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- 547
A section of tax code; Political organziations that under IRS rules can accept unlimited donations and spend that money on political advocacy, these groups must disclose their locations monthly
- 99ers
Long term unemployed who have exhausted the 99 weeks of eligible unemployment benefits
Andrews Air Force Base, the home of Air Force One.
American Federation of State, County and Municipal employees; the largest public employee and health care workers union in the U.S.
- Anti-trust exemption
Health insurance companies do not have to comply with federal laws that regulate trade and prevent monopolies. They are regulated by states. In a majority of Metropolitan areas, a single health insurer controls at least 50 percent of the market.
- Armistice Agreement
A formal agreement signed by the U.N., China and Korea to end the Korean War in 1953.
- Armistice Day
November 11, 1919 — Marked the first anniversary of the end of WWII
- Baked in
A predetermined outcome
- Barnstorming
When a political candidate hits the campaign trail, making stops across a state or country
- Beat Sweetner ** Special Journo Speak
When reporters write a flattering "profile" on an official they cover on their beat
- Bend the cost curve
Lower costs over time
- Big Gulp
A barge that has been converted into a large capacity skimmer.
- Bilat
Short for bilateral; a one-on-one diplomatic meeting
- 'Bottle Noise Bombs'
Per Secretary Gates -- Designed to affect the security climate and intimidate people not to vote in Iraq elections.
- Bottom Kill
Opposite of "top kill," drilling mud and cement blown into the well from relief wells under the leak to seal it off
- Brush pass
The clandestine, hand-to-hand delivery of items or payments made as one person walks past another in a public place
- Cables
Informal written communication between government officials
- Cadillac tax
A nickname for the president's plan to tax the most expensive "cadillac" plans to help pay for reform. It would tax insurance companies and critics say the cost would be passed on to consumers.
- Cap and Trade
Environmental policy that sets a cap on the amount of pollution and allows companies to trade credits that permit pollution.
- Carbon neutral
Balancing the carbon released in pollution by sequestering an equal amount, or buying carbon credits to make up the difference.
- Caucus
A group of people in the same political party who decide on policy or select a political candidate
- CDO or Collateralized Debt Obligation
The repackaging of loans and other debt into a single security that can be sold. The higher the risk of those loans defaulting, the more the CDO pays.
- Circling the wagons
Gathering around to defend and protect
Washington likes its Western talk! To use in a sentence: Democrats are circling the wagons around Harry Reid so he survives.
- Close hold
Don't tell anyone
- Cloture
A vote taken to end debate: 60 are needed in the Senate. Cloture is the only procedure by which the Senate can vote to place a time limit to overcome a filibuster.
Continuing resolution
- Codel
Short for congressional delegation; a visit abroad by members of Congress.
Cost of living adjustment
- Colloquy
A formalized, scripted discussion on the House floor that helps demonstrate the intention of lawmakers as they craft a bill.
- Communique
A document released at the end of a summit outlining the achievements of the summit and the road ahead.
- Confirmable
Candidate for appointed office whose known positions and background set off few or no alarms
- Cross tabs or Cross tabulation
The breakdown inside polls of political affiliation, self-described ideology, age, sex, income bracket
- Curtain raiser
A TV or print story that previews a certain event
- Cuts camera
The camera that shows the other angle, the reporters, the unexpected closeups that the main "head on" camera misses
- Dead cat bounce
A politician or party sees a brief bounce in poll numbers after a period of decline.
- Debt ceiling
Maximum level of national debt the government can take on
- Deem and pass
The House can "deem" certain parts of the health care bill as passed, without having to vote on them.
- Deep regret
Diplospeak for I'm really, really sorry
- Deliverables
Term associated with foreign policy; what are the concrete outcomes especially in meetings with foreign leaders?
- Derivative
A way to buy insurance against some risk or to bet on some financial outcome
- Discretionary spending
Spending set by annual appropriations made by decisions of Congress, optional spending as opposed to mandatory funding for entitlement programs
- District work period
Time set aside for members of the House to visit their home districts
- Donor maintenance
When a politician meets with his donors to say hello and raise some money
- DREAM Act
Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act
- Drilling 'mud:'
Clay and minerals custom mixed with oil or water, in this case to reach 16.4 pounds per gallon so it's heavier than the oil and the water
- Document dump
Release of large quantities of requested information.
- Donor maintenance
Fundraising term for keeping your big donors happy with perks.
- Doomsday plane
The modified Boeing 747 designed to serve as a backup Pentagon and Air Force One in case of attack.
Denial of Service Attack
- Doughnut hole
In a Medicare drug benefit, coverage ends at a certain dollar amount, and patients must pay for drugs themselves until they reach a second very high deductible.
- Dove
Opposes military force to resolve conflict
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
- Down ballot
Races below the marquee races on ballots, like dogcatcher or coroner or judge
- Dual tracking
Trying to pass two different bills at the same time
- Earmark
A Congressional provision directing funds to be spent on specific projects, typically inserted by a lawmaker to benefit his or her state.
- East Wing
In the White House, home to the First Lady and her staff
- Echo chamber
Talking points repeated over and over
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
- Emergency declaration
How local and state governments as for federal funding in a crisis; funding is capped at $5 million
- Exit poll
A poll of voters as they leave the voting place
- Express advocacy
Political ads that explicitly ask voters to elect a candidate or defeat a candidate
- Evergreen ** Special Journo Speak Look
A news story that can be aired at any time, it's not time sensitive or tied to a news event
- Family photo
Group shot at G20 or other big diplomatic gatherings
- Fannie Mae
Federal National Mortgage Association
Federally administered tribal areas
- Fat finger
Slang for a typo where you hit the wrong key, or two keys instead of one key
- Fence mending
An attempt to try to repair icy or broken relations with the leader of another country or a fellow politician
- Final status
Commonly understood to be the key issues that need to be resolved before a final peace deal can be reached: how to share Jerusalem, the borders of two states, the future of Palestinian refugees and Israel's security
- Firewall
Seats that must be held in order for one party to retain the majority
- Flotela
Floating hotels; housing for BP workers in the Gulf.
- Floatercade
Presidential motorcade, but on boats
- Food security
Having a reliable source of food and sufficient resources to purchase it
- Frank
Diplomatic code for contentious
- Franking
Privilege allowing a member of Congress to use his signature in lieu of a postage stamp.
- Freddi Mac
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
- Gaggle
Informal, off-camera briefing with Press Corps by the White House Press Secretary
- Gang of eight
Eight members of Congress who must be informed by the White House and CIA about any covert intelligence orders signed by the president.
- GDP or Gross Domestic Product
The market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a country in a year.
Get Out The Vote
- Government in a box
Gen. McChrystal coined the phrase to describe the U.S. backed Afghanistan administrators and police who set up the civilian government in Marja right after the offensive.
- Grandfathered
TO be exempted from new regulations
- Green Room
On the first floor of the White House. Historians claim its been a presidential favorite for its "intimate scale and distinctive decor."
- Grip and grin
When a politician shakes hands and smiles, mostly for the cameras
- Ground game
The strategy used by a campaign to get voters to the polls.
- Hawk
Favors military force to resolve conflict
- Hazwoper
Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response — a certification standard for Hazmat cleanup jobs
- Hotwash
Military and government term describing discussions and evaluations of an agency's performance following training or a major event
- Hoya
Greek for "what" or "such"
Human intelligence
- Hypothetical
Wiggling out of an answer
- IAEA or International Atomic Energy Agency
The UN Agency in charge of monitoring nuclear activity around the world
- I'm just saying
A passive way of telling others I'm right and you're not
Independent expenditure
- Interagency
Sharing ideas across different branches of the government
Investiture ** Court speak
Final, formal step to becoming a Supreme Court Justice
- Jawboning
The use of public appeals to influence a business
- Jirga
Pashto word, a gathering of a few or a large number of people
- Joint Base Andrews
Naval Air facility in Washington, D.C.
- Judicial fifth
Nominee not answering a case question during confirmation because he or she might have to decide that case
- Junk stop
Injecting debris into a well as a stopper
- Lame duck
Elected official holding office during the period between the election and swearing-in of a successor
- Liberal leave
Allows government workers to leave early or call out on bad weather days
- Lid
Word used by the White House to say, "no more open press events," like travel lid or photo lid.
- Likely voter
Voting record, level of interest
- Loop current
Warm ocean current in the Gulf of Mexico
- Magic words
Vote for, elect, support, defeat, reject
- Major disaster declaration
No cap on how much federal money a local government can get
- Man up!
Don't be a wuss
- Margin of error
The maximum possible error rate of a given poll
- Micromanaging
Using political polling and consumer data to shape a message
- Mistakes were made
When officials acknowledge errors, screw-ups or wrongdoings
More from The Daily Rundown
Learn more about NBC's Savannah Guthrie and NBC's Chuck Todd.
- 'My friend'
Loosely translated, it means: I totally and fundamentally disagree with you but let's keep it collegial, shall we?
New Executive Office Building
Not In My Back Yard
- Nothingburger ** Special Journo Speak Look
A derisive term to describe a story or event that doesn't have a lot of importance/significance — but is hyped as though it does
- Nuclear Posture View
Process determining the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. Security strategy
Overtaken by events — a military term; when a situation changes so rapidly that a proposed plan or course of actions is no longer possible or relevent.
Old Executive Office Building
- Ohio clock
Clock that stood in or near the Senate Chamber ever since it was purchased in the early 1800s. No record explains how it received its name.
- Omnibus bill
Bundles together several measures into one
- On Message
When a politician sticks to his talking points
- Open source
Information available to the public
Operations Security. It means to keep sensitive information about a mission or operation from your enemy.
- Optics
The way a decision or actions looks to observers, especially as it pertains to the actions of elected and government officials.
Off the record, on the run
"Of the United States" as in:
POTUS — President of the United States
FLOTUS — First Lady of the United States
SCOTUS — Supreme Court of the United States
Office of Vice President
- P5 Plus One
The group considering sanctions against Iran. The "P5" stands for the five permanent members of the UN Security Council: The United States, Britain, France, China, Russia. Germany is the plus one because of its long-standing dealings with Iran.
- Pat-down
A pat-down inspection complements the hand-wand inspection. In order to ensure security, this inspection may include sensitive areas of the body. Security officers are rigorously trained to maintain the highest level of professionalism.
- Pebble Beach
Nickname for the White House North Lawn area used for television stand-ups
- Pen and pad
An off-camera briefing for reporters
- Pickup
One party takes a seat away from the other party
Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Greece
- Plenary
Full attendance
- Pocket veto
President does not sign the bill; Congress must be adjourned
- Point of order
Made during floor proceedings to say the rules are being violated; proceedings stop and presiding officer decides if it's valid
- Pool hold
The place where the reporters and photograhers stay while the president's at an event.
- Pooled Press
A media arrangement where the major TV networks "pool" their resources and one network covers an event for the others. ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC are in the network pool rotation.
- Pool spray
Media is allowed into an event at the White House for a quick minute or so and photographers are "spraying the room" — shooting from left to right, quickly, to capture the scene.
- Prebuttal
A preemptive rebuttal
- Predator drone
Unmanned aerial vehicle
- Prejudge
To judge beforehand, usually without sufficient evidence. In Washington, it means — "No, I'm not going to answer that question. Next, please."
- President's Daily Briefing
Top secret document containing highest level intelligence on threats to national security.
- Presidential finding
A highly classified presidential order authorizing covert action
- Privileged
Special measures that cannot be filibustered from coming to the floor
- Productive
A safe throwaway word that means nothing and offends nobody.
- Proprietary Trading
Wall Street language that turns into Washington Speak: Investments made banks using their own money, not the money of clients
- Pushback
Opposition or resistance to a plan and in this case — a reporter
- Quartet
United States, United Nations, Russia and European Union
- Readout
A briefing of a meeting delivered by a top official who is in the meeting
- Read-in
To be briefed on a piece of intelligence, or intel program or any secret that is closely held
- Recidivism
The repitition of criminal or delinquent behavior, especially after one has been punished or served time for said behavior
- Reconciliation
A procedure that would allow one party to bypass a potential filibuster and pass a bill with a simple majority vote. The rule was created to allow Congress to pass budgets in extreme circumstances and is rarely ever used.
- Red Meat
When a politician plays to his base
- Red Notice
International wanted persons alert
- Redundancy
Systems in place to catch other systems' errors
- Resolution of ratification
Formal consent by the Senate to ratify a treaty
- Responsible party
As it relates to the BP oil spill in the Gulf, the "responsible party" is the person who pays the bill for the clean-up. It comes from a law passed 20 years ago after the Exxon Valdez disaster.
- Retail politics
When a politician seeks votes one-by-one, in person.
- Ride herd
To supervise someone or something
- Rider
A clause added to a legislative bill having little to do with the subject matter of the bill.
- Robocalls
An automated phone call that politicians use in a campaign
- Robosign
When a document is signed without being reviewed
- Robust
Strong, healthy or hardy
Republic of Korea
Rest overnight or remain overnight
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility
- Sherpa
People that lead the way and make sure everyone reaches the Summit safely
- Shellacking
Losing 60 or more seats in the House
- Short
To bet against an investment long; to bet that investment will do well
- Sitrep
Situation report
- Solicitor General
America's lawyer - responsible for representing the United States before the Supreme Court
The Daily Rundown, Savannah Guthrie and Chuck Todd are on Twitter! Follow them today.
Strategic Offensive Reduction Treaty
- SOUTHCOM or U.S. Southern Command
The military divides up the world into nine regions. Southcom is the region that covers Haiti and is now coordinating the U.S. military response in Haiti
- Special relationship
The alliance between the U.S. and the U.K.
- Spike **Special Journo Speak Look
To cancel a story a reporter is working on
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
- State Work Period
Aka Senate Recess
- Statuary Hall
One of the most historic chambers in the U.S. Capitol
- Stemwinder
A rousing or stirring speech
- Stopgap
A temporary substitute for something else
Space Transportation System — original tame for the space shuttle program
- Stump
You often hear about a politician or a surrogate out on the "stump" or giving a "stump speech." Quick history — It began in the 19th century when politicians actually spoke from sawed off tree stumps.
- Super pac
A political action committee that may raise unlimited sums of money
Secure Video Teleconferences
- Telemetry
Ballistic Missile Test Data — Key Variables recorded and transmitted back to ground stations for analysis
- The Base
A group of voters devoted to a single political party or ideology
- The Diet
Japanese parliament composed of 242 members of the House of Councilors, and 480 members of the House of Representatives
- Tick tock
The play by play of how a major decision is made
- Think tank
Organization involved in policy advocacy and research in areas such as political strategy, economics and science
- Threat stream
A series of terrorism threat reports from a particular group or aimed at a specific target.
- Thumbsucker ** Journo Speak Look
A big, philosophical "what does it all mean" story
- Top kill
Pumping heavy drilling fluid or "mud" into the well to stop the flow, then sealing it with cement
- Top line
The basic findings of a poll; the bullet point endings of take away
- Tracking poll
A poll conducted daily, usually part of a three day rolling sample, to track voter trends
- Triangulation
Politician presenting ideology as above and between the left and right side. Coined by Dick Morris during Clinton's re-election campaign.
- Two minute warning
Notice given to Press Corps before briefings and news conferences
UN General Assembly
- "Up or Down" vote
Another word for reconciliation or as Republicans would say, "jamming it through."
- Vessel of opportunity
Program incorporating fishermen and local boaters to help in the cleanup in the Gulf
- Vetting
Background check on a candidate for a political appointment
- VIP pool
When the five networks "pool" their coverage of a very important person's travel
- Walk it back
To try to refine, clarify or minimize a statement to undo the damage
- Ways and Means Committee
The chief tax-writing committee in the House with jurisdiction over social security, unemployment and Medicare. It is also an English Parliamentary term referring to methods of collecting money to meet the requirements for the state.
William M. Daley
- Winner
A candidate who has clearly won the race, beyond the normal margin for a recount.
- "With all due respect"
The words politicians use just as they're about to lower a boom on an adversary. Loosely translated it means — "I'm about to say something you don't like."
- Woodshed
Being in trouble and getting chewed out
- Wonk
Expert who studies a subject or issue thoroughly or excessively; associated with "policy wonk"
© 2013 msnbc.com


