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Boehner to Obama: No Way House Passing Debt Deal Without Spending Cuts; We're Currently on Path to Default
With more than a week ahead of the debt ceiling deadline and six days into a partial shutdown, House Speaker John Boehner said Sunday President Obama is risking default by not discussing House Republicans' demand for delay or defunding of the health care law and new spending cuts.
"We're not going to pass a clean debt limit increase," Boehner said during an interview with ABC's "This Week." "I told the president, there's no way we're going to pass one. The votes are not in the House to pass a clean debt limit. And the president is risking default by not having a conversation with us."
Boehner said the House thought it was time to take a stand against Obama's signature health care law, better known as "Obamacare." "And we took a stand." Many Republicans believe Obamacare, which is set to go into effect on Oct. 1, will cause premiums to rise steeply and harm the economy.
Could America default on debt payments if Obama refuses to budge from his stand? "That's the path we're on," Boehner said.
"I have 233 Republicans in the House," the Ohio Republican added. "And you've never seen a more dedicated group of people who are thoroughly concerned about the future of our country. They believe that Obamacare, all these regulations coming out of the administration, are threatening the future for our kids and our grandkids. It is time for us to stand and fight."
The fight was inevitable, Boehner went on to say. "We're in the fight. We don't want to shut the government down."
The Treasury Department is likely to hit its statutory debt ceiling on Oct. 17, and Congress' failure to increase the government's borrowing limit would directly affect the credibility of treasury bonds leading to a financial catastrophe.
Two years ago, Congress and the Obama administration narrowly averted default by agreeing to cut $2 trillion in spending over the following 10 years. That itself resulted in the financial services company Standard and Poor's lowering the U.S. credit rating for the first time.
Congress is "playing with fire," warned Treasury Secretary Jack Lew while speaking to CNN on Sunday. "We've never gotten to the point where the United States government has operated without the ability to borrow," he said. "It's very dangerous. It's reckless, because the reality is, there are no good choices if we run out of borrowing capacity and we run out of cash."
However, negotiations remain stalled.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas blames it on Obama's unreasonable approach, saying the GOP has three objectives.
"No. 1, we should look for some significant structural plan and reduce government spending. No. 2, we should avoid new taxes, and No. 3, we should look for ways to mitigate the harms from Obamacare. Since 1978, we raised the debt ceiling 58 times," Cruz said on CNN's "State of the Union." "Twenty times Congress attached very specific and stringent requirements, many of the most significant spending restraints. So the president's demand to jack up the nation's credit card with no limits, no constraints – it's not reasonable."
Meanwhile, the Pentagon said Saturday it plans to call almost all of its 350,000 furloughed civilian employees back to work under a decision made by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.
About 800,000 federal workers were furloughed after the shutdown began last Tuesday.
The House passed on Saturday a bill that would offer furloughed workers back pay once they return to work. The House also passed a bill Saturday to let military chaplains hold services during the shutdown, as Catholic priests under government contract were not allowed to offer communion and other religious services on military bases.


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First Impression
By firstname.lastname@example.com
While still living and working in the Chicago area, I was accepted as a charter student at SSU.
My higher education had begun right after high school graduation in 1961. I attended the University of Illinois – Chicago which was located at Navy Pier. After one year there, I entered the U.S Army and served for almost five years including a tour of duty in Vietnam. After my return, I worked and attended school on a part time basis going to the Chicago Community College and a private college.
My desire was to save enough money to attend the university full time and finish my degrees. Since this new university was just beginning, my expectations were not exceptionally high for the looks of the campus when I first visited it in the spring of 1970. Unfortunately, it fell well below my hopes. My car got stuck in the mud in the corn field while I viewed what appeared at a distance to be quonset huts being constructed – flashbacks to jungle living occurred.
It was my good fortune that I endured because not only did I receive a first class education but I also came to understand that the setting does not have to have splendid grandeur for the learning process to succeed. Many insights were gained in the classrooms, in nearby pizza parlors, and, on occasions, during after class meetings in other adult establishments in my years at SSU.
Dan Schram

subset: commoncrawl


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Home Page Chess Life Online 2014 August Kasparov to Appear at All-Girls Nationals
|Kasparov to Appear at All-Girls Nationals
|April 11, 2013
(Chicago, IL) Garry Kasparov, the
greatest chess legend of our time and, to many, the greatest player ever, will
appear at the 2013 Kasparov Chess Foundation All-Girls National Championships held
in Chicago, April 26- 28. The appearance is in conjunction with the Kasparov
Chess Foundation, Renaissance Knights Chess Foundation (RKCF), and the United
States Chess Federation (USCF). Kasparov said, "All-Girls National
Championships is the apex of scholastic chess competitions in the United States
for girls under 20 years of age and I'm excited to have an opportunity to give
encouragement to the hundreds of young ladies participating."
The former World Champion was ranked #1 in the world for 20 years straight. Kasparov is now the chairman of the Kasparov Chess Foundation (KCF), a nonprofit that promotes chess in education throughout the U.S. "The Kasparov Chess Foundation is the preeminent non-profit organization promoting scholastic chess. I believe that our continuous cooperation with the USCF through scholastic events and our partnership with RKCF to provide in-school chess education program to Chicago schools, will reach as many students as possible." Kasparov is a Wall Street Journal columnist, where he writes about chess and Russian politics." Kasparov is also the author of numerous books including the acclaimed series, My Great Predecessors.
The All-Girls National Championships is an annual competition, for girls only, that was started in Chicago 10 years ago. The first place winner in each section qualifies to represent the United States at the 2013 FIDE World Youth Championships. Last year's All-Girls National Championships, also held in Chicago, was the largest girls' only tournament in history with 238 participants. David Heiser, President of the Chicago based Renaissance Knights Chess Foundation, thinks that Kasparov's appearance may result in a new record. "I am beyond excited that Kasparov, a living chess legend and one of the most inspiring figures of our times, will be at the All-Girls National Championships."
All girls under the age of 20 are welcome to come out and play and meet the legend. More details on the tournament and how to register can be found at www.rknights.org/all-girls.
Find out more about the Kasparov Chess Foundation on their website, or contact Richard Krueger at [email protected]. Find more about Renaissance Knights Chess Foundation on their website, or contact David Heiser at [email protected].


