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Kimmo Timonen is 37 years old and the Philadelphia Flyers' best defenseman. He officially has his shot at saying the same when he's 38.
The Flyers on Thursday announced a one-year deal with Timonen worth, according to multiple reports, $6 million. He was in the final year of a six-year, $37.8 million deal he signed in 2007.
Timonen has a goal and four assists so far in 2013 and had 43 points in 76 games last season. He averages more overall minutes (22:46) and power-play time (4:47) than any other Philadelphia defenseman and also plays on the penalty kill.
The deal means that the Flyers have a little more than $62 million committed to 19 players for the 2013-14 season. The salary cap is set at $64.3 million, which means that, as per their custom, the Flyers will have to get creative when it comes to avoiding the upper limit.


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So apparently food companies are convinced if they sprinkle a little peppermint or gingerbread stuff into absolutely any food whatsoever, we silly holiday idiots will scarf it down like it came straight from the manger.
And they're totally right.
For instance: I recently discovered Target sold something called "Holiday Milk," and this milk came in alarming flavors and colors like "Red Velvet Chocolate," which, according to the packaging, is not only "Limited Holiday Edition" but also "Contains milk." And hoo boy, is it red. Like, slightly brown, scare-the-children red.
I bought it immediately and decided to test the wares out at a fancy dinner party (fancy in that there were several types of forks and everyone kept their shoes on during the meal). Let me say this: If you want to be a star at a get-together, whip out a carton of fancy milk. Though we were giggly and high on creamed collard greens and fully prepared to be horrified, we ended up clutching our fancy little cups like happy children.
It was delicious. Like very thick milk, almost a shake, with a cake-like flavor that resembled red velvet about as much as a glass of milk ever could. Though the color was still off-putting, someone astutely pointed out that we don't really have any problem drinking brown milk, and perhaps in the future people like myself won't hold such prejudices against oddly colored dairy drinks.
So, there you have it. Target, your red velvet milk is pretty darn good.
That being said, just because one weird holiday foodstuff is better than expected doesn't mean we should blithely give a pass to the ridiculous snacks Big Food waves in front of our hungry, hungry faces. That doesn't mean it should be OK for Pringles to release a White Chocolate Peppermint potato chip, knowing full well we will laugh and pooh-pooh, but still stand in the chip aisle at the grocery store, mumbling to ourselves like crazy people when we can't find it.
I couldn't find it, so instead I must defer to Gawker's full review of the holiday-themed potato chips, which are, as far as we know, mostly composed of potato:
"...the chocolate and peppermint flavor lingers long after you finish munching. This is because every bite covers your lips and mouth in a thin layer of oil."
Oh, there are more. The lyrical-on-purpose Pear Tree soda from the mad scientists at Jones. The mental exercise that is " Hot Cocoa Ice Cream." These are what food companies offer as edible interpretations of "holiday cheer" and these are the things we will buy time after time, because we are suckers who love eating things and buying stuff that's weird.
In fact, I am drinking some red velvet milk as I type this. And I am not ashamed.

subset: commoncrawl


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Document: District Attorney's letter on Kendrec McDade case
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County district attorney's office has concluded that Pasadena police officers responding to a robbery report acted lawfully when they shot to death a suspect who turned out to be unarmed.
Pasadena officers shot 19-year-old Kendrec McDade during a nighttime encounter on March 24 after a man reported being robbed by two men at gunpoint.
A letter Monday from the district attorney's Justice System Integrity Division to Pasadena police Chief Phillip L. Sanchez says an investigation concluded the officers acted in lawful self-defense and in defense of others.
The letter says the man who reported being robbed mentioned a gun eight times during a 911 call and that dispatch advised the officers that both suspects were armed. The letter says the man later
admitted he lied.
The D.A.'s letter argues that Oscar Carrillo, an undocumented Pasadena man who called 9-1-1 and told a dispatcher that McDade and an accomplice had robbed him at gunpoint.
The dispatcher told Newlen and Griffin that McDade was armed and both officers also said they saw McDade holding his waistband, the letter says, so the officers acted accordingly.
"When determining whether Griffin and Newlen acted in lawful self-defense, there only needs to be a showing of a threat based on the information the officers had at the time of the shooting," the letter reads.
Caree Harper, attorney for Kendrec McDade's father Kenneth McDade, said she did not agree with the D.A.'s ruling, especially because the D.A. also declined to file charges against Carillo.
"You can't have both, either (Carrillo) is responsible or he's not, you can't have it both ways," Harper said. "You can't slice the story, cut and splice it the way you like it you argue out of both sides of your mouth. Either he is responsible for making a false report and he should be held accountable and officers should have responded code three with cameras actiivated, or they didn't believe the false report."
Harper added that she thought the letter's timing was suspect, as much of the nation is focused on Friday's mass shooting at a Conecticut elementary school.
"It's an attempt to suppress the story because the nation is mourning, and it sucks," Harper said.
District Attorney Spokeswoman Jane Robison declined to comment further on the letter or say whether the D.A. will file charges against Carrillo.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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Harry Wayne Dalton, 57, of Dallas died Oct. 6.
He was born in Richmond, Va., on Aug. 6, 1954, to Zelica "Ann" Smith Dalton and Lewis Clyde Dalton Jr., and was a long-time resident of Arlington, Va., where he worked for Sprint Communications.
He moved to Texas in 1996 and became an active member and volunteer at the Carrollton Senior Center until his declining health prevented it. Dalton was a long time member of MCC Washington, D.C., and later MCC of Greater Dallas. He also participated in the MCCGD Men's Ministry.
Dalton was preceded in death by his father and his brother, Lewis Ronald Dalton.
He is survived by his mother, Zelica "Ann" Dalton of Carrollton; his sister and brother-in-law, Lisa Dalton Perkinson and Larry Perkinson of Saudi Arabia; his nephew, Jason Kendall Perkinson of Richmond, Va.; his niece, Heather Mangum, and her husband and daughter, Matt and Hayden Mangum, of Dacula, Ga. He is also survived by his extended family and friends of Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Dallas.
A memorial service will be held Sunday, Oct. 16, at 2 p.m. at MCC of Greater Dallas, 1840 Hutton Drive, Suite 100, inCarrollton, with the Rev. Colleen Darraugh and the Rev. Steven Pace officiating.
Stephen Bishop of Fort Worth died Oct. 9.
Born in Sacramento, Calif., Bishop moved to Fort Worth with his parents as a young child, living most of his life here and keeping his roots in Dallas-Fort Worth no matter where he went. He graduated from Eastern Hills High School, and then went on to Stephen F. Austin State University where he earned his master's degree in fine arts, with a specialization in costuming.
After college, Bishop did freelance costume design in Florida and California, and then went on to design costumes for the Bristol Renaissance Fair near Chicago, Ill. He also worked for Frankels Costumes in Houston and Incredible Productions in Dallas before making his own mark on the costuming world through a joint venture with Wendy Dillard called The Creative Alliance.
Bishop and Dillard created costumes for church groups and Incredible Productions, and they coordinated the costumes for the Dallas Christmas Festival at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano for several years. One of his greatest costuming achievements were the angels in the Christmas Festival who actually seemed to fly during the performance. He also costumed the Casa Manana production of The Music Man at Bass Hall.
Bishop loved roller coasters and was a card carrying member of American Coaster Enthusiasts. He loved big band music, the Carpenters, Glee and Broadway show tunes. He was also a member of the Fort Worth Scottish Association. His family and friends offered a special "thank you" to the staff at Kindred Hospital who treated Bishop and his family with tender loving care in their time of need.
Bishop was preceded in death by his father, Tom Bishop.
He is survived by his mother, Stella Bishop; his uncle, Gordon Dollar; his cousin, Angela Bandy; his aunts, Joyce Morris and Margie Ford; his caretaker and dear, friend Edmund Wirfel; his six cats and a host of friends across the country that will miss him dearly.
Funeral services will be held Friday, Oct. 14, at 1 p.m. at Shannon Rose Hill Funeral Chapel in Fort Worth with interment to follow at Shannon Rose Hill Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to AIDS Services of North Texas.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition October 14, 2011.


