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This article is more than 1 year old
Google will build 1Gbps fiber networks to the home
The last Google mile
After building its own browser, its own operating system, its own mobile OS, its own smartphone, its own DNS service, and what amounts to its own private internet, Google is now building its own ultra-high-speed fiber networks to American homes.
With a blog post Wednesday morning, the search giant/world power announced it will build and test one-gigabit-per-second fiber connections to at least 50,000 homes in various locations across the US. The trial could expand to as many as 500,000 homes, according to the post.
A 1Gbps connection is about 100 times as fast as the fastest speeds available to most American broadband users today.
The primary purpose of the network, Google says, is experimentation. "Network providers are making real progress to expand and improve high-speed Internet access, but there's still more to be done," reads the blog post, from Google product managers Minnie Ingersoll and James Kelly.
"We don't think we have all the answers – but through our trial, we hope to make a meaningful contribution to the shared goal of delivering faster and better Internet for everyone."
Google has put out an RFI (request for information) to communities interested in joining the trial. The company will take responses from state, county, or city officials here until March 26. There's also a page where residents and local groups can nominate their communities.
In a video accompanying the blog post, Kelly says that with these fiber-to-the-home connections, Google is looking to make the web "better and faster for everyone, allowing applications that would be impossible today." Kelly also says that Google will experiment with new ways of building and operating fiber-optic networks and share those findings "with the world."
According to Kelly and Ingersoll, these will be "open access" networks, meaning the company will offer access to end users through a choice of multiple service providers. It's unclear whether Google would be one of the providers offering access directly to end users - though Kelly does say Google will "offer...connections at competitive prices."
The blog post followed an op-ed piece from Eric Schmidt in The Washington Post in which the Google boss called on the US to close its "innovation deficit," which would include boosting to-the-home internet speeds.
"High-speed Internet access must be much more widely available," Schmidt said. "Broadband is a major driver of new jobs and businesses, yet we rank only 15th in the world for access. More government support for broadband remains critical."
It's unclear whether Google will build the connections on its own or farm the task out to someone else. The company has yet to respond to our questions on the matter, but we wil update this story when they do.
Google already owns and operates a vast private infrastructure that spans as many as 36 data centers across the globe, and according to reports, the company purchased unused or "dark" fiber stretching across the US, saying this is used to drop the price of moving net traffic between its custom-built data centers and net peering points.
But with today's announcement, Google is moving into new territory, building net connections for the end user. Part of the company's aim, it would seem, is to break the power wielded by the likes of Verizon and AT&T over today's broadband networks and encourage telco giants to speed their own rate of innovation.
"We will allow third-parties to offer their own Internet access services, or other services, using our network," Google said in a statement sent to CNET.
"We believe this approach will maximize user choice as well as spur greater innovation and competition. Most providers in Europe and many places elsewhere in the world operate open access networks. It will be be open to any service provider, including incumbents and new entrants. 'Open' means open."
Google's has also pushed for more "openness" on US mobile networks - and successfully. Google successfully lobbied the FCC to attach open access requirements to the 700MHz spectrum auctioned off in January 2008 - requirements that would allow any application and any device onto the network - and this, along with the iPhone, sparked a wave of new innovation across the mobile market.
In lobbying the FCC over the 700MHz wireless spectrum, Google had also called for a "wholesale" requirement that would force the company licensing the spectrum to share it with other providers. This requirement was eventually struck down by the FCC. But now, Google intends to use this wholesale setup on its fiber-to-the-home networks.
In fragmenting the broadband market and boosting speeds, Google ultimately feeds its efforts to serve up any number of online services, collect user data, and target ads. Overseeing 60 to 70 per cent of the search market - and possibly more - and offering myriad other online services, Google already controls vast swaths of user data. And in recent months, it has moved into the browser and operating system markets as well.
Such software provides access to more data, which feeds Google's effort to target ads not only on its search engine and other Google online services but also across its widespread AdSense and DoubleClick ad platforms. One gigabit per second connections - able to run new breeds of high-bandwidth applications - would allow the company to collect still more data.
What's more, if Google controls the net connection, it would have access to data well beyond what gets pumped through its own web services.
Googles does call its fiber-to-the-home network a trial, capping customers at 500,000. And it's unclear whether the company will have access to all data streaming to and from end users. But presumably, it will - if it's one of the network service providers
Google's vast data store has already raised concerns from privacy advocates. And these concerns were recently compounded when The Washington Post reported that Google was in discussions to share data with the National Security Agency in an effort to analyze the recent cyber attacks on the company, alleged to have come from China. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) - a privacy advocacy group - has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the National Security Agency over the Google's purported discussions with that government organization. ®
A Google spokeswoman has responded to say: "It's a little too early to talk about specifics. Our focus right now is on identifying the right community partners. We'll be sharing more information about our techniques as this project progresses."


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Patients should expect to receive quality medicine on time, safe, and effective said Shirley-Ann Feld of Sanofi-Aventis during day two at IQPC's Cool Chain Logistics Europe 2013 in Basel, Switzerland.
And any medicines that require controlled temperature storage should also be transported appropriately.
With the new upcoming European Union Good Distribution Practice guidelines out soon, a risk-based approach needs to be utilized. Different approaches need to be evaluated to develop the right room temperature control supply chain strategy.
Transportation is more complex than you think. You must understand the distribution chain being used, identify potential risks, perform a risk analysis, and choose the correct transport mode.
One misconception is that most distribution within the EU is by plane, but actually most drug shipments are transported by truck, at least for Sanofi-Aventis. However, there are two types of truck in the EU, typical box trailers similar to the U.S., and the soft-sided or even soft-topped tautliner.
One test performed by Sanofi-Aventis was to split shipments in both types of truck and run them to the same destination—France to Switzerland and France to Portugal. Testing revealed that the tautliner experienced much more temperature deviations.
Temperature-regulated box trailers were found to be most effective. Other factors that influenced temperature were immediate loading and unloading of cargo rather than letting the trailer sit on a loading dock.
Heating or cooling the truck before loading helped stabilize temperature variations as well. Finally, Sanofi-Aventis discovered traveling by day during the winter, and by night in the summer also reduced risk of temperature excursions.
Testing sea freight was equally revealing. Ideally you want to place your cargo in the hold, not on deck (unless crossing the equator where hot temperatures outside create an "oven effect" in the hold), but shipping companies do not honor these requests, they load containers in the order they are received. Also, you can ask where you cargo was placed on the ship to better understand your data monitors, but often will not get an answer.
Two containers with monitors on the same ship can yield wildly different results. Insulation was found to be ineffective, actually trapping heat in the shipment—the greenhouse effect.
Sanofi-Aventis tests compared dry container vs reefer, which was 30% more expensive. But tests revealed many variables influencing temperature such as external temperatures, amount of sunshine vs cloudy days, and time waiting on dock, that Sanofi-Aventis opted for more expensive reefers to reduce losses.
Air transport revealed such risks as time on tarmac (generally, a lot of time is bad) stop overs, off-loading, changes in flight plans due to weather or mechanical failure, etc. Sanofi-Aventis is still testing options here, but found that clear pallet wrap again acts like a greenhouse and traps heat in the shipment, while white or metallized wrap offered better, comparable thermal protection.
Data loggers placed at the bottom of the load revealed ground temperature can affect the shipment as well. Consider an insulated bottom cover to protect from hot or cold ground temperatures.
The impact of adverse temperatures on shipments of drugs is not always obvious. You need stability data or might have to perform extra tests at additional cost.
Or you simply have to destroy the shipment.
A study of Sanofi-Aventis insurance claims found some theft and damage, but the overwhelming majority of claims came from temperature excursions.
In a later panel discussion, an audience member asked how difficult it is to qualify or validate a thermal cover, for instance (a metallic blanket placed on top of pallet).
I don't see why it is difficult to qualify this, to be honest, said Feld. I would never discuss validation because you are never going to achieve 100% repeat of weather conditions, the same pilot, captain, truck driver, etc. But you can qualify your methods by demonstrating the robustness of the system you choose. But be aware that temperature monitoring will still be necessary to prove the product has not been impacted.
It is also important to look at primary packaging and dosage form. Creams or ointments will react differently than suspensions or solid doses. And you have to look at the package itself, in addition to possible glass breakage, and determine what will happen to label adhesion or to the carton in high humidity conditions.

