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IO Optimization
- 1 See also
- 2 IO Profiles
- 3 High IOPs
- 4 File System Cache
- 5 Bigdata Parameter Tuning
- 6 OS Specific Tuning
See also
- QueryOptimization (Understanding and optimizing query performance).
- PerformanceOptimization (Understanding and optimizing query performance).
IO Profiles
Bigdata has different IO profiles in the Journal and Scale-Out architectures. Briefly, range scans on indices on the Journal turn into random IOs. Key-range scans on the horizontally sharded cluster turn into sequential IOs because 99%+ of the data is in key-order on the disk in the scale-out architecture - this is a side effect of the dynamic sharding algorithm. In additional, writes on the Journal drive random IOs when pages are evicted to the disk. Writes in scale-out drive sequential IOs as blocks are are appended to the mutable journal and then periodically migrated onto the read-only, read-optimized index segments.
High IOPs
Bigdata depends on fast disk access. Low-latency, high IOPs disk is key to high performance. SSD offers a 10x performance boost for the the Journal in the embedded, standalone, and highly available replication cluster deployment modes when compared to SAS or SATA disks. In addition, SATA disks are unable to reorder writes. This can cause a marked decrease in write throughput as the size of the backing file grows over time. Since 1.3.x, we have introduced a cache compaction algorithm into the Journal that significantly reduces IOs associated with large write transactions. This makes SATA more viable, but the performance gap to SSD is still an order of magnitude for query. SAS disks can reorder read and write operations, but still have a large rotational latency and lower seek times when compared to SSD. For enterprise class deployments, you can use either PCIe flash disk or SSD in combination with the HAJournalServer (high availability). AWS now offers an SSD backed instance that is a good match for bigdata.
File System Cache
If you have a lot of RAM, consider giving bigdata a relatively small JVM heap (4G) and leaving the rest for the OS to cache the file system. The relatively small heap to avoid large GC pauses while the file system cache will speed up disk access.
Note: With Java 7, the G1 garbage collector may allow you to use a larger JVM heap without causing large GC pauses.
Bigdata Parameter Tuning
Write Retention Queue
The B+Tree buffers nodes and leaves on a hard reference queue known as the write retention queue. When a dirty node or leaf is evicted from the write retention queue with a reference count of zero, it is written onto the backing store. Since writes on the backing store drive IO, you can improve the write throughput substantially for heavy write workloads by increasing the capacity of the write retention queue. The default is 500, and uses less RAM. A good high throughput value is 8000, which is fine with larger heaps. This can be done for all indices, as illustrated below, or only for select indices as desired.
For applications where updates are made into a large store a smaller retention value will reduce heap pressure and reduce node reads. Somewhat paradoxically a lower retention can result in more nodes held in memory.
Branching Factors
Bigdata uses a configurable branching factor for each index. For the RWStore, if the configured branching factor causes the page to exceed an 8k boundary (after compression), then the page will be split across multiple backing pages. The out of the box configurations make some conservative assumptions which can limit throughput, but help to minimize the chance for such overflow pages.
The best way to tune the branching factors is to load a representative data sample into a Journal and then use the DumpJournal utility with the -pages option to generate a histogram of the page slot sizes for each of the indices:
com.bigdata.journal.DumpJournal -pages path-to-journal-file
You can also do this using the REST API:
This will provide you with a table containing lots of detail on the different indices. There is a tab-delimited table towards the bottom of the output. What you want to do is look at the histogram of the record sizes for each index. The last columns (newM and curM) will contain the current and recommended branching factors for each index (ignore any indices that are essentially empty since that skews the estimates). The recommended value for each index is in the newM field.
You do not want any indices to have a large number of page sizes that are over the 8k limit since this means that the page will be broken into multiple pages. You also do not want a lot of small pages. The dictionary indices (lex.TERM2ID, lex.ID2TERM, and lex.BLOBS) generally have a lower branching factor than the statement indices. If you raised them all to 1024 then that will cause the dictionary indices to have a large proportion of overflow pages. This can cause a non-linear slowdown in the write rate over time. In general, we recommend a branching factor around 300 for TERM2ID and 800 for ID2TERM since the latter compresses better, but you should verify this for your own data sets.
The default branching factor can be set using:
The branching factors can be overridden for the lexicon (aka dictionary) indices using:
# Bump up the branching factor for the lexicon indices on the default kb. com.bigdata.namespace.kb.lex.com.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactor=400
The branching factors can be overridden for the statement indices using:
# Bump up the branching factor for the statement indices on the default kb. com.bigdata.namespace.kb.spo.com.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactor=1024
You can override the branching factors for specific indices by giving the fully qualified name of the index in the override:
# Set the branching factor for "kb.lex.BLOBS" to the specified value. com.bigdata.namespace.kb.lex.BLOBS.com.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactor=256
Note: Bigdata supports multiple triple or quad stores in a single Journal or Scale-Out cluster instance. Each triple or quad store exists in its own namespace. The default namespace is "kb" - this is the value used in the examples above. If you are using a non-default namespace, then you need to replace the "kb" with your namespace.
Branching Example
An example is below. The name=kb.spo.SPO is the name of the index. The m=1024 is the current branching factor. The newM=317 is the recommended branching factor.
name=kb.spo.SPO Checkpoint{indexType=BTree,height=2,nnodes=115,nleaves=71673,nentries=50911902,..<snip/>} addrMetadata=0, name=kb.spo.SPO, indexType=BTree, indexUUID=87c3c523-96bb-4ead-808f-6146d7e3cde7, branchingFactor=1024, ...<snip/> } com.bigdata.btree.BTreePageStats{indexType=BTree,m=1024,...<snip/>...,newM=317}
In this example, to set the branching factor for the kb.spo.SPO index to the new recommended value of 317 create a new namespace with the property below.
You'll want to do this for each of the indices.
Getting the Branching Factors with Curl and Awk
If you have a running [NanoSparqlServer], you can use curl and awk to produce the values. Assuming it is running on localhost port 9999, there is an example below.
Generating the Properties
curl -d 'dumpPages' -d 'dumpJournal' 'http://localhost:9999/bigdata/status' | grep -E "^.*\.lex.*\t|^.*\.spo.*\t" | \ awk '{printf("com.bigdata.namespace.%s.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactors=%d;\n",$1,$33)}' > branch.properties
produces the example (the specific values will be different for each namespace or KB).
$ more branch.properties com.bigdata.namespace.kb.lex.BLOBS.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactors=400; com.bigdata.namespace.kb.lex.ID2TERM.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactors=19775; com.bigdata.namespace.kb.lex.TERM2ID.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactors=10510; com.bigdata.namespace.kb.lex.search.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactors=9691; com.bigdata.namespace.kb.spo.OSP.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactors=51; com.bigdata.namespace.kb.spo.POS.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactors=192; com.bigdata.namespace.kb.spo.SPO.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactors=198;
Generating the Java Code
curl -d 'dumpPages' -d 'dumpJournal' 'http://localhost:9999/bigdata/status' | grep -E "^.*\.lex.*\t|^.*\.spo.*\t" | \ awk '{printf("props.setProperty(\"com.bigdata.namespace.%s.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactors\",Integer.toString(%d));\n",$1,$33)}' > branch.java
produces the example (the specific values will be different for each namespace or KB).
$ more branch.java props.setProperty("com.bigdata.namespace.kb.lex.BLOBS.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactors",Integer.toString(400)); props.setProperty("com.bigdata.namespace.kb.lex.ID2TERM.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactors",Integer.toString(19775)); props.setProperty("com.bigdata.namespace.kb.lex.TERM2ID.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactors",Integer.toString(10510)); props.setProperty("com.bigdata.namespace.kb.lex.search.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactors",Integer.toString(9691)); props.setProperty("com.bigdata.namespace.kb.spo.OSP.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactors",Integer.toString(51)); props.setProperty("com.bigdata.namespace.kb.spo.POS.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactors",Integer.toString(192)); props.setProperty("com.bigdata.namespace.kb.spo.SPO.bigdata.btree.BTree.branchingFactors",Integer.toString(198));
Write Cache Buffers
Bigdata uses a pool of 1MB write cache buffers to defer the eviction of dirty records (mainly index pages) onto the disk. Starting with the 1.3.0 release, bigdata can also compact buffers and thereby defer their eviction to the disk. For large updates, this can lead to a very significant reduction in the write pressure on the disk. This feature is very important if you have slow disks, remote disks, or disks that can not reorder the writes in order to reduce the seek latency (SATA disks can not do this). Write cache compaction is somewhat less important for SSD, but it can still significantly reduce the number of writes to the disk when you have large updates and a large number of write cache buffers.
To understand why this works, you need to understand a little bit about how the RWStore works. When a dirty index page is evicted from the write retention queue (see above), it is written onto an allocation slot on the RWStore. That write is then buffered on a write cache buffer, which is a 1MB block of native memory. As dirty index pages are evicted, the write cache buffers continue to fill up. Eventually, the list of clean write cache buffers will be reduced below the clean list threshold. At that point, the oldest dirty write cache buffer will be evicted to the disk. However, it is write common in long running transactions that index pages may become dirty more than once and evicted to the write cache. When this happens, the space for the old version of the record from the same update is immediately marked as "free space" on the corresponding write cache block. For a large update, this can happen many times thereby creating a large number of "holes" in the write cache buffers. When a dirty write cache buffer is evicted, the write cache service checks the amount of free space in the "holes" in that buffer. If there is more than a threshold of free space available (20%), the buffer is compacted and put back into the dirty pool. When the update commits, compaction is disabled and all dirty write caches are flushed to the disk.
# Set the number of 1MB write cache buffers (RWStore only). com.bigdata.journal.AbstractJournal.writeCacheBufferCount=2000
Since the write cache buffers are allocated on the native heap (using the Java NIO package, so this is 100% Java), you may need to increase the amount of native heap available to the JVM:
# Sample JVM options showing allocation of a 4GB managed object heap # and allowing a 3GB native heap. Always use the -server mode JVM for # bigdata. -server -Xmx4G -XX:MaxDirectMemorySize=3000m
As of 1.3.0, the write cache does NOT double as a read cache (there is some experimental code which implements this feature, but it is disabled by default). This means that data read from the disk is not installed into the write cache. Thus, you should size the write cache solely for your write workload. If you are bulk loading a large amount of data, then a larger number of write cache buffers is appropriate.
OS Specific Tuning
Linux (runs out of TCP ports)
A linux kernel can run out of free ports due to the TCP wait/reuse policy. This issue shows up as a NoRouteToHostException: {{{ java.net.NoRouteToHostException: Cannot assign requested address at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.socketConnect(Native Method) at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.doConnect(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:339) at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.connectToAddress(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:200) at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.connect(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:182) at java.net.SocksSocketImpl.connect(SocksSocketImpl.java:392) at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:579) at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:528) at sun.net.NetworkClient.doConnect(NetworkClient.java:180) at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.openServer(HttpClient.java:378) at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.openServer(HttpClient.java:473) at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.<init>(HttpClient.java:203) at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.New(HttpClient.java:290) at sun.net.www.http.HttpClient.New(HttpClient.java:306) at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.getNewHttpClient(HttpURLConnection.java:995) at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.plainConnect(HttpURLConnection.java:931) at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.connect(HttpURLConnection.java:849) at benchmark.testdriver.NetQuery.exec(NetQuery.java:79) at benchmark.testdriver.SPARQLConnection.executeQuery(SPARQLConnection.java:109) at benchmark.testdriver.ClientThread.run(ClientThread.java:74) java.net.NoRouteToHostException: Cannot assign requested address at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.socketConnect(Native Method) at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.doConnect(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:339) at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.connectToAddress(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:200) at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.connect(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:182) }}}
The fix is to setup an appropriate TCP WAIT/Reuse policy as follows. This allows reusing sockets in TIME_WAIT state for new connections when it is safe from protocol viewpoint. Default value is 0 (disabled). Setting this allows benchmarks and heavily loaded servers to run without the exception traces above. See http://www.speedguide.net/articles/linux-tweaking-121 for the source for this fix/workaround {{{ echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_tw_reuse }}}


