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Document Type
Publication Date
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), United States Department of the Interior (USDI), proposing a program to treat vegetation on up to six million acres of public lands annually in 17 western states in the continental United States (US) and Alaska. As part of this program, the BLM is proposing the use of ten herbicide active ingredients (a.i.) to control invasive plants and noxious weeds on approximately one million of the 6 million acres proposed for treatment. The BLM and its contractor, ENSR, are preparing a Vegetation Treatments Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate this and other proposed vegetation treatment methods and alternatives on lands managed by the BLM in the western continental US and Alaska. In support of the EIS, this Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) evaluates the potential risks to the environment that would result from the use of the herbicide chlorsulfuron, including risks to rare, threatened, and endangered (RTE) plant and animal species.
One of the BLM's highest priorities is to promote ecosystem health, and one of the greatest obstacles to achieving this goal is the rapid expansion of invasive plants (including noxious weeds and other plants not native to the region) across public lands. These invasive plants can dominate and often cause permanent damage to natural plant communities. If not eradicated or controlled, invasive plants will jeopardize the health of public lands and the activities that occur on them. Herbicides are one method employed by the BLM to control these plants.
ENSR Document Number 09090-020-650
Recommended Citation
ENSR International, "Chlorsulfuron, Ecological Risk Assessment, Final Report" (2005). All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository). Paper 74.


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Paraty House by Studio MK27
This magnificent minimalistic residence design by Studio MK27 is located in Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Enjoy!
Description by Studio MK27
There is a legend which says that the region of the colonial city of Paraty and Angra dos Reis (between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro) has 365 islands, one for each day of the year.
Two boxes of reinforced concrete, rest fixed connected on the mountainside of one of these islands; two modern prisms between the large colossal stones of the Brazilian coast. The volumes project outward from the mountain, almost abreast of the beach, in a 8-meters cantilever.
The house, of structural ingenuity, finds balance in the topography of the land, constituting an extensive open doorway and living space in the practically-untouched nature. In the rocks of Paraty, in the dense rain forest of the island, poisonous spiders, discover this orthogonal volume and penetrate the grass that coats the slab. Moving their fore and hind legs quickly, they reclaim the site. The spiders continue on their way into the house and penetrate into an important furniture collection of the XX century designed, among others, by George Nakashima, Luis Barragan, Lina Bo Bardi, Sérgio Rodrigues, Joaquim Tenreiro and José Zanine Caldas. The spiders become lost in the upholstered chair.
The inhabitants arrive by boat: the entrance to the house, already protected by the slab, after stepping on the sand, is via a metallic bridge positioned over a crystal-lined reflecting pool. The bridge leads to stairs connecting to the lower volume. This volume contains part of the program of the house: living room, kitchen and service area. The continual internal area has a 27-meter span and huge glass windows allow for the view, the sea.
The same entrance stairs lead to the upper volume which lodges the bedrooms. In the front part of the house, retractile panels of eucalyptus sticks protect the bedrooms from the sun. The spaces that face the mountain, have small internal patios with zenital lighting and the use of exposed reinforced concrete grants a striking texture to the walls.
The entire top of the house is covered with terraces, observatories for the inhabitants, for the poisonous spiders, or garden for the sculptures and for the medicinal plants and edible herbs.

subset: commoncrawl


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I did not start the day with a workout. I was actually very tired and you have to keep your strength up if you are to hang on during a session with Mat Newman. So I slept as long as I could and headed off to the conference hotel.
#UserBLAST 2016
Mat Newman is a character that everybody in the community, and at the conference, knows. He's impossible to miss in his yellow suit, with matching shoes and wrist watch. Newman is also a born showman, and he loves the technologies IBM provides. I've written and said this before, but Mat has been a huge source of inspiration for me when it comes to both user training, as well as preaching about Notes/Domino and Connections (and other tools and technologies that I like for that matter).
Mat presented a user case scenario where a user went from having dozens of copies of the same file, which were emailed all over the place, to taking control over the work process so that she only had to contend with one copy, which she then shared across with those who wanted it.
We didn't exactly learn something new here, but Mat's conviction made a lot of us feel that this is what we should go home and tell our boss, our colleagues, our competitors, our friends, their grandmothers and their dogs.
I spoke to several people after the session, and we all concurred that if IBM had more Mat Newmans, people would not be moving to other platforms. And I got a great idea (at least I think it's great) on what to do with the Norwegian IBM Users Group's spring seminar in May. Stay tuned!
How the Salvation Army Doubled the Number of Active IBM Connections Users Worldwide in One Day
The title of this presentation was a bit misleading, because we are talking about Sweden only. But if their claims are true, it's still pretty impressive to get a 100% adoption rate from their users. But that was their point: They didn't adapt their users. They adapted the technology to fit their users need. So they took IBM Connections and put their own product on top to skin Connections to become more of a web page (intranet) where users find what they are looking for, instead of wading through things they don't understand (wikis, blogs, forums and so on).
This seems to be a predominating theme: To achieve user participation, you need to skin Connections. Hopefully the new design of Connections 5.5 will make this need smaller.
I will definitely check out this product, and during the Nordic dinner, I spoke to one of the product managers from the Swedish company.
IBM has a big user community with developers who are really the ones driving the technology and solutions forward. IBM acknowledge this and both reward people with the IBM Champions price, as well as giving them the possibility to speak at the conference. Even though we have lost a lot of the old timers among the gurus, there still are a lot of them, and they are all willing to share what they know.
There was a pretty big turnout, but I do get the feeling that those who don't come to this session stay away because they feel this is a club, where everybody knows each other, so they feel left out. Personally I was welcomed with open arms in to this community back in 2006 (thanks to Bruce Elgort who saw me at an OpenNTF session and wanted to know who the new guy was). I think maybe the gurus should think a little bit about that, especially with the internal jokes going on.
It's also a bit hard for some people to know the difference between this session and the ASK the developers anbd Product Managers session.
Even so, the session was fun. I started the question round, and you can see that moment if you click on the video below:
(I also pop up at the 48:55 minute mark)
The most important thing that came out of this session was that we turned the focus on the user groups. Some don't exist any more, some are thriving and others are struggling. I hope more people came out of the session and were ready for start turning up at the user group meetings. Or even engage themselves in organising them.
ASK the Developers and Product Managers
This is a session where you can ask the developers and managers of the various IBM products and solutions questions, to their face. Sometimes you really do get an answer (and that answer might very well be "no that will not work" or "no, we do not have that on our roadmap for the foreseeable future"), but a lot of the time the session ends up with "we'll take that back with us."
This year someone made a list of all the questions that had been promised a follow up on last year, which hadn't been followed up on…
I asked a question about the Files plugin in IBM Notes and I was told that, yes, it will be developed on more. So that's good news!
Closing General Session: Discover your Inner Artist
Liz Urheim, Vice Precident of Collaboration and Smarter Workforce, summerised the week and promised us that, yes, there will be a conference again next year!
Inhi Cho Suh then took the stage. She is the General Manager of collaboration solutions for IBM and her words on their commitment to developing all the platforms of IBM is still strong. I liked her talk. It was short and to the point.
Erik Wahl then took the stage. He is an artist who has made a career of letting go of traditional thought patterns. During the presentation he painted pictures and talked about encouraging people to use disruptive strategies. Let the kids colour outside the lines. And he asked: "Why is it that when I ask pre school children if they can draw, they all say 'yes,' but when I ask adults, almost all of them say 'no.'" When do we lose that? Food for thought.
And that was it. In the evening IBM Norway treated us to dinner at Kimonos, which is a at the Swan and Dolphin hotel where this conference used to be held. Sushi, beer, nostalgia, karaoke with Mat Newman made the whole evening in to very enjoyable event.
And that's how I feel about the entire conference! Last year it was all doom and gloom. This year the vibe was much more positive. IBM seems determined to deliver what they promise, features that have been requested, both in Notes/Domino and Connections are coming fast, the plugins (which I love) are getting more and more love and there were some really good sessions this year.
For me personally I got to meet friends again, but most importantly: I got to have meetings that will probably result in my employer saving time and money, as well as becoming a more effective and collaborative organisation. I've also received loads of great feedback, both about my blogging from the conference, and my contributions to the community.
Oh yeah, the weather was great too. Thanks to IBM for buying that weather company!
Until next year, folks!


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Paper in the brave new digital world
By Anne Welsh, on 25 January 2011
Many thanks to all those who came along to the painless introduction to paper in the brave new digital world.
The object of the painless introductions is to spark discussion and collaboration. Some of the topics covered today included:
- content versus carrier and the impact of format on text and text on format
- Darnton's communications circuit
- case study: Watermarks in incunabula printed in the low countries (WILC)
- case study: the Scottish Government's Burns iphone app
- case study: Corpus of Modern Scottish Writing – Robert Burns. Poems chiefly in the Scottish dialect
- versioning online and in print
- the Wicked Bible
- the impact of book design on e-book design – Van de Graaf's secret canon
- the Reading Experience database (RED)
- archiving publishing and other corporate records
- what happens when records are destroyed?
The slides are available here, and you can also download a copy of Van de Graaf's secret canon of book design if you would like to try it on your ebooks / images of books.
If you are a book historian who would like to give a guest talk to our MA LIS / MA ARM / MA Digital Humanities Historical Bibliography students, or who would like to speak about other potential collaborations, please get in touch (email or twitter works best).


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Related links:
Surface of Titania
The surface of Titania is like many icy moons. It appears to be changed for it does not have many craters. Instead it has grooves and ridges similar to those found on Ganymede. These grooves extend for many kilometers over the entire surface. The presence of grooves indicates that there has been activity in the interior of Titania in the past.Last modified November 20, 2000 by Jennifer Bergman.