text:
CONCORD, N.C. (Oct 28, 2010) — When 19-year-old Trevor Bayne drives onto Texas Motor Speedway for qualifying for the Texas 500, it will not only be his Sprint Cup debut, but he will add his name to an elite list of drivers who have driven the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford. Bayne, a native of Knoxville, Tenn., will join the likes of David Pearson, A.J. Foyt, Cale Yarborough, Curtis Turner and Glen Wood – the team founder – who also made his first Cup start in the family's familiar No. 21 at Martinsville, Va., in 1953.
"It seems a little surreal right now, but it's just an awesome opportunity to get in this No. 21 Ford," Bayne said. "The Wood Brothers have such a history in the sport, and it's great to get to become a small part of that.
"I look forward to going out and making some laps and learning a ton. I know it's going to be a big learning experience, and I'm just really looking forward to it and I am extremely thankful for the opportunity."
Bayne, like many young drivers over the years who have gotten the opportunity to go Cup racing, found himself in a position where the stars somehow lined up just right for him.
He signed with Roush Fenway Racing just a few weeks ago. Not long afterward, the Wood Brothers suddenly found themselves without a crew chief. They turned to their old friend and fellow Ford team owner Jack Roush, who agreed to send veteran crew chief Donnie Wingo their way.
As Roush had originally planned to run Bayne at Texas, with Wingo as his crew chief, the logical move was to have Bayne make his Cup debut in the Wood's No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion.
"This is the best scenario for everyone involved," said Eddie Wood, co-owner of Wood Brothers Racing.
Bayne's start at Texas means the Wood Brothers' regular driver Bill Elliott will step aside for the weekend and mentor the young driver. Elliott said he will be at the track to offer Bayne any assistance he can. Elliott, who will return to the No. 21 for the season finale at Homestead, said he's glad to be a team player at Texas.
"I'm ready to do anything I can to help Trevor with the race," said Elliott.
Bayne comes to the Wood Brothers with impressive credentials. He started racing in go-karts at age five, before advancing to Allison Legacy cars. He then moved on to the Hooters Pro Cup Series, before entering into NASCAR's developmental series.
But where the personable, media-savvy youngster has really excelled, is in his year and a half in the Nationwide Series. In just 47 career starts, he has five top-five and 12 top-10 finishes along with four poles. He's seventh in the current Nationwide Series standings.
But like most young aspiring drivers, his ultimate goal is to be racing on the elite Sprint Cup circuit.
"I'm really excited about this opportunity," Bayne added. "I've been looking forward to it pretty much my whole life; since I was five years old I've dreamed of running a Cup race. Now it's not just a dream anymore, it's becoming a reality."
Qualifying for the Texas 500 is set for 4:40 p.m. EDT on Friday, Nov. 5. The 500 begins on Sunday. Nov. 7, at 3 p.m. EST with TV coverage live on ESPN.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
tobacco, name for any plant of the genus Nicotiana of the Solanaceae family ( nightshade family) and for the product manufactured from the leaf and used in cigars and cigarettes, snuff, and pipe and chewing tobacco. Tobacco plants are also used in plant bioengineering, and some of the 60 species are grown as ornamentals. The chief commercial species, N. tabacum, is believed native to tropical America, like most nicotiana plants, but has been so long cultivated that it is no longer known in the wild. N. rustica, a mild-flavored, fast-burning species, was the tobacco originally raised in Virginia, but it is now grown chiefly in Turkey, India, and Russia. The alkaloid nicotine is the most characteristic constituent of tobacco and is responsible for its addictive nature. The possible harmful effects of the nicotine, tarry compounds, and carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke vary with the individual's tolerance (see smoking).
Sections in this article:
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Plants


