text: Hi all, I have spent some time thinking about things, and discussing them with folks nearby. I actually got to wondering whether we really need new dtypes for this. It seems like enumerated values or factor levels could be cast as an annotation or metadata that could be attached to any existing integral dtypes. It spells differently enough that I have put up an alternate version that reflects this notion. I'd like to see what folks think of this direction: https://github.com/bryevdv/numpy/blob/enum/doc/neps/enum_alt.rst So this would require adding machinery to existing dtypes to behave properly when there is factor metadata present. Perhaps that is not an acceptable trade-off, but it seems worth discussing. I think a very similar approach could be used to add categorical ranges to any numerical or string types (I think they are called "shingles" in R?) Please let me know what you think. Bryan


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M & E Painting 10 Year Anniversary Carnival
Additional Information
Help M & E Painting celebrate 10 years in business at their their carnival from noon to 4 p.m. on July 11, 2015. There will be free food, cash games, music, and some giveaways! All money earned from games will go towards Realities for Children and Operation Christmas Child. So come party with us Northern Colorado!

subset: commoncrawl


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U.N. Human Rights Council decides against condemning Sri Lanka
- By Joshua Keating
Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy
The U.N.'s controversial Human Rights Council met today to consider a proposal to investigate claims of human rights abuses by both sides in Sri Lanka's recently concluded civil war. The stakes were high for the council said Mark Leon Goldberg this morning:
Now that the fighting has stopped, hundreds of thousands of ethnic Tamils are trapped in concentration camps run by the Sri Lankan military. These camps are off limits to the media and most international humanitarian organizations, like the International Committee for the Red Cross. In a recent trip to the region, Secretary General Ban Ki Moon called the IDP camps, "by far the most appalling scenes I have seen" — this, from a man that has visited Darfur, Gaza, and Eastern Congo, mind you.
So, in all, this meeting is an important test of the Human Rights Council. A few weeks ago it proved able to authorize an investigation of alleged human rights abuses in Gaza committed by Israel and Hamas during Operation Caste Lead. Should the council vote against action on Sri Lanka it opens itself to familiar accusations that there are double standards when it comes to Israel–which is a charge that may become more resonant should member states maintain that the situation in Sri Lanka is a wholly internal matter undeserving of the attention of the Human Rights Council.
Well, we appear to have an answer:
China, Cuba, Egypt and 26 others on the 47-member council voted in favor of a resolution that described the conflict as a "domestic" matter that did not warrant outside interference. The council also supported the Sri Lankan government's decision to provide aid groups only with "access as may be appropriate" to refugee camps.
Twelve mostly European countries opposed the resolution after failing to get support for a resolution that criticized both sides.
All in all, the implications of this vote for the image of the human rights council itself, as described by Mark, were probably larger than those for Sri Lanka. The HRC regularly condemns Israel's actions, (thanks largely to the fact that the Palestinians, unlike the Tamils, enjoy a good deal of international support) but the possibility of condemnation doesn't seem to be much of a factor in Israeli government decision making. I can't imagine it would be that much different for Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government appears to still be fighting with remnants of the Tigers.


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NEW YORK (Jun. 26)
Doubts about the Arab-Israeli peace process have resulted in the delay of a meeting in Tunis of Middle Eastern tourism groups.
"Some members had asked for a postponement of the meeting a few days before the Cairo Arab summit," a source close to the Middle East-Mediterranean Travel and Tourism Association reportedly said. "They wanted to look at its results over normalization with Israel."
The meeting of the tourism association, which is headquartered in Tunis, is now scheduled for September.
Arab leaders met in Cairo last weekend in response to the victory of the Likud's Benjamin Netanyahu in the prime ministerial election.
It is not known which members of the tourism association asked for the postponement. The group's founding members are: Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Tunisia and Turkey.
According to an Israeli official, the Jewish state agreed to the postponement, but not for political reasons. The official said more time was needed before the meeting for projects that are under way.
Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali addressed the Arab summit, demanding that Netanyahu follow through on Israel's peace commitments.
At the same time, a Tunisian economic delegation was in Jerusalem, meeting with Foreign Minister David Levy to discuss areas of cooperation.
The six businessmen, one of whom is the son-in-law of the Tunisian president, invited their Israeli counterparts to visit Tunisia.
Tunisia and Israel recently exchanged economic interest sections.


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Each seminar consists of four meeting sessions and will be held on consecutive Mondays and Wednesdays. The first sessions will be held March 19 and 21, and 26 and 28 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. in Coastal�s Wall College of Business. A seminar series is limited to 20 participants. The fee is $200 per participant.
�Participants will learn the basis of ethical decision making, apply what they learn to actual cases in business, and discuss their own concerns about ethical business practices,� says Claudia McCollough, chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion and founder of the Business Ethics Program at Coastal. McCollough will lead the seminars.
The sessions will be repeated in April and May. Sessions in May will be held from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Participants who successfully complete the seminar series will receive a certificate. Companies which have 75 percent employee participation will also receive a certificate. The Better Business Bureau will be notified of company involvement in the program.
For more information, contact Coastal�s Division of Extended Learning and Public Services at 349-2665.


text: 1966 Mustang coupe has been running great. Replaced my battery and now problems...I traced a bad wire to a yellow wire running from my starter solenoid to this box (pictured below). The yellow wire is going into where it says "s" and is directly above another yellow wire that says if the wire is used for anything other than radio suppression it will cause electrical failure. Might there be a bad fuse in this box? I am getting 12.5 V to the starter solenoid but when I turn on the ignition I don't even get a click. Nothing at all. I checked the voltage on the opposite side of the solenoid and it is showing 0. So the current isn't making it through the solenoid thus no power to starter which is why I feel like there is nothing when I turn on ignition. Either way, the bad wire was tested. When it gets juice my ground all of a sudden has the 12.5 V. If I then connect my ground cable back to the battery I of course get lotsa sparks. There is no chafing on the wire between the solenoid and the box pictured. So I assume something has to be awry inside this box. Before I open it and look inside I wanted to see if I could get any input from you all. Especially, what the heck this box is!


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The reflection properties of splices, such as fusion splices and V-groove splices, in graded-index multimode optical fibers were investigated theoretically and experimentally. Equations have been derived for calculating reflection in fusion splices and V-groove splices. Several reflection characteristics in splices were measured using a time-domain reflectometer. The measured results are discussed using the deived equations.
© 1983 Optical Society of AmericaFull Article | PDF Article
OSA Recommended Articles
Norio Kashima
Appl. Opt. 20(22) 3859-3866 (1981)
Norio Kashima
Appl. Opt. 19(15) 2597-2601 (1980)
N. Barakat, H. A. El-Hennawi, M. Medhat, M. A. Sobie, and F. El-Diasti
Appl. Opt. 25(19) 3466-3468 (1986)


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My Favourites 20115
Finally it happened, the silly shot of the inflatable dragon became my most liked shot. In all my years as amateur photographer the photo most seen (and this time on a global scale) is a daft pic I took to send to my brother to show him a toy we used to play with is resurrected. Hmph.
Well, if that's the way you want to play it, here is my retaliation. Check out my new album of my favorite shots I took in 2011. http://www.lomography.com/homes/adam_g2000/albums/1802727-my-2011-favourites you'll most likely note none of yours are on it ;)
In truth I am truly grateful for all the likes you guys have given, thanks so much for your time and to @pussylove and @traaaart for the doubles.
Lastly, favourite equipment? Well the LCA+ RL is a blast, though I think hands down the Olympus Trip 35. More on that later. Most of all, the Patterson tank that enabled me to develop my own B&W what fun.
written by adam_g2000 on 2012-01-31


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African Axes
Africans have been refining and smelting metal and making iron implements since 1200 B.C. In fact, the Iron Age occurred earlier in Africa than in Europe. Iron implements grant a huge advantage to the user in all shapes and forms — working axes and hoes facilitated agricultural expansion in Sub-Sahara African societies, hunting became easier, and warfare became deadlier with the introduction of iron spears, arrow points, and knives.
Smelting was remarkably challenging in ancient Africa. It was so complex that the men who possessed the knowledge often formed guilds that guarded the secrets of ironwork. A furnace had to be constructed, hard wood for a high temperature burn had to be gathered, and the bellows had to be worked constantly for days. Iron pieces were typically intricate, and an ironworker took personal pride in the pieces he produced. As guns and other intricate metal inventions were introduced to the region, blacksmiths mastered these new arts.
As European intervention grew in the 17th through 19th centuries, the African iron market was flooded with European metals. These new materials required less effort and energy to procure than the elaborate traditional smelting process. These foreign metals, iron included, replaced traditionally made metal, but blacksmiths continued to make their stylized metal tools in traditional forms. In the colonial era of 1880–1950, European hardware entered the African markets, and this flow of cheap European goods managed to displace the traditional ways of the African blacksmith.
All the axes in this collection are from the early 20th century and represent some of the very last styles of pieces made before the African iron market was flooded with imports and local production effectively disappeared. They would have been manufactured primarily for foreign sale, much as the limited African iron tools made today are marketed to collectors and tourists.
All artifacts are from the Richard L. Sutton [opens new window] donation.
Westerdijk, Peter. African Metal Implements: Weapons, Tools, and Regalia: Collection of Frederick and Clair Mebel. (Greenvale, New York: Hillwood Art Gallery, 1984)
Spring, Christopher. African Arms and Armor. (Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1993)
Moss, Joyce; Wilson, George. Peoples of the World: Africans South of the Sahara. (Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1991)
Newman, James L. The Peopling of Africa. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995)
Photos and text by Chelsea Bilyeu spring 2007
|Hoe or Axe
|Steel Axe
Related Links
Museum of Anthropology, Mizzou North, Suite 2002, 115 Business Loop 70 W, Columbia, MO 65211-8350
The Museum is under construction at Mizzou North. Check back here for updates.
For Museum Questions, email firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
(networking) (Or "segmentation and reassembly", SAR) Breaking an arbitrary size packet into smaller pieces at the transmitter. This may be necessary because of restrictions in the communications channel or to reduce latency. The pieces are joined back together in the right order at the receiver ("reassembly"). Segmentation may be performed by a router when routing a packet to a network with a smaller maximum packet size.The term "segmentation" is used in ATM, in TCP/IP, it is called "fragmentation" an is performed at the IP layer before the "fragments" are passed to the transport layer. See for example ATM forum UNI 4.0 specification. [Better reasons?]
Last updated: 1999-06-14


