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March 04, 2010
The Future of Higher Education
Educause Quarterly has just released an entire issue on the Future of Higher Education. I was honored to be asked by Nancy Hays, the EQ editor, to kick off a four part series on the Future of Education with this dedicated issue. The published piece can be found here.
Below is the original, unabridged version. As always, thank you in advance for your comments and feedback.
- Information is not knowledge,
Knowledge is not wisdom,
Wisdom is not truth,
Truth is not beauty,
Beauty is not love,
Love is not music,
and Music is the best.
Wisdom is the domain of Wis (which is extinct)
Frank Zappa – Packard Goose from Joe's Garage: Act II and III (Tower Records, 1979)
I want to refract on futures. What will the enterprise we call post-secondary education portend for over the next 25 years, the next chapter of the interaction between challenge, discovery, scholarship, learning, teaching, and technology? The four parts of the prism I will exam through this column are student experiences, staff contributions, the role of faculty, and finally the emergence of learning communities.
Ours is an era of abundance. History, until the mid-20th century, has largely been told as a series of philosophies about the human condition in which everything from the mundane to the metaphysical has been constrained by a world and a worldview informed by scarcity. The explosion of data and information catalyzed by Metcalfe's Law (http://vcmike.wordpress.com/2006/08/18/metcalfe-social-networks/) positions intelligent search, network affinities, and the prospects for a personalized, customizable semantic web as the conduit for knowledge development and sharing wisdom.
To provide some perspective, writing in the early 1960s, French philosopher, theologian and technology skeptic, Jacques Ellul notes with some evident disdain (The Technological Society, Vintage Books, NY, 1964: pg. 432] the fanciful predictions of American and Russian futurists published in the Paris weekly, L'express regarding science, technology, and society in the year 2000.
- "The most remarkable predictions concerns the transformation of educational methods … Knowledge (according to the Futurists) will be accumulated in "electronic banks" and transmitted directly to the human nervous system by mean of coded electronic messages. There will no longer be any need of reading or learning mountains of useless information; everything will be received and registered according to the needs of the moment." Ellul shares his skeptical view that "What is needed will pass directly from the machine to the brain without going through consciousness."
Autonomous thinking machines are no longer purely rhetorical vehicles for futurists. And while one can debate the prescient insights of the collection cited by Ellul, his framing of the challenge facing students foreshadows the single most important issue for the next generation of learners. The learning enterprise for students is changing, most likely forever. A long historical epoch of scarce knowledge and the pursuit of mastery of relevant domains is nearing its final dusk. Competency is less about comprehensive recall, a function that machines and search engines do pretty well. The emerging learning enterprise is about designing and creating experiences that provide opportunities to discover and gain 21st century competencies based on assembly, synthesis, perspective, critique, and inter-connected systems thinking. The mechanisms for certifying competency, along with what I will refer to as emergent learning communities, are the value and brand of traditional universities in the 21st century. Once a near monopoly producer of a certain set of valued and relevant skills in the post-war era, the traditional university's market role has given way to a growing number of providers of valued and relevant skills and education in the maturing connected learning era.
Four broad categories of student learners and learning approaches occupy the remainder of this column. They face new challenges and opportunities as they embark on their journey of discovery, securing relevant competencies and experiences for the connected learning era.
1. Open Learning
"Open education" refers to the emergence of a growing repository of nonproprietary, structured learning materials and experiences. Most of these open educational resources originate online, but over time student use of this content will blend both synchronous and asynchronous online use along with self-directed learning and a multiplicity of face-to-face learning environments. Today tens of millions of students are experimenting with first-generation open content. Within a relatively short time more than 100 million open educational learners will find compelling motives to access the single largest, dynamic body of student-centered learning materials available. Lest anyone dismiss this renaissance of learning as having down-market value only, MIT President Emeritus Charles Vest noted just four years ago:
- My view is that in the open-access movement, we are seeing the early emergence of a meta-university — a transcendent, accessible, empowering, dynamic, communally constructed framework of open materials and platforms on which much of higher education worldwide can be constructed or enhanced. The Internet and the Web will provide the communication infrastructure, and the open-access movement and its derivatives will provide much of the knowledge and information infrastructure.1
2. Global Learning
The Internet enabled a worldwide connected infrastructure that supported acceleration of the global economy and a variously described flat or flat-with-some-bumps world. Scholars from peripheral outposts, far from pre-Internet knowledge clusters, gained equal access to scholarly research materials and near real-time interaction with colleagues at the most prestigious institutions. This dramatic reframing of scholarship has not been accompanied by a parallel transformation in the student experience, represented by scalable, cross-national collaborations between students of diverse backgrounds. Even though a mountain of data extending back to the Peace Corps era suggests the significant impact of cross-cultural exchanges, relatively few global initiatives support sustained student learning about the world around them.
The single most important student-related experience leveraging the Internet in an international context has been keeping in touch with friends and family via e-mail, blogs, Flickr, or Skype. Many students, especially those from the United States, inherit parochial views of the world until and unless they become engaged in structured experiences to expand their horizons. Along with an imperative to give students a better understanding of their role in a highly interdependent, if still significantly uneven, world economy, there is also a tendency to view Internet-based exchanges as supporting a homogenization of learning and culture. As we gain a more nuanced understanding of cultures, politics, gender relations, and the different kinds of impact technology can have on the relationship between peoples and their governments, the time is ripe to develop a more integrated approach to the student experience and the world stage upon which they can and should play an active role. Deans for Global Experiences and the Internet could facilitate structured engagement among international affinity groups. The subject matter of the Global Experience and the Internet curriculum can itself be a long-tail program enabled through thoughtful design leveraging the global Internet. Ongoing, multi-institutional projects that include discovery, data gathering, cross-cultural training, cross-cultural exchanges, and project work represent a unique opportunity to link relevant challenges to the pervasive global resources of the Internet.
3. Lifelong Learning
The breadth and depth of change occasioned by the Internet and the global economy has been profound. Setting aside the question of whether academic disciplines have kept up with the new realities, the dislocation associated with these structural changes has significantly affected higher education. During economic downturns, universities call upon their offices for continuing and professional education to meet increased need with increased capacity in response to a whole new cohort of learners whose jobs, careers, and skills sets have been negatively impacted. The Obama administration places significant emphasis on building capacity to position community colleges to develop 21st century job skills among students. Likewise, education czars in state capitols across the nation realize that economic development and sustainable recovery are intimately connected to the performance of the postsecondary education sector.
Less obvious is how, if at all, the higher education sector is working with the federal and state higher education bureaucracies to leverage the networked economy in educating millions of workers seeking new, high-paying, clean jobs for the 21st century. A distinct risk exists that recovery will come on top of a service economy, with all the economic weaknesses entailed. The challenge is to create a robust, generative digital economy with a well-developed pipeline of talent and clear articulation of relevant skills.
We need a new master plan for educating today's students, more than 15 percent of whom are single parents and 75 percent of whom are nontraditional students (nearly forty percent over the age of 25),2 that covers the millions of people seriously impacted by the structural collapse of the economy. The new market for university students is significant by its size, demographic profile, and disinclination to physically attend a traditional college, even if there were enough physically available. Nor should a new national plan for 21st century postsecondary education be built on the artificial segmentation imposed by traditional Carnegie classifications. We should also be wary of unfettered market responses that see opportunities to maximize profit with short-term fixes to structural challenges. We need an integrated approach that leverages the scalable platforms harnessing the Internet to create this generation's 21st Century Higher Education Opportunity Act.
4. Informal Learning
Finally, while demographic trends are shifting away from the traditional, on-campus residential student, the needs of this important group of learners warrants examination. Choosing to live on campus as part of the collegiate experience represents the value placed on student life and informal learning. For many students, the informal learning moments before or after the formal class or lab remain their most vivid memories. In addition, the innovations generated by students in residence shed light on the value and quality of informal learning. Consider, for example, college startups from Facebook to Corkshare, or the dormcubator program called VeloCity at the University of Waterloo, which focuses on a wide range of initiatives from women and entrepreneurship to mobile and gaming startup ventures. Students apply to join the dormcubator to combine their academic studies with their interests and passions in software innovation.
Residential college experiences have often led on-campus learning innovation at the intersection of science and technology, as well. Experimentation with video, virtual worlds, massive online player games, iPhone apps development, and hundreds of other experiences make life in the dorms a beehive of activity. Within the interstices of a relatively slow-moving curriculum, the innovation associated with the Internet and information technology unfolding in the residence halls of college campuses bears witness to the data, information, knowledge, wisdom hierarchy (not to mention love and music).
Lev Gonick
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
March 4, 2010
Posted by lsg8 at 03:17 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)


