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Overview of the Romance Genre
Readers, critics and academics argue over the roots of the romance genre, though many credit Jane Austen as the genre's originator.
In 2012, the romance genre took the largest share of the consumer book market worldwide,12.9% ($1.358 billion), beating out religion/inspirational ($759 million), mystery ($682 million), science fiction/fantasy ($559 million) and classic literary fiction ($445 million). According to the popular genre magazine RT Book Reviews (formerly known as Romantic Times), the average romance reader today spends about $100 monthly reading anywhere from 10 to 40 books a month.
Readers, critics and academics argue over the roots of the romance genre, though many credit Jane Austen as the genre's originator. Others trace the modern romance genre back to Middle English romances of the mid-14th century or the stories of King Arthur, of Charlemagne and Roland or of Alexander the Great. The romance industry as it exists today began in England, but communities of romance readers and writers exist all over the world, from Bangladesh to South Africa to Mexico.
In A Natural History of the Romance Novel, Pamela Regis outlines the eight narrative conventions that make a romance a romance: society defined, the meeting, the barrier, the attraction, the declaration, the point of ritual death, the recognition and the betrothal. According to the Romance Writers of America, two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.
Photo caption: Harlequin cover shoot
Credit: Julie Moggan
» Ogas, Ogi. "The Online World of Female Desire." The Wall Street Journal, April 30, 2011.
» Romance Writers of America.
» Tschorn, Adam. "Bodice-rippers Unite." The Los Angeles Times, April 9, 2011.


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A Comparison of Fluconazole and Ketoconazole in the Treatment of Fungal Infections of the Throat in Patients With Weakened Immune Systems
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00002304
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : August 31, 2001
Last Update Posted : June 24, 2005
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|Candidiasis, Esophageal HIV Infections
|Drug: Ketoconazole Drug: Fluconazole
|Not Applicable
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|A Randomized Comparative Multicenter Trial of Fluconazole and Ketoconazole in the Treatment of Esophageal Candidiasis in Immunocompromised Patients
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|13 Years to 70 Years (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria
Prior Medication:
- Cyclosporin if levels can be monitored for proper cyclosporin dose adjustment.
Exclusion Criteria
Co-existing Condition:
Patients with the following are excluded:
- Evidence of noncandidal systemic fungal infections.
- Leukopenia (white blood cell count less than 1000/mm3), or expected to develop leukopenia during the study.
- Other condition known to be associated with poor ketoconazole absorption, e.g., hypochlorhydria.
- Leukemia requiring chemotherapy.
- Any other condition which in the opinion of the investigator would make the patient unsuitable for enrollment.
Concurrent Medication:
- Warfarin.
- Immunostimulants.
- Interferon.
- Oral or topical antifungal agents.
Concurrent Treatment:
- Lymphocyte replacement.
Patients with the following are excluded:
- History of allergy to imidazoles.
- Abnormalities which may preclude esophagoscopy or endoscopy before or during the study.
- Inability to tolerate fluconazole or ketoconazole.
- Inability or unwillingness to give written informed consent.
- Life expectancy < 2 months.
Prior Medication:
- Rifampin or ansamycin, pending clarification of drug interactions between these drugs and fluconazole.
- Warfarin.
Patients must meet the CDC criteria for the diagnosis of AIDS or be otherwise immunocompromised (e.g., malignancy, renal transplant) and have a diagnosis of oral candidiasis and/or esophageal symptoms of dysphagia and/or odynophagia.
Illicit or illegal drug use.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00002304
Show 42 Study Locations
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00002304 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|August 31, 2001 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|June 24, 2005
|Last Verified:
|February 1990
Keywords provided by NIH AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service:
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections
Immune Tolerance
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Candidiasis, Oral
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Communicable Diseases
HIV Infections
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Antifungal Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
14-alpha Demethylase Inhibitors
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Steroid Synthesis Inhibitors
Hormone Antagonists
Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inhibitors
Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C9 Inhibitors
Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C19 Inhibitors

subset: commoncrawl


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Sometimes it's easier to put these things into a question-and-answer format, and since I've gotten a bunch of questions from readers about what's next for the Orioles and their pitching coach situation, that's what we'll do.
If you want to take a look at potential candidates, check out this piece that ran Friday morning.
What type/style of pitching coach will the Orioles seek?
My sense is they are looking for experience. Manager Buck Showalter has a rather experienced staff, and I think he'll add to that with someone who has already done the job in the majors. I wouldn't say the new hire absolutely has to have been a major league pitching coach in the past, but I think that is the way Showalter and executive vice president Dan Duquette will be leaning. Showalter's not a fan of wallflowers, either. So expect the pitching coach to be someone not afraid to speak his mind.
Whose decision is this, Showalter's or Duquette's?
My sense is that it will be a joint decision. Duquette's ultimately the boss, but it is Showalter's staff, and he has to be comfortable with whoever takes the job. I'm not sure which has more say in this matter, but I assume that it won't come to that. Remember, Showalter has had four pitching coaches, but Mark Connor was the only one he hired for that specific role. So this is a big decision for him and the club, and I'm sure Duquette sees it that way as well.
Will they promote from within?
I think it is possible, but it's more likely they hire someone from outside. I think they'd like a fresh voice and someone who has had success in another organization. That said, if they can't find the right person from outside, they could look internally. Bill Castro, who took over for Rick Adair in August, is apparently still in the mix, though I think it is more likely he ends up in another role in the organization or, potentially, back in charge of the bullpen.
How intertwined are the pitching coach and bullpen coach positions?
Because they have to work so closely together, I'd be surprised if the new pitching coach didn't have a say in who is hired to be the bullpen coach. So my sense is that the pitching coach will be named, and then there will be a decision made as to whether Castro, Scott McGregor — who took over for Castro when he was promoted in August — or someone else will be the bullpen coach.
Will Triple-A Norfolk pitching coach Mike Griffin be considered?
I think he'll be considered; he's obviously had a lot of success with some of the younger pitchers. But, again, I believe the hire will be an outsider with big league coaching experience, and that would leave Griffin in Norfolk.
What about director of pitching development Rick Peterson?
He certainly fits the "successful and experienced" former pitching coach label. And he has a big fan in Duquette, who has championed Peterson's biomechanical research. When Peterson was brought in, he was widely viewed as the heir apparent to Adair, but he has settled into his minor league role smoothly. It would be interesting to see how Peterson and Showalter, both strong personalities with their own philosophies, would co-exist. My sense is that Peterson won't be hired for that spot, but stranger things have happened.
Who is the leading candidate?
Too early to know for sure. But former Philadelphia Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee is scheduled to be interviewed on Tuesday, and he fits the profile pretty well. And he knows Duquette from their time in the Montreal Expos organization.
Would Jim Palmer be a possibility?
I've been asked this several times this week, so I'll answer it the best I can. There's no question the Hall of Famer knows pitching, but Palmer is very comfortable as a MASN broadcaster. He's not required to do all of the games, so he can attend to family matters and other responsibilities that he enjoys during the season.


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Front Row Solutions (FRS), provider of a customer relationship management (CRM) system for sales representatives and sales managers, has released the newest version of its Front Row Sales Pro Application for iOS, Android, and Blackberry devices.
The app combines mobile reporting with real-time, robust information for sales managers. Sales Pro gives sales professionals productivity tools, customer insights on the go, and real-time information on every call, customer contact, and sale.
This new version allows sales reps to review account information on each client, prepare for their next sales calls, and send report to the sales manager in less than 30 seconds after a call has ended, from any mobile device.
Front Row Integrates CRM to Email Calendars
The latest updates from Front Row Solutions integrates its CRM app with major email calendars.


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Cyclists are urged to get into the spirit of the Tour de France and sign up for the JE James and DT Flagg Cycle Challenge for Ashgate Hospice.
The Flagg event offers a 55miler, a 25miler and a 10miler to raise thousands of pounds for the Chesterfield-based hospice, on Ashgate Road, at Old Brampton.
As the three-week Tour visited Yorkshire and Derbyshire this weekend the Flagg Challenge will be held on the morning of the last day of the world famous race allowing riders to get home and watch the outcome.
The Flagg starts at Ashgate Hospice from 9am, on Sunday, July 27, and returns after completing Peak routes. Entry costs £20 and people can register via www.ashgatehospicevents.co.uk/bike/bike.htm or get details via firstname.lastname@example.com, or Derbyshire Times' Jon Cooper at firstname.lastname@example.com and on 01246 504524.


