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Malcolm Browne dies at 81; journalist took burning monk photo
Of the foreign journalists who had been alerted to a shocking political protest against South Vietnam's U.S.-supported government, only one — Malcolm Browne of the Associated Press — arrived in June 1963 to document it.
His photos of Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc setting himself ablaze on a Saigon street ran on front pages around the world and prompted President Kennedy to order a reevaluation of his administration's Vietnam policy.
"No news picture in history has generated so much emotion as that one," Kennedy said, according to the 2006 book "Cold War Mandarin."
Browne, 81, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2000, died Monday at a New Hampshire hospital, said his wife, Le Lieu Browne of Thetford, Vt.
The dramatic photographs of the monk marked the beginning of a rebellion that led to U.S.-backed South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem being overthrown and murdered, along with his brother, Ngo Dinh Nhu, the national security chief, Browne said in a 1998 interview.
In 1964, both Browne and New York Times writer David Halberstam won Pulitzer Prizes for their reporting on the war and the fall of the Diem regime. The war had escalated because of the Nov. 1, 1963, coup d'etat in which Diem was killed.
The plot — by a cabal of generals acting with tacit U.S. approval — was triggered in part by earlier Buddhist protests against the pro-Catholic Diem regime. These drew worldwide attention when the monk set himself ablaze as about 500 people watched.
"Malcolm Browne was a precise and determined journalist who helped set the standard for rigorous reporting in the early days of the Vietnam War," said Kathleen Carroll, AP executive editor.
Hal Buell, an AP deputy photo editor when the burning monk photos were taken, said the image "put the Vietnam War on the front page more than anything else that happened before that. That's where the story stayed for the next 10 years or more."
Malcolm Wilde Browne was born April 17, 1931, in New York and earned a degree in chemistry from Pennsylvania's Swarthmore College. Drafted into the Army in 1956, he was sent to Korea as a tank driver but ended up writing for a military newspaper.
He joined the AP in 1960 and the next year was sent to Saigon, where he became a charter member of a small group of reporters covering South Vietnam's U.S.-backed military struggle against the Viet Cong, a home-grown communist insurgency.
Within the year he was joined by photographer Horst Faas and reporter Peter Arnett. By 1966, all three members of what a competitor called AP's "human wave" had earned Pulitzer Prizes for Vietnam coverage.
By his own account, Browne survived being shot down three times in combat aircraft, was expelled from half a dozen countries and was put on a "death list" in Saigon.
In his 1993 memoir, "Muddy Boots and Red Socks," Browne said he "did not go to Vietnam harboring opposition to America's role in the Vietnamese civil war" but became disillusioned by the Kennedy administration's secretive "shadow war" concealing the extent of U.S. involvement.
Much of Browne's career was spent at the New York Times, which he joined in 1968. He worked in Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia before leaving to edit a science magazine and returned to the newspaper in 1985 to write mainly about science. He also covered the 1991 Gulf War.
The cerebral Browne had a penchant for red socks — they were easy to match, he explained — and an acerbic wit befitting his grandfather's cousin, Oscar Wilde. Associates saw Browne as complex, rather mysterious, and above all, independent.
He wrote a 1965 book, "The New Face of War," and a manual for new reporters in Vietnam that advised: Have a sturdy pair of boots, watch out for police spies who eavesdrop on reporters' conversations in bars, and "if you're crawling through grass with the troops and you hear gunfire, don't stick your head up to see where it's coming from, as you will be the next target."
In addition to his wife, his survivors include a son, Timothy; a daughter, Wendy, from a previous marriage; a brother, Timothy; and a sister, Miriam.
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29 Jun 2010, 9:41 AM
I'm working to convince my team members that HTML5 web apps are the future but many still prefer going native because the apps load so much faster than web apps. I'm wondering if that's true for web apps that use the HTML5 manifest file. Any examples or benchmarks from the Sencha Team?

subset: commoncrawl


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Forget setting up a table at the local career fair. Facebook has become the way to reach young, impressionable minds, at least when it comes to recruiting for government agencies. A branch of the UK's secret service, MI6, has begun placing ads on Facebook in order to find the next wave of public servants. This trend isn't exactly new—as the world continues to move online, we can expect to see more government agencies interacting with potential recruits through social media.
"A number of public channels are used to promote job opportunities in the organisation and Facebook is a recent example of this," a UK Foreign Office spokeswoman told The Guardian. MI6 agents need to be able to "reflect the society" that they serve, she said.
There has apparently been a positive response to the social networking ads so far, which target users that are university graduates, those who might be bored with their jobs and looking for something fresh, and those looking to be involved in world events. The response doesn't comes as a huge surprise, as advertising on a platform like Facebook lets companies (or, say your local secret service agency) target the exact demographics they're looking for, whether that target is students who are about to graduate or workers with a solid history. It's a more certain bet than attempting to hand out pamphlets to every disinterested passerby in a crowded auditorium.
The MI6 isn't the first government agency to direct their attention online or try new technologies. The US government has also been pouring effort not only into social networking sites, but mobile campaigns as well. I have seen my share of ads on Facebook and MySpace for various government agencies, and, as pointed out by MobileMarketer, the US Army has begun a campaign to encourage students to stay in school.
As the Web 2.0 world continues growing and we begin to see larger entities—such as corporations—expanding into this space to interact with its users, it should come as no surprise that government entities are trying the same tactics.
Further reading:
- Found via ZDNet: UK secret service recruiting on Facebook


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|Previous Page | Table of Contents | Index | Next Page
Many rules in this publication do not apply to partnerships that file Form 1065-B, U.S. Return of Income for Electing Large Partnerships. For the rules that apply to these partnerships, see the Instructions for Form 1065-B. However, the partners of electing large partnerships can use the rules in this publication except as otherwise noted.
Withholding on foreign partner or firm.(p2)
Comments and suggestions.(p2)
|Tax questions.(p2)
|Ordering forms and publications.(p2)
|Online payment agreements.(p2)
You may want to see:
Forming a Partnership(p2)
Organizations Classified as Partnerships(p2)
Organizations formed after 1996.(p2)
|Limited liability company.(p2)
A domestic LLC with at least two members that doesn't file Form 8832 is classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.
Organizations formed before 1997.(p2)
Community property.(p2)
Family Partnership(p2)
Capital is material.(p3)
Capital is not material.(p3)
Capital interest.(p3)
Gift of capital interest.(p3)
Business owned and operated by spouses.(p3)
Qualified Joint Venture Election.(p3)
Partnership Agreement(p3)
|Previous Page | Table of Contents | Top of Page | Index | Next Page


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DataPoint: A Fake YouTube App Has 53 Million MAUs… and Growing
A YouTube Facebook app has enjoyed a meteoric rise in users. The only problem? The app is not actually developed by YouTube.
When it comes to the top developers on Facebook, there are a handful that are consistently topping AppData's developer leaderboard: King, Zynga, Microsoft and YouTube. Here are today's top developers, according to monthly active users (MAUs):
At first glance, nothing on this list seems unreasonable. King has been dominating the Facebook app market for a while now. Zynga, Microsoft and YouTube have consistently ranked as top developers for the past month. However, the developer that calls itself YouTube is not YouTube at all, and Google seems to have finally caught on.
The YouTube app on Facebook has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the past month, going from about 8 million MAUs to 53 million MAUs: [Click graph to enlarge]
However, the app (which goes by the name of YouTube) and the developer (also called YouTube), are not at all affiliated with the video site. The app curated YouTube videos on an unrelated domain, and allowed Facebook users to watch videos through the app.
"It may be permissible to have an app that references the trademark," said Luke DeMarte, an attorney at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, who specializes in trademark and copyright law. "[Taking] the logo probably oversteps it."
According to DeMarte, the easiest way for Google to deal with the issue as the trademark owner is to complain to Facebook that the app violated the social network's 3rd party trademark rules. That seems to be exactly what Google has done, as the app is now inaccessible.
"But there's a bigger issue," said DeMarte. "They're still using the YouTube trademark pretty prominently, and I think there could be some confusion in people's minds on whether there could be some connection with YouTube."
Indeed, the domain where the videos are being curated is still live at the time of this writing, and is still using the YouTube logo:
While there is nothing wrong with curating videos, what these developers are doing goes beyond that, explained DeMarte. Even though the app was taken down by Facebook, those that have already downloaded it can still access the app. It's safe to assume that a significant portion of the app's user base thinks that it is affiliated with YouTube.
According to DeMarte, Google could appeal to the site's web host. If the domain is in violation of the host's terms and conditions, Google could ask the host to take down the website.
What is really notable about this whole ordeal is that a fake YouTube app managed to amass 53 million MAUs. A developer that is not affiliated with YouTube, using YouTube's name and logo, propelled itself to the top of the charts, right on up there with heavyweights like King and Zynga. It is still gaining MAUs, despite being inaccessible to new users:
With YouTube's increased Google+ integration, it seems unlikely that the video-sharing site would develop an app for Facebook, a G+ competitor. However, the fact that this app has achieved such huge growth speaks to a high demand for such a product on Facebook. Would YouTube consider developing its own legitimate app to satisfy these users?
At the time of this writing, YouTube has not responded to SocialTimes' request for comment. We'll update this post if we hear back.
For more information about AppData click here, or call 415-230-2558.


