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The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead Season 3 Spoilers Roundup: Prepare to Freak Out Over "Mind Blowing" Midseason Finale
Don't plan any important meetings on Monday, December 3. Your brain may not be fully recovered from the craziness of The Walking Dead Season 3, Episode 8, "Made to Suffer."
As TWD Showrunner Glen Mazarra tweeted, "Spoke to some critics today who saw Sunday's midseason finale. They all said basically the same thing: 'Holy sh*t. I'm still freaking out.'"
Mazzara also retweeted this question from a fan: "@Vani_Arg: @glenmazzara One word to describe how Sunday's mid-season finale is gonna be like." The producer answered with a link to an illustration of a brain exploding over the words "Mind Blowing."
Are you prepared to have your mind blown — for about two months solid, since this Sunday's December 2 ep is the last new trip to Woodbury/Prison land until February? Need some busywork in the meantime? Here are a few Walking Dead spoilers to check out before Sunday's episode, plus some promo and sneak peek videos posted below:
• Major Walking Dead Season 3 Spoilers: What Happens on TWD Season 3, Episode 8 "Made to Suffer"
• The Walking Dead Season 3 Spoilers: When Will Rick and The Governor Face Off?
• The Walking Dead Season 3 Spoilers: Don't Worry, Andrea Will Change!
• Walking Dead Season 3 Spoilers: Who Will Die Next?
• The Walking Dead Season 3 Spoilers: Who Is Tyreese, the New Character Arriving on the Midseason Finale?
• Walking Dead Season 3 Spoilers on "Made to Suffer": Daryl in the Pit! The Governor's Eye Patch! And Shane?
• Walking Dead Season 3 Midseason Finale Promo: Andrea Pulls Gun On... (VIDEO)
• Walking Dead Season 3 Spoilers on Episode 8: Will Daryl and Merle Dixon Die Next?
• Walking Dead Season 3 Spoilers: Will The Governor Die? Will Andrea Learn the Truth?
• Michonne Meets The Governor's Daughter, Penny! The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 8, "Made to Suffer" Sneak Peek
• AMC to Air The Walking Dead Season 3 Marathon Before the Midseason Finale
• Norman Reedus: The Walking Dead Season 3 "Gets Crazy" With More Drama "Inside the Walls" Than Outside
• The Walking Dead Season 3 Spoilers: Milton Will Struggle With The Governor and Woodbury
• Who Is Your Favorite Character on The Walking Dead Season 3: Daryl, Rick, Michonne, or ...? (POLL)
• The Walking Dead Spoilers: Will Baby Judith Die? Show's Writers Want to Kill Her, But...
• The Walking Dead: [SPOILERS] From Season 1 Is Finally Coming Back, in the Second Half of Season 3!
• When Will The Walking Dead Season 3 Return After the Midseason Finale?
• Norman Reedus and Andrew Lincoln Listen to This Song Before Shooting Violent Scenes on The Walking Dead Season 3
Source: @glenmazzara
Catch up on all kinds of Walking Dead recaps, spoilers, news, videos and polls at Wetpaint.com/the-walking-dead.
Fall in Like with us! For the latest from Wetpaint Entertainment, Like us on our Facebook page at Facebook.com/Wetpaint, or follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/WetpaintTV.
Gina Carbone is a contributing writer at Wetpaint Entertainment. Follow her on Twitter @ginacarbone.


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with all this trt and ped shit who are some of the mma fighters do you think are "clean"? not taking steroids or trt.
my list:
bj penn
benson henderson
urijah faber
nick and nate diaz
gil melendez
frankie edgar
stun gun
fedor (just had to put that in there because i think it's true)
and that's all i can really think of top of my head

subset: commoncrawl


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iPhone 4 international speed tests
You know the drill -- iPhone 4 just went on sale in 17 additional countries so hit up your favorite speed test (I used the speedtest.net app) and let us know how the new HSUPA (high speed upload) radio is treating you.
(And if you're in the US and have just gotten yours fixed, let us know how that's working as well).
Have something to say about this story? Leave a comment! Need help with something else? Ask in our forums!
Reader comments
iPhone 4 international speed tests
4.2mbit down, 3.2mbit up. Turkcell, istanbul, Turkeyhttp://www.iphoneturkey.biz/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/iphoneturkeybiziphone4inceleme03.png
Am at work, in the southern suburbs of Chicago, IL. Not the best, but no dropped calls or dropped data. Am inside a building, right next to a glass window. http://yfrog.com/9eekclj
@ Cristo that speed is still more than adequate for 99% of the things you use your iPhone for .
guys i'm only getting like 200kb Upload near DC...
You can find 100% uncensored Iphone sex apps at Http://RottenJonny.com and http://Ihustleapps.com ...Check us out !!
going from iPhone 3G to iPhone 4 on Optus I not only got much higher upload but also much higher download, from about 2Mbps to 4Mbps (down) which it might have to do with the new band, unfortunately don't have the upload stats with me atm and I can't get 3G in my house
I live in Memphis also and at first I was going to say there must be something seriously wrong with your reading because I have consistenly gotten 2.2-2.6 Mbps down since I've had my iPhone 4, sometimes even crossing the 3 Mbps mark, but it seems tonight for some reason I can't get much over 1.4 Mbps. Upload is almost always 1.21 Mbps upload for me.
Agreed, it is 5 bar connection here
last test: d: 4787 ; u: 1604 ; in Seattle, WA ... and on average stays the same all day around Seattle
Well I'm glad I read this post. I'm on my second iPhone 4. Down is always around 500, up is always around 1500-1800. Michigan. Funny thing is, if you reset your network settings, the speeds will flip flop for a short period and then return to low down, high up. After reset, I get around 3M down and 1500 up. Lasts for about a half hour. Could an update fix?
4.65 up, 1.24 down in North Orlando, Florida. not really disappointed until I visit South Florida with their network upgrade-
central London, Vodafone: 6.2mbps down, 2.95mpbs up.
Average is about 5.5 down, 2.9 down.
Now if only the battery would last more than a day, it seems there's some sort of Exchange related bug in iOS4.01 that causes the battery to die very quickly
Hi ,i bought one Apple Iphone 4 16gb from http://www.trade-whole.com/apple-iphone-4-black-16gb-unlocked-mc603ba-gs... in competitive price .It bring me a lot of convenient. I like it very much.
I'm getting 9.27Mbps download and 0.47Mbps upload. This is with Virgin Media broadband here in the UK.
I get those results for all servers.


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Quick Links
Shop All Jewelry
ERZ10744 In Stock
Add a touch of sparkle to your outfit with these Petite Sterling Silver Swarovski Crystal Hoops. Measuring a delicate half inch long, these earrings add just the right amount of dazzle to brighten up your face. Each hoop is studded with 16 round cubic zirconia that catch the eye with every move. They fasten with a secure post-and-friction back for comfortable wear all day, and their delicate size makes them ideal for women of all ages.
Eve's Addiction.com wants you to be a happy customer. We want you to be completely satisfied with the sterling silver jewelry that you receive from us, as we only sell high quality silver and cubic zirconia cz jewelry. We do understand that you may not like your purchase for some reason.
You may return or exchange your jewelry within 60 days of purchase if you are not satisfied with it. The jewelry must be returned in its original condition for a refund or exchange. Engraved, personalized, photo, monogram, name and initial, chocolate and clearance items are not returnable or exchangeable.


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A quality baby bedding set is essential in making your nursery warm and inviting. Cotton Tale uses quality materials and unique designs to create your perfect nursery. Poppy 3 Pc Set includes the dust ruffle, coverlet, and fitted crib sheet. Poppy is an all cotton set with contemporary poppy appliqué. Woven cotton hounds tooth in black and white, combined in a patchwork of black, white, pink, and citrus green. Fun patchwork poppies appliquéd on a light weight comforter, reverse in big dot pink. Poppy has a big dot pink sheet and tailored black and white stripe crib skirt combine to make this current and cute. Machine wash, cold water, gentle cycle, separately. Tumble dry low, or hang to dry. This collection is perfect for your little girl. NO BUMPER INCLUDED IN THIS SET.
Product Dimensions:
19" length x 19" width x 9" height
6 lbs.


