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Local Wedding Venues
Wedding Venue Styles
Re-do search in this area
The Golf Club Fossil Creek
Ft. Worth, TX
Golf Course, Banquet Hall/Restaurant, Private Club, Ballrooms, Outdoor
Starting from $5,547 to $7,410 for 50 guests
The Golf Club Fossil Creek, convenient to downtown Fort Worth and located just north of the 35W and Loop 820 intersection, offers the ideal Fort Worth wedding location. Whether you are planning an intimate gathering or a grand celebration, the professional staff is dedicated to making it memorable. ...
Showing other similar Wedding Venues Venues in Texas
Peninsula Ranch and Lodge
Quinlan, TX
Mansion, Private Estate, Barn/Farm/Ranch, Ocean/Waterfront View, Vintage/Rustic, Outdoor
Starting from $4,373 to $7,118 for 50 guests
We don't know of a more unique and naturally beautiful venue, or one with a more comfortable space for your special day. There are 4 ceremony options (including indoor and outdoor). A massive 8 bedroom Lodge, built from local timbers, can provide overnight accommodations for over 20 people. Chec...
Lakeway Resort & Spa
Lakeway, TX
Ballrooms, Modern
Starting from $9,726 to $30,175 for 50 guests
Plan a timeless, romantic Texas Hill Country wedding at Lakeway Resort & Spa. With views that overlook Lake Travis, this pristine venue blends the contemporary with the elegant, setting the stage for a memorable event. Lakeway is the recipient of several awards, including the Condé Nast Readers' Cho...
Texas Star Ranch & Retreat Center
Weatherford, TX
Starting from $3,731 to $7,179 for 50 guests
Situated on a 120-acres of rolling hills, The Texas Star, is a beautifully-appointed rustic ranch venue in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas. With its simple charm and tranquil scenery, this unique ranch is the perfect place to host your wedding day or wedding weekend retreat. The ranch offers sev...
La Fontana Springs
San Antonio, TX
Barn/Farm/Ranch, Event Center, Ballrooms, Vintage/Rustic, Outdoor
Starting from $2,666 to $6,591 for 50 guests
SPECIALTY: We host AWESOME WEDDINGS for couples at our GORGEOUS PRIVATE VENUE and put the FUN back into PLANNING FOR & GETTING MARRIED! EXPECT: Exclusive use of our gorgeous Hill Country Venue and the option for venue only or full service inclusive attention all at a fair easy to understand pric...
Canyon Creek Country Club
Richardson, TX
Vintage/Rustic, Banquet Hall/Restaurant, Private Club, Golf Course, Ballrooms, Outdoor
Starting from $2,641 to $6,669 for 50 guests
Encircled by a picturesque 18-hole golf course, the Canyon Creek Country Club offers a beautiful and elegant space for your wedding ceremony and reception. From simple affairs to elaborate receptions, the Canyon Creek's spaces and professionals are extremely accommodating and make sure your wedding ...
The Nautilus Ballroom at the Houston Dow...
Houston, TX
Event Center, Ballrooms
Starting from $15,770 to $21,128 for 50 guests
Bridal Open House Sunday, January 21, 2018 - 11:30am to 3:00pm (Must RSVP by January 19, 2018 to attend) Come experience firsthand the quality and ambiance of our Newly Renovated Nautilus Ballroom at Houston's Downtown Aquarium. Turn your wedding celebration into an underwater adven...
Rolling Hills Country Club
Arlington, TX
Golf Course, Private Club, Park/Garden, Outdoor
Starting from $2,664 to $7,542 for 50 guests
Rolling Hills Country Club enjoys a reputation for hosting superior weddings and receptions, as well as other prominent catered events. They would like to include you among the many satisfied customers who have trusted Rolling Hills and the staff of catering professionals to host their most importan...
Canyon Springs Golf Club
San Antonio, TX
Golf Course, Park/Garden, Ballrooms, Outdoor
Starting from $2,284 to $6,784 for 50 guests
Situated in the north central Stone Oak Parkway area, Canyon Springs Golf Club is the home of the original San Antonio waterfalls for wedding ceremonies. Able to accommodate intimate gatherings to large affairs of 500 guests, Canyon Springs offers two waterfalls, one with an intimate secluded feel ...
The Palace Arts Center
Grapevine, TX
Historic/Landmark Building
Starting from $3,357 to $4,274 for 50 guests
Conveniently located just minutes away from Dallas Fort Worth Airport in the heart of Historic Downtown Grapevine, you'll find the beautifully restored historic Palace Arts Center the perfect venue for your wedding. This multi-use facility offers more than 15,000-square-feet for entertaining in two...
Gleneagles Country Club
Plano, TX
Golf Course, Banquet Hall/Restaurant, Ballrooms, Outdoor
Starting from $8,612 to $13,990 for 50 guests
Located north of Dallas on West Park Boulevard, the Gleneagles Country Club lies within the suburban community of West Plano and offers blissful couples a truly scenic setting to tie the knot. Positioned on a sprawling golf course, this venue features a panoramic view of rolling golf greens and lush...
Celebrino Event Center
Georgetown, TX
Park/Garden, Banquet Hall/Restaurant, Event Center, Mountain, Outdoor
Starting from $7,273 to $10,876 for 50 guests
It turns out the Tuscan countryside is not so far away from Austin. Celebrino Event Center, perched on the highest point of Williamson County, gives an elegant, secluded, countryside feel to the Texas landscape. The 10-acre property's cypress-tree lined pathway will have you dreaming of Italy, while...
Boardwalk FantaSea
Kemah, TX
Ocean/Waterfront View, Cruise Ship/Yacht, Outdoor, Modern
Starting from $9,645 to $13,652 for 75 guests
The Boardwalk FantaSea creates the most picturesque setting for beautiful weddings and wedding receptions alike. The crew has years of experience in helping guests plan memorable weddings. Experience breathtaking panoramic views on the water. This beautiful scene creates an ideal setting while you e...
The Pavilions at Rockport Beach
Rockport, TX
Ocean/Waterfront View, Outdoor
Starting from $1,232 to $6,015 for 50 guests
**Please note, due to Hurricane Harvey, The Pavilions at Rockport Beach will not be available for any site tours until repairs have been made. The Rockport Beach is the perfect setting for beach weddings. Whether on the beach or in a pavilion, they can help make your day special. There are four rent...
Schneider Hall
Columbus, TX
Barn/Farm/Ranch, Event Center, Vintage/Rustic, Outdoor
Starting from $5,750 to $6,165 for 50 guests
Schneider Hall is the perfect place to tie the knot! Located on a picturesque 175-acre farm along Highway 71 South just a few miles outside of Columbus, Texas, this conveniently located venue is under two hours away from Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. Built in the early 1900s, the rustic chic hal...
Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Sp...
San Antonio, TX
Vintage/Rustic, Historic/Landmark Building, Hotel/Resort, Golf Course, Ballrooms, Outdoor
Starting from $8,779 to $10,383 for 50 guests
Celebrate your San Antonio wedding surrounded by the natural beauty of the Texas Hill Country. Our resort provides the perfect backdrop for any celebration, with indoor and outdoor venues ranging from elegant ballrooms to stunning outdoor pavilions, lawns, and decks offering gorgeous views paired wi...
Bell Tower on 34th
Houston, TX
Museum/Gallery, Historic/Landmark Building, Event Center, Private Estate, Ballrooms, Vintage/Rustic
The Bell Tower on 34th is like something out of a movie set and is known for its beautiful setting, delicious food, and award winning service. We can help you.
Radisson Fort Worth North at Fossil Cree...
Fort Worth, TX
Hotel/Resort, Ballrooms
Starting from $2,972 to $7,012 for 50 guests
Situated only six miles north of downtown Fort Worth, the Radisson Hotel Fossil Creek offers an affordable, yet decidedly elegant venue for your big day! Located near world-famous attractions like the Texas Motor Speedway and the Stockyards National Historic District, this venue is ideal for couples...
The TFWC Mansion
Austin, TX
Mansion, Historic/Landmark Building, Private Estate, Park/Garden, Ballrooms, Outdoor
Starting from $5,255 to $6,868 for 50 guests
Elegant and historic yet affordable, The Mansion is an Austin landmark that has been entertaining since 1931 when it first opened its stately ivory doors. From intimate gatherings to an opulent celebration of several hundred guests in true Gatsby party style, The Mansion features several spaces to a...
Hotel Galvez & Spa
Galveston, TX
Ocean/Waterfront View, Historic/Landmark Building, Hotel/Resort, Beach, Ballrooms, Outdoor
Starting from $4,429 to $9,106 for 50 guests
The Hotel Galvez and Spa is a luxurious wedding venue located in Galveston Texas along the stunning Gulf Coast. The Hotel Galvez has event venues that will take your breath away. You may have an outdoor ceremony on the expansive front lawn. Another outdoor option is to exchange vows in the intimate ...
The Houston Club
Houston, TX
Banquet Hall/Restaurant, Ballrooms
Starting from $15,945 to $21,985 for 50 guests
The Houston Club is a handsome venue located atop One Shell Plaza in Houston. The club provides an elevated view of the Houston cityscape that is both glamorous and peaceful. The Houston Club is a wonderful site to celebrate your wedding day. The Club has a contemporary bar and lounge that is great...
Volente Beach Resort
Leander, TX
Vintage/Rustic, Park/Garden, Ocean/Waterfront View, Beach, Luau, Outdoor
If you are looking for a unique destination wedding site, look no further than Volente Beach. We offer a VIP seat to sunsets on Lake Travis at our lakefront venue. Volente Beach can fulfill your dream of a beach ceremony without the expense of traveling to the coast. What makes a wedding at Volen...
The Oasis on Lake Travis
Austin, TX
Ocean/Waterfront View, Banquet Hall/Restaurant, Event Center, Outdoor
Starting from $3,845 to $9,824 for 50 guests
If you're looking for gorgeous views and a one-of-a-kind, FULL SERVICE venue, the Oasis has exactly what you need. Boasting a number of unique, stunning event spaces, the Oasis is a haven for fabulous weddings of every style. Each space showcases a different ambiance and theme to satisfy the tastes ...
AT&T Hotel and Conference Center
Austin, TX
Outdoor, Banquet Hall/Restaurant, Hotel/Resort, Ballrooms
Starting from $3,704 to $24,113 for 50 guests
Let's host your beautiful wedding! Our flexible options for space, dining, and accommodations make planning easier, and our dedicated event planners are happy to help. We offer complete wedding and event packages and luxury guest accommodations. We can host all parts of a wedding, from the rehear...
The Tremont House
Galveston, TX
Historic/Landmark Building, Hotel/Resort, Ballrooms
Starting from $7,049 to $15,845 for 50 guests
The Tremont House in downtown Galveston, the historic the Strand District area, is a luxury site for your wedding celebrations. This venue is also located in the heart of downtown with other local destinations just a short distance away. This hotel is capable of hosting your wedding day from "I d...
The Quixotic World Magical Event Space
Dallas, TX
Banquet Hall/Restaurant, Event Center
Starting from $2,350 to $4,400 for 50 guests
Host a one-of-a-kind extraordinary wedding at The Quixotic World. For a fun-loving and adventurous couple, this space is the perfect place to exchange vows! The red walls lined festive lights offer a mysterious ambiance. Step up onto the curtained stage to greet your loved one in front of all your s...
ArtCentre of Plano
Plano, TX
Museum/Gallery, Historic/Landmark Building, Event Center, Park/Garden, Outdoor
Starting from $2,934 to $4,351 for 50 guests
Plano's historic Saigling House transforms to be the new home of the ArtCentre of Plano, yet retains its original charm. This spectacular location is available for the most romantic day of your life. Nestled among age-old trees on Haggard Park with a bridged pond and gazebo, the indoor art galleries...
Hofmann Ranch by Wedgewood Weddings
Castroville, TX
Barn/Farm/Ranch, Event Center, Vintage/Rustic, Outdoor
Starting from $5,312 to $8,780 for 50 guests
Due to the coronavirus crisis, Wedgewood Weddings is now offering phone and virtual tours of all our venues. To comply with CDC and local ordinance recommendations, they have closed their venue offices for in-person meetings. The current group gathering restrictions are tough for everyone planning a...
The Hidden Jewel
Blue Ridge, TX
Private Estate, Event Center, Barn/Farm/Ranch, Vintage/Rustic, Outdoor, Modern
Starting from $4,669 to $6,731 for 50 guests
Newly opened in November 2019, The Hidden Jewel specializes in making intimate affairs a celebration to remember! Located in Blue Ridge, Texas, it sits just 30 minutes northeast of McKinney on a beautiful 300-acre working cattle and hay farm. Rustic charm exudes from all corners while modern ameniti...
Hyatt Regency San Antonio
San Antonio, TX
Ocean/Waterfront View, Hotel/Resort, Ballrooms, Outdoor, Modern
Starting from $6,465 to $8,563 for 50 guests
With a coveted view, the Hyatt Regency San Antonio sets the stage for an elegant affair, making a weekend of celebration as easy as saying "I do." This is the sole outdoor venue with a direct overlook onto the historic Alamo — once a mission and then a battle site during the Texas Revolution. On La ...
Windy Hill Ranch & Resort
Farmersville, TX
Barn/Farm/Ranch, Hotel/Resort, Event Center, Bed & Breakfast/Inn, Vintage/Rustic, Outdoor
Starting from $11,122 to $19,801 for 50 guests
Rustic blends with chic comfort at this 32-acre bed & breakfast wedding venue outside Farmersville, Texas! Windy Hill Ranch & Resort prides itself on its hospitality and ability to make wedding dreams come true. With three different venues on the property to choose from, including a 10,000 sq ft ind...
San Antonio Botanical Garden
San Antonio, TX
Park/Garden, Outdoor
Starting from $4,328 to $13,541 for 50 guests
Looking for an alternative to traditional wedding venues? Make your special day unforgettable and host your wedding celebration at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. Declare your love surrounded by stunning garden displays or inside historic structures, each option providing a fabulous backdrop for y...
Mansion Royal
Corpus Christi, TX
Banquet Hall/Restaurant, Event Center, Ballrooms
Starting from $3,031 to $4,411 for 50 guests
Fairytale weddings begin at Mansion Royal, which sits next to Oso Bay in Corpus Christi. This venue provides two ballrooms that tastefully combines classic and contemporary design for a sophisticated setting. Mansion Royal is a family-owned business and here, you're family too. With over 15 years ...
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Dallas, TX
Museum/Gallery, City/Skyline View, Modern
Starting from $5,418 to $20,610 for 50 guests
Captivate your guests and roam freely throughout the Museum ... toasting, dining, and dancing the night away. Celebrate with libations and tasty bites among the wonders of nature and science through a perfectly customized evening in any one or all of the exhibit halls. Artfully Prepared Cateri...
The Riley Building
Austin, TX
City/Skyline View, Ballrooms
Starting from $4,415 to $6,429 for 50 guests
The Riley Building is a sleek downtown Austin event space featuring a contemporary, industrial vibe. It's a lovely venue for the bride seeking urban elegance with a little edge. The Main Hall features large windows and plenty of natural light, along with plush, sleek furniture. It's an ideal space f...


