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About the Town of Southeast
Historic Sites
Historic Buildings
Historic Buildings
Old Southeast Church & Old Doansburg Schoolhouse
Located south of the State Police Barracks on Route 22. Tours of the buildings are conducted on Sunday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. from May through August. Special events are scheduled on occasion. A New Year's Eve celebration is observed by battery-powered candles each December 31st at 11:45 p.m. in the unheated church.
Old Town Hall (67 Main Street, Brewster)
The building was erected in 1896 and served as the Town Hall until 1965 when the Supervisor and Town Clerk moved to One Main Street. Currently houses the Southeast Museum and Studio Around the Corner.
Walter Brewster House
Owned by the Landmarks Preservation Society of Southeast, the Walter Brewster House was built around 1850 on the hill looking down on Main Street by the Village founder, Walter Brewster. The building has been carefully restored and hosts tours, concerts and special gatherings throughout the year.
Tilly Foster Mine
First mined in 1853 by Harvey Iron and Steel Company, the Tilly Foster Mine boomed under the auspices of the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company of Scranton, PA, which acquired the mine in 1879. In 1890 the owners converted the mine to an open pit. At one time, it was the largest man-made hole in the world. For further information, go to the
Southeast Museum website
Red Rooster
An example of 1950s roadside architecture and design, this site is an iconic representation of American roadside architecture of that era.
One Main Street
The original First National Bank of Brewster, formerly Town Hall, now houses the Town Offices of the following:
Architectural Review Board
Building Department
Code Enforcement
Fire Inspector
Planning Board
Special Districts
Zoning Board of Appeals
Sitting across from the Brewster Train Station, the Town Hall Annex is a central element to Main Street in the Village of Brewster.
Historic Buildings
Scenic and Historic Routes
Local Landmarks
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I have needed a place to hang all of the announcements, invitations etc. that we get and knew I wanted to make a framed chicken wire display for it. Yesterday, I finally did it!
I gathered some old frames that were sitting under my bed gathering dust, took out the glass & matting and such, spray painted them all white & staple gunned the chicken wire onto the back. How's that for a quick tutorial. haha!
I grouped them together & hung them in the laundry room "pass through". I call it a pass through because you literally pass through it to get to the bathroom downstairs. I love how it turned out! I think the white frames against the white beadboard is awesome!
I did distress the edges a bit so there would be a little bit of contrast with all the white in there.
Isn't my niece so beautiful, by the way?!!! I can't believe she's graduating this week!
I have 4 nieces & 1 nephew graduating from highschool this year! Wow!
I also use it to display some of my favorite artists' work...Sadie Olive, noodle & lou, duda daze, Sarah Jane, etc. I love so many talented artists out there but I can't buy all of the art I would like to, so what I do is buy their smaller works of art such as postcards, trading cards, etc from their etsy shops. That way, I can enjoy all of them! And now I have a fun place to display them!
Oh, yeah! I almost forgot to mention that I used mini clothespins that I purchased from Michaels for hanging. Super cheap & cute!
Now, if you would like a real tutorial on how to make these, go here.
Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

subset: commoncrawl


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Jonathan Eysseric became the victim of Andy Murray in a first round clash at Roland Garros. Eyserric put up a fight but eventually lost 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, 0-6, 2-6.
Much to the delight of law-abiding TSF readers, Eysseric turned 18 today. Happy birthday!
Tattoo watch: And there's now a bounty out for a photo of Jonathan's back tattoo in its entirety. You know the drill. (Thanks, Rachael.)
Browse: See the rest of our tattoo watch sightings.
(photos by Getty Images, Belga)


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Teen athletes derive many positive benefits from participating in sports, but their increased risk of sports-related injuries may also heighten their risk for medication misuse and abuse, especially for boys, finds a recent study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Nearly 7.5 million adolescents take part in sports at the high school level and 2 million high school athletic injuries occur each year.
"We should expect that adolescents who participate in competitive sports at the interscholastic level are at a greater risk to get injured and, subsequently, be more likely to be prescribed opioids to manage pain," said lead researcher Philip Veliz, Ph.D., of the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
The study, which followed 1,540 teens, showed that male athletes were more likely to use and misuse opioids medications on at least one occasion in the past year than non-athlete males. However, said Veliz, "one surprise was that female athletes were not more likely to be prescribed these medications or misuse them."
Male athletes may be more likely to be prescribed opioid medication because they are more likely to play sports such as wrestling and football, which have the highest rate of severe injury among high school sports. But their misuse and abuse of the medications may also have something to do with the role that sports play in the lives of young men, say the researchers.
"Adolescent males depend on sports for social status, the maintenance of relationships with male peers and family members," said Veliz. "In other words, sports are a powerful site to be recognized as a man, and male adolescents will sacrifice their bodies through athletic performances to prove their masculinity. Consequently, opioid use and misuse among males could be the byproduct of a play-through-pain culture."
There is still value to prescribing opioids, says Veliz, as they are helpful in managing pain on a short-term basis. Prescribing physicians can reduce the odds of misuse by discussing the management of medications with both adolescents and their parents.
"It's important to discuss abuse with patient and parent and prescribe narcotics only when necessary, in limited amounts and for a limited duration," said Daniel Green, M.D., a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at New York's Hospital for Special Surgery. He suggests that legislation can help.
"Legislation in New York now requires doctors to review a patient's narcotic history on a pharmacy database prior to prescribing narcotics," said Dr. Green. "Physicians should only provide narcotics for a limited amount of time and use non-opioid alternatives whenever possible."
Parental involvement can decrease the likelihood of misuse or abuse. "Most adolescents have unsupervised access to these medications giving them the opportunity to misuse these drugs," said Veliz.
Source: Health Behavior News Service
1. Veliz P, Epstein-Ngo Q., Meier E, Ross-Durow P, Boyd C, McCabe S. Painfully Obvious: A Longitudinal Study of Medical Use and Misuse of Opioid Medication Among Adolescent Sports Participants, J Adol Health. 2013;1-8


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Sport Relief 2016: All the North West weekend events that you can take part in
This week, thousands of runners, swimmers and cyclists across the country will be getting ready to take part in some exercise to raise much-needed money for charity.
But if you haven't decided what to do yet, why not choose from one of these events in the local area?
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdSponsored by Sainsbury's, this years Sport Relief Games are launching on Friday, with activities running until Sunday.Take a look at our list of what's on in the North West - and let us know what you're getting up to.
All of these events are taking place on Sunday, March 20 and have a choice of 1 mile, 3 mile or 6 mile routes.
The Preston Avenham & Miller Park Mile: Preston, PR1 8JT
The Chorley Mile: Chorley, PR7 1XA
The Barrow Park Mile: Barrow-In-Furness, LA13 9DT
The Blackburn Community Mile: Blackburn, BB1 8LA
The Burnley Mile: Burnley, BB11 3RQ
The Kendal Mile: Kendal, LA9 7HX
The Lancaster and Morecambe Mile: Lancaster, LA1 5JS
The Lytham St Annes Mile: Lytham St Annes, FY8 1BD
The Blackpool Stanley Park Mile: Blackpool, FY3 9HQ
The Thornton YMCA Mile: Thornton Cleveleys, FY5 3SX
The Clitheroe Castlefield Mile: Clitheroe, BB7 1BA
The Wigan Mile: Wigan, WN5 0UH
The Ormskirk Mile: Ormskirk, L39 4QP
The Pendle Mile: Nelson, BB9 7YT
The Rochdale Millipede Mile: Rochdale, OL16 1UT
The Clitheroe Castlefield Mile: Clitheroe, BB7 1BA
All of these events are taking place between Friday, March 18 and Sunday, March 20 and have a choice of 1.5k, 2.5k and 5k swims.
Swimathon at Fulwood Leisure Centre: Preston, PR2 9YA
Swimathon at Rural Splash YMCA: Lancashire, PR4 2HA
Swimathon at Brinscall Swimming Pool: Lancashire, PR6 8QU
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdSwimathon at Blackburn Sports and Leisure Centre: Lancashire, BB2 1LQ
Swimathon at Darwen Leisure Centre: Lancashire, BB3 1PW
Swimathon at Palatine Leisure Centre: Lancashire, FY4 2AP
Swimathon at Fleetwood Leisure Centre: Lancashire, FY7 6HF
Swimathon at Pendle Leisure Centre: Lancashire, BB8 9NP
Swimathon at Heywood Sports Village: Greater Manchester, OL10 4TW
Swimathon at Castle Leisure Centre: Manchester, BL9 0EZ
Swimathon at Rishworth Sports Club: Calderdale, HX6 4QA
Swimathon at Salt Ayre Sports Centre: Lancashire, LA1 5JS
Swimathon at Fleetwood Leisure Centre: Lancashire, FY7 6H
Swimathon at Nye Bevan: Lancashire, WN8 6LP
Swimathon at The Jason Kenny Centre: Lancashire, BL3 5BN
Swimathon at Farnworth Leisure Centre: Bolton, BL4 9DZ
Swimathon at Irlam Leisure Centre: Greater Manchester, M44 6BR
If we've missed your event please let us know, email [email protected]


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black Humour
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Welcome to the Undictionary, an ick!tionary of all things best left unsaid. |
Black Humour
- A disease feared greatly - especially by the Elizabethans - which causes one to find morbid events very humorous, and generally to develop a sense of humour which others see as twisted and disturbing. A great number of people today, especially artists and Goths, are afflicted by this disorder, for which there is no known cure. Often referred to as "Black Humor" in uncivilized countries where usage of the letter "u" is apparently either taboo or completely misunderstood.
- What do you call a black man falling off a cliff?........ Choc drop
- Where does he land?.... Quality street
- What do you put on his grave?.... roses
- What do you do after?.... Celebrations


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From D&D Wiki
This material is published under the OGL 1.0a. |
Lucky: A lucky weapon offers a second chance at success. Once per day, the wielder can reroll a failed attack roll (whether a single attack or one in a series of multiple attacks) as a free action. The rerolled attack uses the same bonuses or penalties as the missed roll.
Moderate clairsentience; ML 8th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, fate of one; Price +1 bonus.
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Open Game Content → System Reference Document → Psionic Items


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What are the advantages and disadvantages of using MP3 files?
Advantages and disadvantages of using MP3 files.
The advantage of MP3 files is their size, which is about 1/10 the file size of data CDs. However, the rich bass and the high frequency audio quality may deteriorate during the encoding (ripping) process. This poor audio quality might not be realized with portable players but the AZ series Mini HiFi system detects such MP3 sound quality easily.


