text:
Hi All,
Wondered if I could ask a little advice.
Currently, we use Zimbra Network addition [5.0.7] to host a single domain. It works well.
We have an old legacy domain which we support with incomming email though a domain alias, as per the instructions here: ManagingDomains - Zimbra :: Wiki
We would like to add another domain to the list, but for this one, we would like to give all users the option of sending mail from domain1.com [the real one], or domain2.com [the new one]. We would like this feature from both the webclient and outlook.
In adition, we would like all mail going to domain2.com to have replies that originate from domain2.com. So if someone mails firstname.lastname@example.com, and I reply, the reply has to appear to come from firstname.lastname@example.com.
I have sort of got this to work using a persona. I created a domain alias, and everyone is getting email for domain2.com correctly. I then created a persona on my own account, and used to "Use this persona:" field to make the replies work. It works from webmail.
I have two questions with this setup:
1) Is there a better way of doing it? Specificaly, a way that doesn't involve going though 200ish accounts and adding the persona settings!
2) It appears to semi-work from outlook [2003]. The replies get sent from the correct address, and the persona is listed under tools -> options. But I can't find where I can set the outgoing email address when composing a new email. All I get is an "Accounts" drop down, which lists the other outlook accounts I have set up [such as IMAP ones]. Also, what does the "Use this persona as an Outlook Identiy" do?
Any thoughts/insights would be much appreciated.
Many thanks


text:
You guys tell me that you love adult breastfeeding videos. Girl on girl, boy on girl, it's all good and it's your single most popular video request. I admit I do adult breastfeeding every chance I get, the taste, the feel of the milk running over my tongue, indescribably delicious. I'm getting myself excited just writing this but enough about me here.
This video brings you milky breasted Valentina and her husband Lucho who were thrilled to fulfill your adult breastfeeding video request. Valentia is another auto-dripper like Daniela but unlike many of the other girls she should please fans of small milky breasts.
The high definition video starts with Valentina auto-dripping just to get started. She then takes her small milky tits in hand and squirts for you and then moves on to use the electric breast pump.
When she's fully primed and lubricated with milk she calls Lucho over for the adult breastfeeding main event. Now, I'm not a jealous kinda guy but I was thinking that I'd rather be the guy sucking and drinking from those luscious milky tits than the guy stuck behind the camera.
I'm not sure if Lucho actually drank her dry but he sure did try. He really had a good time and I know you'll have a great time watching this adult breastfeeding video.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
May 29, 2016
Traffic accidents in Michigan claimed fewer lives last year.
Gov. John Engler announced on Monday that 1,328 people died in auto accidents last year, however that is down almost four percent from the year before.
Auto related accidents were also down almost six percent to 400,813.
Tougher seatbelt laws are being given much of the credit for the drop.
Driver distraction is being blamed for almost 4,300 crashes last year. The total number of alcohol and or drug-related deaths decreased more than two percent.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
This website is best viewed in a browser that supports web standards.
Skip to content or, if you would rather, Skip to navigation.
Home » Math & CSIS » MS-ACS
All graduate students must complete a writing sample during their first trimester of study. The program director will inform you of details.
Northwest Missouri State University
800 University Drive | Maryville, MO 64468
660.562.1212 | www.nwmissouri.edu
© 2013 Northwest Missouri State University. All rights reserved.


text:
Brother Deejay, those a sound deadening rubber strips.
They are for sound deadening. If removed there is no downside other than extra noise. I am surprised that we haven't seen it done yet.
For real, Deejay! And, unless those that have more seat time than I have on the G5 say it ain't so, I suspect they can be safely removed Brothers Vince, Scoot, 120, Mark, Martyn what say you?
I'm not too keen on the mechanicale noises either. A nice exhaust tone is the order of the day for me.Sitting astride the machine whilst riding it does at times sound very mechanical, but if I could jump off, and listen to the pipe notes at the rear, I would be very happy.Regards
Page created in 0.086 seconds with 34 queries.


text: The Homecoming Part Two, Chapter Four: Mannahatta wiki last edited by AntiThrall on 11/08/14 09:41AM View full history PRELUDE TO "X-MEN: SECOND COMING" EVENT! The penultimate chapter in the X-Men saga that began with "Messiah CompleX" continues here! Now that Hope's told Cable that she's ready to join the X-Men in the present, Cable risks it all to repair his busted time machine. Finally, after years of being stuck in a one-way trip to oblivion, Cable and Hope leap into the past. But the Mutant Messiah and her surrogate father miss the mark by more than a few hundred years, finding themselves in a primitive Manhattan – and hunted by a mutant who just doesn't know the meaning of the word "quit."