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Shows a list of all installed cows saying a fortune. Also lists the cows names. Pic your favorite cow! Needs cowsay, fortune and ruby installed. The path only applies to OS X with cowsay installed using homebrew. On Linux it might be /usr/share/cowsay/cows/ or similar. Uses ruby just because. Show Sample Output
commandlinefu.com is the place to record those command-line gems that you return to again and again. That way others can gain from your CLI wisdom and you from theirs too. All commands can be commented on, discussed and voted up or down.
Every new command is wrapped in a tweet and posted to Twitter. Following the stream is a great way of staying abreast of the latest commands. For the more discerning, there are Twitter accounts for commands that get a minimum of 3 and 10 votes - that way only the great commands get tweeted.
» http://twitter.com/commandlinefu
» http://twitter.com/commandlinefu3
» http://twitter.com/commandlinefu10
Use your favourite RSS aggregator to stay in touch with the latest commands. There are feeds mirroring the 3 Twitter streams as well as for virtually every other subset (users, tags, functions,…):
Subscribe to the feed for:


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Mater is a firefighting hero... in his own mind.
For a great selection of film, comic and TV action figures and collectibles, check out BigBadToyStore.com, Urban-Collector.com, BriansToys.com, DollsAmerica.com, ClarkToys.com, ToyWiz.com, VNCToys.com, PastGenerationToys.com, MonkeyDepot.com, RPMDiecast.com, HobbyLinkJapan.com, YesAnimation.com, and SuperheroToys.com.
For a great selection of film, TV and pop culture t-shirts and apparel, check out TShirtGurus.com and 80sTees.com.
Originally airing last October, CARS Toon (or Maters Tall Tales) are a series of animated shorts starring characters from Disney and Pixars CARS. In the cartoons, Mater is telling McQueen about his previous adventures such as when he was firefighter, which was the first episode of the series. The SDCC 2009 Exclusive Rescue Squad Mater set is actually the introductory piece in a soon-to-be-released CARS Toon collectible line featuring a variety of characters and playsets. This collector set features Rescue Squad Mater (the fire engine) and his two Dalmatian-painted Groupies (played by Mia and Tia).
One of this years best examples of Mattels packaging design prowess, Mater and his two Dalmatian sidekicks comes boxed in a full-color window display offering a full view of the enclosed die-cast characters. The font of the box features the new Cars Toon logo, as well as a gold nameplate naming the three characters. The cars are situated on top of a raised platform meant to look like a roadway and are positioned in front of a building backdrop that appears to be on fire. Mattel didnt stop there thought, as if you press the button that is accessible through the round die-cut on the side of the packaging, it activates a fantastic illuminated fire effect in the buildings windows! The back of the packaging also features a large color image of the enclosed vehicles in a dynamic poster style (which can be seen in the actual Cars Toon).
One you remove the three cars from their base via the twist ties underneath, you are ready for some firefightin action. The vehicles in this set feature unique details and paint applications that will not be found on the re-released coming in the regular line. All three have real synthetic rubber tires that will be plastic on their next release as well.
Mia and Tia are essentially the same vehicles with the same paint apps, but with some slight differences. The white paint used on their bodies is has a slight shimmer and high gloss color. What make the two different are the mouth expression (which is a separate plastic piece) and the license plates.
Mater is one of the most detailed vehicles that Mattel has released for the Cars line. All of the small details you would expect on a fire engine are present such as the siren, flashers, bells, textured kickplates, and an articulated hose. One of the key features that will only be on this release of Mater is the awesome three-tier extending ladder!
This fantastic set was available at SDCC'09 and for a short time at www.MattyCollector.com for $30.00. While it is now sold out, fans that missed the set will be able to get these characters soon when the CARS Toon line hits stores.
For more images of the Mater and friends, CLICK HERE!
Review Sample courtesy of Mattel
Review & Photos by Michael Klein


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About Us
We, DIGICUBE SOLUTIONS would like to introduce ourselves as Vijayanagar's No.1 Web design, Web hosting, Multimedia, SEO, SMS Gateways Service providing firm operating from Tumkur since 2009. DIGICUBE with the motto of "The Man Friday of your Business" – assure a best attention and services all times with a dedicated team of highly skilled, professionally qualified designers who are competitive enough to cater to all customer requirements.
DIGICUBE Currently Offers All kinds of Web Design and Web Hosting Services in Vijayanagar, Web application developments in Vijayanagar, Corporate Email service in Vijayanagar and VPS Hosting in Vijayanagar.
Video Documentary Works, Multimedia Designs, Web SEO, SMS and WhatsApp Gateways, Printing Solutions, Payment Gateways Configuration for various segments like startup companies in Vijayanagar, educational institutions in Vijayanagar, personalities, Celebrities, Tourist spots, Home Stay, Private Business Firms, Corporate, Production Industries, e-commerce, Automobiles, Government Bodies, Public Service Sectors, NGOs, Training Institutions etc. We have already designed and maintaining around 120+ Websites for both Indian and overseas customers.
Our Websites consists of Latest Responsive Screen Design, Dynamic Content Management System and SEO Friendly Pages.
We have a dedicated team of highly skilled, professionally qualified designers who are competitive enough to cater to all customer requirements w.r.t. Web Graphics and Multimedia jobs.
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DIGICUBE offers well secured Shared Hosting in Vijayanagar, VPS Hosting in Vijayanagar, Dedicated Servers in Vijayanagar with 99% uptime and fully managed and unmanaged server options; available on both Linux and windows platforms. Our Data Centers are Located in Germany, Australia and Singapore locations with 24×7 technical support. You will get Hassle Free 24×7 Hosting Service support in Vijayanagar with attractive packages. Get full telephonic and whatsapp technical support during validity period. Technical Problems will be resolved within maximum 3-4 Hours. Kannada Language Support is also provided.
We offer Annual Maintenance Contracts for Websites, Web Applications, ERPs, VPS and Dedicated Servers at affordable prices in Vijayanagar.
Please feel free to call the undersigned for additional information and clarification, or for your current or future needs of IT infrastructure Products, Solutions and Services.
- Web Design for Startup Companies
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- Web Design for Community Group
- Web Design for Trusts
- Web Design for Products Brochures
- Web Design for Town Urban Development Authority etc.


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It's only natural that a man should wish to stroke the body of a beautiful woman.
So letting Nature takes its course is what it's all about. The setting is a beautiful tropical location. The world is at its most ravishing and so too is his partner. His practised hands settle everywhere. When he has made a thorough exploration he moves skilfully on to the next part of her body.
From head to foot and over every fascinating detail in between, she surrenders completely to him.
Would you like to comment? Join us today, or sign in if you're already a member.


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It was Cage, not Kurtag
Regarding Damani Harrison's article ["Useless Art: 'Quack' Disappoints in Person," Music Review, February 26]:
While I did not attend the performance of DjTRIO at the Jefferson Theater, I read Harrison's article and felt that a fact needed correction. '4'33"' was composed by John Cage (not Gyorgy Kurtag) in 1952 and performed that same year in Woodstock, New York by David Tudor.
The article is essentially an editorial, so I won't comment on his opinion of the performance. However, I'd like to point out that Harrison's use of the term "useless art" bears striking resemblance to another author who used the term nearly 110 years ago. In the preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde writes:
"It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors. Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital. When critics disagree, the artist is in accord with himself. We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it. The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely.
"All art is quite useless."
Colten Noakes


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Flowers, Gardens and Parks
If you love the flowers and the gardens, you spend a significant part of your time to care for them. Perhaps you have rare species plants. That will be interesting to tell us about them and for your garden. And people who are doing this have an exceptional career opportunity to work in a beautiful environment. Moreover, in the world exist an incredibly beautiful gardens, parks, botanical gardens, where it is grow inimitable beautiful flowers and plants. We created this space specifically to be able to display these beautiful places and other people to enjoy these wonderful pictures! Show us and tell us about your gardens! What is their history, how you care for them. We will make special galleries of the most beautiful private or public gardens and parks!
If you don't have a registration to upload content you should register first.
- Upload Info
- Upload image
- Upload video
Keukenhof gardens, Lisse, Netherlands
uploaded by: Leontine
Author (source) of image: Personal archiveRecommended/Related links
Keukenhof gardens, Lisse, Netherlands


