text:
Track Park Plan Derailed
Rudy signed pact to abandon old West Side rail line
By FRANK LOMBARDI
Daily News City Hall Bureau
A few days before Mayor Rudy Giuliani left office, his administration dealt a possible death blow to the High Line the ghostly elevated freight line on the West Side.
On Dec. 20, the city quietly executed an agreement for voluntary abandonment of the unused old railroad line that runs from 12th to 34th Sts., west of 10th Ave.
In effect, the city consented to the demolition of the 1.4-mile line, which opened in 1933 to serve meat and grocery wholesalers that once dominated the area. It was closed down in 1980, and has been a source of debate ever since.
An alliance of elected officials and preservationists have been fighting to preserve the High Line, aiming to turn it into a showcase-elevated promenade and park. The project would be funded with federal rail-banking funds, they say.
Patterned After Paris
Their inspiration is a similar eyesore rail line in Paris that since 1988 was transformed into the Promenade Plantee and helped spur other development along its route.
Called Friends of the High Line, its champions decried the Giuliani administration's action but refuse to give up.
"We thought it was appalling," said Robert Hammond, co-founder of the group. "What's all the hurry to sign a demolition order?"
Hammond and his allies are pursuing legal and political action to thwart demolition and the surrender of the valuable right of way to adjoining property owners.
On the political front, they hope Mayor Bloomberg and the new speaker of the City Council, Gifford Miller, will follow through on support they voiced last year.
Bloomberg's deputy mayor for economic development and rebuilding, Daniel Doctoroff, is to meet tomorrow with officials of the city's Economic Development Corp., which signed the demolition agreement.
Aide Seeks Out Both Sides
Doctoroff will then meet separately with Friends of the High Line.
Doctoroff will conduct a thorough analysis and make a recommendation to the mayor, said deputy press secretary Jennifer Falk.
Miller (D-upper East Side) said he still strongly supports the preservation effort.
"I love the High Line," Miller said.
Hammond is also optimistic that a Manhattan judge will rule favorably on a suit brought by Friends of the High Line, contending demolition must go through the city's intricate land-use process.
Property owners who stand to gain from the High Line's demolition are represented by Randy Mastro, who resigned as Giuliani's top deputy mayor in 1998.
He blasted the High Line yesterday as "a public menace and danger to anyone who has to travel underneath it."
Original Publication Date: 1/24/02
The view of the High Line from Chelsea gallery window on 19 January 2002.


text:
You know, when one of my old folks die, before I hand over to the next generation I make the poor grieving remaining family make sure that all weeds are picked, all stuff is cleaned up, and that a meal is made and left on the table before I switch to the next generation. I am soooo mean. :-)
For those of you who are trying the mods, which ones are your favorites?
Just a comment, I am running three families at once, thanks for the info on how to do that. Two of my families had twins all three have six children each and some of them are still home, now I have a tough choice to who I need to leave the house to. I am starting to like this game. Have fun all.
I am on my third generation family and I have the pool, the hammock, opened the shed, fixed the bird bath, fish tank, watered the plants, fixed the hose, etc. Now I am just trying to figure out how to raise enough money to purchase the patio chairs and the treadmill. I keep selling collectibles online and putting my mom and dad to work, but I have to buy them food, so I can never save enough! Guess my little virtual family is just like my real family....living paycheck to paycheck! LOL Also, my second generation had 6 kids...the triplets came on the 4th (and last) attempt at kids. Even after the oldest kids went to college, they wouldn't have anymore kids. Too bad!
To Gina:
If there are no children to take over the house, the game is over and you have to start again.
To Lainy:
Every day is a new day. The game is played in real time. If you aren't playing at night, then you're not seeing nighttime in the game. But every day is a day. I hope that makes sense. :)
Just something that people with sick villagers should note...
sometimes when the people say that they're 'a bit sick' and you cure the symptom, does not mean that they're completely well! My dude had a stomach ache or something and I cured that, but I noticed that his health was really low for just a stomach ache so I gave him a doctor's visit and found out that he had an infection and needed penicillin! Just something to watch out for.
Oh, and one of my families just had another set of twins, right after the first set! And all four of them look exactly alike except for their outfits. It's soooo cute when they all play train together!
[Edit: Please post your comment only once. If you don't have a Casual Gameplay account, your comment goes to moderation and has to be approved before it's posted. Thanks! -Pam]
Hi..just sharing..
I adopted Felia and Pasha because of both's hair.. their hair are just too cute..
Felia with colorful hair and Pasha with blue stripes hair..
I'm trying to adopt one with colorful hair but it was so difficult to find one huhu it was so random and I have to click and click and keep on clicking.
Here are the screenshots..hope it works..
makayla - workingplaces
Where your adults do work depends of their job. They can work either in the kitchen, office or the workroom.
Please also have a look at the top of the comments - there you will find screenshots of the diffrent locations and a lot of other helpful informations
Greetings, Kayleigh
Makayla -
Pushing the r key is just a reset if your store is not refreshing on the regular schedule. Has your store refreshed at all?
Louise -
Stomping ants is just a random behavior. There's no getting rid of them, really. However, if you do find a small white package on your doorstep, proceed with caution.
It can be ants for a neighbor's ant farm.
It took me almost my full 65 years of life to get my workshop career mastered on the first family and my office dad was only on like the 5th or 6th level. Seemed as if only the workshop career path actually cares about advancing.
Now on my second generation I have both an office and a kitchen career for my two parents. They are in their 40's and only halfway though the 3rd level. How can I get these two career paths or even the workshop one to advance faster?
I just read the comments about the different colored hair and thought I would share my family with you all.
The parents both have orange hair so I thought I would be getting kids with orange hair as well... you would think ;)
Check this out:
I don't know if you can see the colors very well in my screenshot but my first kid has green hair, second one is a dark red/maroon hair and the third one is dark purple! I'm trying really hard to have more kids with this family just to see what other colors i can get.
Makayla -
You go into the second generation when one of your original people dies (usually of old age). At that time the family screen will come up with instructions on how to switch to the next generation. One of the kids will inherit the house and the cycle will start over again. My oldest family is currently on the 7th generation.
To Shauna:
To post a screenshot, you need to follow these instructions:
Capture and save the image on your computer.
Upload the image to a photo hosting service, such as Flickr or Photobucket.
Copy and paste the URL for the image into your comment. It will automatically create a link to the image.
Click the Preview button to make sure it looks like you want it to before clicking the Submit button.
I read that I could upgrade to 1.00.05, which I tried, but it did not work, it gave me 1 free hour of seeing how it works, which was great, but when the hour was over it went back to the 1.00.01. I also tried the pause, r thing to refresh my store, but that did not work either. I am up to 56 trophies in one of my families, and I love playing this game as I am house bound for the most part, and this makes time fly by. My cat was so sad when his owner died that when I added the new generation he follows her everywhere. I find the cats to be much like real cats, and they do some funny things, one was going around in circles in the sandbox, and another one was in the kitchen so fast when I gave my people the groceries with fish in them.
I would appreciate any help. I did write to the hp wild tangent about my problem, and they said they are looking into it??
Enjoying the comments
Hi! I'm at 7th generation and I adopted one of my grand grand.. child, but she has gotten no mail for marriage. She is 38 now and still isn't married. Also I don't get any updates since my 4th generation. Is there a bug or something? What should I do? Can I fix it by not disturbing the game? I don't want to waste my game. :(
To Eazy:
That's probably a fluke that you are able to do that. Mine won't refresh at all if I use the R key because it wasn't broke. Also, the developers intended the fix to be a one time only thing. Consider yourself very lucky to be able to refresh at will! :)
To Fibrocat:
When downloading version 1.00.05, did you use your original activation key? It sounds like you somehow downloaded a demo instead the full version that you purchased. Maybe try it again and see if it works.
I'm sorry pressing the r button does not work to refresh your store. (I wonder why?)
I did some expermenting to find out the length of time needed to pass before you can refresh the store using the r button again I have found out that I am able to refresh my store every hour. This works for all 5 of my families. I've been using this method for 3 days now.
Also thank you for the instructions on making a screenshot. I didn't even think about using photobucket, and I use it all the time when posting pictures on myspace.
You make this a really great site Pam!!
[Edit: Thank you! I really appreciate your comments. -Pam]
nil -
Even if your person is unmarried they can sometimes get an offer to adopt a child, which is a random event. And as they get older, the marriage proposals come less frequently.
If you are talking about the store not refreshing, you can go into the store and hit the "r" key on your keyboard, that will usually work.
Has anyone else found the butterflies on the screen where it says Virtual Families? If you move the hand over to the fence, the butterflies will follow the hand around the screen.
Also, there is a sound in the game like the giant clam from one of the Virtual Villagers games. Does anyone know what it is? I can never find anyone doing anything that would make that sound when I hear it.
Pam has answered you on the screenshot. Post some screenshots later ;p
Agree with you on the glowing collectibles. Easy to locate them during night.
You've got kids with colorful hair. Mine is vice versa. Felia ended up with 2 ugly blonde kids. Ughh.
The red ball can be found just like in the screenshot below..
Makayla -
The red ball can be found in the upper left corner of the screen, see Brown's lovely screenshot for the exact location. You can position your hand/mouse pointer there, click, and pull, and you might be able to get the ball. The ball itself is an "easter egg", it has no real function in the game other than to find it and play with it.
As for the bake sale, it is a random event that just happens. Like all random events there is no stopping it.
Oh now this is funny. An orphan showed up at the door of one of my families and I adopted him (as usual). Then I got a good look at him. Little orphan boy is barefoot! :-)
Hi everyone!
If you'd like to share the max salaries of your little people, we'll add it to our spreadsheet and post a link here on the site in the walkthrough section. It's easy to get the beginning salaries (just scroll through the adoptees), but not so easy to get the ending salaries! Just be sure it's the maxed out level 8 Master salary and post it here in this thread.
Thanks!! :D
Has anyone else had a couple that both want kids never have any? I've got a couple that both "Definitely" wanted kids and no matter how many times I sent them off to try and make a baby together, they've never had kids, there's never been the chance for them to adopt and now they're both in their 50s.
I've given each of them a "Baby Boost" shot over the years too and they've never successfully had kids! I'll be disappointed to see this game end - I've managed quite a number of house upgrades and repairs over time and I'd like to pass the house onto a second generation but sadly it seems not! :(
My lady is 57 and she is the fourth generation. She is a master dental tool maker and makes 420 for her salary. I have all the home improvements and have done all the repairs. I have over 20,000 in the bank and receive over 2000 in interest payments. Once you purchase everything I guess there is not much left and the game will get very repetitive.
Shauna -
To take a screen shot just use the "print screen" (or PrtScr) button on your keyboard (if using Windows. You can then paste the screen shot into paint or any other picture manipulation program. If you just want to capture the active window, use alt+PrtScr. If you are running Windows Vista there should also be a utility called "Snipping Tool" in Accessories. You can use that as well.
Emz -
Check their detail and see if the health status bar is low. If you can afford it, buy the Doctor Consultation in the Store and use it on the weak peep to make sure they are not suffering from a serious infection. If they are, follow the directions to treat. If they are not, all you can do is give them multi-vitamins if they are available in the store, make sure they are well fed, give them fruit treats (like the mango or the bananas) from the store, and just wait. Time will take care of it. Exercise also helps if you have the treadmill.
Gramma Becky -
When one (or both) of the parents die, then you choose one of the kids to inherit and they will come home and start a family. How old they are when they come back is variable. I've seen as young as 23 and as old as 27.
You only have one house per name, but the game allows for five names so you can run five houses (and families) at a time.
Platinum Lady -
Not necessarily. If you have bought all 15 house upgrades and upgraded your kitchen, workshop, and office to level 3, there's still lots you can do. You can spend the money on clothes and dress them up like dolls. You can work on completing all the collections if you haven't already. You can become an obsessive-compulsive nut like me and try to win all 100 trophies (91 and counting!). If you're brave, you can even go find some mods and redecorate your house. I'm still having fun with the game after all this time.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Obama brings in $181 million in September
- The average contribution was $53
- E-mails had solicited new gifts for as little as $5
- Almost 4 million donors have given to Obama
President Obama announced a fundraising haul of $181 million in September, the highest monthly total of his re-election campaign as 1.8 million people contributed.
The September numbers, which also include contributions to a joint fundraising unit through the Democratic National Committee, no doubt were buoyed by television exposure during the Democratic National Convention.
"It seems clear that many Obama supporters who were sitting on the sidelines became energized about this race last month," said Rick Hasen, a campaign finance expert at the University of California-Irvine. "As in 2008, the Obama campaign will be extremely well funded going into Election Day. But this time his opponent will be too. Neither side will be able to blame a loss on a lack of money."
Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said she didn't have his campaign's September report yet. But she noted in a tweet that Romney raised $12 million in less than 48 hours after his debate performance Wednesday night. Still, Romney would have to keep up that pace for a month to match Obama's September.
As it has from the beginning, Obama's campaign has paid particular attention to small-dollar donors. One fundraising e-mail from campaign manager Jim Messina last month asked for as little as $5, as he touted that the campaign was closing in on 10 million individual contributions.
But Obama also had splashy high-dollar fundraisers in September, including a $40,000-a-head event on Sept. 18 featuring power couple Beyonce and Jay-Z, which had been preceded by a $12,500 per family event at the Waldorf Astoria. Obama even took time amid from debate preparation for a series of end-of-the-month fundraisers.
The campaign announced the numbers in a series of tweets from the @BarackObama account, which also divulged these numbers:
-- The average contribution was $53.
-- Almost 4 million donors have given to the campaign since Obama launched his re-election bid April 2011.
-- About 30% of the people contributing last month had never given to the Obama campaign before -- either in 2008 or 2012.
New donors are significant late in a campaign because some of a candidate's most loyal givers have already given the maximum by now.
The September total tops the $114 raised in August. In September 2008, Obama raised $153 million.The monthly announcement did not reveal other numbers from the campaign's balance sheet, such as spending or cash on hand. Those won't come until the campaign makes its required disclosure to the Federal Election Commission later this month.