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BAKER — Powered by Garrett Sanders's 24 points the Baker boys basketball team picked up a hard-fought District 2-1A 53-47 win over rival Freeport on Tuesday.
Sanders wasn't a one-man show as he was joined in double figures by Brooks Taylor, who had 11 points and Justin Morgan's 10 points.
The longtime rivals – both in rebuilding years – battled hard from the opening tip.
"We never quit, and as a coach you have to look at the positives," Baker coach Mike Martello said. "We made some silly mistakes at time and that's because we don't have a lot of experience and depth.
"Every time you play Freeport, they are going to play hard. It was a battle just as we expected."
Sanders got off to a quick start scoring five points in the first three minutes of play before Freeport (2-6, 1-3) came back behind the hot shooting of Curtiss Parker. Parker, who led the Bulldogs with 20 points, hit back-to-back baskets to give Freeport a 9-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Neither team could pull away throughout the second and third quarters.
A Parker 3-pointer gave the Bulldogs a 14-9 lead with 6:15 left in the first half, but the lead didn't last long.
Wilder Kersey hit a 3-pointer for Baker (3-4, 1-1) – his only basket of the night to cut the Bulldog advantage to 14-12. Sanders followed with basket to tie things up at 14-14.
The game remained nip-and-tuck and was tied 37-37 after three.
Three-point baskets by Ryder Newman ands Parker to open the fourth quarter put the Bulldogs up 43-37.
Taylor then scored the next eight points for Baker to put the Gators in front 45-43 with 5:41 left in the game. A basket by Sanders made the score 47-43 and the Bulldogs never got closer than three points the rest of the way.
Freeport coach David Burke wasn't surprised by the way the game unfolded.
"It played out like I figure it would," he said. "I thought Baker would give us a good game. It's hard to beat Baker at Baker because coach Martello does a lot of good things up here.
Newman joined Parker in double figures for the Bulldogs with 11 points. No other Freeport player scored more than six points.
Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin's sports editor. Email him at email@example.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524


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Generally speaking, it is against Precor policy to send warranty parts to anyone other than a Precor Authorized Technician. While Precor can make certain exceptions in the case of reasonably simple items, it is important that a trained technician evaluate the cause and provide a solution to any problems you may experience with your Precor equipment.
"Warranty is defined as covering failures due to defects in materials or workmanship of the equipment itself. Catastrophic environmental failures are not covered under the scope of our warranty, but may be subject to other types of insurance.
If your Precor equipment has been exposed to a catastrophic environmental failure, we recommend you immediately cease using the equipment until it has been fully inspected."
Parts purchased for replacement through either your dealer or directly through Precor have a one year replacement warranty. There is no labor warranty on replacement parts.
"Precor serial numbers are almost always on a white label below a black barcode (similar in appearance to a UPC code). Depending on the date of manufacture, the serial number is an alphanumeric combination that is either 10 or 13 characters long. This serial number is in different locations depending on the type of equipment you own.
© 2015 Precor Incorporated


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PRESTONSBURG — Several hundred people, including many high-ranking leaders from across the state, braved the threat of wintry weather to attend the Bluegrass Policy Forum on Substance Abuse at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park Monday night.
Operation UNITE held the event as a fundraiser for the agency's drug treatment voucher program. The dinner raised $75,000, which was more than doubled when Kentucky River Properties presented UNITE with a check for $100,000 more.
The highlight of the $200-a-plate dinner was a roundtable discussion featuring U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers; Gov. Steve Beshear; state Sen. Robert Stivers, who many believe will be the next Senate president; House Majority Flood Leader Rocky Adkins; and state Sen. Brandon Smith. The discussion was moderated by KET's Renee Shaw.
While each of the guests addressed the victories won, challenges fought and actions yet to be taken in the state's decade-old battle against prescription painkiller abuse, it was Adkins who set the stage for how important the issue is to Kentucky.
"This issue is allowing a generation of people to be destroyed — our families, our kids, our friends, our neighbors," Adkins said. "Now, look here, folks. We're not talking about a bunch of thugs, here. We're talking about good people. We're talking about people who got addicted for some reason I can't describe or you can't describe, either, but it's happening.
"I mean, it's happening to people who were raised in good families," Adkins continued, his voice rising in volume and urgency. "It's happening to people who were taught right from wrong. It's happening to people who were valedictorians in high school. It's happening to people who were 4.0 students. It's happening to our children. It's happening to our neighbors. It's happening to this person that's worked hard all of their life on a construction job and hurt their back and ended up getting addicted to prescription drugs.
"And we all know that's exactly what is going on. We're not talking about bad people, here. We're talking about people who are our children, our friends and our neighbors, people who need help. People who, as Greg [Stumbo] said, every family has been affected in some shape, form or fashion."
Rogers noted that despite calls for alarm about the problem of prescription painkiller abuse, the issue has not made a very large blip on the national policy radar.
"The Centers for Disease Control has said prescription drug abuse is a national epidemic, and yet, we don't see the national attention or shock that those words engender," Rogers said in his opening remarks. "And yet, when I see the bipartisan panel that has assembled here, and this wonderful crowd that has come from all parts of Kentucky and elsewhere, it gives me some hope that the message is getting through that we've got a problem as a country and as a people."
Stivers underscored Rogers' assessment of a lack of national concern.
"In the late-'70s, early-'80s, the CDC defined HIV as being a national epidemic," Stivers said. "In the state of Kentucky, since that declaration, about 2,500 people have died [of AIDS]. Half that many last year died of drug overdoses in the state of Kentucky."
During his remarks, Stumbo said the drug problem cannot be solved simply by locking up offenders.
"As attorney general, I knew how to put these folks in jail," Stumbo said. "[Commonwealth's Attorney] Brent Turner knows how to put them in jail. [24th Circuit Commonwealth's Attorney] Anna Melvin knows how to put them in jail … But the truth is, we cannot incarcerate ourselves out of this situation. And just as quick as this part of the supply chain stops or dries up, they'll find another way to get them in here. It's just a supply-and-demand thing …
"But we have to have a treatment and education component, if we are going to, as a society, work our way out of the situation."
All of the speakers agreed that a new anti-drug law passed in the last session, House Bill 1, will be effective and must not be repealed or watered down. The measure, which, among other things, requires all Kentucky doctors to use the state KASPER prescription tracking database, has begun attracting criticism recently, over concerns it is hurting patients with legitimate needs in an effort to fight those who are abusing the system.
Beshear trumpeted what said were signs of success in the program, saying 10 pain clinics in the state have closed their doors, rather than comply with the new regulations. At the same time, he said, 11 new clinics are seeking licensure with the intent of complying with the law. He also praised the Board of Medical Licensure for a new crackdown on unscrupulous doctors, noting that the board had pursued investigations against 33 doctors over the past six months, after investigating only 18 such cases in all of 2011.
"The new law has improved the board's ability to review the practices, and the few bad apples are starting to be eliminated," Beshear said, to a round of applause.
Beshear conceded that some "tweaks" would be necessary, but only tweaks and not wholesale changes.
"Let me tell you something: The rules and regulations that they're complaining about were written by physicians," Beshear said. "They were written by the Board of Medical Licensure, for the most part."
Stivers said a lot of the opposition to the new law is based on misinformation.
"When you hear things like, 'Well, you have to have a urine test before you get a presciption,' that's false," Stivers said. "There's tremendous misinformation about this. You don't have to have this type of test for a prescription, unless you're going to get a prescription for a narcotic that will extend past 90 days."
Stumbo said the state another area the state needs to address is the shortage of drug treatment beds. He cited figures saying the state has 2,000 spots in drug treatment centers, but has between 250,000 and 500,000 people who need help.
"It's going to take funding, and that's the next critical step — a constant source of dedicated funding," Stumbo said. "The General Assembly needs to provide for a constant source of dedicated funding, so that we can build the treatment facilities and engage in the long-term educational programs that will ultimately solve our problem. But it is not a simple solution. It is not a quick fix. It's not a short fix. It's a long-term solution."
Smith concluded the remarks by pointing out those most affected by the drug problem. He said he got involved in the fight against drug abuse after watching his community, Hazard, become "ground zero" for the prescription epidemic.
"It's one thing to wave at the bus as it goes by, but it's an entirely different view when you're one the bus," Smith said. "In our area, ground zero, we see the unintended victims. And by unintended victims, I mean the children."


