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With New York City fully immersed in Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts, and thousands of residents still without power and mass transit only partially restored, the city canceled its scheduled marathon on Sunday, the New York Times reports.
The marathon has been held every year since 1970, even in the wake of 9/11. As of Thursday, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg never wavered in his decision to continue with the marathon, even though other elected officials, including Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, and some runners called for it to be postponed or canceled. "This city is a city where we have to go on," the mayor said at a press conference Thursday.
NBC plans star-studded benefit for victims of Hurricane Sandy
But on Friday, Bloomberg and Mary Wittenberg, the director of the marathon, released a joint statement addressing the need to cancel the marathon. "The Marathon has been an integral part of New York City's life for 40 years and is an event tens of thousands of New Yorkers participate in and millions more watch. While holding the race would not require diverting resources from the recovery effort, it is clear that it has become the source of controversy and division. The marathon has always brought our city together and inspired us with stories of courage and determination. We would not want a cloud to hang over the race or its participants, and so we have decided to cancel it. We cannot allow a controversy over an athletic event — even one as meaningful as this — to distract attention away from all the critically important work that is being done to recover from the storm and get our city back on track."
The race was meant to start in Staten Island, the borough that was hit hardest by the storm and where several residents were killed or stranded after their homes were washed away. A Facebook group started by one resident advocating the cancellation of the race had amassed more than 50,000 "Likes" as of Friday evening.
About 40,000 runners were set to participate Sunday, which is 15 percent less than originally thought, according to the New York Times. New York Road Runners had said that going forward with the marathon would raise both funds and spirits for the relief efforts. Wittenberg, who is also the NYRR chief executive, said the organization would donate $1 million, as well as other supplies, to the recovery, and other race sponsors had also pledged to donate more than $1 million, according to the Times.


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UV Protection is a very serious matter at O'Neill! Every summer season we design a special collection with UV Protective clothing: mens UV shirts and rash guards that will protect you from harmful UV radiations. All our Lycra UV T-Shirts have top-of-the-line technical features, like: U.P.F. 50+, 4 way stretch, rash protection, a boardshort connector and quick drying fabric. Surf lighter and longer while protecting yourself from harmful UV rays.
Burning yourself in the sun can temporarily be very nasty, but after the sunburned is healed you will quickly forget about it. However, your skin will not forget: every sunburn you have during your lifetime raises the risk of developing skin cancer. This fact shouldn't mean that you're supposed to stay out of the sun. O'Neill gives you a new layer of skin and therefore supports you to spend every free minute out there in the water. We can provide you with a layer that can't be damaged and completely resists harmful UV rays: UV lycra shirts and rash guards, -or simply- skins!
Anyway, there is a second source that can massively reduce your pleasure in the waves. Not wearing a lycra can cause rashes that occurs from paddling on your waxed surfboard. You can prevent this by wearing a rash guard, which is not only good for your health and therefore performance on the board, but also for your style factor! O'Neill has good quality lycra UV shirts for men. Available in in a wide range of styles, colours and patterns. You have the choice between long sleeve UV Shirts, short sleeve Rash guards and even sleeveless UV tank tops. Pick your favorite and ride with style!

subset: commoncrawl


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Marlins must decide on out-of-option players
JUPITER, Fla. -- The business of baseball will eventually factor into several roster decisions that must be made by the Marlins.
The club has four big league-tested players -- Gorkys Hernandez, Justin Ruggiano, Mike Dunn and Wade LeBlanc -- who are out of options, meaning they can't be sent to the Minor Leagues without the risk that the organization will lose them.
All four have a very strong chance of being with the club on Opening Day. Ruggiano is the front-runner to start in center field, and Hernandez is competing for an outfield spot. LeBlanc, a left-hander, is in the mix to be the fifth starter, and he offers versatility because he can also pitch out of the bullpen. Dunn projects to be the primary lefty reliever.
If the four don't appear to be in Miami's plans, they will become candidates to be traded.


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Wonder Woman #23.1: Cheetah Standard Cover
The Cheetah has clawed her way out of Belle Reve, and is hungry for blood-but before she steps up as one of the Secret Society's most powerful generals, she has a personal score to settle! Learn the truth about the cult of Hippolyta, her vendetta against Wonder Woman, and just how far she'll go to prove that she's the most dangerous predator on Earth!
Cover Illustrator


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Such a deal: Six bands rock on Ridge
Benvolio, Among The Fallen, The Wave, Faith In Failure, Body For Karate, Bad Karma
at the Music Resource Center
Saturday, December 4
"If I had one of these to go to when I was younger, I probably..." is how the statement starts. I've heard it completed in a number of ways:
1. ...wouldn't have done so many drugs in high school.
2. ...would have never given up playing the (insert instrument here) so early.
3. ...wouldn't have had to spend so much money on therapy later.
4. ...would be much further along in my music career.
I'm sure other things have been said about the Music Resource Center, but since the place once known as "The Studio" moved to a new location at 105 Ridge Street in the old Mt. Zion Baptist Church, I've heard those words more times than I can remember.
I spend a great deal of time at the Center, hanging out with teenagers, producing music, writing songs and enjoying the freedom to just create. It's a job... and a blessing.
The place is a wonderfully outfitted recording/production studio with practice spaces, concert hall, and dance studio– totally nonprofit and available to any pubescent player or teen with a taste or talent for tunes.
Saturday was the Music Resource Center's first of (hopefully) many Band Fests to showcase a few of the groups that have either practiced or recorded at the facility since it took up residence in its new home. On the bill were six bands representing everything rock and rock-ish that I could possibly imagine.
Benvolio was up first, offering standard rock fare which included an interesting version of the Super Mario Brothers theme song over a surprisingly calypso-ish backdrop. The audience enjoyed every minute. Groups of kids stayed pressed to the stage for the entire set.
They had to back up from the stage for the next band, Among The Fallen, made up of only three people, but louder than any of the other bands on the bill. They brought in the heavy artillery when they opened with Metallica's "Seek and Destroy." Their set was the time for any parents in the audience to step outside and get some fresh air. Those who could stand the wall of sound and driving double distorted guitars got to enjoy some real hardcore. I love it.
Next up was The Wave, a trio of middle schoolers whose playing resurrects the spirit of the great classic rock gods. They boast an arsenal of cover songs and even have a few originals under their belts.
Faith In Failure was next. These guys are just nuts. It's not so much about the precision of the musicianship, but more how hard they can jam. The energy is awesome, the tunes simple. The rubber gas mask was alarming, their jokes crude. Fear them in five years.
One of my favorites of the young local breed is Body For Karate, a quartet of bass, keys/synth, drums, ukulele– and kazoo, Gameboy, or just about anything else they can find. They write intelligent original music but don't take themselves too seriously. Their set elicited a lot of energy from the crowd. I think it was the kazoo.
Finally, Bad Karma took the stage. The bass player pointed out to the crowd, nodding in thanks for the support, and then ripped through a few classic standards and originals. They even were bold enough to tackle Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb."
All in all the evening was a big success. After I ate my fair share of pizza and drank about five Route 66 Root Beers, I was tanked. Funny thing, it was only 9:30pm. Six bands in four hours for three bucks. What a bargain.
Band Fest