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Why Sell Diamond Ring?
There are many reasons why consumers may want to sell your diamond ring. To view the best diamond buyers visit this site. Perhaps you inherited the diamond ring, found it among your old jewelry, or no longer want to wear the diamond ring. If you have a diamond that you no longer want there are many companies that will be willing to buy the ring from you.
The first step to selling a diamond ring is understanding the value. This will enable you to gain a good price for the piece.The price that was paid for your diamond ring will not be the resale price. While the retail prices of rings do appreciate, selling a diamond does not generally offer a price anywhere near what was paid for it. An offer will be dependent on the condition and quality of the stones and the weight of the band.
Tips to Be Careful
You may be wondering why there is such a difference in price well here are just a few reasons:
- Even though diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to man, diamonds can still chip based on the amount of time they are worn and how the wearer has cared for the ring.
- Sales tax is added to all retail items and that can be up to 8% if sold within the United States.
- Certification is necessary before resale to maximize the sales price and certification costs money.
- Markets will change because diamond and rare earth metals prices change daily.
- When a wholesale appraiser gives you a price they are considering the wholesale price. When you purchased the ring you paid the retail price.
Unless the ring is rare or unique it is difficult to get the full value of the ring. Even if you take exceptional care of your diamond ring. If you look to sell it through retail channels, buyers will not pay full price for what they can purchase from a jeweler. They will be looking for a bargain.
However, if you want to receive the most from your diamond ring, selling your diamond ring through an online diamond buyer usually offers the highest prices. For the highest amount of cash for your diamond ring, online is the way to go.
Online websites that want to buy your diamonds will appraise your diamond ring at no charge. The often will pay for the shipping and insurance to mail them the diamond ring. If you are unhappy with the amount they are offering to pay you, they will send the ring back to you at no charge. This process takes the risk out of selling your diamond.
Once you decide on a company, they will send you an overnight shipping label in order for you to send your diamond ring to them. Once they receive your diamond ring they will give you an appraisal and make an offer for your diamond ring. If you like the offer, the diamond website will send the money to your account. If you are unhappy with the offer the company will return the diamond ring to you. In the end there is very little risk to the consumer as long as you select a reputable company to deal with.

subset: commoncrawl


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Around the year in 98 Reviews
Posts Tagged 'ludlam dare'
The Year In Reviews Part 1
January 27th, 2016 by TheCBear
Tags: 2000AD, 2K, 3DS, 505 Games, Action, Action RPG, Activision, advanced warfare, adventure, Adventure Games, Agito, akiba, alien, aliens, android, angry birds, arcade, arcade racer, Art, Atomicon, Bacon Bandit Games, balls, basketball, beat'em up, bossa, bread, Call of Duty, Capcom, card, champ, chicken, chrysalis, COD, Codemasters, Criminal Girls, Dark Souls, Deep Silver, Dying LIght, EA Sports, endless runner, episodic, Escape Dead Island, evoland, evolution, exploration, Fabula Nova Crystallis, Farm, farming, farming simulator, farming simulator 2015, fate, Fighting Game, final fantasy, fluster cluck, Focus Home Interactive, forza, frontier, funk, game jam, gameboy, gat, Good Luck, Good Night, gran turismo, happy dance, hentai, horror, humour, Indie, iOS, isolation, JRPG, kevin spacey, kickstarter, Letter Quest, Letter Quest: Grimm's Journey, life is strange, logging, luck, ludlam dare, magic, make believe, manor, micro machines, Minecraft, mining, Monochrome, Monster Hunter, Morningstar, Morningstar: Descent to Deadrock, Mortal Kombat, musical, mxgp, nba live, netherealm, never alone, next gen, Nintendo, NIS, noir, Open-World, Osome Studio, Parkour, parody, PC, Pheonix Online Publishing, physics, Platformer, playworld, Point & Click, Point and Click, PS Vita, PS4, Puzzle, puzzler, Racer, Racing, Rebellion, Red Herring Labs, relected, retro, rider, ripley, rock pocket, rollercoaster, RPG, saints row, schmup, Sega, sexism, shaft, shiftlings, Shooter, shopkeeper, sim, simulator, sliced, SNES, Sniper Elite, Spell-em-up, Square Enix, Steam, stop motion, Story, stripping, sun and moon, superhero, swiss, table top racers, tap shooter, Techland, tennis, Third Person Shooter, Third-person, toybox turbos, train, tycoon, Type-0 HD, upper one games, urban games, vita, Warner Bros., Xbox1, yorbie, zombie, Zombie Army Trilogy, Zombies
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The Sun And Moon Review
February 6th, 2015 by sarahf
The Simple Life
Tags: game jam, Indie, ludlam dare, sun and moon
Posted in Reviews | 1 Comment »
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Many derivatives would be required to be marked to market for tax purposes, under a draft proposal from Representative Dave Camp, the Republican chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Requiring taxpayers to mark to market would mean they would have to recognize gains and losses each year for their financial products, rather than waiting until an asset is sold or exchanged. The mark-to-market rule wouldn't apply to derivatives used in business transactions to hedge against risks related to price, currency and interest rates. It also wouldn't apply to stocks or bonds.
Camp's draft, which implements ideas that have consensus among many tax lawyers who work in the field, is the most radical proposal in financial products taxation since the income tax was created, said Viva Hammer of Brandeis University, who was responsible for financial products tax policy at the Treasury Department from 2000 to 2006.
"It's a revolutionary change," she said in an interview today. "It really uproots the entire labyrinth of financial products rules and puts a single rule in its place."
The proposal also would repeal the current "60/40 rule" that allows some investors to treat 60 percent of their gains as long-term capital gains, which get a preferential rate. Under the proposal, gains and losses on derivatives would be taxed as ordinary income.
Broader Effort
Camp unveiled the draft today as part of his effort to overhaul the tax code and lower tax rates on ordinary income and corporations, and the impact of repealing the 60/40 rule can't be fully estimated until he sets the tax rates. Under current law, the top rate on ordinary income is 39.6 percent and the top rate on capital gains is 23.8 percent.
"If we are to enact tax reform that preserves needed flexibility in the financial markets while ensuring that no one is gaming the system and putting hard-working taxpayers at risk, then we will need the expertise of those who are most familiar with these products," Camp, of Michigan, said in a statement. "They can identify areas that merit additional attention, and their insight is critical."
A 2011 report by Congress's nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation said taxpayers can use derivatives and other financial products to take advantage of gaps in the tax system.
Financial Crisis
"The tax code played a role in the financial crisis," said Sage Eastman, a spokesman for Camp. "This will go in, make sure we have a clean, transparent set of rules that Wall Street will play by."
Mark-to-market taxation has some potential drawbacks, namely definitional questions about how to define the value of the derivativesand liquidity concerns that people will be taxed on money they don't have.
"It doesn't make any sense," said Allan Zavarro, the former global head of futures trading for ABN Amro Bank NV.
A trader could have a profit of $100,000 on interest-rate futures in December that would get caught by the tax, he said. When that position expires in June the next year, the position ultimately may have lost money, though the trader paid the tax as though he earned a return.
"You can be obligated for a tax on positions that aren't profitable," he said.
Eastman said the committee doesn't have a revenue estimate for the proposal, and it could either raise money for the government or cost money, depending on how else tax laws are rewritten.
Raising Revenue
Representative Sander Levin of Michigan, the committee's top Democrat, said he welcomed Camp's proposal as a possible way to raise revenue while ending inequities.
"This underlines the need for us to act on a bipartisan basis to raise revenues and close loopholes as we seek further deficit reduction through a balanced package of spending cuts and additional revenues," Levin said in a statement.
The notional size of the over-the-counter derivatives market was $639 trillion as of June 2012, according to the Bank for International Settlements, a Basel, Switzerland-based organization that tracks derivatives.
Brookly McLaughlin of Intercontinental Exchange Inc. declined to comment. Laurie Bischel, a spokeswoman for CME Group Inc., said she hadn't read the proposal and had no immediate comment. CME Group, based in Chicago, is the world's largest futures exchange. Atlanta-based Intercontinental owns the second-largest U.S. futures market.
Second Draft
The proposal is the second such discussion draft from Camp, who detailed changes to the international tax system in 2011. He has said his committee will pass a revenue-neutral tax code overhaul in 2013 that addresses the individual and corporate tax systems.
Today's draft also proposes that holders of bonds bought on the secondary market at a discount must recognize income in the same way as taxpayers who purchase directly from issuers.
It would also modify the so-called wash-sale rules to prevent taxpayers from selling financial products at a loss and then repurchasing them. Taxpayers would no longer be able to have relatives or related companies make the second purchase.
For all securities, including stocks and bonds, the draft would require the use of average cost basis to calculate gains as opposed to allowing taxpayers to choose specific shares to sell. Average cost basis means using the average price paid for a security, even if the security is purchased in multiple batches.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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1. Re: XP Making 2gig go to 4Gigsunplugged_24 Jun 22, 2009 12:58 PM (in response to atemperato)
Hi there,
Assuming that the motherboard supports 4GB memory or more, you will need to be using Windows XP 64Bit or any other 64bit operating system to be able to get the 4gb memory available under the operating system. In general i has to be 64bit operating system.
Your processor and motherboard have to support 64bit platform as well for you to achieve this, but I dont think it would be a problem as most motherboards and cpus support 64bit platform (though not all).
Hope this is helpful.
2. Re: XP Making 2gig go to 4Gigsatemperato Jun 22, 2009 1:24 PM (in response to unplugged_24)
Ahh but there enlies the problem that of IM a Gamer and IM not sure how well World of Warcraft wold work on a 64 bit system with all the addons I use and everything, also I read that it was a 32bit XP that could be hacked to take more RAM do you know of this bro? I would LOVE to goto a 64bit, (and yes my board is upgradable to 4gigs) but again being a gamer most gaming Hardware i.e. High end Video cards, Games and have alot of qwarks as I remember so unless it's changed in anyway I need to find out how to change the 32bit system to accept more ram, at least TRy and squeze 1 gig out of it lol. Thanks for the info Unplugged =)
3. Re: XP Making 2gig go to 4Gigsherbert_intel Jun 23, 2009 2:10 AM (in response to atemperato)
on a 32 bit system you will NEVER be able to see all 4GB of ram because there is not enough address space to map both the Physical RAM and the memory needed by other devices connected to the motheboard (sound cards, graphics cards, modems, network cards, etc). the address space of 64 bit OS is almost infinitely larger than 32 bit so you can map both the physical memory (RAM) and the memory from the other devices. but you should still be able to see more than 2GB. normally you see anything between 2.5 and 3.2GB of RAM when using 4GB in 32bit OS.
this explains it quite nicely.
4. Re: XP Making 2gig go to 4Gigsherbert_intel Jun 23, 2009 2:15 AM (in response to atemperato)
its difficult to find an application that doesn't work in 64 bit Windows. WIndows does a 32 bit emulation which works at native speed sometimes faster.
WoW should work fine as do so may other games. may even work better.
BUT.... i wouldn't install XP 64. if you want to have trouble-free 64bit experience use Vista 64. The problem with XP 64, although it works mostly fine for workstation related applications, is that it really is a converted version of Windows 2003 64 bit and still bears some resemblance to it in its inner workings. for example, if you try to install windows live messenger in XP 64 you will get a message saying " This application is not supported on Windows Server 2003" and some games will also say the same message.
Best thing really is to use Vista 64 which was designed to be a client 64 bit OS for the general public.
5. Re: XP Making 2gig go to 4Gigsatemperato Jun 23, 2009 11:45 AM (in response to herbert_intel)
OK sounds good bud ty but I got a question for ya, does Vista (which I have never played with yet, Bad me, BAD me) have the Security like Win XP Pro? Because i HATE the Networking and Security features in XP Home...I run a couple of servers at home just to play around (My PDC, sorry IM old school lol and a FTP Server) with but I do have a domain and I monitor my kids comps on it through my Computer is Vista going to give me the Security features I'm looking for? Looks like I want my cake AND eat it too lol Sorry for the Q's but I have been out of the Industry for a bit, my disability has me bedridden I try to stay up to date but ya know how Technology is lol if your not working with it, forgetabout it lol. Thanks OJ !!!
6. Re: XP Making 2gig go to 4Gigsherbert_intel Jun 24, 2009 1:43 AM (in response to atemperato)
vista business and ultimate will have all the features XP pro has and more.