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Political Science Download to printCollege
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Political Science
302 Bowman Hall The Political Science minor is for students who have an ongoing interest in politics—at the local, state, national or international level—but whose primary area of study does not allow a second major. Students study the general subject matter of political science and then advance to specialty areas that meet their own interests, needs and plans of study.
Please read the sections in the University Catalog on Kent Core, diversity, writing-intensive and the experiential learning requirements.
Minimum cumulative 2.000 GPA required for graduation. Students must complete at least two upper-division courses in the minor at Kent State on a graded basis (A-F). For information on the major Residence Requirements please visit the University Residence Requirements policy. |


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A Simple Yet Brilliant $1.50 Sanitation Idea – Made by the toilet manufacturer American Standard, this "trap door" seals off open pit latrines that are a major source of disease in the developing world.
This article discusses a sanitation solution by bathroom and kitchen fixture company American Standard. Funded by the Gates Foundation, American Standard has developed a $1.50 latrine pan that cuts down on sanitation-related disease transmission by sealing off pit toilets.
The $1.50 pan has been a hit in field trials in Bangladesh; in addition to being more sanitary, the pan also blocks off nasty smells from the latrine. While American Standard hoped to get the price down to a $1, McHale still believes the product is affordable.
So far, American Standard has sold close to 70,000 units in Bangladesh, and in 2013, the company donated 533,352 of the pans for distribution this year. The company is now thinking about how to launch the product in India. It's also working on a design for Africa that uses less water.
- Read the complete article in Fastcoexist.com


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"Liberia, country of books. Both of them."
Republic of Liberia Liberia | |||||
| |||||
Motto: Hey! Let's Have a Civil War! | |||||
Anthem: Hail International Aid! | |||||
Liberia. It's a tiny-ass country. | |||||
Capital | Some city near Maryland | ||||
Largest city | City? Are you kidding?! This is fucking Liberia, here! (Well floating city anyway...an oil tanker last seen somewhere in the South China Sea) | ||||
Official language(s) | English, Swahili, 1337 (legislative) | ||||
Government | Republic | ||||
‑ President | That Guy | ||||
Declaration of Independence |
From Sierra Leone Declared: May 26th, 1835 Recognized: December 25th, 1838 | ||||
Currency | Bullets | ||||
Religion | We don't have time for religion! Hell, we don't even have time to eat! | ||||
National Holiday | October 16th (everyone gets a scone!) | ||||
Internet TLD | Get real; we don't have internet! |
Liberia is a diminutive nation in West Africa that is largely ignored by the rest of the world, and with good reason: Since when has anyone heard of anything good coming out of Liberia? For that matter, when is the last time anyone has heard of anything good coming out of Africa in general - besides Nelson Mandela, of course?
In any case, Liberia does indeed exist (geographically, at least); and as every dog has its day, the present article celebrates that of Liberia.
Founding and independence[edit]
Liberia was originally the brainchild of Marcus Garvey, designed as a home for freed American slaves living in Africa.
"The people of America have been living for too long under the yoke of African oppression," said Garvey of the wealthy Bantu slave owners in West Africa. "It is time for my brothers to rise up and form a new society, free from the judgments of the Black Man!"
Garvey was, of course, considered highly radical - and even slightly insane - by some of his colleagues, considering the face that he was himself an African. However, his idea seemed to gain ground when the Nigerian East America Company, who had been importing slaves from the Massachusetts Bay area of America since the mid-1600s, decided to establish a town dedicated specifically to the safe settlement of freed American slaves. That town was called "Monrovia", so graciously named for the head of the Nigerian East America Company, Bak'Shi Monroe.
Early years[edit]
Life in the first settlement at Monrovia was difficult, to say the least. The land around the settlement was lush and fertile, but the prospect of living independently was difficult for the easily-sunburned Americans. Even the former house slaves were forced to work long, hard days constructing the first cliche` temporary houses out of fallen trees and palm branches.
Slowly but surely, however, Monrovia was built up over time, and by the end of 1835, almost 1,000 people inhabited the town. Unfortunately for the Monrovian residents, the land that they had claimed for their own was also claimed by the neighboring land of Sierra Leone. The Leonians were not happy in the slightest that such lowly American slaves had attempted to move in on African territory; storm clouds brewed over the horizon for the small country.
War for Independence[edit]
On January 15th, 1836, Leonian Parliament declared war against the "rebellious albinos to the south". The Liberians, knowing that their primitive muskets were no match for the Leonian Army's spears and shields, immediately called on the aid of their friends, the Nigerians. In a move that would come to be known as "The Albino Love Affair", the Nigerian government made their support for the Liberian settlers outwardly known across Africa by invading Sierra Leone. However, this move came only days too late to prevent the first major incursion on Liberian soil by Leonian soldiers.
The Battle of Monrovia[edit]
The first major battle of the war was to take place in Monrovia itself. The 3rd Infantry Corps, led by the famous Leonian General Fash'hi Durk, made the first assault on Monrovia on January 30th, 1836. The 2nd Infantry Garrison, led by the then-unknown Robert E. Lee, was charged with defending the beleaguered city. It was to be a difficult fight for the 2nd; their primitive muskets were no match for the Leonian's spears, which were far more sharp and pointy.
The Leonians began with a ground assault through the city's industrial center. Since Monrovia is built ona peninsula, the 2nd was quickly backed into a corner, with the Leonians closing in and only the sea to run to. Every counter-charge that the Liberians made was quickly repelled by the Leonian spears. The Liberians were taking heavy losses; defeat seemed certain.
It was at this time that General Lee, in a stroke of pure genius, sequestered his troops within Monrovia's buildings and had them open fire on the Leonians. Although the Leonian spears were mighty, they could not penetrate the buildings, and the inescapable volleys from the Liberians quickly cut the Leonian army down to size, and they were forced to retreat. It was a surprise victory, indeed.
Nigerian invasion of Sierra Leone[edit]
On February 7th, Nigeria began a full-scale invasion of Sierra Leone, partially due to the Liberian victory at the Battle of Monrovia. In Nigeria, this was known as "Operation: Lion Mountain". The First Nigerian Army crossed the border and rushed straight for the Leonian capital of Freetown. However, this wasn't meant to be an occupation force; this was meant to be a distraction while the Liberians trained their forces to become stronger and more professional with the help of Nigerian military officers and Leonian ex-patriots. The Nigerian Invasion would be staved off in about a year, having depleted Leonian supplies just in time for the Liberian surge.
The Liberian surge[edit]
The newly-professionalized Liberian Army Came back with a vengeance, surging into Sierra Leone and quickly capturing the capitol of Freetown (and therefore reinforcing the irony of its name). The Leonians, formerly at a technological advantage with their superiorly pointy spears, were quickly cut down by the advent of the bayonet. The bayonet, which was if possible even pointier than the Leonian spear, skewered the Leonian forces like a traditional Liberian beef Shish-Kabob. Within a month, Sierra Leone was under Liberian control.
Prominent Liberian statesman Chuck Norris, then in the early part of his political career, was named the Provincial Governor of Freetown. Under his rule, men were required to either grow beards or emigrate into Niger. Ninety percent of the city's women were named as members of Governor Norris' "Joy Brigade", a somewhat euphemistic term for his personal harem. The remaining women, who Norris tended to describe as "fugly", were deemed "unsuitable for service" and were sent with the beardless men to Niger.
The Christmas Treaty[edit]
On Christmas Day of 1838, The people of Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Liberia all came to a peaceful resolution to the war. Sierra Leone recognized "The innate sovereignty of the former American slaves to rule over their new territory in their adopted homeland", and was required to pay out millions of dollars in war reparations to Liberia for attempting to invade.
Current state of affairs[edit]
Since the 1969 Liberian Revolution, toilets have been declared enemies of the state by Prince Johnson. This has led to an explosion of prosperity and peaceful coexistence between warring tribes as they can all unite in the new national pastime: shitting on the beach. Between bouts of consuming large quantities of sweet, sweet Nigerian (from Nigeria or Niger? Nobody knows) heroin and raping engaging in aggressive games of tag with pregnant women, Liberians young and old, men and women alike all enjoy squeezing off a delicious loaf into the warm, loving sand of their homeland. In traditional Liberian religion it is customary to offer hot, steamy, fresh-out-of-the-oven mounds of one's own feces as a sacrifice to ward of the evil forces of AIDS. This is not only the most popular national pastime, but the only one that does not involve prostitutes. However, prostitute-related pastimes contribute more to the economy and are encouraged by government broadcasts to the nation's three televisions, much to the chagrin of religious leaders.
The citizens of Liberia, those wacky, lovable rapscallions brought into the limelight after being featured on a special edition of Maury, may be in for big trouble in the future. According to expert analysts with extraterrestrial connections Liberians may be inadvertently ruining their own economy. Liberians all secretly want to be like the cockney orphans of yore, but unfortunately for these would-be adorable street urchins, the only things sold in Liberia are prostitutes. In attempts to recreate the adorable, apple-stealing ways of their idols, Liberians end up "shoplifting" on a daily basis. Various studies have found that approximately 114% (the Fox News figure) of Liberians have been involved in rape shoplifting in the last 48 hours. The government's "Just say 'NO' to raping" campaign has so far been an unsuccessful attempt to get Liberians to engage in the national pastimes of beach-shitting and delicious heroin instead of raping prostitutes in an ill-advised attempt to become an orphan in late nineteenth century London.
Since the only things to be bought in Liberia are prostitutes and heroin, and the former is stolen in 121% (again, the Fox News figure) of transactions, Liberia's gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated at the combined value of two vintage novelty Pez dispensers discovered by a beach-shitter in Monrovia in 2006. This creates the interesting situation wherein the entire wealth of a country is possessed by one man. The man (whose name remains secret) promptly left the country with his wealth and has been rumored to have been spotted begging for drug money outside of the Whiskey a Go-Go. During this period, known by modern scholars as Liberia's Golden Age, Liberia's GDP skyrocketed from $0 to roughly $2.65 and then returned to $0 3 days later, as the man left the country with his findings. A large, cast-iron statue of the novelty Pez dispensers was erected in front of the capitol building to commemorate the loss.
See also[edit]


