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A heady field ready to open the 2011 World Cup season in Mooloolaba
By Merryn Sherwood on 21/03/11 at 12:16 am
A top international field will take to the Mooloolaba course for the first ITU World Cup in 2011 this weekend.
Click here to follow the races live!
While Australians have historically done well on the Sunshine Coast and have contenders in both the women's and men's fields, some of the ITU's biggest international stars have also made the trip to the beachside oasis to kick-off a crucial Olympic qualifying year. Each and every world cup, world series race and continental championship will offer qualifying points for London 2012. That means every triathlete will be keen to get a jump on the field in Mooloolaba, and it's evident in the competitors who have turned out to contest the elite races.
Elite Men Preview
It's fair to say that all eyes will be on Javier Gomez in his first major race this year. The Spanish champ won the Mooloolaba title in 2008, but since then has gone from contender to conqueror – winning two ITU World Championships since then. Gomez starts the season as the man that everyone else has to catch and will be keen to establish that early on in 2011. Brad Kahlefeldt and Courtney Atkinson will lead the Australian charge, and both are previous winners. Kahlefeldt took the 2010 and 2007 titles, and Atkinson won in 2009.
All three of those men are also chasing a little bit of history, as all are currently in the top-ten of the all-time World Cup winners list and will move up if they top the podium. A Gomez win would be extra-special in this regard as he is currently tied in second overall wins with Olympic gold medallist Simon Whitfield. Both are own 12 titles, but a win would see Gomez go clear. Both Whitfield and Gomez will be racing in season 2011 though so it could be interesting all year if Whitfield claims a few World Cup wins too. Australia's Brad Beven is the all-time leading men's World Cup winner, with 17 race titles to his name.
Other contenders in the men's field for Mooloolaba are Frenchmen Laurent Vidal and David Hauss, and Brits Stuart Hayes, who won in Kitzhubel last year, and Will Clarke. Clarke is a Beijing Olympian and the Under23 World Champion from 2006, and both he and Hayes will be targeting strong starts in the season that leads into their home Olympics.
Click here for the men's start list.
Elite Women Preview
In the women's field, triathlon fans are set to see a thriller with a host of the world's top female triathletes to start their season on the Sunshine Coast. To put it simply, the field is stacked.
Australia still have the pick of the bunch in Olympic champion Emma Snowsill and two-time World Champion Emma Moffatt, but there is a host of other contenders that makes the podium trifecta a hard one to pick. Out of the 2011 ITU Gold Group, half of the golden girls are on start list, including Moffatt, Snowsill, Kate Roberts, Lisa Norden and Paula Findlay. Findlay, who had a breakthrough year in 2010 that included two Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series event wins, headlines a Canadian team that includes Kirsten Sweetland and Lauren Campbell. Sweetland races particulary well in Mooloolaba, she claimed the title in 2009. The defending champion, Vendula Frintova of the Czech Republic, is also back while pint-sized Chilean star Barbara Riveros Diaz will also be in contention. Another Australian Emma, Emma Jackson, could also surprise. Jackson won the 2010 under23 world title and is only 19, but has decided to focus full-time at the elite level in 2011.
Click here for the women's start list
Mooloolaba will also be the first World Cup of the 2011 season for Team ITU, one of the foundations of the ITU's Sport Development Programme. It provides funding and support for athletes from developing National Federations, who might not have otherwise had the chance to compete. In addition to financial assistance, a team of coaches, physiotherapists and a bike mechanic is provided to ensure the team has the best race-day support.
The 2011 ITU International season officially gets underway when the men's race starts at 3pm (local time) on Saturday March 26. The women's race starts at 12.45pm on Sunday. Results will be available on www.triathlon.org. Follow live text updates on Twitter at twitter.com/triathlonlive
Find more details about this event - 2011 Mooloolaba ITU Triathlon World Cup


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July 1, 2010NJT-10-043
NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT will offer "early getaway" rail and bus service on Friday, July 2, for the benefit of customers leaving work early for the Independence Day holiday weekend.
On Friday, July 2, extra outbound trains will operate on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris & Essex, Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines starting at approximately 1 p.m. Extra buses will operate from the Port Authority Bus Terminal on more than two dozen bus routes starting around noon. Visit njtransit.com for details.
On Independence Day, Monday, July 5, trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule on all lines. Newark Light Rail and Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule; River Line will operate on a Sunday schedule. Bus schedules vary by route; customers are advised to check their timetables or visit njtransit.com for schedule information.
Summer Savings
With the summer season in full swing, the holiday weekend is a great time for customers to take advantage of NJ TRANSIT's discounted travel packages to destinations including the Jersey Shore, Six Flags Great Adventure and Monmouth Park:
For details on NJ TRANSIT's Summer Services and customer discounts, visit njtransit.com/summer.
On weekends, kids ride free on NJT
Every weekend, families riding NJ TRANSIT can save with the Family Super Saver Fare, which allows two children 11 and younger to travel free with each fare-paying adult. For the Independence Day holiday weekend, the program will be in effect from 7 p.m. Friday, July 2 until 6 a.m. Tuesday, July 6.
About NJ TRANSIT
NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 895,000 weekday trips on 240 bus routes, three light rail lines and 12 commuter rail lines. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 165 rail stations, 60 light rail stations and more than 18,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.

subset: commoncrawl


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Journalists reporting on sensitive issues like the country's decades-long armed conflict, crime, and corruption faced renewed violence and intimidation. A journalist at Colombia's leading newsmagazine narrowly survived an assassination attempt, while reporters throughout the country were repeatedly threatened, and in some cases forced to flee their homes and the country. One journalist and one media support worker were murdered in direct retaliation for their work. The violence caused reporters outside the major urban centers to self-censor for fear of their lives. Meanwhile, journalists covering the months-long anti-government demonstrations by peasant farmers in northern Catatumbo were violently targeted by all sides. Justice continued to progress haltingly in the five-year investigation into an illegal government espionage program that targeted critical journalists, among others, as the Supreme Court dropped charges against the former head of the National Intelligence Agency and another court released an official of the agency who had been previously convicted, according to news reports. Seven former secret police detectives were sentenced to preventive detention on charges of "psychologically torturing" and anonymously threatening journalist Claudia Julieta Duque, one of the espionage victims, for her coverage of the 1999 murder of a journalist. In a positive development, a criminal defamation conviction against editor Luis Agustín González was overturned by the Supreme Court. As President Juan Manuel Santos' government continued peace negotiations with the leftist guerrilla organization the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a government-created commission reported that Colombia's more than 50-year conflict has killed at least 220,000 people, the vast majority of them noncombatants.
At least one journalist was killed in Colombia in 2013 in direct retaliation for his work. In September, Édison Alberto Molina was shot dead as he headed home from the radio station where he worked.
Molina hosted a weekly program called "Consultorio Jurídico" (The Law Office) on community radio station Puerto Berrío Stereo. Orlando González, director of the station and Molina's co-host, told CPJ that Molina often used the call-in program to accuse the government of corruption. He said Molina had received several threats in recent months, including a plastic bag filled with black dirt and unidentified bones that arrived the week before he was killed.
Two journalists survived attacks in 2013, according to CPJ research. Ricardo Calderón, an editor of the leading newsweekly Semana, was shot at by two gunmen while he was in his car in May, according to news reports. He escaped injury by diving into a ditch, the reports said.
In March, another journalist, Juan David Betancur, received a letter bomb in the mail that failed to explode, according to news reports. Betancur, director of the monthly El Panamericano, told CPJ he believed the threat stemmed from his coverage of allegations of wrongdoing by a former city official.
Throughout the country, reporters were threatened and forced to flee their homes. The targeted journalists had reported on sensitive topics like political corruption, lavish jail conditions for military officials convicted of grave human rights abuses, and the country's armed conflict.
|Journalists were threatened after reporting on land restitution.
|Journalists were internally displaced after being threatened for their reporting on criminal groups.
|Journalists, along with a political analyst, were forced to flee the country after authorities discovered an assassination plot against them that was linked to their investigation of ties between local politicians and organized crime, according to the local press freedom organization Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP).
Colombia ranked fifth on CPJ's Impunity Index, which highlights countries where journalists are killed regularly and authorities fail to solve the crimes. At least eight journalist murders are unsolved over the past decade.
1. Iraq
2. Somalia
3. Philippines
4. Sri Lanka
5. Colombia
6. Afghanistan
7. Mexico
8. Pakistan
9. Russia
10. Brazil
11. Nigeria
12. India
Since 1977, 44 percent of all journalist murder cases have been closed because the statute of limitations had run out, according to the Bogotá-based Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP).
The vast majority of murders of journalists in Colombia have gone unsolved and unpunished, according to CPJ research. Occasionally, the killers are caught and convicted, but the masterminds who target reporters nearly always remain free. Murders in Colombia have a 20- or 30-year statute of limitations, depending on when they were committed.
|Journalists murdered since 1977
|Cases closed because the statute of limitations had expired
|Total convictions
|Unsolved journalist murders for which the statute of limitations will expire by the end of 2014
|Exception. In March, the Attorney General's office classified the 1993 murder of Eustorgio Colmenares Baptista as a crime against humanity and thus not subject to statutes of limitations, according to news reports. The only other journalist murder to receive that classification is that of Guillermo Cano.