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Canon Digital IXUS 990 IS Review
Image Quality
All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 12 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 3Mb.
The Canon Digital IXUS 990 IS produces images of good quality. The biggest issue is noise and loss of detail at relatively slow ISO speeds. The 1/2.33 inch, 12 megapixel sensor recorded noise-free images at ISO 80 and 100, but there's already some noise and slight colour desaturation at ISO 200. ISO 400 shows a little more noise and loss of colour, and ISO 800 and 1600 are even worse, with obvious loss of fine detail and a distinct colour shift. The Canon Digital IXUS 990 IS handled chromatic aberrations well, with limited purple fringing effects appearing only in high contrast situations and generally at the edges of the frame. The built-in flash worked well indoors, with a little red-eye and good overall exposure. The night photograph was excellent, with the maximum shutter speed of 15 seconds being long enough for most after-dark shots. Anti-shake is a feature that sets this camera apart from its competitors and one that works very well when hand-holding the camera in low-light conditions or when using the telephoto end of the zoom range. Macro performance is excellent, allowing you to focus as close as 2 cms away from the subject. The images were a little soft straight out of the Canon Digital IXUS 990 IS at the default sharpening setting and ideally require some further sharpening in an application like Adobe Photoshop, or you can change the in-camera setting. The lens exhibits quite obvious barrel distortion at the 37mm wide-angle setting.
There are 6 ISO settings available on the Canon Digital IXUS 990 IS. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting.
ISO 80 (100% Crop)
ISO 100 (100% Crop)
ISO 200 (100% Crop)
ISO 400 (100% Crop)
ISO 800 (100% Crop)
ISO 1600 (100% Crop)
Here are two 100% Crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are a little soft at the default sharpening setting and benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. You can also change the in-camera sharpening level to suit your tastes via the My Colors menu option.
Original (100% Crop)
Sharpened (100% Crop)
File Quality
The Canon Digital IXUS 990 IS has 2 different image quality settings available, with Fine being the highest quality option. Here are some 100% crops which show the quality of the various options, with the file size shown in brackets.
|12M Fine (2.93Mb) (100% Crop)
|12M Normal (1.28Mb) (100% Crop)
Chromatic Aberrations
The Canon Digital IXUS 990 IS handled chromatic aberrations very well during the review, with limited purple fringing present around the edges of objects in certain high-contrast situations, as shown in the examples below.
Example 1 (100% Crop)
Example 2 (100% Crop)
The Canon Digital IXUS 990 IS offers a Macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is 2cms away from the camera when the lens is set to wide-angle. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.
Macro Shot
100% Crop
The flash settings on the Canon Digital IXUS 990 IS are Auto, Flash On, Slow Synchro, and Flash Off, with Red-eye Correction and Red-Eye Lamp settings available via the Flash Settings main menu option. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.
Flash Off - Wide Angle (37mm)
Flash On - Wide Angle (37mm)
Flash Off - Telephoto (185mm)
Flash On - Telephoto (185mm)
And here are some portrait shots. As you can see, both the Flash On or the Red-eye Correction settings caused a small amount of red-eye.
Flash On
|Flash On (100% Crop)
Red-eye Correction
Red-eye Correction (100% Crop)
The Canon Digital IXUS 990 IS's maximum shutter speed is 15 seconds in the Long Shutter mode, which is good news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 5 seconds at ISO 80. I've included a 100% crop of the image to show what the quality is like. The camera takes the same amount of time again to apply noise reduction, so for example at the 5 second setting the actual exposure takes 10 seconds.
Night Shot
Night Shot (100% Crop)
Anti Shake
The Canon Digital IXUS 990 IS has an anti-shake mechanism, which allows you to take sharp photos at slower shutter speeds than other digital cameras. To test this, I took 2 handheld shots of the same subject with the same settings. The first shot was taken with anti shake turned off, the second with it turned on. Here are some 100% crops of the images to show the results. As you can see, with anti shake turned on, the images are much sharper than with anti shake turned off. This feature really does seem to make a difference and could mean capturing a successful, sharp shot or missing the opportunity altogether.
Shutter Speed / Focal Length
Anti Shake Off (100% Crop)
Anti Shake On (100% Crop)
|1/5th / 37mm
|0.5sec / 185mm


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Klodo vom Boxberg - The "NEW" Type Seen in GSD Breed Development Program in North American Lines
|Klodo von Boxburg. SCHH, Kkl 1; Born: 20. August 1921
Captain Stephanitz along with his fellow breed wardens took serious action, and at the 1925 Sieger show von Stephanitz selected Klodo von Boxberg as world sieger.
About Klodo von Boxberg
Klodo von Boxberg was much different from the dogs that had become world seiger before him. He was not a big dog. A medium sized specimen, Klodo was of lower station, deeper and longer in body. He had a short loin and exhibited far-reaching gait. His typical non-exaggerated anatomical structure and marvelous gait made him stand out, and potentially symbolized a "NEW" typology of shepherd
1925 - Klodo was adopted by A. Gilbert of Maraldene Kennels in Hamden, Connecticut and was shipped to America. Henceforth Klodo had been intensively used by Maraldene Kennels in its breeding program and he produce several top class progenitors, thereby contributing to the North American lines. Read more...