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Sigma Canine is related to Arrack's Home.
Arrack's Home is professional breeder of working FCI Malinois.
At Sigma Canine, we are committed to providing you with the highest quality K9 services.
We have more then 50 yrs of experience in training K9's.
We have won several KNPV championships in all disciplines.
Arrack's Home is a kennel that is specialized in breeding FCI working malinois. They use the best bloodlines that are found in Europe.
go to website
Here you can find different video's of us training, competing and doing other awesome stuff with our dogs.
Go to video gallery


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Image Eve Wilson Photography
I can't think of a better Thingy Thursday post to begin 2015 than the amazingly creative and collected space of artist Greg Irvine. I was wowed by this collaboration between filmmaker Paris Thomson of SIRAP, and Editor Lucy Feagins of The Design Files. Together they made a short video documenting Greg's remarkable home, his collections and his paintings.
Greg's collection of tortoise shell objects is stunning!
He has a large collection of vintage fabrics which he uses in his painting.
TITLE: View to the Garden with Blue • MEDIUM: oil on canvas • DIMENSIONS: 4ft x 5ft
Greg believes in surrounding himself with a lot of beautiful things. . . a practice I'm more than a little familiar with, but I think you call mine hoarding!
His sketch books are jaw-droppingly stunning! He has hundreds of them full of sketches/paintings like the ones above.
TITLE: Clarice Cliff & Flowering Gum • Limited Edition Print 1/100 • DIMENSIONS: 91cms x 84cms
Australian Homes · Greg Irvine from The Design Files on Vimeo.Follow my blog with bloglovin
Images are courtesy of Greg Irvine and Eve Wilson Photography and the film is by Paris Thomson / SIRAP and Produced by The Design Files with music by Digging Holes


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Ina Garten's Chocolate Chunk Cookies
This recipe turns out a soft and chewy cookie.
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, optional
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cream the butter and two sugars until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or just use electric hand mixer). Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at at time, and mix well.
3. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the butter with the mixer on low speed, mixing only until combined. Fold in chocolate chunks (and walnuts, if using).
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is firm (1 to 2 hours or more).
5. Scoop out the dough by the heaping tablespoonful onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using a 1 3/4-inch-diameter ice cream scoop or a rounded Tablespoon. Dampen your hands and flatten the dough slightly. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone in the middle and lightly browned on the edges). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Source: Adapted from Barefoot Contessa: Parties!


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"Investors are asking about stocks, corporate debt and so-called hybrid investment," Michael Herbst said Thursday morning. "But with volatility, yield and equity returns being what they are, those decisions have been turned on their heads."
Herbst, Morningstar's associate director of fund analysis, hosted a panel of high-profile fund managers for the general session at the company's annual conference in Chicago.
Featuring PIMCO's Mark Kiesel, Invesco's Meggan Walsh and Don Yacktman of Yacktman Asset Management, the panel touched on each manager's investment philosophy and how they identify potential red flags, especially when investing across capital structures.
Herbst began by asking the panel what they look for "across the capital structure fence?"
Yacktman, an equity manager, said he "tends to look at equities in the same way we look at bonds. If we are to hold on to them for a long time, what type of risk and return would we have? It's almost like holding a bond to maturity."
Walsh added that Invesco focuses on the potential for capital appreciation, and that she "spends a lot of time on figuring out the potential downside," which, given that she's a portfolio manager, was reassuring for the audience to hear.
Kiesel said PIMCO managers take a top-down approach, beginning by asking themselves what areas of the world they feel will perform best.
"Currently, we feel it's the United States and Asia," he said, partly agreeing (Asia) and disagreeing (United States) with Franklin Templeton's Michael Hasenstab from Wednesday. "We then consider a particular company's enterprise value and where on the risk/reward spectrum we will then perform best. It's really very simple; it's the best part of the globe, the best sector in that part of the globe and then where we should invest in the capital structure."
Herbst then asked about the managers' red flags.
"We favor businesses with a high return on real assets, so we look to the left side of the balance sheet," Yacktman said. "We look to avoid low return, low turnover of assets and companies with off-balance sheet issues like pensions. We feel pensions are the wrong way to fund retirement."
Kiesel noted that most company balance sheets are healthy at the moment, as capital market have "been open" for the past three to four years.
"Credit might not be available for governments, but it sure has for companies," he said. "So we look at the stress-free cash flow for the company throughout an entire business cycle."
Herbst then asked the panel about their process for evaluating company management teams, which he said was one of the most frequently asked questions from investors. Kiesel said PIMCO travels frequently to visit companies at their headquarters and specifically asks executive teams about their top three priorities.
"For instance, banks are currently building capital, which means they're not equity friendly and are running a conservative business because governments are trapping capital inside. This means it's a good investment for bondholders. So we'll get on a plane, meet the managers and ask them about it."
Walsh said it's important to "watch what managers do, not what they say," a point to which Yacktman emphatically agreed.
"They'll give you standard answers to your questions," she said. "We want to see a proactive method for how they responsibly handle their cash on their balance sheets. Right now, a lot of cash is trapped overseas and managers are looking to make acquisitions in order to grow. But these acquisitions might not be good fits. So we keep their feet on the ground."
"Behavioral patterns are instructive," Yacktman added. "I once spoke with a CEO who said, 'My people are always trying to get me on CNBC. I don't want to go on CNBC. The people that watch are not our investors, and I don't want the investors that do watch. It would be a total waste of time.' That was music to my ears. I said, 'Wow, this guy is focused.'"
As for where the managers are finding alpha from a valuation perspective, Walsh named the housing and homebuilders, consumer discretionary, transportation and lodging sectors. Kiesel likes energy, which he said is a good area for equity and debt investors. He agreed with Walsh that housing has hit bottom, and as a result like Weyerhaeuser for their timber exposure. Lastly, he pointed to gaming in China.
"If you look at Macau, it's doing five times the business of Las Vegas. Five years ago they were essentially even. So this is another area that is good for both equity and debt investors."


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Flames Audio:
Left to Right: Assistant coach Adam Godwin, assistant coach Laura Armstrong and head coach Jessica Hain
With Liberty's matchup against Big South leader Radford just over 48 hours away, Liberty Flames Sports Network's Alan York caught up with women's soccer head coach Jessica Hain, Monday.
During the interview, York and Hain discussed this past week's games against Presbyterian College and UNC Asheville. Hain also talked about Holly Van Noord's exceptional play in goal through the first 12 games and previewed the upcoming matchup with the Highlanders.
Liberty returns to action against Radford, Wednesday. The Lady Flames are looking for their first win versus the two-time defending champions since 2009. Game time is set for 4 p.m. The game will stream live on the Big South Network.


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While we were throwing quarters into Spy Hunter or Robotron 2084, our counterparts in the Soviet Union were slipping Kopecks into Obgon and Autorally. Seems that Soviet military factories procured a few Japanese games and reverse engineered over 70 Soviet versions. These games were then officially distributed for the purposes of entertainment, and developing visual estimating ability. A couple of guys at Moscow State University have started collecting and restoring these digital-mechanical monuments to active leisure before the games were converted into wheelbarrows or similar oblivion. The game shown here is called Magistral, which translates as Superhighway. While competition for high score was discouraged, free plays were awarded for great achievement. Soviet-era driving games also featured a distinct lack of gas or brake pedals.
[Thanks to Retro Thing for the tip]
The Lost Arcade Games of the Soviet Union [wired.com]
In Soviet Russia, Pobeda Customizes You!; Rocket to Russia: Moskvitch 410H [Internal]