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NVIDIA's GeForce 8800 (G80): GPUs Re-architected for DirectX 10by Anand Lal Shimpi & Derek Wilson on November 8, 2006 6:01 PM EST
- Posted in
- GPUs
Digging deeper into the shader core
Many of the same patterns that lead designers of current hardware to their conclusions are still true today. For instance, pixels next to each other on the screen still tend to follow a very similar path through the hardware. This means that it still makes sense to process pixels in quads. As for changes, as hardware becomes more programmable, we are seeing a higher percentage of scalar data being used. In spite of the fact that much of the work done by graphics hardware is vector based, it becomes easier to schedule code if we are working with a bunch of parallel, independent, scalar processors. It is also more efficient to build separate units for texture addressing and filtering, and ATI has done this for quite some time now.
NVIDIA has finally decoupled the texture units from their shader hardware, enabling math and texturing to happen at the same time with no scheduling issues. They have also decided to implement their math hardware as a collection of scalar processors that can be used together to perform vector operations. NVIDIA calls the scalar processors Stream Processors (SPs), and they handle all the math performed in the shader core of G80.
It isn't surprising to see that NVIDIA's implementation of a unified shader is based on taking a pixel shader quad pipeline, and breaking up the vector units into 4 scalar units. Now, rather than 4 pixel quads, we see 16 SPs per "quad" or block of stream processors. Each block of 16 SPs shares 4 texture address units, 8 texture filter units, and an L1 cache.
G70 Pixel Shader Quad
G80 Stream Processor Block
The fact that these SPs are now independent and scalar gives NVIDIA the ability to keep more of them busy more of the time. This is very important as programmers start to write longer more complex shaders. Even while working with vectors, programmers need to use scalar values all the time to manipulate and evaluate data.
Each Stream Processor is able to complete one MAD and one MUL per clock cycle. While this is based on maximum throughput, we can reasonably expect to achieve this even though the hardware is pipelined. In spite of the 4 or 5 cycles (depending on precision) latency of a MUL in Conroe, SSE is now capable of one MUL per cycle throughput (as long as there are no stalls in the pipeline). Latency of operations in G80 could be even longer and sustain high throughput, as most of the time we are working with code that isn't riddled with dependencies.
The fact that each SP is capable of IEEE 754 single precision and can sustain high throughput for MAD and MUL operations while running any type of shader code makes this hardware very powerful and more general purpose than ever.
As a thread exits the SP, G80 is capable of writing the output of the shader to memory. The fact that SPs can do this at any time (except after pixel shaders) goes beyond the DX10 spec of just allowing for stream output after the Geometry Shader. On previous hardware, data would have to go through every stage of the pipeline until a value was finally written out to the frame buffer. Now, we can write data out at the end of anything but a pixel shader (as pixel shaders must send their output straight over to the ROPs for processing). This will be a great benefit to GPGPU (general purpose computing on graphics processing units).
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yyrkoon - Thursday, November 09, 2006 - linkIf you're using Firefox, get, and install the extension "flashblock". Just did this myself today, tired of all the *animated* adds bothering me while reading articles.
Sorry AT guys, but we've had this discussion before, and its realy annoying. Reply
JarredWalton - Thursday, November 09, 2006 - linkDo you want to be able for us to continue as a site? Because ads support us. Anyway, his problem is related to not seeing images, so your comment about blocking ads via flashblock is completely off topic. Reply
yyrkoon - Thursday, November 09, 2006 - linkOf course I want you guys to continue on as a site, just wish it were possible without annoying flashing adds in a section where I'm trying to concentrate on the article.
As for the off topic part, yeah, my bad, I mis-read the full post (bad habit). Feel free to edit or remove that post of mine :) Reply
archcommus - Thursday, November 09, 2006 - linkWhat browser are you using? Reply
falc0ne - Thursday, November 09, 2006 - linkfirefox 2.0 Reply
JarredWalton - Thursday, November 09, 2006 - linkIf Firefox, I know there's an option to block images not on the originating website. In this case, images come from image.anandtech.com while the article is on www.anandtech.com, so that my be the cause of your problems. IE7 and other browsers might have something similar, though I haven't ever looked. Other than that, perhaps some firewall or ad blocking software is to blame - it might be getting false positives? Reply
archcommus - Thursday, November 09, 2006 - linkWow to Anandtech - another amazing, incredibly in-depth article. It is so obvious this site is run by dedicated professionals who have degrees in these fields versus most other review sites where the authors just take pictures of the product and run some benches. Articles like this keep the AT reader base very very strong.
Also wow to the G80, obviously an amazing card. My question, is 450W the PSU requirement for the GTX only or for both the GTX and GTS? I ask because I currently have a 400W PSU and am wondering if it will be sufficient for next-gen DX10 class hardware, and I know I would not be buying the highest model card. I also only have one HDD and one optical drive in my system.
Yet another wow goes out to the R&D monetary investment - $475 million! It's amazing that that amount is even acceptable to nVidia, I can't believe the sales of such a high end, enthusiast-targeted card are great enough to warrant that. Reply
JarredWalton - Thursday, November 09, 2006 - linkSales of the lower end parts which will be based off G80 are what make it worthwhile, I would guess. As for PSU, I think that 450W is for the GTX, and more is probably a safe bet (550W would be in line with a high-end system these days, although 400W ought to suffice if it's a good quality 400W). You can see that the GTX tops out at just under 300W average system power draw with an X6800, so if you use an E6600 and don't overclock, a decent 400W ought to work. The GTX tops out around 260W average with the X6800, so theoretically even a decent 350W will work fine. Just remember to upgrade the PSU if you ever add other components. Reply
photoguy99 - Thursday, November 09, 2006 - linkI just wanted to second that thought -
AT articles have incredible quality and depth at this point - you guys are doing great work.
It's actually getting embarrasing for some of your competing sites, I browsed the Tom's article and it had so much fluff and retread I had to stop.
Please don't forget the effort is noticed and appreciated. Reply
shabby - Wednesday, November 08, 2006 - linkIt wasnt mentioned in the review, but whats the purpose of the 2nd sli connector? Reply


