text:
ASUS UL50Vt Preview: Factory Overclocked CULV Delivers 7 Hours of Battery Lifeby Anand Shimpi & Laura Johnston on 9/14/2009 12:00 AM EST
- Posted in
- Laptops
51 Comments
Back to Article
Hrel - Wednesday, October 07, 2009 - linkAlways wanted a notebook that's actually portable; yet able to play games on it. I don't want max settings, I just want them to run. Now if only I could get a 1600x900 resolution from someone other than Sony... Preferably Asus.
Really liking the inclusion of a discrete graphics card, I don't care if all the eye candy is on, I just wanna be able to play all the games that'll be coming out for the next year or so after I buy my laptop, and battery life of at least 6 hours is a must. So, I'm just waiting for someone to make that laptop; this looks like a step in the right direction. Reply
fabarati - Wednesday, September 16, 2009 - linkWell, vista runs quite fine on a 1.2 GHz C2D (the setting I've limited my T7700 to). The only time I bring it up is when I want to watch 1080p, or do something else cpu intensive. 720p runs quite fine. Reply
chemist1 - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - linkWhy not ship these products with software that allows even low-tech users to easily modify the clock speed (within pre-set acceptable parameters)? That way they could underclock when they wanted more battery life, but overclock when they wanted more performance (or had access to a wall outlet). Reply
Mugur - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - linkI've seen many CULV notebooks reviewed and the fact most of them are very slow is due to the SINGLE CORE cpu that most of them have. Only the "high-end" CULV notebooks have C2D cpus, the other have Solos...
And since the price for 13.3" starts from 150% of an ordinary 10" netbook (comparing Acer Aspire One D250 for example with the cheapest Acer Timeline) and goes up to 3x when you want a CULV C2D...
I'm sure that on paper even a Core 2 Solo CULV at 1.4 Ghz is twice the speed of an Atom (or more?), but when you have Vista and a bunch of preinstalled stuff on it, trust me, it doesn't feel faster at all :-).
So, in my opinion, the CULV platform is designed as an alternative to (relatively) cheap notebooks. Cheap notebook = around 2 Ghz C2D with small cache, 2-4 GB RAM, 320 GB HDD, 15" screen, 2.5h of battery and up to 3 KG in weight. Decent priced CULV = half the speed, half the weight, 2x the battery life, same memory, same HDD, 13-15" LED backlight screen.
So it's really up to the consumer, if they are aware of the above...
fitten - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - linkPut Win7 on your netbook... it's a very different experience than Vista on it (Win7 actually runs smooth). Reply
Mugur - Wednesday, September 16, 2009 - linkI did... :-). But until October 22nd they are still sold with Vista. Reply
wolfstone - Friday, November 06, 2009 - linki brought one of these yesterday with windows 7 installed
,it shows mine as being overclocked to 2.100mhz according to my CPU-Z.
at the moment i have had it 1 day so too early to see proformace on it, i did have a 15" mac book pro but could not get on with there software (way too many years useing windows has left its mark) Reply
vol7ron - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - link2 Things I'm curious about:
1) Comparison to Apple - I'm not a big fan of Apple, but their OS seems to hold the crown in battery life. A competitive PC alternative may seem nice to fence runners.
2) What the impact of wireless has on the life. How big of an impact will there be, if using it for mainly Office Applications, or any application w/ WiFi off - noting that NetBooks are typically used for the "net". Reply
Voldenuit - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkCULV hate? I haven't seen any CULV hate - quite the opposite, in fact, but then again here in Asia people seem to care more about portability (and price) than how big the V8 under the hood is.
I have a 1.2 GHz C2D in my thinkpad X300, and it is certainly adequate for my computing needs (internet, excel, matlab, mathcad, some 720p watching). Certainly the SSD helps it feel faster - I'd wager that this is the real bottleneck in most laptops. The ex's Gateway w/ 1.8 GHz C2D and 5,400 rppm hdd feels like molasses in comparison when I switch over. And the Samsung SSD on the X300 isn't even particularly fast by modern standards.
Nice to see that ASUS has managed to undercut the 13in MBP on weight - it'll be interesting to see how much lighter the 14- and 13-in models in the range are. Reply
beginner99 - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - link[quote]he ex's Gateway w/ 1.8 GHz C2D and 5,400 rppm hdd feels like molasses in comparison when I switch over. And the Samsung SSD on the X300 isn't even particularly fast by modern standards. [/quote]
Agree.Any CULV with SSD probably feels faster in everyday use than a standard C2D with a slow notebook HDD.
Too bad there are no real offers of this kind or if they are overpriced, cheaper to buy the standard model and the ssd separatley. Btu then you can actually choose you SSD and easly get rid of pre-installed useless stuff. Reply
mattthemuppet - Wednesday, September 16, 2009 - linkThe Acer Timeline 3810T-6775 is a great deal - SU9400, Intel 80GB SSD and all the bells and whistles. I've got 7-71/2h runtime out of it (normal use, some sleep, wireless on) and I could probably get more if I dim the display. All for $800 from Newegg if they still have them. Reply
clarkn0va - Thursday, September 24, 2009 - linkAgreed. I just picked up one of these and it's anything but slow. I don't use it for compiling, mind you, but it boots crazy fast, launches programs almost instantly and is totally silent when the fan is not on.
I haven't bothered with flash yet, but 720p is not a problem, even without GPU decoding. Reply
Penti - Sunday, September 27, 2009 - linkPlease report back on flash, high quality VP6 or H264, I'm interested on how they fair. Reply
zorxd - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkMy sister ordered a UL30A with the same CPU. Does the turbo33 feature also work with this laptop? Reply
Dainas - Monday, September 14, 2009 - link"The keyboard looks like Apple's chiclet keyboard, but the feel is unfortunately not as nice. The tactile response just isn't as solid as on the Apple."
Not to be rude, but Apple has not produced a keyboard of any sorts that has a good feel to it in 15 years. Since they got it in their head that people like tapping on shallow space saving laptop type keyboards I've branded them all but useless. Honestly, how could the Asus keyboard be any worse? Atleast this one has the excuse of being a laptop. Reply
jasperjones - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkLooking forward to read more about on CULV on Anandtech.
RE: negative reviews.
The German-language magazine c't (19/09 issue) was actually very positive about the second wave of notebooks with Intel CULV (as well as new notebooks with AMD LUxxxx), mentioning their relatively modest pricing, low heat dissipation, and roughly twice the processing power of your standard, off-the-shelf Atom netbook.
As for myself, I am seriously considering getting Intel CULV or AMD LUxxxx for my next notebook. I have desktops for the stuff I do "for fun" that requires high CPU/GPU performance. But for work, I don't really need that much performance on my local system. Being fortunate enough to work in an academic environment with good IT resources, I can easily run number-crunching stuff like MATLAB on our cluster--X11 forwarding works just fine, so I don't even need to forego a nice GUI. Reply
JackPack - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkIs it possible to underclock the Asus? i.e., drop the FSB to 166 MHz? Reply
pattycake0147 - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkCan the voltage to the CPU be lowered to reach better battery life? Does the voltage adjust with the Turbo33 feature?
Maybe I just missed it, but which integrated GPU is used? I'm most interested in if it can decode HD video, and if it has HDMI out.
This is notebook the type of product that is most interesting to me in the mobile sector. Reply
MODEL3 - Monday, September 14, 2009 - link
And that's ultimately why OEMs view CULV as a failure in North America: performance. Or at least that's what they've been going around telling everyone
Did you meant from a performance / price ratio standpoint?
You said that, while CULV CPUs are much faster than Atom CPUs, they have poor performance in relation with standard Core 2 Duo mobile CPUs and you didn't say about the pricing model, so it seemd to me that your focus was mainly on the performance side.
I am asking because, it seems to me strange if OEMs view CULV as a failure from a performance standpoint only.
I guess, they must view CULV as a failure from a performance / price ratio standpoint.
When ASUS got the Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300, probably the 1K price was $262? (or anyway around $200...)
And for example, a N270 was around $44? (or something in that range...)
Certainly 1K prices, has absolutely nothing to do with what ASUS can negotiate with Intel.
But the price difference is so large that even with the final negotiated prices the difference is huge.
I don't know about Z5XX pricing, but i supsect if you compare platform pricing the difference will also be huge...
Also, with CULV pricing model, a OEM can buy with the same money a much faster (+2X perf in some cases) standard Core 2 mobile CPU.
And the OEM can promote/market easier i guess, the standard Core 2 mobile CPU based one.
So essentially it is the pricing model that Intel followed regarding the market that the CULV CPUs are targeting.
Don't you agree? Reply
jonup - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkAnand, suggestion for the full review.
1.Do all the power setting continue to work when Turbo is on.
2.Can you set up the Turbo to kick in only when the CPU usage goew above certain percent?
3.Can you manually adjust the Turbo? (Obviously the motherboard is capable of overclocking, maybe it can go high with third party tools.)
4.How hot does it get when Turbo is on?
I am interested in a 15" notebook with ULV CPU, but $850 might be above what I am willing to pay. However, I still might pull the triger on it.
Thanks in advance. Reply
MrSpadge - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkI've got one of the first Penryns in my notebook and it gets by happily with the minimum voltage the board can supply (0.925 V) up to 2.0 GHz. I'd be surprised if this chip needed any more than this even at 1.73 GHz.
MrS Reply
araczynski - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkthis is intel's way of trying to con people into buying overpriced hardware again.
at this price point, unit size, you'd have to be close to retarded to buy a neutered laptop.
you'll want either a cheap/small netbook, or something with some balls.
this thing is stuck in the WTF middle, not cheap, not small, and still weak. Reply
MrSpadge - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkIt's not Intel who choose to put this CPU into a 15" chassis.
MrS Reply
JohnMD1022 - Monday, September 14, 2009 - link$850? lololol... I'll pass Reply
irev210 - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkWhen you go to the 11.6" form factor, the higher resolution screen and the similar weight, battery life, and cost of a typical netbook makes the CULV a no-brainer.
I am surprised more notebook manufactures haven't attacked the 11.6" market. The Acer AS1410 is really the only compelling 11.6" product on the market at the moment.
$437 shipped from amazon... where is ASUS, Lenovo, Samsung, etc?
I think a 11.6" formfactor + CULV is what the people want, they just don't know it yet. Reply
Fanfoot - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkI assume most of the readers who come here are performance geeks and don't care about anything that isn't the fastest and best...
I'd encourage you to ignore them and cover stuff that is important regardless. Personally I'm interested in the CULV laptop space (and maybe even the CULV internet streamer little box beside the TV space). And this article is therefore quite interesting to me.
Atom netbooks are GREAT and ground breaking, but yes they're slower than we'd like. It seems likely that CULV mini laptops will be more expensive, but if its only a little it MIGHT be worth it given that the battery life won't be that different. So to me something like an 11" thin-n-light makes the most sense.
The main thing I'd like to see you cover is whether you can handle HD Flash full screen on a 720p laptop screen using a CULV processor (and whatever GPU) at the moment, or not? Given that even a dual core Atom 330 with Ion can't do this, even when you overclocked it to 2.0GHz, this would be a significant improvement. Reply
MadMan007 - Thursday, September 17, 2009 - linkThere are proper reviews out you just need to search around a bit. Here's one: http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/17435/6">http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/17435/6 from the 'YouTube HD windiwed' results I think we can extrapolate that a full screen video would run ok but you'll need a dual core CULV to do so. Reply
fitten - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - linkIndeed... these CULV processors might be pretty nice for HTPC boxes as well... Reply
strikeback03 - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkAMD must really be hoping for good profits on these GPUs to go to the expense of renting an aircraft carrier. Reply
Guspaz - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkNice to have the G210M in there. It actually only uses slightly more power (14W) than the 9400M used in the Ion (12W), although I'm not sure if that 12W includes the rest of the ION chipset.
Performance-wise, it looks like it should be a third to half again faster than the 9400M. Having this is nice, because you can disable it when you're on battery, and enable it when you're on AC power.
It's unfortunate that the notebook doesn't use an nVidia chipset with a 9400M; the G210M supports Hybrid-SLI (SLI between the integrated (9400M) and discrete (G210M) GPUs) which would really let you push some decent performance when on AC power. Reply
gstrickler - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkWhy not just use the SU9600 CPU rather than overclock the U7300? Cost is the only reason I can think of. SU9600 has a 10W TDP, runs at the same voltage, and is sped'd @ 1.86GHz. The SU9600 might actually use less power than overclocking since the memory bus would not be overclocked (800MHz vs 1066MHz), and the faster CPU/cache would negate most differences in memory bandwidth. Reply
snakeoil - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkWe are still waiting for the lynnfield results without the overclock (turbo overclock).
the lynfield review is not valid because it corresponds to an overclocked processor.If we don't get those results we don't know what to do with lynfield.
fitten - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - linkIt corresponds to a processor as it operates in normal mode as it is intended to operate and, indeed, will operate on every machine shipped. By shutting off features of the CPU, you're not benchmarking how the actual processor would be working, you're only chasing some academic discussion about the processor. NO ONE will run the processor in that mode (it'd be stupid to shut off features because they "aren't fair") so any results obtained are useless except for tangential academic discussion.
Why not shut off the L2/L3 caches as well or at least make them run at only the size of the competition? That's "fair", right? You might as well make sure that all tests are done with the processors running at the same clock speed... all in the name of "fairness", you know... Reply
Lonyo - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkGo troll elsewhere please.
After reading your comments for other articles, it's clear that the only thing you care about is asking Anand to benchmark a processor with a built in feature disabled.
Maybe next time you should ask to get this system benchmarked with the overclocking disabled? And the underclocking too.
Or maybe you could ask for a review of an HD4870X2 with Crossfire turned off, because Crossfire gives it an advantage over, say, a single GTX280 which doesn't have to run SLI.
Keep your irrelevant and stupid posts elsewhere, if possible on another website.
One request for the review of this is to maybe look at doing a browser test, especially with the built in overclocking feature enabled.
Following on from the other browser test, it would be interesting to see how a higher variability in CPU clockspeeds would change battery life when a variety of browsers are used.
Def. looks like the 13" model could be a nice step up from high-end netbooks if the price is right.
Who would pay $600 for an 11" netbook with 8 hour battery life and poor (relative) performance if you can get a slightly larger 13" laptop with "real" processor, similar battery life, and a minimal increase in size and weight? Reply
MamiyaOtaru - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkTurbo comes with the processor and requires no user intervention. It's a feature. You are asking for a review of an intentionally gimped processor where a standard feature is turned off. There is no reason for such a review. Reply
jonup - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkVery relavant place for your post. Reply
DigitalFreak - Monday, September 14, 2009 - link"If we don't get those results we don't know what to do with lynfield. "
Die? Reply
yacoub - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkNo, but we are waiting for the P55 motherboard round-ups that were supposed to start late last week. :( Reply
PotatoMAN - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkThis reminds me of the days of turbo buttons and such when I first started playing with computers (around 80486 days and such). This seems neat, although I would be curious to see if doing simple web browsing makes the system scale back CPU cycles at all? I don't doubt the 7 hours of battery life, but I am a little confused by the intent to go to "turbo" mode then just surf the internet (why would you need to go to turbo mode for this, unless flash playback is bad in regular mode?). Why not go to "turbo" mode and max out the CPU with some Prime95 tests or something? Just a thought... thanks for all the good work and techy journalism AT! Reply
XBoxLPU - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkWhy not even look at the SU4100 and the tasks usually done by these typically Netbook segment products. The SU4100 is a dual core CPU that generally improves multi tasking greatly, even for single threaded applications. I would wager that a SU4100 would eat any Atom CPU alive Reply
Penti - Saturday, September 26, 2009 - linkI think the Acer Aspire Timeline 1810TZ with SU4100 is perfect, but I still wonder how it fares with Adobe Flash. Doesn't feel right if it can't do Youtube HD/Hulu HD (not that the latter is available here). It's about 690 bucks here in Sweden which here is a great price. A Macbook costs 1 200 bucks (before taxes) here as a comparison. It costs just as much as a PD or low end C2D 15.4 inch laptop in other words. Reply
jonup - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkI would think those are a lot more expensive than the Atom. As netbooks have a low price they need to keep the cost low. I have worked with several netbooks and they are all awful. The Atom is the worse performing CPU ever (in relative terms). ULV have similar TDP and way higher performance it seems like a no brainer, right. But the ULV are chery picked with limited supply and Intel keeps their price high. Reply
Aeternum - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkI would get something like the EEE pc if it had a similar setup but anything is better than a netbook that has trouble with full screen youtube video :P How is this at multitasking? What will be pricing? Reply
jonup - Monday, September 14, 2009 - link"The 15.6" UL50Vt and the 13.3" UL30Vt will retail for $849 once they start shipping at the end of this month."
ps. Quote function was not working. Reply
Aeternum - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - linkOoooh thx for the heads up jonus :) Reply
XBoxLPU - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkAll of this talk about poor performance but no direct comparison to the Atom CPU? I know the core clock is low but these CULV chips have better performance than the Atom. Why compare a desktop CPU to a notebook CPU? Reply
Lexington02 - Monday, September 14, 2009 - linkreally? I mean look at the benchmark compared to the 2.26ghz proc.... The 2.26 ghz had a 3600 point bench mark while the slower proc at 1.73 ghz was at 3348 points which is much, much, much higher than the atom proc, which struggles to get past eight-hundred mark, so it is definately not that slow... Maybe to a person who is used to high power desktop user... Reply
Samus - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - linksome people forget the atom is basically PIII-1000MHz performance. so basically there is no need to compare anything else too it; atom is down-right slow as hell. sure, it'll run windows xp, surf the web and play music, but that's about it. forget HD video, forget multitasking, forget gaming.
any core 2 can do all of that, at virtually any clock speed. and as stated, if you really want to see the atom sysmark, go look at previous reviews on AT of the atom platform. it scores about 850 sysmarks with the 945GM chipset.
my 7 year old IBM Thinkpad x40 with a PIII-M 1.4GHz scores 1260 sysmarks, about 30% faster. and thats SEVEN YEARS OLD. it only gets about 2 hours battery life and still doesn't do HD video, but it's held me off upgrading (technically downgrading) to a new atom netbook.
hopefully these CULV chips start coming in sub-$800 notebooks, and maybe just one of them will have a thinkpad-class keyboard. it bugs the hell out of me that Asus keeps releasing really nice notebooks with these keyboards that look nice but function poorly. Reply
Penti - Saturday, September 26, 2009 - linkLook at the Acer Timeline TZ series. (like 1810TZ available in Europe) Reply
Eletriarnation - Wednesday, September 16, 2009 - link"Forget gaming" assumes that you're playing recent games. I run World of Warcraft on a netbook with a 1.67GHz Atom - it's not pretty, but it is playable in low-traffic areas. The "multi-tasking" limitation is also a matter of definition. I'd say that an Atom running WinXP or Win7 is probably sufficient for a the majority of what most users would want to do assuming they don't have a lot of background applications going. Reply
fitten - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 - linkTwo guys in my office use Atom powered netbooks to run VMs and they both say the Atoms run (a single) VM well enough to do work on it where you'd be using a netbook rather than a desktop. More than one VM and it really hits the skids, though. Reply