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[vimeo https://vimeo.com/25878280 w=598]
I hope Chris Kaczmarek's Solar Symphony installation is set up in a quiet spot at Maker Faire New York. The sounds, triggered by variations in ambient light intensity, are eerie and probably best enjoyed in a quiet environment. Even so, the electromechanical instruments are fun to watch.
This project consists of separate solar circuits that store energy and trigger motors and electronic oscillators in an arrhythmic sequence which is regulated both by the amount of light in the room and by variances in the individual circuits. Placed in an environment with variable lighting, the changing frequency of the incidents becomes an audible reminder of the often overlooked and ever changing energy that surrounds us.
This is an installation of five of the preliminary sound objects created for the Solar Symphony in the Passage Gallery at Purchase College. This installation was undertaken to experiment with the use of lighting as a "tuning" aspect, and to examine questions of scale and placement.
Join Make: Community Today


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A nightstand is convenient as a flat surface for holding things, but sometimes we can't put our nightstands right next to the bed because of layout, or maybe it's just way too much work to roll over and reach that far at 3 in the morning. Enter NeatSheets, which have pockets right in the side of the sheet for your junk.
The sheets come in various sizes, starting at $50 for a twin and up to $90 for a California king. They all have one giant pocket and one small pocket so you can keep stuff like bottled water, TV remotes, tissues, prophylactics, eyedrops and flashlights in reach.
Other than the obvious thought of making these yourself to save money, it might also be a good idea to DIY so you can customize the placement and size of your pockets. Plan it right and you can access things more like quick-drawing from a holster and less like rooting around in a backpack.
NeatSheets | via Cool Tools


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- City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
- Dubai 05:26 06:39 12:34 15:52 18:24 19:37
US: An Ohio man hatched a plot to kill a woman he was in a home-ownership dispute with, authorities say, by approaching an emergency room patient at the renowned hospital where he worked as a nurse with the question, "Ever killed anyone?"
No, the Cleveland Clinic patient replied, but I once shot a man.
That was good enough, authorities say, for nurse Andrew Martin, 23, who allegedly tried to resolve the dispute by offering the patient $10,000 to kill the woman, who was never hurt.
Martin, of the town of Bristolville about 50 miles east of Cleveland, has pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 7 in U.S. District Court in Cleveland. His attorney, Edward LaRue, said "there's much more to come" in the case.
According to a federal affidavit that reads like a combination of real-estate law and backroom conspiracy, Martin somehow hooked up with a man named David Simons, who had done occasional carpentry work for an elderly man, George Warehime. How Martin and Simons met wasn't detailed.
Warehime died Dec. 4, 2010, at age 83 after years of decline. Doctors said he showed evidence of Alzheimer's disease. The administrator of his estate, sister Joy Comey, put his house up for sale and lined up a buyer.
She was stunned to visit the home Nov. 21, 2011, and find Martin and another man, David Simons. They claimed her brother had deeded the house to them nine months earlier without cost.
Getting the house could enrich the men. It is valued at $193,000 for tax purposes.
Comey, whose exact age is unclear, said her brother never mentioned giving up his home, on a tree-lined boulevard in a desirable neighborhood in Lakewood, minutes from Cleveland. Comey lived near him in the area blocks from Lake Erie and visited him frequently to care for him.
Comey called police, and a yearlong ownership fight began in probate court. A judge eventually sided with Comey and voided a backdated deed notarized under questionable circumstances.
Comey argued that the two men took advantage of her brother, who was found in 2009 to have memory loss and dementia. He couldn't hear well.
Simons claimed the deed to the house showed up in his mail box without explanation. His attorney quit in the middle of the probate case, fearful that his client was involved in fraud, court records said.
Martin is accused of using a cellphone to discuss the plot, and because the cellular network crosses states lines, he is being charged in federal court, instead of state court, with the murder-for-hire scheme.
Irritated that "this 70-year-old lady, she has been trying to mess up my life," Martin approached an ER patient who "looked like a big guy," according to the federal affidavit.
"Ever hurt anyone?" Martin allegedly asked the man, whose name wasn't disclosed.
"Yes, no, maybe," the ER patient responded cautiously.
Martin pressed ahead, according to the affidavit, asking, "Ever killed anyone?"
"I shot someone in the leg once," the patient responded.
Satisfied the man lived in a tough Cleveland neighborhood, Martin allegedly offered him $10,000 to kill Comey. Martin described her and her car and provided her address, prosecutors say.
When the patient tipped a police officer, Comey was alerted and went into hiding.
The threat caused her anguish, and "she was deeply disturbed, as one would expect," said her probate attorney, Franklin Hickman.
Calls to Comey's home went unanswered, and Hickman said he had advised her not to talk to reporters.
The Cleveland Clinic, a research hospital known for its nationally ranked heart care, suspended Martin without pay when he was arrested in November.
Martin was locked up without bail to await trial. Calls to a phone listed in his family name in Bristolville went unanswered.
LaRue, his attorney, said a picture of a hard-working young man would emerge at Martin's trial.
"He's been remarkably productive," he said. "He's been working ever since the age of 15. He's 23 now and has attained a certain degree of business acumen in the world, as well as a nursing license."
Simons could not be reached for comment. A bankruptcy court filing from last year showed he had debts of nearly $150,000; he wasn't charged in the alleged murder plot.
Last May, in the middle of the probate fight, Simons took out a $600,000 insurance policy on the house, according to the federal affidavit. Ten days later, an early morning fire later declared arson damaged the house, and the insurer rescinded the policy.
Local prosecutors declined to comment on any investigation involving suspected house fraud or arson.
There is little evidence of the fire at the spacious house, which remains boarded up and padlocked by the city. (AP)
Shipment of 18 human heads found at airport
CHICAGO: Investigators probing a shipment of 18 human heads intercepted at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport have determined they came from bodies donated for scientific research and were being transported for disposal.
US: Customs agents discovered the grisly package, which was shipped to Chicago from Italy shortly before Christmas, on Monday. Because the shipment's paperwork was not in order, agents confiscated the heads and sent them to the Cook County Medical Examiner for safekeeping, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner said.
The heads, which had been used by a medical research facility in Rome, were properly embalmed, wrapped and labeled when they arrived at the airport, said Mary Paleologos, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner.
Foul play has been ruled out, she said.
On Tuesday, the cremation company that was supposed to take delivery of the heads and dispose of them presented the missing paperwork to the medical examiner, Paleologos said.
The medical examiner said the remains would not be released to the company until federal authorities verified the paperwork.
In the meantime, the medical examiner is photographing and x-raying the embalmed heads for record-keeping purposes, Paleologos said. (REUTERS)
Man brings bomb into police station
CYPRUS: A man triggered a major security scare in Cyprus on Wednesday when he walked into a police station carrying a bomb he found on his driveway, saying he wanted officers to examine it.
Police said the 33-year old man discovered a suspicious device on the back window of his car and after drawing a blank on what it was doing there, decided to take it to a police station in the capital Nicosia for further scrutiny by experts.
It didn't take long for police to discover it was a makeshift bomb which had failed to go off, triggering the evacuation of the complex.
"He obviously didn't know what it was," a police source told Reuters.
Police said the object was a "makeshift high intensity explosive"
attached to a detonator and a fuse. It was defused on site by explosives experts. (REUTERS)
Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.


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Today's the day!! I have a new face for my blog and website!! I'm going to make this short and sweet because I have a much prettier blog now and I've written my very first post on that site! Please head over there to see what I've been working on this winter and be sure to enter the Facebook giveaway here!
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Friday, January 8, 2016
Washington D.C.
I've never been a huge history lover (sorry to all you nerdy people) because it's hard for me to have interest in something that feels so far away but actually seeing history in front of me in Washington D.C. is a different story. I hadn't been to any museums or even into D.C. for a few years so when Megan said she and her sister were going into town, I decided I'd make the trek up there. I decided spontaneously at about 7PM (story of my life) and drove the two hours there the night before last.
We went to the Renwick Gallery first which is a gallery with some really fun art that's only up until the summer! The rainbow string installation was so cool!! Afterwards we went to the Library of Congress and got an hour-long tour. Such a unique place!! It opened in 1897 and is the world's largest public library. It took 25 years to build and every single wall, painting, and sculpture in the building has reason. It's free and open to anyone over the age of 16, too, so if I lived in D.C. I'd probably have to take advantage of that. I mean, who wouldn't be inspired in that library?!
After the library, we walked by the White House, got lunch at Vapiano's, attempted to get on the D.C. Snap Story (and kind of succeeded), went to Ford's Theatre where Abraham Lincoln was killed, and finally saw the Declaration of Independence! It was a full day but so much fun!! There's seriously SO much to do in D.C. and I hate that I don't take advantage of being so close! Thanks Megan for the fun day and the photos of me!
Monday, January 4, 2016
Best of 2015: Portraits
I did way more portrait sessions than I thought I would this year and it was the BEST. I started a senior rep program, worked with some amazing hair and makeup artists, photographed a model in Hawaii, photographed a fashion blogger, and hung out with the coolest class of 2016 seniors! I look forward to portraits every year -- as much as I love weddings, I could never eliminate portrait work. It really inspires me and I usually end up at the end of the year with some of my absolute favorite shots being portraits. A few of these images have actually NEVER been online because some of the girls are senior reps so I hope you enjoy some new material!!! Here are my top portraits from 2015!
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Even after acquiring right-hander Ervin Santana from the Los Angeles Angels, the Kansas City Royals are continuing to seek pitching and are willing to listen to trade offers for first baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas, outfielders Alex Gordon and Wil Myers and designated hitter Billy Butler, reports Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald:
The Royals need pitching and are listening on first baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas, outfielder Alex Gordon, DH Billy Butler and even outfield prospect Wil Myers.
While the Royals' offense ranked around league average last season, their pitchers were close to the bottom of the majors in multiple categories. Kansas City pitchers ranked 23rd in ERA (4.30), 28th in quality starts and 27th in WHIP (1.41).
Jeremy Guthrie was a bright spot for the Royals after he was acquired from the Colorado Rockies over the summer. Unfortunately for Kansas City, Guthrie is a free agent and it's not clear if he'll be re-signed.
In addition to searching for rotation help via the free agent market, the Royals could also look to swap some of their young bats for talented arms. Silverman mentions that the Tampa Bay Rays, a team in need of offense, could be a match.