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Stevens Ph.D. Student Honored for Software Controlled Wireless Radio System for Public Safety Applications in 2013 SDR Design Challenge
The Wireless Innovation Forum, a non-profit international industry association dedicated to driving the future of radio communications and systems worldwide, recently announced Stevens as the third-place winner of the 2013 SDR Design Challenge, a competition for student-designed innovations related to software designed radio.
Team Attila – led by computer engineering doctoral student Vidya Sagar and advised by Stevens faculty members Dr. R. Chandramouli and Dr. K. P. Subbalakshmi – was honored for its project, "Application QoS Aware Cognitive Wireless Networking."
The project proposes a software controlled radio system that uses intelligent algorithms to integrate different wireless networks on mobile devices, providing ubiquitous connectivity, interoperable communications, reliable mobile video streaming, immediate deployment and seamless mobility. These features are requirements for mobile applications used by public safety officials and first responders, who cannot afford to lose their connection in an emergency.
"The goal of the project is to improve quality of services such as connectivity, web browsing and videos offered by various applications on modern wireless devices," said Sagar. "These devices are able to connect to more than one network, such as Verizon or Comcast Wifi, but which network is best to use for which application, such as Skype or YouTube, is an open question."
Team Attila built a "cognitive" radio system over such multi-radio devices which makes decisions about network resources by analyzing application layer QoS requirements and network link quality. The system intelligently scans the available networks and identifies which one is best to transmit and receive data. If a network is compromised, it then switches to the next open network instantly without the user losing the connection to his or her application.
"We demonstrated our system's dual capability to adapt against various network conditions, such as jamming and link failure, and also to manage radio resources to improve the quality of service for applications such as video," Sagar said. "Our technology can efficiently provide high quality video streaming and web connectivity even in poor or dynamically changing wireless links, which can be ideally used in first responder networks and telemedicine."
The project stems from SpiderRadio, a wireless technology startup co-founded by Chandramouli and Subbalakshmi which markets cognitive radio technologies which can sense the radio spectrum, detect primary users or interference, and switch channels to maintain dynamic spectrum access.
"The team is now focused on improving the cognitive engine by optimizing it towards better power management and security," said Sagar.
The 2013 SDR Design Challenge challenged six teams working a broad range of project topics related to software defined radio to compete for prizes. The competition took place at Virginia Tech on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, during the annual Wireless @ Virginia Tech Symposium and Wireless Summer School in Blacksburg, VA. Judges for the event included Ben Hilburn from Ettus Research, James Neel of Cognitive Radio Technologies and Richard Taylor of Harris Corp.


text: The fastest-growing species in the world actually makes its home in the ocean: giant kelp! The Kelp Forest exhibit at our Baltimore venue Forests of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) are spread out along the Pacific coast from Alaska to the Southern Channel Islands; Baja, California; South America; South Africa; and Australia. Tiered like terrestrial rain forests, expansive mazes of giant kelp provide food and shelter to some of the world's most diverse marine ecosystems. Individual strands of kelp can grow up to 2 feet per day, ultimately reaching heights of 148 feet, according to NOAA. The tops of these strands fuse together to create floating canopy beds, making an ideal home for animals like seals, sea lions, sea otters, gulls, terns, snowy egrets, and great blue herons. Underwater, kelp forests provide a great array of habitats, from the holdfasts to the surface mats, supporting thousands of invertebrate species like shrimp, crab, and brittle stars. Much like their above-ground cousins, these rain forests of the ocean are gravely threatened by climate change. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization of Australia reports that in some cases off the coast of Tasmania, giant kelp forests, similar to those off the coast of California, have shrunk more than 95%. The threats to these ecological communities are so severe, they've now been categorized as endangered. The biggest threats to these forests? Warming sea surface temperatures, invasive species, and biodiversity loss due to runoff and sedimentation. Although these magnificent underwater forests grow at extremely fast rates, they are swiftly being taken down by human impacts on the environment. There are a few easy things you can do to help protect this amazing species! Make yourself aware of what chemicals you use in your everyday life. Check for dangerous and/or harmful ingredients and, whenever possible, do not use pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers that can be harmful to the environment. Plant a native garden and practice sustainable gardening techniques. Click here to find out more. Get involved! And inspire others to follow your lead. Click here to find out more about the Thoughtful Choices you can practice at home. Tags: biodiversity, Conservation, diy, giant-kelp, kelp-forests, marine-ecosystems, thoughtful-thursdays Categories: Animals, Behind-The-Scenes, Conservation, News Previous Post Next Post


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Sizing Guide: Measure dog's height to the
shoulders, and length from chest to rear of leg, then add 4"-6"
to each measurement. See below for estimations by breed. For
approximation only.
X-Small: Cat, Yorkshire Terrier, Chihuahua,
Maltese, Italian Greyhound
Small: Beagle, Boston Terrier, Cocker
Spaniel, Pug
Medium: Basset Hound, Bulldog, Keeshond,
Norwegian Elkhound, Dalmatian
Medium-Large: Boxer, Standard Poodle, Golden
Retriever, Labrador
Large: Afghan, Doberman, German Shepherd,
Irish Setter, Rottweiler, Collie
X-Large: Great Dane, Great Pyrenees,
Greyhound, Mastiff, Saint Bernard
Shipping Info: This item is not eligible
for free or discounted shipping.
CGO101517 cgo101517


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Amos William Espley is my wife's 2nd cousin 2x removed. His parents are James Espley and Sarah Wakefield. The common ancestors of my wife and Amos are James Espley and Martha Silvester, my wife's 3x great grandparents.
Amos was born in 1893 in Stockport, Cheshire and his birth is registered in Q4.
On 7 September 1912 Amos married Florence Poole and they lived at 24 Long Side Street, Heaton Moss, Stockport. He was employed as a "carter".
Amos enlisted in the army very quickly after was declared. He joined up in Halifax on 20 August 1914 and was assigned to the 8th Battalion The Duke Of Wellington's West Riding Regiment. His military service number was 10920.
It appears from the records I have been able to find on http://www.ancestry.co.uk that Amos was stationed in Grantham in 1915. I haven't been able to find any reference to service in France for example.
Amos "illegally absented himself without leave" from Grantham on 3 March 1915. There followed a Court of Inquiry on 1 April 1915 – see report below. The result was that Amos was "sent down".
However I can't find any record that he was physically found and incarcerated at all. There is reference in his military records that he was "struck off" as a deserter on 3 April 1915.
So I really have no idea what happened to Amos between 1915 and the end of the war, why he absented himself or what efforts the army made to find him.


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Friday, May 30, 2008
How I came to C the light ...School is over today for both my boys and my wife. She is more than ready to relinquish her teaching duties for a few months and they are eager to spend their days chasing lizards and swimming. I'm happy for them and I will get to spend more time with my family which is a good thing, but my writing time will suffer as it does every year when the days get longer and it is much easier to hang go fishing or hang out outside.
Yesterday, I went to my boys school awards assembly. That got me to thinking about my old school days. Particularly when one boy got an award and the teacher joked that he would be the perfect student of only she could read his writing.
No one ever confused me for the perfect student, I found my way into too much trouble for that to ever be the case, but I did make good grades throughout and I think most of my teachers liked me. Of course one or two did not, and the most adamant of those was my forth grade teacher, Mrs. McCarthy. Given the laws of nature I feel fairly confident she is no longer with us so I don't worry too much about her reading this and tracking me down to stand above me with that disapproving frown I saw so often my fourth grade year.
Even in Mrs. McCarthy ... (oh, how I wish that would have been Jenny McCarthy) Sorry got distracted. Anyway even though Mrs. McCarthy found fault with my tendency to talk in class or clown around with my buddies I still made all A's and B's, mostly A's I might add. Except in one subject -- Handwriting.
Now I'll be the first to admit, a recovering heroin addict in day three of the shakes, could write more legibly driving down a pothole-filled gravel road than me. Doctors look at my markings and ask, "What the hell does this say?" I haven't written a word in cursive in years since I can't even read it, but all that aside most of my teachers in the past would give me at least a B- so that I could attend the A/B honor roll functions. They basically threw me a bone since I kicked butt in my other subjects. But not Mrs. McCarthy. She gave me a big fat C every six weeks so as we were approaching the end f the year I had not attended a single pizza and coke party with the other burgeoning geniuses of my school.
I lobbied my position and cruel Mrs. McCarthy said, "I'll give you a B when you actually deserve a B."
That's when fate stepped in and helped me out. Or so I thought.
My mom was and is a hairdresser so I spent lots of times in the presence of gossipy old ladies, hairspray and perm solution fumes, and bobbie pins. A young boy can only watch so many ladies get their hair curled before he looks for diversions. After a while even Red book and Better Home and Gardens start to look good. One day while flipping through the girly mags (no not those kind, actual mags that pandered the the thoughts and ideas of middle aged women -- maybe that's where my whole thing with women's fiction started?) I'm wandering again so back to the story.
I don't recall the magazine but I came across an article that said a recent study claimed that those with high I.Q.s often had lousy penmanship because their brain worked faster than their hand. I snuck over to my mom's station, nabbed her hair sheers when she wasn't looking and clipped the piece out. Not even Mrs. McCarthy could doubt science.
I presented the article to her the very next day. A B heck, I figured she would be duty bound to give me an A after reading the info. I had the worst handwriting in the class that had to mean I was the smartest kid there, right? Of course, Mrs. McCarthy had the prettiest handwriting I'd ever seen. That could only mean she wasn't all that bright, right?
Actually, I think that's where I went wrong in my presentation. In hindsight, that last little bit of logic probably wasn't the best thing to close my argument with. That six weeks I got my first ever D.
So tell me what kind of student were you? What is the story behind your worst grade ever?