text:
I am working on a site which is working fine locally. I have uploaded it to my staging server and the JQuery doesn't seem to be loading (which is hosted by Google).
Can anyone please assist to let me know what the issue might be?
An image slider should appear on this page, but instead the images are just loading one under the other.
And a JQuery "scroll to" should work for the sub nav on this page, but again it's not working once the site is live.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Seems to work fine for me.
I don't even think that I can even see a sub nav on that page.
The about page should have a slider, but all I can see are the images appearing under each other. Screenshot attached.
Is the slider appearing for you? I've check on two computers, and cleared my cache and it's not working.
The sub nav is a horizontal list with blue links (in the white area).
Oh I get it. The link you provided was incorrect, so I'm just being taken to your home page
Do you feel like giving us a correct link to the page with the subnav that's having trouble?
The slider works for me, too, BUT ... it took ages for the page to load fully, during which time the images appeared as you describe. So it seems there's a long delay in the script loading, which needs some attention.
There doen't appear to be blue links in the second page you linked to (where you said the problem occurs).
The slider is the "About" page. Strangely, if the page stays loaded, the slider appears after about 20 seconds. Why would this be the case?
The sub nav should have a smooth "scroll to" and is on the "Gourmet Products" page. And the arrows under each product category should scroll back to top.
Sorry about the link being wrong.
Thanks Ralph, do you have any idea why the script wouldn't load immediately? The link to JQuery is in the header of the HTML.
And I'm pretty sure it's Jquery, not the slider itself, as that's why the scroll to links (not to mention the lightbox product images) aren't working.
Something is forcing the page to wait until it has finished loading. Could it be something like the document.write getting in the way?
As I mentioned, some of your scripts are taking an eternity to load (over a minute for me). It seems livereload.js is taking a long time in particular. Once the gourmet page finally loads, the scrolling works there, too.
Sorry, maybe a dumb question, but what is the document.write?
Is it perhaps something to do with my (pretty ordinary) hosting? Maybe their settings or something?
Maybe live reload is stuffing it up. It's an application that reloads browsers automatically when changes are made locally.
I'll try and remove that tonight and see if that fixes it.
Stay tuned!
Yes, as I mentioned above, it is taking an eternity for livereload.js to load. I was using the Chrome Network tab to view the loading times of all the various page files.
Ahh thanks. I will remove this script and see if that fixes it.
Thanks for your help so far, let's hope that works.
Hi Ralph and Paul,
I removed the Live Reload script and all working beautifully.
Thanks for your assistance!
Cool. Glad you got it sorted. Thanks for the feedback.
you've got autoPlay set to false.I'd have thought true would be better as users currently have to manually change slides.
page loads okay incidentally.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Hot beverages anchor the industry's foodservice offering, but the category is also a top in-store destination and among the most profitable. By Howard Riell, Associate Editor. Numbers don't lie–and when it comes to consumers and coffee, they show a category poised for even greater growth in the months ahead.Coffee consumption among consumers aged 18-29