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The Iris crepe gown is a body-hugging, floor-length dress with a thigh-high side slit. This sleeveless off-white gown features thin shoulder straps to highlight a plunging neckline and a deep v-back. The slim gown fits snuggly through the bodice and hips.
Hello, bombshell! The Iris Crepe Side Slit Gown in features a stunning floor length design with a sultry plunging v-neck. This sleeveless dress features thin straps that cascade over the shoulder, where they lead into a scoop back. The A-line skirt on this gown will flatter every body shape, while maintaining a timeless and effortless silhouette. Masterfully tailored seams run along the bust of the Iris Crepe Side Slit Gown, which flow down the hem of the dress. This look not only lengthens the body, but further flatters the figure.
The elegant look of this dress makes a statement all on its own. But, there is one added touch that will really turn heads. Channel your inner Hollywood diva with a daring thigh-high side slit. An unexpected twist on such a classic silhouette, the jaw-dropping slit will be sure to stop traffic. Chic and sophisticated, the Iris Crepe Side Slit Gown will have you looking and feeling like a true starlet. Ideal for a variety of special occasions, such as weddings, galas, and red carpets, this dress will certainly leave a lasting impression. For a perfect look fit for a perfect night, shop the Iris Crepe Side Slit Gown today.


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1.2. Acknowledgements and Thanks
I want to first and foremost thank my wife Julie, without her, I wouldn't be where I am today. I also want to thank Arpad Magosanyi, the author of the first VPN mini-howto and pty-redir, the utility that makes all of this possible. Jerry, Rod, Glen, Mark V., Mark W., and David, You guys rock! Thanks for all your help.


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Agenda Lounge
- Where
- 399 S 1st St, San Jose , CA
- Call
- +1 408.287.3991
- Web
- Agenda Lounge Website
- Tags
- Bars, Clubs, Dance Clubs, Lounge
Claim this listing |
The third floor lounge at the Agenda nightclub has been at the forefront of the DJ and live music scene in downtown San Jose for years and still reins in the Bay Area's slickest DJ talent and live music acts. Resident DJs mix it up with national talent spinning deep house, soul, funk and hip-hop in the chic Agenda Lounge and drop serious beats out over the dance floor that's continually packed with clubbers. Partiers that really want to prove their San Jose dancing skills show up to Agenda on Wednesdays for the South Bay's hottest Salsa night with lessons taking place early for those that may need a refresher course. Agenda Lounge also books an impressive slate of jazz, blues and funk live music acts both upstairs and on heated patio off the main dining room that just further cements its' reputation as a heavy hitter in the San Jose nightlife scene.
Agenda is all about variety. The club hosts DJs who play salsa (on Wednesdays, with dance lessons), hip-hop, reggae, house, underground electronic (The Workout on first Fridays) and even banda (on Thursdays). Some big underground rappers have also been known to take the stage.
The two-story club has been home to the Planet Reggae dance party for more than a dozen years. Another longtime favorite at the club is Salsa Every Wednesday; neophytes can learn some steps before braving the dance floor. Special DJ theme nights can be sampled on a regular basis. A full-service bar and the elegant downstairs dining room complete the experience.
That brick building on the corner of South First and San Salvador has increased its bookings in the nightclub, with appearances by Dwele, DJ ?uestlove and Planet Asia. Downstairs on the street level, the restaurant offers cateriong events nd private parties.
The Agenda has its salsa night dialed. They've got free salsa lessons (beginners are welcome) with only a $5 cover charge, which you can avoid by eating dinner in the restaurant before salsa time. The DJs spin all different genres of salsa, plus merengue, bachata and a bit of cha cha, all of which is appreciated each Wednesday by a large crowd of regulars, semiregulars and virgins—most of which are willingly sacrificed to the fiery god of salsa every week.
2008 BEST OF SILICON VALLEY Reader Survey Winner, First Place Best Latin/Salsa Club
2007 BEST OF SILICON VALLEY Reader Survey Winner, First Place Best Latin/Salsa Club
Agenda Lounge is an institution of the SoFA district of downtown San Jose. Both a restaurant and a steamy dance club, nightlife seekers can enjoy a fine meal downstairs before they ascend to the nightclub portion to dance the night away. This San Jose dance club books top DJs who regularly spin steamy R&B and thumping house beats. For their Latin themed Wednesday nights, Agenda is also considered one of the best places for San Jose salsa dancing. Free salsa dance classes are offered before the open dancing starts, giving newbies a chance to learn something snazzy to show off on the floor.
In the ever-changing SoFA district of downtown San Jose, places like the Agenda Lounge are a rarity for their ability to say that they've been here for more than a year. A one-stop shop for dining, dancing and schmoozing, Agenda has been filling South First with heavy house and steamy R&B beats for years, courtesy of some top-notch DJs that show up on a regular basis. This is also one of the hottest spots for showing off your best Salsa moves on Wednesday nights; Salsa newbies can take free classes before the open dancing starts. Sunday nights also rock the Planet Reggae party, the longest running reggae night in San Jose.


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Over the past few years, the SEARCH (Study of Environmental Arctic Change) and ARCSS (Arctic System Science Program) communities have discussed the increasing need for improved integration and coordination between the two programs and their respective planning processes. Recently, the SEARCH Science Steering Committee (SSC) and ARCSS Committee agreed to move forward with a joint process to align efforts for more efficient scientific planning and implementation and to explore scientific synergies through a SEARCH-ARCSS task force on "understanding arctic change."
The Understanding Arctic Change Task Force will lead community activities to establish a long-term vision and provide the scientific framework for a modern effort for understanding the arctic system. This effort will outline an approach that facilitates a broad array of activities—from individual proposals, to synthetic workshops, to comprehensive research programs—to better address current scientific challenges in a rapidly changing arctic system. This group (see box below for members), with input and review from the broader community, will identify needs for accelerated community capacity-building and understanding of the rapidly changing arctic system. The task force will have a term of one year. The central product of the task force will be a community white paper to: identify key scientific unknowns and obstacles to advances in understanding arctic system change; and identify the next steps in synthesis activities, methodologies, mechanisms, and approaches to address the identified key science questions.
The white paper will be developed with open community comment and review and is expected to be complete in December 2010.
These activities will result in improved integration between the current SEARCH and ARCSS efforts, advance SEARCH "Understanding Change" activities, and improve our understanding of the arctic system. The process is designed to allow ideas and vision to grow from the scientific community and inform viable research programs. The result will include identification of key scientific and structural needs, with a range of activities emerging to address those needs, and a focus on nimble and decentralized structures.
With the formation of the task force, the existing ARCSS Committee will cease to exist, and ARCSS-relevant science planning activities will be addressed in the short-term by the ad hoc task force. The longer-term structure and activities will be developed as task force activities are completed, with guidance from the broader science community.
Updates on the SEARCH-ARCSS Understanding Arctic Change Task Force will be posted to the SEARCH website as information becomes available (www.arcus.org/search/index.php). For more information, contact the task force co-chairs Josh Schimel (schimel [at] lifesci.ucsb.edu) or John Walsh (jwalsh [at] iarc.uaf.edu), or Helen Wiggins at ARCUS (helen [at] arcus.org).


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Item Number: | 03110 |
Size: | 195/60R15 |
Sidewall: | BW |
Load Index: | 88 |
Speed Rating: | H |
Ply: | SL |
Mileage Warranty: | 60K |
Service Description: | 88H |
Looking for great offers on BFGoodrich® tires? This is a great 195/60R15 size tire! Tim's Automotive & Tires is proud to offer item number 03110, among the many other sizes available in BFGoodrich® and other brands. We also have a large selection of automotive services. Contact us now for more information!
Defy the weather, control the curves, and enjoy the drive for miles and miles
ALL SEASON, ALL PURPOSE: 12% better Wet Braking[1] & 15% better snow traction[2]
Locking 3-D Active Sipe Technology provides more biting edges for significantly increased wet and light snow traction. Advanced All-Season Tread Compounds are silica-infused compounds to deliver outstanding grip year round. Aqua-Flume™ Technology is a curvilinear groove network designed to disperse water from under the contact patch.
ADVANCED MILEAGE: Backed by 70,000 mile warranty[3]
Computer Optimized Footprint manages tread wear evolution for longer life and a quiet ride. Locking 3-D Active Sipe Technology designed to lock together under tire's footprint providing stability for longer wear. Full Depth Tread Features maintain consistent performance and look throughout the life of the tire
AGILE HANDLING: 15% better Dry Handling[4]
Next Generation ETEC System™ (Equal TEnsion Containment System) maintains optimal footprint shape during cornering and high speed situations+. Next Generation g-Wedge Sidewall Stabilizer™ stabilizes sidewall for crisp handling and comfortable ride. Continuous Center Rib provides consistent steering response and road feel.
All BFGoodrich® tires have a Standard Manufacturer's Limited Warranty, which covers defects in workmanship and materials for the life of the original usable tread, or for 6 years from date of purchase, whichever occurs first. See warranty for details.
BFGoodrich Limited Mileage Warranty
Select Advantage T/A Sport tires carry a 60,000 mile limited warranty in addition to the standard materials and workmanship warranty for treadwear or mileage.
Available on:
Advantage T/A Sport
Speed Rating: [V, H]
BFGoodrich Limited Mileage Warranty
Select Advantage T/A Sport tires carry a 70,000 mile limited warranty in addition to the standard materials and workmanship warranty for treadwear or mileage.
Available on:
Advantage T/A Sport
Speed Rating: [T]


