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The five artists in the Baltimore Museum of Art exhibit "Sondheim Artscape Prize: 2011 Finalists" all live in either Baltimore or Washington, D.C., but they are stylistically all over the map. This makes for an eclectic exhibit that changes as you walk from one room to the next.
It's ironic that the most impressive artist in the show is the one whose photojournalistic work might not even be considered "art" in some quarters. Washington photographer Louie Palu, whose photos have appeared in publications including the New York Times and Newsweek, is represented in the BMA exhibit by a striking series about the war in Afghanistan.
This photographer's presence on the battlefield results in some guesome images of wounded and dead bodies, but that graphic immediacy is not what makes this body of photographic work so impressive. Palu's most haunting images are tightly cropped shots whose documentary power is actually enhanced by leaving the gory details to your imagination.
There is a photo of medics treating wounded American soldiers in a frontline trauma unit that certainly possesses graphic potential; but the photographer's extremely close-up, high-angle composition only shows military boots standing on a blood-smeared floor. You can imagine the rest of this scene.
Several other photos also give fragmentary views of soldiers and civilians. These figures are often seen from behind, facilitating the sense that you share their point of view as they look at the war-ravaged terrain.
In one such photo, you see the back of an American soldier as he studies the bullet-pocked walls of a school building that has been reduced to rubble.
A similarly conceived photo differs in that it's a much more closely cropped shot of the upper back of an Afghan police officer preparing to patrol a village. The back of his turban-topped head catches your attention, but what's even more noteworthy is the bullet belt worn around his neck as if it were a necklace.
Palu's work fits within a venerable tradition of war photography that possesses both artistic and journalistic merit. He's not making any sort of political statement in the exhibited work beyond reminding you of the horrors accompanying any war.
Another Washington photographer in the exhibit, Mark Parascandola, is making an environmental commentary with his frequently panoramic shots of the desert landscape of Almeria, Spain. Some of these shots depict recent housing developments that went bust and now seem like ghost towns, while others depict the remains of the Old West streets constructed to shoot the so-called spaghetti Westerns in the 1960s and '70s.
In both cases, you're looking at vacant buildings in an empty landscape devoid of people. He's showing how human intervention in nature can be temporary and perhaps ill-conceived. These architectural remnants now quietly rot in an otherwise timeless landscape.
The documentary qualities of those two artists are complemented by the overtly autobiographical mixed medium display by Baltimore filmmaker Matt Porterfield ("Hamilton," "Putty Hill"), who is represented by a wall-mounted grid of photos of his own everyday life taken by his cellphone. Nearby is installed a short video incorporating those photos edited into an extremely rapid montage that makes them verge on being an abstract blur.
Baltimore artist Stephanie Barber also contemplates the different ways in which one records experience. Her mixed medium installation includes her own earlier videos, as well as a video studio in whch she will work throughout the run of the exhibit. Visitors will be invited to appear in the new videos she makes and then quickly edits and exhibits here.
Standing apart from the other artists in a good sense is Baltimore sculptor Rachel Rotenberg, whose abstract sculptures are made of wood and vines that have been partially painted. Some of her pieces stand on the floor, others hang on the wall, and collectively they really take over the room.
It's worth pausing to consider the contrasts between a gently curving piece of cedar and the more tightly coiled vine next to it. Rotenberg's seductively curving constructions generally make use of open space that can be filled with your own thoughts.
"Sondheim Artscape Prize: 2011 Finalists" runs through Aug. 7 at the Baltimore Museum of Art, at 10 Art Museum Drive in Baltimore. The five finalists are competing for a $25,000 fellowship that will be announced at a free event Saturday, July 9, at 7 p.m. Call 443-573-1700 or go to http://www.artbma.org. Also, an exhibit of the semifinalists takes place in the Decker and Meyerhoff galleries of the Maryland Institute College of Art, at 1303 Mount Royal Ave., during Artscape weekend July 15-17.


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Charlotte with children
In the past 20 years, the amount of child-friendly options in Uptown Charlotte has grown exponentially. The recent additions of several new facilities, added to established favorites such as Discovery Place, has made it relatively easy to enjoy the center city while in the company of children. Other areas of interest may include South End, NoDa (during the day), and Ballantyne. With travelers in mind, this itinerary will focus primarily on Uptown and South End options.
Needless to say, preparation is key when traveling with children. If you are staying in a hotel that serves breakfast, make sure to grab a bite to eat before leaving. By Charlotte standards, food is expensive Uptown. Also, make sure that your kids have a good pair of walking shoes. You may want to carry sunscreen and water, especially during the summer when the sunshine can be intense. And of course, it always helps to have plenty of supplies (diapers, food, etc.) handy; though there are some helpful stores Uptown, it is not guaranteed that you'll be able to find a box of handy-wipes at a moment's notice.
Get in[edit]
This itinerary assumes good weather and ideal traveling conditions; if there is a major holiday or event, you may need to adjust your plans accordingly.
Northern Uptown[edit]
Southern Uptown[edit]
If you're still going after a long day, or if you got a late start, there are plenty of things to do after the sun sets. One note of caution: the bar-heavy area around College St. behind Hearst Tower can be a little less than kid-friendly. It's safe, but you might hear some rich language and you will definitely see people in varying states of intoxication.
Stay safe[edit]
By and large, Charlotte is an extremely safe city in its central districts. Crimes against children or families are extremely rare; however, as in any city you never want to let your guard down too far. Keep kids in sight in crowded areas (such as the bus terminal) and don't let them wander too far. Teach them to recognize the dark blue uniforms of police, and use a central location (such as the Square) as an emergency meeting point. The most common crime in central Charlotte seems to be auto-related theft and break-in. Parking in a deck will usually be enough to keep your car safe; if you park in a lot be sure that it will have an attendant at all times. Parking on the street is generally safe during the day, but streetside parking in isolated areas at night is probably not wise.
Of course it is impossible to prepare for all situations, so it's helpful to be aware in advance of the resources available for an emergency. If you are in need of basic healthcare or santiation items (such as bandages, diapers, or common medications), there are pharmacies located on both the northern (CVS [19]) and southern (Eckerd [20]) ends of Tryon St. in the city center. If you are in South End, your best bet is the Eckerd near the corner of South Blvd. and Park Ave.
For more serious emergencies, you can go to one of the two hospitals located just outside of Uptown. Presbyterian Hospital [21] is the most directly accessibe; simply head straight down East Trade St. away from Uptown. Trade will turn into Elizabeth Ave., which dead-ends at the hospital. Also, the larger Carolinas Medical Center [22] is only a few minutes away. From Morehead St. near the stadium, head south and bear right on Kings Dr.; Medical Center Drive is on the right. CMC includes a large children's hospital and may be better for child-specific emergencies.
As always, be aware of police presence if you should feel unsafe. Call 911 to report unsafe or threatening incidents. If your car is stolen, call 911 to place a report; if it is broken into or vandalized, call 311 (non-emergency services) to report the crime.
Get out[edit]
Most visitors will use highways to leave Charlotte; consider staying off the interstate if you're visiting during a heavy rush period (such as a holiday or game day). In particular, festivals such as the 4th of July and Speed Street [23] will completely jam local roads; give some thought to using a city bus to park-and-ride on those days in order to save some stress. If you need to head back to the airport, the flat $20 fee for a shuttle is worth the convenience.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sustainable Tuesdays, a weekly presentation on topics related to environmental and sustainability issues presented by the Bemidji State University Sustainability Office, will host an interactive discussion on carbon trading and carbon taxes on May 20.
Sustainable Tuesdays events are held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Rail River Folk School, located at 303 Railroad St. SW in Bemidji. They are open free to the public unless otherwise noted.
May 20: Interactive discussion on carbon tax and carbon trading
Rail River Folk School will host Tom Goldtooth, executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network, and Brett Cease, community leader and former MN GreenCorps member, for a conversation on the topics of carbon trading and carbon-tax policies. The pair will be leading a discussion on these complex issues and their societal and economic implications for the world.
Sustainable Tuesdays are a partnership between Bemidji State's Sustainability Office, the Indigenous Environmental Network, Minnesota GreenCorps and the Rail River Folk School. The Sustainable Tuesdays presentations aim to draw upon the strengths of the region's diversity to create a sustainable Bemidji.
• Sara Dennison, Minnesota GreenCorps Living Green representative, BSU Sustainability Office; (218) 755-3765
• Simone Senogles, Indigenous Environmental Network; (218) 751-4967


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Michael and Cindy Proia of Cape Coral announce the marriage of their daughter, Angela Nicole Proia, to Raul Omar Garcia on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011. The wedding and reception were held at The Forest in south Fort Myers.
The bridesmaids wore persimmon-colored dresses and the groomsmen wore dark brown tuxedos.
Kristina Proia, sister of the bride, was maid of honor while Casey Green, best friend of the groom, was his best man.
Article Photos
photo provided
Angela and Raul Garcia
Angela graduated from the University of South Florida in 2008, with a bachelor's degree in elementary education and currently works as a first grade teacher at Sulfur Springs Elementary School in Tampa. Raul graduated from the University of South Florida in 2010 with his master's degree in educational leadership and is a behavior specialist at Sulfur Springs Elementary School in Tampa.
The couple will live in Riverview, Fla.