text:
girls-computerat 365 × 246 in Schools and Online Bullying:.
https://www.familiesonlinemagazine.com/schools-and-online-bullying-addressing-the-day-to-day-reality-of-the-internet/girls-computer/https://www.familiesonlinemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/girls-computer.jpghttps://www.familiesonlinemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/girls-computer-150x150.jpgGeraldine JensenGeraldine firstname.lastname@example.com Online Magazine
Geraldine Jensen
Editor at Families Online Magazine
Publisher and Editor of Families Online Magazine. Our experts provide warm, loving, and generous advice for you, your family and children, no matter their age -- infants, school age, 'tweens, and teenagers. Features include:Parenting, Ages and Stages of Child Development, Child Support, Cooking, Health, Children's Books, Nutrition, Christian Parenting, Relationships, Green-living, Education and School
Ms. Jensen is a leading advocate for families and children and was the founder and president of ACES, The Association for Children for Enforcement of Support.
Ms. Jensen is a leading advocate for families and children and was the founder and president of ACES, The Association for Children for Enforcement of Support.
Latest posts by Geraldine Jensen (see all)
- How to Protect Children from a Bully - August 21, 2017
- Book Review: Confessions of a Domestic Failure – Very Funny! - August 19, 2017
- How to Stop Feeling Regret or Resentment from the Past - August 18, 2017
No Comments Yet
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.


text:
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/12/2012 (1708 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
I think we all know there's nothing more joyful at this time of the year than taking traditional family holiday photos so we can send them to other people to show them how joyful we are.
I'm talking about those ubiquitous photos wherein the entire family squeezes into garish holiday sweaters made from synthetic materials in psychedelic colours visible from outer space and then tries to arrange their facial features into a contemplative expression that conveys the spirit of the season.
If you have ever taken the time to look at the people in these photos, you'll know their vacant stares convey a timeless message -- they have been driven clinically insane, because nothing is more stressful than posing for a family holiday photo, unless it's the fact the malls have been playing It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams on a loop since before Halloween.
My point is at our house, we have a tradition of NOT taking traditional holiday photos because (a) we do not own sweaters festooned with reindeer and tiny snowmen; and (b) our kids and dogs sprint away like Usain Bolt when they see one of their parents approaching with a camera.
But this year, things are different. This year, our daughter, Kayleigh, and her boyfriend, Chris, decided to start their own tradition wherein they put on outlandish shirts sporting random Christmas messages and take ironic photos of themselves in the snow in our backyard along with the dogs, all of whom are dressed up as amusing holiday characters.
The thing is, we own three dogs, while my daughter's boyfriend owns two, which, for those of you who remember Grade 5 math, makes a grand total of five dogs, which is a large number of dogs to make sit still long enough for a photograph, especially if they are being forced against their will to wear embarrassing outfits.
On the day of the photo shoot, my daughter and her boyfriend decked out all the dogs in their festive finery. Chris's rambunctious German shepherd, Franklin, was transformed into a reluctant reindeer, while his jittery shih tzu, Chemo, who is the size of a baked potato, became Santa Claus, complete with a tiny white beard.
As for our pets, Zoe the miniature wiener dog was garbed as Mrs. Claus; Mr. X, a cross between a throw pillow and a makeup applicator, sported a green elf's hat, which repeatedly slipped of his head and dangled under his chin like a mutant beard; and our basset hound, Cooper, had to tote around an assortment of jingle bells and bandanas adorned with penguins and polar bears.
I have to give my daughter and her beau full marks for perseverance, because they spent a good hour trying to arrange themselves and the mutts into a heart-tugging holiday tableau. But this is next to impossible when you are dealing with dogs, who find themselves compelled by their DNA to wander away, bark at invisible people on the other side of the fence, chase invisible rabbits and vigorously sniff each other's hindquarters.
In the end, I felt a surge of pity for the kids and joined them in the backyard to serve as their emergency backup photographer. First, I had to remove my eyeglasses and hang them on my shirt so I would be able to peer through the camera lens. After taking what I believe were some truly festive holiday photos, I suddenly realized something was missing.
"Have you seen my glasses anywhere?" I asked my daughter.
"Yes," she grunted reluctantly.
"OK," I continued after a brief pause. "Can you tell me where you saw them?"
Rolling her eyes disdainfully, she pointed at the snow. "You're standing on them," she said, smirking. And, as it turns out, I was. When I picked them up, my grotesquely expensive designer eyeglasses were mangled. On my face, they were more lopsided than a fraternity brother on kegger night.
My bemused wife drove me to the local optical store and a lovely woman there frowned at my face, then, in a blur, magically straightened the crushed eyewear.
"What happened?" the woman asked before I could escape.
"I was trying to take family holiday photos of the kids and the dogs when I stepped on them," I explained.
"You stepped on the kids?" she snickered.
"No, I stepped on my glasses," I muttered with dignity.
She gave me a look of great pity. "I completely understand," she said, smiling.
And I completely believe her.


text:
Kendrys backs Felix's gem against Angels
Former Halos slugger delivers clutch pinch-hit RBI in Seattle
SEATTLE -- When Felix Hernandez pitches at Safeco Field, there's a new tradition of yellow-shirted fans in the left-field corner pulling for every pitch.
That's not his only loyal cheering section. There's a whole dugout that lives and dies with him each outing.
Hernandez, the Mariners' ace right-hander, got the support he needed Saturday night, as Jesus Montero hit a game-tying home run in the sixth inning and pinch-hitter Kendrys Morales stroked a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh for a 3-2 victory over the Angels.
"I was looking to hit the ball hard. He tired to throw me a slider in. I hit it good," said Montero, on his home run on a 1-0 pitch from Joe Blanton (0-4). "That's what I wanted. I wanted Felix to win. I wanted the team to win. It feels good."
Manager Eric Wedge said the home run "got everyone pumped up tonight. He came in the dugout excited. You tie the ballgame up. Everyone's working hard to try to get on top for Felix, and for each other, for that matter. So that was a big momentum swing for us."
The comeback victory was a rare treat for Hernandez (3-2), who has struggled historically against the Angels. He entered the game with a 6-12 career record and a 4.07 ERA against the American League West rivals. He had not beaten the Angels since Sept. 6, 2011.
He worked eight innings while allowing two runs (one earned) and five hits. He struck out seven and walked one.
"It's been a while since I beat those guys," Hernandez said. "That's a pretty good lineup. My job is to make good pitches and try to keep [Mike] Trout and [Peter] Bourjos off base. That's what did."
Mostly he did, though Bourjos did do some damage.
Chris Iannetta put the Angels up in the third on Hernandez's first pitch, a blast that carried over the left-center-field wall for his third home run.
Bourjos followed with a single to right. He stole second and raced to third when catcher Montero's throw sailed into center field. Bourjos scored on Trout's sac fly to right.
In the fourth, Hernandez offered evidence that he's not just a pitcher, he's an athlete, as he foiled a squeeze bunt with a smooth move.
With Mark Trumbo on third and Howie Kendrick on first with one out, Brendan Harris laid down a bunt in front of the mound. Trumbo streaked home on contact. Hernandez bounded off the mound, swept the ball with his glove and -- without transferring -- flipped it to Montero, who blocked the plate and put the tag on Trumbo for an out.
"That's a big difference right there, and we win the game," Hernandez said.
Montero said "it was a nice play by him. He throws the ball with his glove. I try to block the plate. That guy is huge. I was like, 'Please don't hit me.' We make a nice play right there.
"I try to be in front of home plate. I did not want him to touch home plate with his feet. Those moments are kind of scary, especially with a big guy like him."
Trumbo added, "I guess I wasn't terribly surprised because I've seen him make some good plays all the time."
Kyle Seager opened the seventh with a single, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games, longest in the Majors this season and the longest by a Mariners player since Mike Carp recorded a 20-game streak in 2011.
Michael Morse followed with a single to left. After Justin Smoak struck out, Morales, the former Angels slugger, rose from the bench to hit a Michael Roth pitch into left field. Seager scored without a throw.
Blanton had ruled the Northwest. He was 5-0 with a 2.93 (40-13) ERA in five previous starts at Safeco Field. On Saturday, he went six-plus innings, allowing nine hits and two runs. He walked four and struck out five.
"I don't like walking guys no matter what," Blanton said. "I can live with myself when guys are smacking the ball all over the place and I'm throwing strikes. When walks beat you, you're basically beating yourself."
The Mariners, who were 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position during Friday's 6-3 loss, were 1-for-10 on Saturday.
Twelve of the Mariners' 26 games have been decided by two runs or fewer.
Bob Sherwin is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
TownePlace Suites coming at corner of Newberry, Tower roads
Published: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 5:16 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 5:16 p.m.
The former Gainesville Hotel and Conference Center just west of Interstate 75 is being demolished to make way for a TownePlace Suites by Marriott extended stay hotel with a restaurant outparcel fronting Newberry Road.
Development plans have not yet been submitted to the Alachua County Department of Growth Management, but Charlotte Smith said the hope is to have the hotel and restaurant open by football season.
Smith, of Orlando-based BlueRock Real Estate Services, is marketing the outparcel, which is being offered for $1.5 million. She said she is talking to several national restaurants from fast food to "sit-down, have-a-beer restaurants."
The hotel is being developed by Gainesville Investment Lodging, a partnership formed by the Desai family of Sanford. Smith said they own other Marriott and Hilton hotels.
Gainesville Investment Lodging bought the hotel out of foreclosure in October 2012 for $1.05 million, 10 percent of the purchase price Keystone Gator Hotel Campus paid in 2006 before Everbank took possession in 2011.
The location, which is situated on Newberry Road between the interstate and Tower Road, was also previously the Holiday Inn West and was considered as transitional housing for homeless veterans in 2011 before that plan was dropped in the midst of a lawsuit from a nearby business.
Keystone also sold the adjacent hotel property closest to the interstate to Danly Group of Delray Beach in 2009 before CB&M Funding of Hollywood foreclosed on it in June 2011. CB&M continues to own that hotel, which operates as Hotel Oaks.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


text:
- Home
- News
- Sports
- Opinion
- Obituaries
- Features
- Special Sections
- Classifieds
- Public Notices
Trailing Walton-Verona since early in the first quarter, the GCHS Braves made a run in the fourth quarter to take the lead, but needed a defensive stop to hold on for the district win.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Grant County News, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.
If you are new to the award winning Grant County News and wish to get a subscription or simply gain access to our online content then please enter your ZIP code below and continue to setup your account.
|ZIP Code:


text:
Squirrels have fuzzy tails.
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Is the green "x" on the image telling me NOT to solder there?
Now...since there are so many areas where the unit is grounded, can I just solder the black wire to any of those?
I've uploaded it to the robot and (surprisingly enough) it worked! I'm so happy . Now...can I pull out the battery or does it need to be in?