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Music Maker 2020
Simply create music
Dreaming of your own songs as chart hits? Do you constantly have new musical ideas that you'd like to make a reality as quickly and easily as possible? Music Maker is exactly what you need. Combine sounds and loops, play software instruments and drag & drop to apply effects. It's simple. Embellish your songs with vocals or rap. Forget dry theory – just make music!
1. Combine sounds & loops
Creating your own songs has never been this easy – you don't even need any previous experience. Combine sounds and loops from a vast selection of music genres using drag & drop functions.
2. Play and record
Once you've created a beat from sounds and loops, you can add your own melodies, drum grooves or vocals. Play virtual instruments and record your own vocal parts. Connect a MIDI keyboard or microphone and get started.
3. Create your sound
Add unique touches to your music and easily drag & drop to apply effects to sounds, loops, instrumental melodies and vocals. That's it! Your song is now finished, in outstanding, chart level quality sound.
Easier than ever before
Make music with loops & instruments
Making music is not rocket science – especially when you have Music Maker by your side. Our Soundpools contain hundreds of thousands of sounds and loops from all genres that you can easily drag & drop to combine in the way you want. Create beats with melodies you've recorded on software instruments using mouse and standard or MIDI keyboard.
Massive sounds for more music
Soundpools & Soundpool Collections
Ultra-easy, ultra-fast: Build beats in seconds. A huge range of Soundpools from various music genres deliver unlimited sounds and loops for you to use. Whether you want to make house, trap, EDM, '80s music or reggae, Music Maker has you covered.
A Soundpool Collection includes several Soundpools, while a Soundpool contains hundreds of sounds and loops. Loops are included for all possible instruments – with full melodies, plus both female and male vocal passages and rap lines. These can all be easily combined using drag & drop functions, and it's easy to blend genres. And the best part: All the sounds fit perfectly together. Loops are available in 7 different pitches and can be automatically adjusted to the pitch of samples that are already included in the track. Compose songs without the need to read music or any experience in music theory.
Depending on your Music Maker Edition, you can choose: 1 Soundpool Collection and 1 Soundpool (Plus Edition) or 1 Soundpool Collection and 3 Soundpools (Premium Edition).
Hit the right note
Software instruments
All you need is your mouse or a standard or MIDI keyboard to record captivating melodies full of feeling for your tracks. Easily control Music Maker software instruments such as strings, bass, guitars, synthesizers and lots more. Give each and every song a characteristic flair.
You can choose 3 MAGIX instruments and 1 Tiny instrument for Music Maker Plus Edition or 6 MAGIX instruments and 2 Tiny Instruments for Music Maker Premium Edition. Tiny instruments are various percussion instruments such as bongos, congas, shakers as well as claps & snaps that are perfect for adding more character to your rhythms.
String Ensemble
This virtual instrument includes an entire ensemble of powerful, sweeping strings. These vary within the presets from historical, classic sounds to electronically manipulated string effects.
Drum Engine
The classic sound and style of legendary drum machines and samplers. The beat maker offers a range of options for experimentation. Kicks, snares, toms, hi-hats and cymbals can directly mixed via the machine.
Power Guitar
These high-adrenaline guitar sounds are the perfect addition to any rock or pop project! Comes packed with tons of presets and electric guitar sounds from heavy metal to reggae – all featuring a diverse range of playing techniques.
Classic choral arrangements, dark male voices, crystal-clear vocals sung by a female chorus and mixed-voice choirs. This virtual Choir instrument is outstanding as background support or to carry the melody line in a classical orchestra.
Analog synths
Back to the analog roots: This virtual synthesizer emulates the analog sounds of legendary hardware synthesizers with total precision – for an authentic music experience with that captivating '70s style sound.
Space Pad
The Space Pad transmits extraterrestrial sounds for electronic genres such as EDM, dreamy '80s synth pop or harsh trap beats. Design soundscapes, complex sequences and organic synthesizer sounds for your projects — the possibilities are endless.
Urban Drums
From dubstep to hip hop: This virtual instrument is based on the typical structure of legendary hardware samplers. 16 pads fire up individual elements of the drum kit such as kick, snare and hi-hat etc. and combine them to create the beat.
Rock Drums
Roll the drums: Rock Drums are perfect for creating a driving double bass grooves in metal songs, reverberant drum rhythms with an impressive arena sound or dry, clean studio drums.
Show us what you've got
Easily record your own vocals and rap
Music Maker enables you to record vocals, rap lines or instruments in an uncomplicated way. Connect your mike, USB keyboard, a drum pad controller or a guitar and get started.
Audio recording
Made your beats? Finished laying down the melody? Then there's just one thing left: vocals. Connect your mike to PC, laptop or an audio interface and simply go with the flow. Record vocals or rap lines in impressive studio quality.
Add the final touch
Mix and master music
Get the most out of your music: Mix and master your tracks on a professional level – even without any previous experience in production. Music Maker comes with several high-quality effects integrated for free into the program. Drag & drop to easily apply these functions and you'll hear how these sounds give your songs the ultimate final polish.
Free audio effects
Shape your tracks with a vast range of free effects such as chorus, echo, wah-wah and flanger – for extraordinary sounds that'll get heads nodding.
Free guitar amplifier
Warning! It's about to get wild. The free bass and guitar amp Vandal SE amplifies and distorts your sound, without any loss in sound quality.
Auto Mastering
Want to finish up your mix fast? You can now automatically optimize the sound of your music using the mastering presets designed for various genres.
Premium Edition and higher
iZotope Ozone 8 Elements
More bass. More boom. More dynamics. Finalize your mix with the Mastering Wizard, Ozone maximizer and an impressive 8 band EQ. Ozone Elements can be easily integrated into Music Maker via VST. Access a fuller, more powerful sound for radio and stream-ready masters in no time at all.
Premium Edition and higher
coreFX bundles
Access the professional touch for your next hit record. The 2 coreFX bundles include 5 mastering and 3 delay effects that no music software should be without. These bundles offer even more creative options within Music Maker for modifying your sounds, loops, instruments and vocals in captivating ways.
coreFX Compressor
For a balanced and even sound for music with a healthy amount of punch: The compressor compresses audio signals and adjusts the volume of quiet and loud passages in relation to each other.
coreFX 2-Point Compressor
The 2-Point Compressor offers you even more options for creating a balanced and even sound than a standard compressor – plus, it lets you eliminate differences in volume between loud and quiet sections.
coreFX Expander
For natural acoustics: Create sounds using the expander. Increase dynamics within a song by restoring the original sound from compressed audio signals.
coreFX Gate
No distracting smacking, breathing or rustling noises, just clean and clear sound: The gate allows you to suppress quiet sections of a signal and eliminate noise.
coreFX Chorus
For a full, rich and warm sound: The chorus effect lets you double up sounds such as your voice or an instrument. The ideal effects for refrains.
Premium Edition and higher
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio 12
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio 12 stands for audio editing at the highest level and is the perfect complement to Music Maker. Easily cut and edit sounds, samples and audio tracks with professional studio effects and insert crossfade for seamless transitions without pops or clicks. Produce your own loops, which you can then use directly in Music Maker!
Expand your version of Music Maker
Additional functions and effects
Want to create large-scale projects with an unlimited number of tracks? Dreamed of a tool that can create automatic remixes? Or of full, 5.1 Surround Sound? Music Maker lets you combine the exact functions you want and customize everything to your needs.
Each Edition lets you activate a number of features, which you can easily select and install via the built-in Music Maker Store. Here's a brief selection of the outstanding effects you can access in the Store.
More essentialFX
Discover tools for professional audio editing and outstanding sound: 7 essentialFX plug-ins are available in the in-program Music Maker Store.
eFX Gate
eFX Gate filters and emphasizes specific frequencies and offers an impression range of setting options.
eFX Compressor
A classic compressor for adding more power to your mix, drums or master.
eFX Tremolo Pan
A versatile tremolo effect plug-in to add movement and create bobbing and vibrating sounds.
eFX deEsser
A plug-in for reducing unwanted sibilants in speech and vocal recordings.
eFX Tubestage
eFX Tubestage simulates the unmistakeable sound of an analog tube amplifier.
eFX Limiter
With this dynamic tool, you can edit the volume of the audio signal with the ultimate efficiency.
eFX Reverb
The finest reverb editing: This plug-in enables you to create powerful reverb effects.
Vintage FX Suite
Traditional Vintage sounds, authentically reproduced: The three VST plug-ins Filtox, Corvex and Ecox are impressive both in terms of their true reproduction of the full, rich sounds of analog effects units and their intuitive operation.
Get creative and modify the sounds of instruments: Transform a piano into a gloomy bass, a violin into an imposing synthesizer or add more power to your drum loops. Vinatge effect plug-in Filtox can be used for ultra-precise modulation.
Achieve a fuller sound for your audio with chorus and flanger effects in the Corvex plug-in. This helps you create an elegant floating sound and the illusion that several voices or instruments are playing simultaneously. Perfect for creating sounds with more depth.
Analogue Modelling Suite
Explore even more mastering options – with the Analogue Modelling Suite. The four professional mastering tools AM|MUNITION, AM|PHIBIA, AM|PULSE and AM|TRACK offer impressive analog sound and are an absolute must-have for any production.
For a fatter sound and a whole lot more kick: Mastering plug-in AM|MUNITION is a highly versatile dynamic tool. This makes your mix louder and creates a unique tonal characteristic for your sound.
Achieve a warmer sound for vocal recordings and acoustic instruments – with AM|PHIBIA. The plug-in is a tube amp/channel strip that's used as a vocal pre-amp or guitar amp.
Even fatter beats: Transient designer AM|TRACK allows for the editing of percussive and dynamic sounds such as drums and string instruments and enables the reduction of background noise.
Analog compression meets tape simulation: AM|TRACK accurately simulates the effects of analog tape decks. The plug-in features two completely different compressors, each with its own independent controls and sound characteristics.
Your Music Maker – the way you want it:
Music Maker includes everything needed to create music: You build your own version with content of your choice. Choose your favorites from among hundreds of Soundpools. Select the software instruments you need and pick some functions and effects. First create your own Music Maker – then create your own music.
Learn in this video how to activate your Music Maker software and Soundpools, instruments and functions.
Always up-to-date –
no matter where you are
Music Maker – always up-to-date:
Our promise to you: From now on, you will always be able to download the latest software version of Music Maker. Even if you use the free version, you'll receive all basic functions and bug fixes for free. And that's the case for as long as we continue to develop the program.
Make music – anywhere
Always on the go? Access your sounds, functions and instruments from anywhere! Simply download the free Music Maker, log in to the Store using your account and download all your purchased content. You can also activate your other Soundpools, instruments and functions from older versions right in the Music Maker Store using your serial number.
- Easy music production without any previous experience – on a professional level.
- The choice is yours: Build your own Music Maker with the components that matter to you
- Pro audio engine for superior sound quality
- Multicore support for large-scale projects and more options
- Access unlimited Soundpools, instruments and additional functions
Pitch and modulation wheel
49 velocity-sensitive keys
MIDI data exchange and power supply through USB
Ready for takeoff: The easy-to-transport USB keyboard is immediately detected by your computer and Music Maker. There's no need to install any additional drivers or configure any other settings. Power supply is provided via USB.
Music Maker Control Edition
Plug in. Play. Pump up the volume.
Get your studio off to the right start with this comprehensive package including Music Maker Premium Edition and a specially modified USB keyboard with 49 velocity-sensitive keys. This is Music Maker Control Edition.
Plug & Play
Simply connect your MIDI controller to your PC and laptop and get started. USB power supply and controls. Extra cables or drivers aren't necessary, and thanks to USB bus power, you don't even need a power supply.
25 keys
Octave switch
16 multicolored pads
8 control knobs
Music Maker Performer Edition.
Fits into any backpack. And surpasses ordinary music programs.
With 16 velocity sensitivity pads, eight different knobs and a piano keyboard (25 keys), this MIDI controller combines all the important studio devices in a single, compact device. The controller elements are seamlessly integrated into your studio setup and are linked directly to the most important features in Music Maker. It's the perfect Edition for when you're on the go, and ideal for any genre. The only thing missing is YOU.