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Dave D'Onofrio's Patriots Notebook: Texans present challengeDAVE D'ONOFRIO
December 08. 2012 8:47PM
As an NFL team readies for its next round of battle, it's typical for preparations to focus on figuring out where a team is most vulnerable and finding a way to exploit it. Bill Belichick and New England are no different in this regard, and considering their next encounter is against the conference-leading Texans on Monday night, the Patriots are blessed with an extra day to try and identify Houston's biggest weakness.
Though they may need far longer than that to actually find one.
After years of languishing in mediocrity because of their imbalance, the Texans arrive at Gillette Stadium with an ability to beat their enemy in just about every feasible fashion, and thus with a legitimate claim to the title of being the best and most complete team in football.
Their record reflects that, with an 11-1 mark matching Atlanta for the best in either conference. But the Falcons can't run the ball, nor can they can stop the run, and have seven wins by a touchdown or less. They're an excellent club, and certainly worthy of the top spot in the NFC - though they're a far more flawed team than the Texans.
Houston doesn't have those holes. It ranks second in points scored (29.3 per game) and fifth in points allowed (18.4). It ranks fifth in yards for (389.6) and sixth in yards against (322.6). It ranks sixth in rushing offense (142.5 yards) and second in rushing defense (87.6 yards). Its passing offense ranks 10th league-wide in per-game yardage (247.1) - and before pinpointing a 19th-ranked pass defense (235.0) as the exploitable weakness, consider that the same unit ranks third in sacks (36), fifth in takeaways (26) and first in opposing completion percentage (53.0 percent).
"Pretty much every statistic that you could name, they're on top of the league," said Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. "That's why they're 11-1 - they're playing great. They're taking the ball away; they get a lot of balls batted down at the line of scrimmage, interceptions, fumbles.
"They've won a lot of close games. They've won overtime games. They've come from behind. They've won on the road - they're 6-0 on the road. I think our guys understand the challenge, and we have to play our best game."
Brady's biggest worry has to be J.J. Watt, the second-year end who is considered by most around the league to be the frontrunner for defensive player of the year honors, and has the numbers to make a pretty compelling case for himself. He's the Texans' leading tackler, with 60, but more impressive is that 14 have been behind the line of scrimmage, and that count doesn't even include his 16.5 sacks.
Five of those have come in his last two games, and he has recorded at least half a sack in all but two contests this year - though even if he doesn't get all the way to the quarterback he's still plenty disruptive. A converted tight end with impressive athleticism, he's swatted down 15 passes, so even if the Pats' linemen get him blocked that's something Brady will still need to manage, particularly on his favorite shorter routes.
"He does everything well," Belichick said. "He's long, he's quick, he's instinctive, he has a high motor, plays hard, good balance, hard to knock off his feet. He does it all."
Watt is part of the solid 3-4 front steered by Wade Phillips, who might've been a failure of a head man in Dallas but generally has his team well-prepared and well-coached as the defensive coordinator in Houston. If there is any chink in the unit's armor it comes in the secondary, where injuries have done damage and upper-tier quarterbacks (and, randomly, Chad Henne) have had success.
Peyton Manning threw for 330 yards against it, while Matthew Stafford passed for 441. Aaron Rodgers pinned Houston with its lone loss by throwing for 338 yards and six touchdowns. But the Packers' total that day represents 30 percent of the aerial scores the Texans have allowed for the season. And even if a foe scores on Houston, its offense has the requisite firepower to fight back.
Matt Schaub is an above-average signal caller in the midst of an excellent season. His offensive line has allowed the fewest sacks in the AFC. Arian Foster has 1,102 rushing yards and 13 touchdown runs. Owen Daniels could be a killer Monday given the Patriots' problems covering tight ends. And then, of course, there's Andre Johnson, the receiver who is on pace for his third career 1,400-yard season.
They can run, they can pass, they can protect. And they can prevent opponents from doing any of the three on the other side - so to win Monday night it'll probably require the Patriots to play their best game of the year.
Because it won't likely happen if they go looking for a weakness.
- - - - - - -
UNDERRATED: Gary Kubiak. Houston isn't exotic in terms of personnel packages or scheme, with Belichick saying the Patriots know what to expect, it's just that the Texans execute everything so well it's still tough to defend. That's a credit to preparation and fundamentals, both of which start with the head coach.
OVERRATED: Mario Williams. The former franchise cornerstone is hardly missed in Houston, with the defense as good as ever despite his departure to Buffalo.
KEY MATCHUP: Watt vs. Sebastian Vollmer and help. Generally, the Patriots offense is tough to stop when Brady is protected. Monday night, that starts right here.
KEEP AN EYE ON: Brandon Lloyd. The Pats' receiver was targeted only once last week, but he'll need to be more of a factor this week - not only with Julian Edelman done for the season, but with the Texans' ability to bat passes likely forcing Brady to throw more toward the outside.
STAT OF THE WEEK: When the Texans took the field Nov. 18, they had the third-ranked pass defense in football. They lost top cornerback Johnathan Joseph to a hamstring injury that afternoon, and now arrive in Foxborough rated 19th against the pass, having allowed 352 yards per game over the past three weeks after yielding 196 per the previous nine. Joseph is expected to return Monday.
- - - - - - - -
Dave D'Onofrio covers Boston sports for the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News. His e-mail address is firstname.lastname@example.com. Twitter: @davedonofrio


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Team hosts Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night for TTU Employees
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team will face off against the Governors of Austin Peay in a single-game event on Monday night in the Hoop. Tip time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Tech will be looking for a repeat performance of earlier this season, when Zac Swansey's three-point buzzer-beater gave the Golden Eagles a 71-68 road victory. He had 12 points and five assists on the game, and was joined by three other teammates in double-figure scoring. Zach Bailey led the way with 16 points, while Kevin Murphy notched 14 and Alfred Jones had 10.
The win narrowed the lifetime series to 66-68, giving APSU a slight edge. Tech, however, has won two of their past three meetings with the Govs.
With a conference record of 9-4 (15-10 overall), the Govs are a half of a game out of first place, while Tech's 8-5 stand (12-10 overall) puts them in a fourth place lock with Tennessee State.
Tickets are available by calling the TTU Ticket Office at (931) 372-3940 or online at TTUsports.com.
Fans who can't make it to the Hoop for Monday's game can listen to Roger Ealey call the action on the Golden Eagle Sports Network or on free Teamline at 1-800-846-4700 (Tech code 0654).


