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Samsung has responded to Apple's patent lawsuit by filing its own lawsuits against the company on Friday in South Korea, Japan, and Germany. Samsung's lawsuits don't directly address Apple's suit filed earlier this week in the US, though they do accuse the iPhone maker of violating a number of Samsung's patents related to how devices communicate with cell towers.
According to Samsung, Apple has infringed on patents on how to reduce transmission errors, reduce power during data transmission, and tether a device to a PC to share its data connection. Conversely, Apple's suit against Samsung filed Monday accuses Samsung of copying Apple's user interface design, packaging, and product design for the iPhone and iPad. When we covered the suit on Monday, we theorized that Apple might be targeting Samsung's TouchWiz UI, which is especially iOS-like in its look and feel.
"Samsung is responding actively to the legal action taken against us in order to protect our intellectual property and to ensure our continued innovation and growth in the mobile communications business," Samsung said in a statement.
Additionally, Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee implied that Apple is simply being a bully by smacking down Samsung's success. "When a nail sticks out, [people] try to pound it down," he reportedly told the press on Friday, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Those who are familiar with both the iPad/iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy Tab/Galaxy S see similarities between the two companies' products. It's not just the TouchWiz UI that looks just like iOS—the physical design of Samsung's products have inched closer and closer to Apple's in recent years. There's no arguing that the phones and tablets share certain characteristics, but both companies clearly believe that they have the upper hand when it comes to product design and innovation.
Despite (or perhaps because of?) these similarities, Samsung is one of the first competitors to offer some major tablet competition to the iPad, and Samsung's handsets aren't doing too shabby with Android fans either. According to Apple COO Tim Cook during the company's quarterly conference call on Wednesday, however, Samsung has "crossed the line," so get ready for this patent fight to drag on just like Apple's disputes with HTC and Nokia.


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We have seen that in the BBC documentary The rise of the politics of fear, the main narrative is the parallel rise of two movements: one Islamic militant fundamentalism, the other neoconservative.
On the Islamic side, the movement now known as al Qaida is traced to the vision of one scholar, Syed Qutb, whose followers amalgamated his political vision with that of Islamic fundamentalism, and which became the Muslim Brotherhood. For these groups, the main enemy is the global encroachment of decadent western values into the Muslim world, aided and abetted by corrupt governments.
In the US, we had the vision of one scholar Leo Strauss, whose followers formed a secular political movement with global ambitions that allied itself with Christian religious fundamentalists as a means of achieving its political goals, thus bringing to life the neoconservative movement.
This narrative of the parallel lives of two scholars who lived at the same time (Qutb from 1906-1966 and Strauss from 1899-1973) and whose disciples have brought about this major conflict makes for compelling drama, and the documentary was absorbing. But the price it may have paid is that of oversimplification. While the idea of these two opposing strands has a dramatic point-counterpoint appeal, there is some evidence that the clash we are seeing is not simply an ideological one that pits neoconservative purists against Islamic purists.
It is clear that there are more pragmatic reasons that come into play, for example, in the US attack on Iraq, although we are not able to precisely say which, if any, were the dominant reasons. In addition to the neoconservative ideological view advocated by the documentary that it is America's destiny to bring democracy, by force if necessary, to the other countries of the world starting with Iraq, the following is a list of the many other reasons that have been speculated about: the control of Iraqi oil; the need to establish a strategic and long-term military base in the Middle East since Saudi Arabia was asking the US to leave its soil; Iraq as the first step in a successive series of invasions of other countries such as Iran and Syria so that eventually the US would control the entire region; to act in Israel's interests and disarm an enemy of Israel; to project US power and show the world that the US had the power to invade any nation it wanted to, thus cowing any other nation's ambitions to challenge the US in any way; to prevent Saddam Hussein from switching to the euro as a reserve currency for oil purchases, thus threatening US financial markets; an opportunity to test the new generation of weaponry in the US arsenal; to finish what was seen as unfinished business from the first Gulf war in 1991; to avenge the alleged attempt by Iraq on George H. W. Bush's life; to enable George W. Bush to show his father that he was tougher than he was; because George W. Bush, despite his efforts to avoid actual military service himself, was enamored of the idea of being Commander in Chief and dearly wanted to be a 'war president.'
The 'weapons of mass destruction' rationale is conspicuously missing from the above list. It was, I believe, always a fiction, promulgated as part of the politics of fear but never taken seriously even by those in the administration who advocated it. It is quite amazing that three years after the invasion of Iraq, we still don't know the precise reasons for that fateful decision.
On the other side, al Qaida also had more practical stated reasons for what it did, that are not limited to a mere distaste for encroaching western decadent values. They were opposed to Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and America's complicity and support for those policies, they wanted US bases out of the middle east, they opposed the corrupt governments that were ruling many middle east countries and were being supported militarily and economically by the US, and they deplored the cruelty of US-led UN sanctions against Iraq. In other words, they were more opposed to what the US does than for what it is. It may also be that al Qaida is not quite as weak as the documentary portrays them to be.
But despite these shortcomings, the basic message of the documentary rings true: the threat to the US from terrorism has been vastly and deliberately overstated and is being used to ram through policies that would otherwise be rejected. As the documentary says:
"In an age when all the grand ideas have lost credibility, fear of a phantom enemy is all the politicians have left to maintain their power."
A Guardian article titled The making of the terror myth says:
Adam Roberts, professor of international relations at Oxford, says that governments often believe struggles with terrorists "to be of absolute cosmic significance", and that therefore "anything goes" when it comes to winning. The historian Linda Colley adds: "States and their rulers expect to monopolise violence, and that is why they react so virulently to terrorism."
Whatever the causes for inflating the threat of terror, it is clear that we are the losers when we live in fear, and we need to counteract it. The BBC documentary is well worth watching for the way that it connects many different pieces of knowledge into a coherent story, told in an entertaining way.
POST SCRIPT: CSA: Confederate States of America
I recently heard about the above film, which is a fake documentary (along the lines of the classic This is Spinal Tap). This one seems like an alternate reality version of Ken Burns' PBS series The Civil War. The website for the film describes what we can expect:
CSA: THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, through the eyes of a faux documentary, takes a look at an America where the South won the Civil War. Supposedly produced by a British broadcasting company, the feature film is presented as a production being shown, controversially, for the first time on television in the States.
Beginning with the British and French forces joining the battle with the Confederacy, thus assuring the defeat of the North at Gettysburg and ensuing battles, the South takes the battle northward and form one country out of the two. Lincoln attempts escape to Canada but is captured in blackface. This moment is captured in the clip of a silent film that might have been.
Through the use of other fabricated movie segments, old government information films, television commercials, newsbreaks, along with actual stock footage from our own history, a provocative and humorous story is told of a country, which, in many ways, frighteningly follows a parallel with our own.
The film will be screened at Shaker Square Cinemas starting March 17. You can see the trailer here.

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The American Institute of Philanthropy, a leading charity watchdog, has compiled this list of top-rated charities involved in Haitian earthquake relief efforts. AIP issues letter grade (A+ to F) ratings of nonprofit groups; the following charities involved in Haiti relief received an "A" or "B" grade based on the portion of their budget going to program services and their fundraising efficiency.
Accion International 617-625-7080
Action Against Hunger 877-777-1420
American Friends Service Committee 215-241-7000
American Jewish World Service 212-792-2900
American Red Cross 800-733-2767
American Refugee Committee 612-872-7060
Brother's Brother Foundation 412-321-3160
Catholic Relief Services 800-736-3467
ChildFund International (formerly Christian Children's Fund) 800-776-6767
Children Incorporated 800-538-5381
Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation 800-225-0292
Church World Service 800-297-1516
Compassion International 800-336-7676
Doctors Without Borders – USA 888-392-0392
Food for the Hungry 800-248-6437
Freedom from Hunger 800-708-2555
Gifts in Kind International 703-299-7532
Habitat for Humanity International – N.O. 800-422-4828
Heifer Project International 800-422-0474
International Medical Corps 800-481-4462
International Rescue Committee 877-733-8433
Lutheran World Relief 800-597-5972
Medical Teams International 800-959-4325
Mennonite Central Committee 888-563-4676
Mercy Corps 888-256-1900
Operation USA 800-678-7255
Oxfam-America 800-776-9326
Partners in Health 617-432-5298
Plan USA 800-556-7918
Project Concern International 858-279-9690
Salvation Army 800-725-2769
Save the Children 800-728-3843
UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) 800-554-8583
William J. Clinton Foundation 501-748-0471
World Concern (Program of Crista Ministries) 800-755-5022
World Neighbors 800-242-6387
World Vision 888-511-6548
The Y (formerly YMCA of the United States) – N.O. 800-872-9622
© 2013 msnbc.com Reprints


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Diversity Toolkit: Social Justice
Social justice refers to a concept in which equity or justice is achieved in every aspect of society rather than in only some aspects or for some people. A world organized around social justice principles affords individuals and groups fair treatment as well as an impartial share or distribution of the advantages and disadvantages within a society.
Social justice includes a vision of a society in which the distribution of resources is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure. Social justice involves social actors who have a sense of their own agency as well as a sense of social responsibility toward and with others and the society as a whole. (Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice, Adams, Bell, Griffin, 2nd ed., Routledge 2007)
Main Issues
The absence of social justice results in social oppression. Racism, sexism, ageism, classism, ableism, and heterosexism are some forms of social oppression in society. Societies and individuals form hierarchies of oppression in which certain types of oppression are addressed and others are not. Oppression of certain groups or individuals can result in social or legal exclusion, discrimination, inequitable distribution of resources, and emotional and physical consequences.
- Focus on diversity—awareness of the diversity in communities is critical to fostering social justice
- Address real consequences of oppression—when discussing social justice in lessons or staff meetings, it is important to acknowledge the real social and economic disadvantages that oppressed people face in society, not simply the psychic harm of oppression
- Understand the mechanisms that perpetuate oppression—i.e., those attitudes and behaviors (e.g., racism, sexism, ageism, heterosexism) from a position of privilege
- Resist hierarchies of oppression—form strategies to foster justice with an inclusive mindset: who is being left out?
- Seek to address social justice on three levels—personal (self), institutional (school) and societal (community).