text:
KRYOLAN is a specialized manufacturer of professional make-up, serving theater, film, and television around the globe for more than 50 years. KRYOLAN provides a range of more than 14,000 items, which covers every need any professional make-up artist may have, including fashion, theatrical, and character make-up; face body paint; and special effects make-up and lab supplies.
Good tools are essential to the successful make-up artist. Inferior tools, like inferior make-up, waste the artists time and simply lead to frustration. When one factors in the amount of time and product lost struggling with inadequate equipment it is easy to see that rather than saving money cheap tools become more expensive in the long run than buying quality (if slightly more expensive) products in the first place. KRYOLANs large assortment of high quality tools and accessories, in a variety of price ranges, means that we are able to provide professional and amateur makeup artists with the support essential to their individual and creative work.
Please choose your location: Canadian orders ship from Canada. No customs fees


text:
Lionel Southern NS Heritage LEGACY ES44AC Diesel #1894 6-38964
Product DescriptionNorfolk Southern Heritage Series
This year, Norfolk Southern unveiled a striking new fleet of commemorative diesels in honor of its fallen flags. What a delight to watch these colorful units roll out of the paint shops in liveries that have been missed for decades!
Following Norfolk Southern's lead, Lionel introduces the first group of ten ES44AC heritage schemes with the locomotives in both powered and non-powered versions. And for each engine, a matching caboose and freight car are also available.
Features LEGACY Control System equipped – able to run in LEGACY Control mode, in TrainMaster Command Control mode, or in Conventional mode with a standard transformer Odyssey II Speed Control with On/Off switch LEGACY RailSounds sound system featuring: -CrewTalk dialog and TowerCom announcements, each with different scenarios depending on whether the locomotive is in motion or stopped -Six official railroad speeds with CrewTalk dialog -Eight diesel RPM levels -LEGACY "Real-Time Quilling Horn" control with instant response for realistic signature "quilling" and correctly timed warning signals -Single hit or continuous mechanical bell sounds -Sequence Control plays the sound effects of an entire trip, including warning sounds and announcements, based on the movement and speed of the locomotive -Current speed and fuel dialog, refueling sound effects Dual powerful maintenance-free motors with momentum flywheels Front and rear ElectroCouplers Traction tires Refined Conventional Transformer Control Mode with lower starting speeds Fan-driven smoke unit Adjustable smoke output Directional lighting including LED headlights Oscillating marker lights on front and rear Illuminated number boards Lighted in cab interior Operating ditch lights Newly tooled plastic body Die-cast metal trucks, pilot, and fuel tank Metal frame High level of separately applied metal details Removable cab roof Engineer and conductor figures Road Number: 1894
Gauge: Standard O Scale
Dimensions: Length: 19"
RailLine: Southern
Minimum Curve: O-54


text:
Soccer fever has gripped the nation once again, with Australia hoping to secure a place at the 2014 World Cup with a win over Iraq in Sydney tonight.
But while tonight's result is hugely important, the renaming of Sydney's Cahill Expressway as the Tim Cahill Expressway got us thinking – what do Australia's soccer stars drive on the road?
Sadly, unlike their European counterparts, many of the Socceroos don't have millions to spend on exotic supercars.
But two do.
Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell both have huge garages – click through the gallery to see how they compare to the rest of the world's soccer stars.


text:
A one-of-a-kind aircraft powered solely by solar energy took to the skies above Silicon Valley early Friday morning, May 3, on the first leg of a planned trip across the U.S.
The aircraft, called Solar Impulse, has the wingspan of a jumbo jet but weighs the same as a small passenger car and can theoretically fly forever.
At a little after 6 a.m., in front of a small crowd of spectators and a row of media cameras, the propellers on the aircraft revved and it began to move along the runway at Moffett Field in Mountain View, California. Within a few seconds it was airborne, climbing slowly away from its home for the last two months and, the team hopes, into another page of aviation history.
"In terms of today's flight, it's a very big contrast," Bertrand Piccard , pilot of the Solar Impulse, told reporters about an hour before takeoff. "On one side, we have to be very precise, it's an aeronautical first. We have to coordinate with the FAA, with air-traffic control, so there is a hard workload for the pilot. On the other side, it's complete freedom because we have no fuel on board. It's completely solar powered so theoretically the plane can fly forever. We don't need to refuel."
Lighter than paper parts
The secret to its light weight is a fuselage made from carbon fiber sheets three times lighter than paper. The solar cells that cover the tops of its expansive wings are thin, at just 135 microns, and it makes incredibly efficient use of the power it generates. Losses in the plane's motors amount to roughly 6 percent, versus around 70 percent in conventional motors, according to the project team.
Solar Impulse has already set several aviation milestones in Europe, including the first ever solar-powered night flight in 2010, the first international solar flight in 2011 and the first intercontinental solar flight in 2012. It also holds five world records, including one for duration: an impressive 26 hours, 10 minutes and 19 seconds.
The journey that began May 3 is scheduled to end in New York sometime in July. The first leg, at a pace equivalent to about 70 kilometers per hour, takes it from Moffett Field in Silicon Valley to Phoenix, Arizona, where it is scheduled to land at around 1 a.m. Saturday, May 4. Further flights will go to Dallas, St. Louis, Washington D.C., and New York.
The trip isn't about speed. After all, it would be quicker to drive to Phoenix than fly in Solar Impulse.
"We're the first airplane to be able to fly day and night on solar power, so it's a fabulous way to promote clean technology, to show what our world could do if we were really applying these technologies everywhere" said Piccard. "We have to understand, the technologies we have on board, if they were used everywhere including on the ground, they could help our world divide by two energy consumption."
Piccard, who previously completed an around-the-world flight in a hot air balloon, is sharing cockpit duty with André Borschberg, a former Swiss Air Force pilot and graduate of MIT. The two will be piloting the different legs of the journey between them.
By the numbers, the Solar Impulse has a 63 meter wingspan, is 22 meters long and just over 6 meters high. It weighs 1,600 kilograms and its four engines are powered by batteries that are charged by 11,628 solar cells. Its take off speed is a fairly leisurely 44 kilometers per hour and its cruising altitude is 8,500 meters, or 27,900 feet.
Updated at 10:30 a.m. PT with more information on the flight.