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An Apple iPad has never looked so awful.
Apple iPad
Breathtaking, stunning display — the best in all of mobile computing. Super-fast Verizon LTE allows hot-spot tethering. All key components have been prudently upgraded to their effective limits. Tablet hooks into the world's best app store.
Aside from the Retina display, the latest iPad lacks mindblowing new features that advance the state of the tablet art.
How We Rate
- 1/10A complete failure in every way
- 2/10Sad, really
- 3/10Serious flaws; proceed with caution
- 4/10Downsides outweigh upsides
- 5/10Recommended with reservations
- 6/10Solid with some issues
- 7/10Very good, but not quite great
- 8/10Excellent, with room to kvetch
- 9/10Nearly flawless
- 10/10Metaphysical perfection
No, I'm not referring to the new iPad, the one with the ballyhooed Retina display. I'm referring to last year's iPad 2, whose screen now looks grainy and pixelated when viewed alongside Apple's latest tablet. The improvement in display quality smacks you in the face as soon as you compare the two iPad models, and it's an upgrade that forces a nagging question: Where does Apple go from here?
The company now leads all competitors in tablet display quality, hands down. In fact, the display in the new iPad is so beautiful — so deft in rendering images, video and text — it's unlikely Apple will update the screen in next year's iPad model.
The new iPad serves as a warning that Apple could be running out of ways to significantly advance the tablet art form.
As for the new iPad's other upgrades, they're iterative, not revolutionary. But they also handily deliver all that we expect (let alone need) from a state-of-the-art tablet. If anything, the new iPad serves as a warning that Apple could be running out of ways to significantly advance the tablet art form. That's a problem for a company that depends on revolutionary hardware design to move the manic masses.
Has the iPad line reached its natural conclusion? Is there nothing left to improve? I'll answer those questions at the end of this review. But let's first study the two key features — the new display and faster wireless connectivity — that make the new iPad a wise upgrade over iPad 2 for some users, if not also the best tablet available today.
Retina Display
The new iPad screen measures 9.7 diagonal inches, just like the previous model, but now boasts a 2048 x 1536 resolution. That's good for 3.1 million pixels — four times the pixels of the iPad 2 and original iPad, which share the same 1024 x 768 screen.
But how does the new display actually look?
In a word: spectacular. When I first demoed the new iPad at Apple's launch event, I was dismissive of its so-called Retina display because near-identical screen technology can be found in the iPhone 4 and 4S. I use my 4S roughly 30 to 40 times a day, and I thought I had become indifferent to a Retina display's charms.
However, now that I can directly compare the screens of the iPad 2 and new iPad side by side, it's clear the 9.7-inch Retina display is a huge improvement.
Individual text characters look like they're stamped directly onto the screen with the world's most exacting letter press — sharp and coherent with an almost molecular level of precision.
Text on the new iPad is vividly crisper and sharper, and this is a big advantage for any tablet, which, unlike a smartphone, must function as a platform for relatively long-form reading. On the new iPad, individual text characters look like they're stamped directly onto the screen with the world's most exacting letter press — sharp and coherent with an almost molecular level of precision. By comparison, text on the iPad 2 now looks outright crude — visibly pixelated, even blurry.
In fact, everything now looks sub-standard on the original iPad and iPad 2. On the older iPads, the curved corners of home screen icons reveal pixels, not perfectly crisp lines as on the new Retina display.
And on Apple's new screen, high-resolution photos render in full glory, bearing the appearance of continuous-tone photo lab prints. Individual pixels are imperceptible, and the whole effect delivers a level of visual clarity that trumps not only other computing devices, but also any book or magazine produced via traditional off-set printing.
Apple says the new display bests its predecessor with 44 percent better color saturation, and anecdotal observation backs this up: Colors are noticeably richer and more brilliant relative to the reproduction mustered by the iPad 2. Colors also appear to render more accurately on the new display. Comparing control images I shot with the iPhone 4S, the new iPad beat the iPad 2 with a dynamic range that more closely matches the appearance of real-world objects.
Downsides? Well, like all iPads, the new one bears a screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Apple's latest tablet supports native 1080p video, but all HD video content that isn't letter-boxed will have significant black bands above and below the action, which isn't the case with 16:10 aspect ratio Android tablets. The iPad's aspect ratio reduces the wow factor of big-budget, Hollywood content, but if the Kindle Fire has taught us anything, it's that most consumers find smaller video windows perfectly acceptable.
LTE Wireless Data
Until the release of this latest iPad, I never advocated paying extra for a tablet with built-in wireless data support. We already pay a lot of money for our smartphone data plans, so paying for a second data bill is difficult to resolve, both intellectually and emotionally. What's more, our smartphones are always with us. So in those rare scenarios where we want to use a tablet but lack a Wi-Fi connection, we can always turn to our phones for that essential link to the outside world.
But the data game has changed.
For this review, I tested two new iPads. The black iPad in our photos is a 32GB Wi-Fi-only unit. The white one is a 64GB Wi-Fi+4G running on Verizon's LTE network. (A 4G AT&T version is also available.) If I had to spend my own money, I'd buy the white one. Sure, across Apple's entire iPad range, you pay a $130 premium when you opt for 4G support. But given the data speed and convenience that Verizon's 4G offers, the higher price tag can be justified.
When you're stuck on that tragically slow Wi-Fi network at the hotel or airport, you may be glad you opted for the new iPad with LTE support.
LTE speeds will vary from location to location, but when using the Speedtest.Net app as a benchmark, I saw Verizon network speeds as fast as 10Mbps/9.9Mbps (download/upload) in downtown San Francisco, and 10.4Mbps/20.3Mbps in my residential neighborhood in the San Francisco hills. By comparison, the fastest Wi-Fi network I tested on the iPad delivered 24Mbps/6.3Mbps. Those are killer Wi-Fi download speeds, but Verizon easily beat Wi-Fi in upload speeds. (Such is the upload cap on residential cable internet service.)
Verizon's LTE network delivers a theoretical maximum download speed of 73Mbps. You'll never see that bandwidth in the real world, but even downloading data at 10Mbps is a revelation compared to slower wireless bands. Indeed, on AT&T's HSPA+ network, my iPhone 4S couldn't exceed speeds better than 2.2Mbps/0.32Mbps in any San Francisco location I tested.
Bottom line: Verizon's LTE is fast. Very fast. And it feels fast when you're using it in the field. The company's LTE service is offered in many key metropolitan areas, and when you're stuck on that tragically slow Wi-Fi network at the hotel or airport, you may be glad you opted for the new iPad with LTE support.
For the iPad Verizon models, monthly data plans cost $20 for 1GB, $30 for 2GB, and $50 for 5GB. All plans are contract free, so you can buy a month's worth of service only when you need connectivity.
And there's another benefit to buying a Verizon-connected iPad: These tablets can be used as personal data hotspots, meaning you can tether internet service to as many as five other devices via a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB connection. This feature alone could be a huge value-add, depending on your lifestyle or business needs. Verizon sells a contract-free LTE hotspot device, the Jetpack, for $270, yet the new iPad includes all this functionality for just a $130 premium.
How convenient is LTE hotspotting? Well, we ran the entire Gadget Lab news operation from the show floor of CES 2012 on two Verizon Jetpacks, updating our website (both words and images) with nary a hiccup. This operation involved as many as 10 LTE-connected writers and photographers at any given time. We would have used the wired Ethernet hook-up supplied to us by the Consumer Electronics Association, but it was markedly slower than Verizon's LTE service at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Downsides? 4G LTE offers such a fat bandwidth pipe, you may become addicted to downloading large files and streaming 1080p videos, reaching your data caps sooner than you think. So if you opt for either the AT&T or Verizon iPad version, you're committing to higher total costs of ownership, for both your initial hardware purchase and ongoing data consumption.
One important note about the new iPad and LTE: The AT&T version of the tablet doesn't currently support personal hotspotting, but the feature is supposedly coming.
New Camera, New Processor and Voice Dictation
The new iPad includes other upgraded features and specs, but I don't find them nearly as wowing as the Retina display and LTE. They're marginal updates, and serve as reminders that Apple has advanced its tablet art form quite far already, and is running out of fancy new tricks.
The Camera You'll Rarely Ever Use
First, there's the new rear-facing camera. It uses the same optics and imaging software as the camera in the iPhone 4S (an incredible smartphone camera by any measure), but employs a 5-megapixel sensor rather than the 8-megapixel technology found in the newest iPhone. The new iPad's camera is a vast improvement over the universally scorned camera in the iPad 2, but it's still a feature looking for a fan base.
Simply put, tablets are too unwieldy to effectively serve double duty as cameras. They're too big to carry around 24/7 — I'll refer to the maxim, "The best camera is the one you always have with you" — and they're not easy to aim and steady when you're actually shooting an image or video.
Nonetheless, the rear camera has been upgraded, and it's a bit of forward progress that Apple can tick off on the new iPad's spec sheet. Still images aren't as boldly colorful as the output from the iPhone 4S, but they're still quite competent.
Perhaps more significantly, the new camera shoots 1080p video with image stabilization support. Performance in low-light situations isn't bad, and when lighting conditions are ideal, video quality is more than sufficient for home movies and similar low-ambition-level fare. This hooks perfectly into Apple's updated version of iMovie for iOS. Novice video enthusiasts can use the tablet and iMovie together to create surprisingly finessed video projects and even campy theatrical trailers.
The Processor That Was Barely Upgraded, But Still Delivers
Apple's latest tablet includes a new processor called the A5X. It runs the same 1GHz dual-core architecture as the A5 processor in the iPad 2, but adds a quad-core graphics engine to support the new Retina display, and bumps RAM from 512MB to 1GB.
The story here, folks, is that Apple didn't make a dramatic processor upgrade, but rather made the right processor upgrade.
The new A5X is a big part of Apple's marketing message. Manufacturers like to bandy about the term quad-core because quad-core CPU power is the new standard for smartphones and tablets, thanks to the Nvidia Tegra 3 chip, which appears in various Android devices. But let's be clear: The A5X is a dual-core chip with quad-core graphics, and is far from a dramatic overhaul.
Should potential new iPad buyers be concerned? No. Throughout testing, I found performance in all applications to be uneventful — which is to say the A5X zips through webpages, games and applications with aplomb. I never experienced any video stutter. The virtual keyboard never lagged behind my physical keystrokes. Applications never hung, and the entire system performed with its traditional iOS zippiness.
The story here, folks, is that Apple didn't make a dramatic processor upgrade, but rather made the right processor upgrade. Going for a quad-core main processing engine would have impressed a lot of hardware nerds, and such a chip would also likely improve performance in content creation and productivity apps, which are intrinsic to Apple's message that we live in a "post PC" era where tablets handle duties once owned by notebooks and desktops.
But a quad-core processor like the Tegra 3 would also draw more of the iPad's battery power, which is already heavily taxed by the LTE radio and Retina display, but nonetheless remains rated for nine hours of continuous web surfing over the wireless radio. So Apple opted for prudence rather than overkill. The A5X allows Apple to place the term quad-core on the new iPad's spec sheet, but also shows the world that balls-to-the-wall processing power may not be quite that important in even a high-end tablet.
Voice Dictation Finally Arrives on an Apple Tablet
Before the new iPad was unveiled, various pundits — including all but one Wired gadget expert — predicted the tablet would include Siri, Apple's sassy, question-answering virtual digital assistant. I was the lone Wired holdout.
Well, I'm happy to report that voice dictation, the only Siri component I ever use with regularity, has made the jump from the iPhone 4S to the new iPad. When you spawn the new tablet's virtual keyboard, you'll find a microphone icon on the bottom row of keys. Hit it, and start dictating your words into whatever text entry field you may be in. Once you're done, hit the mic icon again, and the iPad will convert spoken word to text quite quickly — in less than a second for, say, three sentences' worth of speech.
I couldn't discern any performance differences between voice dictation on the new iPad and the iPhone 4S. Apple's dictation engine has a remarkable ability to keep pace with human speech, and dictation accuracy hovered around 90 percent. Google has a similar dictation function built into Android 4, and while Google's engine converts text in real time, rendering text on-screen while you speak, its interpretive accuracy falls short of Apple's technology.
Should You Buy It?
The new iPad is the best tablet available today. Its screen technology is unmatched. Its industrial design, essentially identical to the iPad 2, oozes with high-quality fit and finish. And Apple's app library offers a far greater number of polished titles than anything you'll find in the Android Market or Amazon Appstore. In fact, because of software support alone, I would recommend first-time tablet buyers choose an iPad — either the new one or iPad 2 — over an Android tablet or the Kindle Fire at this time.
In March 2011, we gave the iPad 2 a 9 out of 10 verdict. The new model is even better. It may include only one revolutionary feature update — the new display — but the third-generation iPad still deserves a 9.
Should first- and second-generation iPad owners upgrade to the new model? It all depends on how they calibrate their finances to their emotional wants and hardware needs. The vast majority of iOS apps will run, in some form or another, on all three tablets, so a hardware upgrade isn't absolutely essential.
First- and second-gen iPad owners need to ask themselves just how badly they want the best mobile display in the universe. And they have to ask themselves if the speed and convenience of LTE is worth the price of admission.
Are you a high roller? Then take the plunge. The Retina display will remind you how much you love your new iPad every day. Are you a struggling 99 percenter? Then stick with the iPad you bought in 2010 or 2011. It still delivers nearly all the core functionality of the newest model. It just doesn't do it as quickly, or with Apple's new standards in display quality.
And herein lies the core problem for Apple: In terms of basic functionality, all three generations of iPad essentially do the same things. Sure, the iPad 2 delivered a much thinner chassis. And, sure, the third-gen iPad delivers a stunning new display. But what's left to upgrade? Apple needs to show us something we've never seen before, not gussy up features and specs that have become old hat.
Indeed, aside from the Retina display, all of the new iPad updates are incremental component improvements — and if they were announced by a Samsung or an Asus, they wouldn't have made any press.
Where Does Apple Go From Here?
Based on what we've learned from its latest tablet, Apple will be hard-pressed to wow fourth-generation iPad buyers in 2013. Let's unpack this.
LTE support in the new iPad is indeed a killer feature, but it's not anything that could have led Tim Cook's keynote. Adding LTE was simple housekeeping, not revolutionary design, as Android competitors already offer LTE. Will the next iPad need a faster wireless data connection? Maybe, maybe not. But all iPads will need to keep pace with wireless industry standards. (The preceding sentence wasn't very exciting, was it? My point exactly.)
The new camera? It helps Apple achieve parity with competing Android tablets, but it's not a game-changing breakthrough. What's more, the new camera is more than sufficient for a tablet feature that no one is very concerned with in the first place. Can a camera update wow the masses in 2013? I don't think so.
There's no point in upgrading the Retina display next year. It's already all we need from a 9.7-inch screen.
What about a screaming-fast new processor? Can a heretofore unimaginable wonderchip be the lead story for next year's iPad? No, it can't. In the new iPad, Apple proves that tablet processor updates can progress incrementally without hobbling overall performance.
There's no point in upgrading the Retina display next year. It's already all we need from a 9.7-inch screen. Plus, I'm sure Apple would like to amortize the cost of its Retina display technology across two product generations.
Integrate Siri into the next tablet? The feature looks great in television commercials, but in real-world practice it's not as useful or canny as Apple would have us believe — and it's also much better-suited to go-everywhere smartphones. But, most importantly, Siri will be 18 months old when the next iPad release is likely to arrive. I don't think Siri can be the linchpin of Tim Cook's iPad keynote in 2013.
Obviously, Apple will not close up its iPad shop. The product line is wildly successful, and the company will inevitably find a way to finesse a grand tablet story next year. We could see a dramatic breakthrough in battery life — not particularly sexy, but it would address a legitimate consumer need. Or we could see a new iPad so thin and light, Tim Cook's keynote audience gasps with surprise — a sexy advancement, indeed, but not game-changing in terms of real-world use.
Or we could see Apple capitulate to consumer sentiment, and deliver the diminutive "iPad mini" that rumor-mongers have been speculating ever since the Kindle Fire proved 7-inch tablets have legs. Apple's tablet hardware development is clearly facing diminishing returns, and "going small" would be both easy to execute and make for a compelling narrative.
Whichever path it chooses, Apple has work to do. The new Retina display effectively punctuates the iPad lineage as we know it with an emphatic full stop.
When you buy something using the retail links in our product reviews, we earn a small affiliate commission. Read more about how this works.Go Back to Top. Skip To: Start of Article.