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Today, the Sisters of Life issued a statement against the iniquitous HHS mandate that all health insurance plans cover sterilization and contraception (including drugs that cause abortions). This is an important contribution to the discussion, because it presents a problem with the mandate (and with the health care reform law in general) that has not adequately been considered — the effect on individual religious sisters, brothers and priests. Here is the statement, with a particularly important passage emphasized by me:
The Sisters of Life join with the Catholic Bishops of the United States, and leaders of many other religious communities, in strongly objecting to the Department of Health and Human Services rule for "preventative services," and the "compromise" announced by President Obama regarding religious liberty. This mandate will gravely violate the individual and collective religious liberties of the Sisters of Life and millions of others by forcing us to pay for abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and artificial contraception against our conscience.
The Sisters of Life is a religious community of consecrated women, founded in 1991 by John Cardinal O'Connor. Ours is a religious community founded in the United States of America by a priest who dearly loved this country, and served as a Rear Admiral and Chief of Chaplains in the United States Navy. We, too, love our country. We are grateful to be a part of its proud history, for the generosity and valor of so many who call this nation home, and for the possibilities that arise from living authentic freedom within a pluralistic society. Yet now we are faced with a government decision that is not only a grave affront to the religious liberty and rights of conscience of every citizen of the United States, but also an offense to each Sister of Life in a particular way. Every professed member of our community takes a special vow "to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life."
In response to a call from God and to the sheer beauty and goodness of the gift of life, each Sister dedicates herself to God that all people might come to know the precious gift of his or her life, and that every human life be protected and received as an unrepeatable icon of the living God. To this end, we defend vulnerable human life in the womb from the moment of conception, supporting and upholding mothers in need through emotional, spiritual and material support during and after their pregnancies. Because the gift of life is intrinsically linked to love, we also affirm and fully support the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church regarding marriage and sexuality. This includes an understanding that sterilization and contraception are gravely against God's plan for human life and love, and we believe, in the end, are false promises that undermine the peace and freedom in commitment that are fruits of authentic human love.
Our special fourth vow, made in a solemn and sacred ceremony and binding on us in conscience and in the laws of the Church, is at the heart of our identity as a religious community, and is a profound expression of the religious and spiritual commitment of each of our Sisters. This new rule pays no heed to our right to live according to our vows. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act each of us will be required by law to obtain health insurance, or face fines. Since this HHS mandate will require every insurer to include abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and artificial contraception, we will not be able to obtain any coverage that is free from those "services," and we will be forced to pay for them directly. Since we are neither employers, nor employees, of any religious institution, we cannot even take advantage of the "religious exemption" contained in the new regulations or the "compromise."
As a result, this mandate would coerce each and every individual Sister of Life to betray her religious vows. We will be forced to pay for "services" that attack human life and deny the truth and beauty of human sexuality. This would directly contradict our special religious vow to "to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life," and go against everything we believe in and have devoted our lives to. To us, it would be comparable to a law requiring a spouse to violate their marriage vows — an unthinkable intrusion upon a sacred promise.
This mandate is an offensive and dangerous infringement upon the natural and Constitutional rights of American citizens. The only just solution to this infringement of rights is to rescind the HHS rule. We call upon members of Congress and the Executive Branch to reverse this decision as soon as possible, and we invite our fellow citizens to join with us in prayer and fasting that our Nation may be protected from this great threat against liberty.
The statement can be found at the Sisters' website. While you're there, check out the wonderful work being done by the Sisters, and consider — what kind of society have we become, where our government would seek to force such women to be unfaithful to their vows? Can any of us think of a more egregious violation of the fundamental human right to religious freedom?
Tags: Health Care Reform, Religious Liberty, Sisters of Life


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Raiden wrote:Kleene Onigiri wrote:A 4-coma this time \o/
Warning! Possible File 818+ Spoiler!
Movie 13 Parodiey :x *flees*
[me=Raiden] takes out a red pen and fixes Kleene's spelling... :x[/me]*Flees!*
But seriously.. that's brilliant!Chekhov MacGuffin wrote:Nice. You and Sonoci should form a team...
Agreed! =)
Together they are invincible!
First DCTP...then the world! \o/ \o/Kleene Onigiri wrote:Nom vs Gin! DUN DUN! XD
...somebody should totally draw that! XD
Spelling? Wat iz diz? XD
Sonoci and me wanted to do something together XD We jsut didn't know what :x XD
@Anaine: Thanks! XD


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When Pepe Macedo of Santa Maria, California was younger, he was so crazy about Lowriders, he took on two jobs just to pay for the custom paint, hydraulics, rims and other accessories on his S-10 Blazer. Despite his work ethic, his parents stayed on him about pursuing a higher education and continuing on to college so that he could really get everything he would want in life. Deep down, Pepe knew his parents were right and he decided to take their advice and make the sacrifice by selling his ride and going on to college to study law. When he finally finished in the year 2000, he went on to become a probation officer, bought a house, started a family, and came across the ultimate project: a 1962 Impala convertible, which later became known as "Perro '62."
Longtime friend and fellow New Crowd Car Club member, Mario Martinez, sold the Impala project to Pepe. The car was completely disassembled and had a long way to go to be considered a street worthy Lowrider. Pepe put in his utmost patience into this project, taking his time with the build in order to make sure everything was done right. The project proved to be very difficult and Pepe's drive for perfection was tested many times over. In repeated instances, parts were not polished or chrome-plated correctly, or a part was painted and left below 100 percent. Pepe always sent the parts back and had them redone, and if that wasn't possible, he would trash the part and start over again. On top of that, the project was put on the back burner many times when priorities with his wife and kids came first.
About three years ago, the car was finally at a point where Pepe felt "Perro '62" was complete. He thanks everyone who helped with the project, especially his friends Clifford Cordero and Mario Martinez, and the shops Atlas Custom Sounds, and Joey's Custom Tire & Wheels. Of course, he also gives a big thanks to his wife, Jenette, for all her loving support.
Tech specs
"Perro '62"
Owner: Pepe Macedo
Vehicle: 1962 Chevy Impala convertible
City/State: Santa Maria, CA
Club: New Crowd
Engine: The 1976 Chevy 350-c.i.d. V8 features an Edelbrock intake and carburetor and was built up by Pepe's father-in-law, John Doughty, and friend, Jose Meraz.
Body/Paint: Peter Cobarrubias of Santa Maria took on the body preparations and paintwork, ultimately spraying a silver sheen PPG finish. Nacho Zepeda, also of Santa Maria, painted the belly of the body. Mike Lamberson of Draggin' Lines in Ontario, California added the final touches of his signature pinstripping, while other pinstripe accents were added by Tim Broberg at Fast Stripe in Santa Maria. Fonzy of Air Shot Tattoos in Los Angeles, California did all the murals. Buena Park Plating in Buena Park, California provided all chrome plating.
Interior: Bowtie Connection in Los Angeles fulfilled Pepe's upholstery requests including wrapping the stock seat patterns in a grey color scheme. '61 Impala inserts and the Chevy flag logos were embroidered into the interior, too. They rounded out the interior by doing the rag top and chrome rack.
Sound System: Eric Oliphant, Daniel Reyes, and Mando Rolon of Atlas Custom Sounds in Santa Maria installed a Pioneer Premier head unit and a HiFonics amplifier. Infinity tweeter and mid-range speakers blast the music while the Kicker L7 10-inch woofers bump the bass. Eric built the custom fiberglass box and amp rack.
Setup: Chris and Joey Duncan of Joey's Custom Wheel & Tire in Santa Maria installed an amazing hydraulic setup consisting of a whammy pump (with Marzochi gears and Adex dumps) and custom-bent hardlines. 8-inch cylinders run up front and 12-inch cylinders run in the back. Eight Platinum Die-Hard deep cycle batteries power the setup and four switches control it. Joey, Chris and Jeremy Cruz did all the chassis reinforcements on the X-frame.
Tires: 155/80R13 whitewall.
Wheels: 13×7 OG Wire.


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Loved this template challenge!
Top ten reasons to believe in the magic of the season: 1 - twinkle lights. 2 - the glow of the Christmas tree. 3 - my kids excitement. 4 - the fun of finding just the right gift for someone. 5 - the love of my husband. 6 - two new kittens at just the right time for us. 7 - watching the kids shop for each other. 8 - the love my kids have for each other. 9 - listening to Christmas music all day long. 10 - the absolute gratitude I have for all of the above. Dec. 2012
Top Ten Layered Template and PNG
Christmas Village Kit
Botanical Christmas Paper Pack
Christmas Memories Paper Pack
Connected Words: December No. 01 Brushes and Stamps
Ornamental Scatterings No. 01
Felt Board Friends: Very Merry No. 02
Christmas Clips No. 01
Chronicles Brushes and Stamps: Flakes No. 01
Holiday Word Art Vol. 02
Woodside Jangle Element Pack
Linen Buttons: Winter Woods
Dotted n Dashed Circles Brushes and Stamps


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Diamond Ballet Shoe Charm
Product InformationProduct code: SKU1163 Categories: Birthday, Occasion Charms, Diamond Charms, Touch of Diamond
Ballet shoe charm with a Diamond stone.
In stock
DescriptionDelivery & Returns Information
Sterling silver with a 1mm full cut diamond.
Pink enamel.
Free Delivery on all orders of £50 or over We are pleased to offer FREE delivery on all orders of £50 or over (UK deliveries only).Postage and packing up to £50 is charged at £3.50.All orders are sent 1st class recorded delivery so will need a signature upon receipt. We aim to send all orders out within 24 hours, so you should receive your jewellery within 48 hours.Unfortunately we cannot offer Recorded Delivery to postcodes beginning with GY, HS2, IM, JE, KW16-KW17, PA61-PA75, PA78, PH30, PH41-PH44 and ZE2-ZE3. Customers from Europe and Northern America will be charged £8.50 postage and packing. Goods will be sent airmail recorded delivery and please allow up to 10 days for delivery. Returns Policy - FREE returns on all UK orders If you are not entirely delighted with the goods you have chosen, please ensure you return them to us unused within seven days. We will be more than happy to provide a refund or you can exchange them for alternative products. Please keep all the packaging materials and return the goods as they were sent to you. Please note that we cannot refund or exchange goods in our sale. Items returned to us that arrive damaged or lost will not be credited. The delivery charge on the original order will not be refunded. Goods damaged in transit to you will be replaced at no cost with free delivery. Please inform us of any breakage within three days of receiving the order. For reasons of hygiene we cannot refund or exchange any earrings. In order to return goods to us; Pack the unsuitable items back in their original packaging. Include a completed returns note explaining the reason for the return and details of exchange item if needed. Place the FREEPOST label to the front of the package and don't forget to remove the previously used Royal Mail Recorded/Special delivery label from the front of the parcel. Our mailing address is; Gemma J 81 The Street Fetcham Surrey KT22 9RD


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Technical traders may be interested in looking at the indicator levels on shares of QV Equities Ltd (QVE.AX). The 14-day ADX for is currently 25.83. In general, an ADX value from 0-25 would signal an absent or weak trend. A level of 25-50 would indicate a strong trend. A value of 50-75 would indicate a very strong trend, and a value of 75-100 would indicate an extremely strong trend. The Average Directional Index or ADX is a technical analysis indicator used to describe if a market is trending or not trending. The ADX alone measures trend strength but not direction. Using the ADX with the Plus Directional Indicator (+DI) and Minus Directional Indicator (-DI) may help determine the direction of the trend as well as the overall momentum. Many traders will use the ADX alongside other indicators in order to help spot proper trading entry/exit points.
QV Equities Ltd (QVE.AX) presently has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of -72.05. Typically, the CCI oscillates above and below a zero line. Normal oscillations tend to stay in the range of -100 to +100. A CCI reading of +100 may represent overbought conditions, while readings near -100 may indicate oversold territory. Although the CCI indicator was developed for commodities, it has become a popular tool for equity evaluation as well. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is a momentum oscillator that measures the speed and change of stock price movements. The RSI was developed by J. Welles Wilder, and it oscillates between 0 and 100. Generally, the RSI is considered to be oversold when it falls below 30 and overbought when it heads above 70. RSI can be used to detect general trends as well as finding divergences and failure swings. The 14-day RSI is currently at 39.88, the 7-day stands at 36.15, and the 3-day is sitting at 36.35.
Taking a peek at some Moving Averages, the 200-day is at 1.30, and the 50-day is 1.34. Dedicated investors may be looking to employ another tool for doing technical stock analysis. The Williams Percent Range or Williams %R is a technical indicator that was designed to measure overbought and oversold market conditions. The Williams %R indicator helps show the relative situation of the current price close to the period being observed. QV Equities Ltd (QVE.AX)'s Williams Percent Range or 14 day Williams %R presently is at -76.92. In general, if the reading goes above -20, the stock may be considered to be overbought. Alternately, if the indicator goes under -80, this may show the stock as being oversold.
Some investment professionals believe that a great way to find, study, and invest in equities without getting completely overwhelmed, is to have a systematic and research driven approach. Of course, the same approach may not work for everybody. One investor may find one way that works for them, and another investor might find something completely different when it comes to portfolio picking. Trading and investing can carry a major emotional component. Even after careful research, being able to pull the trigger on a trade may still involve squashing the fear that comes with the thought of being wrong. Finding continued success in the stock market may entail keeping the portfolio balanced, but also finding the courage to get in when necessary, or get out when needed. Developing this confidence may take a lot of practice and determination.