text:
JAN 23, 2013 - GigaOM
A Must Read - Share
Puppet and VMware will work on joint solutions to ease the configuration and management of IT environments, says Puppet Labs CEO Luke Kanies.
Editor's Picks
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text:
The Defcon conference is the wild and woolly version of Black Hat for the unwashed masses of hackers. It always has its share of unusual hacks. The oddest so far is a collaborative academic effort where medical device security researchers have figured out how to turn off someone's pacemaker via remote control. They previously disclosed the paper at a conference in May. But the larger point of the vulnerability of all wirelessly-controlled medical devices remains a hot topic here at the show in Las Vegas.
Let's not have a collective heart attack, at least not yet. The people on the right side of the security fence are the ones who have figured this out so far. But this has very serious implications for the 2.6 million people who had pacemakers installed from 1990 to 2002 (the stats available from the researchers). It also presents product liability problems for the five companies that make pace makers.
Kevin Fu, an associate professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and director of the Medical Device Security Center, said that his team and researchers at the University of Washington spent two years working on the challenge. Fu presented at Black Hat while Daniel Halperin, a graduate student at the University of Washington, presented today at Defcon.
Getting access to a pacemaker wasn't easy. Fu's team had to analyze and understand pacemakers for which there was no available documentation. Fu asked the medical device makers, explaining his cause fully, but didn't get any help.
William H. Maisel, a doctor at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital and Harvard Medical School, granted Fu access for the project. Fu received an old pacemaker as the doctor installed a new one in a patient. The team had to use complicated procedures to take apart the pacemaker and reverse engineer its processes. Halperin said that the devices have a built-in test mechanism which turns out to be a bug that can be exploited by hackers. There is no cryptographic key used to secure the wireless communication between the control device and the pacemaker.
A computer acts as a control mechanism for programming the pacemaker so that it can be set to deal with a patient's particular defribrillation needs. Pacemakers administer small shocks to the heart to restore a regular heartbeat. The devices have the ability to induce a fatal shock to a heart.
Fu and Halperin said they used a cheap $1,000 system to mimic the control mechanism. It included a software radio, GNU radio software, and other electronics. They could use that to eavesdrop on private data such as the identity of the patient, the doctor, the diagnosis, and the pacemaker instructions. They figured out how to control the pacemaker with their device.
"You can induce the test mode, drain the device battery, and turn off therapies,†Halperin said.
Translation: you can kill the patient. Fu said that he didn't try the attack on other brands of pacemakers because he just needed to prove the academic point. Halperin said, "This is something that academics can do now. We have to do something before the ability to mount attacks becomes easier.â€
The disclosure at Defcon wasn't particularly detailed, though the paper has all of the information on the hack. The crowd here is mostly male, young, with plenty of shaved heads, tattoos and long hair. The conference is a cash-only event where no pictures are allowed without consent. It draws thousands more people from a much wider net of security researchers and hackers than the more exclusive Black Hat.
Similar wireless control mechanisms are used for administering drugs to a patient or other medical devices. Clearly, the medical device companies have to start working on more secure devices. Other hackers have figured out how to induce epileptic seizures in people sensitive to light conditions. The longer I stay at the security conferences here in Las Vegas, the scarier it gets.
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- The Last Musketeer: whimsical, dreamlike, and delightful comic - 2010
- Former SF City sysadmin gets 4 year sentence for refusing to hand over passwords - 2010
- Saudi Arabia and RIM reach BlackBerry deal - 2010
- Drilling robot to explore mysterious tunnels in Great Pyramid - 2010
- Sharpie liquid pencil - 2010
- Kid Solves Rubik's Cube, While Playing Guitar Hero... on Expert - 2009
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text:
June 22, 2003
Prayer of the Day
O God our defender, storms rage about us and cause us to be
afraid. Rescue your people from despair, deliver your sons and
daughters from fear, and preserve us all from unbelief; through your
Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Job 38:1-11
1. the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:
Job challenged Yahweh to a hearing in court in 31:35 concerning the
death of his innocent children. Now Yahweh responds to Job's demand
and questions him. The whirlwind is a metaphor for Yahweh's power.
2-11: "Yahweh's defense consists largely of posing
challenging questions which highlight the mysterious
incomprehensibility of his cosmic design while exposing the total
ignorance of his adversary…. …God is not merely asking Job if he
has understanding, but whether he has acquired that primordial wisdom
which would enable him to 'discern' the mysteries of earth's
design." [1]
Bases…cornerstone…doors…garment…swaddling band…bounds…bars
and doors: These are all references to the cosmological framework
of the ancient Israelites. While they would have taken them literally,
we tend to understand them metaphorically.
4. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Eliphaz
had raised similar questions in 15:7-9 to put Job in his place.
"In other words, the God of Job pulls rank on His human
challenger. His answer is simply a function of His power. To borrow a
wonderful line from a Ring Lardner story: '"Shut up' he
explained."'" [2]
Psalm 107:1-3; 23-32
1. O give thanks…: See Psalms 106:1; 107:1;
118:1, 29; 136:1; 1 Chronicles 16:34. See also Psalms 105:1; 136:3; 1
Chronicles 16:8 for similar statements. This is a summons to
2. Let the redeemed of The Lord say so: Not say that they are
the redeemed of the Lord, but say the words of the first verse. In
this Psalm the several groups are invited to give Yahweh thanks. Their
situation is described (for example, verses 4-5), their cry to the
Lord (verse 6) and his saving action (verse 7), an invitation to thank
Yahweh for his act (8-9), with the expectation that an act of
thanksgiving would follow. Then the process starts over. The groups
mentioned in the Psalm are lost desert wanderers (4-9), freed
prisoners (10-16), the sick (17-22), seafarers saved from shipwreck
25, 29: This is the point of connection with the Gospel, though
the Gospel text deals with a storm on the Sea of Galilee, while the
Psalm draws on the experience of those who sailed on the
26-27: A description of the plight of those on a ship in a
storm at sea.
2 Corinthians 6:1-13
The second lessons for Propers 7, 8
and 9 are a semi-continuous reading from 2 Corinthians; for Propers
10-16, from Ephesians; for Propers 17-21, from James; for Propers
22-28, from Hebrews.
1. urge: [parakaleo] "It suggests meanings of 'appeal,'
'encourage,' and 'console' and reflects a Pauline rhetorical
preference…for coaxing over coercing…. In this instance, Paul asks
the Corinthians merely to recognize what cannot be overlooked, to do
what must be done, to accept what cannot be refused: the imperative
gift of 'the grace of God' (v. 1)." [3]
not to accept the grace of God in vain: In Christ everything
has become new. To act as if nothing has changed, that the world is
the same now as it was before Jesus' death and resurrection, and
that we are still in slavery to sin and death, to the temptations of
the flesh and seductions of the evil one would certainly be to have
received God's grace in vain.
2: The quotation is from Isaiah 49:8. This verse follows the
second Servant Song in Isaiah, and immediately continues: "I have
kept you and given you as a covenant to the people…." For those
to whom he is writing, now is the acceptable time to "open wide
your hearts" (verse 13) both to Paul and to the Gospel of God's
reconciliation in Christ which he proclaims..
3-10: Paul defends his ministry and describes his credentials
as an apostle.
12. There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours:
This reflects the conflict between Paul and members of the Christian
community in Corinth. (2 Corinthians 2:1-4).
13. open wide your hearts also: The connection is to verse 11
where Paul says that his heart is wide open to the Corinthians. Here
he asks that they accept his apostleship and be reconciled with him.
Mark 4:35-41
35. On that day: Jesus had gotten into the boat
when a large crowd gathered, and he taught them from the boat (4:1).
across to the other side: "the country of the
Gerasenes" Mark 5:1. This is on the east side of the Sea of
39. He…rebuked the wind…the wind ceased, and there was a dead
calm: While John explicitly says, "All things were made
through him," Mark recognizes the same reality in Jesus' words
and actions. Speaking to the inanimate forces of nature by God or a
surrogate is not isolated to this passage. See Job 38:11.
40. still: The implication is that the disciples' faith has
been the issue of an earlier clash, but, in fact, it is the first of a
series of reproaches of the disciples for their lack of faith (Mark
6:52; 7:18; 8:17f, 21, 32f.; 9:19).
Have…no faith: Jesus interprets the disciples' action in
waking him and asking him if he did not care that they were perishing
as indications of cowardice and faithlessness.
41. Who, then is this: Similar questions are asked in Mark
1:27; 2:7; 6:2; 11:28. The answer is already implicit in the question:
only God commands the obedience of the natural elements; Jesus is the
Son of God (Mark 1:1). The reader knows this though those in the boat
did not. So, for them, the story is an epiphany, or a potential
epiphany. There are several confessions of Jesus' identity: the
unclean spirit in 1:24; Peter in 8:;29; Jesus, himself, in response to
the high priest's question in 14:61f., and to Pilate in 15:2; and
finally, the Roman centurion in 15:39.
The pericope is not simply a miracle-story which points to the power
of God over nature. It also deals with "the trial with which the
disciples are confronted (to conduct themselves in the storm as men of
faith)…." [4]
There is a connection between the miracle story and Jonah
1: "In both cases there is a connection between the imminent
shipwreck and a prophet sleeping on board. The stilling of the storm,
too, is related to the prophet, although in differing ways. In Jonah 1
the storm is stilled after the prophet is thrown overboard and in the
miracle story by the fact that the prophet intervenes and subdues sea
and wind with his powerful word. Jonah 1, thus, concerns a disobedient
prophet and the miracle story concerns an obedient prophet. The
miracle story could be an elaboration on the words, ["and see,
something greater than Jonah is here"] which we read in Mt xii 41
par. Lk xi 32 [5], and which
could function as the answer to the question in vs. 41." [6]
Hymns [7]
With One Voice (e.g. 762v), Hymnal Supplement 1991
(e.g. 725s) and LBW (e.g. 32).
E=Entrance; D=Hymn of the Day; I=First Lesson, P=Psalm;
II=Second Lesson; G=Gospel
257 --E--Holy Spirit, Truth
343 --E--Guide Me Ever,
450 --D--Who Trusts in
293/4 --I--My Hope
659v --II--O Sun of Justice
334 --G--Jesus, Savior, Pilot
333 --G--Lord, Take My
467, 320, 501, 507
Prayers of
the People [8]
Or [9]
or deacon
Let us offer prayers to our God, who gives us water in the desert and
blots out our transgressions.
Deacon or other leader
For the church of Jesus Christ following the way in the
For a blossoming of peace among all nations and peoples.
For those burdened by their sins or wearied by the iniquity of others.
For those with physical handicaps and those who care for them.
For all who are sick or homebound, and for the dying and the dead.
For our parish community and for those who are alienated from the
Loving God, ever faithful to your people, hear the prayers we offer
you this day and forgive us our sins, that we may declare your praise;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[1] Norman C.
Habel, The Book of Job: A Commentary, Philadelphia: The
Westminster Press, 1985, p. 536f.
[2] Alan M.
Dershowitz, The Genesis of Justice: Ten Stories of Biblical
Injustice that Let to the Ten Commandments and Modern Law, New
York: Warner Books, Inc., 2000, pp. 75f.
[3] Paul L.
Escamilla, "Pentecost and Then: Waiting with the Spirit," Quarterly
Review 20(2000)104-105.
[4] B.M.F. Van
Iersel and J.M. Linmans, "The Storm on the Lake," T. Baarda et
al. eds., Miscellanea Neotestamentica, Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1978,
Vol. 2, p. 33.
[5] In these two
passages the repentance of the Ninevites at the preaching of Jonah is
cited in response to the request for a sign by some of the scribes and
[6] B.M.F. Van
Iersel and A.J.M. Linmans, ibid., p. 21.
[7] http://www.worship.on.ca/text/rclb9900.txt
[8] http://www.worship.on.ca/text/pray_b2.txt


text:
- 135Promote
Art Print
Collaboration with Wilmer Murilloby Liam Smith
Collect your choice of gallery quality Giclée, or fine art prints custom trimmed by hand in a variety of sizes with a white border for framing.
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really cool style, like your work a lot :)
So cool!!!
great work guys!
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See More Comments


text:
This barbaric procedure will finally come to an end.
U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) after the House last week voted 281-142 to ban partial-birth abortion. The Senate was expected to take up the bill quickly, and President Bush promised to sign the ban into law.
I see in the United States all the huge facilities, parking lots, materials, and resources you have, but I don't see a revival in the church.
Billy Kim, president of Baptist World Alliance and pastor of 15,000-member Central Baptist Church in Seoul, South Korea.
This is a bit like trying to unscramble an egg.
Canadian Progressive Conservative Party leader Peter MacKay after efforts to unite Canada's two main conservative parties-the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservatives -bogged down last week.
A free ride from the media in Philadelphia? That's a good one.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb on Rush Limbaugh's comment that the media overrates Mr. McNabb because he is a black NFL quarterback. The conservative commentator last week resigned from ESPN's NFL Sunday Countdown because of the controversy generated by the remark.


text:
America's Got Talent: Susan Boyle Leaves Set, Plus Top Ratings! Updated!September 10, 2010 05:40:31 by Candace Young
The singing sensation from Britain's Got Talent, Susan Boyle, was slated to appear on America's Got Talent on NBC for a performance, but after a devastating disappointment, scrapped her plans and left! Keep reading to find out what happened to Susan Boyle in Los Angeles, and for AGT's top ratings news!
Topics: America's Got Talent, NBC Reality TV Shows | No Comments »
Kate Plus Eight: Kate Gosselin Claims Her Children Hate Going To Jon'sSeptember 10, 2010 02:59:06 by Lisa Princ
TLC's Jon & Kate Plus 8 star Kate Gosselin has been steering clear of the limelight…that was until today. Kate Gosselin recently made an appearance on Live with Regis & Kelly where she started to once again, blast her ex husband, Jon Gosselin.So what exactly did Kate have to say? Keep reading for all the details!
Topics: Kate Plus 8, TLC Reality TV Shows | No Comments »
The Bachelorette: Roberto Martinez's One Rule For Ali FedotowskySeptember 10, 2010 01:00:50 by Lisa Princ
ABC's The Bachelorette star, Ali Fedotowsky and her beau Roberto Martinez seem to be keeping the press busy these days with their public shows of affection, including a recent trip to Fenway Park. Now Roberto Martinez is dishing on his "one rule" for Ali Fedotowsky……but what exactly could that be? You'll have to keep reading for all the secretive details!
Topics: ABC Reality TV Shows, Ali Fedotowsky, The Bachelorette | No Comments »
The Real Housewives Of DC: Mary Amons' Mansion Up For Sale!September 10, 2010 12:00:58 by Jennifer
Have you ever wanted to live like on of the The Real Housewives of DC? Now you have the chance because the mansion owned by Mary Amons and her husband Rich Amons is on the market! Keep reading to hear all about it!
Topics: Bravo Reality TV Shows, The Real Housewives Of DC | No Comments »
Dancing With The Stars: Audrina Patridge Struggling With RehearsalsSeptember 10, 2010 11:30:26 by Lisa Princ
While's it been reported that some stars have yet to begin rehearsals for ABC's eleventh season of Dancing With The Stars, others are reportedly having a tough time with it. Audrina Patridge is allegedly struggling with her rehearsals according to US magazine. Keep reading to hear what Audrina had to say!
Topics: ABC Reality TV Shows, Dancing With the Stars | No Comments »
Jersey Shore: Snooki Gets Her SentenceSeptember 10, 2010 11:00:44 by Lisa Princ
Apparently, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino is not the only cast member of Jersey Shore on MTV making headlines these days. Nicole "Snooki†Polizzi is now facing given her sentence for the charges on her arrest from a little over a month ago, even being called "obnoxious" by the judge! Keep reading for all the details!
Topics: Jersey Shore, MTV Reality TV Shows | No Comments »
Flipping Out: Jenni Pulos Dishes About Working For Designer Jeff Lewis!September 10, 2010 10:00:35 by Jennifer
You know her as the quirky assistant who puts up with a lot of obsessive craziness on the hit show Flipping Out. But what is it really like to work for the very organized Designer Jeff Lewis? Read on to hear what Jenni Pulos has to say about her boss!
Topics: Bravo Reality TV Shows, Flipping Out | No Comments »
Keeping Up With The Kardashians: Kim Kardashian's Relationship Going StrongSeptember 10, 2010 09:00:17 by Lisa Princ
At least one of E!'s Keeping Up With the Kardashians sisters' relationships is going strong. We already know that it is not Kourtney according to the latest news of Scott Disik's plans. Kim Kardashian on the other hand is gushing about her relationship with NFL star Miles Austin. Keep reading for all the details!
Topics: E! Reality TV Shows, Keeping Up With The Kardashians | No Comments »
Bachelor Pad: Jesse Beck Speaks Out, Michelle Meets Tenley At Reunion!September 10, 2010 08:27:22 by Candace Young
With the Bachelor Pad season finale approaching Monday night on ABC, ousted bachelor Jesse Beck has chosen to speak out and reveal his thoughts on who might win the money and more! Also, sparks reportedly flew at the taping of the season finale when Michelle Kujawa met up with Tenley Molzahn again! Read on for all the details…
Topics: ABC Reality TV Shows, The Bachelor Pad | No Comments »
America's Next Top Model: Plus Size Model Toccara Jones Walks in New York Fashion WeekSeptember 10, 2010 08:00:42 by Rebecca Ford
Toccara Jones was the outspoken, plus-size model who competed on the third season of America's Next Top Model. Now, she's walking the runway at this week's New York Fashion Week.
Topics: America's Next Top Model, CWTV Reality TV Shows | 1 Comment »