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The Aiken Department of Public Safety is investigating a shooting on Wednesday afternoon that left at least one person hospitalized.
The shooting happened at a home on the 400 block of Greenville Street at 3:10 p.m., according to Sgt. Jake Mahoney.
Officers arrived on the scene and found a male victim with a gunshot wound, who was treated by Aiken County EMS and transported to Georgia Regents Medical Center, Mahoney said. His condition was unknown.
The shooter reportedly fled on foot.
"A short time later, we were notified by Aiken Regional Medical Centers that an individual had reported to that hospital with a gunshot wound," Mahoney said. "Investigators are speaking with both individuals and both hospitals to determine their roles, if any, in this shooting incident."
A weapon was not recovered from the scene, he said.
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For educators interested in schooling for sustainability, a garden is often a great starting place.
Even a small plot or container garden can help children learn basic ecological principles first-hand. Especially in cities, a garden may be a young person's best connection to the natural world. It can be an early opportunity to integrate schooling for sustainability into the curriculum.
School gardens enable students to:
- Care for other living things.
- Learn ecological principles.
- Draw on different learning styles.
- Experience the joy of nature.
- Practice leadership skills.
- Make connections between science, social studies, math, language arts, and other subjects.
- Be physically active.
- Use all their senses.
To make the most of their gardens, many schools:
- Share ownership, so that the garden belongs to the whole school, not just one class.
- Integrate the garden into the curriculum, including garden-based social studies, math, language arts, and science lessons.
- Encourage classroom teachers to participate with their students in the garden, rather than using the time students are in the garden as a break or an opportunity to do other work.
- Have someone (it could be a reliable volunteer) responsible for overseeing scheduling and maintenance. Freeing that person from other responsibilities ensures that they can do the job. A teacher shouldn't be expected to manage the garden on top of a full teaching load.
- Invite the local community into the garden. Unlocked gates can reduce vandalism and theft.
- Find ways to grow plants year-round. Schools in cold climates have found that greenhouses help keep students gardening through the year.
The Center for Ecoliteracy offers a downloadable 51-page pdf, Getting Started: A Guide for Creating School Gardens as Outdoor Classroom. It offers guidelines on raising funds, preparing sites, designing and maintaining gardens, and connecting gardens to classroom learning.