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3 February 2013 21:00 | to | 4 February 2013 02:00 |
3 February 2013 21:00 | to | 4 February 2013 02:00 |
Ball of Arlecchino & Pulcinella
Venetian & Neapolitan Songs
Sunday the 3rd of February 2013
Gala Dinner & Entertainment.
The Ball will be located on the first floor (the pianonobile) in an authentic 14th century Palace: Pesaro Papafava, With its precious gothic facade and its elegant quadriform gothic windows overlooking the canal of the Misericordia. The palace will be illuminated entirely with candlelights to create a memorable atmosphere.
Incentive Harmony knows that the bond between Venice and masks is indissoluble and stronger than in other cities. Harlequin and Pulcinella masks are the most popular and famous. Harlequin is considered a symbol of the spirit often silly, namely that the poor devil. Pulcinella is the symbol of Naples and its people, appears on stage dressed as a crafty servant with a lively character.
The evening also will be characterized by repertoire of Venetian and Neapolitan folk songs.
21.15: Elegant cocktail with live music.
21.45: Seated illuminated candle lights Gala Dinner, wines included.
23.00: Performance of Arlecchino and Pulcinella with Venetian and Neapolitan folk songs.
Midnight: Live music and dances.
Dress Code: costume and mask.
Cost: 290 € per person.
Do not hesitate to consult us for the rent of costumes
Our Atelier will be under your disposal for any assistance such as costumes, masks and accessories.
The Palace is reachable by 5 minutes walk from Ca D'Oro vaporetto stop: Calle Racchetta, Cannaregio 3764. Reachable also by its water door (in front of the Church of the Misericordia).
For further informations, contact our office:
Tel: +39 041 5201855, Tel: +39 041 7794559 Fax: +39 178 2263842 E-mail: email@example.com,


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Mediasite Service Retired
Sorry, the URL you attempted to access is no longer available: https://mediasite.wolfware.ncsu.edu/online/Channel/cals-public/watch/5411e83f73d34aed8bf4352d9491b74c1d
The Mediasite service has been completely replaced by Panopto.
For Students/Viewers:
Please contact the owner of the page that sent you here to see if they have an updated URL.
For NC State Instructors/Presenters:
This service has been retired. Please contact firstname.lastname@example.com for assistance.


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Posted by Editoress on 02/12/13
The Pacific Cycling Centre, Victoria, BC will be holding its fifth training camp on March 14-17. The off-season winter training camp will focus on endurance, strength, core stability, flexibility and balance. The group rides aim to develop and improve endurance and boost aerobic capacity for both road race and short distance track cyclists.
Led by Head Coach, Houshang Amiri, the four-day camp will include four endurance rides and will feature tips on pedaling efficiency and learning how to develop a correct technique; recovery based training - learning how to manage your fatigue and recovery from training and competition, and strength evaluations and observation during the dynamic strength sessions.
The camp is open to all levels and will assist in training and preparation for the season ahead. The camp will work and improve aerobic power, ITT, and climbing technique. Under the supervision of the PCC coaches, athletes will improve their fitness levels and receive feedback on training as they build a foundation for the season.
Deadline to apply is March 4th. There is a 10% discount for athletes who register before February 15th. For more information go to: www.pacificcyclingcentre.ca.
Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top |


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Comcast is now making available a suite of third-party cloud-based products and services that its business customers can purchase directly through an online portal.
With its new Upware marketplace, Comcast is essentially creating a unified site for customers who are shopping for data backup, data security and collaboration.
Customers can self-provision and manage through the Upware portal, for example adding or removing employees from the system as needed.
The vendors in the data backup category are Carbonite, DigitalSafe and Mozy, and the data security vendors are Norton and Websense.
In the collaboration category, Comcast is offering access to Box (online storage), Microsoft (Web collaboration), Soonr (online file sharing) and YouSendIt (document collaboration).
Comcast is providing a fourth category, called Comcast Business Class, where it is making available several cloud-based tools, including Microsoft Exchange, Norton security, its own HD voice services and Web hosting.
Comcast expects to gradually add more applications in a wider set of categories.
Kevin O'Toole, senior vice president and general manager of new business solutions at Comcast Business Services, said: "Upware simplifies what can be a complex world of choices when evaluating cloud-based services. With the choice of these top vendors, business owners can quickly choose what tools they need to run their businesses and keep their focus on their number one priority – serving their customers."


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At Circle Buick GMC we take great pride in helping our customers find the best financing options. We work with financial institutions and lenders across the region and can help our customers explore all the auto loan opportunities available to them. That said, one of the best ways to get the process started is by applying to get pre-approved for financing using our secure application here. The best news? you can get pre-approved online with NO IMPACT ON YOUR CREDIT SCORE!
In connection with your transaction, Circle Buick GMC may acquire information about you as described in this notice, which we handle as stated in this notice.
We may collect personally identifiable information such as name, postal address, telephone number, e-mail address, social security number, date of birth, etc. This personal information is collected and used by Circle Buick GMC Credit Application staff for the purpose of facilitating a relationship or business transaction.
Our website resides behind a firewall and uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer, the industry-standard security protocol used to communicate with browsers) to transmit personal information. Data is strongly encrypted during transmission to ensure that personal and payment information is secure. Industry-standard data encryption techniques are used to protect personal information.


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Windows and Mac: Tasks Till Dawn is a very simple app that lets you schedule when a particular app opens or script runs. You just add it as a task, pick a time, and it'll all happen for you automatically.
If this sounds like a user-friendlier version of the handy command-line cron tool, that's because Tasks Till Dawn does pretty much the same thing. You can use it to launch a bunch of apps at a specific time (just like Quiet Hours), run schedule scripts to run to take care of maintenance (or other) tasks, or whatever you need to automate at any given time. It can also run tasks when you open the app, too, but other than that there isn't much else it does. It's just a very fast, simple to use, free scheduler for your Windows PC or Mac.
You can follow Adam Dachis, the author of this post, on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook. Twitter's the best way to contact him, too.


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Small business owners in B.C. aren't feeling too confident this spring, suggests a survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
Their optimism slipped the most of the Western provinces, with it a 3.6-percentage-point drop to 65.9 per cent since February.
CFIB western economist Aaron Aerts said the drop is concerning, but there's "nothing to panic about" – yet.
"We consider 65 per cent and up to be relatively healthy," Aerts said. "So 65.9 per cent is not a bad number."
He said the dip in confidence could be tied to B.C.'s recent pipeline trade war with Alberta, as well as in anticipation of the new payroll tax coming in next January.
"The payroll tax will be felt in the bottom line… by those who are looking at expanding their businesses."
He said any concerns are just speculation for now. "It will be really telling once the tax is introduced. Fear of a tax is one thing, it's another thing to actually pay it."
The payroll health tax, which replaces Medical Service Plan premiums, will hit all businesses with an annual payroll of more than $500,000. Those with payrolls between $500,000-$1.5 million will pay a yet-to-be-determined rate, while those at more than $1.5 million will pay 1.95 per cent.
The tax, which comes into effect next January, means that businesses already paying health premiums for their employees will pay double the amount in 2019 before MSP is phased out in 2020.
Despite gloomy predictions for the future, Aerts said B.C. companies are still hiring in the short-term.
"We're seeing healthy hiring intentions," he said, noting that 27 per cent of small business owners are look to hire, compared to just nine per cent looking to cut back.
"In the short term, I don't think there's anything to worry about in terms of employment."
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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown let be known that he has no intentions of holding out next year as a restricted free agent according to a blog post by Ed Bouchette today. Bouchette quoted Brown as saying, "Whatever the case may be, I plan on being here."
Browns, like fellow wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, is entering the final year of his rookie contract and figures to be in the same situation as Mike Wallace was this off-season. Should Brown follow up his break out season of 2011 with another similar type one in 2012, the Steelers will be forced to use a first round tender on him, just as they did with Wallace.
While it looks unlikely right now, the Steelers could decide to try to lock up Brown long term prior to the start of the 2012 season. If that were to happen, it would figure to go down after the final cut-downs take place, as there could be some wiggle room should players like Jonathan Scott and Will Allen not make the final 53 man roster. Those two players alone would clear nearly $3.5 million in 2012 salary cap space.
Before anything happens though with Brown, the Steelers main focus will continue to be getting a long term deal done with Wallace, who has yet to sign his one-year tender offer of $2.742 million. If the Steelers think Brown fits into their long-term plans, and there is no reason to think that he doesn\'t, it would be smart, and cheaper, to try to lock him up now if they have the cap room to do so.
Sanders is a different story as he will have to show in 2012 that he can stay on the field and that the problems with his feet and knees are in the past. Sanders told the media earlier this week that he is 100% and that the injuries are behind him now. He had a great performance against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Wildcard game last year and figures to play a much larger role in the offense in 2012. He most definitely will not be extended prior to the start of the season and will be prime candidate for an original round or first round restricted tender next off-season depending on the type of year that he has.
Brown certainly has said and done all of the right things ever since he was drafted by the Steelers and his Thursday comments that Bouchette reported are very encouraging in light of what is currently going on with Wallace. A lot can happen between now and next off-season, but I take Brown at his word.


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Have you ever wanted to ask a question of a Smithsonian curator or researcher? In February 2009, the Smithsonian launched the first in a series of three Online Education Conferences that are designed to let you do just that. In each conference, teachers and students across the country interact with Smithsonian experts. Each conference has a single theme, which our curators explore through the lenses of their varied disciplines. To help you connect the theme to your own teaching, Smithsonian educators and researchers show how you can put the ideas into action.
On February 4–5, the Smithsonian commemorated Abraham Lincoln's bicentennial birthday with a conference on his life and times. The sessions included "Lincoln's Deathbed" by Smithsonian historian Pam Henson; "Mr. Lincoln's Air Force," a presentation on the uses of balloons in the Civil War by Air and Space Museum curator Tom Crouch; and "Sharing the Lesson Ideas" by Michelle Hammond, a Smithsonian Teacher Ambassador and the 2007 Maryland Teacher of the Year. New to virtual conferencing? Our conferences are similar to other professional meetings you may have attended. But these are available to you wherever you are, and registration is free and open to everyone. Because we know that your days are busy and the conference schedule might not fit yours, all of the sessions are recorded and archived. You can replay them at any time.