text:
Here's our latest assembly and video test of a camera jib support, based on the online Oliviatech build that's been enhanced with useful directions, diagrams, and parts lists by The Basic Filmmaker. See also our earlier DIYcamera jib project, a DIY camera slider project, and a simple camera stabilizer project.
This version was pretty easy to put together. School staff should be able to assist students in building it easily and it will help students understand and make lovely crane-type camera moves as seen on tv and in film productions. Be sure to wear protective eyewear when cutting, drilling and filing, and remember: cut aluminum is shaaaarrrrp, as I found out when my pliers slipped and I gouged a finger. Before assembling, file-off any sharp edges of the tubing; the metal is soft and it's easily done. Also be careful of the tiny metal filings that accumulate around the workspace. Wipe the filings off of the parts before they make it into an eye. This would be a great shop-related project, or a special project for other classes such as, "Explorations in Fabrication of Education-Related Camera Support Equipment"…
Most of the parts were from a local hardware superstore. I followed the Basic Filmmaker's suggestion and ordered the aluminum tubing online already cut to size. Had to search a bit further for the nylon flange bearings but found them on amazon.com from monsterfastener.com. You may be able to find all of the parts locally at hardware and auto parts stores. Check the helpful directions for parts specifications.
Once the jib was assembled I mounted an inexpensive but solid little quick-release camera plate found on amazon.com (available for around $10.00), and used a Fitsanycase.com iPhone adapter and an iOgrapher.com iPad adapter to shoot test video. Thanks to KET's J. R. Pemberton, who kindly cut and drilled the aluminum tubing and angle stock, and to Bill Osborne for his helpful assistance. Check out the The Basic Filmmaker for a very thorough project overview and jib project plan, then build one with your students or for yourself and have fun making those special camera shots that add so much to a video production.


text:
Available Formats: HTML | PDF | TXT
Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Innovation (CDI) (Archived)
Document Type: Program Announcements & Information View Program Page
Document Number: nsf10506
Document History: Posted: November 5, 2009. Replaces: nsf08604. Replaced By: nsf11502.
For more information about file formats used on the NSF site, please see the Plug-ins and Viewers page.


text:
Special Gifts Just for Daughters
When it's time to find a special gift for your daughter, The Bradford Exchange Online is the place to visit! We know just how special the relationship between a parent and daughter can be, and we are delighted to offer a selection of collectibles and gift ideas for your daughter that honors that bond with thoughtful designs, fine craftsmanship, and extraordinary beauty.
Say, "I Love You," Daughter, with Gifts That Are Heartfelt
We have so many exclusive ways to tell your daughter you love her, which means it will be easy to find just the right gift, something that reflects who your daughter is and what it is that makes her unique and special. From elegant figurines like our My Daughter, My Joy Musical Figurine and lovely music boxes like our Daughter I Love Your Personalized Music Box, to dazzling mother daughter jewelry like our Always My Daughter Diamond Pendant Necklace, here you'll find treasures that boast distinctive original designs and are superbly handcrafted of the finest materials.
You'll also find an exceptional selection of personalized gifts, including fine jewelry, music boxes, and much more. Imagine the joy of giving your daughter a beautiful gift, custom made just for her; and the personalization is always free.
Whether you're looking for a unique birthday gift, a magical Christmas gift, or a thoughtful just-because present, all your gift choices will be backed by our best-in-the-business guarantee, with returns up to one full year (120 days for jewelry items) and free return shipping. What a fabulous chance to let your darling daughter know just how much she means to you. Shop Now!


text:
Hi, I have a question. How can something that no one can see the source page?
The only way to stop people seeing the source code is not to publish it on your website. While there are ways to make it more difficult for people, they can't stop people who are determined, and they will always have a negative impact on people using your site in one way or another.
Why does it matter if people can see your source code anyway?
You could minify it to make it harder to read, but as said, you can't hide it in any practical way. If you think your code is unique, you are probably wrong anyway.
There is no code that will block the source? I want the code to be trying to lock this page: view-source: siteadress
You answered the question yourself
More info here.
This can Block This Page?
Besides being different for each browser (each browser has its own way of viewing a page's source), your website itself would have no access to change browser settings.
Example: http://www.metaldetector.com/
Cant right click.
This practice is highly discouraged, not to mention annoying. There are perfectly valid reasons to right click on websites (menu options for opening in a new tab, coping URLs, printing, translation, spelling, etc).
In any case, you can still get to the source even if right clicking is blocked by Javascript. (for example, in Chrome, click the menu button > tools > view source).
Hence why I stated "The down side is people looking at your source usually know how to disabled JS from their browser. "
You could use a base64 encrypt for your pages, im sure people wont bother trying to decrypt it.
m sure people won
The browser would need to be able to decrypt it in order to be able to display the page - that would give people acess to the decrypted version simply by using a browser to decrypt it.
See http://javascriptexample.net/viewsource.php for how to get the decrypted source either using a simple bookmarklet or userscript in IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari or Opera
I used Javascript on my website to prevent ctr + U function :
<script src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.10.2/jquery.min.js"></script>
document.onkeydown = function(e) {
if (e.ctrlKey &&
(e.keyCode === 67 ||
e.keyCode === 86 ||
e.keyCode === 85 ||
e.keyCode === 117)) {
return false;
} else {
return true;
$(document).keypress("u",function(e) {
return false;
return true;
Hope it can help
A suggestion to help improve your visitor's experience of your site would be to get rid of that useless script.
Given that most people view the source code by right-clicking on the page to get the context menu up, or going through the menus, I would be surprised if your script even momentarily stopped more than a handful of people - not to mention the fact that you will then have annoyed them with your petty little script so they will be more determined to find a way round it (which really isn't hard) and then potentially try to sabotage your site, exploit a weakness or just publicise how petty your site management is out of sheer devilment.
There really is NO reason to try to prevent people from accessing your source code. Really. You just can't do it, and the hassle that you cause when you try isn't worth it.
It is just as easy if not easier to press the contextMenu key on the keyboard to bring up the context menu as it is to right click with the mouse.
I think encryption is the best solution for this as above said. Its really worth.
WHY? What good does it do you? Absolutely none. It's just selfish and arrogant.


text:
UPDATED 11/07/13: After a number of delays, a Moscow court convicted Sergei Magnitsky 'in absentia' on July 11 of tax evasion.
In the next few months, Russian prosecutors plan to put a man on trial. Two things make the case important. First, the man is a whistleblower, a lawyer who was jailed after he had publicly accused interior ministry officials of tax fraud amounting to $230m. Second, he is dead.
Amnesty International argues that the posthumous prosecution of Sergei Magnitsky violates his fundamental rights even in death, "in particular the right to defend himself in person."
Is it even legal to try someone once they've died? The key question is whether the trial is criminal, or civil, says William Schabas, professor of international law at Middlesex University. "You can sue a dead person in a civil court – you can sue their estate. But the point of a criminal prosecution is to put them in jail. To my knowledge you can't hold a criminal trial once someone has died – although I can't rule out the fact that a perverse justice system could create such a possibility."
Marie-Aimee Brajeux at Queen Mary's Criminal Justice Centre, University of London, agrees. "The objective of a criminal trial is to hold someone accountable for what they've done wrong and punish them for it. In that case, the defendant has to be alive and no action can be brought against them once they're dead, especially as they can't defend themselves."
Until very recently, it was impossible in Russia to bring criminal proceedings against a dead person – so the case against Magnitsky was closed 13 days after he died. But in 2011, a Constitutional Court ruling allowed that criminal proceedings could be continued after someone's death, if the deceased person's relatives insisted on it. This is the basis on which the case against Magnitsky appears to have been reopened – despite the fact that his mother is strongly against the reopening of the case.
As you can imagine, trials of people who have already died are pretty rare – but not unprecedented.
The Pope Formosus, pope from 891 to 896, was posthumously tried by his political enemies in the so-called Cadaver Synod – "one of the most bizarre incidents in papal history." Read more


text:
10 Mani-Pedi Combos to Try This Summer
The green fruit that could has fat. That's right, it contains monounsaturated fat. This is a good thing. The fat is so tiny it can slip through membranes and protect cells from free radical damage. This enhances vitality and mental acuity, and improves skin texture. Bonus: Avocados may also improve bone density thanks to the mineral boron, which helps absorb calcium, and a whole avocado contains 14 grams of fiber, which expedites the removal of toxins that can lead to aging.
Avocados are best served as an unadulterated raw food. (Does anyone like cooked avocados?) Make a cooling cucumber and avocado soup with fresh mint, toss avocado into organic mixed greens with lemon vinaigrette, or add avocado to a nori wrap filled with baby greens, wild salmon, tomatoes, peppers, and sprouts.
Consider turmeric a regular must-have. It been shown to help prevent cancer, and it contains curcuminoid pigments that turn on genes that enhance the body's own synthesis of antioxidants. Turmeric also protects brain cells and skin cells from free radical damage, improving concentration and slowing the formation of wrinkles and fine lines.
Turmeric's warm peppery flavor adds depth to smoothies, vegetables, and eggs. Add a dash of ground turmeric to an almond milk, banana, and raw honey smoothie, pan-fry organic eggs in coconut oil and toss in ground turmeric, or sauté kale in coconut oil and turmeric.
10 Summer Beauty Products Under $10