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The advanced intelligent network (AIN) to determine routing of voice calls alternatively between the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and a data packet network, such as the Internet, in accordance with the quality of service existing in the data packet network at the times of call origination. The user's acceptable level of service may be predefined with a threshold quality level stored in the user's Call Processing Record (CPR) in the AIN Integrated Services Control Point (ISCP). On a per call basis, the caller linked to a first public switched network may indicate a preference to route through the Internet. This indication is recognized by the AIN system, in response to which the quality of service currently present on the Internet for completion of the call is measured. If the result exceeds the stored threshold, the call is setup and routed through the Internet to the switched network link to the destination party. If the quality of service on the Internet is not satisfactory, the call is alternatively routed through the PSTN, which may include an Interexchange Carrier link. The AIN system automatically controls the alternative routing of such calls.
1. A method, comprising:
receiving a request to place a voice telephone call from a first station that is a point of origination for the call to a second station that is a point of termination for the call, the first and second stations being remotely located from each other;
determining a quality of service of a data packet network located between the first station and the second station;
comparing the quality of service obtained in said determining with a predetermined threshold level for the voice telephone call, the predetermined threshold level stored in a database associated with the first station;
in response to a result of said comparing that said predetermined threshold level is exceeded, routing the voice telephone call between the first station and the second station through the data packet network in packet data format; and
in response to a result of said comparing that the predetermined threshold level is not exceeded, transparently routing the voice telephone call between the first station and the second station through a circuit switched voice network located between the first station and the second station;
wherein the first station is connected to a first switch, the first switch is connected to a first internet module and the circuit switched network, and the first internet module is connected to the data packet network, such that the voice telephone call is capable of being communicated between the first station and the second station (i) through the first internet module and first switch when routed through the data packet network, or (ii) through the first switch when routed through the circuit switched network.
2. The method of
3. The method of
4. The method of
5. The method of
6. The method of
7. The method of
8. The method of
9. A method, comprising:
receiving a request to connect a voice telephone call from a first station that is a point of origination for the call to a second station that is a point of termination for the call, the first and second stations being remotely located from each other;
determining a quality of service of a packet switched network located between the first station and the second station;
comparing the quality of service obtained in said determining with a predetermined threshold level for the voice telephone call, the predetermined threshold level stored in a database associated with the second station,
in response to a result of said comparing that the predetermined threshold level is exceeded, routing the voice telephone call between the first station and the second station through the packet switched network in packet data format; and
in response to a result of said comparing that the predetermined threshold level is not exceeded, transparently routing the voice telephone call between the first station and the second station through a circuit switched voice network located between the first station and the second station;
wherein the second station is connected to a second switch, the second switch is connected to a second internet module and the circuit switched network, and the second internet module is connected to the packet switched network, such that the voice telephone call is capable of being communicated between the first station and the second station (i) through the second internet module and second switch when routed through the packet switched network, or (ii) through the second switch when routed through the circuit switched network.
10. The method of
11. The method of
12. The method of
13. The method of
14. The method of
15. The method of
16. A system, comprising:
an interface to a circuit switched network configured to receive and transmit information associated with a voice telephone call between a first station that is a point of origination for the call and a second station that is a point of termination for the call in a circuit-switched network format;
an interface to a packet switched network configured to receive and transmit information associated with the voice telephone call in a packet-switched network format;
an interface to the first station configured to receive from and transmit to the first station the information associated with the voice telephone call;
a processor interface including a quality test application configured to compare a quality of service of the packet switched network to a predetermined threshold level, the predetermined threshold level being stored in a database associated with one of the first station and the second station;
wherein the information associated with the telephone call is transmitted and received through the interface to the packet switched network when the quality of service of the packet switched network is above the predetermined threshold level, and the information associated with the telephone call is transmitted and received through the interface to the circuit switched network when the quality of service of the packet switched network is below the predetermined threshold level.
17. The system of
a compression/decompression unit configured to compress packetized voice data for transmission and decompress received packetized voice data;
a route determination unit configured to identify telephone numbers and routes to a terminating network router associated with the second station; and
a transfer control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) unit configured to transmit and receive the packetized voice data via the packet switched network.
18. The system of
This is a continuation of prior co-pending application Ser. No. 08/821,027, entitled "Voice Call Alternative Routing Through PSTN and Internet Networks," filed Mar. 19, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,870,827 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application is related to application Ser. No. 08/634,544, entitled Universal Access Multimedia Network, filed Apr. 18, 1996 and issued Aug. 4, 1998 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,790,548, application Ser. No. 08/634,543, entitled Internet Telephone Service, filed Apr. 18, 1996 and issued Aug. 20, 2002 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,438,218, and application Ser. No. 08/670,908, entitled Internet Telephone System, filed Jun. 28, 1996 and issued May 30, 2000 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,069,890. The specifications of those applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The present invention relates to telecommunications networks and more particularly to transporting voice calls alternatively through an Internet path or the public switched telephone network (PSTN) in dependence upon Internet service quality.
Implementation of voice telephone service over a worldwide data network, such as the Internet, offers advantages that are now being explored. The Internet had its genesis in U.S. Government (called ARPA) funded research which made possible national internetworked communication systems. This work resulted in the development of network standards as well as a set of conventions for interconnecting networks and routing information. These protocols are commonly referred to as TCP/IP. The protocols generally referred to as TCP/IP were originally developed for use only through Arpanet and have subsequently become widely used in the industry. TCP/IP is flexible and robust. In effect, TCP takes care of the integrity and IP moves the data. Internet provides two broad types of services: connectionless packet delivery service and reliable stream transport service. The Internet basically comprises several large computer networks joined together over high-speed data links ranging from ISDN to T1, T3, FDDI, SONET, SMDS, OT1, etc. The most prominent of these national nets are MILNET (Military Network), NSFNET (National Science Foundation NETwork), and CREN (Corporation for Research and Educational Networking). In 1995, the Government Accounting Office (GAO) reported that the Internet linked 59,000 networks, 2.2 million computers and 15 million users in 92 countries.
A simplified diagram of the Internet is depicted in
By way of current illustration, MCI is both an ISP and an IP, Sprint is an ISP, and MicroSoft (MSN) is an IP using UUNET as an ISP. Other information providers, such as universities, are indicated in exemplary fashion at 72 and are connected to the AS/ISPs via the same type connections, here illustrated as T1 lines 74. Corporate Local Area Networks (LANs), such as those illustrated in 76 and 78, are connected through routers 80 and 82 and links shown as T1 lines 84 and 86. Laptop or PC computers 88 and 90 are representative of computers connected to the Internet via the public switched telephone network (PSTN), shown connected to the AS/ISPs via dial up links 92 and 96.
The Information Providers (IPs) are end systems that collect and market the information through their own servers. Access providers are companies such as UUNET, PSI, MCI and SPRINT which transport the information. Such companies market the usage of their networks.
In simplified fashion the Internet may be viewed as a series of gateway routers connected together with computers connected to the routers. In the addressing scheme of the Internet an address comprises four numbers separated by dots. An example would be 220.127.116.11. Each machine on the Internet has a unique number that includes one of these four numbers. In the address, the leftmost number is the highest number. By analogy this would correspond to the ZIP code in a mailing address. The first two numbers that constitute this portion of the address may indicate a network or a locale. That network is connected to the last router in the transport path. In differentiating between two computers in the same destination network only the last number field changes. In such an example the next number field 211 identifies the destination router. When the packet bearing the destination address leaves the source router it examines the first two numbers in a matrix table to determine how many hops are the minimum to get to the destination. It then sends the packet to the next router as determined from that table and the procedure is repeated. Each router has a database table that finds the information automatically. This process continues until the packet arrives at the destination computer. The separate packets that constitute a message may not travel the same path, depending on traffic load. However, they all reach the same destination and are assembled in their original order in a connectionless fashion. This is in contrast to connection oriented modes such as frame relay and ATM or voice.
Software has recently been developed for use on personal computers to permit two-way transfer of real-time voice information via an Internet data link between two personal computers. In one of the directions, the sending computer converts voice signals from analog to digital format. The software facilitates data compression down to a rate compatible with modem communication via a POTS telephone line. The software also facilitates encapsulation of the digitized and compressed voice data into the TCP/IP protocol, with appropriate addressing to permit communication via the Internet. At the receiving end, the computer and software reverse the process to recover the analog voice information for presentation to the other party. Such programs permit telephone-like communication between Internet users registered with Internet Phone Servers. The book "Mastering the Internet", Glee Cady and Pat McGregor, SYBEX Inc., Alameda, Calif., 1994, ISBN 94-69309, very briefly describes three proprietary programs said to provide real-time video and voice communications via the Internet.
Palmer et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,068, issued Dec. 20, 1994 for Video Teleconferencing for Networked Workstations discloses a video teleconferencing system for networked workstations. A master process executing on a local processor formats and transmits digital packetized voice and video data, over a digital network using TCP/IP protocol, to remote terminals.
Lewen et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,374, issued Aug. 23, 1994 for Communication Network Integrating Voice Data and Video with Distributed Call Processing, discloses a local area network with distributed call processing for voice, data and video. Real-time voice packets are transmitted over the network, for example to and from a PBX or central office.
Hemmady et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,341, issued Sep. 18, 1990 for Integrated Packetized Voice and Data Switching System, discloses an integrated packetized voice and data switching system for a metropolitan area network (MAN). Voice signals are converted into packets and transmitted on the network. Tung et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,434,913, issued Jul. 18, 1995, and 5,490,247, issued Feb. 6, 1996, for Video Subsystem for Computer Based Conferencing System, disclose an audio subsystem for computer-based conferencing. The system involves local audio compression and transmission of information over an ISDN network.
Hemmady et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,160, issued Oct. 3, 1989, for Integrated Packetized Voice and Data Switching System, discloses an integrated packetized voice and data switching system for metropolitan area networks.
Sampat et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,568, issued Feb. 20, 1996, for Media Dependent Module Interface for Computer Based Conferencing System, discloses a media dependent module interface for computer based conferencing system. An interface connects the upper-level data link manager with the communications driver.
Koltzbach et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,754, issued Apr. 25, 1995, for Bi-Directional Wire Line to Local Area Network Interface and Method, discloses a bi-directional wire-line to local area network interface. The system incorporates means for packet switching and for using the internet protocol (IP).
The commonly assigned application Ser. Nos. 08/634,543 and 08/670,908, identified more particularly above, are concerned with providing telephone service via the Internet to users of the public telecommunications network who may not have access to a computer or separate telephone access to the Internet. Such service would be economical, especially for long distance calls, compared with the toll rates charged by long distance interexchange carriers.
With increasing volume of use on the Internet and the bursty nature of data transmission, traffic patterns have become unstable and unpredictable. The minimum quality of service acceptable for voice communication is much higher than the level for data transport as transmission delays noticeably degrade conversation. With the Internet or other high volume data network, acceptable voice communication may be available between two end points at a given time, but often not at other times. A surge in data traffic may make the network unsuitable for voice communication for as much as twenty or thirty minutes. Bottlenecks may occur at different points in the network at different times. The locations of the participants of a voice call are factors in determining suitability of the data network. The degree to which degradation of a voice call remains acceptable is subjective with the user and can be a tradeoff between quality of service and reduction of cost.
A deficiency in earlier proposed voice Internet service systems is the inability to ensure an acceptable level of service quality. The data packet network traffic in the connection paths of a voice call may render intolerable transmission delays. Current systems do not measure delays against user acceptable standards. The voice call user must either endure such a call or terminate the call in favor of originating a new call through an alternative system.
The present invention overcomes the above noted drawbacks of earlier proposed systems and provides additional advantages in part by utilizing the advanced intelligent network (AIN) to determine routing of voice calls alternatively between the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and a data packet network, such as the Internet, in accordance with the quality of service existing in the data packet network at the times of call origination. The user's acceptable level of service may be predefined with a threshold quality level stored in the user's Call Processing Record (CPR) in the AIN Integrated Services Control Point (ISCP) On a per call basis, the caller linked to a first public switched network may indicate a preference to route through the Internet. This indication is recognized by the AIN system, in response to which the quality of service currently present on the Internet for completion of the call is measured. If the result exceeds the stored threshold, the call is setup and routed through the Internet to the switched network link to the destination party. If the quality of service on the Internet is not satisfactory, the call is alternatively routed through the PSTN, which may include an Interexchange Carrier link. The AIN system automatically controls the alternative routing of such calls. The Interexchange Carrier selection may be made in accordance with a carrier identified in the calling subscriber's CPR or the ISCP may determine routing through a default carrier in accordance with a global routing scheme.
The invention thus provides the advantages of enabling a caller to indicate, individually for each call, a preference for that call to be routed through a packet data network if the performance of that network is currently acceptable. If not, routing of the call is made through the PSTN in normal fashion. The route actually undertaken in this process is transparent and undetectable to the caller at the time of the call.
Additional advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description, wherein only the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.
SSP capable central office switching systems typically contain a programmable digital switch with CCIS communications capabilities. One example of an SSP capable CO switch is a 5ESS type switch manufactured by AT&T. Other vendors, such as Northern Telecom and Seimens, manufacture comparable digital switches that may serve as the SSPs. A more detailed description of an exemplary SSP type CO is presented in the commonly assigned copending application Ser. No. 08/248,980, filed May 25, 1994, hereby incorporated by reference herein.
The SSP type COs 11 and 13 are shown connected to a first local area STP 23, SSP-COs 15 and 17 being connected to a second local area STP 25. The connections to the STPs are for signalling purposes. The control part of SS7 protocol is known as Integrated Services Digital Network User Part (ISUP). ISUP determines the procedures for setting up, coordinating, and taking down trunk calls on the SS7 network.
Each local area STP can connect to a large number of the SSP-COs, as indicated for ease of illustration merely by the circles below STPs 23 and 25. The central office SSPs are interconnected to each other by trunk circuits for carrying telephone services. The overall network may contain end offices without SSP functionality. Such end offices will forward calls to one of the SSPs if such treatment is required. Also, certain switching offices within the network, whether SSPs or not, may function primarily as tandem type offices providing connections between trunk circuits only.
The local area STPs 23 and 25, and any number of other such local area STPs (not shown) communicate with a state or regional STP 31. The state or regional STP 31 in turn provides communications with the ISCP 40. The STP hierarchy can be expanded or contracted to as many levels as needed to serve any size area covered by the Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) and to service any number of stations and central office switches. Also, certain switching offices within the network, whether SSPs or not, may function primarily as tandem type offices providing connections between trunk circuits only.
The links between the central office switching systems and the local area STPs 23 and 25 are typically SS#7 type CCIS interoffice data communication channels. The local area STPs are in turn connected to each other and to the regional STP 31 via a packet switched network. The regional STP 31 also communicates with the ISCP 40 via a packet switched network.
The messages transmitted between the SSPs and the ISCP are formatted in accord with the Transaction Capabilities Applications Protocol (TCAP). The TCAP protocol provides standardized formats for various query and response messages. Each query and response includes data fields for a variety of different pieces of information relating to the current call. For example, an initial TCAP query from the SSP includes, among other data, a "Service Key" which is the calling party's address. TCAP also specifies a standard message response format including routing information, such as primary carrier ID, alternate carrier ID and second alternate carrier ID and a routing number and a destination number. The TCAP specifies a number of additional message formats, for example a format for a subsequent query from the SSP, and formats for "INVOKE" messages for instructing the SSP to play an announcement or to play an announcement and collect digits and a "SEND TO RESOURCES" message to instruct the SSP to route to another network node. Reference is made to the aforementioned copending application Ser. No. 08/248,980, filed May 25, 1994, for a more detailed description of the AIN network.
The ISCP 40 is an integrated system shown that contains a data base. In the AIN network system, certain calls receive specialized AIN type processing under control of data files stored in the ISCP data base. Such files contain call processing records (CPRs) associated with respective AIN subscribers. Information contained in the CPRs relate to the AIN service or services to which the customer subscribes. The SSP type local offices of the public telephone network include appropriate data in their translation tables for customers subscribing to AIN services to define certain call processing events identified as AIN "triggers". The SSP uses the translation table data to detect a triggering event during processing of calls to or from such AIN service subscribers. Upon detection of such event, the SSP suspends processing of a call and activates a query and response type AIN interaction with the ISCP. Completion of call processing ensues after sufficient information is exchanged between the SSP and the ISCP. For ordinary telephone service calls that are not subject to enhanced treatment, there would be no event to trigger AIN messaging. The local and toll office switches would function normally and process such calls without referring to the SCP data base for instructions.
Each of the central office SSPs 13 and 17 is connected to Internet Module 92 and 94, respectively, by T1 trunks 96 and 98. Alternatively, the Internet Module hardware may be situated at the central office and associated with the switching system. The Internet Module will be described in further detail with respect to
The functional architecture of one embodiment of an Internet Module for use in the invention is shown diagrammatically in
While message and signaling communication with the ISCP occurs through the GDI, communication of voice data is made through the Channel Serving Unit, Digital Serving Unit (CSU/DSU) 128. This unit, which may physically comprise a digital line card in the processor with standard 24 digital voice line inputs, packetizes voice data received from the telephone central office. The CSU/DSU performs line coding, line-conditioning and equalization functions, and responds to loopback commands from the central office. Including functions similar to a modem, the CSU/DSU can pass data at a range greater than 56 Kbps. The CSU/DSU coordinates with route determination unit 130 to identify packets, termination phone numbers and routes to the network termination gateway router. The route determination information is included in each packet for the data received from the originating central office SSP. The packetized data is compressed in accordance with stored algorithm 132, before being sent to the TCP/IP stack and physical transport layer for transmission to the far end gateway router. To complete transmission to the destination telephone, the termination router decompresses the received packets, depacketizes back to voice data which is then routed to the destination PSTN. Two way capability for each of the functions is provided for communication in both directions. While shown for illustrative purposes as separate blocks, the route determination and compression/decompression functions, as well as the quality test application, may be run, for example, by a UNIX-based computer.
In the per call basis embodiment, illustrated by
At step 202 a determination is made at the caller's central office SSP whether to trigger a TCAP message to the AIN ISCP, whereupon processing of routing for the call is temporarily suspended. Triggering will occur in response to entry of the service code. This may be followed immediately by the dialed telephone number or a dial tone may be returned to the caller after the trigger for subsequent entry of the dialed telephone number. Alternatively, triggering can be initiated by calling a virtual number or an operator, after which the destination telephone number is input.
If a trigger has not been detected at step 202, the call is routed in normal fashion through the PSTN network at step 204. If a trigger has been detected, the originating central office SSP formulates a TCAP query message to the ISCP at step 206. The ISCP will recognize from the caller's CPR that the call is to be placed through the Internet (or equivalent data network) if the quality of service in that network meets an acceptable threshold level identified in the CPR of the calling party.
Before proceeding further, the ISCP determines through the SS7 signaling network, at step 208, whether the call destination station is busy. If so, the call is terminated with a busy signal transmitted to the calling party at step 210. As an alternative to the SS7 network determination, busy/non-busy status at the destination station can be determined through the Internet. In this alternative, the ISCP can signal the GDI interface of the local router to route through to the destination router interface to the destination PSTN for the inquiry.
If the destination station is not busy, the ISCP will send a message to the local gateway router to perform a quality of service test at step 212. If the local gateway GDI interface is unable to accept the message or the CSU/DSU unit of the router is fully occupied, as determined at step 214, the ISCP will instruct the originating SSP to complete the call through the PSTN at step 204. If the local gateway router is available, as determined at step 214, the GDI initiates the quality test application at step 216.
The performance of the quality of service test may comprise the sending of one or more data packets, known in the art as a "PING" signal, from the local router to the destination router and measuring the response time. PING, which is an acronym for Packet InterNet Groper, is a program used to test reachability of destinations by sending them an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo packet request and waiting for a reply. The test packet signal generated by the quality test application is formatted for transport through physical layer 126 and the Internet to the destination end gateway router. As a more sophisticated alternative, the test application can format a sample packet with RSVP protocol that includes a bandwidth reservation for all routers that will transmit the call through the network. A measure of PING performance quality is the time delay taken for the signal to traverse the circuit, and variance of such delays in successive test transmissions. In the case of bandwidth reservation, an acknowledgement back from the destination that a specified minimum bandwidth level has been reserved is a measure of performance quality.
From the response back from the destination router, the test application obtains a quality of service level that is signaled back to the ISCP. This level is compared with an acceptable threshold level stored in the caller's CPR at step 218. If the level is not up to the acceptable level of quality, routing of the call is controlled by the AIN, which will terminate any data network activity for the call at step 220 and handle call routing as in step 204.
If it is determined at step 218 that the quality of service in the data network is acceptable, the ISCP will signal the local router, at step 220, to transmit a message to the destination router to initiate a call through the destination PSTN to the destination station. The path for transmission of the voice data through the data network will have been determined by the CSU/DSU unit 128, in conjunction with route destination unit 130, either when bandwidth had been reserved or, in the case of acceptable PING test result, in response to the ISCP signal received in step 218. The ISCP, at step 222, will send a TCAP message to the originating central office SSP to complete the call to the local router CSU/DSU port allocated for the call. Outgoing voice signals received by the CSU/DSU from the originating location will be compressed by unit 132, formatted using TCP/IP protocol and physically transported over the data packet network. Incoming packeted voice signals will be decompressed for transmission through the local PSTN to the origination location.
If no predefined condition stored in the CPR has been recognized to identify the call as an Internet call in step 306, the call will be routed in normal fashion through the PSTN at step 308. If an Internet routing attempt is indicated at step 306, the process continues in accordance with
It can be appreciated that the use of the AIN network to control routing of telephone calls alternatively through the PSTN or Internet in accordance with this invention will ensure quality of voice communication while taking advantage of available network economies. While the per call basis and predefined basis services have been described above as separate embodiments for simplicity of explanation, these services can be combined into a single service. A subscriber thus can be given the option for any given call to expand the predefined conditions stored in the subscriber CPR, destinations and time of day listings for examples, by inputting a code, such as *82. The ISCP would be triggered in response to such input and programmed to ignore certain stored conditions in the CPR for the current call, while controlling routing in compliance with indicated acceptable quality levels.
Only the preferred embodiments of the invention and but a few examples of its versatility are shown and described in the present disclosure. It is to be understood that the invention is capable of use in various other combinations and environments and is capable of changes or modifications within the scope of the inventive concept as expressed herein. For example, ISCP determination of whether routing may be made through the data network may be made in response to triggering initiated at an SSP other than the calling party originating SSP. The SSP 13 of
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Wednesday, June 5, 2013
I'm on my soapbox.
I see too many pitchers out there nursing sore arms. It's become a pandemic.
Today's arm troubles are caused by pitchers throwing too much and too little. Yes, that's a contradiction.
There's a difference between building arm strength and being overworked. You can't throw a pitcher three innings on Monday to save him to throw seven innings on Wednesday. A pitcher throwing three innings does as much damage to the arm as one who throws seven innings. So if you're going to warm him up use him. Today, we don't do that.
If you track games you might notice the pitcher struggles in that second game and isn't as sharp. That's being overworked.
As far as his arm is concerned he threw two seven inning games in a three-day span. That's where arm problems start.
You want my take on the culprit? Pitch counts.
Pitch counts are relatively new. Nolan Ryan, Bob Gibson and Steve Carlton were never on pitch counts. If Nolan Ryan had been on a pitch count he'd have never get out of the fourth inning. How do you strike out everybody on the planet and limit yourself to 100 pitches a game?
You can't.
And you try telling Gibson he has to come out of the game because his pitch count was over 100 pitches.
My senior year I averaged more than 12.5 strikeouts a game. I struck out 19 batters once, K'd 15 three times and my lowest was 10 K's in a game shortened by the 10-run rule to five innings.
But, in addition to holding the career strikeout record for more than 30 years at my high school I also hold the career record for walks, still do in fact.
So let's count pitches.
Let's average four pitches per strikeout and five pitches per walk. In the game in which I struck out 19 hitters I also walked six. That means I threw 106 pitches just to those 25 hitters.
The scorebook says I faced 29 batters in the game. I gave up very few first pitch hits because I had a 90 mph fastball that I didn't know (or care) where it was going half the time. So it's easy to figure I threw close to 150 pitches in that game.
I counted strikeouts, not pitches.
Until about 20 minutes ago, I never gave how many pitches I threw in a game much thought. I just knew the coach gave me the ball at the start of the game and I gave it back at the end.
I had arm strength. I knew how to throw a seven-inning ball game. I knew my problem inning was the fifth inning and if I could get through that unscathed I'd cruise in innings six and seven.
I had to buckle down on three hitters: the leadoff guy, the number three hitter, and the cleanup hitter. The rest I struck out.
Today's pitchers don't know how to pitch out of trouble because they never get the chance. They get yanked the minute a runner reaches second base. If you're going to throw him, throw him. Let him see what it feels like to finish a game he starts.
And throw away the pitch counters.
Your arm will thank you.
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Local officials say a failing intersection in Montgomery County will get some relief from a project in progress: the $200 million Watkins Mill Interchange.
The new interchange will link two unfinished portions of Watkins Mill Road over Interstate 270 in Gaithersburg, less than a mile northwest of the Md. 355-Montgomery Village Avenue intersection. At the new interchange, drivers would be able to enter and exit I-270 from Watkins Mill Road, relieving the intersection of Md. 355 and Montgomery Village Avenue in Gaithersburg.
That intersection is �one of, if not the worst, intersections in the county,� said Marilyn Balcombe, president of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce.
�It�s gridlocked at times,� she said. �I use that intersection quite regularly and it needs to have some kind of relief.�
John Schlichting, director of Gaithersburg�s Planning and Code Administration, said the new interchange would provide easier access to the nearby Metropolitan Grove MARC station and future Corridor Cities Transitway stations.
The Corridor Cities Transitway project, still in developmental stages, would be made up of 16 bus rapid transit stations between the Shady Grove Metro station and Clarksburg.
State Highway Administration spokesman David Buck said the Watkins Mill Interchange is a �massive� project that has been in its engineering phase since August. Buck said the state plans to complete the engineering phase in 2014.
�When you�ve got a significant amount of retaining walls and all these culvert crossings and all these moorings we have to do, that plays into the two-year process,� Buck said.
Construction would not begin until 2015 or 2016, he said. Because the design of the interchange is still in its preliminary stage, Buck said it would be �a complete guess� as to how long it would take to build the project.
�It would be much further into design until we have any idea how long it would take,� he said.
SHA also must take into account a small stream, which runs parallel to I-270. The stream will be restored as part of the interchange project, Buck said.
�Much as we did with the ICC [Intercounty Connector], we take care of the environment when we�re in the area,� he said.
A separate development south of the planned interchange, Watkins Mill Town Center, is also in progress.
�It�s a combination of residential and commercial, which includes both office and retail,� Schlichting said. �There�s an urban core element which has not yet started construction.�
The Parklands, a residential community planned for Watkins Mill Town Center, is under construction. The community will be primarily townhomes and condominiums, he said.
�There�s development happening both east and west� of the interchange, Balcombe said. The interchange is necessary for local commuters to travel and businesses to grow, she said.