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New Dell PowerEdge: More power, deeper management
- 23 March, 2012 00:50
The Dell PowerEdge R720xd is one of the first offerings in Dell's new, 12th-generation PowerEdge server lineup. It's basically an expanded version of the PowerEdge 720 and oriented toward fast, well-managed file, virtualization, and storage workloads. That means the box has a distinguished pedigree to live up to, and after putting the R720xd through its paces, I'm sure its lineage won't be disappointed.
The R720xd's hardware muscle ups the performance bar from its 11-gen siblings -- for example, delivering 53 percent more OLTP performance than the previous-gen R710. Aside from the obligatory boost in horsepower, it's clear that Dell has concentrated much of its design efforts on remote server management.
[ Also on InfoWorld: First look: Dell Opteron server cranks up the cores with AMD 'Interlagos' | Virtualization shoot-out: Citrix, Microsoft, Red Hat, and VMware ]
I really liked the iDRAC7/LC combination (long form: the Dell Integrated Remote Access Controller v7 and the Dell Lifecycle Controller). The agent-less feature is nice, and it isn't tied to a single OS or third-party management platform. You can go ahead and use Dell's OpenManage or similar platforms from CA, HP, IBM, or Microsoft. The iDRAC7/LC combo is also a standard feature on all Dell 12G machines, so there's only one learning curve for the entire line. I wasn't able to test the long-term lifecycle or tracking features, but discovery was fast, and the setup and configuration wizards were very easy.
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A History of Smithsonian-FBI Collaboration in Forensic Anthropology, Especially in Regard to Facial Imagery, by Ubelaker (Forensic Science Communications, October 2000)
October 2000 - Volume 2 - Number 4
A History of Smithsonian–FBI Collaboration in Forensic Anthropology, Especially in Regard to Facial Imagery
Douglas H. Ubelaker
Curator, Department of Anthropology
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC
Paper presented at the 9th Biennial Meeting of the International Association
for Craniofacial Identification, FBI, Washington, DC
July 24, 2000
Introduction History | Photographic Superimposition | Facial Reproduction | Summary | References
For more than 60 years, physical anthropologists at the Smithsonian Institution have provided continuous consultation in forensic anthropology to their neighbors in Washington, DC—the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This work has involved recovery of evidence at the scene; determination of human or nonhuman status; estimation of sex, age at death, ancestry, living stature, and time since death; evaluation of postmortem change and trauma; and other factors that contribute to identification, including facial reproduction and photographic superimposition. Although the nature and intensity of this consultation have evolved over the decades, its roots extend to the very foundation of American physical anthropology.
Aleš Hrdli…ka (1869-1943) is widely regarded as a key figure in the early history of American physical anthropology. Hrdli…ka immigrated to the United States from Bohemia in 1881 and later received medical training in New York. As his interests shifted to anthropology, he was hired in 1903 as the first curator of physical anthropology at the Smithsonian. He remained there for the rest of his extremely productive career (retired in 1942 and died in 1943) and amassed large collections of human remains in support of his research.
Although Hrdli…ka was best known for his contributions to other aspects of physical anthropology (Stewart 1940), he also played an important role in the early development of forensic anthropology (Ubelaker 1999a). Early in his career, he had been active professionally on various medico-legal issues, such as the biological basis for abnormal behavior and aspects of epilepsy and insanity as they relate to criminal behavior. As his interests shifted toward comparative human osteology and anthropology in general, he gradually became involved in problems within the area of physical anthropology that is recognized today as forensic anthropology.
As early as June 13, 1936, Hrdli…ka's scholarship attracted the attention of the FBI. Referencing his testimony before a committee of the House of Representatives, FBI officials noted his impressive credentials and described him as "the best informed man in the United States on anthropology" (Ubelaker 1999a:728). A month later, the FBI advised its Jacksonville office to contact Hrdli…ka on a forensic matter.
More formal consultation between Hrdli…ka and the FBI followed. On February 11, 1938, the Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover (1895-1972), wrote to the Secretary of the Smithsonian, C. G. Abbot, requesting Hrdli…ka's assistance in evaluating specimens thought to be human. He wrote, "In view of the fact that the Bureau's Technical laboratory does not have facilities to conduct such examination it will be appreciated if the Anthropological Laboratories will conduct this examination and report upon the results of their examination. In accordance with previous arrangements the specimens will be delivered by a representative of the Bureau's Technical laboratory." This brief summary of the arrangement describes the essence of the process that has continued uninterrupted to the present.
Records are not entirely clear, but those available suggest Hrdli…ka reported on at least 37 cases for the FBI and corresponded with FBI Director Hoover on related matters (Ubelaker 1999b). Hrdli…ka did not publish directly on this work, and even his long-term assistant, T. D. Stewart (1901-1997), had minimal knowledge of this area of his activity (Ubelaker 2000). However, on at least these 37 occasions, Hrdli…ka offered opinions as to whether remains were of human origin, and if so, the age at death, antiquity, sex, stature, ancestry, and evidence of foul play.
There is no evidence that Hrdli…ka attempted or was involved directly with facial reproduction from crania. In fact, in his report of a 1940 case that was apparently studied at the request of the FBI, Hrdli…ka declined a request of the originating office for a facial reproduction, arguing that the process is "while practicable to some extent, unsafe and could readily prove fallacious" (Ubelaker 1999a:727). Although Hrdli…ka obviously did not have a high opinion of facial reproduction, he apparently was aware of its applications. His personal offprint files include a December 10, 1916, newspaper clipping from the Sun in Baltimore, Maryland, describing a clay facial reproduction that led to an identification in a New York case (Ubelaker 1999a:727).
Working on an Arizona case in 1932, Hrdli…ka did attempt his own comparison of a recovered skull with stereoscopic photographs of the person likely represented. Hrdli…ka viewed the photographs through a stereoscope and then compared the three-dimensional head shape with the submitted skull. In his carefully worded conclusion, Hrdli…ka wrote, "My examination discloses that all features of this skull closely correspond with the aforementioned photographs and information, and not a single feature fails to correspond. Furthermore, the mere fact that the skulls of different individuals greatly vary, in view of the aforementioned close correspondence, indicates that this skull is in all probability that of [the missing person]" (Ubelaker 1999a:727-728). Note that although details of exactly how the comparison was conducted are not available, the effort preceded the well-known work of Glaister and Brash in the Scotland case (Ubelaker 1994) by three years.
When Hrdli…ka retired in 1942 and died in 1943, he was succeeded as Smithsonian Curator of physical anthropology by his student and associate of many years, T. D. Stewart. Stewart also assumed the role of primary consultant in forensic anthropology for the FBI and personally reported on at least 167 cases between 1946 and 1969, mostly of skeletonized human remains submitted to the FBI from law enforcement agencies. When Stewart was not available, others at the Smithsonian, especially Marshall T. Newman (1911-1996), examined the FBI cases, but Stewart remained the primary contact from about 1943 to 1962.
Like Hrdli…ka, Stewart adopted a cautious approach to facial reproduction and did not use the technique in his own casework. In an early review of facial reproduction (1954) Stewart was critical. In his 1979 discussion of the technique, however, he was more positive, apparently influenced by the experiments reported by Snow et al. (1970). In 1983, Stewart himself contributed to the developing science of facial reproduction by dissecting cadavers to define the relationship between Whitnall tubercles and the location of the points of attachment of the palpebral ligaments (Stewart 1983).
In 1962, Stewart accepted a position as Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and no longer had time for major casework. Responsibility for the FBI casework shifted to J. Lawrence Angel (1915-1986), a very prominent but newly hired physical anthropologist and anatomist. Although Angel had little prior experience with forensic work, he adjusted quickly (Stewart 1979), and by the end of his career he was widely recognized as a leader in the field. He remained the primary FBI consultant for the following 15 years and reported on 646 cases for the FBI and other agencies between 1962 and 1986. These cases included facial reproductions that on at least one occasion led to a positive identification (Cherry and Angel 1977). In 1986, Angel summarized many of his attitudes and anatomical approaches to facial reproduction.
In 1977, Angel pursued a much-deserved sabbatical year focusing on research writing, and I accepted his invitation and that of the FBI to assume responsibility for the FBI casework. This consultation is ongoing, and to date I have reported on 667 cases beginning in 1975, 404 of which originated from the FBI. Of these 404 FBI cases, 12 (3 percent) involved techniques of photographic superimposition, and 35 (9 percent) involved facial reproduction.
Figure 1 plots the percentage of FBI cases I studied over a 22-year period between 1978 and 2000 that included facial reproduction or photographic superimposition. Information after 1980 is grouped into five-year periods to examine long-term trends. This figure reveals a steady increase in requests for facial reproduction, likely reflecting increasing awareness of the value of this technique.
The figure also reveals that attempts at photographic superimposition began in 1990. Requests for this technique peaked in the 1990-1994 period and subsequently declined, with last use of the technique occurring in 1996. These frequencies appear to reflect the availability of the necessary equipment and expertise in 1990, coupled with awareness of the value of this approach in the forensic science and law enforcement communities. The decline in use likely reflects both the increased awareness of the limitations of this technique and the greater availability of more precise methods of identification, especially the molecular approaches.
Figure 2 presents the percentage of FBI cases studied by me that involved these two techniques, plotted for each year. Although the chart displays some temporal variability, it provides general documentation of the increasing temporal importance of these two techniques in the FBI experience. In 1995, these two techniques combined accounted for more than 60 percent of FBI forensic anthropology cases.
Anthropological involvement in photographic superimposition and facial reproduction varies greatly depending on the remains and associated information presented. Submission of a full skeleton that has not been previously studied calls for a full anthropological analysis. This involves determining as many characteristics of the individual as possible and calling attention to those features most useful in facial comparisons and/or reproduction. Many of these analytical foci (human or not, sex, age at death, ancestry, time since death, living stature, evidence of disease or treatment of disease, taphonomical assessment, and evidence of foul play) date back to the days of Hrdli…ka. However, the specific techniques used and the accuracy of the methodology have changed dramatically (Ubelaker 1999c). Full anthropological analysis likely will reveal characteristics that were previously unknown and critical to the facial work (e.g., sex, age at death, ancestry, and general build). This information is needed not only to emphasize appropriate features in reproductions, but also to utilize appropriate soft tissue-depth data.
In addition, anthropological analysis serves to call attention to specific cranial-facial details that need to be incorporated into the reproduction or especially considered in photographic superimposition. Such features routinely consist of the size and shape of the supraorbital ridges; shape characteristics of the nasal area, as suggested by the morphology of the nasal spine and nasal bones; evidence of healed trauma; and unusual dental features, especially prognathism and unusual dental occlusion. These features can be highly individualistic and very useful for identification purposes. Experience is required to properly interpret such features and judge their uniqueness and likely expression in the living.
Some cases are submitted with aspects of this forensic information provided from other sources or from previous analysis by other specialists. In such cases, the remains are examined generally to ensure that observations are consistent with the information provided, and then the features specifically required for the technique requested are assessed. For example, such a case might consist of a relatively complete, slightly decomposed body recovered by a medical examiner for which standard autopsy procedures and soft tissue observations suggested sex, age at death, and ancestry. If no contradictory observations were made, anthropological analysis would focus on those features of the face most useful for the procedure requested.
Photographic Superimposition
Figure 3. A 1991 example
The technique of photographic superimposition is employed in situations in which investigation has suggested the likelihood that a set of remains relates to a particular missing person for whom photographs are available, but positive identification has not yet been established. In such cases, images of the skull can be compared with the submitted photographs to establish the probability of identification. This procedure is most useful for exclusion, but positive identification is possible depending upon the uniqueness of the features observed. Comparisons are conducted through the use of digitized images on a computer in the manner described by Ubelaker et al. (1992). Figure 3 presents an example dating from 1991. As noted above, requests for this technique have diminished as molecular approaches have increasingly become available.
Facial Reproduction
Techniques of facial reproduction have evolved over time on FBI cases, although the nature of anthropological input has largely remained constant. Throughout my years of involvement, this process has begun with the necessary anthropological analysis, placement of appropriate depth markers on the skull, and my selection of likely corresponding facial components from a large selection of facial photographs. The work then shifts to the FBI artist, who must marry the skull image and all information provided in an appropriate way. The manner in which individual artists choose to work varies with individual preferences and training. Most of the reproductions done during my early years of consultation involved individual sketches, sometimes using overlays of skull photographs.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, computer approaches became available to facilitate the process of facial reproduction. One such approach, in which the skull image and facial components are digitized through the use of a video camera and then adjusted as needed using computer software, is summarized by Ubelaker and O'Donnell (1992). Variations of this approach continue to be used today depending on the preferences of the artist involved. Having the images available on computer provides a key advantage in facilitating the final comparison of the reproduction with the underlying skeletal tissue to make the reproduction as accurate as possible.
In a typical case, after I discuss the biological features and select the proper facial components, the forensic artist will complete the reproduction using techniques of individual choice. We then have a final review session, usually involving a computerized comparison of the suggested reproduction with the submitted remains, and agree on any additional changes that are needed. This collaborative team approach works well in my experience and brings to the case both an anthropological and an artistic perspective.
Figures 4 through 15 present 12 facial reproductions generated from FBI cases dating from 1978 through 1998. Collectively, these figures document a diversity of presentation that largely reflects variability in artistic approach.
Techniques of photographic superimposition and facial reproduction continue to represent a fascinating blend of art and science. As we learn more about the correlations of facial hard tissue anatomy and soft tissue facial features, and as artistic technique continues to become more powerful, we can only expect the impact of these procedures in forensic science to increase. As noted by Stewart in 1979, there is continued reason for optimism.
Angel, J. L. Graphic reproduction of head and face from the skull, Scientific Illustration–1986 (1986):6–8.
Cherry, D. G. and Angel, J. L. Personality reconstruction from unidentified remains, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin (1977) 48(8):12–15.
Snow, C. C., Gatliff, B. P., and McWilliams, K. R. Reconstruction of facial features from the skull: An evaluation of its usefulness in forensic anthropology, American Journal of Physical Anthropology (1970) 33:221–227.
Stewart, T. D. The life and writings of Dr. Aleš Hrdli…ka (1869–1939), American Journal of Physical Anthropology (1940) XXVI:3–40.
Stewart, T. D. Evaluation of evidence from the skeleton. In: Legal Medicine. Ed. R. B. H. Gradwohl. Mosby, St. Louis, 1954, pp. 407–450.
Stewart, T. D. Essentials of Forensic Anthropology. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, 1979.
Stewart, T. D. J. Lawrence Angel, American Journal of Physical Anthropology (1979) 51:507–516.
Stewart, T. D. The points of attachment of the palpebral ligaments: Their use in facial reconstructions on the skull, Journal of Forensic Sciences (1983) 28:858–863.
Ubelaker, D. H. Cranial photographic superimposition. In: Forensic Sciences, Vol. 2. Ed. C. H. Wecht. Matthew Bender, New York, 1994, pp. 27C-1–27C-39.
Ubelaker, D. H. Aleš Hrdli…ka's role in the history of forensic anthropology, Journal of Forensic Sciences (1999a) 44:724–730.
Ubelaker, D. H. The legacy of Aleš Hrdli…ka in Smithsonian forensic anthropology, IVth International Congress of Aleš Hrdli…ka—Aleš Hrdli…ka—130th Anniversary of Birth. Ed. M. Prokopec. Czech Anthropological Society, Prague, 1999b, pp. 17–21.
Ubelaker, D. H. Human Skeletal Remains: Excavation, Analysis, Interpretation, 3rd ed. Taraxacum, Washington, DC, 1999c.
Ubelaker, D. H. The forensic anthropology legacy of T. Dale Stewart (1901-1997), Journal of Forensic Sciences (2000) 45:245–252.
Ubelaker, D. H., Bubniak, E., and O'Donnell, G. E. Computer-assisted photographic superimposition, Journal of Forensic Sciences (1992) 37:750–762.
Ubelaker, D. H. and O'Donnell, G. E. Computer-assisted facial reproduction, Journal of Forensic Sciences (1992) 37:155–162.


