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THE SNP have accused the BBC of breaching strict impartiality rules during an interview between Alex Salmond and Andrew Marr.
The party yesterday demanded an explanation after the broadcaster appeared to offer a personal view that an independent Scotland would find it "quite hard to get back in" to the EU.
Stewart Maxwell, a senior Nationalist MSP, also complained that Mr Marr may have broken the corporation editorial guidelines during heated exchanges with the First Minister on his Sunday morning show.
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Pete Wishart, the SNP MP and culture spokesman, said on Twitter there would be "consequences" for Mr Marr, as other Nationalist campaigners took to the internet to accuse the corporation of bias. A number said they would be making formal complaints to the BBC.
The row erupted as Mr Salmond was quizzed about the SNP's claim that an independent Scotland would be fast-tracked into the European Union on the same terms of membership as the UK.
Last month, during an unexpected appearance on the Andrew Marr show, European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said he believed it would be nearly impossible for an independent Scotland to join smoothly and compared the country's situation with that of Kosovo, which has not been recognised as a state by Spain.
During yesterday's interview Mr Marr told Mr Salmond he had been "quite surprised by how incredibly steely and sure" Mr Barroso had been.
He said: "He was absolutely adamant in private and in public on the sofa that it would not happen and he said he was speaking for many other big European heads. I wonder why you regard this as yet more unionist bluster - he had no particular dog in this fight."
Mr Salmond replied: "I think perhaps he has", and repeated claims Mr Barroso's remarks were part of a campaign to become Secretary General of Nato and that he "was sucking up to London in order to advance that process".
As the exchange continued, Mr Marr said: "I think it would be quite hard to get back in, I have to say."
The host tried to move on to another question but an angry Mr Salmond pulled him up for providing an "Andrew Marr analysis".
Challenging the broadcaster, he said: "Is that an individual expression or is that an expression of the BBC?"
Mr Marr said: "No it's not. I've got no views on this, nor does the BBC."
Last night SNP MSP Stewart Maxwell said: "There are questions for the BBC to answer over their coverage of this issue. Firstly, they failed to press President Barroso about his comparison of Scotland - which has been part of the EU for over 40 years - with Kosovo.
"And now a presenter offers what appears to be a personal view on an independent Scotland's EU membership. The comments from Andrew Marr appear to be outside the BBC's editorial guidelines, and no amount of backtracking can change that."
A spokeswoman for the First Minister said: "Though the specific comment made was surprising, the First Minister responded at the time and we do not intend to complain about a programme we were represented on. The BBC face a more generic issue in relation to referendum coverage that has been highlighted by independent academic research, and it is for the BBC to explain their overall approach."
In a separate interview on the same programme yesterday, Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls insisted a currency union between an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK would be the "euro crisis in spades" as he and George Osborne again joined forces to make clear that any future Westminster Government would not sign up to one.
Mr Salmond said the warning was part of a "long litany of scaremongering". He insisted the claimed "moral superiority" of holding the consensual Scottish referendum, compared to the snap one in Crimea, would "dissolve in a puff of dust" if the Edinburgh Agreement was not adhered to.
The First Minister said the SNP Government's appointed Fiscal Commission had come up with a "Plan B, C, D, E and F" but that he and his colleagues would argue for the best option; a shared sterling zone.
When questioned on the show, Mr Osborne insisted sharing sterling was now off the table, saying: "You would have to ask yourself, if you tried to create a currency union, would you not need much more control over the Scottish budget, would you not need to stand behind Scotland's banks?
"When you start to ask questions about how that would work, you come to see it would not be in the interests of the rest of the UK and I don't think it would work for Scotland either."
Last night a BBC spokeswoman said: "Andrew himself made it clear on air that he had not been intending to express a personal opinion or that of the BBC, but was simply putting forward an argument from President Barroso who, as European Commission President, has an integral insight within the debate.
"The BBC's coverage of the Scottish Referendum debate has been fair and balanced and we will continue to report on the story without fear or favour."


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I tried to install Yosemite but got an error just near the end of it. It's a kernel panic related to AppleACPIPlatform.
Kernel extension in backtrace:
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily(1.4)
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.9)
dependency: com.apple.driver.AppleEFIRuntime(2.0)
I got the following configuration :
Intel Core i7 860 2.80 Ghz (Lynnfield)
Packard Bell Ixtreme M5800 Motherboard
Nvidia Geforce GTX 560 Ti
Do you know how to fix it ?
Thanks in advance.
NB: Picture of screen attached.

subset: commoncrawl


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WE ALL have those awkward situations, you know, the ones where you are itching for something, anything to get you out of there. Looks like we will finally have help, and it's as easy as giving your phone a tickle.
The concept of getting your friends to give you a buzz to help get you out of awkward situations has been around since the dawn of time, or mobile phones anyway. But now thanks to an app called Tickle you can get a phantom call just by literally tickling your phone or making an awkward gesture.
The Tickle website says they have come up with a way that lets you "realistically escape any and all awkward situations you encounter".
The app is only available if you have an iPhone and is still in private beta testing, but there's a waiting list on their site which will let you know when you can give it a go.


text:
Artist description:
A release as your heart slowly and steady crumbles into peace. An absence of control yet the reign of pleasure. Meditate with me.
Java Draw Created Jul 03, 2009 338 x 470px Unless noted Copyright 2009 asimeasime.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
lovely 5/5 :)
Award: Very original. Liked: the colors and the style. Tips: you miss the neck and the back is too big
beautiful drawing:D-5 big big big hearts:D!
great draw!!! 5h


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associated press file
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Sun Special Coverage
Sun Archives
- Agassi loses to non-seed in USTA Challenger final (11-17-1997)
- Agassi passes test (11-14-1997)
- Agassi's 1st UNLV match on Tuesday (11-10-1997)
- Agassi to play before his hometown folks (11-4-1997)
- Columnist Muriel Stevens: Agassi 'celebration' a grand event for a great cause (10-7-1997)
- Agassi helps USA increase its ratings (8-29-1997)
- Agassi holds court (8-27-1997)
- Columnist Steve Carp: Does Agassi still want to be great? (8-25-1997)
- Columnist Tim Graham: McEnroe says Agassi overthinks (8-20-1997)
- Muster and Agassi return to Davis Cup action (4-4-1997)
- Agassi in midst of bad slump (4-3-1997)
- Agassi prevails in long match (2-14-1997)
- Agassi wins '97 debut (2-13-1997)
I don't know Andre Agassi, the Las Vegas tennis legend and, as of Tuesday, admitted former crystal meth user. But I have liked him since the day he started losing his hair and responded by shaving it off.
It was like somebody lobbed that "image is everything" pretense that once defined him and Agassi whacked it into the swimming pool in his neighbor's yard. With a goodly amount of topspin.
Goodbye, hair extensions. Hello, Gillette Mach 3 razor. I can deal with it, Andre seemed to be saying.
Apparently what he could not deal with was his marriage and his game falling apart at the same time. It was around that time, in 1997, that he says he experimented with crystal meth, one of the most stunning revelations in his new book "Open," which hits Barnes & Noble and a million other places where books are sold Nov. 9.
While I have never tumbled from No. 1 to No. 134 in the world tennis ratings, I have gone through a divorce. My drug of choice was alcohol, but whereas drowning one's marital sorrows with a pony keg of Coors Light mostly falls into society's "let it slide" category, doing the same with a couple of grams of methamphetamine has more serious ramifications and repercussions, which Andre is about to discover.
My prediction is that he'll handle whatever society dishes out, much in the manner that Earvin "Magic" Johnson has or Alex Rodriguez has or — do I say it? — Marv Albert has.
A lot of water has passed under the bridge since 1997. A lot of checks with a lot of zeros and Agassi's signature on them have been written out to charities. He'll go on Oprah and appear as humanly fallible as the rest of us.
In the end, if not before, the public eye will smile on him.
But this rather remarkable revelation — not remarkable in that it happened, but remarkable in that Agassi felt the need to reveal it — would certainly explain a lot about Nov. 16, 1997, the last time I saw Andre Agassi play tennis in Las Vegas when it counted for something, albeit only a little something. It was the finals of a USTA Challenger Series event that paid $7,500 to the winner. Like I said, a little something.
Agassi was trying to get his mojo back, not to mention his wife, Brooke Shields, and his game, which at that time was sort of a cross between Bill Cosby's and Elton John's, minus the fat cigar and the sequins. It wasn't pretty. Two days before the final, he had gone off on the chair umpire and was fined $1,000 for abusive language.
This is what I wrote:
SURPRISE! I went to a tennis match Sunday and a Dice Clay concert broke out.
Two days after making an even grander spectacle of himself by uttering the swear word with all the consonants to the chair umpire, the pride of Las Vegas — and its favorite Potty Mouth since the late Redd Foxx — was a model of decorum.
Discounting his sluggish legs, which he said felt like, well, doo-doo, Andre Agassi had nary a harsh word for anybody or anything at UNLV's Fertitta Tennis Complex during the championship final of the Las Vegas/USTA Men's Challenger.
Agassi lost 6-2, 7-5 to Christian Vinck, a left-handed German whose serve-and-volley game was as sweet as strudel. Anybody offended by Agassi's profane actions on Friday must have delighted in watching him being served — in this case, literally — his just dessert.
But the crowd that snuggled in cozy "center" court (in reality, the far left court) was behind Agassi all the way.
Say what you will — and Agassi certainly did during his quarterfinal match — it was going to take more than a few expletives for his fans to turn on him and give thumbs up to the Christian.
Agassi wasted little time in burying the hatchet with umpire Norm Chryst, who, no matter what you may have heard Friday, is no relation to Jesus H. "I'll be all good today, Norm," Agassi said with a grin prior to the warm-up.
And he was. Agassi barely said two words during the match. And when he did, they didn't take a hyphen.
Some of the side effects of crystal meth are agitation, irritability, talkativeness, panic, compulsive fascination with repetitive tasks (like serving a tennis ball, for instance), violence and confusion. Perhaps it was just a coincidence, but tennis fans saw some of each from Agassi that weekend.
Another side effect of methamphetamine is an increased libido. Though I didn't see much of that, to be honest, I wasn't paying rapt attention to the mixed doubles matches on the auxiliary courts.
When it was over, when you might have expected Agassi to be a little testy about losing to a player who might have asked for his autograph last year, he was most gracious. Save for a couple of curt replies to a reporter with whom Agassi is feuding, he did not crack wise.
It wasn't me. Honest. The only time I have spoken to Agassi long enough to make him mad about something was when he got me out of bed when he was in Cincinnati at one of those clay court tournaments to talk about one of his many charitable causes, and if he was mad at me, it was only because I kept dozing off during our conversation.
"If my side of the court was colder, then I'd be the first one bitching about the temperature," Andre said about the brisk conditions. Only he was smiling again.
If it was all an act, wife Brooke Shields would have been proud. And if it was an act, it was better than Brooke's work on "Suddenly Susan."
Little did we know that Andre was headed for a marital breakup and eventual second marriage to fellow tennis star Steffi Graf while Brooke was headed for a cameo on "Two and a Half Men."
Tennis' penchant for tolerating boorish behavior aside, what Agassi said to the chair umpire crossed the line between acceptable ploy and unacceptable behavior. But with the exception of that Teller guy who does magic (or is it Penn?), we all say something we regret. Fortunately, most of us don't do it in a crowded tennis stadium where women and children are present.
Like the talking head on the news Tuesday night who suggested the only reason Agassi is kissing and telling is because it sells books. Maybe Jimmy Connors still owes him $20, but it's not like Agassi needs the money this book is going to generate.
Leaving the crowded tennis stadium, a crowd of mostly women and children had formed outside the main gate. They were waving programs and tennis balls and scraps of paper in Agassi's face, hoping he would sign every item. He tried to accommodate them.
It might not have been an apology for acting like — well, what a donkey digs. But it was close.
Just like that ball the umpire said was out.
I have no earthly idea why Andre Agassi decided to say the things he did for this book. If he was brought up Catholic, I would understand it a little better, because just the other day I called my mom to tell her I was the one who took the Nestle's Crunch bar out of my little sister's lunchbox when I was in fifth grade and confessed to my wife that I thought the waitress at Applebee's who brought us our Pick n' Pair Lunch Combo in 2002 was sorta cute. When you grow up Catholic, guilt is a serious cross to bear.
I do not condone recreational drug use, but I do not condemn those who do, if for no other reason than I went to college and succumbed to peer pressure. But I admire those who can come to grips with their demons, or former demons, in whatever way works for them, or brings them peace of mind.
Closure can be a wonderful thing, even if you are writing a book and don't need the money.