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Wyoming is the 10th most extensive state in the U.S but is the second least densely populated. 30 million acres of the vast state are farms and the number one agricultural product produced are cows and calves. You may be wondering where this is heading... well, with all that cattle, a popular cookie in Wyoming is called the Cow Pie. I just couldn't bring myself to call my last state sweet a Cow Pie, so I'm going to call them Cutie Pies instead.
This chocolate / peanut butter / oatmeal no-bake cookie has many other names, but no matter what you call it, it is delicious and super fast to make!
4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 cups quick cooking oats
- melt first 4 ingredients in large pan and boil for 1 minute
- remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, vanilla and the quick cooking oats
- immediately drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper or aluminum foil
- enjoy once cool
I was happy to rediscover this cookie (despite the name) and hope you will give it a try if you haven't had one before!


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Three-dimensional scans of two mummified newborn woolly mammoths recovered from the Siberian Arctic are revealing previously inaccessible details about the early development of prehistoric proboscideans. The research, conducted in part by American Museum of Natural History Richard Gilder Graduate School student Zachary T. Calamari, also suggest that both animals died from suffocation after inhaling mud. The findings were published July 8 in a special issue of the Journal of Paleontology.
"These two exquisitely preserved baby mammoths are like two snapshots in time," said Calamari, who began investigating mammoths as an undergraduate at the University of Michigan working with paleontologist Daniel Fisher. "We can use them to understand how factors like location and age influenced the way mammoths grew into the huge adults that captivate us today."
The newborns, Lyuba and Khroma, died at ages one and two months, respectively, and are the most complete and best-preserved baby mammoth specimens ever found. The researchers refer to both calves as mummies due to the high level of soft-tissue preservation, including muscle, fat, connective tissue, organs, and skin. Lyuba's full-body computed tomography (CT) scan, completed using an industrial scanner at a Ford Motor Company testing facility in Michigan, was the first of its kind for any mammoth.
"This is the first time anyone's been able to do a comparative study of the skeletal development of two baby mammoths of known age," said U-M's Fisher, the lead author of the paper. "This allowed us to document changes that occur as the mammoth body develops. And since they are both essentially complete skeletons, they can be thought of as Rosetta Stones that will help us interpret all the isolated baby mammoth bones that show up at other localities."
Lyuba and Khroma lived more than 40,000 years ago and belonged to mammoth populations separated by roughly 3,000 miles. Lyuba was found in May 2007 and Khroma was found in October 2008.
The first CT scans of Lyuba were done in Tokyo in 2009 and in Wisconsin in 2010, using medical scanners. But because of Lyuba's size (about 110 pounds and slightly smaller than a baby elephant), the researchers could not acquire 3D data from her entire body. The researchers finally succeeded in October 2010 at Ford Motor Company's Nondestructive Evaluation Laboratory in Livonia, Michigan, using a scanner designed for finding flaws in vehicle transmissions.
Khroma's CT scans were done at two French hospitals. Micro-CT scans of teeth from both mammoth calves were conducted at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. From the dental studies, Fisher and colleagues determined that Lyuba died 30 to 35 days after birth and estimated that Khroma's age at death was between 52 and 57 days.
Scans of Khroma's skull showed she had a brain slightly smaller than that of a newborn elephant, which hints at the possibility of a shorter gestation period for mammoths. Lyuba's skull is conspicuously narrower than Khroma's and her upper jawbones are more slender, while Khroma's shoulder blades and foot bones are more developed. These differences may simply reflect the one-month age difference between the calves, or they could relate to the different populations from which the two calves derived.
In addition to providing unprecedented insights into mammoth development, the CT scans of Lyuba and Khroma suggest that both youngsters died after inhaling mud, then suffocating. This death scenario was raised for Lyuba shortly after she was first examined. The Khroma CT scans demonstrate that she may have suffered a similar fate.
In Lyuba, the scans revealed a solid mass of fine-grained sediment blocking the air passages in the middle of the trunk. Sediment was also seen in Lyuba's throat and bronchial passages. If Lyuba had died by drowning rather than suffocation—as some have suggested—then traces of sediment should also have been detected in parts of the lungs beyond the bronchial passages, but that was not the case.
Slightly coarser sediment was found in Khroma's trunk, mouth, and throat. The animal's lungs weren't available for study because they were scavenged before the carcass was recovered. Since both animals appear to have been healthy at the time of death, a "traumatic demise" involving the inhalation of mud and suffocation appears to be the most likely cause of death in both cases, according to the authors.
The researchers suspect that Lyuba died in a lake since sediments found in her respiratory tract include fine-grained vivianite, a deep blue iron- and phosphate-bearing mineral that commonly forms in cold, oxygen-poor settings such as lake bottoms.
A possible death scenario for Khroma places the calf and her mother on a riverbank in the spring. Khroma had been nursing less than an hour before her death, as evidenced by undigested milk found in her stomach during a necropsy by a team of scientists that included Fisher. Perhaps the riverbank collapsed and the two mammoths, mother and daughter, plunged into the river. A fall would account for the fractured spinal column revealed by Khroma's CT scan, as well as the mud she inhaled.
For more details on this work, see the Museum's press release.


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by Xabier Ormaetxea, Susan Ybarra
A number of years ago, two friends of mine, Xabier Ormaetxea and Susan Ybarra, decided to do surname research for those who were curious about their Basque surnames. They had information about the meaning of the names, where they are found in the Basque Country, and coats of arms that are on record. This list is the result of their efforts.
Note that this list is by no means complete; there are many Basque surnames not listed. If your name is not listed, the best place to learn more about your name is the Basque Genealogy group at Yahoo or by looking at some the resources in the Diaspora section of these pages. One particularly good resource if you understand Spanish is the Enciclopedia Auñamendi.


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Chicago Reader Video premiere: The Polyphonic Spree, "Do You Hear What I Hear?"
via Chicago Reader
Gargantuan Texas choral-pop group the Polyphonic Spree swing by the Logan Square Auditorium tonight as part of their Holiday Extravaganza tour. They've been doing the titular variety show back in Dallas for a solid decade—apparently previous incarnations have included appearances by comedians, bell choirs, and "tap-dancing grandmas." Now they've taken the whole thing on the road to support their new album, Holidaydream.
The Polyphonic Spree are also releasing visuals for every tune off the album, and we've got the premiere of the video for "Do You Hear What I Hear?" The colorfully animated clip works well with the band's sweet song; check it out below.
Tonight's performance is an all-ages affair that includes two sets by the Polyphonic Spree (one dedicated to their holiday songs, another to their usual material), a holiday dance party hosted by Chic-A-Go-Go's Mia Park and Ratso, some animal ambassadors from the Brookfield Zoo, and more; doors open at 5:30 PM.


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Facebook voicemail
Facebook announces a spiffy new feature available in Canada. Through Facebook Messages, you can send voicemail to your Facebook friends.
This new feature has just been added to the most recent version of Facebook's iOS and Android mobile applications.
Perhaps more interesting, Facebook is also testing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calling (à la Skype). This product test will be rolling out first to Facebook for iOS users in — wait for it — Canada.
Finally, someone puts Canada first. Good on ya, Canadians.
"To use this new feature, simply tap the '+' next to the box where you write a message, then tap 'Record' and hold down the record button to talk," writes our Facebook source in an email.
"When you're ready to send, just release the button. Letting go sends the voice message, sliding off it cancels the message."
You can listen to voice messages either from the Messenger app or from Facebook.com.
To test the voice calling feature, Facebook iOS users in Canada can start a phone conversation with a Facebook friend by tapping the "i" button in the top right corner. From there, just tap 'Free Call' to start the VoIP call.
The VoIP calls use your phone's data plan rather than your phone's calling minutes. Anyone wishing to use VoIP calling features needs to update to the newest version of the app.
A Facebook source let us know that the company is evaluating the pilot program in Canada and will start looking at other geographies once Facebook gets adequate feedback from Canadian users.
Via Venture Beat


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This past weekend was my birthday and I was really looking for a lot of peace and quiet, something totally different from the hustle and bustle of city life. We found ourselves at our first Aman experience out in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Amangani to be exact. Aman Resorts all around the world were first introduced to us by our manager who described it as life changing, like nothing else in the world, saying you can never travel the same after it…and now I know exactly what she meant.
We spent the mornings and night in the hot tub overlooking the Teton mountains. We awoke on Sunday morning to view a blanket of falling snow out of the floor-to-ceiling windows our bed faced. We had wine by the fire every night and left the Indian flute music playing as we ate breakfast and read the New York Times in our suite. We went skiing everyday, tumbing together down the mountain in fits of laughter and finding the day's biggest accomplishment landing both jumps on our last run. We DIED over the food at Snake River Grill in downtown Jackson Hole and on my birthday I tried elk for the first time.
Traveling has a way of healing your soul…and we need it most around birthday time.