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A muscle car might be defined as simply a high-performance two-door car made in the U.S., but to its fans it's much more than that. The muscle car is the basis for an entire subset of car fans, and movies such as "Bullitt" that have featured them prominently have helped create a lasting high-speed subculture.
Karl Brauer, editor-in-chief of the online car review aggregator Total Car Score, is a self-described muscle car fanatic who characterizes these vehicles as his "primary passion." He provided CNBC.com with his list of 10 classic American muscle cars and some eye-popping estimates of their current market value.
"Vintage car collectors consider these must-have muscle cars, which is undoubtedly driving up the prices," Brauer said. He said that prices are likely to keep climbing, so if there's any time to buy a muscle car, it's now.
"The 1969-1970 Boss 429 Mustang, for instance, has skyrocketed in value over the past two years," he said. "If you're looking to buy you should act sooner rather than later. These vehicles will all likely cost more six to 12 months from now.
Read ahead to see the list of 10 classic American muscle cars.
By Daniel Bukszpan
Posted 11 April 2013

subset: commoncrawl


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The Trump administration promised that the corporate tax cuts would deliver a surge in domestic investment and big pay raises for American workers, but a new analysis suggests that the economic upside from the reduction in tax rates will likely be far more limited.
The reason, according to the economists Gabriel Zucman of the University of California at Berkeley and Thomas Torslov and Ludvig Wier of the University of Copenhagen, is that much of what appears to be investment overseas by U.S. multinationals is really just tax avoidance as profits are parked in tax havens like Bermuda and Ireland – and the new U.S. tax rates won't do much to reverse that behavior.
The Trump administration's theory: Kevin Hassett, who leads President Trump's Council of Economic Advisors, says that high tax rates in the U.S. pressured corporations to invest overseas in the last few decades, building offices and factories in countries with lower tax rates. Lowering the top corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent would make the U.S. more attractive financially, and companies will respond by investing here, enhancing the total physical capital stock and eventually driving wages higher.
Hassett told Marketplace last November that, "right now companies are moving, at a really high rate of velocity, they're moving their activities offshore to tax havens. About 11 percent of the workers in Ireland are employed by U.S. multinationals who are moving all the profits there and increasing the demand for labor there but not here. And so if they locate the plants here, then that will increase the demand for workers and that will increase their wages."
But sometimes a tax haven is just a tax haven: The new analysis of the flow of multinational profits in 2015 finds that there is no strong relation between tax rates and productive investments. Most of the profits parked in tax haves just sit there, at least on paper: "Machines don't move to low-tax places; paper profits do," the economists write.
Tax havens will remain a far more attractive place to park profits, despite the new, lower corporate tax rate in the U.S., the economists say – a 21 percent tax rate in the U.S. is still much higher than the 0 percent in Bermuda. And contrary to the conventional wisdom on competition between countries, a flow of profits into tax havens does nothing to build up the capital stock in those locales. "Instead of increasing capital stocks in low-tax countries, boosting wages along the way, profit shifting merely reduces the taxes paid by multinationals, which mostly benefits their shareholders."
The winners in the tax game are highly mobile, with few tangible assets: More broadly, "the textbook model of tax competition doesn't capture the behavior of today's largest multinational companies well," the economists write. "These firms don't seem to move much tangible capital to low-tax places—they don't even have much tangible capital to start with. Instead, they avoid taxes by shifting accounting profits." They offer Google's parent company as an example, noting that it made $19.2 billion in revenue in Bermuda in 2016, despite barely employing any workers or owning any tangible assets there.
What's ahead: The tax bill took some steps to reduce profit shifting, but Zucman said that it will take several years before we know how effective they are. "It's a very complex piece of legislation, and I think it's just very hard to guess what's going to happen," he told The Wall Street Journal. The CBO estimated that the new rules would capture about $65 billion of the estimated $300 billion in profit-shifting that occurs each year. But if the economists are correct, don't expect to see a huge surge in domestic investment and wages. "This idea that if you cut taxes, you'll attract a lot of physical capital, a lot of investment to the United States, I don't think is supported by the evidence," Zucman told The New York Times. "Paper profits — that doesn't boost wages for workers. What boosts wages is actual factories."


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A special event took place at the Jewish Childrens Museum on June 10, providing a firsthand glimpse into the different law enforcement forces. The free day out, attended by over 4000 people, also showcased many hands on exhibitions allowing children and adults to interact with members of some of the countrys most elite security agencies.
Children enjoyed climbing aboard a real coast guard boat, learning how agents take fingerprints at crime scenes, and even got to pose with the presidential limousine. Grown-ups were fascinated by talks on real life criminal cases including the failed Times Square bombing and the events that led up to the capture of the perpetuators.
Organizer, Devorah Habersham of the Jewish Childrens Museum, feels that this was an important day for children of all walks of life and that kids are able to walk away from this event knowing that there are people out there who are willing to help them,. She lost her son to terrorism after the van he and other rabbinical students were traveling in, was shot at whilst passing over the Brooklyn Bridge 18 years ago. The Jewish Childrens Museum is dedicated to his memory.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge, Janice K. Fedarcyk, was on hand to greet attendees and answer questions. We are so pleased to be able to arrange this event for the community, and build bridges between the people who live in our cities and local law enforcement.
Rabbi Y. Lustig of Oholai Torah brought his excited class of boys to the event, most museums are covered in signs asking children not to touch, the Jewish Childrens Museum encourages children to learn and explore on their own, the lessons that they learn here today will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
NYPD 71st Precinct Captain John Lewis and members of the local precinct were also in attendance, and the crowds were delighted by a quick visit from Commissioner of the New York City Police Department, Raymond Kelley.
This really was a fabulous day out, thank you to all involved said Jennifer Brandley who came to the event from nearby Park Slope with her two children.
Photos: Chana Blumes
Slide Show: Rivkah Borenstein


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Cosmetics stores in town Tanuan, Philippines2 objects
Philippines, Leyte, Tanuan
Philippines, Leyte, Tanuan
Are you looking to buy makeup from a renowned brand? Have you been looking for a cosmetics store in in Tanuan (Leyte), Philippines that offers a wide range of brands? Are you interested in the latest cosmetics lines? Then you should check out our database of the addresses, phone numbers, and business hours of a multitude of cosmetics shops from around the world.
The catalog contains information about the locations of retailers of beauty products with detailed descriptions and characteristics. The list of stores includes major retailers of dermatological remedies and decorative cosmetics, boutiques offering products by a single brand, and larger stores with a comprehensive range of skin, body, and hair care products.
We make it easy to choose the right store. The search filter allows you to drill down stores based on geographic location, brand, prices, and other criteria.
Our service lets you find the right store in a matter of minutes.