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The Energy Charter Treaty contains a comprehensive system for settling disputes on matters covered by the Treaty. The two basic forms of binding dispute settlement are state-state arbitration on the interpretation or application of almost all aspects of the Treaty (except for competition and environmental issues), and investor-state arbitration for investment disputes. There are special provisions, based on the WTO model, for the resolution of inter-state trade issues and the Treaty also offers a conciliation procedure for transit disputes.
The starting point for all these mechanisms is the desirability of an amicable agreement between the parties to any dispute. However, in the event that this does not prove possible, then the Treaty opens a number of additional avenues to promote and reach a settlement.
Over the years since the Treaty has entered into force, the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism has a proven operational record. If an investor chooses to bring a dispute to arbitration, there are three possible avenues: the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID - an autonomous international institution with close links to the World Bank); a sole arbitrator or an ad hoc arbitration tribunal established under the rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL); or an application to the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. International arbitral awards are binding and final, and each Contracting Party is obliged to make provision for the effective enforcement of such awards in its area.
The Secretariat is currently aware of over sixty cases (click on the link for more information) that have been brought by investors to international arbitration.
The frequency with which disputes are brought by investors under the Energy Charter Treaty is increasing, due in part to an increased awareness among energy investors and the legal community about the Treaty. Bringing a case to international arbitration is a last resort for any investor. Nonetheless, the existence of a credible option to take a case to arbitration is important in encouraging member countries to observe their Treaty obligations and in promoting a stable environment for investment in line with the aims of the Treaty.
There has been less recourse to the various state-to-state dispute settlement mechanisms. The Secretariat knows of one case in which a member country has initiated a procedure pursuant to Article 27 of the Treaty. This dispute was settled through diplomatic channels.
Under ECT Article 26(3)(a), there are two exceptions to a State's unconditional consent to international arbitration.
Please click here for more information.