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Group Attendees: Any number of participants
Recorded Version: Unlimited viewing for 6 months ( Access information will be emailed 24 hours after the completion of live webinar)
The use of this seal confirms that this activity has met HR Certification Institutes (HRCI) criteria for recertification credit pre-approval. |
Dr. Susan Strauss is a national and international speaker, trainer, consultant and a recognized expert on workplace and school harassment and bullying. She conducts harassment and bullying investigations and functions as an expert witness in harassment and bullying lawsuits. Her clients are from business, education, healthcare, law, and government organizations from both the public and private sector.
Dr. Strauss has conducted research, written over 30 books, book chapters, and journal articles on harassment,bullying, and related topics. She has been featured on television and radio programs as well as interviewed for newspaper and journal articles.Susan has a doctorate in organizational leadership. She is a registered nurse, has a bachelor's degree in human services and counseling, a master's degree in community health, and professional certificate in training and development.


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In our younger and more vulnerable years nothing was greater than visiting a museum, going to the gift shop, and badgering our parents to buy a pack of astronaut ice cream. Freeze dried ice cream leaves a taste of nostalgic chalky sweetness in our mouths, so we're very excited to see that [Ben Krasnow] is now making his own astronaut ice cream.
The basic principle of freeze drying is simple. All you have to do is reduce the pressure and temperature of the food below the triple point of water and pump the sublimated water vapor out. For [Ben], this meant he needed to cool his Neapolitan Klondike bar to -30° C in a bath of chilled ethanol and pump out the air with a vacuum pump.
Interestingly, [Ben] found it necessary to heat his ice cream while under vacuum to extract more water vapor. This makes sense; at the pressures he was dealing with, [Ben] would never come across water in a liquid state. The entire process took about 18 hours. [Ben] admits this may have been a little longer than necessary, but it's a small price to pay for reliving childhood memories.


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A belated Valentine's greeting to you all! I hope that you
all had a great day with the exact amount of candy and flowers that you
desired. This Valentine's Day was a first for me, in a sense. My twins are four
now, and they simply view this as a candy holiday. My daughter has actually been
talking about getting Valentine's candy since last Halloween. Apparently
Halloween is more of a costume holiday? But back to my first: this was our
first Valentine's Day where one of my children has a crush. And not just any crush.
A teacher crush.
Oddly enough, it's not even one of their teachers. I suppose
I should say his teachers, since it is my son who has the crush. See, they
currently attend a small private school with two Pre-K classes, and one class
for each grade from Kindergarten through 8th grade. A few weeks ago,
they had "Step Up Day" where each class visited the next grade up to see what
it will be like next year. That is where my son met the Kindergarten teacher,
aka his new love.
I only found out early last week when my daughter announced
that she painted me a picture in art class. I asked my son if he painted me one
and he said "No, I painted one for Miss Peterson." I asked if that was his art
teacher (I'm horrible with names, but I didn't recognize this one at all). He
said that it was the Kindergarten teacher, and that he loved her, and that he
loved her for Valentine's Day. Did I mention he is FOUR?
So last Thursday, I did what I never thought I would. I gave my son a
Valentine we made for his teacher crush and encouraged him to give it to her.
He was so nervous; it was the cutest thing ever! I figure at this age it's
harmless. It also helps that we're moving to public school next year, so he
won't be in her class. Of course, that will also break his little four year-old
image from here.


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Never mind that Rupert Murdoch, the CEO of the Fox News parent company, supports taking "bold leadership" to restrict access to assault weapons, executives at Fox News have dictated that the subject of gun control is forbidden on their network. Sources told Gabriel Sherman of New York Magazine that…
"David Clark, the executive producer in charge of Fox's weekend coverage, gave producers instructions not to talk about gun-control policy on air. 'This network is not going there,' Clark wrote one producer on Saturday night, according to a source with knowledge of the exchange."
This is the sort of overt bias that is practiced at Fox News on a regular basis. There is nothing new about Fox demanding that their anchors and contributors follow the marching orders from the executive suites. They receive a morning memo informing them on the topics of the day and what their positions will be. Even loyal Fox associates like pollster Frank Luntz have revealed that failing to "comport with the outlet's orthodoxy" will result in getting you blacklisted. Sherman's sources went on to say that…
"During the weekend, one frustrated producer went around Clark to lobby Michael Clemente, Fox's executive vice-president for news editorial, but Clemente upheld the mandate. 'We were expressly forbidden from discussing gun control,' the source said."
Sherman noted that there was a bit of discourse on gun control on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. However, he did not mention that the program airs on the Fox Entertainment Network, not Fox News (although it is repeated later in the day on Fox News).
This is how Fox directs the editorial content of the network. They have a heavy hand enforcing what people may, and may not, say on the air. It is not a coincidence that nearly everyone on Fox spews the same talking points throughout their broadcast day. It is by design and it is imposed by an editorial politburo that monitors the dissemination of their propaganda.
Since Fox CEO Roger Ailes is against gun control, then everyone at Fox must be. And if they think that discussing a subject is not in the interests of their agenda, then discussion is shut down. In this case, the network's censorship is in lock step with the NRA, who have been maintaining media silence ever since the tragedy on Friday. The NRA's Facebook and Twitter accounts have gone blank. And so has free speech on Fox News, not that it was ever there in the first place.
It's also worthwhile to note that while Fox has banned all talk of gun control, they have not similarly banished talk of other explanations for the atrocity in Connecticut. For instance, they had no problemn with laying the blame on movies and video games. And Fox host Mike Huckabee was permitted to go on the air and blame the killings on the absence of God in the classroom. That's is a particularly idiotic theory when you consider that other mass killings have taken place in churches where there presumably was no shortage of Godliness.


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Great-tasting vegetarian protein powder
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Benefits of Peas
As pea protein has ACE inhibitory activity, it may have a positive effect on the maintenance of normal blood pressure levels. It has also been shown, in rat studies, to have a positive impact on total cholesterol and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) by stimulating bile acid formation and excretion.
When compared to other vegetables, the yellow peas used in PurePea™ have low levels of phytosteroids (isoflavones), thus minimizing the possible estrogenic effects.
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Due to its favorable amino acid profile and high digestibility, PurePea™ is an excellent choice for consumption before, during, and after exercise. Adequate intake of protein, in particular BCAAs, helps to promote muscle growth and repair, particularly after strenuous resistance training.
Dairy Free
The pea protein in PurePea™ is not a major allergen, and is, therefore, a safe alternative for people with allergies to milk and milk products who must avoid casein or whey proteins, for those with lactose intolerance, and for vegetarians with soy allergies.
As a dietary supplement, mix 30 grams (approx. 2 heaping scoops) in eight ounces of water or any other beverage per day, or as directed by your health care practitioner.
Notice: This is a natural product that may exhibit color, taste, and density variations from lot to lot. It contains naturally occuring nutrients; therefore amounts may vary within the pea protein and flavor profiles.
Low Allergen PurePea™ is a safe alternative for people with allergies to milk and milk products who must avoid casein or whey proteins, and for those with lactose intolerance.


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AFB Swartkop (now AF MDW)
"Primus" (First)Satellite View
AFS Zwartkop was established in April 1921 and was South Africa's first air force base and is home of the SAAF Museum. The base is located on the western side of the main (tar) runway.
Following the original selection of land for a planned aerodrome, for what eventually became Swartkop, in about 1920 a private farm called Zwartkop was expropriated by the Government of the day. This farm had itself been named after a nearby prominent hill. The Dutch spelling of Zwartkop was retained for the Air Station that was subsequently developed. On April 1, 1949, the Dutch spelling was dropped in favour of the English and resulted in Air Force Station (AFS) Swartkop. On February 1, 1968, the AFS was upgraded to a fully fledged Air Force Base (AFB).
The Base was reprocaimed an Air Force Station on 1 March 1999. The SAAF commenced vacating the base in 1999, with the intention of leaving only the SAAF Museum behind and the base being known as 'Zwartkop', an extension of AFB Waterkloof. The SAA Historic Flight moved to the airfield and the airfield has been proclaimed a heritage site.
The SAAF then changed it's mind and decided not to vacate its operational units.
The site then became known as AFB Swartkop, with the SAAF Museum occupying the northern side of the base, while the active SAAF units occupy the southern end of the base.
However, the official name for the entire base/premises is Air Force Mobile Deployment Wing (AFMDW), incorporating 17 Squadron, the Museum, the old Snake Valley on the Eastern side and the old Gym (Valhalla) on the opposite side of the road. Thus, AFB Swartkop is no more and the unit badge it that of the AFMDW.
The SAAF Memorial is located on Bays Hill, on the northern side of the Base.
The base is also responsible for the Ellisras Reporting Post (plus FACP Centurion, FACP Lohatla and FACP Potchefstroom).
Squadrons at this base:
104 Squadron, 17 Squadron, Airspace Control Unit, SAAF Museum Historic Flight
Aircraft at this base:
A109 LUH, Alouette II (Museum), C-47 Dakota (Museum), CL.13B Sabre Mk 6 (Museum), CN 235, D.H.87B Hornet Moth (Museum), DHC-1 Chipmunk T MK 10, Explorer, Fi-156c-7 Storch, Harvards (Museum), Mirage IIIBZ (Museum), Mirage IIICZ (Museum), Oryx, P-51D Mustang (Museum), P166S Albatross (Museum), Prentice T Mk 1, Provost T Mk 52 (Museum), S-55C (Museum), SA-330L Puma (Museum), Shackleton MR.3 (Museum), Spitfire Mk IXe (Museum)
Other Bases:
AFB Ysterplaat Detached (Cape Town IAP), Air Force Base Bloemspruit, Air Force Base Durban, Air Force Base Hoedspruit, Air Force Base Langebaanweg, Air Force Base Makhado, Air Force Base Overberg, Air Force Base Pietersburg, Air Force Base Waterkloof, Air Force Base Ysterplaat, Air Force Mobile Deployment Wing, Air Force Station Port Elizabeth, Air Force Station Thaba Tshwane, N/A, Other, SAAF Gymnasium, TEK Base


