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Technology shares led a 1 percent rise in major stock indexes on Tuesday, pushing the S&P 500 to its best levels since mid-October and erasing all of the post-election selloff.
The Nasdaq was lifted by a 3 percent gain in Apple Inc's stock to $545.37. The company's shares had dropped last week as investors took profits before a possible tax rise next year. Coming into Tuesday's trading, Apple shares had lost 25 percent from an all-time intraday high hit in September.
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Other large tech stocks also rallied. Texas Instruments gained 3.5 percent to $30.88 after bumping up its profit target late Monday. That helped other chipmakers rally, with the PHLX Semiconductor index up 1.9 percent.
"I see a lot of buying in tech, and that's taking the whole market up with it," said Tom Donino, co-head of trading at First New York Securities in New York.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 126.66 points, or 0.96 percent, at 13,296.54. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 14.55 points, or 1.03 percent, at 1,433.10. The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 44.40 points, or 1.49 percent, at 3,031.37.
Traders voiced cautious optimism as the pace of negotiations over the "fiscal cliff" quickened. However, representatives from both parties cautioned that an agreement remains uncertain.
"I guess in our own dysfunctional way, there is progress," said Frank Davis, director of sales and trading at LEK Securities in New York.
"Since conversations are occurring, it clarifies at least they are taking some action. My personal gut is they'll jostle this into the holiday week and try to do a last minute push."
Lawmakers worked toward a deal to avoid a series of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts that would hurt U.S. economic growth next year.
The lack of demonstrable progress has kept investors from making aggressive bets in recent weeks.
But stocks have steadily marched higher on thin volume. The S&P 500 surpassed 1433.38 on Tuesday, retracing losses in the first seven sessions after President Barack Obama's re-election.
A positive report from Goldman Sachs Equity Research pushed up shares in some retailers. Luggage maker Tumi Holding Inc. was up 4.8 percent to $21.94 and Michael Kors Holding gained 4 percent to $51.76.
The U.S. Treasury is selling its remaining stake in insurer American International Group Inc . AIG's shares were up 4.1 percent at $34.74.
Unexpected improvement in data out of Europe set the positive tone early. In Germany, analyst and investor sentiment rose sharply in December, entering positive territory for the first time since May, a leading survey showed.
The Fed began a policy-setting meeting on Tuesday. The central bank is expected to announce a new round of Treasury bond purchases when the meeting ends on Wednesday to replace its "Operation Twist" stimulus which expires at the end of the year.
(Editing by Kenneth Barry)


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Page content
Schools Will Rock You
Want to produce your own performance of We Will Rock You?
Schools Will Rock You aims to make the magic of the giant hit musical We Will Rock You available to schools and educational establishments, to enable them to develop and stage their own version of the show, learning and enjoying every aspect of putting together a stage production along the way.
Schools Will Rock You will offer information, expertise, tools and support to help all schools and societies to plan and ultimately produce their own performance of the show.
For more information, log onto the official website at www.schoolswillrockyou.co.uk

subset: commoncrawl


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New Video on Demand: See 'Snow White and the Huntsman' and 'The Cabin in the Woods' Before Disc
Check out what's new to rent and own this week on the various streaming services such as cable On Demand, Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Blockbuster and, of course, Netflix.
Cable On Demand
Cable offers VOD programming (same-day-as-disc releases, older titles and pre-theatrical exclusives) for rent, usually for 24- or 48-hour periods at prices from about $2.99 for older titles to $9.99 for new or exclusive releases. Since cable offers a direct connection from your cable provider, its VOD offerings are usually less prone to outside interference and can be streamed with surround sound and 3D when available.
Last week we reported that The Five-Year Engagement was available for purchase on several VOD services a week before disc. Now the comedy starring Jason Segel and Emily Blunt as a couple that can't quite get around to walking down the aisle is ready to rent on cable On Demand the same day as DVD and Blu-ray.
Jason Statham plays a former NYC detective who must protect a young Chinese math prodigy who has memorized a complicated safe combination and is being hunted by the Russian mob in Safe. The R-rated shoot-'em-up blasts its way onto cable On Demand the same day as disc.
Here's a premise you just don't come across every day in movies: butter sculpting. In the aptly titled Butter, a young orphan in an Iowa town discovers she has a talent for sculpting butter. The huge ensemble comedy starring Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman, Olivia Wilde, Alicia Silverstone, Ty Burrell and many more doesn't debut in theaters until October, but you can rent it at home beginning September 7 on cable On Demand.
Nobody Walks is an upcoming indie drama about a hipster 23-year-old named Martine (Olivia Thirlby) who moves into a wealthy family's pool house to finish her art film and, in true indie-film fashion, shakes up the family's dynamic with her pixie-like feminine charms and uncanny talent. The emotionally heavy film starring John Krasinski, Dylan McDermott, Rosemarie DeWitt and Justin Kirk doesn't debut in theaters until October, but you can rent it on cable On Demand starting September 7.
These four services stream movies to your TV via computer, Blu-ray player, game console or other compatible connected device. Like cable VOD, they offer new titles for rent from about $3.99 to $6.99, but, unlike cable, they also offer the option of downloading the movie to own from about $14.99 to $19.99. Usually movies presented in HD cost a bit more than streaming a SD version.
All four VOD services now have The Five-Year Engagement and Safe available for rent or purchase. Vudu will also offer the pre-theatrical title Nobody Walks starting September 6.
Kristen Stewart is as wooden as ever in the visually arresting Snow White and the Huntsman, a twist on the classic fairy tale featuring a scenery-chewing Charlize Theron as the vampy queen and Chris Hemsworth as the titular Huntsman. Although you wouldn't know it from her lifeless performance on-screen, Stewart obviously found some passion off camera with married director Rupert Sanders and broke many Twihard hearts. Given her indiscretions, we doubt you'll see K-Stew on-screen again as Snow White, but you can download either the theatrical or extended version of Snow White and the Huntsman to own—not rent, yet—on all four services right now.
Written and produced by Joss Whedon, The Cabin in the Woods has a familiar horror movie setup with five college students embarking on a weekend escape in the wilderness only to stumble upon some supernatural shenanigans. The brilliant aspect of this clever meta-movie is how surprised you will be that it is not at all what you initially expect and that more sinister forces are at work behind the scenes. The Cabin in the Woods won't scare up new fans on DVD and Blu-ray until September 18, but you can own it right now on all four VOD services.
In the pigskin drama Touchback, Brian Presley plays a former high school football star who became a farmer and a family man after a knee injury. Now given a second shot at football fame, Presley seeks out the advice from his longtime mentor and coach (Kurt Russell). This sports flick in the tradition of Bull Durham is available on disc today but only available digitally on Vudu.
Netflix's all-you-can-stream buffet costs $7.99 per month and gives instant access to thousands of movies and television shows via a computer, Blu-ray player, game console or other compatible device. Don't depend on Netflix streaming for same-day-as-disc releases, however. Instead, Netflix offers catalog titles, vintage movies, indie flicks and TV episodes with unlimited access for one monthly price.
Although Netflix isn't kicking off September with as many new additions as it did in August, there are still some notable titles being made available for unlimited streaming this week. Netflix Watch Instantly subscribers can now enjoy the acclaimed Bob Marley documentary Marley, the puppet-porn comedy Team America: World Police, Tom Cruise in the original Mission: Impossible, Mel Gibson in Braveheart, Eddie Murphy's first turn as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop, the documentary Speak that follows people trying to conquer their public-speaking anxiety, and Clue—the 1985 cult comedy based on the board game that made its Blu-ray debut last month.
Nothing is added on Netflix without something else being taken away. Titles being retired this week include From Paris with Love, River's End, The Pajama Game, Pure, Islander, Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss and White Rainbow.
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2018 FANDANGO MOVIES.