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From the video case:
In this chiller based on H.G. Wells' terrifying novel, Joan Collins is an aggressive land developer trying to turn a swampy island into an exclusive residential community. In the process, her builders rupture a can of atomic waste that has washed ashore. A colony of ants feasts on the substance, which causes them to grow into voracious monsters with heightened intelligence and cunning. The night of Marilyn's gala opening arrives, and the ants are ready. With a vicious persistence, the monsters attack the guests, cutting off their only means of escape. Forced into the jungle, their only hope of survival is a risky, one-in-a-million chance that could destroy them all. (1977, color)
Mark says:
Every now and then I watch a movie that is so bad that I actually feel embarrassed for the cast. Empire of the Ants is just such a movie.
Don't get me wrong, this movie has plenty of merit as a schlock great, and I enjoy it immensely. When you see Bert I. Gordon's name (Earth vs The Spider, Tormented) attached to a film (in this case, producer and director) you know you are in store for a few good chuckles. But he really outdid himself with this monstrosity. The laughs come so fast and often that Henny Youngman would be envious.
Just when your sides are aching from laughter with the horrendous 1970s dialog, the "special" effects of the giant ants come on screen to finish you off. This movie shows no mercy. The characters are so unlikable that you'll find yourself cheering whenever the creatures kill off another castaway. But this movie is fun. Terrible, terrible fun. Be sure to watch it with friends to share all the schlock goodness.
Look for Robert Lansing (4-D Man) in the role of Dan Stokely and Jacqueline Scott (Duel) as Margaret Ellis. Tom Fadden (1956's Invasion of the Body Snatchers) plays Sam Russell.
If you want to watch a genuinely good giant ant flick, let me recommend 1954's Them!
Scene to watch for: Harry and Velma emerge from their shack haven to find themselves surrounded by giant schlock ants.
Line to listen for: "You're so terrific in the sack that it almost justifies the extensive salary that I have to pay you."
Mark's Rating: ! ! ! out of 5.

subset: commoncrawl


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jprezant brauchte ein neues Logo Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 169 Designs von 51 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
I run a photography business that does the bulk of business in weddings. I want to create an branding image that is fresh, memorable, and also usable for things other than weddings.
Jason Prezant Photography
I have started a wedding photography company in the past year, and I am looking to start branding my business. But I need a great logo to do so. My business name is "Jason Prezant Photography". When designing the logo, the "photography" doesn't have to be a huge part of it. I would like it there somewhere, but my name is the most important part I think.
I need something fresh, clean, modern, maybe with a bit of edge. I do not want anything that feels really corporate, nothing you would find on your local law offices letter head.
My website is http://www.JasonPrezant.com
Please don't base your ideas off of the "logo" that I already have.
I'm leaving it up to you amazing designers to give me the logo that gives me the recognizable image I've been searching for!
Good luck and Thanks!
A logo that is:- Fresh- Modern- A bit Edgy but still elegant- Will look great on a business card- Can stand alone from my name and still be recognized- Incorporates my name/initials (JP) somehow- I tend to like strong edges more than curves, but throw your best ideas on the board- I need work in VECTOR format so I can resize as I see fit
- A logo that looks too corporate- My name in a cool font does not equal a logo- Animals- Wedding related objects (I do more than that)
Finden Sie heraus, wie ein Designwettbewerb funktioniert, oder lernen Sie mehr über unsere Logo-Design-Angebote.


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Politico on August 26, 2011 released the following:
"Federal prosecutors filed a motion Friday asking District Judge Leonie Brinkema to clarify, and possibly reconsider, her July 29 ruling that a New York Times reporter would not be required to reveal confidential sources during the espionage trial of former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling.
In the motion, the government's lawyers again argued that James Risen's testimony about the sources for his reporting on CIA efforts to undermine Iran's nuclear program is critical to making their case against Sterling, who's charged with illegally revealing CIA operations to Risen.
In the July ruling, Brinkema wrote: "The government must establish that there is a compelling reason for the journalist's testimony and that there are no other means for obtaining the equivalent of that testimony."
The government's motion appears to be just that — a further explanation of why Risen's testimony is necessary. Steven Aftergood at the Federation of American Scientists has a good recap of the new motion here."
To find additional federal criminal news, please read Federal Crimes Watch Daily.
Douglas McNabb and other members of the U.S. law firm practice and write extensively on matters involving Federal Criminal Defense, INTERPOL
Red Notice Removal, International Extradition and OFAC SDN List Removal.
The author of this blog is Douglas McNabb. Please feel free to contact him directly at email@example.com or at one of the offices listed above.


text: Enjoying Convenient TransportationZhejiang Xinxiang Aluminum Co. Ltd, a branch of Zhejiang Axiang Group, is now honoured as a famous brand name in Zhejiang province. We are a professional aluminum manufacturer, located in Anji Zhenxing Axiang Group industrial park, Zhejiang province, covering an area of 100,000 square meters. We enjoy very convenient transportation due to the eleven Provincial Highways.Benefit from Our AdvantagesOur company boasts all kinds of world-class manufacturing equipment and detecting instruments, such as regenerative smelting f... [Details]