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Super Dad Contest Winners
We wanted to recognize all of the awesome fathers around West Alabama, and with your help, we've crowned our inaugural Super Dad! All of our entries had great stories, but we were only to reward our top three with the following prizes.
1st - Keuring Brewing System
2nd - Guitar from Guitar Gallery
3rd - Druid City Brewery Tour
Voting took place from Monday - Thursday and it was a tight race until the very end. After tallying all of the votes, we crowned our top three winners, which you can see below.
We have to give a big thank you to everyone that participated and made the contest successful. Have a wonderful Father's Day!
- 1
Doug Edmondssubmitted by daughter Dana
My Daddy is by far Super Dad. From day one of my soon to be 49 years on this earth he has loved, supported, encouraged and stood by me and my brothers in everything. He took nothing for himself but was always giving to us and very involved with all of our extra activities, playing ball, riding motorcycles or whatever we did he was sure to be part of. One thing I want to say about him though is that in the 49 years he was married to our mother, Linda Edmonds. Daddy was a very dedicated man to his wife and loved like no other ever could have. We watched the affection he had for our mother and didn't mind showing it growing up and what that instilled in us as children to adults was the kind of family I wanted to have. Why I feel my Daddy is "Super Dad" because on February 14th, 2012, he lost the love of his life and bride of 49 years to the day. My mother passed on Valentine's Day, their 49th wedding anniversary, but yet had the determination to carry on the strength to pass on to us.
- 2
Terry Greenesubmitted by daughter Chelsea
My dad is an awesome father of three children: my brother, my husband, and me. He should be crowned Tuscaloosa's Super Dad. My dad is the hardest working man I know. A few years ago, my dad lost his job. This was very unexpected. My dad immediately started looking for another job. During this time he worked three part-time jobs. My brother and I were both in college at the time and my dad continued to help us pay for school. He did without things he wanted so that our family could have the things we needed. And not once did he complain. My dad is caring and kind. Not only does he love and care for his own family, my father loves everyone. He never meets a stranger and is quick to help those in need. As long as I can remember he has put others' needs before his own. My father has always given us his best. He has shared his values and wisdom with me. I am the wife and mother I am because of him. This year is a very special Father's Day. My dad is a granddad to a 4 week old baby girl! :)
- 3
Jeff Deessubmitted by daughter Jenny
I want to start off by saying that I have an out of this world super dad and here's why. My biological father left my mom when I was a baby. My super dad came along a little after, gave me his last name, nurtured me, & loved me like I was his own. I moved in with my super dad when I was a sophomore in high school. My sister was still in middle school & growing, I was a teenager in high school trying to fit in & scared.
My super dad was single & making sure we had what we needed. It can be hard but in the midst of it all, he taught us money doesn't matter as long as we a roof, food, and family. I wasn't able to get my diploma & felt like a failure but here came my super dad to save the day. He gave me the strength to keep going until I got my GED a month later. Growing up, I have failed but I know my super dad will be there when I need him.
It takes a real life super man to do what he has done. For everything he has saved me from, he will always be my hero.


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Cheese and mushroom casserole with chicken
This casserole is simple and delicious, and makes a perfect snack during a picnic (bento anyone?)—you should use it as a basic idea for a casserole, since the pasta sauce is the stable and the most important piece of the meal. It's also a very tweak-able recipe! :-)
Golden syrup chocolate cupcakes
These cupcakes have an amazing consistency all-over: the cupcake is moist and rich, and the icing is delicious, smooth and creamy. I used the swiss-meringue buttercream for the icing, and it was a hit! :-)
Chili-walnut scrambled eggs with rucola
I was busy today with shopping and home chores, and needed something to snack on and get some energy kick. I managed to buy some chili peppers earlier today, and decided to make a savory scrambled eggs with a delicious, energetic spicy twist! :-) And oh my, that was both tasty and exciting!
Baked cake doughnuts
Traditional-made doughnuts are made with yeast dough, and deep-fried to make a fluffy, delicious spongy cake. It requires a lot of work to cook them, though, but for quick snacks (Sunday breakfast maybe?) the easier way are the baked cake doughnuts—which are spongy, fluffy and delicious too! You can enjoy them bare (like cakes), or glazed (like traditional yeast doughnuts), or stuffed if you overfill the form by any chance! :-)
Marshmallows for hot drinks
While the standard marshmallows are cooked to be large and sturdy on their own, the ones for hot drinks should be creamy and melting easily. Try my recipe, although similar to the basic one, to enjoy beautiful and tasty hot drinks marshmallows! :-)


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What can you do to find missing parents when no record tells who they are?
Linda Dowd Vivian has published "Nathan W. Dowd of Ohio: Whose Child Was He?" in the current (December 2011) issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. Aside from his Midwesternness, I have no particular personal interest in Nathan, who was born in Ohio; lived in Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska; and died in Florida. But I was curious how she found his parents in a difficult case.
Vivian faced obstacles that would have sent a lesser genealogist to a wailing (brick) wall. Nathan's obituary says that he was born in Athens County, Ohio, on 19 December 1833, but it doesn't name his parents. He died in Florida, but the state has no death certificate. He can't be found in the 1850 census, when he might well have been residing in the parental household. Besides searching all variant names in that census, Vivian read through four likely Midwestern counties with no result, part of the "reasonably exhaustive search" prescribed by the Board for the Certification of Genealogists' standards.
Making full use of the oft-disdained 1840 census, Vivian found four Dowd men in Athens County who could have been Nathan's father. Three of them had boys in the household between the ages of 5 and 10. She identified two of those boys as different men. The third, in the household of William Dowd and Martha Woodard, could have been Nathan.
Can this hypothesis be proved? No probate or death notice named William and Martha's children. In 1852 an Iowa state census showed four probable sons in their household in Wapello County; various sources name four of them -- William E., Alex, David, and Ichabod. Was Nathan the fifth?
In the course of her research, Vivian unearthed nine additional pieces of evidence, all consistent with the idea that William and Martah were his parents, but none decisive by itself:
* In 1856 Nathan married in Wapello County, Iowa; at the time, William and Martha were living in adjacent Henry County. (Nathan's bride also came from Athens County, Ohio.)
* In 1856 Nathan had reportedly been in Iowa five years, as had William.
* Martha had a brother named Nathan B. Woodard.
* In 1860 Nathan's family was living in Kansas Territory with Alexander Dowd, who was the right age to be William and Martha's known son.
* In 1869 (following father William's 1865 death), Nathan bought land from William E.
* In 1869 Nathan and Martha made an agreement concerning the land.
* In 1869 Nathan witnessed an affidavit for Martha.
* In 1870 Nathan lived in the same township as Martha and Alexander.
* In 1880 and 1885 Nathan lived in Wapello County, adjacent to the county where Martha and David were living. Martha died in 1886 and Nathan moved to Nebraska.
From this evidence Vivian concluded that Nathan was indeed William and Martha's son: "Their associations over their lifetimes support this conclusion, and no known evidence contradicts it."
If you've done this kind of work on your family, you too may have an NGSQ article in your future!
Linda Dowd Vivian, "Nathan W. Dowd of Ohio: Whose Child Was He?" National Genealogical Society Quarterly 99 (December 2011):275-80.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
How to prove parents without direct evidence
What can you do to find missing parents when no record tells who they are?
Posted by Harold Henderson at 10:56 AM
Labels: Athens County Ohio, Dowd family, indirect evidence, Linda Dowd Vivian, National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Wapello County Iowa
2 comments:
- N. LaRue said...
Wow! I haven't had a chance to read this one yet, but what a story! Sounds great, thanks for sharing the run-down!
- March 8, 2012 at 6:13 PM
- Kim said...
This is perfect timing for me.I am actually working on a nearly identical situation for someone in Indiana from early 1800s in which I am seeking the connection between father and son, and your information gives me the encouragement & creativity to continue the good hunt. Thank you.
- March 12, 2012 at 8:02 AM