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Forthcoming events
Lake Placid Elks Hoop Shoot Dec. 14
The Lake Placid Elks hold their annual Hoop Shoot free throw contest for youngsters ages 8-13 at the Bill Ross Memorial Gym at Lake Placid High School Saturday, Dec. 14.
Registration can be accomplished by contacting the Elks Lodge at 465-2661, or by registering the day of the contest at Lake Placid High School. Registration that day begins at 8 a.m. with competition starting at 9.
For further information, contact John Holbrook at 465-5961.
LPHS varsity cheer rummage sale Dec. 7, 8
The Lake Placid High School cheerleading squad holds a rummage sale Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 7 and 8, at the Lake Placid Masonic Lodge, 102 Main Ave. Space is available inside and outside the building for vendors.
Contact Sharon Reid at 863-840-1379 or email Sharon@delray plants.com for further information.


text:
Publication information
p. 49: "[John Libby (10-5)] had an extra finger on each hand, below the little finger, and from this was called, to distinguish him from the other John Libbys in Scarborough at that time, Five Fingered John Libby." [Continuing from attached footnote:] "The other John Libbys were called respectively: John Libby, 1-1, Captain John; his son John, Blue John; John Libby, 5-7, Black John, and later, Captain John; John Libby, 1-1-2-1, Little John. There was also John Libby, 11-6, living at the same time, but his nickname, if he had any, was unknown. These names seldom appear in the records, but the places were supplied either by numbers, second, third, etc., or by stating the father's patronymic class of surnames. John Libby, John's son; John Libby, Henry's son; and John Libby, David's son, were frequently written John Libby Johnson, John Libby Henryson, and John Libby Davidson; so that to a casual reader, Johnson, Henryson and Davidson would seem to be the surnames of the men, and Libby only a middle name.
Usage Tips
Besides the original edition, there are multiple reprints available. To find in a library near you worldcat.
If you have access, it is available online at heritagequest.com and ancestry.com. It is available for free online at the Internet Archive.
FHL film numbers
May be ordered through the nearest Family History Center. See details at Title 179368
There are three filmings:


text:
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I blame my interest in journalism on one thing, "All the President's Men." Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman are the leads in the movie. They star as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein respectively, The Washington Post reporting duo that uncovered the Watergate Scandal, and as a result, made journalism history.During my freshman year Introduction to Journalism class at Bullitt East High School, we watched the movie and I remember being fascinated by the work Woodward and Bernstein did.
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Artist description:
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Flash Draw Created May 19, 2013 640 x 460px Unless noted Copyright 2013 Munsterx3.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
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xxloveaaxx Mar 21, 2016
This looks good Dillion :3
greenly May 19, 2013
cool! nice imagination
Natsumusey212 May 19, 2013
Very interesting :)
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Travel + Tummy Tuck Q&A
Is 2 Weeks After Tummy Tuck Safe Enough to Go on a Cruise?
I have scheduled a Full Tummy Tuck two weeks before a Caribbean Cruise. I am a 5'2" mom who had a 64-inch waist during my pregnancy of twins. I... READ MORE
Maximum amount of fat that can be removed safely during a tummy tuck and liposuction? (photo)
I have noticed that the tummy tucks and lipo done in the states are not nearly as drastic as the ones performed in the Dominican Republic and Colombia... READ MORE
Travel 5 Weeks After Abdominoplasty?
Can I have a full tummy tuck and travel (for a month) 5 weeks after the surgery? Would I be able to wear a bathing suit 5 weeks post surgery? If I... READ MORE
Out of Town Tummy Tuck: How Many Follow-up Appointments?
I am considering getting a Tummy Tuck this year from a doctor that is located 2.5 hours away. My question is how many follow-up appointments are... READ MORE
Full TT 4 Weeks Before Vaca Too Soon?
My husband and I have a paid trip to Cancun Jan 13th and I want to do my TT on Dec 15th because I have time off work (I work at a college so we have 3... READ MORE
Flying After Tummy Tuck?
How soon can one fly after tummy tuck surgery? It would be a 15-hour flight. READ MORE
Is It Safe to Fly Five Weeks After Abdominoplasty & Mastopexy Surgeries?
I have these procedures scheduled for 12/13 and trip to Mexico planned for 1/18...five weeks later. Although not optimal, is it safe to travel five... READ MORE
Two-hour Driving for Tummy Tuck
I live 2 hours away from Denver and want to do a Tummy Tuck there. What are the follow-up appoinments like? Will I have to keep driving back and forth? READ MORE
I feel some small air bubbles traveling right underneath my skin where I had my tummy Tuck. Is this normal?
2 weeks post op, Tummy tuck air bubbles after doing some kind of strain like laughing for example which it did hurt.Thank u kindly 4 your answers. One... READ MORE
Will or Can Another Doctor Provide After Care in the US for Sugery, You May Have Had Done Overseas?
I'm thinking about going to the Dominican Republic for surgery and would like to know if by chance, Being a diabetic type 2 I develope some kind of... READ MORE
Compression Garments and Travel After Surgery?
I had a tummy tuck and lipo to flanks. I will be taking a 5 hour flight at 4 weeks post-op. I am wearing a post-surgical compression garment. Can this... READ MORE
Drains and Traveling for a Tummy Tuck?
How long are drains needed? Does a person have to stay in the city of their surgery until the drains are removed, or fly with them still in remove... READ MORE
How Far from Home Should I Travel to Find a Dr. for a Tummy Tuck?
And any other type of plastic surgery. READ MORE
Overseas TT?
My husband is in the army and we are stationed in Germany. I'm considering going to the Czech Republic to havea TT done. I've researched the Clinic... READ MORE
Traveling for an Overnight Wine/dinner Party 5 Weeks Post Op Tummy Tuck? I Would Have to Drive the Four Hours There and Back
I am scheduled for a tummy tuck, with muscle tightening and liposuction March 27, 2012. My sister is law is having her bachelorette party on May 4th... READ MORE
Can I Travel out of State to Have my Tummy Tuck? (photo)
I previously asked a question on how long I had to wait to have a tummy tuck after my fourth c-section in September 2012 and I had positive feedback... READ MORE
Bad Idea to Plan a Tummy Tuck Two Weeks Before Leaving the Country?
I would like to get a tummy tuck and lipo of the torso and chin (36 years old, no children), but will be traveling quite a bit over the next two years... READ MORE
Healing Well After TT Can I Go on a Relaxing Cruise 7 Weeks Later? (photo)
Had a TT 3 wks ago and I have a cruise booked for 4 wks time, I'm healing really well and getting about fine, to be honest the op was more about... READ MORE
How do I know the difference between swelling and fat? (Photo)
I am 6 weeks post op tummy tuck and contouring. My sides, lower back and incision looks great but I still have a pudge in the front. When I jump it... READ MORE


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US health regulators have approved a weight-loss pill for the first time in 13 years.
Belviq, made by Arena Pharmaceuticals, can be used by obese or overweight adults with at least one condition.
The drug achieved only modest results in clinical studies, helping people lose on average about 5% of their body weight.
Belviq was rejected in 2010 because of concerns over tumours that developed in animals tested with the drug.


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Microsoft Lync
Lync 2010 communications software combines many enhancements to the features you know from Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 and Microsoft Office Live Meeting 2007. Now all your business communication tools are unified and readily available, without having to switch programs. With Lync you can send and receive instant messages, make phone or video calls through your computer, participate in interactive online meetings, and much more.
Microsoft Quick Reference Cards
You can schedule Microsoft® Lync™ 2010 meetings and conference calls from Microsoft® Outlook®. One meeting request is used for both purposes.
Instant Messaging and Presence
Lync instant messaging (IM) is an efficient way to connect with your contacts in real time and on a moment's notice.
Sharing and Collaboration
There are many options in Microsoft Lync 2010 communications software during a meeting or instant messaging (IM) conversation to share and collaborate.
Integration with Office - Working Smart