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KINGSTON, Jamaica – Most flights to and from Jamaica operated on schedule Sunday despite a sick-out staged by air traffic controllers, with the island's civil aviation agency calling in teams of supervisors to man control towers.
A union representing 90 per cent of Jamaica's air traffic controllers, who first abandoned their posts Saturday, said the protest was over a wage dispute, a lack of confidence in "the current state of essential equipment" and other problems with management of the civil aviation authority. The union staged a strike over similar issues two years ago.
On Sunday afternoon, Jamaica's supreme court issued an injunction at the request of the government ordering controllers back to work, but there was no immediate reaction from the Jamaica Air Traffic Controllers Association on whether it would comply.
Earlier in the day, the union said its action "will likely impact operations at the international airports as well as in the airspace for which Jamaica provides air traffic services" in coming days.
But most flights were taking off as scheduled at Norman Manley International Airport in the capital of Kingston, although passengers waiting for Fly Jamaica's pre-dawn trip to New York said their flight was delayed until midafternoon. The Kingston airport closed at about 10 p.m. EDT on Saturday night and reopened at 8:23 a.m. EDT on Sunday due to the sickout.
"We're not being told much, just that this disagreement with the controllers meant the airport couldn't be open when this flight was supposed to take off at 5 a.m.," said Pamela Hodges, who was waiting at the airport to see a friend off on the flight.
Aviation authority spokeswoman Nicole Robinson said safety was not being threatened at the island's two international airports, in Kingston and the northern tourist town of Montego Bay. She said managers and other supervisors had been able to fill in for the absent controllers.
Martha Pantin, a spokeswoman for American Airlines, a major Caribbean carrier, said its flights to Jamaica were operating on schedule.
Some Jamaica flights were being re-routed, including one flight through Haiti, but aviation authorities did not immediately provide specifics.


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By Guillermo Arduino
MEXICO CITY (CNN) — Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera died when the small plane she was traveling in with at least five others crashed in the mountains of northern Mexico, her brother told CNN.
Authorities notified the family there were no survivors, Gustavo Rivera said late Sunday. He planned to fly to Mexico early Monday to identify his sister's remains.
There were conflicting reports about the number of people aboard the plane, which took off early Sunday from Monterrey, Mexico, and lost contact with air traffic controllers a short time later.
Rivera said there were six people aboard: his sister, her publicist, her lawyer, a family friend and two pilots. The Civil Aviation Authority of Mexico said there were up to seven people on the plane, though it did not identify those believed to be on board.
The news from Rivera's brother confirmed what authorities would only publicly say they suspected earlier in the day.
"The aircraft was destroyed, totally fragmented," Alejandro Argudin, director general of civil aviation, told CNN affiliate Televisa. At the time, he said he believed no one survived the crash.
Rivera was known to fans as "La Diva de la Banda," or The Diva of Banda Music, establishing herself initially as a regional Mexican musical powerhouse with her banda and corridos, or traditional ballad, performances.
In recent years, Rivera had been working to crack the U.S. market and was reportedly on the verge of a crossover with an English-language show inspired by the success of "I Love Jenni," a Spanish-language reality TV show airing on Telemundo's mun2.
"We lost an awesome woman, mother, sister, friend and artist," said her business partner and manager Pete Salgado.
Rivera was beloved by fans as much for her music as her over-the-top lifestyle that was chronicled in "I Love Jenni" on Telemundo.
Born in Long Beach, California, to Mexican immigrant parents, Rivera, 43, released her debut album in 1999, according to her website.
She followed that up with two more albums, including the 2003 album "Farewell to Selena" — a tribute to slain Tejano star Selena Gomez — that increased her popularity.
Her father, Pedro, and two of her brothers also are well-known performers in Mexico and portions of the Southwestern United States.
Rivera sold 15 million records, according to Billboard. She recently won two Billboard music awards, including favorite Mexican music female artist. She also was nominated for Latin Grammy Awards in 2002, 2008 and 2011.
In October, People en Espanol named Rivera to its list of the 25 most powerful women.
Famous for her music, she is also known for her tumultuous personal life. The singer was a single mom at the age of 15 and is the mother of five, her website said.
In 2009, she made headlines when she was detained at the Mexico City airport with tens of thousands of dollars in cash.
A year later, she made headlines again with the marriage to former baseball pitcher Esteban Loaiza, who played for the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. In October, she announced she was filing for divorce after less than two years of marriage. It was her third marriage.
"I Love Jenni," which began airing on Telemundo's mun2 network last year, featured her life on the road, balancing the duties of motherhood and stardom as she toured across Mexico and the United States.
She also served as a judge on the popular TV show, "The Voice, Mexico," which was scheduled to air Sunday night. In its place, Televisa said it would air a special report about the singer.
A fellow judge on the show took to Twitter after news of Rivera's disappearance.
"My heart is devastated," wrote Beto Cuevas. "All my prayers are with you, Jenni, and your family."
Rivera had a concert in Monterrey on Saturday night before boarding the Learjet early Sunday.
In those final hours after the concert, Rivera opened up to reporters about her divorce and the inner strength she found thanks to her family.
"I'm so happy. So many strong things have happened in my life. I can't get up in the negative, which destroys you," she said.
"I have brothers. I have children. I have nephews. And they keep me from focusing on the negative."
Her plane took off from Monterrey at 3:15 a.m., according to a statement from the Transportation Ministry. Air traffic controllers lost contact with it about 60 miles into the flight, it said.
Two helicopters assisting in the search for the plane, which had as its destination the airport in Toluca, near Mexico City, spotted the wreckage in Mexico's Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range, the ministry said.
The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, and the ministry has opened an investigation.
Fans and celebrities took to social media to mourn the singer and television star who was known as much for her music as she was sometimes for her over-the-top antics.
"Spent some time with Jenni Rivera recently. What an amazing lady … Cool, smart, funny & talented. Such a travesty … God Bless her family," actor Mario Lopez tweeted.
Mexican singing sensation Paulina Rubio was inconsolable on Twitter.
"My friend! Why? There is no consolation. God, please help me!" she tweeted.
CNNMexico.com, CNN's Leslie Tripp and Chelsea J. Carter contributed to this report.
Click here to read more on this story …


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Curious item out of Hollywood—Valve is licensing its intellectual property to a science-fiction film, but it has nothing to do with Portal, Half-Life or any other title familiar to the publisher. Instead, its Source engine is being used to help animate Deep, a movie about mankind's struggle to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. At the bottom of the ocean. After World War III.
Because Deep has a budget only of about $19 million, it needs some tools that allow real-time rendering, and editing, simplified character animation and economical lighting, writes Variety. Enter Valve, who has had a working relationship with Brown Bag Films, the studio working with animated feature director Shane Acker on Deep. Valve's Source engine povides the solutions the filmmaker needs, and so off they've gone together.
Still no word on a Half-Life movie, though. Or Half-Life 3.
Acker, Brown Bag team with Valve on 'Deep': '9' helmer enlists vidgame technology for toonpic [Variety via Chicago Tribune]


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First Look: Victor Albisu's Del Campo in Washington DC
Note: First Looks give previews of new dishes, drinks, and menus we're curious about. Since they are arranged photo shoots and interviews with restaurants, we do not make critical evaluations or recommendations.
While still waiting for the long gestating Taco Bamba, chef Victor Albisu (formerly of BLT Steak) has opened up his South American inspired temple to all things grilled, Del Campo, in PS7's former space. With Del Campo, Albisu went back to his Peruvian heritage to create a menu where almost everything has touched the grill (including the cocktails). Even the bread is served with smoked olive oil.
The menu is split up into appetizers, crudos and ceviches, house specialties, and, the main event, asado. The smoky flavors are even incorporated into dishes like a charred beet salad or yellow tail topped with grilled corn. "I char everything that makes sense to char," says Albisu. "I grill meat, but I don't char it. I prefer to char vegetables. It gives them an interesting flavor and texture." said Albisu, who is careful to make the distinction between burnt and burned.
The real highlight though, is the asado board. Pick from roughly a dozen different cuts of meat and they are wood-grilled and herb-smoked to order. After grilling, the meats are immediately smoked with dry herbs to quickly infuse them with extra flavors. From short ribs to funky veal sweatbreads, the asado menu is a great window into a wide range of South American grilling.
Move over to the cocktail list and you'll find a handful of grilled libations. The Limonada Sucia ($10) is made with Tito's vodka, grilled lemon juice, applewood smoked simple syrup, and lavender bitters. The grilled lemon juice imparts the characteristic smokiness, transforming the flavor of the drink to something more like mezcal than vodka. The smoked simple syrup even smells like bacon. There are also a couple of bottled cocktails (check out the bottled Fernet and Coke).
The former PS7's space has been transformed to convey a sense of rustic South America and Albisu has made efforts to make the Del Campo experience as unintimidating as he can (the inclusion of a massive and messy Chivito sandwich helps). A highlight of the dining room is a kitchen-facing bar designed to draw diners into the experience (prix fixe asado menus will be available there soon). No matter where you sit though, it'll always smell like grilled, smoky meat and, if you've already made the choice to dine at Del Campo, you probably won't complain about that.
Click over to the slideshow for a sample of some of the grilled and charred dishes at Del Campo.
Del Campo 777 I St. NW, Washington, DC 20001 (map) 202-289-7377; delcampodc.com
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


text:
Buck gets a day of rest after cramping on Friday
NEW YORK -- Manager Terry Collins put catcher Anthony Recker in the starting lineup against the Phillies on Saturday, giving John Buck a rest after he cramped up during Friday night's game.
During his at-bat in the eighth inning, Buck felt a cramp after a swing-and-miss. Collins and a trainer went out to check on Buck, who stayed in. Buck said after the game that he felt fine, and that he would try to convince Collins to put him in Saturday's lineup, but knew that likely wouldn't happen.
He was right.
"I'm a little leery sometimes, when the cramping starts. I make sure they have 24 hours, get some fluids in," Collins said. "That's why I decided to catch Recker. I'll catch John again tomorrow."
Buck did feel the cramping slightly when he tried to block a ball behind the plate in the top of the ninth inning but said that the pain was "slight."
After struggling for such a long stretch after beginning the season with a torrid April, Buck started to heat up during the Mets' final road trip before the All-Star break. He's hit in his last seven games, going 11-for-30 over that stretch. He's also driven in nine runs over that span.
Collins said that Buck is letting pitches get a little deeper in the strike zone, which allows him to keep his head on the ball and drive it to all fields.
Buck said that much of his recent success comes down to just laying off bad pitches.
"I'm having good at-bats, swinging at good pitches," he said. "I think the main thing is, I'm hitting pitches that are hittable rather than trying to do too much with something that isn't a hittable pitch."