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Greg Valliere began his portion of the Schwab Impact 2013 preconference session on Sunday by telling a joke illustrating how low Congress has fallen in the public's esteem. The owner of the capital city's NFL franchise had decided to change the name of the team, he reported. "He's keeping 'Redskins' but he's dropping 'Washington,'" the political researcher and consultant deadpanned to appreciative laughter, before going on to explain three main causes of optimism emanating from Washington.
Impact is being held in Washington this year, and as of the preconference session, had attracted 1,927 advisor registrants and 1,178 sponsors and exhibitors, according to Schwab. The Sunday afternoon session featured Valliere speaking about politics and Liz Ann Sonders, Schwab's chief market strategist, speaking about the economy and the markets, before the two decamped to a new feature at Impact: a more intimate Q&A session on smaller stages in the "Exchange" on the exhibit floor.
Valliere, chief political strategist for the Potomac Research Group in Washington and a popular speaker at Impact conferences, said he's "quite bullish" on Washington, and believes there will be no repeat of the debt ceiling debate nor another government shutdown, citing even Republican sources for that prediction.
Moreover, he is optimistic about developments inside the Beltway for three main reasons. One, because this is "the most dovish Fed in my lifetime," mentioning a number of local Fed governors's dovish views as well as that of the putative Federal Reserve Chairman, Janet Yellen, who he predicted will be confirmed at her Nov. 14 nomination hearing, though possibly "with a hiccup." Due to the mixed result of QE3, Valliere expects that the Fed would likely not start tapering its Treasury purchase until early in 2014, and won't get around to raising the federal funds rate until 2015. Tapering can't begin earlier, he said, because the "biggest problem the Fed has is that inflation is too low." That's because the Fed's favorite economic indicator, unit labor coasts, were up only 1.1% in the latest GDP numbers. As a result, tapering may begin in the new year, with monthly Fed purchases declinging from the current $85 billion to "maybe $75 billion."
The second cause for optimism, said Valliere, was the "strong atmosphere of fiscal restraint" in Washington. The budget deficit continues to decline, he said, due to a sharp increase in receipts, "no new spending, none" because with the current House of Representatives in control, there "will be no new spending in this town," and because of actual spending cuts. "Usually, 'spending cuts' means a decrease in the rate of spending increases," he said, "but we're seeing real cuts now, for the first time in my career."
As an aside, Valliere mentioned that Obamacare will prove to be an "albatross" for Democrats, especially with its problem-filled rollout, overtaking the Republicans' own albatross, the government shutdown. As a result, he thinks the GOP may add "three to four" seats in the Senate." His final cause for optimism is something that he says has "stunned this city: an activist, liberal president who is totally dead in the water," which means that deadlock will continue to persist in Washington.
In fact, he says that on Capitol Hill, you'll hear more criticism of President Obama among Democrats than among Republicans, in large part because they believe his missteps will make it harder for them to be re-elected.
So looking ahead to the next presidential campaign, Valliere pooh-poohed the prospects of a Hillary Clinton campaign, while saying that one Democrat "that gets the base excited is Elizabeth Warren."
In his bipartisan way, Valliere then assessed the potential Republican nominees for president, saying that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie "could get 270 electoral votes" in the general election, and that "the (GOP) establishment will rally around Christie." However, standing in the way of a Christie nomination will be the survivors of the "enormous civil war" now taking place within the Republican party. The Tea Party movement disturbs the Republican establishment (and Valliere himself) for several reasons, including its isolationism as espoused by Rand Paul, which he said was reminiscent of the 1930s and has dealt the U.S. a "big blow" in the Middle East.
Moreover, that faction of the GOP, he said, not only rejects Wall Street and the big banks but even mainstream small-business groups like the Chamber of Commerce.
Check out ThinkAdvisor's complete coverage of Schwab Impact 2013.


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Man Charged with Kidnapping SW Mo. Girl
GOLDEN CITY (AP) - A man has been charged with kidnapping a 12-year-old southwest Missouri girl who remained missing more than 24 hours after she was seen getting into a vehicle.
KYTV reports 34-year-old Bobby D. Bourne Jr., of Lockwood, was jailed Tuesday night in Barton County on $1 million bond.
Bourne had been taken into custody Monday evening after being found in a vehicle that witnesses said had picked up Adrianna Horton at a Golden City park about 90 minutes earlier.
Officers from than a dozen agencies were searching for Adrianna.
The girl's father, Golden City resident James Horton, said Bourne had once worked for him and that their children played together.
Adrianna's mother, Wendi Jackson, traveled to Golden City from her home in Overland Park, Kan., and says she feels "lost."


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Stories by Peter [6] Series by Peter [0] Reviews by Peter [0] Challenges by Peter [0] Favorite Series [0] Peter's Favorites [0]Series
Stories by Peter
|The authors own nothing. Joss, UPN, WB, etc. own Buffy, the show, the characters, the places, and the backstory. The authors own any original plots.


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$320.00 $400.00
SYMPHONY OF PETALS SUMMER Abstract Landscape Palette Knife Textured Contemporary Painting
" SYMPHONY OF PETALS"- no 1
NOTE: this listing is for the canvas no 1 from the set of 3 canvases of SYMPHONY OF PETALS- it can be purchase as a set ( send me a message if you are interested in the set) or as a separate canvas- see the last photo of all 3 canvases in a room
Ready to Ship Painting- the image you see is of the original painting you will receive.
The 1.5" canvas sides are painted in the same colors as the painting
Dimensions: 24"x20"x1.5"/ sides painted/ ready to hang
- Artist: Luiza Vizoli
- Made with oils and acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas ready to display
- Style: Modern Abstract
- Signed front & rear - signed by artist front and back
- Certification of Authenticity with my original signature attached
- Shipping worldwide
- Full money refund accepted - return accepted
-DOMESTIC- via FedEx Ground
-INTERNATIONAL- via USPS Priority Mail International/ contact me for the price
I do accept payments via:
-credit card - using ETSY Direct Checkout
Payment is expected in full 2 days end of auction for payments via PayPal --please just note that your item will be shipped once they clear my bank.
Also, if the payment is not received in time, I will cancel the transaction and the items will be relisted in the shop.
NOTE about RESERVED ITEMS : ONLY ready to ship paintings CAN BE reserved. I DO NOT place a hold or reserve any made to order or custom paintings.
Your items will be tagged and held in the store as "Reserved item " for 24 hours. You have up to 24 hours to pay for the item. After 24 hours, your reservation will be canceled.
For items with a price higher than $690 the reservation time is up to 48 hours. After 48 hours your reservations will be canceled.
For multiple items per order and/or a total order higher than $890 the reservation time is 72 hours.If the payment is not received after 72 hours your reservation will be canceled.
This shop is NOT accepting any layaways or payment plans at this time.
Shipping Times:as soon as the payment is received I will prepare the painting for shipping.
-1-3 business days for ready to ship items
-1-2 weeks for made to order paintings on regular to large canvases
-2-4 weeks for made to order paintings on extra large collapsible canvases/ extra large canvases
I do ship all my paintings via FedEx Home Delivery .The transit time is around 3-5 business days within 48 connecting states.
Please, include in your order OR in the note to seller the phone number for the shipping label . The shipping label now requires buyer's phone number before printing. The shipping cost is estimated ... any extra shipping fees from your order will be reimbursed.
FREE SHIPPING option for the ready to hang canvases available to continental US only
Shipping rates / free shipping are for our FedEx Standard Ground service within the 48 connecting states.
Orders for Alaska, Hawaii, P.R. and U.S. Territories: contact me for price otherwise the order will be cancelled .
Your painting will be packaged carefully, and shipped in a custom box for the stretched paintings OR a shipping tube for the unstretched paintings.The larger paintings will be shipped in a custom wood box.
Please examine your package upon delivery and do not sign the delivery note if you see any visible signs of damaged.
LARGE ARTWORK : the large paintings as 72"x36", 60"x36", 60"x30",60"x24", 48"x36", 40"x50" will be shipped in a custom wood box via FedEx Home Delivery.
The shipping costs for these paintings are $100 to $200 based on the item dimensions.
NOTE:All orders received from Monday to Friday before 3 pm will be shipped in the same day; all orders received after 3 pm - next business day. All orders received Friday after 3 pm, Saturday and Sunday will be shipped on Monday.
The custom pieces will be shipped after the painting will be ready , view and approved by the customer.
Any International customs duties, taxes, broker fees are unknown to the seller and are the responsibility of the buyer.Just like in the U.S., the buyer is responsible for any additional fees that may be charged at customs.
Your order is shipped as soon as your painting is paid in full for the ready to ship paintings/orders.We will contact you with the shipment and tracking information when your painting is ready to be shipped. Shipping transit time is generally 3 to 5 business days.
For the Made to Order paintings : your order is shipped usually in 1-2 weeks from the date of payment OR as per order details. For more details please see the item description page for each painting ordered.
I ship FedEx Standard Ground (approx 3-5 business days transit time) for United States orders, and the US Postal Service (3-14 business days) for International Orders.
PLEASE include your phone number in the note to seller-The shipping label now requires buyer's phone number before printing---
Note about International Orders: Because of Postal size limitations, not all sizes are available for all countries therefore contact me for shipping options . For the larger format paintings as 48"x24", 40"x30" and larger one option is to ship them unstretched and where possible I will include the original stretcher bars .
Shipping to Australia:I do ship to Australia with some restrictions :
- canvases smaller than 24"x24", 36"x12", 36"x24" okay to ship ready to hang, gallery wrapped canvas over a wood frame -shipping cost is from $102 to $133 based on the size of the package
-large canvases as 40"x30", 48"x24", 48"x36", 60"x36", 72"x36" okay to ship unstretched, rolled canvas in a tube- shipping cost is around $102 based on the weight and size
PO BOXES: Sorry, but FedEx cannot deliver to PO Boxes. Additionally, PO Boxes are limited in size-The USPS delivers packages 11" x 14" and smaller to a P.O. Box.
WEEKENDS: Please be aware that FedEx does not deliver on Sunday. FedEx will attempt a Saturday delivery for Home Delivery.
USA Orders: Your package will have a tracking number which will be emailed to you at the time the label is created for shipment. You will be able to track the package on the respective carrier's website by the next business day after you receive your tracking number.
International Orders:We will email you the tracking number
The Artwork will be carefully packed and insured during transit to cover any damage or non-delivery. The Buyer must check all deliveries upon arrival. If the Artwork is damaged, the Buyer must inform me immediately to arrange a refund, exchange or replacement.
Shipment Delays:
Shipments may occasionally be delayed due to inclement weather, power outages. If it will be more than two business days delays in shipment I will notify you via ETSY convo.
Just contact me within: 7 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 14 days of delivery
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
After receiving the item, contact me within 7 days. Refund will be given as Money back or item exchange (buyer's choice).Ship items back within 14 days of delivery.
No return will be accepted past 14 days upon receipt of delivery and without the proper paperwork. Further, the works must be returned in pristine condition and in their original packaging to qualify.
100% satisfaction money back guarantee- EXCEPTIONS applies for the large paintings as 72"x36", 60"x36", 60"x30",60"x24", 48"x36", 40"x50" and special custom orders -for these large paintings a non-refundable $150 deposit applies to your original order.
Contact me before returning the item ;
If for any reason the finished painting does not meet your expectations, contact me for return instructions ;the initial shipping fees included in the order will NOT be refunded
1. the Buyer will be responsible for shipping and returning
2.the Buyer will receive a full refund of the order( cost of artwork minus shipping fees) as soon as I have received the Artwork back in original condition- see the exceptions for the large paintings.
***EXCEPTIONS applies for the large paintings as 72"x36", 60"x36", 60"x30",60"x24", 48"x36", 40"x50" and special custom orders -for these large paintings a non-refundable $150 deposit applies to your original order.
3.the refund will be given as money back via PayPal/Credit Card or store credit, which can be used towards purchasing another Artwork within 2 (two) months
4.return shipping: Buyer pays return shipping
5.the works must be returned in pristine condition and in their original packaging to qualify.
DAMAGES: The Artwork will be carefully packed and insured during transit to cover any damage or non-delivery.The Buyer must check all deliveries upon arrival. If the Artwork is damaged, the Buyer must inform me immediately to arrange a refund, exchange or replacement.
Please note: Any extra shipping charges will be promptly refunded!
I only refund to the original purchaser after I will receive the item back in the original condition.The Buyer will receive a full refund of the order: cost of the Artwork minus shipping and handling costs as per initial order.
Please note all computer screens vary in color hue, saturation, brightness and contrast, therefore your painting may slightly not look exactly like it does on your screen.
NOTE about CUSTOM ORDERS:
There is ONE free revision included in the price of each custom order.Any return customer will have two free revisions included in the initial price.
Please, note :revision requests will add to turnaround times.
Any additional request for changes or revisions will be considered extra work and therefore will be charged based on the complexity of the revision.
Any unreasonable revisions requests from buyers for the custom painting that I am not able to accommodate will automatically cancel the custom order . Order will automatically be canceled and an email will be sent to the Buyer.
Note about the sales events : all the coupon codes are available only for in store ready to ship items. Sales already applied to the listings.No combine sales accepted. If the price of an item is not marked down: that item is Not on SALE.
Please note Art by Luiza Vizoli OR LuizaVizoli OR Luiza Vizoli Shop reserves the right to refuse or cancel any order.
© Copyright remains with the artist, even after sale of the work. You are purchasing the original only. You may not copy the work for any other reason.
If you are happy with your purchase, I would very much appreciate a feedback from you!
Thank you so much!


