is never more than a point away. It is in these moments, Blanken says, that preparation becomes most important.
"I'm not a big motivational speaker. I'm not going to give a Braveheart speech," he says. "I try to help them understand that whatever the chaos is in their minds, it's not as big as they think it is … The girls have been committed. They want to succeed. They understand it's a habit they have to form. It dedicated, hard work."
The team's record testifies to the success of Blanken's approach and the commitment of his players. Just don't expect anyone associated with the team to start patting themselves on the back. That doesn't jibe with the team philosophy.
"In terms of an overall sense of completion, I don't know that we'll ever feel that," Blanken says. "Maybe the day we hoist a national championship banner, I don't know. But overall we get that it's more about a process than an overall outcome."
On Tuesday, Nov. 6, The Mustangs will get a good look at where they are in that process when they host Concordia at Bross Gymnasium for a 7:00 p.m. match. The No. 1-ranked Eagles (27-0) beat TMC in Irvine on Oct. 4, but the Mustangs did manage to take a game. On Nov. 6, they will be looking to take three.
Regardless of the outcome, Blanken will put his players to the same questions by which he always measures success: Are you satisfied with the way you played? Did you feel like you gave your best? Did we do the things we've been practicing and training for?
For a coach who hates to lose, hearing the right answers to those questions is crucial. For a coach in the midst of building a program, the answers must always be yes.
"I can't stand the idea of losing and I'm not sure that a team defined by losing is excellent," Blanken says. "The biggest challenge is building the program – laying a foundation. It's for the girls to understand they are building a legacy."