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I just wanted to take a minute to highlight this thread in the sqlteam forums:
It's really interesting stuff, and a bunch of us worked together to come up with some really cool ideas about using T-SQL to solve the classic sliding tile puzzle -- you know, where tiles on a square board are mixed up, with one missing, and you slide them around until the picture is complete or they are in the proper order.
Great stuff on this thread, and a great example of why SQLTeam is aptly named.
Print | posted on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 12:05 PM |
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When I was a kid (or at least more of a kid than I am now), I kept a weather eye out in winter — looking for signs of pending snowstorms.
Snow was pretty rare in upstate South Carolina, maybe one or two events a year, sometimes more, but often we would go all winter with no snow at all.
Snow was exciting. It brought a bit of freshness to the drab winter landscape, provided a bit of contrast with the brown broom sedge that infested most of the fields and pastures around our house.
It also left sign. We tried on numerous occasions to follow rabbit tracks back to the beds they burrowed out in the snow and where they holed up until scared away or until darkness gave them cover to forage for food. I don't recall ever successfully navigating the criss-crossed wanderings of a rabbit. My dad could do it, but we generally just turned the beagles loose and let them chase the prey back in range of our .410 shotguns. Fried rabbit made a pretty good dinner on a cold winter evening.
But the best thing about snow was snow days. It didn't take much accumulation for Anderson County officials to close schools for a day or two. We were ill-equipped for dealing with slippery precipitation, and there were still more than a few dirt roads the school buses had to traverse, so calling off classes seemed a better bet than pulling buses out of ditches.
School was never my favorite way to spend time. I was an OK student, but I wasn't the smartest kid in my class. I wasn't even the smartest kid in my house. That honor belonged — still does —to my sister. All things considered, I preferred staying home and chasing rabbits to going to school and trying to figure how algebraic equations would benefit me in life (I still haven't come to grips with that0. So, snow days were most welcome.
As I've grown older, I have developed a diminished regard for snow — or cold weather of any sort. Old bones, I suppose, react differently to cold than young ones. It takes very little in the way of chill to provide all the winter I need. I'm generally ready for spring by Dec. 31.
So, I was less than joyful earlier this week when I awoke on "going home day" to heavy snow, with more predicted, and I faced the prospect of being stranded in Norman, Okla. The hotel room was comfortable enough, the food was adequate, and folks attending the same meeting I was covering would be good conversation companions were I to be snowed in for a day or two.
Fortunately, the snow abated and I was able to head home that afternoon, with clear roads all the way to Denton.
But it was amusing during meeting breaks to watch farmers gathered at the windows, looking at the fat flakes falling softly to earth. There were grins galore at the prospect of moisture beginning to accumulate in the soil. Many of them had cell phones to their ears, checking with folks back on the farm to see how much snow, ice or other precipitation they were getting.
"Moisture is moisture," several said. And whether snow, rain or sleet, it was a welcome change from months of drought. Predictions called for several inches of accumulation to the north of Norman, more in northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas. Expectations of another front following close behind only whetted the farmers' enthusiasm for much-needed moisture.
An extra day in the hotel, I thought, even as I reached the end of my supply of clean underwear, would be a small sacrifice if the snowfall heralded the end of a two-year drought.
You just gotta love a snow day…


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I'd like a single-carded Owen, too. He and Beru are due, in my opinion, for OT release, especially on vintage cards.
What's the silver accessory in the lower-right corner of the image supposed to be?
I don't read comics and will likely never open this set when I get my mitts on it, but can someone give me a quick rundown of how/why Maul got robotic legs and decided to "battle" Owen (I get the Luke thing - I guess)? Also - what's up with his lightsaber and unshaven horns?
The ending of the story's pretty cool.
Because you can finally say "Wow, that pile of ****'s over!", or something, right?
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Have any questions? Call us.
$16 members
$18 general public
$10 students
"Enthralling…not only with the state-of-the-art technology but also with its compelling humanist message."—The Nation [Thailand]
Japan has long led the world in the development of sophisticated robots and their integration into daily life. Those efforts have imprinted us with archetypal images—from gigantic robots threatening civilization in old sci-fi films to benign robots embodying today's "cute" culture in Japan. So it should come as no surprise that the Japanese fascination with robots, androids, and artificial intelligence would find its way into the world of theater. Tokyo-based Seinendan Theater Company's founder/playwright/director Oriza Hirata, a pioneer of Japan's "Quiet Theater" contemporary theater movement, enlisted Dr. Hiroshi Ishiguro, a leading researcher on robotics and the director of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at Osaka University, as an expert collaborator and technical advisor for this compelling pair of productions.
In the touching play Sayonara, a woman engages a human-like Geminoid F model android in a discussion of respective views on life and death. Oriza Hirata recently updated the work to include new scenes inspired by the catastrophic events of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, in which the android breaks down, then gets successfully repaired, only to be sent off to help fix problems at a critically damaged nuclear power plant.
I, Worker, set in the near future, subtly contrasts the trials of a distressed husband, who has lost all motivation to work, with those of a pair of ever-ready Mitsubishi-manufactured robot maids, who were created for the sole purpose of working although one no longer can work. The multilayered piece raises questions such as "does a robot lose all value if it can't work?" and "does the same thing apply to humans, even when we reach the age of retirement?"
Both works summon strong emotions and a high degree of empathy for the sensitive and responsive robot and android characters. See for yourself when Seinendan Theater Company makes their Columbus debut with their visions of things to come.
Performed in Japanese with English surtitles.
This program's six-city tour is coproduced by Japan Society, New York, and The Japan Foundation, and organized by Japan Society, New York.
This presentation is sponsored by Ohio State's College of Engineering with additional support from the East Asian Studies Center.
Japan Society, New York
Japan Foundation
Ohio State's College of Engineering
Ohio State's East Asian Studies Center
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
The Blackwell
Columbus Dispatch
Seinendan Theater Company + Osaka


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Jan's Story spotlights younger-onset Alzheimer's
In the 1980s, Jan Chorlton was a promising television reporter. She began to have memory lapses when she was 40 and was finally diagnosed with Alzheimer's five years ago, at 55. Her husband, CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen, has written Jan's Story: Love Lost to the Long Goodbye of Alzheimer's about their experience with the disease.
Petersen is an award-winning TV journalist who has covered wars, the devastating Asian tsunami, the historic confrontation at Tiananmen Square and the unspeakable deaths in Rwanda. But as he writes in Jan's Story, he was not prepared for what happened to Jan.
Ten percent of the author's royalties are being contributed to the Alzheimer's Association.
For more information about Jan's Story:
Barry Petersen's Web site >>
CBS "Sunday Morning" story >>
Buy Jan's Story >>


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Four fun-loving schoolgirls take over the former room of a tea ceremony club for their own "Gorakubu" (amusement club).
YuruYuri - MAL
YuruYuri - ANN
Animation ProductionDogakobo
Comedy, Slice of Life
Available on?
Crunchyroll Simulcast
So, what did you think?
Personally I wasn't expecting anything out of this but it still managed to make me laugh a few times, What I did find out was that some of the staff on this previously worked on Minami-Ke and Mitsudomoe and I can certainly see the input in the style of comedy here. Other than that, there's not too much to say, it was delivered very well and it's your standard fare for 4-girls doing things for laughs.
One thing I should say is that I like the fast pace as well as the lack of subversion. It's painfully obvious that there will very little in terms of plot development and it's certainly not pushing boundaries in a creative sense. The fact that it is pretty clearly established that the girls are going to do nothing in particular is.. To me it's better than K-On, since i genuinely was drawn in by the concept of music for that show, and then was subsequently let down.
If you don't like "4-girls doing cute things" in any format, then don't bother with this show. If you can handle the immense-frequency on the Yuri-o-meter or enjoyed somewhat-similar shows such as Minami-Ke and Mitsudomoe, then by all means give this a go.
Edited; Sorry for the mishap earlier, meant to preview it before writing a response but it got muddled up.
I'm guessing it's a White Hole
You know... it's usually within good taste to initiate the discussion yourself with your OWN impressions regarding the topic. I even wrote that before in the thread creation guidelines but apparently...
/end rant
EDIT: meh... looks like your editing. Anyway, I'll save this to see your impressions are. Chances are I might watch it if it's anything worth the glimpse.
My thoughts on Anime @ www.animananime.com
I watched it as a random and was pleasantly surprised. A few darker moments (older sisters bedroom?) but with a lighthearted take, I'm hoping for a mix of humour and not expecting much else in honesty, but a storyline isn't always necessary for me to enjoy any anime series - just a few redeeming features and the humour definitely provides that.
edsamac wrote:
You know... it's usually within good taste to initiate the discussion yourself with your OWN impressions regarding the topic. I even wrote that before in the thread creation guidelines but apparently...
/end rant
EDIT: meh... looks like your editing. Anyway, I'll save this to see your impressions are. Chances are I might watch it if it's anything worth the glimpse.
think of k-on, that should say enough.
Living life one day at a time
Moe moe. No thanks. Not a big fan. I tried watching K-on, couldn't get past the 6th episode. Usually when it comes to four girls trying to be silly, the plot line ends up falling and becoming just for laughs. Well, I haven't watched it so I'm in no place to say its bad. Although as a girl, I'm still into more action and violence.
I need to stop saying bro, bro.
Cecilthedarkknight234 wrote:
think of k-on, that should say enough.
Gah, really? No thanks. The formula works with 5 girls. Azunyan ftw. Random. Yes. I need something more substantial this season. D:
My thoughts on Anime @ www.animananime.com
edsamac wrote:
Cecilthedarkknight234 wrote:
think of k-on, that should say enough.
Gah, really? No thanks. The formula works with 5 girls. Azunyan ftw. Random. Yes. I need something more substantial this season. D:
scratch that... shit the older sister has a "sister complex for her younger sister lead with red hair... so yeah" even a custom body pillow and stealing her pantsu.
Living life one day at a time
This show doesn't befit my tastes so I probably won't be keeping up with it up. There is decent humor in the show and interesting animation style - moving through different angles. The facial expressions are changed but the changes are over used. Overall, it's a decent show but I don't believe there will be anything else different from the formula used. The show's an exploration of everyday life and put into comedic hijinks. I'd say my favorite part was when they discuss the main character's presence and try to improve it.
In loving memory of Cryska.
I rather find the blonde amusing. but overall this show rates in the 'watch if I'm not busy straightening my stereo wires' category of (dis)interest.
(though I did like the reaction to the sister's room. It might be worth seeing if they introduce her soon)
11. Everything is air-droppable at least once.
and to think i thought A channel was bad this is worse
My face when I have no face.
okay so far for me
Currently single and I love anime
People are comparing it to K-ON!, Lucky Star and Azumanga Daioh... the problem is the characters in those shows are actually interesting. After one episode, I am underwhelmed and I don't know if I will watch more.
Just because a show has a similar cast make up doesn't make it like other shows. After the first episode of each of the other three series I mentioned, you knew what they were about (even if Lucky Star was just about the characters having random conversations)... Yuru Yuri lacks a sense of direction at all right now.
That said, I will give this show until episode 4 to hook me, but I don't have high hopes.
I enjoyed the first episode. Nothing spectacular, but it still kept me amused.
t/ @ishikusui || PSN: ishikusui / XBL: TakenIdiot
My mom made fun of their high pitched voices the entire time (she was in the other room and said all she could hear was: "HONTOOOO!? ARIGATOOOOO! HEEEHEEEHEE! HAHAHAAAA! AIIIII!" LOL). So, I'm not sure if I was laughing so hard because of her or because it was funny.
HAHAHA. Holy crap. Hey Crunchyroll, how ya doin'?
Decent/Alright first episode, I found it funny when that one girl was trying to have a presence but...
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
The student council president barged in the room and she suddenly was ignored again
SCHOOL DAYS HQ ENGLISH (SUB) VERSION - 77% of the Game Completed