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Texas Instruments Davinci line are a range of processors with tightly optimised DSP and peripheral hardware
Despite the marketing hype there are a number of issues users are falling into, a number related to the MontaVista Linux installed with the EVM. This wiki is intended to help reduce the duplication of effort that is currently occuring and suggest some common fixes (or at least highlite the most common mistakes!)
Anything you find here should be considered highly dubious and it is entirely your own responsibility for breaking your stuff.
The Davinci FAQ can be found here
- Das u-boot guide for davinci (using DVFlasher) - u-boot guide version 1.0
- Help I have bricked my EVM! - EVM Brickage version 1.0
- How can I get the opensource GIT Kernel to work - Maximum GITtage version 1.0
- Blinking LEDS on the EVM over I2c - EVM_LED_Blinking.c
- PWM kernel driver (char driver) - PWM.c Good example for your own device drivers
- Accessing an I2C temperature sensor - temp_sens.c
- Useful I2C routines - I2Croutines.c
- Overclocking the EVM EVMoc
Hardware Hacks
- Adding a second MMC / SD slot - Second MMC / SD
- Installing some input buttons - Input buttonz
- Adding I2C devices (e.g. Temp Sensor) - I2C Mods
Mailing Lists and Useful Links
- http://source.mvista.com/git/ - The montavista GIT repository
- http://www.applieddata.net/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2024 - U-Boot configuration scripts for flash filesystems
Chats and Forums
Davinci IRC chat can be found in the #davinci channel on freenode.net
General IRC help can be found here :- IRC Help [1]


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Twitter Search to Become Real Search
The fact that Twitter's search is now often faster and more relevant than any other search engine out there is not a secret anymore. It is, however, a very limited search engine: it merely indexes a bunch of tweets. In its current state, it's great for tracking conversations, but it will never be a competitor to Google.
This is about to change. According to CNET, Twitter's new VP of Operations, Santosh Jayaram, said that Twitter search will soon start crawling the links included in tweets. There's a lot of links there, and given Twitter's huge growth, soon these links might comprise a hefty portion of the overall web, making it a much more complete search engine that it currently is. It's a big technical leap, but it shows that the folks at Twitter are serious about search.
Jayaram gave another very interesting hint at where they're going: Twitter Search will also get a reputation ranking system. That means that not all tweets will be equal; rank will be calculated for each twitterer, probably based on several criteria such as number of followers, number of retweets and so forth.
When I recently wrote about Tweefind, a Twitter search that also takes rank into account, some commenters asked why are we putting so much emphasis on a very beta, buggy service. Well, regardless of the actual implementation, it was immediately obvious that the idea is not only great; it's precisely what Twitter needs.
This other part of Twitter's search strategy is equally important, and together these might prove to be the one-two punch they need to put some fear into their competitors. Crawling links will give Twitter's search engine the scope it needs to compete with Google. Rank will give it a way to make sense out of all that data and decide what's important.
At this point, it's hard to say whether Google's complex algorithm, initially based on the number of inbound links of a web site (Google's legendary PageRank) will stay superior to Twitter's algorithm which is based on real people's conversations. But even if Twitter's search proves to be superior in just a portion of the search market - and it already looks that way in certain cases - it will be a very important dent in Google's seemingly impenetrable armor.


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SNL's Winners and Losers From the Government Shutdown (Video)
Nothing like a good old-fashioned government shutdown to create an opportunity for some equal-opportunity political skewering. Even though workers at the Pentagon and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are coming back to work for different reasons, Federal facilities like, say, national parks, remain closed until Congress and President Obama can come to some kind of compromise, which for the moment seems unlikely.
Thankfully we have Seth Meyers and Cecily Strong from NBC's Saturday Night Live Weekend Update to sort out who's winning and who's losing. One loser in particular? The Obama Administration's new HealthCare.gov website. Apparently, someone at the Department of Health and Human Services, which at $7.1 billion happens to command the biggest IT budget of all the civilian federal agencies, forgot to call Akamai.
Here's a clip from last night's show. Enjoy.


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...I suppose I'm suggesting a complete overhaul of the images for the solar system so that at least the large terrestrial bodies everyone colonize will have the correct images, and that everything else could just have generic placeholder images.
I second the notion. The solar system, at least, should have correct images. Back in 2013 when I took a look at it, I hesitated to try making my own planet image pack because the system Aurora uses to select planet images seemed too confusing.
A check box in the Research tab that automatically allocates the maximum research labs to the selected scientist (while honoring the amount available)
Perhaps 10%, it would take a while to build up that far and if you're ignoring the event log that long it's your own fault.
Since larger compressed fuel storage systems have recently been added, what about also adding smaller versions (ie small, tiny compressed fuel storage) for use on fighters?
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|International orders may be delayed up to 15 days or more due to carrier labor challenges.
Behold the Hector Saxe paparazzi magnet. With styling so bold, parma coloring so brilliant, and legendary Hector Saxe backgammon craftsmanship, it's like a short-cut to superstardom.
Now you don't have to sell a zillion albums. Just head out your front door with this exquisitely appointed beauty of a board under your arm. The glint of brass fittings and the Hector Saxe nameplate may draw attention, but the slender stylings and faux-python leather will declare your mastery of media.
We recommend you wear dark sunglasses to protect from flashbulbs when you're mistaken for a starlet, action hero, or platinum-selling musical genius. And wear comfortable shoes you can dash in, should you need to evade screaming mobs after an autograph.
If you're cornered however, the jig is up. The real star is Hector Saxe - and it's fine that you should acknowledge that (you're the one with the means and good sense to have purchased one - no shame there, my friend). Hold it up high above your head, so the spittle-flecked adorers can oooh and awww. Then hush them as you open the perfectly sculpted case on whisper quiet brass hinges to reveal the gorgeous, shimmering pink and black checkers, white leather-wrapped dice cups and lustrous leather playing surface.
As you're making your exit, be sure to thank the crowd for their adulation and then kindly direct them to our website, if you please.
Click the specifications tab (above) for a detailed description of this quality backgammon board, including all materials and sizes. You may click any photo above for a closer view.
|Backgammon Set Dimensions:
|Closed Length:
|20 3/8"
|2 3/4"
|Open Length:
|20 3/8"
|28 3/8"
|1 3/8"
|Backgammon Set Materials:
|Case Material:
|Leather - Python Design
|Case Color:
|Field Material:
|Inlaid Leather
|Field Color:
|Arctic White
|Points 1 Color:
|Rose Pink
|Points 2 Color:
|Clasp Style:
|Nickel Plated Latch
|Backgammon Stone Dimensions:
|1 3/4"
|High Gloss Mother of Pearl
|Stones 1 Color:
|Stones 2 Color:
|Backgammon Dice/Cube Dimensions:
|Dice Size:
|Dice Set 1 Color:
|Dice Set 2 Color:
|Cube Color:
|Backgammon Cup Dimensions:
|Cup Height:
|1 3/4"
|Cup Exterior:
|Cup Interior:
|White Leatherette
|Cup 1 Outer:
|Cup 1 Inner:
|Cup 2 Outer:
|Cup 2 Inner:
USA & CANADA - shipping via UPS
We offer FREE ground shipping to the contiguous USA and Canada (Hawaii and Alaska are excluded) for many products. Look for the "FREE SHIPPING" designation.
For all other items, and for Express Shipping options, we use an integrated online UPS shipping calculator. The shipping charges are calculated in real time by UPS. 1
Once you have finished shopping, you will be able to select Express Shipping options (Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, 3-Day Select) on check-out. Only after you know the total charge, will you be asked to enter your payment information. 2
For same day shipping, where indicated, orders must be received before 2pm Eastern Time (New York) in order to ship same day. Orders received after 2pm will be sent out the following business day. Orders received on weekends and on holidays will be processed the next business day.
INTERNATIONAL - shipping via USPS
We offer shipping to over 190 countries with United States Postal Service using Express Mail International. Packages are insured and fully trackable.
International orders can take up to 5 business days to ship. Once your order ships, you will receive a tracking number by email. Customers are responsible for any import charges (tax, duty, etc.)
APO AND MILITARY ADDRESSES - shipping via USPS
Unfortunately, we cannot supply tracking numbers for shipments to APO/FPO addresses. The U.S. Government requires that we send all shipments to APO/FPO addresses using the U.S. Postal Service.
When completing your Shipping Address during checkout, please make note of the following.
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If you have any questions, please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com, or call us toll free in USA & Canada at 1- 866-260-2058.
1 Shipping charges at all times are based on weight and not on ticket price. There is a minimum 1-pound shipping charge on any item, including small items such as dice or checkers. In these cases, shipping charges can exceed the cost of the item.
2 We offer Express Shipping options on all items except Hillsdale game tables. All Hillsdale game tables ship ground freight.


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Snooki Confirms She is Engaged and Expecting: 'OMG! I'M PREGNANT!'
The long national nightmare of wondering whether or not Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi is, in fact, with child, is finally over: The Jersey Shore star saved the announcement for an Us Weekly cover. She's 15 weeks into her pregnancy, and she's engaged to her boyfriend, Jionni LaValle.
Snooki told Us that she learned about the "happy accident" right after New Years, when she'd been totally bombed in Vegas. Her first thought, she says, was, "'Shit, I've been drinking!' I was worried. It was New Year's Eve and we were in Vegas, so I did go crazy."
Now, though, she has "different priorities."
"We are not going to screw this up," LaValle added.
No. This is going to be totally fine.