subset: commoncrawl


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Baby Names: A New Wave of "A" Names
Baby names that start with the letter A have been on the rise for several years now. with choices such as Ava and Aiden high on the popularity list, Asher and Adelaide rising fast, and names such as Abel and Aurora poised to take off.
In our last blog about names that start with A, we pointed out all the reasons parents love them: Besides their high fashion status along with other vowel names, studies show that children whose first names begin with A might earn higher marks in school, get into better colleges, and even live longer.
In that 2010 post, we listed A baby names on the Most Popular list along with those that were becoming more stylish. But the appetite for A names is so healthy that parents are searching for ever-newer and fresher varieties. Nameberry's behind-the-scenes popularity data shows a wave of unusual A names attracting interest from baby namers.
Hot new A names you might not have considered before include:


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myTouch 3G HD Coming To T-Mobile?
Our week of surprising news continues this time thanks to the guys at Android Central who dropped a little bit of a shocker with the first image and basically first reporting of the myTouch 3G HD. Yesterday we "discovered" the existence of a holding page for the first HSPA+ T-Mobile phone which we thought had just been posted that day. Turns out we all were about a week behind as Phonescoop reported on the page a little over a week ago. I'm honestly not sure how almost all of us missed it but hey, it's out there now and our attention turns to discovering just what phone are we waiting for. Thanks to you guys, our readers who right away went to work on the source code for the webpage discovered the word "Vanguard" tucked away. That brings us back to the Vision/G1/Blaze rumors, which supposedly, if rumors are true are one and the same as the Vanguard.
Now comes word of the myTouch 3G HD, clearly a welcome addition to the T-Mobile lineup, as the "HD" certainly sounds promising. Is this the mysterious HSPA+ phone that is silhouetted on the holding page? That we can't say for sure, but the existence of the Genius button along with the myTouch branding certainly gives us all the hope in the world for a T-Mobile arrival. Now that we know this phone exists, we're going to get to work on discovering everything we can and hopefully, maybe, this phone will grace us with HSPA+ and will be one of many to do so.
Larger image after the jump!


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As the reality of the extent and invasiveness of the security services' dragnet surveillance programs hits home, the pro-privacy movement has been cranking up its own ideas to counter spy-tech with pro-privacy tech. The Lavabit founder's recent Kickstarter for a secure end-to-end open source encrypted email project called Dark Mail is one example.
Today, here's another: meet Blackphone, a smartphone that's been designed to enable secure, encrypted communications, private browsing and secure file-sharing.
The project is a joint venture between Silent Circle — which shuttered its own encrypted email service last summer in order to preemptively avoid having to comply with government requests to provide data — and Spanish smartphone startup Geeksphone, which has previously made more standard Android handsets, and more recently has been building phone hardware for Mozilla's open web standards HTML5-based Firefox OS.
The pair said today they have established a new Switzerland-based joint venture to collaborate on technology projects, with Blackphone set to be the inaugural product. They describe the phone as "the world's first smartphone placing privacy and control directly in the hands of its users".
Despite that grand claim, Blackphone is by no means the first encrypted smartphone. For example, back in September TC's John Biggs and I paid a visit to a German based secure phone maker, GSMK Cryptophone, which has been in the encrypted telephony business for 10 years.
Another recent project to build a phone designed with security, encryption and identity protection in mind is the Quasar IV, which is using a hybrid Android/Linux and Quatrix mobile OS called QuaOS as the foundation for secure telephony.
But while Blackphone is not the only secure phone game in town, there's no doubt that last year's revelations about security agencies' consumer electronics and services powered data-harvesting habits — revealed by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden — have accelerated interest in security and privacy. The fallout from Snowden's big reveal is clearly attracting new players to what could potentially become a much more mainstream space.
Hence, presumably, the Blackphone makers' reasoning about now being the right time to build a pro-privacy phone that doesn't carry the stench of security geek. The tone and nomenclature of their announcement very much feels targeted at a mainstream smartphone user, not a security specialist.
Their press release includes a statement from Phil Zimmermann, the creator of PGP, who is also involved in the project, which sets this tone.
"I have spent my whole career working towards the launch of secure telephony products," he says. "Blackphone provides users with everything they need to ensure privacy and control of their communications, along with all the other high-end smartphone features they have come to expect."
Blackphone's website is also light on deep-dive security terminology which could alienate an average phone buyer. Instead there's a slick marketing video and explainer text that takes a broad-brushstrokes approach to fleshing out the device.
Using the Blackphone is described as "the trustworthy precaution any connected worker should take, whether you're talking to your family or exchanging notes on your latest merger & acquisition".
The site goes on to add:
Blackphone is unlocked and works with any GSM carrier. Performance benchmarks put it among the top performers from any manufacturer.
It has the features necessary to do all the things you need, as well as all the things you want, while maintaining your privacy and security and giving you the freedom to choose your carrier, your apps, and your location.
The tools installed on Blackphone give you everything you need to take ownership of your mobile presence and digital footprints, and ensure nobody else can watch you without your knowledge.
You can make and receive secure phone calls; exchange secure texts; exchange and store secure files; have secure video chat; browse privately; and anonymize your activity through a VPN.
Details of Blackphone's pro-privacy feature-set are relatively scant at this point, perhaps because they want to avoid it feeling too complex, but they do say it is being built atop a "security-oriented" Android build called PrivatOS.
Blackphone is due to be previewed at the Mobile World Congress tradeshow in Barcelona next month where the JV will also be taking pre-orders. There's no word on exactly when the phone will ship to buyers, as yet.
It's worth noting that making an encrypted phone call — or sending an encrypted email — requires the use of two encrypted devices/clients: both your own phone/email client and the phone/email client of the person you're talking to. So the Blackphone's security credentials will inevitably depend on how you use the device — who you place calls to and which device they use; who you email and which email client they use; and so on.
However, as with the Dark Mail initiative, the more encrypted products that are out in the market, the greater the number of secure channels that can be used for communications.
So the more mainstream security technology can become, and the more average Joes who can be encouraged to use locked-down products, the greater the chance for everyone's privacy to survive the onslaught from overreaching governments.
[Introduction to Blackphone from BLACKPHONE on Vimeo.]


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I was late with my column this morning. It was the first time that I missed a deadline since I started college. This made me angry, not just because I hated to see a 34-year-streak end, but more importantly because of the reason I was late.
Sunday afternoon a storm hit Washington. It knocked out the power not only in my house, approximately three miles from the White House, but also in large chunks of the city and suburbs. Fifteen hours later we still don't have power. Since the temperatures are predicted to get into the 90s today, we can expect that people will die. Sick and elderly people who cannot get into an air-conditioned facility will have great difficulty surviving in such heat.
This should make everyone very angry. There is no excuse for the nation's capital not to have sufficient spare capacity and repair crews to ensure that prolonged blackouts do not occur in the middle of a summer heat wave.
Yes, this would cost money and that is why the whole story is damn painful. We have the money. We have the money.
We are sitting here with close to 10 percent of our workforce unemployed. This is because of a lack of demand. If there were more demand from any source, this would employ many of these workers. These are workers who have the necessary skills and desire to work. Remember, the vast majority of them were working before the housing bubble collapsed.
Back then the $8 trillion in illusory housing bubble wealth was creating the demand needed to keep our workforce near full employment. Now that this wealth has vanished, only the government can generate the demand to employ these people. It is only because of the painful ignorance or willful economic sabotage of members of Congress (mostly Republicans) that the government will not spend the money needed to bring the economy back to more normal levels of employment.
This is where D.C.'s power failure comes in. What would be the problem if Congress dispensed $400-500 billion to the states to be spent on upgrading infrastructure such as electric power lines, mass transit systems, and water and sewage treatment facilities? The stimulus passed by Congress last year started on this path, but did not go nearly far enough.
This spending could be financed by requiring the Federal Reserve Board to buy and hold the bonds used to pay for the projects. If the Fed held the bonds, then the interest would be paid to the Fed, which in turn would then be rebated to the Treasury. That means that there is no additional interest burden on our children for the deficit hawks to whine about. Instead our children will get a modern infrastructure that doesn't jeopardize the country's economic and physical health.
The new infrastructure could also be far more energy efficient, making important strides towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Perhaps future summer heat waves won't be quite so hot.
A jobs and growth project along these lines should be a no-brainer. The huge number of unemployed workers is actually a source of wealth. It means that the country is currently meeting its consumption and investment needs while still having 10 percent of its workforce on the sidelines. If we can find useful work for many of the currently unemployed workers it makes the country richer, not poorer.
At this point, the budget deficit crew will invariably start yelling that governments will be wasteful in their spending. There is some truth to this, but so what? Imagine that we spend 20 percent, 30 percent or even 40 percent too much for rebuilding our infrastructure. Five or ten years out we still have a modernized infrastructure. Would be better off if we just did nothing so that our children are left with an infrastructure that is 10 years more out of date in 2020?
We also hear the complaints that this plan would generate inflation. This objection is hard to understand. We have massive excess capacity in almost every sector of the economy. Which business is going to start raising its prices because the government is supporting a major infrastructure program? Furthermore, if inflation did start to get out of hand, the Fed has all the tools necessary to keep inflation under control.
What's the worst possible scenario, we get a recession like the 1981-82 downturn? That was a much more mild recession than the one we are currently experiencing, so it's hard to see the basis for fear.
DEAN BAKER is the co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR). He is the author of Plunder and Blunder: The Rise and Fall of the Bubble Economy and False Profits: Recoverying From the Bubble Economy.
This column was originally published by The Guardian.