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just got a copy of cubase...which which may or may not be 100% not ungenuine...and most of the text is in capitals, particularly the title bar, which makes it look crap.
anyone know what i can do to reincarnate my lower case?
nice one.beatnik.
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BACKGROUND IMAGE: iSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
Learning native tongue of your business is key to reviving role of IT
If CIOs are to remain relevant and strategic, they need to teach their IT teams the lingua franca of business.
In part one of this SearchCIO two-part series, IT leaders from some of the world's most technology-savvy companies dissected the role of IT in an era of consumerization at the recent MIT Sloan CIO Symposium. Their first bit of advice? Stop apologizing for IT's technology know-how. Here, the MIT panelists talk about the importance of language skills – namely, being able to talk the talk of business.
"The biggest challenge I'm finding in IT is not finding the talent -- sometimes it can be difficult, but you can find them. … The biggest challenge is getting IT not to talk the IT language," said Georgia Papathomas, vice president and CIO at J&J Pharmaceuticals headquartered in New Brunswick, N.J.
Papathomas was joined by CIOs from EMC Corp., SAP AG, Avaya Inc. and SAS Institute Inc. for a panel discussion that shined a spotlight on the business-IT relationship. Moderated by Shawn Banerji, managing director at New York-based consultancy Russell Reynolds Associates, the panel discussed ways to transform the role of IT.
Talk the talk
The role of IT has to shift from demand manager to business solutions consultant, Papathomas said. Other panelists replaced "consultant" with "broker," "facilitator" and "enabler," but the point was the same: CIOs and their IT teams must become trusted technology advisers to the business.
Before that can happen, CIOs had better give their IT teams some remedial language lessons.
Michael Loovice president of global IT, Avaya Inc.
The acronym-rich land of SLAs and ERP and PPM can be confusing and a downright turnoff for business users, panelists said, but finding a common language can overcome that friction. Banerji shared an example of a CIO in the consumer package goods industry who approached his new job in the usual manner -- typical protocol, typical verbiage -- but gained minimal traction with the business. Then someone pointed out that the company's lingua franca was marketing-speak. The CIO decided his department had nothing to lose by using the lingo. Software releases became "product launches," and terms such as "design," "packaging" and "pilots" were used to help describe the role of IT.
"It was very powerful because suddenly it went from IT being this enigmatic, somewhat mystical function where [business users] snap their fingers, click their heels, and it should appear in production the next day," Banerji said. Once business users saw the connection between technology delivery and their own work processes, the relationship between IT and the business changed. "Suddenly there was this great sense of collaboration that hadn't existed, through this speaking of a common language."
Controlled chaos is part of the role of IT
The example underscores another important requirement for success: the willingness to take risks, according to panelists. The CIO who adopted the language of the company changed a variable to see whether the outcome would improve. This experimental, risky approach is also key to driving IT innovation, a "skill that was fostered out of IT organizations," as panelist Michael Loo put it.
"[CIOs] have to have the courage to participate in the process; they have to have the courage to step up and contribute to the process," said Loo, vice president of global IT at Santa Clara, Calif.-based Avaya Inc.
After all, there's no shortage of either chief executives willing to take IT matters into their own hands or ways to do it. "What's stopping the [chief marketing officer] from building a slick app that can deliver great stuff to their internal or external customers? How is IT playing a role to enable as opposed to blocking that?" asked Sanjay Mirchandani, executive vice president and former CIO at Hopkinton, Mass.-based EMC Corp. "The roles are changing. To me, that's the important conversation to have."
CIO panel participants
Shawn Banerji, managing director, Russell Reynolds Associates
Michael Loo, vice president of global IT, Avaya Inc.
Keith Collins, CIO, CTO, senior vice president, SAS Institute Inc.
Georgia Papathomas, CIO, vice president, J&J Pharmaceuticals
Michael Golz, CIO of SAP's Americas division, senior vice president, SAP AG
Sanjay Mirchandani, former CIO, executive vice president, EMC Corp.
CIO risk-taking can also mean having the courage to acknowledge IT doesn't have all the answers and doesn't hold a monopoly on innovative thinking, agreed Michael Golz, senior vice president and CIO of SAP's Americas division Inc. headquartered in Newtown Square, Pa.
Realizing how easy it is to build a quick mobile application, SAP established an internal app gallery and invited anyone in the company to build their own. After the app is uploaded, the IT department takes it from there, running it through a security check and keeping tabs on the number of times it's downloaded. So far, the app has been a success and has even churned up great ideas from some surprising places.
"There's this kid in purchasing that built the greatest single-sign-on app three years ago, which has now become part of the standard product," Golz said. "Mobile document management folks came up with a secure way of distributing documents from behind the firewall to iPads, and that's now a part of a standard product."
Amid the controlled chaos of technology innovation, IT has to figure out the right balance between iron fist and anarchy. "The question on the role of IT is how do you become that broker, how do you make that happen and how do you still maintain the integrity of the system, the security?" Golz said. "How do you make that visible and not get into this rogue-anything goes situation."
Eventually, as IT departments figure out the language of its users, spend more time talking to the business and bring forward new, innovative ideas (and keep an open mind to those that materialize outside the department), the perspective of how the company perceives the department will also have to change. For J&J's Papathomas, that means moving away from talking about IT costs to talking about IT investments.
"A $25 billion company will spend $1 billion on IT in a year. So, how are we investing that money? How do we proactively provide ideas and make a business case for a return on investment?" Papathomas asked. "IT now becomes another investment. Just like we say we invest x% in R&D and x% in sales."
Let us know what you think of the story; email Nicole Laskowski, senior news writer, or follow her on Twitter at @TT_Nicole.


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|Young enough for adult trial?
|Bill would prosecute 13-year-olds on felonies
|Published Thursday, April 18, 2013 8:03 am
How young is too young to stand trial as an adult?
|A bill before the N.C. House of Representatives would give prosecutors the authority to try juveniles as young as 13 on felony cases in adult criminal court.
A bill that would give prosecutors authority to try juveniles in N.C. Superior Court has galvanized children�s rights and civil rights advocates.
HB 217-filed by N.C. Rep. Paul Stam (R-Wake), would allow the prosecution of teens as young as 13 in cases that would be considered felonies if committed by an adult. North Carolina is the only state that automatically prosecutes 16- and 17- year-olds as adults regardless of a crime�s severity and forbids transfer to the juvenile system upon appeal. Opponents of HB 217 contend the bill politicizes the juvenile justice system while closing the door on rehabilitation.
�It makes an unjust system already worse,� said Rashad Robinson, executive director of Color of Change, a national advocacy group. This will allow prosecutors, who are part of the political system, unchecked authority to prosecute children and put them in adult facilities where we know by statistics there is very little chance for them to make any type of recovery or path forward.�
Statistics show that about 80 percent of youth cases are misdemeanors, 17-18 percent are low-level felonies and 3-4 percent are serious felonies such as armed robbery, rape and murder.
Stam�s bill would allow prosecutors to file a motion to shift juvenile felony cases to Superior Court for trial, pending a judge�s finding of probable cause. HB 217 supporters back the legislation as an efficient crime-fighting tool that will save the state money.
Stam�s office did not respond to an email request for comment on the bill.
Opponents counter the bill would doom thousands of teens to detention in adult facilities where they face abuse and have an increased risk of sexual assault, suicide and death. The stakes are especially high for African American defendants, who are detained and sentenced to prison at higher rates than the overall population.
�They�re 36 times more likely to commit suicide than their counterparts who are in the juvenile justice system,� Robinson said. �These adult prisons offer very few rehabilitative services.�
A separate bill, HB 585, filed by David Lewis (R-Harnett) would require county jails and state prisons to regularly report on compliance with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act to separate youth inmates from the adult population.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1 percent of U.S. jail inmates are juveniles, but they represented 21 percent of all substantiated victims of sexual violence in 2005 and 13 percent in 2006.
In 2008, black juveniles, who comprise 15 percent of U.S. young people, made up 62 percent of the youth inmates held in adult prisons.
Juvenile inmates also face dimmer job and education prospects because permanent adult records create a lifelong stigma. They�re also more likely to return to prison, Robinson maintains. A recent survey found that 40 percent of adult jails provide no educational opportunities and only 7 percent offer vocational training. Juvenile facilities, on the other hand, decrease recidivism rates by as much as 40 percent.
|THIS IS CRAZY!!! Who could EVER conceive an idea like this?!?!
|Posted on July 26, 2013
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Mary Jo Sharp is a former atheist from the Pacific Northwest who thought religion was for the weak-minded. She now holds a Masters in Christian Apologetics from Biola University and is the first woman to become a Certified Apologetics Instructor through the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Mary Jo is an Assistant Professor at Houston Baptist University, on faculty with Summit Ministries, an author with Kregel Publications and B&H Publications, author of the top-selling Bible study, Why Do You Believe That? and has recently produced a new DVD Bible Study with LifeWay Resources.
A clear communicator with a heart for people, she finds great joy in sharing the deep truths of her Lord and Savior. She administrates the website, Confident Christianity, and has engaged in two formal, public debates with Muslims.