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FunStuff: Charlottesville events August 23 and beyond
Not just Hacking around
The original Americana band is back, they're more handsome than ever, and– if that weren't exciting enough– founder David Sickmen has returned to the fold. Fresh from a European and all-over-America tour, one of the biggest acts ever to emerge from Charlottesville, the Hackensaw Boys, returns to its roots for a big Friday-night homecoming at a venue whose front woodwork Sickmen himself actually refinished. That's no joke, and neither is the music from this eight-man acoustic unit that mixes old-times sounds with modern sensibilities. With Jim Waive & The Young Divorcees.
August 24, Jefferson Theater, 8pm doors, $13-15
Four-day fill-up
Charlottesville's cute little non-profit school for writers has hundreds of new and used books that it wants you to buy as a benefit to your brain– and the group's finances. With prices said to be 50 to 99 percent off the cover price, this Thursday-through-Sunday Summer Book Sale will also include CDs, audiobooks, and DVDs. It all benefits this next-door-to-the-downtown-Bodo's institution located at 508 Dale Avenue. Odd hours though: Thursday Noon-8pm, Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 8am-7pm, and the final day– Sunday 8am-7pm– allows bargain hunters to fill a bag for $7.
August 23-26, Writerhouse, various hours, free till you buy
And she's buying….
Remember all those rumors of a Led Zep reunion? Well, since it hasn't materialized, this may just be your best bet to climb the stairway to heaven and somehow feel a whole lotta love from what may have been the biggest of the monster bands of the 1970s, Led Zeppelin. It's Zoso, which has been hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "head and shoulders above all other Zeppelin tributes." Touring nationally since 1999 and performing as many as 180 concerts each year, they seem to meet the Malcolm Gladwell test of practice, practice, practice. And not only do the four guys play vintage instruments but they also bring out visual imagery to recreate the magic and mystery of a real Led Zep concert (so you can photograph your friends like this).
August 29, Jefferson Theater, doors at 7pm, $12-$15
Paddle your friends
You can't really walk in the footsteps of Thomas Jefferson until you've gotten on your knees in a canoe. And that's not a lascivious statement; it's just that the Rivanna River was the main mode of transport in the early days of Charlottesville, and now you've got a chance to see Charlottesville as TJ did– from the water. So join the Sierra club for an afternoon of paddling down the Rivanna. The fee includes canoe or kayak rental and a shuttle back to the starting point. They'll meet at the Barracks Road Shopping Center and then car-pool south to the Crofton-to-Palmyra stretch. For more information and to reserve a spot, call Dave Redding at 434 -218-3146
August 26, meet-up at Barracks, 1-6pm, $30
Chefs in training
If you're like us, you think mac n' cheese is bland kid food. But one of the roving cooking schools in town promises to elevate this lunchtime staple a few notches with basil and tomato. That's just one of the dishes that Charlottesville Wine & Culinary will offer at its upcoming mid-day Sunday participation-style cooking class held in the intimate kitchen of the winery located at 1650 Harris Creek Road (just off U.S. 20 toward Scottsville). The menu, which also includes "breast of chicken Diane" and a "sinful" chocolate truffle torte, will be paired with First Colony wines and savored by the student chefs in the dining room– or al fresco on the deck if weather permits. Make a reservation for this lunchtime event by calling 434-979-7105.
August 26, First Colony Winery, 11am-2pm, $65
By the pool
Have you heard about these special concerts at Charlottesville's biggest and oldest pool? Well, the next one features the Buzzard Hollow Boys. We think they sound like the result of a crash between a pickup truck filled with blues musicians and one filled with country crooners, and we mean that in a nice way. You can decide for yourself this Saturday under the big ole oak trees at this Jefferson Park Avenue institution. Bring yer own lawn chair. Food and bevvies for sale. Bonus: swimming. Extra bonus: while teens need to pay the cover charge, younger kids are free.
August 25, Fry's Spring Beach Club, 5:30-8:30, $5
Get another prom
Ever wish you could get a prom-night do-over? Main Street Arena and MoRawk Events present Prom: Take 2 to benefit the Sexual Assault Resource Agency. The musical spotlight will be on Soul Transit Authority with a mix of Motown and soul of the '50s through the '70s– with special guest DJ SuperJock JJ. And then later on the music shifts to the 80s, 90s and today with DJ Frenchbraid. There will be prizes for the best dressed from each era at this Saturday night event downtown.
August 25, Main Street Arena, 8pm-2am, $15
You're probably not lukewarm on Pretty Lights, aka Derek Vincent Smith, as his unique blend of hip-hop, synth, and sampling is not for everyone. But this emotion-filled Colorado-based musician brings not only danceable music but a state of-the-art light show at our town's biggest outdoor venue for a Thursday night fandango that's sure to have thousands of people dancing on the east end of the Downtown Mall.
August 30, nTelos Wireless Pavilion, doors at 6pm, $28
Start 'em quick
If you want to help a kid learn a lifetime sport and get a preview of the fun that can be his or hers this fall via Quickstart Tennis, then bring that kid out to Claudius Crozet Park this Saturday. There, Ellen "Dr. E" Markowitz and fellow pro Chris "Cubby" Cubbage will be serving up fun at a kids tennis festival. It's a special event designed to promote multi-day tennis clinics that will offered by QuickStart Tennis of Central Virginia, a volunteer non-profit group that promotes tennis, particularly for under-served youth. Earlier this summer, foundation donations led to the installation of three mini tennis courts at the park, and the plan is to eventually build a couple of full-size courts there.
August 25, Claudius Crozet Park, 3-5pm, free
Flag-waiving swims
As a small gesture to show gratitude and appreciation for the brave
men and women of the military who served or still serve America, the Albemarle County Parks and Recreation department will waive entry fees into Chris Greene, Walnut Creek, and (shown here) Mint Springs Park for all card-carrying, active-duty military and their immediate family members, as well as card-carrying veterans, for the remainder of the season. Alas, the season kinda ends on August 21, but the beaches reopen the weekends of August 25-26 and September 1-3. And even if you're not a veteran, there's no park user fee collected whenever the beaches are closed, which they surely will be after September 3.
August 25-26, three swimming parks, normal operating hours, free (for military)