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STRATHAM — The New Hampshire SPCA has been receiving an unusually high number of calls pertaining to dogs left outside without shelter during the recent extremely cold weather.
Pet owners should be advised that pets left outside in extreme temperatures without food, water and shelter are at risk of hypothermia, frostbite and even death. Furthermore, it is the law.
Dogs and cats feel the effects of winter weather as much as we do and are too often cast outside to weather the storm due to misconceptions that the fur on their backs will insulate them from suffering. Short-haired dogs are particularly at risk and should never be left outside without supervision. It is extremely important for people to bring their pets indoors when the temperatures drop to extreme cold.
Additionally, New Hampshire state law requires domestic animals being left outside to be provided adequate shelter. Pet owners can face cruelty charges if their animals are left to suffer and/or die from being left out in the cold.
Shelter is described under RSA 644:8 as "a natural or artificial area which provides protection from the direct sunlight and adequate air circulation when that sunlight is likely to cause heat exhaustion or a dog tied or caged outside. Shelter from the weather shall allow the dog to remain clean and dry. The shelter shall be structurally sound and have an area within to afford the dog the ability to stand up, turn around, and lie down and be of proportionate size as to allow the dog to retain its body heat" The last part is the most important in winter months.


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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) No. 1 Indiana has lost sophomore forward Austin Etherington for the rest of the season because of a fractured left kneecap.
Etherington was hurt late in the first half of Saturday night's 100-69 victory over Central Connecticut State. After being called for a foul on the play, he stayed on the ground and was surrounded by teammates and coaches. He was lifted onto a stretcher and pointed to the crowd as he was wheeled off the court.
On Sunday, the team said Etherington had season-ending surgery.
Etherington's playing time had steadily increased as the Hoosiers (9-0) moved through the nonconference schedule.


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__Working closely with our agency partners Amp London, we undertook the task of rebranding SilverBug, a well established IT company. Amp London provided strategy, tone of voice and brand direction via a series of discovery workshops held in London.
The final logo and overall tone of voice was designed to convey a friendlier more personable company in line with the new strap line "Business-Shaped Technology" The rounded, softer edge styling gives the brand its own unique identity within an increasingly competitive market.
To finalise the project, the SilverBug website went live in July, bringing together brand, voice and service. View it here


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Pistachio nuts have a unique nutritional profile – they are especially rich in plant sterols, carotenoids, tocopherols (vitamin E), and arginine. Plant sterols are structurally similar to cholesterol, and provide a cholesterol-lowering benefit.1 All nuts have cholesterol-lowering and other cardioprotective effects, but pistachios (in a tie with Mediterranean pine nuts) have the highest plant sterol content of all nuts. Studies investigating the effects of pistachios on cardiovascular disease risk factors not only reported reduced cholesterol levels, but also decreased inflammatory markers, increased blood antioxidant levels and reduced oxidative stress.2-4 In addition to antioxidants and plant sterols, pistachios are also rich in arginine, an amino acid that is involved in nitric oxide production, which regulates relaxation of arterial smooth muscle and therefore blood flow. In a previous study, pistachio supplementation resulted in enhanced endothelial cell function, which means that nitric oxide availability was increased.4
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is primarily a disorder of penile blood flow, most often accompanied by chronic conditions that affect the vasculature, such as diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. Atherosclerosis in peripheral arteries is known to contribute to the impaired blood flow in this condition. Atherosclerosis is usually preceded by endothelial dysfunction, which decreases nitric oxide bioavailability, leading to impaired blood flow regulation. Since pistachios have confirmed cholesterol-lowering effects and are rich in arginine (which helps to produce nitric oxide), scientists tested whether pistachios could enhance erectile function in men with ED.
Subjects in the study consumed 100 grams of pistachio nuts (about 3 ounces) each day for three weeks. Erectile function was evaluated by subjects' reports and also by blood flow measurement with ultrasound. After three weeks of pistachio supplementation, both the erectile function scores based on subjects' reports and the velocity of penile blood flow were improved. The men's cholesterol levels also improved.5
The health of the heart and blood vessels is crucial to the health of the entire body. Eating to restore cardiovascular health will improve blood flow and nutrient delivery to all tissues, improving overall health. Like several other chronic diseases, erectile dysfunction shares the same risk factors with cardiovascular disease. Antioxidants, plant sterols, and arginine promote blood vessel health and are provided in abundance by a high nutrient diet made up of whole plant foods.
Dr. Fuhrman is a New York Times best-selling author, nutritional researcher and board certified family physician specializing in nutritional medicine. Learn more by visiting his informative website at DrFuhrman.com and following Dr. Fuhrman on Facebook and Twitter.
1. Ellegard LH, Andersson SW, Normen AL, et al: Dietary plant sterols and cholesterol metabolism. Nutr Rev 2007;65:39-45.
2. Kay CD, Gebauer SK, West SG, et al: Pistachios increase serum antioxidants and lower serum oxidized-LDL in hypercholesterolemic adults. J Nutr 2010;140:1093-1098.
3. Kocyigit A, Koylu AA, Keles H: Effects of pistachio nuts consumption on plasma lipid profile and oxidative status in healthy volunteers. Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases : NMCD 2006;16:202-209.
4. Sari I, Baltaci Y, Bagci C, et al: Effect of pistachio diet on lipid parameters, endothelial function, inflammation, and oxidative status: a prospective study. Nutrition 2010;26:399-404.
5. Aldemir M, Okulu E, Neselioglu S, et al: Pistachio diet improves erectile function parameters and serum lipid profiles in patients with erectile dysfunction. Int J Impot Res 2011;23:32-38.


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Renowned Chicago chef Charlie Trotter died Tuesday morning at age 54. After news broke of his passing, big-name chefs and local foodies took to social media to honor the award-winning restaurateur and food legend.
One of the more touching tributes came from chef Graham Elliot, a judge on MasterChef who worked under Trotter in Chicago.
"CHARLIE TROTTER: chef, mentor, trailblazer, philosopher, artist, teacher, leader," Elliot wrote on Twitter. "He now belongs to the ages."
The likes of Art Smith, Ted Allen and "Top Chef" judge Tom Colicchio were among dozens of chefs to write social messages honoring the culinary great and offering condolences to Trotter's family.
Bill Kim, an alumnus of Trotter's kitchen who now owns restaurants such as Belly Q, Urban Belly and Belly Shack, is mourning the loss of one of his mentors.
"It was very intense, probably the most difficult job I've ever had in my entire career," Kim said. "He was the first one to put Chicago in a big way nationally and internationally."
Trotter was known for his intense and sometimes temperamental personality, but for those that know him best, that was just part of the package.
"He was very spirited, very passionate, and for young chefs, if you can be passionate like he was ... a lot of people would say like how he was tough, well you know what ... you're an owner, you're in the restaurant business and sometimes that happens," restaurateur Jimmy Bannos said.
Many more friends and colleagues came out for a candlelight vigil early Tuesday evening held at the former site of Charlie Trotter's Restaurant at 816 W. Armitage.
"He changed all of us. Without him ... he kind of wrecks you at the same time," chef Michael Taus said.
Thank you Chef Trotter for all you have done for American dining. #Legacy pic.twitter.com/IWZrmOVJOL — The French Laundry (@_TFL_) November 6, 2013
Colleague Rick Tramonto wrote, "RIP Chef Charlie Trotter and God Bless the Trotter family. Chicago and the World have lost a great Chef..."
Writer and culinary enthusiast Anthony Bourdain tweeted, "Rest In Peace Charlie Trotter. A giant. A legend. Treated shabbily by a world he helped create. My thoughts go out to those who loved him."
Trotter was found unresponsive at a Chicago residence Tuesday and taken in critical condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Last year, the day before Trotter's award-winning namesake restaurant closed in Chicago, the city unveiled the "Honorary Charlie Trotter Way" in the chef's honor.
More Chicago Stories:


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Reading together
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Meritxell Martí
Lilith Moscon
Lluís Farré
Roger Zanni
Together again in these new times! by Combel's Editorial Director "Every year, Combel publishes many new books by best-loved authors and illustrators:...
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WARNING! This post contains spoilers for Superpig We keep trying to get back to normal, but it is not that easy… We missed Bologna and...
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iSpy September 2011
By clientadmin |
Photo Contest
Every month, we publish a selection of submitted photos in Little India and the photo judged best by the editors wins $30. Photos are evaluated both for concept and photo quality. WE are interested in photos that reflect Indian life in amusing, incongruent or unusual contexts.
You can submit your photo by emailing it to us at email@example.com or by using the form below.
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Rich Brimer StudioContemporary Impressions
About painting, Brimer says, "I have always loved being at the edge of the ocean. I love creating images along this liminal threshold between the seen and unseen world. It can be a spiritual metaphor. It is where I meditate in solitude. I go to the California shoreline as often as possible. Painting allows me to have a time alone in the power of nature and to gaze at its beauty. I paint quickly outdoors in order to catch the impression of what I am experiencing, immediately finding its way to the canvas. However, studio work allows a longer periods to ponder new ideas and work out some bigger themes and develop satisfying brushwork."
Born in Long Beach, CA in 1962, Rich Brimer has his roots well planted in the west. Hunting with his father and going on family camping trips, Brimer gained appreciation and respect for the outdoors. He is an artist who loves using oils both in the studio as well as painting outdoors. Rich feels strongly about creating artwork that not only shows the beauty of creation, but also art that stirs the spirit. He is a dedicated, passionate artist who has found out that takes hard work to make a difference, but it is well worth the effort.
Rich has been the director of Carmel Visual Arts since 2013. His art studio is located in Springfield, KY at The Art Distillery where he is also the Director. The California Lutheran University graduate (B.A. Fine Art) is Past President of the Arts Council of the Conejo Valley where he was on the board for 4 years as well as Past President of Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Camarillo, CA. Rich is the Co-Chair of the Monterey County chapter of the California Art Club.
Some favorite quotes…
He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist. ~Saint Francis of Assisi
I would love to live like a river flows
Carried by the surprise of its own unfolding ~John O'Donohue
- Carmel Visual Arts, Director
- California Art Club, Artist Member, Monterey County Chapter Chair
- Studio Channel Islands Art Center, Past President, Artist-in-Residence
- Arts Council of the Conejo Valley, Past President
- Oil Painters of America, Associate Artist
- Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Artist Member
- Ventura County Art Council, Artist Member
I prefer
Beauty over glamor… Silence over television… Solitude over Disneyland… The ocean over the desert… Red over white… Inviting over excluding… Passion over status quo… Revelation over knowledge… Being over believing.