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Former White House Chief of Staff Who Notified President Bush of Sept. 11 Attacks Will Speak At BaylorMarch 27, 2014
Follow us on Twitter: @BaylorUMediaCom
Media contact: Terry Goodrich, (254) 710-3321
WACO, Texas (March 27, 2014) – Former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card – the man who whispered the words "America is under attack" to President George W. Bush on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 – will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 3, in the Armstrong Browning Library.
Hosted by the Baylor Honors College and Baylor Interdisciplinary Core, Card will present his lecture titled "Leading in a Time of Crisis" as part of the 20th annual Laura Blanche Jackson Memorial Lectureship in World Issues. He will describe his experiences in crisis management, including the moment when he alerted Bush of the 9/11 attacks as the president visited an elementary school classroom in Florida.
David Smith, Ph.D., a senior lecturer of history in Baylor's College of Arts & Sciences, said Card was invited to the Baylor campus because of his extensive experience in world affairs.
"We thought that bringing in someone like Mr. Card would give Baylor students the opportunity to hear someone with real-life foreign policy experience as opposed to an academic," he said.
Appointed as Chief of Staff in 2000, Card was chosen for the job because of his impressive service record in the public and private sector, including serving in the administrations of two former presidents. He served in President Ronald Reagan's administration as special assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs and assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff under President George H. W. Bush.
He resigned as in 2006, making him the second-longest serving White House Chief of Staff in history.
"For someone of his stature, Mr. Card has been wonderful to work with, very helpful and accommodating," Smith said.
Card graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor's degree in engineering. He attended the United States Merchant Marine Academy and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and has received numerous honorary degrees and awards.
There will be a question-and-answer session following the lecture and the event is free and open to the public. It will be held in the Foyer of Meditation in the Armstrong Browning Library, 710 Speight Ave.
For more information, call the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC) office at (254) 710-3981.
by Kristen Bennett, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805.
Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.
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PATIENTS in Gwent are dipping into their life savings to fund a range of operations, rather than face delays and uncertainty on NHS waiting lists, health watchdogs have revealed.
One paid out £20,000 for a heart valve replacement after being told the waiting time would be six months, while another forked out £6,000 for treatment to deal with acute back pain and sciatic leg pain, rather than wait an estimated year for a consultant appointment and subsequent operation.
They are among a small number of responses received after Aneurin Bevan Community Health Council (CHC) asked for feedback from patients who felt delays for appointments or treatments had forced them to seek private care.
And a separate but related CHC request for patients' experiences of delays to follow-up appointments revealed significant concerns, with patients worried about their health deteriorating, or long-term damage being caused, while waiting.
The CHC, which has reported its concerns on both issues to Aneurin Bevan Health Board, stressed that the sample of patients who felt that delays had forced them to go private was small – 13 – and therefore it was difficult to draw robust conclusions.
But five of those had raised concerns about orthopaedics, and the aforementioned example of the patient who paid £6,000 was typical.
Furthermore, an estimate of a year's wait for a consultant appointment and treatment is way beyond the maximum 36-week waiting time target from referral by a GP to treatment (referral-to-treatment time, or RTT) set by the Welsh Government.
The latest figures, for the end of October, show that more than 2,000 patients from Gwent, across all specialities, had been waiting more than 36 weeks for treatment, among 12,281 throughout Wales.
More than 300 of these Gwent patients were waiting for treatment in other health board areas, the majority in Cardiff.
A CHC report on the issue states that patients felt "let down" by the NHS and resented having to "pay twice."
Many patients cannot afford to seek private treatment and for others, using some of their savings because they feel they cannot endure a wait, or do not want to risk their health deteriorating, is very much a last resort.
The CHC regularly asks for patients' feedback on NHS issues, and the 119 people who got in touch regarding follow-ups was a big response, indicating what its report calls "significant concern" about the issue.
Almost three-quarters (74 per cent) reported delays, with these ranging from two months to, in the most extreme case, more than two years.
Orthopaedics and ophthalmology were most frequently mentioned, with cardiology and urology featuring regularly.
A fuller report has been sent to the health board which has already drawn up plans to shorten delays and address the follow-ups issue.
It has declared its aim to eliminate all RTT waits of more than 36 weeks by the end of next March, though some specialities, particularly orthopaedics, are behind schedule.


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The Fabulous Fabulists
Mencken, Liebling, and Mitchell made stuff up, too. Why do we excuse them?
Jayson Blair, Stephen Glass, and Christopher Newton all fabricated details—mundane and spectacular—in their journalism. But why? Reaching for the simplest explanation, I previously wrote that fabulists make stuff up because they don't have the talent or industry to produce copy grand enough to satisfy their egos.
But if we agree that hacks and loafers resort to lies because they don't know how else to make great journalism, what can we say about reporters from the Pantheon who marbled their journalism with fiction? I'm thinking of H.L. Mencken, A.J. Liebling, and Joseph Mitchell, all of whom made stuff up. None of them suffered much in the way of reputation injury when their inventions were discovered. What sort of double standard is this?
The most egregious prevaricator was Mencken. In the second volume of his memoirs, Newspaper Days, Mencken gleefully confesses to concocting stories at the turn of the century while working as a young city reporter for the Baltimore Herald. When the Herald promoted him to the City Hall beat, Mencken and the American's reporter asked the Sun's City Hall guy if he would like to pool his reporting with them in the name of efficiency. (Mencken had just left a similar arrangement on his previous beat.) When the Sun reporter resisted, Mencken and his pal on the American planted fake stories in their papers "with refinements of detail that coincided perfectly, so all the city editors in town … accepted it as gospel." Mencken and his pal steadily escalated "from one fake a day to two, and then to three, four, and even more," making the Sun editors think the American and Herald were consistently beating their reporter. Finally, the Sun reporter relented and joined the pool.
Elsewhere in Newspaper Days, Mencken brags of publishinga Page One story in the Herald in 1905 about the outcome of a naval battle between Japan and Russia—two weeks before the authentic results were known. Luckily for Mencken, he correctly imagined Tokyo the winner. He also brags of publishing weekly stories about a Baltimore "wild man" he invented.
Some may excuse Mencken, arguing that journalistic standards were less rigorous back then. Or they might say most of Mencken's crimes against truth were inconsequential practical jokes. But by 1925, newspaper standards were sufficiently strict enough that the New York Times fired the 21-year-old A.J. Liebling from its copy desk for pranking a Times reporter. According to Raymond Sokolov's Wayward Reporter: The Life of A.J. Liebling, the young Liebling, working on the copy desk, changed another reporter's byline, swapping the middle name "Patrick" for the more officious sounding "Parnell."
That's not how Liebling told the tale of his Times dismissal. Instead, he doctored this true story: While working the copy desk, he substituted the name "Ignoto" (Italian for "unknown") as the referee's name in high-school basketball line scores when he couldn't locate the real ref's name. Although he pulled the Ignoto prank only twice, he later claimed to have subbed Ignoto repeatedly ("I had Ignoto refereeing a lot of basketball games all around town"), adding that the Times fired him after catching him. Over time, the Ignoto version of Liebling's sacking became the official account, with the New York Times publishing it as truth in his obituary.
Liebling's impulse to embroider and improve never left him. In the early '30s at the New York World-Telegram, he invented characters ("Asa Wood"; "Elmer Chipling") and spooned into their mouths whatever dialogue he wanted to attribute to the man on the street, sometimes giving readers no sense that he might be invoking artistic license. In the early '50s, Liebling went further in this direction with his New Yorker profile of Manhattan character Colonel John R. Stingo, gilding the racing columnist's persona. Sokolov writes:
Stingo was the last and most elaborately conceived of the many foils Liebling had used over the years to represent himself in print. … Stingo existed, but Liebling put words and stories in his mouth.
You might say this technique is almost Glassian. Knowing that Liebling fiddled with Stingo's character casts suspicion on the mountain of literary journalism he produced.
Liebling's colleague at the World-Telegram and New Yorker, Joseph Mitchell, also diluted fact with fib. In the mid-'40s, he wrote three New Yorker pieces about New York's Fulton Fish Market, which were presented as fact. Only when the stories were collected as a book, Old Mr. Flood, in 1948 did Mitchell offer this disclaimer: "Mr. Flood is not one man; combined in him are aspects of several old men who work or hang out in Fulton Fish Market, or who did in the past." In a 1992 article, the New Criterion catalogs a few of his embellishments: Mitchell assigned Flood his own birthday, July 27; his "gustatory predilections"; his love for the Bible; his high regard for Mark Twain; his taste for columnist Heywood Broun; and his affection for all things old.
If we insist on banishing Blair, Glass, Newton, and all the other confessed composite artists and embellishers (Michael Finkel, Christopher Jones, Jay Forman, Nik Cohn, Rodney Rothman) from journalism, why do we still honor Mencken, Liebling, and Mitchell?
The first leaky argument goes like this: Standards have changed—yesterday's readers didn't care if stories were some amalgam of truth and imagination. But that point doesn't ring true. If earlier readers didn't care if writers mixed malarkey with fact, why didn't publishers oblige them by hiring novelists and printing plausible fiction instead of fact? It would have been cheaper.
Also, standards weren't so lax in the old days that Mencken, Liebling, and Mitchell could fabricate at will. Remember, all three kept their deceptions secret, at least for a time. And none made up a passage that could be easily uncovered. Yes, the inventions of these three literary journalists are different from those of Stephen Glass. But theirs quickly bump into his on their trip down the slippery slope.
The second leaky argument goes like this: Time tempers outrage. Viewed through history's window, Mitchell appears to be a frustrated fiction writer, and Mencken and Liebling seem like scamps rather than felons for making things up. But journalism has long posited a set of rules that essentially say: Build a narrative or argument out of a set of collected facts, and don't double-cross the reader with flights of fantasy, no matter how noble your goal. If I were king, I'd affix large, bloody scarlet asterisks aside the names Mencken, Liebling, and Mitchell. And why not? If you're going to ticket a bum like Glass for reckless writing, shouldn't you ticket a god like Mencken for doing the same thing?
All fabricators share a common motive: They want to make their story better than the plain truth, which they think gives them license to blend characters into a composite, pipe in dialogue, and edit events into a more logical narrative. If the truth refuses to collaborate, they conjure up something more compelling. The leading exponent of this school of journalism was New Yorker staff writer Alastair Reid. In 1984, the Wall Street Journal reported that Reid had constructed numerous composite characters in his nonfiction New Yorker pieces, rearranging events and scenes and inventing conversations. A translator and a poet as well as a nonfiction writer, Reid rationalized every one of his embellishments.
"The implication that fact is precious isn't important," Reid told the Journal. "Some people [at The New Yorker] write very factually. I don't write that way. ... Facts are only a part of reality."
Reid went on and on in this vein, justifying his embellishments to the Journal:
If one wants to write about Spain, the facts won't get you anywhere. …
If you're writing a piece in the first person, you quite often put your own questions in the mouth of someone else. …
You have to get over this hump that it's fact or else. … There is a truth that is harder to get at and harder to get down towards than the truth yielded by fact. …
There's no attempt to distort facts [in composite scenes]. What this perception does is to combine facts. …
Joseph Mitchell anticipated Reid's grandiosity and self-regard in defending his Fulton Fish Market composite, writing in the preface to the book version, "I wanted these stories to be truthful rather than factual, but they are solidly based on facts." This caveat reveals Mitchell's disdain for the quotidian truths of newspapers. One suspects that Liebling's willingness to bend genres hails from the same territory. Reid spoke for all the arty fabricators working inside journalism when he told the Journal, "Readers who are factual-minded are the readers who are least important."
At first, New Yorker Editor William Shawn defended Reid: "I trust him completely, and he's not trying to deceive anybody, including me." But eventually Shawn retreated, conceding to his publisher that Reid had "violated New Yorker principles. He made a journalistic mistake. He was wrong. The editors of The New Yorker do not condone what he did."
Fabricating a terrific story and ferreting out the amazing truth both require imagination, though I wouldn't equate the two. In the first case, it takes some creativity to cook up something that is both interesting and plausible. In the second, finding a good (true) story and exploiting it properly requires a kind of imagination that most reporters just call "a hunch." Where the two schools of imagination part, of course, is when the fabricator writes what he wishes were true—or what he believes to be true, in some platonic sense—even if he hasn't found the evidence. Meanwhile, the honest reporter gives up when the evidence or facts he's looking for evade him, or he reconceptualizes and starts again.
It takes mental energy to tell and retell the truth. As anybody who's ever told a story knows, it's hard to resist the human impulse to "improve" a tale once you get going, whether you've bellied up to the bar or are recounting the day's events at home. The inviting plasticity of the narrative form encourages the Glass and Blair in all of us, and unless you're giving sworn testimony or writing a news story, it doesn't matter if you embellish most stories. Those of us with observant colleagues—or spouses or children or parents—know that hardly anybody ever tells the same story the same way twice. And if you get away with stretching a tale once, you're likely to add a few inches the next time.
Mencken acted on this impulse by continuing to write and publish fakes after conscripting the Sun reporter into his reporting pool. "Our flames of fancy having been fanned, we couldn't shut them off at once," he maintains in Newspaper Days. The wholly improbable fakes they farmed out to a reporter on a German-language newspaper, planting there "an outbreak of yellow fever in the City Jail."
There is a way to write about a truthfulness that isn't factual—this can take the form of a literary essay or fiction. But genre categories exist for a reason. News depends on fact as well as truthfulness. Indeed, truthfulness in news can't exist in absence of fact.
Telling the truth is a learned skill, and the best time to teach it is when the subject is young—either in school or in the first day on the job. It's no accident that so many of the recent journalistic prevaricators—Glass, Blair, Jones, Finkel, Forman—were young when apprehended. As my friend Jonathan Chait points out, journalism unmasks most fact-futzers when they're young, leaving few to age into old journalists.
Facts aren't the enemy of truth. And any writer's claim that he serves a "higher truth" by contriving people, places, events, conversations, and the rest should move his enterprise to the fiction stacks. Not only is it wrong to make stuff up, it's not even necessary. "In general, I don't subscribe to the theory that you can kind of improve on the facts," Calvin Trillin told the Journal during the Reid uproar. "Otherwise, I'd do it."
Spotted a fabulous fabulism not mentioned here? E-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.