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Visonicom CarFi V4G152C is the first in-car 4G router USB charger supports 4G hotspot, mini AP, mobile USB charger, and portable WiFi storage. Simply plug the car WiFi 4G router into your car cigarette lighter socket, it get powered and run. It is a real mobile 4G router.
4G Hotspot
V4G152C can support FDD/TDD dual duplex and multiple frequency bands, such as FDD-LTE: B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B17/B20/B27(Customizable), TDD-LTE: B38/39/40/41(Customizable), and backward support HSDPA/HSUPA/HSPA+ 3G USB modems, CDMA EVDO Rev B/A and TD-WCDMA as well so that it can work as mobile 3G/4G hotspot so that users can access internet anywhere.
Mini AP
The CarFi router works as a portable mini AP for wireless network. The 4G/LTE wireless in-car router supports 3 operation modes: 3G/4G Router, Travel Router (AP), WISP Client Router. With the quick configuration wizard, it is easy to configure and install. The new version of the firmware is upgradable through the web UI.
Mobile USB Charger
The car MiFi 4g router is built with USB interfaces, one for USB drive, the other for charging power supply and charger for iPhone, iPad, Android smartphones, and tablet PCs.
Basic Features and Specification:
In-car 3G/4G WiFi Router with USB Chargers V4G152C |
* Share a 3G/4G mobile connection in car |
* Supports TDD/ FDD/ TD-SCDMA/ WCDMA/ EVDO standards |
* Supports FDD-LTE: B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B17/B20/B27(Customizable) |
* Supports TDD-LTE: B38/39/40/41(Customizable) |
* Supports HSPA+: 850/900/1800/1900(Customizable) |
* Supports EVDO: 800/1900(Customizable) |
* Supports 2G: 850/900/1800/1900(Customizable) |
* LTE Uploadpe speed 50Mbps |
* LTE Download speed 100/150Mbps |
* Supports 2.4G WiFi standard 802.11B/G/N |
* WiFi speed up to 150Mbps |
* Supports 5~8 users at the same time |
* Interface: 2 x USB Port, 1 x USIM/SIM Card Slot,1 x SD Card Slot |
* Button: 1 x Power On/Off, 1 x WPS, 1 x Reset |
* LED indicators: 1 x 3G/4G, 1 x WiFi, 1 x Power, 1 x Message |
* USB port 5V1A output provides power charging for other devices |
* Plug into the cigarette lighter receptacle |
* The device is not locked, it works with any service provider. |
* WPS button for fast and security WiFi connection |
* SD card slot for up to 128GB optoinal storage |
* Customized version is available |