text:
British Columbians can expect their mobile phones, televisions and radios to sound off today as the Alert Ready system undergoes a third round of testing.
Emergency Info B.C. will conduct the public alerting tests at 1:55 p.m. (PDT). If successful, test alerts will appear on updated and compatible mobile devices connected to an LTE wireless network.
The tests are part of a nationwide alert system to be used for future warnings about tornadoes, floods, Amber Alerts and terrorist threats.
WATCH: B.C. tests emergency alert system for second time
Not all mobile devices can receive alerts as device compatibility, software version, phone settings and connection to an LTE network can impact whether the alert is received. This means that receiving an SMS text message notification of the upcoming test does not guarantee that the phone can receive the emergency alerts.
READ MORE: New national emergency alert system fails first test
Alerts are also expected to disrupt selected TV programming and AM radio channels.
Previous tests have only shown up on some cellphones.
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text:
High page yield
Integrated ink tanks
Hybrid ink system
Up to 48001 x 1200 dpi
2 FINE Cartridges (Black and Colour)
Refillable ink tank printer
Approx. 8.8 ipm2
Approx. 5.0 ipm3
Borderless 10x15cm : Approx. 60 seconds4
Yes (A4, Letter, 20x25cm, 13x18cm, 13x13cm, 10x15cm)
A4 colour documents printing5
Black: 6000 pages*
Colour: 7000 pages*
* Estimated supplemental yield
10x15cm colour photo printing6
Colour: 2000 Photos*
* Estimated supplemental yield
Plain Paper
High Resolution Paper (HR-101N)
Photo Paper Plus Glossy II (PP-201)
Photo Paper Pro Luster (LU-101)
Photo Paper Plus Semi-gloss (SG-201)
Glossy Photo Paper "Everyday Use" (GP-501)
Matte Photo Paper (MP-101)
Rear tray: Max. 100 sheets (plain paper)
A4, A5, B5, 10x15cm, 13x18cm, 20x25cm, Envelopes (DL, COM10), Letter, Legal
Plain paper: 64 – 105 g/m²
Canon photo paper: up to 275 g/m²
No display
Hi-Speed USB (B Port)
Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7 SP1
.NET Framework 4.5.2 or 4.6 is required
Windows: 3.1 GB disk space, Internet Explorer 8
Display: 1024 x 768 XGA
approx. 4.8 kg
approx. 445 x 330 x 135 mm
approx. 54.5dB(A)9
10-90%RH (no dew condensation)
AC 100-240V, 50/60Hz
Off: Approx. 0.2 W
Standby (connected to PC via USB): Approx. 0.6 W (scanning lamp off)
Standby (all ports connected): Approx. 0.6 W (scanning lamp is off)
Time to enter Standby mode: 1 minute 10sec
Printing: Approx. 11W10
All specifications subject to change without notice.
Print speed may vary depending on system configuration, interface, software, document complexity, print mode, page coverage, type of paper used etc.
Ink yield may vary depending on texts/photos printed, applications software used, print mode and type of paper used. For yield information see www.canon-europe.com/ink/yield
All brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies.
Microsoft, Windows and the Windows logo are trademarks, or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.


text:
Algebra and Trigonometry Graphs and Models
, by Bittinger, Marvin L.; Beecher, Judith A.; Ellenbogen, David J.; Penna, Judith A.- ISBN: 9780134179049 | 0134179048
- Cover: Hardcover
- Copyright: 1/14/2016
For courses in algebra and trigonometry.
Visualize. Interact. Succeed.
The Graphs and Models series by Bittinger, Beecher, Ellenbogen, and Penna is known for helping students see the math through its focus on visualization and technology. These texts continue to maintain the features that have helped students succeed for years: focus on functions, visual emphasis, side-by-side algebraic and graphical solutions, and real-data applications. With the Sixth Edition, visualization is taken to a new level with technology, and students find even more ongoing review.
Also available with MyMathLab
MyMathLab® is an online homework, tutorial, and assessment program designed to work with this text to engage students and improve results. Within its structured environment, students practice what they learn, test their understanding, and pursue a personalized study plan that helps them absorb course material and understand difficult concepts.
New Guided Visualizations in MyMathLab help students allow for hands-on manipulation to gain understanding of difficult concepts. References to 28 Just-In-Time review topics are placed throughout the text and MyMathLab to help students right when they need it most, and new Cumulative Review Assignments and Skill Maintenance Quizzes are pre-made and assignable in MyMathLab to help students connect concepts and maintain skills throughout the course. Plus, new Video Assessment Exercises and a new Video Notebook further enhance the MyMathLab course and resources available.
Note: You are purchasing a standalone product; MyMathLab does not come packaged with this content. Students, if interested in purchasing this title with MyMathLab, ask your instructor for the correct package ISBN and Course ID. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.
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Yes, but only once the divorce is final. Until that time the spouse must remain on your insurance. If the former spouse needs to remain insured by order of the Divorce Decree, the former spouse will drop off of the City's group plan and COBRA rates will apply. If this happens, please provide HR with a copy of the Divorce Decree indicating the length of time the former spouse must be insured.
You can check a list of participating doctors, hospitals and facilities by checking out the Rocky Mountain Health Network website below. Once you've accessed the link, select EBMS-City of Billings on the dropdown menu labeled Insurance Accepted.
Before a Covered Person enters a Medical Care Facility on a non-emergency basis, or receives other listed medical services, the utilization review administrator will, in conjunction with the attending Physician, certify the care as appropriate. A non-emergency stay in a Medical Care Facility is one that can be scheduled in advance. The Physician or Covered Person must contact CareLink at 406-245-3575 or 866-894-1505, 7:00 am - 7:00 pm Monday - Thursday, and 7:00 am - 5:00 pm, Friday, prior to the following treatments:* Inpatient admissions to a Hospital* Inpatient admissions to free-standing chamical dependancy, mental health, and rehabilitation facilities.* Cancer treatment programs, administered on an inpatient or outpatient basis.* Inpatient or outpatient surgeries relating to hysterectomies, spine surgery, or bariatric surgery.
Preferred hospital and facility plans do not require you to file a claim form when you visit a preferred hospital or facility. They will submit the claim electronically directly to EBMS. If you elect to receive care from a non-network hospital or facility, you may be required to pay in advance and then file a claim for reimbursement from the plan. However, should you ever require care for life-threatening situations, your preferred hospital and facility plan understands that you may receive care before contacting CARE LINK. The emergency room where you receive care may be outside of the preferred hospital and facility network. Most hospitals will file your claim for you; others may send the bill directly to you for you to coordinate with your plan.If you do need to submit a claim form, which is available on the website below, you can mail it directly to: Employee Benefit Management Services, P. O. Box 21367, Billings, MT 59104 Otherwise, you can forward the forms to the City of Billings, Human Resources dept for EBMS. They pick up mail daily.
You can log into your EBMS account by accessing the website below. If you are a new user, select the new user sign up button. Complete the registration form. (Note: If you are already registered, you will just need to login with the user name and password you previously set up.) EBMS will immediately validate your eligibility status. Once verified, you will have instant access to your miHealthManager and miBenefits, which includes personal health information, claims, flex status, requesting ID cards, and much more. You may also contact EBMS directly at (406) 869-5505 or HR at (406) 657-8265.