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Good Riddance: 9 Cars That Deservedly Got the Ax in 2013
The much-beloved Cherokee was the first large-production unibody truck. A new welding process kept this light body together for great on- and off-road dynamics and a stiff chassis, with much less weight and floppiness than competitors from Nissan, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Ford, and GM. Nissan was the next to follow suit with its Pathfinder, but not until 1996.
Electronic ascent and descent control eliminated some driver skill (and human error) from off-roading. The Pathfinder's antilock brake system was tuned so that the driver need only hold the brake when descending steep hills, which previously was a dangerous no-no for off-road driving. Accelerating up dirt hills always required a deft touch of the throttle—prior to the Pathfinder's carefully tuned traction control system, that is. It worked best if the driver floored the gas pedal, a definite counterintuitive move in any other off-roader at the time.
Live from the 2013 L.A. Auto Show


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If the rumor is true we are working to get Bonzi Wells and trade I would think these means we plan to keep Action Jackson. I am not convinced management will throw in the towel with him. He can hit the 3 and was brought in to be our 3rd scoring option but was forced to be our number 1 scoring option over the last 2 years due to injuries and suspensions. I think if he goes back to the second or third scoring option he may be just fine. I also think he has been made a scape goat to pin a lot of frustration on. Yes, he sometimes plays when too much passion and should be benched until he gets his head back in the game BUT this would seem to be a coaching problem not solely a player problem.
My gut says Stephen is a Pacer next year expecially with the moves we are making. Thoughts?


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Am I right in thinking that according to the Theravada there is no difference between the Buddha and an Arahant, only that one came first and taught all others?
Nevertheless, I read things like the fact that the Buddha was omniscient and that he has epithets suggesting he was the perfect human being. Is this only because of his status as the first to reveal the path to Nibbana to other sentient beings or was he foreordained or some kind of superhuman being? Are qualities applicable to the Buddha also not applicable to all those who have attained Nibbana?
Thanks and regards,


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Her predecessor, Kathy Kauffmann, is now senior vice president of major metro markets for Detroit, Chicago and Twin Cities, responsible for oversight of the executive directors in each of those cities.
Kauffmann, who remains based in Southfield, has been with the association for nearly eight years, serving as executive director since 2011. Under her leadership, fundraising for the Detroit market has increased 20 percent over the past three fiscal years, the association said.
The Southeast Michigan affiliate had total revenue of $3.1 million in 2013, Communications Director Melissa Thrasher said in an email.
Smith, 39, has been with the American Heart Association since 2008, most recently serving the past three years as senior director of Go Red For Women and Washtenaw County campaigns. In that role, she secured three new sponsors, among other accomplishments.
Prior to that, she was director of the Heart Walk fundraiser in Flint, securing new sponsorships that resulted in double-digit growth for the effort.
In her new position, Smith will oversee local fundraising efforts for the association's annual campaigns, including Go Red For Women, Heart Ball and Heart Walk.
Sherri Welch: (313) 446-1694, [email protected]. Twitter: @sherriwelch


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Supplement routine canine dental and oral care with fun, flavorful fresh breath chews. Nylabone Advanced Oral Care FreshBars for Dogs help freshen breath while offering a tasty solution to preventive dental care. Dual cleaning action chews feature a textured exterior that cleans teeth and helps scrape existing plaque and tartar as your dog chews. Soft-chew center contains scientifically-formulated Denta-C to help reduce plaque that harbors bacteria. USA Made. Chicken flavor.
Each Nylabone Advanced Oral Care FreshBar for Dogs measure approximately 3/4" in diameter and 3-5/8" long.
Shop all Dog Dental Care Products.
Please click on "More Information" for ingredients and guaranteed analysis.


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Click here to see a gorgeous clip from Lindsay Anderson's remarkable film If …
Somehow, I have managed to get this far in my blog without a tip of the hat to Lindsay Anderson's brilliant film If . . . . (1968)– which I first saw on 42nd Street at 2AM on a double bill with Inadmissible Evidence with a group of filmmaker friends, including a young Warren Sonbert. Despite the lateness of the hour, the film knocked me out then, and knocks me out still, as one of the few really gay-positive films of the era, and a real harbinger of the shape of things to come. It's a truly liberating film, full of the promise of change and hope, and one of the masterpieces of British cinema. David Ehrenstein has a brilliant essay on it, which you can read by clicking here, and he's the one who reminded me that I'd been remiss in not mentioning it thus far; although it certainly owes a debt to Jean Vigo's Zéro de conduite, it's a film that inescapably belongs to the 1960s, to a time when everything was new, and possible.
As David writes in his essay, "There's nothing quite like a work of art that captures the zeitgeist right at its moment of maximum impact. And more than any other film of its time, If…. nails the sixties. As anyone who lived through that tumultuous era can tell you, it was a decade rife with cinematic expressions of free-spirited utopianism, restless iconoclasm, and woozy, drug-fueled reverie.
But while works as diverse as Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Blow-Up (1966), Easy Rider (1969), La Chinoise (1967), and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) embody the sixties look and feel, none of them sport the emotional and intellectual intensity of Anderson's darkly comic drama. It has no references to current events. No drugs (though the boys do drink vodka). And instead of a pop-music score, the African Missa Luba is heard playing on the Victrola. Anderson's interest might best be described as classical rather than topical. If…., that is, concerns youthful yearnings to revolt that are simultaneously of its time and eternal.
When the central hero of If…. (less played than virtually embodied by [Malcolm] McDowell) says that 'violence and revolution are the only pure acts,' he's being extravagant in a way typical of a youth of his class and education. He also says, 'When do we live? That's what I want to know'—words that almost any impatient-to-live youth, regardless of class or education, would say. For If…. takes place in that protean moment when childhood steps aside as the adult to be is formed. And it's the formation of that future adult that is the film's central subject."


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Auxiliary Police Officers Make a Difference
Fairfax County Police Department
Public Information Office
4100 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, Va. 22030
703-246-2253. TTY 703-204-2264. Fax 703-246-4253
News Release: 12/088/LHC
March 28, 2012
Auxiliary Police Officers Make a Difference
Are you interested in making one too?
Have you ever wanted to be more involved in law enforcement and public safety? Are you looking for meaningful, challenging work and having a role in keeping Fairfax County safe? If so, consider applying for the Fairfax County Police Department's Auxiliary Police Officer (APO) program.
An all-volunteer civilian force comprised of 108 men and women, APO's play a vital role in supplementing the sworn personnel in essential public safety operations. They perform a myriad of duties such as staffing sobriety checkpoints, protecting the integrity of crime scenes, and may be deployed to natural or man-made disasters at any time.
APO's come from a variety of backgrounds that enhances the FCPD with their unique sets of knowledge, skills and abilities. Currently, there are doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers and reserve and retired military officers in the rich mix of APOs. A blend of retirees and employed, the APOs are individuals who like to learn and have the time to commit. Once they pass a rigorous background check, they are required to undergo trainings at the Criminal Justice Academy in Chantilly two evenings a week and a few Saturdays a month during 16-week academy slated to begin in January 2013.
Other vital information applicants must be aware of include;
Applicant must be:
• At Least 21 years old
• American Citizen
• Be in good health
• Pass Background Investigation
Ø Polygraph examination
Ø Good finances
Ø Good driving record
Ø Evaluation of previous drug usage
Ø Good citizen and character
• No Conflict of Interest
Ø Applicants must not be employed in positions representing a potential conflict of interest.
• Police officers
• Security guards
• Military police officers
• Civilians in law enforcement positions
• Firemen
The Fairfax County Police Department is now accepting applications. To learn more about the APO program or request an application, call 703-280-0576 or email email@example.com.


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Iloprost Therapy in Patients With Critical Limb Ischemia
This study has been completed.
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: October 10, 2011
Last updated: February 27, 2015
Last verified: February 2015
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
No Study Results Posted on ClinicalTrials.gov for this Study
|Study Status:
|This study has been completed.
|Study Completion Date:
|December 2014
|Primary Completion Date:
|May 2014 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)