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Watch Burglars Break Into a Dallas Liquor Store by Pulling the Doors Off With a Truck
Dallas Police are seeking the public's help in identifying the crooks. The crime occurred just before 4 a.m. on April 30 at Speedy Beer and Wine, 1951 Singleton Boulevard. According to the cops:
The surveillance video shows a suspect tie a tow rope to the burglary bar doors while another suspect, driving a light colored truck, pull the doors from the building. Two of the suspects enter the building with cardboard boxes, fill them with an undetermined amount of cigarettes, lottery tickets and wine and then leave.
One of the suspects is described as a Black male wearing dark pants and a maroon hoodie. A second suspect is described as a Black male wearing a black coat, white baseball cap, long blue jean shorts and black shoes. There is at least one more suspect driving the vehicle and could possibly be more.


text:
Roll over to enlarge
This image is for illustrative purposes only
Intelligent charge control on this charger makes it perfect for long term maintenance of batteries on irregularly or seasonally-used vehicles. Suitable for lead acid (wet or gel) or low maintenance batteries, this charger reacts continuously to battery condition and delivers whatever charge rate is required.
(£64.59 ex VAT)


text:
The discursive politics of governing transitions towards sustainability: the UK Carbon Trust
A growing literature on socio-technical transitions argues that structural change in societal subsystems is necessary to move towards more sustainable societies. Proponents of policy approaches such as 'transition management' have prescribed an important role to governments in such processes, but have so far paid too little attention to the politics of this endeavour. This paper scrutinises the politics of governing the transition to more sustainable energy systems by analysing a particular policy initiative in the UK. The paper finds that discursive struggles between coalitions of actors and the institutional contexts in which these struggles take place constrain as well as enable new policy initiatives. Policy prescriptions of 'transition management' thus need to take into account particular institutional contexts and need to be tied to dominant or emerging discourses to be successful.
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Volume (Year): 15 (2012)
Issue (Month): 1/2 ()
Pages: 90-106
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| Web page: http://www.inderscience.com/browse/index.php?journalID=25
References listed on IDEAS
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- Smith, Adrian & Stirling, Andy & Berkhout, Frans, 2005. "The governance of sustainable socio-technical transitions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(10), pages 1491-1510, December.
- Harriet Bulkeley, 2000. "Discourse coalitions and the Australian climate change policy network," Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, Pion Ltd, London, vol. 18(6), pages 727-748, December.
- Florian Kern & Michael Howlett, 2009. "Implementing transition management as policy reforms: a case study of the Dutch energy sector," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 42(4), pages 391-408, November.
- Jan-Peter Voß & Adrian Smith & John Grin, 2009. "Designing long-term policy: rethinking transition management," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 42(4), pages 275-302, November.
- Kern, Florian & Smith, Adrian, 2008. "Restructuring energy systems for sustainability? Energy transition policy in the Netherlands," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(11), pages 4093-4103, November.
- Helm, Dieter, 2002. "Energy policy: security of supply, sustainability and competition," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 173-184, February.
- Hisschemoller, Matthijs & Bode, Ries & van de Kerkhof, Marleen, 2006. "What governs the transition to a sustainable hydrogen economy? Articulating the relationship between technologies and political institutions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(11), pages 1227-1235, July.
- Foxon, T.J. & Pearson, P.J.G., 2007. "Towards improved policy processes for promoting innovation in renewable electricity technologies in the UK," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 1539-1550, March.
- Charlie Jeffery, 2000. "Sub-National Mobilization and European Integration: Does it Make any Difference?," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(1), pages 1-23, 03.
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Minnetonka, MN
I am a self-taught watercolor artist using the 'limited palette' of the three primary colors to produce all the shades and hues you see in my paintings. I love to paint a wide range of subjects from whimsically humorous to serious fine art. My passion, however, is doing portraiture of animals and people. Click on each "GALLERY" to view the images within.
I hope you enjoy my work and I welcome any comments. Thanks for stopping by and visiting my gallery of high quality giclee prints and greeting cards. You may also choose to have the prints framed or ready to hang framed canvas. If you wish to purchase an original, please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Greeting cards are offered at the reduced printing price for multiple purchases in packs of 10 and 25.
You may click on each image to see the enlarged version. The FAA "Watermarks' will not appear on your print. They are for Internet security purposes only. This is a copyrighted gallery. The copyright will last my life time plus 70 years after. My web page and all its contents are also protected. Contact http://nan-wright.artistwebsites.com for written permission for use of my creations.
Please visit my artist website at FAA's sister gallery at http://pixels.com/art/all/nan+wright/all The prints and cards are the same as here, but Pixels.com will be offering other products as well. The latest is iPhone cases.


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Smiles All Around After BBSODec. 4, 2012
From the Left:
Joanna Murrieta, Eric Prevatte, Joseph Chen, Pres McKissack.
Not Pictured: Alex Dixon
Baylor's Center for Professional Selling hosted its annual Baylor Business Sell-Off (BBSO) last month, which was sponsored by dental equipment provider Henry Schein.
The BBSO is comprised of two main components: an individual competition and a team-selling category; each giving students the opportunity to engage in realistic sales situations where they can demonstrate and improve upon their personal selling skills. Students play the role of a salesperson making a sales call to a live business executive. Every sales call is recorded and uploaded to the web and then judged by business executives from around the country. Along with gaining feedback and experience, the top-five performers are awarded cash prizes, with the 1st place winner receiving $750.
"The participants represented the high level of sales skill I have come to expect from Baylor students," remarked buyer Randall McLemore, DFW Regional Manager for Henry Schein.
The case for this year's competition was shaped around the sponsor as the students presented a payroll product (ADP Run Mobile) to a growing dental practice. Henry Schein provided seven sales executives as buyers and they engaged with students from 3:00 - 7:00pm. Four representatives from Waco-based The Dwyer Group served as buyers from 7:00-9:00pm. Each sales call is capped at 20 minutes and involves the buyer simulating a real-life situation having other meetings and questions throughout the presentation.
"As a buyer I was impressed with the sales student's preparation, professionalism, and sales aptitude as these are the skills any sales organization look to hire," said Dean Kyle, Zone General Manager for Henry Schein.
Once each student completed a sales call, that video was uploaded to the Internet and sent off for judging. Over the weekend, more than70 volunteer judges watched 3 - 12 sales calls and critiqued the introduction, needs identification, presentation of the product and overall presentation.
The top-six eligible Pro Sales finalists, Joseph Chen, Alex Dixon, Pres McKissack, Eric Prevatte, Austin Smith and Simeon Brown will compete in February in a final BBSO round to determine Baylor's five representatives at the National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC) in Atlanta, GA. Top place-winner, Joanna Murrieta will be graduating and starting her career with 3M in December. Along with attending one of the top national sales competitions, these students will experience the largest national sales career fair in the country that NCSC boasts.
About the Center for Professional Selling
Dedicated to excellence in sales education and based in the university's Hankamer School of Business, the Center for Professional Selling is recognized as one of the premier global information resources for the sales profession. For more information on the Center for Professional Selling, visit https://www.baylor.edu/business/selling.
More News ...