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Akihabara, also known as Akiba for short, is Tokyo's electric town. While it was originally geared towards people looking for radio parts, electrical cables, and the like, its focus has changed and evolved over the years. Although the stores in Aikihabara contain just about every electronic gizmo, gadget, and appliance imaginable (from computer parts, to digital cameras, to electronic dictionaries, and more), these days its primary focus is on anime (Japanese animation), manga (Japanese comics), video games, and an endless array of related merchandise.
If you have no real interest in those types of things, you'll probably walk around for half an hour just to see all the crazy store displays and be ready to move on. If you're looking for a new camera, MP3 player, or laptop, you may want to spend a couple of hours comparison shopping the electronics stores. But if you're a self-styled otaku (a Japanese slang word for someone with an obsessive devotion one hobby or another and an American slang word for fans of Japanese anime, manga, and/or video games) you can easily spend a full day or two (and a small fortune) browsing its many stores.
Getting There
Conveniently located on both the Yamanote line train and the Hibiya subway line, Akihabara is very easy to reach from just about anywhere in Tokyo. If you're in the Ueno area it's not a bad walk either, but without a good map you'll likely end up hopelessly lost.
If you took the train, follow the signs to the Electric Town Exit and you'll quickly find yourself at the entrance to the heart of Akihabara's shopping area. If you came by subway, follow the signs for Exit 3 and you'll come out right in front of Yodobashi camera. From there, follow the sidewalk around the store to the left, cross the street to the train station, and take the clearly marked East – West passage, which will take you to about the same place you'd be had you taken the train.
What to See
Akihabara isn't much for attractions, it's all about shopping. There are a couple of shrines around, though none are particularly worth seeing, and there's a visitor center, though it's a little out of the way and there's really no pressing reason to visit it either. About the only thing that could be considered a true attraction is the AKB48 stage, though getting tickets takes a bit of work (more on that later).
Shopping in Akihabara
The afore mentioned train and subway directions will leave you at the start of Akibahara's main shopping area. Following that street a short distance and you'll hit a main road (which is conveniently blocked to cars on Sundays). From here, the shopping district encompasses a roughly rectangular area starting about one block back and to your left and stretching two or three blocks in front of you and quite a ways to your right. There's an enormous amount of stores crammed into the surrounding high-rises. Many are either stacked one on top of one another or occupy several floors of a single building. Some are even spread out between several buildings scattered throughout the district, with each one focusing on a different product (Softmap, for example, has a store for computer hardware, a store for music, a store for anime merchandise, and several others I can't remember off the top of my head).
If you're just looking for a new camera, the major electronics stores (Yodobashi Camera, Bic Camera, Softmap, and many of the smaller ones) are pretty easy to spot if you just walk around a little bit. If you're an otaku browsing for anime and game merchandise, many of the best stores are tiny little places hidden away in a basement or on the fourth floor of some random building. But when you're looking for that rare CD, game, or figurine, exploring different stores and seeing what you happen to find along the way is half the fun. Due to its confusing layout, it's hard to give a good description of what's where in Akihabara without drawing a fairly detailed map and, as I just said, if you're the type of person who is going to be spending a lot of time there, you'll have a good time just wandering around and checking out every interesting looking store you come across. So for now, I'll just list a few of my favorite shops and give some general directions to help you find them. Please note that I'm barely scratching the surface here and could gone on for ages.
Yodabashi Camera: The Japanese electronics giant has its main store in Akihabara and it has everything (from electronics to anime figurines). If it's new, hot, and in any way related to electronics, they probably have it. And, if you're living in Japan, they have a point card that makes all the ones from US stores pale in comparison. That said, it's rarely the cheapest place to shop (though the point card can swing things in its favor at times). Also of note is the excellent food court on the 8th floor, which contains a very wide variety of excellent restaurants, many of which have English menus. Yodobashi is a huge impossible to miss building right outside the Electric Town Exit of the subway station. If you came be train, reverse the subway directions I gave in the Getting There section.
Gamers: Occupying a large building on the right when you first enter Akihabara's main shopping area by either of the routes I gave, it's probably one of the first stores you'll see. It has a great selection of anime, manga, games, and every sort of related merchandise so it's a great place to go when you want to scope out the latest items But, if you've got time to hit up some other shops, you can usually find better prices elsewhere.
My Way 2: This is actually a little shopping mall primarily specializing anime and game figurines and various types of model kits (though the K-Books store on the third floor has a very good selection of used manga, music, and games as well). This place is easily overlooked, so keep an eye out for the My Way sign and a lone escalator across the street from Gamers.
Mandrake: Across the street, way to the right, and a bit set back from that first big intersection I mentioned, Mandrake has a tall black building all its own. When it comes to used amine, manga, games, and related merchandise they pretty much have everything you could want.
Super Potato: Cross that street at that afore mentioned intersection, keep going for another block, then head right and keep an eye out on your right for a sign featuring 8-bit Pacman and Mario. If you're looking for used games for older systems (primarily the original Playstation and earlier) or game soundtracks you really don't want to miss Super Potato. They've got a nice retro arcade on the top floor as well.
Tips for Shopping in Akihabara
1. The major stores like Yodobashi Camera and Gamers have excellent selections of new merchandise and are good places to see what's new and what the average price of stuff is, but you can usually find better prices elsewhere if you've got time to spare.
2. Quite a lot of shops specialize in used things. Unlike in the US, most used merchandise in Japan is in mint or near mint condition and considerably cheaper than buying new. Used is also the way to go when looking for old and/or rare items.
3. Many stores are spread out over several floors of the same building. Even if you're not leaving the store itself, make sure you always pay for your items before changing floors (or, in some cases, sections of floors).
4. With so many little stores spread all over the place, it's rather difficult to do much serious comparison shopping. Instead, try a get a feel for the average price of what you want and then just grab it once you see a price that you're happy with.
5. Most sets of figurines come in random boxes and you won't know which one you got until after you open it. While that can be fun, there's a lot of stores that specialize in selling used / open figurines. Note that in any given set some figurines are going to be fairly cheap and others really expensive so whether or not it pays to just buy the ones you want or get some boxes and hope you get lucky varies by situation.
6. If offered a point card at a store, go ahead and take it, some of them give pretty impressive discounts. Though keep in mind that some stores won't give point cards to people not living in Japan.
7. Look everywhere. There's a lot of great little stores hidden away up long flights of stairs or down small alleyways. Exploring is really half the fun.
8. As a rule, remember that Japanese DVDs (nearly all videos and some PC games) won't work in US DVD players and drives (they're region locked). Ditto with most video games (games for the Gameboy and Gameboy Advance, regular DS (not the DSi), PSP, and PS3 being the notable exceptions). CDs (both music and software) are fine, as are most Blu-ray discs.
9. There are a lot of products of an adult nature available in Akihabara, ranging from mildly suggestive to highly explicit. Most stores put such items on their own floor (though, if you can't read Japanese, it isn't always obvious which floor that is) or separate them from the rest of the store with warning signs but some smaller stores do not. Furthermore, some perfectly harmless items often end up located in the same areas as the adult products. I'll go into the reasons behind this is a future post but for now just consider yourself warned and if such things offend you, or you have kids in tow, be careful where you go.
Maid Cafes
Many of the area's best restaurants are clustered near Yodobashi Camera (or in its excellent food course), though there's some good cheap places scattered about as well. But if you want to try something that Akihabara is famous for, you can visit one of its many maid cafes. If you see girls on the streets of Akihabara in costume handing out flyers, that's what they're advertising. In maid cafes, the waitresses are all young cute girls dressed as maids (though there are some with different themes such as nurses, anime cosplay (costumes), etc. Aside from the eye candy, the draw is that they're extremely friendly and submissive, addressing customers as "goshujin-sama" (master), making small talk, and generally acting like the perfect doting maid. The food isn't anything amazing (and costs a bit more than it would at a regular restaurant), so they're more a place to go for the experience than a meal. If you're interested in going to a maid café, keep in mind that your average maid doesn't really speak any English so knowing some Japanese (or having a Japanese friend come along) is a good idea.
If you're tired of shopping for games and want to play some, Akihabara has a number of large arcades though as many games cost 100 yen (around $1) per play, they can get a little expensive if you're not careful. As in most Japanese arcades, expect a heavy focus on UFO catchers (claw machines), music games, fighting games, and games tied into collectable trading cards.
AKB48 is a J-Pop (Japanese pop music) idol group that's unique in the fact that it contains 48 girls (from early teens to early twenties) divided into three teams (A, K, and B), plus a fourth team of understudies. Their songs are known for their complex dance numbers and make an effort to give every girl a chance to shine. They've become so popular over the last few years that they've spawned two spin-off groups in other parts of Japan. Another thing that sets AKB apart is that they perform multiple concerts every week at the Don Quixote store in Akihabara (though these days most of the concerts are done by Team Kenkyuusei (the understudies) rather than the main girls). That said, they're still really good and at only 2000 yen (a little over $20) per ticket, their concerts are great for J-Pop fans and those who are just want an introduction to popular Japanese music. Getting tickets, however, isn't all that easy (it's a very small stage so the demand for the tickets is far greater than the supply). Hopeful attendees have to sign up on the band's web site and enter a lottery for the show they want to attend (said lotteries generally only open several days before the concert date). If you win the lottery then, and only then, you can go and purchase a ticket a couple hours before the show (the counter is on the top floor of the Akihabara Don Quixote store (take a right at the first big intersection, walk a few blocks, and it'll be on your right). While they have no problem with foreigners attending the concerts, the web site is all in Japanese, though you can probably puzzle through it with the help of Google Translate.
If you have no particular interest in anime or electronics, Akihabara is a curious place to visit for a little while. For a real otaku, however, it can easily become a highlight of any Japan trip. Either way, it's another Tokyo location that shouldn't be missed.