text:
Heads up! We're working hard to be accurate – but these are unusual times, so please always check before heading out.
Dylan Crossman
You were born in France, right? But you barely have an accent.
Yes. Well, my father's English-Canadian and my mom is French so I was born and raised in France, but my dad, from the get-go, spoke English at home. So my dad would speak English and my mom would speak French. And it was never a very rigorous thing. For most of my life, until I was a teenager really, my dad would speak English and I would answer in French. There was no, "You have to answer in English," it was just this integrated thing and I could do whatever. So that's why I don't have a French accent. But I never lived in Canada.
Where were you born?
I was born in Rouen, which is near Paris, because my dad was an ice hockey player. He was professional when I was first born. So we lived in the north for five and a half years and then moved to Montpellier right before primary school—first grade—and I went through my entire school life there.
So you studied dance at what age?
I studied it from 10 to 12 and then I stopped and then I started again when I was 17.
Was your mother a dancer?
No. She was an athlete. She ran. She did marathons and stuff like that, but she had back problems so she could never become professional. So she was always kind of a fit person also, and I have amazing pictures of her teaching aerobics in the '80s: She's basically in a pink unitard with a little belt and a side pony all poofy. It's the best picture ever. It's funny because aerobics used to be so big and then it went away. And now it's coming back in different forms, like Zumba and step classes.
That's right. Zumba is a form of aerobics.
I don't really know much about it, but it feels like it is the Latin version of it. I have to say, aerobics are really...I studied that in college. My thesis was the effect of aerobic training on modern dancers. It was actually very interesting. I don't know about here, but in Europe, modern dancers tend to not be so fit. And I just noticed that: We weren't really cross-training when I was in college and then I got into aerobics and I thought, Oh, that'd be interesting to study. So I had a group of I think 20 dancers that I trained for eight weeks, three times a week, and saw their maximum heart rate and their oxygen intake before and after and how it changed their mood also.
Yeah. It turned out that it didn't make that much of a difference in terms of their general fitness level because they would be more fit, but they would also have more fatigue, so it would kind of even out. They would be more fit, but they would be more tired. But in terms of their mood, it turned out that they were a lot happier and in a lighter mood and less likely to be depressed, which I think for college is probably a great idea. [Laughs]
Weird! And you saw no bad physical results? Well, I guess it wasn't long enough.
And also I was like, You are in college. You are responsible. You should know your bodies. If you're tired, you stop. It wasn't like a ballet class they had to take where they couldn't stop. It was a little more lenient in that way. I cotaught it with another girl. It made me super fit because I had to be doing it the whole time and screaming.
Did your mother teach you how to teach aerobics?
No. I just did it myself.
I'm sorry, but I got excited and started skipping ahead. When you were ten, what kind of dance did you study and why did you go in the first place?
When I was seven years old, I started drama because I had this friend in second grade who was a total drama queen and she was like, "Oh, I'm going to drama class." And I was like, "Oh my God, sounds great. Let's go." So I went to drama class and my drama teacher actually used to be a dancer, so a lot of her classes were infused with dance or movement-based tableaux or sequences. I was kind of like, Maybe I want to really dance, like completely dance. And then I went to a little gym in the town I lived in and sort of did it, and it was fun. I was the best little boy there so I got to be Adam in the end-of-the-year show. Adam and Eve. Whatever. I liked it and then my dad—very professional athletelike—was like, "Well, you know, you're serious about this, you should go somewhere that means something. If you want to be a dancer later, you shouldn't be at this gym. You should go to a conservatory." So off I go to the conservatory in Montpellier for modern. And it was too serious. I had to wear a gray unitard, which I was not happy about. [Laughs] I also had to take singing classes and I had to learn how to read music just to be a dancer and that I really didn't like. I was like, I just want to dance. Why do I have to do all these other things on the side? Tried ballet for a second in the conservatory world. Hated it. I did it for two weeks then stopped. At 12, I didn't want to do it anymore.
Socially it just seemed too awkward and too hard to be a boy dancer, and I felt like I didn't want to do it that badly that I was willing to risk social suicide. I mean, it's a little dramatic, but you know? People started making fun of me because I was dancing, and I was like, you know what? I don't need it. So I dropped that but kept doing theater the whole time. So it kept this physical part a little bit alive. And then also I did some opera stuff, which also involved very physical sequences. And so it was always there in the back of my mind—dance. And at 17, it was just one of those things where a friend of a friend had a mom who had a dance school that needed boys to lift for the-end-of-the-year show. I was like, "Fine I'll do it." It was three weeks of classes and then the show and the teacher said, "You have to dance. You have to come back next year to my school and you have to dance. You have so much potential." That summer, I had a really hard choice because I knew that I was basically choosing my career. If I wanted to seriously go back to dance, I couldn't do theater as well. I needed to decide, is it theater or is it dance? And it was really hard because I'd done theater at that point for more than ten years and I had performed in the Avignon Festival. Ultimately, I felt the need for something more physical so dance made sense. And the way I justified that a little bit was, well, if I want to be an actor later on, I can. If I want to be a dancer, it's now. It's not in 20 years. The following year, I went back to that smaller school and just did everything, and it was great because I really got a lot of attention from the teachers. I did modern, contemporary, ballet, hip--hop—everything.
What kind of modern was it?
It was Matt Maddox. Kind of like old jazz. But infused with the teacher's own style. So some of the exercises were still tendus and plis, but with weird arms, you know? I feel like center [exercises] was more his style.
You were 17. So were you going to go to college or university?
Well, at that point I was still in high school because I did my—ninth grade twice because I was just having too much fun partying and not going to class.
That's funny. So you were a little older than the others.
Yes. I graduated at 19 instead of 18. Dance gave me something. It wasn't like, Oh I have to finish high school because I have to; it was like, I found this thing that I love, that I want to do. So I've got to finish. I've got to graduate so I can really start dancing. It gave me an incentive and a purpose, which was really great. And then I quickly realized that since I was seven, I've always been like, I don't want to be good, I want to be the best. And it was this stupid thing that I said, but as I grew older, I realized that it was kind of true. Whether it was acting or dancing, I couldn't just be good. Working with those people when I was 17, I realized that I would kind of always have to switch environments and try to surround myself with new teachers, submit myself to new challenges to keep growing. I spent a year at that school and they really helped me because they believed in me. And I was also dancing in this small company of theirs so I had performing experience the whole time. But then the following year I was like, I need more. I want more.
Where did you go?
To this other school that had a preprofessional training program that was sort of arranged around school hours. So you would start really early or go in the morning and there you have seven or eight different teachers. They had ballet, men's ballet, modern, all this different stuff. And that taught me so much also. It gave me options.
So you mentioned boys' ballet too, so you were with other guys?
Yes. Yeah that was a great thing. And it was taught by an old ballet dancer. A man. So that was also really great because it was my first...well, it was great to have a dancer who was really masculine. When I left the first school, they didn't want me to leave. I don't know if they were insulted, but they tried to make me feel bad about leaving. Telling me that I wasn't ready, that I was too sure of myself, and that I thought I was the best. And I was like, "That's not what's happening, I just want to see something different, and you should be able to let me go." I wanted to move on as quickly as I can because I started late. So very early on, I was like, Okay that's something that's going to happen in this world: People are going to grab onto you and try to fulfill something of their own through you and you have to recognize that right now. You have to watch out for that. Because when they said that, I remember being like, Maybe they're right, maybe I'm not ready to leave, maybe I should stay here another year. And also for them to say that I was overconfident and that I thought I was so great when it was not true—it kind of threw me a little bit. I remember talking to my mother and she was like, "Don't listen to them. If you feel you have to move on, move on. People are always going to try to hold you back because they want you to be good but not great and certainly not greater than they are. You just have to figure out what you need and go for it. You're not going to be a dancer by not ruffling any feathers." That was a really important lesson and definitely both my parents helped there. Also my dad, having been through a professional career was like, "People are going to try to make you what they think you should be and it's not about that."
Where did he play hockey, by the way?
He was in multiple cities, but he was twice French champion in Rouen the year I was born and in Nimes.
What did you do after that in terms of training?
I went to the preprofessional program, learned a lot. On the side, I was also taking class with another two people that had nothing to do with either worlds. And one of them, one day, just mentioned the Laban Centre. She was like, "You know, you should look into Laban. It's close, but it's not in France and one of my students went there and she was really happy." I've always been super, 100 percent into where I am now; I'm not a big planner. And so of course, I graduate high school and I haven't really looked into anything because I was in a professional program and had all this stuff going on. So all of a sudden, I graduated and I'm like, I don't even know what I'm doing. And I know I don't really want to stay here. So I just went and auditioned for Laban without doing any research or knowing anything about it really. I got in; but I also got into the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in Canada. And so then again, I had two choices that seemed would totally determine my career. That was the summer of being 19. Really what was at play was do I want to be a ballet dancer or a modern dancer? The Canada/London choice did help. Do I want to go to Winnipeg, Canada, or London? London sounded so much more exciting. And also the thing about being great, not just being good, I felt like I could be a good ballet dancer, but I could be a much better modern dancer. And so eventually, that just became the clear choice. I moved to London and went to Laban.
Is that where you started Cunningham technique?
Yeah. I had heard of it beforehand, but I didn't really know what it was. I didn't know who he was. I had never seen a show or even a video. And then in college, of course, we studied him in dance history and we actually had Cunningham technique three or four times a week my first and third years. The first year, I was taught by a guy who had never been in the company, but had studied at the studio. And my third year, I was taught by somebody who was in Rambert and I think had maybe been in Duets and had some experience with Merce. Not a lot, but Merce had come to coach them or something. And his approach was much more physical and sort of aggressive, which I liked. Because Laban was as much about experiencing as about reflecting on things, which I found really frustrating at times because having started late, I was like, I just want to learn. I just want to dance. I want to experience. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to talk about it. I just want to do it.
You felt impatient.
Right! It was late already for me. He was totally like, "You just have to do it. Do it. Do it again. Do it again."
Who was it?
Gary Lambert and also this other woman, who was in the Graham ensemble back in the '80s and was American. She was teaching us Graham and had that approach where she was a lot more aggressive, which I loved. Eventually, that's why I moved here to the States—it was to find more of that aggressive, assertive training approach.
And you found it at Cunningham, or elsewhere?
Elsewhere at first and then at Cunningham. When I studied his technique at first, I was like, "This is so hard, I can never do it." And then I saw his company perform at the Tate and all I remember is them being on relev the whole time and I was just like, This is not going to happen. It was multipl--stage Events. So I loved Cunningham when I was in college, but for some reason in my mind, it was not even a possibility. So when I moved to New York, I didn't go to the studio for months, almost for a year. I went to Peridance, DNA, what I thought were the modern places and I worked with small companies, did a few projects here and there with Peter Kyle and Eliza Miller. I think that was it at the very beginning.
How did you make your way to the Cunningham studio?
I saw this ad in the paper for a scholarship audition. I had been in New York at that point for nine months and I had been doing little projects here and there that I was really happy with, but I hadn't been training as much as I wanted to because I had to work at a restaurant to survive. Again, I had a conversation with my parents and they were like, "You know, we just wanted to remind you that you moved to New York to dance and we know you feel like you have to work to make money to survive, but we'd rather help you financially and have you actually dancing, which is what you went there to do, rather than work in a restaurant." So they started helping me, and I started working less. Got a scholarship for Cunningham, so started being there a lot. Got a lot of encouragement from the teachers, mostly besides Robert [Swinston], it was Banu [Ogan], Jeff [Moen] and Louise [Burns] who actually were really present at the beginning. And then pretty quickly an understudy left, and I really wanted to be an understudy so I was assertive and went up to Robert and was like, "Hi, I want to be an understudy, what do I have to do?" And he was sort of like, "What?"
Taken aback?
Yes. He said, "Come take class with Merce and if he likes you we'll take it from there because he's the one making the call." And I took class and Merce liked me.
Just like that?
Just like that. I mean I remember that first class I took with Merce, it was like I couldn't breathe. Literally, I don't think I was. I was starstruck and not just by him, but by the company, too. To be in a class with the Cunningham company? Dancing next to those amazing people and listening to him? I picked the spot where I was furthest away from him. He was in the downstage right corner and I was by the piano upstage left, all the way in the corner. I think I was behind Rashaun [Mitchell] because he had befriended me by that point: "Just stand behind me, you'll be fine." And I remember at one point, I think it was an around-the-leg exercise, Merce sort of said, "You!" And pointed in my general direction. I was like, He can't possibly mean me. It's that thing where he points and everybody steps away and little by little, you feel like an imaginary line is coming toward you and there was no one behind me. He said, "Yes, you. Make sure your leg is really straight at the back." And I was like, [Whispers] "Okay." And that's the story of my life—it's a correction that I get a lot. I was so glad that I got a correction in my first class and that he saw, right away, what I have to work on as a dancer. And I was so far away. But he noticed.
What a laser eye, right?
Yeah. I was so far away from him! He was 88 at that point.
Did you become an understudy right away?
Pretty much right away after that class. I had been at the school for six months. And then I took class with Merce. One of the understudies had left, but Robert wasn't sure when he was going to hire another—before the summer or after the summer? I got hired right before my birthday in June and started right away.
And you were with Jamie Scott?
Jamie and Melissa [Toogood]. Daniel [Madoff] was an understudy with me for like a month. And then he replaced Cdric. Then John [Hinrichs] got hired. It was the four of us. And then when Melissa got in the company, Krista [Nelson]. So I was with Mel for a year and with Krista for a year basically.
What did you work on?
XOVER and Nearly Ninety. Actually XOVER was a very interesting experience because the summer that I got in, they had been already creating it, but the way the RUGs [Repertory Understudy Group] worked back then was a lot less consistent. If you had a gig or you had to leave, you just did. So Merce was more used to, I have one person, so I'm going to make a solo or I have two people, so I'm going to make this a duet, which is how the XOVER duet got made. Because for a really long stretch of time, he only had two dancers. And then he had this crazy section—the really fast section in the middle right after the slow duet. And it's the section that originally was [Daniel] Squire, Jen [Goggans], Holley [Farmer] and Daniel [Madoff]. And it's really fast and spazzy and there's a lot of torsos and right after I got in, I had to learn that section, which was weird because they had already created it, but Merce wanted to see it. That section is so difficult. I mean, still to this day if we leave the piece for a couple of months, we have to relearn it because there are two or three torsos for each step. It's almost as if he was playing with the torso, moving you through space so you really have to be kind of wild with the torso while still in control. So I had just become an understudy. I had been in the school for six months; I was still trying to figure out the technique, and he was like, "Just learn this." That was the biggest challenge I've ever had to face. He was testing me, I think, because the other people only spent two hours teaching me, which really is not that much for that section. I kind of followed them a little bit. We did it once or twice. I kind of had the idea, and Merce asked me, "Do you have any questions?" I didn't really want to waste his time so I'm like, "Well, I think I'm okay for now." He said, "Everyone else leave. Dylan, figure it out." So I'm left in the space and it felt like an hour. It was probably more like 35 minutes. It was just me on the floor; he's watching me trying to figure it out. And now looking back on it, I think it was a test of how I worked, or if I could just keep going. And I just kept going. And I just tried to figure it out and I knew if I didn't remember, he would sometimes throw me a bone or sometimes not. And Jamie was on the side stretching and she would gesture at me or try to help me out sometimes, but it was just like, How much can you take?
Your memory is your memory.
Yeah and are you going to make something up to just keep dancing. Are you going to stop? How do you work? As it turned out, I do this section now, but I literally had to learn it three or four times because it's in this fast-memory drawer, not really the long-term memory. It's like I have to remember it right now to dance it right now. And then I don't do it and it goes away.
What did he say to you after that?
He was impressed. I don't remember exactly what he said, but I think he said something like, "Well done." It's a lot. And I didn't realize it at the time, but after talking to people I was like, Oh yeah, that was a big deal that he said that to me. He taught me so much and his presence was so...He was such a generous man. Such a giving person, and I know maybe it wasn't always like that, but when I was around, he was just so giving and so patient. Something that Jamie and I talk about and share is that feeling that you were never not good enough. Certainly we felt inadequate in comparison with the company or absolutely not ready, but for him it was like you are who you are, and that's good enough for me right now. We all work 200 percent every second of the day. But you were good enough for Merce no matter where you were. And that was a great thing; with the wrong people, it might make you lazy, but with us, it just provided us with the comfort to be able to go for it and not feel frozen by the fear of not being good enough. We were able to make mistakes, which is what he really loved. I don't know if he was aware that he was doing that, but just making us confident in our ability made us so much more free as dancers.
Did he ever give you something so crazy that you all just started laughing?
Yeah. One day, we were making a Nearly Ninety duet, the one with Rashaun and Andrea [Weber] where they're constantly pulling away from each other. Jamie and I were together and Melissa and John were together. It was made as a double duet. He said, "Well, I don't know if this is possible, but let's try anyway." And then he told us, and we all started laughing. The boy and the girl face each other. She is pulling away, she's off her leg, falling. The man is on one leg, also falling, but holding her up. So we were like, "Wait, so we're both falling over in the same direction, but I'm holding her up?" We all laughed. And he said, "I just want to see if it's possible to find a way to make it possible," and it turned out that it was possible for a second. But, yeah, we got comfortable enough where he would say things and we would just laugh. And then in terms of partnering we also got comfortable enough to say, "Do you mind if I hold her arm instead of her hand?" And he would be like, "Do what you have to do." But there were times also when he made really complicated, challenging sections, brainwise, and it would just take us like three days to memorize everything.
And in a sequence he would tell you exactly what to do?
Sometimes it would be very exact: Let's start with the legs and then the arms and then the torso. Depending on how specific of an idea he had of a section, he might do a long phrase of just legs and then the following day add the arms and the torso. Or if it was more a work-in-progress and he wasn't really sure where he was going with it, every two or three movements he would go back and add the arms and the torsos.
He wasn't working on a computer program, was he?
We don't know because when he worked on the computer program, he never brought it in anyway. My understanding is that he would create a computer sequence at home, take notes from what he saw on the computer and then use his notes to create work on the dancers. So that the dancers were never able to see what was on the computer and therefore not influenced by what it should look like. So it's hard to tell, but I feel like in Nearly Ninety , he was working more on this idea of numbers and fitting in different numbers into a two. So it was all about counting the two. There are a bunch of sections in Nearly Ninety where it's like, Can you fit a three, a four, a five into a two? It's that sort of idea that all the dancers have this beat that they stay on. They're all in the same time signature, but not all in the same rhythm. So even if you do a five, you should still start and end with the person doing the two because ideally you're all still on this beat. So that's the way he worked on a bunch of sections. Of course, he'd make it faster and faster until it was impossible. We would do it to the point where it was comfortable and doable and he'd be like, "Do it again, do it again." [ He beats rapidly on a table. ]. It was absolutely impossible to go that fast but we'd try.
Who in the company were you teaching your parts to?
I mostly taught my parts to Daniel Squire, Rashaun or Daniel Madoff. I have to say it wasn't that awkward. Partly because Jamie and Melissa had been there longer and so for the big group sections, if we all knew something, I would just let them take over. I didn't feel that pressure to teach a whole group section. And in terms of partnering, I was always very clear—because this was the way we worked with Merce—that it was my interpretation or my choice. There were times where I was like, "I hold her here, but John holds her there. And both are okay with Merce." Or I tried to remember what he had said. Like, "This is what I'm doing, but this is the instruction we got." And I was also teaching Daniel Squire a lot. He was so interested in detail and the science of the movement that he really appreciated all of that information, where other dancers might say, "Just show me what it is." But Squire would think about it and sometimes go with my choice and sometimes not. It was really interesting. What was awkward was how Merce loved the way that the understudies did it, because that's just what he had been watching for almost a year and a half. We would teach it to the company, they would do it and he would be like, "No, no, no, no, no. RUGs, show them." So we'd have to do it again and he'd be like, "Company, do it more like this."
That must have been strange.
The animosity was never toward us, even when there was tension. The people in the company made an effort to make that clear that the tension wasn't directed at us, but it was there and it was a tense situation. It never got nasty because most of the people in the company when I was an understudy, had been understudies. Even if it was difficult, they had been on the other side of it.
What was the experience like for you when the dancers [Holley Farmer, Koji Mizuta and Daniel Squire] were fired?
It was a shock. It was three of them at once and there had been talk from some of them that they would be leaving. Or that they weren't. And it was this sort of thing like, Are they gonna leave? Are they gonna not? Are we gonna get a job? Are we not? It was all tied together, but I never thought anybody would get let go and certainly not three people at a time. It was very unclear why it was happening; I didn't automatically think that any of us were going to get hired because they got let go. I was kind of like, Oh well, maybe they're just like downsizing. And maybe our chances of ever being in the company are going to be less now. I went to talk to every single one of them, and I thought they were all great dancers still. And maybe in Merce's eyes they might have had their flaws, but I guess it was kind of a reality check with who Merce also was, which was this artist who, in order for his art to stay relevant and for him to just keep moving forward all the time, he had to be...I can't think of the word. But he just had to make choices that were hard and not care about how people felt.
Ruthless .
Yeah. And part of me thinks that's why he still was who he was at 90 because he did make those decisions, but at the same time, on a human level, seeing that is hard. And it wouldn't be honest of me to say that when that happened that it didn't open this door for me to hope that I might get a job. I mean, that did happen too, but it was sort of this thing of like, I can't even think of it because I feel so bad for the dancers and also because I was an understudy when Silas [Riener] got hired into the company. I was like, I'm not even going to think about getting hired because I don't want to be disappointed if I'm not. I have to just keep working. So in that sense, I didn't let myself go there. It didn't mean anything.
And then you were offered a job?
Yeah. While the company was on tour, we were told that they might replace certain dancers, but they were not sure how many and they were not sure who. So we kind of got a heads-up that there would be job offers coming up, but we didn't know if it would be like one girl, one guy, a guy and a girl, two guys. We had no idea. They came back and we heard, I think for the opening of Nearly Ninety at BAM, Jamie and I knew we were getting hired. So that was kind of interesting to see the opening of this piece that was made on us that we had transferred knowing that we were going to replace the people that were in it. That was kind of weird.
You were in the audience?
Yes. I wasn't bitter about not being in the premiere. I was just so glad that I was going to be in the company. And also—especially replacing Squire—I think that he's a wonderful dancer and it was kind of like, this is my last chance to really see him perform. And also even though a lot of the parts he did were made on me, it's like this chance to see another interpretation of it before I take it over.
Now how much time did you have with Merce as a company member?
Not much. We got hired at the end of June. My first day in the company was on my 25th birthday on June 30th. And he died July 26. Only a month. The pieces that I rehearsed the most while he was alive were CRWDSPCR , eyeSpace 20 and Split Sides . And the one thing that I really remembered was before my first show at Wolf Trap. We Skyped with Merce and the one thing he told us was, "Do not show off. Don't try to be anything, just be yourself in the movements." That really struck me and stayed with me. There's a physicality that's very interesting, but if you comment on it, it might become cheesy or it might look like you're showing off, so to really be myself in the movement is something I've tried to do. To just be me onstage. And for whatever it's worth, however I feel that day, yeah, to just be honest.
That's what you've been focusing on during this tour?
Yes. I've done that with Pam [Tanowitz] too. With other choreographers who have allowed me to be myself. So that kind of infused into the Cunningham work.
Did he say things like that often? Or was that the first time you heard it, not to show off?
That was the first time I heard it. We actually all were kind of worried that night because we thought he was saying goodbye to us. In talking to the whole company, he said, "I want you to know that I know this hasn't been an easy time and I'm really glad that you're all in my company and I'm glad that we got through this." It was so weird because for somebody who was so not talkative and not an emotional person, he acknowledged, all at once, the fact that letting go of those dancers had not been easy, but he was happy that we were all there. And then he gave us this piece of advice that was so inspirational. I remember being about to go onstage and being like, Merce might die tonight. He just kind of said goodbye to us. This is weird. We all felt that way. But it was also such a blessing to hear that before my first show. And how relevant it is, and how true it is and how almost like this is exactly what I've been trying to do all these years and you finally put it into words for me.
When was the last time you talked to him?
We went over to his house to say goodbye before we went to Jacob's Pillow, so that would have been around the 19th of July. We knew that he was not doing so well so we got a chance to go, four or five at a time, to spend 15 minutes with him; we went to say goodbye, blew him a kiss. It was such a blessing to be able to do that. When you have somebody you love and you lose them and you have said goodbye to them, it's just so great. And he laughed until the end. He was cracking jokes.
He was in his chair and I was right next to him and we were talking and laughing and I was leaning in and all of the sudden he was moving backwards—it was an automatic chair and we were like, "Oh my God, what's going on?" I was like, "Oh my God, Merce, it's my knee!" My knee was pressing on the button and he was just laughing so hard. I was like mortified and he was just laughing and laughing.
What is it like not having him there anymore?
That's maybe the hardest question. In the beginning, it seemed like he was still there. Even still now, but more so in the beginning, his presence was still there. His energy was with us because it was inside of all of us, because it was there and because at the end of his life he had been present but quiet. So for the first few months, it was almost like if we didn't look at his desk, we could pretend he was there. If he had been there, he might not have said anything anyway. He might have just been like there, present, watching. So that was a weird thing where you could almost forget. And also this was something I never experienced really, but people talked about: I saw that when you got in the company that Merce detached himself from you a little bit. I think it's a self-preservation thing; you're not going to be around as much—now that you're in my company. Now it's something else. The RUG thing is more close and grandfatherly; there's respect and expectation that changes the relationship. Though I never really experienced that myself, I was prepared for it. So on top of having all this stuff to deal with in my head—remembering the choreography, being in the company, figuring out all these dynamics within the company, being onstage, traveling...there was so much going on that in the beginning it was easy to forget that he wasn't there. But then it got more clear and hard during reconstructions.
How so?
When you reconstruct something, you always have as many takes on something as the number of dancers that were in it, which is the great thing about Merce's work. But, ultimately, when something like that would happen, it would be like, "Well, I remember this" or "I remember that" and then Merce would make the call: "Let's do this now." And that was the main difference that was difficult—working on things without him because how would you decide? Who would make the call? If Merce was still alive, he might have chosen C instead of A and B. He might have just made something up for you that suited you or changed something a little bit. And I think Robert is very aware of at the same time trying to lead us and help us figure things out, but he doesn't want to be Merce. And so there's sort of this thing where if we can figure it out otherwise, he doesn't want to make the call because he is not Merce. Sometimes it gets to the point where he just has to and he makes the call and that's fine, but so that's kind of the hardest thing is all the conversations and the negotiations and compromises. The discussion is because we care and we want to be as true to Merce's work as we can. But it can get a little tricky.
Yeah, there's the danger of killing it.
And I think that's what happens. And I think that's part of why Merce wanted the company to end because the work would become stale because he wasn't there to change his dances constantly, or it would become one person's take that was not his. I don't know how I feel about it. I think some of it is true. I think some of it is not. I think that's maybe what he was thinking. He didn't want to get stale. Didn't want us to be stuck in this museum of what his company once was.
Do you think it's the right decision to disband?
I don't know. And also because it's happening, I've just made peace with that. I mean, for us it's hard. Jamie, John, Krista and I just got in. We're just figuring out all this stuff and we're getting familiar with the pieces and then it's gonna end. And obviously we've learned so much; it's not like it's a loss. Everything that we've learned is just amazing, and we can just take it in our next steps, but it would have been nice to get a little more time. And if Merce made that call then I respect that. And I understand it. And maybe it's an artist's ego thing? I don't know. I just have to figure out what my take on it is. But to speculate on what could have happened, I try not to do that.
Do you detach yourself?
Yeah. I'm not thinking about the future because I really want to experience this 100 percent, because this is one of the major professional experiences of my life, and it's a very important step historically for dance. If I want to get a job, I'll get a job. I don't want 10 years down the line to be thinking, I wish I had enjoyed this time instead of being stressed out about the next step. Merce provided us with a severance package, which makes us financially a little freer to not worry about it now. I think that's why he did it. And I think it wouldn't necessarily be fair when he provided me with this cushion, financially, to not be here 100 percent. But it's hard. I made the decision a long time ago to not be stressed out about it, but these days it's a challenge. It's getting harder and harder to not have a plan. But at the same time, I want to be here. Completely. And then we'll see. And I don't know. I'm not sure what I want to do. But I want to keep dancing for sure. I'd like to try and stay in New York.
Who do you dance for now that Cunningham isn't around?
I still dance for him actually and I dance for the group that we are. After Merce passed, the group became a lot more selfless and it was just this thing where we came together and it was our mission to show the world Merce's work. It was about us doing this for Merce. We'd all been chosen by Merce, and it was this honor, so there's no time for egos. Now it's about Merce. We're doing this for Merce. It's about us showing the world how amazing he was. I owe it to Merce, and I owe it to every single person dancing with me to be the best I can be.