text:
I Want to...
Search the Health Library
Get the facts on diseases, conditions, tests and procedures.
Patient Care
I Want To...
I Want To...
Find Research Faculty
Enter the last name, specialty or keyword for your search below.
School of Medicine
I Want to...
Apply for Admission
Or find a doctor at another Johns Hopkins Medicine Member Hospital:
Rosanne Rouf, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Languages: English, Bengali
Expertise: Cardiac Transplant, Cardiomyopathy, Cardiovascular Disease, Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), Heart Failure, Heart Transplant, Inherited Heart Diseases, Peripartum Cardiomyopathy ...read more
Research Interests: The role of matricellular proteins in modulating cardiac fibrosis and heart failure
The Johns Hopkins Hospital
600 N. Wolfe Street
Ross Research Building, Suite 809
Baltimore, MD 21287 map
Phone: 443-287-9798
Fax: 410-367-2224
Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center
601 N. Caroline St.
Baltimore, MD 21287 map
Phone: 443-287-9798
Fax: 410-367-2224
Dr. Rosanne Rouf is a cardiologist with expertise in the medical care of heart failure and heart transplant patients. Her research interests include the role of gene expression in heart failure and in heart defects related to Marfan and Loeys-Deitz syndromes.
Dr. Rouf received her undergraduate and master's degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She graduated from the Duke University School of Medicine, and completed her residency at the Tufts Medical Center. Dr. Rouf pursued fellowships at Tufts and Johns Hopkins, joining the faculty of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 2011.
- Assistant Professor of Medicine
Departments / Divisions
- Medicine - Cardiology
- Medicine - Cardiovascular
Centers & Institutes
- MD, Duke University School of Medicine (2002)
- Tufts -New England Medical Center Hospitals / Internal Medicine (2005)
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine / Cardiology (2010)
Board Certifications
- American Board of Internal Medicine / Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology (2016)
- American Board of Internal Medicine / Cardiovascular Disease
Research & Publications
Selected Publications
Gallo EM, Loch DC, Habashi JP, Calderon JF, Chen Y, Bedja D, van Erp C, Gerber EE, Parker SJ, Sauls K, Judge DP, Cooke SK, Lindsay ME, Rouf R, Myers L, Ap Rhys CM, Kent KC, Norris RA, Huso DL, Dietz HC. Angiotensin II-dependent TGF-β signaling contributes to Loeys-Dietz syndrome vascular pathogenesis. J Clin Invest. 2014 Jan 2;124(1):448-60.
Gould RA, Sinha R, Aziz H, Rouf R, Dietz HC 3rd, Judge DP, Butcher J. Multi-scale biomechanical remodeling in aging and genetic mutant murine mitral valve leaflets: insights into Marfan syndrome. PLoS One. September 11, 2012; 7(9):e44639.
Wei H, Bedja D, Koitabashi N, Xing D, Chen J, Fox-Talbot K, Rouf R, Chen S, Steenbergen C, Harmon JW, Dietz HC, Gabrielson KL, Kass DA, Semenza GL. Endothelial expression of hypoxia inducible factor 1 protects the murine heart and aorta from pressure overload by suppression of TGFb signaling. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. March 8, 2012.
Judge DP, Rouf R, Habashi J, Dietz HC. Mitral valve disease in Marfan syndrome and relate disorders. Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research. August 25, 2011.
Judge DP, Rouf R. Use of genetics in the clinical evaluation and management of heart failure. Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine. December 2010; 12(6):566-77.
Blaha MJ, Bansal S, Rouf R, Golden SH, DeFilippis AP, Blumenthal RS. A practical 'ABCDE' approach to treating the metabolic syndrome. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. August 2008; 83(8):932-41.
Rouf R, Greytak S, Wooten EC, Wu J, Boltax J, Picard M, Dillman WH, Patten RD, Huggins GS. Increased FOG-2 in failing myocardium disrupts thyroid hormone-dependent SERCA2 gene transcription. Circulation Research. August 29, 2008;102(5):493-501.
Mudd JO, Borlaug BA, Johnston PV, Kral BG, Rouf R, Blumenthal RS, Kwiterovich PO, Jr. BeyondLDL Cholesterol—Defining the role of LDL heterogeneity in coronary artery disease. Journal of American College of Cardiology. October 30, 2007; 50:1735-1741.
Activities & Honors
- Stanley J. Sarnoff Fellowship, 1999 - 2000
- Travel Grant, Heart Failure Society of America , 2005
- NIH/NRSA Post-doctoral Research Fellowship, Molecular Cardiology Research Institute, 2005
- Council on Clinical Cardiology Fellowship Travel Grant, American Heart Association, 2007
- Case Study Finalist, Mechanical Circulatory Support in Advanced Heart Failure Conference, 2008
- Women in Cardiology Trainee Award for Excellence, American Heart Association, 2008
- Sarnoff Scholar Fellow-to-Faculty Transition Award (4-year award; one awarded nationally every two years), 2009
- Stanley L. Blumenthal Cardiology Research Award, First Prize in Basic Science, 2010
- W. W. Smith Heart Research Award, 2011
- Young Investigator Award, International Congress of Human Genetics , 2011
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Clinician Scientist Award (1 of 5 awarded institutionally in 2012), 2012
- American Heart Association, 2006
Videos & Media
Lectures and Presentations
Interrogation of sex differences in myxomatous mitral valve disease
Annual Scientific Meeting of the Leducq MITRAL Transatlantic Consortium , Boston (01/09/2010)
Fibrillin-1 is an active extracellular entity necessary for normal cardiac function
31st Annual Scientific Meeting of the Stanley J , National Harbor (01/28/2011)
Sarnoff Endowment for Cardiovascular Science
Gender influences mitral valve disease and response to therapy in Marfan mice
Annual Scientific Meeting of the Leducq MITRAL Transatlantic Consortium , Madrid (01/02/2011)
TAC'kling Marfan Cardiomyopathy: Novel insights regarding pathogenesis and treatment of heart failure
Division of Cardiology Grand Rounds , Baltimore (01/21/2012)
Johns Hopkins Hospital


text:
Welcome to our coverage of the EU summit in Brussels today and tomorrow. By John Aglionby, Ben Fenton and Esther Bintliff in London. All times are BST
The big question will be whether the European leaders who favour quick fixes to the eurozone crisis can persuade German chancellor Angela Merkel that she is wrong to describe their proposals as "eyewash and fake solutions".
The key event today will be
the Italy-Germany semifinal of the Euro 2012 championship the leaders' dinner but we're expecting much jockeying and market action before then.
10.12: If you want to watch the leaders arrive for the summit here's the place to do it.


text:
British oil giant BP was banned from winning new US government contracts Wednesday after agreeing to plead guilty to criminal charges in the deadly 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster.
The decision was announced hours before two BP supervisors were set to make their first court appearance on manslaughter charges for their failure to prevent the deadly blast on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.
A former BP executive charged with obstruction of justice for lying about how much oil was gushing out of the runaway well was also set to appear in the New Orleans federal court Wednesday at 2000 GMT.
Two weeks after agreeing to pay $US4.5 billion to settle criminal charges in the case, the US Environmental Protection Agency ordered BP "temporarily" blocked from obtaining new contracts until it can prove it meets US government business standards.
"EPA is taking this action due to BP's lack of business integrity as demonstrated by the company's conduct with regard to the Deepwater Horizon blowout, explosion, oil spill, and response," the agency said in a statement.
The EPA cited BP's admission of guilt on November 15 to 11 counts of manslaughter, one count of felony obstruction of Congress and two environmental violations arising from the April 20, 2010 well blowout, which caused the worst ecological disaster in US history.
The blowout and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform left 11 people dead and spewed some 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 days, blackening beaches in five states.
The EPA said the ban on BP and its affiliates from receiving federal contracts will continue "until the company can provide sufficient evidence to EPA demonstrating that it meets federal business standards."
The order does not affect existing contracts.
BP said in a statement that it hopes to have the ban lifted as quickly as possible and has been working with the EPA to prove it can meet federal standards.
"As BP's submissions to the EPA have made clear, the company has made significant enhancements since the accident," BP said.
"In the two and a half years since the Deepwater Horizon accident, the US government has granted BP more than 50 new leases in the Gulf of Mexico, where the company has been drilling safely since the government moratorium was lifted," it added.
However, BP's legal woes are far from over. It must still resolve a civil case on environmental fines which could amount to as much as $US18 billion if gross negligence is found. It also remains on the hook for economic damages, including the cost of environmental rehabilitation.
Earlier this year, BP reached an agreement to settle claims from fishermen and others affected by the disaster for $US7.8 billion, but it must be approved by a federal judge.
BP has signaled it will continue to aggressively pursue damages from rig operator Transocean and well operations subcontractor Halliburton, which BP blames for faulty work leading up to the blowout.
Robert Kaluza, 62, and Donald Vidrine, 65 -- the highest-ranking BP supervisors onboard the Deepwater Horizon at the time of the deadly blast -- were expected to plead not guilty later Wednesday to felony manslaughter charges.
Prosecutors said the men ignored "glaring red flags that the well was not secure" and failed to take "appropriate action" to prevent the blowout.
Their lawyers said they are being treated as scapegoats.
"Every investigative report has said there were multiple failures at multiple levels at multiple companies," Shaun Clarke, Kaluza's attorney, told the Washington Post. "So it is difficult for me to understand why the federal government decided to single out two guys working on a rig."
Vidrine's attorney, Bob Habans, said of his client: "It is almost inconceivable that any fair-minded person would blame this hardworking and diligent man for one of the most catastrophic events in the history of the oil business."
They face up to 10 years in prison on each of 11 counts of seaman's manslaughter and eight years in prison on each of 11 counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Former senior BP executive David Rainey was charged in a separate indictment with obstructing a congressional investigation and making false statements to law enforcement officials for allegedly downplaying the extend of the spill.


text:
Coco Bonbons - Boys Outerspace collection
If you've got a little guy that's over the moon about space than this collection by Coco Bonbons is sure to please. Great mix and match pieces make it easy for him to pick his own outfits. I always give some clothes as Christmas gifts- these are awesome enough that they'll feel a little bit like toys.