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Moto Online travels to Spain to find out if KTM's '08 four-stroke EXC models in the orange army live up to expectations.
Features and styling
KTM's goal of keeping its entire range of enduro EXC models looking and feeling very similar to each other has definitely become a reality. From the 250 EXC-F to the 530 EXC-R, these three models all look and behave basically the same apart from the obvious engine differences.
In 2007 the SX motocross range received a major overhaul and looked completely different than in previous years. That same look has been applied to the EXC enduro range this time around, and the lights and usual enduro parts help pull the look off even better than the motocross models.
The side shrouds and complete plastics are much more minimal compared with the 2007 models, and they are designed to be light weight. The radiator shrouds feature holes to allow air into the airbox after it flows underneath the seat.
The front ends of the new EXCs look tough, with a single triangular-shaped headlight giving the KTMs a distinctive new 'face'. The lens is made of anti-scratch polycarbonate, and is light weight like most parts on the bikes.
The rear end has a mudguard similar to that on the motocross bikes, although it has an LED taillight attached. There's also a numberplate support with indicators that is designed to be taken off easily for racing purposes.
The fuel tanks on the new EXCs all have excellent knee grip thanks to the holes that double as airbox intake holes, and all models have their own specific fuel capacities (9.2 litres for 250 EXC-F and 9 litres 450 and 530 EXC-R models). A new fuel cap also requires the rider to push a button to get it to rotate, putting an end to the leaky caps of old.
A new sidestand made of tapered aluminium is slightly longer than the '07 model, and is now fitted directly to the frame instead of being braced by a link. It also features a larger plastic foot to improve stability when parked in tricky places.
The wheels have EXCEL rims with machined hubs and thinner walls, and lighter spokes give minimal unsprung masses.
All this makes the new EXCs vastly different to the previous models, and give them a completely different look and feel.
The all new XC4 engine on the 450 and 530 EXC-R models is the highlight for the four-stroke range this year, as it is completely redesigned exclusively for enduro riding.
The XC4's state of the art design has both electric and kick starters, along with a six speed gearbox — all similar to last year's model.
That's about where the similarities end, and the XC4 has been designed lighter, with better power delivery and improved reliability. Both the 450 and 530 are similar in each and every way, apart from the displacement and gearing.
The 450 is a 449.3cc engine with a 95/63.4mm bore and stroke, while the 530 has a higher power output thanks to a 510.4cc engine. Its bore and stroke is 95/72mm.
Both engines have totally new cylinder heads, with one single overhead cam and four valves in each. The valve diameters have been increased, the intake valves are made of titanium and the valve angles have been decreased for a compact combustion chamber.
They also have weight-reduced rocker arms with shims, and the cam also serves as centrifuge for engine ventilation. A slanted head cover also makes valve access easier that previous models.
But what does all that technical info mean? Basically, it means the power is more ideal for enduro riding, while the reliability is better and it will be easier to maintain.
Vibrations have been decreased even more so than the 2007 model, as a rigid crankshaft operates a weight-optimised forged piston via a short con rod. This also increases reliability over the old model.
The counter balancer shaft in the XC4 engine, which is powered by the crankshaft, features laterally fitted balancer weights rotating outside the crank case and this also helps reduce vibration and gives minimal friction because the rotating weights are external.
There are now two separate lubrication circuits for the combustion tract and transmission/clutch to allow even more lubrication to the engine. There are also now three pumps — two pressure pumps, one suction pump — and only one oil filter.
The Keihin FCR-MX 39mm carburettor with acceleration pump and throttle position sensor stays, as KTM says it gives better throttle response at 39mm than bigger versions found on other brands.
Overall, the new XC4 engine is around half a kilo lighter than last year's, although it is the most reliable and best performing ever from KTM.
The 250 EXC-F remains much the same as last year's four valve, double overhead cam RC4 engine, which is based off of the 250 SX-F motocross model's engine, but has changes to tame it down to suit enduro riding.
The only major changes for 2008 are that the valve train's exhaust camshaft has new timing and optimised valve springs to make it more responsive and have a better power delivery. It's also designed to be more reliable. The other change is a new ignition curve mapping — changed to help the bike perform better at low rpm.
All of the four-strokes share the same updated exhaust silencer, that feature catalytic converters to meet Euro III standards, while they also are shaped to suit the bikes' overall new design.
The frame used on the 2008 model EXCs has also copped a major redesign, with all bikes inheriting a new chromoly frame with massive oval lateral tubes. The frame is based off of the motocross range of last year with minor changes, and it is designed to produce optimal flex at the lowest possible weight. The sub-frame is made of rigid aluminium profiles.
The cooling system is now integrated in the frame's triangle at the front of the bike, meaning less tubes and better cooling than last year.
The cast aluminium swingarm is laid out according to bending stress. It now flexes more for improved comfort, while a different mounting point for the WP PDS shock absorber gives a lot better, and more progressive, feel in the rear.
The shock absorber is now more adjustable with both high and low speed damping adjustments, and has 10mm more stroke than last year due to its mounting point on the swingarm. That also means that the piston speed is higher. The shock body is now made of aluminium. It has a wider range for setting up to suit each rider, and gives a smoother ride.
48mm upside down WP forks are used and are fully adjustable, with an additional preload adjuster for 2008. They feature a new setting, again to help make the riding comfort better, and just like the shock, they have a wider range of settings.
New fork protectors also wrap around further and help to stop rocks and other objects damaging the fork tube.
With all bikes sharing very similar frames and components, KTM has found a base to work from and has made it work extremely well.
I've almost completed a lap of the eight kilometre loop amongst the Spanish forest that has been mapped out by KTM's test riders. My adrenalin is flowing, heart pumping, and I'm beginning to really get the hang of this enduro stuff. I carve through a tight left-hand turn and find myself splashing through a deep river before I know it.
No worries there; what's a bit of water hurt anyway? I carry on, and soon enough I find myself on the bank of another river crossing. This one is much bigger. I do a double-take, before deciding to click into gear, stand up, and gingerly ride on through.
Rubber tyres on slippery wet rocks under water don't mesh well, but I make it through before eventually coming to the end of the loop — with soaking wet riding gear and boots to prove my experience as the first rider through.
The trails I'm riding, about 150 kilometres north-west of Barcelona, are completely different than what I have ever ridden in Australia and give a real experience as I sample the latest and greatest 2008 model KTM EXC off-road enduro range.
A 40 hour trip from Sydney (thanks to delayed fights and lost baggage) was a gruelling experience, but as soon as I laid eyes on the new EXCs I knew it would all be worthwhile.
They look sleek, sharp, and fast — very much similar to last year's KTM SX motocross range. The plastics are minimal, especially at the rear end of the bikes, and the EXCs different to last year's models from front to rear. The plastics are also lightweight and feature integrated stickers on the radiator shrouds for minimal wear.
KTM has always produced excellent enduro bikes, designed specifically for off-road use and trail riding, but the redesigned 2008 models have been eagerly anticipated since spy photos surfaced late in 2007.
Leading the way for the Austrian company in Australian sales will be the ultra popular four-stroke range, consisting of the 250 EXC-F, 450 EXC-R and the big-bore 530 EXC-R.
All three bikes are surprisingly quite similar from a technical aspect, although the engines produce three vastly different weapons when blasting around the trails. The entire EXC range is based off of the successful SX motocross range, although minor changes are sprinkled throughout to make them more rideable in the tight confines of riding in the bush.
After spending almost two days in transit, I just couldn't wait to get out in the open air and rip up some Spanish soil. The loop that we are riding features a massive variety of terrain including the aforementioned water crossings, tight single trails, and fire roads. Some of the downhills on the loop are frighteningly steep, while the uphill climbs get increasingly more difficult as we rip up rocks and chew the dirt.
I was particularly excited to climb aboard the new 450 EXC-R. The 450 class features the key players with over 10 manufacturers in the class, meaning KTM would have to really produce something special to outshine the rest.
It is my first bike I climb aboard while in Spain, and straight away it is impressive. Its comfort is typical KTM — very compact with excellent quality components. The feel isn't a whole heap different to last year's model, but they were renowned as the best in the business comfort-wise, so that's actually a good thing. The hydraulically operated clutch can be pulled with one finger (as with all KTMs), and the gears shift seamlessly.
The mapped out loop begins a little easy with quite open areas and plenty of fire trail, and this really allows me to open up the engine and sample the power of the new XC4 engine.
I immediately feel the extra zap off the bottom, and the engine feels a little bit livelier than the former model. The engine features a host of changes (see engine breakout), and it gives the KTM some extra personality in the bush. The SX (motocross) models have always been known for their power, while the EXC enduro bikes are always much tamer and more friendly.
The new 450 has more aggressive power throughout the rev range, but it still does have the smoothness that KTM is known for when riding in the bush.
When really accelerating hard down the fire roads, it is the mid-range that is impressive as I bounce over rocks and fight through the dusty conditions. It keeps pulling along as I get one of few opportunities to open it right up and unleash the power.
I soon come into a tighter section of the trail that requires me to concentrate more and ride a little more precisely. It idles capably and is really easy to ride when I'm in between the narrow trees. I never need to worry about any stalling or any of the like, and that really stands out when I need to ride at crawling speeds in squeezy bits or downhills.
The Brembo brakes also work a treat down the hills, as the 260mm front disc offers good feel and stopping power. The rear has a 220mm disc that doesn't give quite as much feel, but still does the job. The brakes are the same on all models.
Uphills are quite easy to do also, as the XC4 engine trots along, and first gear is actually quite tall. This allows me to use it in the difficult sections and not worry about stalling, while second is a good option for when things open slightly. I never did get to use sixth on any section of the track as it was all rather tight.
While the new engine is impressive and gives a little more excitement to the 450 EXC-R's ride, KTM has not forgotten about the handling aspects of the new model. The newly designed frame is designed to flex, while being the lowest possible weight, and this makes it lighter and easier to steer than last year's model.
It handles well in both tight and open stuff, although it is hard to compare the overall feeling compared with the terrain and places we ride here in Australia. The new bike doesn't ever falter me though, and I find it easy to manoeuvre around trees and up and over steep hills and rocks. The light weight of the new model really helps me to last and not get too fatigued after quite a bit of time on the bike.
The front forks' extra adjustability works well too, as adjustments to the forks proved effective and gave changes I could actually feel. They ride over bumps extremely well, although in some sections they could be softer for my weight (68kg) to allow the bike to tract better over logs, etc.
The shock absorber also has more adjustment for 2008, and provided a similar situation as what I felt from the front end. It wasn't ever a huge problem and gave loads of feel that made the bike extremely rider friendly, although going a little softer in the spring rate would improve it that bit more.
After my experience on the 450, I was really looking forward to the big-bore 530 EXC-R. The 530 is actually very similar in all ways to the 450 apart from the XC4 engine's displacement, and that is largely thanks to a higher stroke. The gearing is also slightly taller on the 530 to help woe the massive power. When you are sitting still, it feels much the same as the 450.
Once the engine is running and you take off, that all changes. Even though the chassis is much the same as the 450, I got tired quicker riding the 530. The extra power makes it much more difficult to handle through the tight stuff, but it was a whole lot of fun in the open sections of the trail.
There was also a 'special test' kind of track set up in a large open paddock area and that's where the 530 was the most fun for me. I could use the power and click through the gears, without having to man handle it through tight obstacles. If the riding areas around you are pretty wide open, then the 530 is a pretty good choice.
It's the best of the open class enduro machines on the market by far, although it just needs the correct riding areas to truly take advantage of its mighty horsepower. On the other hand, if you're a big guy, you can take this beast anywhere and it will work well in both tight and wide open riding areas.
After wresting around the 530 for quite a while it was a huge relief to ride the 250 EXC-F as my final test bike of the day. I was feeling exhausted and the Spanish heat was getting to me, but the ease of riding the 250 revitalised me to have a good go again.
Again it feels strikingly similar to the other EXC models, but the light weight (it is claimed to be almost six kilograms lighter than the 450 and 530) really makes a huge difference as soon as I'm riding along the trail.
I feel more confident and aggressive on the trail, and I'll admit, the smaller bikes suit my size and riding style. The weight of the bike allows me to place it where I want to on the trail, and the light weight makes it handle just that little bit better.
That isn't always the case though, as sometimes at high speeds, the bigger and heavier bikes tend to be more stable thanks to their extra weight. In the tight enduro loop that we have to ride in Spain, the 250 is the choice for me — especially when I'm so tired from the heat and jetlag.
A 250cc engine is very user friendly, and this one is a bit more lively than last year's — especially right off the bottom. It has that little bit more zap, although it still doesn't have the punch of the Honda CRF250X enduro bike.
You can't argue with the useability of the 250 EXC-F though, as KTM has kept the same smoothness that the older model was renowned for. It just has that bit more excitement now.
KTM knows how to make enduro bikes, and with a solid line up of EXCs for 2008, the Austrian company might just regain that overall dominance of off-road weapons that it enjoyed just a few short years ago. The orange army is complete and ready for battle.