text:
Nationals unveil 2013 Spring Training slate
Club opens in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on Feb. 23, will host 15 games in Viera
The Nats' exhibition schedule will start on Feb. 23, when they play the Mets in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The next day, Washington will host Miami at Space Coast Stadium.
The Nationals will also play their postseason rival, the Cardinals, at Space Coast Stadium on March 3 and 8. The Nats gave the Cards a battle in the National League Division Series, but ended up losing in five games.
Washington will also play five exhibition games against NL East rival Atlanta. The Braves will play their first season without Chipper Jones, who wrapped up his career in 2012.
Spring Training season tickets, which include all 15 home games, will be available on Monday at 10 a.m. ET at nationals.com/spring for as low as $255.
Individual-game tickets for the Nationals' 15-game home slate will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Jan. 19 at the Space Coast Stadium Box Office, by visiting nationals.com/spring or calling 888-632-NATS (6287).
Beginning Jan. 7, three-game flex plans will be available exclusively at nationals.com/spring. Fans will have the opportunity to purchase tickets for any three games on the Nats' 2013 Spring Training home schedule, starting as low as $33 per plan (limit four tickets per flex plan order).


text:
A Present
Sky erupts in color over a city still asleep on a cold winter holiday morning.
San Francisco, Christmas 2016.
Stars aligned for this image. A burning sky and enraged ocean creates the perfect drama.
Shark Fin Cove, Davenport.
Front Row Seat
A lone oak atop lush green hill side is enjoying a gorgeous spring sunset.
San Jose, CA
High and Dry
A subtly vivid sunset through smoky sky on San Francisco coast.
Guiding lights for the sailors - the stars and the lighthouse.
Sky erupts in red and pink over the bay in an extraordinary fall sunrise.
Watching a snowstorm clear in Yosemite is an experience hard to describe in words. As the mist starts to clear revealing the massive granite formations surrounding the valley, the grandeur of the place suddenly becomes apparent.
The Lighthouse
After a few unsuccessful attempts, finally got the conditions and the composition I was looking for in this neck of the woods.
The horizon was glowing at least an hour before sunrise, allowing the few onlookers to savor the beauty of it for some time.
A Red Dawn
The red bridge under a red sky.
Travelers cruising along the coastal route lit up by the stars.
Big Sur, California.
Flames of Rodeo
Hide Away
Star lit cove, minutes away from the glare of the modern civilization
There are moments in life when one feels blessed to be alive, to be able to witness wonders of the world.
This was one such morning, whose jaw dropping beauty still feels unreal.
Dragon's Ire
Color of Affluence
Wet and Warm
High tide caused relentless swirls as a dreamy dawn breaks over Golden Gate Bridge.
Summer Blanket
A lone peak pokes its head through sea of summer fog as milky way rises above.
An explosive sunrise over San Francisco bay, at it's peak it seemed like a fire ball floating overhead; haven't seen such intense colors ever since.
Rain soaked city wakes up to a sudden burst of color that faded as abruptly as it started.
Midsummer Night's Dream
Breath taking beauty of a summer night over Lake Tahoe.
It's overly crowded in summer months. But late in the night when everyone has gone home, you could witness scenes like this.


text:
Byrd's powerful stroke did not come easily
Technically sound swing outfielder brought to New York took years to develop
NEW YORK -- Marlon Byrd sat in a familiar place. It was Opening Day of the 2007 season, and his future was uncertain.
Byrd had signed with the Rangers in the offseason, hoping that working with hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo would fix his swing, but the team designated him for assignment. So he watched Opening Day on a TV in the weight room, unsure if he would clear waivers.
"The first time I got sent down was '04," Byrd said, "so I got sent down in '04, '05, '06 and '07."
When Byrd returned to the Majors, though, he was finally there to stay. He had toiled with Jaramillo -- "who's one of the best hitting coaches ever," in Byrd's mind -- and completely retooled his swing.
Byrd grinned as he recalled the ballplayer he once was.
"My swing was terrible," he said. "I mean, it was."
Tinkering under Jaramillo's tutelage, Byrd went from spending parts of four seasons in the Minors in the mid-2000s into an above-average Major Leaguer in the last years of the decade, culminating with an All-Star appearance in 2010 and, after two seasons of regression, his best season yet in 2013 with the Mets.
It made Byrd a hot commodity leading up to the non-waiver Trade Deadline, but as the Deadline came and went, he and his improved swing stayed in New York.
"If it happened, that [would have been] part of the business," Byrd said. "But it didn't happen. I'm still here, I can be part of this great organization and keep moving forward these next two months, see what we can do."
For quite some time, Jaramillo was one of the most respected coaches in baseball. He began his Major League career as the hitting coach for the Astros before becoming the Rangers' hitting coach in 1995. Jaramillo spent 14 years in Texas -- the longest tenure of any hitting coach in MLB -- and helped develop All-Stars Adrian Gonzalez, Ivan Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Michael Young.
It was also in Texas where, in 2007, Jaramillo and Byrd were first united. In one offseason, with Jaramillo's help, Byrd's swing transformed from a jumbled mess into a mechanically sound stroke teeming with power potential. Byrd transformed from a fledgling big leaguer into a staple in Major League lineups.
"He's had his ups and downs, but the great part about him, he doesn't give in and keeps working and keeps making mental adjustments," Jaramillo said. "That's where he is today."
That is with a swing that is always in top form thanks to constant adjusting. Both Jaramillo and Mets manager Terry Collins credit Byrd's work ethic as the root of his sudden success. Byrd played in Mexico last winter after a disastrous 2012, taking time to put in the extra work. In New York, he is constantly in the batting cage or the weight room, watching film or simply holding a bat. That has corrected the issues Byrd had.
"We knew all along that he was a quality Major League player; his past says that," Collins said. "Whether or not he still had that, we had to find out, and I think he's proved to everybody that he's still got plenty left."
It all starts with the hips, the part of the body Jaramillo seems to always come back to when he talks about swinging.
"He was just not getting his hips in position consistently," Jaramillo said.
Fixing that has let Byrd improve his recognition and make a decision.
"The more he worked on his swing, the more it gave him the confidence that he needed to be a successful big leaguer," Jaramillo said.
When Jaramillo left the Rangers for the Cubs in 2010, Byrd followed shortly. Reunited with his swing doctor, Byrd made his only All-Star appearance. Now teamed with Mets hitting coach Dave Hudgens, who worked with Jaramillo in Houston, Byrd is replicating that success in New York.
"There's some familiarity in what we teach," Jaramillo said.
Jaramillo goes back to the hips -- consistency there is key, and both he and Hudgens emphasize that. It is what helped Byrd crack the double-digit home run plateau in his first season in Texas and set a career mark with 20 in 2009.
Four years later, at age 35, Byrd is just three homers away from matching that with almost a third of the season left. In a Mets lineup that has been without its two most explosive power hitters -- Lucas Duda and Ike Davis -- for prolonged stretches and is now without All-Star David Wright, Byrd has been a revelation. His 17 home runs were tied for 10th in the National League entering Monday's games.
Byrd is not afraid to talk about the suspicions that come with this type of improved production at this age. He served a 50-game suspension in 2012 after he tested positive for tamoxifen, a medicine that blocks the effects of estrogen and is commonly used to mask steroid use.
It was prescribed to Byrd for reasons outside of baseball, he says, and it led to the one blemish on an otherwise spotless record. The surge is surprising, but he insists it is natural -- the product of desperation and dedication.
"Sometimes you need an overhaul," Byrd said. "I'm still trying to get better. Still learning.
"It's just one of those things where you've got to get your swing right. If not, I'd have been gone."