text:
THE majority of Worcestershire's schools inspected last year were good or outstanding, according to latest figures released by Ofsted.
The Education watchdog revealed 87 per cent of the county's schools were ranked as good or outstanding in the last quarter of 2013.
Out of the 236 schools inspected in that quarter, 38 (16 per cent) were outstanding and 168 (71 per cent) were good.
There were 26 schools (11 per cent) that required improvement and four schools (two per cent) that were inadequate.
The previous figures, released in August 2013, showed 15 per cent were found to be outstanding and 68 per cent were good, while 15 per cent were satisfactory (the old ranking) and two per cent inadequate.
The data puts Worcestershire joint second with Gloucestershire in a comparison of similar local authorities.
Wiltshire, Leicestershire and Hampshire trailed just behind while Dorset was the only local authority ahead.


text:
Excerpt from Mr. Adnan Oktar's interview on A9 TV dated 3 April 2012
ADNAN OKTAR: "Those who repent, those who worship, those who praise," Allah likes those who repent. "those who worship" acts of worship such as prayer and fasting and everything. "those who praise," alhamdulillah. "those who fast," for Allah. "those who bow, those who prostrate, those who command the right, those who forbid the wrong, those who preserve the limits of Allah: give good news to the believers."
"those who command the right, those who forbid the wrong," Commanding the right and forbidding the wrong. Muslims have a duty to observe these acts of worship day and night. "The Religious Affairs Department does that," people say. But then the Religious Affairs Department will earn the merit from it. But what about you? Can the Religious Affairs Department pray on your behalf? No. Neither can the Religious Affairs Department preach on your behalf. You must do it yourself. Everyone has a duty to preach Islam on the path of Allah.2012-06-27 12:39:32


text:
Conor Grennan
Conor Grennan, the author of the 2011 All Fairfax Reads selection, Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal was interviewed for BookCast by Fairfax County Public Library Director Sam Clay. BookCast is sponsored by the Fairfax Library Foundation.
Grennan will discuss his memoir during the Fall for the Book Festival at 7:30 p.m. on September 21 on the campus of George Mason University.
At the age of 29, Grennan traded his day job for a trip around the world that began with a three-month stint in an orphanage in Nepal. In his memoir, Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal, Grennan chronicles his transformation from a reluctant volunteer to the founder of Next Generation Nepal , an organization that is dedicated to returning trafficked children to their parents.
During his stay as a volunteer at the Little Princes Children's Home in the village of Godawari, Nepal, he learned that not all the children at the home were orphans. Some had been trafficked. He later returned to Nepal to launch Next Generation Nepal which has reconnected some 400 children with their families.
Conor Grennan spent eight years at the EastWest Institute (EWI), both in Prague and the EU Office in Brussels. During that time, he developed and managed a wide variety of projects focusing on issues such as peace and reconciliation in the Balkans and harmonizing anti-trafficking policy. In 2001 he was made Deputy Director of EWI's Program on Security and Good Governance, and served as the Advisor on EU Affairs to EWI's Worldwide Security Program.
Grennan is a citizen of the U.S. and Ireland and a graduate of the University of Virginia and the NYU Stern School of Business.
Christian Science Monitor review


text:
VOICES Ideas and Insight From Explorers
Tag archives for Non-lethal Predator Control
We are Cheetah Friendly – Part II
"We are cheetah friendly". The sign hangs on the gates of farms who participate in Cheetah Outreach's Livestock Guardian Dog Program. In a land where commercial farming has encroached on wildlife for generations, certain NGOs and farmers are working together to create new ways of solving the problems of predation. Cheetah Outreach comes not…


text:
I would like to make a special meal for my Mom. But she lives in West Virginia and I live in Wisconsin. So my gift to her this year will be delivered by a white truck. But if I could, I would make the following simple menu in her honor. Today's menu features several dishes my Mom especially loves.
It starts with a salad that seemed so unusual, so elegant the first time Mom served it, long ago. Spinach, Orange, and Onion Salad. Fruit and greens? Wow. Now, that is not at all unusual, but it is still delicious.
photo by blair_25
Spinach, Orange, and Onion Salad serves 4
5 ounces fresh baby spinach
1 orange, sectioned and membranes removed OR 1 can mandarin oranges, drained
¼ sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thawed orange juice concentrate (calcium fortified works well)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Arrange spinach, orange sections and onion on serving plates.
In a small bowl, whisk orange juice concentrate, olive oil and mustard until well blended. Add salt and pepper as desired. Drizzle dressing over the salad.
My mom nearly drools at the mention of pork, nearly any kind of pork. Such a simple entree, Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin is roasted and served in only 30 minutes.
photo by tvol
Herb Rubbed Pork Tenderloin Serves 4
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
2 teaspoons dried thyme
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ tsp salt, optional
1 1/4 lbs pork tenderloin
Preheat oven to 400.
Slide a sharp knife under sliver skin, or the white membrane, of the tenderloin and discard. For easy clean up, line a sheet pan with non-stick foil or parchment paper. Mix herbs together on the foil, arrange in a long line. Roll pork in the mixture.
For very tender and moist meat, a bit pink in the center, roast for 20-25 minutes, or to an internal temperature of 150 degrees.
But Mom likes her pork well done. If you do too, cook it a bit longer to 160 degrees. It is tenderloin, so it will still be tender. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Slice pork against the grain and serve. Rhubarb sauce is a nice spring sauce to serve with the pork.
Just as Mom drools at the mere mention of pork, she positively swoons over potatoes. For her, no dinner is complete with out mashed potatoes. Smashed potatoes elevate the usual comfort food with more texture, rich flavor and color.
photo by vsimon
Smashed Potatoes Serves 6
Creamy and chunky, with bits of red skins.
Adapted from Cooking Illustrated Nov/Dec 2004
2 pounds red potatoes, unpeeled
4 tablespoons butter
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Halve the potatoes if they are large. Boil until very soft, 30 or more minutes. Drain and reserve cooking water. Add butter and cream cheese to the pan, cover, and allow to melt.
With a wooden spoon, mash potatoes, butter, and cream cheese. Add some reserved water to thin to desired consistency.
Save any unused potato water for making yeast bread or soup. Mom would not do that, but I would.
photo by –stamina-
Spring Peas are an easy side, full of bright green color and healthy fiber. Maybe you and your Mom can get them at a local farmers market. If it is still too early for peas where you live, use frozen tiny peas. Cook quickly in a little water and add a bit of butter and dill if you like.
My mom is known for a few recipes, Lemon Bars is one. She has been making this for probably 50 years. The original recipe adapted beautifully to gluten free ingredients. I hope that they will become a favorite at your house too. Mom notes use only real butter, no substitutes.
photo by surlygirl
Lemon Squares Yield 12 squares
Traditional, full fat, and very sweet. Just the way Mom likes them.
parchment paper
1 cup all purpose gluten free baking flour mix (Bob's Red Mill works well)
¼ cup powdered sugar plus a few tablespoons for garnishing
½ cup chilled butter
2 eggs
1 dash salt
1 cup sugar
½ tsp baking powder
2 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper. Oil the sides of the pan.
In a small bowl mix flour and powdered sugar. Cut in butter. You can pinch the butter and flour between your fingers, or use a tool called a pastry cutter. Either way mix the butter and flour together until it is crumbly and resembles cornmeal.
Pat the crumbles into a crust on the bottom only of the pan, not up the sides. Bake 20 minutes at 350.
Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients together. Pour over crust and bake an additional 20-25 minutes. Cool completely and dust with powdered sugar. Cut into squares.
Happy Mother's Day Mom!
Mom leading me in water aerobics photo by abush
This menu, with slight changes, appears in the May issue of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness newsletter.


text:
Starting with Designer 8.2.1, you can submit crash information using Windows Error Reporting. When you submit crash information, it would be helpful if you could log a bug and provide the steps required to reproduce the bug as well as the crash bucket ID assigned by Windows Error Reporting. Logging a bug will go a long way in helping us find the cause of the problems.
- Go to www.adobe.com
- Click the Send feedback link at the bottom of the page.
- In the Adobe Products section, click Report a bug.
- In the Product name list, select Designer.
- Provide the steps to reproduce the crash.
- Provide the crash bucket ID.
To retrieve the Windows Error Reporting Crash Bucket ID
Windows XP
- Select Control Panel -> Performance and Maintenance -> Administrative Tools -> Event Viewer.
- In the left pane, select Application.
- In the Application list, you should see two log messages called "Application Error" at the time Designer crashed. One of the log messages identifies the crash as being from "FormDesigner.exe". The other message identifies the crash bucket ID that Windows Error Reporting associated with the crash. The number called "Fault Bucket" is the number you need to include in the bug report.
Windows Vista
- Select Control Panel -> System and Maintenance -> Problem Reports and Solution.
- In the Tasks list, click View problem history.
- Locate the section of problem history for LiveCycle Designer ES.
- Double-click on the event that correspond to the date and time of the crash.
- Click the "Copy to clipboard" link and past it into the bug report.
Windows 7
- Select Control Panel, search for "Problem Reports", and then click on "View all problem reports".
- Double-click on the event that corresponds to the date and time of the crash.
- Click the "Copy to clipboard" link and past it into the bug report.
Thank you
The LiveCycle Designer team