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Clinical and Basic Investigations Into Erdheim Chester Disease
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
- Erdheim Chester Disease (ECD) is a very rare disease in which abnormal white blood cells start growing and affect the bones, kidneys, skin, and brain. ECD can cause severe lung disease, kidney failure, heart disease, and other complications that lead to death. Because ECD is a rare disease, found mostly in men over 40 years of age, there is no standard treatment for it. More information is needed to find out what genes can cause ECD and how best to treat it.
- To collect study samples and medical information on people with Erdheim Chester Disease.
- Individuals 2 to 80 year of age who have been diagnosed with Erdheim Chester Disease.
- Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history.
- Participants will have a study visit to provide samples for study, including blood, urine, and skin tissue samples. Participants will also have lung, heart, and muscle function tests; imaging studies of the brain, chest, and whole body; a treadmill running stress test; an eye exam; and other tests as needed by the study doctors.
- Participants will be asked to return for a similar set of tests every 2 years, and to remain in contact for possible treatment options.
|Myelofibrosis Gaucher Disease Pulmonary Fibrosis Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome (HPS) Cancer
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Time Perspective: Other
|Official Title:
|Clinical and Basic Investigations Into Erdheim-Chester Disease
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|July 29, 2011
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|2 Years to 80 Years (Child, Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
- ECD patients of any gender and ethnicity age 2-80 years are eligible to enroll in this protocol.
- Patients will be diagnosed as having ECD based upon pathologic evaluations of affected organs.
- Any child older than 2 years with confirmed ECD by pathology will be enrolled in our study since childhood cases are so rare. The child must be clinically stable prior to visiting the NIHCC.
- Patients that agree to be part of this research study are expected to undergo the evaluations and testing of this protocol.
Patients will be excluded if they have a suspected diagnosis of ECD not confirmed by biopsy or another form of histiocytosis.
--If the patient cannot travel to the NIH because of their medical condition, they can still participate in our study by submitting tissue and blood for research purposes after consent has been obtained and diagnosis of ECD has been confirmed through tissue-biopsy evaluation. This exception applies to all patients aged 2-80 years.
- Children under age two year are excluded because there is no urgency for a very early diagnosis and care is more readily provided to older children at the Clinical Center.
- Pregnant women will not be able to be part of this study because of the risks that can be harmful to the fetus, unless they will be participating by only submitting samples of already available affected tissue while they are pregnant. By any means we will not encourage pregnant women to undergo affected organ surgery or biopsy in order to participate in this study unless clinically indicated and recommended by their primary care provider.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01417520
|Contact: Juvianee I Estrada Veras, M.D.
|(301) 594-2952
|Contact: Kevin J O'Brien, C.R.N.P.
|(301) 435-2824
|United States, Maryland
|National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike
|Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
|Contact: For more information at the NIH Clinical Center contact Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office (PRPL) 800-411-1222 ext TTY8664111010 firstname.lastname@example.com
|Principal Investigator:
|Kevin J O'Brien, C.R.N.P.
|National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Additional Information:
|Responsible Party:
|National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01417520 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|August 13, 2011
|Last Updated:
|June 30, 2017
Keywords provided by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) ( National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) ):
Erdheim-Chester Disease
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Albinism, Oculocutaneous
Primary Myelofibrosis
Pulmonary Fibrosis
Gaucher Disease
Hermanski-Pudlak Syndrome
Erdheim-Chester Disease
Pathologic Processes
Myeloproliferative Disorders
Bone Marrow Diseases
Hematologic Diseases
Lung Diseases
Respiratory Tract Diseases
Lysosomal Storage Diseases, Nervous System
Brain Diseases, Metabolic, Inborn
Brain Diseases, Metabolic
Brain Diseases
Central Nervous System Diseases
Nervous System Diseases
Metabolism, Inborn Errors
Genetic Diseases, Inborn
Lipid Metabolism, Inborn Errors
Lysosomal Storage Diseases
Metabolic Diseases
Lipid Metabolism Disorders
Eye Diseases, Hereditary
Eye Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 25, 2017


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New York is the real deal, even without Melo they destroyed Miami, yep they didn't need time to adjust without their best player, that is what good teams are supposed to do.
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New York is the real deal, even without Melo they destroyed Miami, yep they didn't need time to adjust without their best player, that is what good teams are supposed to do.
The 2013 Knicks are a clone of the 2011 Mavs. Good luck stopping that freight train...
It wasn't about being the team everyone loved, it was about beating the teams everyone else loved.
Division Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
Conference Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005
NBA Champions 1989, 1990, 2004
Actually my post above made fun of this. I don't know how many 3's they normally attempt a night, but they basically shot exactly their average from 3 on the ridiculous 44 attempts. It's hard to believe they could sustain it if they need to shoot that many when Carmelo isn't there, but it's not as far-fetched as I originally thought.
And Amare as Varea on steroids.
I agree with Charles, I don't understand what Phoenix is trying to do, why no tank for a year or two while growing the young players?
EDIT: He just got hit in the face, his reaction made me think he had torn something.
I think in terms of the current Lakers' system, the Toronto deal is much better. Bargs/Calderon/Kleiza are much more ready to contribute today as well.
Mayo is still kicking a$$, it looks like the PED's are not running out yet.
I know it has been said a million times but, Reggie is a poor announcer, it's really hard to listen to him.
It looks like Ian's replacement brandan wright(he makes 1mil) is also doing pretty well, 14 points tonight and he is averaging 8 and 3.2 for the year.
I think Dallas still has him for another year, they have a team option on him the year after this one for
Edit: I was wrong you are right he is a free agent next year.
Last edited by vnzla81; 12-07-2012 at 02:13 AM.
Mayo's PED's making him clutch too, damn.


text: First Look for Charity to benefit 18 Chicago charities January 11, 2011 10:12 AM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE First Look for Charity to benefit 18 Chicago charities CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – The Chicago Auto Show's annual black-tie benevolent event, First Look for Charity, will benefit 18 deserving Chicago area charities on February 10, 2011. First Look gives attendees an elegant, inaugural preview of the Chicago Auto Show and treats ticket holders to a night of sophisticated entertainment. Now in its 20th year, the black-tie affair will include hors d'oeuvres, champagne, wine, soft drinks and desserts. In 2011, First Look for Charity will also offer up the chance to win one of two new vehicles—a 2011 Hyundai Sonata and at 2011 Honda CR-Z. The all-new Honda CR-Z sport hybrid introduces a sleek two-passenger coupe design with quick, sporty handling to the gasoline-electric hybrid segment. The completely redesigned Hyundai Sonata delivers best-in-class fuel economy and raises the bar when it comes to features and technology offered in midsize cars. The CR-Z is compliments of American Honda Motor Company and the Sonata is compliments of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana Hyundai Dealers. Vehicle winners must be present at time of drawings. About the Chicago Auto Show: The Chicago Auto Show is the largest on the continent, spanning over one million square feet of production, concept, and exotic vehicle exhibit space. In addition to hosting multiple world and North American vehicle debuts, the Chicago Auto Show's First Look for Charity raises nearly $2 million annually for 18 worthy Chicago organizations in a single night. The 2011 public show will be held from February 11 – February 20, 2011. For more information, visit www.chicagoautoshow.com or www.facebook.com/chicagoautoshow About the Chicago Automobile Trade Association: Founded in 1904, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA) is the nation's oldest and largest metropolitan dealer organization. The CATA is comprised of more than 400 franchised new-car dealers and allied members. Dealer members employ over 20,000 people in the metropolitan area. For additional information visit: www.cata.info. -end- CONTACT: Paul Brian Director of Communications Chicago Automobile Trade Association 630-424-6069 Office 312-791-6606 Media Center email@example.com Back to News


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SRWMD recognizes April as Water Conservation Month The Suwannee River Water Management District (District) Governing Board has joined with other agencies and local governments throughout Florida in designating April as Water Conservation Month.
The proclamation calls upon residents, businesses and visitors to protect our precious water resources by practicing and promoting water conservation measures both indoors and outdoors.
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Eat well.
At L'Auberge Del Mar, you'll be treated to extraordinary cuisine and impeccable service. Our fresh approach to banquet service and catering means your group will enjoy individually garnished servings placed in beautiful Villeroy and Boch china served a-la-minute on elegant displays.
Personally tailored banquet menus created by our culinary team are guaranteed to entice, always utilizing authentic techniques with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients.
Contact Us
Phone: (858) 793-6445
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Newborn calves are particularly at risk for developing septicemia and meningitis since they are dependent upon colostral antibodies for immunity. Though E. coli is the main bacterial pathogen associated with septicemia in calves, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Klebsiella and different Staphylococcus species have also been isolated from the blood of septic calves, notes Geof Smith, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM (LAIM), North Carolina State University. Invading bacteria can establish focal infections in areas such as the joints, meninges, heart valves, or growth plates.
Speaking at the 2011 Annual Western Veterinary Conference, Smith says exactly how bacteria get into the meninges is poorly understood. Specific mechanisms may include the development of a sustained and high grade bacteremia in the highly perfused dural venous system and choroid plexuses, adherence of fimbriae from some strains of E. coli, or the phagocytosis of the pathogens by circulating monocytes and endocytosis through the microvascular endothelial cells.
Calves with septicemia and/or meningitis are often presented because they have lost their suckle reflex and appear lethargic. "Previous treatment for diarrhea is common," Smith says. "Fever is often present unless NSAIDs have been given or if the animal is in an extremely cold environment."
Smith says the calves may have an extended head and neck and attempts to flex or reposition the neck can result in a tonic extension and thrashing of the limbs. Calves with meningitis almost always have abnormal mentation. As the disease progresses, profound depression develops and eventually the animal becomes comatose and non responsive, or may develop seizures.
Diagnosing meningitis
Presumptive diagnosis of meningitis is based on demonstration of failure of passive transferand the presence of abnormal neurologic signs. "However, the definitive diagnosis is based on an abnormal cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) analysis. Collection of CSF from the lumbosacral space is easy and safe in ruminants," Smith says.
The number of nucleated cells and the protein concentration is markedly increased. The proportion of neutrophils may reach as high as 80 percent. The ratio of CSF to plasma glucose concentration is <1 in animals with bacterial meningitis because of bacterial metabolism of glucose in the CSF. Xanthochromia (yellow color) is inconsistent. Free or intracellular bacteria may be observed in some cases.
Smith says meningitis is particularly difficult to treat successfully. "Prevention of failure of passive transfer through good colostrum management is essential."


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Educators are criticizing a newly released, corporate-funded study that labels teacher preparation programs in the United States – and especially those in California – as failing.
The Teacher Prep Review released by the National Council on Teacher Quality claims the study is an unprecedented evaluation of more than 1,100 colleges and universities that prepare elementary and secondary teachers.
Critics of the report, including Stanford University Professor Linda Darling-Hammond, a nationally recognized education expert, have noted that the "comprehensive" report is "nonsense," nothing but a paper review of course descriptions and has nothing to do width the quality of the programs.
Theresa Montaño, a California State University professor, makes the case that the report hits California's teacher preparation programs for the very thing that helps build a strong teaching force: educating a diverse workforce and sensitizing them to the challenges of today's multi-ethnic classroom.
Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson told L.A Times reporter Howard Blume that "It's disappointing that this report applied a one-size-fits-all checklist. Those who are serious about examining the quality of teacher preparation efforts will have to look elsewhere for more reliable and useful information."
Every child deserves a chance to learn and no child succeeds alone.
© 1999-


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As news of the BP oil spill off the coast of Louisiana became more severe, I have become more worried about the impact — both environmentally and economically. These folks have just gotten back on their feet since Katrina. It just seems like they have a magnet for bad blows. This however, could impact the entire nation's seafood industry as well as the eco-system in the wetlands for years to come. This makes me sad but hopeful that this is not the case. My mother said she could smell tar in the air. That's not a good sign when it's 30 miles offshore.
My husband recently returned from a whirlwind, one-day, tour in preparation for the Congressional hearing today to investigate the facts on cause and result. I'm confident, if he's on the case, the facts will be revealed — if the uncontrollable, political game doesn't get in the way. This is a time when it shouldn't, but as we've all seen in the health care debate and legislation, it does.
As an artist, I look for beauty in destruction, for my philosophy is that I think it's always there, like good and evil existing. Two opposing quintessential aspects of life working simultaneously together. Here are some very artistic photos with a few documenting the event. All photo credits are in mouseovers. I was looking for just one that I saw in the paper and of course never found it (note to self clip out next time) but the last one is very close. This reminds me of how abstractly beautiful water can be.
You can see the oil both above the water and below at the point of origin in this photo (below).
For some odd reason, this photo of the booms reminds me of rows tulips on Holland.
That rig is oh so subtle in the background and when I see pelicans I'm reminded of prehistoric, dinosaur days.
You've got to give credit to the entrepreneurial spirit. These New Orleans and Southern folk have found ways to create products that raise awareness with proceeds benefiting efforts to help in the clean up.
Mignon Faget redfish pin to raise awareness and
Nola Couture ties to benefit Greater New Orleans Foundation's Oil Spill Recovery Fund.