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Jhay Cortez, Lunay, Farruko, DaniLeigh, and Ozuna Bring The Vibras Urbanas To Day Two Of Los Dells Fest In Wisconsin
I started out day 2 of Los Dells Fest not even knowing how I was going to make every set time and press room that I had circled on my schedule. Between Banda Los Sebastianes (who happen to have one of the biggest Spanish hits out right now) and all of my favorite Urban Latin artists performing on the same day, on different stages, within minutes of each other, I wasn't quite sure how I was going to navigate through.
I figured I would start with Banda Los Sebastianes, a popular band out of Sinaloa, Mexico who has been dominating the Música Regional Mexicana charts with their rendition of A Través del Vaso, and whose YouTube views for the song have surpassed 150 million. I walked up just in time to catch them singing and dancing in sync to their rehearsed moves in their shiny, silver matching suits. Their energy was high and I finally understood why they've been able to maintain their popularity on today's Banda scene as festival-goers danced along according to their respected bailes regionales whether it be from Michoacan, or Durango, or Zacatecas.
Up next on the Woodside Stage was Lunay, whose song Soltera gained so much traction in dance clubs across the world that superstars Daddy Yankee and Bad Bunny hopped on the remix earlier this year. The video has reached 350 million Youtube views since May. As badly as I wanted to catch the 18-year old's set, I had to rush back to the media tent to catch DaniLeigh's press room and set on the Toyota Latino stage that had been announced just about a week prior to the festival.
photo credit: @guillermovisuals
If you're unfamiliar with the 24-year-old Dominicana from South Florida who was once given complete creative directorial control from her late mentor Prince, all you need to know is that she is a triple-threat. Signed to DefJam, DaniLeigh started her career as a dancer/choreographer and shyly began recording YouTube covers that would help her later on as a singer/songwriter. "I did some stuff with Prince Royce," she told me. "That song should be out soon… Oh and ASAP Ferg, too." The remix to her song Easy ft Chris Brown became a radio favorite this summer.
Her older brother Brandon Bill$ who is also a singer/songwriter and is often found performing alongside Dani is another rising star whose music is landing amongst the industry's heavyweights. He recently performed on the same stage with Da Baby and has a collaboration with G Eazy in the works. She mentioned to me how vital having her brother's aid during her songwriting process and stage performances has been but also understands he is carving out his own path in music.
We ran into Jhay Cortez backstage who had just finished his Toyota Latino set and whose meet and greet line of young girls squealing with excitement to meet the entertainer was the longest I had seen at the festival. Cortez is another relatively new artist from Puerto Rico who at 26 years old has exploded onto the Urban Latin scene. His his song No Me Conoce gave him his first Billboard top 10 on the Hot Latin charts and found its way into the hands of both Bad Bunny and J Balvin for the remix. He's expected to be seen more frequently on the charts with new music as he quickly rises in popularity amongst Latin Trap fans.
We wrapped up Dani's show and I had about five minutes to rush over to the Woodside stage for Farruko's set. I never realized how many radio hits the Puerto Rican star had until I saw him perform for the first time at Los Dells. He slowly walked out onto the stage with his carefree limp, attracting the biggest audience I had seen at the two day festival so far. He opened his set with his most popular song to date in collaboration with Myke Towers, Si Se Da. He followed that with Delincuente and kept the GangaLee vibes coming with the Jamaican-rooted Reggaeton style he has become known for.
Up next was the superstar that everybody was there to see… Ozuna. Affectionately known as el negrito ojos claros, he had obviously attracted nearly every attendee who could make their way to the Dells Stage. One of today's most famous entertainers worldwide, Ozuna recently received four Guinness World Record titles. According to Billboard, the Puerto Rican singer has been "recognized with the Guinness World Records title for artist with the most videos to reach one billion views on YouTube (7) in Feb. 2019, the most Billboard Latin Music Award nominations for a single artist in a single year (23) on Feb. 12, 2019, and most Billboard Latin Music Award wins for a single artist in a single year (11) on April 25, 2019."
Ozuna, who was set to open at 9:15 and close out the festival, was a bit delayed as security teams double and triple-checked barricades. The crowd was becoming restless, doing their best to keep the energy going as the DJ played the latest in Reggaeton dance hits. By 10 PM, Ozuna hit the stage and the crowd turned into one big Urban Latin musical. If you've ever been to a Drake concert, you most likely have sang every single lyric, word for word, song for song. Ozuna's show is no different. He has proved to be a hitmaker over the past couple of years, attracting fans from every country who speak every language.
He started his show with China, a song whose popularity has soared most likely because of his collaboration with Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Karol G and J Balvin. As he ran through his hits, Única, Criminal, Te Soñe de Nuevo, etc., it became obvious to me why, like Drake, Ozuna is one of the biggest artists in the world. Not only is his humility as a person apparent throughout his on-stage performances as he made sure to continuously thank fans for coming to see him, but his artistry as an entertainer was the perfect choice for festival producers to close out Los Dells Tres.


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JESSICA DESVARIEUX, TRNN PRODUCER: Welcome to The Real News Network. I'm Jessica Desvarieux in Baltimore.
The race for New York City comptroller seems like a very hyperlocal story, but it's being looked at closely, considering the position would mean managing pensions and dealing with Wall Street. Candidate for New York comptroller Eliot Spitzer has recently taken a 19-point lead over his Democratic primary rival, according to a Quinnipiac poll, and he has come out saying that he wants to use his position for financial activism, taking a hard line on Wall Street abuses. Now Spitzer has been denounced by the New York chapters of Planned Parenthood, as well as the National Organization for Women, also known as NOW, both of which have chosen to team up with business leaders on Wall Street.
Now joining us to discuss all this is Lynn Parramore. Lynn is the senior editor at AlterNet and a contributor to the Huffington Post.
Thanks for joining us, Lynn.
LYNN PARRAMORE, SENIOR EDITOR, ALTERNET: Great to be here with you.
Parramore: So, Lynn, can you just describe for us your recent article where you laid out Spitzer's record and what women should know about Eliot Spitzer considering his record on women as well as on Wall Street?
Parramore: Sure. When Spitzer announced his candidacy for comptroller, I was quite excited. I had been watching Wall Street very closely for the last few years, and he has an unmatched reputation among major U.S. politicians in being aggressive on Wall Street abuses. So I thought this was great.
A number of headlines began to appear asking how women would feel about his candidacy, particularly feminists. And as someone who's always identified as a feminist, I decided to share my views and wrote an article that appeared on Huffington Post.
And when I looked back through Eliot Spitzer's record, not only has he been very strong on reining in Wall Street, but he's also been very strong on issues that matter to most women. He's been strong on defending reproductive rights. For example, when he was governor, he defended women's right to terminate a pregnancy in the face of a Supreme Court decision that would have curtailed those rights. He's also been very strong on women's health issues that go beyond reproductive issues. He has been very strong in advocating for screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer, you know, things that really impact women's lives. He's also been an advocate of women in the workplace. He very famously got behind a paid leave act that was much more generous than the federal paid leave—the federal leave act for dealing with family emergencies, which was unpaid.
And then, on the Wall Street issue, I think a lot of people fail to see the connection between women and Wall Street. And the connection is actually really big. Women are affected disproportionately by some of the abuses that Wall Street has been guilty of, particularly the ripping off of municipalities and states and cities with various kinds of fee structures and scams and lending practices and financial schemes. And really having somebody in the comptroller's role who not only understands what Wall Street has been up to but had also has the temperament to be aggressive in pursuing abuses seemed to me to be of great benefit to women.
Parramore: So essentially you're saying Eliot Spitzer had a strong record on women's rights as well as going after Wall Street abuses. In your article, you mention that the New York chapters of NOW, as well as Planned Parenthood, that have denounced Spitzer have close ties to Wall Street. Can you explain some of this suspicion?
Parramore: Yes. I was disappointed to see Sonia Ossorio, who leads the New York chapter of NOW, coming out and voicing not only her support for Spitzer's opponent but denouncing Spitzer himself, and likewise Sandra [@huj@] of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New York similarly backed Stringer and said negative things about Spitzer, particularly related to his stance on women's issues. She said she wanted somebody who didn't just give a nod to women's issues. And I found that to be rather disingenuous, given his record.
And then come to find out—we learned in the headlines that these organizations have actually joined a super PAC with certain unnamed business interests to defeat him, to spend $1.5 million to really skew the election in favor of his opponent. Now, that's a really interesting development. They're doing more than just coming out and discussing their views as organizations; they're also actively getting involved in the race.
Parramore: And right now we can't even name names. We can't necessarily look at boards and come up with specific ties to Wall Street and these organizations. Can you just talk a little bit about that, the transparency issues related to these super PACs?
Parramore: Yes. I was very interested, when I saw the information coming out about the super PAC, to know who exactly these business interests that were being referred to actually were. It's one of the most frustrating things, as someone who covers Wall Street issues and political races, that a lot of this information is really hard to get a hold of. And I did a little digging, and it appears from my research that disclosures have not yet been made public on the makeup of that super PAC. And apparently there is a rule whereby the information has to be disclosed 12 days before the primary. It could be disclosed sooner. I suspect that it won't be, because I suspect that these women's organizations in New York City would prefer not to have discussion about who it is they're in cahoots with to spend all this money. But we're going to find out eventually and know exactly the nature of these ties.
Parramore: Okay. And just so our viewers know, we reached out to the New York chapters of Planned Parenthood, as well as NOW, and we didn't receive any comment from them. And they haven't made any public comments thus far concerning this issue.
So, Lynn, let's switch gears just a little bit and just talk about how this lack of support from NOW, as well as Planned Parenthood, the New York chapters—how do you think this will affect Spitzer's campaign?
Parramore: Well, they made a few headlines. But it's interesting. I find when I'm talking to women in New York City that it's not swaying them too much.
And the interesting thing about feminism is it's a word that covers, really, multiple points of view. There are different strands of feminism. And by no means does everyone consider that the New York chapter of the National Organization for Women or the New York Planned Parenthood Action Fund speaks for them as feminists. Feminists hold a variety of views on the issue of sex workers. They hold different views on the scandal that resulted in Spitzer's resignation. And they also, you know, have different focuses on the economics that affect women. So there are multiple points of view.
And I really think that the NOW and Planned Parenthood affiliates that are coming out against Spitzer are almost seen as, you know, sort of establishment feminist voices who are trying to tell women how to think and, you know, morally position them. And I think there's even some resentment about that.
Parramore: Well, Lynn, really interesting article. Thank you so much for joining us.
Parramore: My pleasure.
Parramore: And thank you for joining us on The Real News Network.