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DSDP/MTJ/Post 0.9
Revision as of 18:35, 25 September 2008 by Snigam.sybase.com (Talk | contribs) (→MTJ future objective)
Current MTJ
- Release 0.9 on 08/oct./08
- All EclipseME feature + enhancements & bug fixes
- Build against Europa (tested on Europa and Ganymede)
MTJ future objective
1 - Join galileo train (we have to join the train up to Galileo M4 - December/January) - use galileo specific features, such as JDT preprocessing (?) 2 - Enhance the preprocessor support 3 - Re-factor MTJ code to define a MTJ API (new APIs) - focus on build process - enable support to non-midp2 sdks (rim, midp3, cdc, etc.) 4 - External library support (new apis): select external libraries that will be included with one specific project 5 - Gui builder: SVG, LCDUI gui builder. MIDP flow execution 6 - Fix and improve 0.9 code 7 - Multi-device project configuration (proposed by Sybase)
Planning options
- Option 1: 0.9.1 release until the end of 2008 with new features
- Keep single development branch - MTJ 0.9.1 release until the end of the year - keep support to Europa / Ganymede - bug fix - some new features - need to close this scope - some new new APIs (not sure if this is a good idea) - Join eclipse Galileo train on M4 pros.: - MTJ users will be able to use new features before eclipse Galileo release - Objectives 2 and 6 are ok. objective 1 is ok, but with possible code rework - Other objectives might be ok, if we agree to add / change APIs - 0.9.1 release will have new features and run on Europa / Galileo - We will probably open a branch to do 0.9.2, 0.9.3 release only with bug fixes. new features only with Galileo release. cons.: - Might rework some code that will be on galileo (such as preprocessing)
- Option 2: 1.0 release until the end of 2008 with new features
- Keep single branch - MTJ 1.0 release until the end of the year (or January) (are we ready to graduate?) - keep support to Europa / Ganymede - bug fix - some new features - need to close this scope - new APIs - Join eclipse Galileo train on M4 - MTJ 1.1 release with the train (need to define scope) pros.: - similar to option 1, but we would be ok to add / remove apis cons.: - not sure if we are ready to graduate
- Option 3: 0.9.X releases after 0.9 only with bug fix
- Open a separate branch to do bug fix - Keep doing 0.9.x release on this branch only with bug fixes - Join eclipse Galileo train on November and focus on 1.0 release on jun 2009 pros.: - focus on improving the code and use Galileo specific features cons.: - MTJ users will need to wait until jun 2009 for new features - 1.0 will be specific to Galileo (no Europa/Ganymede support)
Main questions to answer
- When should we join the train? we have up to the end of December/08 - After MTJ join the train: - Will MTJ only run with Galileo? - Or should we keep the code base compliant with Ganymede? (don't use Galileo specific features) - Or should we have another version that is Europa/Ganymede compliant? (possible if we open a separated branch) - When MTJ is ready to graduate? - If we are not ready, are we ok to add /remove APIs on a 0.9.x release? (should we?) - When should we do a 0.9.X release? what is the scope of it?