text:
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI turned 85 on Monday (April 16) amid renewed speculation about his declining health and possible resignation.
The German-born pope has appeared tired and fatigued in recent months and admitted at a morning Mass to being in "the final leg of the path of my life." But on Sunday, he signaled his resolve to carry on with his duties as leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, asking the faithful to pray that he have the "strength" to "fulfill his mission."
This week will mark a double milestone for Benedict, with Thursday being the seventh anniversary of his election as pope.
Last October, Benedict started using a movable platform to carry him down the central aisle in St. Peter's Basilica, and he leaned on a cane before boarding the plane for a recent weeklong trip to Cuba and Mexico. He his now the sixth-oldest pope since at least the 1400s; the oldest, Pope Leo XIII, died in 1903 at age 93.
Talk of possible resignation has been swirling around the pope ever since his 2010 book, "Light of the World," in which he said that if a pope felt "no longer physically, psychologically, and spiritually capable of carrying out the duties of his office," he would have "the right, and in some circumstances the obligation, to resign."
Last month, prominent Italian journalists who are considered Benedict loyalists openly suggested that the pope might resign in the near future, adding new fuel to the rumor mill.
Still, despite sounding hoarse during the intense liturgical schedule of Holy Week, the pope has not canceled any appointments.
Celebrating Mass with a delegation from his native Bavaria on Monday, an emotional Benedict said he was sure God would help him "proceed safely" despite having entered "the final leg of the path of my life."
"I don't know what the future holds for me but I know that … God's good is stronger than all the evil in this world," he confided.
He later attended a small Bavarian-style festival in the Vatican. Benedict joined bishops and leaders from his native region in singing the Bavarian national hymn and watched as children performed a traditional dance. Benedict was joined by his older brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, who flew in last weekend from Germany.
Benedict's predecessor, Pope John Paul II, died in 2005 at age 84 after years of failing health. After his death, it was revealed John Paul considered resigning twice, on his 75th and 80th birthdays, but decided to continue serving "as long as (Jesus), in the mysterious designs of his providence, will want."