text:
Anas Saif's family in their home in Jericho. Photo by Amy Mac.
On Oct. 20, the Israeli army entered the home of 15 year old Anas Saif in Jericho, snatching him from his bed during a nighttime raid and bundling him into the back of a military jeep.
According to Anas' mother, Hanan Saif, as the soldiers dragged her son away she asked them to let him put clothes on – the boy was sleeping in his underwear- but the soldiers refused, taking him out to the street and slapping him across the face before handcuffing him by his arms and legs.
He was taken to Ofer prison in the West Bank, accused of throwing stones, and will be held there until Nov. 9.
"I miss him very much, and feel sad for my son, but what can I do?" said Hanan Saif.
According to prisoner support group Addameer, 133 children, including Anas, were arrested across the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Israel in October.
Palestinian youth have been at the forefront of the latest wave of violence gripping the region since October. As sterner measures are adopted by Israeli forces against protesters and stone throwers, the younger generation has been increasingly susceptible to arrest and detention by Israeli forces.
"So for October, the number is quite high, and the number of children is also high," he added
Days before Anas Saif's arrest, his 14-year-old cousin Qais Hayek was walking back from his after-school work at a farm in Jericho. Earlier there had been clashes between youth and Israeli police near the farm. Qais was arrested, accused of throwing stones like his cousin.
According to the family, they had no knowledge of Anas Said and Qais Hayek's whereabouts for the first three to four days after they were taken, and since their arrests, neither of the boys have had contact with their family.
"We don't know anything, where is Qais? We had no idea," said his mother, Maha Hayek.
This is not unusual for Palestinian children arrested in the West Bank.
"In the West Bank this happens quite regularly with under-aged children, because it is under military law. When the child is arrested, sometimes the family will not know where they are detained," explained Laban.
"And even when they do, because the children are usually in detention centers on the other side of the border, they will not be able to physically access them," Laban added.
While Israeli settlers in the West Bank fall mostly under civilian rule, Palestinians are subject to Israeli military law. According to Bashar Jamal, an advocacy officer at DCI-P, this means Israeli and Palestinian youths face unequal treatment at every stage in the path of justice, from arrests to convictions and sentencing.
While civilian law requires a lawyer or parent to be present for the interrogation of a child, military law in the West Bank means there are often no provisions for an attorney or even a family member to be present when a child is questioned. Additionally, the Palestinian child is rarely informed of their rights following arrest.
This extends outside the West Bank. In Jerusalem, while civil law is supposedly applied equally to Israelis and Palestinians, Jamal explained that "this is only in theory."
In practise, Palestinian children in East Jerusalem are often denied the rights afforded to Israeli's.
"According to Israeli civil law, children should be summoned for questioning and not arrested, but this is rare. A huge majority are arrested from their houses or on the streets in Jerusalem. After the arrest the use of handcuffs is prohibited unless they are a threat, but in all the situations we documented handcuffs were used," said Jamal.
The detention and maltreatment of Palestinian children as young as 11 by Israeli forces has been condemned by a number of human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a June 2015 report.
Drawing on testimonies of a number of detained Palestinian children, HRW accused Israel of "abusive arrests."
"Security forces have choked children, thrown stun grenades at them, beaten them in custody, threatened and interrogated them without the presence of parents or lawyers, and failed to let their parents know their whereabouts."
In a 2012 report, UNICEF described the ill-treatment of children detained by Israeli forces as, "widespread, systematic, and institutionalized," documenting a range of abuses including blindfolding and painful handcuffing with plastic ties; physical assault; denial of access to water, food, toilet facilities, and medical care; and coerced confessions usually written in Hebrew.
According to DCI-P statistics, at least 76% of Palestinian children were subject to physical violence during arrest and 43% were coerced into signing a confession in Hebrew, a language they do not understand, over the last three years.
For these children, the trauma of the arrest does not dissipate following their release.
Jamal described the psychological impacts of Israel's ongoing policies of detention of Palestinian children as long-lasting.
"When we are talking about children as young as 12 being arrested, psychologically they will be affected. We believe that when a child is arrested from his house, the protection system he used to live in is violated," he said.
He also stressed the impact the arrests have on a child's education.
"The child, after his release, has to enroll back to school. He will not graduate at the same year as his friends and half of children drop out of school after their release," he said.
While the number of children arrested this month has increased, the statistics are not outstanding. Israeli forces arrest roughly 700 Palestinian children each year, according to HRW.
For the family of Qais and Anas, there is nothing to do but wait for the release of their children.
"It's very hard for us. We don't know if Anas is ok, if he is safe, but there's nothing we can do. We hope to see him soon," said Hanan Saif.
Back to Top


text:
The Do's & Don'ts of Campaigning to Get Your Celeb on DWTS
Almost overnight, there has been a sudden surge in net "campaigns" to get certain celebs cast on season 11 of DWTS. Fans of everyone from Johnny Weir to Martha Byrne to Antonio Sabato Jr. have taken to Facebook, Twitter, and various message boards & fan sites (including this one) in hopes of gaining support for their cause and catching the eye of the DWTS casting directors.
Now while I definitely admire the enthusiasm & determination of some of the individuals behind these campaigns, I have to admit – some of them aren't necessarily going about it the right way. Now while I don't consider myself an expert by any means on how to get your favorite celeb cast on a reality show (DWTS or otherwise), I do think there's a certain strategy to it…a strategy I will outline below, which I call "The Do's & Don'ts of Campaigning for DWTS".
But first and foremost, I feel as though I must share this:
Why? One, it has yet to work thus far; two, with DWTS getting its highest ratings yet this past season, the casting directors can afford to be picky and choosy about who they invite to do the show…meaning that lesser-known celebs (who had a better chance of being on one of the earlier seasons – and are more likely to be the ones having to campaign to get on this season) are less likely to be on the producers' radar as part of a casting "wish list". Why would the "powers that be" go after little-known or washed-up actors, singers, athletes, and models when they can command big names like Donny Osmond, Susan Lucci, and Cloris Leachman? It's also a matter of supply & demand: the less "available" a star appears to be due to a booming career, the more viewers will tune in to watch them, and the more "in demand" they will be. In contrast, a star who hasn't really done anything or seems to have been forgotten after years of inactivity will not pull as many viewers, and desperate campaigning will only reinforce their "availability"…making them less in demand.
That said, if I truly believed that campaigning worked for this show (and who knows, this season it actually might!), here's some do's and don'ts I would follow.
DO: Make sure your celeb actually wants to do the show. Kind of a no-brainer – why toil away to try and get a celeb on the show, only to have them turn it down if they're offered the chance? This is what unfortunately happened with the campaign to get Betty White on the show – a really strong, well-organized campaign was created, but it only lasted a few weeks before Betty publicly said that she wasn't interested in doing the show. This is one area where I give the folks campaigning for Johnny & Antonio props – those celebs are behind them 110%.
DO: Do your homework about your celeb. Find out everything you can about their career, personal life, hobbies, etc. You never know what info could help you with your promotion of them. You also want to know any of the less "savory" details of your celeb's past (i.e. criminal records, known drug use, sex tapes – generally anything that would be considered "bad publicity") so that you can come up with a strategy for downplaying them should these indiscretions be brought up as grounds for not having them on the show.
DON'T: Get caught not knowing crucial details about your celeb. You need to be able to convince people that they're worthy of being on the show. If you can't be bothered to actually care enough to know the details of their life & career, why should anyone else?
DO: Come up with specific examples of why your celeb should be on the show. What are they known for? Have they won any awards for it? The latter is especially important – the show announces every celeb with a "tagline" (i.e. "Emmy award-winning soap actress Susan Lucci!" "Olympic Gold Medalist Evan Lysacek!" "Oscar winner Cloris Leachman!" "NFL Hall-of-Famer Michael Irvin!"), and the ones that make the biggest impression are the ones that have been recognized for their achievement in their particular area of expertise. The producers LOVE a good, important-sounding tagline – it reinforces a particular celeb's notability. Not an award-winner? Mention anything notable they've been involved with. Did they pose in Playboy? Are they a billionaire entrepreneur? Have they held some sort of prestigious public office? Mention that. The producers of the show are concerned with ratings; you need to tell them how this particular celeb will bring in viewers – and awards and achievements are all concrete examples of this.
DON'T: Be vague or weak in your arguments for why your celeb is notable. "So-and-so is a really good actor/singer/athlete/etc." is wishy-washy and a matter of opinion. So is "so-and-so is a really good person/has a great personality". Unless you can support any of these with awards won or evidence of charity work or cite specific examples of their "great personality" from interviews, none are valid arguments and are purely subjective. This is just like a high school research paper – you need to back up your statements with facts and examples, or else you really have no argument at all.
DO: Favorably mention previous celebs who have done the show that are similar to your celeb. By comparing your celeb to one who has done the show in the past, you can demonstrate that there is a niche to be filled by your celeb on the show. Are they a soap actor? Mention the popularity of contestants like Susan Lucci, Cameron Mathison, and Kelly Monaco. Show people that your celeb would fit in on the show.
DON'T: Diss ANYONE involved with the show. It's quite possibly the WORST thing you can do to garner support for your celeb. You're sucking up to the producers – if you're dissing any of the pros, hosts, judges, or previous contestants, it's like telling them they've screwed up in creating the show…and now they're ignoring whatever else you were going to say, even if it was insightful, because you've inadvertently insulted them. Oh, and some of the viewers that may have otherwise joined your cause – they're gone now too, because you have put down their favorite pro/judge/host/former contestant/etc. And really, if your strongest arguments center around trash talking anyone from the show…then you really have no case to plead. Focus on positively talking up your own celeb instead.
DO: Get creative. Ok, Twitter accounts and Facebook pages are pretty much par for the course these days – but there are ways to set yourself apart from the masses of campaigners. Make those pages really "pop" with good-quality videos & pix of your celeb, create some cute Twibbons or profile pix for supporters to use, or do a fun youtube video about your celeb, a la the Martha Byrne campaigners (really, the whole Martha Byrne campaign is to be lauded – IMO, they're doing everything right). Or, better yet, register your own domain name – get[your celeb here]ondwts.com. This gives you a place where you have the undivided attention of those coming to the site – and odds are, they already might be interested in your cause, if they got to the site in the first place. It's a lot more effective than fighting with all of the other rival campaigners duking it out on general DWTS message boards, and you reap the benefits of your site popping up for everyone searching your celeb's name on the search engines.
DON'T: Start rattling off conspiracy theories about the show. Again, rather than focusing on the POSITIVE aspects of your own celeb, you've resorted to convoluted, rambling suspicions about how the show is biased against this, or plays favorites with that, or how the show is rigged, yadda yadda yadda…you get the idea. Now everyone is looking at you like the proverbial crazy lady with the tinfoil hat who's warning the neighbors about the upcoming alien invasion. You just come across as crazy & irrational, and people don't put stock in either of those qualities. When in doubt, Occam's Razor: the simplest explanation is usually the correct one – so complex conspiracy theories are rather pointless, anyway. Don't get wrapped up in them 😉
DO: Proofread your work. This may seem silly to some of you, but be honest: are you going pay more attention to a well-written, logical, coherent piece of campaign writing, or the one littered with grammar & spelling mistakes, obscenities, and punctuation overkill? The former makes you sound intelligent and considerate enough to make your work as easy as possible for viewers to read; the latter makes you sound immature and lazy, and will quickly make anyone attempting to read it lose interest in your message. It's a quick fix, mmmkay?
DON'T: Spam everyone involved with the show via Twitter, Facebook, fan sites, message boards, etc. This just serves to annoy them and will likely result in you getting blocked. Johnny Weir fans, take heed: the pros, hosts, and judges have no input in what celebs get cast each season, so there's really no point in relentlessly spamming Chelsie, Mark, Derek, Maks, Tony, Julianne, Tom, Carrie-Ann, Randall the costume designer, Joe Schmoe in craft services, Jimmy the cameraman, Kathy in ABC's publicity department, etc. on Twitter, begging them to put Johnny on season 11. If anything, this may actually deter the producers from casting a particular celeb due to a perceived unfair advantage. And really, just don't spam PERIOD – it annoys everyone. A few well-worded tweets or wall posts are far more effective than a thousand repetitive ones.
DO: Work smarter, not harder. Now I really have to give Heidi credit for coming up with this one while she was proofreading this post for me (see kids? Even I proofread my work! 😀 ). Rather than the pointless & misguided spamming of everyone and their brother mentioned above, focus your efforts on those that actually share your interest to begin with – fans of that celeb. See who's mentioning [insert celeb here] in their tweets – follow them. If they see you're into [insert celeb here] as well, they will likely follow back…and then they'll see all the stuff you're tweeting about the campaign in their feed. Better yet, see who's following [insert celeb here], and follow them too – they're going to be the ones who are most likely to help support the cause. You can even set up your tweet deck (or whatever Twitter program you use) to search for any mention of that celeb's name out in the Twitterverse, which can also lead you to potential supporters. Really kids, it's not all about quantity of tweets in this case…it's about the quality.
So there you have it – the Courtney strategy for getting your celeb on DWTS. Will it work? Probably not, but it may at least stop some of the campaigning madness that we've witnessed here 😉