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Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. -- Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 5
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
What is a classic family story in your life?
For instance: Mother had to go out of town which never happened and dad was left to baby sit me and my two siblings (approximately ages 7, 9 and 12). We had not lived in this town long and our dad was the new local Methodist preacher. We played outside and dad assumed all would be easy.
We drug home a giant refrigerator carton from the back of the appliance store in the alley. It would be our adventure spot for the day. We played and played and occasionally our dad would remember to look up from his sermon preparation to see what all the noise was about and tell us to quiet down.
It was not long before my sister decided to dress up as a fortune teller and set up her shop in the box. It was also not long before she was screaming in pain from a rusty nail stuck in her ear. Dad rushed her to the doctor where she was given a tetanus shot and other treatment and sent home to resume playing in the box. This was the same day she coated a towel with ketchup and held a knife against her chest and fell out the back door, scaring the daylights out of all of us.
Dad again told us to quiet down while we continued to rum amok. He didn't have a clue that we had ended up with the neighbor kids joining us to play in the giant box. We decided to play cowboys which included a sheriff (my brother) who used the box for the jail. The youngest neighbor boy was locked up and we sat on the box to prevent his escape. We should have locked up the older brother too because he ran home screaming to mama while we (like idiots) kept sitting on the box.
The boy's mother arrived and Dad came outside.The memory remains of "The face off" of Mrs. Neighbor, hands on hips, telling our mild-mannered father that the town was a lot better place before we moved there!
I don't remember dad every babysitting again:)
23 comments:
What little besoms you and your sister were:)ReplyDelete
I remember as a toddler standing on a chair and locking my mother out. My elder son did exactly the same to me when I was in the loo - 6 months pregnant.
Pat -- And, of course, you only had one bathroom. How did that turn out?ReplyDelete
I must clear up that I was the youngest so can not be held accountable for our incident. My brother is the oldest so he and my sister were, as always, the trouble makers while I was a totally innocent angel:)
Dear Annie ~~ Great story, but totally innocent angel ??? Well, that's hard to believe. Thank you dear friend for the Birthday wishes - I had a marvelous day and enjoyed every minute with old friends and lots of family. My health has improved so much with the Dr.putting me on 2 cans of Ensure Plus a day.ReplyDelete
I like Ron's ORIGINAL hatchet, only had to replace handle 3 times and the head twice. Sounds like a fun guy, your husband.
I am so glad you liked the photos of my friends and family. I agree I have a great brother and to be honest I thought I might never see him again as we live 1000 miles apart. But perfect? I wouldn't go that far!!! Glad you enjoyed the jokes my friend.Love, Merle.
One classic family story I remember so well. My Dad worked in the city and Mum had us kids to care for. She would often walk down the road to meet us after school. One such day she saw a snake crawl into a hole in the bank on side of the road.ReplyDelete
So what did she do ?? She grabbed the tail of the snake and pulled it out and killed it. But if it had swung around and bitten her, we all would have been in trouble. No car etc.
The only time I ever raised my voice to my mother was to yell, "Mum, don't you ever do that again." So we all survived. Thanks, Annie.
An angel, huh? Dare I believe that one? I think not. It is too early in the day for me to think of a story, but I'll give it a whirl and come back.ReplyDelete
Classic stories. I have told a number of them, but not so many when I was a little girl. I will have to think on that.ReplyDelete
Ha ha, and you haven't changed much have you! :DReplyDelete
I remember sticking a piece of damp black leather over my front teeth so it made them look like they'd been knocked out, when I was at school. I must have been about 8/9 at the time.
Sounds like y'all were waiting for a chance to misbehave! :) That was a fun story.ReplyDelete
Merle -- Ensure is a good drink to get some extra protein and it tastes pretty good according to Ron. He likes his in a shake with ice cream.ReplyDelete
How did you "Mum" kill the snake? Did she have a weapon with her? Did she stomp it to death. If it was crawling into a hole why didn't she just let it go. I believe you needed to raise you voice to her at that time. Yikes!
Judy -- Your classic family story doesn't even have to be about you. Just something that continues to be told over the years. I know you have a gillion.
Tabor -- You are building some pretty classic tales on your blog every day.
LL Cool Joe -- I am looking for some black electrical tape or black leather right now to practice for the next time the grandchildren visit. Can't wait to see what they thing when granny is missing her teeth. Great story. Did it scare you parents to see you in such condition?
Lynn -- Come on, where's your family story? Why am I thinking that you and your sisters got into a lot of stuff as kids?
I enjoyed your story and the other little stories. The only one I can think of that really stands out is when my older brother Kevin and my cousin Yvette and I set out some tin (yes tin) cans in the rain. When it stopped raining and the cans were full, we ran around the yard collecting the cans and throwing the water at each other. When the adults came to check out what was going on, they took over our game. They started scooping water out of our pool and turning on the water hose and one even went up to the 2nd floor apartment and started throwing pans of water out the window. Needless to say, everyone had a soaking good time.ReplyDelete
When my four children were young we moved several times because of my husband's work.
Each time we moved to a new house the first thing we did was plan an escape route in case of fire.
Sometimes we lived in a ranch house where it was easy to get out a window and sometimes we lived in a 2 story house where we had to plan a way down the steps and out the door.
When we moved to Pennsylvania we moved into a split level house where the bedrooms are only a half level above the ground. We told the kids that if they ever came out of their bedrooms into the hall and saw flames they were to go back in their room and jump out of the window.
We told them they could maybe
break an ankle or an arm but they wouldn't get killed.
One Sunday a friend gave us two tickets to an Eagles football game and we left 14 year old Chris is charge of the younger kids. When we came home everybody was fine; just here watching TV.
Then a knock came on the door and it was our neighbor from across the street who told us that every kid had jumped out of the bedroom window.
I was shocked and said to Chris,"Is that true? Did everybody jump out that window?" He looked at me and said,"Sure, what else could they do? I was running a fire drill."
In the end we were glad he had done that because now we knew that in case of fire they wouldn't be afraid to jump.
Great story. My stories would scare the pants off you like the time Mom held Dad at gunpoint threatening to kill him. It was a crazy life.ReplyDelete
Needless to say, my home is peaceful and sane.
Great Story!ReplyDelete
One of my older brothers was babysitting the 3 younger girls, but we locked him out of the house! Then he broke a window trying to get back in, n cut his arms on the broken glass n had to go to the hospital for stitches. He never was asked to babysit again... My older sister was quite the ring-leader!
There's plenty more tales, but yours had me remember that one.
You know how the PK's are, right?ReplyDelete
I'm glad you were the one who was the angel.
Love it, Annie! My classic story is a little different:ReplyDelete
My father accidentally hit a bird while on a Sunday drive once, and it stuck to the front bumper of our car. When we arrived home, our pesky neighbor was mowing his lawn with a regular old fashioned lawn mower. When he headed toward the back of the house my father tossed the dead bird in his trail (just for giggles) and hurried us into the house. We all watched from the living room window as the neighbor stopped the mower and scratched his head in disbelief when he noticed the dead bird. My favorite part was when he looked up at the sky (checking for other falling birds, I imagine).
I still hear this story at group gatherings and it always brings a smile to my face.
Bonnie -- Were the adults sober? Still it sounds like a fun memory. These days it's water balloons.ReplyDelete
Nancy -- That is so funny. A fire drill. Somebody should have seen that coming. I must tell you about your namesake kitten. Nancy Kitten scolds me something awful when I am late with their breakfast now that they are coming to the table.
Marla and Steve -- Oh my that is definitely a classic story but certainly not a pleasant memory. I'm sorry you had to put that in your recollections.
Snaggle Tooth -- Aren't older sisters ALWAYS the ringleaders? LOL
Cliff -- Did I detect sarcasm? Of course my brother was the angel and my sis and I were the black sheep. Oh our poor papa. It wasn't the first time we tarnished his reputation in a town.
Scarlet --That is so clever. How funny it must have been to see the guy looking for falling birds. I would have responded the same way. You guys are the bestest! LOL
lol! I needed the laughs, Annie, and thank you for providing them. Oh my - this brought back so many memories of the mischief I'd get up to with my brothers and sisters. It would always start with laughter, but someone would end up crying - lol!ReplyDelete
Well I'm just happy that I never had to babysit kids like you three! (Just kidding. Actually I have babysat far worse troublemakers in my time!)ReplyDelete
A classic family story involves my grandfather's pristine copy of Aviation Weekly magazine. He was a pilot and his magazine was sacred. When my youngest aunt was still in a high chair, he was at the table reading his magazine while my grandmother was serving everyone Jello for dessert. She went to put whipped cream, from a can, onto my aunt's Jello, but my aunt wanted to press the trigger and make the whipped cream come out. She started yelling "Myself myself myself!", grabbed at the can, and shot a laser-like beam of whipped cream all over the cover of Aviation Weekly. My grandfather was most displeased, but it makes a great story.
Talon -- It thrills me to give you moments of laughter.ReplyDelete
Sparkling Red -- Oh how well I understand the terrors of Redi-Whip in a can. We used to fight over who would get to squirt it. Instead of ruining an important magazine, I grabbed the can and squirted some on the Bishop visiting our home:) I hadn't thought of that in a long time.
Your family sounds an awful lot like ours. A large box meant hours of fun and excuses for us kids getting into trouble... and we did :-)ReplyDelete
BTW as the oldest sister in my family, I can attest that I was the ringleader of all nefarious activity at our house. Oy, I could write a book.
Fortunately it was on the ground floor so I just had to stand on the loo, lurch myself over to the window and climb out and walk round.ReplyDelete
No Probs!
awesome story! i can remember my two siblings and i playing with those large boxes too! even as a grownup seeing one still makes me smile wistfully.ReplyDelete
your dad sounds like a sweetheart, annie!ReplyDelete
haha! yeah, you definitely should have locked up the other kid.