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Export Control, Sanctions, OFAC and CFIUS Practices
Export Controls and Economic Sanctions
The Export Controls and Sanctions Practice Group of Berliner, Corcoran & Rowe LLP represents Fortune 50, multinational, medium, small, and startup companies as well as think tanks and individuals in all aspects of compliance with and enforcement of U.S. dual-use, defense, and nuclear export control regulations, as well as U.S. economic sanctions regulations (including extensive experience with Cuba, Iran, Russia/Ukraine and Syria sanctions) and U.S. antiboycott regulations. Our team is among the most experienced in the country, forming a "boutique within a boutique." Each of the seven core members has between 10 and over 30 years of experience with export controls and sanctions, and our attorneys frequently speak on a wide range of topics at national and international conferences and training programs.
Our lawyers have experience serving in government and industry regulatory advisory groups and committees, trade and professional associations, and private business coalitions, allowing BCR attorneys to influence policy through regular interaction with policymakers, regulators, and enforcement officials. Our attorneys have also testified before Congress and advised the Executive Branch on export control and sanctions legislation and regulations, and are well respected at the political and staff levels at relevant agencies.
Serving a broad clientele has helped BCR develop experience in numerous commercial and defense industry sectors, with particular experience in computers, software, encryption, microelectronics, sensors, night vision, aerospace, automotive, medical, test & measurement, and the civil, commercial, and private exploitation of space. Our attorneys thrive on the challenge of learning new technologies and invest significant time keeping up with and analyzing the rapidly changing landscape of U.S. export controls and sanctions.
Our team advises clients on all aspects of export controls and sanctions, including developing and implementing compliance programs and training, assisting with complex classifications and jurisdiction determinations, licensing and agreements, investigations and enforcement matters, transactional due diligence, audits and monitorships, litigation/ arbitration expert testimony, and export compliance representation.
Compliance Systems & Training
BCR prides itself on providing clients large and small cost-effective compliance solutions tailored to each client's business risk profile. We assist those new to export controls setting up effective internal compliance programs as well as help clients very experienced in export controls/sanctions to fine-tune their established systems.
Classifications & Licensing
Proper classification is the core of effective export control compliance. BCR's team helps clients determine the appropriate export control jurisdiction and classification for their products and technology. Once jurisdiction is established, we assist in obtaining licenses or other export authorizations and advise on the use of license exceptions/exemptions, as well as with registration and reporting requirements.
BCR has extensive experience with export control and sanctions investigations and enforcement matters, including assisting clients with:
Transactional/Due Diligence
Export controls and sanctions can affect everyday business transactions, as well as have a significant impact in mergers and acquisitions, particularly cross-border transactions. BCR attorneys assist clients in this area by:
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text:
Archbishop of Canterbury talks about Macbeth
Tuesday 15th May 2012As part of the BBC's 'Shakespeare Unlocked' season, Archbishop Rowan Williams was asked to speak about the piece of Shakespeare that has inspired him the most.
The Archbishop chose a speech from Macbeth Act 3 Scene 2.
Dr Williams said:
I've always found Macbeth a particularly challenging and engaging play. It's the shortest of the plays and therefore a great deal is compressed into it. There is a sense that the metaphors are particularly packed - there's no time to explain them, you just have to work with them. And there are also lightning changes of emotion within very short spaces of time. It's one of the things that makes Macbeth both very hard to perform effectively, and very rewarding to read again and again.
The speech that most stays with me from Macbeth is from Act 3 Scene 2, where Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are discussing - though not discussing - the murder of Banquo.
Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck,
Till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling night,
Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day;
And with thy bloody and invisible hand
Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond
Which keeps me pale! Light thickens; and the crow
Makes wing to the rooky wood:
Good things of day begin to droop and drowse;
While night's black agents to their preys do rouse.
Thou marvell'st at my words, but hold thee still;
Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill.
Listen to the programme here [2Mb, 3 min]
The reader is Chiwetel Ejiofor.
The 'My Own Shakespeare' series invites public figures to talk about their favourite pieces from Shakespeare. These short programmes, each 3 minutes long, are being broadcast across Radio 4 in May 2012 as part of the BBC-wide 'Shakespeare Unlocked' season.


text:
KC parents concerned about lack of stoplight near school
City: Study shows street doesn't have enough traffic for light
Some Kansas City parents are accusing City Hall of deliberately endangering their children.
The parents said they're angry that the city has taken out stoplights at school crossings near St. John and North Quincy avenues where their children need to cross the street. Two elementary schools are located in the area.
Students at Holy Cross School said they can't cross St. John's Avenue without having to dodge traffic. The area only has a flashing yellow light now.
"My daughter said just this morning, 'We just look both ways and run real fast,'" said parent Jean Van Booven-Shook.
The situation is the same at James Public School, just a couple of blocks away. The lights were shut down or replaced with stop signs after a city traffic study determined the street wasn't busy enough to need a full traffic signal.
"This was us determining what intersections met federal standards," said Sean Demory of the Kansas City Public Works.
He said the city has been re-evaluating traffic signals at hundreds of intersections and has already changed some of them. He told parents that the full traffic signal won't be coming back.
"The full signal will not return at the current traffic level," he said. "But we can look at options that can be put in place."
One of those options may be a crosswalk activator that turns the light red when a student is ready to cross.
Parents said they plan to hold the city accountable for finding a safer option than what is currently there.
"We'll up the ante and raise Cain until it happens," said Van Booven-Shook.


text:
Vatican City, Oct 12, 2013 / 08:36 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis met with experts on women's issues today in Rome, affirming that the Church must continue to work for a more profound understanding of women and their roles.
"Also in the Church it is important to ask ourselves: what presence does woman have? Can it be valued more?" the Pope asked.
He met with experts who had participated in a seminar marking the 25th anniversary of Blessed John Paul II's apostolic letter, "On the Dignity and Vocation of Women." The two-day seminar was sponsored by the Pontifical Council of the Laity.
Pope Francis said the presence of women in the Church is "a reality that is very much on my heart." He said he wanted to meet the seminar participants "and bless you and your task."
He noted that John Paul II's apostolic letter teaches that "God entrusts man, the human being, to woman in a special way."
"What does this 'special entrustment' mean?" asked Pope Francis.
"I think it is evident that my predecessor refers to motherhood," he explained. "And this is not simply a biological fact, but it involves a wealth of implications both for woman herself, for her way of being, and for her relationships, for a way of extending respect for human life and for life in general."
The Pope then warned of two ever-present dangers, "two extreme opposites that degrade woman and her vocation."
"The first is to reduce motherhood to a social role, to a task, however noble, but in fact sets apart woman with her potential, not fully valuing her in the construction of the community," he noted.
The second peril is that of "promoting a type of emancipation that, in order to occupy the space stolen by the masculine, abandons the feminine with its priceless elements."
He said women can help provide better insight into the nature of God.
"Woman has a particular sensibility for the 'things of God', above all in helping us to understand the mercy, the tenderness, and the love that God has for us," he emphasized.
Pope Francis then abandoned his prepared remarks to convey his sadness at the situation of women who are reduced to roles of mere "servitude," distinguishing it from the "servanthood" to which all Christians are called.
"I suffer – speaking truthfully! – when I see in the Church or in some ecclesial organizations that the role of service that we all have, and that we must have – but that the role of service of the woman becomes role of 'servitude'."
He then encouraged the experts to continue their work in order to better understand the role of women in the Church.
"Let us move forward together!" he exclaimed. "May most holy Mary – a great woman, eh? – the Mother of Jesus and of all God's children, accompany us. Thank you!"
The Pope then took the time to greet each person in the hall, including the families of the experts present.
One little girl began to cry "mama!" as she stood near Pope Francis.
He smiled and turned to the women in the room, joking "that's maternity, eh?"


text:
While Americans may regard a rising standard of living as their birthright, a provocative new academic paper suggests economic growth may be a thing of the past.
The paper, by Robert Gordon, a professor at Northwestern University and research fellow at the U.K.'s Centre for Economic Policy Research, argues that it is incorrect to assume that economic growth is an indefinite, continual process. To the contrary, Gordon asserts there was no economic growth from the year 1300 to 1750, and therefore suggests it is possible there will be none in the centuries ahead.
Americans can be forgiven for assuming the persistence of economic growth because it has coincided with most of our history. But, according to Gordon, that growth has been fueled by technological innovation, and we may now be at a point of diminishing returns from those gains.
Gordon, who declined an interview with AdvisorOne, is a member of the National Bureau of Economic Research's committee that determines start and end dates for U.S. recessions, and therefore has considerable experience tracking economic cycles.
His key insight is that U.S. growth phases are linked to three "industrial revolutions," whose innovations fueled a period of productivity growth that would eventually dissipate. Many readers would be surprised to learn that the last of these revolutions—the computer and Internet revolutions—has been relatively weak in its contribution to economic growth, fueling a mere eight-year growth spurt.
Writes Gordon: "The computer and Internet revolution…began around 1960 and reached its climax in the dot-com era of the late 1990s…Invention since 2000 has centered on entertainment and communication devices that are smaller, smarter and more capable, but do not fundamentally change labor productivity or the standard of living in the way that electric light, motor cars or indoor plumbing changed it."
It was the second industrial revolution, which brought airplanes, air conditioning, interstate highways and indoor plumbing, that fueled the biggest gains in economic growth, but whose benefits were quite finite.
"Every drop of water for laundry, cooking, and indoor chamber pots had to be hauled in by the housewife, and wastewater hauled out. The average North Carolina housewife in 1885 had to walk 148 miles per year while carrying 35 tons of water," writes Gordon. He added that the invention of running water and the spread of indoor plumbing in urban America a century ago was the key milestone in women's liberation, and that the full effects of this revolution in productivity terms lasted about 100 years.
The first industrial revolution, Gordon writes, "centered in 1750-1830 from the inventions of the steam engine and cotton gin through the early railroads and steamships, but much of the impact of railroads on the American economy came later between 1850 and 1900." This revolution, he writes, would play out in terms of productivity gains over 150 years.
The income effects of these revolutions may be the most interesting, even disturbing, findings of Gordon's study. In the period between 1957 and 1988, income per capita doubled—in just 31 years. The biggest growth occurred in the period between 1929 and 1957, when income doubled in just 28 years, hardly slowed by the Great Depression and World War II. In contrast, it took centuries for income to double before 1800, and Gordon hypothesizes that it could take a century for income per capita to double in the years to come.
Gordon conjectures that diminishing gains from previous revolutions combined with current economic headwinds may bring the U.S. back to the 0.2% economic growth rate experienced by Britain in the four centuries from 1300 to 1700.
Those headwinds include unfavorable demographics, with retiring boomers reversing gains brought by women entering the labor force; declining educational attainment, which has now logged two decades in international comparisons and is likely to be worsened by the "cost disease" of college tuition rising in comparison to other goods; rising income inequality, which Gordon expects to substantially suppress economic growth; globalization, which suppresses U.S. wages via outsourcing; environmental problems, which Gordon sees as necessitating a growth-suppressing carbon tax; and finally, the overhang of consumer and government debt, which he says will reduce disposable income relative to real GDP.
Gordon concludes:
"The particular numbers don't matter, and there is no magic in the choice of 0.2% as the long-run growth rate. That was chosen for "shock value" as the rate of growth for the UK between 1300 and 1700. Any other number below 1.0% could be chosen and it would represent an epochal decline in growth from the U.S. record of the last 150 years of 2.0% annual growth rate in output per capita."