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Graham Readfearn | February 13, 2013
By Graham Readfearn • Wednesday, February 13, 2013 - 19:38
A FEW weeks ago I wrote a story for DeSmogBlog looking at how Lord Christopher Monckton - a poster child of the climate science denialist movement - had agreed to launch a new Australian political party fronted by an anti-Islamist Creationist preacher.
The party in question is called Rise Up Australia and its messianic front man, Pastor Danny Nalliah, believes that only God can control the climate and that Victoria's 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, which killed more than 170 people, were God's punishment for Victoria's laws allowing abortion.
Well, Lord Monckton's deed has been done and duly covered on the ABC's flagship news program 7.30 Report.
The rented room at the National Press Club in Canberra was chock-full of Pastor Danny's enthusiastic, God-fearing supporters and Lord Monckton whipped their evangelism until the froth was soaking the carpet. Reporter Hayden Cooper went through Nalliah's beliefs, including his claim that he had brought a couple of people back from the dead.
Pastor Nalliah actually launched the party in May 2011 (and again a couple of months later) and registered it with the Australian Electoral Commission 12 months ago. But the "launch" made for good telly.
One of Lord Monckton's longest-serving supporters is Andrew Bolt, the climate science mangling News Ltd columnist and blogger who is, as we're often told, the country's most influential political commentator. He's none too chuffed by Lord Monckton's endorsement of Pastor Danny and wrote on his blog:
Why on earth was Christopher Monckton endorsing the nationalist Rise Up Australia Party? Great chance for warmists to paint climate sceptics as fringe dwellers.
So rather than denouncing the extremist views of Pastor Danny Nalliah, Andrew Bolt instead is most immediately concerned that Lord Monckton's endorsement of Rise Up Australia might be bad PR for climate sceptics.
But Andrew Bolt is an awful long way behind the climate science denial 8-Ball here, given that Lord Monckton was endorsing Pastor Danny Nalliah's position as long ago as July 2011 when Monckton was invited to speak at Nalliah's extremist Catch the Fire Ministries.
As an aide-mémoire, Lord Monckton's 2011 tour of Australia was in trouble before it started, when just weeks before he had described the views of Australian government climate policy advisor Professor Ross Garnaut as "fascist". During a Californian conference talk (where he shared the platform with 'intelligent design' advocates) Lord Monckton also used a two-metre high picture of a swastika next to a quote from Professor Garnaut. It was also the tour at which he gave a lecture in Perth at the invitation of Gina Rinehart and then addressed a pro-mining think-tank, also in Perth, where he suggested the "super rich" should be encouraged to buy into the media as a way to get more publicity for climate sceptics like Andrew Bolt.
At the time of Lord Monckton's swastika incident, Bolt jumped to Lord Monckton's defence and described his critics as "hypocrites" and "cowards". Monckton apologised for the remark, which he said was "catastrophically stupid and offensive". But after leaving the country, Lord Monckton decided that in fact his actions had been "very mild".
Before we get back to matters present, it's worth pointing out that Lord Monckton has been recently touring the US, sponsored by Tea Party groups, and telling audiences that President Barack Obama probably wasn't born in America and that his Hawaiian birth certificate was most likely forged.
This didn't deter Andrew Bolt from promoting Lord Monckton's tour three times on his blog (here, here and here). Neither, presumably, did Monckton's previous endorsement of Pastor Nalliah or the other occasions when Lord Monckton has been caught embelishing, misrepresenting or defying the truth.
Only now, after negative publicity on a prominent ABC news show, does Bolt start to worry about climate sceptics being seen as fringe dwellers with loopy beliefs.
But extricating the climate denial movement from conspiracy theories might be a job too big even for Australia's most-often-described-as-influential columnist. In the psychological science literature, there's a trait described as "conspiracist ideation" - the tendency to see some dark, secretive collusion as the most likely explanation for something which challenges your views.
Recent work in this field suggests that rejection of science is often linked to a willingness to accept conspiracy theories, such as NASA faking the moon landings or plots from within the British Royal family to kill Princess Diana.
One of Lord Monckton's tour sponsors is South Australian state MLC Ann Bressington, who gave a keynote speech in Adelaide a couple of weeks ago at the launch of the Lord Monckton Foundation where she told the audience about some secretive, insidious United Nations plot to encourage sustainable development. In conspiratorial dark tones, she told the audience: "The words Agenda 21, ladies and gentleman, were never meant to be spoken."
So keen in fact was the United Nations to avoid the words "Agenda 21" from ever being spoken, they hid them away on the cover of the 1992 document of the same name which is still hidden on a publicly-available United Nations web page (you can look, but just don't read the text, or the UN will be annoyed and Bressington proven wrong).
When Ann Bressington isn't warning people about non-existant secretive plots at the United Nations, she's warning them about the "biggest health fraud of all time" - fluoride in drinking water.
The event where Bressington appeared was filmed by an organisation called Bushvision, which is led by Leon Ashby, a co-founder of the Climate Sceptics political party. A glance at Bushvision's other contributions on YouTube reveals a slew of videos promoting climate science denial, anti-fluoridation and lots and lots of footage of evangelical Christian "healers" curing people just by touch (spinal injuries, crippled knees, pancreatic cysts, gluten intolerance, diseased gall bladder, partial blindness, terminal cancer - all healed).
This isn't the first time that Andrew Bolt has been spooked by the beliefs held by some in his own ranks. In August last year, he chastised the climate denial group the Galileo Movement - Patron Sydney radio personality Alan Jones - for promoting anti-Semitic consipiracy theories about Jewish bankers ruling the world. For at least a year, Bolt had been on the organisation's panel of experts even though he claimed to know little about it.
A survey of 13950 scientific research papers on climate change published between 1991 and 2012 has found that 0.17 per cent (just 24 papers) argued global warming was either false or was caused by something other than human activities.
Despite what Andrew Bolt might tell you, the reason that climate science denialists are described as being on the fringe is because that is generally where they are. Perhaps the reason they shout so loud, is to so that their voices can be heard from the outer reaches of reality.
Wanting battle cry
What is it with these people, are they really this deluded or in it for the money being the only job they have 'qualifications' for? Qualifications in the loosest sense of the word.
It would seem that they cannot even conjure up (I thought this would have been Monckton's forte) an original battle-cry.
"Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!
Oi, oi, oi!"
No. The original is:
"Oggie, oggie, oggie!
Oi, oi, oi!"
From its use to announce lunch to Cornish workers for them to eat their hoggan or pastie (pasty).
And it most definitely pre-dates the use by Max Boyse for this was a common cry on the rugby fields, and elsewhere, at the RN training camp Fisgard, East Cornwall, when there in 1963.
ClimateBobL replied on Permalink
Ethics and Climate
From Ethics and Climate "Why Politicians May Not Ethically Rely on Their Own Uninformed Opinion About Climate Science and 10 Questions That The Press Should Ask Politicians About Climate Science In Light of This Responsibility." Donald A. Brown
ClimateBobL replied on Permalink
Climate Change Law
From Ethics and Climate …"How US Climate Change Law Must Be Reconciled With Existing International Law and Ethical Obligations." Donald A. Brown
As an Australian plase excuse
As an Australian plase excuse me while I do a massive face palm and shout, "Doh"!!
As a christian please excuse me while I do a massive face palm and shout, "Doh"!!
Double "Doh"!


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Spironolactone Week 12
My skin is looking MUCH better this week. It looks better in person than in pictures because the acne scars look like active acne. But, I only have a few raised bumps and they are much smaller. And I can cover up the acne scars, which are (very slowly) fading. Feeling optimistic mid week 12, but I'm going to wait a full 6 months before I make my final assessment. Halfway there...
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I've been wanting to make a post about the Ensoniq ESQ-1 for a while. The only reason I didn't do it sooner is I wanted to buy one on eBay before I drive the prices up! I can happily report I did just click the Buy Now button and got a mint one for $250. Now I'm going to tell you this synth is the biggest secret in the synth world. Ensoniq was an American company and most of their synths are made of metal. The ESQ-1 also has a LED screen which is still beautiful and much nicer than the green/black LCD screens such as on a Yamaha DX7. The ESQ-1 is a digital synth but has all analog curtis filters (like DSI products). They are 4-pole analog resonant filters with 6-stage envelopes. You get 8 voice polyphony. What's the price difference between a DSI Prophet 8 and a vintage ESQ? See where I am going here? It has 3 oscillators per voice, 32 waveforms, 3 LFOs per voice (triangle, saw, square, random) and 4 VCA + 4 Envelopes with 7 parameters per voice. There's MIDI, memory and an on-board sequencer.
When I was in college I was friends with a synth band called Exurbia. The lead keyboardist Juan had an Ensoniq. I was constantly blown away by the sound. Skinny Puppy also used one. Recently I was viewing the awesome synth demos Jexus puts online and came across two he posted for the ESQ-1 (see above). I instantly jumped on eBay. I was shocked to see these consistently sell for under $300. I bought one. Another piece in my musical time machine. Go get one.
"The ESQ-1 is an absolutely fantastic synth with a great sound. In modern language – "It has a DSI filter" – you can hear it when it's running through those 'lo-fi digital samples' with high resonance. It's a very aggressive, powerful sound with lots of low end and depth. The filter makes all the difference and I would never miss analogue saw waves now that I own it. Roland synths of the era were beautiful and smooth, ESQ-1 was heavier and darker." – Rib (comment on vintagesynth.com)
For more info: vintagesynth.com/ensoniq/ens_esq1
photo credit: Matrixsynth


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Town Talk for Dec. 7
December 6, 2012
The Battle Mountain High School music department will have a winter celebration concert Wednesday at 7 p.m. We would like to invite everyone to kick off the season with some holiday cheer. In the spirit of the season, the students are asking for at least one nonperishable food item per person for admission. Following the concert, the students will deliver all of the food items to the Salvation Army food bank. The ensembles will be celebrating with holiday tunes and exciting cadences performed by the drumline. Please come share this musical celebration while giving back to the community.