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WASHINGTON -- As the son of Cuban immigrants, Miguel Diaz was drawn to Barack Obama for his ability to cross cultures and engage people from different backgrounds.
Now, plucked from the relative obscurity of central Minnesota to be President Obama's envoy to the Vatican, the St. John's University theologian finds himself in the vortex of an unwelcome battle over what it means to be a Catholic in the service of a president who supports abortion rights.
All sides say the debate was inevitable, no matter whom Obama sent to the Holy See. But for Diaz, the swirling debate seems as confining as the white tie and tails he wore last month for his first audience with Pope Benedict, a theological conservative determined to return the church to traditional Catholic values.
"As a person of faith, I am stunned by any effort that seeks to divide us," Diaz said in a phone interview from Rome with the Star Tribune. "One of the things I have embraced from this presidency is the effort to bring various persons together to engage in conversations even when we disagree."
To the extent that anybody outside the church had ever heard of Diaz, the 46-year-old professor from Collegeville, Minn., is identified with a left-of-center theology that emphasizes human rights and social justice.
That's disconcerting for conservative Catholics, who see opposition to abortion as a central moral tenet of the church. When Diaz presented his credentials as the new U.S. ambassador last month, Pope Benedict asserted the "need for a clear discernment with regard to issues touching the protection of human dignity and respect for the inalienable right to life from the moment of conception to natural death ... The Church insists on the unbreakable link between an ethics of life and every other aspect of social ethics."
With just a month under his belt in Vatican City, Diaz -- the son of a Havana waiter and his seamstress wife -- seems to already have mastered the delicate art of diplomatic indirectness, an essential skill in the notoriously Byzantine politics of the Italian loggia.
Asked about reconciling the church's "pro-life" theology with Obama's "pro-choice" politics, Diaz -- fluent in English, Spanish, Italian and French -- suggested that a media interview is not the forum for straightforward ethical statements on abortion.
"In order for me to formulate what I would like to formulate, it would take me more than a simple answer," Diaz said. "So I resist categories of either/or, in terms of arguing this or that. Unfortunately, it does not allow me the time to be able to explain in a thorough and satisfactory way what I mean by whatever I would say I am," he said.
'Political hardball'
Despite that ambiguity, Diaz and the skeptics of his appointment may have found common ground on at least one point: He is in Rome to represent the Obama administration to the church, and not the other way around.
"I'm not here to be a theologian or a spokesperson for the Catholic Church or any other religious entity," he said.
Though Diaz has no clear public record on abortion, his appointment has been seen in some circles as an attempt to isolate Catholic conservatives in the United States by elevating a member of the church's liberal wing -- a representative of its burgeoning Hispanic flock, at that.
"It leads to the thought that this administration is prepared to play serious political hardball and get its way with a significant chunk of the Catholic vote," said Catholic theologian George Weigel, a senior fellow at the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center.
To Weigel and other Obama critics, Diaz's appointment is of a piece with an earlier, controversial invitation for Obama to speak at Notre Dame, which deeply divided American Catholics.
"What would really be a dumb idea," Weigel said, "is if [the White House] imagined this to be another surrogate in an attempt to split the Catholic community in the United States. It's not a suspicion without ground."
Among those who share that suspicion is John Zuhlsdorf, a Catholic priest from Minneapolis who moderates a popular conservative Internet blog. Diaz's "appointment could be part of a larger campaign to suborn Catholics in the United States," said Zuhlsdorf, known to his followers as Father Z. "Obama doesn't care what the Catholic Church teaches. This is an aggressively pro-abortion politician. And everyone knows Catholics are a huge voting demographic."
Still, Diaz's appointment presents a dilemma for Obama's culturally conservative critics. Unlike some of the other rumored candidates -- including Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of former President John F. Kennedy -- Diaz comes with no culture-war baggage.
As the first Hispanic U.S. envoy in the 25-year history of diplomatic relations with the Vatican, Diaz also puts a face on the one-third of American Catholics who claim Hispanic heritage, a demographic that is increasingly important to the Vatican.
Together with his relatively low political profile, Diaz's immigrant background has tended to blunt -- if not eliminate -- Catholic criticism of Obama's pro-choice politics.
"In that sense, Obama short-circuited the potential for this nomination to be inflammatory," said John Allen Jr., who covers the Vatican for the National Catholic Reporter.
Another observer, Trinity College religion professor Mark Silk, calls it "an inspired choice to have someone who is a fresh face, sort of Obama's generation, part of a new generation of Cubans."
A matter of conscience
Some conservatives acknowledge that there's something benign about Diaz, who is best known for his work in Hispanic culture. "Obama had to find an ambassador to the Vatican," Zuhlsdorf said. "He wasn't going to pick someone who was a conservative Catholic."
Even so, Diaz's careful statements about inclusiveness and building bridges will do little to allay the concern of conservative Catholics that he was picked to legitimize the liberal idea that abortion is a matter of personal conscience.
"They've awakened something they might not want to awake," Zuhlsdorf said.
If so, it's a debate for which Diaz has shown very little appetite.
"I would rather spend my energy focusing on the multiple things we agree on," said Diaz, who presented the pope with a vase made in Minnesota by Richard Bresnahan, artist in residence at the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University.
Diaz, whose parents immigrated legally from Cuba when he was a child, said he's interested in working with the Vatican on shared interests such as combating HIV-AIDS, human trafficking and poverty.
"We relate to the Holy See as a sovereign entity, as a global humanitarian actor, and as a moral voice in the world," Diaz said.
Kevin Diaz • 202-408-2753


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|Biosequences .. Software .. Molbio soft .. Network News .. FTP
POSTDOCTORAL POSITION Postdoctoral position is currently available for research on elucidation of the Mi-mediated signal transduction pathways. The tomato gene, Mi, is the first cloned plant resistance gene with dual specificity to two unrelated organisms, a nematode and an aphid. Despite this novel function, Mi encodes a protein sharing molecular features with recently described single-specificity resistance genes. Resistance to nematodes is characterized by hypersensitive response or cell death, however no cell death is seen with the resistance to aphid. The position involves the identification of components of the resistance signal transduction pathway to root-knot nematodes and potato aphid using mutational analysis. Applicants should have experience in genetics and molecular biology, however, prior work with plants is not required. A cover letter describing research interests, a curriculum vitae and names of three references should be sent to: Dr. Isgouhi Kaloshian, Department of Nematology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521. Tel: 909-787-3913; FAX: 909-787-3719; email: isgouhi.kaloshian at ucr.edu


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Shannon Sharpe tells Broncos star Von Miller: "Enough with the bull jive"
Shannon Sharpe, a Broncos legend with Hall of Fame credentials, has a simple question for suspended linebacker Von Miller: Is football more important to you than partying?
In an interview on The Press Box radio show, Sharpe brought it strong on the subject of Miller, Denver's talented star. I asked what he would say to Miller if given the chance for a heart-to-heart chat. The answer was blunt. Sharpe would tell Miller: "Enough … enough with the bull jive."
It was compelling stuff. Watch it all in the above video.
Sharpe said he would be willing to fly back to Denver to talk with Miller? Do you think that would be a good idea?
Kick it with Kiz and Peter Burns by joining the discussion on Mile High Sports Radio Monday through Friday from 7-9 a.m. on The Press Box at The Denver Post or at 93.7 FM and 1510 AM on Mile High Sports Radio.
Find Kiz on Twitter @MarkKiszla. And Peter Burns @PeterBurnsRadio.


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KirkCode necesitaba un nuevo diseño de botón o icono y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 74 diseños de 21 diseñadores freelance.
Before I get stuck in, let me cut to the chase: the contest if for someone to design me an icon for my new OS X / iPhone utility. What follows is an explanation of who I am and what I'm trying to achieve...
My name is Jamie Kirkpatrick, founder of a new indie software startup, KirkCode. I've been in the software development business for six years now and am finally attempting to strike out on my own with a new commercial venture in my spare time with the long-term aim of giving up the dayjob (how original!)
In my day job I write mostly B2B enterprise level software applications, but for many years now I've been focussing on OS X projects in every spare moment I have. I've contributed to several well known OS X products, and was previously the lead developer for Growl, which some of you will know (http://growl.info/).
The main thing you should know about me is that I write software because I love doing it....I'm extermely passionate about the code I write and always strive for top-quality: I'm looking to form a potentially lasting relationship with a top-notch designer who shares the same passion for their art as I do for my code.
I'd like to stress that even though I'm just getting started out, I know my space well enough to know that the visual appeal of a product is just as important as the code I write. That's why I'm prepared to invest in your time at such an early stage of my venture: I know that in order to cut it in this world a product must not only be better than it's competition in terms of functionality and implementation, it must also look shit hot!!!!
My target audience is two-fold. The idea of the product is to simplify and unify multiple media applications in a way that makes it intuitive enough for even your mum to use.
The key point is that these users will be casual computer users who stumble on my awesome product and find it indispensable. They will like Music and Videos and watching TV and they will have some appreciation for how awesome doing this on a Mac is and how much better it is with my product.
The second category of users are OS X / iPhone users who are tech saavy but care hugely about the beauty of a finished product. I guess I'm aiming at people like myself.
To give you a clue, if a piece of software looks bad, I more often than not throw it away without giving it much of a chance. This sounds terrible coming from a software developer but I know that OS X / iPhone users do not tollerate bad design
Mogul (name derived from the term, Media Mogul) is a media aggregator and control center for users running OS X that aims to unify all your favorite media applications under a single consistent interface for the iPhone and the Mac. The iPhone (and soon iPad) act as a control interface very much like the free Apple remote app but for all media sources)
What I'm looking for from you is the application icon that will provide the product with a launchpad for it's visual identity. In the first place I'm looking for a 512x512 icon that will be used for the desktop / server component of the application, but in the future I'll be looking for something for the iPhone component as well.
The icon should be eye catching a simple: for me a good example of this is the Spotify icon. It doesn't necessarily denote anything in particular but it has connotations that relate to the target space (network singals, sound waves or something along those lines).
The focus of my app is visual and audio media, search, aggregation and control. Hopefully those words give you something to go on. The name Mogul is also a clue: the idea is that the "Media Mogul" is the master of your media....take the idea and run with it :)
If you want more information about the product I'm releasing please download the full briefing explaining how the product was conceived and what it aims to do.