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Suffolk, ss. DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATIVE LAW APPEALS
Appeal of:
William Mauger,
v. CR-04-1053
Teachers' Retirement System,
Appearance for Petitioner:
Ira Fader, Esq.
Massachusetts Teachers Association
20 Ashburton Place
Boston, Ma. 02108
Appearance for Respondent:
Robert Fabino, Esq.
Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System
One Charles Park
Cambridge, Ma. 02142
Administrative Magistrate:
Joan Freiman Fink, Esq.
Pursuant to G.L. c. 32 §16(4), the Petitioner, William Mauger, is appealing the November 28, 2004 decision of the Respondent, Teachers' Retirement System, denying his request to purchase creditable service for the period of time between September 1, 1980 through June 30, 1981 when he was on an educational leave of absence (Exhibit 1). The appeal was timely filed in accordance with the provisions of G.L. c. 32 §16(4).
A hearing pursuant to G.L. c. 7 §4H was held on November 15, 2007 at the offices of the Division of Administrative Law Appeals, 98 North Washington Street, Boston, Ma. Various documents were entered into evidence at the hearing (Exhibits 1 -13). The Petitioner's Pre-hearing Memorandum was marked as "A" for identification and the Respondent's Pre-hearing Memorandum was marked as "B" for identification. The Petitioner testified in his own behalf. One cassette tape recording was made of the hearing.
Based on the testimony and evidence presented, I make the following findings of fact:
1. The Petitioner, William Mauger, d.o.b. 8/26/48, was certified as a teacher in Massachusetts in 1971 (testimony of the Petitioner).
2. For the period of January of 1971 through December of 1971, the Petitioner was employed as an elementary school teacher in Cohasset, Ma. He became a member of the Teachers' Retirement System at that time (testimony of the Petitioner, Exhibit 4).
3. In January of 1972, the Petitioner commenced employment as an elementary school teacher with the East Bridgewater Public School System (testimony of the Petitioner).
4. He remained as a teacher with the East Bridgewater Public School System from January of 1972 through June of 2004 (Exhibit 4, testimony of the Petitioner).
5. The Petitioner took an educational leave of absence during the 1980-1981 school year to pursue a degree in physical therapy (testimony of the Petitioner).
6. He was paid $5,538 during that leave, representing approximately one-third of his annual salary rate (stipulation of the parties).
7. It has been the long-standing policy of the Teachers' Retirement System to credit paid leaves of absence in accordance with the percentage of full-time salary received by the member during those absences (Exhibit 9).
8. The long-standing policy is included in writing in the retirement brochures that are routinely provided to all members of the Teachers' Retirement System at retirement seminars and upon request. The policy states that "if you are granted a leave of absence with partial compensation, you will receive partial service credit" (Exhibits10, 11, & 12).
9. On or about 2000, the Petitioner began to contemplate retirement. He telephoned the Teachers' Retirement System and received information from a client service representative to the effect that he would receive a full-year creditable service for his paid leave of absence during the 1980-1981 school year (testimony of the Petitioner).
10. The Petitioner asked that this information be reduced to writing. On October 23, 2000, TJ Leenders, a client service representative of the Teachers' Retirement System, sent the Petitioner a letter regarding his request for a breakdown of his creditable service. In this letter, Mr. Leenders estimated that the Petitioner had 28 years of creditable service for his service with East Bridgewater Public Schools for the period of September 1, 1972 through June 30, 2000. However, Mr. Leenders stressed that this breakdown is only an estimate and noted that "creditable service is not verified until your actual time of retirement" (Exhibit 7).
11. In 2001, the Petitioner had another conversation with a client representative from the Teachers' Retirement System concerning his creditable service. That representative also indicated that the Petitioner would receive full-time creditable service for his leave of absence (testimony of the Petitioner).
12. In 2002 or 2003, the Petitioner attended a retirement seminar conducted by the Teachers' Retirement System held in Wrentham, Ma. (testimony of the Petitioner).
13. On April 22, 2004, the Petitioner filed an application for retirement benefits with the Teachers' Retirement System with an effective retirement date of August 26, 2004 (Exhibit 4).
14. On November 18, 2004, the Petitioner received formal notification from the Teachers' Retirement System that he was credited with 0.3372 years of service for the period of time that he was on a leave of absence during the 1980-1981 school year as he was paid on a reduced income for that year (Exhibit 1).
15. On December 2, 2004, the Petitioner filed a timely appeal of this decision with the Contributory Retirement Appeal Board (Exhibit 2).
Based on the testimony and evidence provided, I conclude that the Petitioner should be credited with 0.3372 of the full year for the leave of absence that he took during the 1980-1981 school year.
The Teachers' Retirement System relies on its long-standing policy (included in writing in its retirement brochures) to pro-rate creditable service for leaves of absence based on the rate of salary paid. The Teachers' Retirement System refers to of G.L. c. 32 §4(1)(c) as justification for its policy concerning pro-ration of leaves of absence depending on the rate of annual salary paid.
G.L. c. 32 §4(1)(c) provides in pertinent part that:
Creditable service in the case of any member shall include any period of his continuous absence with full regular compensation, or in the event of his absence with partial regular compensation such period or portion thereof, if any, as the board shall determine (emphasis supplied).
Accordingly, the Teachers' Retirement System credited Mr. Mauger with partial creditable service for the year that he spent on leave of absence as he was paid approximately one-third of his annual salary during that period of time. The Petitioner argues that he relied on the representations of the counselors at the Teachers' Retirement System concerning his creditable service when he made the determination to retire in August of 2004 and that, had he known that his leave of absence time would be pro-rated, he would not have retired at that time. The Petitioner further argues that since he relied to his detriment on the representations of the Teachers' Retirement System, he should be afforded the equitable remedy outlined in the case of Hembrow v. State Board of Retirement CR-1229 (DALA dec.2/28/78; CRAB decision 1978) and successor cases.
In Hembrow, supra, the Petitioner, a social worker, told her supervisor that she wished to retire at the end of July 1974. Her supervisor then gave her the necessary forms to complete. Ms. Hembrow completed those forms and returned them to the supervisor. She stopped working at the end of July of 1974. Although many months went by without her receiving any retirement benefits, Ms. Hembrow did not realize that there was a problem as she believed that it was common for retirees to wait a substantial period of time before retirement benefits commenced. In March of 1975, Ms. Hembrow went to the Retirement Board and inquired why her application was taking so long to process. The Board informed her that it had not received her application and gave her a second application to complete. Ms. Hembrow completed this second application and the Board determined her effective date of retirement to be April 14, 1975, or 15 days from the date the Board had received her application. Ms. Hembrow appealed the effective date. In reversing the State Board determination as to the effective date, CRAB stated that Ms. Hembrow believed that she had done all that was required of her to initiate retirement benefits and that the State and the State Board of Retirement must assume responsibility for failures of the system such as this.
Notwithstanding her argument, the Petitioner cannot rely on the holding in the Hembrow case, supra, to argue that he should be entitled to full-time creditable service for his leave of absence during the 1980-1981 school year. Although the Petitioner testified that he had discussions with various employees of the Teachers' Retirement System concerning the amount of creditable service to be awarded for his leave of absence during the 1980-1981 school year, it is not clear from the record that the Petitioner explained to those employees that his salary for that year was pro-rated and that he received only one-third of his annual rate of compensation during that period of time. Thus, those employees of the Teachers' Retirement System with whom the Petitioner conversed may not have been supplied with all the information necessary to make a proper determination as to the amount of creditable to be awarded for his leave of absence.
Moreover, the Petitioner attended a retirement seminar sponsored by the Teachers' Retirement System sometime in either 2002 or 2003. Although he does not recall receiving any brochures concerning retirement benefits, these brochures printed by the Teachers' Retirement System for retirement seminars contain a provision stating that if a member is granted a leave of absence with partial compensation, that member will receive partial service credit.
Finally, in his letter of October 23, 2000 to the Petitioner, client services representative, TJ Leenders, stressed that he was supplying only an estimate of the creditable service based on the information that the Petitioner had supplied and that the amount would be verified at the time of retirement. There is nothing in the record that reflects that the Petitioner contacted the Teachers' Retirement System in April of 2004 to verify the amount of his credible service that he would be awarded for the period of time that he was on a leave of absence.
Based on the foregoing, the decision of the Respondent, Teachers' Retirement System, pro-rating the Petitioner's creditable service during the period of time that he was on a leave of absence during the 1980-1981 school year is hereby affirmed.
Joan Freiman Fink
Administrative Magistrate
Dated: 12/31/07
This information is provided by the Division of Administrative Law Appeals .