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This has not been a good week for media moguls. On a small scale Silvio Berlusconi had to suffer a defeat if you can call EUR 530 million small scale. Anyhow it is the first time in years he wasn't able to ward off the consequences of his doings. He announced by the way, he won't run for another four years when the next elections come up in 2013. I wish, however, there's more than only four years in store for him, though not in office, but in jail. He's done enough damage as it is.
Much worse, and I am grinning here, is the fate of Rupert Murdoch. He seems to have helped himself to a corporate meltdown. Just have a look at the latest revelations on how his media empire acts:
Gordon Brown
9/11 victims
Crime Victims
War casualties
And look who was in bed with them
It would be totally naive to think Murdoch's US flagship FOX wasn't using the same tactics of intimidation and blackmail. So lets keep the stories coming in, FOX News may be in the news before long and ultimately damaged enough, so their influence on your politics will be greatly diminished, too. Wishful thinking?
This is our Open Thread. What do you wish for? And go see, there may be new stories coming up during the day below this and we don't do hacking just thinking.


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partners. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Friday, September 23, 2016
There are no reliable or specific symptoms of HIV. The only sure way to know if you have been infected with HIV is to be tested. Some people never have any symptoms, even if they have been infected for years. Others may have flu-like symptoms that present around two to six weeks after infection, which cannot be distinguished from the flu virus or from a variety of other diseases. Even though there is not a specific set of symptoms for HIV virus, there are some warning signs that you can watch for.
According to the Center for Disease Control, the following may be warning signs of advanced HIV infection:
No one should assume they are infected with HIV if they have any of the warning signs listed above. Each of these symptoms can be related to other illnesses. Again, the only way to determine whether you are infected is to be tested for HIV infection.
Similarly, you cannot rely on these symptoms to establish that a person has AIDS. The symptoms of AIDS are similar to the symptoms of many other illnesses. AIDS is a medical diagnosis made by a doctor based on specific criteria established by the CDC.
Getting tested is the only way to know for sure if you have been infected with the HIV virus. There are resources, such as certain clinics, that are confidential and provide HIV testing. You can also ask your health care provider to give you an HIV test.
More information on where to locate an HIV testing site can be found by visiting the CDC's website- National HIV and STD Testing Resources.
This article is a NetWellness exclusive.
Last Reviewed: Feb 20, 2014
Associate Professor of Medicine
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University


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By Ben Hayward | Spanish Football Writer
The last time Iker Casillas missed a Clasico, sat beside him on the bench was Real Madrid assistant Aitor Karanka - then a defender in Vicente Del Bosque's successful side. It was the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona at Camp Nou in May 2002 and Casillas had lost his place in the starting XI to Cesar Sanchez, but claimed it back again in the final victory over Bayer Leverkusen as his team-mate was inopportunely injured. And he has never faced serious competition since. Not, that is, until now.
Madrid coach Jose Mourinho and Casillas have endured a rocky relationship since the Portuguese arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2010 and that eventually culminated in the boss benching his goalkeeper before the winter break, believing the club captain to be comfortable and complacent in his unchallenged role. With that in mind, Mourinho has long looked to bring in another goalkeeper to challenge Casillas, but knows the Madrid hierarchy would frown upon such a signing. But not now. The club's hand was forced as quickly as Iker's finger fractured in last week's 1-1 draw at Valencia. Facing up to 12 weeks on the sidelines, the club moved quickly to bring in a man for the big occasions against Barcelona and Manchester United in the coming weeks: Diego Lopez.
The Galician goalkeeper is in line for a dramatic debut on Wednesday ahead of Antonio Adan as he begins his second spell in the capital, who snapped him up from local side Lugo as an 18-year-old. By then, Casillas - just a few months older than Lopez - was already a first-team regular at the Bernabeu. For two seasons, between 2005 and 2007, they trained together after Diego was eventually moved up from the B side and in 2006, Fabio Capello seriously considered promoting the understudy and leaving out Casillas on the advice of his goalkeeping coach Franco Tancredi, who was impressed with the bigger man's shot-stopping abilities, but especially his formidable frame.
At 1.96m, Lopez towers 11 centimetres above his team-mate and is the same height as another Mourinho favourite, Petr Cech. The Portuguese, like Capello before him, is a known admirer of the Galician, a member of Spain's Euro 2008 squad and pivotal part of Villarreal's success prior to their relegation last term, and has grown frustrated at his side's inability to defend set-pieces over the last two seasons. With a more commanding figure in goal, that problem could be eradicated and, following his quick move from Sevilla where he was surprisingly behind veteran Andres Palop, 31-year-old Lopez could be thrust into the limelight to prove his worth in the world's most famous fixture on Wednesday.
|IKER CASILLAS v DIEGO LOPEZ
|May 20, 1981
|November 3, 1981
|December 12, 1999
|April 30, 2006
|2 (both in 2006)
|INTERNATIONAL CAPS/td>1 (2009)
At Madrid, he was unable to displace Casillas in 2006 and eventually moved on a year later, improving his game by studying Netherlands great Edwin van der Sar and working on his awareness of space, in particular, which can prove a problem for taller goalkeepers. And now he is back, five-and-a-half years after departing and a much better goalkeeper than when he left.
"I haven't come here to replace Casillas," Lopez told the press on Monday. But he later added: "I am here to try and play all the time." Mourinho may see the new man as the better option going forward, but that is unlikely to affect the club's long-term plans as the Portuguese is set to depart in the summer anyway, following a series of problems with his players, Casillas among them. The Spain goalkeeper, as a living legend at Madrid, will remain the club's number-one choice between the sticks, but with Lopez signed up until 2017, the club captain has some serious competition ahead of him for the next four years. 'San Iker' is no longer untouchable.


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Theo Walcott will miss Arsenal's Champions League Group B clash against Montpellier on Wednesday evening with a shoulder injury.
The winger fell awkwardly following a challenge from Michael Dawson during Arsenal's 5-2 victory over Tottenham on Saturday but was able to complete the match after receiving treatment.
Arsene Wenger has confirmed the 23-year-old will be sidelined for the "short term" and will subsequently sit out Arsenal's tie against the French champions at the Emirates, while Andre Santos will also miss out through injury.
Wenger also revealed Kieran Gibbs and Gervinho are fit enough to be included in Arsenal's squad after recovering from injury.
With four games played in the Champions League, Arsenal sit second in Group B on seven points and trail leaders Schalke by a single point. Olympiakos sit third having won two and lost two so far, while Montpellier are yet to register a victory but secured a draw against Schalke last month.