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Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
If you are a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, you need to file a FAFSA. Please make sure to file prior to the deadline stipulated.
Electronic Signature (FSA ID)
Both parents and student need a FSA ID to submit their FAFSA online. Please apply here for the FSA ID and keep it in a safe place as you will use this same FSA ID number every time you fill out the FAFSA.
Find money for college! Search 600,000 scholarships worth over $1 billion.
FinAid: The Financial Aid Information Page
Comprehensive site dedicated to providing objective guidance on financial aid to students and parents.
Stafford Loan MPN (Direct Loan)
If this the first time borrowing a Stafford loan with your with Direct Loan, please complete your MPN.
Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC)
The NYS grants, loans, savings and guidance website. Check the status of your award: request duplicate forms, receive TAP instructions, TAP award estimator, college and address changes.
National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)
Students can access the government system for their loan and Pell information.
New York State College Savings Program
This website is designed to link you to the New York State savings program and provide information about the association serving the state college savings plans.


text:
Mike B brauchte ein neues Logo Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 41 Designs von 14 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
Looking for a a logo for a new site. It is a magazine styled site reporting on new media, especially in New York City. I already have an old logo template 420x100 gif.
Siliconalleycafe.com is a site devoted to the New Media
Culture, primarily in New York City, with a focus on informing, leading, and helping
those passionate about new media.
Here are some words to get a feeling for the site - NYC, new media, leadership, motivation, social media, fun, personal, talented, history, online advertising, tech.
I like the idea of using something with The Flatiron building but it's not necessary. Besides it's a suggestion and the actual image of the Flatiron does not need to be used, in fact it shouldn't since that would be boring.
If you're not familiar with them, here are links for history
on Silicon Alley and the Flatiron. Read it to get a feeling for the history.
Making one change to what we need. We need one version to be
420x100, and another to be a header at 960x100. (Just looking to try
both out on the site). I'm increasing the prize as well.
- New logo
- 420x100 in .gif, .jpeg, and another vector format.
- 960x100in .gif, .jpeg, and another vector format.
- Logo should have the feel of new media, but not a "fad" feel.
- I don't like reflection type logos.
Finden Sie heraus, wie ein Designwettbewerb funktioniert, oder lernen Sie mehr über unsere Logo-Design-Angebote.


text:
Why you should look aroundSince 2003, Chinese-forums.com has been helping people learn Chinese faster and get to China sooner. Our members can recommend beginner textbooks, help you out with obscure classical vocabulary, and tell you where to get the best street food in Xi'an. And we're friendly about it too.
Have a look at what's going on, or search for something specific. We hope you'll join us.
Weekly Intermediate Study Updates - join in!
mackie1402, in General Study Advice and Discussion


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After spending a few years developing websites both big and small, certain patterns seem to have revealed themselves. Over time, you adapt to these issues and forget about them, but the reality is other people will encounter these problems in due course. For that reason, i thought a quick treatise of these common problems was called for.
Considering the same challenges crop up again and again for everyone in web development, it's interesting to note that different people come up with different solutions to the same issue. The context often defines what an appropriate solution is, so what works for one business may not work for another. Obviously, I can only talk about strategies I myself have used, or ones suggested to me by my peers (nb. there may be other solutions I haven't considered).
Without further delay, let's have a look at some challenges, and more importantly, some solutions:
1. Content issues – this happens when a customer either takes too long to supply their content, or what they do supply is amateurish or lacklustre. The most common way I deal with this is to use some place-holder text, with the intent of having the client say "hey, that's not my text"; this can prompt them to put in their correct content. Another trick is to use a questionnaire to illicit responses from the client. This can be used as the basis for writing rudimentary content (e.g. "what does your company do?", "who are your customers?" etc). A technique I have used in the past is to turn off pages which are empty (e.g. client: "where's my press releases page?", developer: "the page hides itself if there is no text on it"). I recall reading an article some time back which suggested getting a copywriter involved from the start of the project. Having someone work closely with the client at an early stage is a good method for ensuring copy is ready prior to launch.
2. Delays in obtaining the company logo or graphics files – it's pretty hard to start on a website when you don't have the client's logo. Often this is just a case of getting the client to contact their graphic designer to get you the files you need. This isn't a major issue, but it can cause a small delay which is unnecessary. All you have to do is give the client forewarning that this material is required. This is why one of the questions I have on my Needs Analysis form is "is your logo & branding material ready?"
3. Vague feedback and indecisiveness – this is a situation which can result in not only delays, but rework which isn't billed for. This really boils down to ineffective communication. A classic example of vague feedback is "I don't like the design" (a more helpful version would be something like "the design doesn't communicate the fun and relaxed nature of our company"). The evil brother of vague feedback is indecisiveness, or when a client is unwilling to make a firm decision on how something should be. With vague feedback, patients is the remedy. Some would say it's a matter of 'educating the client', I find that term to be somewhat condescending. If I get feedback like "I don't like the design", I would respond with "what in particular don't you like?" or "can you be a bit more specific, I need more detail in order to get your design right" (the response depends on the client's personality, understanding the DISC model helps). In the case of indecisiveness, if it's related to a feature, I will make it an option in the admin module (e.g. an option to show a group of company logos horizontally or vertically). With this approach, the client can set it whichever way they want.
4. Scope creep – the bane of a developer's existence. This topic alone could span many pages, however I will try keep it simple. Scope creep occurs when a client asks for features which weren't originally agreed upon. This can be problematic as it can cause delivery dates to shift and displace other work, it can introduce new bugs in established features, and impact on momentum. Some people take a hard line on this matter, suggesting that you should just say 'No' to the client. I have a personal philosophy which goes like this "there is no such thing as no, it's yes – and this is how much it's going to cost". At the end of the day, it's about business, if a client is willing to pay for the work, it's simply a matter of project management and version control. One technique I use when developing large web applications is to group features together into a 'mini-spec'. These features would be added to the system after launch and thus constitute a point upgrade (i.e. v1 ;rarr; v1.1). A good suggestion I have also seen is to create a cost-to-benefit spreadsheet in consultation with the client, that way they can prioritize and understand added costs.
5. Undescriptive bug reports – client: "the system crashed" or "the system is buggy", developer (thinking to himself): "gee, thanks for all the information". Explaining to a person that a bug can't be fixed unless they give more detail usually solves this problem. When logging a bug, it's essential that the person says where the bug occurred, and gives step-by-step instructions on what they did when the bug appeared. If a client knows how to take screenshots and annotate them, even better.
6. deposits, pricing and payment problems – not taking a deposit when working with a new client is unprofessional and exposes you to unnecessary risk. However, deposits aren't as much of an issue when dealing with long standing clients. Having a good pricing structure for small projects is also important (e.g. projects under $5,000). A good general structure is 20% deposit, 70% milestone payment when most of the work is done, and the final 10% when the client signs off. The 10% final payment is very helpful in situations where a project stalls for whatever reason. There is also the issue of clients saying "but another developer said they could do it cheaper". In such a situation, you need to demonstrate the value you bring to the table above and beyond your competitors (e.g. quicker development time, face-to-face meetings as often as required, etc). Another major problem is clients that don't pay their bills on time. The majority of clients are reasonable business people and will respond positively to a courteous reminder, for example: "hi Tom, just a friendly reminder, have you had a chance to pay the last invoice I sent? It was due one week ago. I would appreciate if you could pay this invoice as soon as possible. Let me know if you need to discuss it. Thank you" – will there still be people that attempt to take advantage of you? Of course, but you'd be surprised how far good manners will get you in the business world.
7. Project malaise and uncommitted stake-holders – this can bring a project to a grinding holt, quite literally. It occurs when a client loses interest in their own project or decides to focus their energies elsewhere (usually on more pressing areas of their business). There may be times when this is understandable, for instance if a client is about to launch a new product or needs to spend time on 'disaster recovery'. I don't have a sure-fire solution for this problem, other then being proactive (e.g. get on the phone, communicate). If you have the time and inclination, you can take onboard tasks which were originally assigned to the client (e.g. communicating with the graphic designer directly to get graphics files). That said, you have to be careful not to pressure the client too much, this can actually cause something of a backlash. At the end of the day, it's up to the client if they want to stall their project. If you have a good payment structure in place, you won't be unfairly penalized for the delay in project progress.
8. Dealing with third parties or vendors – adding a third party to the project introduces risk because your power to influence outcomes diminishes. Not only has an additional communication channel been added, but so have potential bottlenecks. Take for example a fully-fledged ecommerce enabled website. Here we have three additional third parties which need to be dealt with during the course of the project: 1) the client's bank has to be consulted with to setup an Internet Merchant Account, 2) a SSL provider has to be contacted to setup a certificate to allow for secure shopping, and 3) a credit card gateway provider has to be involved to provide credit card clearing facilities. There's a lot of potential for hold-ups there. The best answer for dealing with third parties is to get in early; arrange things which you have less control over towards the start of the project, before they are needed.
9. Best practice advice being ignored – for some people no amount of logic or statistics will satisfy them, they just want it their way (e.g. "there doesn't need to be a home page" or "i want scrolling red text at the top of my page"). In situations where the request flies in the face of best practice standards, I say the following and then get on with the work: "my professional recommendation is... but it's up to you how you would like it". I am a firm believer that the customer is always right. That includes them having the right to make choices which diminish the effectiveness of their product. Some developers have a hard time 'doing the wrong thing' on a client's project, but if it isn't immoral or unethical – get over it.
10. "I want something like facebook, how much?" – this is an all too common request, any developer worth his salt will have the warning bells go off early when they hear something like this. It may not be facebook or Amazon which they want cloned, it can be any leading website with majority market share. The other tell-tale sign is a ridiculously low budget. Many developers will outright turn down these kinds of projects as they see it as a waste of their time (nb. the client may be 'fishing' for free system analysis consultation). Answering the 'how much' question can be dealt with by providing a ball-park estimate with a wide variance, for example: "the project could cost between $10,000 and $20,000, I can only provide you with a fixed price once a specification is written". This brings us to another important strategy to weed out the time wasters. Have the client pay for the creation of a functional specification before agreeing on the final cost of the project.
I would have liked to cover some of these points in more detail, but this article is really meant as a brief treatment of commonly encountered problems. There have also been many other important items left off the list, so don't be surprised if you see a sequel to this article in future.
Special thanks goes to the people of Stack Overflow forum for their valuable input.