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A search for a new director for the La Grange Utilities Commission has broadened to the consideration of a management takeover by another utility company.
At a special meeting of the LUC last week, the commission's members heard several scenarios for the future of the utilities from the commission's chairman, Roy Horton.
Those include hiring a new director, going into a partial management partnership with an outside agency, a full management partnership and/or a full merger with another utility company.
A proposed ordinance in front of the La Grange City Council is sparking a debate over the city's business license fees.
The section in question lies with language regarding attorneys and how the license applies to them.
Critics of the proposed law, including Councilman Jason Taylor, say the changes are a precondition to practicing law by placing a fee on attorneys that do not have offices in the city and that there are multiple legal issues associated with the proposed language.
Wallace "Wally" Nay was an avid gardener, lover of ice cream, driving enthusiast and all-around good guy according to his friends. Known as "Sugar" to his wife, Nay was a father, husband and Oldham County icon.
Nay passed away on Feb. 7 at the age of 79, surrounded by family at his home in La Grange. He was laid to rest in the Valley of Rest Cemetery.
Nay was probably best known for his civic service to Oldham County and the city of La Grange, according to longtime friend Jean Knight.
By Brad bowman
Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes came to Henry County Monday and told local officials, farmers and attendees she will make prosperity her priority for women and Kentucky farmers.
Accompanied by U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan), the first female senator in Michigan, Grimes spoke with a bit of wit and grit about her vision if elected as Kentucky's first female senator, and her opponent U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell.
The 2014 election season has just begun, yet the race for County Judge Executive has already gotten off to an interesting start.
Current County Judge-Executive David Voegele and challenger David Howley faced off in their first forum at the John W. Black Center Monday night. The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 62 hosted the event.
Candidates for sheriff, coroner, county attorney and La Grange mayor also spoke at the FOP forum, which the public was invited to attend but not allowed to submit questions.
Oldham County's Fraternal Order of Police have endorsed many current incumbents for the 2014 elections.
FOP Lodge 62 held a forum Monday night to help inform their membership and the public, before lodge members voted on potential endorsements.
Candidates for sheriff, coroner, county attorney and La Grange mayor all spoke at the forum, as well as candidates for judge-executive.
County Clerk Julie Barr and County Jailer Mike Simpson also addressed the group and received the FOP's endorsement, despite being unopposed in 2014.
As Congress slowly starts back up in 2014, Congressman Thomas Massie has a few key issues on his plate.
The two most important for Massie, who represents Oldham County and all of Northern Kentucky, is the inclusion of an industrial hemp amendment in the Farm Bill and reforming the practices of the National Security Agency and its wiretapping.
In a conference call with reporters last week, the first term congressman celebrated the industrial hemp inclusion, which will make it legal for hemp to be grown for university research and for state pilot projects.
In his latest stop in Oldham County, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Matt Bevin pushed back against attacks by the man he hopes to replace: U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell.
Bevin, who has made several trips to Oldham and surrounding counties since announcing his campaign against McConnell, spoke Tuesday to the Oldham County Republican Women's Club.
In an hour-long speech and question-and-answer session with the club, Bevin pushed back on a few key attack lines McConnell's campaign has latched onto, including its claim he falsified his resume.
A shake-up at the La Grange Utilities Commission led to emergency legislation being passed by the city council Monday night.
The commission is currently without a director, after La Grange Mayor Bill Lammlein fired former director John M. Bennett. Lammlein said he let Bennett go because he didn't feel like Bennett was good for the commission going forward.
"I didn't feel like he was the person to move the utilities in the direction we needed to go in," Lammlein said.
The primary ballot for Oldham County has been officially set.
Candidates lined up for the ballot draw last week at the county clerk's office to select their positions on the 2014 primary ballot.
Sixteen county offices, including constable races, will be on the ballot for the primary.
Additionally, there will be a primary for La Grange mayor and for city council. As of the draw, the number of those running for council was 20. Keith Simpson and Linda Ballard Hall withdrew from the city council race before the ballot draw.
Copyright © 2018
The Oldham Era is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Oldham County and LaGrange, Kentucky, and the surrounding area.


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Czechs to miss Kvitova in Fed Cup at Spain
February 2, 2014
PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic will miss its highest-ranked player Petra Kvitova in next month's first round of the Fed Cup against Spain due to an illness.
No. 6-ranked Kvitova says in a statement on the team's Facebook page on Sunday that a virus forced her to pull out of the Feb. 8-9 series on an outdoor clay court in Seville.
Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova was called up as a replacement.
Lucie Safarova, Klara Zakopalova and Andrea Hlavackova have also been selected for the Czech team.
The Czechs, winners of the Fed Cup in 2011 and 2012, won their last series against Spain 4-1 in the 2009 first round, but trail the Iberians 2-1 in their head-to-head record.