text:
Snap: Canoeing Rivanna under the RR
A youthful canoeist peers up at the old C&O Railway bridge near the Woolen Mills neighborhood. The old bridge, now leased to the Buckingham Branch Railroad, carries mostly empty coal and grain cars plus the three-days-a-week Cardinal passenger train for Amtrak. Saturday's weather was perfect for paddling the Rivanna on the quintessential Towe Park-to-Milton route. Sunday's forecast calls for another ideal summer day with a high near 84. (Were it not for Bosher's Dam on the western outskirts of Richmond, a portage-free canoe trip all the way from Charlottesville to the Atlantic Ocean would be possible.)
More SnapsRead more on: csxrivanna river
2 comments
What glorious weather this weekend. Where can I get on the Rivanna to canoe this stretch, looks like fun, and are there canoes to rent ?
Thanks for the link to a map of your route. With all the water in the river, this is a good summer for paddling.


text:
Will Firefox add-ons continue to work in Waterfox?
Discussion of third-party/unofficial Firefox/Thunderbird/SeaMonkey builds.
22 posts • Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2
I've read that just about all of Firefox will work in Waterfox and be easily assimilated into it.
Could some kind person tell me if this means all my current add-ons that are soon to be doomed will continue to work on Waterfox after the time Firefox no longer allows them please?
Just trying to forward-think where I go or if I stay after the big change.
Mud is good!
Your best bet is to, if you're not already, use Firefox 52 ESR and that covers you up until mid-summer next year.
So, if that's only 9 months away, why not just change to another Mozilla browser now? -
2 reasons. Firstly, with Firefox 57 (end of legacy extensions and themes) coming out in November, that gives 7 months for the dust to settle and the real way forward to become clearer.
Secondly, these 3rd Party Firefox forks tell the biggest load of BS I've ever heard. Yes, they cry, we intend to continue to support XUL and legacy extensions...and when you look into it you can see that it is just wishful thinking and not a clear plan. In other words, they are telling you what you want to hear and hope they can somehow pull it off.
This isn't just some baseless opinion, there is already precedent for the BS that goes on with these builds. I recall one build a couple of years back (which I warned people about) - 'Oh yes, we are a true fork of Firefox and will never need Mozilla ever again (apart from continually tapping them for security updates) At the time, they were using the Gecko 24 engine and that is what they should have continued to develop and use forever. Did they? - no, a while back, they were forced to use the Mozilla's Gecko 38 engine, because they couldn't manage it..
Other builds are really just Firefox with a few superficial changes.
Now, if these builds can't even maintain an existing Gecko (it does the XUL stuff) just how are they going to get along when there is no Mozilla Gecko engine around, post Firefox 57?
So, yeah, hunker down, wait for the dust to settle on this and see what the true position is next summer and sort it out then. Anything else is just a waste of time.
Last edited by Frank Lion on September 4th, 2017, 11:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
Metal Lion latest SeaMonkey & Thunderbird Themes - Sea Monkey and Silver Sea Monkey
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke (attrib.)
Thanks, Frank Lion
I am now on Firefox 52 ESR after following advice on here so will do as you suggest and wait it out.
Mud is good!
Moving to Third Party Builds as this has nothing to do with Firefox per the OP's subject.
That's what I intend to do, while keeping an eye on Firefox development. I deplore the Chrome style browsers, but I understand the difficulty supporting Firefox as currently constructed. Not a criticism, just the way things have always been. Hopefully somehow a happy medium will be devised where the beautiful versatility of Firefox will be preserved.
Frank Lion, how does Firefox esr maintain security?
The ESR gets the same Critical and Medium security updates that the current Releases do. So, you start with 52.0 ESR but it soon becomes 52.3 esr, 52.5 esr, etc. as it gets security updates throughout its journey to EOL (end of life - the programs', not yours)
Don't forget, this is the version intended for companies, businesses, etc. so they will only use it, and they do, if the security side is OK.
Here's the link to the ESR stuff - https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/o ... tions/all/
IMPORTANT - if you are, at the moment, using a Firefox version up to, and including, Firefox 54 then just backup your profile (Help>Troubleshooting Info>Open folder/whatever > you are now looking at the contents of your profile) and uninstall Firefox and then just install Firefox 52 ESR, it'll use your existing Firefox profile and you're good to go.
However, Firefox 55 made changes to your existing profile, to the extent that is really is not a great idea to use the same profile for an earlier Firefox version. It's a pain, but only adds another 10 -15 minutes to the process and that is a damn sight easier than the learning curve on a brand new browser would be and you'd have to transfer stuff for that as well. This is what you do -
#1. You keep your existing profile and make a new additional profile - http://kb.mozillazine.org/Creating_a_ne ... on_Windows
#2. Uninstall your 55+ version and install Firefox 52 ESR and start it up using that new profile.
#3. At your leisure, with Firefox closed, you then just transfer over the essentials from your old profile to your new one - http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_ ... ew_profile
Don't be put off by the longish list (when I write KB stuff, I have to give the full list for people) as in practice, at first, you can get away with just passwords ( key3.db and logins.json), bookmarks and history (places.sqlite)*, prefs.js and then throw in your existing extensions folder and you're done. It'll all be pretty much the same as before at that point and the other few bits can be done later.
In other words, doing that stops that Firefox 55 profile messing up your Firefox 52 ESR.
Then, you're good to go.
* I prefer to export just the bookmarks as HTML and use that, but that's up to you.
Metal Lion latest SeaMonkey & Thunderbird Themes - Sea Monkey and Silver Sea Monkey
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke (attrib.)
I recovered a Version 53 profile folder (Mac) from my backup disk. 52.3 esr works fine with it, except for a problem when I updated the extensions. Ublock Origin showed up with a bunch of question marks.
The author has a fix for that, but for the present I trashed that 53 profile folder and copied the backup version again but didn't update the extensions. When I get some free time I'll run through the Ublock Origin procedure to fix the question-mark problem.
ok, and thanks for all the great information
Piggybacking on your advice, thanks to the ed-meister, valuable lessons that I have been following for years are documented for teaching us how to create portable versions of Firefox and how to manage profiles.
I use the extraction method from that thread
"2.Make your own "Zip-build" from a Firefox Setup installer package."
and the profile manager.
Fully agree. With the links you provided as guidance, creating a new profile is really quite simple. The only caution I would advise to those trying for the first time is to avoid the temptation of saving time and effort by importing all you addons (which can be done) at once. I'm no expert like Frank Lion, so I don't have a technical explanation, but from my experience, when you do so there is a high risk creating profile corruption (I suppose it's all that data from a multitude of sources flooding in at once trying to establish themselves).
Thanks again
I can confirm that all Firefox add-ons do work in Waterfox, I copied my Profile from Firefox to Waterfox, and then changed the location of the Waterfox Profile to use that Profile, and it works, everything that you had prior to Firefox 57 is fully functional in Waterfox.
If you want to experiment a little install Basilisk which was created by the same team that developed Pale Moon. http://www.basilisk-browser.org/
It supports all Firefox legacy extensions and looks exactly the same as FF52.5 ESR which you're using right now. I installed it this morning and have been using it the whole day without any issues.
If you use Classic Theme Restorer, download version 184.108.40.206beta1 which addresses an issue with the location bar not working after you configure the settings to your liking.
uh Basilisk requires minimum Windows 7 to use - read here:
"Windows XP or Windows Vista are not supported."
it did not say whether to use a 32bit or 64bit Windows/Linux OS...either
Well never mind that now. Seems Basilisk development is running in to serious trouble going forward. It appears that they will now need to rebase from scratch.
Jody Thornton
(Richmond Hill, Ontario)
I'm aware of four issues, the second and third of which may have a common cause:
(The first, reported by me, is not a problem. When the Java plug-in is required, on FreeBSD-CURRENT, I use a different browser.)
#KeepFightingMichael and Alex.
You should NEVER use an alternative browser! Always use Firefox!
Win7 Pro SP1 64 Bit
Comodo Internet Security
Pale Moon 28.16.0, Interlink Mail 52.9.7634, Firefox 52.9.0esr, Thunderbird 52.9.1 and SeaMonkey 2.48
22 posts Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2
Return to Third Party/Unofficial Builds
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