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WWE Royal Rumble 2014 Rumors: [VIDEO]: Hulk Hogan, Chris Jericho To Return As Surprise Entrants In Royal Rumble?
on Dec 17, 2013 12:23 PM EST
With the WWE's last pay-per-view event of 2013 over with, all eyes look toward the first pay-per-view of the new year as the Royal Rumble takes place live from the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh on Jan. 26. Reports indicate that despite the WWE having over five weeks remaining until the pay-per-view, they have begun thinking of surprise entrants to have in the 30-man over-the-top-rope elimination Royal Rumble match.
With a trip to WrestleMania XXX to take on the WWE World Heavyweight Champion on the line, the 30-man match will feel more important than in recent years now that there is only one world title to go for at the biggest event of the year.
According to 24Wrestling.com, the WWE has been working on securing their surprise entrants for the event as the Royal Rumble is usually an event that features the return of past stars for either one-night only or lengthy surprise stints by appearing in the match.
According to the report, the company is looking at stars that aren't on the current active roster, some of which will be past stars that will make returns at the event as well as a few NXT stars that have potential to be called up and showcased at the event.
One speculated name could be Hulk Hogan, who is rumored to be "training like a madman" for a return to WrestleMania. It has been rumored that "The Hulkster" may come back for the WWE's WrestleMania XXX pay-per-view to team up with John Cena in a tag team match, and it's possible that a Royal Rumble appearance can jump-start the program. While that match isn't set in stone, Hogan has at least admitted he'll be at the Superdome in New Orleans on April 6.
"I haven't been to WrestleMania for years," Hogan told TMZ earlier this month. "My new wife Jennifer, she's never been to one brother. I'm gonna have to wear masks like Mil Mascaras and sit in the front row," he quipped.
Cena also discussed Hogan's involvemet in WrestleMania in some capacity:
"We operate at a high level of speed in the WWE nowadays," Cena told TMZ earlier this month. "I think you can't have a WrestleMania 30 without Hulk Hogan. I really truly hope he's there in my heart of hearts because asWrestleMania turns 30 I think we need the Hulkster, but we'll see if we can get him there to do whatever he can do."
It is merely speculation that Hogan would return at the January pay-per-view. Another name that could be speculated for a return is Chris Jericho as he recently wrapped up a Fozzy tour and teased appearing at the WWE's TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view on Sunday night in Houston via Twitter:
Goodbye #Fozztralia!! See you soon! Taking off for Houston... Hahah just kidding! (Or am I?)
— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) December 15, 2013
Jericho may not be gearing up for a return, but its feasible to speculate that "Y2J" could make a surprise return at the Royal Rumble as only he is known to do.
It remains to be seen who WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton will face at the Royal Rumble itself, and while the WWE may decide to give Cena his rematch after losing the tables, ladders and chairs match at TLC, Cena could also use the Rumble match as a way to face Orton at the biggest show of the year. Orton and Daniel Bryan have feuded in recent months, and that could also conceivably be a match on the card.
It remains to be seen what the card will look like on the road to WrestleMania that begins at the Royal Rumble, but a clearer picture should present itself after the holidays and in the New Year.
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Conformal Coated Industrial Ethernet Switch Protects Mission Critical Applications
What is Conformal Coating and why is it important in Industrial Ethernet switches? In mission critical and harsh environments like where most Industrial hardened Ethernet switches are deployed, conformal coating acts as protection against moisture, dust, chemicals, and temperature extremes that if non-protected could result in a complete failure of the electronic system. These applications include mining, metal industries, oil & gas, military applications, chemical processing and food and beverage industries. For additional protection to address the demands of the environmental conditions, Ethernet Direct offers state-of-the art conformal coating on Industrial Ethernet switches that meets MIL-I-46058C standardEthernet networks will expand in time.
Conformal coatings encapsulate circuit boards and their electronic components in order to prevent the ingress of moisture, fungus, dust and other environmental contaminants. After the coating is made on the switches, it provides environmental and mechanical protection to significantly extend the life of the components and circuitry to meet the challenges in severe industrial environments.
Based on the increasing demands in various industries, customers' are deploying conformal coatings with expectations to increase the performance of the switch, ease of application, sustainability, quality, functionality, and environmental properties. All of the above expectations require special attention and procedure carried out by Ethernet Direct when manufacturing even single Industrial Ethernet switch in order to ensure that all conformal coated designed switches meet the expected standards. Ethernet Direct continuously to improve the environmental performance and offers conformal coatings Industrial Ethernet switches to enhance more specific demands in industrial applications.
A product may suffer from degraded life and accuracy if the PCB surface comes in contact with ionic substances, making it contaminated. The ionic substances can be in the form of fingerprint or humidity. Having applied conformal coating effectively reduces the effects of mechanical stress, vibrations or temperature changes when an Industrial Ethernet switch could be installed.07/14/2009
Surface Acoustic Wave Technology based Temperature Monitoring of High Voltage and High Current Switchgear Boxes
Safety is a big concern when it comes to managing power distribution systems. High voltage and high current switchgear boxes serve an important role in establishing points of control within the power distribution system.07/08/2009
The Eye for Plant Operator's Eyes
The plant operator has an extremely valuable and important responsibility: being the force and energy managing a capital enterprise easily worth hundreds of millions of dollars to produce or impact a daily revenue stream of millions, give or take. We ask him to be ever mindful of what the plant might be doing. We ask him to be capable of finding every little problem before it grows into a big one. We ask him to shoulder the burden of everything that goes wrong during his watch, all without any recognition when nothing does, and precious little (if not actual blame) when it goes wrong and he manages to manage. Within his area of responsibility and authority he must be able to view every control loop, most sensors, most pieces of equipment, and much of the supporting utilities, and then adjust as appropriate.
The failure to maintain situational awareness has been present in almost every disaster event that was not the result of spontaneous complete surprise. Start with the assumption that no one wants an accident. That no one would chose disaster over success. But accidents and disasters happen. We now know to a high degree of certainty that they happen because those in charge of ensuring that they do not happen, aren't aware that they are happening. They fail to know the situation. They are unaware of what is really going on, what is likely to happen, or what isn't happening that they think is. As explained in my book Alarm Management for Process Control, the solution is facilitated by effective operator interface design. Let's follow the path of interface design that can lead to better situation awareness.07/08/2009
Cutting the Cost of Flexible Operation in a Competitive Power Market
Starting a power-generating unit involves bringing a plant from shutdown conditions to synchronization between the electrical generator and the transmission network or grid. Optimizing this process requires a careful balance which minimizes startup energy costs and limits plant damage. Traditionally, the startup of a coal-fired unit is performed manually by highly skilled operators. For RWE npower, however, an analysis of the startup methodology using the PI System from OSIsoft revealed significant variation in the company's techniques. Having identified the reasons for the variations, RWE npower then standardized and optimized the procedures to ensure that best practices were achieved for every startup.06/01/2009
The PI System Revolutionizes One Utility's Electric Transmission and Distribution Power System Data
As with most electric transmission and distribution (T&D) companies, growth does not come without many challenges commonly faced by most large utility companies: diverse data sources in different locations with restricted access; numerous manual data retrieval processes with limited ability for people outside the control center to immediately observe what problems have occurred; and operating in an interactive environment.
In 2003, one T&D utility implemented OSIsoft's PI System (PI) across all transmission and distribution operations. This decision dramatically changed the way the utility was able to access power system data and conduct business. Now operators, engineers, analysts, managers and executives are able to monitor real-time power system data using easy-to-configure displays with the ability to trend and analyze in real time or historical mode. PI gave the utility the ability to monitor transmission line status from the Emergency Operations Center when crises arise. Systems are now integrated, and data is provided to operations, management, planning, forecasting and regulatory compliance groups.06/01/2009
WiredCity Helps Westar Energy Keep the Network and the Power Flowing
Westar Energy Inc. turned to WiredCitys IT Monitor as its primary means of preventing network and system problems inside its power plant network. The decision was spurred on by Westar Energy's familiarity and satisfaction with WiredCitys parent company, OSIsoft Inc., whose Real-time Performance Management (RtPM) Platform has had a successful track record in Westar Energy's power generation plants. In addition to improving the quality of network service and ensuring that power traders maintain critical Internet connectivity, Westar Energy discovered new uses for IT Monitor, including tracking down a virus and tuning an Oracle database, which saved a potentially costly upgrade.06/01/2009
Surface Acoustic Wave Technology-Based Temperature Monitoring of High Voltage and High Current Switchgear Boxes
Safety is a big concern when it comes to managing power distribution systems. High voltage and high current switchgear boxes serve an important role in establishing points of control within the power distribution system. The high voltages and current flowing through switchgear boxes greatly increase the probability of electric arcing and arc blasts. An arc blast is characterized by intense amounts of heat, pressure, shrapnel and molten copper. Great strides have been made in building arc resistant switchgears, nevertheless accidents have happened and the state of technology is far from completely eliminating them. One solution to this problem is to monitor the temperature of switchgear boxes to elicit early warning signs of imminent failure. Conventional methods of monitoring switchgear temperature are expensive and not entirely effective. Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) technology can provide a passively powered (battery-less), wireless temperature measurement solution that is suited for switchgears. This application note explores how a SAW based solution can provide a reliable, safe and cost-effective means of monitoring switchgear temperature.05/27/2009
Public Service Electric and Gas Deploys PI System as Foundation for CMMS System
Public Service Electric and Gas implemented the SAP PM (Plant Maintenance) system in 2000 to enhance the efficiency of its transmission and distribution equipment maintenance. While this application did improve maintenance systems, it did not provide the proactive, predictive approach to T&D maintenance that the company wanted.
A special project was begun in 2001 to design and implement a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) that would allow PSE&G to monitor equipment status and handle maintenance procedures using a condition-based approach rather than a calendar-based system. The PI System from OSIsoft in San Leandro, Calif., is the foundation on which PSE&Gs engineering and IT staffs created their CMMS solution. The system proposal called for a full ROI by 2005, but the system was launched in early 2002 and began delivering cost savings in its first year. It also is extending the life of aging equipment through more efficient monitoring of performance.05/22/2009