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Miramax is teaming up with Martin Scorsese to adapt the film Gangs of New York, which was inspired by a non-fiction book of the same name, for television, according to The Wrap.
The 2002 film, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel-Day Lewis, focused on the New York gangs that ran the city in the 19th century. The potential series would broaden its scope beyond turn-of-the-century in New York, and examine the rise of organized crime among other cities like Chicago and New Orleans.
Fall TV Scorecard: Renewed or canceled?
"This time and era of America's history and heritage is rich with characters and stories that we could not fully explore in a two-hour film," Scorsese said in statement. "A television series allows us the time and creative freedom to bring this colorful world, and all the implications it had and still does on our society, to life."
Would you watch the series?


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Recipe from Scott Boswell Indianapolis, Ind.
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 20 min
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 clove of fresh garlic (can substitute jarred minced garlic)
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
McCormick's citrus griller seasoning
4 cups of desired pasta
1 jar of desired spaghetti sauce
1. Cook pasta til tender or desired tenderness.
2. Place extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet and bring to high heat. Mince one clove of garlic or use 2 tablespoons of jarred minced garlic.
3. Cut 1 green bell pepper and 1 red bell into long strips and place in the skillet. Season one side of the chicken on a plate then place the chicken seasoning side down into the skillet. Season the other side of the chicken and cook chicken til completely done.
4. Heat sauce. Place a healthy portion of pasta on a plate, cover with sauce and then place one chicken breast on the pasta and cover with peppers.
Best served with Red Wine.
Yield: Recipe as written will serve 4. Can be changed with number of chicken breast.
*DISCLAIMER*: The information contained in or provided through this site section is intended for general consumer understanding and education only and is not intended to be and is not a substitute for professional advice. Use of this site section and any information contained on or provided through this site section is at your own risk and any information contained on or provided through this site section is provided on an "as is" basis without any representations or warranties.


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Swish - Light Green Stock Coaster / 95mm Round
Stock drink coasters are a coaster which has just been printed with a generic print 1 side or plain white. These are cheaper in cost then custom print coasters as we can mass produce these and store them in our warehouse ready to dispatch as orders are made.
• STOCK: 365gsm beermat board - matt uncoated absorbent stock
• INTERNATIONAL ORDERS: Please contact Coaster Kings for a quote. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Resources for running a parish using business' best practices
Boston College's School of Theology and Ministry
Mendoza College of Business, Notre Dame, Master of Nonprofit Administration
Seton Hall University's summer programs
Villanova University's Center for Church Management
Conference for Pastoral Planning and Council Development
National Association for Lay Ministry
National Association of Church Personnel Administrators
National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association
National Federation of Priests Councils
National Leadership Roundtable for Church Management
Publications, some free to download
Servant Leadership Models for Your Parish, by Dan Ebener
What Makes Us Catholic, by Thomas H. Groome
Keeping the Covenant: Taking the Parish to the Next Level, by Tom Sweetser, S.J.
The Mission Driven Parish by Patrick Brennan
Non-profit Governance, by John Tropman and Thomas Harvey
Best Practices in Parish Stewardship by Charles E. Zech
Best Practices in Catholic Pastoral and Finance Councils by Charles E. Zech
The Parish Management Handbook: A Practical Guide for Pastors, Administrators, and Other Parish Leaders by Charles E. Zech
Other Resources
Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project
Co-workers in the Vineyard of the Lord
This article appeared in the July 2011 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 76, No. 7, pages 12-17).
Image: Erin Drewitz


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A Vital Leadership Competency for the 21st Century08 May, 2012 | (01 hr)
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- What leaders need to know about coaching ...and what they don't
- Coaching as an investment that builds organisational capability
- How to facilitate change and improve your company culture with coaching
Angela Jones
Angela has more than 20 years' varied experience in business management and has also worked across Europe in the not-for-profit sector, helping leading organisations to achieve sustainable excellence in management. Her career has included senior roles in Barclays Bank plc and the EFQM (Euro...Full Bio
Beverley Robinson
Before setting up RobinsonHenry, Beverley spent more than 20 years working as a senior manager for a leading player in the global ICT industry. She has broad international corporate communications experience across all constituencies, including media, investment analysts, government (local and na...Full Bio
Bert Colijn
Bert Colijn is a senior economist that focuses on the European market. He works on the European Commission FP7 project NEUJOBS, focusing on productivity and economic growth in Europe in 2025. Besides this, he works on developing European indicators and analysis of the European economies.
...Full Bio


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2 search results
Range Ecology and Management
Range Ecology and Management is designed to develop students' understanding of rangeland ecosystems and sustainable forage production.This binder does not contain all lesson plans for this course. This content can be used with any textbook or instructional...
- Grade Range: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Postsecondary
Scope and Sequence: Range Ecology and Management
CTE TEKS - Implemented 2017-2018, adopted in 2015Range Ecology and Management course scope and sequence within the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Career Cluster® summarizes the content to be taught, and one possible order for teaching the units of instruction. A brief...
- Resource ID: 19281
- Grade Range: 10, 11, 12