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Mesoraco, Frazier exit due to injuries
Catcher strains hammy; third baseman has tight groin
ATLANTA -- It was a costly Friday night for the Reds during their series-opening 5-4 loss to the Braves as two key players -- catcher Devin Mesoraco and third baseman Todd Frazier -- exited early with injuries.
Mesoraco suffered a strained left hamstring while scoring on a Billy Hamilton double in the seventh inning. He fell down after rounding third base and limped home to score the run.
"It balled up once I got my right foot off the bag and once my left foot planted there, it kind of balled up," Mesoraco said.
Before the bottom of the seventh, Mesoraco was replaced by Brayan Pena. Mesoraco could not say how serious the injury was.
"I don't know. We'll see tomorrow," Mesoraco said. "We'll see in the next couple of days. It definitely doesn't feel like it's a day or two thing. It feels like it's a little bit longer than that. It's just tough to tell right now."
The Reds did not announce a roster move, but prospect Tucker Barnhart was pulled from the game at Triple-A Louisville on Friday evening. Barnhart could be in Atlanta in time for Saturday's game, in case he is needed.
"The severity is it could be significant or it could be something that's a couple or three days," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We'll see. I think we'll have more news for you tomorrow."
If Mesoraco is out long term, it would mean the loss of the club's hottest hitter. Mesoraco, who had a career-high 11-game hitting streak end on Thursday, is hitting .468 with three home runs, and his 13 RBIs are second on the team. He was 1-for-3 with a single in the seventh inning on Friday.
Mesoraco already spent the first week of the season on the disabled list because of a strained left oblique.
Frazier, who was diagnosed with tightness in his left groin, was 1-for-2 in the game and hit a leadoff double in the second inning. He initially showed some discomfort after that hit, enough to bring head trainer Paul Lessard and Price out of the dugout to check on him. Frazier remained in the game, however, and grounded back to the pitcher in the fourth inning. He was lifted before the bottom of the fifth and replaced by Neftali Soto.
"Before the game, it felt pretty tight," Frazier said. "I was on second trying to tell [third-base coach Steve Smith], because after I hit the double, I felt just a little tighter than usual. I told him not to send me if it's going to be close with two outs. It brought them out and I explained to them my legs were tight. They know it's been going on for a little bit. Nothing popped, nothing like that. Maybe just a day off would probably help it out 100 percent. I'm not really worried about it. I'm just being precautious."
Having started all 23 games this season, Frazier is batting .256 with a team-leading four home runs and also 10 RBIs. He had been hitting .389 (7-for-18) over his previous five games.
"My concern was that if it gets worse, it could be significant loss of time," Price said of Frazier. "As all these guys are, they're very valuable pieces to our club and our ability to be successful. He's a big part of our lineup and brings energy every day. I just didn't want to think about any long-term injury and came to the conclusion he needed to come out."
Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Mark My Word, and follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Corn futures slipped slightly Wednesday morning despite continued soybean price strength. There was no real news concerning the yellow grain, which may have robbed bullish traders of traction. Ultimately, we suspect the winter storms set to hit the Central Plains tomorrow and again early next week are weighing upon sentiment, since those could significantly diminish the ongoing moisture shortfall existing from the Southern Plains through the Corn Belt. March corn edged 0.5 cent lower to $6.9475/bushel in pre-dawn trading Wednesday, while December dipped 1.5 cents to $5.5675.
Soybean futures followed through on their huge Tuesday surge overnight. Disappointment with weekend rainfall over dry Argentine fields is almost surely playing a big role in the ongoing advance. However, traders should not discount the bullish impact of strong Chinese buying of old-crop U.S. beans over the past few days. We should also point out that weakness in East Asian palm oil prices seemed to weigh upon the soyoil market. March beans surged 11.50 cents to $14.8175 early Wednesday morning, while March soyoil rose just 0.04 cents to 52.57 cents/pound, and March meal climbed $5.0 to $430.3/ton.
Wheat futures proved quite mixed Tuesday night. Buying may have been spilling over from the soybean pit. However, bears were almost surely anticipating the increased production implied by the winter storm entering the Southern Plains this morning, as well as a similar storm early next week. News that China recently bought 400,000 tonnes of Australian wheat and 100,000 tonnes from Canada may have discouraged traders as well, since the U.S. was left on the sidelines. March CBOT wheat futures inched 1.5 cents lower to $7.3075/bushel in Wednesday morning electronic trading, while March KCBT wheat rose 0.5 cent to $7.695 and March MGE futures edged down 0.5 cents to $8.1525.
Cattle futures remained under downward pressure early Wednesday morning. That was rather surprising given the strength exhibited by wholesale beef prices to start this week. Wire service sourced cited the premiums built into nearby futures as the reason for the CME weakness. For example, the most-active April future ended the Tuesday trading session at 129.55 cents/pound, which was about 6.5 cents over consensus prices from the country last week. Suspicions that cash prices may decline again this week may also be weighing upon the market. April cattle sank 0.17 cents to 129.37 cents/pound Tuesday night, while August declined 0.25 cents to 126.35. Meanwhile, March feeder cattle dropped 0.57 cents to 142.60 cents/pound, and August fell 0.43 cents to 156.00.
Hog futures continued their recent breakdown overnight. Pessimism about the short-term outlook has probably weighed upon prices lately, but the latest drop almost surely reflects news that China is following in Russian footsteps in calling for independent testing of exported U.S. pork for the growth promotant ractopamine. Unlike Russia, China is a sizeable player in the U.S. pork export market. It looks as if traders may ignore the large jump in pork cutout Tuesday afternoon. April hogs skidded 0.22 cents to 82.82 cents/pound in the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday morning, while June slid 0.07 cents to 91.90.
The cotton market continued its Tuesday surge in overnight trading. There was no big news, although bulls may have been encouraged when ICE officials indicated that no fresh supplies had been added to exchange-registered stocks. Wire service sources again cited fresh buying from Chinese interests returning from Chinese New Year celebrations. March cotton rallied 0.47 cents to 82.65 cents/pound early Wednesday morning, while December gained 0.52 cents to 84.35.


text: Drake's® silk tie in geometric print Item F2393 Color: BLUE Size: ONE SIZE All sizes are US sizes. ONE SIZE Size Charts Quantity: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Prices do not include taxes. Add to Bag Wishlist Add to Bag Add To Wishlist share: size & fit 2 1/2" at widest point. Product Details Handcrafted in London by Drake's (the haberdasher known for injecting classic accessories with vibrant, cheeky prints and patterns), this English silk tie makes the perfect finishing touch to any polished look. English silk. Made in the United Kingdom. Item F2393.


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Cowboys reportedly add linebacker
Updated 2:30 am, Wednesday, March 27, 2013
One year after they made a splash in free agency, the salary cap-challenged Dallas Cowboys barely made a ripple with their first signing of 2013.
The team reportedly agreed to terms on a two-year deal Tuesday with linebacker Justin Durant, who spent the last two seasons with the Detroit Lions.
There's a catch, though: The seven-year veteran can't sign until the Cowboys create more space under the salary cap, the Dallas Morning News and other outlets reported.
Durant started 14 games last season. He finished second on the Lions with 103 tackles while playing outside linebacker in the team's 4-3 defense, a scheme Dallas will use this season after employing the 3-4 alignment the past eight seasons.
Durant confirmed the deal by tweeting he's got to "learn that South Dallas Swag."
Second-year pro Kyle Wilber is projected as the starter at strong-side linebacker in 2013, but the Cowboys now have two veterans to push him in Durant and holdover Alex Albright.
Sports Channel
Dallas has only $102,000 in cap space. But that could change if the club negotiates an extension with quarterback Tony Romo and signs defensive end Anthony Spencer to a new deal, transactions that would lower their hefty cap figures.
Last spring, the Cowboys signed several free agents, including cornerback Brandon Carr (five years, $50.1 million).
Brent trial date: Nose tackle Josh Brent faces a Sept. 23 trial on the intoxication manslaughter charge police say resulted in the death of practice-squad linebacker Jerry Brown.
Brent had a blood alcohol content of twice the legal limit when Brown died in a single-car crash Dec. 8 in Irving, according to police. Brown was a passenger in Brent's car.
If convicted, Brent faces up to 20 years in prison.
Bryant aims high: Dez Bryant told ESPNDallas.com he believes he can be the first player in NFL history with 2,000 receiving yards in a season.
"It's only going to get better, to be honest," said Bryant, who also believes he can catch 20 touchdowns in one season. "I still have a lot to give. I feel like nobody's seen anything. I feel like it can be a lot more than that."
Bryant posted career highs last season with 1,382 yards and 12 TDs.
Vaccaro talks Cowboys: Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro indicated he'd be thrilled if Dallas selected him in the draft next month.
"I played for the best university in Texas, and to play for America's Team would be great," Vaccaro told reporters at Texas' pro day.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.