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Henderson County Sheriff Rick Davis was sworn in Monday for his second term as the county's top law enforcer.
Davis, who was administered the oath of office at Blue Ridge Community College in the Bo Thomas Auditorium by Resident Superior Court Judge Mark Powell, has said being elected sheriff is a humbling honor for him.
This is Davis' second term, and he has 20 years of law enforcement experience. Davis ran on a campaign of expanding a criminal illegal alien deportation program commonly referred to as the 287(g) program. He has said he wants to expand the program, changing it from the current jail enforcement method to a task force formula.
During his first term, the sheriff was instrumental in creating a gang task force. This has reduced graffiti, and officers made 37 gang-related arrests in the first months of the task force, the Sheriff's Office has said.
In addition to expanding the 287(g) program, Davis has said during his second term he would create a task force to combat Internet crimes against children.
School board
Monday's swearing in for three new or returning Henderson County School Board members was a serious yet fun affair.
Clerk of Court Kim Gasperson-Justice administered the oath of office at the Henderson County Courthouse for returning members Melissa Maurer and Lisa Edwards and newcomer Amy Lynn Holt as family members or friends held Bibles.
One by one, the board members agreed to support the Constitution of the United States, and faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of a member of the board to the best of their ability and understanding.
Before and after the oaths, there were laughter, jokes and smiles as the board members bantered with the audience of family and other school board members and school staff and said they were excited to get to work.
"I'm excited to be here again. It's going to be a challenging four years, but I look forward to it," Maurer said after reciting the oath, with board Chairman Ervin Bazzle, holding her Bible. "We're a good group and we'll make some good decisions."
Edwards' 17-year-old son, Davey Edwards, held the Bible for his mother.
"I'm excited and ready to go," Edwards said afterward.
Holt's three sons, Hendersonville High student Kyle Holt, Hendersonville Middle student Christian Holt and Clear Creek Elementary student Connor Holt, held the Bible for their mother as she recited the oath for the first time. Holt's husband, father and pastor were also in the audience.
"I'm ready to jump in," she said. "It's really exciting."
Gasperson-Justice, the incumbent clerk of court, and her staff were also sworn in early Monday morning, as was Register of Deeds Nedra Moles and her staff.
Sheriff, school board members, other officials begin new terms
Henderson County Sheriff Rick Davis was sworn in Monday for his second term as the county's top law enforcer.


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Smaato is the newest sponsor of "The Voice of the Software Industry," the Application Developers Alliance.
The Application Developers Alliance is a non-profit industry group founded to serve application developers, the people who power and expand the world through software.
They work to ensure that developers--no matter the language or platform--have the tools, network, and policy environment they need to continue to innovate.
More than 8,000 developers and dozens of corporate partners like Smaato work together for the benefit of the apps industry.
Mobile application developers benefit from joining The Application Developers Alliance through:
Networking: Access a network of corporate partners and developers
Advocacy: Help voice industry needs to lawmakers who shape regulatory policy
Services: Gain information and discounts on tools that help app developers, and
Events: Access networking opportunities, education, and professional development
Go to http://appdevelopersalliance.org for more details.


text:
Bishop John McCormack twice dismissed complaints that two priests had molested children in the 1980s and '90s after the two clergymen said they'd done nothing wrong, according to the bishop's deposition in a Massachusetts lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed by three men who say they were molested by Boston-area priest Paul Shanley in the 1980s. It accuses church officials in Boston of failing to stop the abuse. At the time, McCormack was Cardinal Bernard Law's deputy in the Boston Archdiocese.
A transcript of the deposition was reviewed by The Associated Press. The transcript has not been made public.
Patrick McGee, McCormack's spokesman, noted that the deposition is incomplete. McCormack's deposition is expected to continue, though no date has been set.
"We're disappointed that in spite of the judge's order in Massachusetts that this portion of the deposition was released," McGee said. "He's not opposed to having it released once it's complete. This part of the deposition does not represent his complete testimony."
The Rev. Christopher Coyne, spokesman for the Boston archdiocese, said church officials would not comment on the contents of any deposition until the court makes them public.
Depositions taken in the case were at first released almost immediately. But the practice was put on hold after church officials asked for a 30-day period to review transcripts for errors. Media organizations and the plaintiffs' lawyers appealed.
both pleaded innocent to child rape charges.
Massachusett Judge Constance Sweeney has not issued a final ruling, but last month admonished the plaintiffs' lawyers for media briefings and statements she said could taint a potential jury pool.
According to the reviewed transcript, McCormack was asked by plaintiff's attorneys on June 4 about three Massachusetts priests: Shanley and the Rev. Ronald Paquin, who have both pleaded innocent to child rape charges, and the late Rev. Joseph Birmingham.
Paquin was removed from active ministry in 1990 after allegations that he molested two boys in Haverhill, Mass. A year later, another priest told church officials that Paquin was "romancing" a teen-age boy, and McCormack was asked during the deposition why he did not alert child welfare authorities.
"I spoke with Father Paquin," McCormack said. "He assured me there was no sexual contact, that this was a boy he had known, that he was trying to be helpful to, so I took him at his word."
Law reinstated Paquin in 1998.
In the case of Birmingham, a Gloucester, Mass., parent asked the bishop in 1987 whether Birmingham was the same priest he had heard abused children elsewhere, according to the transcript. The bishop acknowledged having reservations about Birmingham, but said he advised the man not to worry.
McCormack said he confronted Birmingham and the priest assured him he was "clean." Birmingham died in 1989.
During the deposition, McCormack also said he told people they could go to the police, but that many people wanted confidentiality. He said he would report alleged molestation to prosecutors himself — and did so once — if he believed it was continuing and involved a minor.
McCormack, who became bishop of Manchester in 1998, said he did not report Paquin and Birmingham because both assured him they were not abusing anyone.
Need Legal Help Regarding Bishop Dismissed Complaints Of Priest Abuse?
The personal injury attorneys at Parker Waichman LLP offer free, no-obligation case evaluations. For more information, fill out our online contact form or call 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529).


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Chris Walden made his bandleading debut last year with the fine, Grammy-nominated disc Home of My Heart. Its follow up is No Bounds, which seems to suffer a bit from the sophomore jinx. Though some pieces work very well and there is plenty of fine playing by the members of the Walden Big Band, the date is nonetheless compromised by the amount of corn in the playlist.
Walden stumbles out of the gate badly with an ill-advised arrangement of David Foster's theme for the Winter Olympics. I think it's arguable how well the piece works as a fanfare in the first place, but either way I don't think it's a great platform for jazz. At least tenor saxophonist Brandon Fields manages a nice solo, if nothing else. "When You Wish Upon A Star" is the first of three songs associated with Walt Disney in the set, none of which are particularly inspiring. "Someday My Price Will Come" is nice enough on its own, but doesn't stand up to the inevitable comparison with Miles Davis. The playful "It's A Small World After All" probably fares the best of the troika.
There are some very nice tracks here and there, though. The elegant "Clax's Theme" features the trumpet of Till Broner, and the ballad "Otterkam" has a great mood and a unique electric cello solo courtesy of Martin Tillman. Tierney Sutton 's vocals grace two standards, "People Will Say We're In Love" and "Smile," and the group really swings on Walden's original "Try Harder." In the end, the good outweighs the bad on No Bounds, but it still has to be reckoned something of a disappointment after such a strong effort last time from Walden.


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Episode #360 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to.
Nilofer Merchant is probably one of the the more fascinating people you can connect with online (and in person). Over the years she has become a close friend (after a very kind introduction from Tara Hunt). Nilofer is a bestselling business author (The New How and 11 Rules For Creating Value In The Social Era), a corporate director and a great speaker on business and innovation. Most recently, she delivered a very compelling TED Talk on the power of walking meetings (which has close to 350,000 views and counting). She is also a regular contributor Harvard Business Review. In this episode, we discuss what it takes to support an author and a community in a world where the media is everyone and the choices are abundant. How do you find that signal through the noise and - more importantly - how do you make that connection stick? Enjoy the conversation...
You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast #360.