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Another Radar detector: Pogo Alert
March 6, 2007 by poeloq | 2 Comments
The Pogo Alert is another GPS enabled radar detector to help you save on speeding fines. It is a small device with a 1.8″ display and apart from GPS also features a infrared laser detector, that will warn you about mobile speed traps that the GPS database can not know about. If your countries law […]
Sign: Do not follow Sat Nav
February 28, 2007 by poeloq | 1 Comment
This is the first sign in the UK warning drivers not to follow their Sat Nav's instructions. The village of Exton in Hampshire has had some negative experiences with wide vehicles driving through the village, sometimes only waking the inhabitants at night and sometimes damaging stuff along the way. "Brian Thorpe-Tracey, whose property borders the […]
GPSPrevent: Prevent getting caught speeding
February 27, 2007 by poeloq | Leave a Comment
This is one of the gadgets I wouldn't want to get caught with in some European countries: French company GPSPrevent has created this little GPS receiver that will warn you about upcoming speed traps: fixed radars and mobile speed cameras and it will display the speed limit. It will also warn you about danger areas, […]
Alpine NVE-N872
February 23, 2007 by poeloq | Leave a Comment
At $1700 you really need to be a serious frequent driver to even consider getting one of these. The Alpine NVE-N872 is a large GPS satnav unit (best placed in your boot/trunk), which features Navteq maps for the US and Canada and has 9 million POI (points-of-interest) stored on it's DVD. Hot Tags:alpine remote satnav
CeBit Preview: GPS HUD Speed Meter
February 19, 2007 by poeloq | 1 Comment
The GPS HUD Speed Meter will be presented by GlobalTOP at this years CeBit. It is a GPS receiver that will project your speed and direction on your windscreen, effectively functioning as a head up display (explaining the HUD in the name). It will also offer Bluetooth, so you can use it with your PDA […]
The Dogs got a mobile phone
February 19, 2007 by davidallen | Leave a Comment
It is every dog owners nightmare, you let the dog out into your garden, and five minutes later he has gone, where he has gone you do not know, because you got called away or had to do something, but like small children, it only takes a minutes for the worst to happen. So your […]
Nokia – The communicator
February 12, 2007 by davidallen | 2 Comments
Its back, the Nokia Communicator, one of the best mobile phones ever, this phone did everything that you could have ever wanted, even the communicator two, was just as good especially with the better graphics and the faster connection to the internet. But now we are looking at the Nokia E90 Communicator, what different about […]
New u-Blox GPS chip: Fast, strong, power-saving and Galileo support!
February 6, 2007 by poeloq | 1 Comment
The Swiss chip manufacturer u-blox is going to present a GPS chip with very fast Time To First Fix (TTFF), claiming to be under one second! The popular SirF StarIII chip needs roughly 35 seconds. As well as being very fast and only consuming 50mW of power, which will make it suitable for most mobile […]
Acer P630: Finally available in Europe
February 6, 2007 by poeloq | Leave a Comment
The Acer P630 was announced by Acer quite some time ago and is now, according to Navigadget, available in Europe from several online shops, starting as low as 290Euros. The Acer P630 is a bulky looking GPS navigator from Acer's P600 series and is another SiRF StarIII chipset based GPS navigator. It offers a 4″ […]
Ricoh 500SE Digital Camera with GPS
February 6, 2007 by poeloq | 3 Comments
Rico Corporation have release a new GPS-enabled camera for taking pictures with location information (for example for Flickr's Geotagging): the Ricoh 500SE. It really isn't the prettiest thing I have ever seen, but the features aren't too bad: The bad looks result due to it's waterproof and shock-resistant shell. The camera takes pictures with up […]
Haicom HI-505SD: Bluetooth GPS
February 4, 2007 by poeloq | Leave a Comment
Taiwanese company Haicom have announced a new 20 channel SiRF StarIII chip based GPS unit with Bluetooth connectivity and power via a MiniSD to SD converter. At first I had to think about this, but after consulting Haicoms product page it became more clear: you use a MiniSD to SD converter cable to connect the […]
Samsung STT-D370: Bluetooth DMB GPS SatNav
January 29, 2007 by poeloq | Leave a Comment
GPS navigation systems are being released nearly every day now and, to be honest, they don't differ too much. Some offer more or less "multimedia functions" than others, but that really doesn't make a device special. The Samsung STT-D370 (the Koreans seem to be really creative when it comes to product branding) is slightly different: […]
UPDATE: Asus P735 GPS Phone – No GPS!
January 28, 2007 by poeloq | Leave a Comment
We featured an article about the new ASUS P735 because of it's GPS module, which now it seems not to have. According to many forums and news articles, the ASUS news release did not mention any GPS module. Sadly, this phone lost one of main features that turned it from a very interesting gadget to […]Next Page »