text:
The Mapleson Cylinders - Program Notes
|Puccini: TOSCA [Includes RealAudio Selections]
|Band 2
Act I: Te Deum excerpt: "[con] spasimo d'amor" ...to end of act
Antonio Scotti (b), Scarpia
Metropolitan Opera & Chorus--Phillippe
Flon (?)
January 3, February 1, or February 17, 1902 (?)
[The presumed container for this cylinder now holds the Aida excerpt on Side 5/Band 6, and is not dated. As all Tosca performances in the 1902-03 season except the one represented by Band 1 preceded the first of the year, and as no Mapleson recordings have confirmed dates before January 1, Band 2 is probably from the preceding season--possibly from the same performance as Band 7. In any case, Scotti sang Scarpia at all Met Tosca performances of this period; Flon conducted in 1901-02, Mancinelli in the preceding and following seasons. At the end of this cylinder, one of the Mapleson children makes an appearance, with a bit of "Au clair de la lune"; see Side 12/Band 12(f).]
Baron Scarpia, the Roman police chief, has a plan to force the actress Floria Tosca to make love to him, by trapping her lover, the painter and Bonapartist, Mario Cavaradossi. As the church of S. Andrea Della Valle fills for a Te Deum celebrating a supposed victory over Napoleon, Scarpia exults in the prospect before him.
A doppia mira tendo il voler,
nč il capo del ribella
č la piů prezio [ Band 1 begins →sa ]!
Ah, di quegli occhi vittoriosi
veder la fiamma illanguidir
con [ Band 2 begins → ] spasimo d'amor...
fra le mie braccia illanguidir d'amor.
L'uno al calpestro,
l'altra fra le mie braccia...
Te Deum laudamus:
te Dominum confitemur!
( Startled by the
sound of the chant, he collects himself and makes the sign of the cross.
Tosca, mi fai dimenticare Iddio!
SCARPIA and CHORUS
Te aeternum Patrem omnis terra veneratur!
At a double target my desire takes aim,
nor is the rebel's head
the more precious of them!
Ah, to see the flame of those
triumphant eyes glow languid
with the agony of love...
in my arms grow languid with love.
One to the noose,
the other in my arms...
Te Deum laudamus:
te Dominum confitemur! ( Startled by the sound of the chant, he collects himself and makes the sign of the cross. )
Tosca, you make me forget God!
SCARPIA and CHORUS
Te aeternum Patrem omnis terra veneratur!