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The Academy for New Musical Theatre and State of the Art Productions will host a weekend conference July 14 - 16 about the ins and outs of the musical theatre business called, "The Biz of the Musical Theatre Biz."
Seminars will cover musical theatre contracts, whether to produce your own show, payment, writers' rights, and legal issues surrounding contracts, licensing, and copyright. Los Angeles producers and artistic directors will reveal their process for selecting and scheduling original musicals for their seasons and listen to pitches from attendees.
The conference will take place at the Academy for New Musical Theatre, 5628 Vineland Ave. in North Hollywood, Calif. $75-495.
For more information, call (818) 506-8500 or visit www.anmt.org.
-- Nicole Kristal


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Romania, Bucharest;
My trip began on flying into Bucharest, the capital of Romania. Originally I had planned on taking a sleeper train to Istanbul (my main destination on this trip) from Bucharest. However, after research I found the length of time for the ride to be too much. I did decide to continue investigate the capital. While Bucharest has much to offer it does not present itself as a tourist town. While a very large city it does not have the infrastructure set up to allow foreign tourists an easy time. Street signs are often not present and I did not get a feeling of being particularly welcome. Many times when attempting to shop or visit a restaurant I felt as I was more a burden than a source of income. I only speak English and Spanish and had I spoke French and/or German I believe the experience would have been much better as I heard many people speaking those languages. Even when purchasing train tickets I felt sorry for the woman at the help window having to deal with me! Bucharest also suffers from termendous traffic especially during rush hours but also for much of the daylight house. I tended to walk most of the time rather than taking taxis. In regards to taxis, the warnings I heard about drivers conning additional money from fares was true. Strangely it seemed to happen more when I had a taxi called for me from my hotel than when picking one up from a street corner which was opposite from what I had been told. My warning is to always ask the driver how much it will cost and be sure the meter is running. Also, the tails of street dogs is true. Do not approach them to feed or pet. While I was not attacked I did have one fresh from an altercation with another dog growl and lunge toward me as I walked past. Best to keep as much distance as possible.
On the plus side, Bucharest has invested heavily in museums and presenting its history. There are numerous museums throughout the city and all I visited were excellent! Bucharest also has a well deserved reputation for culture. Opera, theater, music are all represented and while I did not take time to enjoy them, if you are a fan of these venues Bucharest will not disappoint.
After my stay in Bucharest I boarded a train to visit the area in Transylvania called the "Saxon triangle". This includes Brasov, Sighisoara an Sibiu as the outer points. While I met some nice people on the train and had a great opportunity to see the landscape from the train, the trip ended up taking about 7 hours from Bucharest to Sibiu. A flight would have been less than two hours and not been that expensive. Also had I visited Brasov directly (rather than as a day-trip from Bucharest) it would have worked out much better. Once I arrived at my destination I was greatly rewarded. These cities are jewels in the crown of Romania. Clean, friendly and offering food and sightseeing in abundance. As stated I visited Brasov and area (Black Church, Peles Castle, local monestary and Bran Castle) which was not a bright move considering the 3 hour trip each way. Taking these trips from Brasov proper would have allowed much more time to enjoy. I arrived in Sibiu late in the afternoon and had enough time to visit the Old Town section which is a beautiful and well preserved section of the original medieval section of town and defensive wall. The next day was a train ride to Sighisoara, the hometown of Vlad Dracul. Another beautiful medieval town, I spent a whole day wandering the cobbled streets, shopping and enjoying the local food. The trip was about 2 hours from Sibiu and an enjoyable ride though my train back was about 45 minutes late in arriving. My biggest disappointment was not in being able to visit some of the outlying villages. These are best seen on the weekend and I arrive in Sibiu on Saturday which conflicted. Mostly my error though I lost a great deal of time due to the EuroRail website listing incorrect schedules. So I had to alter my plans to fit. So be sure to validate your travel if depending on trains. I much more enjoyed my visit in this area as it reflected what I imagined I would find. I only scratched the surface of Romania but would put forward this area as a great introduction and gateway to the rural areas which I hope to visit on my next trip.
Turkey, Istanbul;
Flying out of Sibiu I arrived in Istanbul in the early afternoon. Again, as in Bucharest, the traffic in Istanbul is a force to deal with. My trip from the airport to about two miles from my hotel took about 30 minutes. The last two miles in the area south of the Bosphorus took about the same amount. I would later walk that distance in about 10 minutes when heading out on my sightseeing. If you are able, avoid traveling via car/taxi and walk instead. If you plan on staying for more than several days then invest in a tram pass as it will provide great transportation.
To me Istanbul was a dream. Clean, friendly, great food and safe from crime. The only irritant is the constant calls from vendors to view their goods and eat in their restaurants. But this is Istanbul and why else are you there?! Besides eating and shopping I visited all the major sights, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Tokapi Palace, etc. The history is deep and wide. I would suggest if possible that one use a private guide rather than a group. I found it much more enjoyable and flexible and allowed me to tailor my tour to my personal interests. The Grand Bazaar and Spice Markets were just as I read and I enjoyed every minute of my trip there. I will end in saying that if Istanbul is on your list of places to visit, then put it at the top of your list and don't delay!
In closing I will say that while Istanbul provided great flexibility in travel, if one decides to visit Romania that you take extra care in your planning or extra time. My investigation fell well short of what I needed which caused me to lose out on seeing additional sights. Be sure to review train and bus schedule upon arrival and don't take what you find on the internet as definitive. Beyond that both destinations gave me enjoyment and I look foward to visiting each of them again in the future. If I can answer any questions please respond and I am happy to provide details. Also, if anyone has things to add, or corrections to make please feel free to do so. I would love people to gain additional insight into these historical places.
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Romanian and Istanbul East meets West
Romania, Bucharest;
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Aboehmer, thanks for the trip report.
We have not been to Romania, and i had the notion that we would enjoy the smaller towns and the countryside more than Bucharest. This is apparently the right approach.
What is your opinion of driving to and in Romania speaking only English? (other than avoiding driving in Bucharest)
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The question seems to fall in two parts. Infrastructure-wise, the main roads between towns seemed in good repair. We did not encounter any roads that were in disrepair or were closed. One just needs to be aware of a lot of horse and wagon traffic even on major roads (as well as livestock crossing). I have heard from my research that roads outside the main are often unpaved and can be difficult. If you plan to visit more out of the way villages, renting a four-wheel drive vehicle would be best.
Also, Friday traffic seemed to be very heavy around any good size town as many people travel. So be prepared for that.
As for the non-English speaking part; I believe planning for extra time will be sufficient. A good map should be adequate to navigate with as long as you don't need to rush and not delving into too remote of areas. Some of the more rural areas may best be seen using a guide/driver. Again it depends on your schedule. Hopefully someone with more experience can add to this!
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Thanks again for some more useful info
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Thanks so much for sharing your insights. It sounds like you had a lovely time in Istanbul. Would you mind sharing your guide's information with us?
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Dina4, sorry for the delay. I had to find his card. This tour guide is in Istanbul.
Ulas Esiyok (with the s having a little tail on them).
Phone: (0533) 632 02 88
e-mail: [email protected]
He is a young-ish man in his thirties. A very good guide with a lot of knowledge of history.
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N.J. Salary Caps Cause Superintendents to Flee
Roy Montesano had a distinguished career in New Jersey, where he had been a middle school science teacher and principal, a director of curriculum and technology, and for the past 12 years, a superintendent in the Westwood and Ramsey school districts. Montesano was the 2012 New Jersey Superintendent of the Year. In the 2012-2013 school year, he will lead the Hastings-on-Hudson (N.Y.) Union Free School District.
DA: Why did you retire after this past school year and accept a superintendent job in New York?
Montesano: The governor of New Jersey instituted salary caps in Feb. 2011 on school superintendents based on student enrollment within each district. For example, where I worked in Ramsey, student enrollment was approximately 3,100 students. The mandated caps regulate that the most that can be paid to a superintendent is $167,500 ($165,000 plus $2,500 because there is a high school). While there is an opportunity to get a merit bonus of an additional 14.9 percent, that money is not pensionable. My salary in Ramsey was $232,000. Based on the cap laws, at the end of my contract I would experience a $64,500 cut in salary, no matter my performance or success in the district.
I, like many other New Jersey superintendents, began exploring opportunities outside the state where salary caps do not exist. I was very fortunate to be offered a position in the Hastings-on Hudson district. It is a lovely community—a little smaller than Ramsey but with many similarities. The commute will be a little longer, but still within an hour of where I live. I am very excited to become part of this school district, but it is bittersweet, as I thought I would spend the rest of my career in Ramsey.
How will this change impact your career as a superintendent?
Montesano: Going to a new state, I am sure there will be some things that I will have to get up to speed on. Overall, I don't see it as a major change from the day-to-day work that I do now. When all is said and done, it is still about children and what occurs every day in the classroom. That is the part of the job that is most exciting and really what matters most.
Roy Montesano, Superintendent, Hastings-on-Hudson (N.Y.) Union Free School District
- Salary at Ramsey School District 2011-2012: $232,000 plus perks
- Salary at Ramsey School District 2012-2013 (if Montesano had stayed): $167,500
- Salary at Hastings UFSD 2012-2013: $235,000 plus perks
- Student enrollment at Ramsey: 3,100
- Student enrollment at Hasting UFSD: 1,567
How will this change impact future superintendents and students in New Jersey?
Montesano: Hastings UFSD is considered one of the "Quad" districts, along with three neighboring districts. Out of the four districts, three superintendents are former New Jersey superintendents. In Bergen County alone last year, about 25 superintendents, or a third of the total, left to avoid caps.
I have heard statements out of Trenton, the capital, suggesting the salary cap is a good thing, as this is getting the dead wood out of the way and opening opportunities for fresh young minds to become leaders. While there may be some truth to that, I don't think this is good for New Jersey schools or students. I am very concerned about the future of school leadership. There are some really good, young educators moving into the superintendent position. But many of them lack experience.
In Ramsey, the new superintendent will earn less money than the business administrator, curriculum director, and the high school and middle school principals.—Judy Faust Hartnett