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Jarabe de Palo, "Orquesta Reciclando" (Nacional)
If there had been a love child born of Steely Dan and Santana during a tryst in Barcelona, a child who ran off with a Gypsy band and grew up strumming guitar in the romantic airs of the Caribbean, that child might sound like Jarabe de Palo.
A dozen years ago, Jarabe de Palo (a euphemism meaning Syrup of the Stick) landed atop the Spanish alt-rock wave with a rhythmic longing for "La Flaca," a dark, Cuban girl, "a hundred pounds of skin and bone/40 kilos of salsa," who leaves the narrator pleading he "would give anything, for one kiss of La Flaca."
On "Orquesta Reciclando," Jarabe de Palo reimagines "La Flaca" and 14 of its other most popular songs. These rebooted interpretations are innovations, rather than replays thanks to fresh instrumentation and new, underlying rhythms. The technical skills of the band are superb, and each fits one another with the sort of maturity that comes from years of playing together.
The songs' melodies still have the sound of a young romantic composing alone in his room, but the depth in singer Pau Dones' voice now gives them a weight that enhances the nature of the band's signature melancholic chord changes. This sophistication makes the collection both a new album and a career review for new listeners and established fans alike.
CHECK OUT THIS TRACK: The reggae beat used to carry "Depende" gives the familiar anthem fresh energy.


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BAGHDAD (AP) — Officials say bombings in north and central Iraq have killed six people, including three policemen.
Police officials said the first attack occurred Wednesday morning when a roadside bomb struck a police patrol in the northern city of Mosul, killing three policemen and wounding two others.
Another bomb in Mosul missed a police convoy but killed one civilian passer-by and wounded two others.
Later, a bomb attached to a car killed two people in Musayyib, a town about 60 kilometers (40 miles) south of Baghdad.
Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to talk to media.
Violence has spiked in Iraq in recent months. This year's holy month of Ramadan, which is coming to an end, has been the bloodiest since 2007.


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Jose Gurley of Brockton was trying to break up a fight over a woman outside a house party in 2007 when gunfire struck and killed the 17-year-old high school football star, prosecutors said in court Wednesday.
BROCKTON – Jose Gurley was trying to break up a fight over a woman outside a house party in 2007 when gunfire struck and killed the 17-year-old high school football star, prosecutors said in court Wednesday.
Two bullets struck Gurley, a star athlete who led his West Bridgewater Middle-Senior High School football team to Super Bowl victory in 2006, Assistant District Attorney Christine Kiggen said as the trial for his accused killer began in Brockton Superior Court.
"One bullet blew a hole in his back, perforated his spinal chord, and lodged in his stomach," Kiggen told the court as she held up a photograph that showed the slain teen smiling. "The second bullet ripped through his forearm and exited out the other side."
Officers found Gurley lying on his back in the middle of the street; his friend, Ron Woods, was cradling Gurley's head in his arms, Kiggen said. An autopsy found Gurley died of a gunshot wound to the torso.
As she spoke, Gurley's accused killer, Andre Robert Brewer, 25, of Dorchester, wearing a black suit, blue necktie and dress shirt, looked on.
Gurley was shot and killed outside a house party that was dispersing at Roosevelt Heights, a city-owned, affordable-housing complex on Arthur Paquin Way on Brockton's north side, on July 21, 2007.
Around 3 a.m. that morning, Brewer, dressed in all black and wearing a black baseball hat, walked to the scene of the shooting, raised his right arm and fired three to four shots toward Gurley, then jumped in the back of a black Honda Accord, which fled the parking lot, Kiggen told the court.
"Andre Brewer shot and killed Jose deliberately, intentionally and with malice. We will prove that the killing was committed with extreme atrocity and cruelty," Kiggen said.
Defense attorney Frank Spillane argued that another man shot Gurley, and that witnesses colluded to frame Brewer for the murder.
"This man had nothing to do with it," Spillane told the court while pointing to Brewer.
Spillane told the court that two other men, Matthew Engram and Elijah Finch, were at the shooting scene and were fighting over a woman. A large crowd had gathered to watch the two men argue outside, and minutes later gunfire erupted and Gurley was shot, Spillane said.
Spillane told the court that Engram or Finch shot Gurley.
In July 2007, police arrested Engram on a charge of being an accessory after the fact to murder in Gurley's slaying, but the charge was dropped on Jan. 11, 2008, according to the court. Court documents involving Engram have been impounded.
Spillane said two witnesses, Woods and another man, Kashin Nembhard, colluded to identify Brewer as the shooter. Woods identified Brewer as the shooter to police after Nembhard met with Woods to show him a photo of Brewer, Spillane said.
Brewer has been held without bail at the Plymouth jail since his 2011 arrest. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, unlawfully possessing a firearm, unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm and unlawfully possessing ammunition.
The teen's murder sparked vigils and anti-violence marches across the city and garnered national media attention.
The case was featured on "America's Most Wanted," a national investigative crime show on the Fox television network, as authorities searched for Gurley's killer.
Nearly four years after the murder, federal, state and local authorities arrested Brewer on a warrant in New Bedford on March 8, 2011. He was arraigned on the charges in Brockton Superior Court on June 29, 2011, after a June 3, 2011 indictment.
Prosecutors said the break in the case came in November 2010 when two witnesses came forward and identified Brewer as the shooter.
Gurley was a Brockton resident who was attending West Bridgewater Middle-Senior High School on the school choice program and was planning to attend college.
"He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time," Kiggen said.
Maria Papadopoulos may be reached at email@example.com or follow on Twitter @MariaP_ENT.