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LaBarbera is no doubt still smarting from his organization being called an anti-gay hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Now one of the main reasons why SPLC named LaBarbera's organization, Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, as a hate group (as well as several other religious right groups) is because they continue to push many falsehoods about the lgbt community. One in particular is the notion that homosexuality and pedophilia are related. The SPLC said this is not true:
According to the American Psychological Association, "homosexual men are not more likely to sexually abuse children than heterosexual men are." Gregory Herek, a professor at the University of California, Davis, who is one of the nation's leading researchers on prejudice against sexual minorities, reviewed a series of studies and found no evidence that gay men molest children at higher rates than heterosexual men.
Anti-gay activists who make that claim allege that all men who molest male children should be seen as homosexual. But research by A. Nicholas Groth, a pioneer in the field of sexual abuse of children, shows that is not so. Groth found that there are two types of child molesters: fixated and regressive. The fixated child molester — the stereotypical pedophile — cannot be considered homosexual or heterosexual because "he often finds adults of either sex repulsive" and often molests children of both sexes. Regressive child molesters are generally attracted to other adults, but may "regress" to focusing on children when confronted with stressful situations. Groth found that the majority of regressed offenders were heterosexual in their adult relationships.
The Child Molestation Research and Prevention Institute notes that 90% of child molesters target children in their network of family and friends. Most child molesters, therefore, are not gay people lingering outside schools waiting to snatch children from the playground, as much religious-right rhetoric suggests.
However, LaBarbera in advertising his recent appearance on a Concerned Women for America radio program said the following:
I challenge the SPLC's "hate" criterion chastising any group that says homosexuals are disproportionately involved in child molestation. (I ask why there are so many boy victims of pedophilia if homosexual men comprise such a tiny percentage of society; I assume few boys are molested by women.)
I won't even begin to ponder where LaBarbera looked to find the photo of the pedophilia magazine he used on his webpage to illustrate his point.
But I will point out that LaBarbera, who has absolutely no training in the field of pediatrics, child welfare, or the prevention of child sex abuse, seems to think that he is more skilled to make a correlation between homosexuality and pedophilia than those who do have adequate training in these fields. I think that the statement by the Southern Poverty Law Center (using the statements of legitimate groups and researchers) is more than enough to refute his nonsense.
But here is the thing that's interesting about LaBarbera's need to bring up pedophilia and homosexuality - doesn't it contradict the recent whinings of the Family Research Council concerning SPLC's labeling of them and other religious right groups - LaBarbera's included - as hate groups?
FRC claims that SPLC is trying to "shut down the discussion" by labeling them simply because they stand the for the so-called "Judeo-Christian" definition of marriage:
The surest sign one is losing a debate is to resort to character assassination. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a liberal fundraising machine whose tactics have been condemned by observers across the political spectrum, is doing just that.
The group, which was once known for combating racial bigotry, is now attacking several groups that uphold Judeo-Christian moral views, including marriage as the union of a man and a woman.
I fail to see how the covert labeling of gay men as pedophiles aligns with "Judeo-Christian moral views." But if the inaccurate linking of homosexuality and pedophilia isn't a huge part of this controversy, then why did LaBarbera feel the need to bring it up?
The lgbt community owes LaBarbera a degree of thanks for his ignorant stridency. He has proved that FRC's claim is merely a talking point designed to obscure and deceive.
Make no mistake about it. SPLCs' designation has nothing to do with gay marriage and more to do with groups passing along propaganda and lies under the guise of Christianity. It's not about trying to shut down "Judeo-Christian" beliefs and more to do with exposing those who would exploit these beliefs to cage the lgbt community or make us pariahs to ourselves and the mainstream community at large.
This issue is about bearing false witness, an ugly sin but one which FRC and other religious right groups - LaBarbera's included - are committing with unrestrained glee.


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Oblate Sisters of Providence
Baltimore, Maryland
Providing Education and Service to all for over
189 Years
The Oblate Sisters of Providence is the first successful Roman Catholic sisterhood in the world established by women of African descent. It was the work of a French-born Sulpician priest and four women, who were part of the Caribbean refugee colony which began arriving in Baltimore, Maryland in the late eighteenth century. Father James Hector Nicholas Joubert, SS, a Sulpician priest discovered it was difficult for the Haitian refugee children to master their religious studies because they were unable to read. He heard of two devout religious Caribbean women who were already conducting a school for black children in their home in Baltimore. In 1828 those two women, Elizabeth Lange (later Mother Mary Lange ) and Maria Balas accepted his proposal to start a sisterhood with the primary mission of teaching and caring for African American children. After adding two more women, Rosine Boegue and American-born Theresa Duchemin, they began studying to become sisters and opened a Catholic school for girls in their convent at 5 St. Mary's Ct. in Baltimore. Thus began St. Frances Academy. It is the oldest continuously operating school for black Catholic children in the United States and is still educating children in Baltimore.
The four novices in this pioneer society were forced to vacate their first house and moved to a rented house at 610 George St. in the city. Here in their chapel the four women took their vows and the first women religious order of women of African descent was officially founded on July 2, 1829. In December of that year the four sisters and the school moved to a rowhouse at 48 Richmond Street. This location would be the motherhouse for the order for the next thirty one years. In the next few years the order and school quickly outgrew the rowhouse and purchased some adjoining properties. A bigger school and new chapel were built in 1836. The new chapel is especially significant because it was not only for the use of the convent of the Oblate Sisters of Providence but was also used by Baltimore's black Catholics. This would be the first time American black Catholics had their own separate chapel for worship, baptisms, marriages, confirmations and funerals.
The order continued to prosper and grow through the early 1840s. However, the death of Father Joubert in 1843 left the Oblates without the person who had helped and supported them from their inception. Since their primary mission was the education of men for the religious life, the Sulpicians decided not to minister to the Oblates any longer. At the same time paid enrollment in the school began to wane and by 1846 there were only eight students in the school who paid tuition. The order asked permission from the Bishop to beg on the streets in order to help support the convent. Adding to the order's troubles, one of the original founding members, Mother Theresa Duchemin, left the order. She traveled to Michigan where she helped found the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM ), an order that would grow to become one of the largest started in the United States. These were years that required the determination, faith and perseverance for the the Oblate Sisters of Providence.
Since the Sulpicians no longer ministered to the sisters on a regular basis, the Oblates began to walk the short distance to St. Alphonsus for the sacraments. St. Alphonsus was a church conducted under the direction of the Redemptorist order and generally served the Baltimore's growing German community. Through their association with the Redemptorists the sisters met Father Thaddeus Anwander, CSsR. who became their ecclesiastical director in 1847. Under Fr. Anwander the order again began to grow and prosper. A separate school was opened on the property and the first time the Oblates began to teach boys. The sisters opened other Catholic schools for African American girls in the city as well as teaching adult women in evening classes and opened a home for widows. In 1860 the sisters were notified that the Redemptorists were giving up their directorship of the community. The Redemptorists and especially Fr. Anwander had been their friends and helpers for thirteen years, helping bring them from the brink of extinction to a degree of financial security. Because of his devotion, commitment, and exceptional guidance, Fr. Anwander is considered the Oblates' second founder..
The order then came under the directorship of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Under the directorship of the Jesuits the OSPs for the first time began missions outside of Baltimore. They opened a mission in Philadelphia in 1863 and one in New Orleans in 1867. The order remained under the directorship of the Jesuits until 1871 when priests from the Josephite Fathers and Brothers became their directors. This was a natural alliance since the mission of the Josephites is to minister to the African American population. The official directorship lasted until the mandate of an ecclesiastical director was rescinded in the early twentieth century. Eventually the order founded schools in eighteen states. Some missions only lasted a few years while others endured and changed with the needs of the community. By the 1950's there were over 300 Oblate Sisters of Providence teaching and caring for African American children.
Foreign missions began in 1900 when the Oblates opened their first mission in Havana, Cuba. The OSPs established seven missions in Cuba, but left in 1961 when the regime of Fidel Castro made it impossible for them to continue their work. In 1903 a convent and school opened on Old Providence Island in the western Caribbean. Due to extremely harsh conditions the mission closed after fifteen months. The Oblates had missions in the Dominican Republic and opened missions in Costa Rica in 1964, where they continue today.
In 1871 the sisters vacated the motherhouse on Richmond St. because the city needed the property. A new location was found on a knoll on what was then the outskirts of the city and a new motherhouse was built on Chase St. The sisters continued to operate an orphanage as well as a day and boarding school within the convent walls. The motherhouse remained on Chase Street in Baltimore until a new motherhouse was built in 1961 at 701 Gun Rd. in southwest Baltimore County. It is called Our Lady of Mount Providence and remains the order's motherhouse today. Several missions operated on the motherhouse property including Mt. Providence Junior College from 1963-1966. The motherhouse houses the order's administrative offices, a health care unit, a novitiate (there is also a novitiate in Costa Rica), the Mother Lange Guild ( supporting the Cause for canonization of Mother Lange), and the Oblate Sisters of Providence Archives and Special Collections Library. Offices for the the affiliated organizations of the National Oblate Sisters of Providence Alumni Association and Cojourners of the Oblate Sisters of Providence are located at the Motherhouse. The sisterhood has operated a Child Development Center and Reading and Math Center since 1972 on the Motherhouse property.
Currently the order has approximately eighty members. The Oblate Sisters continue in Baltimore, Maryland, Miami, Florida, Buffalo, New York, Alajuela and Siquirres, Costa Rica.
Superior General
Administration Team
Our History
Coat of Arms
Credal Statements
Oblate Spirituality
Commitments - Intolerables
Ministries/ Organizations
OSP Ministries
OSP Alumni Association
The Process
Community Life
Vocation Stories
Upcoming Events
Photo Gallery
Articles and Publications
Retreat and Conference Center
Altar Bread
Gift Shop
Mother Lange Guild


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Dispatcher keeps job following Newtown comment
BROOKFIELD >> A public safety dispatcher in a Connecticut town bordering Newtown is being allowed to keep his job despite an outcry over a comment he posted on Facebook about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.
Gregory Beck is a resident of and dispatcher in Brookfield. Referring to a tribute to the 20 children and six adults killed in 2012 at the Newtown school called "26 Days of Kindness," Beck wrote on Facebook in November that his kindness would be distributing ammunition to his friends. He later apologized.
Brookfield's Board of Ethics decided Thursday to take no disciplinary action against Beck, who posted the comment from his personal cellphone while on the dispatcher job, the News-Times of Danbury reported. The board could have recommended discipline ranging from reprimand to termination.
On Tuesday, Beck told town officials he was resigning from the local school board because of the comment, only two months after being elected for the first time.
Beck's lawyer, Brian Parrott, told the Ethics Board that the comment didn't interfere with Beck's job performance.
"There should be no doubt that Mr. Beck was utilizing his First Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution ... when he made his poorly timed, insensitive remark referencing the 26 Days of Kindness," Parrott wrote in a letter to board.
He added, "Mr. Beck, all along, has admitted to the stupidity of the statement."
Parrott said there was no legal basis for disciplinary action against Beck.
Police Chief Robin Montgomery has said no disciplinary action against Beck was planned.