text:
If you grew up in the modern West – North America, for example – you probably grew up with central heating, cheap fuel and a near-endless supply of electricity delivered right to a hole in your wall. Generations of us grew up handling the winter chill with one simple technique: reach for the thermostat and crank it up. This assumption of convenience has shaped how we build houses, how we eat, and how we dress for all seasons. It also means that a fuel crisis or depression – or the winter storm that cut power to half a million North Americans a few weeks ago – can leave us completely vulnerable.
Consider, then, that people lived for thousands of years in wintry lands without a thermostat to crank, or without any modern fuel or technology, and obviously did not all freeze to death – nor were they even necessarily uncomfortable. They built their homes differently than we do, they adopted different dress and habits, and lived with a different set of expectations.
Traditional homes in many cultures had thick walls, whose thermal mass absorbed heat during the day and radiated it back during the cool night. Some homes in Ireland, for example, were made of cob – a mixture of sand, clay and straw that could be literally sculpted into a house. I helped built one in County Clare, Ireland, and I'm told it remains cozy inside years later.
Photo: Wikicommons
In many cultures – whether medieval Wales, pre-Columbian America or Ancient Greece – villages were arranged to maximize exposure to sun and light, minimizing the need for burning fuel. Only in recent times have we decided to build without regard to direction or landscape. (1)
"Coupled with other low-tech solutions … passive solar design could all but eliminate the use of fossil fuels and biomass for heating buildings throughout large parts of the world," wrote Kris De Decker in Low-Tech Magazine. (2)
Of course, many homes used to be easier to heat and insulate, for the simple reason that they were smaller. As recently as 1950, the average new home in the United States was 983 square feet, not much larger than old Irish cottages. By 2004, however, the average had swelled to 2,349 square feet, even though family size had shrunk, and most homes were occupied by just one or a few people. (3)
Realistically, of course, most of us are not going to design new cities or even houses – even if you have an opportunity to build your own home, as we did, budgets and local ordinances might force a compromise with convention. Most people rent or pay a mortgage on an already-built home, and have to retrofit.
Thankfully, retrofitting can go a long way, starting with insulation; according to one organization, 65 percent of American homes have substandard insulation. That wasted energy – whether at the electrical power plant or in the home – has a real human cost; according to a 2003 study, retrofits across the United States would mean 6,500 fewer asthma attacks, and save hundreds of lives and $1.3 billion in health costs. That doesn't even count the billions we would save in heating costs, the fossil fuels saved for future generations, and the greenhouse gases left un-gassed. (4) (5)
For people who can't afford new insulation, old clothes stuffed in the attic could also help. Victorians used to insulate inside by putting old wine bottles – empty but re-corked – under the floorboards, creating air pockets. People can simply close off outer rooms and seal them off, keeping heat in areas where people spend most of their time. Trees and vine trellises, moreover, can be positioned to shade homes in the heat and let light through in the bare-branched winter.
You could create your own thermal mass inside your home. A trombe wall is a thermal mass – bricks, black-painted water tanks, anything to absorb heat during the day and radiate it at night. It would usually face the south (if you're in the Northern Hemisphere), and sit inside your windows – but if you want to build a greenhouse, you could build it on the south side and make your outside wall the thermal mass. (6)
What all these approaches have in common is that they maximize external energy coming into your home (south-facing windows, trombe wall) and keep the heat that's there from escaping (insulation). All of them, though, involve building or installing something new, and some solutions are even more basic than that – so much so that they are often overlooked. More on that next column.
(1) A Golden Thread: 2,500 Years of Solar Architecture and Technology by Ken Butti and Jon Perlin, as cited in "The solar envelope: how to heat and cool cities without fossil fuels," by Kris De Decker, Low-Tech Magazine.
(2) "The solar envelope: how to heat and cool cities without fossil fuels," by Kris De Decker, Low-Tech Magazine.
(3) "Americans want smaller homes, not McMansions," USA Today, August 25, 2010.
(5) "The Public Health Benefits of Insulation Retrofits in Existing Housing in the United States," Jonathan I. Levy, Yurika Nishioka and John D. Spengler, Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source, April, 2003
(6) The Passive Solar Energy Book by Ed Mazria.


text:
Nuclear Money Pit
America's atomic arsenal is stuck in the Cold War era.
These days superpower nuclear-weapons controversies hardly elicit the excitement that once inspired such bumper-sticker slogans as, "you can't hug children with nuclear arms." The "no nukes!" movement has gone the way of the Cold War and MTV playing music videos, right?
In the 21st century, the 2002 Treaty of Moscow and 2010's New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) were supposed set the clock on bilateral warhead reduction, and there are no plans for the production of more nuclear weapons. Pretty cut and dried, one would think. But like everything radiating out of Washington, the atomic drawdown is not what it seems.
Despite a deficit reduction plan to cut $1.2 trillion in federal spending over 10 years and ongoing negotiations by the so-called supercommittee to identify cuts of $1.5 trillion more, members of Congress are pushing an expanded plutonium storage and production assistance facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Critics say the facility is unnecessary, poorly designed, and dangerous—there are fault lines throughout the Los Alamos property—and its cost has ballooned from $375 million in 2001 to an estimated $5.5 billion today.
It hasn't been built yet—in fact, the designs aren't even finished after 10 years. But the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Nuclear Facility (CMRR-NF) has been soaking up taxpayer money all the same as the scope of the project has metastasized.
"The country doesn't have money to pour into an unnecessary, giant boondoggle that has grown beyond all original expectations," charges Greg Mello, executive director of the Los Alamos Study Group, probably the toughest grassroots opposition the CMRR-NF project faces right now. "When the cost of a facility increases by more than a factor of ten, even as the fundamental purposes are evaporating, it's important to stop, to pause and to question whether this is the right thing to do."
There is no doubt that the budget-cutting imperative is clashing with the old way of doing business on Capitol Hill, as pet projects and earmarks come under more scrutiny than ever. Bureaucratic institutions used to getting their way by easing expensive, potentially controversial programs under the radar are finding themselves squarely in critics' sights.
That includes CMRR-NF, which has never been the subject of a public congressional hearing or passionate floor speech—much less a heated debate on cable TV or talk radio—but has been controversial nonetheless.
"I think the key is, it appears to be a huge waste of money and particularly in our current fiscal situation there is no need to hurry this thing at all," says Peter Stockton, senior investigator for the Project on Government Oversight, which is currently working on its own CMRR-NF report.
• • •
The mission of National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which is a semi-autonomous agency of the U.S. Department of Energy, is to "improve national security through the military application of nuclear energy." It oversees Los Alamos and is in charge of the CMRR project.
Initially, the NNSA was merely focused on renovating the parts of Los Alamos's old Chemistry and Metallurgy Research (CMR) building that were outmoded and deteriorating by the late 1990s. Tests had found faults running under the property that could cause dangerous earthquakes.
After President George W. Bush was elected, plans to improve and upgrade salvageable portions of the nearly 60-year-old CMR were scrapped, and NNSA set about designing a "simple" replacement facility with two buildings about a mile away. One, the Radiological Laboratory Utility Office Building, is not controversial and almost complete. The other—the NF in CMRR-NF—is a new nuclear facility that would support Los Alamos's nuclear-weapons mission, including plutonium storage, and assist in the production of plutonium-based "pits," the fissile cores of nuclear weapons. This currently takes place at the existing TA-55/PF-4 nuclear facility next to the proposed site.
The nuclear facility, according to its critics, has become a monster. Aside from the runaway cost estimates, according to Mello the envisioned facility would give TA-55/PF-4 the capacity to double the number of pits Los Alamos produces each year and could store up to six metric tons of plutonium, "enough to rebuild the entire U.S. strategic arsenal." This when there are thousands of pits already in storage and a treaty with the Russians sharply limits the nuclear arsenal.
Even if the increase in pit production were necessary—and as Mello and others point out, with much of the information classified or otherwise unavailable to the public, it is hard to know—the existing lab could be upgraded to carry out Los Alamos's publicly stated mission to refurbish the current stockpile. NNSA, critics complain, has so far refused to seriously consider any alternative.
"We think there are simpler, cheaper, faster alternatives to accomplishing their stated mission, though their stated missions are aggrandized to begin with," says Los Alamos Study Group President Peter Neils, who was on Capitol Hill in late October to get the word out about CMRR-NF. He blames the out-of-control designs and spiraling cost on a mix of Cold War ideology, over-reliance on contractors, and the self-sustaining mentality of all bureaucracies.
Simply put, says Mello, "the warhead establishment and the Cold War hawks cannot let go of designing and building new kinds of warheads, to create what they call 'end-to-end' work for the weapons complex."
• • •
As of June, the Federation of American Scientists reports, the U.S. had 1,950 operational strategic nuclear warheads, plus approximately 200 deployed on behalf of allied countries—Belgium, Turkey, Netherlands, Italy and Germany—and 2,850 in reserve. In addition, some 3,500 retired warheads are awaiting dismantlement. This all jibes with numbers issued by the State Department in 2010. START demands that the U.S. bring those deployed numbers down closer to 1,550 by 2018.
At its peak in 1967 during the Cold War, the nuclear stockpile was at 31,225 warheads. America had 22,217 when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. If the Cold War were still on, say critics, we might need additional capacity to build pits. But as it is there are thousands of usable pits already in reserve, and the scientific consensus says the plutonium parts of the pits have a lifespan of at least 100 years. The U.S. arsenal is well stocked in this regard.
The new CMRR-NF would help Los Alamos's TA-55/PF4 site boost production to a conservative estimate of 125 pits a year on a double shift, according to observers.
This is as outrageous as it is unnecessary, claims Frank von Hippel, a professor and principal investigator at Princeton University's Program on Science and Global Security, in an affidavit for the Los Alamos Study Group, which is trying to force NNSA's hand in court.
"There is no anticipated need to produce new pits for U.S. nuclear weapons for several decades," he writes. The oldest pit produced in the U.S. is 32 years old, he added, noting the current TA-55/PF-4's production rate of 10 pits per year would be adequate for any replacements necessary during the modernization and maintenance that is already going on under the auspices of NNSA.
Critics say the entire landscape of nuclear-weapons production has changed since CMRR-NF was conceived—all in the direction of reducing the nuclear stockpile—yet every adjustment in the facility's blueprints has resulted in more capacity to store plutonium and build additional pits.
Most notably, the Reliable Replacement Warhead, a new family of warheads conceived in 2004 and used as a chief justification for modernizing Los Alamos's nuclear-weapons complex, was defunded by Congress and cancelled by the Obama Administration in 2009.
CMRR-NF "is being built to increase capacity for pit production, even though pit production is not what we need," the Project on Government Oversight's Stockton charges. NNSA did not respond to several phone calls for comment on these and other charges lobbed by the opposition.
A three-page "Questions and Answers Regarding the CMRR Project" issued by NNSA before the Reliable Replacement Warhead was canceled maintains that the "primary mission of CMRR will be to support the current nuclear weapons stockpile through surveillance and life-extension programs necessary for the nuclear weapons complex" and "the size of CMRR remains the same." It blames the soaring expense on poor initial estimates, cost increases in "the construction industry worldwide," and requirements relating to the seismic risks, nuclear quality assurance, and security. The words "fissile core" or "pit" are never mentioned.
NNSA also contends it has put alternatives up for public comment, most recently when it amended the plans under its Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, which the agency says has incorporated "updated seismic safety design information." (The Los Alamos Study Group disagrees and has filed a second lawsuit against NNSA, contending that it's relying on outdated feasibility and impact studies, among other charges.)
Critics say that if the new facility's mission is merely to help maintain the stockpile, the job could be handled at an improved and upgraded TF-22/P4 facility or elsewhere at a fraction of the cost. As for size, Mello says NNSA can longer say the facility is "the same"—the square footage might be, but the installation's scope has certainly grown since 2001.
• • •
CMRR-NF is not without detractors on Capitol Hill. Over the years, its budget and plans have been questioned for all of the reasons already cited and more. Indeed, today's fiscal environment has bolstered the criticism, with results that can be seen in competing House and Senate appropriations bills. (Some $450 million has been appropriated to CMRR since 2002.)
Calling it a "cost reduction strategy," the House in July cut $100 million from NNSA's $300 million request for CMRR-NF as part of the overall $30.6 billion Fiscal Year 2012 Water and Energy Appropriations package. "The [House and Water and Energy Subcommittee] fully supports the Administration's plans to modernize the infrastructure, but intends to closely review the funding request for new investment to ensure those plans adhere to good project management practices," the final bill reads.
By trimming the agency's request by a third, the House is refusing to provide "the additional funding to support early construction" and would not do so until NNSA resolves "major seismic issues with design" and tames CMRR's cost.
The Senate subcommittee, too, has expressed concerns. Pointing to the growing expense, its FY 2012 appropriations bill demands NNSA submit a contingency plan that would identify the cost and consequences of delaying the implementation of CMRR, as well as a planned Uranium Processing Facility at Oak Ridge, Tennessee—another project that has gone from an estimated $1.5 billion to upwards of $6.5 billion in the last five years. The committee also proposes to cut $60 million from the NNSA's $300 million request for CMRR, but allows for preliminary "site preparation"—in other words, construction may begin on a project whose designs are not yet finished.
Mello and Neils have tried to convince lawmakers to put a permanent stop to CMRR-NF. It's a difficult task, they say. Many legislators are hearing about the issue for the first time and might not be willing to plough through intimidating scientific and technical jargon to get at why this project is bad news.
And CMRR-NF already has momentum. Mike Lofgren, who spent 28 years on Capitol Hill as an aide on defense issues for the House and Senate Budget Committees, says this is bureaucracy in action, and anything relating to weapons systems is going to be expensive.
"It doesn't surprise me that after a requirement has gone away, or the need has been severely curtailed, they would just continue on with this thing," Lofgren tells TAC. "These projects get front-loaded by optimistic projections of their cost and overstatements of, 'hey, we really need this thing,' so you front-load them and politically engineer them by getting the local congressmen all hyped up by saying it's going to create new jobs."
When lawmakers start asking whether a particular project is really worth it, the response, Lofgren says, is always, "it's too early to tell or too late to stop" and the effort will go on until the money is gone, mission accomplished or not. One need look no further than the $65 billion fleet of F-22 Raptors, which was grounded from May to August because of operational problems and has never seen a day of combat.
It's hard to get a firm handle on how CMRR-NF has come to be apparently unstoppable because no wants to talk—neither the detractors on the Energy and Water Development Subcommittees, nor the project's proponents, who have long been led by figures like Sen. John Kyl (R-Ariz.). In fact, reports at the time of Senate negotiations over New START indicate that as Republican Senate whip, Kyl was successful in obtaining additional funds for CMRR-NF in exchange for Senate GOP support for Obama's treaty with the Russians. Kyl's office did not return calls for comment.
A spokeswoman for Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), known as a longtime supporter of the CMRR project, responded with a statement from the senator that hardly sounded like a ringing endorsement.
"The CMRR is an important project for [Los Alamos National Laboratory] and for New Mexico, but it is also important to be sure environmental and cost issues are fully addressed," Bingaman said. "My top concern as the project has been developed continues to be safety and security of the proposed facility."
Contractors, post-Cold War ideologues, and bureaucracy may keep the CMRR-NF project going, but those interests appear to be clashing directly with the forces of fiscal restraint and new environmental concerns. After the earthquake-spawned Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster in Japan last spring, fears over seismic hazards at Los Alamos have only grown.
Meanwhile, the Los Alamos Study Group insists its goal is not to stop the U.S. nuclear program, but to make it safer, more efficient and less expensive.
The nuclear-weapons establishment "could do their job more efficiently and more cheaply if they didn't infuse their work with so much ideology and were just more practical and straightforward," says Mello. And CMRR-NF is not the only program that might demand additional scrutiny. According to the New York Times, the facility is just one of a host of modernization projects that could cost taxpayers over $600 billion in the next decade.
Kelley Beaucar Vlahos is a Washington, D.C.-based freelance reporter and a columnist for Antiwar.com.