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Review of Quanta+ and Quanta Gold
Newsforge is featuring a side-by-side comparison of the free GPL Quanta+ and the commercial Quanta Gold from theKompany HTML editors.
Good stuff
I'm using v3.0 with rc6. There are a few minor quirks that bug me, but the application is very useful.
Quirks: Editor doesn't get focus if I switch to another virtual desktop and back. Seems to lose project settings on shutdown, especially if kde shutdown. The file structure takes some getting used to. Oh, and bookmarks would be nice to better navigate a large file.
Plus: If you highlight a word, hit the anchor toolbutton, highlight becomes text in anchor. Gotta say I love the select to copy, mmb to paste in kde. Autocompletion is cool, needs a little polish yet.
Nice to see the project using kate as editor. Both apps have been worked on and improved.
The article says the documentation comes only with the non-free one. It is all there from Gentoo. Quite handy.
My biggest complaint is my monitor is too small.
By Derek Kite at Sun, 2003/01/19 - 6:00am
Re: Good stuff
3.0 with rc6?? Why do not use the version which is shipped with RC6?? I think the bugs you've mentioned are not present in that version...
By Andras Mantia at Sun, 2003/01/19 - 6:00am
Quanta rocks....
Unfortunately theKompany bases everything on QT, to get sales from Windows, which is a reasonable thing to do, but makes their products appear as alien as Motif stuff on a customized KDE. Either should QT hook better into KDE, using their classes if they are present, or this will remain.
So I think, Quanta Gold is not really an option. I really like Quanta Plus. In the old days, I created webpages with it and am pleased about the easy to use interface and KDE alike thing.
I like the tree-like document structure that is clickable. And I LOVE the preview thing, this was once, what got me into MS Frontpage.
Quanta just does the tricks I need better than I need. What else can I say, not being a web professional?
Yours, Kay
By Debian User at Sun, 2003/01/19 - 6:00am
Re: Quanta rocks....
As far as the appearance difference goes, simply run the qtconfig binary in your qt directory (eg, /usr/lib/qt3/bin/qtconfig) and change the QT style to whatever you're using in KDE. All of my QT apps look like Keramik, for example. This doesn't solve the file selector dialog issue, but at least everyone is using the same widgets.
IMHO, KDE should do this automatically.... or at least have yet-another-checkbox for it :)
By Matthew Kay at Mon, 2003/01/20 - 6:00am
Re: Quanta rocks....
Hmm? That's supposed to happen automatically.. The one reason for it not happening I can think of is if you're using KDE3.0.x with Qt3.1.x. Which isn't really supported...
By Sad Eagle at Mon, 2003/01/20 - 6:00am
It does happen
Yeah, my Opera is using my KDE style without me doing anything.
I know it sounds pathetic to be basing things on the look of the
By Enrique at Tue, 2003/01/21 - 6:00am
Another "review" of Quanta+
Quanta+ ist the current "application of the month" on the German KDE website, http://www.kde.de/appmonth
Thanks to Eric and Andras for joining us for the interview - and keep up the good work! :-)
By Klaus Staerk at Sun, 2003/01/19 - 6:00am
Re: Another "review" of Quanta+
Why did you stop to upload english versions of interviews if they were conducted in English language?
By Anonymous at Sun, 2003/01/19 - 6:00am
Re: Another "review" of Quanta+
Someone care to translate it in English?
By John Herdy at Sun, 2003/01/19 - 6:00am
Re: Another "review" of Quanta+
there's no need to translate it into english as the interview was originally in english language. I asked Andreas Diekmann (he held the interview) to provide the dot-editors a simple HTML-version of the english interview in order to offer it here on the dot, okay? :-)
By Klaus Staerk at Sun, 2003/01/19 - 6:00am
Re: Another "review" of Quanta+
Great, thanks, can't wait to see the english version on the dot.
By John Herdy at Mon, 2003/01/20 - 6:00am
Re: Another "review" of Quanta+
Of course the interview was conducted in English language. We translated it in German for our "application of the month" site (http://www.kde.de/appmonth). I just sent the original version to the editors of KDE.NEWS so I'm sure that the English version will be available soon. Sorry for the delay...
By Andreas C. Diekmann at Wed, 2003/01/22 - 6:00am
I can't help but wonder
I see we (Quanta Plus) were reviewed with version 3.0 PR1 because this is what Mandrake chose to ship. This release was a "let's just get something out for KDE 3 users" package that was plagued with many problems and lacking many features. It is interesting that we still review so well, however we have been sitting on a 3.1 release waiting for KDE. In the process it has benefitted from speed increases and backporting of some feature improvements. It is much better for those using PHP.
It is interesting that in the comparison they state that we don't have CVS but we have integrated Cervisia since 3.0 final. Let me repeat... reviewing a pre-release when a final has been our for many months doesn't make sense to me. I'm not surprised when reviewers miss the scoping of project resources, but the FTP feature is a non starter. KDE has it built in so why should we waste effort making a new one. Our upload dialog in 3.0 (note I'm talking a real release) has enough improvements for me to start using it. I had not used the old one because it made no allowance for for the upload list getting mixed up. Now I can reset all.
Evaluating how spell check performed in a pre-release? We have so many features to keep track of I can't remember what was when any more but our releases are the best. As they mentioned word wrap I should note that 3.1 on KDE 3.1 will have soft wrap, one of our most requested features. Also, line numbering can be turned on by default in the final release. Now maybe we need to make it an application default for future reviews.
Our templating is also good for more than pages. It does code snippets and even can be used to link common binary files. It is also scoped gloabal/local/project.
I can't believe the author is asking for an integrated FTP client in Quanta Plus. Excuse me. Can we try some research before writing? *ALL* KDE dialogs inherit kio which gives them FTP, SFTP, Fish, SMB or whatever is on your system. Just enter ftp://user@domain/path in the top dropdown to get a file listing or complete the file in the bottom dropdown for the file. (This is in our 3.0 docs and the welcome docs.) This also works in konqueror so you can drag and drop and manage files transparently like they were on your system. This is why we won't be adding a lame attempt to duplicate what is already done so brilliantly by KDE. In our 3.1 release, due out any day, you will be able to use your home machine to run a project on your work machine and upload it to the server. All of it will look transparent on your system. This was achieved by a total rewrite of much of the original code and a big part of 3.1 was debugging this.
In noting the features available in the commercial editor it should be noted that we have docs available for HTML, PHP, Javascript and PHP. These docs work with context sensitive help.
I am very happy to have been reviewed well, but as an open source project we have a hurdle with servicing our user base. I answer a lot of email explaining things people missed, correcting erroneous presumptions and trying to explain what can actually be done. Open source is truly amazing because you can actually talk to the people that build the project. I want to talk to reviewers because they can help the project by exposing our feature set rather than a cursory, load it up and look around, review. Reviewers can enrich users experience and make project developers lives easier by doing their due dilligence.
Once again I'm reading a review where the author did not contact me... even though my email address is in every about dialog. If he could not figure out how to get line numbers on by default he could have done what a number of users have done... write me. When you consider that by answering his question I could answer it for everyone reading the review it seems almost deriliction to leave me to do it by email or talk back. The same goes for FTP. I'm also sure that they have the latest release from theKompany as they said that anti-aliasing was coming. I would have gladly gotten out the release I'm posting to freshmeat today to the author.
We have been working very hard to provide a tool for the community that is in no way second best and in the best tradition of GPL offers the ultimate freedom. I can only continue to hope and dream that someday GPL'd programs will receive the same traditional courtesy that proprietary apps receive, to be pre contacted and to offer useful input to the author. Looking at the site this article was posted I see a number of posts already revolving around confusion on just the points I made. Fortuantely some users are clearing things up.
By Eric Laffoon at Sun, 2003/01/19 - 6:00am
Re: I can't help but wonder
Relax a bit. :-)
It's free publicity. Sometimes things move very fast in the Open Source world for everyone to keep track.
By ac at Mon, 2003/01/20 - 6:00am
Re: I can't help but wonder
I'm with you Eric.
I had stopped using Quanta+ for a period, using kate, because it wasn't very good, but I'm back with Quanta+ 3.1. It's fast, efficient, very configurable and helps a lot my PHP coding.
All in all I just want to thank for your (and all Quanta+ team) that are helping out for FREE, to OPEN SOURCE!
(I think this is the 9th time I thanks you, and now that I got into Computer Cience I can at least learn basic C functions and C++ objects, so I can start helping out with some code). PS: I don't get tired of thanking ;)
By Iuri Fiedoruk at Mon, 2003/01/20 - 6:00am
Re: I can't help but wonder
what do you do when the "user" name includes an obligatory @ because of some IPS?
By jaysaysay at Mon, 2003/01/20 - 6:00am
Re: I can't help but wonder
You should be able to URL encode the @ sign... @ is ascii character 64, which is hex 40, so you'd use %40 in place of @. For example:
This should work from anything that supports ftp URLs, including KDE, but I haven't tried it. :-)
By AC at Mon, 2003/01/20 - 6:00am
Re: I can't help but wonder
Replying to myself, ha ha...
You can also just use ftp://domain/path and if that host doesn't have an anonymous FTP account, KDE will pop up a box allowing you to type both the name and the password. That method is a little slower, but probably easier. :-)
By AC at Mon, 2003/01/20 - 6:00am
Re: I can't help but wonder
both dont work in my case.
By jaysaysay at Tue, 2003/01/21 - 6:00am
Re: I can't help but wonder
You are correct. The Konqueror FAQ has an entry for this BTW.
Hmm, why is there only Plain Text in the Encoding combobox, but there is still a line at the bottom saying "Allowed HTML:" ... Let's add a "dot.kde.org" area on http://bugs.kde.org :))
By David Faure at Thu, 2003/01/30 - 6:00am
We weren't notified either
I had no idea this review was taking place, and the author also used an old version of QuantaGold. It would be nice if would be reviewers would approach the author first to verify if they have the most current, and to return with questions when they aren't sure about something. While it was nice to be reviewed, I think both QG and Q+ were done a disservice because the review was done without talking to the authors.
By Shawn Gordon at Mon, 2003/01/20 - 6:00am
Quanta+ is great.
I try to use it whereever possible. Unfortunately there's one major feature lacking that prevents me from always using it, lack of unicode support in outputted HTML file.
I like to use UTF-8 as the encoding on my pages, but Quanta doesn't seem to support it. Only Mozilla's composer seems to be able to do it, and i just don't like it very much.
It'd be nice if Quanta could add support for this, and i'd definitely drop everything else to use it.
By rh at Mon, 2003/01/20 - 6:00am
Re: Quanta+ is great.
Hmm, the Open File and the Save File dialog both have a combo box in the upper right corner which allows you to set the encoding which should be used when loading/saving the document.
Isn't that what you want?
By Ingo Klöcker at Tue, 2003/01/21 - 6:00am
Re: Quanta+ is great.
Hmmm, so it is. I never noticed it before, silly me. :)
Well that was the last real problem i had with Quanta, guess i'll be using it as my default editor from now on.
An XHTML1.1 DTD would be nice though. ;)
By RH at Tue, 2003/01/21 - 6:00am
Re: Quanta+ is great.
Go ahead and create it! ;-) (And send it to us.)
By Andras Mantia at Wed, 2003/01/22 - 6:00am
Re: Quanta+ is great.
Quanta Gold supports selection of input/ouptut encodings ( including UTF-8 ).
By Dmitry Poplavsky at Fri, 2003/01/24 - 6:00am