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This one-day course is a great starting point for the novice wine enthusiast, or those starting a career in wine or hospitality.
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Course code: 1WI2024D
9:15am - 5:00pm
39-45 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3XFShow on map
How much does it cost?
The cost includes all study materials, wine samples, tuition and examination.
Event details
One day - Thursday
This hands-on course teaches students through sight, smell and taste, to understand more about the fascinating world of wine.
By the end of the day, you'll be able to taste wine using a systematic approach, and identify the main styles of wine. You'll also learn the key principles of food and wine pairing and be able to apply these to your own food and wine choices.
Delivery of Course Materials & Booking Conditions
Materials will be supplied on the first day of the course. They are not posted to students.
For full Terms & Conditions click here.
If you have any queries or require further information please contact the Student Services office on +44 (0) 20 7089 3841 or email email@example.com


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Duffield Street
Duffield Street in Downtown Brooklyn is home to a small remnant cluster of mid-19th-century buildings. One of the buildings, 227 Duffield, built in 1848, was owned by Thomas and Harriet Lee-Truesdell, who were prominent abolitionists in that era. The "Underground Railroad" was a secret chain of safe houses that helped runaway slaves from the south excape to freedom in Canada. While the Underground Railroad operated in the shadows and left very little documentation of its activities, many historians have considered it very likely that 227 Duffield was a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Despite that historic signifigance, on January 7, 2004, Joy Chatel, an owner of 227 Duffield Street was given a notice informing her that her home would be taken by eminent domain and demolished to make way for a new parking lot that is part of the City's gentrification plan to convert Downtown Brooklyn into a playground for the wealthy. With the attention brought to the subsequent fight to save the building, I took a trip over to Duffield Street in the Fall of 2007 to document the fated buildings.
However, in a turn of events that was very unusual in sucn a developer-friendly environment, on November 29, 2007, the city changed its plan and agreed to spare 227 Duffield. While it is obvious that considerable work will be needed to restore 227 Duffield to it's original condition and make it presentable as a museum, it is nice to see the little guy win once in awhile.
Next: DUMBO


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The world of wildlife beyond birds and butterflies might surprise you. When you create a garden to attract these two wildlife groups, it's inevitable that other species will move in, too. Be on the lookout to welcome some of these less commonly seen (or appreciated) wild neighbors.
Several species of these elusive predators may be hunting in your neighborhood (especially wooded areas), totally unbeknownst to the human populace. The tiny long-tailed weasel is the most common and found throughout North America, while the 7-pound fisher is making a comeback in the Northeast and Pacific Northwest and moving into suburbia. A fisher was even recently documented in the Bronx in New York City!
With more than 40 species of bats found in North America, chances are good that these flying mammals are cruising through your neighborhood. Most feed on flying insects and help keep populations of beetles, moths and mosquitoes in check. Some species, such as the pallid bat, hunt ground-dwelling invertebrates, including scorpions! Attract bats by protecting canopy trees, eliminating pesticides that kill their prey and installing a bat box.
These creatures aren't as well known as their frog and toad cousins because they spend the majority of their time beneath rocks, decaying logs and fallen leaves. Even so, they are fascinating and welcome wildlife in your garden. They feed on invertebrates from insects to snails and worms, and they are often brilliantly colored. Amphibians are on the decline worldwide, so attract salamanders by allowing the leaf litter to accumulate under trees, creating brush piles, saying no to pesticides and installing a garden pond for breeding.
These gorgeous insects come in a wide range of colors. They are also voracious predators of other insects, including mosquitoes. They have some of the most whimsical species names in the animal kingdom, such as the saffron-winged meadowhawk, Comanche dancer and cinnamon shadowdragon. Dragonflies are attracted to water, where they lay their eggs and patrol for prey, so install a pond, then sit back and watch their aerial acrobatics.
Many turtle species happily call our neighborhoods home if we offer what they need to survive. Box turtles prefer open woodlands and fields where they forage for berries, mushrooms, worms and insects. Desert tortoises are found in southern California and the southwestern deserts. They feed on grasses, cactus and wildflowers. Replace your lawn with native plants and add a shallow water feature, and you'll invite these shelled reptiles to your yard.
These black-and-white mammals aren't going to spray you unless you threaten them, and can be perfectly acceptable neighbors if left alone. They are omnivores, feeding on everything from insects and worms to fallen fruits and mice. Leave brushy areas on the outskirts of your yard for them to forage and dig dens.
The majority of snakes are totally harmless to people and are important backyard predators. Practice tolerance for them in your yard, and you'll foster a healthy ecosystem.


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Plantar fasciitis is�a�problem that can occur in anyone, but especially those who run. It causes pain at the bottom of the foot that can become debilitating. Pain often is near the heel and arch of the foot. When it�s bad, the first step out of bed is a dreaded challenge.
The bottom of the foot, anatomically termed the plantar side, contains muscles that flex the toes downward. The flexor muscles from each of the toes converge and form into a main tendon that attaches to the bone at the heel, called the calcaneus. The entire unit of muscle and tendon has a connective tissue sheath called fascia. Since this fascia sheath is on the plantar side of the foot, it is called plantar fascia, and when inflamed,�causes plantar fasciitis. If it�s damaged or torn but not inflamed, it's a condition called plantar fasciosis. This latter term is usually what a doctor will call it, since for most people there is no inflammation; instead, small tears and a buildup of debris. Either scenario creates a painful plantar foot.
Pressure on the foot, if not properly dissipated through the foot and lower limb, takes its toll on the plantar fascia and tendons. Variations in footwear, heel cups, heel lifts, sorbothane foot beds and custom foot orthotics all can change the GRF of the foot, but there are varied results. No doubt, walking barefoot on hard tile or wood floors aggravates plantar fasciosis and wearing supportive athletic shoes can clearly help.
Foot pressure can be diverted away from the heel. Orthotics (for instance, like those at�solesupports.com)�with a high arch�may provide relief at the heel. Research also shows those who have sprained an ankle and still have a weak or "giving way" problem have increased loading force at the outside of the heel compared to those who never sprained an ankle. The repetitive striking of the foot against the ground destroys blood cells (hemolysis) and, done repetitively, as in long-distance running, it can lead to anemia. But, in a study measuring hemolysis in runners with a soft shoe insole verses a firm shoe insole, the soft insole caused significantly more hemolysis. Thus, a more firm and higher-arched foot orthotics may actually be the best bet for plantar fasciosis. Rocker shoes, like the MTB, actually increased force at the foot, and for runners who think that going "minimalist" will help, it likely won�t. Only runners who naturally are adept at barefoot running will there be benefit from reducing force at the heel.
Ice, massage, stretching the foot and NSAID�s like ibuprofen all provide temporary relief. Cortisone injections can sometimes help, but cortisone weakens connective tissues and increases the risk of a plantar fascia tear.
Slow, weighted exercise repetitions help tendons heal: for example, slow calf raises on a step. Firm stimulation of the tendon and fascia with an instrument (see FAKTR.com) is another way to heal these tissues.
For plantar foot pain sufferers, the best advice is to try high-arched foot orthotics and visit a therapist�trained in the�FAKTR Technique (Functional and Kinetic Treatment with Rehab) or a similar soft tissue method, wear good shoes, avoid barefoot walking on hard surfaces, do foot stretches and�exercises such as simple calf raises on a step.
Chiropractors with training in foot and ankle conditions can examine the limb and rule out other causes of foot pain, such as arthritis or heel fat pad inflammation. They can also provide treatment to improve foot and ankle biomechanics while treating the plantar fascia directly. The�American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians�(www.acbsp.com) is a good place to start to find a quality provider.
Scott Gillman is a doctor of chiropractic in Natick, in practice since 1991. He is also a chiropractic sports medicine specialist with a Diplomate from the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians. He can be reached at 508-650-1091 or through www.drgillman.com.