text:
May the Most Blessed Sacrament …
Viva il Papa!
Our dear Shepherd of the Church of Detroit!
The Defender of this blog and its readers
Latin Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel
Sancte Michael Archangele,
defende nos in proelio;
contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium.
Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur:
tuque, Princeps militiae Caelestis,
satanam aliosque spiritus malignos,
qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo,
divina virtute in infernum detrude.
English Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle;
be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray:
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Read the Catechism in One Year!
Have you prayed your Office yet?
Want to pray the Breviary old school?
Who writes this thing?
Statement of Faith
I believe and profess all that the Holy Catholic Church teaches and holds to be the truth because that which she teaches has been revealed to her by God Who can neither deceive nor be deceived.
I believe that our gloriously reigning Pontiff, Francis, is a direct successor to the Seat of Saint Peter. I pledge allegiance to him and all bishops and priests who are in union with him in teaching and all other things pertaining thereto.
My viewpoints, opinions, stances, etc. are based on the teachings of the Catholic Church (not my interpretation of them ... the teachings themselves ... primary sources, yo). Though I do tend to lean conservative (Just saying). Pro-life: Conception to natural death.
The opinions, rantings, ravings, contemplations, analyses, et al. are strictly and exclusively the position/s held by the author of this blog.
All of these posts are written in the light of Catholic teaching as I understand it to be taught. If any of my writings are incorrect theologically, philosophically, canonically, etc., it is not done on purpose, it is a matter of the ignorance of the author and is not to be viewed of an act of dissent by the author.
Follow one of my favorite priests! :)
I make custom Rosaries
Recent Writings
December 2020 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Blogs I Follow ...
- Bad Vestments Blog
- By Love Alone (blog by a young consecrated virgin)
- Catholic Cartoon Blog
- Catholic Sistas
- Catholic Vote
- Detroit Church Blog (Catholic Churches in the Archdiocese)
- Father Acervo's Corner
- Father Z's Blog
- Ignitum Today
- In the Light of the Law
- Musings of a Pertinacious Papist
- Servant and Steward
- Sponsa Christi (by a young consecrated virgin)
- Te Deum Laudamus!
- The Chant Café
- The Gospel in the Digital Age (Cardinal Dolan's Blog)
- The New Liturgical Movement
- The New Theological Movement
- The Pious Sodality of Church Ladies
- The Radiance of Form
- Whispers in the Loggia
Catholicism à la 1962 (Traditional Catholic links)
Geekery, Nerdishness, and Other Sites of Interest
Holy Mother Church ...
- Archdiocese of Detroit
- Ignitum Today
- Musica Sacra: The Church Music Association of America
- Opus Sanctorum Angelorum
- Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration
- Saints.SQPN.com (the mother of all saints websites, srsly)
- Star Quest Production Network (SQPN) (lots of really good Catholic podcasts)
- The Gospel in the Digital Age (Cardinal Dolan's Blog)
- The Holy See
- The Pontifical North American College
- Traditional Vocations
- Vatican Radio Live Streams
Liturgy and Spirituality
- Catholic Spiritual Direction
- Coffee and Canticles: The Divine Office in Your Life
- Fisheaters: The Whys and Hows of Traditional Catholicism
- Holy Card Heaven
- Juventutem Michigan (Young Adult TLM)
- Musica Sacra: The Church Music Association of America
- Opus Sanctorum Angelorum
- Vatican Radio-Liturgical Podcasts (Divine Office in Latin)
Saint Anthony, help me find …
The Index
- "Borrowed" Posts
- "The Passion of Joan of Arc" in 8 parts
- Advent
- Church History
- Church Lady Stuff
- Contemplations
- Culture of Life
- Detroit Stuff
- Devotion to the Angels
- Feast Days
- Friday Penance of the Week
- Fun with Canon Law
- Grad school
- Guardian Angels
- Help me!
- Introduction
- Lent
- Liturgy and Prayer
- Musings
- Nunly Things
- Our Lady
- Papism
- Prayer
- Prayer Requests
- Random Fun-ness
- Rant with a purpose
- Red Wings/Hockey
- Saint Aloysius Novena
- Saint Michael
- Saints
- She isn't joking around here …
- Spiritual motherhood
- Teh Nun
- The Church Year
- The Divine Child/Infant of Prague
- The priesthood
- The Year of Faith
- Trad Catholicism
- Uncategorized
- Update
- veiling
- Vocation and Discernment
The Not-So-Secret Archive
- February 2017 (1)
- August 2016 (2)
- August 2013 (1)
- July 2013 (2)
- June 2013 (2)
- April 2013 (1)
- March 2013 (2)
- February 2013 (6)
- January 2013 (4)
- December 2012 (5)
- November 2012 (6)
- October 2012 (6)
- September 2012 (11)
- August 2012 (7)
- July 2012 (22)
- June 2012 (23)
- May 2012 (17)
- April 2012 (17)
- March 2012 (2)
- February 2012 (3)
- January 2012 (2)
- November 2011 (3)
- October 2011 (2)
- September 2011 (4)
- August 2011 (7)
- July 2011 (3)
- June 2011 (1)
- March 2011 (3)
- January 2011 (1)
- December 2010 (1)
- November 2010 (3)
- October 2010 (5)
For those too lazy to type …
All for the Poor Souls
- 19,328 penances undergone.
Tag Archives: theological conversations
Traddy Advent Goodness, My Nightmare, and Not All Trads Live Under a Rock
A.M.D.G. J.M.J. A.T.C. Laudetur Iesus Christus! Nunc et in æternum! Amen. First Sunday of Advent Since I was nice and spared you the "satanic porn" that was that gawdawful Lady Gaga song that gets stuck in my head all to … Continue reading
Te Deum Laudamus! (Part One)
A.M.D.G. J.M.J. A.T.C. Laudetur Iesus Christus! Nunc et in aeternum! Amen. Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe/Vigil of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary And people wonder why I can be so obsessive about checking my email. … Continue reading
The Hammer of Heretics
A.M.D.G. J.M.J. A.T.C. Laudetur Iesus Christus! Nunc et in aeternum. Amen. Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, priest and Doctor of the Church What better way to wait for my nails to dry than to blog? I usually give myself … Continue reading
Yes, I am still on Cloud 9 from Last Night's TLM
A.M.D.G. J.M.J. A.T.C. Laudetur Iesus Christus! Saint Louis Marie de Montfort, priest; Saint Peter Chanel, priest and martyr And I don't want it to end. Last night and all the experiences connected thereto were truly gifts from God. So I … Continue reading
Here goes nothing (Day 1 of "A Canon a Day Keeps the Devil Away")
A.M.D.G. J.M.J. A.T.C. Easter Monday I could not resist doing a dumb theological play on "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." While the Code is surely not the sole way of keeping the Devil out, it can help … Continue reading


text:
We finally decided to tell our families on Mother's Day Weekend so that meant taking pictures a week before hand to get everything ready! So I found this super cute sign on Etsy and ordered it. I had it printed in Hot Springs and picked up after a doctor's appointment. When I went to pay for it the girl at the photo counter said..... This is so cute, I have been waiting all day to see who picks it up! I said THANKS and that is EXACTLY why I did NOT have it printed off in my very small hometown. She died laughing and said good idea! Then we got some pink and blue balloons, got dressed up and started taking pictures. Well I mean why in the dang world would this TOP SECRET photo shoot not go perfect........OH YEAH because it's our crazy life! I taped the balloons down and had the girls sit down and hold the sign. Within seconds Kinley if playing with them and untapes them and OFF THEY GO!!!!! UHHHHHHH seriously!!!!!!!!!!! Then my kindergarten, who I forget can read, says OUT LOUD......PINK OR BLUE!!!!!! OMG I ABOUT CRAPPED MY PANTS!!!!!!!!!!! I immediately grab the frame from her and turned it back around. She was puzzled as to what that meant. I told her it was a special surprise we were working on and she could NOT read the sign! I knew if she read the rest of it we would be screwed! Our secret would be out of the bag and around the world in 10 seconds! Then not even 5 minutes into talking pictures my step dad drives up! UHHHHH hide the picture....act totally normal girls! Thank goodness he is a total man and totally oblivious to what was actually going on! But when all was said and done we got some great pictures! Ones I will forever treasure!
Peace Out 1st Grade!
1 year ago