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About Noreen Crone-Findlay:
I am an artist, designer, author (my latest book is 'The Woven Bag: 30+ projects from small looms' . (click on the title to view the book)
I am passionate about the fiber arts: I love love love small loom weaving, crochet, knitting, spool knitting, tatting, doll making, spinning, and woodworking that relates to the fiber arts. (I make one of a kind cord makers and buttons and tatting shuttles).
You can read more about me at: http://www.crone-findlay.com/Crone-FindlayCreationsAboutUs.html
About Tottie Tomato:
Several years ago, my husband brought a green tomato into the house, and said: "Look at this tomato! It has a nose!"
Well… I saw right away that that tomato had a personality as well as a nose, and Tottie Tomato was born. She accompanied us on a trip across Canada and had all kinds of adventures.
I am working on Tottie Tomato books, so stay tuned!


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Kids As Young as 2 Can Use Paris Bikeshare
PARIS — Not every 6-year-old can tackle the distractions of bike riding along the Seine, which on weekends and sunny days in Paris can include thousands of other cyclists, roller bladers and oblivious tourists with cameras.
It's enough to give a parent palpitations.
But the city of Paris, in a bid to train the next generation of cyclists, has added a range of kids' bikes and gliders to its bike-sharing program — devices that could be theoretically used even by children as young as two.
And to ease parents' minds, they also offer helmets.
My 6-year-old was among the first to take out the new P'tit Velib' on Wednesday, riding happily along the banks of the Seine and obediently steering clear of the drop-off into the water. She pronounced the borrowed wheels exactly the same as the ones I use for my daily commute, but sized just for her.
She carefully checked the color and style against the bikes used by "les grands" — the grown-ups — and was satisfied that her ride had not been dumbed down or painted in pastels or primary colors. It costs at most 6 euros ($8) an hour or 12 euros a day ($16) in five of Paris' best cycling locations (seven by mid-July), with training wheels or without.
I actually gasped. MT @bikepeacenyc: Paris listens to kids, introduces mini city bikes http://t.co/38CLcfd7Bx pic.twitter.com/jqDe4fS4IQ
— Keith Snyder (@noteon) June 18, 2014
Kids can accompany their parents on the full-size bike share — there's a stand a stone's throw away at the Seine River location — but keeping your eyes on the road involves ignoring the Eiffel Tower, dozens of tour boats and gilded bridge statues.
This is not riding for amateurs.
For my daughter, the joy was in finally being able to ride with the grown-ups in parts of Paris previously unreachable on her own bike. She worried about very young riders — the program is pitched to children ages 2 to 8 — saying the distractions and the unfamiliar bikes could be too much for them. But she loved the quality of her shared bike and its responsive brakes.
The program developed after city officials discovered that about half of Parisian children learn to cycle outside the city, which has limited space for bike lanes, few green spaces large enough to accommodate amateur riders, and no easy way to get a child's bike from one point to another. I've even tried lifting one over a subway turnstile, only to find an even more unwelcome reception inside a crowded car.
"We wanted this habit of riding a bicycle, the cycling experience, to be learned at the earliest possible age and that young Parisians pick up the habit at the earliest opportunity," said Jean-Francois Martins, who is in charge of sport and tourism at city hall.
The very youngest get glider bikes, which give children the sense of balance before they attempt pedals. There are three successively larger sizes with pedals for older children. The program starts with 300 bikes, which must be returned to the location where they were rented.
The hope is eventually to make it resemble adult bike shares, where riders can pick up a bike in one place and drop it in another, said Joel Sick, whose association AICV runs the stand on the Seine.
"The idea now is to create a space for the youngest riders," Sick said.
For at least one, they sure did.
The bikes are first-come, first-serve at Berges de Seine, between the Pont des Invalides and the Pont de l'Alma; Bois de Boulogne, Porte la Muette and Rond-Point du Jardin d'Acclimatation; Canal de l'Ourcq, quai de la Marne; and Bois de Vincennes, Lac Daumesnil.