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Staying with the pack.
The underground racing scene works in mysterious ways. One minute, you're cruising around town as carefree as can be, and the next you're screeching at a stop sign, slamming on the gas and careening around at twice the legal speed limit. It's fast, it's sudden and it serves up the adrenaline that many racers out there live for.
EA brings the experience home again for the second installment of the Need
For Speed Underground series.
The game has had its insides tuned up a bit since we last explored it. Some parts
have been swapped out, a few more chrome items have been added for flavor and
a couple of key features have been upgraded. Change is usually good, but just
because something can be done, it doesn't always mean it should be
what's the verdict on EA's new ride? Well, it's not bad, but it ain't a
trophy winner.
The biggest upgrade in NFS: Underground 2 is the free-roaming
style of play. Rather than just bouncing you between different sections of the
city like its predecessor, the game allows you to roam a sizable city in search
of the perfect ride and the means to get it. You'll participate in various organized
events as well as a few impromptu exercises while hunting down hidden
tuner shops throughout the city.
This open-ended setup acts as a double-edged sword. On one hand, it allows you to explore a huge city at will. Performance, graphics, specialty shops and more are scattered all over the place. You can even take part in hidden underground races for extra coin. It's a good move for the series and makes it all feel more realistic.
The downside is that it can take a while to get where you want to go. Sometimes
the shop or race event you're looking for is nowhere near your location and
you'll need to cruise across town to get there. This isn't so bad during the
first few hours of the game since you'll be hunting down hidden shops along
the way, but after you've found them all, the excessive travel time can be
a drag. The game could have benefited from a "jump" feature, perhaps even
allowing you to warp to select points in the city, but as it stands, you'll
just have to deal with the commute.
Another new feature in Underground 2 is the Race Breaker. Cars
outfitted with a nitrous kit will regain spent N2O by performing impressive racing
techniques like drifting and drafting. This feature, used strategically, can
mean the difference between victory and defeat (especially in Drag Races), making
for some truly nail-biting finishes.
Speaking of Drag Races, they're back and as awesome as ever. These
put you in a tight battle with a few other cars that test your
reflexes, shifting ability and speed. The race may travel in a straight line,
but obstacles will jump out in front of you without warning. Fast-paced and
exciting, Drag Racing is still one of the game's best features.
Many of the other race types make a return. Tackle a few laps through sections
of the city in Circuit, hit the point to point in Sprint and slide around tight
corners in the Drift competition. The Knockout races from the original game
have been replaced by Street X, where you'll race on a small, close-quarters
drift track. Underground Racing League (URL) events let you race tournament-style
on an enclosed track with no traffic involved.
It wouldn't be much of an underground racing game without plenty of performance tuning, and NFSU
2 thankfully lets you tweak suspension, engine, brakes, etc. endlessly. This time around, though, you can focus much more attention on the aesthetics of your ride. Body Shops are available for a large selection of kits, spoilers and wheels, Graphics Shops handle the paint and vinyls and specialized Customization shops will add a little extra flair with neons, audio/visual systems and custom doors. Each upgrade increases your "Star' rating, which will earn you spots on magazine and DVD covers. This means you won't be really be able to cruise through the game with a sleeper car, but where's the fun in that?
NFSU 2 starts you off with the regular selection of low-end
tuners like the ubiquitous Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla, but you'll gradually
evolve to better rides like the Supra, G35 and Skyline. It takes a while for
you to get out of your first ride, but as soon as you get a real car, the game
really picks up. The addition of SUVs rounds out the choices, but most tuners
will want to stick to the more typical four-wheeled rockets.
Regardless of your ride, the other cars will not show any mercy. The computer-controlled
opponents are generally aggressive, shoving you out of the way and bumping
you into spins, but sometimes they go a little haywire. The A.I. has a tendency
to crash right off the bat, which can delay your start. A little more polish
here would have helped tremendously.
The same can be said of the game's graphics, which are mostly good. The car models
are done well and the expansive city is rendered in nice detail. Effects like
the nitrous burst and the wet streets aren't as surprising this time around,
but they still make the game pop. The predictable rain effect, however, is
pretty pathetic, as it looks like the rain is only falling over your car. I also
take issue with the aggravating lack of damage-modeling, which, after games like
Burnout 3, makes NFSU 2 look like a prude. The PC, PS2 and Xbox versions of the
game all hold up with solid framerates, but the Gamecube version falls noticeably
purple box also fails to provide the online component available in every other
version of the game. You can take on other gamers in any of the game's races
or just cruise around and show off your ride in Free Run mode. Full ranking and
matching makes the online experience a good one.
NFSU 2 features a pretty odd mix of tunes that skew mostly toward
rock and techno, but you also get an odd track here and there like
remake of Riders
on the Storm. The sound effects are fine, although the stock cars sound
awfully burly.
I hope you don't mind being blitzkrieged with ads, because NFSU
2 is thick with sponsorships. Some of them make perfect sense (Bilstein
Shocks and Auto Zone, for example), but ads for restaurants and financial planning
groups takes the product placement to obnoxious lows. Since we're the ones who
have to stare at the ads endlessly, how about at least cutting us in on all that
cash coming in the back door, EA?
Cheap money-making schemes notwithstanding, Need for Speed
Underground 2 does a pretty good job capturing the tuner scene with
fast races and flashy cars. However, some lingering A.I. issues and the
excessive time it takes just to get where you need to go keeps this ride
from shifting to fifth.


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The new buzz word from Mitt Romney's presidential campaign apparently is "uncertainy," a word that was used by each Coloradan on a conference call today to talk about President Obama's "hostility" to business.
U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, said the president's health-care plan is creating "uncertainty."
Mike Anson of of Anson Excavating and Pipe in Craig said, "It seems like there's a lot of uncertainy in the world, and we just can't get anyone to spend any money."
And Scott Cook, a car dealer in northwest Colorado, said the biggest thing is consumer confidence.
"There is so much uncertainly right no everyone is in neutral," he said. "We can adjust to bad news better than we can adjust to uncertainty."
The Romney campaign arranged the conference call in Colorado and other swing states to talk about their claim that President Obama is "fundamentally hostile to job creators, both in his rhetoric and in his policies."


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Not retaining TA in the Summer was another boneheaded move by Danny. I know others are going to go with the company spin and say that TA chose to leave, but I believe Allen's story that the Celtics didn't try hard enough to retain him. Obviously if we had kept TA, there wouldn't have been the need to trade our starting center for a backup for Pierce as well. Very cool that Tony still says, "I'm a Celtic." He's a winner and not surprisingly the Grizzlies started winning more games when he received a larger role. Good luck TA. We miss you in Boston.
14 Responses so far.
ᴘᴇᴀɴᴜᴛ ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀ ʙ. says:
No love lost.
TA wants to come back, and i hope he does in some way..lol
'Unfortunately im wearing a Grizzlies jersey'
JR says:
Yeah that's an awesome line. I'm sure Grizzlies fans would love that. lol.
Imagine Jeff Green saying, "I'm a Thunder. Unfortunately I'm wearing a Celtics jersey." He'd get killed by the Boston media.
ᴘᴇᴀɴᴜᴛ ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀ ʙ. says:
haha! im sayin.
Or LeBron saying 'Im a Cavalier, unfortunately im in a Heat jersey'
Respect to TA and Leon
Jenda says:
Watching TA play basketball is such a fun. His movement is really fluent. The way he runs and jumps and such reminds me of young Bean.
pretty disrespectful to the Grizzlies if ya ask me. do you really want to be playing with a guy that doesn't even feel like it's his team?
mad pumped to see him doing well in memphis
Definitely agree JR, Danny should have made the same effort to keep a good bench guy who wants to stay that the Fakers did for the less valuable Shannon Brown
My bad on the Brown comparison, he took a 1-year with a player option paying the lesser value that he merits. My point was I agree with your logic of keeping him and the role he filled.
Three Toe says:
my opinion of TA is well-documented. Bring him back hahaha!
I hope he comes back someday ...
Glad I'm not the only one who thinks it was a boneheaded move by our fearless leader. Add Leon and Kendrick to the list too. Ainge is about money-not the team. He's paying Shaq and Jermaine to vacation while letting go guys like them who are beloved by the fans for their heart and hard work. Way to run a team Danny.
These criticisms of Ainge don't make much sense. Ainge is the one who built up the chips to get Ray and KG while keeping Pierce and Rondo. The Celtics had been going nowhere for years before Ainge and now we have #17 and have been strongly in the hunt every year since. Ainge also stuck with Doc when the fans were booing him during the years before the Big 3, instead of making Doc a scapegoat and starting over. We don't know how much it would have taken to keep TA and if he would have been worth it. It was great to see him playing so well last night, though I wish it hadn't been against us. For the Celtics, TA had some terrific defensive outings, but mostly his offense was remarkably out of control for an NBA player. He had some good moves to the basket when he stayed under 3 dribbles, but anything over that used to mean turnover. It was great to see him looking under control and disciplined last night and I hope he keeps that up for Memphis.
Michael, my criticism of Ainge isn't focused on letting TA go - I feel totally cheated as a fan because of the Perkins trade. He didn't get enough back to justify breaking up the team that won it in '08 and could have three-peated without injuries. I say make a run with the core 5 this season whether Perk resigns after or not. Winning banner 18 this season would not be because of Danny's moves, it would be DESPITE the moves - great effort from the remaining guys to overcome. We have lost much of our clear edge, toughness, that set this team apart as a unit.
And for the lame pick ups to fill the roster, better than Harangody and Semih? Really? You think Arroyo sees key minutes in the playoffs?
TA was valuable as JR states in the article but the main point I am standing by is keep that core line up together until they lose a playoff series