text:
From Fedora Project Wiki
Input Methods
$HOME/.xinputrchas been moved to
$HOME/.imsettings.loghas been moved to
- The default engine for Simplified Chinese has been changed to ibus-libpinyin (see Features/ibus-libpinyin for more details).
- On the GNOME Desktop, im-chooser is now deprecated except in fallback mode, and with non-ibus input methods, since GNOME 3.6 supports ibus as the default input method system. Users should now use gnome-control-center to setup their input methods:
- click on the user menu at the upper right corner of the panel.
- select System Settings from the menu
- click on the Region & Language icon
- open the Input Sources tab
- click on + icon to add input sources
- choose one or more input source you want to add
- If you can't find an input source in the list you are looking for, try running the following command in a terminal and restart the desktop:
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.input-sources show-all-sources true
- There may be no shortcut key to turn on/off the input method by default. you can enable it with the following steps:
- click the shortcut settings link in the Input Sources tab on System Settings or click the Keyboard icon at the top and the Shortcuts tab, the Typing section at the left pane.
- click on the Switch to next source, press [Control] + [space].
- If no input source is configured by default for your native language, you can add it using the above steps as a workaround. Here is a table of input sources corresponding to the input method engines:
|Input source name
|Input method engine
|Chinese (Chewing)
|Chinese (Intelligent Pinyin)
|Japanese (Anthy)
|Korean (Korean)
|* (inscript (m17n))
|* (itrans (m17n))
|* (phonetic (m17n))
- ibus-libpinyin provides a new input frontend for Simplified Chinese providing an intelligent pinyin input method that speeds up the user input of Chinese characters. It can replace ibus-pinyin which is also still available in Fedora.
- ibus-typing-booster is a predictive input method for the ibus platform. It predicts complete words based on partial input. One can then simply select the desired word from a list of suggestions and improve one's typing speed and spelling. ibus-typing-booster currently supports the following Asian and European languages:
- Assamese, Bengali, Farsi, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Maithili, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu
- English, Danish, French
- If you want to use non-ibus input method such as fcitx and uim etc, remove ibus package from the system first and restart the desktop. im-chooser will gets back to work on even GNOME.
- fonts-tweak-tool now supports the language ordering to decide what language has precedence to display the text, and the font properties to change the sub-pixel rendering and hinting configuration per fonts.
- The Paktype fonts have been updated with enhancements for better coverage.
- New fonts lohit-tamil-classical-fonts for Tamil and kalapi-fonts for Gujarati have been added.
- madan-fonts for Nepali, navilu-fonts and gubbi-fonts for Kannada now support the minimum required characters as per fontconfig file for their respective languages.
$HOME/.fonts.confis deprecated. Users are encouraged to move it to
$HOME/.fonts.conf.dis deprecated. Users are encouraged to move it to
- All the disabled fontconfig config files in
/etc/fonts/conf.availhave been moved to
/usr/share/fontconfig/conf.avail. If you have any local symbolic-links from the old location, please update them.


text:
To the attention of:
Julia Nicol
Director, Public Relations and Publications, Curtin University
Tel: +618 9266 7711
Email: [email protected]
Mr Pip Lapelms
PR Manager, Curtin University, WA Australia.
Tel: +61 08 9266 1930
Email: [email protected]
I would like to refer to your recent media release on Curtin University's Honorary Doctorate of Letters award to Rosmah Mansor, dated 13 February 2012, found here: http://news.curtin.edu.au/media-releases/curtin-award-recognises-wife-of-malaysian-prime-minister/
I am an alumni of Curtin University, having completed a bachelors and masters between the years of 2003 and 2009, and a proud alumni at that. I am also a Malaysian citizen, and I am also an Australian tax payer for the past 9 years. Hence, Curtin University's decision to award Rosmah Mansor with a Honorary Doctorate greatly interests and intrigues me from both an Australian and Malaysian perspective.
To start with, I would like to humbly point out that Rosmah Mansor is NOT the first lady of Malaysia. The official First Lady of Malaysia is the Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri Agong (Roughly translated as Her Majesty The Queen) Haminah Hamidun. In Malaysia, the Queen takes precedence next after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (the King) over all other persons in Malaysia.
Rosmah Mansor does not hold office in the government, and she's simply the Prime Minister's wife. She is as part of the Malaysian public as I am. The Malaysian public will greatly appreciate if you could remove "First Lady of Malaysia" title from your media release, and issue another addressing the change.
As you might have noticed, there is currently a barrage of posts and comments on the official Facebook page of Curtin University (to which the admins of that page have now resorted to deletion of posts) with regards to whether Rosmah Mansor is the rightful receipient of your distinguished Honorary Doctorate. This note's purpose is to provide a represented front for those comments, and we would greatly appreciate if you could provide a direct reply to this note, or issue a media release explaining Curtin's decision to award Rosmah Mansor.
You cited Curtin's reason to award her as her dedication to education and the advancement of women. You also mentioned how she is the driving force behind the Permata project, and explicitly said:
As a result of her involvement, there are more than 600 Permata centres in Malaysia, and the program now extends to centres for talented and gifted children with special academic and musical abilities, and to children with special acumen in spiritual matters.
Permata is a government funded agency. Permata receives funding from the government i.e. the Malaysian tax payers money. As such, it is our right (as Malaysians) to demand such services. With or without Rosmah, Permata is our right, not Rosmah's philanthropy. It's a whole different story if Rosmah used her own money – that's philanthropy.
This would be the equivalent of Julia Gillard's partner using Australian tax payer's money to set up day cares all over Australia and receives an award from a foreign university for his philanthropical work.
Malaysians are partly incised at Permata because it has been abusing tax payers money. There's rife corruption, over-funding, safety and responsibility issues. Please read here for more details: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/12/12/permata-centre-wasnt-safe-for-my-child/
Curtin's decision to award Rosmah has got Malaysians questioning.
- How was Rosmah's contribution and dedication to education evaluated? Was there an objective task panel set up to review this?
- How was Rosmah's contribution to advancement of women evaluated?
- How much of an involvement in early education centre does one entitle to an honorary doctorate?
- How do the current Curtin PhD scholars feel about all this?
I certainly believe that Curtin University must have carried out extensive research and surveys to recognise Rosmah's contribution, Curtin being known as an excellent research institution. Will Curtin University care to share the full findings to the Malaysian public, so that we can better appreciate Rosmah Mansor?
It is also worth noting that Malaysian students make up the second largest number at Curtin University, and Perth is home to one of Malaysia's biggest diaspora in the world. Curtin's decision to award Rosmah is one of the most talked about subject on the Twitterverse, blogosphere and other social medias.
We would greatly appreciate if you can get back to us on this matter. Thank you.
Concerned Curtin Alumni