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17 January, 2013 | (30 min)
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In a world of constant churn and instant communication, organizations must be more nimble than in the past. The world has transformed from a leisurely golf game to a fast-breaking hockey game, continuously requiring adjustments--and with crushing consequences for the laggards. Leaders and teams must continuously monitor their constantly shifting environment and be prepared to take rapid and confident actions. The cost is often high: increased stress, deep frustration, major disruptions in the lives of employees and customers, and disappointing results.
Join this webcast to learn what top change management professionals are planning to do in 2013 to help their organizations reduce the human cost of change while ensuring strong and timely results.
Audience: Change management professionals and those who have significant change management responsibilities
This webcast is part of the series, Your 2013 "Must-Do" List: Shaping the Future. As expectations for performance grow and resources continue to be tight, it's more important than ever to identify those "critical few" actions that drive the best results. In this new series of webcasts, we'll hear from leaders on the front lines about the issues and opportunities they will address in 2013–why they chose what they did and how the list is different from the past. By participating in the webcast, participants will gain new insights and ideas for their own 2013 lists.
Neil Wilson
Neil Wilson is the Manager of Change Leadership Consulting, for Project Resources Company, and affiliate of Chevron USA within Chevron Corporation. He leads a group of eight internal consultants and 90 external consultants applying a proprietary change management program design emphasizing leader...Full Bio
Julie Nelson
Julie Nelson is a Director of Change Leadership for McKesson Corporation, America's oldest and largest health care services company. In this role, she has leveraged over ten years of Big 4 consulting experience to build a successful internal consulting practice. By establishing this e...Full Bio
Anne Greer
Anne Greer began working with The Conference Board in 2012. Along with Rita Shor, she directs the annual Innovation Master Class, designed for advanced learned among Fortune 500 executives responsible for leading innovation in their companies. She is Co-Program Director fo...Full Bio


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Help bring attention to bullying with anti-bullying products, apparel, and accessories from Positive Promotions. We have a huge inventory of items promoting caring and kindness while raising awareness to the problem of bullying. From posters and stickers to t-shirts and dog tags, we have what you're looking for.
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Quote:The glaring weakness is of course van Persie who has yet to develop an understanding with hsi team-mates and somewhat make me feel that bulk of hsi goals are due to his individual briliancy and not created by team-work.
Van Persie is an egnima.
Will he ever fit into an Arsene Wenger team with telegraphic understanding with hsi c0-partner and all midfielders?
He did say it will take another 3-4 seasons for the current team to gell and deliver the trophies. And that is provided the key players stay put.
Pace does not equal footballing ability.
It is like sterling silver, tarnished and blacken for the last 4 seasons.
Spit and polish needed to bring it back to its mirror-like finish.
Wenger knows Adebayor is good enough for Arsenal.
Quote:My point, again, is that he is not there yet.
Quote:and that moron still finished above twitchy and the tiny totts, says it all about the totts really
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Selectiv' Process 2 Harvesting Head
The high-frequency linear destemmer gently destems the berries and keeps the stems remain intact.
The frequency and release settings are adjustable with a single click from the EASY TOUCH console.
The linear destemmer has an anti-clogging sensor and five long fingers (new design) that reach speeds up to 50 tons per hectare at 4.5 km/h.
The variable screen roller sorting table rapidly adapts to all grape varieties and all working conditions.
Unmatched sorting area: 2.50 m².
Instant clutch release of the de-stemmers, upper suction fans, and sorting tables from the EASY TOUCH console.
The screen rollers (1) allow the sorted berries to pass through and remove petioles and green waste. The solid notched roller feeders (2) separate small waste and route petioles to the screen rollers.


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Watch CBSN Live
Credit: AP Photo/RJ Sangosti
Credit: AP Photo/Newtown Bee, Shannon Hicks
Credit: AP Photo/Matt Rourke
Credit: CBS
In September 2011, just days into his freshman year at Rutgers, Tyler Clementi leaped to his death from the George Washington Bridge. In the wake of his death, it was revealed that his roommate, Dharun Ravi, had used a webcam to spy on Clementi's intimate encounter with a man. Clementi's suicide became a touchstone for those fighting to expose the perils of bullying on young gay men and women. On May 21, 2012, Ravi was convicted of bias intimidation, invasion of privacy and witness tampering and spent 20 days in jail. He is appealing.
Credit: Personal Photo
Credit: CBS/Miami-Dade Police Dept.
Credit: AP Photo/Ted S. Warren
Credit: Personal photo
Elzbieta Plackowska, a 40-year-old Chicago-area woman, is accused in the stabbing deaths of her 7-year-old son and a 5-year-old girl she was babysitting on Oct. 30, 2012. Police arrested her after finding the two children, as well as two dogs, dead at Plackowska's Naperville home. Plackowska told investigators that the children had been jumping on the bed at the girl's home in Naperville. She allegedly ordered them to pray, then stabbed them both dozens of times as they begged for their lives. The Polish immigrant allegedly told investigators that she killed her son because she was upset with her husband and was grieving her father. She allegedly said she killed the girl because she was a witness to her son's death.
Credit: AP Photo/DuPage County Sheriff's Department


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Sims Announces 2007/2008 Team
January 31, 2007
Sims Announces 2007/2008 Team
(ENGLEWOOD, CO) January 30, 2007- Re-launching the brand in a big way, Collective Licensing, International is proud to announce the 2007/2008 Sims Team. Riding Sims boards are Steve Fisher, Chanelle Sladics, Gaetan Chanut and James Frederick and in Sims outerwear are Colin Langlois, Leslie Glenn and Erich Dummer. Representing the Sims brand, this solid team of riders come from all over North America and dominate the backcountry, park and pipe.
Making an explosive comeback, Breckenridge local Steve Fisher took the Winter X Games 11 gold medal in the men's superpipe this past weekend. Fisher, in competitive snowboarding since he was a young kid growing up in Minnesota has been on the U.S. Snowboarding Team for 5 years. Fisher had a great year in 2004 that included gold medals in the X Games, 2 Vans Triple Crown wins and 2nd at the U.S. Open. He then capped off his three-year success with 2nd place at the U.S. Open in 2005 and a 3rd place finish in the 2006 Grand Prixs. Fisher is out to make an impact on the snowboard world.
Chanelle Sladics also placed in the recent Winter X Games 11, taking home the bronze in the Women's Slopestyle. Twenty-two year old Sladics is the quintessential SoCal native; she snowboards, skateboards and surfs extremely well. Sladics considers Mammoth Lakes home in the winter months and competes in all of the major women's slopestyle and rail events throughout the season. Sladic's skills landed her a 2nd place finish at the 2006 Mt. Hood Abdominal Snow Jam and 5th in X Games 10 Slopestyle.
One of the best in the business and pro since 1997, Gaetan Chanut is based out of Whistler where he kills it in the backcountry. Chanut has been featured in many videos and films including "Blackout", "Wear it Well" and "Bandwagon." As well as being part of the Wildcats, Chanut works at the Camp of Champions in Whistler every summer. When he isn't in the Canadian backcountry Chanut is out traveling the world.
James Frederick, another local Breck shredder, spends his winters competing, filming and working with photographers both in and out of Colorado. Frederick also works at Windell's snowboard camp in the summer. Last season he charged on the scene and took 2nd place in the Mountain Creek Grand Prix, 3rd in the Boulder Sobe Rail Jam, and 3rd in the Bonfire Pipe to Pipe at Mt. Hood. Most recently Frederick took first at the Winter Park Jingle Rails on New Year's Eve 2006.
Colin Langlois, who recently moved to Aspen, strives to be well-rounded, riding pipes, parks, back country and slope styles competitions. Langlois has competed in the Dew Action Sports Tour Invitational, the 2005 and 2006 Portland Rail Jam (placing 3rd), Honda Vail Session Invitational, Mt. Baker Banked Slalom, U.S. Open, Vans Cup and the Las Vegas Rail Jam. Langlois can also be seen in the 2006 films "Who Cares" and the "Community Project."
A local favorite, Leslie Glenn out of Breckenridge, will be rocking Sims outerwear during her 2007 travels to the Vans Triple Crown, Grand Prix events and the U.S. Open. In 2006 Glenn took 7th in the World Superpipe Championships in Park City, 2nd at the Aspen Open and 2nd at the Suzuki Pro Halfpipe Jam at Copper Mountain. Glenn also works at High Cascade snowboard camp in the summer months.
Erich Dummer, from Chisago Lakes, MN also resides in Breckenridge. Dummer's smooth style scored him 2nd place at the Copper Mt. Shop Wars QP in 2006 and 1st place in the 2005 Breck 20th Anniversary Rail Jam. In 2006 Dummer was featured in "Never Felt Better" and "When in Doubt, Lay it Out" as well as the Transworld Buyer's Guide "What the Pros are Rocking" profile. Dummer also spends his summers working at Windell's snowboard camp.
Just this weekend, Steve Fisher killed it Sunday night at Winter X super pipe knocking out a 92.00 on his first run, a score that ended up being the best of the entire comp. After placing second in the elimination round, Fisher strung together a major frontside air, backside 540, front 1080, cab 720, front 900, back 900 and front 720 that left everyone scrambling to catch up. The kid from Breckenridge has been making a comeback this winter and now has reclaimed his spot at the very top of the world of pipe riding.
"The Sims team is made up of very talented riders who work hard and have a great passion for snowboarding. We're glad to have such a dynamic team of world class pro shredders representing the Sims brand. We are truly excited about all the opportunities that lie ahead within these new found partnerships on and off the mountain," said Eric Dreyer, Collective's Vice President of Brand Management.
Visit www.simsnow.comto learn more about the Sims team and brand.
About Collective International, LLC
Collective was formed in January 2004 and is the owner and/or license operator of the Airwalk®, Vision Street Wear®, Sims®, Lamar® and LTD®, World Snowboarding Championships®, Sugarboards®, Carve®, genetic™, Dukes®, Rage®, Ultra-Wheels®, Premise and Skate Attack® brands. Collective is based in Englewood, Colorado