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What's bigger, probably a touch heavier, even easier on the eyes and at this point a mostly unsubstantiated iPhone rumor? Word from a South Korean media source (via Reuters) that Apple's next iPhone — call it the "iPhone 5," or if Apple mimics its just-released iPad, simply "The new iPhone" — will sport a larger 4.6-inch display.
Reuters refers to the new display as "Retina" quality, once more invoking Apple's marketing term referring to a pixel count theoretically high enough that your eyes can't spot individual ones when holding the phone at normal viewing distance. The iPhone 4 and 4S, both of which employ smaller 3.5-inch screens, have 960 x 640 pixel displays, which adds up to 326 pixels per inch — well above the 300 ppi threshold. If Apple maintains that same resolution on a 4.6-inch display, the pixel count would drop to about 251 ppi.
(MORE: Latest iPhone 5 Rumors Reportedly Come Straight from Foxconn Worker)
That's only slightly less than the new iPad (264 ppi), but since I'd argue most people tend to hold phones closer than tablets — especially while using the iPhone to play games or use apps more involved than the phone dialer — it's not a great comparison. Unless Apple bumps up the resolution, any claim that a 960 x 640 pixel, 4.6-inch iPhone sports a "Retina" display would be courting disingenuousness.
But let's assume the best, i.e. that we'd see a resolution bump at that screen size…or use assume nothing at all, since this is just a South Korean media claim. All we can do is speculate about what we might do with nearly five inches of iPhone real estate. Will the screen be edge-to-edge? Will Apple eliminate the home button? Will they shift from glass to plastic to keep the weight down? Will the screen shift to AMOLED? Will it really launch in the second quarter, as claimed? As usual, it's magical mystery time in Apple-rumor-ville.
MORE: Apple iPhone 4S Review: It's the iPhone 4, Only More So


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Meet Tasuku and Muu, Instagram's Most Adorable Best Friends
We first introduced you to the adorableness that is baby and puppy best friends a few weeks back. It's a phenomenon that's almost way too cute to handle. But can it honestly get any better than that? Answer: Y-E-S.
Instagram user ayasakai has posted what could possibly be the cutest pair of dog and munchkin BFFs the internet has ever seen. According to her photographs, the two seem to do everything together, from watching cartoons to taking a snooze. Aww, come on now!
We won't delay any longer-- you've gotta check 'em out for yourself.


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Our Clear PVC Card Holders (Conference Lanyard ID Holders) are made from strong plastic PVC material and this particular model (141) suits any of our lanyard attachments. This style is best suited for a single ALLIGATOR CLIP attachment or this card holders come with three holes punched at the top for those who prefer an open ended lanyard with two EXECUTIVE SWIVELS (attached at both left and right hand sides of the card holder) to stop the holder from flipping over whilst around the neck. We offer a huge range of sizes, however if you can't find a particular size that suites, then we can manufacture ANY size you require for a minimum of 1000 pieces. The dimensions written are the OUTSIDE SIZE. Click to view our full range of PVC Card Holders.
Convenient slot and two holes punched for ID accessory attachments. Clear vinyl front makes your ID badge visible and accessible for identification and time & attendance systems. Available in both horizontal and vertical orientations. Card Holders are the perfect role-recognition tool for doctors, nurses, CNAs, medics and other personnel .Choose from badge reel, cord, clip or lanyard accessories. These durable cards are for easy recognition of the wearer's title and are suitable for any of our lanyard range. We offer a number of PVC Card Holders ideal for hospitals, medical centers, surgical centers, conferences, trade shows and more. Heavy-duty vinyl construction. Ideal for vertical business badges. Priced per holder, any quantity available.
The role-recognition cards can be easily attached to an existing ID credential for a complete ID solution. If you don't see a holder within the range that meets your needs, we also offer a custom sizing service. We're here to help, so please email us your question to firstname.lastname@example.com or call our sales team on 0451 500 824


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Free-to-play games are all the rage here in 2012. With MMOs, social games, and mobile games leading the way, some analysts see the model as the inevitable wave of the future across genres. And given how very well freemium games seem to be doing, they might just be right.
The NPD analyst group's newest report confirms that, love them or hate them, the games are now a really big deal. 38% of the United States population, they report, currently play some kind of freemium game. That's an estimate of roughly 114 million people, give or take.
The data came from a survey of over 6000 American children and adults, and some of the report's other findings run against the current conventional wisdom. They found that while girls and women are, as expected, significantly more likely to play freemium games, male consumers are the ones more likely to pay real cash for virtual goodies.
Also, in contrast to earlier studies finding that only a very small percentage of users ever pay, this survey found that 40% of players had purchased in-game content at least once, and that 84% of players who try freemium games end up sticking with the genre.
There are few faster ways to cause a fight in a room full of gamers than to bring up anything relating to the "core vs "casual" debate, but as this report reminds us, the divisions aren't absolute. The casual, free-to-play marketplace may be the new kid on the block of video games, but it's big business and most of us will try it out at some time or another.
NPD: 40% of freemium players pay for in-game upgrades [Gamasutra]
(Top photo: Shutterstock)


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Tablet AntiVirus Security PRO v18.104.22.168 Apk for android
Tablet AntiVirus Security PRO is a Productivity Game for android
download last version of Tablet AntiVirus Security PRO Apk for android from revdl with direct link
Get AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android™ tablets now for premium, full featured protection from viruses, malware, spyware & online exploitation in real-time.
Download NOW with just an easy 1-time payment and join over 100,000,000 people who already installed AVG's antivirus mobile security apps!
With AVG AntiVirus PRO for Tablet you can:
★ Scan apps, settings, files, media, calls & text messages (SMS; for SIM supported devices) in real-time
★ Enable finding/locating your lost or stolen tablet via Google Maps™
★ Lock & wipe your phone to protect your privacy
★ Kill tasks that can slow down your phone
★ Browse the web safely and securely
★ Monitor battery, storage and data package usage
★ Filter & block unwanted calls & text messages (SMS; for SIM supported devices)
In addition, when installing the premium app, you also get:
★ App Lock – password protect app access
★ App Backup – backup apps from your device to your SD
★ Camera Trap – discreetly emails you a photo of anyone who enters 3 wrong passwords when trying to unlock your tablet
★ Device Lock – locks your tablet whenever the SIM card is replaced (for SIM supported devices)
App features:
★ Scan downloaded apps & files and remove malicious content
★ Search, shop & use social networks with peace of mind
★ Scan websites for harmful threats. If a suspicious URL is detected, you will be redirected to a "Safe Page" (applicable only to Android's default browser and Chrome)
★ Kill tasks & processes that can slow down or freeze up your device
★ Monitor battery consumption, set battery level notifications & enable power saving
★ Monitor traffic – keep track of your 3G /4G mobile data plan usage (for SIM supported devices)
★ Optimize internal & SD card storage space
Anti-Theft & Tablet Location:
Use AVG's remote management console or text messages (SMS; for SIM supported devices) to:
★ Locate your lost or stolen tablet and get help finding it via Google Maps™
★ Lock your tablet and set a lock screen message to help the locator find you
★ Make your tablet ring (shout) even if it is on silent mode
★ Wipe your tablet and SD card content
★ Camera Trap: discreetly emails you a photo of anyone who enters 3 wrong passwords when trying to unlock your tablet
★ Device Lock: automatically locks your tablet whenever someone replaces your SIM card (for SIM supported devices)
★ App Lock: lock apps to protect your privacy and safety
★ App Backup: backup apps from your device to your SD card
★ Call and Message Blocker (for SIM supported devices): protect yourself against spammers, hackers and scammers. Get warned about suspicious text messages, filter and block unwanted calls and messages (SMS Blocker isn't available for Android v4.4)
★Wipe contacts, text messages, photos, browser history, calendar, format SD card, and restore mobile device to factory settings
AVG AntiVirus is now part of AVG Protection, our award-winning, multi-device, cyber security subscription package.
By installing/updating this app, you agree that your use of it is governed by these terms: http://m.avg.com/terms
Google®, Google Maps™ and Android™ are a trademarks of Google, Inc., registered in the United States and in other countries


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Q: I have items in a store or on my blog using your CU Freebies! Do I need to take them down or remove them from the store?
A: Of course not! I don't expect designers to remove items that they may have used before I "changed the rules." That would be completely unfair and unreasonable. And there were THOUSANDS of downloads of my CU freebies before I changed the rules. There is no way I can be assured a designer came back to my blog after she/he downloaded my freebies to even be aware of the new requirements after the download. I'm just saying, if you've read the new terms and are designing something new with old CU downloads – Use your conscience! I'm not going to hunt you down (probably – lol) and make you aware of the new terms. Believe it or not – I do have much better things to do!
Q: I don't sell my designs in a store but just give them away as freebies. Do I need a Commercial Use License?
A: Technically, yes. Very few designers allow you to design freebies with Personal Use Only products. Am I going to hunt you down or call you out on it? No. Especially if you provide credit to me for the resources as required. That's a wishy washy answer but honestly if you are giving things away out of the goodness of your heart for this fabulous digiscrap community I don't want to discourage that! I know how expensive this hobby can be and will never break even with all of the programs, filters, hardware, etc. that I have purchased in the past two years to provide freebies. But I enjoy doing it!
Also, it hasn't been asked but if you want to use my freebies for tutorials (free or paid) you do not need to purchase a Commercial Use license. I just ask that you direct your readers to my blog for the downloads.
Anyway, thanks also to Vaybs who explained how to allow anonymous comments on 4 shared. I do read all the comments on the blog, Facebook, 4 shared, and filesavr so don't feel you must comment more than once! Now to the freebie! There are 24 glossy styles in halloween colors for Photoshop/PSE and also a pattern (.pat) set that is flat in the same patterns. And for those who do not use Photoshop or PSE there are 24 seamless image tiles in .png form that are 300 x 300 pix each so that you can import them into your own program.