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* (out of 4)
Earlier today, country artist Brad Paisley released his new single. It features rap legend and asymmetrical-pant-leg trailblazer LL Cool J. The song is the worst country/rap hybrid that has ever been created, and that includes that "CMT vs. BET" theme party I attended in college.
The tune is an attempt to understand opposing cultures, with Paisley crooning flaccid lines like "I'm just a whiiiiite man, comin' to ya from the Southlannnd" and "I'm proud of where I'm from, but not everything we've done." It's like the sappiest mea culpa you'll ever hear. Like, imagining Ruben Studdard's "Sorry 2004"… but you know, it's about slavery. LL comes in with some bargain-basement raps about "avoiding invisible white hoods" and "feeling like a new-fangled Django." It's all very depressing.
So with such good intents, what's the issue with this song? Other than it being the corniest thing ever created (dethroning this) and sounding like the lyrics were written as a 7th-grade U.S. history class group project (that only one kid is actually doing the work on,) the problem is that it beats stereotypes on both sides absolutely to death. The swaggering Negro, with his baggy jeans and do-rag (speaking of, have we learned to spell that yet? Du? Do? Can I just cop out and call it a wave cap?) and the country-strong white guy, who wears a cowboy hat even though he lives in a condo on the 34th floor and drives a pickup even though he wouldn't know what to do with a backhoe if you paid him. The main intent of the song and what it was trying to accomplish is appreciated though. America is absolutely horrible at discussing race-related issues, and I applaud Paisley and whomever convinced LL that this was a good career move for the attempt. We do need to have a frank conversation about race in America, but trying to condense 394 years of frustration, anger and hate into a five-minute pop-country tune isn't the best way to go about doing it.
It's easy to throw stones from our laptops though, so here are a couple of music-related moves that could help race relations better than "Accidental Racist."
- Enact a racial draft like on "Chappelle's Show." Speaking for my black brethren, we'd like to offer up Ray J, Keyshia Cole and Machine Gun Kelly's expiring deal for Jessie Ware, Kid Rock and the rights to the other half of Drake.
- Establish a record-label "Wife Swap" situation where country music singers and songwriters actually go hang out with actual black people for a week or two. Look at that: No more "Honky Tonk Badonk-adonk" #NeverForget
I'm not really sure what else to offer, but I do think that this kind of start isn't helping anyone. My best friend is white, and he and I haven't spoken since this song came out. I haven't made eye contact with my co-workers today. I've been listening to the dead prez album on loop, it's getting pretty intense.
Ernest Wilkins is Chicago's wingman. firstname.lastname@example.com
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The news was announced, a few hours, by USA Today.
According to the magazine, it also may have been hit by a campaign of "negative SEO", to increase their ranking on the list of travel sites on Google searches.
This was stated by an analysis carried out by the Searchmetrics company that discovered the problems.
The Expedia web site has lost 25% of its visibility in Google between January 12, 2014 and January 19, 2014, after they have been identified massive SEO actions to increase your online traffic through paid links activities from other sites.
The main techniques used to increase the visibility of Expedia, were so "crude" that it would be surprising if the company alone had been responsible for the link building scheme carried out in a "massive" in such a short time.
According Tober are assumed 3 roads:
1) it also could have used the artificial link building techniques, years ago, and the company has forgotten that they did and left the text links "artificial" on the web that have been identified by the latest Google algorithm updates (not Google always communicates its updates to its algorithm – ed)
2) Any department within Expedia, or an outside company, web agency, are still using these older techniques, given that Expedia is a great company, with many SEO, and various teams working with different web agency, so it is possible that an internal department to Expedia is the manager.
3) An Expedia competitor has built these text links in the past, in the course of a long period of time, to make out Expedia. This strategy, known as "negative SEO", has become more common in recent years.
Dave McNamee, a spokesman for Expedia, declined to comment.
Whatever the reason, the Google ranking of Expedia in important research results through traveling was hit hard. For example, in a Google search using the word "hotel" the Expedia site has not appeared in any of the front pages of results, whereas in the past, the expedia.com website would look at number 3 on the first page of Google according Tober.
According to the analysis of Searchmetrics, the word "hotel" was used more than 15,000 times in an "anchor text" on many websites to create text links to the main site Expedia.
What it is even more suspicious is that the color used for these text links is white on a white background, so the majority of visitors to the site would not see the words and text links.
This is one of about 10 years outdated SEO technique ago, said Tober.
All these elements support the contention that the episode Expedia on Google may have been caused by "negative SEO".


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In 1986, under the direction of the AAPT Executive Officer, Jack Wilson, the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) organized the United States Physics Team for the first time. — AAPT.ORG
Life throws unexpected things at you.
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Since I can remember, I have always been interested in math. I enjoyed its intricacies and elegance. I loved learning concepts, but I wanted to pu… read more
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For me, it has always been about trying to understand things at the deepest, most fundamental level possible. I didn't want to know that a battery … read more
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Age seven. My dad asks me, "if a … read more
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Initially, I never was solely interested in physics, but in science in general as the captain of my school's middle school Science Bowl team. I stu… read more
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I am not sure what the deal is with me and physics. It has been a while, and times and I have changed since. The idea behind physics was that as fa… read more
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If you're heading to Sushi X in Hampstead for dinner, do yourself a favor and make a reservation.
If you're heading to Sushi X in Hampstead for dinner, do yourself a favor and make a reservation. This new pan-Asian restaurant is slammed for dinner, and if your party is more than two, you'll have a bit of a wait.
The first reason you'll wait is the food. It's tasty, no matter your dish's country of origin. I'm always a little nervous when I see a menu that's 1) several pages long; 2) covers a lot of ground in the cuisine it represents; or 3) does both. Sushi X's menu does both, serving Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and several pages of sushi. I tried a little of everything and, for the most part, they got it right.
The second reason you'll wait is the kitchen. I suspect Sushi X didn't anticipate the enthusiasm the community would show for their food, and the kitchen can get backed up during prime dining hours. On one visit, our appetizers arrived, followed almost immediately by two entr�es, then a few minutes later another entr�e. Then, once my dining companions had finished their meals, my sushi appeared.
As I said, the menu at Sushi X is big, so you may as well put in an order for some edamame or steamed dumplings when you sit down. By the time your order arrives, you'll have settled on entrees and be ready to go.
The ginger fish special – two filets of vermilion snapper served over steamed baby bok choy in a light, gingery sauce – was delicious. With the two filets, this meal was big enough to be shared, especially when you have an appetizer to go with it.
The Vietnamese portion of Sushi X's menu includes two tasty dishes – the pho and Vietnamese crispy noodles. Pho, a rich broth filled with rice noodles and onions and served with your choice of meats or tofu – along with a plate of bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, hot sauce and cilantro on the side – is tough to pull off, but Sushi X did it well. A spoon of the broth alone was rich without being overpowering, but grab a bit of cilantro, some meat (beef, in my case), and a noodle or two and you'll get a flavor-packed taste that's pretty close to authentic pho.
Vietnamese crispy noodles consist of a bed of thin, crispy noodles topped with meat or tofu, mushrooms, baby bok choy and a brown sauce that codified each separate element. Like the fish special, it was big enough to share.
We also tried a Thai dish, yellow curry. The curry was flavorful, but a little out of balance as each bite was on the sweet side. A dash of hot chili sauce would bring it back in line, but be careful – the hot sauce served with the pho (the only hot sauce I saw) was pretty intense.
My order of sushi, the one that arrived after the rest of the meal was done, was hit or miss. I enjoy all types of fish on and in my sushi, and, unfortunately, some of the fish in my order was less fresh than the others. Sushi rolls come in two main styles here – maki (the little rolls) and specialty rolls (the ones that are topped with something, sauced like crazy, or tempura battered).
I tried both types of rolls, and multiple kinds of fish. My maki, the simplest of the rolls, were salmon and tuna. The salmon was great – fresh and just fatty enough – and the rice done right, so I'd go back to it again.
The tuna maki tasted and smelled a little off, and after one piece, I abandoned the roll.
The specialty rolls fared a little better. The yellowtail was fresh, as was the white tuna; both topped an elaborate roll. A tempura-fried roll with salmon was surprisingly moist, and another with tempura shrimp and eel was my favorite until I got to a couple of pieces where the eel was exceptionally bony.
For now, expect a wait at Sushi X. Ask about the freshness of the fish, and be patient until the kitchen resolves its timing issues.
Features: 343-2343