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Two women get
hitched this Friday on ABC's daytime drama All My
Children... but not without a hitch. Friday,
February 13 -- continued on Monday the 16th -- marks
another milestone for the long-running soap: Bianca
Montgomery (Eden Riegel) and Reese Williams (Tamara
Braun) tie the knot in the first same-sex wedding
ceremony on a soap.
AMC is known to be the leader in LGBT daytime
TV. The show led the charge with the introduction of
daytime's first lesbian character, played by Donna
Pescow, in 1982, followed by the first lesbian kiss in
2003, the first transgender character in 2007, and even a
few fizzled gay-male story line attempts in the 1990s.
Coming on the
heels of Proposition 8's passage in California, and the
recently enacted bans on same-sex marriage in
other states, this latest story line is significant.
Reese and Bianca are granted a legal union in the
state of Connecticut, where marriage equality became a
legal reality in late 2008.
But until the
gals say "I do," many Advocate.com readers are
keeping an eye on the budding relationship between
Reese and her bride-to-be's brother-in-law, Zach
Slater. Is AMC not prepared to let the gals
walk off into the sunset together? Is there another
sexual identity crisis just around the corner? Is a man
going to come between these lady lovebirds?
To get the
answers, Advocate.com went straight to the top and chatted
with AMC executive producer Julie Hanan
Carruthers. She speaks candidly about the true intent behind
the Bianca story line, lays some fears to rest,
and previews the Valentine's Day wedding and a
moment that will change the course of Reese and
Bianca's relationship. But is it forever?
Advocate.com:Viewer concern among the LGBT community is that Reese
will leave Bianca for Zach, and it has angered many who
worry that she has feelings for him. How
would you respond?Julie Hanan Carruthers: First of all, it's
not true. I think what's confused in Reese's
head is she has misinterpreted a friendship. Zach is
one of the [few] people who have not kicked her to the
curb, so to speak, in Pine Valley. She is a confused,
insecure person at the moment. She has never wavered in her
commitment to Bianca. It's solid. Reese has
just had a lot of emotional stuff hit. Her family is
rejecting and judging her... in both her family and
However, something happens right before Bianca and
Reese's wedding that is a time bomb. The night before the wedding when Kendall,
Zach's wife, nails her with a backhanded toast,
Reese gets a little drunk, and the person who consoles
her is Zach. It's a moment where she kisses him and
then realizes, "Oh, my god, what the heck am I
doing? The person I love is Bianca, and the person you
love is Kendall. What just happened?" That moment is
what unravels the world, and unravels it in a very
"soap" way, dramatic and misunderstood,
where someone tells somebody and it grows bigger than it
ever was. The people who were involved have resolved it.
When Reese says her vows to Bianca in that wedding,
there is nothing more real. The problem is the
audience that watches the show knows somebody saw
something that shouldn't have been seen. They are
legally married at the moment Bianca finds out.
Some fans were upset when it appeared that Reese
might consider leaving Bianca for a man. She is not considering it. That's the
audience rewriting what's there. It's
not being written that way at all. Reese has never wavered
in what she wants.
Even though Reese had a boyfriend in the past, whom
we met on-air? Yes, but she was very clear about that. The
reason she did not marry him is because she felt she
was lying and going through the motions of what her
family told her to do. And when she did come out as a
lesbian, it was right before she was ready to make a
commitment to this man. We have had in-depth scenes
with the people who care about Bianca, being sure she was
not someone to get Reese out of a bad relationship.
It's never been about that. I don't know
how to stress this more. Never has she played a moment
of, "I want Zach more than I want Bianca," or "I
would leave Bianca for Zach." He has literally
just been a friend. Look, we tantalize in this genre.
We do it whether we do it with heterosexual or homosexual
couples. It's what the genre is.
If you were looking for conflict, did you consider
a story where another woman tantalized Reese, having
that be the thorn in their side? We are
working within a canvas of people who are interrelated
and connected. For our audience, it's always more
powerful if it is someone you know well and would
least expect. If we brought in a character out of
nowhere, they would worry about Bianca, but they would
not be invested in Reese at all, particularly now with Zach
being the donor (for Bianca's baby with Reese). It
complicates it in a delicious way.
You do get why people would be upset if Reese left
Bianca for a man? I understand why they might be upset. As
respectful and supportive as we are of the gay and
lesbian community, the story is not just for them. The
story is for a large audience. We are telling tantalizing
soap stories. They do not always come off politically
correct, as much as we are trying to be responsible.
Do I understand it as a human being? Absolutely! And
as an executive producer? Absolutely! Does that mean it
would never ever be done? No. We are not doing it here
now, but in a dramatic arena, it's an
interesting story.
You moved their wedding from Pennsylvania and Pine
Valley to Connecticut, where marriage is legal between
same-sex couples, to stay true to life.When we
committed to doing the wedding, it was important to
do it in Connecticut. That way, we made everything
legal and appropriate with the baby and the family. What we
are doing is telling a story about people. People have
flaws and they make mistakes, and it's how they
overcome them. The way that they love is what makes you
connect to them.
Bianca became mistrustful when she noticed the bond
between Reese and Zach. She had gone through something
similar with her ex-partner, Maggie. So fans have
doubts that they will find happiness. It's going to have the ending everyone
wants. But the journey to the ending is a rough one
and that's what's making it so spectacular. I
have to say, great credit is due to these two
actresses. I believe every second that they love each
other, even when there is the breakup after the
Reese seems to be a very complicated woman, and now
she is going to have to earn her way back into
Bianca's life, correct? She may not be the poster child to represent the
lesbian women in the world. But at the same time, she
is very responsible, as are the writers portraying a
woman dealing with a crisis and trying to ground herself in
her identity. In the spring, Bianca returns to give
resolution to the story. The journey Reese has to take
to earn Bianca's trust again is significant.
Give us a sneak peak into the wedding ceremony of
Bianca and Reese. The wedding is spectacular, lovely and warm.
It's one of those bittersweet, "Oh, my
God, when is it going to happen" moments. It's
beautiful. They have their first dance and it's very
GLAAD president Neil G. Giuliano released this
statement in honor of the milestone: "Bianca and
Reese's wedding is a joyful day that
countless people -- gay and straight alike -- dream of
for themselves and the ones they love. It's a
celebration of love, commitment, and family, and
we're thrilled that All My
Children's viewers will be able to
experience the joy of that day right alongside
them." How does it make you feel to hear that? It makes me very proud. It was very important to
all of us. We pulled out all the stops on the wedding.
What about Erica Kane? Will she try to stop her
daughter's wedding, since she has mistrusted Reese? Erica is being a supportive mom, and does not
have a problem with Reese. Once Bianca has committed
her love, Erica says, "I want you happy, and
that's all I want." And Erica is not privy to
anything that happened until Bianca is.
There have been numerous times that the two
characters kiss full-on and are seen in bed together. It
seems this has been integrated in the soap,
instead of making it a major PR event. When I came to the show as EP, it was right
after the first lesbian kiss between Lena and Bianca.
That was almost six years ago. At the time it was a
really big deal, and it was covered in the media as,
"There was a lesbian kiss in daytime
television." It was a huge milestone. I think the
story we are telling now, and the way it's being
accepted, is a very interesting commentary on the
Are you getting pushback from viewers? A little bit of pushback, but we have strong
ratings right now. People aren't tuning out,
because they are connected to the characters. I think
the audience is more invested in the characters than the
political statement, and quite frankly, that is how
you open people's eyes.
When you went about laying out the story, did you
just go with your gut instinct, or did you also do some
significant research?We trusted our guts. We went with, "We are
telling a love story and we are going to tell it like
we tell a love story." So that was our
guideline. As far as technical things, we don't know.
For instance, does Reese have rights to the children?
Is it automatic when they get married? Does she have
to adopt? If Bianca carried Gaby, is Reese considered a
parent? Does she have to get special papers to become a
parent? Those types of legal issues we had to study,
but as far as the human connection, we all went with
what we do here.
Tell me what Eden's performance brings to the table? There is validity and an authenticity that she
brings to her role. The viewers have been on this
journey with her since she came out to her mother, and
when she was raped and had Miranda, and then the baby was
stolen from her. She has shown commitment to her identity
and who she is with such grace and integrity, and she
never wavers. What she brings to this story, besides
her love and vulnerability, is strength when she feels
betrayed. I told Eden this when she did the scenes in
which it comes to her attention what happened the
night before the wedding. She gives one of the most
powerful performances I have seen by any actress.
And Tamara Braun (Reese) has been a revelation in
this role.Tamara is walking a tightrope. She feels a lot of
responsibility socially to tell this with integrity,
and it's complex. You are getting all the
feedback from the readers, and she is anticipating feedback
that way. She wants to make sure she tells the story
clearly, that she loves Bianca. I think Tamara has
done a stupendous job. Both women have taken so much
time and energy delivering performances, and spending time
discussing these scenes almost ad nauseum to make sure that
they are really portraying the complexity of this
story in an honest way.
In closing, will we need hankies for the wedding?You'll need hankies in a good way. It's
great! I have to say it's one of our better


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On Saturday, March 31st, the first James A Gentry Finance Case Competition was held for graduate finance students in the MSF program. The event was a great success with 7 teams participating in the first round. The teams were given a case about a joint venture company in Asia facing increased financing needs as it was experiencing high growth in recent years and major technological changes in the industry. The teams were asked to prepare a 20 minute presentation with an analysis of the issues and recommendations to the firm's senior management. Judges for the competition included faculty and executive finance professionals.
The judges were:
Margo Loebl, Group Vice President, Finance, Archer Daniels Midland
Paul Much, Senior Managing Director, Houlihan Lokey
Jonathan Bock, Senior Equity Analyst, AG Edwards
IBE Distinguished Professor Jim Gentry
Fox Family Distinguished Professor Mark Vonnahme
George Pinteris, Finance Lecturer and Director of Academic Advising
Two teams advanced to the final round, TRIPLE V and PLANIFICA, which were awarded First Place and Runner Up respectively. First place was awarded $3000 and the Runner Up was awarded $1600.
Additional Resources:
MSF Announces First James A Gentry Case Competition


text:
If you're reading this before 4:45pm GMT on Sunday 2 October 2011, you're a Spurs fan and you happen to own either an Android or Apple smartphone, then you're in luck. Pocket-lint's App of the Day is not something exclusive to you, but you're going to get some very nice half time entertainment if you remember to download before the home leg of the North London Derby.
Should you not be a member of the group above, then, fear not, it's still worth a download. So, fingers on the trigger all the same.
Aurasma Lite
The "Lite" part of the Aurasma Lite app rather cheapens it but, given that there's currently no paid version of Aurasma out there, then you can rest assured that your free download - which this is - is fully featured. So, what the hell does it do, you might be asking yourself.
Aurasma is an augmented reality browser platform that uses your mobile phone's camera to examine pictures from the outside world; it searches for images and patterns that it can match up with images and patterns that it has logged and recorded up in the cloud on the Aurasma servers. Once it makes a match, the servers then send down whatever video or stills image content associated to play on your phone's screen.
In the case of Spurs, the club's sponsor this year happens to be Autonomy which owns Aurasma. So what both Tottenham and its sponsor have organised is that if you hold your phone's camera up to the Aurasma shirt logo at half time on Derby Day, you'll get a load of footage of the best goals scored by Spurs in the Premier League so far this season. Thanks to Spurs's 4-0 demolition of Liverpool the other weekend, it won't be such a short video after all. Whether there will be the opportunity to add on any more after the first 45 minutes against Arsenal remains to be seen.
Beyond the football, what makes Aurasma Lite quite a nice app to have on your phone is that it offers something more than your run of the mill AR browser. Not only is it possible to consume AR in certain places, but you can actually create AR tags for your friends as well. These are known as "Anywheres" in Aurasma speak.
You take a picture of an image that you'd like to create an Anywhere around. In the case of Spurs, it's the Aurasma logo but it can be anything with a vaguely distinctive pattern. There's a little bar at the bottom of the screen that indicates how well the object in your viewfinder is going to work before you snap it.
Once you've got that sorted, you can choose a still or video clip to associate with it by selecting one from your phone's image library or taking a look through the Blinkx video search engine and all of the 35 million hours of footage therein. Arrange the angle at which you'd like the content to appear and then you're done. All that's left is to share your Anywhere with friends via Facebook, Twitter, SMS or email.
In practice, it doesn't work perfectly but it's not at all bad. The key is to create a really good tag pattern in the first place, so make sure to pick something clear and distinctive. The camera app doesn't always start up properly either but, as with most AR stuff, it's a decent start.
Quite how the system will manage to stand up at White Hart Lane under the strain of 35,000 people giving it a go at the same time, when it's barely even possible to send a text message at half time at a football game in the UK, will be interesting to see.
Check out our best apps for the football season 2011/2012


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Commentary magazine has posted much of its December issue online. Among the must-read items is Christopher Caldwell's review of Right To Exist: A Moral Defense of Israel's Wars by Yaacov Lozowick. Lozowick is a former peacenik and is the director of archives at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. Caldwell scrupulously recounts the book's argument and commends the book with only minor reservation. Lozowick's sister is a Power Line reader who originally brought the book to our attention a few months ago. I'm afraid the book will remain of continuing relevance for some time to come.
The lead article in the issue is by Efraim Karsh on the seemingly intractable problem raised by Israel's Arab minority: "Israel's Arabs v. Israel." Karsh's article makes it painfully clear that Israel's Arabs by themselves will make Lozowick's book of continuing relevance: "The fundamental problem of Israel
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"Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time." Winston Churchill
"Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof." Inscription on the Liberty Bell