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Hi, is it possible to give an explicit formula for the function G(s) defined for positive s as
$G(s) := \lim_{N\to\infty} \sum_{k=1}^N \frac{1}{k}{N\choose k} \left(\frac{s}{N}\right)^k \left(1-\frac{s}{N}\right)^{N-k}$.
Wolfram Mathematica says the sum for finite $N$ is some hypergeometric function, the limit of it as $N\to\infty$ is not able to express explicitely.
Thanks, Ian


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No, this is not a joke – I've deliberately not posted on April Fool's – but I've apparently shifted more economically leftist, but also more socially authoritarian *shudders*. Odd, as this is a month when I've been avidly defending civil liberties. Hmm…
People are ultimately divided more by class than by nationality
Disagree -> Agree
Shifting back slightly to the firm position of Jan/Feb. I do think that, in reality, people are more divided by class than nationality, but, frankly, people usually consider their nationality more important. Fence-sit much, liberal-boy?
The prime function of schooling should be to equip the future generation to find jobs.
Agree -> Disagree
Well, define job?
It's like the recent issue with Gove wanting universities to take over A-Levels. Some want employers also involved, and it seems to be fair.
I think that…and I need to think about this more in future… school needs to equip its students for the future. Not jobs, not academia, the future. Those are both valid options, open to all students.
I strongly believe that a core element of university education should be transferable skills. I also think that this needs extending down to high schools and even primary schools. Schooling should focus on analytical, communication and individual study skills. Not just learning by wrote of the wives of Henry VIII.
What's good for the most successful corporations is always, ultimately, good for all of us.
Disagree -> Strongly Disagree
These days openness about sex has gone too far.
Disagree->Strongly Disagree
No way. No freaking way.
When we have the mayor of London saying "If gay marriage was OK – and I was uncertain on the issue – then I saw no reason in principle why a union should not be consecrated between three men, as well as two men; or indeed three men and a dog"…
When we have the ex-Mayor and candidate for Mayor claiming that his opposing party was "riddled" with gays and blaming the only gay candidate in the race for being in the closet…
When we have church leaders using lies, calling gay marriage an "aberration" and comparing it to slavery…
…we have not gone far enough.
OK, so this is sexuality, not sex. Fair. But when the topic of "sex" is taboo, how can people openly discuss sexuality?
Perhaps we shouldn't teach 6 year olds about sex, or whatever the latest 'scandal' is. But nor should we indoctrinate them to believe that heterosexuality is the only permissible sexuality, and that sex is not something that can be discussed (that there is anything that you should not discuss). It's not that we're not open enough, but that we're too closed.
Oh, and by the way – when people say "But if we legalise gay marriage, why not a marriage between three people!", I say…well, why not. Have you never been in love with two people?


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#19 Angel Chairez
|Athens, Texas (Athens HS)
2009:Played in 14 games. ...Tied for second on the team in assists with two. ...Attempted 12 shots including five shots on goal. ...Posted a team-high, game-high and season-high two assists vs. Alabama A&M (9/20).
2008:Played in all 21 games, starting 19. …Scored five goals, third highest on the team, on 14 shots on goal. …Also added four assists, tying for second on the team. …Ninth overall in Atlantic Sun in shots (38). …Third on team in points with 14. …Third on team in shots (37). …Fourth on team in shots on goal (14). …One game-winning goal in 1-0 win over Wofford (9/28). …Also scored goals against Stetson (10/24) in 2-0 win; at North Florida in 3-1 win (10/31) and against Jacksonville in A-Sun Tournament semifinals (11/13).
2007:Named to South Carolina-Tennessee Challenge All-Tournament Team. …Scored game-winning goal against Campbell in 3-2 win (10/13). …Started every game, setting what was then a new school record for starts with 21, a record he shares with Jeff Boynton. …Tied for 10th in the A-Sun in shots with 46, 2.19 per game. …Scored two goals (8/31 at Bradley in season opener and 10/13 vs Campbell). …Fifth on team in points (four). …Fourth on team in goals scored (two). …Third on team in shots (46), an average of .043 per game. …Third on team in shots on goal (17). …Eighth on team in shots on goal percentage (.370).
High School:Four-time All-District and All-Region performer for Athens High School. ...Served as captain of the team in 2005 and 2006. ...In 2006 and 2007 Chavez was named District Most Valuable Player and MVP of his high school team. ...First Team All-East Texas (2006). ... 2005 District 15-4A Sophomore of the Year. ... 2005 Athens High School Offensive Player of the Year. ...2004 District 15-4A Newcomer of the Year.
C;ub:Played for the Solar 89 Soccer Club in Dallas. ...Solar 89 team was the Dallas Classic League U-19 Champions and Premier League Champions, both in 2006. ...The Dallas Classic League is considered to be one of the top leagues in the country. ...The team was a U.S. National Tournament finalist in 2006.
Personal:He is the son of Guadalupe and Everardo Chairez. ...He has one sister, Karla, 13.


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Breakfast for 800
Thanks to the Phillies and Blue Jays, Kevin Schauer gets no sleep. So, you want to know who is Kevin Schauer?
Well, Schauer is a chef at Lenny's Restaurant in Clearwater. Besides preparing food for the countless Phillies fans that flock to the popular restaurant located minutes from Bright House Field, he also is the chef for the Blue Jays and Phillies organizations.
Kevin's day begins at 12:30 a.m. and is at the restaurant by 20 minutes later. Right away, he starts to prepare the pre-game meals for both organizations. He cooks 800 breakfasts, 250 lunches for the Toronto minor leaguers and 70 lunches for the Toronto major league team.
After preparing the meals, he arrives at Bright House Field at 5:15 a.m. From then until 9:30 a.m., players and coaches will wander in and order omelets, eggs over easy, pancakes or grab some of the prepared foods like oatmeal, bagels and yogurt.
Once he is finished there, Kevin heads back to Lenny's to coordinate the meals he started preparing in the wee hours of the morning and to make sure they reach their destination.
He will also cook for the restaurant patrons. Lenny's is only open for breakfast and dinner. So, does he get a break at night? Of course not…he has to host dinner for 140 Phillies minor leaguers who eat at Lenny's every night. On Sunday night, he cooked 220 pounds of chicken wings, 40 pounds of chicken tenders, 40 pounds of french fries, 20 pounds of rice and 6 gallons of ice cream.
Last week, he made 220 quesadillas, 215 one-pound burgers and 650 pieces of chicken for three different meals.
"I try to change the menu as much as possible", said Schauer. "I also have to be aware of the cultural differences of the ballplayers. The Latino players don't eat many green vegetables like broccoli and green beans. I have to make sure I include corn, carrots or yuca".
Schauer has a great chance of being the team chef in Clearwater for many years since the Phillies have made the playoffs every year since he started cooking for them in 2007. And, once the team heads north on March 28th, he finally gets a chance to sleep.
Phillies are in Kissimmee today (8 a.m. bus) and Dunedin tomorrow (11:30 a.m. bus), off on Wednesday and play four of their next five games at Bright House Field starting on Thursday night . . . Team heads north two weeks from today . . . Next two games will be online at MLB.com with Tom McCarthy and Sarge (today), Tom and Wheels on Tuesday . . . Two minor league games will be played at the Carpenter Complex starting today and nearly every day the rest of the month. Phillies AAA and AA squads will play the same from the Blue Jays, 1 p.m. starts. Admission is free. On Tuesday, the two games involved are the Class A squads of the Phillies and Jays . . . Temple basketball was aired on 1210 AM, the Big Talker on Saturday, giving Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen a day off. This Friday's broadcast will now be on that station . . . Matt Cord of WMMR FM is in camp the next two days to tape interviews.
Alumni Memories
Opening day is fast approaching. We've asked Phillies Alumni for their most memorable opening day moment, minor leagues or majors.
Greg Luzinski, (OF, 1970-80)
"Hitting a home run in the 1980 home opener against the Expos at the Vet. Little did we know at the time what was in store for us that October."
They Said It
"Ninety percent of this game is half mental," Yogi Berra.
(John Brazer, Director, Publicity, contributed to today's blog and does dine at Lenny's).