text:
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text:
Freebooter at heart, spacer by trade, Beka Rosselin-Metadi doesn't want to hear about her father whose rugged generalship held back the Mageworlds -- or her highborn mother whose leadership has held the galaxy together ever since. Beka pilots spacecraft -- as far from her famous family as possible, thanks very much.
Then Beka's mother is assassinated on the Senate floor, and her father offers her Warhammer, prize ship from his own freebooting youth -- if she'll use it to deliver the assassins to him "off the books."
Looking for assassins has a tendency to make assassins look for you. In short order Beka's arranged her own very public death and adopted a new identity; now all she has to do is leave a trail of kidnappings and corpses across five star systems, and blow the roof off the strongest private fortress in the Galaxy. If her own family can just get off her case long enough ...!
|Discuss the Mageworlds with the authors.
You'll find a mailing list dedicated to the Mageworlds books at E-groups.
Night had come to Waycross on Innish-Kyl. Night, but not darkness or quiet. Bursts of loud talk and raucous music spilled out through open doorways, and the low thrumming of heavy machinery never stopped. Beka Rosselin-Metadi -- tall and thin, with pale yellow hair tied back from a face too sharply planed for prettiness -- strode through the crowded spaceport with a starpilot's fine disregard for the dirtside locals. The locals, in turn, took note of her purposeful air, backed up by a heavy war-surplus blaster in its worn leather holster, and let her pass.
In fact, Beka had no goal besides a cool drink and a few hours away from the ship. Claw Hard had been in hyperspace for two months on this latest run, plenty of time for Beka to grow heartily tired of both the freighter and her crew. This stop at Waycross was her first chance to get off-ship since Cashel; the layover at Raffa, the only other port on this run, had been too brief to allow the crew members any liberty.
Osa's probably afraid he'll lose the whole lot of us if he lets us out on the town, she decided as she stepped through the door of the Blue Sun Cantina. If her own duties as copilot/navigator hadn't ended when Claw Hard settled into the docking bay, she wouldn't be here either -- she'd be off-loading and on-loading cargo with the rest of the freighter's crew. But except for Osa himself she had the only deep-space pilot's license on board and Claw Hard's captain was getting too fat and lazy to do his own ship-handling.
Beka smiled thinly to herself. If Osa wants to keep his copilot, she thought, he can damn well let me off the ship for a couple of hours.
The door slid shut behind her, and she made her way through the crowd to the bar. The regulars at the Blue Sun weren't exactly the sort of people Beka had grown up with. Innish-Kyl was a frontier planet near the Mageworlds border zone, and Waycross had started out as a privateers' port during the worst years of the late war. Most of them probably hadn't seen a respectable woman more than once or twice in their lives, and wouldn't know what to say to one if she showed up.
Luckily, Beka's much-mended coverall and worn leather boots -- and the blaster -- were enough to spare her the burden of respectability in this crowd. She found a place at the bar, and pulled a ten-credit chit out of her pocket.
"Beer," she said in Galcenian. "Whatever you have on tap."
The bartender looked at her without speaking.
Beka sighed. I wonder if it's my accent. She didn't suppose that the Blue Sun got many customers who spoke the universal tongue of the spacelanes as it sounded on the Mother of Worlds -- but even seven years away from Galcen hadn't been enough to wipe all traces of home from Beka's voice.
It never fails, she thought with resignation. A few hours without sleep, and I start talking like I'm just out of finishing school. Oh, well. Try again.
"Beer," she said, enunciating clearly. "Tap."
The bartender blinked. "Yes, Domina."
Oh, damn. It wasn't the accent.
Beka exhaled slowly through clenched teeth. It wasn't the bartender's fault that random genetic factors had made her into a taller, thinner, plainer version of the civilized galaxy's most famous stateswoman. But what anybody could think Mother was doing in a place like this -- or maybe they haven't forgotten that she did come to Waycross once, when she needed the kind of help that no other place could give.
She drew a long breath. "I'm sorry, but I'm not the Domina. I'm not even a gentlelady. I'm a thirsty starpilot, and I'd like some brew."
The bartender gave her another strange look, then shrugged and turned away. He drew a mug of beer from the console behind the bar and slid the mug across the counter without speaking. Beka reached out to pick it up, but before her fingers reached the frosted glass she felt a touch on her shoulder.
She whirled, dropping her hand to the grip of the blaster. Then she saw who stood there -- a slight, dark-haired man in dusty black, a plain wooden staff slung across his back on a leather thong. Her blue eyes widened with recognition, and she let her hand relax.
"Master Ransome," she said. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you," the man answered. "You're wanted down at the docking bays."
Beka raised an eyebrow. "Somehow I can't see the Master of the Adepts' Guild running errands for the likes of Captain Osa."
"I'm not," Ransome said. "Your father is here."
So you're running errands for Dadda instead ... which means that Mother has to be mixed up in this somehow. Beka felt the old, familiar anger stir to life at the thought. Seven years. It's been seven years, and she still thinks I'm going to change my mind and come home. Or maybe Master Ransome is supposed to drag me back to Galcen whether I want to go or not.
She gave the Adept a wary look. "I thought the Space Force stayed away from Innish-Kyl."
"The Space Force has nothing to do with it. Warhammer is in docking bay sixty-two-D."
Beka took a long, deep drink from her mug. So her father had finally brought his old ship back to the port that had made her famous. After all the times I asked him to take me to Waycross, back when I was a kid, and he said no, he didn't want to see the place again ... and now he's here.
She set down the beer and pushed herself away from the bar. "All right," she said. "I can take a hint. Let's go."
She followed the Adept through the crowded room and out onto the street. The rest of the Blue Sun's customers drew aside to let them pass -- not out of any regard for her, she knew, but out of well-founded respect for anyone who carried an Adept's staff.
For centuries the galaxy's Adepts had kept to themselves, living apart from those who distrusted their power to sense and manipulate the patterns of the universe. Then strange, wing- shaped scoutships began appearing above the outplanets. A few years later the raiding parties followed, first on the frontier and then in the heart of the galaxy itself. And in the opening skirmishes of what became the Magewar, the once-distrusted Adepts became humanity's chief defenders against the power of the Mageworlds.
Now Beka Rosselin-Metadi glanced over at Master Ransome as they walked through Waycross's narrow streets. "Mother's up to something, and I don't like it. Are you going to tell me what's going on, or not?"
Ransome shook his head. "The docking bay isn't far."
She bit her lip and said nothing. A few minutes later they reached the low-walled, roofless enclosure where Warhammer's flattened disk-shape loomed against the white glow of the dock lights. Beka paused for a moment in the entrance to the bay.
"Damn, but she's still a pretty ship," she said, more to herself than to her companion. "Makes Claw Hard look like a flying rock. Did Dadda bring her in alone?"
"Not quite," said Ransome. "I was copilot."
"Just like old times," said Beka, as they crossed the open bay toward the ship. In her fighting days, the 'Hammer had carried a full crew: pilot, co-pilot, engineer, and a pair of gunners. But Jos Metadi had flown Warhammer solo after the long conflict had ended, and had taught all three of his children to do the same.
Beka smiled a little in spite of herself. Ari and Owen never loved it like I did, though -- and I could fly rings around them both from the moment I was old enough to start learning. The smile faded as quickly as it had come. I wonder if Dadda would have taught me, if he'd known what I was going to do with all those lessons?
She hesitated at the foot of the lowered ramp, and looked at her father's onetime copilot and oldest friend.
"Master Ransome, can you tell me what he wants?"
The Adept shook his head. In the shadow of Warhammer's bulk, she couldn't make out his expression. She shrugged, and went on up the ramp.
The ship's door was open, and the faint glow of a force- field stretched across the gap. Master Ransome reached out one hand toward it, and the light faded. He gestured at her to go ahead. She stepped through with Master Ransome following a staff-length behind. The air brightened again behind them.
Beka made her way forward to the 'Hammer's dimly lit common room. A lean, dark-clad figure half-lounged in a chair at the mess table: Jos Metadi, once captain of the privateer ship Warhammer, now Commanding General of the Republic's Space Force. Marriage to Perada Rosselin had given him the rank -- in the old days before the Magewar, "General of the Armies" had been one of the honorifics granted by custom to the consort of the Domina of Entibor -- but Metadi's own formidable talents had made the courtesy title a powerful reality.
His chair spun round as the first footstep sounded on the common-room floor, and a small but deadly blaster appeared in the General's hand. After a moment the blaster disappeared again into its hidden grav-clip up Metadi's sleeve.
"Sorry," he said. "Old habits die hard."
Beka nodded, unsurprised. Innish-Kyl had that effect on people. She'd almost gone for her blaster herself back in the cantina and she was nothing like the old hand that her father was. Behind her, she heard Errec Ransome half-laugh.
"You could get a bodyguard from the Guild any time you wanted," the Adept said. "Will you take one?"
"I'll take a bodyguard when I run into somebody who's even fonder of keeping my hide in one piece than I am," Metadi said. "And I don't think the creature exists." He turned back to Beka. "Sit down, girl. We have to talk."
Beka took a chair on the other side of the mess table, and braced herself for a struggle. She hadn't written or spoken to anyone on Galcen -- except, once in a great while to her brother Owen -- since that last, bitter quarrel the night she left home. She wondered what twist in galactic politics had convinced the Domina to send for the family's runaway daughter.
It must be really bad, she thought. The realization stiffened her resolve. If Mother wants me to come back again, she's going to have to take me on my terms, not hers.
There was a long pause. Finally her father said, "You look like you've done well enough for yourself."
"I'm piloting for Frizzt Osa on Claw Hard," she said. "The ship's a pile of junk, and Osa's a bastard, but it's a job."
Metadi nodded. There was another pause. Finally Beka said, "I never expected to see you here."
"I never expected to come back," said the General. "The town's gone downhill since the old days -- the Magelords turned Entibor into an orbiting slag heap, but that's nothing next to what peace and prosperity can do to a place. He gave Beka an appraising look. "That blaster you've got -- are you willing to use it?"
"I already have once," she said.
"Good," said Metadi.
Once again, conversation lapsed. Warhammer's environmental systems kept up their low, almost subliminal hum. Beka looked from her father to Master Ransome, who had made himself inconspicuous after an Adept's fashion, leaning against the wall in a shadowed corner.
The Adept's face was hidden, and her father's was unreadable. Neither man seemed ready to break the silence. She drew a deep breath.
"How did you know I was going to be in Waycross tonight?"
The answer came quickly. It wasn't, she thought, the question they'd been expecting.
"Owen told us you were on Claw Hard," Master Ransome said. "Learning your next port of call wasn't hard after that."
"Owen," said Beka slowly. She'd kept in touch, over the years, with the younger of her two brothers, certain that the ally and co-conspirator of her childhood would never betray any secret she confided to him. If he'd come out with her ship's name of his own accord ...
"Whatever Mother needs me for has got to be more than just family politics. Now, is somebody going to tell me about it, or are we going to sit here and make small talk until I have to get back to Claw Hard for liftoff?"
Her father looked at Master Ransome.
The Adept sighed, and came over to take a seat at the table. He glanced down for a moment at the tabletop, rubbing his finger lightly over decades-old scratch marks in the grey plastic, and then lifted his head again. "The Domina of Entibor is dead."
For a moment, the words meant nothing. Then Beka heard a voice that had to be hers, although she didn't recognize it.
"So that's what the bartender meant. Mother is dead -- and I'm the Domina now."
Errec Ransome's dark eyes were somber. "Yes, my lady."
"Don't call me that," she said automatically -- the reflex of years. Inside her head, the old, old argument played on: Mother is "my lady," not me ... I'm going to be a starpilot, one of the best, not just some kind of political figurehead ... and someday I'm going to run so far away from Galcen that nobody will care who I am.
Under the cover of the tabletop, her fists clenched so tightly that the nails, even trimmed short for handling a starship's controls, bit into her palms. She hadn't cried in public since she was twelve, and she was damned if she was going to start now. She pressed her lips together until they stopped trembling, and then turned to her father.
"When -- how -- did it happen?"
More silence. "Tell her, Errec," her father said.
After another long pause, the Master of the Adepts' Guild began to speak. "There was a debate in the Grand Council," he said. "Hearings, on the expulsion of Suivi Point. The Domina ... your mother ... was against expulsion."
Beka nodded. Suivi Point had been a blot on the Republic's honor for longer than she'd been alive; this wasn't the first time the wide-open asteroid spaceport had come near expulsion from the community of worlds. She remembered a family dinner, long ago on Galcen, and her mother saying to somebody -- had it been Councillor Tarveet of Pleyver? -- "Suivi's a disgrace, I'll grant you that. But if the Suivans leave the Republic, there'll be no way left to control them short of open warfare. And gentlesir, I've seen enough of war."
Tarveet. It was Tarveet, and that was the night I put a garden-slug into his salad. Mother spanked me for it ... but I heard her laughing about it later. She didn't really like Tarveet any more than I did ....
Her eyes stung; she blinked once, hard, and kept her eyes on Master Ransome.
"The Visitors' Gallery was crowded that day ... it always was, whenever your mother spoke." Master Ransome smiled briefly. "Even your father was there."
Which meant, Beka knew, that the debate would have been more than usually important -- her father had no use for politics, as a rule. "It makes no difference to me what they decide," she'd heard him say once. "All it ever means is more work for the Space Force." Then he'd laughed, and smiled at her mother. "You shouldn't make so many speeches. It only encourages them."
She didn't dare look at her father now. Watching Master Ransome's face was bad enough. It made her wonder if the old portside story was true -- that when Domina Perada Rosselin of Entibor came to Waycross in search of a new commander for the Republic's shattered spacefleet, she'd taken away the hearts of Warhammer's captain and copilot both.
"Somehow," said Master Ransome, "the force field in the Visitor's Gallery went down. And there was an assassin. With a blaster. He got off one shot. Your father shot him before he could fire again."
Beka swallowed, and wet her lips. When she spoke, her voice sounded old and rusty. "That was how it happened?"
"Not quite," said the Adept. "Unlike your father, the assassin missed his target. All his shot hit was the floor of the Council Hall. But one of the flying shards of marble from the floor struck your mother. It was just a scratch, barely enough to justify visiting the Council's medics. But she went ... and somebody had given them Clyndagyt instead of their usual variety of antiseptic spray."
"I don't understand," Beka said. "There's nothing wrong with Clyndagyt. It's what we've got on Claw Hard."
Her father spoke again, for the first time in what felt to Beka like hours. "Clyndagyt works just fine, as long as nothing's managed to sensitize you to it. And that's hard to do -- about the only way to get yourself sensitized was in one of the Mageworlders' biochemical attacks. But almost everybody who was at the Siege of Entibor lived through a couple of those -- and your mother wouldn't leave until the Magelords had just about wiped the whole planet slick. She had some kind of damn-fool notion about staying there and making them kill her in person."
Beka bit her lip. "She never told me that."
"It makes a lousy bedtime story," said her father. "And anyway, I talked her out of it. Now let's get down to business."
So it comes down to family politics, after all, Beka thought. She clenched her fists again under the table.
"No," she said. "I'll say to you what I said to Mother seven years ago. I don't give a damn about duty and family and all that. I'm not going back to Galcen and letting myself get made over into the next Domina of Entibor."
Her father shook his head. "As it happens, I didn't have anything of the sort in mind."
"Then what -- ?"
"You say that Claw Hard's a pile of junk and Osa's a bastard. How would you like to be captain of Warhammer instead?"
She caught her breath. "Me? Pilot Warhammer?" For a moment, in spite of all that she'd just heard, the prospect dazzled her like walking out of a cave into the sunlight. Then she shook her head. "I don't have the kind of money a ship like the 'Hammer would cost. And I'm not taking any family favors."
"Don't worry," said her father. "I'm not in the business of doing favors, family or otherwise. And I'm not asking anything you can't afford."
"There's more than one way of looking at that," said Master Ransome quietly. "And I don't particularly approve of what you're doing."
"Then stay out of it," said her father. "And I don't approve of everything the Guild does, either -- but I don't interfere in things that aren't my business."
He turned back to Beka. "Are you interested?"
"In getting Warhammer? Of course I'm interested."
She looked about the common room -- cramped, grey, and utilitarian -- and thought about all the things that had made this ship a legend during the Magewars: the heavy dorsal and ventral energy guns; the cargo holds that had once held the captured treasures of the Mageworlds trade. The speed no ship of her class had ever equaled.
I could stick to small cargo, Beka thought, pricey stuff, and run it fast. With those guns, even flying solo I wouldn't get in too much trouble. I could outshoot anything I couldn't outrun.
She bit her lip -- that was fantasy, and she knew it -- and met her father's gaze directly. "Ships like the 'Hammer don't come cheap. And I haven't exactly struck it rich out here."
"I don't want money," General Metadi said. "I want to know who planned your mother's murder."
"What do you think, girl?" he demanded harshly. "A lunatic with a blaster could happen any time, and a shorted-out forcefield could be bad luck, or the wrong antiseptic delivered to the Council medics could be an accident-- but not all three at once. Somebody wanted your mother out of the way, and wanted it badly. Hired blasters cost money, but getting that Clyndagyt past Security must have cost even more."
"You're talking about somebody very, very rich," she said quietly. "And very, very powerful. And I'm very, very sorry, but I gave up running around with people like that seven years ago. Much as I'd like to help you stake out our unknown friend for a cliffdragon's breakfast, and much as I'd like to have the 'Hammer to call my own -- no."
"We're talking about somebody who either comes from Suivi Point or has connections there," her father continued. "And that, my girl, is exactly the sort of person you've been running around with for the past few years. Do you deny it?"
She shook her head, the brief flare of resentment gone. "No. But if all you want from me is inquiries out on the fringes of the law, you don't have to buy them with Warhammer. I'll do it for free."
"That's no good," he said. "You'll never be able to follow up anything if you have to go where Osa and Claw Hard drag you. You take Warhammer; and I get the names, when you find them."
She looked about the 'Hammer's shadowed common-room. "A ship like this -- for nothing more than a couple of names? I can't take her, Dadda; it's not enough."
"She's my ship," said General Metadi, "and I say what she's worth. The names will do."
For a long time, Beka sat without answering, listening to the whisper of forced air through Warhammer's vents, and to the soft in-and-out of her own breath. The two sounds mingled in her ears, like the breathing of a single creature.
A ship of my own, she thought. I used to say I'd give anything to have one. So now I get to prove it.
"All right, Dadda. You have a deal." She squared her shoulders, and extended her hand across the mess table to seal the bargain free-spacer's fashion. "Your names -- my ship. Done?"
Her father met the grip with his own. "Done."
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental.
The Price of the Stars Copyright © 1992 by Debra Doyle & James D. Macdonald
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.
More about the Mageworlds
Doyle & Macdonald bibliography.
Doyle & Macdonald Home Page.