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A list of major persons in the Habsburg dynasty with brief biographies and
illustrations where possible.
Whereas all titles have been given in English, Christian names usually appear in German, but also French, Spanish, Italian etc. depending on the source (e.g. Albrecht rather than Albert, Karl rather than Charles). Before assuming that someone is not present in this list try all variants of the name -- Karl, Charles, Carolus, Carlos, etc. Brief thought was given to imposing a rational system on the names, but problems outweighed advantages. Place names have almost entirely been put into English unless the place is so small as to have no English equivalent.
Names and titles appearing in parentheses below the main names are nicknames, aliases, titles and other such labels. Names in the text that appear in bold also have a listing here.
A list of family members of the current head of the dynasty will be found on the Habsburg Family page.
Please contact us if you have an correction or additions to this list.
Go to The Society of the Golden Fleece.
Another good source for Habsburg geneology is the Habsburg Family History page.


text: TOKYO/NEW DELHI - A little-noticed provision in US sanctions against Iran beginning in February is likely to trap payments abroad for its oil exports running into billions of dollars, sapping Tehran of revenue needed to fund the government.A provision of the law US President Barack Obama signed last summer, which goes into effect on February 6, states that funds being used to pay for oil must remain in a bank account in the purchasing country and can be used only for non-sanctioned, bilateral trade between that country and Iran.Iran is likely to keep exportingThe latest provision may not force Iran to slow its exports. Existing sanctions have already cut its shipments by more than 50 percent, and the Islamic Republic may want to keep the trade flowing and figure out a payment mechanism later. Nor would Tehran want to turn its entire tanker fleet into floating storage for the want of buyers."It will probably have no direct impact on the buyers," an industry source said. "Output has fallen after the sanctions, so they (Iran) would probably like to sell no matter what. Even if they can no longer transfer funds freely, they would probably keep selling for the time being."Sanctions by the United States and Europe, which bars insurance companies from providing cover for tankers carrying Iranian oil, are already costing Tehran up to $5 billion per month.Trapping money outside the country amplifies the impact of the sanctions, a US government source familiar with the move said.It will also force Iran to buy products such as food, medicines, medical devices and electronic goods from the buyers of its oil, supporting the economies of those nations.The United States doesn't expect objections from any of Iran's crude buyers, because these countries run a trade deficit with the Islamic Republic.India, Iran's second-largest crude customer, plans to seek an exception from the United States to the new provision. It doesn't want another rule to govern its trade with Tehran after recently securing an exception to existing US sanctions earlier this month."It does not make any sense to get an exception in December and then be targeted by another law in February that's also by the United States," a government source said.The February provision may halt the payment mechanism India has put in place through Turkey's Halkbank, the source said, declining to be identified.About 100 billion rupees ($1.8 billion) has already piled up in Iran's account with India's state-run UCO Bank, through which 45 percent of the payment is settled in rupees.Any bank that repatriates the money or transfers it to a third country faces a sanction risk. This could halt most of the flow of petrodollars to Iran, given that the value of its oil exports is far higher than what it imports from its biggest customers - China, South Korea, India and Japan.Sanctions on financial transactions with Iran have already made it difficult for buyers to pay for oil from the OPEC producer.South Korea is stuck with close to $5 billion as Iran is unable to pull the money out, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. Iranian oil dues are also piling up in China, sources said, although it is unclear how much.India has an elaborate mechanism involving Turkey's central bank, through which it can transfer only half the money it owes Tehran. The new provision will add Japan, which has so far been able to settle its dues in yen, to the list of buyers saddled with funds owed to Iran.


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Quote from: Leafsfan on November 13, 2012, 08:35:43 PMAccording to a poster at another site 2 FF teams spotted. One brunette team in red and blonds in light blue.I'll take that spoiler and up it with a picture:
According to a poster at another site 2 FF teams spotted. One brunette team in red and blonds in light blue.
Here is most of the brunette Team in red:
Isn't it odd red and light blue are always female teams!?
It's a pure speculation, but I don't know, somehow the brunette girl on the red team's pic looked alike Xenia from the voice, she had a curly hair I think tied with that red bandana at the front..
I think that matches the suckster who told us about redshirts/blue blondes"Also in LAX, my mom says she spotted a couple MF couples... one with a "well coifed blonde who didn't look like she was about to get dirty"."
hmmm... the more I look at "Team Pink", the more I think it's a M/F team.OK, lets evaluate.... skinny white blonde girl in purple leggings, .....checkher teammate is in long pants, has short cut hair, darkish skin, looks to be a guy.... ehhhh, maybecan't say for sure it's a guy, but neither can I say it's a girl. My gut says, it's a guy.
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In less than a year, the Arab Spring swept through the Middle East with a speed both historic and breathtaking. Arab youths lost their fear and apathy and went out on the streets. Three dynasties or dictatorships have crumbled. Bashar al-Assad of Syria is at a precarious moment.
What is left in the Arab aftermath are two main ideas: democracy and Islam.
After decades of secular rule by autocrats, millions of Arabs are eager to give Islam fuller expression in their lives and their governments. But that desire worries secularists, minorities, and more moderate Muslims, who constitute as much as 30 to 40 percent of the citizenry in some countries and seek concrete guarantees of rights in a coming year of Arab constitution-writing.
In Tunisia's Oct. 23 election, which impressed the world with its openness and lack of violence, Islamist party Al Nahda (also spelled Ennahda) won 41 percent of the vote. Now the new constitution of one of the most educated, secular Arab states will be shaped in a politically religious context.
As the Arab Spring enters this new phase, something is urgently missing – an element needed to define the Arab Spring as more than a series of uprisings, says a growing chorus of expatriate Arab intellectuals. That something is a "bill of rights" that puts in writing the rights sought by this year's street protesters.
"We are at the turning point," argues Samir Aita, a member of the Syrian opposition and president of the Society for Arab Economists who splits his time between Paris and Damascus, Syria. "We are fighting about values in the middle of an uprising.... If this is not a fight for values, then it is not a revolution. It is just a series of uprisings. If it is a fight over values, you put it in writing. What is needed to consecrate the Arab Spring as a real revolution is a declaration of rights as witnessed in the French Revolution."
Constitutional models will soon proliferate in the Arab world – 12 drafts are already in circulation in Tunisia, and on Nov. 28 Egyptians are set to elect law-makers to shape a new constitution.
In a region chockablock with minorities, and with no autocrats to ensure stability, what such documents need are unequivocal guarantees of equality for all citizens, regardless of race or creed.
Protecting rights of minorities, women
Evidence of the need for minority protection in the Middle East is already coming thick and fast: This month – eight months after the Arab Spring – 27 Coptic Christians were killed when Egyptian tanks rolled into a crowd of protesters. Yet there is little accountability in Cairo for the massacre of peaceful protesters, part of which was caught on YouTube.
Politically, there is agreement in Tunis and Cairo and elsewhere on "democracy." Yet this is mainly about voting and elections; conceptual rifts are deepening. Will states adopt a simple democratic "majority rule" system, or one that builds in rights that protect minorities ahead of time, a "national consensus" model?
Basic questions are unanswered: Will women be allowed positions of leadership? Will full participation by non-Muslims in politics, public office, and courts be assured? In states like Syria, with a plethora of minority groups and intra-Muslim divides, if change comes, will all Islamic family members receive full rights?
In post-Muammar Qaddafi Libya, interim leaders now say they have adopted sharia as the main source of law – a common formulation in Islamic governments, which is open to a wide range of interpretation. As part of this, Libyan leader Mustafa Abdul Jalil said, marriage laws would be changed to allow polygamy.
"There is a massive disconnect between the discourse of a civil state with an Islamic reference, and the practice of substantive democratic rights on the ground," warns Mariz Tadros of the University of Sussex in Britain. "The Islamists are saying they want a civil state. But [that state] won't be civil. Bit by bit if the sharia is institutionalized, we will see an elite corps with a privileged standing making rules. Rights won't be granted without qualification ... but it will be called a democracy."
Compared to Eastern Europe's revolts
As a historic event, the Arab Spring has been compared to 1989 and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Yet the overthrow of the Soviet Union was achieved through years of disciplined dissident opposition and the eventual rotting of the Soviet economy.
The Arab revolts, by contrast, have seemed in some ways too easy. "The events of 1989 were preceded in countries like Poland or Czechoslovakia, or even East Germany by years of intellectual and political activity ... in Charter 77 [an East-bloc dissident demand for human rights] and Solidarity," says former Polish Solidarity figure and poet Adam Zagajewski. "In Poland you had this very powerful system of clandestine publications, underground magazines. That's the difference, in that this spring came like an explosion from nowhere. So this ... makes me maybe not skeptical but makes me ask, What are the foundations of this?"
So far the issue is raised mostly by expatriate Arab intellectuals, opposition groups, Egyptian writers and circles around presidential candidate Mohammed ElBaradei, and other artists and academics who want modern constitutional guarantees without making them sound like ideas imposed by the West.
But Al Nahda's victory in Tunisia might be a wake-up call for previously silent secularist and civil society backers in Arab states to unite, says Karim Emile Bitar, who recently edited an issue of the monthly ENA magazine in Paris that looks at the Arab Spring's achievements and drawbacks.
This summer brought a tussle between two Syrian opposition groups over basic issues: The National Council for Coordination of Democratic Change in Damascus insisted on a declaration of rights that included separation of religion and state and other basic rights to be agreed on before the regime topples. They used an old Syrian motto, "God is for religion and the state is for everyone else." But Muslim Brotherhood members on a separate National Council, an expatriate group now backed by the United States, Turkey, and Europe, would not accept it. They dismissed the separation idea and bill of rights as matters to be worked out later.
Gulf money backs Islamists
The push for a modern bill of rights is complicated by years of autocrats suppressing the state mechanisms necessary to enforce such rights – courts, schools, police, and so on.
But a more significant issue may be an underlying struggle between secularists and Gulf nations already funding the Islamic faithful. Al Nahda had by some counts more than 180 local groups, many of which reportedly received Gulf funding. Regional economists have argued since February for a "Marshall Plan" for Arab Spring states – forms of support for the educated but unemployed youths that formed the demographic core of the movements.
With Europe in debt crisis, that assistance is seen as more likely to come from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council, a local economic bloc. Worried about budding protests of its own earlier this year, Saudi Arabia distributed tens of billions of dollars in aid to its youth, and calm has prevailed. But Gulf funds to support Islamist groups in other parts of the Middle East come with a tacit understanding not only of the authority of Mecca and Medina in matters of Islam – the Saudi cities are considered the two holiest in the world – but also an intent to spread its more orthodox Wahhabi version of the faith.
After the Oct. 9 killing of Copts in Cairo, the often-pointed Egyptian writer and secularist Alaa al-Aswany commented on his blog, "If the Wahhabis cannot stand the sight of a church while they are mere members of the society, how would they behave towards us, Muslims and Copts, if they ever take power in Egypt…?!"