QNI Uses the OSIsoft PI System to Control Refinery Operations and Gain 41 Percent IRR in 3.5 Years
Until a few years ago, QNIs cobalt/nickel refinery in Yabulu, Australia, used manual process-recording methods. Process engineers found it difficult to determine the influence of variables on product quality and to generate timely reports for management. Management was frustrated by the challenges of accounting for monthly reconciled recovery, determining where losses occurred and tracking quality by batch.
To gain control over its operations and processes, QNI needed to track key performance indicators (KPIs) and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). Though QNI already had a functioning ABB distributed control system, it couldnt store process data for more than three weeks not really long enough to track production records and monitor KPIs. Faced with ISO 9001 compliance and the need to implement Six Sigma in its manufacture of high-grade nickel and cobalt products, QNI chose OSIsofts solution to combine production data from its six business units with their total of eight separate control rooms.05/22/2009
OSIsoft Helps the Roche Group Employ Real-Time Performance Management and Increase Operational Efficiencies
The Roche Group maintains three types of manufacturing facilities: chemical, biotech and galenical. To sustain growth in an increasingly competitive global business environment, the company sought a technically superior information platform that would enable operational improvements in efficiency, performance, quality and compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
Roche considered the PI System to be the best foundation to gain visibility into operational performance and enable faster response time and analysis for more cost-effective actions. As a successful global initiative, PI allows management to make more effective business decisions based on reliable and current information. Local plant management can optimize process operations to respond to real-world product demand. Operators, engineers, chemists and managers can now plan better, improve production and increase efficiency.05/22/2009
PI System Helps Methanol Producer Improve Quality and Performance, Stay Competitive
Since 1997, the Chilean-based operations of Methanex, the worlds largest producer and marketer of methanol, have been using the PI System from OSIsoft to improve product quality. With the success of using real-time data to improve operations, the company has recently begun to implement OSIsofts PI System as a strategic initiative to more fully integrate and distribute operations information throughout the company for better competitive advantages.05/15/2009
OSIsoft Helps MWRA Improve Real-Time Plant Performance, Aid Boston Harbor Cleanup
A wastewater treatment organization in Massachusetts has been implementing OSIsofts PI System (PI) as the core of an enterprise-wide solution. With the help of the real-time data collected and distributed by PI, the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA) is able to achieve real-time notification of events to the employees who need to know; real-time pricing of power in order to determine the most cost-effective approach to on-site power usage; deliver accurate and timely compliance reporting to local and federal agencies; and, perhaps best of all, play a key role in improving the quality of the environment in Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay.05/15/2009
Using RtPortal iViews to Reduce Energy Management Costs and Meet Conservation Goals
The Kodak Park, located in Rochester, N.Y., is over 100 years old. The site has 1300 acres, two utility power plants, two company-owned water and waste water treatment plants, 150 buildings and 11,000 employees. The Kodak Park utility power plants have enormous generation output and demand requirements including 2,000,000 pounds per hour steam load and a 125 MW electric load.
The site also has 600 electric distribution meters, 600 additional non-electric distribution meters and many generation site meters. The utilities systems were operated and monitored by a group of disparate building automation systems and distributed control systems.
With such a vast energy and management system, Kodak shares many of the same concerns as regional utility companies conservation, optimization of resources and consolidation of data from various legacy systems. Any new technology solution added to this mix had to be compatible with our well-defined information architecture requirements.05/01/2009
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. Monitors Environmental Emissions with the OSIsoft PI System
Formed in 2001 as the result of a government initiative to create competitive subsidiaries in the power generation industry, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company (KHNP) needed to monitor different variables at its multiple nuclear power facilities. KHNP also wanted to actively manage the changing business conditions in Korea. There was increasing public and government concern about safety and the environmental impact of nuclear power. Residents in the towns surrounding the plants were demanding greater transparency of operations and systems. Additional requirements were to enhance the efficiency of information between facilities and integrate plant data with the companys SAP Enterprise Resource Planning system. To solve information access and transparency problems, KNHP chose the PI System from OSIsoft.05/01/2009
Who Are Your Bandwidth Hogs
As industrial Ethernet networks grow in number and importance, keeping the right traffic on and off the network becomes essential
The use of Ethernet for industrial automation has grown dramatically. One of the main benefits of moving from legacy fieldbus to Ethernet is the ability to connect the front office to the manufacturing system. This is possible because Ethernet is not a proprietary communication protocol. The non-proprietary nature of Ethernet allows engineers to mix and match equipment from different vendors and get competitive bids. This combination of better office-factory communication and open standards helped industrial Ethernet gain recent widespread acceptance.
But with these benefits come potential problems. As networks and the services they provide evolve and servers or user machines are replaced and upgraded, the likelihood of passing unwanted, often obsolete protocols within the network increases.
Potentially more challenging is the existence of unknown protocols that may degrade the performance of the network. Unknown protocols are often caused by well-intended but uninformed employees who attach unauthorized devices, such as wireless access points, to the network. They can also be caused by traffic such as streaming audio from employees listening to Internet radio stations while working.04/28/2009
Real-Time Energy Measurement and Empowerment
Business leaders in todays manufacturing industries are facing a key issue, lack of visibility into plant business performance in real-time. Thus, real-time information for plant costs, production value, and contribution margin are generally not available to key decision-makers within the operation. Energy management is a key area where the lack of real-time information has a significant impact. Most companies still do not have a clear understanding of the relationship between energy consumption and the impact on real-time costs. This lack of critical information makes it difficult to make informed decisions as energy-related pricing and costs change frequently, affecting manufacturing business performance. Energy prices comprise a large percentage of variable costs in most operations. The dynamic nature of their impact on the business further confounds the situation owing to factors such as:
- New green energy sources
- Complex and fast changing energy market rates and metering dynamics
- Multiple fuel-burning choices
- New and changing environmental requirements
During these difficult economic times, this problem is magnified and presents a significant challenge to improving efficiencies and managing environmental responsibilities. Todays business world requires better business information of the manufacturing environment, propagated to all relevant people within the organization to enable and empower better decision-making to improve business performance. Invensys Process Systems (IPS) Real-Time Energy Measurement and Real-Time Energy Empowerment are an effective solution to this problem.
Watch this video
New Information and Resources on Real-Time Energy Management Solutions Now Available From IPS
Learn how real-time energy management can reduce energy costs and consumption.04/28/2009
OSIsoft Helps Innovene Run More Efficiently: Analysis Framework Expands Analysis Capability
In 2000, Innovenes Sarralbe, France plant updated its antiquated legacy system infrastructure with the OSIsoft PI System to provide real-time and historical information. Next, the company wanted to increase operational and development efficiencies. They sought to avoid multiple manual inputs and to minimize custom application development.
In 2004, the Innovene, Sarralbe site implemented OSIsofts Analysis Framework (AF) for faster application configuration to help employees analyze and optimize processes more efficiently. Innovene was impressed with the OSIsoft suite of products, and they were convinced that AF could effectively leverage the power of the new infrastructure.04/24/2009
Using Analysis Framework to Improve Decision Making and Optimize Production
IPLOM, a privately held company, manufactures environmentally compatible fuel products. As a small player in a competitive market, IPLOM needed to manage and optimize production in a real-time environment. IPLOM also needed to demonstrate the consistency of the products in real-time in an easily accessible Web site to its customers.
IPLOM first selected OSIsoft Sigmafine to provide mass balance yields. After one year, the company purchased the PI System and is now planning an RtWebParts implementation.04/24/2009
Integrating Manufacturing Data from the Plant Floor into SAP
Like many companies, Janssen Pharmaceutical was implementing SAP as their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. In order to integrate manufacturing data from the plant floor into SAP, Janssen simultaneously installed the OSIsoft PI System. For the first time, financial people, who had never been able to link to the production floor, were now costing in real time. People in Operations, Engineering, Quality Assurance (QA), Environmental and Security were able to obtain multiple views from one data source, resulting in better operational visibility, process improvement and collaboration. The use of the PI System has led to better decisions and ongoing improvements such as: reduced cycle times, superior batch quality and releases, thorough incident investigations, decreased process variability, real-time costing, and better alarm management and security monitoring.
Now, with the implementation of OSIsofts RtReports product, Janssen can provide QA with a tool that streamlines the validation process for faster and more accurate compliance monitoring and reporting. The reams of paper with sign-offs and manual inputs from production to QA have been replaced with a few targeted reports that include batch trends. Production is able to reduce cycle time with configurable, real-time batch performance reporting. Of significant importance to Janssens business evolution is that RtReports has become a major part of Janssens progression towards electronic batch records.04/24/2009
Overcoming Concerns about Wireless PACs and I/O in Industrial Automation
Industrial Automation Flirts with Wireless
The automation industry increasingly finds wireless attractive, and for several reasons.
- Running a wired network incurs significant labor and material costs, while wireless networks cost far less.
- Wireless offers connectivity for remote areas or areas not currently served by wired networks.
- Wireless controllers and I/O can manage devices and processes even in inaccessible areas, or areas where network wiring is difficult or impossible to install.
- And wireless can offer a way to provide proof-of-concept for a new project before incurring the expense of a wired network.
For all these reasons, automation engineers are beginning to seriously consider wireless solutions (specifically WLAN, wireless Ethernet, or Wi-Fi) for all or part of their applications.
But with all these good reasons to use wireless, several concerns remain. Among them are security, network performance and reliability, availability and cost of I/O components, and the necessity of choosing between wired and wireless solutions up front.04/23/2009