text:
Dunn's homer lifts White Sox over Orioles
Adam Dunn hit a one-out home run in the bottom of the ninth inning off Tommy Hunter to give the Chicago White Sox a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.
Chicago starter Jose Quintana had a career-high 11 strikeouts and reliever Addison Reed (4-1) got the victory.
Quintana went a seventh straight game without a decision, allowing two hits over seven innings. He retired the last 13 Orioles he faced.
Alex Rios broke up a scoreless tie in the sixth inning with an RBI single and Adam followed with an RBI single off Zach Britton (2-3).
Baltimore scored twice in the eighth off reliever Nate Jones, one on an RBI infield grounder by pinch-hitter Matt Wieters and the other on Nick Markakis' sacrifice fly.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
Adam Dunn thought pitcher Jose Quintana deserved better than another no-decision in a defeat, so he did with his bat what he had failed to do with his glove.
Dunn made up for a critical eighth-inning error by hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Chicago White Sox a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.
Dunn connected with one out against Tommy Hunter (3-2). The previous inning, Dunn misplayed a grounder by Matt Wieters, paving the way for the tying run to score and depriving Quintana of his first victory since May 21.
"The way Q pitched and how that inning went down, it was good any way we could to get a win," Dunn said.
Quintana struck out a career-high 11 in seven innings. He allowed two hits and retired his last 13 batters.
Reliever Addison Reed (2-0) wound up with the win.
Dunn's home run was his 23rd this year. He has batted .272 in June and July after a .156 average in April and May.
"I think that it's probably a little bit of everything," he said about his turnaround. "The things we've been working on since spring training just kind of paying off now."
"Like I said from Day One, I've felt pretty good all year. Just wasn't getting any results. Now it seems like I'm swinging at a little better pitches and putting some good wood on it," he said.
Dunn also singled in a run to help Chicago take a 2-0 lead in the sixth.
"He's dangerous any time he goes up there. But again, just the quality of the at-bats is great to see," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said.
Quintana was locked in from the start.
"The beginning of the game I felt I had really good control and I felt I'm really going to be able to do some things," he said a translator. "That's s what led to me striking out so many batters."
Quintana seemed as if he would get the elusive victory after the sixth. Alex Rios broke up a scoreless tie with an RBI single and Dunn followed with an RBI single off Orioles starter Zach Britton.
Baltimore scored twice in the eighth off reliever Nate Jones, one on Dunn's error and the other on Nick Markakis' sacrifice fly.
Quintana said the no-decision didn't bother him. His previous strikeout high was eight, set against Texas on July 5, 2012.
"Those are things you can't control," he said. "The most important thing to me is that the team wins. The best thing that I can do for the team is give the team a quality start, give the team the opportunity to win and give a quality outing."
Britton struck out three, walked one and gave up six hits over seven innings in his longest stint of the season.
"Both guys pitched real well," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "There was only going to be a small margin of error. We were fortunate to push over a couple there out of their bullpen."
"Quintana was tough. I mean, that was solid. I can see why they're so high on him. He's been pitching well for them. They've got a lot of good young pitchers but Zach matched him for the most part," he said.
Dunn decided the game by connecting on a curveball.
"It's a pitch you don't want to throw to him," Hunter said. "I would like to bury it. There were a couple righties coming up right after him."
NOTES: Ventura said RHP Jake Peavy, on the disabled list since June 6, will throw Friday. Ventura said he doesn't expect Peavy to return from his broken rib until after the All-Star break. ... Baltimore signed South Korean LHP Jung-Hyun Yoon. He is slated to report to the Orioles' spring training complex in Sarasota to be evaluated for assignment within their system. ... The sixth inning has become a nemesis for Britton, who had given up a .643 batting average in sixth innings coming into the contest and then allowed two more runs. ... The starting time for the White Sox-Orioles game on Sept. 7 game in Baltimore has been moved to 1:05 p.m. from 7:05 p.m. Baltimore RHP Miguel Gonzalez (6-3, 3.77) starts Friday night at New York against Ivan Nova (2-2, 4.63) of the Yankees. The White Sox play at Tampa Bay Friday night, with Dylan Axelrod (3-4, 4.57) facing Jeremy Hellickson (7-3, 4.90).


text:
Winsted selectmen prepare for town manager's performance review
WINSTED >> Town manager Dale Martin's first performance review was in public and came after a trying six months.
Winsted has faced more crises since then, and the Selectmen have scheduled a special meeting to review Martin's performance again.
The Selectmen set a date for 5 p.m. on Jan. 16 for the performance review, having signed off on their questions at the Jan. 7 Board of Selectmen meeting. The review will be in executive session by default, although Martin reserves the right to open the review to the public.
Martin had opened up the previous performance evaluation, which took place on Nov. 7, 2011, and admitted that he had not accomplished many of his goals. However, during his first six months on the job, Martin had to deal with prolonged power and service outages in the wake of the late October winter storm that pummeled New England.
"I think these were lofty goals," said then-Selectman Karen Beadle, "considering the earthquake and hurricane."
Candy Perez, who was the mayor at the time -- the review came one day before municipal elections -- praised Martin for his handling of the disasters, especially his work at the emergency shelter at the senior center.
"More importantly," Perez added, "as I watched you with the shelter residents, helping one get a cup of coffee, that was a dimension we haven't seen."
While Winsted faced another bout with severe weather in late 2012, Martin's challenges were more local in nature. The town is currently almost out of cash on hand, and the most recent budget process went through four referendums. The 2011-12 audit has not been completed either due to accounting issues, and since Martin's six-month review, Winsted had to appropriate $1.3 million from an already flat budget to the town's school system in order to comply with state mandates.
Reach Jason Siedzik at (860) 489-3121, ext. 321 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RCjsiedzik. Follow us online at www.registercitizen.com or on twitter.com/registercitizen.


text: Mladen #1 Posted April 8, 2013 First, with appologies to all TV fans who hadn`t read the books, I have to advise you to skip this topic in order not to reveal some spoilers.Now, this scene, was in my opinion, very well executed. It reminded us what Margaery wants and what she`ll get. But then Joffrey put that crossbow into her hands and started conversation:Joffrey: Could you kill something?Margaery: I don`t know, Your Grace. Do you think I could?Joffrey: YesMargaery: Would you like to watch me?Joffrey: YesIn my opinion, this scene wonderfully forshadows one event Purple wedding and Tyrell`s involvement in itSo, what do you think? Has this scene, beside Margaery`s political smartness, showed us something more? Has the writers hinted us future events I was talking about? And was this scene meant for book readers for full understanding? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text: 931: Two Different Kinds of Time to be Managed "Minutes" in your workday and the "Time of Opportunity" - The right or opportune moment in time to make that cold call, ask for the business, help with that menu, or provide suggestions is the time of opportunity/possibility. Click player below to listen DSR Live: 931 TO DOWNLOAD this show to listen to it anytime, anywhere, RIGHT CLICK & SELECT "SAVE TARGET AS" The right or opportune moment in time to make that cold call, ask for the business, help with that menu, or provide suggestions is the time of opportunity/possibility. Recently while riding with a DSR all day, I continually heard him express that he could've or should've done this or that. He'd say, "I could've been doing another three grand a week if I would have called on that customer when they first opened two years ago, but now they're so loyal to my competitor I'm only the backup supplier." "I could've had the new china order in my largest customer if I would have known they were replacing it all." "I could've been his primary supplier if I would have helped him plan a new menu a few years back when he was asking for the help, but I couldn't get my specialist out the day he was working on it." "I would be making a lot more money than I'm making now if some of those deals would've come through." I think this DSR thought I would be impressed that he had all this opportunity, but the only thing I was hearing was his admission that his timing on these and other opportunities was out of sync with the customers' timing. I finally asked him about each one of those opportunities and why he thought they didn't happen. He said he always runs out of time because his schedule is so tight, and because he's such a time management type of person, his day gets all out of whack if he does not manage his time down to the minute. So basically, managing the minutes in his day this way, took away from the spontaneity of taking advantage of that moment in time to take action. The more we talked, the more I thought about two different kinds of time. Time on the clock and on a calendar - the time in which to plan your daily routine to keep things organized. Time of possibility - moments in our day, week, year or our lifetime when all things come together at a crossroads that provide the ripe opportunity to make us better or bitter... the perfect moment for action. It demands your poise and intuition and responsiveness. My good friend Amy describes the Time of Possibility or the perfect moment for action this way. She asks you to think about the times you have been at a club with friends and you met a person who you talked to all night, but never took a leap of faith and asked them out for a date...it was now or never! If you want to break away from the herd and be more successful growing your business, you must not only be good at managing the time on the clock, but also be good at recognizing the "moment in time" that requires you to take action and fly with it. When it all comes together, you'll beat your goals, have your orders in on time, and be home on time to take the kids to practice. DSRs, Be a Resource... and Sell Something!


text:
Bobby Abreu, designated for assignment by the Dodgers after the trade deadline, agreed today to join the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes. He probably doesn't mind all that much, because he'll still make the $9 million the Angels guaranteed him back in 2009. Maybe he'd feel embarrassed being released for the second time in a season. Those same Angels dumped him back in April, and they've gone on to lead the AL in team OPS+. The guy who took Abreu's roster spot, Mike Trout, had a bit of a hand in that. So Abreu will do his thing in Albuquerque and wait for a call-up.
What's funny about Abreu is that, even at his vastly diminished 38, he has one superlative skill. He had a .359 on-base percentage in 209 plate appearances with the Dodgers. If he had enough at-bats to qualify for the leaderboard, he'd be 16th in the NL. Last year he had a .353 on-base, the year before that .352, the year before that .390. Sure, everything else—the speed, the power, the arm—has vanished. But he could still be a fine leadoff hitter for a quirky team.
I tried poking around to see if the gap between Abreu's minor-league games is one of history's biggest. Abreu should play tomorrow night against the Reno Aces, and that will be his first minor-league game since August 1997. 15 years is quite a long time. Since the Elias Sports Bureau doesn't keep minors stats, we can't tell exactly how that gap compares to others in baseball history. But we know it's not the longest. Remember Jason Kendall's ill-fated comeback attempt last month? Kendall went 17 years between minor-league games. He beats Abreu. And Julio Franco, that one-man chronological-oddity factory, went a little longer than both of them. Franco played 120 games for the Oklahoma City 89ers in 1982. Then he came back to the minors for the single-A Rome Braves in 2007. That's 25 years. Mike Trout's lifespan, and then some. Our hunch is that he's got the record.