text:
Last weekend I really pushed myself hard to try get myself off a weight loss plateau that I've been on for months. The strangest thing happened. Monday morning I weighed myself after using the bathroom (get rid of every bit of weight possible!) and I had gained 2 kgs i.e over 4 lbs! Same thing happened previous weekend. I do generally lose the gain over the next week before the next ride but that means I don't lose weight over time.
Saturday I did 80 miles (my longest distance yet due to getting lost on a planned 50 mile ride) solo - 5 hours
Sunday 45 miles group ride
Both were over hilly terrain where I pushed really hard uphill and there were a lot of hills. On the solo ride I specifically went to the steepest hills in the area. The group ride was especially hard becasue I was riding with people who were faster and much stronger climbers than me. Both rides exhausted me making me fall asleep after I got home. I did eat a lot post ride, but healthily - turkey, lettuce, cucumber, pasta, celery, eggs, peas
Some background: I was 210 lbs before the weekend. Height 5'10. Been cycling both days on weekends for about 10 months. I eat very healthily (no junk no added salt, very low fat, moderate carbs, lots of fruit and veg) - so healthy I get bored with the food I eat. Good cardio fitness. I don't get out of breath on solo rides though I do push hard (I always chase other faster riders whenever I see them and especially when they overtake me).
What's going on? Why do I keep gaining weight after rides? Why can't I lose weight over time? Anyone else see weight gain after rides?


text:
This is a reflection on my first day of the schoolyear 2013-2014. I used modern tools and strategies to reach a new group of 4th graders. I was successful in reaching every one. My challenge will be to keep up with my new patterns and maintain the old ones that work. One example of an old approach is homework.
I like to keep homework to a minimum. I feel like unless kids get help at home, worksheets can be a big waste of time. In fact, they can even prove harmful so I haven't traditionally given many as homework. This year I will return to worksheets but in a minimal way. Parents have requested them enough to where I feel I should acquiesce to them. This year I am very focused on parents and their requests. I think the smartest teachers have come to see the value of parent requests. This is true even when it may go against what we know the "experts" say. I really feel that I do work for the parents and in most cases need to give them what they ask for. As a parent myself of three school aged kids, I would expect the same from their teachers. I am assigning an AR book for 30 mins a night and one worksheet on Language Arts and Math. I am committed to explaining the homework in detail before they are expected to do it. After that, I emphasize they do not have to do it 100% correctly. I want to discourage just "filling in" anything so it appears done.
One other piece of innovation I am trying is the use of tables instead of desks. This is cleaner. When kids have nowhere to put clutter and trash, they have to use their backpacks. This keeps it off the floor. More than that though, the tables are more conducive to collaborative work. They can lean over within their group and take more ownership of their team when they are at a table. I am trying to avoid the "lone wolf" mentality.
Both these pieces of innovation helped make today great. I am always scouring blogs and youtube to find new ideas for my classroom. If you think these two things are radical, stay tuned the whole year.


text:
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In Enough Project Policy Analyst Holly Dranginis' latest report, Grand Theft Global: Prosecuting the War Crime of Natural Resource Pillage in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dranginis provides an inside look at why the widespread theft of minerals in Congo has gone on unpunished, and how policymakers and legal practitioners can help advance cases. Grand Theft Global is the result of research in Congo, The Hague, and Washington, DC, including dozens of interviews with Congolese attorneys, international prosecutors, and local communities affected by pillage and the violence it enables.
Senior Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) commander Dominic Ongwen, who surrendered Tuesday in the Central African Republic, should be transferred to the International Criminal Court to face charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The plight of women and children in eastern Congo has not received the urgent response it needs, which has facilitated widespread impunity. This culture of impunity allows perpetrators to continue their violations against vulnerable civilians. Sanctions on such perpetrators help combat the culture of impunity by holding the guilty accountable, allowing the survivors and their communities the opportunity to move forward and sending a clear message that violence against women and children will not be tolerated.
On July 17th, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon announced the appointment of senior Algerian diplomat Ambassador Said Djinnit as Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region of Africa. With international attention on Congo at a peak, Amb. Djinnit, in cooperation with his colleagues working in the Great Lakes region, African political leaders, and civil society groups, must harness this opportunity and lay the groundwork for a sustainable peace to take root.
On June 2, the family of murdered Congolese human rights activist Floribert Chebeya filed a lawsuit in Senegal accusing a Congolese police officer of participation in the 2010 killing of Chebeya and his driver, Fidele Bazana. The new charges, filed on behalf of the victims' relatives, are a welcomed development in an otherwise troubling series of events following Chebeya's death. Congolese authorities should properly investigate and prosecute these crimes and ensure the families and supporters of the case are protected from intimidation and attack.


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Mitch Brewe used his size to his advantage as Seattle Prep routed Mountain View 64-39, and Rainier Beach raced past Glacier Peak 87-51.
BELLEVUE — Seattle Prep's boys basketball team has been proving lately why it's ranked No. 1, and Friday night was no different as the Panthers beat Mountain View of Vancouver 64-39 at Bellevue College to earn a berth in the Class 3A state quarterfinals.
"When we're coachable and determined to be focused, we're a hard team to beat," said Prep senior Mitch Brewe. "It doesn't matter who comes in or where they're from, we're coming to play."
Last weekend, the Panthers (22-5) knocked off then-No. 1 Rainier Beach to claim the Sea-King 3A District's top spot at regionals. Friday night, they silenced a Thunder offense that had rolled through its district tournament behind the sharpshooting of senior Zach Torson.
"I think, to our credit, we played with a lot of energy and kind of took some things away from him," Prep coach Mike Kelly said of Torson.
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Torson, who had looked like Jeremy Lin while scoring 128 points in his previous four games for Mountain View (20-8), was held to 11 by the Panthers.
Seattle Prep, meanwhile, was unstoppable offensively behind the aggressive play of Brewe, who had 19 points. Teammate D.J. Fenner added 17 points.
"He's been really consistent," Kelly said of Brewe. "He's been consistent in practice and in the games, and I think that's what I like most."
The Metro League MVP used his 6-foot-8, 230-pound frame to his advantage, grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring with ease on put-back shots.
"He was there with both his emotions and his play," said Kelly. "He has just been solid all around, and that's what we've been talking about. Just being solid and letting the game come to us and see what happens."
Taking heed of their coach's advice has brought the Panthers to the state tournament for a third season in a row.
"It always feels good to go to state," said Kelly. "It always feels good to go down to Tacoma."
Other game
No. 3 Rainier Beach 87, Glacier Peak 51
The third-ranked Vikings (23-3) took an early lead and cruised to an easy victory and a return to the Tacoma Dome after an early playoff exit last season.
The 36-point loss was the largest of the season for the Grizzlies (17-8), who fail to reach Tacoma for the first time in three seasons.
Kansas-bound Anrio Adams scored 22 points for Rainier Beach. Junior Zach Pederson scored 26 for the Grizzlies.


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« American Idol Contestant is a Former Stripper | Home | Jackass Star Steve-O's Latest Stunt: Jail Time »
Dinner: Impossible Star Sacked Over Lies
March 04, 2008 09:36 AM by Jennifer_Brown
"I met people with all this money, it was like trying to keep up with the Joneses. I was sitting in a bar one night and that came out. It was stupid," said Robert Irvine in a recent interview.
The Food Network star was referring to lies that he'd told regardingthe resume that landed him the job on Dinner: Impossible. Lies that ultimately have cost him his job as star of Dinner: Impossible.
Irvine has now admitted to lying about his claims that he was a knight who'd cooked for the Royal Family, including making Charles and Diana's wedding cake.
His claims of grandeur have stretched to this side of the pond as well, as he'd also lied that he'd cooked for four U.S. presidents, including George Bush, Sr., George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Ronald Reagan.
After Buckingham Palace denied his claims, Irvine was forced to cop to the lies. As a result, the Food Network has given him the boot, agreeing to complete production of the current season, but not renewing his contract when it's over.
Irvine insists that he's proud of his accomplishments, but agrees that he should not have embellished on those and says he's "truly sorry."
Photo Courtesy: Food Network
Topics: Dinner Impossible |
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PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — There have been 11 more fatal accidents in the state compared to the first two months of last year, and law enforcement authorities are citing a number of factors, including bad weather.
Lee Axdahl with the South Dakota Office of Highway Safety says frequent snowfalls have created road conditions that may have contributed to the crashes. Axdahl notes that half of this year's victims were not wearing seatbelts.
Axdahl says it is still "difficult" to understand that some people still drive without buckling up first.
Axdahl said alcohol, speeding, and overdriving road conditions in bad weather also contributed to several of the wrecks.