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Foreclosure Information Meeting on Feb. 26
Feb. 11, 2009
News Highlights
More Information
The Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development will host a foreclosure information meeting for homeowners and renters who live in the county on Thursday, Feb. 26. The meeting will be from 7-9 p.m. at Lee High School, in Lancer Hall, 6540 Franconia Road, Springfield.
Homeowners can find out about:
- Strategies to prevent foreclosure.
- Workout options when mortgage payments are no longer affordable.
- Predatory lending practices.
- Foreclosure rescue scams.
Renters can get information about:
- What to do if the property they are renting is facing foreclosure.
- How mortgage foreclosure affects a rental dwelling.
- What happens after the foreclosure is final.
Information will be presented by the Homeownership Division of the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Consumer Affairs Branch of the Department of Cable Communications and Consumer Protection. Representatives from Legal Services of Northern Virginia will be available to provide foreclosure counseling and answer questions. The Hispanic Committee of Virginia will provide the presentation in Spanish.
Space is limited so register early. To sign up, call the Department of Housing and Community Development at 703-246-5264, TTY 703-385-3578. For reasonable ADA accommodations, call 703-246-5101, TTY 711.
Homeowners who are unable to attend but would like more information can contact the Homeownership Resource Center of the HCD weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 703-246-5087, TTY 703-385-3578. Renters with questions about rental housing in foreclosure or homeowners seeking to avoid foreclosure rescue scams should contact the Consumer Affairs Branch weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 703-222-8435, TTY 711.
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director, Office of Public Affairs
703-324-3189, TTY 711, Media Pager: 703-324-NEWS (6397)
To request this information in an alternate format, call 703-324-3187, TTY 711


text: WVU's one dimension and kudos to NCAA By Dave Hickman March 6, 2014 Story Share MORGANTOWN — Cleaning out a crowded notebook and a cluttered mind:n West Virginia's 72-62 loss at Oklahoma Wednesday night proved once again how one-dimensional the Mountaineers are. The Sooners took away WVU's outside shooting and in doing so took away any chance the Mountaineers had.Oh, sure, Juwan Staten made up for it a bit with his drives and mid-range jump shots, but it has become pretty clear that if teams take away WVU's shooters, well, battle won."Any team that scouts us knows we shoot a lot of 3-point shots,'' Staten said. "So if they're smart, that's what they'll do. And that's pretty much what we expect them to do. … I would expect every team to play us that way and try to make sure we don't get 3-point shots.''The problem is that aside from Staten simply imposing his will, WVU's other offensive options are limited. Then throw in a defense that he likens to "playing in quicksand or something'' and the truth is that this team just has far too many limitations until its inside game presumably improves with experience and additions next season.Here's the thing, though, about a team that relies so heavily on just shooting the basketball: It can be very good or very bad, both of which the Mountaineers have been this season. So heading into Saturday's regular-season finale with Kansas and then the Big 12 tournament next week, it's perhaps appropriate that WVU is where it is.In short, the Mountaineers, now 16-14, would be in the discussion for an at-large NCAA berth with a win over Kansas and probably two more in the Big 12 tournament, which would make them 9-9 in the RPI-No. 1 Big 12, with three wins over Top 25 teams. But a loss to Kansas and then another clunker against, say, Texas Tech in the tournament would leave them 16-16 and probably not even in the NIT.Having that vast range of possible conclusions to the season is probably just where this entirely unpredictable team belongs.n Kudos to the NCAA's football rules committee on tabling the 10-second proposal. When it resurfaces — and it will — maybe some thought will have been put into it. As we wrote a while back, the rule — which would have forced college offenses to wait until at least 10 seconds had run off the 40-second play clock before beginning a play — was nothing more than an attempt by football traditionalists and those who have not embraced the concept of a faster pace of play to change the rules to suit themselves. They used as their rationale the notion that not allowing the defense to substitute increases the risk of injury.That's a theory that's never been supported by data, but the coaches who want to slow things down figured it was a good argument to make and one that would be hard to fight against without appearing crass. They also needed the injury angle in there because this is an off year for rules changes and so the NCAA will only consider those that deal with player safety.Anyway, there's no way that the rule should have been strong-armed through like that. Most coaches didn't even know it was being considered until it was officially proposed and sent to a comment period, which is just the kind of sneak attack the rule's proponents wanted. Tabling it now allows for discussion.In truth, there should be discussion. The proposal, or something similar to it, is not entirely bad. Yes, it is clearly — clearly and without a shred of doubt whatsoever — an attempt by defense-minded types to allow situational substitutions that they cannot now make unless the offense also substitutes. That's a huge advantage for the offense. There are two things to consider, though, and they are likely to be the focus of any future discussion of the proposal or its offshoot. First, is there any sort of health risk? The fact that there is absolutely no data to support that theory now is reason enough to dismiss any proposal that purports to be one involving safety, but it's no reason not to seek real data.But perhaps what should be discussed even if the safety issue turns out to be a non-starter is this: When will the defense ever get a break? Whether it concerns contact with receivers, hitting the quarterback, targeting or any of a number of other rules, hasn't virtually every piece of legislation in the game during the modern era favored the offense? Yes, until the ball is snapped, the defense has free rein. It can move all 11 guys, put them all in motion, go forward, go backward, have as many players on the line as they want (all 11 or none). The offense can't do any of those things.Yet once the ball is snapped, the offense has almost all the advantages (save for blockers not being able to grab and hold things). They have complete control over when the play starts, what kind of play it is, their receivers can run almost unimpeded anywhere they want to go and the quarterback is in a virtual cocoon.Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to allow the defense to at least rush the players it wants onto the field. Just be honest about it and don't try to disguise it as something it's not.n And finally, why are there 10 players on the All-Big 12 women's basketball team?I hate that. It's a cop out. Sure, it's nice to spread the wealth and it doesn't harm a soul, but it's also the easy way out, a mechanism by which no one's feelings are hurt.Everybody gets a trophy. That's nice when you're 6 years old. You're not 6 anymore.The Big 12 women aren't the only ones who do it, of course. A lot of leagues, men's and women's, name all-conference teams that are really a first team and a second team combined so that everyone is happy. But that still doesn't mean it's right.Shoot, that West Virginia's Mike Carey was named the league's coach of the year — Asya Bussie and Bria Holmes were named to the All-Big 12 first team — is nice, but shouldn't there have been co-coaches of the year?After all, aren't they coaching 10 players on the floor?Reach Dave Hickman at 304-348-1734 or email@example.com or follow him at Twitter.com/dphickman1 Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Innerviews: Dual-identity surgeon riding high in horse racing world 2 WVU seeking improvements during off week 3 Huggins, WVU tap South Florida hoops talent 4 Former State Police captain now chief in Winfield 5 Rod Run and Doo Wop brings classic cars, music to Boulevard for 12th year UC women outlast Urbana Previous Story Carey Big 12 coach of year Next Story


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Jessica Simpson Collection Fall 2012
Jessica Simpson Plays Peekaboo in First Post-Maxwell Collection Campaign
Jessica Simpson may be a new mom, but she's not slowing down work on her wildly successful Jessica Simpson Collection. Jessica had just given birth to baby Maxwell when it was time to shoot the campaign for her Fall 2012 line, but she still wanted to have a presence in the ads, so she and her team came up with an inventive way for Jess to participate. "I am so excited for the Fall collection to hit stores," Jess said. "I had just had Maxwell when we shot this campaign but was able work behind the scenes."
Spot Jessica peeking out from behind the models in a number of the shots showcasing her latest designs. Jessica also once again worked with her sister Ashlee Simpson on the Jessica Simpson Girls line. Jessica also spoke about her Jessica Simpson Girls collection, saying, "Ashlee and I work as cocreative directors together for Jessica Simpson Girls and it is such a blast to be able to work with her along with our mom to create affordable, fun fashion for girls of all ages!" Check out Jessica's cute post-Maxwell ad campaign and see the whole line on JessicaSimpson.com!


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Breast augmentation can improve the size and contour of a woman's breasts. If your breasts never developed, if they shrank as a result of weight loss or pregnancy, if they do not have an attractive shape, or if they are uneven in size or different in shape, breast augmentation can help. If you live in the Philadelphia area, Breast augmentation by Philadelphia breast augmentation surgeon David A. Bottger, M.D., can improve your confidence, give you a greater range of clothing options, and help restore your youthful figure.
This page gives some general information on breast augmentation, but it cannot tell you if the procedure is right for you or answer questions about the results you might see in your case. To get specific information and personalized recommendations, please schedule a consultation with Philadelphia plastic surgeon Dr. David Bottger.
What Breast Augmentation Can Accomplish
Breast augmentation is a plastic surgery procedure that can improve the appearance of your
breasts if you perceive they are:
- Too small
- Do not have an attractive shape
- Lack fullness in the upper part of the breast
- Are significantly uneven in size or shape
- Have minor sagging
Breast augmentation uses breast implants to increase the volume of the breasts and give them a more attractive shape. In cases of significant sagging, a breast lift may be necessary to completely reshape your breasts and give them the appearance you desire.
For more detailed information about the surgical procedure, please visit our Breast Augmentation Questions page.
Customize Your Breast Augmentation Procedure
Because your cosmetic goals are specific to your body and your idea of what attractive breasts look like, your breast augmentation procedure can be customized to give you the results you desire. Some of the decisions you will make to ensure you get the best breast augmentation for you include:
- Silicone or saline breast implants
- Size of breast implant
- Shape of breast implant
- Placement of breast implant
- Incision placement
During your consultation, Dr. Bottger will help you understand how these decisions can help you get the results you desire. To help you communicate your goals to Dr. Bottger, you can collect materials to bring to your consultation, such as clothes you hope to wear after your breast augmentation, pictures of you when you were happiest with the appearance of your breasts, or pictures of women who are similar in proportion to you, but have what you consider attractive breasts. It's important to remember when looking at pictures in magazines or advertisements that most women in these images have been airbrushed and you may not be able to achieve similar results.
Why Choose Dr. Bottger for Your Breast Augmentation
For a surgical procedure like breast augmentation, it is important to work with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Working with a board-certified surgeon ensures your surgeon is specifically trained and certified in plastic surgery procedures like breast augmentation. Dr. David Bottger has been serving the people of Philadelphia as a plastic surgeon for nearly twenty years. In that time he has helped thousands of women to get the results they desire from breast augmentation, body contouring, and other plastic surgery procedures. You can see examples of these results in our before and after gallery.
If you would like to talk to Dr. Bottger about the right breast augmentation procedure for you, please contact us today to schedule your initial consultation.
40 years old / 5'4", 115 lbs.
Implant: 360cc Saline
Placement: Submuscular
Estimated cup size change: B to full C cup