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SOTU Live Blog!!
Tuesday, 25. January 2011 15:36
Your one-stop shopping for all things State of the Union! I'll be covering some of the initial coverage here as well as giving my reactions during the speech and the Republican response.
Is the SOTU address meaningless?
SOTU address preview.
In the wake of last year's challenge to the court issued by Obama in his SOTU on the Citizens United case, will the Supremes show up tonight?
Tim Carney suggests the theme for tonight is "National Greatness liberalism."
8:11pm – Ok, we've got all the traditional stuff out of the way (the shaking of hands, the introductions, etc.). And no surprise that President Obama starts off with recognition of Gabby Giffords, the congresswoman from Arizona shot in the tragedy of Tuscon.
8:13pm – Obama suggests that the Tuscon shooting reminds us that we are all part of the same country and suggests the true test isn't whether we can sit together tonight (a chance for this SOTU, in the wake of Tuscon, is that R's and D's are sitting together rather than seperately as is custom) but rather whether we can "work together" tomorrow. Clearly a call for bipartisanship.
8:16pm – The "things are getting better" part of the speech…cites the stock market. But notes that jobs have lagged behind. Calls for work on jobs. Touts the tax cut extension from the Lame Duck session in December.
8:20pm – Definately hitting an optimistic tone here with the cheerleading of America's economic leadership and small 'd' democratic leadership. This is what Carney was talking about.
8:25pm – Clear liberal argument here – we have government 'investment' in research in education to thank for new innovation that kept us competitive. Draws an analogy between the challenge of Sputnik (the Soviet satellite that beat America into space) and suggests that we must invest in "clean energy technology." I'm not really buying it. Even with substantial government subsidies, the 'green jobs' that were supposed to materalize mostly haven't.
8:27pm – You can't force green energy technologies to be competitive…even if you subsidize them. If they don't scale up (see solar, wind) or if they are impractical or overly expensive (electric cars), the market simply won't favor those alternatives. Setting artifical goals won't do anything other than waste money.
8:28pm – OK, now we're on to education. He notes that we've fallen behind on some international measures of education abilities. Lecturing parents on emphasizing education…OK. But doesn't give anything concrete on how you're going to change this.
8:30pm – Talking about the "race to the top" program…I'm not really clear on what it does. Any call for new spending necessarily runs up against the fact that education spending has massively increased over the last few decades while scores have fallen. So is it a lack of funding that's the problem?
8:33pm – He touts educational successes and calls for more good teachers…but again vague on what specific policy he is going to implement to encourage/ produce this result.
8:34pm – Defends and celebrates the decision by Dems to eliminate private student loans to go to college. Only Dems applaud this.
8:36pm – First real partisan issue, Obama argues in favor of immigration and calls for a bill to deal with "undocumented workers"…this is the amnesty bill. I suppose he has to make this point, but there's no way amensty goes anywhere in the House.
8:38pm – Free internet, more railroads. Oh, and here comes the infrastructure argument. The first two are longtime liberal positions that haven't gotten much traction. The infrastructure argument has been around every since the bridge collapse in Minnesota. Ah, first joke: the TSA patdown. Ha.
8:41pm – SOTU's are too long.
8:41pm – A call to simplify the tax code and lower the corporate tax rate. Now there's a 'reach across the asile' proposal and is along the lines of the 1986 tax code reform. A sucessful bill there could really help Obama's reelection campaign.
8:43pm – Just a line on the free trade agreements. Clearly not a priority. Still, the nod in their direction is a good sign for the free-trade folks.
8:44pm – This is the "everything I passed in the last 2 years was great!" part of the speech. The financial regulation legislation, and, of course, Obamacare.
8:45pm – Obama comes out in favor of eliminating the 'book keeping burden' that R's tried to pass last year…certainly a point of bipartisanship that will likely get passed. Obama says he isn't willing to go back on the precondition part of Obamacare…but then Reps haven't exactly come out and called for that.
8:46pm – This is going to be a real test for Obama. One of the advantages Clinton had in 94-96 was that his health care bill failed…he didn't have to keep arguing over it. As is evident here, Obama is going to have to continue defending Obamacare and as such it will certainly be an issue in 2012.
8:47pm – Here is the "debt problem" part. Obama acknowledges it exists, he proposes a freeze of annual domestic spending. Not clear exactly on the specifics…though Obama did mention cutting spending in "community action programs" and military spending.
8:49pm – But Obama wants more spending on 'education' (though he calls it investment)…definately a point he's going to class with Reps over.
8:50pm -His argument that Obamacare cuts Medicare and Medicaid is simply questionable. When you spend a ton more an health spending elsewhere by cutting a little out of the programs, you aren't doing anything to bend the cost curve or cut spending on health care.
8:52pm – Calls for social security reform but asserts we can't cut benefits and makes no mention of raising the retirement age, two reccomendations of the Debt Commission.
8:53pm – Call for 'cutting fat' and inefficiency out of the government. Always a popular idea (see Al Gore's efforts in the 1990's)…but the devil's in the details. Still, a reorganization that actually cuts departments and makes the government more efficient will get significant Republican support. The question is whether Obama is serious abour real cuts and a real reorganization that slims the government. Time will tell.
8:56pm – Promises to veto bills with earmarks. Interesting, since the Dems have been very adamant about retaining these…even some Republicans have supported them.
8:57pm – Sure are a long way into the speech before he hit foreign policy. So far the tone is cheerleading, suggesting we've 'restored' our standing in the world and taking credit for 'success' in Iraq.
8:58pm – Strikes an optimistic tone on Afghanistan. Characterizing the war in Afghanistan as a continuation on the war on terror, though he doesn't use that phrase.
9:00pm – Promises to bring the troops home in July…again with this deadline stuff. All indications are that we won't be 'bringing the troops home' any time soon.
9:01pm – A bit of ra-ra on the START treaty.
9:02pm – Two sentences on Iran and North Korea. Not exactly a big priority here.
9:04pm – These next two paragraphs are reminiscient of George W. Bush's SOTU's…an emphasis on promoting freedom internationally (South Sudan, Tunisia).
9:07pm – Another bit of ra-ra, this time on the end of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." But at the same time Obama levels a challenge to universities to permit ROTC on campus, something many liberal college campuses had forbidden ostensibly on the basis of the DADT policy.
9:08pm – Ah, now this is a neat part of the speech. A veiled hit on China, pointing out that our democracy, while messy, is preferable to nations where the central government can simply order something to be done. I wonder what Tom Freidman (a columnist who has often admired China for its ability to simply order things to be done) thinks about this. Ha.
9:09pm – Awwww, very nice. A couple of lines praising the new speaker and his rise from humble beginings "the kid from Scranton." Positively Clintonian (in a good way).
9:11pm – Tells the story on how Americans helped with the rescue of the miners who were trapped for months. It was a "small company" that does "big things." This is the theme for the later part of the speech. Doing "big things." Again, the "national greatness" theme.
9:12pm The last line: "The idea of America endures. Our destiny remains our choice. And tonight, more than two centuries later, it is because of our people that our future is hopeful, our journey goes forward, and the state of our union is strong." Certainly strikes an optimistic and forward-thinking tone.
Well, it was a pretty good speech as SOTU speeches go. Wasn't as combatitive as the last SOTU as I recall, and it certainly had several tangible incidents of reaching out for bipartisanship. I think several of these items have a good chance of being passed in this Congress.
Next, the Republican Response.
Just an initial note on these responses, I've never thought they were a good thing, politically, for the opposition party. There's no way to compete with the prestige of the president and the pomp and circumstance of the SOTU, especially with all the applause. The closest thing I've seen to getting close to that was last year when the new Republican governor from Virginia spoke from the well of the Virginia assembly (and had legislators there to applaud). This year's response will be given by Paul Ryan, a member of the House…so we're back to the closed room with no one else…the response-giver speaking to the camera. A stark contrast to the SOTU, no matter what the specifics or content of the response. Bad politics, IMHO.
9:25pm Ryan starts out acknowledging Gabby Giffords and expresses sympathy. Again, he's in an empty room. I just think the ambience is a real political negative no matter what the content.
9:26pm Ryan says Reps want to work with Obama to cut spending and touts the House's start on cutting and makes the argument that cuts are imperitive given the looming threat of crushing national debut.
9:29pm Ryan is spending most of his response laying out the case for a spending crisis and size of government crisis and the necessity for significant cuts in government spending through big budget cuts.
9:32pm Distinguishes Reps from Dems, labels Dems as tax and spenders and the consequences of that – record deficits and debts.
9:33pm Real contrast between the doom and gloom of Ryan's case and the optimistic tone of Obama's speech. However, while Obama had an optimistic tone, he also emphasized alot of problems…though most of those problems seemed to have a 'more spending' solution…though he didn't say it specifically.
9:34pm Ryan's argument is distinctly ideological. His limited government argument is right out of the conservative manifesto (if there is such a thing).
9:35pm Noticably absent: any mention of foreign policy or social issues.
9:36pm Ryan does hit a note of American greatness there at the end…but spent most of his talk arguing we're on a train track that's headed for a cliff. Not bad as responses go, but, again, the contrast in pomp and circumstance is evident.
Well, that's it folks. Hope you enjoyed the SOTU coverage here at PoliSciPundit.
Category:PoliSciPundit | Comments Off on SOTU Live Blog!! | Autor: Donald Gooch


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At every home game this season, the team has played a time-lapse video of the progress.
Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
Thank you. The time lapse is simply amazing! We truly appreciate all of your team's hard work and creativity.
9/11 Memorial
EarthCam compiled "hundreds of thousands" of images taken between October 2004 and this Memorial Day to create this mesmerizing video showing 1 WTC come to life.


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I got some pm's about the parkerizing on my krink build so I thought I would share my experience for those of you who want to parkerize your guns and get professional looking results.
The first 2 photos are of my AMD pistol that was a second attempt and didn't come out good. The second is my krink that came out as good as it gets.
I am using oow receivers and they are hard. I blasted the AMD with glass beads and they were not abrasive enough to remove the surface skin on the metal. I also did not use preblack and the manganese solution produced different colors on various parts.
I blasted the krink with 80 grit aluminum oxide, used a pre black solution before parking and got a nice jet black finish on the krink.


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Japanese conglomerate Softbank has built much of its business using new ideas to disrupt industries, and there are several ways it could shake up the U.S. mobile market, analysts said on Thursday.
Sprint Nextel says it is in negotiations with Softbank on a "substantial" investment that might change control of the company. The talks still could end without a deal, Sprint said. The deal could result in Softbank owning 70 percent or more of the underdog mobile operator, and probably also controlling partner company Clearwire, according to published reports. Nikkei has reported the company also hopes to buy Metro PCS through Sprint.
Softbank is the second-largest mobile operator in Japan, but it got there from the position of an upstart, acquiring other carriers and taking a chance by introducing Apple's iPhone to a country known for homegrown devices. That pattern is common for Softbank, which began in the 1980s as a publisher and software distributor but has diversified into Internet businesses and wired and wireless services. Along the way, it's introduced more choices and often pushed prices lower.
In a U.S. mobile market dominated by two large operators, AT&T and Verizon Wireless, Softbank might use its control of Sprint and Clearwire to introduce more flexibility in mobile data plans or different bundles of added services, analysts said.
U.S. carrier business models that are focused on monthly voice and data plans don't take advantage of advances in apps, devices, mobile payments and social networking, said Phil Marshall of Tolaga Research.
"It's not really anticipating or adequately addressing the innovation that's going on in the mobile broadband market," There's more that U.S. mobile operators can do to make use of their billing relationships with customers, their ability to distribute services, and their control of the customer experience, Marshall said. Personalized content services could be one example of this, he said.
Even though mobile data use has expanded from smartphones to nearly all handsets, data plans from U.S. operators are still largely limited to monthly buckets of bytes, said Senza Fili Consulting analyst Monica Paolini. "Either you have data or you don't," Paolini said. "There actually is quite a lot of uniformity across operators." She thinks there's room for more options.
In Japan and other countries, many carriers offer a greater variety of prepaid and postpaid data plans, including ones that are limited to certain mobile applications or to data use at a particular time of day, Paolini said. More targeted plans could draw in consumers who don't use mobile data yet because they can't pay $30 per month for a generic plan, she said.
"There is plenty of room for innovation and disruption, more so than in many other developed markets," Paolini said.
By tapping into its home-country experience, Softbank could even introduce offerings radically different from what wireline or wireless service providers have offered in the U.S., said analyst Jack Gold of J. Gold Associates.
Softbank combines its home and mobile services with services such as gaming and entertainment in addition to straight connectivity, Gold said. U.S. operators have never done that well or successfully, he said. For example, the big carriers' TV services for mobile phones have been expensive and offered limited selection.
The problem is that U.S. carriers haven't been focused on these value-added services, haven't been creative when developing them and haven't priced them attractively, Gold said. That's been true for cable and DSL (digital subscriber line) carriers as well as mobile operators, he said. For example, a cable operator might have shaken up the industry 10 years ago by offering a video-conferencing service like Skype, but none did, Gold said.
Softbank may change that pattern, Gold said.
"They need the pipe, but what they want to do is bundle services on top of that," he said. "Think of it as a new AOL." That tightly controlled subset of the Web once satisfied millions of users who were new to the Internet. Today, consumers might welcome a set of services that made mobile simpler, Gold said. For example, Softbank might sell customized, easy-to-use restaurant maps with a built-in reservation system. "There are other services that do that, but it's very messy," Gold said.
Stephen Lawson covers mobile, storage and networking technologies for The IDG News Service. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @sdlawsonmedia. Stephen's e-mail address is firstname.lastname@example.com