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:: tap tap ::
Is this thing on?
It's been quite some time since I posted so (of course) I have a ton of pictures.
I lost my knitting mojo for several weeks, but recently found it and started knitting again. I've been working on two projects.
Scarf (started last winter):
Besides knitting and dogs, one of my passions in life is classic movies. TCM (Turner Classic Movies) recently had a traveling exhibit of movie memorabilia and it stopped in a nearby city.
This Oscar was awarded to Casablanca:
This costume was worn by Rudolph Valentino in The Sheik. The detail on this costume was amazing. The colors were still vibrant. It's hard to believe this costume was used in 1921. It looks brand new.
This costume was worn by Christopher Plummer in The Sound Of Music. My only complaint about the exhibit is that the lighting was awful. It was impossible for me to get a good photograph of this costume. In person the dark colors of this costume ware still rich and the details are striking.
This dress was worn by Vivien Leigh in Gone With The Wind. In the movie this dress was a vibrant blue/grey. It has definitely faded a bit and has some noticeable damage (stains and repaired rips/holes), but it's gorgeous. The detail on the dress is stunning. The most surprising thing about the dress is that it's corduroy! I had no idea.
I was driving home from work one day and spotted this:
It turned out to be a salvage yard fire.
I had never been this close to such a big fire and it was amazing to watch.
No one was injured and no occupied structures were destroyed.
It's been a ridiculously mild fall here. We usually start getting snowstorms in October. It's now December 12 and we haven't had one snowstorm. It hasn't even really snowed yet and it's been quite warm. We even had a streak of 80 degree days in November. The dogs and I took advantage of that heatwave to hike our favorite spot.
There are not many picture from that hiking trip. This is because a couple of miles into the hike I fell and twisted the hell out of my ankle. I've had a lot of ankle sprains in my life (I am a bit of a klutz) but this is the worst one (by far). I couldn't walk the dogs at all for two weeks.
It's now five weeks after The Fall. Recovery has been steady, but slow. I'm able to walk the dogs 4-5 days a week and for 40 minutes each time. (We usually walk 7 days a week for 60-90 minutes.) I'm not able to walk on uneven surfaces (only paved roads) so we haven't even been able to go to the dog park. I'm hoping to be back at the dog park by the end of this month and back to hiking sometime next spring.
Since my walking is limited I've been amusing myself by taking pictures of the dogs. Sadie is absolutely adorable when she sleeps.
Luka hasn't been left out of the picture taking:
Luka loves sleeping in his crate even when the dog bed isn't in it (it was being washed):
My boy is very photogenic.
Finally, if you love dogs, go here and enjoy a laugh along with Tank (although I'm not sure she's laughing). For her sake, I hope this winter is a short one. 🙂


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The little clown-nose wind protector that comes on the H4 just doesn't provide enough wind protection. I took it out during a recent trip to west Texas, and while I was able to get a bunch of good stuff, my ratio of unusable to useable was probably 10:1 due to wind noise that was being caught with the slightest breeze out there.
I was kind of disappointed with that once I got back into the studio because I really was hoping for a greater variety of useable stuff. One location in particular had a very distinct insect sound going, but in the non-windy spots I had a prop plane running overhead - so I did what I could but it wasnt as good as it could have been. Fortunately this was just for library stuff so it was non-critical, but I expect more from my little rig.
I had been brainstorming a little home made rycote style rig for the H4 with suspension and pantyhose as an additional wind buffer, but while the lovely Mrs and I were out at the pet store we found an unstuffed dog toy that looked almost exactly like the little afros that rycote actually sells for things like mine.
This looked like it made all kinds of sense and was far far less involved (or expensive) than building a suspension rig for the thing, so we picked it up and set out to mod it.
A few scissor snips and pulled stitches later, and voila! The Fuzzy Duck mod.
I think its kind of cool in a sick kind of broken duck back kind of way.
Initial recording tests showed a HUGE improvement, so I'm going to have to go out again and see how she holds up in a tougher environment. The other challenge is keeping it away from the dog.


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Journal Article
The Impact of Stories pp53-64
© Jul 2005 Volume 3 Issue 1, Editor: Charles Despres, pp1 - 64
Look inside Download PDF (free)
Stories intrigue the field of Knowledge Management. Employing stories in both personnel and stakeholders communication is currently being recommended in several best practice guides on effective knowledge transfer and leadership communication. The aims of this article are to present further understanding of the impact of stories, and assess which kind of communication tasks stories are most apt for by considering stories as a medium. This allows for the examination of stories through two interlinked theories: Social Presence Theory and Media Richness Theory. These are found to be limited indicators of media effectiveness and it is suggested that elements of the theories should be broadened to make both theories useful for assessing core media effectiveness, although it is recommended that they be combined with other modes of evaluation to achieve thorough assessment of media impact.
Keywords: Stories, Storytelling, Communication, Social Presence Theory, Media Richness Theory, Knowledge Management
Share |


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Austin Batchelor went 4-for-5 and Chandler Barrow drove in three runs as Greene Central�s baseball team knocked off host Farmville Central 8-4 in eight innings on Friday.
Austin Mooring went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two doubles. Barrow went 3-for-5 and Batchelor added an RBI and had a double.
Ben Brann earned the win in relief. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out two in a scoreless seventh and eighth.
The Rams (12-7, 9-2 Eastern Plains 2A) host North Pitt at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
KINSTON 6, TARBORO 0: At Grainger Stadium, the Vikings picked up their second straight EP2A win.
Taishu McLawhorn and Sam McLawhorn had two hits each while five different players scored runs for Kinston. Damien Williams had two RBIs and Will Deters, Sam McLawhorn and Octavius Howell had an RBI each.
Deters pitched seven strong shutout innings, scattering six hits to go along with 10 strikeouts. With the bases loaded in the seventh Deters struck out the side to preserve the shutout.
The Vikings (6-14, 2-9) will host SouthWest Edgecombe on Friday at Viking Field.


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My Saturn Return was last month.
This year and the months leading up to it have been dramatically positive and negative. I have gained a few major achievements and suffered a few great losses. I have struggled to accept the way my life is unfolding, but I am starting to come to terms with the things I cannot change by accepting what I have previously resisted.
It is amazing how seemingly insignificant, little things about yourself can have major consequences if ignored and left unattended. There are areas in my life I have neglected to improve. In the past, I have found it suitable to trace my undesirable tendencies to their sources and excuse myself from the work. This will no longer suffice, and I have been empowered to take it upon myself to make better what is within my power.
I spent many years of my early adulthood studying the work of Joseph Campbell. One saying of his easily came to mind as I reflected on my current station in life:
Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy."
Liber Tzaddi reinforces this 10-fold with an unforgiving, uncompromising, relentless vitality urging us towards nothing less than complete bliss at every moment. I have begun to read this book from the perspective of the God, as if I Am He, and I see it as instructive of how we should react inwardly towards anything but utter rapture: with contempt, disgust, and a swift stamping-out of that which is unworthy of even a moment's attention, save what is necessary to bring about its annihilation.
In this book, it is spoken of an "abyss of depth", "hells", "the Demon", and "that Blind Creature of Slime". I seem to be missing something about this aspect of the Self; is this not where suffering, fear, sorrow, weariness, anger, discomfort, etc. reside?
I suppose any of us can be weak, timid, imperfect, cowardly, poor, or tearful, regardless of whether we are approaching Angel or Demon, but perhaps I am off by seeing the Dark as comprehensively Negative, even in the mundane/worldly sense. By this same token, is Joy not Light/Angel/Positive?
In summation, I would think that to "joyfully participating in the sorrows of the world" would be the same as achieving the wedding "to that Blind Creature of the Slime," but I think I've confused myself even further as I've made this post, or perhaps it has just become clearer that joyful participation in sorrow is a union of sorts beyond simply being drawn to the Dark or Light aspects of life.
Some are drawn to the Light and others to the Dark; the Initiated are drawn to completeness and equilibrium.
Many thanks to all of you that took the time to read this, and many more to those of you who choose to share a response.


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One of the reasons Congress seems reluctant to stop budget sequestration ("The sequester stand-off," Feb. 7) is that few realize the real consequences of indiscriminately slashing spending in blind, indiscriminate fashion –– particularly for our national security.
Under sequestration, the defense budget alone would weather $500 billion in cuts across every program, affecting fundamental military capabilities. The cuts will sideline our aircraft carriers and force other ships from service, weakening us in the Pacific while also freeing Iran to shut down the Strait of Hormuz at will. We'll be forced to slash training for our troops, meaning they won't be ready to respond to the next crisis.
The cuts would even sap energy from small programs like homeland missile defense that nevertheless provides our only protection against ballistic missile attack. The system has won over leaders of both parties –– including President Barack Obama –– through a decade of testing. As North Korea tests ballistic missiles capable of hitting U.S. cities, we need this capability now more than ever. Yet sequestration would slow improvements and could leave us vulnerable.
Congress could certainly find savings by cutting unnecessary military programs like bands or air shows, but it should leave our essential defenses alone. There are smart ways to cut the budget, and then there's sequestration.
Stephen Paul Campos, Glendale, Ariz.