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I'm trying to make a simple rss feed filter, but a few of the feeds aren't being fetched. Minimum example pipe is here:
Instead of working properly, the pipe reports the error:
warning Error fetching http://iopscience.iop.org/2041-8205/?rss=1. Response: 0
and the feeds I would like to fetch(and that have this problem) are:
These feeds work properly when you give them to a feed reader (tested in google reader and feedly), but not in pipes.
I can't tell if this is a yahoo pipes problem, or an iopscience.iop.org problem.
Any idea what I'm doing wrong?
Anyone have any ideas? Do yahoo and iop.org not play well?
From the W3C RSS feed Validator you do not have a valid RSS feed.
You can use the YQL module with the query
select * from rss where url in ('http://iopscience.iop.org/2041-8205/?rss=1','http://iopscience.iop.org/0004-637X/?rss=1')
select * from rss where url in ('http://iopscience.iop.org/2041-8205/?rss=1','http://iopscience.iop.org/0004-637X/?rss=1')
Hi. I am totally new to YahooPipes and the coding involved. Now your iop issue. With other iop journals I have experienced the same problem, the RSS does not return anything although if I put it directly in my bookmarks in Firefox the feed shows correctly. Sometimes I try again running the pipe and the iop server seems to respond and I get no errors, and in both cases I use Fetch Feed module. I did try the solution previous poster suggested using the "select *" command and the YQL module and results change but intermittently, that is using Fetch Feed or YQL does not solve the iop problem for good. Since I don't know much about this YQL or more sophisticated coding, for now, I think it may well be just an iop server problem that sometimes show and sometimes it doesn't.
in Pipes


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The ceremony celebrated this Monday afternoon in Madrid marks the beginning of the play-off phase of the season. The first round of matches will be played on the 17th on May, Barça will take on quarter-final rival Lucentum Alicante
Xavi Pascual was awarded the prize that distinguishes him as the best manager of the regular season
Panko, MVP
Andy Panko, Lagun Aro, was named the MVP of the regular season. Juan Carlos Navarro finished fifth. It's worth mentioning that Erazem Lorbek was named to the All Star ACB team of the regular season, along with Llull (Madrid), Vidal, Panko (Lagun Aro) and Teletovic (Caja Laboral).
The play-offs are here. After the conclusion of the Liga's regular season, the presentation of the play-offs took place this Monday at the Goyeneche Auditorium in Madrid. The top eight finishers in the league will start their title bids on May 17. The ceremony was attended by Joan Creus, Barça's technical secretary; Joan Carles Raventós, director responsible for Barça's basketball program; Xavi Pascual, Barça Regal manager and the player Erazem Lorkbek.
Pascual and Lorbek the focus of attention
The Barça Regal manager was one of the main protagonists of the night. Pascual was awarded the prize that distinguishes him as the best manager of the regular season. This is the manager's third consecutive Best Manager award.
The Barça Regal player, Lorbek, talked about his team's upcoming quarter-final rival, Luncentum Alicante: "we'll have to play well if we want to beat Luncentum again. It's always difficult when they know you so well." It's worth mentioning that both teams have played against each other three times this season, two times in the regular season and once in the Cup. Barça won all three meetings.
Kaloyan Ivanov, Lucentum Alicante's representative at the gala, said that "being here [in the play-offs] is a success, but we want more, because that's what allows us to keep on growing." Lucentum Alicante sealed qualification for the play-offs on Sunday.


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Interview with Russ Kennedy of Cleversafe
VSM: What are some of the most compelling challenges that businesses are facing in light of the growth in Big Data?
RK: The most compelling challenges businesses face today are in capturing, managing, storing and analyzing this data that is growing exponentially and coming at them from every direction in order to positively affect their business by driving profit, volume and/or share. With the explosion of unstructured data and the variety of sources for that data today, businesses are constantly being challenged to develop methods for capturing, preserving and making that data actively available to be able to collaborate, analyze and potentially monetize it to gain competitive advantage. Today's businesses are also challenged at ensuring the data is secure and always available despite component failures, network outages, security breaches, or natural disasters. These businesses also face constant pressure to stay on top of and understand constantly emerging technologies and approaches like virtualization, tiering, information dispersal, cloud computing, object-storage, etc., in order to help their organization address the challenges brought on by the rapid explosion of information.
VSM: What's needed to overcome these challenges?
RK: In order to make this happen, these organizations will need to build a flexible infrastructure and a set of capabilities capable of meeting all of these challenges in a cost-effective manner. No one single product or vendor can solve these challenges today. IT organizations are looking for best-of-breed solutions that they can deploy in an interoperable way to deliver maximum flexibility and scope to solve these challenges. Whether it is hardware, software, operating system, network, storage or application, efficient organizations understand the need to bring these solutions together in a cohesive and comprehensive way to solve new challenges. Vendors need to bring solutions that work with a variety of leading technologies in the market to enable these organizations to establish and maintain optimum and flexible environments for capturing and analyzing information. This is particularly true in the case of storage solutions. Many computing and application processing environments must utilize data storage solutions to preserve and protect information, in some cases forever. Because they are protecting the organization's most critical assets, storage solutions and therefore storage vendors must deliver their products with flexible and comprehensive interface capabilities.
VSM: What's needed within the industry to make this (Ecosystem) real?
RK: Two major items are needed in the industry to make all of this possible: willing vendors that understand the need for solutions to interoperate with other technologies, and standard interfaces that enable these solutions to interoperate in a collaborative way to solve problems. The most successful vendors recognize that IT organizations want choice and the ability to bring on best-of-breed solutions develop and integrate with standard interfaces and APIs and are willing to share those interfaces and APIs with other technology vendors to ensure their products work well together.
Storage vendors play a very important role in this equation because of the fact that they are responsible for the capture and protection of critical information and they must enable a variety of other technologies to analyze and use that information for driving growth. Making it easy for applications and users to access and process information is the goal, and storage vendors that are willing to work collaboratively with other technology vendors will deliver on that goal.


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EXPLORE: Southern California theme and water parks
Theme Parks
Belmont Park ---- Opened in 1925, this beachside amusement park features the historical Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster, along with a traditional carousel, bumper cars, the Beach Blaster suspension thrill ride, CHAOS 360-degree spin ride, laser and mirror mazes, kiddie rides, flight simulator, climbing tree, arcade, picnic and play areas, the Wave House, with the Bruticus Maximus giant wave rider and Flow Rider perpetual wave machine, and the 80-year-old Plunge, the largest indoor pool in Southern California, and the new Sound Wave restaurant and concert venue; hours, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays-Sundays; 3190 Mission Blvd., Mission Beach; unlimited ride wristbands, $22.95 (50 inches and taller) and $15.95 (under 50 inches); individual rides, $2-$6; Giant Dipper is $6; Flow Rider is $15; miniature golf is $7; 858-488-1549 or belmontpark.com .
Boomers! Vista ---- Amusement park features arcades, bumper boats, batting cages, miniature golf, laser tag, children's rides and a large climbing structure; noon to 8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, noon to 10 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays; 1525 W. Vista Way, Vista; $27.99 (unlimited, excludes batting cages and coin arcade) for those 58 inches and taller; $24.99, under 58 inches; $3-$8, single attractions; 760-945-9474 or boomersparks.com .
Castle Park ---- Opened in 1973, the medieval-style theme park has more than 30 rides including roller coasters, a log chute, carnival rides, an arcade, miniature golf and magic shows; arcade opens at 11 a.m. daily; rides open at noon; 3500 Polk St., Riverside; unlimited ride pass: $21.99, taller than 48 inches; $14.99, under 48 inches; annual passes, $50-$55 (miniature golf has separate fee, $6.99-$7.99); $6 parking; 951-785-3000 or castlepark.com .
Discovery Science Center ---- "Planetary Research Station" exhibit," "Robots & Us," "Smokey Bear & Woodsy Owl: Home Sweet Home" and "BubbleFest" exhibits are now open; museum features more than 100 hands-on science, math and technology exhibits, including "Dino Quest," earthquake "shake shack," climbing wall, musical floor, and 4-D theater. Now featuring "Masters of the Night: The TRUE Story of Bats"; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; Discovery Science Center, 2500 N. Main St., Santa Ana; $12.95, general; $9.95, children (3-17); free, children 2 and under; movies are $3; Dino Quest is $5; $3, parking; 714-542-2823 or discoverycube.org .
Disneyland Park ---- "Captain EO," the 17-minute Michael Jackson mini-musical that played in the park's Tomorrowland theater from 1986 to 1997, has reopened (replacing "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience"); opened in July 1955, Walt Disney theme park features 60 attractions, including roller coasters, trains, boats, trolleys, carriage and black-light rides, monorail, walk-throughs, live shows, hands-on exhibits, walkabout encounters and dining experiences; parades daily and "Remember ... Dreams Come True" fireworks and special effects show nightly; open daily; hours vary; Harbor Boulevard at Disney Way, Anaheim; $69, general (ages 10-59); $59, children 3-9; free, 2 and under; $84-$94, one-day park-hopper passes; $123-$143, two-day park-hopper passes; $134-$389, annual passes; $12, parking ($17, RVs); 714-781-4565 or disneyland.com .
Disneyland's California Adventure ---- Opened in 2001, this 55-acre Disney theme park highlights the history, culture, beauty and industries of California; themed lands include Golden State (agriculture, aviation, wilderness), Paradise Pier (seaside amusement park) and Hollywood Pictures Backlot (filmmaking, TV and stage shows); the park has more than 25 themed attractions, shows and rides; the park is in the midst of a multiyear expansion and enhancement that will include the introduction of many new attractions, rides and shows through 2012; hours vary, check Web site for daily schedule; Harbor Boulevard at Disney Way, Anaheim; $69, general (ages 10-59); $59, children 3-9; free, 2 and under; $84-$94, one-day park-hopper passes; $123-$143, two-day park-hopper passes; $134-$389, annual passes; $12, parking ($17, RVs); 714-781-4565 or disneyland.com .