text:
Did you know?
The Pel's fishing-owl eats fish, frogs, and the occasional baby Nile crocodile.
South Africa has more than 800 birds, a number that rivals the entire continent of North America's bird count.
And here's a fun list of Big Six birds that would even intrigue non-birders. They're easy to see (except for one), spectacular and are all found in the Kruger National Park.
The lappet-faced vulture is the largest scavenger in Africa. From its scaled feet to the top of its bare pink head, it stands one metre tall. And its wingspan is truly enormous – up to three metres across, second only to that of a wandering albatross.
Then there's the colourful saddle-billed stork, which has a similarly impressive wingspan (2.7 metres). In fact, this bird is the giant of the stork family. If you're lucky (it's endangered, so not that common to see), you'll see it stalking in shallow streams and ponds, hunting for small fish and frogs.
The martial eagle, South Africa's biggest eagle, is probably the most powerful of the Big Six. You'll immediately recognise it by its dark head and wings, speckled white belly and imperious air. It can swoop down on animals as large as a medium-sized goat or baby impala and carry them away. Look for it in open savannah areas.
Then there's the Kori bustard – said to be the world's heaviest flying bird (although Europe's great bustard gives it a run for its money). Specimens have been recorded as weighing 19 kilograms. It stalks about the veld like a cricket groundsman checking the wicket. Actually, it is hunting for unsuspecting lizards and small rodents.
The southern ground hornbill, also an endangered species, is another distinctive bird. It sometimes uses its impressive red wattles to make booming noises very early in the morning, as well as noises that sound disturbingly like lion grunts. This hornbill eats frogs, snails, lizards, snakes and the occasional small mammal.
Then there is the Holy Grail of Big Six birding – Pel's fishing-owl, a beautiful, reddish-brown creature. Rare and secretive, it often eludes keen birders and perversely reveals itself to people who don't know what a treasure they're seeing.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
SANParks Central Reservations
Tel: +27 (0)12 428 9111
Email: email@example.com
How to get here
These birds are found in the Kruger National Park, but not exclusively. There are daily flights to Nelspruit and Hoedspruit, which are very close to Kruger entrance gates. Alternately, a drive from Johannesburg or Pretoria will take approximately five hours. Take the N4 towards Nelspruit, and follow the signs from there, but it's advised you consult a map as the Kruger Park is large and your route will depend on which camp you're heading for.
Best time to visit
Summer (October to March) is the best birding time in South Africa as that's when migrant species also visit.
Tours to do
You can book game drives with a guide in the Kruger National Park. The night drives are especially worthwhile for game, though if you're looking for birds in particular, you'll see more on a morning drive.
Get around
It's best to have your own car in the Kruger National Park, so you should consider hiring one.
Length of stay
To give yourself the best chance of seeing these large (but sometimes elusive) birds, set aside about three days. As a bonus, you'll see far more than the Big Six birds.
Where to stay
The Kruger National Park has a wide variety of campsites, self-catering accommodation and luxury lodges. There are also adjoining private game reserves like the Sabi Sands, the Timbavati and Klaserie, all containing very well-known luxury bushlodges. Your best chance of seeing Pel's fishing-owl is in the far north of the park, near the Punda Maria camp.


text:
Friday, December 23, 2011 - 11:44 AM
The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra Visits Meinl
While travelling through Germany, members of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra stopped by at Meinl's new showroom in Gutenstetten for an extensive test of Meinl's symphonic cymbals- and percussion instruments.
"We are honored that the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra chose to use our symphonic cymbals," comments Meinl's International Artist Relations Manager Norbert Saemann. "I am looking very much forward to working with them in the future and helping them finding their perfect cymbal sound for all of their musical needs."
Back row, left to right:
Norbert Saemann (Meinl)
Manuel Kroetz (Timpani / Percussion)
Peter Huepping (Artistic and Operations Manager)
Ulli Napp (Technical Director)
Nasser S. Nasseb (Stage Manager)
Front row, left to right:
Kee Guan Ng (Timpani / Percussion, Co-Principal)
Ferdinand Schaefer (Timpani / Percussion)
Rafeek Kolepperri (Stage Technician)
The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra online


text:
La Liberation, one of the major French dailies, carried a report titled "A Book by a Creationist Turkish Author Has Been Distributed to Hundreds of High Schools." The report contained the following statements:
0000-00-00 00:00:00
A book called the Atlas of Creation, enriched by a large number of illustrations, written by the Turkish author Harun Yahya and condemning the theory of evolution and full of praise for creationism, has been sent to hundreds of educational institutions, mainly high schools but also including universities. . . .
Supported by pictures of fossils and animals, the Atlas of Creation seeks to prove that man has remained unchanged, contrary to what the supporters of Darwin maintained in the 19th century. The author and editor includes his works, which have been translated into many foreign languages, on his website, as well as extracts from the Qur'an intended to confirm his views. Harun Yahya is known as the greatest champion of creationism in Turkey. . .


text:
Teen Tracking for Protection and Peace of Mind
With BrickHouse Security's selection of GPS tracking devices for teenagers, you can be comfortable knowing that your teen is hitting the road safely. Choose between hardwired car trackers or battery-powered GPS tracking devices for parents. GPS vehicle trackers not only provide real-time location updates right from your smartphone, PC or tablet, but you're also able to receive speed alerts the moment your teen exceeds any speed you select. Encourage your teen driver's good habits with a GPS tracker for parents.


text:
Asparagus? Spare us the fuss. Caviar, you too. And oysters? You may have stirred things up in the past, but it's really starting to get old — the whole I'm-the-only-aphrodisiac-anyone-ever-thinks-about thing. Even chocolate, well… Ok, so maybe not chocolate, but surely you see what we're getting at here. The same list of libido-inspiring foods, unleashed year after year, has grown stale. It's no secret that spontaneity is the key ingredient to any recipe for romance, so play it cool this Valentine's Day and beyond with eight fresh alternatives to the old, standard stuff.
Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines…
1. Watermelon's Randy Rind
Did you know that watermelon can make you randy? The closer you get to the rind, the more it relaxes and expands blood vessels. If you aren't feeling it, or the little blue pill, try this sweet treat instead…
Romantic Recipe:
Mixed Melon Salad with Cilantro and Lime (pictured above)
Spicy Melon and Serrano Ham
Watermelon, Ginger and Lime Granitas
2. Hello Fennel, So Long Silicone
This bulb-shaped vegetable has a texture like celery (another aphrodisiac) and a lightly intoxicating licorice flavor. Fennel's nutrients mimic the effects of estrogen and have even been rumored to have an effect on breast size. So long, Silicone.
Romantic Recipes:
Braised Veal Sweetbreads with Fennel and Tomato (pictured above)
Chicken with Fennel-Cream Sauce and Penne
Orange, Red Onion and Fennel Salad
3. Celery: The Chick-Magnet Cologne?
Celery stimulates sexual arousal in women. After a guy eats celery, it acts as a chick-magnet of sorts, using its natural scent to turn women on. Call it an earthy, crunchy alternative to rolling up in a cloud of Axe Body Spray.
Romantic Recipes:
Celery and Tofu Salad (pictured above)
Celery Pineapple Smoothie
Cuttlefish with Celery and Walnuts
4. Vanilla – Plain Old? Please…
Dr. John King praised its ability to "stimulate the sexual propensities," and Neurologist Alan Hirsch recently proclaimed it the one scent most potent in its ability to arouse men. It's no surprise that when it was first made commercially available in the early 1900s, many American women preferred to use it as perfume.
Romantic Recipes:
Vanilla Meringues (pictured above)
Vanilla-Scented Sweet Potato Puree
Roasted Pears with Cardamom Granola and Vanilla Ice Cream
5. Pomegranate: The Real Forbidden Fruit?
Eaten regularly by the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, some say the forbidden fruit of the Bible was not apple at all, but rather its far more flamboyant counterpart, the pomegranate.
Romantic Recipes:
Pear Crumble with Pomegranate Sauce (pictured above)
Pomegranate Quinoa Pilaf
Blueberry and Pomegranate Salad
6. Figs Are One Scandalous Fruit
Adam and Eve wore fig leaves to cover their private parts, and Cleopatra is fabled to have called them her favorite fruit. Whether it has anything to do with their voluptuous shape, sweet dark flesh and honey scent is hard to confirm, but an open fig has long been thought to resemble the female sex organs.
Romantic Recipes:
Fig and Blue Cheese Flatbread (pictured above)
Figs Wrapped in Prosciutto with Gorgonzola and Brie
Baked Figs with Grappa
7. Pine Nuts: You Zinc-ing What I'm Zinc-ing…?
A key ingredient in any proper love potion, pine nuts have been used to stimulate the libido as far back as Medieval times and are ripe for the ingesting (precisely) this time of year. Few things get the pheromones flowing like a little dose of zinc, and these earthy nuts are pretty well-endowed when it comes to the miracle-working mineral.
Romantic Recipes:
Pine Nut Lamb Meatballs with Pasta (pictured above)
Pine Nut Cookies
Grape and Pine Nut Pizza
8. Saffron: The Top Shelf Turn On
Saffron's reputation as a sexual drug has long helped skyrocket its lavish lifestyle as the world's priciest food per pound, but when it's referenced in the Old Testament's scandalous Song of Songs and rumored to have been added to Cleopatra's baths to enhance her lovemaking, you've got to ask yourself – what's all the fuss about? – and then go find out.
Romantic Recipes:
Saffron Rice (pictured above)
Soft-Shell Crab BLT with Saffron Aioli and Peppercress
Note: The above aphrodisiac information is speculative and not medically proven.