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A U.S. agency says consumers who opt for overdraft coverage on their checking accounts pay higher fees and are more likely to have their accounts closed than those who decline it.
A report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released Tuesday says it's hard for consumers to anticipate and avoid overdraft charges. It found that the cost for "opting in" for overdraft coverage varies widely from one bank to the next.
Customers of some banks paid average charges of $298 annually, while those at others paid $147.
The CFPB has been investigating overdraft fees, which are a major source of banks' revenue. The agency has said its examination could result in new rules.
The Consumer Bankers Association, which represents large U.S. banks and regional banks, urged the CFPB against adopting any policy that it said could push consumers toward financial firms outside the banking industry which are less strictly regulated by the government and offer costlier alternatives.
"Consumers have the right to choose the products and features which best provide for their family's daily financial needs," Richard Hunt, the group's president and CEO, said in a statement Tuesday. "Fortunately, the marketplace for checking accounts is extremely competitive and banks make every effort to educate their customers about the options available to them."
Banks charge overdraft fees when customers try to spend more money than they have in an account.
Banks will allow the transaction and then charge the customer a penalty of as much as $35.
Consumer advocates say overdraft fees hurt the people who can least afford them because poorer customers are more likely to drain their checking accounts to close to zero.
"Consumers need to anticipate and avoid unnecessary fees on their checking accounts," CFPB Director Richard Cordray said in a statement. "But we are concerned that some overdraft practices may increase consumer costs beyond reasonable expectations."
In 2010, the Federal Reserve barred banks from automatically enrolling customers in so-called overdraft protection programs for debit card or ATM transactions. Banks must obtain a customer's consent, or "opt-in." Without overdraft protection, a transaction is declined if the customer can't cover it. The rule didn't apply to checks, online bill payments or recurring debits, such as a monthly cable bill. It also didn't limit how much banks can charge for the overdraft service.
Banks have responded by marketing overdraft protection aggressively.
Negative account balances can lead to involuntary closures of accounts, which can leave a black mark on a consumer's record and make it hard to open a new account, the report noted. It found that involuntary closure rates at some banks were over 2.5 times higher for customers who had opted for debit and ATM overdraft coverage.
The overdraft fees are complicated, the report said, varying among banks with regard to the number of overdrafts that can be incurred in a single day, for example. The maximum amount that a bank is willing to advance to a customer as protection can vary widely based on many factors.
The order in which check, debit card and other transactions are posted to an account can affect the number of overdraft fees, and the report found widely varying posting practices among banks.