text:
Carbondale establishes its reputation nationally
September 30, 2012
National Geographic Adventure Magazine named it one of the top 12 towns to live and play. Men's Journal called it one of the most active towns. Yet, Aspen-bound visitors may drive right by it if they're unaware.Carbondale has moved up the ranks, establishing a reputation that extends far beyond being a bedroom community located 30 miles outside Aspen.The once quiet mountain town now buzzes with outdoor recreation, theater, music, shopping, unique dining and more. And it just so happens that late summer and fall are perfect seasons to explore Carbondale.
With its paved trails through the valley and more technical single-track, Carbondale provides miles of opportunity for cyclists. Families might want to roll along the paved Rio Grande Trail, which follows the Roaring Fork River into Aspen. Red Hill Recreation Area, aka Mushroom Rock, offers trails for riders of all abilities – and it's only a mile from downtown. Look for the parking lot at the base of County Road 107, at the intersection of Highways 82 and 133. Rock climbers test their skills on Redstone boulders, the Narrows and Frying Pan crags. Horse lovers can choose from town carriage rides to wildflower-filled backcountry trips. And hunters stalk mule deer, elk and black bear in Sopris Ranger District and White River National Forest.Surrounded by rivers, Carbondale literally soaks in watery recreation, from rafting to fishing. Portions of the Crystal and Roaring Fork rivers are calm enough for families with young children to float down. Farther down the river, the Roaring Fork becomes an unbridled adventure, as it sweeps rafters down names like Cemetery Rapids, Baptism and Maneater.The Roaring Fork also provides Gold Medal fishing water, specifically in the lower Roaring Fork, between Carbondale and Glenwood Springs. The 14-mile stretch is home to the largest trout in the Roaring Fork, weighing in between 5 and 8 pounds. The Crystal River lives up to its name, with its clean, deep runs, holes and pockets supporting rainbows and browns.Plenty of guides will help you navigate the rivers and lead you to the best fishing spots in the region. Crystal Fly Shop is one of the renowned outfits in Carbondale – so much so, it outgrew its old location last year. By moving to 1087 Highway 133, it has become the biggest and most well-stocked fly fishing shop in the valley. Whether you're a novice or experienced wader or a floater, Crystal Fly Shop (www.crystalflyshop.com) guides will hook you up.Of course, no resort town is complete without a golf course. Three 18-hole and two 9-hole courses are located within 10 miles of Carbondale. River Valley Ranch Golf Course is situated at the foot of the mighty Mount Sopris. Designed for moderate skill levels, it challenges golfers with rolling valleys, wetlands and the banks of the Crystal River. Ironbridge Golf Course sits just north of Carbondale. Golf Digest Magazine rated it a top course in Colorado, with its 7,224 yards designed by Arthur Hills, along tall grasses, quaking Aspens and the Roaring Fork River.
Carbondale brims with art and music.Every first Friday of the month, Carbondale's art community holds special events, from plein air painting to gallery tours and live music at the Performing Arts Center .This fall, Carbondale Arts Council sponsors classes mostly at Third Street Center, a green-build, new community building. Workshops range from bilingual beginning sewing and felt work to painting with acrylics in unusual ways and doll making. Oct. 20-21, Luvera Meyer, author of "Clothing from Hands That Weave," teaches participants how to free-form knit. Other mid- to late-fall classes include sewing wearable art, basket weaving, visual journaling, book binding, lace knitting, steel jewelry making and seasonal decorative folk art. Visit http://www.carbondalearts.com for more information.Last year, the Performing Arts Center at Third Street, aka PAC3, opened a 365-541 capacity venue to host live music, theater, dance and more.Josh Behrman, who has organized such renowned festivals as the Chili Pepper & Brew Fest, Jamgrass and balloon, music and culinary festivals in Snowmass, helps book talent for PAC3. Tab Benoit performed Sept. 13, and the upcoming lineup includes Leon Redbone (Oct. 10), Bastard Suns with Knockout, No Bueno (Oct. 12), The April Clark Show (Oct. 13), Steve Kimock and friends (Oct. 17) and Caravan of Thieves (Oct. 18). Visit http://www.pac3carbondale.com for more information.One of the most intimate, down-home venues is Steve's Guitars, where guests bring their own beer and wine and listen to live music Steve books. Just walking into his comfortable venue is an experience: Painted and decked-out guitars hang from the ceiling and walls, giving off an eclectic, artistic feel that's perfect for the grooves that emanate from the musicians on any given night. (www.stevesguitars.net)
One of Carbondale's best-kept secret just may be Avalanche Ranch Hot Springs. With the hot spring pools in Glenwood just down the road, people don't usually associate Carbondale with hot springs, but Avalanche Ranch's allow guests to soak their worries away – without the crowds.The three hot springs, located along a creek, are only open to lodging guests, which makes them all the more special. Approximately 85 gallons a minute pour into the 10,000 gallons of water contained in red sandstone and flagstone tubs, so there's no need for chlorination.But the hot springs aren't the only draw. The ranch itself is quaint and charming: In 1959, the owners moved cabins built in the 1940s to the current location. However, the cabins are anything but primitive; they're updated with mountain dcor, a full kitchen and bath. The land provides views of Mount Sopris, Elephant Mountain and Avalanche Creek, and the main lodge hosts a variety of antiques for purchase. The community lodge is filled with books, games and cozy corners to unwind. For more information, visit http://www.avalancheranch.com.Though downtown Carbondale is relatively small, its main street packs a punch with shopping (including incredible boutiques and thrift stores) and restaurants, like Phat Thai and Village Smithy. Village Smithy has been a tradition in Carbondale since 1975. During breakfast, it's packed, due to local favorites, like applewood bacon & egg, and the wild mushroom omelet. Lunch options range from Mexican fare to salads, sandwiches and burgers. (www.villagesmithy.com)When Phat Thai opened in Carbondale, plenty of locals swarmed there – and still do. It hails itself as a place where "hole-in-the-wall noodle joint meets casual neighborhood restaurant," but its food hardly qualifies for the description "hole in the wall." The chefs fuse Asian cuisine – particularly inspired by Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam – with "gringo interpretations," according to the owner. Not only is it an organic, environmentally friendly restaurant, but also its food is affordable and tasty (and they can crank the level of spice up or down, according to your palate). To check out the menu, visit http://www.phatthai.com.


text:
South East London tradespeople recommendations
Builders, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, roofers, and so on - which tradesmen entrance you? Use this thread to recommend local suppliers to other Brockley readers - positive reviews only please. Brockley Central does not endorse any of the providers mentioned on this thread.
Please don't use this thread to discuss locals shops, cafes, etc. There are countless other places on Brockley Central where you can do that.