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This sauce delivers a little bit of sweetness, a touch of saltiness and a hint of smoke which makes it perfect for putting on almost, well … everything. I love the flavor combination in this sauce so much that I found myself throwing together slight variations of it week after week to drizzle over soup or noodles or to marinate tofu in. Although whipping up this sauce is quick and easy, there's no reason it can't be made in a larger batch, then used throughout the week as needed. This sauce has an array of uses, including:
- a marinade for thoroughly pressed tofu;
- a sauce for drizzling over cooked noodles, soups and greens; and
- a glaze for grilled/sauteed tofu (see METHOD below on how to thicken it)
Thai chilis are completely optional here, of course, and can be subbed with something milder, like a squirt of sriracha or roasted red chili paste, or left out altogether. The sauce will still produce a mild yet flavorful all-purpose staple in your kitchen.
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Awesome Sauce
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
- 2 TB dark sesame oil
- 1 TB fresh ginger, grated or finely minced
- 1 TB garlic, grated or finely minced
- 2/3 cup mirin or broth
- 2 TB soy sauce or liquid aminos
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 TB brown sugar or raw agave syrup
- 1–2 fresh thai chilis, sliced or sriracha or red pepper flakes (optional)
- Heat the sesame oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the ginger and garlic into the oil and stir. Allow to soften and slightly mellow for a few minutes, but don't allow it to brown.
- Turn the heat up to medium, then add in the mirin, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar or agave. Allow the mixture to come to a very small simmer for a minute or two. If using brown sugar, allow it to dissolve completely.
- Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool. Add in the thai chilis or sriracha if you want it spicy.
- Store in a glass container for up to a week in the refrigerator.
- To thicken the sauce, dissolve 1 rounded teaspoon of cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of cold water. Place half of sauce into a small saucepan and bring to a very small simmer. Pour the cornstarch/water mixture into the sauce and stir with a rubber spatula or whisk until thick. Remove from the heat and pour over sauteed or grilled tofu.
- Cook Time: 15 minutes


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Product Description
Before/After you placing order, we shall to have a preliminary judgment to make sure our product will fit for your car.
1. Please send us one HD photo of your car dash(Radio);
2. Please let us know (Year) and (Model) of your car;
Our estimated handling time is 15 working days, by free standard shipping, its shipping time is 15-25 working days.
If you need fast shipping, we can do DHL, and its shipping time is 5-8 working days.
Please select expedited shipping method, or contact Customer Services for help. Thanks!
OS: Android 8.1
Platform: PX6
CPU: Daul core A72 1.8G + Quad core A53 1.4GHz
Output Power: 4 x 45W
Resolution: 1920*1080 HD
Screen Size: 13.3 inch Capacitive Multi-Touch Full Screen
Languages: Support English,Russian,French,German,Spanish,Italian,Arabic,Portuguese,Turkish,Thai,Polish,Hebrew all 53 language
Radio Receiving: AM/FM can be stored 30 stations, not support XM radio.
Image Format: BMP, JPEG, GIF, PNG, etc.
Audio Format: MP3, WMA, WAV, etc.
Audio Setting: High, Medium, Low, Loudness
Video Format: MP4, WMV, AVI,RM/RMVB,VOB, etc.
- Built in Carplay
- Built-in WiFi Hotspot (Use Hotspot from Smartphone to Connect Internet)
- Built in IPOD Function
- Built-in Bluetooth V5.0 for Hands-Free Phone Call
- Built in Analog TV ( DVB-T, ISDB, ATSC are Optional )
- Built-in GPS Function (Support Off-line Map & Online Map)
- Support Split Screens Up and Down
- Support HD 1080P /4K ISP Screen
- Support Both Android and iPhone Link, 2-Way for Android (USB & WiFi), 1-Way to iPhone(WiFi only)
- Support Dual USB Ports (Max External 32GB SD Card/ Thumb Drive/ Hard Drive)
- Support HDMI, VGA, AHD Input, 360 Reversing (not included)
- Support USB DVR Function (not included)
- Connect External OBD2 (not included)
- Connect External 4G Modem (not included)
- Connect External Internal TPMS (not included)
- Steering Wheel Control, Air Conditioning Control, Reversing Video Display, Radio
- WiFi Hospot, 4G Optional, Phone Link, Mirror link, Bluetooth, Sync Contacts
- Explorer, Full Screen GPS, 3D Map View, Real-Time Traffic, Live Map Display
- Calculator, Calender, Color Screen, Handwriting Recognition, Auxiliary Input
- JPEG Image Viewer, USB Port, Touch Screen Interface, 1080P HD Video, MP3
Package included:
1 x Car GPS Navigation
1 x All lines
1 x Instructions
You Should Download the Local Maps by Yourself After Installing the Product.
You Have to Connect to Internet (WiFi OR Plug 3G/4G Dongle) to Operate GPS Navigation Online Maps.
Payment & Security
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.


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Drug helps purge hidden HIV virus, study shows
A team of researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have successfully flushed latent HIV infection from hiding, with a drug used to treat certain types of lymphoma.
Tackling latent HIV in the immune system is critical to finding a cure for AIDS.
The results were presented today at the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle, Washington.
While current antiretroviral therapies can very effectively control virus levels, they can never fully eliminate the virus from the cells and tissues it has infected.
"Lifelong use of antiretroviral therapy is problematic for many reasons, not least among them are drug resistance, side effects, and cost," said David Margolis, MD, professor of medicine, microbiology and immunology, and epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "We need to employ better long-term strategies, including a cure."
Margolis' new study is the first to demonstrate that the biological mechanism that keeps the HIV virus hidden and unreachable by current antiviral therapies can be targeted and interrupted in humans, providing new hope for a strategy to eradicate HIV completely.
In a clinical trial, six HIV-infected men who were medically stable on anti-AIDS drugs, received vorinostat, an oncology drug. Recent studies by Margolis and others have shown that vorinostat also attacks the enzymes that keep HIV hiding in certain CD4+ T cells, specialized immune system cells that the virus uses to replicate. Within hours of receiving the vorinostat, all six patients had a significant increase in HIV RNA in these cells, evidence that the virus was being forced out of its hiding place.
"This proves for the first time that there are ways to specifically treat viral latency, the first step towards curing HIV infection," said Margolis, who led the study. "It shows that this class of drugs, HDAC inhibitors, can attack persistent virus. Vorinostat may not be the magic bullet, but this success shows us a new way to test drugs to target latency, and suggests that we can build a path that may lead to a cure."