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Since the early 1970s, law enforcement authorities have noted a significant increase in the number of women convicted of murder. Their victims are typically close to them — quite frequently family members or close acquaintances. And the motive? It often involves personal gain — most often, life insurance policies naming the suspected murderess as the benefactor.
Here, we take a look at some of the most notorious murder cases committed by women over the last century that involve their families and friends as victims — some of the world's deadliest and most notorious "black widows."
By Constance Parten, Senior Producer


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Loves, do you wear flats? They are my ultimate go-to-shoes! What I love about them is that you can wear them with a pair of jeans or a fancy dress and look super adorable and feel comfortable. My friend, Lilly says that the reason she sticks with ballerina flats (which she has a full closet of) and stays away from heels is because it's better to look snazzy wearing simple flats than in pain and all over the place in heels. I've always admired girls who can rock the high heel look but sadly I look like Olive from Popeye while wearing them. How about you? What's your shoe of choice? Where do you buy flats? xo
P.S: I just got myself this polka dot pair and I can't wait to wear it.
P.P.S: Also, snazzy loafers and cool sneakers.
(Photos by/via Stockholm Street Style, Note To Self, With Love From Kat & The Sartorialist)


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Gangplank has been wildly successful on a number of fronts, but we always push for more. It is in our DNA. Recently Gangplank Chandler has been struggling with defining what an anchor is, what social obligations exist and how to operate without an appointed leader. These are things all locations have or will struggle with at some point. It was time for a retrospective of sorts. We asked for help from Kim Kressaty of Future Pull Consulting (and a Gangplank Board Member) to facilitate a discussion on What is next?
The full report can be found at Gangplank Report.
The TL;DR version.
Top Priorities
- Show the world how a shared leadership model can work at scale.
- Live the Gangplank manifesto in every Gangplank community.
- Message the Gangplank manifesto.
- Build the Gangplank Network out with an emphasis that Gangplanker's work together regardless of location.
- Leverage the Gangplank community for optimum effectiveness both locally and globally.
- Be Dangerous. Really. For Real.
- Emphasis on youth programs to break the cycle and restore creativity.
Five Day Plan
- Finalize details necessary to kick off the Community Builders Program.
- Push out plan for newly implement Google Groups strategy to facilitate communication.
- Start a migration path to remove the concept of anchors and define something much more powerful.
Thirty Day Plan
Community Builders. Let's build it together.
Ninety Day Plan
Community Builders. Let's build it together.
We should all be asking ourselves, "How can we drive towards these priorities?". As a first step towards starting to message the manifesto we have started the Dangercast. Where we will be talking about the manifesto and culture that makes Gangplank work. We expect community participation in it. The first episode is available (and transcribed) at "Dangercast #1 : Collaboration over Competition". It is also available on iTunes at "Dangercast".
So if you love Gangplank and want to go deeper let us know you are interested in becoming a Gangplank Community Builder.
Be Dangerous. Be Excellent.