text:
UPDATED: Balsams Grand Resort teams up with ski industry legend Les OttenBy JOHN KOZIOL
Union Leader Correspondent
February 11. 2014 12:45PM
DIXVILLE NOTCH — After more than a decade out of the industry, former ski-resort mogul Les Otten made an audacious return on Tuesday, announcing that, along with its current owners, he would work to develop a plan that to breathe new life into the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel.
Now dormant for the third consecutive winter, the Balsams and the nearby Balsams Wilderness Ski Area were purchased in December 2011 by Colebrook businessmen Dan Dagesse and Dan Hebert for $2.3 million from the Tillotson Corp. of Lexington, Mass., and the Neil Tillotson Trust.
The partners said they wanted to restore the resort, where they both once had worked, and bring back the 300 jobs lost when it closed. Dagesse and Hebert have made several efforts to bring investors to the project. Last week, an anonymous fax sent to the New Hampshire Union Leader linked Otten to that effort.
The founder and former president of the American Skiing Company at one time owned ski resorts in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, among them Sunday River, Attitash Bear Peak, Sugarbush, Mt. Cranmore, Killington, Mt. Snow, Haystack, Waterville Valley and also a majority stake in Sugarloaf. Otten was also a candidate in 2010 for the Republican nomination for governor of Maine.
Very few details
More recently, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Bethel, Maine-based Maine Energy Systems, Otten spoke at length Tuesday afternoon about his long connections to the Balsams and — without getting into details — his aspirations for it.
Otten said that he, Dagesse and Hebert within the last day had come to an understanding that he would prepare a plan for the Balsams and that if the plan moved forward, Dagesse and Hebert would remain stakeholders in the project.
For Otten, that project is a return to a familiar place.
The manager of Sunday River in 1973 at the age of 23, and seven years later its owner, Otten said his resort and the Balsams would "regularly share customer experiences and help each other out in the wintertime with guest needs and that continued into the 90s."
He said Hebert and Degasse contacted him six to eight months ago and convinced him to come to Dixville Notch to see the Balsams once again.
"I said I don't know if I can do anything, but I'm willing to spend a bunch of time on my nickel to come up with a proposal and they accepted that proposal 24 hours ago," he said.
The success of the project is contingent upon the concurrence of many other third parties, said Otten, adding that one of those is David Southworth, whose Newton-Mass. based company, Southworth Development, specializes in golf and hospitality projects worldwide.
Otten acknowledged that he has his critics. A repeated bone of contention is that the American Skiing Company was overleveraged under his leadership and that stockholders eventually lost a lot of money. After Otten left the company, it gradually sold off its assets and was later dissolved.
"It's extraordinarily difficult to comment on what's coming from an anonymous source," Otten said, adding "I've worked on some very challenging business projects and more often than not, I've been able to create success. I don't claim to have all the answers, but there isn't a business that I've touched that wasn't better off."
A former minority owner of the Boston Red Sox, Otten said his efforts to preserve Fenway Park also were belittled by some people, and that, overall, he is "more than happy to have my record of the things that I built."


text:
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The Four P's of marketing include identifying and developing your product, determining its price, figuring out placement in order to reach customers, and developing a promotional strategy.
Developing a marketing plan is an important way to begin forming this strategy for reaching customers and encouraging them to buy.


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text:
After racing in the afternoon of Monday, December 31 Monticello Raceway will commence its 56th season of live harness racing on New Year's Day, Tuesday, January 1, 2013 and programs will follow on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday that week.
After the Friday card of January 4 it will be back to the normal four- day-a-week schedule of Mondays through Thursdays, with one exception; the raceway will be dark on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, January 21.
All post times during the month of January will be at 12:25pm.
On January 22 the Mighty M will honor the memory of Dr. King with its 13th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pace, a race that will feature the talents of African-American drivers.
Simulcast wagering on both harness and thoroughbreds will continue seven days a week throughout the month. And of course, there's also gaming and entertainment daily at Monticello Casino and Raceway.
Monthly archive
- January 2017 (6)
- November 2016 (6)
- October 2016 (6)
- September 2016 (2)
- August 2016 (9)
- July 2016 (7)
- June 2016 (9)
- May 2016 (4)
- April 2016 (1)
- March 2016 (2)


text:
This whole house air filter is designed for residential use. By providing cleaner air, this filter reduces the risk of allergens in the home. It is effective at capturing particles like dust, pollen and mold spores from the air passing through the filter. It is also designed to be effective at attracting and capturing microscopic particles that can carry bacteria and viruses. This filter lasts for up to 12 months before needing replacement.
Replaces brand and part number:
Actual Dimensions:
20.7" x 26.2" x 5"
Only users who bought product can write review.


text:
McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE:MHFI) posted a 32% slump in third-quarter profits due to discontinued operations on Tuesday, but its Standard & Poor's rating arm enjoyed solid growth and the company raised its full-year outlook.
Continue Reading Below
Shares of McGraw Hill lost ground even after the stronger-than-expected results and rosier guidance.
The company said it earned $215 million, or 77 cents a share, last quarter, compared with a profit of $314 million, or $1.10 a share, a year earlier.
The 2012 quarter included $163 million from discontinued operations attributable to McGraw-Hill Education, which the company sold in March. Excluding this former division's results, the company's net income from continuing operations came in at 84 cents a share last quarter, compared with 53 cents the year before.
Excluding one-time items, McGraw Hill earned 80 cents a share last quarter, besting forecasts by three cents.
Revenue rose 7% to $1.19 billion, compared with the Street's view of $1.17 billion. Domestic revenue gained 6%, while international revenue jumped 10%.
The report marks the final one before McGraw Hill Chairman and CEO Harold McGraw III hands over the CEO keys to Doug Peterson.
"As Doug Peterson assumes his new role as President and CEO on November 1, I couldn't be more pleased with his appointment or more proud of the strength of the portfolio we have assembled and the employees who made it happen," McGraw said.
Management raised its full-year non-GAAP profit forecast to $3.25 to $3.30 despite "likely market volatility" due to the fiscal standoff in Washington and higher interest rates. Analysts had been calling for EPS of $3.30.
S&P Ratings Services, the centerpiece of McGraw Hill, generated an 8% jump in third-quarter revenue to $540 million amid stronger bank loan ratings, entity credit ratings and rating evaluation services. Adjusted operating profits rose 5% to $227 million.
Meanwhile, revenue at S&P Capital IQ rose 3% to a new record of $293 million. S&P Dow Jones Indices grew revenue 14% to $124 million.
Shares of New York-based McGraw Hill were recently trading down 0.83% to $69.12, leaving them up 26.6% on the year. By comparison, the S&P 500 was trading up 0.78% on Tuesday and has rallied 23.3% this year.


text:
A wider definition of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is causing inappropriate diagnosis and unnecessary and possibly harmful medical treatment costing up to $500 million in the United States alone, scientists said on Wednesday.
Less restrictive diagnostic criteria have contributed to a steep rise in diagnoses for the behavioral brain condition -particularly among children - the researchers said, and in the use of stimulant drugs to manage it.
The broader definition also "devalues the diagnosis in those with serious problems", said Rae Thomas, a senior researcher at Australia's Bond University who led an analysis of the problem and has published it in the British Medical Journal.
"The broadening of the diagnostic criteria is likely to increase what is already a significant concern about overdiagnosis," he said. "It risks resulting in a diagnosis of ADHD being regarded with skepticism, to the harm of those with severe problems who unquestionably need sensitive, skilled specialist help and support."
People with the ADHD are excessively restless, impulsive and easily distracted, and children with the condition often have trouble in school. It is most often diagnosed in children, mainly boys, but it is also known to persist into adulthood.
There is no cure, but the symptoms can be kept in check by a combination of behavioral therapy and medications such as Ritalin or a newer drug called Vyvanse.
Experts not directly involved in the analysis said its conclusions were interesting but should be viewed with caution.
"I suspect that the reason for increased prescriptions of Ritalin and similar medications for ADHD has to do with better detection of the condition in children and the recognition that 50 percent or more of children with ADHD still have it as an adult," said Barbara Sahakian, a professor of clinical Neuropsychology at the University of Cambridge.
Ilina Singh, an ADHD expert at King's College London, said given the harms of stigma and misunderstanding of the condition "it is important to take care when making generalized claims about the drivers of ADHD diagnosis".
"In many regions, under-diagnosis and under-treatment of ADHD are also a significant concern," she said.
Criteria for diagnosis
To be diagnosed with ADHD, patients should meet criteria set out in either the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), or the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) - the two systems used around the world to classify mental disorders.
But in their BMJ analysis, Thomas's team noted that definitions of ADHD have been broadened in successive editions of DSM, leading to increasing numbers of diagnoses.
In Australia, data show a 73 percent increase for ADHD medication between 2000 and 2011, they found, while prescriptions in Britain increased two-fold for children and adolescents and four-fold in adults between 2003 and 2008.
Prescribing of methylphenidates and amphetamines - two types of drug used to manage ADHD - increased steadily in the United States between 1996 and 2008, they said, with the greatest increase in adolescents aged between 13 and 18 years.
In the Netherlands, prevalence and prescribing rates for children diagnosed with ADHD doubled between 2003 and 2007.
Europeans are generally more resistant than Americans to the idea of medicating children with ADHD, although attitudes vary from place to place. As a result, sales of drugs in Europe are fairly light, with methylphenidate - the generic ingredient in Ritalin - currently the main treatment used.
But Shire, the world's biggest seller of ADHD drugs, is hoping to change that following European approval of its newer amphetamine-based product Vyvanse - called Elvanse in the EU - at the end of last year.