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Agtec Hydrocycle Water Distiller - 1 Gallon Capacity
Agtec Hydrocycle Water Distiller - 1 Gallon Capacity
- Water only touches stainless steel or glass components
- No chance for plastic contamination
- Distillation purifies water better than simple filtration
- Built-in carbon filter removes volatile organic compounds and other contaminants
- Attractive white exterior matches any color scheme
- Comes with a 1 gallon glass collection jug
- Distills and purifies 1 quart of water per hour
- 750 Watts of power distills water quickly and efficiently
- Includes: Water Distiller, 1 Gallon glass collection jug, 6 carbon filters, 1/2 lb bottle of residue cleaner
- 110-120VAC/50-60Hz
The Hydrocycle Water Distiller is the best way to quickly and efficiently remove contaminants in water. It steams and then condenses water in a glass collection jug which leaves behind all contaminants in the liquid. The water is passed through an activated carbon filter before it is deposited in the collection jug which helps to remove any volatile organic compounds that can be evaporated along with water. This system ensures highly purified and safe drinking water right in your own home.
This 750 Watt distiller is more powerful than many competing models and can distill 1 quart of water per hour. It has a capacity of 1 gallon and is ideal for creating clean drinking water for an entire family. The system works by steaming away the water in the main tank and then condensing it in an air-cooled coil. The condensed steam then passes through an activated carbon filter before dropping into the glass collection jug.
The Hydrocycle distiller is made with high quality stainless steel for all components that come in contact with the water (except the glass collection jug). This is a big improvement over other models that feature plastic components or collection jugs that may be subject to leaching. The Hydrocycle was designed to create the cleanest and purest water possible to fit all of your pure water needs.
Steps for Operation:
1. Fill the main distiller unit to the highest water mark line. (Note: Using already hot water will reduce the over all distilling time.)
2. Place the upper distiller unit onto the lower unit so that the upper unit is stable and sealed.
3. Plug the upper unit power cord into the lower unit.
4. Plug the main power cord into a 110-120V power outlet.
5. Position the 1 gallon glass collection jug under the stainless steel downspout.
6. Press the "ON" button. (Distiller will automatically shut off when all water is distilled.)
Note: Distilling 1 gallon of water takes about 4 hours and the entire unit should be on a flat, stable surface.
Unit Ship Weight: 14 lbs


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Hey! This is always such a fun segment to do!
If you have a re-occurring dream or one that you just can't shake and you want to know the true meaning to, and trust me they are never what you think – that's the cool part, shoot me an email and we will get you lined up to share your dream and have Lauri from The Dream Zone tell you its meaning.
You can decide to be on the air with us or we can read your mail and tag it as anonymous.


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Betty Hutton is a Actress from United States. She was born in Battle Creek on February 26, 1921. She is listed on FreeOnes since 2011 and is currently ranked 36439th place. She currently has 3 gallery links in her own FreeOnes section.
Our records show that Betty Hutton passed away March 11, 2007, aged 86 and will therefore not produce any new content.
Currently we have only a few links of Betty Hutton. You can help us out by submitting more photos and videos links to Betty Hutton galleries.
To submit new links please click here
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President Barack Obama called himself a "great admirer" of Pope Francis as he sat down at the Vatican Thursday. Their historic first meeting comes as Obama's administration and the church remain deeply split on issues of abortion and contraception.
Published at 7:19 AM EST on Mar 27, 2014 | Updated at 7:21 AM EST on Mar 27, 2014


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Chevrolet Celebrity Brake Booster Replacement Cost
How Much Does a Brake Booster Replacement Cost?
Brake Booster Replacement Service and Cost
The brake booster sits between the brake pedal and the master cylinder, and uses vacuum or hydraulic pressure to assist the driver when the brakes are applied. The most common type is the vacuum booster, a round drum that is mounted under the hood directly in front of the driver's seat.
Brake boosters operate by multiplying the force applied to the brake pedal. When the brake pedal is pressed, it pushes a rod into the brake booster. Then, the brake booster instantaneously pushes the master cylinder with much greater force, allowing the driver to press the brakes with ease, yet creating a great deal of stopping power.
When the brake booster fails, the braking pressure needed at the brake pedal increases dramatically, and, in some cases, the brakes may seem unresponsive. For vacuum boosters, failure will generally create a vacuum leak, and the vehicle may run roughly, become hard to start, misfire at engine idle, and exhibit poor fuel mileage. The check engine light may also illuminate, and OBD trouble codes for engine misfires, lean air/fuel mixture, and intake manifold pressure will be stored in the computer. If the brake system uses they hydro-boost system, there will likely be a power steering fluid leak on the ground, and the brakes will be very difficult or impossible to press.
It is not safe to operate any vehicle with any braking problem. If there's any sign that the brakes are not performing as originally intended, the vehicle should immediately be placed out of service and repaired.
Normally, a vacuum booster will last from 150,000 miles to the lifetime of the vehicle. In especially dry climates, dry rot may cause deterioration of the internal diaphragm, and require replacement.
Brake Booster Replacement Repair Information
Diagnosing a vacuum or hydro-boost system is typically simple. The servicing technician may only need to feel the brake pedal with the engine running, and, noting the difficulty, immediately suspect brake booster failure. The booster will then be tested manually, and confirmed faulty upon failure of those tests. For vacuum boost systems, this means sucking the air from the booster, and observing pressure drop. For hydraulic systems, the hydraulic pressure going into the booster must be measured. If the pressure is within specification, yet the brake booster does not function, the technician will understand there is an issue with the booster, and recommend replacement.
Once a diagnosis has been reached, the brake booster must be disconnected from the vehicle by removing the master cylinder, brake booster vacuum or hydraulic lines, and finally the brake booster.
If the vehicle uses a hydraulic booster, it is recommended to flush the power steering system as the faulty brake booster may have allowed debris to travel through the system.
The brake booster bolts to the firewall directly opposite the brake pedal. Some manufacturer's have provided the bolts to remove the booster on the exterior of the vehicle, but others have placed the bolts behind the dashboard. The location of these bolts may negatively or positively impact repair cost, and time.
The braking system can be maintained by a DIYer with plenty of knowledge of hydraulic and vacuum systems. This is important as diagnostics and proper completion of the repair require this knowledge.
Most Common Chevrolet Celebrity Repairs
Head Gasket Replacement
Parts (
149 -
291) Labor (
1020 -
149 -
1020 -
1169 -


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ViaSat Secures Major US Government Contract
- For the Protected Tactical Service Field Demonstration Award
- New Contract Leverages ViaSat's Vertically Integrated Structure; Providing an Anti-Jam Modem with Embedded Cryptography For Use Across Multiple Military Service Branches
ViaSat Inc. (Nasdaq: VSAT), a global broadband services and technology company, today announced it was awarded a $33,291,975.00 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for the Protected Tactical Service Field Demonstration (PTSFD), which will provide wideband anti-jam communications to tactical users across both government and commercial satellites. This program will include the development of a Protected Tactical Waveform (PTW) modem as well as an embedded cryptographic unit. The Protected Tactical System capability ensures U.S. military forces can stay connected, informed and productive in a jammed operational environment.
The PTSFD program will demonstrate the ability to provide wideband anti-jam communications to tactical users using the Wideband Global Satellite Communications (SATCOM) constellation and commercial SATCOM. The program enables the U.S. government to move more rapidly by taking advantage of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) systems with limited development. The program also allows government users to take advantage of the commercial satellite fleet while providing superior protected communications. This will allow for a higher degree of operational flexibility and access to significantly more bandwidth than is possible with the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) constellation alone.
Global Military UAV Market Forecast to 2022
"ViaSat's history in technology innovation and proven performance in advanced waveform development, cyber security and satellite communications will enable the U.S. government to take a low risk, yet highly innovative approach to PTSFD," said Ken Peterman, senior vice president and general manager, Government Systems Division, ViaSat. "This PTW modem, coupled with our ViaSat-3 ultra-high capacity class of satellites, uniquely positions ViaSat to provide global, interoperable communications to deployed warfighters with the most assured, resilient and fastest satellite service available. We believe our service is orders of magnitude better than any other satellite service available today."
Source : ViaSat, Inc. - view original press release
Nov 28 - 29, 2017 - Alexandria, United States
ITAR US Defense Trade Controls e-Seminar
Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2017 - USB Drive, Windows Computer
DGI Europe Conference - Geospatial Intelligence for National Security
Jan 22 - 24, 2018 - London, United Kingdom