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Who doesn't like french toast? I never really eat it, but when I do, I always think why has it been so long. And then another three years go by before I have it again. Such a shame because it's so good and gives me a reason to eat syrup.
I have been craving it for several weeks now, so I thought I would make baked french toast.
These were so fun and easy. I love how cute they came out served in individual dishes.
You can have them whipped up in a snap and save them for later to serve.
Cut 1/2 to 3/4-inch slices of French Bread.
Mine were somewhere in between so that I could fit three pieces into these cute little dishes I had.
And I'm so sorry. I have absolutely no idea where I bought them.
Marshall's and TJ Maxx always have cute little dishes on sale though. Maybe it was there.
Eggs. Milk. Cream. Off to a good start.
Sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Even better.
Whisk it all together until blended.
And then dip your bread slices in the mixture and soak up all that goodness.
Place three slices of coated bread in each dish.
And stuff a couple of bananas in between each slice.
But first coat the bananas in the same mixture and then dip them in brown sugar.
Oh yeah!
Stuffed. Next time, I'll stuff two on each side instead of one.
Let the dishes chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
When your ready to bake, mix a little brown sugar and butter and sprinkle on top.
When they are done, you'll end up with these baked banana bread beauties.
Just sprinkle some powdered sugar on. Some sugar? … or a lot.
I lean towards a lot.
Pour maple syrup on top and you are good to go.
Yum! Yum!
Baked Banana French Toast Cups
1 small loaf french bread
4 eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large banana
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
Powdered sugar
Maple syrup
- Coat six 4 oz. ramekins with non-stick spray.
- Cut french bread into 18 slices. Cut them about 1/2 – 3/4 inch thick. Make sure three will fit in each dish easily.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla until blended.
- Place sliced bread in bowl to coat.
- Place three slices of bread into each dish.
- Cut banana into 12 or more slices. Coat slices with mixture and then dip coated bananas in 2 tablespoons brown sugar and stuff in between bread.
- Transfer dishes to a baking sheet. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight.
- When you are ready to bake, mix together remaining 4 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon butter and sprinkle over bread.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.
- Enjoy warm with powdered sugar and maple syrup.
- Makes six.
And just curious, which way do you lean with your syrup?
Waffles? Pancakes? or French Toast?


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If happiness is a place, would that be Bhutan? "Bhutan, happiness is a place," is how the Kingdom will be presented globally by the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB). The national flower, the Blue Poppy, blossoming above the text and tag line, is the new logo that the TCB has endorsed as what best reflects the essence of Bhutan and Gross National Happiness.
As the popularity of Bhutan keeps growing, TCB went through exhaustive research on finding the best way to showcase the nation as an exclusive high-end destination.
The task at hand was to enhance the uniqueness of the nation, its culture, tradition, environment, architecture and religion together with the philosophy of Gross National Happiness and merge them seamlessly into one logo.
The team did intensive research, reaching out to hundreds of respondents including tourism stakeholders for feedback on their impressions of Bhutan. Parameters were drawn and rankings made on the various unique selling points (USP) of the nation.
The logo of Bhutan had to accomplish multiple functions. Potential visitors had to grasp the essence of and experience Bhutan the moment they looked at the logo. To that end, various ventures were undertaken to determine the hierarchy of needs. Two pyramids – Maslow's hierarchy and tourism motivations were compared. Maslow's theory of motivation was extended to the motivations for tourism; self-actualization and deep personal experiences were found to be at peak of both the pyramids. Further more social needs and social experiences were at the base. These have been duly taken into consideration. An interesting feature is the Hofstede grid which provides an insightful review of Bhutan. Happiness has irrefutably been proven as the core and the true essence of Bhutan.
The process started with the insight – people are happiest with the simplest things in life. A rainbow and a child's smile can make people happier than material needs. Real happiness can be found in the simplest of things.
That is when the Blue Poppy (Meconopsis grandis) came to the fore as the true representation of happiness. It symbolizes the very essence of Bhutan and reflects its true uniqueness in all its beauty. The other considerations were:
* It is the national flower of Bhutan.
* A flower evokes feelings of love and is associated with happiness in general.
* It suggests a non-materialistic pursuit of happiness.
* Finding bliss in a beautiful flower signifies harmony and endless peace. Thus, it signifies finding happiness in the simplest of things.
Following continued consultation and discussions, the logo was unanimously selected. And so, TCB is pleased to present 'Bhutan; happiness is a place.'
Source: http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/42216-%22Bhutan,-happiness-is-a-place%22,-new-campaign-for-the-Kingdom-of-Bhutan


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Silver Jews: David Berman clears things up
Silver Jews mastermind David Berman has been distancing himself from the rock success story of fellow UVA alums Pavement over the course of the past few albums, determined in his attempts to establish the Jews as a quirky indie rock voice for his witty inner monologue. Case in point: Berman has been to hell and back with drug abuse and a suicide attempt since the last album, and his darker days have manifested themselves as songs like "Sometimes A Pony Gets Depressed."
And if the critical acclaim pouring in for the Jews these days is any indication, Pavement frontman and former Silver Jew Stephen Malkmus probably isn't too happy about being left out of this one.
The Hook: You're not down with the characterization of the Silver Jews as a "Pavement side project." What is it about that label that you find most unfair?
David Berman: It would be hard for me to re-activate the feelings of entitlement I had in my youth right here, but in the five years since [Pavement] broke up, it hasn't been an issue of importance to me. This far into the Silver Jews' life, the project is so fundamentally "old man" compared to Pavement, it seems cute and oddly wannabe to think that I once imagined myself to be a part of "youth culture."
The Hook: During your time at UVA, you used to play around these parts under the name Ectoslavia. Who were your favorite local musicians back then?
David Berman: Even back in the '80s Charlottesville was the carrier of a jazz-rock pathogen that killed entire rock scenes in the cradle and prevented post-adolescent expression of any kind in local venues. Noodling prevailed on every stage. Strangely enough, it was all forced on the town by selfish fusion guys and King Crimson fans who had been too hippy for the urban markets. With no invitation that I could see from the young people who needed rock at the time, [those fusion guys] turned C'ville into an expert's paradise, where decade-long explorations into fretting technique, into false frontiers, yielded zero– nothing important to add to what we already knew about the Barney Miller theme, yet rendered the whole area, nay era, unfit for rock and roll or sexual pleasure.
The Hook: Which venues do you remember most clearly?
David Berman: Trax and the C&O. I remember seeing Green on Red two months after college began at the Mineshaft in November 1985. Sigma Nu was where the freaks and hippies tripped and jammed for days. You'd find yourself doing bong hits on the ninth floor next to a Sigma Nu with long gray beard that reached the floor who would slowly reveal to you that there were only four floors and that he hadn't been downstairs since Lennon was shot.
The Hook: You've been through a lot of personal issues since 2001's Bright Flight. Do you think listeners will be able to hear anything therapeutic in the newest album, Tanglewood Numbers?
David Berman: Some have. Some will.
The Hook: The four-year gap between these two albums was the longest break since The Silver Jews got started in the early 1990s. How did that change the composition process?
David Berman: I'm playing to win now. I'm going to endure until all of us prevail.
The Silver Jews play Thursday, March 16 at the Satellite Ballroom.
David Berman


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DoktorandinRahn, Jette
| firstname.lastname@example.com
Telefon: +49(0)345 557-44 42 (Büro)
Telefon: +49(0)345 557-50 59 (Proteomlabor)
Telefon: +49(0)345 557-50 60 (Zellkultur)
Fax: +49(0)345 557-40 55
Publikationen der letzten fünf Jahre:
2017 Loss of epithelium-specific GPx2 results in aberrant cell fate decisions during intestinal differentiation.
2017 Modulation of MHC class I surface expression in B16F10 melanoma cells by methylseleninic acid.
2017 Altered protein expression pattern in colon tissue of mice upon supplementation with distinct selenium compounds.
2017 Individual effects of different selenocompounds on the hepatic proteome and energy metabolism of mice.
2016 Redox proteomics: Methods for the identification and enrichment of redox-modified proteins and their applications.
2015 Hydrogen peroxide - production, fate and role in redox signaling of tumor cells.