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Related links:
Desert Insects and Arachnids
You can find insects almost anywhere in the world. So it should be of no surprise that there are plenty of insects in the desert. One of the most common and destructive pests is the locust. A locust is a special type of grasshopper. They travel from place to place, eating all the vegetation they find. Locusts can destroy many crops in a single day.
Not all desert insects are bad, though. The yucca moth is very important to the yucca plant, because it carries pollen from the flower to the stigma. The darkling beetle has a hard, white, wing case that reflects the Sun's energy. This allows the bug to look for food during the day.
There are also several species of ants in the desert. The harvester ants gather seeds and store them for use during the dry season. And the honeypot ants have a very weird habit. Some members of the colony eat large amounts of sugar, so much that their adomens get too large for them to move! The rest of the colony feeds off this sugar.
There are also arachnids in the desert. Spiders are the most notable arachnids, but scorpions also belong in this group. Some species of scorpions have poison in their sharp tails. They sting their predators and their prey with the piercing tip.


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Maine finds homes for several hundred African asylum seekers
By DAVID SHARP Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Most African asylum seekers who made the perilous journey through Central America to the southern U.S. border and flooded shelters in Maine's largest city have new homes.
Thursday marked the closing of an emergency shelter set up in a basketball arena in Portland after several hundred African immigrants arrived from Texas. All told, the city has found homes for more than 200 people since the first families arrived in June.
The arrival of families fleeing Angola, Congo and other countries showed that it's not just Central Americans making the journey to the southern U.S. border. An unprecedented number of Africans traveled the same route.
Maine is home to thousands of African newcomers but the arrival of so many at the same time overwhelmed local shelters in June.
At its peak capacity over the summer, the Portland Expo held nearly 300 asylum seekers sleeping on cots on the basketball court. But a coalition of groups has steered most of the new arrivals to homes, and on Thursday, the last few dozen packed up their belongings.
Because of a housing shortage in southern Maine, many were sent to communities miles away from the shelter in Brunswick, Bath and Lewiston. More than 40 families also opened their homes to provide temporary housing to the newcomers. Since the newcomers are not allowed to work for 180 days while seeking asylum, the state's recently opened General Assistance program will provide most of them with vouchers for housing, food and medicine.
Several parents moving their families said their children are still traumatized by the difficult journey to Maine.
"By the grace of God, my family made it here. But the kids still have that stuff in their brains," Lidia Maria Afonso, of Luanda, Angola, said Thursday through an interpreter as she and her three children awaited a ride to their new home 25 miles (40 kilometers) north, in Brunswick.
Some families expressed fear about being relocated from the busy city to towns where the vast woods that are part of Maine's identity could trigger bad memories from their journeys. They recalled seeing fellow asylum seekers fall to their deaths, get swept away by rivers, starve to death and get bitten by venomous snakes in Panama's infamous Darien Gap, a jungle that's known for dangerous wildlife and bandits.
"We are really thankful and appreciative. Really, God bless you. But we also want you to understand what it was like in the forest. There were people who went with us who died. We don't want to go again to a spot like that. It's just too difficult," Thierry Malasa, who fled Congo's capital, Kinshasa, said through an interpreter as his family prepared to move to a wooded home in Scarborough.
Nsine Bodiko, who fled a massacre in his village in Congo, showed images on his phone of thick forests and boulders from his journey through Central America that looked a lot like Maine's wooded wilderness.
"Our heads are in such shock," said Bodiko, whose wife gave birth on the journey, through an interpreter.
As the asylum seekers attempt to settle into new lives and homes, part of the struggle is putting the horrors they have endured behind them.
We hope "to be able to forget the traumas from the forest," Bodiko said.


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Letters to the Editor–Disliked Articles
Dr Nakadar,
I am concerned about a couple of articles that recently appeared in The Muslim Observer. Apart from the articles being controversial it is TMO's responsibility to avoid slandering those who are devoting their lives to spread the true message of Islam according to the teachings of the Prophet (s). The article on Dr Zakir Naik was demeaning and hateful…. And similarly is the article of Syed Aslam, against the Imam of Sunnah, Ahmed ibn Hanbal who was viciously tortured to uphold the Sunnah and protect Islam … These Scholars … deserve our utmost respect, and TMO should have an editorial process to ensure that their reputation is protected, and that the Sunnah is upheld and propagated.
These are the inheritors of the prophets.
Yes, we need a healthy balance of articles; difference of opinion and critique is one thing, but it should not cross the line in terms of unfair labeling, disrespect, or causing enmity. As per one hadith, The Muslim is one who other Muslims are safe from his tongue (or in this case, the pen).
Masood Ranginwala
Chairman, Islamic Learning Foundation, NY an Institute of I.C.N.A.


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Plastic Bottles for Buckfast Tonic Wine
In Central Scotland a close link has been established between the consumption of Buckfast Tonic Wine and anti-social behaviour. There have been campaigns in the past to ban the sale of Buckfast but these have failed and rightly so. The makers have a right to produce and profit from sales of their wine and legitimate consumers have a right to buy it.
Problems occur when the wine falls into the wrong hands, but let\'s face it that\'s not going to stop anytime soon. So instead of trying to ban Buckfast let\'s try to make it safer - let\'s lobby to have it bottled in plastic instead of glass.
Drunken youths can hit each other over the head with plastic bottles to their hearts\' content and do relatively little harm to each other. If they drop the bottles behind them yes it creates a litter problem that we need to deal with, but people and animals will not encounter such severe physical harm from a dropped plastic bottle as they would from smashed glass.
We should be able to enjoy the great outdoors without having to contend with the hazard of broken glass. Broken glass affects everyone - children playing, walkers, cyclists, wheelchair users, wildlife and domestic pets. Why should the majority suffer because of a destructive minority
Bottling Buckfast Tonic Wine in plastic bottles won\'t solve all the problems associated with it, but it will remove some of the danger.
Further to the article on the BBC website of 10 May 2006 I\'d like to point out that I have had no contact from Mr Wilson, much less a visit. As such I don\'t know where he may or may not have visited to take photographs as evidence. In addition he states that Buckfast sales are very small compared with other alco-pops and I would question whether his statistics relate to the whole of the UK or to West Central Scotland where the Buckfast problem is widely recognised.
Thank you to everyone for their support and comments. I agree 100% that plastic is not a good environmental option and I like the corn starch suggestion a lot. Unfortunately the glass on our streets isn\'t making it to the bottle bank either and I think in the short term it would be easier and safer to pick up discarded plastic bottles for recycling. The more signatures and suggestions we can collect the better - perhaps another solution will become apparent along the way.
UPDATE: Watch the BBC programme 'The Buckfast Code' on iplayer to hear about recent links between Buckfast and antisocial behaviour http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00q2qmh/The_Buckfast_Code/ and make your own conclusions about Buckfast Abbey and J Chandler's handling of this issue.
Watch the recent BBC programme The Buckfast Code:


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
As part of the city's refuse collection service, residents may elect to have curbside recycling as part of their service. Items that can be recycled are:
Items may be co-mingled, with newspapers placed on top. All recyclables must be placed in a bin provided by the city's refuse hauler.
Show All Answers
It shall be unlawful for any person, owner, corporation, or agent to occupy or permit the occupancy of any commercial, multi -family residential or single-family residential structure in the City without first obtaining an occupancy inspection and occupancy permit. The term "occupancy" shall include the movement of furniture, equipment or other property into said structure. (Section 505.040 Occupancy Permits)
It is illegal to sell or use fireworks within the city. Sparklers are not included in this prohibition.
Only non-profit charitable organizations may conduct door-to-door solicitations. The organization must obtain a permit from the city. In addition, each person involved in the solicitation must have in his / her possession an identification card signed by the City Administrator. Door-to-door solicitations may take place between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.
No person shall deposit, or cause to be deposited, any snow and/or ice on or against a fire hydrant or on any sidewalk, street, or area of public transportation, except that snow and ice may be windrowed on public roads incident to the cleaning thereof.
It is unlawful to park within 15 feet of any mailbox or on or across any sidewalk.
No person shall park, keep, store or leave any commercial vehicle or truck in any residential zoning district of the City, nor shall any person, whether as an owner or occupant or agent thereof, allow a commercial vehicle or truck to be parked there. This doesn't include regular vans or pickup trucks with a license plate not to exceed 12,000 GVW.
The occupant of any lot shall be primarily responsible for the removal of snow or ice from abutting sidewalks.
A permit is required for many improvements, including:
The Planning and Zoning Department can assist you in finalizing your home improvement plan.
Animals must be kept on a leash when off their own property or otherwise under the owner's control.
Yard waste must be in brown biodegradable paper bags or in 30-gallon trash cans labeled "Yard Waste." No plastic bags are allowed. Bundled limbs or branches will be picked up provided that the bundles are no larger than four feet in length and two feet in diameter.
It is considered unnecessary and disturbing to play a radio in a manner to be plainly audible at a distance of 50 feet from a building or vehicle.
All grass, weeds, and vegetation must be kept below 10 inches in height.
All single-family residential property that is for rent must be inspected and a permit obtained prior to occupancy.
A resident may hold a maximum of three garage / yard sales during a calendar year. A permit from the city is required. There is no charge for the first and second sale permits. A fee of $50 will be charged for the third permit. Garage / yard sales can only be held during daylight hours for no more than three consecutive days or two consecutive weekend days.
Any vehicle that is not registered and / or has been inoperable must be removed from the street or private property.
Minors under the age of 17 are required to observe an 11 p.m. curfew during the week and midnight on Friday and Saturday nights.
The city's Property Maintenance Code is designed to maintain property values in the community. Common violations include:
Any excessive noise or loud playing of musical instruments constitutes a public nuisance. In addition, noise caused by construction, repair, remodeling, or grading of real property is prohibited between the hours of 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and any time on Sunday or federal holidays. Noise generated by normal maintenance associated with residential property, such as mowing of grass, can occur between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and the hours of 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Sunday.
Recreational vehicles, boats, and utility trailers that are stored in an enclosed area must be parked behind the established front building line. In addition, all recreational vehicles, boats, and utility trailers must be parked on an improved surface.


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AKTIV Pegasus Brief Underwear - White/Tan
Care Instructions
- Wash below 30 degrees
- Wash with similar colours
- Avoid rough surfaces
- Turn inside out when washing
- Use colour-safe detergent
- Hang dry in the shade
- Do not bleach
- Do not tumble dry
- Do not dry clean
- Do not iron
Shipping & Returns
- Order dispatched within 3 business days
- Estimated standard domestic shipping time: 3-7 business days.
- Estimated express domestic shipping time: 1-3 business days.
- Estimated standard international shipping time: 7-18 business days (Approximately 4 weeks).
- Estimated express international shipping time: 3-5 business days.
*Please note, orders that have passed the estimated delivery days are eligible to open a case via our email.


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Best Spanish Restaurants in Mallorca
Local Recommendations from our My Guide Mallorca team
What is a Spanish restaurant? There are rich culinary histories in many of the diverse areas of this vast country, with the styles and ingredients varying quite widely according to climate, culture, and geography.
You'll find all the familiar Spanish favourites like jamon serrano, chorizo, paella, gazpacho, tapas and so on in most places, but you should also seek out the chefs and restaurants that specialise in regional styles. Try Laurus in Ca'n Pastilla for a taste of the renowned Basque style or La Cuchara in Palma for dishes from the north west of Spain.


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It is wonderful to know that you can succeed when you are looking for a job by creating a plan.
Almost everyone has heard the expression if you fail to plan you plan to fail. This idea is true in many areas of life including searching for a job. Whether you are a regular 9 to 5 employee looking for a new job, a work at home mom looking for your next assignment or an entrepreneur looking for a new client to serve, if you want to have a successful job search you need to create a plan.
Creating a plan for your job search means doing some prep work. For example, you need to make some initial decisions including:
- Geographical area where you want to work
- Industry in which you would like to work
- Places you will look for work
- Friends you will ask to help with the job search
- Time(s) of the day when you will look for work
Once you have this initial information in your hands, it is important to put your plan in writing. When plans are in writing we tend to take them more seriously. When plans are in writing it is easy to review them and adjust and amend them as circumstances require. When plans are in writing we can check off things as we complete them. Now keep in mind that the writing does not have to be formal. How your writing happens is entirely up to you. For some people, the writing will be with pen and paper. For others, the writing will be on a computer or tablet device. The method of the writing is a matter of personal preference. The important thing is that the plan is in writing.
An important side note: If you use technology and electronic devices to write your job search plan and keep your calendar, be sure to link your technology so that plans on your computer are linked to your tablet device and your smartphone.
Your job search plan should also have time requirements that must be met. This means when you write out your job search plan, put information on your calendar to keep track of when you should be doing things like applying for opportunities and when you should be doing follow-up activities. Calendars help keep you accountable, on task and on target. So, after putting your plan in writing, put steps on the calendar so that you can work your plan on schedule.
Another important part of your job search plan is accountability. When you are looking for work, do not keep it a secret. Tell your family, friends and important people in your circle. When people who you know and respect know you are looking for work, they will ask you how the job search is going. The positive peer pressure they provide may help you to follow your plan.
In conclusion, it is wonderful to know that you can succeed when you are looking for a job by creating a plan. So, the question for you this wonderful day is what is your plan for a successful job search?


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Meet NASA's next Mars rover: Curiosity. It has a plutonium-powered laser
By Sebastian Anthony
From http://www.extremetech.com/
After a series of moderately successful Mars Exploration Rovers (MER), NASA is about to take its game to the next level. Say hello to Curiosity, which is 10 feet (3m) long and weighs almost a ton, four times more than Spirit and Opportunity. It is expected to launch in November or December, and arrive on Mars about eight months later.
Not only is Curiosity huge, but it's also equipped with a robot arm, a laser that can vaporize rocks at seven meters, and a percussive drill for boring into Mars' surface. The machine itself is powered by the heat given off by 4.8kg plutonium dioxide, meaning it won't rely on solar power, which has caused issues with older space craft. It's not just the rover itself that's cool cool, though: because it's so heavy, Curiosity can't use the highly scientific approach of "airbagging" to soften its landing — instead, it will descend through the Mars atmosphere using a retrorocket jet pack.
It is not yet known where Curiosity will land on Mars — the final choice will likely be made in the next few days — but there are two front-runners: Gale Crater, a 150-kilometer depression with a 5-kilometer-high mound of ancient sediment that might contain telltale signs of organic life, and Eberswalde Crater, which is thought to contain a river delta and lakebed deposits. Both landing sites are theorized to have once contained water, and Curiosity will be tasked with analyzing whether one of these regions — and Mars itself — was once habitable. The total cost of the Curiosity mission, incidentally, will be at least $2.3 billion — well beyond the $820 million spent on Spirit and Opportunity.
At this point, we strongly suggest that you look at the full-size images of Curiosity, both on NASA's website and Wired.
If you want to read more about the mission itself, check out the Mars Science Laboratory website or Nature's write-up.