text:
Canada pulls out of Kyoto Protocol
TORONTO - The Associated Press
This file photo taken on December 10, 2002 shows Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien (C) receiving a standing ovation during a Question Period after the government voted in support of ratifying the Kyoto Protocol in Ottawa. AFP Photo
Canada pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, saying the accord won't help solve the climate crisis. It dealt a blow to the anti-global warming treaty, which has not been formally renounced by any other country.Environment Minister Peter Kent said Monday that Canada is invoking its legal right to withdraw and said Kyoto doesn't represent the way forward for Canada or the world.
Canada, joined by Japan and Russia, said last year it will not accept new Kyoto commitments, but withdrawing from the accord is another setback to the treaty concluded with much fanfare in 1997.
The protocol, initially adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, is aimed at fighting global warming. Canada's previous Liberal government signed the accord but did little to implement it and Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government never embraced it.
"The Kyoto Protocol does not cover the world's largest two emitters, United States and China, and therefore cannot work," Kent said. "It's now clear that Kyoto is not the path forward to a global solution to climate change. If anything it's an impediment." Kent's announcement comes a day after marathon climate talks wrapped up in the South African port city of Durban.
Negotiators from nearly 200 countries agreed on a deal that sets the world on a path to sign a new climate treaty by 2015 to replace the first Kyoto Protocol, which expires at the end of next year.
Kent said the Durban agreement does represent a path forward. Durban's accord envisions a new treaty with binding targets for all countries to take effect in 2020.
"It allows us to continue to create jobs and growth in Canada," Kent said.
Monday's announcement was not a surprise. Canada faced international criticism at the recent climate talks in South Africa amid reports it would pull out of Kyoto. Kent had said previously that signing the Kyoto Protocol on climate change was one of the previous government's biggest blunders.
The accord requires countries to give a year's notice to withdraw. Kent said the move saves Canada $14 billion in penalties for not achieving its Kyoto targets.
"To meet the targets under Kyoto for 2012 would be the equivalent of either removing every car, truck, ATV, tractor, ambulance, police car and vehicle of every kind from Canadian roads or closing down the entire farming and agriculture sector and cutting heat to every home, office, hospital, factory and building in Canada," Kent said.
Harper's Conservative government is reluctant to hurt Canada's booming oil sands sector, which is the country's fastest growing source of greenhouse gases and a reason it has reneged on its Kyoto commitments.
Canada has the world's third-largest oil reserves, more than 170 billion barrels. Daily production of 1.5 million barrels from the oil sands is expected to increase to 3.7 million in 2025. Only Saudi Arabia and Venezuela have more reserves. But critics say the enormous amount of energy and water needed in the extraction process increases greenhouse gas emissions.
Kent said Canada produces "barely 2 percent" of global emissions and said the previous Liberal government signed onto Kyoto in 1997 without any intention of meeting its targets.
He said the Kyoto Protocol originally covered countries generating less than 30 percent of global emissions and now it covers just 13 percent. He said Canada is committed to addressing climate change in a way that's fair. Canada insists any agreement has to cover all nations.
He said he would not be surprised if other countries follow Canada in pulling out of Kyoto.
Kent's announcement drew immediate criticism from environmental groups. Mike Hudema of Greenpeace Canada said in a statement that it is further signal that the Harper government is more concerned about protecting polluters than people.
Hannah McKinnon of the Climate Action Network Canada said formally withdrawing from Kyoto after the Durban, South Africa conference is a slap in the face of the international community.
"It's a total abdication of our responsibilities," McKinnon said.
Opposition New Democrat lawmaker Megan Leslie disputed the dollar figures involved and said there are no penalties under Kyoto. Leslie said pulling out saves the Conservatives from having to report that Canada is falling short of its Kyoto targets.
"It's like we're the kid in school who knows they're gonna fail the class, so we have to drop it before that actually happens," Leslie said.
Scientists say that if levels of greenhouse gases continue to rise, eventually the world's climate will reach a tipping point, with irreversible melting of some ice sheets and a several-foot(meter) rise in sea levels.
They cannot pinpoint exactly when that would happen, but the two-decade-long climate negotiations have been focused on preventing global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.2 degrees Celsius) above current levels by the end of this century.


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Get More Out of Your Workouts With an Exercise Ball
Physio ball, exercise ball, stability ball, fitness ball — whatever you call it, we think a ball is must have for just about everyone. A stability ball can be used in the office and the gym — with a ball, basic exercises like sit-ups or push-ups become much more challenging and effective. If you're new to this piece of fitness equipment, here are some details you should know.
Sizing and Sitting
You need to buy the correct size ball for your height. The diameter of the ball makes all the difference — size does matter. If you are close to the cut off point between sizes, try testing out both sizes and see which works best for you. Here are basic guidelines to follow:
4'11" to 5'4" height: 55 cm ball
5'4" to 5'11" height: 65 cm ball
5'11" to 6' 7" height: 75 cm ball
An exercise ball, when size properly, makes for an active chair when sitting at a desk. You should be able to sit with your knees at a right angle and your thighs parallel to the ground. Aside from keeping your core engaged, replacing your seat with a ball will help your posture. Celeb trainer David Kirsch endorses the switch! If you still need convincing, here are more reasons to swap your chair for a ball.
Strength Training
You can also use the ball, to replace a weight bench for exercises like pec flies or some triceps-toning skull crushers. Simply lie with the ball supporting your upper back and head, and work your arms while stabilizing your unsupported core with your abs, glutes, and legs. Using the ball as a bench replacement, transforms these upper-body moves into full-body exercises. Here's step-by-step instructions to work the back of your arms lying on the ball.
The exercises you can do with one of these stability balls is practically endless. We have created a full-body ball workout. So grab your stability ball and try moves like hamstring curls to tone your backside and planks on the ball, which will tone just about everything. You can also use the ball as a tool to focus on a certain muscle groups, like the abs. Watch this video of five ab exercises you can do using a ball, including tips on how to take sit-ups on the ball to the next level.
Yoga and Stretching
An exercise ball can work as a yoga prop to deepen stretches or support your body in difficult poses. A ball is the perfect prop to help you master tricky yoga poses like the advanced arm balance Scorpion. If you are working on this variation of forearm stand learn how to use the ball with this video. If stretching is more your scene, lengthen the front of your body by reclining with your back on the ball. This stretch is great after a long bike ride or a long day hunched over your computer.


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Lorne Shields Historical Photograph Collection
- 2008.001
- Fonds
- 1840-1970, predominant 1860-1900
The collection consists of a large number of studio portrait photographs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries in carte-de-visite or cabinet card formats. There is a large collection of landscape and industrial imagery dating from the Victorian era to the 1960s. The collection also comprises many vernacular photographic albums, good examples of glass and metal photographic processes including cased daguerreotypes, ambrotypes and tintypes. The fonds is comprised of the following 8 series: Portraits (sub-series for Groups and Celebrities), Vernacular Photography (amateur snapshots), Landscapes and Industry (sub-series for Slides), Albums, the A.T. Orr collection and a Miscellaneous group of images which were generally created in mixed media.
Shields, Lorne


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Elite Roofing and Construction
Roof Replacement Contractor Fairhope
Elite Roofing and Construction is proud to provide professional quality roof installations and repairs in Baldwin and Mobile Counties in Alabama. Our highly skilled staff will take care of your roof. We will install every shingle according to the highest standards, no matter if your roof needs repair or a new roof. We only use the highest quality materials installed on every project using best practices. Our years of experience and ongoing training make us stand out from other roofing contractors.
Fairhope is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States, located on the eastern shoreline of Mobile Bay. The 2020 Census lists the population of the city as 22,477. Fairhope is a principal city of the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metropolitan area, which includes all of Baldwin County. == History == Fairhope was founded in November 1894 on the site of the former Alabama City as a Georgist "Single-Tax" colony by the Fairhope Industrial Association, a group of 28 followers of economist Henry George who had incorporated earlier that year in Des Moines, Iowa. Their corporate constitution explained their purpose in founding a new colony: to establish and conduct a model community or colony, free from all forms of private monopoly, and to secure to its members therein equality of opportunity, the full reward of individual efforts, and the benefits of co-operation in matters of general concern.
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Green Innovations, April 20-21
Don't waste this opportunity to hear from leaders and experts in areas of waste transformation and management for the agricultural, industrial, municipal and institutional sectors. Featuring Wisconsin's premiere showing of the award-winning documentary, DIVE! Living Off America's Waste (www.divethefilm.com) and a post-documentary forum with the film's producer.
Only $79, pre-registration. For more information, go to www.uwgb.edu/embi.


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Several years ago I attended a colloquium talk of an expert in Galois theory. He motivated some of his work on its relation with the inverse Galois problem. During the talk, a guy from the audience asked: "why should I, as a number theorist, should care about the inverse Galois problem?"
I must say that as a young graduate student that works on Galois theory, I was amazed or even perhaps shocked from this question. But later, I realized that I should have asked myself this question long ago.
Can you pose reasons to convince a mathematician (not just number theorist) of the importance of the inverse Galois problem? Or maybe why it's unimportant if you want to ruin the party ;)