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NZXT M59 - 001BK Review
When looking at a case there are always a few things that are high on your list when it comes to features and how well those features play into your budget concerns. It's nice to have an unlimited budget and get the most expensive case you can find, that also has all the features you want. But that's not the reality we all live in. Price usually sits at the top of the list when it comes to case selection because there are a finite amount of dollars left after making the hardware purchases. After the price problem caused by the hardware choices that are made (The case is usually the afterthought)what else do you have to look at to help you make a decision? Well for me some things that matter are looks, wire management possibilities, fan capacity, as well as how many fans are included. Well, no matter what you look for in a case the NZXT M59 might just be one that offers it. It comes in at an attractive price point with rugged good looks and lists wire management as one of its key attributes. NZXT continues to bring cases to market with innovative features to fit the needs of the gamer. Let's delve a bit deeper into what the NZXT M59 has to offer.
Closer Look:
So, why in particular did I mention wire management? Well, because the M59 boasts great wire management as one of its features. The front of the box shows off the M59 which initially boasts about the ability to have 5 more fans, wire management, and its painted black interior. On the reverse side we're shown the features of the case. Both the left and right of the box have a list of features and specifications really related to the case. Both sides look the same so only one is pictured. Another thing boasted by this case is SSD support. It would seem that all case manufactures as of late are trying to provide a way for you to easily mount this new drive technology, should you use it. I of course have yet to jump on the SSD bandwagon due to its current Achilles heel, and yes, I mean price point.
So we have a lot of features here but let's get a closer look, shall we. Opening the box we are faced with the front of the case. The case is sandwiched between two pieces of Styrofoam and covered in a plastic bag. Once out of the styrofoam I tound the case to be covered in plastic in many locations. Particularly was one on the window and several on the front of the case. Once it's all off we get a very nice looking case.
So it looks nice and has quite a few features but how does it perform. Well if I were you I would read on and find out.


text:
Undergraduate Degrees, Majors and Concentrations
INFS3131 - Enterp Transact Process Syst
Spring 2012
This course focuses on the CICS Enterprise Transaction Processing System and CICS COBOL applications. CICS architecture, resource definition, CSD files and CICS tables are presented. Using a pseudo-conversational style, students will develop and test several CICS COBOL file Applications using Basic map Support (BMS) and CICS EXEC interface. CICS Web Applications, Web Services, CICS Java Enterprise applications, and CICS security issues will be introduced. Prequisites: INFS2130 and INFS3130
3 Credits
Schedule Book for All Active and Available Future Terms, Course starting with INFS3131
No Courses Found


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — U.S. stocks saw modest gains Friday, pushing the S&P 500 and Dow industrials to the latest in a string of record closes and lifting the Nasdaq Composite to its strongest finish in 14 years.
"Well, the trend is your friend and with the Fed reiterating their dovish stance the follow through has propelled global equities to new highs. However, lingering in the background is steadily rising oil prices which will impact growth in time and markets will soon start to price this in," said Mike McCudden, head of derivatives at stockbroker Interactive Investor, in a note.
The session was light on economic releases. Total volume on all stock exchanges was the largest since April 15, although the threat of increased volatility due to quadruple witching, which refers to stock index futures, individual stock futures, stock index options and individual stock options all expiring, didn't materialize.
CarMax Inc. KMX, -0.32% led gainers in the S&P 500, surging more than 16% after upbeat results. Software maker Oracle Corp. ORCL, +0.74% was among losers, slipping 1.7% after a disappointing earnings report.
The S&P 500 SPX, -0.43% rose 3.39 points, or 0.2%, to close at 1,962.87, bringing its win streak to six days and notching a record close for the third day in a row and for the 22nd time this year. The index rose 1.4% for the week, its biggest weekly percentage gain since April 17.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -0.50% gained 25.62 points, or 0.2%, to close at 16,947.08, also setting a record high and extending its win streak to six sessions — the longest since December. The index gained a little more than 1% on the week.
Friday's close was the index's 11th closing record of the year. It also scored an all-time intraday high above 16,978, eclipsing its prior intraday record hit June 9.
The Nasdaq Composite COMP, +0.26% rose 8.71 points, or 0.2%,to end at 4,368.04, its highest finish since April 2000. The tech-heavy index saw a 1.3% weekly rise.
Friday's tone was set on Wednesday, when investors cheered dovish comments from Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen.
"The supportive monetary policy of the Federal Reserve which was more dovish than the market had been anticipating has pulled the dollar lower and pushed equity markets higher," said Richard Perry, market analyst at Hantec Markets, in a note.
"However, this positivity is countered by the tensions in Iraq," which led President Obama on Thursday to order up to 300 members of U.S. special-operations forces to that country, Perry said. "Upside is likely to continue to be slow going whilst this remains the case," the analyst said.
U.S.-listed shares of Shire PLC SHPG, +0.91% SHP, -0.83% leapt more than 16% after the Dublin-based drug maker rejected a £27.2 billion ($46.35 billion) takeover bid from Illinois-based AbbVie Inc. ABBV, -4.21% AbbVie fell 1.6%. Read more in MarketWatch's Movers & Shakers column.
In other markets, Asian stocks finished mixed, and European equities ended marginally lower. Gold futures rose, trading above the key level of $1,300, and the U.S. oil benchmark finished at a nine-month high.
More must-reads from MarketWatch:
Solar energy can't kill old-school electric utilities
Cruise lines with the best — and worst — tipping policies
Retirement is bad for your health — and your wealth
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LG G3 set to bring quad-HD displays to market sooner than expected
LG could be set to win the battle to get the first quad-HD display smartphone into the market, after a leak suggested the company is bringing forward the release of its new LG G3 to make it more competitive.
Rumours have been rife in the last few weeks that Samsung is ready to launch a phone with this all new 2K resolution in 2014 with the release of what many believe will be the Samsung Galaxy F, but ZDNet Korea has claimed to have confirmation that LG may well beat Samsung to the punch.
It said that it has spoken to a senior company official at LG, who said that the firm is looking to bring forward the release of the G3 to July, after having initially planned to start shipping in August.
The official is alleged to have told ZDNet Korea that the handset will have its official unveiling this June, with the release being pencilled in for a month later in order that it can exploit a gap in the market and remain competitive for longer.
UberGizmo has also this week released pictures that it says it obtained via a leak from a source described as "proven reliable in the past".
The leaked images appear to show that the phone will be packing a GPU which is a Qualcomm Adreno 330, while it is rumoured to have a massive display with a 5.2-inch and 5.5-inch screen being the most likely realities at the current time.
One of the most important factors for those who may consider trading in their phones to get their hands on this device, however, will be the resolution of the screen, and this appears to confirm that LG is on course for a quad-HD display as early as the July release.
The 1440 x 2560 resolution, which UberGizmo has said it has had confirmation of from LG itself, would put it at the very front of the race for quad-HD release.


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BEIJING (AP) — A low-budget, domestically produced comedy has unexpectedly become the highest-grossing Chinese film to date.
Chinese state media say the wacky road movie "Lost in Thailand" has grossed more than 1 billion yuan ($160 million) since its Dec. 12 debut. The official Xinhua News Agency, citing an independent monitor of box office figures, said Wednesday that it also beat James Cameron's "Titanic" in 3-D, the most popular foreign film in 2012, in Chinese theaters.
Set in Thailand, the film tells the story of two businessmen who go searching for their boss in the north, and then link up with a tourist eager to explore the country. It is filled with slapstick humor and action scenes.
The previous record for a domestic film was 726 million yuan set by "Painted Skin 2."