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| 8.9°C Dublin
UNDER pressure from financial markets and anxious world leaders, Europe has agreed to move towards a more integrated banking system to stem a debt crisis that threatens the survival of the euro.
At a Group of 20 summit of the world's leading industrialized and developing economies in this Mexican resort, Germany and its big euro zone partners took the unusual step of spelling out in detail measures to complete the economic and monetary union they launched to great fanfare 13 years ago.
Among the commitments in a draft G20 communique was a pledge to consider concrete steps towards a "more integrated financial architecture" in Europe that would include common banking supervision and firm guarantees to repay bank depositors.
The United States, the International Monetary Fund and European Commission have been urging EU member states to press ahead wi th a banking union to break the vicious link between deeply indebted governments bailing out illiquid financial institutions, worsening the sovereign debt problems and deepening the euro-zone crisis.
While that term did not appear in the declaration, the wording did suggest that Germany, which has rejected initiatives that might expose it to the cost of rescuing banks outside its borders, was growing more open to the idea of closer banking cooperation.
U.S. President Barack Obama, concerned that Europe's debt crisis could deteriorate further and upend his re-election hopes, met with Chancellor Angela Merkel, who as the leader of Europe's biggest economy is under intense pressure to commit German resources to underpin the euro zone and prevent a catastrophic breakup.
Obama's spokesman said the US president was encouraged by the talks, which touched on steps to "increase European integration".
EU President Jose Manuel Barroso showed frustration over the pressure which is piling on Europe to act fast. He said G20 members must understand it will take time for the 17 euro zone democracies to agree on how to build a full financial, fiscal and political union and asked fellow G20 members to stop lecturing.
"We certainly are coming here to receive lessons from nobody," he said.
Protected by Mexican navy vessels and troops who patrolled sun-baked beaches and highways, leaders from the G20 countries representing more than 80 percent of world output agreed to prioritize boosting growth and job creation, hit hard by the focus on sharp budget cutbacks, which has contributed to an accelerating slowdown in the global economy.
The World Bank last week lowered its forecast for global growth in 2012 to 2.5pc and said developing nations faced a long period of financial market volatility and weaker growth.
In its strongest signal in three years that it would act to strengthen the recovery, the G20 said in their draft communique that countries without heavy debts problems were ready to act together to spur growth, if the economy slows a lot more.
The United States has pressed Germany as well as China to stimulate spending in order to help the world economy.
Rising violence in Syria and the near-collapse of a United Nations-brokered peace plan was also in focus as U.S. President Barack Obama met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two super powers have clashed over arming Syria and U.N. sanctions.
Obama and Putin agreed that the violence in Syria has to end but offered no new solutions and showed no signs of reaching a deal on tougher sanctions against Damascus.
Europe's battle against a debt crisis that has led Greece, Ireland and Portugal to seek EU/IMF rescues, and forced Spain to seek aid for its banks, dominated the opening discussion of G20 leaders on the global economy.
A narrow victory for the conservative New Democracy party in the Greek election on Sunday eased concerns the heavily indebted country could exit the euro zone soon. But it did little to calm financial markets, which fear a euro zone breakup has only been delayed and will drag Spain and Italy into the maelstrom.
"The win in Greece does not really resolve anything," said Boris Schlossberg, managing director at investment advisory firmBK Asset Management in New York. "It's still going to be tough for Greece."
Fitch Ratings agency said the Greek result had lowered the risk of a disorderly default and the scenario of a euro zone exit, but it also warned that any new government in Athens was likely to be fragile.
After an initial relief rally, the euro fell against the dollar. Spanish bond yields hit a new euro-era high above 7 percent.
Merkel, speaking to reporters after landing on the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula in the middle of the night, welcomed the Greek result but said she could not accept any loosening of the austerity measures and deep structural reforms Athens has agreed to as a condition of its two EU/IMF bailouts totaling €240bn.
"The Greek government will and must deliver on the commitments it has agreed to," she said.
That puts her on a collision course with the winner of the Greek vote, conservative Antonis Samaras, who campaigned pledging to renegotiate elements of the rescue and reiterated that stance on Monday, saying "amendments" were needed to relieve "crippling unemployment and huge hardships" for Greeks.
Greece will ask to spread 11.7 billion euros in austerity cuts over four years instead of two, a New Democracy partysource told Reuters in Athens.
German frustration with Greece's failure to deliver on its reform pledges has risen in recent months, as has Greek anger at the tough austerity prescribed by Berlin and its partners.
In a twist of fate, Greece's soccer team will battle Germanylater this week in the quarter-finals of the European championships.
David Mackie, an economist at JP Morgan, said he expected European governments would ultimately be forced to agree to an "aggressive restructuring" of the loans they have already provided to Greece to return the country to a sustainable path.
Merkel has been pushing fellow European leaders to agree a road map toward closer fiscal integration that would involve ceding sovereignty over budgets to Brussels and giving more power to the European Parliament.
By sketching out what the bloc might look like in five to 10 years, she hopes to win back the confidence of markets.
But her counterparts, notably new French President Francois Hollande who arrived here later on Monday after his Socialist Party won control of the French parliament in weekend elections, have doubts about transferring fiscal powers. It appears unlikely that Europe will deliver a "grand bargain" at a separate summit of EU leaders on June 28-29.
In Los Cabos, leaders are set to confirm they will double the IMF's firepower. The Fund's managing director Christine Lagarde said pledges now totaled $456bn, up from the $430bn in April, even though some emerging nations are frustrated with the slow pace of winning more power at the global lender.
China on Monday offered to contribute $43bn to the IMF's crisis-fighting reserves, adding to offers of $10bn each from Brazil, Russia and India.
© Reuters


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Michael MacHarg necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 246 diseños de 45 diseñadores freelance.
simpa networks
Over a billion people lack access to clean water and energy. The technologies exist to provide such access, but developing world consumers can't afford the high upfront costs of solar home systems or water purification devices. Simpa intends to improve the way people can pay.
Simpa Networks is developing a combined hardware, software & wireless micropayment system that will ensure the "radical affordability" of essential energy, water and communications technologies. "Simpa-enabled" devices, like solar home systems, will be purchased for a low down payment, and paid off over time through "progressive purchase". The embedded Simpa technology in the devices allows customers to make small payments over time, but will automatically shut the system off if payments are in default, thus encouraging the consumer to continue to make timely payments towards eventual ownership of the device. Payments will be made through mobile banking services as well as vending stations in villages selling energy/water credits.
Equal parts infotech engineer, empathetic green energy fieldworker, and social business innovator, the growing Simpa team is pioneering audacious payment solutions to ensure every family can own the technologies that enable us to not only live, but to thrive.
Our audience (for the brand) will be global - marketing products and services starting in India, Kenya and the Philippines - initially co-branding products with energy and water device manufacturers and distributors in those countries. The logo will need to be simple (implied by the name, which derives from "simple payments"), so as to be easily interpreted by a developing world consumer - but elegant/catchy enough for investors in the US and the EU to feel confident in our brand.
Logo type? Text-graphics or text and graphics separately
Style: Clean and simple, no stock images or clip art in the logo. Would prefer to stay away from the literal.
Color scheme we like: A darker blue (for "simpa"), Orange, Yellow
Tagline or slogan (optional):
progressive purchase
radical affordability
Key Communication to come across: Payments made simple; or progressive purchase
Is there a style, concept or idea of logo you like or expect? Could use some iteration of the recycle symbol – but more in a round shape.
Any symbol should evoke progressive or "over time" nature of payments. Could integrate "simpa" or just "s" into the logo. Would be nice for logo to stand on its own outside of "simpa" or "simpa networks" name. We like circles. See enclosed PPT.
Do you prefer a specific typographic style: Simple. Probably sans serif. I like the 99 Designs logo font. Also the font that Apple has used now and in the past (Myriad, Lucinda Grande, others?).
Or maybe serif fonts like Officina Sans, or
Could bold "simpa" and not "networks" or leave "networks" out altogether. I like the idea of an all lowercase spelling of "simpa" or "simpa networks".
Files needed:
Print file format - .ai (CMYK) Web file format - .jpg and layered .psd (RGB)
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Political scientists have been trying to summarize politicians' ideological preferences for a long time. The most well accepted version of these are called ideal point estimates. These are measures of inherently unobservable preferences that are estimated from observed behavior. I see you voting in favor of a higher minimum age and regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant, and I infer you're probably a liberal. Or maybe you vote in favor of the Canadian oil pipeline as well as against "Obamacare" and I think you're probably a conservative. As a sign they've hit the (nerdy) big time there's now even a great XKCD comic about Keith Poole's and Howard Rosenthal's DW-NOMINATE scores.
The observed behavior that is most commonly employed are the Yea and Nay votes taken on roll calls in legislatures like Congress. These are very attractive to use as the raw data for ideal points for many reasons, one of which is that there is almost always an embarrassment of data. I've used them extensively in my research; here is a paper I recently published with Nolan McCarty on state legislative roll calls.
But they're not perfect, for two reasons. First, a candidate at election time may present a different platform to voters than he actually uses as a guide to voting on roll calls once he achieves office. Second, by definition, they are only available after an election. This means we can't get information on the losing candidate in state or district. This is a much more serious problem than the first.
An attractive alternative observable data is the candidate survey. In my opinion, the best candidate survey these days is administered by Project Vote Smart. It has been in the business of surveying tens of thousands of federal and state candidates for office since the mid 1990s. The questions it asks are numerous, well-phrased, and stretch across nearly all of the contentious political terrain you'd want them to. The results of their survey, which used to be called the National Political Awareness Test (NPAT) and is now the Political Courage Test (PCT), is published in a variety of formats for voters to use. The idea is that this makes it easier for voters to find out information on the policy preferences of candidates of whom they might otherwise know very little. The organization appears to be without a hint of partisan bias, as a nice bonus.
There's another problem, one you might have guessed. Not every candidate answers the survey; in fact, fewer and fewer candidates do as time goes on. Many obviously feel that doing so could be an electoral liability now or in the future; better instead to refuse to be pinned down on many questions of policy specifics.
So Project Vote Smart figured out a solution in 2010 and now again in 2012. It would research answers to a subset of their candidate survey using good old fashioned research brawn. So nearly all of the congressional candidates in 2012 for nearly all of the congressional districts and all the states that are having elections to the House of Representatives and the Senate are represented in their 2012 Vote Easy tool. The tradeoff for this broad coverage is that only a small subset of policy stances could be researched for the many hundreds of candidates this year.
I've built on their work by merging their deeper but narrower NPAT with the smaller but broader Vote Easy. This gives us the best of both worlds. And the most important step is to estimate ideal points from this merged survey data. I've done this using a Bayesian two-parameter, one-dimensional item response model, implemented in the R statistical environment with Simon Jackman's invaluable pscl package and visualized with Hadley Wickham's powerful ggplot2 package.
How valid are these scores? One way to assess their external validity is to assess their convergence with measures taken from unrelated data. Luckily for me, just such an external data source exists in the form of Adam Bonica's candidate scores for 2012. Bonica's candidate scores correlate with my own at a level of r=0.88, which is quite high, especially as both of our measures are measured using no data in common and different estimators. The advantage of my method, though, is that it allows me to jointly classify candidates and voters, something I'll be returning to in my blog in the coming days before the election.
For more technical details, you can consult a paper I cowrote on congressional voting with Jon Rogowski in part by using this data amalgam. You can find out more about my research on legislative ideology here.
Normally, I write something in 2012 for publication in 2013-2014 about what happened back in 2008 or 2010. Interesting, but not as much fun as it could (should) be. So, without further ado, here are the results of my exercise. Here are the plots of the two parties in 2012, and here are the underlying scores.
Big thanks to Chad Levinson, a political science PhD candidate at the University of Chicago, for helping me gather the survey data from Project Vote Smart.