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Getting Here
Contact Information
Rockland Community College
145 College Rd
Suffern, NY 10901
Come see our beautiful campus!
We are located in the scenic Lower Hudson Valley just 25 miles northwest of New York City. Our campus is easily accessible by many modes of transportation. Office numbers and room numbers can be found in our Offices & Services Directory.


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Forced evictions constitute gross violations of a range of internationally recognized human rights, including the human rights to adequate housing, food, water, health, education, work, security of the person, freedom from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, and freedom of movement.
Basic principles and guidelines on development-based evictions and displacement
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OHCHR bears no responsibility for the quality and accuracy of these non-official United Nations language versions. OHCHR would appreciate receiving any feedback in this sense by competent agencies.
Forced evictions are often linked to the absence of legally secure tenure, which constitutes an essential element of the right to adequate housing. Forced evictions share many consequences similar to those resulting from arbitrary displacement, including population transfer, mass expulsions, mass exodus, ethnic cleansing and other practices involving the coerced and involuntary displacement of people from their, lands and communities.
As a result of forced evictions, people are often left homeless and destitute, without means of earning a livelihood and, in practice, with no effective access to legal or other remedies. Forced evictions intensify inequality, social conflict, segregation and invariably affect the poorest, most socially and economically vulnerable and marginalized sectors of society, especially women, children, minorities and indigenous peoples.
The obligation of States to refrain from, and protect against, forced evictions from home(s) and land arises from several international legal instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (art. 11, para. 1), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (art. 27, para. 3), the non-discrimination provisions found in article 14, paragraph 2 (h), of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and article 5 (e) of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
In its resolution 1993/77, the Commission on Human Rights stated that the "practice of forced eviction constitutes a gross violation of human rights, in particular the right to adequate housing". In 1977, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights issued its
General Comment n°. 7 on forced evictions.
Evictions must be carried out lawfully, only in exceptional circumstances, and in full accordance with relevant provisions of international human rights and humanitarian law.
In 2007, the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing presented to the Human Rights Council a set of "Basic principles and guidelines on development-based evictions and displacement". These guidelines aim to assist States in developing policies and legislations to prevent forced evictions at the domestic level. The basic principles and guidelines on development-based evictions and displacement represent a further development of the United Nations Comprehensive Human Rights Guidelines on Development-based Displacement (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1997/7, annex).
Basic principles and guidelines on development-based evictions and displacement are contained in Annex I of the report of the Special Rapporteur, A/HRC/4/18:English |
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Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, General Comment n°7: The right to adequate housing: forced evictions (art.11 (1))
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Fact sheet No. 25/Rev.1: Forced EvictionsEnglish
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Habitat III and the New Urban Agenda from the perspective of the right to adequate housing
Responsibilities of sub-national governments
Study on Security of Tenure
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Forced Evictions
Housing financing for the poor


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"Do you know why I pulled you over?" the officer asked me last Thursday. I knew from watching my husband's reactions when he's been pulled over (the man never gets tickets, I swear) that the best thing to do is to play dead. Not literally, but you have to avoid certain pitfalls: being too confident, not being confident enough, being too animated, responding emotionally (regardless of the emotion – but anger and sadness are definitely out), flirting [1], being friendly, and most of all you cannot under any circumstances answer that loaded-for-bear question. Which can be difficult because officers must be trained in waiting out uncomfortable silences. [2] Almost anything you say or do can be misinterpreted to your detriment. [Read more…]
Suspicion, Intuition and Religiosity
January 27, 2014 by


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1885 Sutherland House B&B
Historic 1885 Bed and Breakfast,filled with comfort and charm from the Victorian era. Full Breakfast,Private baths,Double Jacuzzi's,Country Setting but close to everything.
Thendara Inn & Restaurant
Upscale accommodations right on the shore of Canandaigua Lake, a true escape!
Stay at a Webster, New York Bed and Breakfasts and Inns for the personal attention you desire. A Webster B&B is a great alternative to hotels or motels while visiting the state of New York!
Visit our Webster, New York bed and breakfast directory of historic, romantic, and adventure B&B's. You can browse through our detailed listings of Webster, New York bed and breakfasts and inns with nearby city listings that include pictures, room rates, booking information and area activities. Every Webster, New York b&b inns has complete contact information and a direct link to the innkeepers.


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The New Zealand dollar gained before retail sales figures that will provide more evidence of the pace of the economy after surprisingly weak employment figures as stronger equity markets overnight gave a bid tone to the local currency.
The kiwi dollar rose to 81.98 US cents from 81.66 cents at 5pm in Wellington yesterday. The trade-weighted index rose to 73.42 from 73.19.
Home Depot led gains on the Dow Jones Industrial Average after posting third-quarter results that beat forecasts, while providing an optimistic picture for the coming months-for its own future and that of the US housing industry in general. At home, retail sales volumes slowed to a 0.5 per cent pace in the third quarter for an annual gain of 2.9 per cent, according to a Reuters survey.
"The global backdrop remains supportive of the NZD," said Mike Jones, currency strategist at bank of New Zealand. "A late flourish in stock markets and commodity prices helped the
NZD/USD finish the night near the top of its overnight 0.8160-0.8200 range."
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Weak retail sales "would likely encourage the markets to up the odds of a December OCR cut", he said.
There is a 24 per cent chance of a rate cut on December 6, based on the Overnight Index Swap curve and 16 basis points of cuts are seen over the next 12 months.
The New Zealand dollar rose to 78.52 Australian cents from 78.42 cents yesterday before third quarter wage cost data in Australia that's expected to show the wage price index slowed to a 0.8 percent pace for an annual gain of 3.8 percent.
The kiwi gained to 64.52 euro cents from 64.35 cents and rose to 51.63 British pence from 51.44 pence. The currency rose to 65.07 yen from 64.72 yen.


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I have a specific area to study. Before starting on my field work, I have to create a 310m X 310m grid of the area. Later on I have to get the coordinates of each point of the grid in an attribute table (each angle of each square!). I tried
fishnet; but first, it does not cover the area exactly (there are a lot of rectangles outside of the study area); second, when I tried to get the x, y coordinates, it gave an error message (the calculated value is invalid for the row with ObjectId=0...); and third, the output shows the centers of each rectangular polygon, which I do not need.
I am a newcomer to the field, so any help regarding my problem will be deeply appreciated. (I hope I have narrated my problem well.)


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15-year-old actress Elle Fanning was seen heading to a dance studio in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday (September 14).
Elle Fanning shows off her toned tummy
Posted by Alisa on Tuesday, September 17, 2013
1 comments:
- Anonymous said...
wow!!!!!!! toned and hot!!!!!!!!!
- January 7, 2014 at 11:06 PM


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CategoriesFree Classic Movies Sci-Fi
If you think you've seen some weird movies here on Retrovision Internet TV. Why don't you try this one on for size?. This is the quintessential 1950s midnight movie. Goofy 1950s teenagers find a cave man. Guess who he is? You'll see.
Wait until you hear the song "Vicki". It's a classic.
Wow skippy…..
Eegah! (also known as Eegah! The Name Written in Blood) is a 1962 film starring Arch Hall Sr. as Robert Miller, Arch Hall Jr. as Tom Nelson, Richard Kiel (who portrayed the character Jaws in the James Bond films The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker) as Eegah, and Marilyn Manning as Roxy Miller.


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Rally cars all follow a regular formula: 4WD, turbocharged 4cyl engine, family car body. Screw that, this is a rally Porsche 911 and it kicks ass.
You have to be a complete hooligan to use a rear-wheel-drive, rear-engine sports car for rallying. Luckily, Ruben Zeltner and co-driver Helmar Hinneberg saw the light and gifted us the sweet, sweet song of a dog box and a flat-six echoing through the trees at this year's WP4 Rallye Deutschland.
(Hat tip to _Mécanicien!)


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Olympic Athletes Swim Like Dolphins in Computer Animation
Motion-capture technology helps athletes perfect their technique.
Aug. 10, 2012 -- You doubtless remember the blue Pandorans in James Cameron's film "Avatar." The computer-generated effects were stunning, but they didn't come entirely from computers.
The characters' movements were based on real actors wearing special motion-capture sensors that cameras could track.
Now, researchers from New York University have tried the same thing with Olympic athletes -- taping sensors to the swimmer Dana Vollmer and the diver Abby Johnston.
WATCH: Olympics: When Swimmers Are Like Dolphins
They set up a company called Manhattan Mocap, and shot video of the athletes from myriad angles. They produced some beautiful pieces of computer animation -- but the real purpose was to see how the swimmers moved through the water and how they could improve.
"I'm a very visual learner; I watch a lot of video," said Johnston. "So I'm excited to see different angles, and I think that will enhance my training and give me a different perspective on what goes on while I'm diving."
They found that while swimmers need a strong kick and powerful stroke, what really matters is how they move through the water. Vollmer, they concluded, swims a bit like a dolphin, shimmying along with very little drag.
If you saw Olympic swimming events, you could see the effect on how world-class athletes have altered their approach over time. When Michael Phelps, for instance, finished a turn, he would stay under the water for as long as he could, seeming to wriggle along. It was as fast -- and took less energy -- than swimming on the surface.
Similarly, Johnston, the diver, said she learned to refine her technique as she watched herself from myriad angles. The motion-capture system, combining input from several cameras, could show her from almost any point of view.
"There's really small changes that can be made that will perfect the dive," said Johnston. "So being able to see the dive from different angles and make small adjustments, I think, will be really, really helpful."
Did the video pay off? Well, the athletes were very good to begin with. Vollmer took home three gold medals; Johnston won a silver.