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Almost from the moment Usain Bolt finished his 3-for-3-for-3 performance at the Beijing Olympics — three events, three gold medals, three world records — everyone began to wonder what he would do for an encore four years later.
That all changed in the span of about 72 hours.
Yohan Blake, Bolt's countryman, workout partner and rival, beat the World's Fastest Man in the 100- and 200-meter finals at Jamaica's Olympic trials. Bolt's subsequent withdrawal from a meet in Monaco only added to the intrigue.
As the start of the Summer Games approaches, it appears Bolt will have to do more than merely run a series of time trials to notch three more victories and cement his name as the "living legend" he hopes to become. Instead, there are questions, namely: Will Bolt be able to hold off Blake? Or will Blake's challenge only serve to spur him?
No surprise what Bolt's take is.
"He's very determined and he wants to win," Bolt said about Blake, "and that keeps pushing me."
Other athletes are fascinated by that duo and the fireworks they could produce in London, where athletics competition begins in 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium on Aug. 3 with preliminaries in the women's 100-meter heats. The men take to the track a day later for their dash.
"That's a scary thought: Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt training together. ... That should kick in that extra motivation, if there's anything needed there," U.S. hurdler David Oliver said. "Just to see what those two guys are capable of doing, if they're both on?"
Bolt's world records are 9.58 seconds in the 100, and 19.19 in the 200. Blake ran a personal-best 9.75 at trials and has a 19.26 in the longer race.
"You just never know," Oliver added. "It's going to be a spectacle, that's for sure."
That head-to-head showdown might be only one part of what could turn out to be a Jamaica vs. Jamaica Olympics, as opposed to Jamaica vs. The World, or Jamaica vs. U.S.
While the tiny nation was adding Blake to its collection of possible gold medalists, and defending women's 100 Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was running the seventh-fastest time ever (10.70) while also adding a 200 national title, the U.S. team experienced as many negatives as positives during its tumultuous Olympic trials.
Decathlete Ashton Eaton set a world record, but teammate Bryan Clay, the defending Olympic champion, didn't qualify.
A U.S. sprinter with personality, 200-meter runner Wallace Spearmon, found his form, but double Olympic bronze medalist Walter Dix failed to make the team, and 2004 400-meter champion Jeremy Wariner only made it as part of the relay pool.
Allyson Felix, meanwhile, ran a personal-best 21.69 seconds in 200-meter qualifying, but she also took center stage in the controversy that overshadowed not only that accomplishment but the entire trials, really: How to settle a dead heat for the third and final spot in the women's 100.
The possibility of a coin flip, of all things, was raised in the scramble to come up with never-thought-about rules. A full week later, the sprinters settled on a runoff; shortly after that finally was decided, Felix's opponent, Jeneba Tarmoh, pulled out.
Felix will be a long shot for a medal in the 100, while in the 200, she seeks her first individual Olympic gold — the main prize missing from a career that includes three world championships and two runner-up finishes on track's biggest stage.
"People may wonder, 'What in the world? Shelly-Ann ran 10.70 and you're nowhere close to that,'" said Felix, whose personal best in the 100 is 10.92. "But it's about making my 200 better and giving it my all."
The woman who beat Felix in Athens and Beijing is Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica, who is going for her third consecutive title at 200 meters, but now finds another familiar face also posing a threat. That's Fraser-Pryce, who was not considered a 200 specialist but beat Campbell-Brown to the line by 0.32 seconds at trials.
"Trials is just the means to get us to the Olympics," Campbell-Brown said. "It's a competitive thing. We all have to show up when it matters the most."
In Beijing, Jamaica won 11 medals at the track — not bad for a country of about 2.7 million.
Buoyed by sheer numbers up and down the lineup of events, the United States led all nations with 23 medals. But that matched the country's second-lowest total since 1992, and two medals were squandered when both 4x100-meter relay teams dropped the baton. So instead of celebrating after Beijing, the U.S. track team returned home and tried to regroup.
The result: "Project 30," a boldly stated mission to win 30 medals in London — a goal that leaders of the track team have only tepidly embraced since former CEO Doug Logan was fired not long after setting it.
"That's a 'reach' goal," said the new CEO, Max Siegel. "But I'm very confident we'll have a good showing over in London."
Among America's best sprinters is Carmelita Jeter, the world leader at 100 meters before Fraser-Pryce ran faster, and the strongest U.S. candidate to win three medals — in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay.
And on the men's side, there are a couple of familiar names: Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin. Gatlin is the 2004 Olympic champion at 100 meters who is back on the international scene following a four-year ban for excessive testosterone. Gay is the 2007 world champion — the man to beat before Bolt burst onto the scene — who is still working his way back into form from a hip injury, one of a number of ailments starting to dwarf his list of accomplishments.
Gatlin and Gay have met twice in recent weeks, with Gatlin winning at the U.S. Olympic trials, and Gay taking a victory in Paris. If form holds, they'll be racing for the bronze in the 100 in London.
But as Bolt found out at his Olympic trials, these races are not won on paper.
"These two can really encourage each other and motivate each other to take on that other little island out there who's been dominating America," said Renaldo Nehemiah, a former hurdler turned agent who represents Gatlin.
At 400 meters, America has both of the favorites in Sanya Richards-Ross, who still needs individual Olympic gold to fill out her resume, and LaShawn Merritt, trying to take a second gold in a row after serving a 21-month doping ban between Olympics. Rankled at the thought that Merritt can defend his title after a doping ban, Britain's Dai Greene has promised to give him the cold shoulder should the two meet at the track.
Certainly something to watch for.
But for sheer intrigue in the men's 400, all eyes will be on Oscar Pistorius of South Africa. Pistorius is a double-amputee and runs on carbon-fiber blades. After years of pleading his case in hearing rooms and months of trying to earn a spot on his country's team, he'll become the first amputee runner to compete in an Olympics.
"Today is truly one of the proudest days of my life," Pistorius said on July 4, when he was named to the team to run in both the individual 400 and the 4x400-meter relay.
The best 1-on-1 matchup this side of Bolt vs. Blake figures to be China's Liu Xiang against Cuba's Dayron Robles in the 110-meter hurdles.
At the Athens Games eight years ago, Liu became the first Asian man to win an Olympic sprinting event. Two years later, he broke the world record. Two years after that, Robles ran faster. Then in Beijing, there was the drama of Liu's withdrawal from a morning heat because of an Achilles tendon injury, leaving a billion or so local fans bitterly disappointed. That set up Robles to claim one of his nation's two total golds.
Making things even more interesting, Liu and Robles got tangled with each other from adjacent lanes during the world championships last year. So even though Robles crossed the finish line first, he was disqualified and left empty-handed, allowing Jason Richardson of the U.S. to take a surprising gold, and Liu a silver.
In the women's hurdles, Lolo Jones has turned herself into a media star despite her role as a decided underdog heading into London. She qualified third at U.S. trials and hasn't run faster than 12.75 this year.
The defending Olympic champion is Dawn Harper. She stayed upright after Jones tripped on the second-to-last hurdle in Beijing, then found herself looking around in disbelief, asking if she had really won, after crossing the line in first. Her toughest competition should come from reigning world champion Sally Pearson of Australia, who has the top time in the world this year, 12.40 seconds.
"It's a lot different feeling going in where no one expects you to win, to going in where a lot of people expect you to win," Harper said. "I've just got to make sure I keep doing the work, because I want to feel that feeling again."
As does Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva, who will be going for a third straight gold medal in one of the premier field events, the women's pole vault.
No woman in track and field has managed to win an individual Olympic title in each of three successive games.
"This," Isinbayeva said, "is my goal."
Of course, no sporting event in Britain would be complete without high expectations for the home athletes.
On the track, the greatest hopes will be vested in Mo Farah, the Somalia-born long-distance runner who is the reigning world champion at 5,000 meters and runner-up at 10,000. Defending 400-meter Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu, world heptathlon runner-up Jessica Ennis and 38-year-old marathoner Paula Radcliffe are among the others who will have to deal with hometown pressure on top of everything else.
"Head down and concentrating," Farah said of his preparations, which have taken place in Oregon — in part, an attempt to stay far from the media glare in London.
In the 800 meters, Caster Semenya of South Africa makes her Olympic debut, three years after questions about her gender forced her to undergo tests and drop out of competition for nearly a year before track's governing body cleared her to race again. She was the silver medalist at last year's world championships.
And hovering over the entire track meet, especially the sprints, will be the new false start rule introduced for this Olympic cycle. In the past, the entire field was given a freebie, and disqualifications didn't start until the second person jumped. These days, it's a no-tolerance policy: You jump once, you're out.
The most high-profile victim of the rule thus far was Bolt. At the world championships last year, he was disqualified from the 100 for a false start, clearing a path for Blake's victory.
Until a few weeks ago, most track aficionados thought Bolt could beat Blake if the two actually ran head-to-head.
Didn't quite work out that way.
At Jamaica's Olympic trials, Bolt was glacially slow in unfurling his 6-foot-5 frame from the starting blocks, leading to questions about whether the aftershock of last year's false start was still playing in his mind. Still, Blake was impressive in his own right. He beat Bolt by 0.11 seconds. To put that in perspective, when Bolt coasted to a victory in a then-world-record 9.69 seconds in Beijing, his margin of victory over Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago was 0.20.
So it seems safe to say Bolt is not completely out of the picture.
But he does have some ground to make up.
"It's just all about the work," Bolt said. "I've just got to put in the work, got to figure out what I did wrong and just keep working at it."
AP Sports Writer Pat Graham contributed to this report.
Medal projections:
100 meters
Gold: Usain Bolt, Jamaica
Silver: Yohan Blake, Jamaica
Bronze: Justin Gatlin, United States
Gold: Usain Bolt, Jamaica
Silver: Yohan Blake, Jamaica
Bronze: Wallace Spearmon, United States
Gold: LaShawn Merritt, United States
Silver: Luguelin Santos, Dominican Republic
Bronze: Kirani James, Grenadines
Gold: David Rudisha, Kenya
Silver: Abubaker Kaki, Sudan
Bronze: Yuriy Borzakovskiy, Russia
Gold: Abel Kiru, Kenya
Silver: Nixon Chepseba, Kenya
Bronze: Silas Kiplagat, Kenya
Gold: Mo Farah, Britain
Silver: Isaiah Kiplangat Koech, Kenya
Bronze: Galen Rupp, United States
Gold: Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopia
Silver: Mo Farah, Britain
Bronze: Teriku Bekele, Ethiopia
Gold: Abel Kirui, Kenya
Silver: Wilson Kipsang, Kenya
Bronze: Emmanuel Mutai, Kenya
110 Hurdles
Gold: Liu Xiang, China
Silver: Dayron Robles, Cuba
Bronze: Aries Merritt, United States
400 Hurdles
Gold: Angelo Taylor, United States
Silver: Javier Culson, Puerto Rico
Bronze: Dai Greene, Britain
3,000 Steeplechase
Gold: Ezekiel Kemboi, Kenya
Silver: Kiprop Mutai, Kenya
Bronze: Brimin Kipruto, Kenya
20K Walk
Gold: Andrei Krivov, Russia
Silver: Zhen Wang, China
Bronze: Valeriy Borchin, Russia
50K Walk
Gold: Sergei Kirdyapkin, Russia
Silver: Jared Tallent, Australia
Bronze: Sergei Bakulin, Russia
Gold: Ashton Eaton, United States
Silver: Pascal Behrenbruch, Germany
Bronze: Trey Hardee, United States
Long Jump
Gold: Will Claye, United States
Silver: Sebastian Bayer, Germany
Bronze: Greg Rutherford, Britain
Triple Jump
Gold: Fabrizio Donato, Italy
Silver: Christian Taylor, United States
Bronze: Will Claye, United States
High Jump
Gold: Ivan Ukhov, Russia
Silver: Jesse Williams, United States
Bronze: Dimitrios Chondrokoukis, Greece
Pole Vault
Gold: Renaud Lavillenie, France
Silver: Malte Mohr, Germany
Bronze: Bjoern Otto, Germany
Gold: Andreas Thorkildsen, Norway
Silver: Vitezslav Vesely, Czech Republic
Bronze: Tero Pitkamaki, Finland
Gold: Robert Harting, Germany
Silver: Gerd Kanter, Estonia
Bronze: Zoltan Kovago, Hungary
Shot Put
Gold: David Storl, Germany
Silver: Reese Hoffa, United States
Bronze: Ryan Whiting, United States
Gold: Krisztian Pars, Hungary
Silver: Aleksey Zagorniy, Russia
Bronze: Szymon Ziolkowski, Poland
4x100 Relay
Gold: Jamaica
Silver: United States
Bronze: Netherlands
4x400 Relay
Gold: United States
Silver: Jamaica
Bronze: Belgium
100 meters
Gold: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Jamaica
Silver: Carmelita Jeter, United States
Bronze: Veronica Campbell-Brown, Jamaica
Gold: Allyson Felix, United States
Silver: Veronica Campbell-Brown, Jamaica
Bronze: Carmelita Jeter, United States
Gold: Sanya Richards-Ross, United States
Silver: Amantle Montsho, Botswana
Bronze: Christine Ohuruogu, Britain
Gold: Caster Semenya, South Africa
Silver: Pamela Jelimo, Kenya
Bronze: Mariya Savinova, Russia
Gold: Yekaterina Martynova, Russia
Silver: Yekaterina Kostetskaia, Russia
Bronze: Genzebe Dibaba, Ethiopia
Gold: Vivian Cheruiyot, Kenya
Silver: Tirunesh Dibaba, Ethiopia
Bronze: Meseret Defar, Ethiopia
Gold: Tirunesh Dibaba, Ethiopia
Silver: Vivian Cheruiyot, Kenya
Bronze: Sally Kipyego, Kenya
Gold: Mary Keitany, Kenya
Silver: Edna Kiplagat, Kenya
Bronze: Liliya Shobukhova, Russia
100 Hurdles
Gold: Sally Pearson, Australia
Silver: Dawn Harper, United States
Bronze: Kellie Wells, United States
400 Hurdles
Gold: Melaine Walker, Jamaica
Silver: Lashinda Demus, United States
Bronze: Kaliese Spencer, Jamaica
3,000 Steeplechase
Gold: Yuliya Zaripova, Russia
Silver: Milcah Chemos Cheywa, Kenya
Bronze: Sofia Assefa, Ethiopia
20K Walk
Gold: Olga Kaniskina, Russia
Silver: Anisya Kirdyapkina, Russia
Bronze: Liu Hong, China
Gold: Jessica Ennis, Britain
Silver: Tatyana Chernova, Russia
Bronze: Nataliya Dobrynska, Ukraine
Long Jump
Gold: Brittney Reese, United States
Silver: Olga Kucherenko, Russia
Bronze: Anna Nazarova, Russia
Triple Jump
Gold: Olha Saladuha, Ukraine
Silver: Yargeris Savigne, Cuba
Bronze: Olga Rypakova, Kazakhstan
High Jump
Gold: Anna Chicherova, Russia
Silver: Chaunte Lowe, United States
Bronze: Tia Hellebaut, Belgium
Pole Vault
Gold: Yelena Isinbayeva, Russia
Silver: Fabiana Murer, Brazil
Bronze: Jennifer Suhr, United States
Gold: Barbora Spotakova, Czech Republic
Silver: Mariya Abakumova, Russia
Bronze: Sunette Viljoen, South Africa
Gold: Sandra Perkovic, Croatia
Silver: Nadine Mueller, Germany
Bronze: Yarelis Barrios, Cuba
Shot Put
Gold: Valerie Adams, New Zealand
Silver: Nadzeya Ostapchuk, Belarus
Bronze: Jillian Camarena-Williams, United States
Gold: Betty Heidler, Germany
Silver: Aksana Miankova, Belarus
Bronze: Zhang Wenxiu, China
4x100 Relay
Gold: United States
Silver: Jamaica
Bronze: Ukraine
4x400 Relay
Gold: United States
Silver: Jamaica
Bronze: Russia