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Officials in the Outer Banks town of Duck have adopted new restrictions on private boardwalks and swimming pools to protect dunes.
DUCK � Officials in the Outer Banks town of Duck have adopted new restrictions on private boardwalks and swimming pools to protect dunes.
Last week's changes come less than a year after Hurricane Sandy scattered debris from decks and walkways for miles and collapsed at least eight pools in Duck.
The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va., reported Monday that the new ordinance limits private boardwalks over the dunes to 4 feet in width. Pools, gazebos and other structures must be at least 30 feet landward of the first line of vegetation, which typically is at the foot of the dunes. Public boardwalks can be 6 feet wide. Decks of 8 square feet on private walks are allowed if they are built at least 15 feet from the first line of vegetation.
According to a town fact sheet, wider boardwalks require larger pilings sunk up to 16 feet into the sand, which can destabilize dunes. Four-foot boardwalks require smaller pilings sunk only 5 feet.
No one opposed the new restrictions at last week's public hearing. But Andy Garman, director of community development, said some have sent emails objecting to limits being placed on what they can do with their properties.
Becky Steorts of Duck attended the hearing to support the new restrictions.
"We don't want the structures to be more important than the beach itself," she said.


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Senior Living Options at Discovery Village At Palm Beach Gardens
Discovery Village senior living options offer a choice of well appointed, luxurious apartment homes and spacious suites. Whether you are in need of supervised independent living, assisted living or memory care and dementia services, you will find the perfect living option for you at Discovery Village. Our state-of-the-art communities were designed and decorated by award-winning professionals creating beautiful, warm, home-like environments for residents and their family members.
Whichever living option you choose, you'll find your days enriched with dedicated and caring team members focused on our resident's care and complete satisfaction. Our health and wellness programs encourage growth, happiness, learning and trust. You will enjoy a strong connection of belonging in a family orientated atmosphere. In fact, one of the most talked about topics among Discovery Senior Living residents is how our outstanding team members consistently go above and beyond.
Discovery Village At Palm Beach Gardens
100 Discovery Way Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
One Decision. One Move. One Special Place.
You'll find Discovery Villages' resident-focused philosophy to be just what you need. The overarching goal of our personalized health and wellness care plans is to help you live a happier and healthier life no matter what your needs. Plus, all the comforts and happiness of resort-style amenities. One special place for the best in senior living. For more information on the living options available, please choose one below.
Pet Friendly
We know pets are family so that's why small pets are great and always welcome here.


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These are a few of the national awards and recognition Black Diamond has received for its commitment to excellence
Black Diamond Pest Control has been moving up Pest Control Technology (PCT) Magazine's annual list of the Top 100 pest-control companies in North America each year since 2004. This list has been compiled annually since 2002 and is based on total revenue. Our presence on this list provides our customers an assurance that Black Diamond will be taking care of their pest control problems for many years to come.
Black Diamond Pest Control has been awarded the 2018 Angie's List Super Service Award. This award reflects an exemplary year of service provided to members of the local services marketplace and consumer review site. What is more, Black Diamond has received the Super Service award each of the past 8 years. While similar sites offer referrals to companies who have paid for leads, Angie's List is a consumer subscription service that reveals the true quality of customer experience to its members. To receive the Super Service Award, a company must maintain an "A" rating over a lengthy time period and from a large number of reviews.
Black Diamond is a proud member of the BBB and has consistently held an A+ customer rating on the Better Business Bureau. The A+ rating ensures our customers that their experience is of utmost importance to us and that we are diligent about resolving any customer service concerns.


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mn_jones necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 267 diseños de 42 diseñadores freelance.
TalkAboutHealth provides real-time health support. We match people with similar health concerns for live anonymous conversations in a supportive environment.
TalkAboutHealth is a place where people go for advice and support from experienced peers, for instant relief, and to share experiences with others just like them.
Our audience is people between the ages of 25 to 40 dealing with health issues. Users are searching for support, advice, and mentorship from experienced peers as well as to meet others just like them.
The design should be gender neutral. We expect women to be more attracted to the service, but also want to be inviting to men.
For home page:
For conversation page:
google search results
Like the collage of people images at:
- Curves are good, sharp edges usually not good
- Symbolically as few borders/boundaries as possible
- We like images of diverse people, perhaps even woman who has shaved her head or wearing a bandana (dealing with chemo or similar treatment) – ok without images of people too
- Font – must be easy to read - we like arial, but are open to others
- Width – 960 pixels
We need a simple, easy to read, and intuitive design.
The design should reflect a vibrant, positive, and full of life community, while at the same time welcoming, safe, and supportive.
Pages needed:
- Home Page Layout Design (Goal – make them feel that they are welcome, that they will meet others like them, and sign up for service)
- Conversation Page Layout Design (Goal – user should be compelled and find it easy to initiate or join a conversation)
*** Please see the attached wire frames. Also attached is the logo and color palette. Feel free to change the color palette if you so desire. You can also check out http://talkabouthealth.com for our first rough design of a landing page.
*** Need .jpg and layered RGB file in .psd format of pages. We will either work with the winner or have someone else slice the .psd file and create the html and css files.
When creating think of these words:


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The work that went into this SWEET VINTAGE {TREE + BIRDIE} 1ST BIRTHDAY PARTY blew me away when I first opened up the submission email from Heather Mitchell of HMP Studios. Everything is absolutely gorgeous. I LOVE the vintage piano and furniture pieces. Such an amazing party.
Here is what Heather said about the party– I wanted Paislee's first birthday to be sweet and vintage and to incorporate the vintage birdie /tree theme that we have used since we announced our pregnancy with her. I spent tons of time researching ideas to make an inside party beautiful. My older daughter has a summer party and it is easy to do parties in our yard. We basically cleaned out out formal living room so everything would look party and even painted an 1800's antique piano so that the room would be perfect. Almost everything was handmade by means my friends except the cupcake flags were by Icing designs. And her finger print tree sign in (my fave party detail) was made by local artist Lindsay Pace on vintage hymnal pages using a few of my favorite hymns. Her photos of her first year and invitation session were used for decorations throughout the party since I am a photographer I have photographs her every week of her life. The party was exactly what I wanted for her first birthday. It was almost as special as she is!