text:
ABS is likely to be just air-bubbles, unless the module is on its last toes. Brakes for e46 are great, all the parts super cheap and of course always worth throwing on some new lines whilst you're at it)
Oil leak is likely the $2 oil filter housing gasket, or just the valve cover gaskets (buy an OEM one to get a silicone/synthetic oil compatible one, so you don't have to do it every 10,000).
The colour of yours reminded me of the video some tool made about why not to buy one. Back when I got mum her e46 I watched it, and remember thinking, 'Is that all that goes wrong, I can deal with all that nice and easy, better find one as good as that!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04gTnckMaeo (for laughs)


text:
Handball: it's not just a sport to watch on CNBC at 7:45 a.m. in early August every four years. Apparently there are leagues and teams, and those teams play important games, on which people bet money. Not very much, though, as Stefan Fatsis explains, on this week's excerpt from Slate's Hang Up and Listen podcast. When 40 times the usual amount of action flowed in on an end-of-season game between Montpellier (a juggernaut) and Cesson (a straggler) in the French league, and Montpellier lost, authorities suspected something was up. Some things were up. The bank-account balance of Nikola Karabatic's girlfriend, for one. Listen up and learn more.
You can listen to the full podcast here or subscribe on iTunes.


text:
|Winnebago County Sheriff's OfficeNews Media Release
|News Release Number 2011-023
|Information: Suspicious Activity Involving Asphalt/Paving Contractors
|Date: August 4, 2011
|Time: 3:00 PM
|Page 1 of 2
Narrative: The Winnebago County Sheriff's Office has received several calls from area residents with concerns about a possible "scam," involving paving and/or asphalt services. Business representatives from some unscrupulous companies have gone door-to-door stating they have extra asphalt from a job in the area and are willing to do asphalt work at a discounted price. However, the workmanship is not what is expected and the final cost is usually higher than what was quoted. Homeowners are warned to do their homework before hiring a company to ensure they are reputable and legitimate. Itinerant asphalt/paving dealers can always be active in an area, especially during the spring and summer months.
- Be aware of paving companies that approach your home, stating that they are "in the area" and have extra asphalt or concrete to repair your driveway for a minimal cost—many times the company will quote a low price for their work and upon completion overcharge the customer;
- Be aware of a company that does not provide a completed contract prior to the work being performed—many jobs are poorly done or incomplete where numerous customers have later found the thickness of the application to be less than quoted or what is needed to last;
- Some companies or representatives have actually intimidated or threatened those clients who tell them they are filing a complaint or are not happy with their service. If you feel you are being harassed or threatened in any way by such a questionable group, you are strongly urged to contact your local law enforcement agency as soon as possible to report it.
Homeowners are urged to research all options thoroughly and not be pressured into signing a contract or agreement before all terms and conditions are completely understood. To find a reputable company, we suggest:
- Contact the local Better Business Bureau for a reliability report on any company you are considering doing business with;
- Ask for local references and verify that the contractor is in compliance, current and up-to-date with all local licensing, bonding and insuring requirements—if you do not take this step, you are at a 100% risk with the transaction;
- Ask for identification and note the license plate number on the contractor's vehicle;
|Winnebago County Sheriff's OfficeNews Media Release
|News Release Number 2011-023
|Date: August 4, 2011
|Time: 3:00 PM
|Page 2 of 2
- Solicit two or three different bids for the work you are planning, but don't automatically accept the lowest;
- Make sure all bids are based on the same materials;
- Be sure to read all agreements and guarantees before signing;
- Do not be pressured into signing an agreement before you understand all terms and conditions;
- Never sign a contract with sections left blank;
- When you choose a contractor, do not pay for the work in advance—pay by check when the work is completed to your satisfaction.
Most of these businesses where these complaints have originated from operate out of the states of Louisiana and Georgia, and there have been similar complaints in neighboring counties. We have received information that these firms may be contacting most anyone, from rural homeowners, farmers, small businesses, and urban homeowners. Residents with questions can call the Sheriff's Office Community Policing Unit at 815-319-6500. To report an incident or request a deputy to respond to something that is a non-emergency, you can call the Sheriff's Office 24 hour non-emergency number: 815-282-2600.


text:
At this point in the legislative session, our legislators are determining what the government's priorities are as they develop their budget proposals. At risk of being overlooked in this process is the population most in need of extra support: those experiencing homelessness.
The shame is that we know how to end homelessness. There are proven programs—both short-term assistance and long-term support—that address the needs of those experiencing homeless with great success. Importantly, these programs are cost-effective, and actually lower the cost to taxpayers.
On the one hand, those who are housed are more productive at work and lead healthier lives. On the other hand, housing them reduces the enormous cost generated by emergency room visits, stays at detox centers, and dependency on homeless shelters. Yet homelessness in Hennepin County is the highest it has been in a decade, primarily through lack of funding and community support.
Isn't it time we prioritized the most vulnerable among us? Isn't it time that we as a nation fulfilled our promises of opportunity and prosperity? At the very least, isn't it time that we, in the wealthiest nation in the world, met the basic needs of our people? Isn't it time we had homes for all?
We must ask our legislators to keep housing and homelessness a priority, especially as they develop their proposals for the state budget. With the right funding and the strategic distribution of resources, we can end homelessness in Minnesota and prevent it from occurring in the future.
Meg Gaertner
Emergency shelter case manager,
Our Saviour's Housing


text:
FWC establishes license-free fishing weekends, expanding bay scallop season
Florida is the fishing capital of the world, bringing more than $5.4 billion to our economy. Today at the Cabinet meeting in Panama City with the support of Governor Rick Scott and the Cabinet, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced an exciting resource for anglers.
FWC announced two weekends in June when a saltwater fishing license will not be required statewide. The license free weekend of June 4 and 5 is the first weekend red snapper season opens in the Gulf, and the second weekend of June 18 and 19 is Father's Day weekend.
FWC also announced that it will expand bay scallop season to open a week early on June 25 and extend the season by two weeks to end on September 25. Small Gulf Coast communities from Steinhatchee to St. Marks to St. Joe Bay will have three extra weeks for visitors and residents to explore and enjoy this low cost, fun family activity.
In addition, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Florida State Parks will offer half off admission on both Mother's Day, Sunday, May 8, and Father's Day, Sunday, June 19.
There are 160 parks throughout the state and 74 unique saltwater fishing facilities, including piers, boardwalks and jetties. Shore fishing at St. George Island, Big Lagoon and St. Joseph Peninsula state parks yields redfish, trout and whiting. Boat ramps at St. Joseph Peninsula and St. Andrew state parks allow fisherman to head out for a day of fishing in the Gulf of Mexico to catch red snapper, grouper and amberjack, to name a few. For more information, visit www.FloridaStateParks.org.
"Florida's beaches and waters are beautiful, pristine and ready for visitors to enjoy, whether you are here for business or a family vacation," stated Governor Scott. "I encourage Floridians and visitors to our state to make plans now to enjoy Florida fishing and seafood during the upcoming free-fishing weekends in June. Whether you catch it yourself or get it from a market or restaurant, our seafood is the best in the nation."
For more information, visit myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater .


text:
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text: Previous Bari luys 12.13.18 Next Bari Luys 12.11.18 Bari Luys 2018 Bari luys 12.12.18 December 13, 201870 views1 min read Add comment Watch LaterRemove Cinema Mode Facebook Twitter Email Google+ LinkedIN LIVE Bari Luys 2018 Stepan Partamian Talk-show host and a social critic Stepan Partamian welcomes Armenians and challenges viewers every weekday in his show "Pari Luys". Stepan is renowned for helping shape public discourse in Los Angeles, Armenia, and beyond, through his politically incorrect commentaries and analyses of current affairs. His show "Pari Luys at midnight" is on air Monday through Friday from 11PM to midnight. View all posts You may also like Video Bari Luys 2018 Bari luys 12.13.18 186 views1 min read Video Bari Luys 2018 Bari Luys 12.11.18 82 views1 min read Video Bari Luys 2018 Bari Luys 12.10.18 26 views1 min read Add comment Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Name * Email * Website Stepan Partamian