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In what has been a bizarre season, the Jets' wacky quarterback situation took yet another twist. Greg McElroy has a concussion — which he didn't reveal until Thursday — and will be replaced by Mark Sanchez as the starting quarterback in the season finale at Buffalo on Sunday.
Rex Ryan stepped to the podium, looked out at the cameras and opened his news conference with a warning.
"You're not going to believe this one," the New York Jets coach declared without any hint of a smile.
In what has been a bizarre season, the Jets' wacky quarterback situation took yet another twist. Greg McElroy has a concussion — which he didn't reveal until Thursday — and will be replaced by Mark Sanchez as the starting quarterback in the season finale at Buffalo on Sunday.
"We've come to find out that Greg wasn't exactly truthful with our training staff after the game," said Ryan, who acknowledged he was "stunned" to hear the news. "He never disclosed that he had symptoms after the game to our trainers. Right now, he's being evaluated for a concussion."
McElroy, preparing to make his second NFL start in place of the benched Sanchez, was lifting weights Thursday morning and started experiencing headaches, Ryan said. McElroy went to the team's training staff and then revealed he was suffering concussion-like symptoms after being sacked 11 times in the Jets' 27-17 loss to San Diego last Sunday.
McElroy and head trainer John Mellody then went to Ryan to tell the coach the news. Offensive coordinator Tony Sparano said he was "pretty silent" when he found out a few minutes after Ryan.
"It's another bump in the road here," Sparano said, "and it's something we've become a little accustomed to dealing with."
Ryan was not certain exactly when McElroy suffered the concussion, but said there was no way he would play McElroy against the Bills and the third-stringer will "definitely be out." McElroy had been listed on the injury report Wednesday with a mild abdominal strain, but was a full participant in practice and was expected to play without any issues.
"I admire his courage and everything else, but you have to be truthful and I think that's the lesson learned here with the medical staff," said Ryan, who spoke to the entire team about concussions after practice. "The fact he really wanted to play, I understand the competitive side of Greg and all that, but the most important thing is the health of the players.
"Obviously, I feel fortunate that something like this showed up without him going out there and putting himself in harm's way."
While Sanchez wouldn't comment on whether players choosing to play through head injuries is common in the NFL, Tebow acknowledged that it probably does happen around the league because of job security.
"You fight hard to earn something and you don't want to jeopardize that with an injury, for sure," said Tebow, who added that he has never been in McElroy's situation. "I think that's definitely something guys will think about."
Ryan chose to start Sanchez over Tim Tebow because the team has just two practices and a walkthrough to prepare before the game. He also cited Sanchez's success against the Bills in the season opener, when he threw three touchdown passes in the Jets' 48-28 win.
Sanchez appeared to be on his way to a solid season, but it ended up being his best game. He was benched for the first time in his four-year career after turning over the ball five times at Tennessee on Dec. 17.
"I'm excited to play, obviously," Sanchez said. "You just never want to see something like that happen to a teammate, somebody I really respect. You feel for Greg and I'll be ready to play."
Sanchez was a bit surprised when Ryan told him he'd be starting because he thought McElroy just wasn't feeling well.
"I guess I didn't expect it," Sanchez said. "I wasn't coming into today thinking he had a concussion. I never would've known."
McElroy leapfrogged Tebow on the depth chart to start against the Chargers. After finding out about McElroy's condition, Ryan spoke with both Sanchez and Tebow to tell them of his decision.
"Obviously, Tim's not happy with that, as you'd expect," Ryan said.
The news came on the heels of some tension between Ryan and Tebow last week, when the popular backup quarterback told the coach he was "disappointed" at not getting the start and wanted to play "regular quarterback." ESPN New York first reported Sunday that Tebow asked out of the wildcat, and a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed that to The Associated Press. The two met again last Friday to clear the air, and Tebow reiterated that he was willing to do anything the team asked him to do.
Tebow insisted Wednesday that he did not refuse to do anything and acknowledged that Ryan might have misinterpreted what he said. Ryan said he understands that Tebow is frustrated at the situation and by not starting, but again would not disclose anything said between the two in their conversations last week.
Tebow said he didn't think Ryan's choice to play Sanchez was in any way punitive, and added that he and the coach have a "great" relationship.
"When you're a competitor, you want to play," Tebow said. "But I understood his decision and I just let him know, just like always, that I'll do whatever I can to help the team."
Tebow will be the No. 2 quarterback on Sunday at Buffalo, and could play — but it won't be as the starter.
"Obviously, he'd like a shot at it," Ryan said, "but with the situation the way it is, it's a short window, really, to get the preparation time in and I just think it's best for our football team."
With the way the season has played out, from the quarterback controversies to the injuries suffered by key players, Ryan was asked if this is the strangest year he has ever experienced in the NFL.
"Yeah, I would say that's pretty accurate," Ryan said, laughing. "And, we've had some strange ones."
Added Tebow, chuckling: "It's been interesting."


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GE Profile Series PEB1590DMBB 1.5 cu. ft. Countertop Convection Microwave Oven - Black
Item # 73549 | Model # PEB1590DMBB
This item is currently sold out
This 1000 Watt, 1.5 cu. ft. GE Profile™ Series countertop microwave oven PEB1590 features not only convection cooking controls, but also sensor cooking controls, a removable oven rack and a recessed turntable. Optional 27 in. and 30 in. trim kits provide this countertop microwave with a versatile appearance - built-in kits (JX1527 and JX1530).
- Removable full-width cooking rack allows for multi-level cooking simultaneously, allowing you to cook large quantities of your family's favorites
- Recessed turntable maximizes oven space and flush design easily accommodates multiple dishes
- 1.5 cu. ft. capacity, 1000 Watts (IEC-705 test procedure)
- Optional matching built-in trim kit gives a custom appearance and built-in convenience
- Sensor cooking controls - automatically adjusts time and power for delicious cooking
- Easy-set control dial makes setting the oven or selecting recipes easy
- Use the convection cooking setting for baking or browning


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Getting an ID Card
All registered students need to obtain an ID card except for those taking an online course. The Pace OneCard is provided to all registered students at no charge and serves as the official identification card of the University. This card acts not only as your student ID but all refunds will automatically be posted to your OneCard account, unless you select otherwise, through the MyPace Portal.
You will need your student ID number. Your student ID number was emailed to you. It is a nine-digit number beginning with a 'U'.
The ID Services Office Locations (Hours of operation):
New York City Campus
156 William St. – 5th Floor
New York, NY 10038
Phone: (212) 346-1015
Directions to campus
Westchester Campus
861 Bedford Rd
Kessel Student Center (Upper Level)
Pleasantville, NY 10570
Phone: (914) 773-3830
Obtaining a Transcript
Once you have completed your summer course(s), you can obtain an official transcript by going to the Office of Student Assistance web site. Once there, scroll down and click on Transcript Request, and download the PDF form. You can fax or mail the request to the Office of Student Assistance - the address and fax number are located at the bottom of the form. Please allow 7-10 days for transcript processing.
For student account and registration questions, please call the Office of Student Assistance (OSA) at (877) 672-1830, or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com and track the response through the University Help Desk system.


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Saint Louis, MO
Sponsored Topics
Known as the "Gateway to the West," St. Louis, Missouri, is a port city along the banks of the Mississippi River on the Missouri-Illinois border. It is the cultural and economic hub of a metropolitan area that includes nearly 3 million residents. It is also one of the Midwest's most popular tourist destinations.
Must See in St. Louis
St. Louis is known primarily for three things: the Gateway Arch, baseball, and beer. Start your visit by riding a tram to the top of the Western Hemisphere's largest monument, the Gateway Arch, and follow it up by catching a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium. Round out your visit by taking a tour of the world-famous Anheuser-Busch brewery.
Where to Stay in St. Louis
Downtown is where the action is, whether you're traveling with kids or a night owl in town to experience St. Louis after dark. More than a dozen downtown hotels are conveniently situated near Metrolink stations, giving visitors easy access to the Arch, Busch Stadium, America's Center, Forest Park, Laclede's Landing, and other attractions.
The Loop and the Central West End are dotted with nightlife venues as well and are ideal for young visitors.
Budget-conscious visitors may consider one of the numerous modestly priced hotels surrounding Lambert International Airport.
Best and Worst Times to Go to St. Louis
You can't beat St. Louis in the month of May. The City Garden flowers are in bloom, the Cardinals are back in action, and the animals at the St. Louis Zoo are out in full force, soaking up the moderate spring breezes.
It can be difficult to enjoy the St. Louis experience fully in August and September, when it's brutally hot, and December through February, when it's blisteringly cold.
Where to Get Lost in St. Louis
The trendy, affluent Central West End neighborhood is home to an assortment of galleries, boutiques, eateries, and restaurants and is the perfect place to venue-hop or people-watch.
The Best Deal in St. Louis
The best part about the world-class St. Louis Zoo isn't the Penguin House or Sea Lion Sound or even Big Cat Country. It's the cost of admission: absolutely free.
Transportation in St. Louis
For about eight dollars a day, the Metrolink light rail train can take you to virtually every local hotspot. After around 1:00 a.m., when the Metrolink shuts down, taxis are readily available. Much of the downtown area is also very walker-friendly. If traveling into the county, you'll need a rental car.
Getting in From Lambert International Airport
The Metrolink's "red line" begins at Lambert Airport, about 12 miles west of city limits, giving travelers easy access to downtown. Numerous car rental agencies operate out of Lambert, and taxis are plentiful also.
Local Tip for Visitors to St. Louis
No trip to the "Gateway City" is complete without visiting one of the Italian restaurants on The Hill and sampling some toasted ravioli, St. Louis's most unique culinary masterpiece.
Author's Bio: Marcus Whelchel lives, works, and writes in St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife, daughter, and endless stream of odd thoughts. Those who know him best agree he belongs in the St. Louis Zoo.


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by Nicole Ozer
Nicole Ozer signs her book 'Privacy & Free Speech: It's Good for Business' at the SXSW book store.
'Privacy & Free Speech' analyzes what companies have done right – and wrong- and offers hands on tipsand analysis of how startups can save time, money, and reputation by baking in privacy and free speech protections into the business development process.
United States United States, Austin
9th–13th March 2012


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WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. – Wheelchair Charities, Inc., recently honored Susan Wayne, president and chief executive officer of Family Services of Westchester (FSW), in May at its annual fund-raising gala in New York City.
The event, hosted by Dale Allen, director of sports marketing for Nike/Jordan Brand, also celebrated Reggie Saunders, global brand marketing director, Jordan Brand, and William Gibane, III, senior vice president, Gilbane Building Company.
Past honorees have included Westchester philanthropist and Wheelchair Charities supporter Patricia Lanza, her husband Frank Lanza, and her family.
Patricia Lanza, an Eastchester resident, was a dedicated advocate of FSW and most recently provided a $1 million challenge grant to support the Lanza Family Center for All Ages. FSW closed on the new property in White Plains in March, just prior to her death at the age of 80.
Wayne thanked Lanza for her nomination of FSW to be honored at this year's gala. "It is truly my humble honor to accept this distinguished award tonight. This recognition means so much to me, and to Family Services of Westchester," Wayne said. "We will stay connected and through our two charities will continue to do our work and make Pat proud."
Proceeds from the event enable Wheelchair Charities, Inc. to purchase needed items for patients and residents of the Coler-Goldwater Specialty Hospital and Henry J. Carter Specialty Hospital in New York City, including vans, buses, and state-of-the-art computer systems.
Since its inception 37 years ago, Wheelchair Charities has raised more than $20,000,000 with the help of an expanding family of sponsors, donors and volunteers. For more information, visit www.wheelchaircharitiesinc.org.
Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.