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This project is supported by the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) for which Defra is the Managing Authority, part funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas.
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DOVER — The Strafford County Attorney's office on Thursday called to the stand the current adoptive mother of a boy said to have been beaten and starved in a New Durham residence, who described the child's current disposition as happy and outgoing.
"He's got a really warm, affectionate, outgoing personality," she said. "…He's always had that. That's just the core of who he is as a person."
The woman, who is not being identified to protect the identity of the 9-year-old, said when her family fostered the young victim in the spring of 2010 he was obsessed with food and constantly asked about it. She said she never observed any of the behavioral issues or special dietary restrictions allegedly stated by the defendant in this case, 34-year-old Christina Thomas.
In a Strafford County Superior Court room, Deputy County Attorney Alysia Cassotis projected some images onto a screen, showing the growth of the victim found to weigh only 23 pounds when he was removed from Thomas' Birch Hill residence at the age of 7.
"He's kind of grown into his body," the boy's adoptive mother continued. "…The fluidity of how he moves and what he can do is just dramatically different. He's just much calmer. Just across the board, there's not one year I haven't seen him really grow and change."
The boy's pediatrician, a Portsmouth family doctor who has practiced medicine for more than 20 years, testified he has "never" seen such a severe case. The doctor said he has known Thomas for more than 10 years, and understood she was the young patient's guardian.
According to previous stated facts, Thomas took the boy's biological mother into her home around 2003 when she was pregnant. When the victim was born, Thomas offered to help her old childhood friend by sharing in the responsibilities of raising her child. Thomas is now charged with a Class A felony of first-degree assault — which carries a 7�- to 15-year prison sentence — for allegedly starving the boy between 2006 and 2010.
Flipping through his records, the doctor said when the boy was 4� years old, he weighed 23 pounds and 2 ounces. He was 29 inches tall then. On average, the doctor said a boy of similar age is about 42 inches tall, and weighs between 40 and 45 pounds.
Cassotis took notes on large white paper before 15 jurors, laying out a timeline showing when Thomas had missed appointments for the boy with specific weights during the times when she returned to the doctor's office. The Portsmouth doctor stated in June 2006, when he requested Thomas bring the boy back in two weeks for an urgent follow-up visit, she did not return until March 2008. Between the winter of 2003 to the winter of 2009, the boy had only put on a little more than 15 pounds, according to his office's records.
The doctor added he was gravely concerned for the boy's health, frustrated by test results and missed appointments and feared the child might die. He said he urged Thomas to seek referrals and bring the boy to other hospitals for care.
In cross examination with Thomas' defense attorney Steven Keable, the doctor added Thomas was "enthusiastic" about taking those referral appointments on, at New Hampshire and Massachusetts hospitals.
Through various testimonies, it has been revealed Thomas had difficulty making appointments for the boy when her household, with an average of 10 to 20 people living there at one time, struggled with car repairs and money. The doctor said he also understood at one point Thomas was grappling with her own "high-risk pregnancy."
The doctor also said in cross examination the boy did test positive for lactose intolerance and he did not believe the boy was severely malnourished when he would come in for visits with Thomas. The doctor stressed in his belief, however, the only thing that changed for the child between 2010 and today was his environment, and that is the sole reason behind his dramatic improvement.
"His progression has been remarkable," the doctor said, referring to the boy's current adoptive family environment.
While allegations of harsh mistreatment have come forward in this case, alleging Thomas tied the boy to his bed with a chain, locked him in a dog kennel in the basement for hours, forced him to gorge on food until he was sick and punished him by taking food away, the prosecution has to prove not only that Thomas withheld food from him but that she was his primary caretaker.
Keable has brought forward in his limited time to present facts while the prosecution runs through its extensive list of witnesses that Thomas left special pediatric formula in the freezer for her family to feed the boy when he needed it and did her best to care for him by working with New Durham School teachers and staff.
Some school staff testified they were told to punish the boy by taking his lunch food away, but former School Principal Barbara Reed testified she felt Thomas was concerned and trying to help the boy.
Keable noted in his opening statements Thomas is a kind woman who took many people into her home who were struggling but now, the former housemates have "an ax to grind."
The prosecution on the other hand, has painted a different picture, alleging the blond haired woman seated at the defense table, chewing gum and laughing with family and friends during breaks, is a controlling and threatening woman. Many witnesses on the stand, including family relatives, have said they are afraid of Thomas and the potential for retaliation.
The trial began at 1 p.m. Thursday due to conflicting schedules and Judge John M. Lewis also took an extended recess to meet with attorneys in a separate case. He said while the trial will not continue Friday or Monday, due to the Presidents Day holiday, next Tuesday should mark the last day of state witnesses, with the trial potentially concluding by next Thursday or Friday.
At the start of the court appearance, Keable also filed two motions — one to bring on an additional witness in the case and another to present surveillance footage from the lobby of the Dover superior court. The motions were accepted by state counsel.
Cassotis said she could not elaborate on what surveillance footage the defense is looking to bring forward and paperwork for the motion was unavailable Thursday afternoon for public review.


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Howard K. Koh, assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will speak in Sacramento on "Best Practices in Public Health Leadership for a Healthier Nation."
Koh oversees 14 core public health offices -- including the Office of the Surgeon General and U.S. Public Health Service Corps -- as well as 10 regional health offices across the nation and 10 Presidential and Secretarial advisory committees. As the assistant secretary for health, he is dedicated to the mission of creating better public health systems for prevention and care so that all people can reach their highest attainable standard of health.
This lecture is free and open to the public. It begins at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in the Education Building's Robert T. Matsui Lecture Hall, 4610 X Street, Sacramento. A map and directions are online at https://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/welcome/maps_directions/. A reception will precede Koh's lecture at 4 p.m. at the lecture hall. Registration is requested to email@example.com or 916-734-9101.
The Dean's Lecture Series links UC Davis Health System and the broader community with thought leaders on the nation's critical health issues -- with the goal of identifying new ways to improve health care and health for all. Initiated by Claire Pomeroy, UC Davis vice chancellor for Human Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine, these public forums provide opportunities to better understand the ways in which science, medicine, technology and advocacy can reduce health disparities and enhance patient care, quality of life and community health. To view videos of past lectures, visit www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/dean/deans_lecture.


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The effect of a comms meltdown
Just how bad is it?
Reader Study What a week it's been for mobile communications and productivity! The meltdown of RIM's Blackberry infrastructure and difficulties getting the service back up and running show just how much we are becoming reliant on (or should that be addicted to?) our mobile gadgets and communications services.
Meanwhile, we've seen issues cropping up on a regular basis with various online services, be they Office 365 or Amazon Web Services. With all the talk about running applications exclusively in the Cloud, these episodes highlight the dangers of relying totally on a centralized infrastructure for access to applications and services.
When it comes to email and productivity apps, how do these issues affect how you think about buying and deploying them? Is it a storm in a teacup, or does it mean that running email and office apps in the Cloud are now taboo? Tell us at the latest Reg reader survey located here.


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NEW TierraCast® Chain!
Featuring colors specified to complement TierraCast Finishes
By popular demand, TierraCast is happy to announce they are now offering a line of high quality chain. TierraCast worked with a US manufacturer to produce and essentials-focused product that works hand in hand with their existing components.
Made in the USA
Six versatile chain styles fill in the "missing links"
All EU nickel compliant