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A gunman, who spent 17 years in prison for murder, ambushed and killed two volunteer firefighters and wounded two others on Monday near Rochester, New York, as they responded to a house fire he deliberately set, police said.
William Spengler, 62, shot and killed himself after a gunfight with a police officer in Webster, a Rochester suburb, Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering said.
"It was a trap set by Mr. Spengler, who laid in wait and shot first responders," Pickering told a news conference.
Separately, a police officer in Wisconsin and another in Texas were shot and killed on Monday, according to police and media reports.
The attacks on first responders came 10 days after one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history that left 20 students and six adults dead at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, and intensified the debate about gun control in the United States.
Spengler was convicted of manslaughter in 1981 for beating his 92-year-old grandmother to death with a hammer, according to New York State Department of Corrections records. After prison he spent eight years on parole.
"We don't have an easy reason" for the attack on the firefighters, Pickering said, "but just looking at the history ... obviously this was an individual with a lot of problems."
Spengler opened fire around 5:45 a.m. after two of the firefighters arrived at the house in a fire truck and two others responded in their own cars, Pickering said.
Pickering appeared to wipe tears from his eyes at an earlier news conference when he identified the dead firefighters as Lieutenant Michael Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka. Chiapperini was also a police lieutenant.
The injured firefighters, one of whom was in critical condition, were identified as Joseph Hofsetter and Theodore Scardino. Off-duty Police Officer John Ritter was hit by gunfire as he drove past the scene.
Pickering said police had found several types of weapons, including a rifle used to shoot the firefighters. As a convicted felon it was illegal for Spengler to own guns.
Police had not had any contact with Spengler in the "recent past," Pickering said.
Four houses were destroyed by the fire and four were damaged, Pickering said.
Police Officer Jennifer Sebena, 30, was found dead on Monday in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, suburb of Wauwatosa, police said.
Sebena was on patrol between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. and wearing body armor when she was shot several times, police said. She was found by another officer after she did not respond to calls from the police dispatcher.
In Houston, Texas, an officer with the Bellaire Police Department died after a shootout at around 9 a.m. and a bystander was also killed, according to local media reports.
A spokesperson for the Houston Police Department was not immediately available for comment. A police officer answering the telephone confirmed media reports but declined further comment. A suspect was in the hospital, according to reports.
Before Monday's killings, the Washington-based National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund reported that 125 federal, state and local officers had died in the line of duty this year.
Forty-seven deaths were firearms-related, 50 were from traffic-related incidents, and 28 were from other causes, it said.
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Cron debuts as Freese injury leads to roster shakeup
ANAHEIM -- The Angels couldn't wait on David Freese's finger to heal without utilizing his roster spot, so they placed the veteran third baseman on the 15-day disabled list prior to Saturday's game against the Rangers.
And then they shook up the roster.
Up is power-hitting prospect C.J. Cron, who made his Major League debut at first base and in the No. 5 spot of the lineup -- with Albert Pujols getting moved to designated hitter roughly 90 minutes before game time.
Cron hit an RBI single in the first inning on the first big league pitch he saw, then added a double and a go-ahead RBI single to help lead the Angels to the 5-3 win.
Joining Cron on the roster was third baseman Luis Jimenez, who hit .260 in 34 games with the Angels last year.
Sent down to Triple-A was outfielder J.B. Shuck, the scrappy left-handed hitter who was batting .173 in his first 19 games.
"I feel we do need more right-handed infield depth with David out," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said before the game, "and we definitely feel that J.B. can benefit from going down there and just figuring some things out."
The Angels cleared a spot on the 40-man roster for Cron by outrighting reliever Yoslan Herrera off the 40-man, three days after optioning him to Triple-A. They then opened spots for Cron and Jimenez on the 25-man roster by sending Shuck down and placing Freese on the DL.
Freese suffered a small, non-displaced fracture in his right middle finger after getting hit by a fastball from Rangers starter Colby Lewis on Friday, but said Saturday that he's "pretty confident" he can be ready at or around the time he's eligible to be activated (May 18).
In the meantime, the right-handed-hitting Jimenez and the left-handed-hitting Ian Stewart figure to platoon at third base, with Jimenez batting eighth against left-hander Matt Harrison on Saturday. Grant Green batted ninth while making his Major League debut in left field, a position he figures to get most of his playing time at moving forward.
Cron, ranked No. 3 in the Angels' system by MLB.com, gives the Angels a right-handed-hitting option at DH and can also play first base if Pujols needs a day off his feet. The left-handed-hitting Raul Ibanez -- with a .149/.221/.299 slash line in his first 26 games -- will be an option at DH and left field.
In short, the lineup -- a lineup that's also without corner outfielders Josh Hamilton and Kole Calhoun -- will change frequently.
"C.J. had a terrific spring for us," Scioscia said of Cron pregame Saturday. "I think he's really found a comfort level the last couple years he's played, had a great [Arizona] Fall League, and spring-boarded it to a terrific Spring Training. He's off to a great start [in Triple-A], and hopefully he's going to give us a little boost right now, because, especially with David being out, we have a right-handed void."
Cron posted a 1.167 OPS in the Arizona Fall League, batted .292 in 12 Spring Training games, and had a .319/.369/.602 slash line in his first 28 games for Salt Lake in the Pacific Coast League.
After Friday night's game in Utah, the 24-year-old got called into the office and saw manager Keith Johnson and director of player development Bobby Scales standing stoically. Scales told Cron that his times to first base were a little slow and that he needed to work on it, to which Cron replied with "Yes, sir." Then they started cracking up, and Johnson broke the news.
"It was really cool," Cron said before his debut. "I didn't really know what to expect, honestly. It was really early in the season. But I was pleasantly surprised."


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Every single issue Americans care about comes before our federal courts. Each day, federal judges make decisions about everything from the air we breathe and the water we drink, to our safety and wages at work, to our reproductive rights and who we can marry. And the federal courts are a vital part of our system of checks and balances, defending Americans' rights from overzealous legislatures and executives.
The Coalition for Constitutional Values (CCV) is a coalition of organizations and advocates working together to ensure that our federal courts work to the benefit of all Americans in keeping with the core constitutional values of liberty, equality and justice for all. To achieve this goal, CCV supports an appointment and confirmation process that identifies and provides timely yes-or-no confirmation votes for well-qualified nominees for federal judgeships that are dedicated to fairness and impartiality.
This site is intended to be a resource for information about judicial nominations and the confirmation process, which too often fails to serve our nation due to delays and partisan obstruction that prevents yes-or-no confirmation votes on well-qualified nominees, leading to an epidemic of vacancies in the federal courts system. The site also provides resources for citizens who wish to become more involved in improving our federal judiciary.
Source: Alliance for Justice


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Stay 3 Nights at Preferred Residences Properties & Save 15% Off the Best Available Rate
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OTTAWA - A federal TV ad campaign last year promoting new job grants was pitched to young males, even though the grants are available to both men and women.
The controversial ads, touting the Canada Job Grant program from the 2013 federal budget, were broadcast during the NHL playoffs last May and June.
Numerous critics panned the prime-time spots for advertising a federal-provincial program that no province had then signed on to, and therefore did not technically exist.
The industry watchdog, Advertising Standards Canada, received complaints and ruled in August the ads were "misleading," and the government promised not to repeat them.
An internal report on the spots also reveals that the content of the ads was deliberately pitched to men, rather than women, who were watching the hockey playoffs.
The report notes the playoffs were good placement for the spots because viewership was about 60 per cent male.
"The creative was ... strongly oriented towards men and skilled trades and therefore perhaps not grabbing the attention of most Canadians," says the document from Employment and Social Development Canada, obtained under the Access to Information Act by The Canadian Press.
A spokesman for the department, headed by Employment Minister Jason Kenney, declined to respond when asked why the government pitched a skilled-jobs campaign to men when the program was equally open to women.
Eric Morrissette also declined to say how much the May 13-June 30, 2013, campaign cost, though the internal documents indicate the bill was about $1 million for the NHL playoffs.
"The campaign's primary audience was adults (ages) 18-30, secondary audience was adults 30-45, both skewed to males," says one summary.
The NHL ad campaign turned out to be a flop. Polls commissioned by the department in the aftermath show that relatively few people who were surveyed remembered seeing the TV ads.
A poll of 2,000 people by NRG Research Group in June and July found only 15 per cent remembered the ads without any prompting. Just 12 per cent of the ads' "target audience" of 18-to-34-year-olds recalled them.
Of those who did recall seeing the ads, only four per cent took action as a result, such as going to a website or calling a government toll-free number. For the target audience, the number was higher at seven per cent.
The TV ads noted in fine print that the jobs program was still "subject to parliamentary approval," a reference to the fact no enabling legislation had yet been passed. Six people in the NRG Research Group survey said they saw the fine print.
The poll, which cost the department almost $43,000, is mandatory for all advertising campaigns costing $1 million or more.
The internal department analysis blamed the poor poll results on numerous factors, including competition with other government ad campaigns, fewer Canadian teams in Round 2 of the playoffs, and reduced TV viewership in early summer.
NRG Research also polled equal numbers of men and women, and the analysis suggested that because "the NHL media-buy targeted adult males" the survey was not reflective of the intended audience.
The ads were also similar to other Economic Action Plan spots, which might have turned off viewers.
"The creative was similar to other EAP advertising, and focus group findings pointed to the possibility of brand saturation," says one document.
Separate surveys on the Finance Department's own Economic Action Plan ads have shown them getting much less traction since first being aired in 2009.
Critics have panned action-plan advertising as thinly disguised propaganda for the Conservative party, but government officials say they have a responsibility to communicate programs and priorities to Canadians.
The Canada Job Grant was intended to provide up to 130,000 workers will $15,000 each to upgrade skills or to retrain, with the provinces, Ottawa and businesses each picking up a third of the bill.
But many provinces initially balked, and more than a year passed before Kenney signed agreements in principle. Formal deals have since been signed with about half of the provinces and territories "and the remaining are expected shortly," said Morrissette.
Follow @DeanBeeby on Twitter