text:
Pictures of Animals Drinking From Bottles
Cute Alert! Animals Popping Bottles
Cute Alert! Animals Popping Bottles
Humans have to give up their formula habit when they reach a certain stage of development, but it's perfectly acceptable for animals to hit the bottle at all ages or hours of the day. If you are in need of a midday smile, drink up these touching pictures of cuties quenching their thirst. Sometimes you gotta let loose and party like an animal.


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Mapmaker: MrBenn
Territory Count: 43
Bonuses: 9ish regions
Gameplay Features: Open map with many 'create your own' bonuses.
There are maps of the British Isles, Scotland and Ireland already in play. Wales is in development (Final Forge), and I've finally got around to making a start on the England map which will complete the set.
Foundry Stamps
Version 23a - 3rd October 2009
- XML: http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/1/9/2259283/England-04.xml
Small: http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj320/bpawley/england/England23aS.jpg
Large: http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj320/bpawley/england/England23.jpg
XML Update - 25 Sept 2009
- I can't remember what happened with the "no territory bonus" idea in the end - I think I decided to leave it out while debating whether or not the gameplay would work.... I'm no longer sure whether it would be TOO confusing or not
Here's the amendments I've made in this XML:
1. Rename the abbreviated territories
2. Add in the starting neutral in Durham
3. Remember what was eventually decided about starting positions
XML Update - 6th Sept 2009
- I've knocked up some XML - the only thing I have some reservations about is the naming of the abbreviated territories within the XML...
- Staffordshire (Staffs)
Worcestershire (Worcs)
Derbyshire (Derby)
Nottinghamshire (Notts)
Northamptonshire (Northants)
Bedfordshire (Beds)
Huntingdonshire (Hunts)
Cambridgeshire (Cambs)
Hertfordshire (Herts)
Oxfordshire (Oxford)
Buckinghamshire (Bucks)
Gloucestershire (Gloucs)
1. Gloucestershire - Gloucs
2. Gloucs / Gloucestershire
3. Gloucs - Gloucestershire
4. Gloucs (Gloucestershire)
Any thoughts/suggestions?
Version 23 - 1st Sept 2009
- I've been fiddling around with the "white lines" in the background (it's actually the strategic roads network), and brough some more consistency between the appearance of them.
I should probably get around to doing the XML soon
Version 22 - 27th August 2009
- At long last I've got around to publishing an update...
I can;t really remember all the things I've done - most of them are silly little tweaks that you probably wouldn't notice unless I pointed them out in any case
The most notable thing I've done is to change the font on the small map to make it easier to read (although it's a very similar typeface to the one I was using in any case) and less blurry.
The third lion will stay slightly smaller than the other two (only on the small map), because it looks stupid if I shrink the others down to be the same size - and if I make the smallest lion any bigger, then he (his name is Dexter) will overlap the land.
Version 20 - 16th July 2009
- I've smoothened out the pixellated border in the sea, and have made some other minor tweaks... Including a subtle change to the build-your-own-bonuses (for 10/11/13/15 terrs etc) which shouldn't have any effect on the gameplay issues discussed ad nauseum over recent weeks
The most noticeable thing I've done is to get a working copy of the small map together
Version 19 - 30th June 2009
- I was on the verge of throwing in the towel when I had a revelation....
I'll stick with 3 coded starting positions (with Durham as an underlying neutral), but will reduce the number of territories in each. This has the effect of increasing the number of neutral armies on the map; and decreasing the odds of picking up bonuses on the drop. in 2/3 player games. 4p+ games are left unchanged:
MrBenn wrote:In 4p games, the odds for the Midlands are 5.28% for +2, trace% for +4; In the South the odds are 2.33% for +2, trace% for +4. There is 1.05% chance of getting Yorkshire, and less than 1% for any of the other discrete bonus areas. For >4 player games, the odds are significantly lower, and in 7/8 player games a physical impossibility.
1v1 Games
- With the three starting positions in a 1v1, each player would be given one of the red/green/blue sets of 9 territories. There are 16 territories still in the pot, to which the unused position would be added. This means that there will be 25 territories (24 if Durham reverts to neutral) to be handed out at random. This means that each player will receive 8 additional territories into their hand.
The Midlands
Each player will have 3 Midlands terrs, with 12 left in the pot. The odds of dropping an additional 4 or more terrs for +2. is now 66.66% (reduced from 95%). The odds of dropping an additional 7 terrs for +4 is now 1.36% (reduced from 4.7%).
The South
It's a similar picture in the South, with each player having 3, and 10 left in the pot. The odds of dropping an additional 4 or more for +2 is now 43.89% (reduced from 70.6%), and 0.2% of dropping an additional 7 terrs for +4.
If you drop 4 Midlands terrs for +2, then the 4 remaining terrs you get given must all be in the South. My brain is too tired to work out whether the odds of this occurring are 4.33% or 2.89% (=66.66% x 4.33%); well below the arbitrary 10% threshold.
Without compromising the direction I've taken thus far, the setup below offers the most balanced start I believe I can achieve for 1v1 games (which will always be biased towards the first player in any case).
Version 18 - 10th June 2009
- Does this make the legend clearer?
Version 17 - 26th May 2009
- If I were to code the whole map into 3-player starts, then In 3p games, no-one would get any bonus to start and Middlesex would start neutral (through virtue of being unhandoutable rather than coded neutral). I could code Durham as an underlying neutral for 4p+ games, and 2p games if the blue set doesn't get dished out.
In 4p games, the odds for the Midlands are 5.28% for +2, trace% for +4; In the South the odds are 2.33% for +2, trace% for +4. There is 1.05% chance of getting Yorkshire, and less than 1% for any of the other discrete bonus areas. For >4 player games, the odds are significantly lower, and in 7/8 player games a physical impossibility.
This leaves the 'problem' of 1v1 games, which are well-documented to be drop/dice/1st-turn dependent in any case.
1v1 Games
- With the three starting positions in a 1v1, each player would be given one of the red/green/blue sets. This leaves 14 or 15 territories to hand out (depending on whether the blue ones are served up with the underlying neutral on Durham).
Each player will have 6 Midlands terrs, with 6 left in the pot. There is a 95% chance of any player getting one additional Midlands territory for a +2 bonus, but only 4.7% that they'll get 4 of them to get up to a +4 bonus. An even distribution would see each player getting 8 Midlands terrs - so to break the opponents +2 bonus, you'd have to kill 6 with a deployment of 5.... which I think is going to be the best balance without screwing up other game-types.
It's a similar picture in the South, with each player having 5, with 6 left in the pot. here there is a 70.6% chance of getting the +2 for any 7 bonus, and 0.2% chance of getting the +4 for any 10. If one player has a "good" Midlands drop, then the other player is more likely to have a "good" Southern drop (out of the 11 territories available in those areas) , and I'm satisfied that this is as balanced as we could possibly get, without changing the system to something completely different.
Version 16 - 25th May 2009
- How about this for an update... I'm actually fairly happy with this, although have been debating whether the BYOB should start at 6 or 7 terrs (settled with 7 to appease the 1v1'ers). To mitigate this I've upped it to a +2, with +2 for each subsequent 3 (so 7 terrs=+2, 10 terrs=+4, 13 terrs=+6, 16 terrs=+8) I was umming and ahhing about whether to make it +1 per 2, but went with +2 for 3...
Version 15 - 11th May 2009
- After some time away from this map, I've had a bit of a think about the bonus structure, and have another update...
- The neutral on Durham makes sense, and I'll have to decide whether to start it with 2 or 3 neutrals in due course.
- The Northern Bonuses and Thames Valley can be split up with the use of starting positions, which ensure that nobody will get those areas on the drop. I've represented these on the map by using coloured 88s, each representing a start-position group, for 4 players. I added in the NorthWest to the start positions too. For 5+ player games, I'm happy that the chance of dropping a Northern bonus are small enough (below .5%)
- After a lot of thought, I have decided that I'd like to go with something along the lines of +1 for every 4 in the Midlands and the South. Yes, the chance of dropping 4 Midlands terrs is high, but the fact that it is a single army bonus in some way mitigates against that. Furthermore, if somebody has a good Midlands drop, then the chances of their opponent having a good Southern drop is higher. In either case, we're talking about single army bonuses, and not the +7s (or more) that can decide Pearl Harbour. By bringing the two bonuses in line with each other, I think I can get back to something like the original vision I had for the gameplay.