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Keep it going…
What a great first day of the ThinkCure! radiotelewebethon. $160,000 raised for collaborative cancer research in one day, nearly as much as the entire two-day event last year. However, Josh Suchon is running away in the battle of the Joshs, so I'm hoping everyone is just biding their time until the deadline Monday night to push it over the top.
Here's today's lineup for the game on FOX
Furcal, SS
Pierre, CF
Manny, LF
Blake, 3B
Kemp, RF
Hudson 2B
Loretta, 1B
Ausmus, C
Haeger, P
No Comments
Good Afternoon ITD, Dodger Faithful and Our Beloved Boy's in Blue…..
Mr. Wolf you were outstanding…..Mr. Haeger welcome to the show…Lets get you a Win today…..Boy's Time to Battle….Start to Finish…GO DODGERS GO!!!!!
Enjoy the game everyone….
Don't like this lineup at all!
Three starter off on the same day………UNACCEPTABLE!!!!
Could it be he is facing a lefty, in Lilly who did well against us last time…..when we were on a roll. maybe this shapes up to be a close game in the end with Big Game James and Everyday Dre providing some much needed spark at the end. Just sayin???
What has Haeger already done to deserve this lineup?
He'll really have to pitch a hell of a game, won't he?
On the other hand…Dre is going to see some tough left handed pitching in the post season, so…….why not now???
He has been consistently hitting the ball.
Messagebear ~ I feel sorry for Haeger too….and, he gets this crappy lineup on national TV, to boot!
Looks like another one of JoJo's giveaway games.
Isn't one of the reasons he rested the regulars earlier in the season was so they could play everyday down the stretch?
This line-up really sucks. I think Loney and Ethier should play as they are better against left handed pitching than Pierre who bats left or have I lost my mind. Loney and Ethier are better than Loretta who hits right any day. Torre needs to have his head examined. What a lousy line up to put in for a pitcher who is going to need every break he can get.
It's mid August of Joe's second year at the helm…and there's STILL dismay at his bizarro line-ups? This is Joe being Joe…always has been, always will be. Hey, at least he got smart and has Manny protecting his most feared hitter. JP sure to get enough fastballs to drive clear over second base.
Andre always hit left handed pitching well his first 2 seasons and going back to college. It's only been recently that he's struggled against lefties and the only way he's going to figure out what readjustments he needs to make is to get at bats against them, not sitting on the bench.
Ethier bite against lhp but Loney should be in there.
Loney vs lhp is still hitting over .300+
To be honest I think Manny should get a rest and Ethier played.
Happy 33th Bday Wolf and Weaver.
I don't mind having some kind of power off the bench but not the expense of 3 regulars.
Ethier 0/8, Loney 0/7 against Lilly seriously.
Hi Everybody.
Well it's Saturday before 7:00PM ET and for me it's audio only, like old times.
Hoping the Dodgers knuckle under against the Cubs today and the hated Giants beat the Coors Boys tonight, just to keep them away.
I'll spend the afternoon with Charlie Steiner and Rick Monday.
Maybe I'll be able to e-mail them.
I sure hope Karros.
Yeah I can watch Cubs/Dodgers game on fox other than that Yankees/Red Sox.
Urgh not the start I wanted.
Good afternoon all!
I was hoping to catch the game on Fox, but the local commies have the other game on. I could care less about the Red Sox, or the Evil Empire. 😦
JP blows!!!
I wish JP would BLOW AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!! OUTTA HERE!!!!!!!!!
JP needs to pull his head out! That's twice in a row he's been nailed on the base pads.
Wow that ball was smoke.
I didn't see it but Charlie made it sound far.
Alright Matty Kemp WTG!!!!!!!
I should say deep.
I think that ball hit the Dodgers Team Store!
Well that error didn't cost us.
Geez Fuld again
Geez! robbed by Fuld again!
Dang what did that have to go foul that was nice Furcal.
Alright Haeger!! 5 strikeouts in 4 innings!
Wow talking about revenge Red Sox 7-0 in the 2nd innings but who care lol.
And what I like is He's throwing it for strikes.
Casey at the Bat! Another blast!! GO DODGERS!!
Man, it sounds like that knucker is really dancing up there.
🙂 🙂
I've been recording Kemp's putouts with a number 8, forgetting he's in right field.
Way to go, CASEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Catch that one Fuld
Doing it with the long ball today. Works for me! 🙂
Urgh you can't walk that slumping Miles.
WTG Raffy! Let's score some runs here.
Hooray! We get Lilly out of the game. Maybe we can score against there bullpen.
Outstanding! Seven shutout innings from Haeger!
Guess it's up to the bullpen now……
Haeger has put in a nice 7 innings.
Though he's reached the century mark.
Two great showings from Haeger. Get him out of the high desert dry air and evidently that knuckleball dances. Just based on his two starts, I could see giving him a shot at 5th starter next year. Could be a rare commodity – a 5th starter that could eat innings.
If Haeger doesn't get up this inning, I wonder if he'll come out for the 8th.
The whole Cubs team was ready for that one
4 of them was ready for Kemp at 2nd
These base running blunders have to cease!
The second time in two games the Cubs called a pitchout and caught a Dodger between first and second.
Haeger out there for the 8th. I like this move.
Ouch Broxton in the 8th?
Somebody ought to check for sign stealing.
Another tremendous performance by Charlie Haeger.
Two consecutive gems.
Outstanding job for Haeger!!! Standing O!!!! he deserves it.
What is Broxton doing coming now? Is he going to pitch 2 innings?
Maybe Broxton and Sherrill change role.
Damn it Kemp maybe Torre want Broxton to face there power hitters.
Tough break
Shake it off Brox.
Urgh should had been the 3rd out.
Dang where was that pitch
Good Job Ox
Whew! I was worried for a bit there!!
Maybe Sherill comes in for the 9th?
Mother nature almost shown brightly on the Cubs in that 8th inning..
Alright Broxton!! Big punch out there. It would be terrible if Haeger gets a no decision after the way he pitched today.
Dang why didn't Torre let Ausmus bunt week ago.when we had runner on 1st and 2nd.
Why wouldn't you bat Ethier here?
lol they won't let Broxton hit in the 9th would do? Broxton made 28 pitches in 2 games
Ethier vs lefty lol Loretta with a steal
OH! The irony! The slowest man on the team steals a base!
Go figure!
Lorretta stealing third shows, the Cubs are probably not stealing the signs.
Damn it Furcal, why not do you slap bunt?
Shad – I'd rather have Either vs. lefty than a .167 hitting Abreu.
I can't wait to hear Torre's explanation of why he used Brox in the 8th & Sherrill in the 9th.
PATHETIC. This team had better start learning how to get in a runner from third with less than 2 outs or its going nowhere if they make the playoffs.
And why in hell wouldn't you hit for Pierre? He needs to come out of CF for defense anyway.
Once again, PP should be OUTTA HERE!!!!!!!!!!!
I hate leaving runner on 3rd bases with 1 out.
I would to but you not Torre.
Here we go. Another nail biter. Let's go GEORGE!!
Come on Sherrill let's get your 1st save.
Thank goodness I'm not shad, Torre's an idiot!!
I may just become Justplaindisgusted#2!
Can I be number #3?
I tell you Tru, I'm much more disgusted and sick of Torre than I am with Ned's inadequacies.
Heck even have Loney that batting over .300 against lhp. Wow no defensive indifference just amazing.
Me too, JPD! If we hold on and win this, it has nothing to do with Joe………..we should have had a lot more runs and would have, with the proper lineup in there!
We know drama. This is getting more interesting by the minute.
Sherrill got screwed by the ump…Soriano was struck out twice!
Just doesn't make sense not to bat Dre in the bottom of the 8th, then insert him for defense only in the 9th. Also doesn't make sense that he or Loney didn't bat for Crappy.
awwwwwww damn Soriano should've been k's already.
Well, JPD, it goes to prove your point…..JOE IS AN IDIOT!!
It also doesn't make sense that Furcal didn't take a pitch and pop it up.
Good pitching wins once again!
And here I thought Brox brought too much drama! Sherill brings alot too! lol
Torre think if he rest those 2 they deserved to rest for the entire game which is bs.
Nice pitching performance by Haeger and a win, but still only two friggin runs. When is this offense going to get on track?
Of course, it would help if you PLAYED YOUR BEST LINE-UP.
Like you said TBW, I wanted to wait for the result, How will Joe explain this?
Did he forget what inning it was?
lol vl4 but he was squeezed by Soriano
That was a wild two innings. Bottom line. We won.
There is no way Juan SHOULD EVER PLAY INSTEAD OF ANDRE!!!!!!!! THERE IS NO WAY 3 REGULSRS SHOULD BE OUT OF THE SAME GAME!!!!! WE WERE DAMN LUCKY TO WIN THIS GAME! I think my new name should be Justpissedoff!
I guess the bottom line is we won.
How?, Frankly, I don't give a damn.
I really think that this offense is only going to get on track if JoJo would quit the BS and leave a set line-up in there. Hell Kemp hits first, Kemp hits 2nd, Kemp hits 4th, 5th 6th, 7th and 8th. The only freakin place Kemp hasn't hit is the one spot he should be hitting always – 3rd. No one knows from day to day where they're hitting or if they're even playing. Different slots in the order call for a different hitting approach. How can one become comfortable and consistant if they're bounced all over? Its rediculous.
Wow, what a great performance by Haeger, hats off to you young man. 2 great outings, you have earned another chance. It would be nice to see him continue this. The knuckleball is such a novelty…I wonder why more do not try it…It seems the ones that have have hac long careers…Hoyt Wilhelm, Wakefield, Niekro brothers and Candiotti. Maybe Haeger will become our Wakefield..Still early, but never too early to hope..
I had to follow by computer and it was a good one to follow. Nice move by Joe to bring Broxton in the eighth. I think I would have had Troncoso or Bellasario to start, but it worked with Brox doing what he is suppose to do. I suspect Troncoso will be the closer tomorrow. Sherrill threw alot of pitches.
I second you Oldbrooklynfan, a W is a W..Matt has performed in every position and performed well, so I do not think it is bothering him, so why should I be bothered…I understand alot do not like the juggling but guys have to get rest and the bench guys need to get some regular work so they can stay in rythym.
Way to go Dodgers!!!
A win's a win, regardless of coaching miscues.
We might be coming out of the only true briar patch of our season, and the team is remembering what it is to fight, regardless of whether or not our best fighters were in today.
Judging from the AZ series, September will be a gauntlet of NL West teams whose goal is to foul the Dodgers chances. Those talking heads who say we have an easy September schedule (especially those who formerly played almost their entire career for us) quickly forget the September Padres and September Giants.
The Knuckler is doing great for us… it's a good thing it's late in the season and not a lot of teams are going to get second looks. And should we make the playoffs and make the Series, if Boston goes too, they haven't seen a Knuckler either (since they have the only knuckler in the AL)… But for now, I won't get ahead of myself, and neither are the Dodgers. Cool as ice cream, whether they're up or down, they know who they are, even if the manager sometimes forgets. As a lightning rod, though, no one makes a better manager today than Joe Torre.
At least Kuo, Troncoso, Belisario and McDonald are way rested.
I just spotted Kemp's HR ball on the 210 freeway in Sunland-Tujunga!
Damn we need a dp.
Gosh they need to fixed this blog and I try to posted that message 30 mins ago
We'd better keep this Haeger guy awhile.
I'll feel better when we start scoring some runs. 2-3 runs leaves very little wiggle room.
I posted earlier today and it disappeared altogether.
Did Broxton lose the closer's role?????
Jake ~ I don't think anything official has happened. I think it could have been a case of Joe expecting Haeger to pitch the 8th inning. When he walked that first batter, Broxton was warming up to pitch the 9th no one else was ready so he decided to use him in the 8th. Or it could be that the Cubs had the top of the lineup batting in the 8th with their big hitters coming up and Torre wanted Broxton to face them. Whatever it was, I'm sure the press asked him about it after the game and we'll find out tomorrow.
truebluewill, i hope one of your scenarios is correct….jb has turned it around lately and has had 5 good outings in a row.
Jake ~ if you believe what the announcers on Fox were saying, they believed Broxton actually was facing the tougher part of the lineup and Sherrill was going to be used in the 9th because he is the lefty. I really don't think Brox has lost his closer status at all.
Torre wanted to used Broxton because of the power righty handed hitters in the 8th.
I don't think Torre would take Broxton out of the closer role because of that save last night and that he had 4 great outing and now 5 with this one today.
I hope the Giants and Rockies wear there bullpen out in that 4 games series.
Look like one of the Giants reliever is getting a beat down.
Good Evening ITD readers and writers!!!!! I didn't see the game, but between my phone and the highlights, it was good to see Haeger get the win against Lilly.
BTW – I think I may have found out where enchantedsunset went. I picked up a new Febreeze plug in today, and the scent was called Enchanted Evening. I bought it and had them put it in a brown paper bag for good old times sake. I got it home, plugged it in and it didn't smell very enchanting. Now, I am just plain disgusted with it.
jk – it does smell pretty good. I just couldn't resist getting the scent due to the name. Maybe we will see enchanted again someday.
The fun is only just beginning. After the Bubs, Dodgers head to Coors. They have Monday off while the Rockies and Gnats play. I agree, shad. Let 'em play a couple 22-inning games…
What happen to Tony Stewart? All year he's only missed 3 laps and was at 99.9% of his laps completed. The last time he missed a lap was on March 22 when he missed 1 lap and March 1 when he missed 2 laps. Martin was leading 240 laps and had to settle for 2nd places in that race. It's weird to see Stewart finished 17th and 33rd the past 2 weeks. I wonder why his earning in this race was better than the one last week when he finished 17th?
The game when Padilla had a 4 hitters shutout in 5th innings against us on June 12th.
Happy 36th Bday Blake
. Let's take care of the Cubbies one more time!!!!!
I hope that inserting Padilla in the starting rotation in place of what would have been Haeger's turn is only a one time event to give him a chance against the Rockies, whatever Joe's reasoning in that respect. As far as I'm concerned, Haeger has performed outstandingly in his two collective starts and needs to be given a continuing chance until he pitches himself out of the #4 or #5 slot – and hopefully he won't. Where Padilla fits in should be determined by his performance in turn. We've been searching for that elusive #5 guy all season, and with Kuroda gone for possibly an extended period, we now really need a #4 and a #5 guy. So I'm hoping that they both do well and bring us a semblance of stability to the starting rotation.
Happy 36th Birthday Casey Blake!
Good morning ITD Blogmates!
Check Leonard, one of our ushers at Dodger Stadium and a True Blue Dodger Fan! Check out his tatoo! Leonard is sure a nice guy just like the rest of the workers at Dodger Stadium from the elevator people, ushers at every level, food workers, vendors, ticket checkers, guards, the cleaning crew that patiently wait for us to leave the stadium, camera crews, the ones by the stairs and of course our ambassadors! Forgive me if I leave some out.
Let's go Billz, Let's continue with the Cub hunting season!
I see on the site this morning, the team ( as well as everyone else ) would like to see more power from Loney. Great! But I don't think now is the time to start thinking about those. Like Torre says, just start making solid contact. With a bit of a spurt, he could make it to 90-95 rbi's. That would be acceptable.
We know in the future years some of our young players are going to leave us. If James does not up his power numbers, he could well be one of the ones that do go. I just hope he does not have to do that right now. Myself, I'd rather he stayed. I get attached to these guys after awhile. Not Bradley, though.