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One has to wonder if any moto-x can work on any LTE band....with the right software. I wonder if I could take my verizon dev edition phone, load the ATT software and it would become exactly like an ATT (branded) phone. It certainly would make manufacturing sense if the hardware were identical in all phones and the only difference was the software load.
Anyone know the truth on this??
But the iPhone 5S and 5C support many HSPA and LTE bands, so anything is possible.


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Man (and woman's) best friend appears as the main character in a couple children's books from AuthorHouse Publishing:
If a Dog Could Blog
By: Lisa Breeden Garcia
Illustrated By: Susan Shorter
Admit it: If you have a dog, you've always wondered what thoughts he had or stories he would tell if he had the chance, but what kind of dog can blog about her crazy (and sometimes lazy) experiences? In the new illustrated children's book If a Dog Could Blog, Lisa Breeden Garcia brings to life the daily goings-on of her technology-savvy Basset Hound, a character that children can easily relate to in this electronically-connected world. Killer, who lives with her (human) parents and her little sister (a Great Dane), narrates her adventures on her blog, which include being swept away by a giant "tsunami" in a creek near her house, meeting the new barn kitties taken in by her parents, and being accused of running away from home. As an added bonus, children can even log on to Killer's actual blog URL, www.killerdog.typepad.com, to leave comments. You can purchase If a Dog Could Blog online at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Borders.com.
Sophie Gets Curtains!
By: Adelene Keeler Smith
Illustrated By: Floyd Ryan Yamyamin
Who says dogs can't have fun decorating just like people? In the illustrated children's book Sophie Gets Curtains!, author Adelen Keeler Smith introduces us to Sophie, a cute and lovable Wire Fox Terrier who launches the construction and decoration of her new doghouse. She hires an expert team to help her build and design her dream home, and invites all of her closest friends to her doghouse warming party. The advanced vocabulary and glossary of terms will challenge your early reader to learn new words, too. Sophie Gets Curtains! stands out as a delightful read for both children and their parents as Sophie explores the value of friends, family, and an awesome home to play around in.
Leave a comment below by Monday, March 21 telling us what your favorite type of animal is and why for a chance to win either a copy of If a Dog Could Blog or Sophie Gets Curtains! The winners will be selected randomly and will be notified by email.
Disclosure: Mom Central recieved copies of If a Dog Could Blog and Sophie Gets Curtains! courtesy of AuthorHouse Publishing to facilitate this review.
Having been brought up in a family of animal lovers and a brother who
was a Veterinarian, this is a difficult question for me…I have had a
pet fox, squirrel, monkey, etc., but I will say dogs are my favorite pets!
The books are delightful…
Many thanks, Cindi
Dogs — because they can be children's best friends, too!
My son LOVES lions and my daughter LOVES monkeys! These books would be such great bedtime reads for my kids. Thanks for a wonderful giveaway!
My twins want pets so badly, but sadly, they are too allergic. (even the allergy safe dogs are too much for my daughter for long periods of time) So, we have several stuffed cats and dogs and read about them alot too! Great giveaway!
I'm pretty partial to horses. They're not exactly cuddly like dogs and cats, but many people would be surprised by the ways a horse can express affection. And horses are (most of the time) fairly smart.
They sound like great books. We love cats because they can be so playful, but sweet and snuggly too.
We love our miniature schnauzer- he's our baby!
I love animals but there's always something I don't like about it. Dogs are lovable and playful but take a lot of attention and can chew up the place. Cats are super lovable and cute but scratch everywhere and shed! Rabbits are even cuter but poop every time they hop! lol
well i really love a nice big dog…they are totally loyal and loving and they offer unmatched protection for your family
I'm a dog person and always have been. I grew up with dogs and have always been allergic to cats to I guess I was just born to be a dog lover. I love my fur babies!
My grand daughter loves her puppy dog. This would be great for her.
Birds.. I have had many of them in my life and treat them like most people treat their dogs. They wander the house, hang out on my shoulder (not many dogs do this) and are well loved.
Definitely a horse. They have this beauty about them. Also fun to ride!
A Dog I had mine for almost 14 years and she was my best buddy!!
I prefer dogs! They are so loyal and have a playful spirit!
I love dogs! But I really love pekingese dogs, they are my favorite!
I love dogs; we had two, just lost one due to old age a few weeks ago, but we are still going strong with his pal who now needs lots more love!
My favorite animal is my english mastiff Jet. He is so big yet so sweet, gentle, and loving.
I love poodles. Used to have one but we don't have any animals right now.
cows are the best!!!!!!!!!!! because they are Cows
Love cats. My favorite breeds are Cornish Rex and Peterbolds!
Dogs because they are cuddly!
Flamepoint cats are my favorite!
Rabbits… They are so cute and always seem to be thinking about something.
My favorite animal would be pigs. I grew up raising and showing them. My folks still have several sows. I love going over there and cuddling with the new piglets.
I'm a huge animal lover of all kinds, but I love watching Orangutans. They are just adorable, I could watch them all day.
A dog has to be my favorite animal. My dogs are always happy to see me and my kids. I was just at the zoo though and I have to say the zebra is a beautiful animal.
I always love to visit the marmosets when we go on a trip to the zoo. They are just so cute!
We have a dog and a bunny – the dog is much easier to clean up after and barks to scare away bad things. The bunny has a specialized diet and hides from even the smallest noise. I'd definitley say the dog is higher on the list but the bunny is oh so sweet and soft!
We love birds; we have 2 aviaries full of them!
My grandkids are avid readers and either of these would be just great. They love all animals and dogs especially because they make such great companions. Thanks for the opportunity.
My son is just starting to read, will be good for him. Thanks for the giveaway
Oh my goodness…how cute are these! We are animal lovers, and have many pets over the years, our fondest being our cat "woody" who passed away a few years back! He was a spunky, feisty guy that loved to get into mischief!!
Dogs –I have the world's best dog,Sibby. She has been my constant companion for 11 years & I hope we have many more together!
My favorite animal is a horse (but it's much more practical for us to have a dog–which we love). I'd be so happy to give this book to my grandson, who loves his black lab, Myra, very much.
Thanks for the giveaway.
I really love Horses! ( And unicorns of course )
Spent some time at Dude Ranch once upon a time, and loved riding a horse named " Shangrila "
Such a sweet feeling galloping along out in the trails in the forest, believe me!
Thanks for this giveaway chance.
My favorite animals are PENGUINS! I think they are so cute and the journey the male penguins go through to carry the egg safely is just amazing!
Oh My Goodness, These Books are wonderful, giving Pre-schoolers a nifty way of Educating themselves. My 6 year old loves to read.
We love dogs. We don't have any of our own, but we like our neighbors' dogs.
Our two favorite things together books & dogs. We love the elephants too


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Swing analyst Steve Carter breaks down Brandon Allen's swing.
Articles by Steve Carter
Jose Iglesias Scouting Report - 01/04/2010
Swing analyst Steve Carter breaks down Jose Iglesias' swing and offensive potential.
Austin Jackson Scouting Report - 12/16/2009
Swing analyst Steve Carter takes a quick look at Austin Jackson.
Desmond Jennings Scouting Report - 10/08/2009
Swing analyst Steve Carter takes a brief look at Desmond Jennings' swing.
Chris Carter Scouting Report - 09/25/2009
Swing Analyst Steve Carter dissects Chris Carter's swing and guages his future.
Hellickson 9/22 Performance Report - 09/22/2009
A brief breakdown of Jeremy Hellickson's outing against Memphis in the Triple-A Championship Game
Triple-A Championship Game Chat - 09/22/2009
Come chat with us as Jeremy Hellickson pitches in the Bricktown Showdown on ESPN2 tonight at 7:00 PM Eastern.
Brett Wallace Scouting Report - 09/14/2009
Swing Analyst Steve Carter breaks down Brett Wallace's swing and power potential.
James Darnell Scouting Report - 08/15/2009
Baseball scout Steve Carter breaks down James Darnell's swing and how Darnell projects for the future.
Tyson Gillies Scouting Report - 08/12/2009
Baseball scout Steve Carter breaks down Tyson Gillies' swing in detail
Buster Posey Scouting Report - 08/10/2009
Baseball scout Steve Carter breaks down Buster Posey's swing and offensive approach in detail.


text: Along with Predictive Text no longer working surprise, I thought this was/still is rather annoying. As I recall with the stock ICS, pressing the home button after the phone times out, the screen wakes up to the last opened app. Now, hitting the home button, it closes the last app and gives you the home screen right away. So in order to return to the last app screen, I have to wake it up by pressing the power switch. I don't know if this is the way Jelly Bean works or is that another quirk.


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Princess Nine - First Inning (DVD 1 of 6)
Title: Princess Nine - First Inning
Volume: DVD 1 / 6
Running time: 125
Distributor: ADV Films
Release date: 2001-10-23
Suggested retail price: $19.98
Age rating: NR
Led by a hot-shot young "natural", nine young women defy the male-dominated tradition of Japanese sports… not to create a League of their own, but to take on the boys on their own artificial turf and prove there's nothing a man can do that a woman can't do just as well!
The hallowed stadiums of Japanese baseball become a battlefield as the bats crack, the sweat flies and every hard-earned run becomes another step in the long road-trip to victory! Sizzling sports action and gripping drama intertwine as nine young women come together in the heat of athletic competition to become the Princess Nine!
DVD Contents:
Episodes: 1-5
Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles
Extras: Clean OP Animation, clean ED Animation, Player Statistics
(added on 2001-08-13, modified on 2002-01-12)
- Reviewed by George Phillips (January 1, 1970)
- Encyclopedia information about Princess Nine (TV)


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Betteshanger is a village near Deal in the eastern part Kent, England. It gave its name to the largest of the four chief collieries of the Kent coalfield.
Betteshanger parish (with variation 'Betleshangre') has existed at least since Domesday times. It remained a small scattered parish until the advent of the Kent Coalfield. St Mary's church sits almost alone in woodland in the centre of the parish. At 'Little Betteshanger' a cluster of houses surround Betteshanger Farm. In 1935 the parish merged with the neighbouring Northbourne parish.
Betteshanger colliery opened in the late 1920s and was the largest of the Kent collieries. It had two shafts of almost 2300 feet, plaques can still be seen where the shafts were once sunk. Betteshanger had a tradition of union militancy; it was the first pit to come out on strike during the second World War and took active part in the miners' strikes of 1972, 1974 and 1984/5. It was the last Kent colliery to close, closing for good in 1989.
Betteshanger was originally an ancient parish in the Eastry Hundred. Between 1894 and 1974 it was part of the Eastry Rural District. Since 1974 the area is covered by the non-metropolitan Dover District.
Research Tips


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When it comes to making cocktails at home, it can be downright challenging to make anything beyond the standard spirit and a mixer. There's a reason why people drink Jack and Coke, Vodka and Soda, Gin and Tonic, and anything and Redbull - they are all extremely easy to make and don't take any special gear.
You don't have to be a mixologist to up your game. By simply grabbing a unique mixer, you can transform that everyday drink into something unique.
Illy Issimo
Illy is well known for their ground coffee and, like many coffee companies, they've expanded their offerings into the canned coffee space. They offer two great options which can be easily mixed with a spirit to make a tasty drink.
Illy Issimo Mochaccino is a creamy, lightly sweet coffee drink that mixes extremely well with Amaretto (just pour 1/2 can over ice and then add 1/2 shot of Amaretto and stir), or make an pseudo iced Irish coffee by putting the Issimo Mochaccino over ice and adding Jameson to the mix.
Illy Issimo Cafe has no sugar and no milk, so it mixes very will with creamier liqueurs like Baileys Irish Cream.
Just Chill
Red Bull is an extremely popular option in the "spirit and a mixer" category, but it's not a great option when you are looking to chill out at the end of the day. Just Chill is the proverbial yin to Red Bull's yang. Instead of amping you up with caffeine, it's uses L-Theanine, Lemongrass, Ginseng and Ginkgo Biloba to put you in a relaxed but not drowsy state of mind.
Just Chill works perfectly when mixed with vodka, rum, or even the herbal liqueurs like Jager. It's also a nice mixer with Plymouth Gin, a little mint, and cucumber. A little goes a long way with Just Chill.
ALO Drink
Made from aloe vera juice and pulp, these refreshing juice drinks come in a variety of flavors, including:
Changing up your game and trying something new doesn't have to involve complex cocktails. By swapping out your standard mixer with something interesting, you can elevate your simple drink into something unique and tasty.