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|Help choose the Good Neighbor
One outstanding individual is designated each year at fair time as Perkins County's Good Neighbor.
It's time to send in nominations for that honor, which is sponsored by Beta Sigma Phi Sorority and The Grant Tribune-Sentinel.
The selected Good Neighbor will ride in the parade on Saturday, July 31, and will receive an award plaque.
Please either complete the form in this issue or submit a letter of nomination to The Grant Tribune-Sentinel no later than July 19.


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Obama – Another Test of Leadership
As I had stated in an earlier post, Obama faced a test of his leadership when dealing with Iran and North Korea. Despite all of his bluster, both of those countries have continued down the same path toward nuclear capabilities despite Obama's inexperienced and amateurish tactics. One would always hope that the leader of your country would learn from past mistakes. The question becomes: Has | Read More »


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C. Jayaram, Joint Managing Director of the Bank, heads the wealth management business and international operations for Kotak Mahindra group. He also oversees the alternative investments business which includes private equity funds and real estate funds, as well as the institutional equities business. He has varied experience of over 36 years in many areas of finance and business and was earlier the Managing Director of Kotak Securities Limited. He has been with the Kotak Group for 24 years and has been instrumental in building a number of new businesses at Kotak Group. Prior to joining the Kotak Group, he was with Overseas Sanmar Financial Ltd.
He is a member of the Investor Relations (Shareholders'/Investors' Grievance) Committee of the Bank and Audit Committee of Kotak Securities Limited and Kotak Investment Advisors Ltd.
Jayaram is alumnus of Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIMC).


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Earlier this week, I mentioned all of the D-named players on our roster without consideration that a few of them would not be on the team come today. Well, it now appears that we have a few new "W's" on our team with Wallace, Wally and West… but we just have to hope that it all translates into the only "W" that matters: Wins.
My fiancee was laughing at me last night as I fielded a bevy of text messages and phone calls asking me what I thought about the deal. I'm not sure when I turned into the resident source of valid opinions, but it is good to see that it matters to some! At first glance, I was skeptical. We're taking on a TON of money (as Rock broke down last night), and are we getting what need in return?
After our crushing loss to the Pistons (without Larry Hughes, mind you) two seasons ago, many people said that the two things we needed were a defensive stopper down low and a three-point shooter. Remember, that's what Donyell Marshall (and Damon Jones, to an extent) was supposed to provide. Now we have one of the premier defensive players in the league in Ben Wallace – arguably on a regression – as well as a deadly efficient shooter – albeit overpaid – in Wally Szczerbiak.
Add Delonte West to the mix and I really like what we have. Those that are comparing points scored of the players we traded to those that we received must remember that this 21-year old guard is only a year out of averaging 12 points, 4.5 assists and three boards per game.
I honestly feel that the wild card in this whole deal will be Joe Smith. I know that many were upset that Drew Gooden is no longer with the team, but Smith provides a higher basketball IQ, position flexibility, and actually more points per minute than Gooden.
And if I had to pick a second part of this deal that I like, it is the free throw shooting. This actually could be one of the most overlooked parts of this deal given our historic struggles over the past few seasons. Smith is one of the better free throw-shooting big men in the league, currently at an 81 percent clip. While West is shooting 67 percent this year, his career average is at 82 percent – as this past few months have been crowded with noise in Seattle. And you should all know (given his collegiate home) that Wally Szczerbiak is golden from the line with a career average of 86 percent. Couple this with Ilgauskas and LeBron, and it could pose some trouble for opposing teams. Show me a game that we lost due to the poor play at the foul line and I'll show you a lineup of five guys that would be pretty tough to beat going forward.
Oh…and don't underestimate that future second round pick. For a team known more for trading picks away, I'm stoked to see that we got one in return.
OK, enough about the Cavs…
Jamal Lewis, come on down! While the Cavaliers were scurrying to get a deal done, the Browns locked up their running back for three more seasons as Lewis has stated that he would like to finish his career in Cleveland. I think this deal is perfect given Lewis' age (28) and play last season. It will take him into his early 30s while giving Cleveland a decent cushion to address other needs.
"I am thankful to the Browns for the opportunity they gave me last year to come out and prove that I was still one of the top running backs in the NFL," said Lewis in a statement. "I feel the future is extremely bright for this team and I'm excited to be a part of it for another three years. I said all year long that I wanted to get a long-term deal done to stay in Cleveland and it looks like with this new contract I'll be able to finish my career as a Brown."
He's saying the right things. Let's just hope that he and our O-Line can keep it going. Derek Anderson? He could be next.
Sorry for being extra long today. Enjoy your Friday…
(photo courtesy of Cleveland.com)