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Ron Guth: The 1930 Standing Liberty Quarter Dollar is the most common date of the series in Mint State. PCGS alone has certified over 4,000 Uncirculated 1930 Quarters, most often in MS-64 and usually with a Full Head. High grade examples feature a crisp, sharp luster and great eye appeal in a variety of untoned and toned formats. The finest examples certified by PCGS (as of February 2012) include 5 MS-67 non-Full Heads and 30 MS-67 Full Heads.
© 1999 - 2015 Collectors Universe NASDAQ: CLCT


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College Football Figures in Stores Now
Don't Miss out on our First Series of College Football Action Figures
Friday, August 07, 2009
McFarlane Toys has worked through The Collegiate Licensing Company, an IMG company, to license its 2009 College Football line, which includes 6-inch scale figures of six pro football superstars in their school's home uniform. This new exciting product from McFarlane Toys is now in stores.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SERIES 1TOM BRADY -- The University of Michigan WolverinesRAY LEWIS -- University of Miami HurricanesPEYTON MANNING -- University of Tennessee VolunteersADRIAN PETERSON -- The University of Oklahoma SoonersHINES WARD -- University of Georgia BulldogsJaMARCUS RUSSELL -- Louisiana State University TigersTo find a retailer near you, check out our Where to Buy section.
To see more football action figures available now, click here.