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Stage 2 Mapping for your 2009 ADM WRX with the VF52 (WRX 265)This particular map is designed for the 2009 ADM WRX with the following mods:
-IHI VF52 Turbo with STOCK Turbo Inlet, STOCK Boost Solenoid, and STOCK VF52 Pills-Stock Airbox with K&N Part # 33-2304 or AEM Cold Air Intake Part #21-478WR-Catted or Catless Downpipe (Invidia Preferred)-Walbro 255lph Fuel Pump Part #GSS342
Additional Information
Further instructions will be provided upon receipt of your new map. This will include details and proper map break-in procedures/tips.�Target Boost on both maps is 18.5psi in 3rd gear; it will taper down to around 14psi by redline. Boost may be higher in 4th�and 5th gear but should stay under 20psi. I strongly urge you not to floor the car in 4th or 5th gear under 2800rpm unless�absolutely necessary. Air Fuel Ratios should be around 11.5:1 during spool, 11.0:1 in mid, and 10.6-10.8 by redline on�both maps. I highly recommend monitoring the Air Fuel Ratio with a wideband o2 sensor such as the AEM Uego, or the�Innovate LC-1 if available.
Copyright 2010 XPTTuning.com. All Rights Reserved.
Product 2/2
This product was added to our catalog on Monday 05 July, 2010.


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Despite a request from the doctor to rest his injuries, "Dancing with the Stars" fan favorite William Levy returned to the ballroom on Monday night, with a pulse-quickening Argentine tango to heat up Latin night.
William took to the ballroom with professional partner Cheryl Burke for a passionate number, mixed with drama, rhythm and the kind of technique that left judge Carrie Ann Inaba shaken and stirred.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: He's Sexy & He Knows It — Hot Shots Of William Levy
U.S. & World
Stories that affect your life across the U.S. and around the world.
"I'm gathering myself," she said, struggling for words. "That was ridiculously amazing. You are so convincing, all I could think of was, 'The Latin dancing James Bond is in the house!'" she screamed, after the number, which earned the pair 29 out of 30 (10s from Carrie Ann and Bruno Tonioli).
It wasn't until after the dance – and not in the package footage – that William's injury was even discussed. Co-host Brooke Burke brought it up, asking about his hurt ankle, and what the doctor said after giving the star an MRI earlier in the day.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Katherine Jenkins: From The Classical Arena To The 'Dancing' Ballroom
"He said my ligament was ripped up… 'You need to rest.' But, I said to him that tonightwas no resting," William told Brooke, brushing aside talk of his condition.
William's triumphant ballroom feat wasn't the only stunning performance of the night. Also returning to their former ballroom glory — and tying William and Cheryl for the top on the leaderboard — were Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas, who earned 29 out of 30 for their artistic and impressive Argentine tango.
After a standing ovation from the crowd, the duo found out they had wowed notoriously tough judge Len Goodman.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 'Dancing With The Stars' Season 14, Week 3 — 'My Most Memorable Year'
"This, for me, was like a rose. It had beauty, but underneath the surface is the thorn – sharp, menacing. It was bittersweet. Well done," he said, impressed by their creative moves.
Carrie Ann had even loftier praise, claiming Katherine showed off lower body movement that put her in a different league.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 'Dancing With The Stars' Season 14, Week 2: The Jive Vs. The Quickstep
"You came out and you did that first lunge – it was perfection. Your legs are the best legs I've ever seen of any contestant in all the history of 'Dancing with the Stars,'" she raved.
A tie for third was where NFL star Donald Driver and partner Peta Murgatroyd landed with Maria Menounos and Derek Hough. Maria and Derek might have had a better score, but the two, who teased at a kiss earlier in the season, smooched this week on the dance floor during their salsa, a move that Carrie Ann cited them for.
"I don't think you needed the kiss. I think that was a sell-out. Dancing's about the illusion of passion. Don't go all at it… save it for back there," she said.
On Tuesday, the two couples with the lowest combined scores will dance for the judges, who will decide which pair gets sent home.
The leaderboard for April 16 was:
Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas tackled the Argentine tango and were scored 29/30
William Levy and Cheryl Burke performed the Argentine tango and earned 29/30
Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd performed the Argentine tango and earned 27/30
Maria Menounos and Derek Hough performed the salsa and took home 27/30
Roshon Fegan and Chelsie Hightower tried the salsa and earned 26/30
Jaleel White and Kym Johnson performed the samba and earned 24/30
Gladys Knight and Tristan MacManus performed the samba and earned 22/30
Melissa Gilbert and Maksim Chmerkovskiy danced the salsa and earned 21/30
Gavin DeGraw and Karina Smirnoff tried the samba and were scored 19/30
Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
PLAY IT NOW: Why Are Jaleel White's Feet 'Screaming'?
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More from Access: [ Dancing With the Stars Gavin DeGraw Cheryl Burke ]


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Through just five games, Havelock�s Keion Joyner has gone from young sophomore starter to a top college prospect.
In just five games, Havelock�s Keion Joyner has gone from young sophomore starter to a top college prospect.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound linebacker has emerged as a star on a Havelock defense that has been shining all season.
Joyner is leading the Rams in tackles this season, averaging seven per game. He also has an interception, two forced fumbles and two quarterback sacks.
�He�s a heck of a football player,� Havelock coach Jim Bob Bryant said. �He�s got all these college scholarship offers, and it�s not because he�s not a good football player.
�He�s bought in. Last spring, we had a little come-to-Jesus meeting, and since then, he�s turned the corner and done everything we have asked him to do, in the weight room and in the offseason. He�s doing a great job, and I�m happy for him.�
Against Northside, Joyner was part of a defensive effort that limited the Monarchs to 91 total yards, including 60 yards rushing on 40 attempts for an average of 1.5 yards per attempt.
�We had some minor mishaps, but other than that, we did a good job,� Joyner said. �We could have capitalized a bit more.�
Akenno Godette returned a fumble for a touchdown, and Joyner tackled Northside runner Autray Taylor behind the line of scrimmage, forcing a fumble that teammate Andrew Ramirez recovered.
�All I tried to do was get to him,� said Joyner, who fought through a block to hit Taylor from behind. �Next thing you know, I just saw the ball pop out.�
Havelock�s defense has given up just three offensive touchdowns in five games and posted shutouts of Jones Senior and Kinston. Joyner said there is no secret to the success.
�It�s coming together as a team and doing your job,� he said.
As for all the college recruiting attention � Joyner is No. 97 on the Fox Sports Ultimate 300 recruiting list � he�s not looking too closely at it.
�I just try to take it day by day,� he said. �I�m just focused on school.�
Bryant said it�s no wonder that colleges are after the sophomore.
�It�s his athletic ability,� Bryant said. �He�s tall. He�s rangy. He�s fast. He�s a good football player, and he gets to the ball.�
Joyner realizes college is a few years away. He said he�s focused on this season and winning Havelock�s third consecutive state championship.
�I hope we make it as far as we can,� he said. �If we play together as a team, I think we should go pretty far.�


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We've already seen the swoopy headlight and air intake of a Lexus concept set to be unveiled at next month's Detroit Auto Show. Now, we've got a partial look at its interior.
Checking out that DLO (daylight opening) — yeah, that's the window — it's pretty obvious the concept, cooked up at Toyota's Newport Beach design studio "Calty," will be a coupe. Lexus says it's just a show car, not a future model, but hints at a "new contemporary, upscale and uniquely Lexus design direction."
Good news. It seems likely the concept will continue furthering Lexus' latest "razor's edge," (aka "origami school") design language introduced with the LFA. And that's a good thing for future Lexus products, considering the land-locked submarines the company currently produces en masse.