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To say that Sierre-Zinal is one of the greatest mountain races in the world would be an understatement - that would allow for the possibility of another race squeezing in there to bask in the light. It is the greatest. "It is to mountain running what the New York Marathon is to Marathons". Just as it has elevated some of the best mountain runners in the world an almost untouchable realm, it has humbled many others to the point of tears.
The course description is simple: 31 km, 2200m ascent and 800m descent (19miles, 7200ft ascent and 2200ft descent). it looks something like this:
If ever there was a middle ground in mountain running, this is it. it isn't short and it isn't long. there are sections where 10-minute-miles would be record breaking and other sections where 5-minute pace would be pedestrian, at best. ups, down, rock, pavement, scree. as british mountain running legend, Billy Burns, put it: "there is no faking it at Sierre-Zinal"
there is no doubt that mountain running is segregated. between long distance, short distance, ultra, marathon, mountain, trail, europe, america, carpenter, krupicka, wyatt, skaggs', killian, sky races, grand prix, mountain cup, mountain championships, wmra, atra, usmrt, nacac. i could go on but i won't. when one becomes unemployed and finds himself talking entirely too much about mountain running (your humble narrator) the subject always arrises - who's the best? who's the fastest? who's the strongest? Before this year I'd have said that the course was too short to hold any sort of advantage to the "ultra" folk. This year, my opinion of that has changed. Sierre-Zinal is truly the Mountain Running Medium.
In an effort to document the "scene" here in the Alps, I have been interviewing various runners this summer. I had the opportunity to talk to Killian Jornet Burgada, of Catalonia, before the race. Though he is most known for his 2008 record setting win of the Mont Blanc Ultra (186k/115m) his accomplishments go far beyond. He recently ran the GR20 (corsica coast to coast - 180k) in 33hrs (fast hikers tend to take 15 days). He has several Sky Marathon wins to his name and he is only 21-years-old. When I asked him what he though of the course the day before the race, he said he liked it even though it was "so short". Though nobody discounted him, I think few put money on him for the win.
The race started off just as it did a few years ago - sub 2:10 ethiopian marathoner in the lead... that is to say way in the lead. i learned my lesson two years ago and did not chase him. time-wise the sierre-zinal is longer than a marathon. When they say in a marathon that the real race begins at mile 20, at Sierre-Zinal the race begins at Weisshorn. For the first quarter of the race i remained outside of the top five. To my surprise, Killian took the lead for the chase pack, sometimes running, sometimes walking (you've never seen anybody walk uphill like he does. it's like paul bunyan or something... a lumbering giant, then shrinks down to a normal, guant runner again). I lost two places on the first little downhill running into the small village of Chandolin (9th place). Two years ago, I chased after them. This year I knew that the race wouldn't begin for another 45 minutes. They came back to me in time - a Colombian and a Catalonian. Having never run the race before, the Colombian asked if we were at Weisshorn, which was as much a sign of defete as limping. I reeled the leaders in slowely but surely. 20k into the race I passed the Ethiopian that had been so far ahead and by Hotel Weisshorn first place was essentially shared between Killian, Tarcis Ancay (SZ), Florent Troillet (SZ), myself and Robert Krupicka (CZ), whom I've battled so many times over the past few years. (Robert, in fact, was widely regarded as the favorite for the race.)
I'm all for believing in yourself and whatever else they teach you in positive affirmation seminars but I knew that once the downhill began I would not be able to keep with Killian. I've seen him run downhill before. He disconnects himself from his body. At the moment, all I could think of was "I am in the lead group of the Sierre-Zinal". The moment the downhill began, Killian and Tarcis took off. I tripped and fell. Then I lost my shoe to a mud bog (retrieved, but not without a muddy sock). Then I tripped again. After that I slammed into a hiker, with the full force of my body. I'd have made Dick Butkus proud. With 4k to go I found myself in 4th place with Robert Krupicka not far behind. I started making faces. It seemed to help. Faces that people make when they're in either in a lot of pain or discust or somewhere in between.
I held Robert off until the finish. He came across the finish line 15 seconds behind me. There was a large red cloud at the toes of his left shoe. He had kicked a rock about an hour earlier during the race.
Top twenty:
Killian - victory lap.
Post race festivities included an awards ceremony attended by no less than 3000 people. I sat with American Running legend and four time winner of the Sierre Zinal, Pablo Vigil. They called him up on stage for reasons that I didn't understand. I asked somebody nearby and they said quite simply "he's a celebrity here".
One of Pablo's fourn consecutive wins.
Being slightly technophobic, Pablo does not have a blog of his own (though he should) he has agreed to a guest posting with lots of character.
On the women's side, Anna Pichrtova won her fourth consecutive title. Brandy Erholtz posted the top American time ever with a 5th place finish.
Prerace video from two years ago can be found here. You get to hear what I sound like dubbed over into French.
And a race video here:
I've made my way back to Geneva where wonderful mail and other comforts were waiting for me. Wednesday, off to Norway for Skaala (http://www.skaala.no/).
Monday, August 10, 2009
4 comments:
- Galen Burrell said...
Great story, and excellent performance. You have to love the drama in european mountain races. The competition, the spectators, the courses... just awesome. I hope i run Sierre-Zinale some day before i'm old and gimpy (if it's not too late?). Way to go, Rickey. Awesome reading.
- August 11, 2009 at 5:01 AM
- GZ said...
Amazing stuff here - seconding Galen's comments.
- August 11, 2009 at 12:59 PM
- Mostly Paved said...
george... nice stash!
- August 11, 2009 at 1:52 PM
- Unknown said...
It is a pity that you didn't add any picture of the actual mountain. It would be nice to check them with my friend on cost per head community that we are really into hiking.
- March 8, 2013 at 12:21 PM
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text:
[Stephen Hobley] has been experimenting with an electromagnetic pendulum in order to build himself a clock. Through the course of his experiments, he has learned quite a bit about how pendulums function as well as the best way to keep one moving without the need for chains and weights, which are typically associated with these sorts of clocks.
His first experiments involved driving a simple pendulum with a pulse motor. He discovered that the easiest way to keep the pendulum moving was to use a coil to detect when the it reached the equilibrium point, pushing it along by sending a small pulse to that same coil. He noticed that he could keep the pendulum moving at a pretty good tick if he triggered the magnetic coil every third pass, so he implemented an Arduino to keep count of passes and apply the appropriate force when needed.
He has been making pretty decent headway since his first experiments and now has nearly all of the clock works assembled. Crafted out of wood, he uses a 15-tooth primary drive ratchet, which powers two 60-tooth gears responsible for keeping track of seconds, as well as a pair of larger gears that track the minutes and hours.
It's looking good so far, we can't wait to see it when finished.
Stick around to see a quick video demonstration of the clock with all of its gearing in action.


text:
Chameleon 2.1 Released
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
I'm trying to use exFAT partition for data exchange between Win7 and OSX. Has native read/write support in OSX and supports big files. I like to hide data partitions from Chameleon boot by using labels. This patch adds exFAT volume label support. exFAT shares partition type with NTFS (0x7) and easiest way of adding it was through ntfs.c module.Works for me, needs testing.


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Okay, I know this isn't an actual full braid tutorial but I felt like I needed to throw this in as part of our ongoing "Summer Braid" series because it's a pretty epic tip. Anyone with fine, thin, straight or super healthy hair that tends to slide right out of a bobby pin will definitely need to grab a bottle of this stuff, STAT. It's called texture powder and it makes all the difference in the world when it comes to updos and braids. When I first tried this stuff a few years ago, I was terrified. It felt too starchy and dry when I put a light layer of it all over my long hair. I like soft shiny pretty hair and I felt like this made my long hair look matte and dry. Well it's supposed to! It was designed to "bulk up" the hair you have and give it additional volume so I should have only been applying it at the root. Once I figured out the deal with texture powder, I started using it to get bigger, fuller braids and my hair kit hasn't been without it since. A lot of products are like that– you just have to find the right way to use them!
So here's what Nora's braid looked like before adding the powder. As you can see, it's gorge and there's nothing wrong with it so if you prefer to wear it like this then that's amazing. But trend-wise, we're always craving a bigger, messier, more textured looking braid than before. All of you pretty peeps who say "I wish my hair was that thick" or "I wish my hair was that long", should know that Nora has a fine head of hair and it's cut just above her shoulders, so at least give this a shot!
So here's how I like to use the texture powders…
Shake a decent amount onto a dry braid. Don't put it on wet hair. Don't worry about it looking like a George Washington wig… it fully blends/disappears with the next step.
Once you apply your light layer of texture powder, tap, tap, tap it into your braid. You'll see your visible powder magically disappear.
Now pull the loops of your braid and that's it. No, joke it's that easy. There's no crazy skill involved. You'll just instantly have fuller braids that won't slip out of place while you're pulling on them to get volume.
There are many brands making texture powders now and here are some of my current faves…
- OSiS- Dust It
- Bumble & bumble.- Pret-A-Powder
- Batiste- XXL Plumping Powder
Seriously though, if you're having trouble getting big braids, invest in one of these little game changing bottles! This isn't the same as a dry shampoo so don't get them confused! If you do this, hashtag your photo with #TBDbigbraids so we can see yours!


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11.6: Comparison of the Chi-Square Tests
- Page ID
- 6987
You have seen the \(\chi^{2}\) test statistic used in three different circumstances. The following bulleted list is a summary that will help you decide which \(\chi^{2}\) test is the appropriate one to use.
- Goodness-of-Fit: Use the goodness-of-fit test to decide whether a population with an unknown distribution "fits" a known distribution. In this case there will be a single qualitative survey question or a single outcome of an experiment from a single population. Goodness-of-Fit is typically used to see if the population is uniform (all outcomes occur with equal frequency), the population is normal, or the population is the same as another population with a known distribution. The null and alternative hypotheses are:
\(H_{0}\): The population fits the given distribution.
\(H_{a}\): The population does not fit the given distribution.
- Independence: Use the test for independence to decide whether two variables (factors) are independent or dependent. In this case there will be two qualitative survey questions or experiments and a contingency table will be constructed. The goal is to see if the two variables are unrelated (independent) or related (dependent). The null and alternative hypotheses are:
\(H_{0}\): The two variables (factors) are independent.
\(H_{a}\): The two variables (factors) are dependent.
- Homogeneity: Use the test for homogeneity to decide if two populations with unknown distributions have the same distribution as each other. In this case there will be a single qualitative survey question or experiment given to two different populations. The null and alternative hypotheses are:
\(H_{0}\): The two populations follow the same distribution.
\(H_{a}\): The two populations have different distributions.
Chapter Review
The goodness-of-fit test is typically used to determine if data fits a particular distribution. The test of independence makes use of a contingency table to determine the independence of two factors. The test for homogeneity determines whether two populations come from the same distribution, even if this distribution is unknown.
Exercise 11.6.1
Which test do you use to decide whether an observed distribution is the same as an expected distribution?
a goodness-of-fit test
Exercise 11.6.2
What is the null hypothesis for the type of test from Exercise?
Exercise 11.6.3
Which test would you use to decide whether two factors have a relationship?
a test for independence
Exercise 11.6.4
Which test would you use to decide if two populations have the same distribution?
Exercise 11.6.5
How are tests of independence similar to tests for homogeneity?
Answers will vary. Sample answer: Tests of independence and tests for homogeneity both calculate the test statistic the same way \(\sum_{i \cdot j} \frac{(O-E)^{2}}{E}\). In addition, all values must be greater than or equal to five.
Exercise 11.6.6
How are tests of independence different from tests for homogeneity?
Bringing It Together
Exercise 11.6.7
- Explain why a goodness-of-fit test and a test of independence are generally right-tailed tests.
- If you did a left-tailed test, what would you be testing?
- The test statistic is always positive and if the expected and observed values are not close together, the test statistic is large and the null hypothesis will be rejected.
- Testing to see if the data fits the distribution "too well" or is too perfect.