- With this in mind, I have slightly updated some of the bonus values, and added the line about 'No territory' bonus.
- On the graphical side of things, I have added line breaks in the Blake quote so it reads more easily and got rid of a pale blob from the background (that was behind the text).
- I've adjusted the gradient and texture of the roadsign, and am more happy with it now.
- Right now, I want to focus on the gameplay side of things and get it sorted before I lose the will to live
Version 14 - 29th Apr 2009
- Right, I've had a bit of a think about the build-your own bonuses, and came to the conclusion that the probability of dropping them were too high. With that in mind, I'm planning to amend the build-your own for each region to require half (or slightly over half) of the territories in the area (ie North, Midlands, South).
I've updated tentative values, and while I think I'm settled on the number of terrs required, the actual bonus values for regions is still very much up for debate.
On the graphics side, I wasn't really happy with the roads in the background, so have tried a whiter version, but am still not convinced. I've experimented with a wooden sign, but it looked even worse than the green one, so the green one is back - it fits the green theme at any rate The sign has had a minor overhaul: I've moved the poles to go off the side of the map (which looks a million times better than having them disappear into Cornwall); and I've added a slight texture to the sign but am not that keen on it...
For Discussion Please: Bonus values
Version 13 - 18th Apr 2009
- Some of the very pale blue/white bits of sea around the coast of Yorkshire were a bit pixelly, so I've smoothed that out a bit.
- The position of a couple of army numbers and region names have been moved slightly (North East and South West).
- In order to help bring the roadsign-themed legend into play, the main road network of the country has been added to the background of the map.... I'm not too sure if it adds a bit too much detail or not, but it only took about an hour(!)
- The bonus structure... I'm still flexible on the bonuses... how about these as alternative suggestions: North +2 for 4(of 9); South +3 for 5(of 15); Midlands +5 for 7 (of 19).... the bonuses for actual regions would then be adjusted so that they remained more or less as I suggested before... Any/all thought appreciated...
- 'Build your own' - currently I've written 'Any x terrs'.... although in myu head I've got 'Every x terrs'. I've just realised that the 'No territory bonus' text has been dropped since I've rejigged the legend. Please bear this in mind when thinking about the gameplay...
- Isle of Wight - does it really need an obvious connection to Hampshire, or is it fine as it is?
Version 12 - 18th Apr 2009
- I have changed the gameplay a bit, giving each region a specified bonus, in addition to freer 'build-your-own' bonuses. The way I have them at the moment is so that the North (which looks like a better start) doesn't yield such a large bonus, while the South and Midlands are slightly richer.
The North East is only 2 terrs, so you wouldn't get the +1 for 3, but you would get +1 for the region. Yorkshire is 3 terrs, so you would get +1 for that, and +1 for the region. The 'actual' bonus table is as follows, which takes into account the build-your-own's too:
- NorthEast 1
NorthWest 3
Yorkshire 2
West Midlands 5
East Midlands 6
East Anglia 7
Thames Valley 5
SouthWest 3
SouthEast 4
Version 11 - 30th Mar 2009
Small Map
Large Map
- It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to the little brother of the big map, as I have finally got around to making a small version!
The small has a slightly different aspect, as I've topped-and-tailed the map to assist legibility. I thought I was going to struggle to fit army numbers in, but it seems to have been relatively simple once I turned off the army shadows
There are a couple of minor changes to both versions, including a slight reduction in the opacity of the region names - if I go any lower some areas become difficult to read.
Version 10 - 25th Mar 2009
- To satisfy the pedants, Yorkshire has been divided into the three Ridings.
- I have redrawn the Sussex/Surrey/Kent border to clarify the connections there.
- The region names have been shifted slightly, and West Midlands has been rotated to give a better fit. The text colour has been toned down and adjusted so that it blends into each region a little more
Version 9 - 12th Mar 2009
- London has gone, primarily because it didn't really work as an inset or a small dot. I'll stick with the "historic counties" theme
Huntingdonshire has emerged from the shadow of Cambridgeshire
I've jiggled around with territory names, placements, and added some nice army shadows and numbers.
I think I'm settled with the three lions now - I'm also planning to keep the 'Green and Pleasant Land' subtitle. The eagle-eyed may notice the opening lines of Land of Hope and Glory skirting along the western edge of the map
Version 8 -
Version 7b - 25th Feb 2009
- I've moved the label for Wales, and have replaced the single lion rampant with three lions passant...
Version 7a - 20th Feb 2009
- It seems like the public have spoken... I vaguely imagined that people would like to see a Northern City on the map, but I was proved very wrong... (if only it were this easy to obliterate undesired places in real life)... Whatchester?
Version 7 - 20th Feb 2009
- East & West Sussex will be staying as they are - primarily because this is the area of the country I call home!
- With regards to the Kent/Sussex/Surrey "4-way" border... It's not my intention to allow West Sussex/Kent or East Sussex/Surrey to border. This seems fairly logical to me, but I'm not sure if it could be represented in any way, or whether I should tweak the borders a bit (which I don;t really want to do).
- Gloucestershire... Like yeti, I think Gloucs looks and feels wrong in the West Midlands... I moved it there from its native South-West to prevent the SouthWest being a more favourable start, and harder to hold... any ideas?
- North East - I'm reluctant to add neutral starts to the map... Yes, somebody might drop the pair, but it's only +2... any thoughts?
- Yorkshire... 1 vote to merge West & South Yorkshire to create the Three Ridings.... 1 vote to keep them how they are... Personally I think it's good how it is
- London... London... I've had an idea about London - I've added it as an inset in this update... it looked a bit strange on its own, so I added Manchester too... I'm imagining that each will start with neutrals on, and will have a +1 autodeploy or something
Version 6 - 11th Feb 2009
- I've been in a mappy mood this evening, and have put together another update...
I've been playing around with some of the texture layers, and changed bits of the sea, and made it a bit bluer. The Isle of Wight has found a home, and the map is now sprinkled with army numbers. I tried a couple of circles, but think they're going to create more clutter than they're worth. I still need to sort out the positions of the names and numbers, but that isn't much of a priority right now... I'd much rather get the gameplay more-or-less worked out - I think it's fairly balanced... The North East is the smallest and easiest to hold bonus, but I don't think it's overpowered. The South West is easier to hold than some other areas, but this is partly because it's tucked away in the corner. I'm reluctant to add any paths across the water, because I think they'd just be a bit contrived. The two easier bonuses are at opposite ends of them map, so I'm not too worried about unbalancing things.
Now I've added the Isle of Wight, does it need an attack line to connect it to Hampshire, or is it obvious that's where the two bits of land connect?
Version 5
Version 4 - 5th Feb 2009
- I like the idea of a very open 'make your own bonuses' map... I also like the minimalist legend, and (relatively) simple bonus rule...
Version 3
Version 2 - 31st Oct 2008
- From the few comments so far, it looks like traditional gameplay will be staying
I've given my rough draft a bit of a facelift, and want to guide discussion towards gameplay...
Version 1
- My first draft is pretty rough and ready - I'm more interested in gameplay discussion at the moment. I think the main problem is going to be the connectedness of everything, especailly as there are not very many natural features that could be used to create impassable borders in the necessary places.
I have opted for traditional counties as opposed to current administrative ones... so there is no Greater Manchester / West Midlands. Even London isn't really on the map
The numbers on the legend purely relate to the number of territories in each area, and do not reflect tentative bonuses.
My first topic of discussion is the region groupings.