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NEW YORK – Marlene Dietrich is having a moment. The runways of New York Fashion Week are paying homage to the late star's sultry, glamorous but sometimes slightly mannish style.
On the second of eight days of previews for next season, Friday's newness largely came from this old-school Hollywood star.
Dietrich's "balance of smoldering femininity and masculine garb was the starting point for the mood," explained Peter Som in his notes for editors, stylists and retailers. His collection was filled with modest-yet body-conscious silhouettes. A top look was the peek-a-boo effect of slim sheaths and pencil skirts covered with a glossy organza that often extended the hemline or covered the arms.
"She, like Katharine Hepburn, wore pants but still looked like a woman. She wore menswear and androgynous style with a sexiness," said Catherine Moellering, executive vice president of The Tobe Report, a trend-tracking service.
Jason Wu said in a pre-show interview that he aimed to interpret different elements of historical Chinese fashion through the lens of Dietrich's 1932 film "Shanghai Express."
"I don't need to say any more about Marlene Dietrich, or that time and place. It all has such strong features," Wu said.
Dietrich also was an inspiration for Tadashi Shoji, who previewed his looks Thursday. And Rag & Bone, showing Friday, took inspiration from Asian culture, while Yigal Azrouel used tailoring to give structure to the looser silhouette that also seems to be emerging this week as a trend.
Here are some of the looks shown Friday.
Jason Wu has been considered a strong up-and-comer since Michelle Obama wore a gown by the then-barely known designer to the presidential inaugural balls in 2008. A Target deal put a limited collection in stores earlier this month, and Wu's confidence was evident in a dramatic show that was also highly personal, with Chinese-influenced styles inspired partly by a trip 18 months ago to Taiwan, where he grew up.
The runway show had studded fortress doors, billowing smoke and a theatrical finale. The clothes tapped into Chinese military uniforms with Mao jackets, grommets, strong shoulders and capes, with the best look in the show opener: a green coat with attached cape and black lace. Tassels, embroideries and brocades drew on ornate costumes worn by empresses, with references to 1930s and '40s Hollywood, where traditional Chinese dress was reinterpreted in movies like Marlene Dietrich's "Shanghai Express."
The result? Puffy jackets in glitzy brocade.
The lingering look from this collection, though, is likely the finale: a black wool jacket with epaulets and mink trim covered in crystal embroidery paired with a black skirt etched with fabric through a process known as devore.
Peter Som's fall collection had below-the-knee hemlines, covered sleeves and wrap-style coats. It felt very modern and sexy — never dowdy — thanks to Som's creative use of sheer fabrics, especially a glossy organza that topped pencil skirts and slim sheaths. He showed awareness of a woman's body while never clinging to it. He used architectural shapes and clean lines to draw attention to the waist and a woman's curves, but that added layer — whether it was the organza or a peplum — gave her a little freedom.
"Masculine and feminine, hard and soft, textured and smooth," he described in his notes at the show held at Milk Studios, New York Fashion Week's main rival location to the Lincoln Center tents. Som said he "wanted to convey a sense of strength and beauty" inspired by Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn.
Luxury has become a signature of Som, but this season he did it more with soft leathers, cozy cashmere and silk instead of exotic furs and feathers. There were a few fox coats that were colored as if they were lipstick graffiti.
Otherwise, though, the palette was very uptown: winter white, camel, emerald green and plum.
Kate Spade New York offered a playful shoutout to Paris with styles in maraschino red, aqua and forest green, huge polka dots and graphic prints.
Creative director Deborah Lloyd matched the walls at the brand's show in a black dress adorned with French script reading "Toutes les filles sont folles," or "All the girls are crazy." She perched her models on columns in a downtown space, inspired by gardens near the Palais-Royal in Paris and the columns in its famous courtyard. "The last time I was there, all these cute girls were being statues on columns," she said.
She went oh so French with a cobalt blue button-up swing coat adorned with a large matching bow at the neck, and a column skirt with large dots in two shades of blue and a girlie bow at the waist.
Lloyd carried a dreamy, watercolor flower pattern from a full, pleated jumper into tops and cardigans. Her "joie de vivre" embracing Paris and the fashionable women who live there also showed up in a pattern adorned with colored drawings of the women themselves, including one holding a lit cigarette.
"There's definitely a French, flirtatious feeling to this collection," Lloyd said.
British-born Rag & Bone designers David Neville and Marcus Wainwright started with English mainstays, including tweeds, tails and jackets fit for military officers. But a recent trip to India also got them thinking about former British colonies and the traditional dress in those mostly Asian places, they explained backstage before the show.
On the runway there were folded skirts — a particularly nice one done in walnut-colored leather — that was paired with a polo-neck T-shirt and a high-neck, below-the-hip raj jacket, and draped, low-slung dhoti pants with a striped wool biker tailcoat.
The tapestry-style brocade outfits, jazzed up with flashes of silver and copper, were dressier than garments typical of Rag & Bone.
One of the dominant looks emerging this fashion week that Yigal Azrouel did well was the idea of a looser silhouette while still giving structure with tailoring. There was definitely nothing frilly or flouncy in his pieces, which were seasonal with what he called a bit of "cold minimalism."
He favored cashmere and silk, with hints of leather and fur, with a standout winter-white wool hooded pullover top paired with skinny trousers, and a lovely light tan gabardine dress with architectural lines. A cable-knit sweater dress seemed perfect for the chilly weather evoked by the line.
He embraced the use of soft, supple leather, another emerging must-have item, and a mostly neutral color palette with pops of emerald green and shades of purple and burgundy.
Follow AP coverage of New York Fashion Week at http://twitter.com/ap_fashion


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I received an email earlier today heralding the arrival of a new version of the Firefox-like music jukebox:
Almost a million people have given Songbird 1.0 a warm welcome. We thank you for that. We've listened to your feedback on Get Satisfaction, our blog and Bugzilla. We want to keep bringing out the innovation you deserve. Here is your Songbird 1.1.
New Features
On demand Fetching of Album Artwork
Songbird can now fetch album artwork from the web at your command. Simply select or right-click a track and choose "Get Album Artwork". You can also select your preferred source of artwork. By default, Songbird will retrieve album artwork from Last.fm but you can install other sources such as amazon.com via an add-on.Watch Folders
You can choose to watch a folder hierarchy for changes and the content will auto-magically be imported in your library. If a file is removed from the watched folder, the corresponding track will be deleted from your Library.Better Sorting
Library sorting supports unicode collation and better handling of leading definite and indefinite articles such as "The" and "a".Replay gain support (normalization)
If a track's metadata contains replay gain (including iTunes-specific) information, Songbird will adjust the playback gain appropriately.Improved Media Core & Better gapless playback
We rewrote the low level media core component for Windows to improve playback performance and lower cpu usage. Also, if an mp3 encoder places metadata information to indicate the exact beginning and end of the audio, Songbird is able to read it and use it to skip padding data that does not contain audio, leading to perfect gapless playback.MTP Device Support
We fixed many bugs affecting MTP devices on Windows. We've also added the ability to synch authorized Windows Media DRM'ed content to your MTP device. To see if your MTP device is supported, or to report your findings, visit the MTP device page.7digital MP3 Store (Beta)
Buy high quality MP3s (up to 320kbps) from the 7digital store in Songbird. The 7digital store in Songbird uses your most recently played tracks to recommend albums to you. Plus, 7digital contributes a portion of every purchase back to Songbird's development. Every song you buy supports your favorite artist AND our development. Woot! The UK store is fully stocked, but the US and other European stores are still continuing to populate a complete catalog of music.Performance Enhancements
We've continued to make the application more stable and zippier in all sorts of ways. Amongst other things, you should notice a smaller memory footprint and decreased CPU usage.
We made some substantial gains this release:
- Reduced memory use with a large library by 40%
- Cut CPU usage during playback by half
- Fixed playback memory leaks
- Made library caching configurable
- Added batching to the media importer, reducing memory use by 60%
- Reduced Mac download size 45%
- Fewer Crashes: We've worked hard to identify and fix ten of the most common crashes in Songbird.
For Developers
You can now invoke Songbird from a url. For instance,
songbird:open?url=http%3A%2F%2Flast.fmwill launch Songbird and open a new tab pointing to http://last.fm. For more information, review this article in our developer section.What's Next
Our goal is to continue to focus on building a world-class, open music player. Our next release will consist of continued focus on performance and stability gains, implementing additional audio features, and much more. Stay tuned to the blog to keep up to date, or if you like to live dangerously check out one of our nightly builds and see the progress for yourself! We're always interested in hearing your feedback so please visit our blog and post a comment or file bugs or feature requests in Bugzilla.


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On April 1, 2009, the Conficker worm played an April Fools' Day joke of its own on those who predicted an Internet meltdown.
But instead of a meltdown, infected computers only got a slight update in functionality, followed by brief attempts to rope them into rogue antivirus scams and then months of silence. Right now, Conficker appears to be a "headless botnet," opined F-Secure Chief Research Officer Mikko Hypponen, a massive Web of millions of computers that isn't doing much of anything.
"The gang has done nothing over the last 12 months as far as we can see," he told eWEEK.
Vincent Weafer, vice president of Symantec Security Response, agreed. Beyond computers infected with Conficker.C downloading the Waledac malware and rogue antivirus program SpywareProtect 2009 last April, the botnet has not really stirred, he said.
"However, it's important to remember that with an army of nearly 6.5 million computers, the threat remains a viable one and should not be dismissed," he added. "To put this into perspective, the Mariposa botnet reportedly infected more than 11 million computers during its lifetime and the Rustock botnet, which actually sends out 32.8 percent of all spam, is estimated to sit on somewhere between 1.6 and 2.4 million machines. So, Conficker may not be the biggest botnet ever, but it certainly is a major one."
Perhaps not surprisingly, there is little news about the identities of those responsible for the worm. But there is a digital trail of bread crumbs that law enforcement can follow-such as the source of domain registrations, code similarities with other malware and the source of rogue spyware associated with the malware, Weafer noted.
"Tracing a worm back to its origin is never an easy task," he said. "Unlike a traditional hacking attack where there is a relatively direct connection between the attacker and victim, a virus or worm is very anonymous and indirect. The author creates the virus and releases it into the wild, perhaps never directly communicating with it again. Infection and control commands are directed from other victim systems in multiple countries using encrypted communications, so it takes a lot of time and effort to track down each system in the chain, and by the time law enforcement gets a court order to access the data, the evidence may be no longer available.
"In the past, virus writers have been identified from postings they have made online … information provided by their friends for bounties or dispute, or because they directly connected to the virus or bot from systems registered in their own name," Weafer said. "For professional criminals, however, these are not usually mistakes that they make."
Microsoft still has a $250,000 bounty out for information leading to the arrests of those responsible for Conficker, which got its start exploiting a Windows vulnerability in November 2008. Variants B and C (also known as B++) also spread by abusing Windows' AutoRun feature for USB devices. But for all the computers the worm infected-and continues to infect-its biggest legacy may end up being the way it brought various vendors and security researchers together.
"The Conficker Working Group was probably the best example of cross-industry cooperation I've seen during my professional career," Hypponen said. "I think the biggest lesson we learned was how much more powerful we are together."