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$30 Gets You 32 Classic PC Games From Duke Nukem's Original Developer
The 3D Realms Anthology bundle arrives on Steam.
The 3D Realms Anthology bundle arrives on Steam.
3D Realms made some good games.
The voice behind Duke Nukem, Jon St. John, gives us some wise insight into Duke's thought processes, and how the video game voice acting business has evolved since Duke 3D.
[UPDATE] The Danish developer of the Rise of the Triad reboot acquired the former developer of Duke Nukem 3D.
Do you remember when you had to look up video game cheat codes in a magazine to even stand a chance of beating a game? Whatever happened to that? Why ...
Tom Mc Shea and Ryan Mac Donald hail to the king with this retro Now Playing honoring Duke Nukem.
In this installment of our Video Game History Month feature series, we look at the past, present, and future of Duke Nukem.
New IP owner of iconic macho action hero grants noncommercial license for Unreal Engine 3-powered overhaul of 3D Realms' classic shooter.
Whether they're fending off an invasion or just sporting the old red, white, and blue, here are some of gaming's most patriotic heroes.
64 entered. One left. The All-Time Greatest Game Hero has been decided by your votes--find out who the winner was!
Hail to the king, baby! Duke Nukem is one of the toughest, funniest game heroes around. Watch this video and find out why.
In April, Apple reported that nearly 22 million iPhones have been sold worldwide--about 2 million less than the PlayStation 3's current tally. As the multifunctional handheld's installed base grows, publishers ...
[UPDATE 2] Online accounts finger monetary issues in demise of developer, which still owns IP; publisher says arrangement "did not include ongoing funds for development of the title"; DS, PSP ...
It's a busy week, as Gearbox's shooter joins Gearbox's maraca-shaker; also, Lego Batman, Wario Land, de Blob, Civ IV: Colonization, Buzz! Quiz TV, and on and on.
Hot trailer for Duke Nukem 3D on XBLA!
On this episode, Duke Nukem 3D makes a visit. We also take a look at Crysis Warhead, Afrika, and more!
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iBooks 3.0 brings iCloud sync, vertical scrolling, and more
Just as promised during today's iPad mini event, Apple has released the new version of iBooks with better iCloud integration, enhanced sharing options, continuous scrolling, and more.
With iBooks 3.0, now you can see all your iBookstore purchases in iCloud in a new Collection called Purchased Books. Another great new feature of iBooks is the new Scroll theme; it allows you to scroll vertically through your books as you read.
iBooks 3.0 also allows you receive free updates to your purchased books including new chapters and corrections and the ability to look up definitions for words in German, Spanish, French, Japanese and Simplified Chinese. For the social types, you can also share quotes or thoughts about your books with friends on Facebook, Twitter, Messages, or Mail.
So what do you think of the new iBooks? My favorite new feature is vertical scrolling. What about you?
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Reader comments
iBooks 3.0 brings iCloud sync, vertical scrolling, and more
Vertical scrolling is a nice touch, even though I prefer the book style. I REALLY miss the old highlighting style, especially for changing color, more steps now is kind of a pain.
Epub 3.0 support would have been really nice. Vertical scrolling is cute, but hardly ground-breaking. Might use it occasionally.
I also hate that with the new themes settings changing background colours takes extra taps, I use it all the time to switch from night to sepia and back again.
This --
And what I've added below. Once again, Kindle App keeps it simple. One tap on the font size adjuster in the menu bar, and you get one (additional) tap access to font changes, font-size changes, screen brightness changes, and all three themes available in iBooks. Why iBooks has a giant themes bar when they could easily replace it with buttons for the only three themes they offer makes no sense.
I thought Apple were the guys who were supposed to be masters of common-sense UI design?
Is it me, or did looking up words in the dictionary and highlighting text become more difficult along the way?
On the Kindle App, I just have to tap a word and the definition comes up immediately; as well as the options to highlight it, note it, share it, or look it up on google or wikipedia -- all just one more tap away.
On iBooks, one tap gets me NO definition -- just the option to tap again for the definition, or to copy, or to highlight it. Just to search a term on wikipedia, I have to tap the word and then tap THREE MORE times with all the menus and sub-menus. Why??
Plus highlighting is so much easier on the Kindle App -- if you are highlighting more than one word (as you usually are), just tap and drag your selection. Instant highlight! No tapping, selecting highlight, and then having to drag both the start and end selectors to the proper places. iBooks is just so damn tedious. Thank goodness for Calibre.
If any of these features are improved upon in the new iBooks, please let us know.
P.S. While I'm sure continuous scroll will be welcomed by some, it also seems a ridiculously tiresome way to read a long book to me. Page turns just require so much less effort; and it is nearly impossible to lose your place as it can be when you scroll some random amount and and now don't know how high on the page your eyes should be.
Web pages scroll; because they load faster that way, and make layout simpler because every user's browser window is different in both width and height; but they usually don't span more than a few page heights in length. When they do, then good site UI design dictates the author break the content into multiple pages. I can't even imagine scrolling through a book with hundreds or thousands of pages ad infinitum, without even a scroll wheel to make the job easier.
Why would this even be needed on devices with screens of so high a resolution that you can fit so much text on one page you don't need to even turn the page any more often (or even as often as) you do with a real book? Perhaps if your device only showed a few lines at a time; but this I just don't see an attraction to.
Does the new feature at least have some sort of auto-scroll mechanism? Adjustable to your reading speed and with the easy ability to pause?
I am not sure about that. What I want to know is, is the scrolling madatory? I like the pages fliping or turning like a real book.
So if I purchase a book on my iTunes account how will it transfer to my iCloud account?
My wife and I share iTunes. We each have different iCloud accounts since we are not sharing contacts, etc. Boy if there was a way that we could have the same iCloud account it would be so much easier.


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Reports in Germany claim that 22-year-old forward Schurrle has already agreed his part of a deal which could be worth in excess of £20million.
Voller travelled to England with general manager Michael Reschke to meet with Chelsea and talk terms over the highly-rated forward.
Asked about a deal with Chelsea, Voller told Bild: "Yes, I was in London and I have had discussions. There is nothing more to say, there is nothing decided yet. "
It is also claimed in the German media that Voller asked Chelsea about the possibility of taking Belgian winger Kevin De Bruyne as part of the deal.
The 21-year-old is currently impressing for Werder Bremen on loan and Bayer are hopeful that they can take De Bruyne on loan for next season.


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"From the design process online, to finalizing our order, this product was all we'd expected! The quality of the paper & photos were great...so very pleased & will order from the company again!"
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Arizona Cardinals
ESPN NFL analyst: Daryl Washington shows 'ultimate in selfishness'
At least publically, Daryl Washington's Arizona Cardinals teammates have expressed more support than anger over his year-long suspension.
It's about what you'd expect, really.
But that doesn't mean there aren't those in Cardinal Red who feel betrayed by their teammate, whose absence will certainly negatively impact the team's championship aspirations.
A guest of Burns and Gambo on Arizona Sorts 98.7 FM Friday, former NFL offensive lineman and current ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth said that's exactly how he'd feel.
"You love weed more than you love football; you love weed more than you love your teammates," he said with regards to Washington continually failing drug tests. "That to me is the ultimate in selfishness, the ultimate in lack of responsibility."
Schlereth said he would be upset with the fact that the only reason Washington was eligible for a suspension of this length in the first place is because he already missed four games due to a similar violation last season. That put him in line for random drug testing by the league, which is something the 27-year-old Washington knew yet still decided to risk his career anyway.
So now the Cardinals will have to press on without the former Pro Bowler who amassed 316 total tackles, 17 sacks and five interceptions over the last three seasons, and no matter how optimistic anyone on the team will profess to be, they are certainly worse without Washington than they are with him.
"I'd be disgusted with him," Schlereth said when asked how he'd feel if he was on the Cardinals right now.
The way the analyst sees it, the Cardinals were heading into this season knowing they had work to do to catch the San Francisco 49ers and Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks in the difficult NFC West, but having a great defense last year along with the fact that Arizona went into Seattle and won showed they aren't far off.
"You start to think if we could just get a little bit more balance on offense, we could win this division," he said. "We're one of the only teams that ever goes into Seattle and beats Seattle in Seattle for crying out loud. We've got that kind of juice as a football team, you've got to have a ton of confidence going into the season.
"And those are the decisions your standout linebacker -- because the kid is absolutely a phenomenal football player -- but those are the kind of decisions that you're making, putting yourself in front of the team."
As many people know and Schlereth noted, the best football teams tend to be the ones whose players learn to put the greater good above their own desires. Last season, the Cardinals appeared to be one of those teams.
"When you have guys that don't understand that principle, that are out there playing for themselves, that to me is just incredibly disappointing," he said. "If I was on that team I'd be livid, I'd be very upset with him."
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Cardinals Audio
- Jen Welter, Cardinals assistant coach - Tuesday July 28Welter talks about the historical significance of her hire, and how she'll approach the job
- Bickley Blast - Tuesday July 28The Cardinals made a ground breaking coaching hire
- Former Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowler Bertrand Berry - Tuesday July 28Bertrand Berry talks about the Cardinals hiring Jen Welter as the first woman coach in NFL history.
- Glenn Parker, Pac-12 and Cardinals analyst - Tuesday July 28Glenn Parker discusses new Cardinals coach Jen Welter and the strength of the Pac-12 South.
- Hardware - Monday July 27The Sign of Our Times award, the 2nd Place Isn't So Bad award and more