text:
"The PowerPoint presentation was excellent, the best the board has had, and very comprehensive," then-board member Margaret Williams said, according to minutes of the April 21, 2005, budget hearing.
Majewski, assistant superintendent for finance and administration, interrupted the accolades with sobering news. A tax increase and budget cuts were needed, he said, despite the booming real estate market.
To ease the financial pain, Majewski said he and the district's financial adviser had a plan for the board to save $400,000. It called for the board to amend two variable-rate derivative bond deals called "swaps," which the district had been using since 2003 to finance construction projects. The recommendation was familiar to the board. At the time of the presentation, it had already approved seven swap transactions, which members assumed were saving taxpayers money.
"It is always the goal to look at trying not just to get savings, but to keep in mind the fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers to do something without risking the finances of the school district," Majewksi said then.
His presentation ended with the district's long-time financial adviser, Les Bear, president of Arthurs LeStrange Co., explaining the deal, saying "the swap world is about a $250 trillion" global industry that needs cash to survive, according to board minutes.
"That is what this transaction will do," said Bear, whose firm would be paid a fee whenever he finalized a swap deal. "It would feed the system."
The swaps would work to save taxpayers money even in a horrendous economy, Bear said. "It enhances the transaction almost in the worse-case scenario."
The board approved Bear's and Majewski's swap plan in May 2005, even though board members later said in interviews with The Morning Call that they didn't understand it.
Swaps, which come with hefty fees, are layered on top of variable-rate bonds. They are used to hedge against a potential increase in the underlying bonds' variable-rate interest. Swaps also are used to try to make money. The district and investment banks set up predetermined formulas to calculate interest rate swings in an unregulated market. The two sides then "swap" monthly interest rate payments. The side that generates the larger payment receives the difference between the two sums.
While hedging and betting with taxpayer money, the school board ignored the first law of finance.
"If someone offers you something that sounds too good to be true, it probably is," said Temple University finance professor Bruce Rader.
In their quest to save $400,000 in 2005, records show, school directors agreed to two swap deals that would cost taxpayers $1.3 million in swap fees to Bear's company, another financial firm called Access Financial Management, and two law firms. Contracts show the banks backing the swaps paid those fees when the deals closed. The banks then began recouping their fronted costs from the district over time by paying lower bond premiums and adjusting swap interest rates they charged to the district.
The 2005 deals also added more variable-rate debt to the district's portfolio, compounding its risk in a changing market. When the "worst case scenario" hit last year, that risk proved costly.
As of April 1, the district has lost $3.2 million on the restructured swap deals Bear and Majewski recommended four years ago, according to a Morning Call analysis of BASD records.
Signing off with few questions
The district entered into 17 swap transactions -- more than any school district in Pennsylvania -- according to records at the state Department of Community and Economic Development. All but two were sold by Bear, a former school business manager whose firms were paid more than $5 million by Bethlehem taxpayers to handle the swaps and bonds between 2003 and 2008.
Bear's company, Arthurs LeStrange, was purchased by Ferris Baker Watts of Baltimore in 2006. Bear continued as the district's financial consultant with that firm until last summer, when the new board ousted Bear against the advice of Majewski and Superintendent Joseph Lewis.
"[I have] concerns regarding the several moves that Mr. Bear has made in the past," said new School Director Irene Follweiler, according to the minutes of the July 21, 2008, board Finance Committee. "We need to do our homework and find out what is best for the district."
Shortly before that July 21 meeting, Majewski transferred a contract to Bear's new firm, Robert W. Baird & Co., of Wisconsin, to manage bond funds.
When the board found out four month later, board member Benjamin Tenaglia III said he was "disturbed" that Majewski had not sought the board's approval prior to giving Baird a contract.
The board ordered Majewski then to end the contract and have the district monitor the fund.
In a March note, Majewski addressed the board's concerns about the contract, saying he had thought it best to allow Baird & Co. to oversee the construction fund since a member of its staff had been handling while employed at Arthurs LeStrange.
The board's actions in 2008 were a stark contrast to how the board previously did not watch the debt financing closely.
Between 2003-2007, the board signed off on the swaps with few questions partly because all came with promises of big savings and some with $7.6 million in upfront money from the banks. The board supported Bear's and Majewski's financial advice that tied three quarters of the district's total debt into risky variable-rate bonds and variable-rate swaps.
Meeting minutes show Bear and Majewski predicted, based on historical averages, that the deals would save taxpayers upward of $55 million over the 25-year lives of the bonds. They haven't thus far.
Subtract the cash receipts and the deals have cost taxpayers about $28million between 2003 and last April, a Morning Call investigation has found. That includes $25.5 million in scheduled fees to financial advisers, lawyers and banks. Taxpayers also have paid $9.9 million in monthly swap payments to JP Morgan Chase and Morgan Stanley for the interest rate gambles that went against the district between 2003 and April 1. Those payments include the 2005 deals Bear claimed would work except in the worst-case scenario.
In addition, the expected interest rate savings of the swaps' underlying variable-rate bonds evaporated when the mortgage crisis turned into the credit crisis and interest rates spiked.
That spike drove payments to bondholders to about $30 million since 2003. There is a lot left to be paid.
Meanwhile, JP Morgan Chase and Morgan Stanley are being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission for their roles in municipal and school district swaps across the country.
Morgan Stanley's 2008 quarterly reports said only that it is cooperating with the government investigations.
JP Morgan's annual report, issued Feb. 29, is more specific about the federal probes into its municipal bond deals between 2001 and 2005.
"The New York field office of the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division and the Philadelphia Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission have been conducting parallel investigations of possible antitrust and securities violations in connection with the bidding or sale of guaranteed investment contracts and derivatives to municipal issuers," the report states.
The federal agencies have declined to comment. It is unknown if or how the federal probes would affect BASD taxpayers. For now, they must abide by the seven existing swap contracts on the books.
Those books are covered in red ink partly because Bethlehem officials did not seek competitive bids for financial services. Instead, Lewis, Majewski and the board allowed Bear's firm to serve in four overlapping roles.On the advice of Bear, whose firm was not equipped to make the swap deals, the district added another financial consultant, thereby adding to its expenses.
Had district officials sought competitive bids, they would have discovered that other area districts such as Souderton were paying one firm, Public Financial Management, far less for swap services.
For example, on Feb. 6, 2006, Souderton paid Public Financial and one law firm $63,000 to set up a swap on top of a $46.9 million variable-rate bond. Four months later, Bethlehem paid $273,400 to Bear's company, another financial outfit, and two law firms to add a swap to an existing $40 million variable-rate bond.
Outside his Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, home in March, Bear, 60, declined to comment. He also did not respond to calls or e-mails.
In an interview last month, Majewski and Lewis defended their decision to go with Bear, who served as business manager of Pocono Mountain and Bangor Area school districts before he went into investment banking in 1984 and became Bethlehem's financial adviser two years later.
Majewski said the fees "were not terribly high."
Lewis said the economy, not Bear or the swaps' costs, ruined the district's budget.
With the cost of the swaps in mind, School Director Loretta Leeson asked at a Nov. 14, 2005 board meeting if the district bid for underwriting services.
Majewski said the district negotiates with several underwriting firms, "but we will limit who we are working with to those organizations that we feel comfortable can handle this type of financing."
Records do not indicate that the administration or board ever sought competitive bids for underwriting or other financial services when it came to bond and swap deals. Rather, records show, officials handed contracts to Bear's firms to serve as financial adviser, bond underwriter, and two other jobs.
The move goes against "best practices" of public finance issued by the state Economic and Community Development office.
In addition, the Government Finance Officers Association, based in Washington, D.C, recommends that government agencies "select financial advisers on the basis of merit using a competitive process and that issuers review those relationships periodically." The group also says that governments should not allow a financial adviser to serve as underwriter on the same bond transactions.
Financial advisers and underwriters have competing interests, said Steve Fishman,chief counsel for the Department or Community and Economic Development. The adviser is supposed to look out for taxpayers while the underwriter tries to get the best deal for the company.
"It's simply good practice to avoid any issue of potential conflict of interest," Fishman said. "It's just plain common sense."
Christopher "Kit" Taylor, a swap critic who served for nearly 30 years as executive director of the federal Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, agreed that all government agencies should limit financial advisers to one role at a time.
"If you have a financial adviser who does have multiple roles, all he cares about is getting the swap fee because that is where the money is," he said. Congress may be addressing the issue. The House Financial Services Committee in May held a hearing on a draft bill that would regulate advisers who make recommendations on issuing bonds, investing bond proceeds and handling financial contracts such as swaps. It also would make those advisers legally responsible to act in a government's best interest.
'I think the advice was sound'
Whenever the Bethlehem board approved a swap Bear had recommended, the company he was representing picked up a third fee as the so-called remarketing agent. For handling the weekly sales of the variable-rate bonds to investors, the remarketing agent would earn an annual fee. In 2004, Arthurs LeStrange, the company Bear was working for at the time, picked up a fourth fee -- also paid annually -- to act as a middle man between the district and banks to invest bond proceeds and cut checks to construction vendors.
Between 2003 and 2007, Bear's firms were paid about $5.6 million for the four roles, and more than half of that was for swaps.
Meanwhile, the Allentown and Easton, Nazareth and Souderton area school districts had set up a fire wall by using PFM for financial advice and separate companies for underwriting and remarketing services.
"We cannot act as underwriter, we cannot act as remarketing agent," said Scott Shearer of PFM who serves as financial adviser in many Lehigh Valley area school districts.
Bethlehem raised its fire walls late last year after the board hired PFM over Bear's current employer, Robert W. Baird & Co., headquartered in Wisconsin.
Of Bethlehem's nine current school directors, only Craig T. Haytmanek said he knew about Bear's four jobs.
"In retrospect those hats Les Bear was wearing were inappropriate. But who knew?" Haytmanek said. "No one on the board knew that."
Leeson agreed. She said she did not realize Bear's firm had a hand in so many aspects of the finances even though she and other school directors voted on numerous bond resolutions, contracts and bills that listed the roles of firms Bear represented.
"The business manager, I think, is the gatekeeper for the school district in financial issues," Leeson said. "I don't know what Stan's Majewski] explanation is for why Les was wearing all those hats with the district. This comes from his recommendation and Dr. Lewis' subsequently."
Majewski said he allowed Bear's firms to perform the different functions because of Bear's decades of service to the district. "I know that he had worked very hard to always try to do what was in the best interest of the school district," Majewski said.
Lewis added: "To this day I think the advice was sound."
School Director Benjamin M. Tenaglia III, an investment banker who was appointed to the board in March 2008, disagreed.
"I don't think you were getting truly objective opinions when pushed to bring issues to market by people who specifically profited from those securities," he said.
Banks recoup their costs
Even with all those hats, Bear needed help to handle the actual swaps.
Steve Goldfield of Media, Delaware County, served as Arthurs LeStrange's bond lawyer on Bethlehem's first three swap contracts in 2003. Goldfield said Arthurs LeStrange did not have anyone on staff with the technical skills to set up swaps so the company turned to an outside swap expert, Matt Kirk of Lancaster County.
"Clearly he [Bear] would have needed Matt to run the swap model," said Goldfield, who now runs a public finance company.
On Bear's recommendation, Bethlehem hired one of Kirk's firms, Access Financial Management, to work as both bond and swap "structuring agents." The district would pay the company, one of four registered to Kirk, more than $2 million for those two roles, between 2003 and 2007.
Records show Kirk, 40, of Manheim Township, Lancaster County, once worked for the regional law firm Stevens & Lee, formerly served as vice chairman of the state GOP, and taught at the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government.
Pennsylvania Department of State records show Kirk was the managing member of four consulting firms: Axess Financial Markets, Rockport Financial Products, AFMX, and Access Financial Markets.
On Feb. 24, 2003, the school board hired Bear's firm Arthurs LeStrange and Kirk's Access Financial to structure its first swap with JP Morgan, which pledged to give the district $3.4 million in up-front cash.
The board, however, did not know that Kirk, as Rockport Financial had been working on the same deal on behalf of JP Morgan, according to district financial records. Those records also show Rockport and JP Morgan had a business relationship dating to Dec. 9, 2002.
So while Kirk was serving Bethlehem taxpayers as Access Financial, Rockport Financial was hired as an "agent" by JP Morgan to protect the company's interests.
In a joint interview, Lewis and Majewski said they did not know about Kirk's ties to JP Morgan. However, a month into that first JP Morgan deal, minutes from the March 17, 2003, board meeting show Bear introduced the board to Kirk as "counterparty agent" for JP Morgan.
JP Morgan declined to comment. Kirk did not return calls for comment.
Lehigh University finance professor James A. Largay III said the swap's set up should have sounded alarms in the district.
"I think there is a biblical verse somewhere that says, 'You cannot serve two masters,'" Largay said.
That first swap Bear and Kirk structured was a bust for taxpayers. Since 2003, JP Morgan won most of the monthly interest-rate swing bets, costing Bethlehem taxpayers $6.3 million and allowing the bank to earn nearly twice the upfront cash it gave the district at the start of the swap.
That first swap deal worsened this year for taxpayers. Last month, JP Morgan collected an additional $12.3 million when the school board was forced in the bad market to end the swap and flip its variable-rate bond to a safe fixed-rate bond.
District records show that Rockport was an "agent" for JP Morgan on at least one other swap, which was conducted in 2005 and is still active.
While JP Morgan was collecting money on the swaps, so too were Bear's and Kirk's firms. Bear's firms (Arthurs LeStrange and Ferris Baker Watts) earned about $2.9 million and Access Financial about $1.9 million in swap fees, which were paid at the outset by JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley, district records show. Various law firms also earned money on the transactions.
But the school board did not know they were paying so much money. Bear and Majewski told the board that swaps did not cost taxpayers any "direct" money.
For example, at the June 12, 2006, Finance Committee meeting, Bear told the board that JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley would pay the district's brokerage and legal fees on three swap transactions.
"There is no direct cost to the school district," Bear said, meeting minutes show.
Nearly a year later, Majewski repeated that at a May 14, 2007, budget hearing. When School Director Judith Dexter asked about financial and legal fees, Majewski replied, "The school district has not paid any finance or bond counsel fees directly with any taxpayer dollars or check from Bethlehem Area School District."
Records show Bear and Majewski did not fully explain how the fees were structured. When they publicly discussed fees they only explained one side of the swap contracts. It is standard contractual practice for investment banks to pay a government agency's brokerage and legal swap fees when the deal is done.
The contracts state that the banks recoup the money over time by paying lower bond premiums to the district and adjusting the district's swap interest rates over the lives of the deals.
Taylor, formerly with the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, said governments cover the fees just as home buyers, not banks, do when they close on a house.
Taylor said he had one question for anyone who believed that banks wouldn't get their costs back: "What turnip truck did you fall off of?"
Records show Bear and Majewski knew that the district was on the hook for fees paid by the banks, which are listed in contracts as the "counterparty."
Majewski signed a Dec. 8, 2003, contract with Bear's firm Arthurs LeStrange that outlines how it will be paid. The Arthurs LeStrange contract states: "Our fee will be paid at closing on the swap agreements by the counterparty, and reimbursed by the school district to the counterparty over time in the form of increased payments by the school district. All payments to our firm are contingent on closing."
So taxpayers always paid when Bear and the district sealed deals that have now cost $57.6 million in interest, swap payments and fees, and counting.
Coming Monday: The district loses a chance to make money on two swaps.