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Increase in Second Quarter 2013 Silicon Wafer Shipments
SAN JOSE, Calif. — August 7, 2013 — Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments increased during the second quarter 2013 when compared to first quarter 2013 area shipments according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry.
Total silicon wafer area shipments were 2,390 million square inches during the most recent quarter, a 12.3 percent increase from the 2,128 million square inches shipped during the previous quarter. New quarterly total area shipments are 2.3 percent lower than second quarter 2012 shipments.
"Total quarterly silicon shipment volumes accelerated in the most recent quarter in contrast to the first quarter" said Byungseop (Brad) Hong, chairman of SEMI SMG and director of Global Marketing at LG Siltron. "As such, silicon shipment volumes for the first half of this year are trending at a slightly higher level than the first half of 2012."
Quarterly Silicon Area Shipment Trends
*Shipments are for semiconductor applications only and do not include solar applications
Silicon wafers are the fundamental building material for semiconductors, which in turn, are vital components of virtually all electronics goods, including computers, telecommunications products, and consumer electronics. The highly engineered thin round disks are produced in various diameters (from one inch to 12 inches) and serve as the substrate material on which most semiconductor devices or "chips" are fabricated.
All data cited in this release is inclusive of polished silicon wafers, including virgin test wafers, epitaxial silicon wafers, and non-polished silicon wafers shipped by the wafer manufacturers to the end-users.
The Silicon Manufacturers Group acts as an independent special interest group within the SEMI structure and is open to SEMI members involved in manufacturing polycrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon or silicon wafers (e.g., as cut, polished, epi, etc.). The purpose of the group is to facilitate collective efforts on issues related to the silicon industry including the development of market information and statistics about the silicon industry and the semiconductor market.
SEMI is the global industry association serving the nano- and micro-electronic manufacturing supply chains. Our 1,900 member companies are the engine of the future, enabling smarter, faster and more economical products that improve our lives. Since 1970, SEMI has been committed to helping members grow more profitably, create new markets and meet common industry challenges. SEMI maintains offices in Bangalore, Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Grenoble, Hsinchu, Moscow, San Jose, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.semi.org.
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All material on this site Copyright © 2017 Design And Reuse S.A. All rights reserved.


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Rechov Sumsum and Shara'a Simsim are the names for the Israeli/Palestinian co-production of Sesame Street. Premiering in April 1, 1998, the series was inspired by the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords, and featured Moishe Oofnik and a re-designed Kippi Ben Kippod from the early Rechov Sumsum, joined by new Israeli Muppet Dafi and two new Palestinian Muppets, Kareem and Haneen.
The characters lived on separate streets, but in a controversial move, occasionally met by crossing over on friendly visits. Jonathan Sagall (famous for his acting work in the Lemon Popsicle series of Israeli cult films) was a regular screenwriter for the show. Seventy episodes were produced, before a new co-production with the Palestinian Authority (PA) began in 2002.
Now called Sesame Stories and produced by Al Quds University's Institute of Modern Media, and based on reflections that promoting friendship between Muppet characters and humans from the warring nations was too much to ask, the current series keeps the characters confined to individual separate co-productions, with different Muppets for each nation/entity (the PA, Israel, and Jordan). Kareem and Haneen were kept by Palestine, but the Israeli Muppets have been replaced by Noah and Brosh.
In 2007, an independent Shara'a Simsim series debuted.


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Own a genuine HP notebook. Now easier than ever! Get more freedom now. Grab HP's most affordable notebook and go! The HP 2000 places genuine HP reliability in your hands at a must-have price. Take your work and fun with you and get connected online for everyday tasks and entertainment at a low price. An unbeatable value, only from HP.
Just what you need at a just-right price.No more relying on other people for computer access for work, play and online living: the new HP is priced within reach. And what value: for a low price you get all the essentials plus support for HD video and Altec Lansing stereo speakers for great entertainment. Integrated wireless Internet lets you connect while within range of a WiFi hotspot. A large hard drive holds plenty of work, homework, music, photos and videos. Take it wherever you go with confidence in HP's design and reliability. Get true freedom: the new HP 2000 notebook.- 15.6" diagonal HD LED display- Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)- Get up to 5 hours and 30 minutes of battery life with the 6-cell 47WHr Lithium-Ion battery.- Get reliable performance for everyday multi-tasking with e-mail, word processing and photo management with the Intel
Pentium Processor B950- Get immersive game-ready 3D graphics performance and save power with Intel- HD Graphics 3000 with up to 1760MB total graphics memory- Store up to 66,000 photos, 60,000 tracks or 120 movies in HD with the 320GB hard drive.- Wirelessly sync with phones and PDAs, plus print files, up to 30 feet away with Bluetooth 2.0.- Award-winning HP Imprint finish in charcoal gray.- Protection against cybercrime with 60-day Norton Internet Security subscription; optimized for your PC and ranked #1 in protection and performance. Surf, shop and bank online safely.
A better Windows 7 ? only from HPBetter organized with HP Launch Box: Find key Windows Live and HP Recommended apps grouped together on the task bar and a box to customize with your own. Faster start, shutdown, sleep and wake up times. Simplified Start Menu and notifications area to find what you need more quickly. Plus, fewer notifications and pop-ups to interrupt you! Do more with the HP Premier Experience.
Get all this in your HP 2000 too.- Touchpad supporting multi-touch gestures- 3 USB ports- Digital Media Reader for SD and Multimedia cards
Connect online. Fast and easy!Hand-picked HP PC technologies help your HP 2000 Notebook think, act and interact online the way you do.- Built-in HP Webcam with integrated digital microphone lets you chat live, capture video and still images. Send to friends, upload to Facebook. Bonus: Personalize with YouCam software! (included)- Connect fast anywhere internet access is available, with built-in Wireless LAN.
Entertainment value? It's a natural.Major studios have long relied on HP technology when making blockbuster movies, from Disney's Fantasia (1940) to DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011). No wonder your HP 2000 notebook delivers outstanding entertainment value: it's in our DNA.- Enjoy clear natural dialogue and music with integrated Altec Lansing speakers.- Vivid color sweeps across full-screen HD content with the brilliant 16:9 HP BrightView display. Dive in!
Rely on HP to bring you a notebook this tough.The U.S. Air Force relies on HP to support its cyber warfare strategy and as its preferred technology vendor to run critical operations. The Navy, to keep its defense network secure. Understandably so: HP notebooks are engineered to meet select US Department of Defense standards for equipment used in combat to help ensure they survive in extreme conditions for high temperature, humidity, shock and vibration. Our notebooks must survive extreme temperatures while running-a full 6 degrees hotter than the hottest day recorded in Death Valley, CA, to date. Before releasing this HP 2000 model for consumer use, we put it through a minimum of 140 tests, consuming at least 95,000 hours-all to help ensure it can outlast the rigors of daily life.
Relax with 24 x 7 support.HP Total Care provides award-winning service and support for your computer. Visit online to learn about services and support options that supplement or extend your standard coverage. Check the label placed on the bottom cover (or inside it on select models) for your PC's warranty period.During your limited warranty period you get:- 24 x 7 technical assistance via online chat, email, or phone- Parts and labor coverage, including customer-replaceable parts, return of equipment to HP, and authorized service provider options- 24 x 7 toll-free technical and limited software support in English or SpanishIn addition, and at no charge, you get lifetime access to:- HP Support Forum in English, French, or Spanish- HP Support Assistant: click the icon in your taskbar or desktop for easy access to automated maintenance, built-in diagnostic tools, and a choice of assistance options.
OPERATING SYSTEM - Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
PROCESSOR- Intel Pentium Processor B950
PROCESSOR SPEED- 2.10 GHz
PROCESSOR CACHE- 2MB L3 Cache
MEMORY - 4GB DDR3 SDRAM (1 DIMM)- Maximum supported = 8GB
VIDEO GRAPHICS - Intel HD Graphics 3000 with up to 1760MB total graphics memory
HARD DRIVE- 320GB 5400RPM hard drive
FINISH AND FEATURES- HP Imprint finish in charcoal gray- HP Webcam with integrated digital microphone
MULTIMEDIA DRIVE- SuperMulti DVD burner
DISPLAY- 15.6-inch diagonal HD BrightView LED-backlit Display (1366x768)
NETWORK CARD- 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)
WIRELESS OPTION - 802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth
DIGITAL MEDIA- Digital Media Card Reader for Secure Digital and Multimedia cards
AUDIO- Altec Lansing Speakers
KEYBOARD- Full-size keyboard
POINTING DEVICE- Touchpad with multitouch gesture support and on/off button
EXTERNAL NOTEBOOK PORTS- 3 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0- 1 VGA (15-pin)- 1 RJ -45 (LAN)- 1 Headphone-out- 1 Microphone-in
DIMENSIONS - 14.80" (L) x 9.72" (W) x 1.23" (min H) -1.41" (max H)
WEIGHT - 5.50 lbs
SECURITY - Kensington MicroSaver lock slot- Power-on password- Accepts 3rd party security lock devices
POWER - 65W AC adapter- 6-cell 47WHr lithium-ion battery
BATTERY LIFE- Up to 5 hours and 30 minutes
WARRANTY AND SUPPORT- 1-Year Limited Hardware Warranty with Toll-Free Support (NA)- 1-Year Free Hardware Technical Support- 30-Days Free Limited Software Support with 1-Year (from date of purchase) with Product Registration.
SECURITY AND SUPPORT- Free 60-day Norton Internet Security 2012 Subscription- HP Support Assistant: Update your PC, troubleshoot problems and get technical support.- HP Power Manager: Adjust power settings for optimal battery life or performance.- HP Recovery Manager: Recover, restore, and create recovery media for, your PC.- HP Launch Box: Group key apps in the taskbar for fast launch and customize your own.- HP Setup Manager: Transfer files, set up backups, get connected and more-easily.- LoJack for Laptops
PRODUCTIVITY AND FINANCE- Microsoft Office 2010 preloaded. (Purchase of a Product Key required to activate a full Office 2010 suite.)- Windows Live Essentials 2011: Mail, Messenger, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Writer, Mesh- Adobe Reader X- Adobe Flash Player- Adobe Shockwave Player- Microsoft Silverlight- Evernote
MULTIMEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT- HP MovieStore powered by RoxioNow: Rent or buy the latest movies, TV shows and music videos.- HP MusicStore powered by Rhapsody: Listen to the music you want at one low monthly price.- Blio eReader application with full color includes 4 free digital books valued at $75 MSRP.- CyberLink Power DVD- Cyberlink YouCam BE- Snapfish Picture Mover- Zya Music Maker: Collaborate with famous artists to create and share your own music.- HP Games powered by WildTangent includes 5 free games valued at $100 MSRP.- Magic Desktop powered by Easy Bits: Discover a safer, more fun and educational way to share your PC with kids.- eBay- HP MyRoom: See yourself and friends, family or colleagues during video chats.
INTERNET SOLUTIONS- Internet Explorer 9- Bing Bar for IE 9 (Bing Bar 7)- HP QuickWeb: Instant-on web browser with customizable widget dashboard.- HP webOS: Works like you?discover the difference.- Skype