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friction, resistance offered to the movement of one body past another body with which it is in contact. In certain situations friction is desired. Without friction the wheels of a locomotive could not
gripthe rails nor could power be transmitted by belts. On the other hand, in the moving parts of machines a minimum of friction is desired; an excess of friction produces heat, which in turn causes expansion, the locking of the moving parts, and a consequent breakdown of the machinery. Lubrication is important in minimizing friction as are also such devices as ball and roller bearings.
Sections in this article:
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Physics


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Woman's death prompts call for fire house call boxes
Carla Smith found dead outside fire station
Carla Smith, 39, was found dead in the parking lot next to her car in the Fairfield Township Fire Station early Dec. 22.
Her death has brought a big problem to the attention of township officials: there is no way to call 911 from outside a firehouse.
"It's possible that if they were asleep they wouldn't have heard them knocking on that glass door," said Fairfield Township Fire Department Chief Timothy Thomas.
Thomas said department officials did not know if she made it to the building and tried to go back to the car. He said no one inside the fire station was notified.
A paper deliveryman found Smith's remains the next morning, her car still running. Police reports indicate drug paraphernalia were in her jacket pocket. Thomas said what separated her from first responders inside was a doorbell that was not well marked and a way to call 911.
"There was a lot of concern that had somebody been able to warn them or notify them, had they been there before, who knows what might have happened?" Thomas said.
Smith's death sparked a discussion about the need for call boxes at the fire houses, the local police station, the administration building and the two township parks.
Thomas expects the call box plan to get the green light at Tuesday's trustee meeting. If approved, the call boxes could be installed within two or three weeks.


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Where Clause (Visual Basic)
Specifies the filtering condition for a query.
Where condition
Required. An expression that determines whether the values for the current item in the collection are included in the output collection. The expression must evaluate to a
Boolean value or the equivalent of a
Boolean value. If the condition evaluates to
True, the element is included in the query result; otherwise, the element is excluded from the query result.
Where clause enables you to filter query data by selecting only elements that meet certain criteria. Elements whose values cause the
Where clause to evaluate to
True are included in the query result; other elements are excluded. The expression that is used in a
Where clause must evaluate to a
Boolean or the equivalent of a
Boolean, such as an Integer that evaluates to
False when its value is zero. You can combine multiple expressions in a
Where clause by using logical operators such as
Is, and
By default, query expressions are not evaluated until they are accessed—for example, when they are data-bound or iterated through in a
For loop. As a result, the
Where clause is not evaluated until the query is accessed. If you have values external to the query that are used in the
Where clause, ensure that the appropriate value is used in the
Where clause at the time the query is executed. For more information about query execution, see Writing Your First LINQ Query.
You can call functions within a
Where clause to perform a calculation or operation on a value from the current element in the collection. Calling a function in a
Where clause can cause the query to be executed immediately when it is defined instead of when it is accessed. For more information about query execution, see Writing Your First LINQ Query.
The following query expression uses a
From clause to declare a range variable
cust for each
Customer object in the
customers collection. The
Where clause uses the range variable to restrict the output to customers from the specified region. The
For Each loop displays the company name for each customer in the query result.
Sub DisplayCustomersForRegion(ByVal customers As List(Of Customer),
ByVal region As String)
Dim customersForRegion = From cust In customers
Where cust.Region = region
For Each cust In customersForRegion
End Sub
The following example uses
And and
Or logical operators in the
Where clause.
Private Sub DisplayElements()
Dim elements As List(Of Element) = BuildList()
' Get a list of elements that have an atomic number from 12 to 14,
' or that have a name that ends in "r".
Dim subset = From theElement In elements
Where (theElement.AtomicNumber >= 12 And theElement.AtomicNumber < 15) _
Or theElement.Name.EndsWith("r")
Order By theElement.Name
For Each theElement In subset
Console.WriteLine(theElement.Name & " " & theElement.AtomicNumber)
' Output:
' Aluminum 13
' Magnesium 12
' Silicon 14
' Sulfur 16
End Sub
Private Function BuildList() As List(Of Element)
Return New List(Of Element) From
{New Element With {.Name = "Sodium", .AtomicNumber = 11}},
{New Element With {.Name = "Magnesium", .AtomicNumber = 12}},
{New Element With {.Name = "Aluminum", .AtomicNumber = 13}},
{New Element With {.Name = "Silicon", .AtomicNumber = 14}},
{New Element With {.Name = "Phosphorous", .AtomicNumber = 15}},
{New Element With {.Name = "Sulfur", .AtomicNumber = 16}}
End Function
Public Class Element
Public Property Name As String
Public Property AtomicNumber As Integer
End Class


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I'm pleased to note that our guest artist series continues. You've seen Nikki Cook's art along with a few pieces last week—and she's going to be around kicking ass through the month of July. Welcome, Nikki!
Here's Nikki's bio:
Breaking hearts via the sequential arts! Nikki Cook is a cartoonist living in Brooklyn, New York. She has worked for awesome companies such as DC/Vertigo, Image, Boom Studios, and Marvel. She has self-published for years, and was a founding member of the web comics collective Act-I-Vate. She is currently working with writer Ben McCool on an upcoming series from Image called "Memoir".
She is very tall and is descended from Norwegian prize fighters.
Be sure to check out her art at her website and to follow her on the Twit-a-Toots.
Photo: Seth Kushner


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This huge collection of CSS3 buttons includes 3 styles of modern buttons with hover and active states. Each style is available in 5 different sizes.
- The dimensional button style includes 7 colors and a disabled button state.
- The glossy button style includes 11 colors.
- The animated rectangle style transitions between hover and active states and includes dark and light color options.
The buttons included in this pack are easy to customize. Simply add an additional class to your button to change its color. Additional classes also make any of the styles have rounded or rectangular corners.
The included HTML file as shown in the screenshots and video preview lists the classes used to create each button to the left of each row, making it quick to implement the style you choose.
These buttons use gradients, transitions, shadows, and text shadows to achieve a clean smooth look with all CSS3, no images. While they look best in modern browsers, the buttons still function great with clear hover and active states in IE7, IE8 and IE9.
Watch the video preview to see how they work!


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Cheap Calls to Albania only 35 ¢/min
Get started with ChilliTalk
Low Rates to Call Albania
It has never been easier to contact someone in Albania. Whether they're in Tirana, Durres, or Elbasan, they can be accessed in Crystal Sound quality at a touch of a button for the cheapest price – all made possible because of ChilliTalk. Simply go to a WiFi-enabled or 3G/4G area and make that call to your loved one, whether on your mobile device or landline. Better still, if they're a member of ChilliTalk too, your call will be absolutely free! So what are you waiting for? Register your numbers today and see, and hear, for yourself, the amazing benefits ChilliTalk has to offer.