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By Atlee McFellin
In a previous article, I argued for a growing alliance between the new economy and impact investment movements in order to drive capital to innovative development strategies that create solutions for even the most marginalized of communities.
Shortly after that article came out in 3p, Living Cities CEO Ben Hecht issued a call in Forbes for impact investors to direct their attention to investment opportunities in the U.S, not just abroad. One of our biggest barriers to directing capital to communities and driving innovation is that existing funds aren't widely known by those building local solutions and vice versa.
This article is the first in a series that seeks to identify existing funds generating positive social and environmental impact along with a traditional bottom line; codifying existing financing strategies for the new economy.
The funds described in this series no doubt occupy but a portion of the overall fund landscape – add your additions in the comments! We start by looking at community development financial institutions and "eco-banks," loan funds for worker cooperatives and other forms of employee ownership to go on to sources of loan capital for microenterprises, social enterprises, and triple bottom line businesses generally. Existing financing strategies for local new economy solutions is certainly not limited to debt/loan capital, and other forms of equity financing, in addition to debt/loan financing for other things like smart growth, will be discussed in the subsequent articles. Lastly, before proceeding with the list, it's worth saying that this doesn't amount to a financial endorsement or recommendation to invest, just an explanation of the state of this growing impact investment movement for a thriving new economy.
CDFIs & "Eco-Banks"
The community development financial institution (CDFI) industry was launched after Congress passed the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) of 1977. CDFI is a general term that refers to a range of financial institutions certified as supporting community development including some banks, credit unions, loan funds, venture capital funds, and microenterprise loan funds all across the nation. CDFIs aim to fill capital needs that are not served by conventional sources of finance. "Redlining" – when banks won't lend or have branches in certain communities before they are poorer – was banned more than forty years ago, but the practice is still rampant. Today, an increasing number of CDFIs are providing financing for the development of green or triple-bottom-line businesses. Community development financial institutions now manage assets of over $41.7 billion, drastically up from $25 billion in 2007.
A growing number of CDFIs and so-called 'eco-banks' have developed their own capacity to generate positive social and environmental transformation as an integral part of their business. In many cases like New Resource Bank, these banks are directly supporting an expanding movement of non-profit organizations, triple bottom line businesses, and vast communities of individuals wanting to avoid mainstream finance. CDFIs are required by law to have community residents on their board and serve the needs of low-income census tracts. They finance brownfield redevelopment, affordable housing, transit oriented development, business and personal lending, and more. Additionally, community development credit unions are credit unions certified as CDFIs and are owned cooperatively by their members who are those in low-income communities. These credit unions in the U.S. have even federated together to build a more cohesive movement.
Organizations like the Opportunity Finance Network, the CDFI Coalition, and others are bringing together community development financial institutions (CDFIs) to create new financial systems dramatically different from the mainstream, ones that serve the interests of people, the planet, and profit. And those banks that are building their businesses around a triple bottom line have created the Global Alliance for Banking on Values. An even larger global set of banks recently issued a "Natural Capital Declaration" supporting the need to integrate environmental considerations into all of their financial activities as part of their commitment to the Rio+20 Summit. The larger socially responsible and sustainable investing movement grew to $3.07 Trillion by the end of 2010.
Loans for Co-ops & ESOPs
Cooperative businesses and housing have a set of loan funds across the country including the Cooperative Fund of New England, Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund, a National Cooperative Bank, and a host of additional loan funds. Most of them have their own specific geographical area, while focusing on the wide range coops take from worker cooperatives to consumer cooperatives like food coops to housing cooperatives, farmer and other forms of producer cooperatives, etc. An organization called The Working World set up shop in the U.S. a couple years ago and has been providing loans to cooperatives with the most notable example being the New Era Windows Cooperative in Chicago, the product of a long struggle since the Republic Windows and Doors factory occupation back in December of 2008.
The Ohio Employee Ownership Center has a loan fund set up that lends money to cooperative businesses, while also financing the transition of regular corporate entities to employee shared ownership plan companies (ESOPs). In order for workers to collectively buy a percentage of a company or the whole thing, they need capital to financing the transition, which OEOC can provide.
TBL microenterprise lending
Accion USA has a loan fund that includes two types of 'triple bottom line lending.' The first aspect is providing loans to small businesses with a focus on making their buildings more energy efficient. It provides extremely small loans and up to $50,000 to cover building retrofits that will help businesses save money by reducing the amount of money they have to pay for energy. Their second focus provides loans to small businesses that want financial assistance in transforming their product lines or services. The loan specifically goes to either help small businesses who already focus on environmentally and socially beneficial products with financing to help their business to grow, but they also assist in financing the transition to socially and environmentally beneficial goods and services.
They are but one of just a handful of investment funds providing microloans within the United States and are currently pioneering microloans for the triple bottom line within the U.S. Additionally, the national microenterprise organization, Association for Enterprise Opportunity, is working with Green America and EcoVentures International to identify innovation and barriers for triple bottom line microenterprises in the new economy, so we'll likely see a lot more lending like Accion USA in the future.
Georgia Green Loans provides microloans similar to Accion USA, except only for a small area of the U.S. specifically Northern Georgia and Metro Atlanta. They, like Accion USA, are pioneering triple bottom line microlending within the United States. What is most interesting about Georgia Green Loans is their ability to partner with additional organizations to create a network of green microlenders throughout Georgia. The U.S. Small Business Administration provided the initial funding for Georgia Green Loans. Since then, they have expanded their reach across Georgia through a series of lending partnerships with the Small Business Assistance Corporation and other lending institutions across the state. These partnerships allow Georgia Green Loans to centralize the process of funding their triple bottom line lending, while being able to work with existing lenders to expand the reach of their innovative green loans.
Broader TBL business lending
Natural Capital Investment Fund provides different financing mechanisms to triple bottom line businesses. As a fund whose focus is primarily in the rural parts of the Southern United States, it offers a triple bottom line approach to a section of the country often left out in the transition to the new economy. Not only do they operate in places most other triple bottom line impact investors don't go, but they've also developed a series of lending priorities including energy efficiency, sustainable logging, subordinated debt to access greater amounts of capital, and even a separate microlending fund to invest in microenterprises around the country as a whole. They've also got two separate partnerships for providing equity financing to triple bottom line initiatives.
Another two community development financial institution providing loan capital for triple bottom line businesses of all sorts are Coastal Enterprises, Inc. and Self-Help Credit Union. They've been pioneering triple bottom line investing for decades and have an elaborate set of metrics they use as part of their lending criteria. They were also the first of a series of financial institutions that got together in 2008/2009 to jointly develop a set of metrics they all could use together. As will be discussed in a subsequent article, they also have a long history of equity financing options too.
The Self-Help Credit Union is yet another CDFI leading the path of triple bottom line lending with a base focus on underserved and otherwise marginalized communities, loans to help businesses become more energy efficient or expand products/services, and even set up specialty loan funds to further build the new economy.
The Community Reinvestment Fund, USA utilized New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) funding to focus on energy efficiency retrofits for small businesses in low-income census tracts. Working with the underwriting standards developed by the Capital Markets Partnership coupled with the requirements of the NMTC to invest in historically excluded census tracts, CRF created a loan product for cities/municipalities as well as other CDFIs to provide funding for EE projects. CRFUSA was also the first CDFI to develop the ability to securitize their loans in order to provide fixed-income investment opportunities to investors as well. Broader, national work to catalyze a secondary market for energy efficiency retrofit securities has stalled in the wake of a continuous stream of setbacks. Still, CRFUSA is a model and could play a pivotal role in helping other CDFIs engage in energy efficiency retrofit lending, which can further support small triple bottom line businesses in local communities.
Leading TBL foundation lenders
The Calvert Foundation has been pioneering impact investing through their Calvert Community Investment Note, which they use to provides low-cost loans to non-profit organizations and CDFIs around the world with a variety of different foci. Over the last few years they have been growing a multifaceted platform of investing in the new economy beyond most of the rest of the industry, especially in terms of serving extremely vulnerable communities. They have invested in non-profits and through CDFIs to fund sustainable forestry initiatives and businesses, land conservation, water/waste system development, energy efficiency retrofits, green affordable housing, and other types of triple bottom line business and sustainable community development projects and products through CDFIs. RSF Social Finance provides funding to triple bottom line businesses in the form of long-term patient loans. They are one of the oldest impact investors in the U.S. much like the Calvert Foundation. Investors can put money into their social notes and they use that funding across a wide range of lending priorities including: "food & agriculture, education & the arts, ecological stewardship." Both these foundations are part of a growing movement of foundations to leverage their invest-able assets towards financing local solutions through mission related investment too.
These are only a small segment of a growing impact investment movement funding a new economy based on the triple bottom line. Each has their own way of determining the social and environmental impact of their investments. This article only focused on funds providing debt capital to businesses as well, so there's an even larger swath of funds providing equity in one form or another. As the impact investment movement continues to grow in the U.S. and the new economy movement finds increasing alliance with them, local new economy funds can provide a central strategy and set of vehicles to democratize capital, build more resilient local economies, and create immediate opportunity for those in need. The next article will detail sources of equity capital for businesses in the new economy, while further articles will detail with debt and equity capital for other economic entities and development strategies like mixed-use, brownfield development, and smart growth.
[Image credit: Tax Credits, Flickr]


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Crowdfunding website Kickstarter hit a major milestone today when it finally passed over 100,000 campaigns, according to statistics released by the company. In the three years since it launched, Kickstarter has made otherwise nontraditional crowdfunding a legitimate form of project financing.
The company announced the new numbers via Twitter today saying, "It's official! Over 100K projects have launched on Kickstarter. Can't wait to see what comes next!"
However, while it has hit 100,000 projects, not all of them have been successful. In fact, only a little under half of those projects actually survived to the end. That's because in order to be successfully funded on Kickstarter, you must hit a certain dollar goal in a specified amount of time. As Kickstarter notes, it's those projects that ask for $10,000 or less that usually hit their goals. Thirty-three projects raised over $1 million out of the 42,150 total that survive.
One of the projects was the recent Veronica Mars campaign that amassed $2 million in 10 hours alone. It broke the record for fastest time reaching the $1 million mark. It did so in four hours, beating out a PC game — Torment: Tides of Numenera — which originally held the record. This has led to other celebrities using the service for similar means such as Zach Braff, whose Kickstarter for a Garden State sequel raised over $3.1 million.