text:
It's hard explaining why syndicated dance party shows like American Bandstand and Soul Train were compelling television, unless you grew up in that analog era that predated VCRs, cable TV (in some stubborn households) and goddamn for sure the Internet.
If we used classic game soundtracks, now it becomes something listenable, if not watchable, and the dancing Billy Zabkas with butt-cuts and too-tight Izods become a smidge less dorky. Now I think you dig me. So here's Blaster Master, Level 3, by Naoki Kodaka. And you can bet your last money, it's all gonna be a stone gas, honey.
The Legacy Music Dance Party [Funny or Die]


text:
Nowadays, in case you'll require cannabis, you have more options than ever before. Additionally, whenever you need it, you do not have to go to a local store to be able to find what you are looking for. As an alternative, you may wish to take a look at somewhere much like the weed blog so you're able to find out much more with regards to just how it is possible to buy exactly what you will have to have online and also exactly how you'll be able to ensure you are going to uncover just what you require.
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text:
A forum about Atari 16/32 computers and their clones. This forum is in no way affiliated with Atari Interactive.
Moderators: bodkinz, Mug UK, Moderator Team
simonsunnyboy wrote:The Climatics contents are available as a Torrent file...be careful it is a 14GB download
tfdi wrote:Hi,
Anyone can seed it again ?
There no seed for the torrent, i really want to take it ..
Mug UK wrote:It took a few days to grab it all - but it's all come down. I've left it seeing for a few days afterwards.
Now I'm going to unpack it all, into 4 separate folders as that's how it came down (3 x 4.3gb and 1xremainder), then package them up and shove them onto the newsgroups. They'll be up there (for those with newsgroup access) for a few years that way.
I'll post the relevant NZB files in here once it's uploaded (no idea how long that will take though .. my upload speed isn't as good as my download)
calimero wrote:great!
I will copy everything if it is ok with you, and put as torrents?
btw do you really have full backup of all these FTPs atari sites?
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


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For the second time in a row, I was the luckiest swapper in the group ... well, according to me, anyway! Here's a shot of the pillow I received from the hostess herself, Heather:
Flora & Fauna? It's SO me.
And then when I realized it was her swap pillow, I wanted it. Like, really, really wanted it. And the weirdest thing? I kind of had a feeling all along that it was coming to me.
Here it is alongside my original Pillow Talk Swap pillow, made by Amanda.
And here's the pillow that I made for my partner, Amber of One Shabby Chick:
When I first signed up for the swap, I happened to be shopping at my local quilt shop (Wish Upon a Quilt) and they had a sample made up of this exact pillow. It's from Anna Maria Horner's book, Seams to Me. The pattern itself, with it's ruffled take on patchwork, really appealed to me ... but moreso, I couldn't get over how crazy soft it was! I was captivated by the pillow and knew I had to make one.
I appreciated being able to try a new technique, since I had never done anything with ruffles before. And I made my own custom insert, since the pillow was not a standard size. I splurged a bit and bought bamboo filling from JoAnn, and I am so glad I did -- it helped my pillow to be as super soft as the one I saw at the shop!
This pillow is now safely at home in Hawaii. I hope you enjoy it, Amber!


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Orlando's Closest Beaches + Kennedy Space Center
Florida's Space Coast is like no other. With over 72 miles of coastline, it's incredibly diverse from north to south and has an adventure for every visitor. As you discover what makes up Florida's Space Coast, you will learn that it is so much more than the place for space. So, whether you're planning a romantic getaway for two, a family vacation, or a cruise from Port Canaveral, we invite you to find your space, plant your beach chair and breathe in the ocean air.
Natural Wonders
Dive deep into Florida's largest manatee and sea turtle habitats in one of the most diverse ecosystems in the western hemisphere. Whether you choose to explore nature tours, trails, or hidden gems, Space Coast is your gateway to nature.
Beach It
With endless sunshine, waves, and space for you to play, discover what Space Coast's beaches have to offer.
Cruise on Over
Find space to sail away. Plan your cruise vacation and enjoy some of the most innovative cruise experiences on the high seas.
See what else there is to experience on Florida's Space Coast.
A place where nature provides a landscape for visitors to enjoy idyllic year-round temperatures.


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The pooled data presented by UNC researchers today (Nov. 18) at the 17th annual U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress in San Diego are results from two of the first trials to use an extended-release form of carbamazepine capsules manufactured by Shire Pharmaceuticals.
"People affected by bipolar disorder experience intense highs and-or irritability, which may be followed or paired with crippling lows. Bipolar patients also may be affected by additional disorders including anxiety disorders, attention deficit disorder and substance abuse," said Dr. Richard H. Weisler, primary investigator of both clinical trials and adjunct professor of psychiatry at UNC's School of Medicine.
"Many patients at present still either fail to respond or have trouble tolerating medications for their bipolar disorder. For this reason, finding a treatment regimen that works effectively in both manic states and the large number of mixed patients who are both seriously depressed and manic at the same time is a very important addition to our treatment options for patients and their doctors."
Weisler also is adjunct assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center and has a private practice in Raleigh.
More than 2 million American adults are estimated to have bipolar disorder in any given year. In fact, recent research suggests approximately one in 30 adults suffer from bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is characterized by episodes of mania and depression while experiencing periods of normal mood in between. Although bipolar disorder can have devastating effects on an individual's life, it is often not recognized as an illness and the majority of people may suffer for years before it is properly diagnosed and treated.
"Proper diagnosis and earlier treatment can usually alter the course of the illness," said Weisler.
This analysis of pooled data resulted from two identically designed, three-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials of ERC-CBZ monotherapy in patients initially requiring hospitalization. The trial involved 443 patients ages 18 to 76 years with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) diagnosis of bipolar disorder (current episode manic or mixed) who were randomized to double-blind treatment with either ERC-CBZ or placebo.
Efficacy was assessed by Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S), Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Safety and tolerability were assessed by measurements of weight, blood glucose, cholesterol and interval between heartbeats, as well as adverse event monitoring.
ERC-CBZ treatment was initiated at 200 milligrams twice daily and titrated, as necessary, by 200 milligrams per day up to 1,600 milligrams per day. The average final dose of ERC-CBZ was 700 milligrams per day, with many patients receiving 400 to 600 milligrams at final daily dose.
Of the 443 patients, 240 (54.2 percent) completed the study. Treatment with ERC-CBZ was associated with significant improvements in mean YMRS total scores at all time points during the trial. At the end of the trial, significant reductions in YMRS total scores were observed in both manic and mixed patients. Furthermore, significant improvements were shown in CGI-I and CGI-S scores. Total score improvements in HDRS were observed in ERC-CBZ treated mixed patients at endpoint.
ERC-CBZ was generally well-tolerated in both manic and mixed bipolar patients. The 240 patients in the final group demonstrated no clinically significant weight gain, no significant changes in blood glucose and intervals between heartbeats between treatment groups, and no serious rashes, blood disorders or ECG adverse events. Treatment with ERC-CBZ caused a modest increase in total cholesterol of 21.1 milligrams/deciliter of which about 20 percent was the beneficial HDL cholesterol. Common treatment-emergent adverse events were mild to moderate in nature and included dizziness, somnolence, nausea, vomiting and loss of coordination. However, these events were transient and most occurred during the first week of treatment.
Of patients recruited into the trial, 79 percent were from the United States and 21 percent from India; and 58.5 percent were white, 14.8 percent black and 26.7 percent were other ethnicities. The mean age of patients was 37.5 years of age, and 62 percent were male. Mixed presentation patients accounted for 34 percent and 62 percent of patients suffered from mania.
Weisler's co-authors in this study were Dr. R. Hirschfeld of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Dr. A. J. Cutler of the University of South Florida, Dr. T. Gazda of St. Luke's Medical Center, Dr. T. Ketter of Stanford University School of Medicine, Dr. P. Keck of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine; Dr. A. Swann of the University of Texas Medical School at Houston and Dr. A. Kalali of Quintiles CNS Therapeutics in San Diego.
Funding for the study was provided by Shire.
Note: Weisler will present the findings of the new study from 3:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Pacific time.
UNC School of Medicine contact: Stephanie Crayton, 919-966-2860 or firstname.lastname@example.com. UNC News Services contact: Deb Saine, 919-962-8415 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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I happen to like the strip shape over the panel. Not only is the strip shape easier to fit on the comics page, but offer the cartoonist more possibities.
I also liked your gag, and you are the first person I've seen to use the word surely since the movie "Airplane".


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The world's greatest ground? A photographic centenary celebration of Highbury
9. Time added on
The southern end of the ground was originally known as the College End - reasonably enough, given the presence behind it of St John's College of Divinity, from which the club had bought the Highbury acres. In 1930, Herbert Chapman - inspired by stadiums he'd visisted on the continent - had had a 12ft-wide clock installed at the back of the Laundry End terrace. When that got a roof in 1935, the timepiece was moved to the back of the southern terrace, forever after known as the Clock End.
The clock itself had originally counted down from 45 minutes, but the FA didn't like the idea of undermining the referee's authority. Arsenal protested but the clock was changed; they did, however, get their own way on the design, rejecting Omega's tender for the contract because the Swiss manufacturers wanted to include their name on the face.
This picture was taken at the 7 January 1950 FA Cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday. Arsenal went on to win the trophy for the third time, their Cup Final side including renowned cricketer Denis Compton, while opponents Liverpool dropped the man who'd scored in their semi-final against neighbours Everton... a certain Bob Paisley.