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Poor Elijah's Almanack: Educator's Digest: Volume 37
America's mega-merchandisers have unveiled their updated version of Black Friday, soon to be renamed since it now begins on Thursday. Consistent with their customary generosity of spirit, retail's titans allowed most of their employees sufficient time to bolt a turkey sandwich before recalling them to their cash registers. There they were beset by millions of sheep-like consumers who voluntarily quit their Thanksgiving hearths, homes, and beds to spend money they didn't have on things they didn't need. Never before in the annals of human history have so many people cut short one holiday to buy things for the next.
In a world so upside down, there's only one place to go for reassurance – public education. Public education is so routinely bizarre that it makes Christmas shopping seem relatively normal.
While education experts undoubtedly share credit with society at large for the declining quality of public school programs and graduates, we can't overlook their creativity in devising clever acronyms, the pronounceable initials of education marvels that have long plagued our schools in the name of saving them. From NCLB for No Child Left Behind, often pronounced "nickel bee," to the New England Common Assessment Program, or NECAP, rendered "knee cap," experts have excelled at creating memorable names for forgettable initiatives.
Some tortured acronyms pretend to mean something. Consider the TIME Collaborative, where TIME stands for "Time for Innovation Matters in Education," a cutesy sequence of initials selected despite the fact that the words themselves in that order fail to convey a coherent, useful idea.
TIME advocates' "expanded learning time models" promise to "boost student achievement" by offering "broader educational opportunities." Participating schools "agree to add 300 hours of instruction and enrichment" to their standard school days. In most schools that averages an hour and a half of "extra time" per day.
While regular people might expect that means an extra ninety minutes of math or reading, TIME programs are weighted toward "enrichment based subjects." These "activities" feature "personalized learning technologies," which translates into English as "playing on computers," as well as "fitness and healthy living," which means recess and snacks, and academic heavyweights like "scrapbooking."
Naturally, advocates prefer that students "get to choose which classes they want to take." Proponents croon that this adds "voice and choice," which not only promises unspecified "good things," but also rhymes.
According to proponents, all this "more and better learning time" will "improve student achievement and close the opportunity gap in America." Of course, eliminating the chronic misbehavior that plagues American classrooms and the social services interruptions that already truncate the academic day would doubtless do more to improve achievement and also make school more pleasant for most children.
Unfortunately, there's no acronym for that.
In a related development, a "new study" has discovered that students who attend school regularly tend to do better academically than students who are chronically absent. That's right. The more you're in school, the better your grades tend to be.
Tactics to improve student attendance include "mentoring," an advisory and wake-up service formerly provided by parents. A call home to absentees can "show students school leaders were paying attention," as in, "Hello. We know you're not here today, and you know there's nothing we can do about it." Free gift cards to "places like Starbucks" can serve as "incentives for improved attendance." Yes, in addition to providing a free public education, taxpayers will now be footing the bill for overpriced, burnt lattes.
Finally, in a demonstration that he knows as much about public speaking as he does about education, Arne Duncan, our former Australian professional basketball player turned Secretary of Education recently blamed opposition to the increasingly beleaguered Common Core on "white, suburban moms" who "all of a sudden" discover "their child isn't as brilliant as they thought they were."
You have to wonder if he thinks black, Hispanic, and Asian suburban moms feel differently from their white neighbors, or if he meant to blame those moms, too. It's also worth noting that if he'd made the same statement about black, urban moms, he would've instantly been branded a racist.
I don't think what he said makes him a racist. In fairness to Mr. Duncan, he has issued a statement that he regrets his "clumsy phrasing." There's more, though, to what he said than rhetorical clumsiness. First, he was speaking before a gathering of the Council of Chief State School Officers, one of the Common Core's original sponsors, which means he'd presumably given some thought to what he was going to say. Second, he's made similar statements before, though not as scorchingly badly as this time.
The most troubling aspect of his remark is his persistent blindness to the Common Core's real flaws – its often age-inappropriate standards, its curricular biases dictated by the small cadre of non-teacher experts who wrote it, its bloated, inaccurate assessment regimen, its roots in corporate agendas and the public funds it's funneling to corporate coffers, and its unabashed assault on local school control.
In short, having foisted this elaborate national blueprint for schools on parents and taxpayers, without their participation or consent, he's faced with the fact that the more those parents and taxpayers find out about the Common Core, the more we don't like it.
We shouldn't.
Peter Berger teaches English in Weathersfield, Vermont. Poor Elijah would be pleased to answer letters addressed to him in care of the editor.


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Citizens who favor Waitsfield voting again on the issue of new town offices are collecting signatures on a petition that will be presented to the Waitsfield Select Board at its April 8 meeting.
The petition was discussed at a standing-room-only meeting of the select board this week with people crowding into the overcrowded public meeting space to speak their piece about whether new town offices are needed and if so where.
The petition asks voters to "call upon the Waitsfield Select Board to provide town voters with an opportunity to choose between two viable locations for new Waitsfield town offices in historic Waitsfield and to take immediate, good faith steps to apply for $750,000 in Community Block Grant Disaster Relief Recovery to fund the relocation of the Waitsfield town offices."
At a select board meeting on March 25, John Reilly, who explained the actions of the citizens putting forth the petition, said that it was driven by two reasons. First, a desire to give voters the choice of which of two sites in the village was best for new town offices and, second, to get something started soon enough that the town can apply for disaster relief funding while funds are still available.
At Town Meeting in March, voters rejected a bond vote to spend up to $1.6 million to build new town offices on the Farm Stand parcel on Route 100 in the village in front of the Flemer Field. The town office task force had assessed and ultimately did not choose to recommend to the select board that the former Methodist Church be renovated for new town offices. The task force, and later the select board's reasoning, was the significant cost difference with the Methodist Church expected to cost $2.4 million.
Before Reilly could get far in explaining the petitioners' plans to have a special ballot where voters would get to choose either the Methodist Church or the Farm Stand parcel, he was peppered with questions from those present and the select board.
"I've talked to a lot of carpenters and contractors who said they can't understand how we could bulid a building that size for $1.6 million," said board chair Paul Hartshorn.
Bill Moore, town resident and also a contractor, said that any builder the town used would have to be bonded and said that such a contractor would be accepting a fixed price bid which is riskier. He asked Hartshorn if the people he'd discussed the price with had been bondable.
"No, but they're damned good builders," Hartshorn said.
Select board member Chris Pierson asked Reilly about whether the task force has done extensive polling of the public, as it was tasked with doing.
Reilly explained the outreach efforts of the task force over two and a half years and added, "You can't pay people to come" [to meetings].
Task force member Brian Shupe noted that the task force relied on previous town planning surveys, the Town Plan, as well as voters' actions at Town Meeting in 2011 and 2012 to guide its work.
Hartshorn responded that the Town Plan is only a guide and that it was adopted by the select board versus the voters.
"I'd say you got a pretty good survey from the Town Meeting vote. Now what are you going to do?" Reynells asked.
Reilly explained that the new petition will present reduced cost proposals for both the Methodist Church and the Farm Stand parcel, asking voters to first cast a yes or no vote on whether there should be new town offices in the village for $1.3 million (or less if the town receives the $750,000 grant) and, second, whether the town should (1) purchase the Methodist Church and renovate it for a fee not to exceed $2.1 million or (2) should purchase the Farm Stand parcel and build there for an estimated cost of $1.3 million.
Reilly explained that the fact that the Town Meeting vote did not give voters a choice needed to be addressed and by his rationale one-third of Town Meeting voters favored the Farm Stand parcel, one-third favored the Methodist Church and one-third favored neither and/or thought the proposals were too expensive.
Working with architect Bill Maclay (who is now volunteering his time) Reilly and others reduced the square footage of the Methodist Church and Farm Stand parcel proposals and came back with about $300,000 in savings on both projects.
Pierson questioned Reilly's estimated stats and Hartshorn said the cost of the original proposal was the problem. Pierson also offered information about the cost of a fireproof vault versus a concrete vault. He said he had researched the matter and found that a 10-by-20-foot fireproof vault could be constructed for about $42,000 and a 10-by-40-foot vault for $70,000 to $80,000. Cost estimates for vaults in the proposals for the Methodist Church and Farm Stand parcel allocated $100,000 for a vault.
Town clerk Jennifer Peterson asked Pierson whether the fire vaults were humidity controlled and he said they were.
The meeting devolved into a shouting match with those present shouting over the board at each other and board members responding individually at times and Reilly answering questions being tossed his way.
When order resumed select board member Parker queried town administrator Valerie Capels about how the grant application process could work. He wanted to know if an application for the grant (which Waitsfield stands a good chance of receiving) could be submitted prior to a vote and Capels said that it could be permitted as soon as there were definite plans for a vote. Reilly said that his group of petitioners would have their petition to the select board for action on April 8. By state statute, upon receipt of the citizen petition, the board must hold a vote within 30 days as soon as it can be properly warned.


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Janice from Evans, GA writes:
I purchased the Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 thru my company's home purchase program. You need Windows 7 or higher to run this program. So, I go to Best Buy to get it, and it's not in stock. Windows 8 has warning that if you are running Windows Vista (I am) then you will have to load 8 and reload all your programs. Are you ready for the question? What should I do? Order 7 from Amazon and load it(what warnings will come with that) or should I go ahead and buy 8 and hope I have backup for all of my programs. I have a Toshiba laptop purchased around 2005 and I do not even know if it will support Windows 8.
In your situation, I'd probably suggest staying with Windows 7. You should be able to purchase the Windows 7 Upgrade since you have Vista. The program you purchase online via Amazon will be the same version you would have purchased at Best Buy. You could also purchase Windows 7 at Bestbuy.com or directly from Microsoft at microsoftstore.com.
To learn how to find out if your laptop is compatible with Windows 8, check out this article on Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant.
Hope this helps,
~ Cynthia


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Celebrate the release of the greatest African synth-pioneer of all time, with parties in 10 cities around the world! Featuring special DJ-sets from everyone like Peaking Lights, Lovefingers and Secret Circuit in Los Angeles to Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley and Gang Gang Dance's Lizzi Bougatsos in New York, to Pilooski and Sofrito in Paris and the Japanese experimental artists Oorutaichi and the iconic Daedelus in Tokyo (whaaat?!).
They're free, they're fun and if you're in town – then you should go! Be a good sport and visit www.williamonyeabor.com for full lineup and to rsvp. What else you got going on – right?


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Coelo double pedestal dressing table from the new painted range by TCH. The Coelo bedroom collection is comprehensive and designed to suit every size of bedroom.
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