text:
The $1 billion Harbor Point development would reap a profit of $124 million for its investors without government financing to pay for its infrastructure, according to recently released city documents.
That may seem like a huge payoff, but it's not enough to attract the large investors the Harbor Point Development Group LLC needs, according to the Baltimore Development Corp., the city's quasi-public development arm.
That's why the BDC has asked the City Council to approve issuing $107 million in city bonds to pay for the infrastructure. The so-called tax increment financing bonds would be paid for by future tax revenue the project generates. With the city financing, the project's profit would rise to $174 million by 2031, and the rate of return for investors would climb to 14 percent from 10.7 percent, according to the BDC documents.
"Even in my short tenure, there have been many developers who have come in saying they couldn't do anything for returns far greater than what we're talking about here," said Brenda McKenzie, president of the BDC, in an interview with The Baltimore Sun.
The newly released BDC documents show the project is expected to receive $88 million in property tax credits because of its inclusion in the city's Enterprise Zone — intended for impoverished areas — and $24 million in property tax credits because it is being built on the contaminated site of the old Allied Signal plant. Such credits reduce a property's tax bill.
The BDC provided the documents to Councilman Carl Stokes — who released them to the public — after Stokes threatened to delay a hearing on the city financing unless the Rawlings-Blake administration turned over reports showing that the project could not be built without TIF funds. The administration is asking the City Council to approve legislation that would authorize the city to issue the tax-exempt bonds to pay for the project's roads and utilities as well as a bridge, a park and a waterfront promenade.
"Without TIF financing, the project ... would not attract outside investors," the BDC wrote in its application for the financing. Without taxpayer assistance, the development's payoff for investors would be "prohibitively low to justify the risk and expense of moving forward to the project without TIF assistance."
Stokes, chairman of the City Council's taxation committee and a frequent critic of how the city subsidizes development, said he remains unconvinced that the development could not be built without city assistance. He has scheduled a hearing on the financing July 17.
"It doesn't sway me at all," Stokes said. "The project will get built without public financing because they have two Fortune 500 companies standing there with checks in hand."
Harbor Point is a $1 billion mixed-use waterfront development between Harbor East and Fells Point that would house a regional headquarters for the energy giant Exelon Corp. Already home to a Morgan Stanley facility, it would feature office buildings, residential towers, stores and a hotel.
Currently, the site is assessed at $10 million, but the BDC projects it would be valued at $1.8 billion for tax purposes when completed, the documents show. With such a value, it would produce an average of $19.6 million a year in property taxes, the documents state.
The developer would spend $60 million of the bond funding to build seven small parks, $21 million on a promenade and $10.4 million on a bridge extending Central Avenue to the site. A $2 million contribution would be made to The Crossroads School, a nearby charter school. The rest would go toward infrastructure improvements along the development's streets and piers.
"If the private sector had to pay for parks, promenades and/or roads — or just parks and promenades — it wouldn't get built," said Michael S. Beatty, who leads the development group. "That site has been sitting for a tremendous amount of time by itself."
Darrell Doan, the BDC's managing director of real estate development, said the agency is confident the project would not secure investors unless it can promise a rate of return greater than 12 percent.
"The biggest indication is the site has been sitting there empty and it hasn't attracted investment," Doan said. "We do a lot of deals at BDC. ... I don't know any deal being done at 9 percent. In fact, I don't know of many deals being done at 12 or 14 percent. ... That's our sense of what we know about the real estate market and the acceptable rates of return."
Should the developers reap profits greater than 20 percent, the city would receive 15 percent of those additional profits, the documents state.
Beatty said his company is taking on significant risk by building the project and warned that the real estate market will inevitably go through difficult times in the years ahead.
"One thing I can guarantee is over the next 20 years, the real estate market will go up and down," he said. "Nowhere in that analysis does it show a failure. The simple reality is, real estate projects don't all work out. ... This is a long-term project. It needs to attract institutional-type capital. It takes risk to get it done."
Investors typically demand higher rates of return from real estate than from stocks or bonds because they are investing large sums for a long period in an asset that cannot be readily sold, subjecting it to more risk from economic swings.
Beatty would not disclose the names of the investors backing Harbor Point.
Independent real estate investors had mixed views on whether rates of returns in the teens were needed to attract investors to what they called perhaps the most desirable piece of undeveloped property in the city.
Allan Riorda, a principal in Columbia with Lee and Associates, a national commercial real estate firm, said he's seeing returns of 6 percent to 9 percent on properties. He deemed 14 percent a "pretty good return" for a development as desirable as Harbor Point.
"I don't think it needs to be as high as 14 or 15 percent," he said. "That's great real estate, and everything's been moving toward the water. That's a higher-end development that would attract larger institutional investors. There's risk, but I wouldn't deem it as substantial a risk as building in a different location of Baltimore."
But Steven McCraney, a 20-year industrial real estate developer based in Florida, said the proposed rates of return were consistent with current market rates for deals of that size.
"I know what the public is thinking: How could somebody make so much money?" he said. "But the truth of the matter is: The numbers make sense. They're market-driven numbers. To attract that kind of capital, if they're not getting that kind of return, I don't think they're going to be interested. Nobody's stepping to the plate for 9 percent. Not happening."
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has said the Harbor Point project would create about 7,200 construction jobs and that roughly 9,200 jobs would be supported by the businesses that move in.
The former site of the Allied Signal chromium plant, Harbor Point now sits mostly vacant. The developer plans to start work this summer on a 23-story skyscraper to house the Exelon headquarters, space the company would lease from Beatty for about $120 million over 15 to 20 years. The tower would be the first phase of the project.
The information about the development's rate of return and potential profit was included in a supplemental report written June 14 by city consultant Municap Inc., a Columbia-based public finance consulting firm.
McKenzie and Doan said developments are different and that rates of returns vary widely based on the scale, timing and risk of a project.
"I'm sure Michael would like to see a higher rate of return," Doan said. "There's incredible risks involved."
Baltimore Sun reporter Scott Calvert contributed to this article.
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CHICAGO — The economic recession will get significantly worse before it starts to improve, President-elect Barack Obama said, seeking in an interview broadcast Sunday to tamp down expectations as he prepares to assume the presidency in 44 days.
"If you look at the unemployment numbers ... the fragility of the financial system and the fact that it's an international system," the recession "is a big problem, and it's going to get worse," Obama told NBC News' Tom Brokaw on Saturday. The interview aired Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Acknowledging that his agenda had changed sharply just in the month since he was elected, Obama said passing a short-term economic stimulus package was now his top priority.
"We've got to provide a blood infusion right now, make sure that the patient is stabilized," he said, adding that the budget deficit, by some estimates more than $1 trillion, would have to be put on the back burner "for now."
"We've got to get the economy moving," he said.
Roads, highways, state projects first targets
The president elect said the new White House economic team would put forth an economic recovery package featuring a short-term stimulus element paired with "a strong set of financial regulations" under which "banks, ratings agencies, mortgage brokers, a whole bunch of folks [would] start having to be much more accountable and behave much more responsibly."
In the near term, Obama said, the government will speed ahead with "shovel-ready projects," saying it would get "the most bang for the buck" by "investing in the largest infrastructure programs," such as roads and bridges already in the pipeline at the state level.
Such spending not only would be "an immediate stimulus," he said, "because I think we can get a lot of work done fast," but the projects would be "down payments on the kind of long-term sustainable growth that we need."
In his weekly radio address Saturday, Obama said his plan would put millions of people to work by "making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s."
The president-elect also singled out the auto industry Sunday as the target of special concern, saying the government should be prepared to provide major assistance, but only if it was "conditioned on them making significant adjustments."
The White House and Congress were trading proposals throughout the weekend on a plan to extend up to about $15 billion in emergency loans for the so-called Big Three U.S. automakers — General Motors Corp., Chrysler LLC and Ford Motor Co. — whose fortunes have plummeted.
Obama endorsed the negotiations, saying "the auto industry is the backbone of American manufacturing."
"It is a huge employer across many states," he said. "I don't think it's an option to allow it simply to collapse."
At the same time, he said, "they do not have a sustainable business model right now," insisting that the industry needed an overhaul involving "labor, management, shareholders, investors."
"If the want to survive, then they better start building a fuel-efficient car," Obama said, and accept that the future will never again be as "rosy as they project."
Shinseki to be tapped for VA
Obama was interviewed in his hometown by Brokaw, who is stepping down as host of "Meet the Press," an assignment he assumed in June on the sudden death of longtime moderator Tim Russert. NBC's chief White House correspondent, David Gregory, will become permanent moderator next Sunday.
Obama announced during the interview that at a news conference later Sunday, he would nominate retired Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, who clashed with the Bush administration as Army chief of staff, to head the Department of Veterans Affairs .
"I think that General Shinseki is exactly the right person who is going to be able to make sure that we honor our troops when they come home," Obama said.
Shinseki's clashed repeatedly with President George W. Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld during Bush's first term, when he contradicted their contention that the war in Iraq could be won with a relatively small number of troops.
In a direct slap at his bosses, Shinseki testified before Congress that the United States would need several hundred thousand more troops than Rumsfeld predicted, prompting Rumsfeld to publicly rebuke his Army chief. Shinseki retired shortly thereafter.
Obama said history had shown that Shinseki "was right" and said the general had demonstrated special concern for the plight of veterans injured during the war.
"When I reflect on the sacrifices that have been made by our veterans and I think about how so many veterans around the country are struggling even more than those who have not served — higher unemployment rates, higher homeless rates, higher substance abuse rates, medical care that is inadequate — it breaks my heart," Obama said.
As head of of the government's second largest agency, Shinseki, 66, would be the first Asian American in Obama's cabinet.
By Alex Johnson of msnbc.com