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1. What is the inspiration for your Loop name? SJB is short for Santo Juris Bruni which is Latin for Run with Perseverance. OK, I'm making that up. It's just my initials.
2. A/S/L/F (age, sex, location, family)? 42, male, Pennsylvania, wife & 3 sons
3. When is your Loopiversary (date of your first blog on the Loop)? November 2009, which means it's soon my 5 year Loopiversary. I believe Nike products are the traditional gift for the fifth Loopiversary, so start shopping now.
4. How long have you been running? 26 years. I started running consistently back in the summer of 1988 after I came in 7th at a race at a summer camp. I always thought I was a good runner based on how I did during the Presidential Fitness Test at school, but my ego was put in check by that finish. I decided I needed to start training so I wouldn't finish that far back in a race ever again. I mapped out a 1.6 mile loop near my house and ran it as fast as I could several days a week.
5. What is your favorite distance to race? I'm the black sheep of the Loop as I don't have much interest in racing any distance beyond 5K. The mile is my favorite distance followed closely by the 5K.
6. Do you belong to a local running club? I organized a running club for kids in grades 1-6 this year, but my schedule and family obligations make it hard to join a club to run with others.
7. Have you ever been to a Loopmeet or Loopfest? I finally got to meet some Loopsters for the first time last year. Last June I got to meet Peg and her family when work travel took me out her way. In October I got to meet several others when J-Zee hosted a get together for those running the Hershey Half. Both were great experiences and I wish it would happen more often.
8. Have you ever lost a toenail? Only when I clip them with nail clippers and they go flying off in another direction.
9. What is your favorite post-race treat? As much as I like to eat, I usually don't want anything post-race beyond water. A few hours later I often crave an ice cold Pepsi or Woodchuck Hard Cider, so I'll go with that.
10. What one piece of running gear is your must-have item? Garmin
11. What socks do you wear when running? It's a blend of cotton and some synthetic material from Target.
12. How do your knees feel? Awesome.
13. If you could go to any one running destination/event, where.what would you chose? I'd love to run on the track at the University of Oregon.
14. Hot or cold--which is worse to run in? Any temperatures below 35°, and the ice and snow it brings with it, makes me miserable during a run.
15. If you have a running inspiration or mentor, who is it? Roger Bannister
16. What is your running mantra? (If your answer is "I have no mantra" or something lame like that, you must answer "Da do run, run, run. Da do run, run") Da do run, run, run. Da do run, run
17. Are there any other runners in your family? My wife runs for fitness. My oldest told me he's not a runner although he has raced before, my middle son will run and race if prompted, but my youngest asks to go out running and asks if he can run in races.
18. Roads or trails? Roads. I think I'd be more into trails if it wasn't for ticks and Lyme disease.
19. What's the funniest thing that has ever happened to you on a run? One night I was running in a suburban development when this guy, who looked like Bob Ross (the PBS guy who painted happy trees), walks out of a house completely naked from head to toe, walks to a car, gets something out and then strolls back into the house.
20. What is your most memorable running moment? I was running the 800 in high school and the coach came up to me one meet and told me I had to place in order for our team to win. I decided to go out slow, most of my friends later told me they thought I was out of contention even before I finished the first lap, but on the second lap I started picking off several runners one by one. Going into the last 150 meters I was starting to pass the 3rd place runner on the opposing team when a guy in the infield pointed at me and yelled, "This guy sucks, you've got him". I was so infuriated it allowed me to kick it into another gear and blow by the opposing runner to take third place.


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The people from Lego visited the Microsoft campus to show off the latest version of the Lego robotics hardware – MindStorms NXT. There is a video of the visit at On10. It looks really cool and it is scheduled to hit retail stores this week just in time for my birthday at the end of the week. I think I need to send a link to the video to my wife.
Mindstorms NXT is one of the hardware platforms that are supported by the Microsoft Robotics Studio. Randy Trower who runs the MS Robotics program is also on the video and talks about working with Lego and about the Robotics Studio.


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Sage Seminars, Inc., a franchisor of opportunities to produce "Dreamwalk" motivational seminars, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it overstated the earnings of potential investors in the franchise, in violation of the FTC's Franchise Rule and the FTC Act. Under the terms of the settlement, William R. Dempsey and Peggy Ann Davenport, owners and officers of the company, will be banned from the sale or marketing of any franchise or similar business venture in the future and from offering employment opportunities for which they charge money. In addition, the FTC has asked a U.S. District Court to establish a claims procedure to determine the amount of consumer redress to be ordered for those who invested in the franchise.
Dempsey, Davenport and Sage are currently based in Las Vegas, Nevada, but were originally based in Rohnert Park, California. They advertised Sage Seminar management positions as income opportunities in high circulation national publications.
According to the FTC complaint detailing the charges, Sage sold business opportunities for fees ranging from $10,000 to $130,000 on promises that franchisees -- or "SageManagers" -- would quickly recoup their initial investment. Sage advertised that SageManagers, who arranged personal growth seminars and solicited paid attendance, would earn $15,000 per seminar and would typically earn over $100,000 per year. In fact, according to the FTC, few, if any, investors recouped their initial investment or earned the income Sage touted. Sage also claimed that its nationwide marketing program would provide SageManagers with ongoing marketing support and assistance in their efforts to recruit seminar participants. No nationwide marketing program existed, according to the FTC.
The FTC's Franchise Rule requires that a franchisor provide prospective franchisees with a complete and accurate basic disclosure statement, containing 20 categories of information,
including information about the history of the franchisor, information about litigation by former franchisees that involves the franchisor/franchisee relationship, any state or federal restrictive order that affects the franchisor/franchisee relationship, the terms and conditions under which the franchise operates, as well as information about other franchisees. Disclosure of this information enables a prospective franchisee to assess the potential risks involved in the franchise. The rule also requires that franchise sellers have a reasonable basis for any earnings or profit claims; that any earnings projections must be accompanied by the number and percentage of franchisees that have achieved the claimed result; and that specific documentation be provided to substantiate the claims.
The FTC alleged that Sage failed to provide the disclosure documentation required by the Rule.
In addition to the permanent ban on the sale or marketing of franchises or similar business ventures and on offering employment opportunities for which they charge money, the FTC will seek proof of claim forms from individuals who purchased the franchise to allow consumer redress. The settlement resolves an FTC suit filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in August, 1995. Franchisees may obtain proof of claim forms by writing to:
Sage -- Proof of Claim
Federal Trade Commission
901 Market Street, Suite 570
San Francisco, CA. 94103
The forms must be completed and submitted by January 29, 1997.
The Commission vote to accept the stipulated permanent injunction was 5-0.
NOTE: This stipulated permanent injunction is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by the defendant of a law violation. Consent judgments have the force of law when signed by the judge.
Copies of the complaint, stipulated permanent injunction and other documents related to this matter, and a free FTC fact sheet, "Franchise and Business Opportunities," are available from the FTC's Public Reference Branch, Room 130, 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580; 202-326-2222; TTY for the hearing impaired 1-866-653-4261. To find out the latest news as it is announced, call the FTC NewsPhone recording at 202-326-2710. FTC news releases and other materials also are available on the Internet at the FTC's World Wide Web site at: http://www.ftc.gov
(FTC File No. X950 065)
(Civil Matter No. C-95-2854-SBA)
Contact Information
Claudia Bourne Farrell
Office of Public Affairs
Jeffery A. Klurfeld or Sylvia J. Kundig
San Francisco Regional Office
901 Market Street, Suite 570
San Francisco, California 94103


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Europe is a popular destination for travelers from all over the world and from all walks of life. It has something to offer everyone, no matter what your budget, interests or age. When planning a trip to Europe, consider your personal goals for the trip, and choose your travel route accordingly. Some of the best travel routes have been tried and tested for centuries; the best sites in Europe are timeless, and the proximity of the countries makes for convenient, fast travel.
European Art Tour
Europe has some of the world's greatest art. If you are an art buff, start with the Mecca of the art world--the Louvre in Paris, home of the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. Then, move on to the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain, where you can check out works by El Greco and Titian. Head to Holland to visit the Van Gogh Museum, and then move on to Italy. In Florence, you can check out Michelangelo's David, Brunelleschi's dome, and the stunning Uffizi Gallery. Move down to Rome to visit the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo's Pieta, and countless frescoes. If you have the time, fit in trips to the British Museum in London and the Albertina in Vienna.
European Food Tour
Europe is home to some of the best cuisines in the world, which have been developed over the region's long history. Start in Spain and sample the seafood and famous dishes such as paella. Take a train to France, and tour Paris' restaurants to indulge in rich, buttery dishes and distinctive offerings such as escargot (snails). In Provence, you'll delight in the fresh, local wines, herbs and vegetables. Then, head to Switzerland to sample the world-famous chocolate and cheese. As a grand finale, go south to Italy. Stop in Tuscany for the hearty Tuscan cuisine. Enjoy local wine at one of the countless vineyards, and eat as much pasta as your stomach can handle. Be sure to walk and ride bikes as often as possible to work off the calories and see the countryside between meals.
European Backpacker Tour
If you have the time, budget and patience, do the grand tour of Europe that's attempted by thousands of backpackers each year. Book a cheap ticket into a major capital in Europe--Dublin is a good alternative to London--and go without reservations or plans. If you can handle this type of free-flowing travel, it is the best way to see Europe. Pack light and be flexible, and you have the freedom to go as the spirit moves you, spending more time in places you love and less in places you don't. A possible itinerary is to fly into Dublin, explore Ireland, move over into Scotland and England, go through the Chunnel to Paris, and move on to Spain and Portugal. Fly to Italy, take a boat to Greece, and take a combination of trains and flights to Austria, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands.
The Route Less Traveled
If you're more adventurous or if you're looking for a one of a kind European travel experience, consider a less-common travel route. Try spending time in Finland, Sweden and Norway for beautiful scenery and beautiful people. Travel on a budget in Eastern Europe, and enjoy fewer tourists in Poland and Romania. If you'd like to spend less time in transit and have a more in-depth experience, consider choosing one country to explore--visit Italy's countless wineries, enjoy Croatia's scenery or bicycle around Ireland.