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BlogRovR is a Firefox extension that lets you browse the web guided by your favorite blogs. After you install the extension, you'll have the opportunity to enter a list of blogs (there are also predefined bundles of blogs) or import an OPML file from your feed reader. Everytime you visit a new web page, you'll a small box with snippets from the blog posts included in your list that link to the current page. For example, if you visit Google Video, you might see two surprisingly similar posts from TechCrunch and Mashable that discuss the problem of copyright infringement in online video sites and link to full-length movies available at Google Video:
You can configure from the toolbar how often BlogRovR's list shows up and even disable it when you don't want to see it.
This is a great way to cluster blog posts: visit the source of a news and you'll see a list of blogs that link to that page. It's also a method to see if one your favorite bloggers linked to your site.
Note: If this extension gives you a déjà vu feeling, then you know about Blogger Web Comments, a Firefox extension created by Google that "makes it easy to see what bloggers are saying about a page you're viewing". The difference is that Google's extension doesn't let you restrict the blogosphere to your favorite blogs.
AdWords Adds Bulk Uploads For Shopping Campaigns
28 minutes ago


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Harris will be at Trish Ann's from 8:30-10:30 a.m., Dec. 7, signing his second book, which is a children's book titled Inky Pinky. He should be finished up at Trish Ann's in time to make his 11 a.m. book signing at Kema's Hobby Bookstore, located in downtown Gray.
His final book signing of the day is at Agave Azul Mexican Restaurant from 3-5 p.m.
Harris' first book The Treasure Hound was released in 2007. It is a mystery set in Macon and Jones County. The author said his motivation for writing Inky Pinky was quite different than for his first book.
Harris said a friend's 4-year-old daughter, Gloria, had a fear of the dark and he witnessed the young mother as she anxiously worked to relieve her daughter of that fear.
"She fashioned a doll from an old sock and put a pink cape on its back. Then she put some of the Gloria's daddy's after shave on it," he said. "She gave Gloria the sock puppet at bedtime and told her the story of Inky Pinky who fought evil ghosts and monsters so children will no longer need to be afraid of them."
Harris said that night the little girl slept without waking up and is no longer afraid of the dark.
"I went home and wrote the story," he said.
The author said the little girl's fear hit home with him because he remembers being afraid of the dark as a small boy.
"Even if this book doesn't make any money, if I help one child get over their fear of the dark, that would be satisfying for me," he said.
Harris enjoys writing but his full-time job is as an E & I technician at a local paper mill where he has been employed for 38 years. He said he has always loved to write and was encouraged by his 12th grade literature teacher, Mrs. Chapman, to write a book or to write poetry. He did not pursue writing at all until the 1980s when he started his manuscript that would eventually become the Treasure Hound.
Harris was born in Bibb County and spent his early childhood in Lizella. He graduated from Southwest High School and moved to Jones County in 1976.
He lived in Gray for 19 years and now lives in Haddock.
His first book was published by Publish America but he switched to Trafford Publishing for Inky Pinky. Harris said the Trafford Publishing also provided the illustrations for his book.
The author said he is working on a proto-type of the Inky Pinky sock puppet and he hopes to eventually market the book and puppet together. He said the full day of book signings just came together because of his relationships with the business owners.
"I'm friends with Manuel at Agave's and I am a regular customer at Trish Ann's. I already had the signing set up at Kema's and the rest seemed to just work out," he said.
Harris said his signing at Trish Ann's is at the same time as the annual Breakfasts with Santa and Agave Azul is having a car show and fundraiser in partnership with the Jones County Cruisers.
He said he is already working on another children's book titled the Adventures of Lulu and Ruru, which would hopefully be the first of a series about the friendship of a little pig and dog.


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"Apple's rollout of the new iPad mini with Retina Display has been just plain weird.". Really?
and then ...
"But its lower-resolution screen and slower chip means that you have to make some compromises in performance and image quality.".
Come on ... compromises in performance and image quality is nonsense. The success of the Mini would suggest otherwise. I hardly feel compromised using the Mini in terms of performance and image quality. Sure, the Retina display will improve the product and an upgraded CPU will as well, but I fail to see how the current Mini rises to the level of compromise. At the time, compromise in relation to what? Products in the year 2087?
I know it must be a slow news day, because I will be honest with you ... the information you provided here has zero importance. It's apparent ... no, evident ... that many of you tech bloggers have to add drama to your articles for no reason other than ... adding drama.
They said late November ... if it's because of quality issues or lack of supply, then okay ... guess that's why it was a soft launch. The sun will still rise in the morning.


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I'm sure most of you have seen this in the news today. Apparently, the baby was born premature due to preeclampsia. Thought I'd share this amazing news story. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers as this little one heals!
Tanya (30)
Kansas Coordinator
Nathanial 3/6/99 HELLP 27 wks, 1lb 10oz
Jonathan 8/9/02 PIH/low fluid 34 wks, 4lb 8 oz


text: Next Purchase this photo Marcus Constantino/For The Herald-Dispatch Wayne's Jessie Rowe delivers a pitch during the West Virginia class AA Region IV, Section IV sectional championship game between the Wayne Pioneers and the Mingo Central Miners at Wayne High School, Monday, April 29, 2013, in Wayne, W.Va. Gallery: Wayne softball wins sectional Apr. 30, 2013 @ 07:05 AM The Herald-Dispatch / 2015 The Wayne softball team beat Mingo Central, 10-0, in the West Virginia class AA Region IV, Section 4 sectional championship Monday. ()


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RIO 2 - $1 Summer Films
G | 1 hour 41 minutes
The entire cast of the animated smash RIO returns for this brand new animated adventure, alongside a new flock of top actors and musical talents. Rich with grandeur, character, color and music, RIO 2 finds Jewel (Anne Hathaway), Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), and their three kids leaving their domesticated life in that magical city for a journey to the Amazon. They encounter a menagerie of characters who are born to be wild, voiced by Oscar nominee Andy Garcia, Oscar/Emmy/Tony winner Rita Moreno, Grammy winner Bruno Mars, and Tony winner K..More info


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"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to His purpose" Romans 8:28 (KJV)
We, the family of Robert and Patricia Richardson, would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest thanks for all those who had a part in their benefit dinner, singing and auction on Jan. 26, 2013 at Ashe County High School.
Although Robert and Patricia were unable to attend this event, through the advances of technology, they were able to see and hear the singing and auction via Skype. They were amazed by all the love and support that was shown.
We could not begin to know all the names of those who made this such a success. We pray that God will bless each one - for you are all a blessing to us. Again, thank you for your kindness and generosity.
It is our hope that each of you know Christ, for he is the only hope we have. He has been and continues to be with Robert, Patricia, Andy, Kevin and the rest of our family through this trying time.
May God richly bless each of you.
The Richardson Family