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One, the Aruba Island rattlesnake, is now so rare on the island north of Venezuela that there are roughly as many in captivity -- about 200 to 300 -- as there are in the wild, said psychology department Professor David Chiszar. Dwindling habitat on the tiny island is the primary force driving the venomous snake toward extinction, said Chiszar, a nationally recognized herpetologist and animal behaviorist.
Ideally, captive-born Aruba Island rattlers could be used to repopulate portions of the rapidly developing island that are suitable for reintroduction. "But these snakes show little or no fear of predators and generally don't rattle, which is exactly the kind of behavior that will get them killed in the wild," he said.
In a project designed to mitigate what he calls "behavioral deficits" in captive-born Aruba rattlers, Chiszar has built an artificial habitat with rock piles, trees and cacti similar to the snake's natural habitat. Unlike wild rattlers -- which head for the enclosure's rock piles and disappear in seconds -- the Aruba snakes may take up to two weeks leisurely exploring the room before heading for rocky hideouts, he said.
Once they begin using cover, however, "A light bulb goes on and the snakes start exhibiting defensive behaviors," he said. "While these behaviors are innate, they must first be elicited and then maintained in order to facilitate survival."
Chiszar also is beginning a study to see if lab-raised Aruba rattlers have the ability to locate places with suitable temperature and humidity conditions for survival in the wild. He first will test wild rattlers in the lab, then compare their behavior with that of captive-born Aruba rattlers. When a snake sheds its skin, for example, it often requires a place with specific humidity conditions, he said.
A final decision on any reintroduction efforts will be made by the Aruban government, said Chiszar, who has traveled to Aruba twice for snake conferences and is collaborating on the project with R. Andrew Odum of the Toledo (Ohio) Zoo.
The brown tree snake, also under study by Chiszar, is more familiar to the public. Native to Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, New Guinea and Australia, the snakes are believed to have been introduced on Guam as airplane or ship stowaways in the late 1940s or early 1950s. Since then, they have wiped out native wildlife populations and wreaked havoc with Guam's electrical power systems.
In addition to extirpating 12 bird species and endangering several other bird, bat and lizard species on Guam, the snakes often crawl onto power lines. They have triggered more than 1,200 power outages on the island, causing millions of dollars in damage to electrical and computer systems and refrigerated goods, he said.
Chiszar, who has studied the climbing behavior of brown tree snakes and helped design snake barriers for use on Guam's power poles, is now searching for the most effective chemical cues that can be used to lure the snakes into traps.
Although the best bait for snake traps is live rodents, Chiszar believes he is on course to develop a chemical attractant that could be up to 80 percent as effective as live animals. The snakes, which can reach more than eight feet in length, are found in densities as high as 13,000 individuals per square mile in certain areas of the island, although 2,000 to 3,000 snakes per square mile is closer to the average.
Chiszar, who specializes in the sensory systems that control predatory behavior in reptiles, said the long-term goal of the project is to eradicate the brown tree snakes on Guam. In the meantime, control programs may allow biologists to provide "sanctuary-type areas where endangered birds, bats and lizards can breed."
Chiszar, who is collaborating with Tom Fritts of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and others on the effort, said there is concern the snakes may eventually make their way to Hawaii and impact native wildlife there.


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Trends in the latest Technology Radar
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ThoughtWorks's latest "Technology Radar" focuses on mobile, accessible analytics, simple architectures, reproducible environments, and data persistence done right.
Consumer interactions will be primarily through mobile platforms in the future and this is one of the drivers of the "Technology Radar" recommendations. Another trend is how reliable cloud computing platforms will enable accessible analytics. The need for architects to create simple architectures through interchangeable best of breed technologies is also highlighted. Emphasis is put on encouraging teams to create reproducible environments to reap the benefits of visibility, traceability, scalability, and reliability at their finger tips. Software Engineers are encouraged in the "Technology Radar" to use NoSql databases to easily model domains in the data persistence done right trend.
Technologies recommended for adoption align strongly with the prevalence of mobile platforms in consumer hands:
"Mobile first embraces this trend by designing user interfaces and server interactions that target mobile devices in the first instance."
Back end systems are embracing graph database technologies that can easily represent complex distributed domains (e.g. mobile usage):
"Graph databases store information as arbitrarily interconnected nodes linked by named relations, rather than as tables and joins."
Additionally, back end systems will capture as much data as possible to perform advanced analytics at massive scale on low cost computing cloud resources:
"Now, using a spectrum of new technologies like NoSQL, data harvesters, MapReduce frameworks, and clusters of shared-nothing commodity servers, we have the power necessary to make truly effective use of these techniques [machine learning, semantic analysis, text mining, quantitative analytics]."
On the other hand there are technologies that have been put on hold that would make for brittle continuous delivery pipelines otherwise:
"Web browser automation tools like Selenium have encouraged widespread automated testing through the browser. While these tests continue to have their place in a test portfolio, most teams find that executing the bulk of tests through the browser creates a slow and fragile test suite."
[ All quotes above were taken directly from the ThoughtWorks "Technology Radar." ]
A portion of the recommendations directly reinforce DevOps best practices. Automated deployment and Infrastructure as code in combination with configuration management tools, e.g. Chef or Puppet, allow for efficient management of large server farms. Immutable servers become especially important with large server farms that are automatically scaled (e.g. AWS Auto Scaling). Continuous integration in the cloud is ready for trials on projects that have identified potential benefits and are prepared to manage the risk (e.g. security, vendor conventions, tech stack availability). AtTask leveraged the cloud for CI and their solution has reduced their acceptance testing from three days to minutes.
The "Technology Radar" intends to influence decision making through recommendations about what should be adopted and what should be held at bay. The recommendations in the "Technology Radar" follow the same format as their previous radar and are similar to the recommendations produced by Gartner's research of technology along the Hype Cycle.
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Jean-Jacques Dubray
Thanks for the comment. Here is some follow-up information.
Aslan Brooke
Re: Thanks for the comment. Here is some follow-up information.
marc prades
It's not a silver bullet, but works very well and allows fullstack javascript development. Doesnt seem to have "dynamic" map reduce views though (?) unlike couchdb. NeoJS is powerfull and neat but a bit more complicated to learn and deploy(imho).
Re: Thanks for the comment. Here is some follow-up information.
marc prades
Re: Seriously?
Erik Doernenburg
Re: Seriously?
Aslan Brooke
Re: Seriously?
Jean-Jacques Dubray
I am not quite sure I understand your rationale. There is clearly a category called "Graph Databases" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graph_database) but MongoDB is not part of that category. It seems to me that you are comparing Apples and Oranges and you are recommending to just eat one kind of Apple. Are you saying that Graph Databases are the leading category of NOSql databases? and regardless of what you are trying to achieve you should first look at a Graph Database?
From my perspective that casts a big shadow on your overall analysis.
Re: Seriously?
Erik Doernenburg
maybe I didn't explain this all too well. Let me try again. Of course, there are different types of databases, including relational databases, graph databases, document databases, key/value databases, column-family databases etc. We were quite aware of this, after all Martin Fowler and Pramod Sadalage, who recently wrote a nice book on NoSQL databases, are part of the group that creates the radar.
We think that graph databases are quite distinct from the other types. So, I agree, it does not make sense to try to compare a graph database with a database of a different type. Among all the graph databases, though, we see see Neo4J as the clear front-runner. Therefore we recommend that people adopt Neo4J if they need a graph database. We do not want to imply that people should always use a graph database, though.
If people want to explore NoSQL databases but don't need a graph database then we recommend that they trial one of the three other databases we have listed. MongoDB and Couchbase are generally considered document databases and Riak a key/value database. The usage scenarios for these databases (non-relational, non-graph databases) do overlap. Certain problems may be solved either by a key/value database or by a document database. In fact, even the definitions and the actual implementations overlap to a degree. So, because it's not clear when to adopt which, we felt it was a better suggestion to trial the three most promising databases in this sector.
Over the past years we have used NoSQL databases on many projects. Because of that experience we did want to go beyond talking about database types in general and decided to name the databases we have made positive experiences with. In hindsight it becomes obvious that we should have explained clearer the distinction that exists in our thinking between graph and non-graph databases.


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Sketchblog: DayBook
7 x 14 in. double-page spread; watercolor, ink, Derwent pencil on Stonehenge paper.
Richard Freeman: Yoga Chants
Richard Freeman Chants - its a 2 cd set. The first CD is instructional, he explains some of the history and technique, and you sing along by repeating first a word, then a line, of each chant. I think there are 3-4 chants he teaches in this way -including the ashtanga invocation, which I've always liked. He explains things very clearly. The second cd is him chanting and playing the harmonium. He has a good voice, not a great voice, but there is something incredibly soothing about listening to him. -Jane
Cindy Dollar: Yoga Your Way : Customizing Your Home Practice
This is a great book for home practice. It's spiral bound and the pages are split so that on the left the pages are practice sequences and on the right each page is one of 44 asanas. The 31 practice sequences range from 10 to 90 minutes. On the back of each asana page are several modifications with various props. The author is an Iyengar teacher and the instructions are very detailed. What I like most about it is that the variety of sequences will prevent me from doing the same practice all the time which is what usually happens when I do yoga on my own. -Danielle
Andrea Olsen: Bodystories: A Guide To Experiential Anatomy
This book is the most accesible of all the more touchy-feely anatomy books I have - daily exercises of body exploration. -Lianne