text:
Toussaint L'Ouverture
Toussaint L'Ouverture (1745?-April 1803) was a former slave from Haiti. He served as a medical officer in the slave uprising of 1791. He became a general in 1793 when he established an army of his own. He became famous for guerrilla warfare. By 1801, he was dictator of the entire island. Although he declared that Haiti was merely a protectorate of France, he was the real ruler.
In 1802, Napoleon sent 30,000 troops, under command of his brother-in-law, to retake Haiti. However, yellow fever and malaria decimated his men. Combined with fierce guerrilla warfare waged by the Haitians, the French lost nearly 24,000 men. That year, Toussaint was captured by the French general by treachery. He died in France in 1803 of ill-treatment. His followers continued to fight, however, and finally the French were forced to surrender.


text:
As you enjoy the day today, please take a moment to remember those who gave their lives to keep us free and safe.
If you are able,
save them a place
inside of you
and save one backward glance
when you are leaving
for the places they can
no longer go.
Be not ashamed to say
you loved them,
though you may
or may not have always.
Take what they have left
and what they have taught you
with their dying
and keep it with your own.
And in that time
when men decide and feel safe
to call the war insane,
take one moment to embrace
those gentle heroes
you left behind.
Major Michael Davis O'Donnell
1 January 1970
Dak To, Vietnam
(Cross-posted at Al Salibiyyah and SnappedShot.com)


text:
Microsoft Tuesday began delivering an update to Windows Phone 8 smartphones that provides unspecified "performance enhancements" that some customers say include an OS fix for random reboots and Wi-Fi enhancements.
A spokeswoman said Tuesday that "Microsoft isn't going into detail into the specific enhancements at this time."
Microsoft is working with carriers and hardware partners to get the update tested, approved and rolled out, she added. "Some customers are starting to receive it now," she said.
Customers on online forums late yesterday reported the delivery of an update called Portico for the Windows Phone 8 HTC 8X that provides fixes for random rebooting problems and adds a Wi-Fi enhancement.
Users last month began reporting random reboots on both HTC 8X and Nokia Lumia 920 smartphones supplied by various carriers around the globe.
Microsoft acknowledged the problem announced on Nov. 27 that a fix for the unexpected reboots was in the works and would be released sometime in December.
The Portico over-the-air update appears to apply so far only to the HTC 8X international version of the smartphone, based on a report and video posted on Windows Phone Central.
HTC could not be reached for comment on the progress on the update for its phones. Microsoft also had not posted an explanation of the update on its update history Web site as of early Tuesday.
Three carriers in the U.S. -- Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile USA -- sell the HTC 8X or the lower cost HTC 8S for their networks. Forum users reported that they were not seeing an update delivered for carrier-specific phones, according to users on one user forum.
Very often, carriers want to independently review updates before releasing them to their customers.
None of the carriers responded to requests for comment on the update.
The Wi-Fi enhancement in the update allows a continuous wireless LAN connection that works even when the display is off, according to users and Windows Phone Central.
The video on Windows Phone Central showed the update on the international version of HTC 8X. It took eight minutes to download the over-the-air update to the Windows Phone 8 OS itself.
The following installation of the update took more than 10 minutes, an indication that the update is substantial.
The update took the OS build from 8.0.9905 to 8.0.10211.
Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld. Follow Matt on Twitter at @matthamblen, or subscribe to Matt's RSS feed . His e-mail address is firstname.lastname@example.com.
Read more about mobile/wireless in Computerworld's Mobile/Wireless Topic Center.


text:
4790 W. 16th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46222
(800) 822-4639 (317) 492-6700 Mon-Fri, 9a.m.-5p.m. ET
May 09, 2013 | By Marshall Pruett
It's not a Scandinavian flick. It's not Hooning. So what is it?
What's the name for the fairly common practice among IndyCar drivers of executing a power half-spin in a runoff area when they make a mistake and run too long into a braking zone?
The Spin-Flick. The Snap-Spin? The Roasty-Table-Top-180?
"Hmmn, I have no idea," said Panther Racing IndyCar driver JR Hildebrand. "That's a good question, and it needs a name, for sure."
I figured if Hildebrand, IndyCar's resident drifting expert (he'll compete in two Formula D rounds later this year driving for his friend Tyler McQuarrie) doesn't know what to call the maneuver, it's time to take it to the fans for input.
Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and maybe it will get picked up by drivers and commentators at the next street race, held one week after the Indy 500 on June 1-2 in Detroit.
And while we're at it, like drifting, this IndyCar Whatd'ya-Call-It move is worthy of being judged. Five drivers took trips into the runoff last weekend in this clip from the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and perform the yet-to-be-named turn, so which one do you think did the best job from start to finish?
Rahal Letterman Lanigan's James Jakes kicks things off and does a nice spin but doesn't power away after getting pointed in the right direction. Big loss of points on my scorecard.
Brazil's Ana Beatriz is impressive in how close she executes the move next to the barrier—risked bashing the right rear wheel of her Dale Coyne Racing car—but takes her time getting back to the action. Also a big loss of points.
Next up is four-time Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais, who is pretty smooth and fluid every step of the way and does a marvelous burnout in his Dragon Racing machine to leave the runoff. It's a contender for the Whatd'ya-Call-It win.
Three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti gets high marks for the start of his move, but the Target Chip Ganassi driver only turns the car about 130 degrees—not even a proper rotation—but does keep the car moving and pulls back onto the track. He might make the podium, but certainly not the top step.
The champion, at least during qualifying at Brazil, is Andretti Autosport's E.J. Viso. He brings the car to a stop, lets the revs rise, drops the (hand) clutch, spins the car and even gasses it up with a bit of opposite lock once he's on the course.
Which one do you like most and why? Share your rankings below.
Marshall Pruett is a contributor for IMS.com and also writes for SPEED.com, Racer and Road & Track.


text:
A quick tip to save on mouse travel:
Try clicking the anywhere on the row. That'll select it. You don't have to click the checkbox itself. That should save you the left-right trips.
What features do you wish Tweepi had to make your life easier? Tell us!
Enjoy the new Tweepi!