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Editors' note: Sounding Board is one person's take on a many-sided subject and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of U.S. Catholic, its editors, or the Claretians.
The fashion police should check their badges at the church door.
It's Sunday morning and once again I'm standing in front of my closet with wet hair and no make-up while my son runs in circles around my legs. Rows of skirts and dresses hang invitingly, but like most mothers of young children, I have to bend over too frequently to pick up errant Cheerios and Hot Wheels to wear something potentially revealing or uncomfortable. There are nice pants hanging next to the skirts and dresses, but the summer season is a long one where I live in Tennessee, and it's much too hot to think about covering up.
I reach for my go-to pair of khaki shorts and a dark knit shirt that will hide any stray food or marker that may land on me during Mass. I'm clean anyway, and my son is wearing a collared shirt that is miraculously stain-free at 9 o'clock in the morning. My husband, a man who teaches in a suit coat and tie in 95-degree weather, walks into the bedroom in dark jeans and a nice black polo. I make a face at him.
"You're wearing that?" I ask him. "I'm going to look like a slob next to you."
"I'm wearing jeans," he says. "You look fine." And I do look fine, but this certainly isn't my "Sunday best"—not the Sunday best I was raised with anyway. But really, does it matter how I dress for Mass? In a culture that is increasingly more casual, what does our "Sunday best" even mean?
I am not immune to the argument that clothes make the man. And I do firmly believe in Mass as an occasion. But God doesn't care what I'm wearing. OK, he might care to a certain extent. But I should be able to wear whatever I want within reason. Casual does not have to mean immodest.
I am just as appalled as everyone else when young girls line up for communion in their low-cut tops and short shorts or when men wear their ripped up, chest-revealing T-shirts. In my oatmeal-spackled, strawberry-stained shirt, I am firmly in the camp of not judging.
And yet I find it difficult to remain silent when cleavage is involved. For the sake of this argument, let's just get the question of immodesty out of the way. I think we'd all agree that those people need to cover themselves up—for Christ's sake.
But beyond the question of modesty, why does what we wear to church matter? I'll be honest and say that I struggle to get to Mass every Sunday, and I don't think I'm alone in this. Yes, God is central to my life. Yes, Mass is absolutely important and necessary and a priority. But that doesn't mean I'm perfect. There are some Sundays when I really have to force myself out the door to get to Mass. And now you want me to dress up, too?
There was a time when I observed the occasion of Mass by dressing up. As a little girl, I would wear whatever pretty things my mom laid out for me. Across my bed, a long-sleeved and lace-hemmed dress awaited me, along with a pair of white stockings and a shiny pair of white or black shoes. They were lovely ensembles, and I very much enjoyed getting into those clothes. It was fun to be so decked out, but to be honest, I think I enjoyed getting out of those stuffy clothes even more.
After years of wearing my mom's version of my Sunday best, I took a hard right and became one of those teenagers in black with piercings. My naturally pale face was further whitened with a generous dose of white powder, my eyes were rimmed in black liner, and my bright red lips punctuated the whole look—not that you could really see me behind the long, dark bangs hiding my face.
I knew this look was unappealing to many people, namely my mother, but that was sort of the point. I dressed that way because I liked it, and didn't care who didn't like it. This attitude may sound counter to the whole churchgoing experience, but it's not now and it wasn't then.
My clothes, piercings, and make-up did not change my relationship with God. In fact, through the tumultuous high school years, I relied on God tremendously. I always went to church. I always prayed. My fellow black-wearing goth friends and I talked about God and faith and vocation all the time. The way we looked was an expression of a difficult time in our lives when we were trying to figure out how we as intelligent, creative types were going to contribute to the world.
It was not, as my high school Spanish teacher ignorantly suggested, because we were "del diablo." We were still children of God. Not only that, but we were children of God doing exactly what we were supposed to be doing—living in the world and not of it. Our outward appearance may not have been the cute, conventional clothes of my youth, but since when did God prefer cute and conventional?
In my college years, the gold standard for Sunday best was an elderly couple who went to my church. Their clothes were so lovely, I found myself distracted by them before Mass, anticipating their arrival and marveling at the woman's elegant black dresses paired with heeled black boots and the man's perfectly tailored suit coats over cashmere turtleneck sweaters. They were a lovely, fashionable parade of two. My casually dressed boyfriend and I in our jeans and T-shirts would point at and admire them and their commitment to formal dress at Mass, yet I could not ignore the fact that I found them distracting.
Certainly this was not their fault. The same mother who laid out my Sunday best for me also taught me custody of the eyes. But still, who were the dashing couple dressing for? Had they spent as much time preparing themselves spiritually as they had curling their hair and shining their shoes?
Twenty years out of high school, I no longer feel pulled toward the countercultural clothes of my youth, but that same challenging spirit has not left me. Thank God, because it is with that same spirit that I can admire those who come to Mass in their formal attire, yet recognize that they aren't doing Mass better than me. In fact, I might even argue that their priorities are askew.
My neighbor Elizabeth, a woman who also has a young child, tells me she shies away from saying hello to someone from her church when she doesn't "have her face on." "Her face," in this instance, refers to her make-up, the mascara and eyeliner she carefully applies to accentuate her already impossible prettiness.
Like my husband in his Sunday morning get-up, Elizabeth makes me feel underdressed, and maybe I should. Maybe my suit-coated husband and the fancily-dressed couple and Elizabeth are on to something. Maybe I should dress up for the occasion of Mass.
Or maybe they are preparing for Mass in the wrong way. After all, God probably doesn't care if Elizabeth "has her face on." He's probably not terribly concerned with whether my husband should wear the brown shoes or the black shoes with his black shirt. And really, he probably does not care too much about piercings or mohawks or baggy pants. So who are we dressing up for? Who is Elizabeth's audience? Is it the priest? Our fellow churchgoers? Are we dressing to impress God?
Rather than doing my hair, putting on my "face," and spending precious time cursing the casual nature of my closet, I spend my Sunday mornings as quietly and peacefully as I can despite the constant motion and noise coming from my 2-year-old son.
Like my mother before me, I lay out his Sunday best. I prepare his diaper bag. I think about my week, the people I will see, the obligations I have to my family. I ask God to bless my week, to make my soul clean and bright and shiny so that I can be the light to the world he intends me to be.
In my adult life I have things figured out that the little girl in the frilly dresses or the teenager in the dark, grungy high school clothes could not even begin to understand. I now know that my Sunday best has more to do with my behavior than with what I am wearing. My Sunday best now means getting to Mass on time, growing in my understanding of the liturgy, and staying until I receive a blessing from the priest.
In this version of my Sunday best, there is only one judge, and he doesn't care about make-up, however little or too much. He doesn't care about curled hair, or holes in tights or in ears or in eyebrows. Sometimes I come up short with him. Sometimes I just can't focus on the readings, or I leave early because my son is too rambunctious.
Certainly there are many things I could do to be a better Catholic, a better churchgoer. Wearing something other than my casual shorts and well-worn sandals just isn't one of them.
"And the survey says…"
1. The most appropriate attire for Mass is:
39% – Business casual, along the lines of what you might wear to the office
33% – Semi-casual, not something you'd wear to work but still neat and presentable.
21% – Up to the individual. Within reason, everyone should wear what they are most comfortable in.
2% – Formal, as if you were going to a fancy restaurant or high-class event.
5% – Other
2. I make a conscious effort to dress up for Mass.
64% – Agree
19% – Disagree
17% – Other
Representative of "other":
"I dress up if it is a special occasion or if I am serving at Mass. Otherwise, I dress casually."
3. Dressing up a bit for Mass is a sign of respect for the extraordinary gift of Christ's love.
70% – Agree
21% – Disagree
9% – Other
4. I have felt judged by other parishioners for what I'm wearing in church.
17% – Agree
78% – Disagree
5% – Other
5. I admit to sometimes being judgmental of what other people wear to Mass.
72% – Agree
22% – Disagree
6% – Other
6. If I see someone who I feel is dressed inappropriately at Mass, I would not hesitate to say something to them about it.
3% – Agree
90% – Disagree
7% – Other
7. I've been in churches that have enforced a dress code.
21% – Agree
75% – Disagree
4% – Other
8. If my parish instituted a dress code policy, I would:
32% – Gladly follow it and be happy that we finally had set standards for attire.
16% – Keep wearing whatever I like until someone personally confronted me about my attire.
14% – Follow it but feel insulted that I had to be told how to dress.
14% – Leave and find another parish.
6% – Ignore it and dare anyone to try to get me to adhere to the policy.
18% – Other
Representative of "other":
"How I would react would depend on what that dress code was."
This article appeared in the July 2012 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 77, No. 7, pages 23-27).
Image: Tim Foley