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South Central China and Tibet: Hotspot of Diversity
Participating Institutions
Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
Founded in 1872 to increase our knowledge of woody plants through research and education, the Arboretum carries out that mission within its Olmsted-designed landscape by developing, curating, and maintaining a collection of living woody plants from around the world that are hardy in the Boston area. The Arboretum's herbarium of over 1.3 million wild-collected specimens, the majority from Asia, is maintained with other collections in the Harvard University Herbaria.
Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Major areas of research at the Institute include the restoration of degraded ecological systems and the biological resources of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and eastern Tibet. The Institute also conducts research in systematics and phylogeny, as well as in conservation biology, with studies focused on the relationships between biodiversity and environmental conditions and on the reproductive behavior of protected species.
Farlow Reference Library and Herbarium of Cryptogamic Botany
The Farlow Herbarium, administered as part of the Harvard University Herbaria, houses over a million specimens of lichenized and non-lichenized fungi, bryophytes, and algae. The collections are worldwide in scope, with particular strengths in the bryophytes and fungi of Asia.
Harvard University Herbaria
The combined collections of the Harvard University Herbaria date to 1954, when the collections of the Arnold Arboretum, founded in 1872, and the Gray Herbarium, founded in 1864, were joined to form one of the world's largest collections of botanical specimens and literature. Since then the Oakes Ames Orchid Herbarium (1899), the Economic Botany Herbarium (1858), and the Herbarium of the New England Botanical Club (1896) have been added. The resources of the Harvard Herbaria and Botanical Libraries are among the world's best for studying the plants of Asia.
Harvard University Library, Library Digital Initiative
Harvard University launched the Library Digital Initiative (LDI) in July 1998 to develop the University's capacity to manage digital information and to provide expertise and technical assistance to libraries, archives, museums, and research projects involved in collecting or creating digital resources throughout the University. In October of 1999, the Arnold Arboretum Horticultural Library was awarded a challenge grant from LDI to digitize historic and contemporary material from Harvard's natural history and ethnographic collections that related to China and Tibet.
Harvard-Yenching Library
The Harvard-Yenching Library is Harvard University's primary resource for research materials on traditional and modern East Asia and is the largest university library for East Asian research in the Western world. Founded in 1928 with a collection of several thousand Chinese and Japanese books that had been acquired since 1879, today the library's collections stand at more than 980,000 volumes, of which 560,000 are in Chinese, 260,000 in Japanese, 100,000 in Korean, 45,000 in Western languages, and 12,000 in Vietnamese, Tibetan, Mongolian, and Manchu.
Institute of Botany, Beijing, Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Institute's herbarium, located within its botanical garden in Xiangshan, on the outskirts of Beijing, is now a national center for Chinese plant collections. It is one of the oldest herbaria in China and the largest in Asia, with more than two million specimens. The herbarium houses about 10,000 type specimens and plays a key role in the publication of Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae and Flora of China.
Institute of Botany in Kunming, Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Institute's herbarium includes more than 1.2 million specimens collected since its foundation in 1930. It is particularly rich in collections from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau area and from other parts of Yunnan, Xizang, Sichuan, Guizhou, Qinghai, and Xinjiang provinces. The Institute is currently producing the Chinese language Flora Yunnanica and Flora Xizangica, which together will include more than a third of the 30,000 plant species in China.
Laboratory of Systematic Mycology and Lichenology, Beijing, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Established in 1985, the Laboratory has the largest mycological herbarium in Asia. It is an academic research institution focused on the study of the evolution of fungi, species diversity, and natural systems.
Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University
The Museum was founded in 1859 as a center for research and education through the efforts of the Swiss zoologist Louis Agassiz (1807-1873), who served as its director until his death in 1873. Its twelve departments-biology, oceanography, entomology, herpetology, invertebrate paleontology, invertebrate zoology, mammalogy, marine biology, mollusks, ornithology, population genetics, and vertebrate paleontology-carry on Agassiz' vision and are leaders in modern zoological research.


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Former Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger is convinced she is too "classy" to compete for a Grammy, Oscar or Tony Award.
The singer, who has never appeared on Broadway and has only starred in two movies, says her good girl image has prevented her from reaching a high level of success.
She tells British newspaper The Independent, "I come from the most religious family. My grandfather is a priest. And if they support me in all this, and they do, then I'm OK. I'm being sassy and classy; I'm having fun. I'm not coming from a dark place. To be honest with you, I sometimes wish I were more slutty. I'd probably be a lot more successful if I were.
"This is such a tough industry, you know. To make it, you really have to sell your soul to the devil… That's probably why I haven't quite reached the top of my mountain. I mean, where's my Tony Award, my Grammy, my Oscar? Why don't I have any of those things yet?"


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382 captures
29 Nov 2004 - 28 May 2020
български |
català |
中文 |
czech/slovensky |
deutsch |
español |
français |
The Housing Monster takes one seemingly simple everyday thing—a house—and looks at the social relations that surround and determine it. Starting with the construction site and the physical building of houses, the book slowly builds and links more and more issues together: from gentrification and city politics to gender roles and identity politics, from subcontracting and speculation to union contracts and negotiation, from intensely personal thoughts and interactions to large-scale political and economic forces. What starts as a look at housing questions, broadens into a critique of capitalism as a whole. (152 pages, first printing in 2012)
[text only version] | [print quality PDF] | [buy a hard copy]
A 60-page illustrated guide to the daily misery, stress, boredom, and alienation of restaurant work, as well as the ways in which restaurant workers fight against it. Drawing on a range of anti-capitalist ideas as well as a heaping plate of personal experience, it is part analysis and part call-to-arms. (first printed in 2006)
[text only version]
A 28-page comic book introduction to the world as we know it
[text only version]
Inspired by the old I.W.W. "PYRAMID of CAPITALIST SYSTEM", this poster is a portrayal of class society as it appears to us today. The whirlwind of market forces encircle and shape society, operating through our activity, yet behind our backs. People at different levels of the modern capitalist pyramid enjoy it or defend it or cope with it or fight it or get drunk to forget about their place in it. This poster was designed in collaboration with wapiti.se. (first printed in 2007)
proletariwhat? | pamphlets | online texts | links | the use and misuse of this site | an interview with prole.info
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text:
Dog food reviews
Member List
Dry Dog Foods
1 Star Dry Dog Food
Previous Product
Next Product
Nova Foods Nova Trainer Senior
Date of last review
Sun January 20, 2008
Recommended By
Average Price
Average Rating
No recommendations
None indicated
None indicated
Feeding guideline
A 25kg dog should be fed about 255g
Cereals, meat and derivatives (fresh chicken and turkey meat 25%), derivatives of vegetable origin (beet pulps 4%), oils and fats, fish and fish derivatives, minerals, yeasts (brewer's yeast), L-carnitine, chondroitin-sulphate, glucosamine.
Preserved with Vit. E. It contains linoleic acid 2.6%.
Guaranteed analysis
Vit. A............. 18.000 U.I.
Vit. D3........... 1350 U.I
Vit. E ............ 265 mg
Copper ..........20 mg
Nutritional analysis
Crude protein....................25.0%
Crude Fat..........................11.0%
Crude Fibre.........................3.0%
Crude ash...........................6.0%
Post a Reply
Registered: October 2005
Posts: 3953
Review Date:
Sun January 20, 2008
Would you recommend the product?
| Price you paid?:
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| Rating:
Inadequate meat content, low quality ingredients of unidentifiable origin throughout
The first ingredient in the food is unidentified cereals. This is a low quality ingredient and may be comprised of any range of grains, grain fractions and floor sweepings. Such a description gives the consumer no information whatsoever of the content and nutritional quality of the ingredients, and we note that this only occurs in the lowest quality products. We have no confidence at all that this product contains good quality grain. Moreover, the main ingredients in any dog food should not be grain/cereals, which are not a natural foodstuff for dogs. Foods intended for canines should be based on meat.
The meat content of this food is byproducts. There is no identification of species, and this low quality ingredient could be anything. It is impossible to ascertain the quality of by-products and these are usually products that are of such low quality as to be rejected for use in the human food chain, or else are those parts that have so little value that they cannot be used elsewhere in either the human or pet food industries. Meat byproducts are defined as "clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. It includes, but is not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defatted low-temperature fatty tissue and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, horns, teeth and hooves". Note that this definition excludes actual meat. We note the presence of fish (byproducts) but find no sign of a guarantee on the manufacturer's site that they use only ethoxyquin-free protein sources in the product (ethoxyquin is a chemical preservative, commonly added to fish ingredients and which is banned or heavily regulated in human food production due to the belief that it is carcinogenic).
Likewise, there is no identification of the fat content of the food, which quite simply, could be anything. Plant derivatives are byproducts, being culls, potato peelings and other rejects of human food production. Beet pulp (fibre) is filler, and a controversial ingredient. It is a by-product, being dried residue from sugar beets which has been cleaned and extracted in the process of manufacturing sugar. It is a controversial ingredient in dog food, claimed by some manufacturers to be a good source of fibre, and derided by others as an ingredient added to slow down the transition of rancid animal fats and causing stress to kidney and liver in the process. We note that beet pulp is an ingredient that commonly causes problems for dogs, including allergies and ear infections, and prefer not to see it used in dog food. There are less controversial products around if additional fibre is required.
The food has added minerals, but no information about these is given and it may contain synthetics.
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Aurora borealis over Jökulsárlón
Jökulsárlón, Hornafjörður, Eastern Region / Austurland • Iceland
Returning from our walk to the icecave we have little time left for a break before getting ready for some photography again. Just going to the apartment to drop off our clothes before we get out again to shoot the Aurora borealis, which today shows in its full green glory.
uuid="0BC521D0-DD40-4FBD-8E1F-13D8402A5ED9" id="Iceland lilleulven.com _K3_10860.psd "
EastEuropeHornafjörðurISISLIcelandJökulsárlónNordlichteraurora borealisenvironmentlandscapelightnaturenorthern lightnorthern lightspublic galleryseasonskywinter
© 2020 Wiebke Schröder / Lille Ulven Photography


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Career Assessment Test
Please answer the following 15 questions to the best of your ability. Your answers will be used to identify the career selection(s) that is most suited to your habits, thoughts and actions.
Remember to follow your first instinct when answering the questions. You are not the first person to say some of the questions cannot be answered without our knowing the context of the situation. Do not over-analyze the quiz.