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Chrysler and Volvo step up with vehicles and offers
AUBURN HILLS, MICHIGAN and ROCKLEIGH, NEW JERSEY—Chrysler and Volvo have stepped up to assist people suffering losses due to super-storm Sandy.
Chrysler Group LLC's Ram Truck brand has donated 20 Ram 1500 Tradesman trucks and $100,000 to the American Red Cross to assist with relief efforts in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
"The impact of Superstorm Sandy was widespread and the road to recovery will be long for many families," said Neal Litvack, chief development officer at the American Red Cross. "Through the generosity of its partners such as Ram and Chrysler Group, the American Red Cross is responding with shelter, food and emotional support, helping families and communities with their most critical needs now, and as they begin to move toward recovery."
The Ram Truck brand's donation will support the massive effort by the American Red Cross to help families and entire communities get back on their feet. On the ground, the Ram Tradesman trucks will help mobilize people and supplies for the Sandy relief efforts and will continue to benefit the organization as permanent members of the American Red Cross' fleet of vehicles. Large relief operations are underway in New York and New Jersey, where residents felt Sandy's biggest impact. Shelters and feeding sites are open and emergency vehicles are distributing food, water and relief supplies in these states.
"Our hearts go out to those impacted by Superstorm Sandy," said Fred Diaz, Ram Truck president, and CEO Ram Truck Brand and Chrysler de Mexico – Chrysler Group LLC. "We are inspired by their unwavering spirit in this time of adversity, and Ram is proud to support relief and recovery efforts by providing the Red Cross with a team of Ram trucks to support this critical mission."
In an effort to assist residents of the affected areas, Volvo Cars of North America (VCNA) is offering a dedicated program for those who experienced a lost or damaged vehicle in the storm.
With this special program, eligible customers will be offered employee pricing on a new Volvo, plus an additional $1,000 to help offset costs. Anyone who lives in a FEMA-designated disaster or emergency area and can provide necessary documentation is able to claim this offer at participating Volvo retailers through Jan. 2, 2013.
For program details please visit: http://www.volvocars.com/us/sales-services/sales/offers/Pages/Hurricane-Sandy-Support.aspx.


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By Pamela J. Waterman
The devil may be in the details, but seeing more detail is generally the goal. Just as astrophysicists launch new space-based telescopes to detect ever-fainter gaseous nebulae, today's designers can choose from new tools to explore ever-finer effects in fluid flow. The combination of faster desktop computers, improved meshing, streamlined problem definition, and fantastic visualization improves the depth of vision for all levels of users across dozens of application areas and helps drive the devil out.
Feel the Flow
A BMW motorcycle is not a Harley-Davidson or a Kawasaki, and BMW strives to maintain that distinction. The company wants you to feel the difference when you twist the throttle and lean into a turn, and it's using unique PowerFLOW fluid analysis software from Exa Corp. to get there.
|This Exa PowerFLOW simulation describes the aerodynamics of a BMW motorcycle. Its surface is colored according to velocity; streamribbons demonstrate flow; and a slice behind the bike is colored according to total pressure. Image courtesy BMW AG.
Historically, BMW designers mounted life-sized figures on clay bike prototypes, preparing for weeks of wind-tunnel analyses to visualize and quantify how design changes affected aerodynamics. To improve airflow (and thus handling) results, they would conduct dozens oftrials, carving away or adding more clay to the prototype via trial-and-error, then scan the modified model to create a digital file. For the past few years, however, following the lead of BMW's car group, the bike designers simulated flow, design changes, and responses to 3D designs using Exa's PowerFLOW's Digital Fluid Dynamics. This software, which differs from CFD by dealing directly with the problem's physics, helps BMW create optimized designs and save time and money.
|This Exa PowerFLOW simulation illustrates the aerodynamics of a BMW motorcycle. The colored areas indicate velocity and the white streamlines denote the flow of the air around the motorcycle. Image courtesy of BMW AG.
The design team needed to understand how minute differences in air pressure cause turbulence and pressure spots at every point of the model. Specifically, they sought the details of how the airstream rotates and twists as it flows past the fairing, handlebars, helmet, and the knees and legs of the rider. They also needed an easy way to conduct what-if studies as they changed elements of the model.
With Exa's PowerFLOW analysis package, including PowerCLAY for digital volume or surface manipulation, BMW stylists and aerodynamicists work in the same room. Both groups can morph any part of the 3D bike and rider models—even changing the rider's posture—and instantly see the effect. Drag, suction, and turbulence show clearly on the processed model images, and associated parameters such as wind noise are measurable.
When the group agrees on a final design, they capture and revise the MCAD model all in the same software environment, converting the formerly sequential design stages into a simultaneous, highly automated process.
Chillin' with COSMOS
As engineers for North Prairie, WI-based Zero Zone transitioned to the SolidWorks 3D MCAD system, they saw an opportunity to use design analysis to cut prototyping costs, improve performance, and accelerate time-to-market for their company's line of display coolers, freezers, and refrigerated merchandising cases.
The company picked COSMOSFloWorks because of its complete integration within the SolidWorks environment and its ease of use. "Our objective was to use ]CFD] analysis software to lessen our reliance on physical prototyping…and lower development costs," says Owen Warr, project engineer.
|Zero Zone uses COSMOSFloWorks CFD analysis software to gain an understanding of the effects of air flow on temperature distribution, product cooling, and frost build-up in its refrigerated cases.
Zero Zone did not completely eliminate physical prototyping, but uses flow analysis to target specific areas of concern. Warr and his team use COSMOSFloWorks to get about 80% of what they need, leaving the remainder to laboratory testing and customer feedback. The software gives the company's design engineers a greater understanding of the physical characteristics, thermal effects, and behavior of compressed air as it flows through Zero Zone cases. As a result, they design display cases that maintain specific temperatures: 40°F for refrigerated cases and –15°F for freezers.
"Without CFD, we were going along blind," says Warr, "doing a lot of unnecessary prototyping." Now they can minimize frost, eliminate hot and cold spots, and avoid the series of Band-Aid fixes that often resulted in the past.
Hot Programs, Cool Box
Consumers are the ultimate judges of product performance, especially TV viewers counting on the playoffs or end-of-season episodes. While a survivor may face being voted off the island, home media systems face an equally daunting task to stay on the set—set-top, that is.
Pace Micro Technology of West Yorkshire, England, is one of the world's largest dedicated developers of digital TV set-top box technology and the only company to design such boxes for all broadcast platforms, including cable, satellite, traditional signal, and digital broadband media. In the highly competitive set-top box market, a difference of a month or two in bringing a product to market can make the difference between success and failure. Moreover, increasing disk-drive reliability and overall life can help.
|Pace Micro Technology used FLOTHERM software from Flomerics to predict airflow and temperatures in a digital TV receiver box. Image courtesy of Flomerics.
To cut the time needed to build and test box enclosure prototypes, Alan Bate, senior design engineer for Pace Micro, needed a fast way to analyze cost versus thermal performance for different venting arrangements, heat-sink geometries, and materials. He used FLOTHERM CFD thermal simulation software from Flomerics to simulate the case's overall performance while ensuring that design changes still met electromagnetic compatibility requirements.
While other components function adequately with indirect exhaust cooling, hard drives need a fan. Bate needed to investigate the benefits of a special finned cowling he designed to augment airflow and carry it around the hard drive, especially to its sides. The cowling would create a thermal path for heat generated by both the hard-drive's motor and air friction from the disk itself, spinning at 7200 rpm.
|Vertical slices through turbulence data showing pressure iso-surfaces in a jet engine simulation. Image courtesy of David Glaze, Purdue University.
With FLOTHERM, Bate was able to visualize the airflow and temperature profiles in the enclosure, and predict the temperature of both the hard drive and the surrounding air for various fin and cowling configurations. The software also allowed him to compare the relative performance of aluminum versus mild steel for transferring heat into the fan's air stream. Now, incorporating the new design's 5% reduction in internal temperatures, Pace Micro's set-top boxes are true survivors.
On the Trail of Jets
You've heard of storm chasers who track and observe tornados in the face of danger. Well, Dave Glaze of Purdue University is a jet chaser, minus the risk. He tracks the trails of jet aircraft and gets visual results equally stunning to those of the storm chasers. But Glaze uses his own supercomputer CFD software plus a desktop postprocessing package from Tecplot to peer deeply into the physics of turbulent combustion to help improve its efficiency while reducing pollution.
A stepping-stone to these improvements involves creating simulations that duplicate experimental data measured during actual aircraft flights. So far, Glaze's CFD code occupies the resources of 16 parallel processors. In the past, sifting, manipulating, and displaying millions of data points presented a daunting task. Today, he easily manages the data from 10,000 hours of CPU time with Tecplot 2D and 3D plotting software.
|This is a horizontal data slice of a pressure iso-surface showing small-scale turbulence structure in a jet engine simulation. Image courtesy of David Glaze, Purdue University.
Solid Tecplot images clearly show time-averaged snapshots of gaseous fuel mixing with air in three dimensions. Rotation, zooming, and translation features allow slicing such images into detailed x,y views. By evaluating presentations of axial velocity decay and radial velocity profiles, Glaze can judge the effectiveness of the turbulence models and numerical method chosen for his code, and thus make software improvements that will drive better engine designs.
Race Cars 101
How much of your school curriculum included designing, building, and racing Formula 1 cars? Probably not much, but you might wish you were a student today in the United Kingdom. Students in secondary schools, colleges, and organized youth groups design and manufacture CO2-powered model racing cars in an annual F1 in Schools design challenge.
The Challenge was created by partners Denford, BAE Systems, and Jaguar to help change perceptions of careers in engineering, science, and technology "by creating a fun and exciting learning environment." What they hadn't planned on was how CFD would play a role.
Concentration Heat and Momentum (CHAM) Ltd. couldn't resist helping with the project and then enhancing the challenge by offering CFD services to the young designers. The company, known since 1974 for its PHOENICS software, imports the students' MCAD models into its Formula 1 Virtual Wind Tunnel (F1 VWT)—an example of CHAM's online month-by-month CFD services—for analysis. The students alter initial settings, boundary conditions, and other factors and start up the solver.
By seeing the connections between design details and simulated velocity and pressure profiles, students learn valuable lessons about refining car body styling to improve performance. They adjust the MCAD model, run new simulations, and export their final design to a CNC routing machine that carves the car from balsa wood. As the races begin, it's clear the CFD competitive edge is starting younger every day.
Contributing editor Pamela J. Waterman is an electrical engineer and freelance technical writer based in Arizona. You can contact her about this article by clicking here. Please reference August 2005 CFD article.
CFD Is Everywhere
Aircraft and autos may have been the driving force behind the development of CFD, but useful and intriguing applications have since exponentially expanded. Here are just a few. — PW
Plastics injection molding
Blood flow in arteries and stents
Fire propagation in parking garages
Droplet and spray vaporization
Flow in combustion engines
Petroleum separation
Copy machine cooling
Weather probe tracking
Companies Mentioned
BAE Systems
Bristol, UK
Melville, NY
CHAM Ltd.
London, UK
SolidWorks Corp.
Concord, MA
Denford Ltd.
Brighouse, West Yorkshire, UK
Exa Corp.
Burlington, MA
Flomerics, Inc.
Marlborough, MA
Jaguar Motor Company
Coventry, UK
Pace Micro Technology
Shipley, West Yorkshire, UK
Tecplot, Inc.
Bellevue, WA
Zero Zone
North Prairie, WI