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Key facts
- Bandwidth: 70 MHz to 300 MHz
- Sample rate: up to 2.5 Gsample/s
- Memory depth: up to 20 Msample
- ADC resolution: 10 bit
- Display: 10.1" capacitive touchscreen
Key facts
More signal details with the power of 10
Power of ten (10-bit ADC, 10 Msample memory and 10.1" touchscreen) combined with smart operating concepts make the R&S®RTB2000 oscilloscopes the perfect tool for university laboratories, for troubleshooting embedded designs during development and for production and service departments.
I Four times more vertical resolution than standard 8-bit ADCs.
I Maintains fast sampling rates at all times
I Largest display with highest resolution in its class
See small signal details in the presence of large signals
The R&S®RTB2000 features a customized Rohde & Schwarz engineered 10-bit A/D converter that delivers a fourfold improvement compared to conventional 8-bit A/D converters. The increased resolution results in sharper waveforms with more signal details that would otherwise be missed. One example is the characterization of switched-mode power supplies. The voltages across the switching device must be determined during the on/off times within the same acquisition.
10 Msample standard and 20 Msample interleaved
The R&S®RTB2000 offers a class-leading memory depth: 10 Msample per channel are available, even 20 Msample in interleaved mode. This is 10 times more than similar oscilloscopes in the same instrument class. The user captures longer acquisition sequences even at high sampling rates, e.g. when analyzing transients of switched-mode power supplies, and thus benefits from more detailed analysis results.
160 Msample with history function
The R&S®RTB-K15 option with deep, segmented memory analyzes signal sequences over a long observation period. Protocol-based signals with communications gaps such as I²C or SPI can be captured over several seconds or minutes. Thanks to the variable segment size, the 160 Msample memory is optimally utilized. In history mode, previous acquisitions to the maximum segmented memory depth of 160 Msample are available for further analysis.
16 additional digital channels
The R&S®RTB-B1 option turns every R&S®RTB2000 into an intuitive-to-use MSO with 16 additional digital channels. The oscilloscope captures and analyzes signals from analog and digital components of an embedded design – synchronously and time-correlated to each other. For example, the delay between input and output of an A/D converter can conveniently be determined using the cursor measurements.
Generate analog and digital stimuli
The R&S®RTB-B6 waveform and pattern generator up to 50 Mbit/s is useful for educational purposes and for implementing prototype hardware. Apart from the common sine, square/pulse, ramp and noise waveforms, it outputs arbitrary waveforms and 4-bit signal patterns. Waveforms and patterns can be imported as CSV files or copied from oscilloscope waveforms. Predefined patterns for e.g. I2C, SPI, UART and CAN/LIN can be used.
Measure and display electrical potential
The R&S®RTB2000 features a 3-digit voltmeter (DVM) and 6-digit frequency counter on each channel for simultaneous measurements. Measurement functions include DC, AC+DC (RMS) and AC (RMS) – included as standard.
Difficult-to-find faults often result from the interaction between time and frequency signals. The FFT function of the R&S®RTB2000 is activated at the push of a button and by simpling entering the center frequency and span. Thanks to the R&S®RTB2000 oscilloscopes' high-performance FFT functionality, signals can be analyzed with up to 128 kpoints. Other practical tools include cursor measurements and autoset in frequency domain.
Mask tests quickly reveal whether a specific signal lies within defined tolerance limits. By using statistical pass/fail evaluation, they assess quality and stability of a DUT. Signal anomalies and unexpected results are quickly identified. When the mask is violated, the measurement stops. Each violation can generate a pulse output at the AUX-OUT connector on the R&S®RTB2000. This pulse output can be used to trigger actions in the measurement setup.
In the teaching lab, the R&S®RTB2000 oscilloscope is the perfect choice to teach students how to measure with an oscilloscope. It has an easy-to-use concept combined with state-of-the-art technology – at an affordable price. The large 10.1" high-resolution screen shows every signal detail, and one instrument can be shared among several students. Reports can be efficiently created with the handy and flexible screen annotation tool.
Order number 1333.1005.02
Order number 1333.1005.04
Order number 1333.1005P12
Order number 1333.1005P14
Order number 1333.1005P22
Order number 1333.1005P24
Order number 1333.1005P32
Order number 1333.1005P34
|Vertical system
|Number of channels
|2; 4
|R&S®RTB2002/2004 (with R&S®RTB-B2x1, R&S®RTB-B2x2 and R&S®RTB-B2x3 options)
|70 MHz, 100 MHz, 200 MHz, 300 MHz
|Rise time (calculated)
|R&S®RTB2002/2004 (with R&S®RTB-B2x1, R&S®RTB-B2x2 and R&S®RTB-B2x3 options)
|5 ns, 3.5 ns, 1.75 ns, 1.15 ns
|Input impedance
|1 MΩ ± 2% with 19 pF ± 2 pF (meas.)
|input sensitivity
|max. bandwidth in all ranges
|1 mV/div to 5 V/div
|DC gain accuracy
|offset and position = 0, maximum operating temperature change of ±5°C after self-alignment
|input sensitivity > 5 mV/div
|± 1.5% of full scale
|input sensitivity ≤ 5 mV/div
|± 2% of full scale
|ADC resolution
|10-bit, up to 16-bit with high resolution decimation
|Acquisition system
|Maximum realtime sampling rate
|1.25 Gsample/s; 2.5 Gsample/s, interleaved
|Acquisition memory
|standard; with R&S®RTB-K15 option
|10 Msample; 20 Msample, interleaved;
160 Msample segmented memory
|Horizontal system
|Timebase range
|selectable between 1 ns/div and 500 s/div
|Trigger system
|Trigger types
|edge, width, video (PAL, NTSC, SECAM, PAL-M, SDTV 576i, HDTV 720p, HDTV 1080i, HDTV 1080p), pattern, line, serial bus
|Analysis and measurement functions
|at the push of a button, measurement values are continuously written onto the waveform
|peak-to-peak voltage, pos. peak, neg. peak, rise time, falltime, mean value, RMS value, time, period, frequency
|Waveform mathematics
|addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, FFT
|MSO option
|Digital channels
|16 (2 logic probes)
|Sampling rate
|1.25 Gsample/s
|Acquisition memory
|10 Msample
|Waveform generator
|Resolution, sample rate
|14-bit, 250 Msample/s
|high-Z; 50 Ω
|20 mV to 5 V (Vpp); 10 mV to 2.5 V (Vpp)
|DC offset
|high-Z; 50 Ω
|Signal forms frequency ranges
|0.1 Hz to 25 MHz
|0.1 Hz to 10 MHz
|0.1 Hz to 1 MHz
|max. 25 MHz
|sampling rate; memory depth
|max. 10 Msample/s; 16k point
|General data
|10.1" WXGA TFT color display (1280 × 800 pixel)
|USB host with MTP, USB device, LAN, powerful web server for remote display and operation
|Audible noise
|maximum sound pressure level at a distance of 1.0 m
|28.3 dB(A)
|390 mm × 220 mm × 152 mm
(15.4 in × 8.66 in × 5.98 in)
|2.5 kg (5.5 lb)
No compromises and excellent quality - made by Rohde & Schwarz
10 years ago we expanded our measurement technology portfolio with the launch of R&S®RTO1000 and R&S®RTM1000. 10 years later, two product families have become eight: from entry-level and handheld to high-end instruments. Before we started, our engineers have taken a very close look at what doesn't fit on the instruments that are already on the market - and have made it better.Celebrate with us our 10th birthday and take part in our contest.


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Two more fatal shootings occurred in Chicago on New Year's Eve, bringing the city's murder total for 2013 to 415 people.
Vincent Rogers, 26, of the 7100 block of North Damen, was the city's last homicide victim of the year. He was shot in the Englewood neighborhood on Tuesday night after an argument and pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
Another man was injured in the same block in Englewood about two minutes later, police said. The 23-year-old was shot in his hip and taken to Saint Bernard Hospital. It's unknown whether those two shootings are related, police said.
U.S. & World
Earlier Tuesday, police said Donald Golladay, 67, fatally shot his son, August Golladay, 25, while the two argued inside a home in the 3700 block of South Wells in the Armour Square neighborhood, authorities said.
The son, Cook County prosecutors said, was threatening to kill himself and went to a closet where his father kept his gun. The father then grabbed the gun and emptied some of the bullets before pointing the gun at his son and firing.
Donald Golladay told authorities he thought all the bullets were out of the gun but that he was wrong.
August Golladay was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:19 a.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
The elder Golladay was charged with involuntary manslaughter. A Cook County judge on Wednesday ordered him held on a $250,000 bond.
Despite the two New Year's Eve killings, the Chicago Police Department said 2013 ended with the fewest murders in Chicago since 1965 and the lowest murder rate since 1966. The 415 killings that the department handled in 2013 was down 18 percent from the 503 murders that the department reported in 2012.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's office recorded a total of 434 homicides within Chicago city limits in 2013. That total includes killings on expressways that weren't handled by Chicago Police.
Just outside the city, in Berwyn, a 20-year-old man died Tuesday after being found with gunshot wounds in a barbershop.
Jose Mendoza, of the 2600 block of South East Avenue in Berwyn, was pronounced dead at Loyola University Medical Center at 10:07 p.m., according to the medical examiner's office.


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This one will take a little effort to respond to responsibly: no just clicking a button and going on! A sociologist is asking a lot of questions:
What do we know about the make-up of the atheist community both here in the United States and around the world? What are the perceptions of atheists about the state of atheism-related organizations and what these entities can or should do for them? What are the perceptions of atheists about believers? What types of atheists are there? How does being an atheist impact how one navigates in the social world? What is the demographic makeup of the atheist community both in the United States and around the world? What similarities and differences are there among atheists of different genders, ages, and geographical locations?
Take a half hour and answer the survey. There's also a blog where the data is being discussed.