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Star Trek: Stardate 10-Film Collection on Blu-ray
By DAVID WEINER
September 10, 2013
This is the ultimate collection for any Star Trek fan and new fans of the series! Now that you've seen J.J. Abrams two new Trek movies (Star Trek Into Darkness hits DVD and Blu-ray today), dive into the 10 classic Trek films that came before! From the original Kirk, Spock and McCoy to Captain Picard, Worf and Riker of The Next Generation crew, this complete box set has all 10 films on Bluray: Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek: The Final Frontier, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Star Trek: Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek: Nemesis.
The Star Trek: Stardate set also includes 25 hours of bonus content, including interviews with the cast and crew, deleted scenes, commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes and much, much more like Speaking Klingon, The Evolution of the Enterprise, Villains of Star Trek, Star Trek Honors NASA, Greetings from the International Space Station, To Be Or Not To Be: Klingons and Shakespeare, Today's Tech Tomorrow's Data and a Gene Roddenberry Scrapbook.
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Things to see and do - French Atlantic Coast
Leaving for France
French Atlantic Coast :
Where to go?
Where to sleep?
French Atlantic Coast Hotel tips
Inter-Hotel Apolonia from45 €Book
Hôtel Mercure Bordeaux Lac from90 €Book
Hôtel Le Provençal from59 €Book
French Atlantic Coast Leisure tips
Bordeaux Vineyards Wine Tasting Half-Day Trip
- 38.0 €
- Book
Grands Crus Classes de Graves Wine Tour and Montesquieu's Chateau
- 105.0 €
- Book
Medoc 1855 Classification Premium Wine Tasting Day Trip
- 115.0 €
- Book
The Atlantic coastline from the Loire in the north to the vast barrier of the Pyrénées in the south, travels past the great plain of Poitou; the lush meadows of Le Bocage; the great wine-growing landscapes of Charentes and Bordelais; the lagoons and dunes of Landes; the valleys of Agenais; and the hills of Gascony.
This large and ancient province, centred on the town of Poitiers, incorporates the Pays de Retz, Vendée and the Marais Poitevin (the Poitou marshlands).
The Plain
The limestone plateau between the ancient massifs of the Vendée (which are the southern extremity of the Armorican peninsula on which Brittany sits) and Limousin (the region east of Angoulême) comprises a crescent stretching from Loudun to Luçon. Almost denuded of trees and cut through with deep valleys, the plain seems to roll away to infinity, its succession of fields, meadows and moors scarcely interrupted by the occasional village.
Certain subtle differences are discernable: in the north the plain is actually part of Touraine (the region around Tours); from Thouars to Châtellerault there are outcrops of local chalk, carpeted with thin patches of cultivation and moorland cropped by sheep. Here and there deposits of sand occur, and fields of asparagus can be seen in the middle of pinewoods. On the exposed hillsides bordering the River Thouet and River Vienne, the scattered winegrowers' houses are built of tufa (a hard crystalline chalk with a high mica content). The areas around Chauvigny and Montmorillon (on the Poitou borders), composed of sands and clay, were once a region of infertile heaths or brandes . In certain areas this heathland still subsists, supporting flocks of sheep and goats (the goat's cheese of Chauvigny is well known). In other places, where the heath has been cleared, Charollais or Limousin bullocks are raised. Flocks of pirons (a variety of goose raised for its skin and duvet or down) wander near the farms. West of Clain, continuing as far as Melle and St-Maixent, the Jurassic limestone, lacerated by valleys, has decomposed on the surface into what is locally called terre de groie (a compound soil part clay, part gravel, part lime, of proverbial fertility – especially for cereals and fodder plants such as clover and alfalfa).
Le Bocage
The Vendée and the Gâtine de Parthenay , south and west of the River Thouet, have many features in common. This is the region known as le bocage – an area of lush meadows bordered by hedgerows of hawthorn or broom, with sunken lanes leading to smallholdings and farms half hidden in leafy copses. The speckled brown Parthenay bullocks, bred and fattened for beef, are often seen grazing in this patchwork of small fields. The area is dotted with apple orchards and the occasional field of fodder plants grown to feed the cattle. A chain of low, rounded hills forms the backbone of this productive agricultural area, and these are known as Les Collines Vendéennes (the Hills of the Vendée).
Marshlands and Coast
The marsh (Marais) area extends from the schist landscapes of the Pays de Retz to the limestone cliffs of the Aunis – an ancient region centered on La Rochelle.
Between these cliffs, which mark the limit of the prehistoric Bay of Biscay (or Golfe de Gascogne as it is known in France), and the sea, salt marshes transformed into oyster farms glitter in the sun and sheep and cattle graze in the water meadows. Early fruit and vegetables ripen on the alluvial soil and wild ducks paddle the canals beneath over hanging hedgerows alive with smaller birds. The marshland, formed from debris accumulated by rivers and ancient ocean currents, lies sheltered behind the coastal dunes; rocky islets from the ancient coastline define the area's inner limit. From north to south the route passes successively through the Breton-Vendée marshland, which includes the marshes of Monts, the marshes of Olonne and of Talmont and the famous Marais Poitevin .
Huge beaches of fine sand lie along the foot of the dunes and on the offshore bars; between Noirmoutier and the mainland, on either side of the causeway known as the Passage du Gois, enormous stretches of mudflat are exposed at low tide. Noirmoutier itself and the more southerly Île d'Yeu (Isle of Yeu) provide yet more contrast: the one flat, peaceful and gentle; the other rocky and savage on its western coast.
The region known as the Charentes comprises the two départements of Charente and Charente-Maritime, separated by the green and placid valley of the River Charente, which themselves embrace the ancient provinces of Angoumois (the Angoulême region), Aunis and Saintonge (the region around Saintes). Charente itself, abutting the foothills of the Massif Central, divides into four natural geographic areas: to the west the wine country of Cognac, at the centre the cereal-growing Angoumois, in the northeast the Confolentais with its plateaux, and to the south the Montmorélien, a hilly landscape of mixed farming.
Charente-Maritime, facing the Atlantic, presents a coastline of rocks, dunes and sandy beaches, with a rural interior of forests and plains.
In the heart of the Charentes lies the town of Cognac , the capital of that chalky champagne area (the soil is similar to that in the Champagne region, east of Paris) bordering the south bank of the river that nourishes the grapes from which the world famous brandy bearing the name of the town is distilled.
The Plain
The limestone plateau, which extends from Angoulême to La Rochelle, provides a slightly monotonous landscape, only rarely cut by valleys (such as that of the Boutonne) dotted with small towns and an occasional whitewashed hamlet. As in Poitou, the Jurassic bedrock is cloaked with a reddish terre de groie ,or a fertile alluvium, on which cornfields take second place to crops of clover and alfalfa or fields of sugar-beet grown as fodder.
The Charentais coast is unusual because, especially towards its centre, alluvial deposits from the River Charente and River Seudre have combined with marine currents to form an area of marshland not unlike that in Poitou. Most of this swampy land has been either reclaimed as polders (low-lying lands protected by dykes) on which crops are grown, or transformed – especially near Marennes – into shallow basins in which mussels and oysters are farmed. The distance the tide goes out varies from 2km/1mi to 5km/3mi.
Not far offshore, the low-lying and sandy islands of Oléron and Ré, scattered with pretty white houses, define the outer limit of an inner sea – the Mer de Pertuis , so-called because the only way its waters can reach the open sea is via one or other of the straits (pertuis) dividing these isles from the mainland.
The region known as Le Bordelais, at the heart of the ancient province of Guyenne (Aquitaine), centres on the confluence of the River Garonne and River Dordogne. This transitional area between the limestone plains of Charentes to the north and the vast sandy expanse of the Landes to the south is drained by the Garonne and its tributaries towards the zone of subsidence around the estuary.
Agriculture here is dominated by the cultivation of vines.
Gironde Estuary
The Gironde is the name given to the great estuary which lies between the Garonne-Dordogne convergence and the sea. It is a modest reminder of the marine reaches which covered the Aquitaine basin long ago in the Tertiary era.
The northern bank of the estuary is bordered by limestone hills known as the Côtes de Bourg and Côtes de Blaye . On the south bank, where the land on the whole is lower, similar limestone formations have been eroded and then covered by gravels, producing the topsoil in which the famous vines of the Médoc flourish.
Covering the limestone bedrock of the Gironde are deposits washed down by the two great rivers; these deposits, stirred by the action of the tides, have determined the formation of marshes, which are separated from the running water by an alluvial belt, the palus .
Some of the marshland has been transformed, in the Dutch manner, into polders where meadows now lie; the rest remains the province of hunters and waterfowl. Artichokes are grown on the palus, and certain vines which produce a palus wine.
Over the centuries the movement of the water has created a number of elongated islands as well as sandbanks which are revealed at low tide.
This world-famous wine-producing area is divided into three separate zones: the region of viticulture proper; a zone of coastal forest; and the palus ,which punctuates the limestone bluffs of St-Estèphe and Pauillac. Fine red wines come from the first zone: north of St-Seurin-de-Cadourne these are produced mainly by local cooperatives and sold under the simple overall description of Médoc; to the south, from St-Seurin to Blanquefort, lies the district meriting the more distinguished Haut-Médoc appellation.
The word landes (moors) still conjures up a vision of the more desolate aspect of this part of the coast which existed prior to the 19C, when a remarkable project of reforestation transformed the area into a huge pine forest.
Coast and Dunes
The Landes sit on an enormous plain, roughly triangular in shape, covering an area of 14 000sq km/5 400sq mi. The side of the triangle runs down the 230km/143mi of coast from the Gironde estuary to the mouth of the Adour, and turns eastwards from the two points to meet at the triangle's apex 100km/62mi inland.
This ruler-straight shoreline, known as the Côte d'Argent (Silver Coast), is essentially one vast beach on which the sea deposits sand at an annual rate of 15 to 18cu m per metre/20 to 24cu yd per yard of coast. The sand, especially in those reaches of the strand only reached by the highest equinoctial tides, is then dried and blown inland by the west wind, where it accumulates in dunes. Until the last century these dunes then moved away from the sea at a speed varying between 10m/32ft and 27m/88ft per year. Today, fixed in position by the plantation of shrubs, grasses and forest trees, the dunes form a continuous but static coastal belt 5km/3mi wide. The strip is the longest and highest series of dunes in Europe.
Lakes, Lagoons and the Plain
Most of the watercourses in the region find themselves blocked by the dune barrier, the one exception being the Leyre (known also as the Eyre in its lower reaches) which finds its way directly to the sea via the Bassin d'Arcachon.
Elsewhere the streams have formed lakes, the surfaces of which are 15m/50ft to 18m/60ft above sea level. Most of these lakes intercommunicate; their waters force a passage through to the ocean with difficulty, via turbulent currents popular with water sports enthusiasts; the Huchet and Contis currents are typical examples.
The lakes and currents are well stocked with fish (such as trout, tench, carp and eel) but the huge areas of water involved make these coastal lakes and lagoons particularly suitable for the use of large scale boating equipment.
Sands distributed over the inner areas of the Landes originally formed part of material gouged from the Pyrénées by Quaternary Era glaciers; they exist now as a layer of brown sandstone, no more than 50cm/20in thick, known as the alios . This bed inhibits the percolation of water and blocks the extension of roots, and this, combined with the poor drainage of the plains because of their negligible slopes, adds to the dampness of the region and the sterility of its soils. Until the middle of the 19C this inner zone was no more than an unhealthy stretch of moorland, transformed into a swamp when the rains came, and supporting only a scanty shepherd population which went about on stilts. Even the sheep were raised more for their manure than for their meat or wool.
Wayward River
Over the centuries the course of the River Adour and its outlet to the sea has been altered by the region's shifting sands. Documents reveal that in AD 907 the river left Capbreton to carve a route to the sea via Vieux-Boucau-Port-d'Albret; in 1164 it again channelled a new path, this time near Bayonne, but later returned to Capbreton. A terrible storm in the 14C blocked the river's way and so it once again flowed to Port-d'Albret. Meanwhile, the port at Bayonne was being engulfed by sand. In 1569 Charles IX insisted that the river should be given a fixed estuary, which saved the harbour at Bayonne; nine years later a channel leading through 2km/1mi of dunes beyond Bayonne was opened, and the port at Boucau-Neuf was created.
Consolidation of the Dunes
As early as the Middle Ages it was known that mobile sand dunes could be fixed by the use of maritime pines or plants with spreading roots. A number of experiments were made in the Landes but it was Nicolas Brémontier (1738–1809), member of the Caen Academy and an engineer from the Roads and Bridges Department, who perfected the process and started the gigantic task here in 1788.
First he constructed a dyke designed to check the movement of the sand at its starting point, then, about 70m/230ft from the high-water mark, he planted a palisade of stakes against which the sand could pile up. Adding to the height of the palisade as the accumulated sand rose higher, he progressively formed an artificial coastal dune 10m/33ft to 12m/39ft high, which acted as a barrier. He fixed the surface sand by sowing marram grass , a variety of grass with a thick network of rapidly spreading roots. He then turned his attention to the problem of the inland dunes.
Brémontier mixed the seeds of maritime pines with gorse and broom seeds, sowing them beneath brushwood, which temporarily held back the sand. After four years the broom had grown into bushes nearly 2.5m/7ft high. These sheltered the slower-growing pines, which eventually outgrew the bushes, and, as they died and rotted, provided fertiliser for the young trees. By 1867 the work was almost complete: 3 000ha/7 500 acres of coastal dunes were carpeted with marram grass and 80 000ha/198 000 acres of inland dunes were planted with pine trees.
Cleaning up the Interior
At the beginning of the 19C the inner part of the Landes area was still a fever swamp unfit for cultivation; it was badly drained and resisted all attempts to establish an agricultural presence. Under the Second Empire, however, an engineer named François Chambrelent (1817–93) found the answer: he systematically broke up the unfertile layer of alios and then drew up a scheme of drainage, clearance and reforestation. The results justified the large scale planting of maritime pines, cork oaks and ilex trees: the Landes département soon became one of the richest in France as the many products made from pine trees brought large returns.
The Agenais is a transitional region lying between the southern section of the Périgord, Bas-Quercy (Lower Quercy, to the east) and the Landes. This fertile area is lent a certain unity by the valley of the River Garonne.
In the damp northern sector herds of dairy cows graze in the pastures covering the clays; further east, pinewoods and plantations of oak and chestnut appear. In the area around Fumel, on the River Lot, a number of small metallurgical works exploit the local sands rich in iron ore.
Pays des Serres
This area stretches as far as the southern part of the Lot département . Unlike nearby Quercy, which has retained a variety of crops, this region of long, narrow hills tends to specialise. On the muddier plateaux of Tournon-d'Agenais wheat is the most important crop; the hillsides are used for the cultivation of vines.
Lot Valley
The Lot Valley is one immense orchard punctuated by nurseries and fields of tobacco. Fresh peas, green beans and the melons of Villeneuve-sur-Lot are among the renowned local products.
Garonne River Valley
The alluvial soils and mild climate here allow more delicate crops, most of them grown on terraces, to flourish; each town and village has its speciality. Agen, for example, is famous for its onions and its prunes: hand-picked, specially graded fresh plums, grown on grafted trees, are subsequently dried either naturally or in a slow oven to produce the pruneaux d'Agen .The use of grafted plum trees here dates back to the Crusades. In the 16C the monks of Clairac, near Tonneins, were the first to foresee the commercial possibilities of the plum, and 200 years later the market had grown to such an extent that it had to be government controlled. The plum variety used almost universally in the region today is the Robe-Sergent (Red Victoria plum). Marmande is famous for its tomatoes and pumpkins; Ste-Marie produces peaches and cherries. Since the 18C even poplar trees have been pressed into service: plantations on land subject to flooding provide wood used in carpentry and the manufacture of paper.
The Aquitaine basin is part of a series of French sedimentary beds, which resulted from the silting up of an ancient ocean depth; what distinguishes Gascogne (Gascony), the region lying between the Pyrénées and the River Garonne, is the upper covering provided by enormous masses of debris washed down by the rivers after the erosion of the mountains during the Tertiary Era.
The most common formation in Gascony is known as the molasse – layers of sand frequently cemented into a soft yellow sandstone penetrated by discontinuous marl and limestone beds. This geological structure has resulted in a hilly landscape of mixed topography.
From an agricultural point of view the soils here vary between terreforts , which are clayey and heavy to work, and boulbènes – lighter and slightly muddy, but less fertile and more suitable for grazing and cattle breeding.
The Hills of Gascony
The rivers, all tributaries of the Garonne, fan out northwards from the foothills of the mountains and cut through the hills of Armagnac in thin swathes. Those emerging from the major Pyrénéan valleys – the Neste d'Aure and the Gave de Pau (Aure and Pau torrents) for instance – are already discharging the deposits they carry, and this material, mixed with the detritus from ancient glacial moraines, has produced a soil that is relatively poor. As a result there is a succession of moors between the high Plateau de Lannemezan and Pont-Long, north of Pau, via the Ger Plateau on the western side of Tarbes.
In the hills themselves, careful watering has led to the establishment of market gardens specialising in produce such as strawberries and melons.
Vines in this region form only a part of the traditional polyculture; production of appellation contrôlée wines, such as the Jurançon and Madiran whites and reds, and VDQS (vins délimités de qualité supérieure) from Béarn and Tursan, remain limited.
Pays d'Adour
The great curving sweep of the River Adour – northwards from its source, then west and finally back towards the south – creates a major demarcation line on the hydrographic chart of the region; the convergence towards Bayonne of all the rivers within this arc is evidence of a continuous sinking of the earth's crust beneath the ocean, which has persisted since the end of the Secondary Era.
Within the area encompassed by the Adour is a hilly landscape cut through by the tributaries of the river. The lower slopes of the valleys are terraced as they drop towards the cultivated alluvial strips flanking these streams.
Les Pyrénées
The customary division of this mountain range into three large natural areas succeeding one another from west to east is justified by major differences in structure, climate and vegetation. The distinction is underlined by the traditions and language of the inhabitants.
Formation of the Chain
The remarkable view from the town of Pau of the Pyrénéan mountains rising above the hills of the Béarn district presents a seemingly endless series of finely serrated crests – a mountain barrier revealing at that distance neither individual peaks, with the exception of Pic du Midi d'Ossau, nor saddles.
The barrier itself, stretching 400km/248mi from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, is relatively narrow (30km/19mi to 40km/25mi on the French side of the frontier) yet also massive and continuous: the average height of the Pyrénées is 1 008m/3 307ft.
History of the Range
Approximately 250 million years ago a Hercynian (Palaeozoic) mountain mass similar to the Massif Central or the Ardennes stood on the site occupied by the Pyrénées today; however, whereas the central and northern heights experienced a relatively tranquil existence, this chain between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean was sited in a particularly unstable zone. Already vigorously folded, and then partially levelled by erosion, the Hercynian block was submerged about 200 million years ago beneath a continental sea and covered by Secondary Era sedimentary deposits, before being totally resurrected – and literally shaken from top to bottom – by the Alpine folding, the earliest spasms of which occurred here.
Under the enormous pressure of this mountain-building movement the most recent beds, still comparatively pliant, folded without breaking but the rigid ancient platform cracked, broke up and became dislocated. Hot springs burst through near the fractures; mineral deposits formed and metal-bearing ores appeared.
During the geological eons that passed while this was occurring, the mountain mass, now tortured and misshapen, was ceaselessly worn down by erosion, and the material torn from it washed out by rivers across the plains below.
Central Pyrénées
The overall structure of the Pyrénéan region is characterised by the juxtaposition of large geological masses arranged longitudinally. Starting from the Upper Garonne, the relief encompasses:
- The rises known as the Petites Pyrénées, of only medium height but remarkable for the alignment of limestone crests pleated in a fashion typical of the Jurassic period;
- The real foothills, formations of the Secondary Era (either Cretaceous or Jurassic), with folded beds more violently distorted;
- The Axial Zone , the true spine of the Pyrénées along which granitic extrusions, recognizable by sharply defined peaks chiselled by glacial erosion, thrust through the Primary sediments: the Balaïtous, the Néouvielle and Maladetta massifs, the Luchon Pyrénées. The summits however are not made up entirely of granite, since patches of extremely hard schist and limestone exist which are even more resistant to erosion;
- The southern Secondary Era sediments, under-thrust to a height of more than 3 000m/9 840ft at Monte Perdido, which are to be found largely on the Spanish side of the frontier. Two masterpieces of mountain scenery stand out among this limestone relief: in Spain the canyon of the Ordesa Valley (a National Park); in France the lower part of the Gavarnie amphitheatre, with its gigantic platforms of horizontal strata piled one upon the other.
The inner part of the chain lacks a channel, parallel to the backbone of the range, which could link up the many transversal valleys. This makes internal communications difficult, a problem exacerbated in the Central Pyrénées by the fact that most passes are impracticable in winter. Each of these valleys was therefore isolated for much of the time, and this led to a survival of socially autonomous lifestyles of the kind still to be found in such petit pays districts as the Couserans , the Quatre Vallées (Four Valleys) region, and the Pays Toy . The valleys are nevertheless far from being inhospitable; despite being hemmed in, they seem no more than a hilly extension of the plains of Lower Aquitaine – with the additional advantage of a sheltered climate.
A thousand years ago the ancient glaciers thrust their abrasive tongues across the mountain landscape, gouging out the terrain as far as the present sites of Lourdes and Montréjeau. Since then these giant ice rivers have shrunk to negligible proportions (less than 10sq km/4sq mi for the Pyrénées, compared with 400sq km/155sq mi in just the French part of the Alps). There is only one whole glacier, complete with tongue and terminal moraine, in the entire range: the Ossoue , on the eastern slopes of the Vignemale.
Many of the most dramatic and appealing features to be found at the heart of the Pyrénées were formed by the old glaciers: hanging valleys, amphitheatres, canyons transformed into pastoral sweeps, jagged crests and scatters of huge boulders, lakes (over 500 in the French Pyrénées), cascades, bluffs, sudden morainic platforms and powerful waterfalls, some of which are harnessed for the production of hydroelectric power.
The frontier between France and Spain is marked by the peaks of Balaïtous (3 146m/10 321ft) and Vignemale (3 298m/10 820ft), though the greatest heights of the Pyrénées are located on the Spanish side of the border: the impressive massifs of the Maladetta (3 404m/11 168ft) and Posets (3 371m/11 059ft). The French side nevertheless boasts Pic du Midi d'Ossau (2 884m/9 462ft), which owes its majestic silhouette to the extrusion of volcanic rocks, and Pic du Midi de Bigorre (2 865m/9 400ft), notable also for the way it towers over the plain below. The Massif de Néouvielle (3 192m/10 472ft at Pic Long) includes an extraordinary water tower, the contents of which are now almost totally reserved for the hydroelectric installations in the valleys of the Pau and Upper Neste torrents.
Picturesque Pyrénées
The Cauterets Valley perfectly illustrates those traditional and well-loved aspects of the Pyrénées, which have inspired so many artists: steep-sided, narrow valleys opening up in the higher reaches of their rivers into huge upland pastures, gently sculptured, jewelled with lakes and webbed with torrents both turbulent and limpid. Such attractions, added to the benefits of the hot springs, the individuality of local customs and the proximity of Spain, appeal to romantic natures. Despite the progressive abandonment of temporary dwellings (such as mountain refuges and summer sheepfolds), of upland tracks and some of the highest pastoral slopes, the Central Pyrénées retain – at least in the Axial Zone – that friendly and characteristic image of mountains that have been in some way humanised.
Atlantic Pyrénées
This part of the range is characterised geographically by the disappearance of the Axial Zone, which has led to a confusion of the general relief, there being no longer a continuous spine or backbone to act as a "natural" frontier.
It is among the calcareous beds covering the eastern extremity of the Axial Zone that the most noticeable examples of geomorphological disturbance occur. These are the twisted contortions of the 2 504m/8 213ft Pic d'Anie and the savage gashes of the Kakuetta and Holcarte gorges. The subterranean levels of these fissured limestones riddled with potholes have provided an immense area of exploration and study for speleologists. The slopes of these Lower Pyrénées are abundantly wooded and relatively difficult to cross (the Forest of Iraty for example).
Nearer the ocean a more placid topography characterises the Basque Country, typified by La Rhune , Mont Ursava (at Cambo-les-Bains) and the mountains surrounding St-Jean-Pied-de-Port. The landscape between the Adour estuary and Spain mainly comprises hills sculpted from a heterogeneous mass of marine sediments.
Basque Pyrénées
The charm and cohesion of this region derives mainly from its oceanic climate, and the colourful language and culture of the Basque people, so closely interwoven with those in the neighbouring Spanish provinces of Guipuzcoa and Navarra. Trans-Pyrénéan traffic is largely concentrated on the coastal route but the inland passages remain very popular with tourists and locals who have used them ever since the era of the great pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
The dunes and pinewoods of the Landes region stretch beyond the mouth of the River Adour, as far as Pointe de St-Martin near Biarritz.
Further south however the coastline bites into the Pyrénéan folds, and the rocks – sedimentary beds violently arched over, foliated into thin laminated layers – form the low, slanting cliffs responsible for the picturesque appearance of the Basque Corniche.
There are three main types of vegetation in the Pyrénées, associated with the different geographic zones. To the west, the climate is affected by the Atlantic; the central Pyrénées is a continental mountain zone; on the far eastern end of the range, the Mediterranean climate prevails. The diversity of species also depends on altitude, as in other mountainous areas. Below 800m/2 625ft, in the foothills, the forest is mostly common oak, typical of Atlantic regions. As the hills rise to 1 700m/5 580ft, the mountain sides are covered with beech on the lower slopes, and pine higher up, where the undergrowth is thick. From this level up to 2 400m/7 874ft, a robust species of hard pine ( pinus uncinata – it proliferates in the rocky soil around the Cirque de Gavarnie) joins birch and serbus domestica , a fruit-bearing tree resembling mountain ash. At this limit the forest grows sparse, rhododendrons and alpine meadows strewn with wild flowers predominate. From here up to 2 800m/9 186ft, few trees subsist, apart from the dwarf willow; other multicoloured vegetation hugs the ground. Beyond this altitude, the wintry landscape is one of rocks covered with the barest layer of moss and lichen, growth which resists the long months spent under snow.
There is an extraordinary wealth of native species of plants, flowers which are found nowhere else on earth. Some of them, such as ramondia , a small plant with deep violet blossoms and fuzzy leaves, can be traced back to the Tertiary Era, when the climate was subtropical. Countless species flourish in the mountainous, sub-alpine and alpine zones. Among the loveliest and best known are the lily of the Pyrénées, long-leafed saxifrage, blue Pyrénées thistle, campion, sisymbrium, Welsh poppies (blown in, no doubt, by the western wind), and wild iris (especially around the Cirque de Gavarnie). These delightful and rare plants flower in June and July, as well as in August at high altitudes.
A range of mountain species can be found in the different altitude zones. Among the protected species, the brown bear, now unfortunately a very rare sight, lives in the mountainous zone. In the beech and pine woods, the last of the lynx roam (it is uncertain how many of them survive in the wild). The isards (a local name for the indigenous chamois) prefer the grassy meadows and rocky outcroppings of the alpine altitudes. Beyond 1 500m/4 921ft, the river banks provide shelter for muskrat; the local species is known as desman , and these rodents grow to about 25cm/10in. The lakes and streams of the Pyrénées had been fished out, but recent efforts to reintroduce species have been successful, and trout and salmon again swim the waters. An amphibian of the uridela order, resembling a newt with a yellow underside and flattened tail, known as the Pyrénéan euprocte, likes to hide under flat stones in rivers and ponds (10–20cm/3–8in). The area is also home to many birds of prey, including the royal eagle, the griffon vulture, and the rare bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) , the largest bird of prey in Europe, also known as a lammergeier . The wood grouse is found in the underbrush, where it feeds on grains, berries and pine buds. During mating season, its courtship routine is a particularly noisy affair. Marmots come out in the early morning to start their daily routine of eating, napping, playing and keeping watch for predators.