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Ambassador Pakayin: Azerbaijani delegation`s visit to Iran will contribute greatly to development of cooperation
Tehran, August 5, AZERTAC
"The visit by Azerbaijan`s delegation led by Minister of Economy and industry Shahin Mustafayev to Iran will make a considerable contribution to the development of cooperation between the two countries," said Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohsun Pakayin.
The Ambassador noted that Azerbaijan could play an important role in developing Iran`s relations with the Caucasus. He underlined that the connection of the Qazvin-Rasht-Astara railway to the railroad network of Azerbaijan would be significant in terms of economic development of the two countries. "The connection of the railroads will give Iran access to Europe, and open Persian Gulf for Azerbaijan."
The Ambassador said participation of the Iranian company in the production of oil from Azerbaijan`s Shah Deniz field would pave the way for joint implementation of oil and gas projects and placement of huge investment in this sector."
Rabil Katanov
Special Correspondent
Text contains orthographic mistake
Enter your note


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Health Check: Bicycle ride to benefit cancer patients
Corey Maher and Bruce Foster work in the interventional radiology department at Roger Williams Medical Center.
When they are not there, they're out on bicycles and it's more than just a fleeting pastime.
"We did a ride last year and we just did it for the fun of it to Canada, 24 hours straight. We went from here, left right after work, and we made it to the Canadian border, 300 miles," Foster said.
Then these cycling enthusiasts got to thinking.
"All of us have been touched by someone with cancer. In my particular case, I had a friend of mine, very good friend of mine, he was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer right around Christmas time," Maher said.
It's for that friend and for everyone who's been diagnosed with cancer with cancer that Maher and Foster plan to take the road on Friday afternoon.
"It's 500 miles give or take, depending on if we get lost or not - 48 hours," Foster said.
They're calling the trip, "Team Hope Ride to Washington, D.C." There will be minimal stops, and no sleep.
"Because it's symbolic of what cancer patients go through on a daily basis. So cancer never sleeps, so neither are we," Maher said.
"We have two support crews and they're going to be waiting for us. We're going to the Capitol steps and then we're going to get to sleep in the car on the way home," Foster said.
They say the support from co-workers is overwhelming.
Maher and Foster said they'll be back at work on Monday morning.
So far they've raised about $6,000 but they're hoping to raise more. The money raised will go in part to cancer programs at the hospital.


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Update 8:00 am:
More interesting data shows Target Field as the #1 pitchers ball park in Major League Baseball. According to ESPN, when you compare home vs. away numbers for home runs for all MLB teams, Target Field has the top bias as a pitchers park in the majors when it comes to home runs.
This data is even more pronounced than the raw numbers from HitTracker, which shows Target Field has yielded the 4th fewest home runs in the majors this season.
The abrupt and high rise of the stadium structure is like a mini mountain range that winds have to cross. The result may be an eddy that can actually blow back toward home plate in a downward direction, even though the prevailing wind is blowing out.
One reason for the relatively low number of home runs at Target Field may be that the canopy and stadium walls create what's called a "rotor" effect with certain (primarily westerly) wind directions.
My friend, fellow baseball coach and Twins season ticket holder Mark Werley shares the following observation.
The stadium is on a hill to begin with so a northwest wind has to climb the hill, and the left wall of the stadium, then maybe you just get a downdraft eddie out there – possibly helped somehow by that 'airfoil' shape of the sunshade. We sit in the upper deck on the right field side and the shape you see is a ball going up and out nicely, only to start dropping fast before it get's to the fence. Does anyone else think that what's unusual about the stadium is that the sides are steeper and set closer to the field than most other stadiums? Wonder if that creates different/sharper downdrafts on the field?
It will be intersting to see how the Yankees and Twins home run numbers compare during the upcoming series. Of course weather is only one factor…the fact is if the ball is up in the strike zone these guys are going to hit some out of the park.
Update 10:30pm:
New York Times baseball writer Pat Borzi did a nice piece on the weather and home runs at Target Field here. Pat contacted me on Monday and I shared my observations about Target Field weather with him for the article.
(Original post 4:40pm Monday)
October Baseball: Twins weather winning streak continues
It looks like the Twins winning weather streak will continue as the Yankees come to town this week for the first ever playoff series at Target Field.
Jim Thome and the Twins may have a slight tail wind blowing out to right field Wednesday evening at Target Field.
(photo by Paul Huttner)
A favorably dry early October weather pattern with sunny mild days and clear, crisp cool evenings means great baseball weather this week.
Here's the Huttner Weather Lab forecast as of Monday for the games on Wednesday & Thursday:
Game 1: Wednesday evening. First pitch 7:37pm CDT
Sky: Mostly clear
Temps: 68 degrees first pitch. Near 60 by 10pm.
Wind: NW 5-12 mph (blowing out toward right field)
Game 2: First pitch 5:07pm CDT
Sky: Mostly sunny
Temps: 70 degrees first pitch. Near 64 by 8pm.
Wind: West 5-12 mph (blowing out toward left-center field)
The early outlook for a possible Game #5 next Tuesday looks favorable as well right now.
What a difference a year makes:
Remeber last October in Minnesota?
The words cold, wet and miserable come to mind.
Last October 6th (the date of Game #1 this year) was an absolutely dismal weather day. A raw wet early October storm system dumped a cold rain on the Twin Cities all day. The high was a bone chilling 47 degrees, and the storms dumped 1.38″ of rainfall on the metro. A raw, cutting, bone chilling northwest wind blew between 11 and 22 mph.
Not exactly a day for outdoor baseball.
We saw snow on 5 days in the metro in last October, including a daily record snowfall of 2.5″ on the 12th…the same day of a potential Game 5 at Target Field this year.
Snow clad deck chairs at the Huttner Weather Lab on October 12th, 2009.
(Photo by Paul Huttner)
Anyting can happen in October in Minnesota:
As fans and local meteorologists eyed the possibilities of outdoor playoff baseball in October, we knew that anything can (and usually does!) happen with Minnesota weather this time of year.
Check out some of the weather extremes for the first 12 days of October in the Twin Cities.
Warmest: 87 degrees on October 6th 2007.
Coldest: 23 degrees October 12th 1917.
Wettest: 1.69″ rainfall October 6th 1941.
Snowiest: 2.5″ snowfall October 12th 2009.
The Twins weather luck has been uncanny this season. In the most severe weather summer in Minnesota history, only two weather delays have occurred at Target Field this season. Monday marks the 9th straight day with no measureable rain in the Twin Cities. That is the longest dry stretch in over 6 months since late March!
It looks like the weather gods are dancing over Target Field again this week. Let's hope the baseball gods are dancing too.


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[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: Gigi Sohn]
"The Commission today presented a mixed message to the public. On one hand, the Commission issued another report finding that broadband deployment in the U.S. was proceeding in a "reasonable and timely" fashion. As Commissioners Copps and Adelstein pointed out, the report is based on faulty and incomplete information and so does not present a true picture of broadband deployment. It is a mystery why the Commission chose to issue this report when, mere moments later, the Commission admitted the inadequacy of the information by starting the process to update the data collection on broadband. The Commission should be commended for recognizing the need to change long-outdated definition of broadband it had been using, and for starting the process to collect much more detailed information about broadband capabilities and deployment. It is unfortunate that information about the residential market is not separated from the commercial, and that information on pricing was put off to a further proceeding. While it contemplates its new data collection, The Commission should also consider making its information available to the public on a more frequent basis than the twice-yearly reports it issues now."
Links to Sources
- 2016 Broadband Progress Report Chairman's Draft
- FCC Releases Data on High-Speed Services for Internet Access
- FCC Launches Inquiry on Broadband Deployment
- What Is "Advanced Telecommunications Capability" And Why Does The FCC Examine It?
- The Question of Preemption: The FCC Considers Lifting Municipal Broadband Restrictions
- FCC Seeks Comment & Information to Guide Annual Inquiry Under Sec. 706, Whether Advanced Telecom Has Been Reasonably and Timely Deployed
- Twelfth Broadband Progress Notice of Inquiry
- Tenth Broadband Progress Notice of Inquiry
- FCC Launches New Inquiry into Broadband Availability
- Did Congress Empower the FCC to Regulate the Internet? Appeals Court Says 'Yes'
- Preempt State Broadband Reporting Requirements? Under What Authority?
- FCC Releases Agenda for Open Meeting Thursday, January 29, 2015
- Got a Smartphone? Then You've Got Broadband!
- FCC Open Meeting (Jan 2015)
- Justifying the Ends: Section 706 and the Regulation of Broadband


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text: Hey now, Apple isn't the only company that's the subject of a patent suit over its online music store, Napster's just joined that club now, too. A company called SightSound Technologies has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against them, alleging that Napster violated (at least) one of their patents for transmitting digital video and audio signals. Napster says that there's way too much prior art involved for SightSound's patent to be valid, and now the USPTO is re-examining the patents. Stevie J. and co. better not let the schadenfreude get the better of them—if Napster loses this one then SightSound is almost definitely coming after Apple, RealNetworks, and Microsoft next.