text:
Salt Lake City's last car show of the year was a hit for the Utah Valley Lowriders. Good Times car club, along with Centro Civico Mexicano, put on their first annual car show on September 16, 2012 in downtown Salt Lake City. The car show landed on Mexican Independence day, and included live music and entertainers to pay tribute. Great weather with clear skies also made for a great day for the 75 cars and 15 bikes that were registered for the show. The car show was a success and marked the first year of many more to come for the region. There were various car clubs supporting this year's show including Como Te Gusta, Luxurious, Loco Motion, Compas, Sick Wit It, Ultimate Riders, Classic Lowriders, Hustlers, Firme Image, and other Good Times members from surrounding states.
Gary Smith stole the show by hopping his 1961 Convertible Impala for a stunning 80 inches! Pat Evej, from Firme Image, came home with the Best of Show with his 1963 Impala. Mel Garcia, also from Firme Image, came in 2nd place and Rick Carbajal from Classic Lowriders came in 3rd place.
This show seemed to bring a lot of unity within the small Lowriding community, and having it on Mexico's Independence Day with Centro Civico as the back drop gave the show a special sense of pride. Utah's Centro Civico was founded in 1930 by Mexican immigrants and their mission; "to promote the spirit of unity and collaboration among all Hispanic, to foster greater appreciation and awareness of the rich heritage and history of Mexican and other Hispanic cultures, [and] to enhance the educational and socio-economic well being of Mexican and other Hispanics," was definitely felt at this event. A true sense of pride and accomplishment carried throughout the crowd during the day, and this tradition can only continue thanks to the hard work of Good Times car club


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DWTS Season 15 Las Vegas Odds Going Into Week 7: What Do You Think?
Our apologies for being a little late with the Las Vegas Odds! For some reason, all the betting sites have been later than the norm posting them this week. Is this a sign the odds makers are overly undecided? 😯 I don't know. None the less, below are Sports Bovada's odds leading up to Week 7 of Dancing With The Stars. Note how the placements are the same, but, the numbers are tighter in some cases and/or the same or higher in others.
Shawn Johnson 10/11
Emmitt Smith 13/4
Gilles Marini 7/2
Apolo Anton Ono 9/1
Kelly Monaco 10/1
Melissa Rycroft 40/1
Kirstie Alley 66/1
Last week's Las Vegas Odds going into Week 5 to compare:
Shawn Johnson 1/1
Emmitt Smith 7/2
Gilles Marini 9/2
Apolo Anton Ono 6/1
Kelly Monaco 10/1
Melissa Rycroft 33/1
Sabrina Bryan 50/1
Kirstie Alley 75/1
In my opinion, Apolo should be in second place (or even first?) and Emmitt in third. I don't think Gilles is going to make the top three like many think. I mean…is his fan base really that big? My Dad (an avid fan to the show for about 4 or 5 years now) keeps asking me who Gilles, Melissa, and Kelly are and that to me is a little telling being he kept asking me who Sabrina was too and the next thing we know and regardless of scores and ability to dance, Sabrina is a goner. I also still think it's a mistake to underestimate Kirstie in this competition. I wouldn't be surprised to see her make it to atleast 4th place….that is, if she can still make some strong showings on the dance floor as she has the last couple of weeks.
Lets get Miss Heidi and Court's thoughts on the new odds and be sure to let us know what you think too in comments….
Heidi: I just don't get the Emmitt thing. I mean, he's faded into the woodwork on this this show. Are they basing their odds on how well football players have done in the past?? I agree with Vogue – I really think Apolo should be up at the top with Shawn. Of course, it's my bias talking when I say I really want Gilles to be the next "shocking" elimination. 🙂 As for Shawn – she's certainly capable of winning it, but I think it depends on if Len keeps it up with his games. He did it with Nicole and it was very obvious as well – but I don't think that Shawn can afford that sort of game playing in an all star season AND when they throw so many dances into one elimination, reducing the spread significantly. This week is week 7. If history holds true, it's week 8 when Len finally gives it up. I think he should give it up a bit earlier than normal, but the urge to make it a horse race is overwhelming. Which brings us to Kirstie. Clearly the odds makers aren't going on a week to week scoring basis because Kirstie is still in the bottom and Kelly is up there in 5th place. I don't know – I think that (unfortunately) the odds dudes have the bottom three correct, but I 'm not sure that's the order they should be in. I guess we'll see.
Courtney: The Emmitt thing blows my mind – I get it, the guy is charming, but he's also just been a relatively ho-hum dancer this season, who's been ending up at the middle-to-lower end of the scoreboard pretty consistently. He hasn't done anything that has shown me that he's suddenly a contender for the MBT. And while the NFL fanbase is considerable, I don't see it overtaking the Olympian fanbase. And I'm not sure why Apolo's odds dropped and Gilles' rose, in a week where Apolo got a perfect score (and lavish praise from the judges) and Gilles performed a bizarre, androgynous dance that left the judges kind of puzzled. Unless the oddsmakers are playing into the same fallacy that so many viewers seem to be playing into: that "in jeopardy" and "in the bottom 2" mean the same thing. Couldn't be further from the truth – for all we know, Apolo could have been the highest vote-getter last week, but hey, somebody's got to be in jeopardy. As for those hanging out at the bottom – I don't think Kirstie's going to get to the finale, or even the semifinals. Sorry kids – but I don't see her faring well in fusion dance, and I'm anticipating she'll be first out in the marathon dance; as for next week – she's likely going to end up with one of the waltzes (if it's Viennese, she's a goner, methinks) and the trio dance…and I'm not sure those dances really favor her, either. Plus she's the only contestant left that we know for sure has been in the bottom 2. I think she's probably going to be part of the week 8 double elim – and it's going to be a toss-up on who joins her there. Maybe Melissa, maybe Kelly, hopefully Gilles. Lord knows how anyone else is faring in the votes.


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a signature minimalist design, this short sleeve t-shirt features pure cotton, a crewneck, a ckj logo on the front and seaming details.
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As President Obama makes his first stop in Israel on his much-touted trip to the Middle East, I think it's appropriate to place the generations of strife in that region into an environmental context. No matter what happens between Israel and Palestine or Syria or Iran, no matter what happens in Iraq or how many reforms Saudi Arabia allows so women cannot be legally murdered by their husbands or how many drone targets in Pakistan Obama adds to the kill list, the Middle East is a doomed and terrifying place for one reason: water.
Take forty seconds to watch this YouTube video posted by Andy Revkin of the NYT's Dot Earth blog. It shows variations in the supply of freshwater aquifers that millions of people use to drink and grow food. The images were constructed using data from NASA's Gravity Recover and Climate Experiment satellites from 2003 to 2009 (keep in mind, the GOP has been on a warpath to cut funding for this kind of environmental intelligence). The images represent groundwater reserves from the Tigris and Euphrates river basin, and it's chilling to watch the blue go to dark red in less than a decade.
(I should also note that while watching this video, an add popped up that said "Own Your Own Oil Well," touting the monthly income one could accrue, which seemed an eerie testament to how deep the fossil fuel industries have their tentacles; seeming to say, "Hey, you're concerned about this water scarcity thing? Wouldn't owning an oil well and supporting an industry that's going to help sop up critical freshwater all over the planet chill you out?")
Unsustainable pumping and drought are the source of this water depletion. The extreme drought of 2007 was a climate-driven phenomenon if there ever was one, and these events will only get more intense. No matter what happens between political and religious factions, no group is going to be able to put water back in the ground, and even if somehow all of the Middle Eastern states got together and meticulously planned on how to best exploit their water resources—which ain't gonna happen—the trend remains disastrous.
I wish this wasn't true. I wish the news wasn't all doom and gloom, but when the oceans are probably less than a century away from a rolling collapse, it's hard to find optimistic angles. No matter what happens in the Middle East politically, it's a demographic and environmental time bomb that will continue to go off for the rest of the century (and probably beyond).
In a larger context, this is why I roll my eyes when people talk about "adapting" to climate change. There is no adapting when the most volatile region in the world suddenly runs out of water and sends thirsty, starving refugees spilling in every direction. It's getting harder and harder to take anyone seriously on this issue because even politicians friendly to the cause speak of the problem like, "Oh, we'll drive a few hybrids here, shut down a few coal plants there, and everything will tidy itself up."
Well, no. That's exactly not what the science is telling us. Due to the time-lag between atmospheric pollution and heat, we have already locked in a terrifying amount of warming, meaning nothing we do today—even if we shut down the planet's carbon emissions entirely—will stop the Middle East from heating up, getting struck by more frequent, harsher droughts, and having all the silly religions using resource scarcity and human suffering as an excuse to blow each other to hell.
Yet if the world actually wants to see a stable Middle East, it would do well to pay attention to the water supply and the atmosphere's carbon concentration.