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Mohamed Mohamed
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Mohamed Mohamed received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA, in 2012. He served as a Visiting Researcher and Visiting Lecturer with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His doctoral dissertation work was performed in the Computational Multiscale Nanostructures group directed by Professor Umberto Ravaioli and has demonstrated self-heating effects in nanoscale silicon MOSFETs through coupled electro-thermal Monte Carlo simulation. His current research interest is primarily on the theory, design, simulation and characterization of energy efficient devices, materials and circuits. He also has a great interest in cyber education and in exploring innovative ways to enhance learning, education, and research. He has developed numerous simulation tools suitable for both research and classroom use hosted on the nanoHUB.
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Sally Potter doesn't get enough credit for her bold feminist films. "Orlando" is the most well-respected of her oeuvre, and the acclaim is well-deserved. Tilda Swinton stars as the film's gender-bending titular character based on the book by Virginia Woolf with the same name with the same protagonist. The androgynous Orlando lives for centuries, reappearing in various historical epochs, dictating his/her story directly to the camera in exquisite sets and scandalous circumstances. [Bryce J. Renninger]
Though we may decry LGBT films for relying on cliches like the coming out genre, "Pariah" proved last year that there are still coming out stories to be told. The young woman Alike (the future superstar Adepero Oduye) in Dee Rees' first feature is impeccably realized. She is a woman at conflict with the various worlds she must encounter everyday: the lesbian world, the street world, the home world, the school world. Kim Wayans ("In Loving Color") surprises with her first major dramatic role as Alike's disapproving close-minded mother. [Bryce J. Renninger]
"Paris is Burning"
After winning major awards at Sundance and Berlin, Jennie Livingston's now-classic documentary became a major indie hit when it grossed nearly $4 million at the box office (an almost unheard of number at the time). Beautifully chronicling the "ball culture" of late 1980s New York City (and the many queer communities involved in it), its success shone light on a collection of powerful, authentic voices that never been given such a spotlight. And over twenty years later, it remains an imperative documentation of a fabulous moment in history, and amazing organizing tool for queer and trans youth today. [Peter Knegt]
"Queen Christina"
Greta Garbo's most fascinating movie, "Queen Christina," came out just before the Hays Code put Hollywood cinema into a chastity belt, and it is indeed erotic. It's also campy, ludicrous, garish, formless, and weird. Made under the bisexual Garbo's creative control, the biopic of the androgynous Swedish queen forgoes historical accuracy and replaces it with gender-neutral lust. She leaves her gorgeous lady-in-waiting in her castle, and, incognito as a man, she woos a flamboyant Spanish courier, played by silent Casanova John Gilbert. "Queen Christina" has oodles of same-sex innuendo, drag-upon-drag, and, of course, the face that launched a thousand queer theory theses. [Austin Dale]