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West Midland Safari and Leisure Park
Spring Grove
Bewdley, Worcestershire
Tel: 01299 402114 / 0700 4 SAFARI
About West Midland Safari Park
West Midland Safari Park is located at Spring Grove, Bewdley, Worcestershire, and is a multifaceted family attraction providing a great family day out.
West Midland Safari and Leisure Park opened in 1973 in 200 acres of parkland at Spring Grove House, a family attraction in itself, with 100 acres of landscaped gardens. The West Midland Safari Park features over 600 animals and dozens of species, many of them endangered. Indeed, the family attraction combines its role as a leading conservation institution with a host of thrill rides and entertainments, offering a panoply of fun all year round, whatever the weather.
West Midland Safari Park's four-mile Safari takes ticket holders round a series of naturalistic mixed and single species enclosures, beginning with two prides of lions – the kings and queens of the jungle – including the only pride of rare white lions in the UK. Housed in the Kingdom of the White Lion, the group of 12 big cats have a condition called leucism, meaning a loss of skin and fur pigmentation, and there are no more than 70 in the world (and only two others in the UK). Also to be spotted in the African Lion Reserve, behind the double-lock gates operated remotely by staff in watchtowers, are their neighbours, the African Wild Dogs, which disembowel their prey – ticket holders can observe them from a safe distance! For those who prefer not to drive by the reserves, a guided minibus tour is available.
The family attraction houses a breeding herd of powerful White Rhino, slender Giraffes (which reach 5.5. metres in height), majestic zebra, Wildebeeste, Lechwe, Eland and Ankole Cattle with two-metre horns. Some of the animals can be fed from food boxes, adding an up close and personal dimension to a family day out at West Midland Safari Park. Descending the hill, a reserve of Cape Buffalo can be seen, as well as a lake and Przewalski's Horse on the opposite side.
West Midland Safari Park's Elephant & Waterbuck Reserve features a number of African Elephants – the largest living land animal, with an average height of 3.2 metres and mean weight of 4.5 tonnes – Waterbuck, Barbary Sheep – which are wont to hang around cars waiting to be fed – leopard and Cape Buffalo, making West Midland Safari Park the first in the UK to host all of the 'African Big Five' species.
The Tiger Reserve features Bengal Tigers – the largest of the big cats, weighing up to 40 stone. They live in grasslands, mangroves and forest and mark territory by urinating on trees and bushes, dropping faeces and scratching tree trunks – not something you'll see on your average family day out!
The Eurasian Reserve boasts Bactrian and Arabian Camels, ensuring that ticket holders won't get the hump on a family day out, as well as yak, while the Asian Reserve has Water Buffalo, Anoa and various deer, including the Philippine Spotted Deer – the world's rarest. In addition, the zone plays host to Little Owl, white tigers and black rabbits – another unusual sight at a family attraction.
Other specialised West Midland Safari Park enclosures include the Wallaby Reserve, Wolf Wood – harbouring a pack of the once-native animal – and the Hippo Lake, where the largest group of 'water cows' in the UK loll and bathe. Ticket holders can look out too for Brindled Gnu, Reindeer, Nilgai, Banteng, Ostrich, Llama and Addax, while there are a host of daily activities for a fun-filled and action-packed family day out.
West Midland Safari Park ticket holders can follow the Discovery Trail and attend a Friendly Animal Encounter, such as in Leopard Valley, a Friendly Reptile Encounter with a snake or lizard in the Reptile House, or a Sea Lion Encounter, where the natural performers of Seal Island prance, play and perform for the crowds, especially during feeding time. Indeed, a 15-minute Sea Lion Theatre runs at regular intervals.
Additionally, an educational talk is given at the Seal Island Exhibit Pool each day, while the Hippo Viewing Platform allows ticket holders to meet the Hippo Family – the biggest in Europe – and watch them being fed.
The family attraction's Twilight Cave is an indoor exhibit featuring free-flying fruit bats, Jumping Rats and Aye Aye. The SeaQuarium boasts Tropical Marine and Freshwater Exhibits from the Pacific, Red Sea and Amazon River, and Creepy Crawlies informs ticket holders about eight-legged freaks and their ilk – just the ticket for fans of invertebra! Further, there's a Deer and Goat Park with a pet's corner, where visitors can handle domestic livestock such as sheep and goats.
The Family attraction's Safari Express Train Ride runs from the car park to the Amusement Area, with its panoramic views over the Severn Valley, while the Severn Valley Railway runs parallel to West Midland Safari Park, between stations at Kidderminster and Bewdley. The Amusement Area is located beyond the Hippo Lakes and Discovery Zone and is chock full of 30 exciting rides and amusements. Among the standouts are the Venom Tower Drop which plummets 30 metres to earth, the Zambezi Water Splash, the giddying zebras of the Congo Carousel, and the £1 million Wild River Rafting.
On top of that, for a hair-raising interlude on a family day out, there's the Black Fly and Twister Coaster, while other fun rides at West Midland Safari Park include the Rhino Coaster, Pirate Ship, Jumbo Parade, Slippery Snake Slide, Jungle Cat Dodgems, Animal Ark, Flying Lion Kings, Rhino Roundabout, African Big Apple Coaster, Dr Umboto's Catacombs and Ghost Train, the Jungle Swings, Tarantula, Flying Pandas, Simba Kiddies Train, Red Baron, Morrocan Magic Carpet, Tanganyika Tea Party and Desert Convoy. A number of these rides and attractions are for younger ticket holders, their 'Cubs Kingdom' taking in Dune Dashers and a Fire Rescue Rangers water experience.
Since 2006, West Midland Safari Park has featured in ITV's Safari Park documentary series, and it focuses on the family attraction's conservation work, as well as the facilities it has for a family day out. These include Face Painting for kids, the African Trading Company Souvenir Shop, Jungle Bazaar Gifts, the Congo Candy Sweet Shop, the African Trading Company store, Dr Umboto's Mumbo Jumbo, Port Livingstone Pizza, Lost City Fun Foods, the Oasis Bar & Coffee Shop, Explorers Café, Botswana Burger Co., a Hot & Spicy snackery, and a Picnic Area with plenty of benches and tables.
Additionally, West Midland Safari Park caters for groups and corporate events, with exclusive use of the Tree Tops Pavilion or a marquee in the natural amphitheatre of the grounds for a buffet or BBQ lunch with a private bar, not to mention a private animal encounter such as swimming with a sealion, cuddling a cub or stroking a snake. Themed occasions can include entertainers, a band, disco or caricaturists (see website for details).
With disabled access and facilities throughout, West Midland Safari Park really is a cracking family attraction that can be enjoyed by everyone on a grand family day out.


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http://swiss.csail.mit.edu/~jaffer/Solid | |
Scheme for Solid Modeling |
The GNU/Linux mechanical CAD programs I found suffer from rodent-infested graphical user interfaces, requiring prolonged toil at the limits of eye-hand coordination; merely to make edges parallel and perpendicular for the vast majority of boards. There must be a better way! With various VRML browsers available, is Virtual Reality Modeling Language the way to visualize wood?
Direct authoring of VRML was not a goal of The Virtual Reality Modeling Language International Standard ISO/IEC 14772-1:1997, which gives as a Design Criteria:
In contrast to the large body of hand-coded HTML pages from thousands of authors, most VRML97 web-pages I found have syntax errors; and many of these can not be displayed by GNU/Linux browsers. Most have no lighting or background, making it easy to lose the object of interest in the default black background.
Unlike HTML, VRML97 is not compact. Its field names duplicate its node names except for capitalization; and these appear together looking like written stuttering. It employs both [] and {} even though scope of a single grouping pair would be clear from context. Both of these properties provide twice the opportunities for error with no attendant benefit to clarity.Even with control of a translation process, VRML97's conceptual shortcomings are difficult hide from the user. The scope of illumination is the scope of the enclosing Transform or Group node. Thus the light from a lamp cannot be directed by the same transform which orients the lamp unless all objects on which it shines are also affected by that same transform.
Here is an example use of my solid modeling package released in the SLIB Scheme Library.
A table was my first test case. Its legs, rails, and styles are repeated in rectangular grids, centered under a symmetrical table top. Each primitive's coordinates are relative to its center.
An alternate approach would be of legs under the top; rails between the legs; and styles between the rails. But the coordinates of each component in the directions perpendicular to their major axes need to be specified. With the hierarchy organized by adjacency, this information does not flow naturally.Dimensions are in inches because lumber is sold that way in my locale.The functional approach is clean, but not powerful enough. I think the direction for the future is that each function will instantiate an object or group in a database and return its instance token. The functions will allow a variable or linear expression as a dimension argument. Calls not in the object hierarchy will add contact and support constraints to instance tokens. And matrix algebra will solve the constraints for the dimension variables.
;;;; "table.scm" Bluestone table on patio. (require 'solid) (define inch 25.4e-3) ; 25.4.mmFirst create the surfaces for bluestone and wood from monochromatic intensity maps (pictures).
(define bluestone (solid:texture "greystone.jpg" (solid:color '(.3 .3 .5) .65))) (define douglas-fir (solid:texture "wood_g.jpg" (solid:color '(.7 .6 .2) .5)))The bluestone top is simple:
(define slab (solid:box '(20.5 2 12) bluestone))Next make the legs, rails, and styles. The rails are created vertically, then rotated so that the woodgrain runs along the length rather than across the width.
(define leg (solid:box '(1.25 22 1.25) douglas-fir)) (define long-rail (solid:rotation '(0 0 1) 90 (solid:box '(.75 15.5 .75) douglas-fir))) (define short-rail (solid:rotation '(1 0 0) 90 (solid:box '(.75 9 .75) douglas-fir))) (define style (solid:cylinder .375 -4 douglas-fir))With the pieces already oriented, translation and repetition are all that is needed to finish assembly of the table. The overall upward translation by 11 inches puts the leg tips at 0.
(define table (solid:translation '(0 11 0) (solid:translation '(0 12 0) slab) (solid:translation '(0 3 0) (solid:center-array-of 2 2 short-rail '(15.5 0 0) '(0 4 0)) (solid:center-array-of 2 2 style '(15.5 0 0) '(0 0 1.5))) (solid:translation '(0 5 0) (solid:center-array-of 2 2 long-rail '(0 4 0) '(0 0 9)) (solid:center-array-of 3 2 style '(1.5 0 0) '(0 0 9))) (solid:center-array-of 2 2 leg '(15.5 0 0) '(0 0 9))))Create a patio from a photograph of one cell of the paver pattern.
(define patio (let ((repeat 9)) (solid:translation '(0 -1.5 0) (solid:box `(,(* 15 repeat) 3 ,(* 15 repeat)) (solid:texture "paver.jpg" (solid:color '(1 .9 .95) .4) repeat)))))Here are two objects on the table (at 24 inch altitude).
(define curios (solid:translation '(0 24 0) (solid:translation '(-7 2 4) (solid:pyramid 4 4 (solid:color '#(1 .8 0) .4 '#(1 .9 .5) .8))) (solid:translation '(0 0.95 0) (solid:rotation '(0 0 1) (+ -90 (/ (asin (/ .036 .32)) pi/180)) (solid:scale (/ inch) (solid:arrow))))))The rest creates viewpoints, backdrop, and daylight.
(vrml-to-file "table.wrl" (world:info "Bluestone Table") "NavigationInfo {headlight FALSE} avatarSize [0.01, 0.01, 0.01]}" (solid:translation '(0 .35 0) (scene:viewpoint "Photo" 1.3 0 -15.1)) (solid:translation '(0 .5 0) (scene:viewpoints 1.3)) (scene:sky-and-dirt) (scene:sun 42 340 9 2 1.5) (solid:scale inch (solid:rotation '(0 1 0) 21 curios table) patio))
I am a guest and not a member of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.
My actions and comments do not reflect in any way on MIT. | ||
agj @ alum.mit.edu | Go Figure! |