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Most smartphone cameras these days claim 8- or 13-megapixel cameras, which is why Nokia's 41-megapixel claim for the Lumia 1020 sounds so grand, and so impossible.
These shots were all taken with the Nokia Pro Cam app. Unless specified, they were shot in automatic mode and have been resized. Check out our camera shootout for comparison photos with other smartphones.
This kid loves his snacks.
This taco platter looks sharp, focused, and delicious.
I cropped into the original image very closely to reveal the detail captured in the leaves and separate blades of grass.
You see rice grains and the table's texture in this low-light shot, which isn't washed out or overly lit with flash.
Another low-light shot, but this time the saffron sauce surrounding the squash isn't as sharp as it should be.
Playing with the ISO and exposure mode got me this flame; taking the same photo with automatic modes in the native camera app just gave me a big, hazy, bright fireball with no depth or definition.
The same goes for this majestic fountain of flame.
I shot this photo of a storefront because I liked the juxtaposition of the mural and the dress. Only afterward did I notice the bag reading "Good grammar is sexy."
To test the lossless zooming, I cropped in from a picture similar to the previous one (I used a slightly different angle to take in the T-shirts to the left of the bag).
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Then, I cropped even more. The original photo captured so much detail, you can see the jagged edges of the bag's stitched lettering.
This quickly snapped candid shot takes in the scene perfectly, but I expected faces to come out a little sharper.
Fine detail and bright, saturated color make this photo a winner. The camera autoenhanced this picture to boost color richness and contrast, which is a good thing in this case. An overcast day like today eliminates shadows that can help tease out how good a camera is at dealing with more difficult (but common) conditions.
It's nice to see the variegated petal colors come through.
We tested out the 1020's agility in hopping between two focus points. Here, I'm in focus.
Now, my ice cream takes center stage.
The Lumia 1020 captured the moment when I shot this landscape scene, but it's so far away, the features all blend together.
I was happy with the color and evenness in this front-facing photo, taken outdoors in front of a local San Francisco food truck.
Working and snacking while assessing the front-facing shooter.
The hot summer sun threw sharp shadows. You can almost feel the heat through this pic.
Ready for another demonstration of the Lumia 1020's cropping skills? Here's the original photo.
Now we get closer.
And closer still...
The closest crop is a little grainy, but it's still easy to make out sharp edges and detail.
The 1020 overemphasized amber tones in this indoor photo of CNET's crew, and some faces weren't as distinct as others.
This photo was shot using full Auto settings. You can clearly see both the sky and the house, as well as the texture of the clouds.
This photo was shot with a 1.7 exposure compensation. It's brighter, but at the expense of cloud detail.
Camera flash often blues out an image. The light here is warm, even if skin looks a little jaundiced in spots.
Gorgeous texture in the sculpture makes this photo feel very true-to-life.
This stress test shows how the 1020 balances the bright outside light and the room's dark interior. Instead of exposing for the light and making the interior really dark, it kept the inside of the room the right tones while keeping the outside lit. The camera gets points for avoiding extremes.
Here, the Lumia 1020 goes through the same camera test as a typical standalone CNET camera. There's excellent detail and noise control.
CNET camera editor Joshua Goldman photographed this New York skyscraper to test two things: the 1020's proficiency with landscapes, and how much noise it creates when you zoom close in on the focal point.


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I will discuss recent advances in our understanding of extrinsic defects in topologically ordered states. These include line defects, where I will discuss recent developments in the classification of gapped boundaries between Abelian topological states, and various kinds of point defects, which host a rich set of topological physics. The extrinsic point defects provide a new way of realizing topologically protected ground state degeneracies, they carry projective non-abelian statistics even in an Abelian topological state and provide a new path towards universal topological quantum computation, they host a general class of topologically protected "parafermion" zero modes, and they provide an avenue towards distinguishing various symmetry-enriched topological phases. I will discuss several novel physical realizations of such point defects, and also a recent experimental proposal to realize such defects in conventional bilayer fractional quantum Hall systems.


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IDC's has released its market report for the second quarter of 2009, and it contains little in the way of good news for beleaguered PC vendors. Worldwide PC shipments are down 2.4 percent year-over-year, as businesses and consumers continued to hold off on upgrades and new purchases. Adding to the misery was serious margin compression—aggressive discounting meant that the value of PC shipments declined by 19.1 percent during that period.
The one bright spot in the numbers was (wait for it)... netbooks. Except that the continued popularity of the sub-$400, low-margin, consumer-oriented netbook isn't really a bright spot—it's more like a rash that's symptomatic of the PC market's ongoing illness. The IDC report indicates that the desktop PC is in double-digit decline, but of course part of that decline is secular, the evidence of the long-term industry-wide shift from desktops to notebooks. Business portables, though, saw depressed growth rates at 16 percent.
Not having the full report, it's not clear what the seasonally adjusted picture is, but since we totally departed from normal seasonal patterns last year, this may not be at all informative. The big question, and the one that the entire industry is holding its breath for, is what will happen in the all-important third and fourth quarters.
The third quarter is when businesses worldwide do their upgrades, but most of them skipped them completely last year. As we've reported previously, a lot is riding on the widely expected return to seasonal upgrade patterns in this and next month. If this isn't panning out as we speak, then look out below. It's likely that much will depend on the state of the corporate credit market, which has largely recovered from last year by most accounts.
The fourth quarter is, of course, Christmas, which is when consumers do their upgrading. Again, everyone has their fingers crossed, but they may be disappointed. Consumers' use of revolving credit (credit cards, mostly) is still in relatively rapid decline, which means that very few consumers are going to put down plastic at Best Buy for a new PC.
For 2010, IDC is expecting that the recently announced Intel CULV chips, which will power slightly pricier portables that pack real notebook power into a netbook form factor, will eat into netbook sales and re-inflate prices. This is the glass-half-full angle, with the glass-half-empty one being that the new portables will completely gut the higher-margin notebook market and bring average selling prices down further.
Ironically, the fact that AMD is stumbling and misstepping right out of the high-end server market and back into its earlier position as the value alternative to Intel means that it could actually benefit from the current obsession with low prices, if it can keep its cost structure under control. In this light, the company's newly announced $99 quad-core chip—a industry first—is a sign of things to come.


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Convicted Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik announced he would not appeal today's guilty verdict for killing 77 people in a combined car bomb attack and shooting rampage last year, putting an end to an emotionally fraught 13 months for survivors and victims' families, and the country as a whole.
After the seven-hour-plus reading of the historic verdict in Oslo District Court, which sentenced him to 21 years in prison, Breivik said he did not want to "legitimize this court" by either accepting or appealing the verdict. "I want to apologize to all militant nationalists in Norway and Europe," he added, prompting chuckles in the court.
After being cut short by a visibly irritated Judge Wenche Elizabeth Arntzen, Breivik clarified via consultation with his defense attorney Geir Lippestad that he would not appeal the verdict. Mr. Lippestad later added during a press conference that Breivik had not signaled that he wanted to take the case to a higher court, such as the European Court of Human Rights.
Oslo public prosecutor Svein Holden also announced during a press conference that his office would not appeal the verdict. He said he regarded the basis for the verdict as "thorough" and partly based its decision on a desire to avoid further "burden" for survivors and victims' families.
The decision by both sides to accept the verdict puts an end to the uncertainty over the fate of Norway's most notorious criminal, who might have avoided jail time if the court had found him insane. Victims and their families were dreading the possibility of the case being dragged out further through an appeal.
Breivik's evasion of criminal responsibility was a real possibility after two forensic psychiatric reports came to opposite conclusions. The prosecution sought to have Breivik be found insane because there were doubts over his mental competence, while the defense, at Breivik's insistence, argued that he was sane.
In the end, he was found sane and sentenced to the maximum prison time of 21 years' preventive detention for terrorist acts because there was a considerable danger of repetition. If he is still deemed a risk after that, his prison time can be extended in five-year intervals indefinitely.
"Norway will still have a population of different ethnic backgrounds, different cultures, and different religions" when Breivik is finished with his sentence at age 53, said Arne Lyng, one of the two professional judges, reading the court's decision to place him in preventive detention. "He has said he will still continue his battle behind (prison) walls."
Breivik targeted the Labor party with his attacks because he claims the party was "ethnically cleansing indigenous Norwegians" by facilitating mass Muslim immigration into Norway with its immigration policies. He placed a car bomb outside the government complex in Oslo, killing eight, and then drove to the nearby island of Utøya to shoot Labor party youth at their annual summer camp.
"This is a just sentencing, and the law's strongest," says Trond Henry Blattman, leader of the national July 22 Support Group. "It's very clear that he is a danger to society and there is very little likelihood that he will be let back into society."
Judge's critique
Judge Arntzen criticized the first forensic psychiatric report for not taking into account Breivik's political ideology when it concluded he was paranoid schizophrenic. The psychiatrists cited Breivik's claims that he wanted to "save us all" from the ensuing civil war that would happen as a result of the Islamic colonization of Europe and bore responsibility of deciding who would live or die in their determination that he was insane.
"The court lacks a broader discussion of Breivik's statements, especially related to the extreme subculture he belongs to," said Arntzen.
"The court noted that the defendant testified that his choice of victims [was] politically motivated and that he cynically and coldly picked his victims," she added. "The court believes this is not a [physical] impossibility – no matter how reprehensible it may be."
Arntzen said it would be wrong to place someone in compulsory psychiatric care if they did not need treatment, and said the court placed little weight on his own preference to be found sane. The court further found he could not claim he was not guilty on the grounds that it was a "pre-emptive attack" to avoid a wider civil war.
Public frustration
The verdict comes as the country is increasingly frustrated with the government's and police's inability to have protected them against the attacks and respond adequately. Within the last few weeks, the head of the Norwegian national police has resigned and there have been calls for Jens Stoltenberg, Labor prime minister, to accept responsibility for his failure to protect the public and step down.
The hunt for accountability comes in the wake of the 22 July Commission report, released earlier this month, which found that the attacks could have been prevented and lives saved by a swifter response. Breivik was able to hunt down and kill unarmed teenagers on Utøya for more than an hour until the police arrived, and the government was slow in closing the government complex to vehicle traffic.
The prime minister is set to appear at a parliamentary session next week to explain his strategy for implementing the changes to the security protocol and penal code, as proposed by the commission. However, his resignation is seen as unlikely, because his center-left government holds a majority of the seats in parliament.