text:
HOUSTON - Want to get revenge for something? There's an app for that, but it's causing controversy.
Grab the boxing gloves or go for the knife. The gun will cost you 99 cents, but a baseball bat is included. Choose your weapon and bludgeon your opponent into oblivion.
The game is called Friendly Revenge and it's marketed as a way for people to de-stress.
"We're taking that (daily) stress and channeling it through the video game," said the game's developer, Michael Dromlewis, of MD2 Group.
More specifically, Dromlewis hopes young people will use the game to take out aggression. Instead of turning to real violence and bullying, they can put their target's face on a cartoon body via the camera-phone and go to town, so to speak.
"Instead of having the schoolyard bully beat the kid, why don't we do it in a video game?" said Dromlewis.
During the game, as the character's health meter inches closer to death, the player's stress-relief meter goes in the other direction.
"In definitely no way are we promoting violence at all," said Dromlewis. "We are using what's called a stress-relieving factor."
KPRC Local 2 asked psychotherapist Micki Grimland, who has worked with children and studied childhood behavioral issues for 30 years, about the effectiveness of channeling aggression through a game like Friendly Revenge.
"Do the kids who play those video games seem more chilled-out and relaxed? The ones I see in my office aren't," said Grimland. "They're lonely, cut off from human contact."
Grimland said she sees mixed messages in a game that's meant to help cut down on bullying, yet allows players to eliminate their worst enemies.
"I don't want my children to learn to release stress with aggression," she said. "I want them to learn to relieve stress with breathing, slowing down, being quiet, taking a time out and having mindful thinking."
Most parents KPRC Local 2 met agreed, saying the game was inappropriate for their young children.
"Absolutely horrible," Bobby Roddey said. "I think that'll invite kids to be more violent."
Some wondered if the simple action of the game could turn into something.
Without venturing a guess on the effectiveness of the game as an anti-bullying tool, other parents were just so disgusted with bullying in general that they're willing to try almost anything at the smallest chance it might help.
Teenager Kylaa Carter said she sees both sides. On one hand the game might give the player a sense a relief, but she worries it could be "bad because they might actually do it."
And that leads back to Grimland's point: While the video game itself may not cause violence, the blood-splattering images it projects can desensitize the brain even for older children who may be more mentally-equipped to decipher between reality and fantasy.
For Dromlewis, "fantasy" is a key word. And so is "social." He said he sees Friendly Revenge as a harmless stress-relieving game, obviously not real, where kids can share and compare their battles on social media like Facebook or Twitter.
"It creates a laugh, gets your attention and nobody gets hurt," said Dromlewis. "By the end of the end of the day, all you're doing is comparing funny pictures."
In a situation like this, even Grimland and Dromlewis would agree the responsibility ultimately falls on the parents. But Grimland takes it a step further, saying we should all have an investment in the mental health of the children of this world. Whether it's a game-maker, a journalist, or a psychotherapist, we are all general citizens. And with many kids more tech savvy than the adults these days, that responsibility may be greater and tougher than at any point in our history.
Grimland has other suggestions for parents to channel their children's aggression: breathing exercises, yoga, sports, even boxing or martial-arts that allow kids to pound on inanimate objects.
Despite the criticism of the game, Dromlewis said he's committed to his anti-bullying message and will donate a portion of the game's proceeds to charities working with kids.
Copyright 2012 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
This article is about spoilers related to the episode. For other uses, see Rubber Man (disambiguation).
Spoilerish Summary
"Rubber Man" is I think by far my favorite episode. I think it's very psychological and I think one of the things about the house is that it's always conspired to help people or drive them crazy. In the next episode, it kinda does both. Suffice to say, there are several characters in the next episode who want that baby and will do anything to get it.
-- Ryan Murphy
Spoiler Tidbits
- Chad Warwick & Patrick will return in this episode.[1][2][3] Chad bought the rubber suit for Patrick (see video link).[4][3]
- You will learn Rubber Man's identity in this episode.[1][4][3]
- Rubber Man's identity being revealed leads to revealing what is inside Vivien.[4]
- Hayden will also come back for this episode.[5][4] She and Nora will plot together to abduct Vivien's babies once they are born (see video link).
- Hayden will torment Vivien and watch the Rubber Man attack Vivien. (see video posted)
- Nora did not know until this episode that she was dead. Hayden will try to convince her of this (see video link).
- There will be more flashbacks in this episode than in previous episodes. This episode features four different time periods.[4]
- "The episode also continues to divulge the pasts of the many victims of the forsaken house that the Harmon's reside in. Ben attempts to throw a life preserver around his drowning relationship with his daughter, Violet. She, herself, is continuing her peculiar relationship with the very dead and very creepy Tate. Vivien is just about at her wits-end with everything that has happened to her since moving into her home. She begins to feel like she's literally going crazy after more strange occurrences continue to plague her. A little chat with Moira, her maid, pretty much takes her to the breaking point and she decides to try to escape the madness of the house for good by leaving. Something that proves to be much harder for her to accomplish than she thought." [6]
|300px|Official trailer
|300px|right|Chad buys the rubber suit in a fetish store
|300px|Official trailer in slow motion
|right|300px|Hayden watches as Rubber man rapes Vivien
More Videos
- Hayden & Nora discuss abducting Vivien's twins
- Vivien tells Marcy and Moira that she saw a ghost, Nora.
MAJOR Spoilers (reveals who Rubber Man is)
- Tate is Rubber Man. [7] (see also screen caps below and Notes below)
- Chad tried to spice up/repair the relationship with Patrick by buying the rubber suit. This "repair" did not work. Since their relationship was unraveling, Chad and Patrick decided to not have a child. Tate killed Chad and Patrick for this reason. Since Tate also impregnated Vivien this also means that he wants a child to live in the Murder House by all means.
- Hayden enlists Nora's and Tate's help in tormenting Vivien. Hayden wants Vivien out of the picture in order to get Ben back. Hayden has Tate attempt to rape Vivien.
- Vivien will take "drastic action to ensure the safety of her family."[8]
- After a discussion with Moira, who advises her to leave, Vivien also attempts to leave the Murder House. She is unsuccessful however. She does leave the house, but in a different way as imagined: Ben has her admitted to a psychiatric hospital.[7]
- Hayden tries to seduce Tate, since she believes that will ascertain that he is on her side against Vivien. Tate believes that Vivien wants to move with Violet, so he cooperates. He does not, however, sleep with Hayden.[7]
- Hayden then tries a new plan: Realizing that Violet is the only thing Tate wants, she tries to kill Violet in order to turn her into a ghost as well.[7]
- Hayden is now a sort of "puppet master" for the house and knows who is a ghost and who isn't.
Sources for the above summary [7] [9] [10]
Notes: Two of the sources for the above Major spoilers are still online (TV Guide and Examiner). The third source, The Hollywood Reporter (THR) interview with Kate Mara, was however first posted on 22 Nov 2011 for a few hours and then blocked ("access denied"). It was "unblocked" after the episode had aired and is thus now accessible online again. Screen caps of said THR article as it originally appeared on their website on 22 Nov 2011 are below, as well as a screencap of the TV Guide blurb. The TV Guide blurb is still online however. 'This wikia does not receive screeners.
Excerpt from interview with Kate Mara (see screen caps):
- THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER (THR): How sure is Hayden that Vivien's "twins" are Tate's/The Rubber Man's?
KATE MARA: Hayden is definitely convinced those are Rubber Man's babies. You're going to discover a lot more than that in next week's episode where you find more information about that; it's pretty shocking. You find out more information about the pregnancy and the twins -- it's not as simple as it seems. [...]
- THR: Violet (Taissa Farmiga) is standing in the way of Hayden getting Tate behind her. Is Violet a friend or foe to Hayden?
KATE MARA: Hayden doesn't really care about Tate; she thinks she'll seduce him and then he'll do what she wants. But when she realizes that won't work, that's when her brain goes, "OK, what does he want? He wants Violet, so how can he get Violet?" The easiest thing for Hayden is seducing him, which is what got her into trouble in the first place. When that fails, she goes to her next tactic: How can Hayden help him spend the rest of his life with Violet? You'll discover in maybe the next episode how that plan is going to unfold for Tate. Hayden doesn't care about Violet because she hasn't been in her way. Hayden's biggest concern is Vivien: How do I destroy Vivien and take her babies?
Cite error:
<ref> tags exist, but no
<references/> tag was found


text:
Paddling into the new year
What better way to start the new year than to hurtle down a few rapids, catch your breath at a stretch of still water, and then be off to face some more rapids?
That was my start to 2013, with some white-water rafting at Earth Adventures, an adventure company that operates near the Vaal River, just over an hour's drive from Johannesburg.
Our big family group of 5 adults, 2 teenagers and 4 smaller children aged 11, 5, 6, and 7 donned our helmets, listened carefully to our safety briefing and then drove off in a big truck to the banks of the mighty Vaal.
Our experienced guides, many veterans of the most exciting rafting in the world at the Victoria Falls gorge in Zimbabwe, allocated us to our 2-person inflatable dinghies (2-person + small child in some cases), and pushed us off the edge of the bank on to the water.
It was a wonderful, exhilarating, exciting day. Put on your sunscreen, closed shoes, clothes you don't mind getting wet in and take yourself off to the Vaal.
At first, a fair amount of confusion reigned. Some of the rafters were experienced, most were novices. But once people grasped the notion that you had to paddle in unison, and that the front person continued paddling while the 'captain' at the back steered and issued instructions, then the game was on.
At the first rapid – 'Big Daddy' – one raft capsized with both crew getting an unexpected swim. A long 4km stretch of quiet river followed, where we spotted some lovely waterbirds, including a Goliath heron, blacksmith lapwings, kingfishers and cormorants.
And after a much-needed break at a picnic spot (this paddling is hard work!) we continued our journey.
At the next 3 rapids, a handful more people fell out, all safely rescued and restored to their crafts by the watchful and very careful guides (no children fell out because they were very well looked after and their safety was paramount).
The last rapid involved dodging some rocks – most of us made it, but one unfortunate tipped over on the last rock of the last rapid. We'd paddled 10km and felt very proud of ourselves.
It was a wonderful, exhilarating, exciting day. Put on your sunscreen, closed shoes, clothes you don't mind getting wet in (plus a change of dry clothes), and take yourself off to the Vaal.
And if you're not a water baby, then try your hand at paintball, abseiling, quad bikes, fly-fishing, horse riding, clay-pigeon shooting or even bungee jumping.
Category: Adventure


text:
Tagged: 'Robert Mathis'
Cincinnati Bengals Face a Struggling, but Proud Indianapolis Colts Team
October 14th, 2011 at 7:10 AM
Nobody predicted the Cincinnati Bengals having a better record than the Indianapolis Colts when when the 2011 schedule came out. A lot has changed since then and even more since the Colts defeated Cincinnati last November. The Bengals have remade their offense with new coordinator Jay Gruden along with draft picks Andy...


text:
Although this blog goes beyond do-it-yourself projects, the vast majority of my traffic comes from my previously posted DIY Tank Top: Fashion on a Budget entry. It seems that the people of the internet are largely interested in ways to make new things without spending a dime, which makes sense to me. So, people of Pinterest (and the rest of the blogging world), I give you Fashion on a Budget Round 2! This time, I tried my hand at recreating a popular pin from my Dollars, Sense and More board.
Tag Archives: Tank top
DIY Tank Top: Fashion on a Budget
Like the rest of the female college world, I have been swept up in the Pinterest craze. The information sharing site allows users to "pin" things they enjoy to categorized boards for users who follow to see. The other day, a friend pinned a link to instructions to make these tanks from t-shirts. Being in a sorority, I have an inordinate amount of t-shirts that could use some remodeling, so I decided to give it a try. Now I have turned two t-shirts that I never wear into cute new tank tops.
Although there is already a set of instructions, I came up with my own to help you avoid a few of the problems that I ran into along the way. Transform your old T's into tanks by following the instructions below.


text:
The Metadata Working Group (MWG) has recent posted Test Files for verifying The Guidelines for Handling Image Metadata. These files are critical for developers that are handling image metadata in their applications or services. Especially if they trying to reconcile IIM-IPTC, Exif, and XMP metadata.
The specification and the test files are the result of the great collaboration between the companies the make up the MWG: Adobe, Apple, Canon, Microsoft, Nokia, and Sony.
The topic may be pretty esoteric or dry for most but metadata interoperability will be increasing important in improving our digital experience. The rate of sharing digital images is exploding. The ability to tag and sharing information related to those images as they move from phone/camera to OS, to application, to online service and then back to a phone is critical in providing the foundation for the sharing and personalization experiences.
It also provides the foundation for sharing and preserving important information such as copyright and rights usage. Embedded metadata such as XMP is becoming the communication channel that is carried with the media – it can carry the connections to build businesses – think about embedding your business card info in your media, or even e-commerce related information about how to license the image or purchase what is in the picture.