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Has to have balls of steel...we all know he has had more blows then anyone these last couple years. This makes me want to cheer more for him and hope he has a good year.
Also, Barnes talked about all the other coaches except McD. Did anyone else find that weird?
Not now that I've had time to process things. Actually I don't find that weird at all.
I love this basketball team. I think we are dancing this year. It[s finally coming together for Mac.
Nobody but HB knows for sure. You pretty much know nothing....like Knownothing would like to say.
Yesterday just makes me appreciate those guys wearing the cardinal and gold uniforms more...like Coach Mac said, "those guys love playing for Iowa State"...
I really hope everyone gets behind them this year...it has the potential to be a special season.
Kudos to Coach Mac for his effort, too bad it didn't work out in the ned, but I want this team to win more than ever now.
Finally a good thread!! Let's get behind this team!! It;s going to be a special year!!
I am predicting 22-26 wins for the season. Time for the kool-aid.
Let Prohm's Posse Ride: Hallice, Brady, Stu, Lard, Naz, Deonte, Monte, Matt, Simeon, Jordan, and Babb.
Wooo!! 20+ win season!!!
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To look ahead five or 10 years and conceptualize interoperability standards, Washington state discovered it must first look back. To develop statewide interoperability standards with existing technology of various state and local agencies, it's important to first know what that technology is. So Washington's State Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC), tasked with making interoperability a reality, began an inventory of all the state's radio systems.
Washington has forged ahead of most states in its quest for interoperability standards by passing legislation and taking the inventory. But it may be the first of many states to go down this path.
"If you go to virtually any state and ask for inventory of all radio systems or all radios that are in the state, most or all states will not be able to provide you a single list," said Clark Palmer, commander of the Electronic Services Division of the Washington State Patrol. "We want to get to a certain point in the future, and we need to know where we're starting from so we can build a map."
That map consists of the state's communications infrastructure, how it can be tied together and the costs of replacing or modifying it to eventually arrive at statewide standards for law enforcement, fire and emergency medical entities.
The SIEC, a committee of state and local agencies, was chartered by the Information Services Board and is staffed by the Department of Information Services. The SIEC has existed for years, but a recent piece of state legislation, Substitute House Bill 1271, gave the SIEC some backbone.
"Other states have taken different approaches [to the interoperability problem]" Palmer said. "We're out in the forefront in the fact that we have legislation and a legislative body with very tight time frames and different goals. I believe it is probably the only plan that tackled the issue on all approaches, including frequency management."
One of the bill's first orders was to direct the Information Services Board to appoint committee members that included representatives from the military department, the Washington State Patrol, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Natural Resources, city and county governments, state and local fire chiefs, police chiefs and sheriffs, and state and local emergency management directors.
The committee is responsible for developing and implementing statewide interoperability standards. One goal of the legislation is to address the spectrum issue by coordinating and managing use of state-designated and state-licensed radio frequencies.
The bill calls for the committee to have a final statewide public-safety communications plan in place by Dec. 31, 2004.
Interim deadlines and goals include completing an inventory of state-government-operated public-safety communications systems by Dec. 31, 2003, and completing an inventory of all public communications systems in the state by March 31, 2004.
Using Legacy Technology
Initially the SIEC considered requesting detailed information from each agency -- such as make of radio, channel capacity, appearance of radio frequencies -- but after noting the amount of work involved and the imminent deadlines, scaled back its approach.
The six-page document seeks responses mostly regarding the number of items and manufacturer of portable radios, mobile radios, base station radios, repeaters, console equipment and other hardware.
Palmer said asking for the original cost of the various radio systems was initially going to be part of the inventory, but that idea was scrapped. "It doesn't really matter what we paid for the radios to date. What we're trying to do is look at where we need to be in five or 10 years and what is it going to cost to either replace or modify these radios to meet that long-term goal."
Instead, the committee is asking for information it needs to create a baseline for the plan.
"In looking at it," Palmer said, "What do you do with all