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How to mix classic pop vocals
Pop power
Pop encompasses so many different forms and styles that the question of what constitutes a 'classic' pop vocal sound can be a rather open one. Fortunately, whether it's '80s power pop, '90s ballads or modern club bangers, there are a few things you can do to instantly capture a powerful pop vocal sound that would be right at home in any era - and on any chart.
For the most part, pop songs are designed to be heard through radios and huge speaker stacks - systems not known for their dynamic range. In other words, if you're mixing a powerful pop song, preserving the dynamic qualities of the vocal is less important than it would be in many other genres.
What's more important is getting a sound that's big, forceful and unmistakable, and that can stand up to busy, compressed pop production. This is easier said than done - especially when you consider that pop backing tracks can run to dozens of different elements, all of which need to make room for the vocal.
Many chart hits today involve the vocalist being Auto-Tuned, corrected and artificially backed up until there's almost nothing of the original left. We advise staying away from that sort of thing for the most part, but sometimes it can be a good thing to make your track's vocal sound ever so slightly artificial.
That's why Auto-Tune is so popular, after all, and why doubling and delaying vocals to create a metallic sound can work so well for this kind of production.
Next: Five steps to flawless pop vocals
EQ and compress
Step 1: Try to avoid any major EQ bumps with your pop vocal. A low cut around 50Hz is always good, as is a slight boost at the very top. Far more important is compression, and the first thing you should do is apply a compressor as an insert effect. Don't go too hard at first: keep the Ratio between 1:2 and 1:4, and the Threshold fairly high.
Parallel compression
Step 2: To get that ultra-compressed sound, let's apply some parallel compression. Create an auxiliary channel and send your main vocal to it, making sure the send is pre-fader. On the aux track, add your choice of compressor and go hard, pushing it until there's at least 10dB of compression taking place. Play with the send level until you get a big, powerful sound.
Smooth it out
Step 3: Big doesn't necessarily mean harsh. You might find (as is the case with our example audio) that parallel compressing your vocal makes it a little sibilant, which isn't what we want. We use Digital Fish Phones' Spitfish to smooth things out a little, sweetening the vocal up a touch.
Add reverb
Step 4: Now that you've got the basic, big sound down, you can point your vocal in the direction of the style you're aiming for. For example, here we're using reverb to get Minki sounding properly '80s, cranking up the Reverb Time and dialling down the Pre-Delay to get something that wouldn't sound out of place on a synthy love song.
Add delay?
Step 5: Going for something more modern? Lower the reverb a little, then add some delay (we like Loomer's Resound VST) and bang in a harmoniser. You don't want to push it too hard, as all you're going for is a clean, metallic effect, but it shouldn't take much tweaking before you've got a chartable sound.


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"My Boyfriend Wants to Quit His Job and Live Off My Income"
I have been so excited to get engaged and am suddenly very uncomfortable to marry someone who wants to use me as support. I am not sure if I should be a good partner and support him even though it makes me feel used as if he was planning this all along, which he says he wasn't and that writing after work does not give him enough time. I am so confused and not sure if I have wasted three years. We truly love each other and really get along but why am I suddenly scared to marry him? — Not Interested in Being Used
What readers don't know is that the subject line in your email to me was "I make double my boyfriend's salary," which is interesting because it suggests that it isn't just the idea of your boyfriend quitting his job to focus on writing that bothers you but the fact that right now your boyfriend doesn't earn as much as you do. That, coupled with your protests of "being used" and not wanting to support him indicates that you need to do some serious communicating before you talk seriously about getting married.
My 17 things every couple should discuss before getting married is a good starting point. But the two of you need to think about what you individually see as you imagine your lives 5, 10, 15 years from now. Do you want to continue working full-time after you have children? If so, how important is it to you that you have a partner who is equally invested in his career? How important is it that his career be one that is on par with yours, financially? What about your future children? If both parents were to work full-time, what do you envision for childcare? Even when kids start school, they still need childcare coverage when they're released at 3PM. If you had a partner who had a more flexible schedule — like, say, a screenwriter who set his own hours — that might solve the problem of school pick-up and afternoon care.
The thing is, when you marry someone and agree to be life partners, you agree to support each other — emotionally, physically, and yes, financially. So, to say you don't want to "be a good partner and support" your maybe-future-husband is… well, it's an odd choice of phrasing at the very least, and perhaps an indication that you aren't yet prepared for the compromises necessary to maintain a successful marriage. The reality of marriage is that one person never fully supports the other person all the time. Even if we're just talking about finances, in the course of a long marriage, one partner — even one who starts off making double what the other does — could find herself or himself dependent on the other side. Jobs are lost and gained. Screenplays are sold. Raises and promotions are offered. Life happens. And even if one partner is the main breadwinner for the entire marriage, it still doesn't mean he or she is the main supporter and the other partner is simply supported. What about domestic support (cooking, cleaning, childcare, grocery shopping, etc.)? What about emotional support? Isn't there enormous value in those things? Isn't love itself a valuable currency of its own?
You need to sit down and talk with your boyfriend and you need to think about the following questions:
1. How do you both define "success" as a writer?
2. How long are both of you willing to give your boyfriend to achieve that success while living on his limited income? What sacrifices would you have to make to live on just one income and are you willing to make those sacrifices?
3. If he doesn't find the financial success you both agree is necessary by whatever date you choose he needs to achieve it by, what are the next steps? Does he give up his dream of being a screenwriter and find another source of income? If so, what would he do for income? Can he go back to the work he is currently doing? Is there other work he can do that will be meaningful for him? How can he maintain a stable source of income, even if it's a small one, while he writes screenplays so that he may have that income to fall back on and pursue should he decide to throw in the towel on screenwriting?
4. When do you want to have children?
5. How do you plan to care for the children in their early years (A nanny? Day care? Stay-at-home parent? A combination of those things?)
6. What support do you want from a husband? And what support does your boyfriend want from a wife?
In the end, you have to follow your gut and make choices based on what will make you happy and what fits your long-term life goals. If what you want is to be with someone who will work in a stable industry and whose income will always match yours, then maybe your boyfriend isn't the right match for you. If you want to eventually stay home with young children, then a screenwriter just starting out may not be able to make that dream a reality for you. You have to think about what you value and then prioritize your values and goals. Is it more important to have the emotional support of someone you love or is it more important to love someone who can financially support you? And are you willing to give up one without the certainty of another?
Follow along on Facebook, and Instagram.
If you have a relationship/dating question I can help answer, you can send me your letters at wendy(AT)dearwendy.com.


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Carver's Harbor, Vinalhaven, Feb. 1918
Vinalhaven's Carver's Harbor is frozen solid. Six sloop boats ( Friendship sloops) are locked in the ice along with a couple of the new power lobsterboats. The sloop boat in the foreground has a lobster trap hauler so it has an auxiliary engine. In the background is the lighthouse tender Zizania which brought a small amount of supplies to the island which had been icebound for a week or more. After a telegram to President Wilson, the oceangoing tug Favorite brought in substantial amounts of food for people and animals as well as islanders who were stranded on the mainland, breaking the ice blockade.
Photograph courtesy Vinalhaven Historical Society
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Geographic Location:
Carver's Harbor, Vinalhaven