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About the Project
Yukon Territory Church Directory is entirely run by volunteers.
In 1995, before I really knew what the Internet was, I got caught in the excitement of a new medium to communicate. I couldn't wait to explore its structure and depth to see if I would find my place in it. I was struck with awe at the vastness of information available.
Being active in both my local church and the Church at large, I began to explore the possibility of using the medium to promote the gospel. Through newsgroups, I became involved in several international prayer and study groups. I began to find that many unchurched Christians were congregating on the Internet. While there is merit in this, it is no substitute for a face-to-face local church. I was able to dig and find local churches to send a few people to, but it was more work than I hoped. There are a few directories out there, but none were what I really needed. I wanted to be able to bring up a list of all the churches in Brandon, Manitoba (for example) and have some indication of where to send ?Malcom-the-unchurched? or how to contact someone who might give ?Malcolm? a call.
Not finding what I wanted, I began to construct Canadian Church Directory. I met Jason Friesen and told him what I was up to. Jason caught the vision and we have been working ever since to accomplish the feat. - Cord LaFond


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Skull Fossil Suggests Simpler Human Lineage – "Early, diverse fossils — those currently recognized as coming from distinct species like Homo habilis, Homo erectus and others — may actually represent variation among members of a single, evolving lineage. In other words, just as people look different from one another today, so did early hominids look different from one another, and the dissimilarity of the bones they left behind may have fooled scientists into thinking they came from different species." see also: Skull of Homo erectus throws story of human evolution into disarray @the guardian. see also john hawks: The new skull from Dmanisi. and greg cochran: All One Species?
speaking of species: Roe Deer × Domestic Sheep – "This rather distant cross, which represents a case of interbreeding between separate mammalian families (Cervidae × Bovidae) was reported in the last decade of the 18th century by the Finnish academic Carl Niklas Hellenius (1745-1820), also known as Carl Niklas von Hellens (or af Hellens)." – say what?!
Mysterious Ancient Human Crossed Wallace's Line – "Scientists have proposed that the most recently discovered ancient human relatives — the Denisovans – somehow managed to cross one of the world's most prominent marine barriers in Indonesia, and later interbred with modern humans moving through the area on the way to Australia and New Guinea."
Blood-filled mosquito is a fossil first – JURASSIC PARK!!
Mysterious Minoans Were European, DNA Finds – "The Minoans, the builders of Europe's first advanced civilization, really were European, new research suggests…. 'They were very similar to Neolithic Europeans and very similar to present day-Cretans,' residents of the Mediterranean island of Crete."
People Born With Certain Gene More Likely to Suffer Cognitive Decline After Heart Surgery – "Long-term memory loss, difficulty understanding verbal or written communication or impaired ability to pay attention may still occur five years after heart surgery if a patient has a certain gene variation…. This gene was found to be related to a decline in cognitive capabilities compared to those who do not have the variation…. 'Our study found that if a patient has this gene variation (APOE4), that person is more likely to have cognitive decline five years after surgery.'" – h/t hbd bibliography!
Genetics of eye colours in different rural populations on the Silk Road – "[R]egression tree analysis showed that individuals carrying a given combination of haplotypes have a significant probability to show a blue or green/grey iris colour as compared with brown, with a gradient from west to east." – h/t neuroskeptic!
Scanning for Recent Human Evolution
Evolution is not a one-way road towards complexity – "[T]he fact that the highly complex larval muscular bodyplan is so similar in both groups [aplacophorans and chitons] but is only carried over into the adult stage in one of them — the chitons — strongly suggests that the common ancestor of both groups was of similar complexity; thereby implying that the worm-like groups lost these complex traits and became secondarily simplified over evolutionary time."
Genomics England and the 100,000 genomes
National Geographic Agrees: The Human Alpha Male Is Real – from heartiste. see also "Manosphere" Community Beliefs: Truths and Nonsense from jayman.
Japan: A north-south cline in mental and behavioral traits – from peter frost.
What I actually said about genes, IQ and heritability – "Rational public debate about genes and intelligence…has proved impossible in Britain and America…."
Heritability estimates and the analysis of variance – "In terms that R.A. Fisher might have used, if you plant different strains of wheat in uniformly well ploughed, well mixed, well fertilised soil, then the differences between the different strains will be due to their inherent qualities, and not the vagaries of the soil. On the other hand, if the soil varies considerably then the yields will vary partly because of seed quality, and partly because of soil quality." – from dr. james thompson.
Intelligence is just another privilege you inherited from mummy and daddy – "[I]t is considered bad form for the clever to point out that their advantage is inherited. Yet this has the effect of giving the intellectually privileged the false idea that they have earned their advantage, and eroding the feeling of *noblesse oblige* that the wealthy once felt when they knew their fortune depended on luck. Rather we should regard intelligence as just another privilege you inherit from mummy and daddy…. That would make the world a more, not less, just place." – from ed west.
The Stability of Intelligence From Age 11 to Age 90 Years: The Lothian Birth Cohort of 1921 – "The correlation of Moray House Test scores between age 11 and age 90 was .54 (.67 when corrected for range restriction)." – h/t john durant!
Can political polarization become baked in through assortative mating? – @steve sailer's.
On the Unbearable Lightness of Objective Morality – "Evolved behavioral predispositions are the ultimate reason for the existence of human morality. Absent those predispositions, our morality as we know it would cease to exist." – from helian.
US regions exhibit distinct personalities, research reveals – "Americans with similar temperaments are so likely to live in the same areas that a map of the country can be divided into regions with distinct personalities, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association. People in the north-central Great Plains and the South tend to be conventional and friendly, those in the Western and Eastern seaboards lean toward being mostly relaxed and creative, while New Englanders and Mid-Atlantic residents are prone to being more temperamental and uninhibited, according to a study published online by APA's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology."
Book Review: Why Evolution Is True (2009) by Jerry Coyne – book review from staffan.
Neanderthals Used Toothpicks to Alleviate the Pain of Diseases Related to Teeth, Such as Inflammation of the Gums – h/t andrew badenoch!
Women like their men with low voices, but only for a night – "[W]omen were more attracted to men with low-pitched voices, which are produced by larger vocal cords. However, the research also showed women believed men with deeper voices were more likely to cheat."
Epigenetics: How to alter your genes – well, you don't really alter your genes with epigenetics, but your gene expression.
Oops! Etruscan Warrior Prince Really a Princess
bonus: Analysis of Racist Red Lobster Receipt Casts Doubt on Original Story and More restaurant receipt handwriting analysis – total race hoax – @gucci little piggy.
bonus bonus: New botox super-toxin has its [dna] details censored
bonus bonus bonus: Evolutionary Question Answered: Ants More Closely Related to Bees Than to Most Wasps. see also: Key to Ants' Evolution May Have Started With a Wasp.
bonus bonus bonus bonus: Fossil scans reveal origins of teeth – "Tooth-like structures originated from outer-body coverings."
bonus bonus bonus bonus bonus: A new law of biology: All mammals pee for about 21 seconds @Why Evolution is True.
bonus bonus bonus bonus bonus bonus: Top Ten New Species: Snub-Nosed Monkey, More
bonus bonus bonus bonus bonus bonus bonus: Thirty million people are slaves, half in India
bonus bonus bonus bonus bonus bonus bonus bonus: Greek authorities appeal for help in finding real family of girl found in Gypsy camp.
(note: comments do not require an email. birds with mustaches!)


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Shop Music License Plates (J-L)
Music License Plates~Can be Used on:
Cars ~ Trucks ~ Boats ~ Motorcycles ~ Planes ~ ATV's ~ Trailers ~ Snowmobiles ~ Tractors ~ Dirt Bikes ~ Plow Trucks ~ Wagons
Search for your Favorite License Plate from Hundreds of Our Great Designs!~Shop Cosmos Crystal for Custom Vanity License Plates ~Tell The World What Makes You "You" Through Design
We want to help you with all your vinyl and License Plate needs from music to simple text. We also do Custom License Plates, so if you want something Special made let us know. "Free Shipping" in USA
Our Vanity Collector License Plates are made from:
Polyethylene plastic license plate blanks. They accept vinyl lettering and graphics well. They are weather resistant, waterpfoof, and U.V. resistant.
Our Decals are made from high quality Premium OEM Exterior Grade UV resistant and waterproof vinyl with an outdoor life of 6+ years. These decals are Die cut stickers and the background color will be the color of the object you place it on.
"Free Shipping" in USA


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This is a XCode project with all source codes and graphics files of delightful and easy to use advanced task manager for iPhone.
Project features:
- Complete working app
- App will work on iPad, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad mini
Project for XCode 3.x – 4.x
Works on iOS 3.x – iOS 6.x
- App use local database (CoreData).
App does not require Internet connection. Use it wherever you want!
PSD design files included
- Create your own app from this project ans sell it in the AppStore!
Ready for AppStore – change graphics and Sale it!
- Excellent support by email and skype
Working app in AppStore based on this XCode project:
- Shopping List PRO TODO for iPad
- Medical List Pad for iPad
Application features:
- Unlimited different TODO items
- Group your items by creating unlimited categories
- Quick Entry
- Check "Red flags" and get Important Lists and Important items on top
- Archive some shopping lists for later use
- Check and uncheck products in app when you buy it just 1 click!
- See completion of lists
- Get red icon bagde with "need to do" ("need to buy") counter items on your iPad, iPad mini Home Screen!
- Add additional description fields to your products (price, date, shops, etc.)
- Send shopping lists to email (to your wife/childrens/etc) with completion status directly in app!
What you get:
- XCode project with complete working iPad, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad mini application with all graphics and files
- Source design PSD files
- Detailed documentation
- Step by step user guide "How to create your own TODO app from this sample XCode project and sell it at AppStore"


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I am converting very big parts of OpenGL 1.5 code to the Symbian platform.
This code uses glMapBuffer for often, particular changed Vertex Buffer Objects.
I know that glMapBuffer/glUnmapBuffer is not supported by OpenGL ES 1.1 because reading directly from Graphics Memory is not possible on these devices.
My question is, how to do the conversion of a code which is using this functionallity quite often. How to do this in a performantic way.
If these arrays are changed quite often, should i also use VBOs or is it faster do do it with client arrays.
Is it possible to simulate the behaviour of glMapBuffer to avoid changing big parts of code?
Anyone an idea how to handle this? Flame?
Best Regards,