text: We craft bold, layered and unexpected premium wine for you, our wine family, that you'll want to take home and share with yours. Intimate, one-on-one tasting experiences at our winery are unlike any you have experienced. Discover us on top of Mt. Veeder in Napa and let us create delicious memories that pair perfectly with our exceptional wines.Our Story


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Armed with an MSI Wind U115, 9-cell battery and some time, Johannes from Eee PC.de created what very well may be the Sting of netbooks. Stamina—er, battery life—was an astounding 25 hours.
This bests the already respectable 13-hour life of an MSI Wind armed with a 6-cell battery.
For his unofficial test, Johannes used Battery Eater set to its lowest setting. This is obviously as bare bones as you're going to get, so it's not unsurprising that he was able to achieve 25 hours, 4 minutes. However, even when you factor in what the time would have been if the netbook was being used for web surfing or other netbook-related tasks, you'd have to think the 9-cell would get 18 hours or so, as Liliputing suggests. [EeePC.de via Liliputing]


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The action-packed "2 Guns" is No. 1 at the weekend box office.
The Universal film starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg pulled the trigger to capture the top spot with $27.4 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The picture is based on a graphic novel of the same name and features Washington as a DEA agent and Wahlberg as a Naval Intelligence officer who must team up for an undercover operation involving drug traffickers and the CIA.
Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, said "2 Guns" opened at the studio's expectations and attributed the film's success to Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur and the first-time pairing of Washington and Wahlberg.
"It was super casting," she said. "There was remarkable chemistry. The two of them work so well together. You see it on screen. Baltasar really gave them the energy to be able to do what they did in this film."
Fox's Japan-set superhero flick "The Wolverine" starring Hugh Jackman as the clawed warrior scratched out the No. 2 spot with $21.7 million in its second weekend, bringing the Marvel icon's total domestic haul to $95 million. "Wolverine" earned another $38.5 million in 67 international territories.
"The Smurfs 2" launched in the No. 3 position with $18.2 million. While Sony's kid-friendly computer-generated sequel based on the blue-hued cartoon franchise debuted below expectations in North America, "Smurfs 2" earned a bright $52.5 million in 43 international markets.
"It is one of those films that seems to resonate on every continent," said Rory Bruer, Sony's president of worldwide distribution. "We have about 36 big territories to go, including China. They love the blue ones."
The Warner Bros. haunted house tale "The Conjuring" crossed the $100 million mark at No. 4 domestically after exorcising $13.7 million in its third weekend.
Elsewhere at the box office, Sundance Film Festival favorite "The Spectacular Now" starring Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley earned $190,000 in four theaters in its debut weekend, while "The Canyons" made just $16,000 at two theaters, though "Canyons" distributor IFC Films said the erotic thriller starring Lindsay Lohan is performing strongly through video-on-demand services.
Other smaller films continued to perform solidly at the box office, including Sundance winner "Fruitvale Station" with $2.7 million in 1,086 theaters and director Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine" with $2 million in 50 theaters.
"Summer is not just about blockbusters," said Paul Dergarabedian of box-office tracker Hollywood.com. "It's also about Woody Allen. It's about specialized films that challenge the audience — or are just different from the traditional, cookie-cutter, summer-style movie."
Overall ticket sales this weekend were up more than 15 percent over the same weekend last summer, Dergarabedian said.


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Photographs by Bob Morgan; thank you as well to Eve Morgan, who provided a copy of the "Llandudno Hydropathic Establishment" leaflet. Historic image taken, also with thanks, from the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Online Catalogue, reproduction number: LC-DIG-ppmsc-07444 (photomechanical print). Text by Jacqueline Banerjee. [You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer or source and (2) link your document to this URL. Click on the images to enlarge them.]
listed structure, was designed by architect Charles Henry Driver (1832-1900), with distinguished civil engineers James Brunlees (1816-1893; later knighted) in partnership with Alexander McKerrow (1837-1920), and built by John Dixon. 1876-77. There are four pairs of kiosks on the pier, and three at the head, of which this is the main one. Another elaborate pavilion of 1883-84, connected to it at the shore end and incorporating a theatre for shows, and (for a while) a huge indoor swimming pool, unfortunately burned down in 1994.. The pier, a Grade II
The longest pier in Wales, Llandudno's "iron pier" extends 1234' to a 60' wide T-shaped pierhead, and is supported by cast-iron columns and a "wrought-iron lattice-girder framework" (Cragg 26). Driver was well-known for his use of iron-work, notably at Crossness Pumping Station in London, where he collaborated with Joseph Bazalgette. Brunlees' most important work was in railways and docks, but he designed several piers, including those at New Brighton, Merseyside, and Southend — the latter reputed to be "the longest pleasure pier in the world" ("The History of Southend-on-Sea").
Llandudno grew exponentially after the arrival of the railway. As an early brochure for the Llandudno Hydropathic Establishment on the seafront Parade said: "It is favourably situated on the Welsh coast, sheltered by the two headlands — the Greater and Lesser Orme," and the air was (and hopefully still is) "clear, dry and invigorating." By the 1870s it already had, as the brochure claimed, "a most enviable celebrity" as a holiday resort and health spa. The kiosks at Llandudno, with their Indo-Gothic canopy roofs, especially this one at the pier-end with its additional ogee dome, still make a splendid seaside attraction in their nautical colours (see "Llandudno Pier").
Related Material
- Hydro Hotel on the seafront at Llandudno
- Review of London: Hidden Interiors, showing Charles Driver's fabulous ironwork at Crossness
- The Seaside in the Victorian Literary Imagination
"1873: Llandudno Hydropathic Establishment and Winter Residence" (leaflet available at the present Hydro Hotel).
Cragg, R., ed. Wales and West Central England: Civil Engineering Heritage. 2nd ed. Ashbourne, Derbyshire: Landmark Publishers, 1997.
"The History of Southend Pier.". Southend-on-Sea Pier Museum. Web. 5 April 2014.
"Llandudno Pier, North Wales." The Heritage Trail. Web. 5 April 2014.
"Obituary. Sir James Brunlees, 1816-1892." ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers) Virtual Library. Web. 5 April 2014.
Last modified 6 April 2014


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Apple this morning debuted versions of its iWork productivity applications for iPhone and iPod touch, adapting the Pages word processing, Numbers spreadsheet and Keynote presentation software for use on the smaller iOS devices.
The programs will be available for $9.99 each, or as a free update for users of the existing iWork apps for Apple's iPad.
So what about Microsoft Office? For years now, one of the questions surrounding Microsoft's Mac Business Unit — the group that makes versions of Office for Apple computers — has been its plans to bring Word, Excel and other Office apps to the iPhone (and now iPad). If the Redmond company has something in the works, it's keeping its plans close to the vest.
Microsoft has released a version of its OneNote note-taking app for iOS devices.
Here's the statement from the Redmond company in response to our inquiry this morning: "Today, iOS users can view Office documents through OneNote Web App, Word Web App, PowerPoint Web App and Excel Web App. We constantly evaluate where our customers want and need our productivity solutions, but have nothing further to share."
Separately, Apple this morning gave a sneak peak of its expected announcements at next week's Worldwide Developer Conference, saying it would show the next versions of Mac OS X (Lion) and iOS (5) and unveil its new iCloud online service.