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Make HD Movies (Part 2)
I consider myself a fairly intelligent person. I would say I am fairly knowledgeable in the workings of consumer electronics gear and computers. I took several film and video classes in college, and even interned at a video production house. I would consider myself qualified to work a video camera, and a computer. Then why in all things holy CAN'T I GET THIS THING TO WORK?
Call me simplistic, but to me there are only two things a modern video camera has to do. 1) Shoot video. 2) Output that video to a computer. If it can't do one of these, then it fails as a video camera. That makes it a very expensive decoration to the Future Museum of Consumer Electronics Crap. The 100+ page manual of the HDR-HC1 devotes less than a page on the subject of getting footage from the camera to a computer. If you take away all the warnings of plugging this into that, the total space is a paragraph. All it says, is that you need some external software to export the video. That makes sense. What it doesn't say, is that you need specific software for the computer to even recognize the camcorder. The beauty is, the camera doesn't come with the software. Sure, you can buy it as a bundle for an extra $100, but if you don't know that this is a requirement, you're up a smelly creak. Downloading demos for the software won't work. You need a real version of the software that contains HDV drivers. Sony's Vegas Movie Studio Platinum (the regular Vegas doesn't have the right drivers), Adobe Premiere Pro, and a few others will have what you need.
After I finally got the software, Sony's Vegas Platinum (the regular Vegas doesn't have the right drivers), everything worked as it should. The transfer goes in real time, so be ready to press the button and leave for a bit.
Editing is an art, and I won't insult the many geniuses who do it for a living by trying to sum it up here. A little advice, though, cut a lot. Most of what is shot in a movie is thrown out, and your movies should be the same. No need to show everyone walking up to the door when showing them at the door will suffice.
Sony's Vegas software will output several different file types. If you want, output an uncompressed .avi file, and then it into a Divx file. Divx files tend to be smaller, without too much loss in visual quality. You can get a Divx decoder here, and download Divx files to check out here. You'll need the Divx Create program to encode your files. It's an easy to use tool that can take whatever files you have and re-encode them as Divx files. It's $20-$30, but should save you massive amounts of space over .mpg and even some over .wmv. You can find that here. If you're looking to encode other files you have as .wmv, then you can download a Windows Media Encoder, which is free. Check that out here. Microsoft also has a pretty good primer for shooing movies here.
Ok, so once again, here are all the links I mentioned above.
•Divx Decoder
•Divx Movies
•Divx Create
Windows Media Video
•WMV Decoder
•WMV Encoder
HDV Compatable Software
•Vegas Movie Studio Platinum
•Adobe Premiere Pro
Apple Quicktime
•Movie Trailers (many in HD).
HT's Movie
After much delay, here are the video samples from the HD camera. This clip, uncompressed, is 35 gigabytes. So obviously, it has to be compressed. What's interesting to note is the different file sizes. With DIVX, you get a 34 megabyte file. Windows Media Video gives you dozens of different resolution and compression choices. Here are a sample of three, 17MB, 25MB, and 142MB. While I would love to have been able to show you a lightly compressed demo so you can check out what the camera is doing alone, size just doesn't permit it. So this demo is just to show what can be done with a few hours with an editing program, what different amounts of compression do to an image, and what a complete lack of talent can do to an hour of HD footage.
The Camera Feed
Uncompressed, the video from the Sony camera is quite good. There is some noise in the darker areas, which is to be expected in most consumer cameras. It isn't quite as detailed as the more expensive cameras, which is also to be expected. There is a noticeable increase in picture quality over single chip NTSC cameras, and a definite increase in detail over the 3CCD consumer cameras (though those tend to have better color accuracy).
The Camera
The camera itself was fairly easy to use. The 16x9 screen was touch sensitive, which may sound like a good idea, but the icons were so small and close together that it took me several tries to get the item I wanted. My fingers are pretty thin, so if I'm having problems, a lot of people will (but probably not your kids).
So here you go, Home Theater's Editing Demo. I'll warn you now, it wasn't worth the wait. Also, these are really big files, so if you're still using dial-up, don't bother. You'll need a pretty beefy computer to run this as well. Check the specs for WMV HD. It runs about 3 minutes.
HT Editing Demo DIVX (34MB)
HT Editing Demo WMV HD - Large (142MB)
HT Editing Demo WMV HD - Medium (25MB)
HT Editing Demo WMV HD - Small (16MB)


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What Gets You Out of the Bed in the Morning?
"One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple"
- Psalm 27:4
David wrote, "One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek. . .." He was saying that one thing that really excited him was spending time in the presence of God.
Mary knew this one thing, too, when Jesus came to visit her and her sister Martha in the little village of Bethany. She sat down at His feet, absolutely riveted by everything He had to say.
Martha, a hardworking woman, wanted to impress the Lord with the fine meal she was preparing. Who wouldn't, if you had a guest like Jesus? Can you imagine Jesus showing up at your house? You would want to offer Him your best, right? You wouldn't give Him a microwave dinner or reheated food from last night. You would want to prepare a special meal.
As Martha was working away, she undoubtedly kept looking for Mary. Where is Mary? I can't believe she's not in here. Finally in frustration, she came out-probably with her hands on her hips-and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."
Jesus replied, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41–42).
Mary figured out one thing, and that was the importance of sitting at Jesus' feet. What is your "one thing"? What gets you out of bed in the morning? What keeps you going, even through heartaches and trials and disappointments?
In Philippians 3:13–14, the apostle Paul said: "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (NIV).
Paul said, "But one thing I do." He didn't say, "Twelve things I dabble at." In other words, Paul's life had a strong focus that helped him prioritize everything else.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000
Used with Permission


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Complaint Review: FOTUNE GLOBAL AWARD INC. FORTUNE FINANCIAL INC.
700 S Flower St. Suite 1410
Los Angeles, California
United States of America
- Phone: 2132325951
- Web: www.successrate.com
- Category: Bait-and-Switch
FOTUNE GLOBAL AWARD INC. FORTUNE FINANCIAL INC. John P Raygoza ARE ALL RIPOFF ARTIST SCUMBAGS TO THE TALLEST ORDER Los Angeles, California
Add me to the long list these scumbags have hit. Talk about sweet talking used car salesmen. Man do I feel a bunch of bad emotions about this company and all people in it. Anger of course, shame, spite, disappointment, neglect, even vengefullness. Has anyone started a CLASS ACTION LAW SUITE? I want in on it.
Its a wonder he and his crew haven't been shot. It is now very obvious to me there are a lot more people pissed at these guys than happy customers.
What a bag of dirt, offering a 3 day money back guarentee, what kind of company does that and not honoring it anyway. No scruples, no integerty, no honesty no balls. I really wouldn't want to be in his shoes.
The quality of his site, product and materials rate no better than 2 out of 10. He'll give you the crappest website for a huge price and then say he delivered high quality stuff, just to satisify the credit card people who say oh we can't do anything because he did give you something.
How long will the lies and decieving of trusting people go on before it brings them down hard. It always catches up to them and they will wimper and wonder why but they know exactly why.
I hope you are reading this John, I don't care how much money you have ripped off from others, I know you have a lot of mine, but I do hope they lock you up soon for all the fraudlent behaviour. I'd love to meet you face to face so I can kick square in the balls just as hard as you've kicked me, but I know that won't happen because all ripoff artist rank at the top of the coward scumbag list.
Yes I am bitter and ashamed, no I am not afraid to show my address.
Does your business have a bad reputation?Corporate Advocacy Program™Fix it the right way.
Set the record straight:Arbitration Program
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 12/21/2009 01:59 AM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/fotune-global-award-inc-fortune-financial-inc/los-angeles-california-90017/fotune-global-award-inc-fortune-financial-inc-john-p-raygoza-are-all-ripoff-artist-scum-542894. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
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Artist description:
O.O this took me a frikin hour and it didn't even turn out good. i used a ref, but changed it a little bit.
Canvas Draw Created Nov 04, 2011 640 x 460px Unless noted Copyright 2011 pineguavaapple.
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to me it looks like someone just rearranged a mess of dog poop and sand to form kitty litter
Awwww I love horses and this one is so cute!!!!!!! you are getting good! his/her feet in the grass looks cool!
Very good, I like very ;)
Getting better! I like the colors and tools you used in this. :3