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Sprint is making progress on its WiMAX initiative for 2008. The company announced today that it has added several cities to its list of service areas that will have commercial WiMAX access in early 2008. Additionally, Sprint will be launching a program to accelerate the development of WiMAX-enabled devices, and has chosen the companies that will provide its launch hardware.
Sprint first announced in January that it was going to spend $800 million in 2007 and over $2 billion in 2008 on its so-called 4G network. At that time, Sprint said that they would be working with Intel for its WiMAX/WiFi chipset, and Samsung and Nokia for WiMAX-enabled handsets. Only two cities were announced as test markets in January: Chicago and Washington D.C., with Motorola building the WiMAX network in Chicago.
The company's new list of test markets will probably excite hopeful WiMAX users who don't live in one of those two major cities. Motorola will now not only be developing the network in Chicago, but also in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Kansas City, and Minneapolis. Samsung will also be developing the market in a number of cities: Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, Providence, and the previously-announced Washington D.C. Finally, Nokia will be responsible for developing the network in Austin, Dallas, Denver, Fort Worth, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, and Seattle. All in all, Sprint plans to roll out WiMAX in 19 cities across the US by April 2008.
As for launch hardware, Sprint announced that the company is going with Samsung PC cards for both single WiMAX and dual CDMA 1xEV DO/WiMAX use upon launch in 2008. The company also chose Chinese telecommunications manufacturer ZTE Corporation to provide 802.16e-enabled PC cards and USB devices, and California-based ZyXEL Communications Inc. for modem products.
Finally, Sprint launched a new WiMAX Device and Chipset Ecosystem program, designed to facilitate dialog between chipset makers and device manufacturers. The company hopes that the program will accelerate the development of more WiMAX-capable devices by providing all of the necessary specifications and functionality information to anyone who needs it.
Clearly, the company is committed to becoming a major player in offering wireless high-speed Internet access, and quickly. Sprint says that aside from the 19 cities it plans to launch in early 2008, they hope to reach 100 million people by the end of 2008. The company is demoing its Mobile WiMAX solution this week during the CTIA Wireless conference in Florida. Say what you will about WiMAX's potential and Intel's endless hype—it will soon be time to put up or shut up for all WiMAX backers. In the meantime, we look forward to seeing what EVDO Rev. B can do.


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The other day my 13 year old son was out in the front yard pulling weeds, which is a weekly occurrence in the summer. He's a good kid and took on the responsibility of cutting the grass, weed-whacking, trimming bushes and doing other yard maintenance. Carlos appreciates his help since he's physically tired from work and our son does a good job.
So, the other day while our son was pulling weeds where the lawn meets the street, I didn't think anything of it until I checked on him and found him engaged in a conversation with an elderly man who had stopped his car in the middle of the road. The man talked to him out of his rolled down window, my son stood with a hand on his hip, the other arm he pulled across his forehead to wipe off the sweat that rolled into his eyes. I figured the old man was asking for directions.
"Guess what?" my son said, coming into the house, the screen door slamming unintentionally behind him.
"That guy offered me a job cutting grass and pulling weeds at his house. He lives on the other side of the neighborhood."
I was happy that my son had the potential to earn some spending money since he's been bothering me lately about letting him get a job when he turns fourteen next month. (Carlos says it's out of the question because he wants him to focus on his studies – but that's a discussion for another day.)
While I was happy for our son, I couldn't help but wonder if the elderly Caucasian gentleman would have stopped to ask the blond-haired white boy down the street to cut his grass if he'd seen him out pulling weeds. I'm not offended that the man asked, but I can't pretend the question didn't enter my mind. You could say I'm being too sensitive or too paranoid, except that last year when Carlos was out cutting the grass, another Caucasian neighbor stopped their car and called out to him.
"Excuse me!" he said, waving his arms to flag Carlos down.
Carlos shut off the mower and walked over to the car.
"Excuse me," the man repeated, "Do you cut grass?"
Carlos took a moment to understand what this guy was thinking.
"I cut my own grass," Carlos said, "This is my yard."
"Oh," the man said, "…Would you want to cut my grass? I've been looking for someone."
"I'm sorry," Carlos said, "I have enough work doing my own yard."
"Okay, I understand," the man said, "…Do you know anybody who would want to cut my grass? Do you have any friends that might want to?"
"No," Carlos said, becoming annoyed.
"Oh, okay," the man replied before driving away, "Thanks anyway."
Would these Caucasian men have asked another random white person to come cut their grass? There's really no way to know, but somehow I doubt it.


text:
Facebook's developer conference got underway in San Francisco Thursday with the company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg introducing a host of new features.
F8 is Facebook's annual developer's conference that brings together developers, entrepreneurs and innovators who are working on building tools for the social network.
Thursday Zuckerberg kicked off the conference with a keynote address that showed off several new Facebook features aimed at giving users more incentive to stay logged onto Facebook longer.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
The equation is simple: the longer you stay on Facebook, the more Facebook can make off you.
The young CEO announced partnerships with the likes of Spotify to stream music and share tunes with friends and Hulu to let users watch their favorite shows directly through Facebook.
Netflix's CEO Reed Hastings also appeared on stage to introduce a new partnership between his company and Facebook.
Facebook also introduced a new feature called "Timeline," which gives users the abilities to turn their profiles into life stories, while keeping control of their privacy settings.
A Facebook employee took some of the surprise out of one of the announcements by tweeting about its existence before it went live or was even announced.
"The 'Listen with your friend' feature in ticker is blowing my mind. Listen to what your friends are listening. LIVE," Facebook Creative Director Ji Lee tweeted.
NBC Bay Area's Scott Budman was live at the F8 developer's conference Thursday. He wrote a live blog and tweeting updates from the event.


text:
Just a few days after Opera Software patched critical vulnerabilities in its browser, researchers have identified another serious bug that allows attackers to remotely execute malicious code on the machines of people running the most recent version of the software. Opera has vowed to fix the flaw soon.
Among the bugs squashed in Opera 9.61 was a stored cross site scripting (XSS) vulnerability that allowed attackers to view victims' browsing history. That attack is no longer possible, but now researchers have discovered an even more serious exploit that's based on the same weakness.
Simply viewing a booby-trapped webpage with Opera is all that's required to run code of an attacker's choosing on a machine. Researcher Aviv Raff shared a link with us that caused our Windows machine to load the calculator, but certainly less benign exploits are possible as well. The attack works on OS X and Linux machines as well, he says.
Opera is aware of the vulnerability and is in the final stages of testing a new version of the browser that fixes the problem, company spokesman Thomas Ford says. He says version 9.62 will be released "very, very soon," but he can't say exactly when.
"We always appreciate people digging and looking for security vulnerabilities in our products," Ford says. "We want them to be as robust as they can be."
The vulnerability was jointly discovered when researchers Roberto Suggi, Stefano Di Paola, and Raff began discussing the possibility of expanding Opera's browser history flaw to carry out other types of mischief. In short order, Raff came up with this proof-of-concept attack that launches a PC's calculator. That exploit no longer works with version 9.61, but a separate exploit, which Raff does not want published, does exactly the same thing on fully patched machines running Opera.
"They should have looked at the code of this local resource for more vulnerabilities," Raff tells El Reg. "The fixed one is within the displayed links in the searched history. The unfixed one is within the Previous/Next links of the history search page itself."
The Opera bug comes as researchers have warned of a separate vulnerability affecting multiple browsers. Exploiting the FTP client XSS design vulnerability could allow attackers to "execute arbitrary script code in the browser of an unsuspecting user in the context of an FTP session," Sunbelt Software's Michael St. Neitzel warns here. Firefox and Google Chrome are both vulnerable. ®
Sponsored: Webcast: Discover and secure all of your attack surface


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@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
The California legislature opens each session with a whimper, and its budgets are rarely if ever balanced, but it does end with a bang.
The flurry of last-minute legislation that was approved late Friday is still being digested.
Gov. Jerry Brown has a month to decide whether to sign the bills. In the meantime, the session's end offers an opportunity to tally up the winners and losers.
- Gov. Brown
Media reports focused on how unions sent him bills that will force him to choose between the Democratic base and his allies in the business community.
Brown also failed to get his corporate tax package – touted inaccurately as a "jobs" package -- through the legislature.
But the good outweighed the bad. Brown scored political points by getting two Republicans to support his package – which still isn't dead. (It could be revived in a special session).
More significant, Brown used the momentum of a bid to build a football stadium in Los Angeles to enhance his own power over development.
Legislation gave Brown, and future governors, the power to exempt certain large developments from the state's signature environmental law. And one big job for governors is to protect, and enhance, their power.
- Los Angeles -- or San Diego
Depending on what you think about football and football stadiums, one of these cities won (and one lost).
Legislation exempting a downtown LA football project from environmental reviews clears the way for a stadium to go forward provided a team could be found.
That team is likely to be the San Diego Chargers.
So if you love football and don't mind the hassles of having a stadium downtown, Los Angeles is a winner.
If you don't care for football – or if you're a football fan who would merely be frustrated watching the perpetually underachieving Chargers – San Diego may be the winner.
A host of labor-friendly legislation made it through the Democratic legislature, including several bills that had been previously vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Brown may veto some too, but labor unions are certainly better off now than they were a year ago.
If Brown signs a bill moving all ballot initiatives – including two opposed by labor – from the June ballot to a November ballot that should attract more liberal voters, labor may emerge as the session's biggest winner.
The company spent millions gathering signatures for a referendum, then surrendered, agreeing to start collecting taxes in a year.
Along the way, the online retailer alienated people across the political spectrum in Sacramento. More on the disaster that is Amazon's relationship with California here.
-Initiative Reform
California's initiative process is at once inflexible (mistakes can't be easily fixed, and initiatives don't have to play by budget rules) and inaccessible (only rich people and groups can use it).
Reform is desperately needed. But Democrats pushed "reforms" that – with a few notable exceptions – did nothing to make the process more flexible – and imposed limits that will make the process even more inaccessible.
Brown vetoed some of the worst ideas. But in the ham-handedness, Democrats may have sabotaged the prospects for real initiative reform.
Republicans. The party effectively staved off tax increases. But the GOP further isolated itself in the process. Its members missed an opportunity to get deeper reforms in state governance – not only because of poor negotiating strategy but also because the party hasn't done any serious thinking about how to save the state or the party itself.
There's a huge opening for the GOP to trade away its 2/3 leverage for a new election system that gives the party the chance to take back power. But California Republicans don't recognize the opportunity, and seem afraid of new reform ideas.
Too bad.
The once-proud California GOP is such a consistent losers that they might be called the LA Clippers of politics.
(Above photo illustration by Olsen Ebright)
Let us know what you think. Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @PropZero or add your comment to our Facebook page.