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$60,000 Gift Boosts UH Hilo AthleticsUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Dir of Communications
HILO – A Japanese businessman with strong ties to the Hawai'i Island has pledged $60,000 to create two funds to benefit the UH Hilo Vulcans Athletics Program. His gift will support student athletes and the Vulcans coaching staff.
How his gift will benefit UH Hilo Athletics:
- The Hikozaemon Takahashi Coaches Fund for Excellence supports the UH Hilo Athletics recruitment program and will make it possible for coaches to travel throughout Hawai'i and the nation to meet and recruit athletic talent. Currently, coaches rely on their own personal funds and other limited donor funds to pay for travel.
- The Hikozaemon Takahashi Scholarship provides financial assistance for student-athletes and can be used for their tuition, books and equipment.
Chancellor Donald Straney said, ""We are most grateful to our donor for investing in our athletics program. By growing our recruitment capabilities and scholarship opportunities, our program can flourish."
UH Hilo Athletics Director Dexter Irvin added, "The UH Hilo Athletics program has twelve sports, including basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, soccer, tennis, and golf. Our goal is to ensure that all scholar-athletes receive scholarship support and that we have the means to recruit top talent." Irvin concluded, "This generous gift will have an immediate, positive impact on the program."
The donor added, "The aloha from the people of Hawai'i is special and unique. This gift is a small gesture of my appreciation and gratitude of Hawai'i"
To learn how you can support the students, faculty, and programs at UH Hilo, please contact Mariko Miho at email@example.com or (808) 933-0829. You can also make a secure gift online at www.uhfoundation.org/GiveToUHH
The University of Hawai'i Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawai'i System. The mission of the University of Hawai'i Foundation is to unite donors' passions with the University of Hawai'i's aspirations by raising philanthropic support and managing private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawai'i and our future generations. www.uhfoundation.org


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Body of mowing man pulled from Washington Co. reservoir
Body of mowing man pulled from Washington Co. reservoir
The body of an 87-year-old man has been pulled from a southwestern Pennsylvania reservoir, where officials say he was cutting grass and clearing brush when his vehicle slid down a steep bank and into the water.
Washington County Coroner Tim Warco says 87-year-old Samuel Vignoli, of New Eagle, was using a compact tractor before he was discovered missing about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. His body was recovered from the reservoir of the former Maple Creek Mine in Fallowfield Township just after midnight Thursday.
An autopsy was planned, but results were not immediately available.
Investigators don't suspect foul play, but were trying to determine whether Vignoli drowned, died from the tractor wreck or otherwise succumbed to a medical problem.


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(Click or mouseover to zoom. All trees shown at 7.5 ft. models)
Victorian Fir
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Designer's Diary
The Victorian Fir is the quintessential example of one of nature's most perfect Christmas trees. The real beauty of this new artificial Christmas tree isn't just the wonderful textures of colors that transition perfectly, or the realistic feeling (PE) needles, or even the solid construction meant to hold hundreds of your favorite ornaments. The beauty is actually in its irregular shape. The best Christmas trees are arguably those that are not a "perfect triangle" and have varying lengths of branch limbs and tips.
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See our Warranty Information page for details on different coverage levels based on product type. As always, if you have any questions you can contact us directly via phone or email and we would be happy to answer any questions.


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These remain heady times for those selling used trucks – and demand for used iron seems poised to stay high, despite the volatile behavior of both the freight market and the U.S. economy as a whole.
Indeed, consulting firm ACT Research recently noted that all of its month-over month comparisons – including volume, price, miles, and age – for all weight groups of used trucks improved back in July, as demand showed no signs of slacking.
Indeed, Steve Tam – VP-commercial vehicle sector for ACT – pointed out to me a couple of months back many carriers are engaging in what he terms a "stop gap" vehicle replacement strategy in order to put off paying higher sticker prices for 2010 emission-compliant equipment just a little longer.
"If you've got trucks with 650,000 miles on them and are replacing them with models with 500,000 miles on them, you're giving yourself a little more time before you have to buy brand new equipment," Tam explained to me. "But at some point, however, the incremental maintenance cost will become too much to make such a strategy work."
That's oh-so-true, of course, as any veteran trucker will tell you. But it's a maxim that also depends heavily on the initial condition of the used trucks acquired in the first place.
Jake Civitts (at left), director of used equipment for Paccar Financial (PFC), for one, advises fleets and independent operators alike to do their homework and know as much as possible about a used truck's history before taking ownership.
"With the Federal Motor Carrier and Safety Administration's [FMCSA] new Compliance, Safety, and Accountability [CSA] program requiring truck operators to be much more vigilant about the safety of the equipment they operate, the days of buying used trucks nearly sight unseen are over," he cautions.
That being said – and despite the almost certain longer-term potential for higher maintenance costs – used trucks remain a good deal in several ways, said Civitts.
First, buying used trucks can often allow independent operators and fleets the opportunity to go after business that may not provide standard operating margins, he noted.
Second, financing used trucks usually provides an owner with a much lower monthly payment than an owner financing new trucks according to Civitts – if, of course, the fleet or single owner in question is pursuing the financing option.
Based on his experience in the used truck market, Civitts offers some for single truck operators and fleets alike when considering the purchase of used highway iron:
Tip No. 1: Know what you're buying yourself into. With state and federal roadside inspectors looking closely at equipment, particularly for mechanical conditions that would likely cause an accident or break down, Civitts said truck fleets and single operators have to be much more vigilant about inspecting equipment and checking maintenance records. "If you're not fully comfortable with the idea of buying a truck from someone without inspecting it first, then don't," he stressed. Civitts also recommends conducting a full inspection before buying, paying particular attention to the truck's brake systems, coupling devices, exhaust systems, frames, fuel systems, lamps, electrical systems and batteries, steering mechanisms and kingpins, suspension, tires, wheels, rims and hubs. "Use the same pre- and post-trip inspection sheets you or your drivers use and look for conditions that could affect your safety score if you were operating the truck that same day," he added. "If possible, ask to see recent inspection reports or maintenance records associated with the truck."
Tip No. 2: Look for value. Based on data points gleaned from PAF's used truck centers, Civitts said four key specs help drive a used truck's value, making it more attractive and productive and lowering its operating cost:
- Transmission: A convertible 9/13-speed transmission, a manual 13-speed transmission or a manual 18-speed transmission is most appealing. According to Civitts, manual transmissions that offer shorter shifting ranges provide more operational flexibility and can add as much as $4,000 to the value of the truck.
- Interior: Lower quality interiors may seem cost-effective, but they can show considerable wear. Used truck buyers should look for premium interiors because they not only look good, but also hold more value and can make for a more comfortable and productive working environment.
- Fifth wheel: An air-slide fifth wheel will offer you more flexibility for your operation by making it easier for your truck to haul different trailers with varying weight characteristics.
- Aerodynamic fairings: A truck with full fairings is critical for buyers pursuing EPA SmartWay certification. Civitts said aerodynamic fairings make a truck much more fuel efficient, lowering operating costs.
Tip No. 3: Clear the air. Pay attention to the type of engine and emission control system in the truck. If the truck is equipped with a diesel particulate filter (DPF), check its current condition and whether it's been cleaned at regular intervals. Even if you won't be operating your used truck in California, consider choosing used trucks that meet California Air Resources Board (CARB) requirements over ones that don't. Trucks with aerodynamic fairings will save you money on fuel costs over ones that don't. Plus, your trucks become eligible for EPA SmartWay certification, which may be required by your customers.
Tip No. 4: Let the years go by. Until recently, the model year was the main factor in establishing a used truck's value and that made sense as truck components were fairly similar from year to year, Civitts said. Thus, the older the truck, the greater its maintenance needs, so a newer used truck was almost always worth more than an older one, he explained. Not anymore. "That's changed in the last few years as mileage has become the most important indicator of a used truck's value," Civitts pointed out. "Thanks to new emissions equipment, different model year trucks are not quite comparable. Today, the first question you should ask about a used truck is, 'What's the mileage?'" The most desirable, highest-value used trucks will have 300,000 to 400,000 miles on them. Lower-value, but still desirable trucks, will show 400,000 to 500,000 miles on the odometer.
Tip No. 5: Knowledge is power. Many truck and fleet owners choose a lender based solely on the interest rate when financing a used truck purchase. While the rate should be competitive, consider whether the lender is willing to work with you on such things as payment schedules, particularly if your company's business is cyclical. Also consider whether the lender is knowledgeable about trucks and the trucking industry. A lender that understands trucks can be in a better position to determine a truck's true value and assist your operation if additional financing is needed.
Good stuff for any used truck buyer to keep in mind if and when they next head out to troll the Internet or dealer lot in search of over-the-road equipment.


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I think this has to largely come down to where you'd rather practice.
Hey all,I have been planning to attend Arizona State since the end of May, but recently got off the waitlist at SMU and was offered $75,000. I really enjoyed my visit to Tempe and think ASU is a good law school. In addition, I have made an offer on a condo which will likely be accepted. However, at the beginning of the cycle SMU was one of my top choices. I was born in Dallas, my sister currently lives there and my father and grandfather attended SMU undergrad. I know little about the law school though, and was unable to visit.Anyone have any similar predicaments? Suggestions? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks


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