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By David Lynch
There is a short section of Jamie Carragher's autobiography where the Bootle-born defender's honesty perhaps gets the better of him. It is, unsurprisingly, the most revealing part of an interesting tale, an insight into the man behind a one-club legend.
It describes his thoughts in the immediate aftermath of having missed a penalty for England against Portugal in 2006 – an event which would end the Three Lions' participation in that year's World Cup – which simply amounted to: "At least it wasn't Liverpool".
|FULL STORY: Carragher announces decision to retire at end of 2012-13
Of course, given the above quote, it is unlikely that Carragher will attract as many glowing tributes from those who do not call Merseyside home. But, in truth, he is unlikely to care. He has been a Liverpool fan living the dream throughout his 17-year career at Anfield, his only concern living up to the expectations of those on the Kop that he might call his peers.
This sense of carrying a community was never clearer than in the dying minutes of Liverpool's 2005 Champions League victory over Milan – the centre-back's defining moment in a red shirt. A clearly cramp-stricken Carragher stretched to clear the ball with almost comic frequency given his condition as the Italians pushed for a late winner, that trademark telescopic leg ensuring the Reds' backline and the club's trophy hopes would not be pierced ahead of a famous win on penalties.
Such moments of defiance were not confined to that magical night at Istanbul, either, with Carragher ending his career having earned winner's medals from two FA Cups, three League Cups, two Super Cups and a Uefa Cup to sit proudly next to Champions League honours.
At his peak, the Liverpool academy graduate was amongst Europe's finest organisers, a relentless perfectionist in the pursuit of clean sheets. As the Reds plundered victories at stadiums such as the Santiago Bernabeu, Camp Nou and Old Trafford over the years, Carragher was more than doing his part in keeping some of the biggest talents in world football quiet.
That his high-pitched north-Liverpudlian shriek could still be heard above the sounds of battle as these famous coliseums were ransacked is what arguably made it all the sweeter for the travelling supporters who wished they too could be out there.
Over recent years, the club's No.23 has been used more sparingly given his advancing years if not declining quality. It is no coincidence that the Reds' performances as a whole have declined over that period, or that the current team have appeared to be a much more cohesive unit during Carragher's brief reintroduction for the past two games against Arsenal and Manchester City.
|Liverpool are 16/1 with William Hill to win the Europa League
The only question remaining for those who have followed his development from self-confessed "scally" to veteran defender is who takes up the mantle. With Steven Gerrard reaching a similarly dreaded juncture in his career, what Brendan Rodgers recently termed the club's "Scouse heartbeat" appears doomed.
The path from the youth teams to senior level is notoriously more difficult to walk than in the past and, whilst the likes of Jack Robinson, Conor Coady and Adam Morgan are certainly keen enough to do so, whether they can bridge the gap in order to feature regularly is uncertain.
But the importance of at least one of these prospects emulating Carragher cannot be underestimated by Liverpool. He is a player for whom identity, just as much as quality, ensured his career was a trophy-laden success.
Follow David Lynch on


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The road to the 2013 Gold Cup will go through Chicago.
CONCACAF on Wednesday revealed the complete groups and match schedule for the the 2013 edition of the tournament, awarding the July 28 final to Soldier Field, where the US captured the 2009 trophy in a memorable final against Mexico.
The two CONCACAF powers headline two of the three groups unveiled at a Chicago press conference. The USA will meet Cuba and surprise outfit Belize in Group C, while Mexico will do battle with the likes of Canada and Panama in Group A:
GROUP A: Mexico, Panama, Canada, Martinique
GROUP B: Honduras, El Salvador, Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti
GROUP C: USA, Costa Rica, Belize, Cuba
A total of 13 different US cities will host matches. Among the sites are five MLS stadiums: CenturyLink Field, JELD-WEN Field, Red Bull Arena, BBVA Compass Stadium and Rio Tinto Stadium.
CONCACAF also announced that tickets will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, March 21, with special presales launching this week.
Complete tournament details follow below:
GROUP A: Mexico, Panama, Canada, Martinique
Matchday 1: Sunday, July 7 – Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.)
Canada vs. Martinique, 5:30 pm ET
Mexico vs. Panama, 8 pm ET
Matchday 2: Thursday, July 11 – CenturyLink Field (Seattle)
Panama vs. Martinique, 8:30 pm ET
Mexico vs. Canada, 11 pm ET
Matchday 3: Sunday, July 14 – Sports Authority Field at Mile High (Denver)
Martinique vs. Mexico, 4 pm ET
Panama vs. Canada, 6:30 pm ET
GROUP B: Honduras, El Salvador, Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti
Matchday 1: Monday, July 8 – Red Bull Arena (Harrison, N.J.)
El Salvador vs. Trinidad & Tobago, 7 pm ET
Haiti vs. Honduras, 9:30 pm ET
Matchday 2: Friday, July 12 – Sun Life Stadium (Miami)
Trinidad & Tobago vs. Haiti, 7 pm ET
Honduras vs. El Salvador, 9:30 pm ET
Matchday 3: Monday, July 15 – BBVA Compass Stadium (Houston)
El Salvador vs. Haiti, 7 pm ET
Honduras vs. Trinidad & Tobago, 9:30 pm ET
GROUP C: USA, Costa Rica, Belize, Cuba
Matchday 1: Tuesday, July 9 – JELD-WEN Field (Portland, Ore.)
Costa Rica vs. Cuba, 8:30 pm ET
Belize vs. USA, 11 pm ET
Matchday 2: Saturday, July 13 – Rio Tinto Stadium (Sandy, Utah)
USA vs. Cuba, 3:30 pm ET
Costa Rica vs. Belize, 6 pm ET
Matchday 3: Tuesday, July 16 – Rentschler Field (East Hartford, Conn.)
Cuba vs. Belize, 5:30 pm ET
USA vs. Costa Rica, 8 pm ET
QUARTERFINALS (Atlanta, Baltimore)
Saturday, July 20 – Georgia Dome (Atlanta @ 3 pm ET and 6 pm ET)
QF1: A2 vs. B2
QF2: A1 vs. B3/C3
Sunday, July 21 – M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore @ 4 pm ET and 7 pm ET)
QF3: B1 vs. C2
QF4: C1 vs. A3/B3
SEMIFINALS (Arlington)
Wednesday, July 24 – Cowboys Stadium (Arlington, Texas @ 7 pm ET and 10 pm ET)
QF1 vs. QF2
QF3 vs. QF4
FINAL (Chicago)
Sunday, July 28 – Soldier Field (Chicago @ 4 pm ET)


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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand sharply criticized Japan on Monday for allowing a whaling ship to enter New Zealand's maritime economic zone.
The government said Japan ignored requests that the Shonan Maru 2 steer clear of New Zealand's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone as the whaler pursued an anti-whaling vessel operated by protest group Sea Shepherd.
Japan defended the incident, saying any ship is allowed under international rules to enter an exclusive economic zone, and that it had been necessary to protect Japanese whalers from the activists' protest.
The incident comes during heightened tensions over Japan's whaling. Last week, a different Japanese whaling ship and a second Sea Shepherd boat collided in the icy seas off Antarctica, with both sides blaming each other for the crash.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully said Japan's latest actions were "unhelpful, disrespectful and short-sighted" and that Japanese Ambassador Yasuaki Nogawa had been summoned on Monday to meet with a senior official who expressed New Zealand's "deep disappointment."
"The New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo last week made it very clear we did not want members of the Japanese whaling fleet entering our EEZ," McCully said. "New Zealand's strong opposition to Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean is well known and further action may be taken."
He didn't elaborate on what the action might be.
Japan's chief government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, said the Japanese ship's entry into New Zealand's EEZ was "part of necessary safety measures that Japan had to take."
"We don't see any problem," he said. Suga also defended Japan's research whaling as legitimate under international rules, and condemned Sea Shepherd's actions as "dangerous and illegal acts" that endanger Japanese crewmembers and their ships.
Glenn Inwood, a spokesman for the Institute of Cetacean Research, which is funded by the Japanese government, said every vessel has a right to enter another country's economic waters, and New Zealand's request for the boat to stay away was not legally enforceable.
He said the Shonan Maru 2 was monitoring the Sea Shepherd protest boat Steve Irwin following harassment near Antarctica.
"It's important for their own safety to know exactly where the Sea Shepherd pirate vessels are at all times," Inwood said.
Speaking by satellite phone from the Steve Irwin, captain Siddharth Chakravarty said his organization abides by the law and is trying to prevent the unwarranted slaughter of whales. He said the Shonan Maru 2 had been tailing their vessel for a week.
Under the provisions of a United Nations treaty signed by more than 160 countries including New Zealand and Japan, each country has certain sovereign rights over their economic zone. Those rights are not as strong as the rights for territorial waters, which extend 12 nautical miles from the shore.
The Southern Hemisphere whaling season typically runs through the end of March.
Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.


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19. He Also Used UV Ink On This Bison Skull
This Artist Uses Animal Skulls As A Canvas (20 Photos)
Skull art isn't new. We've all seen those skull tattoos, T-shirts with skulls on them, and all the Halloween decorations with skulls you can imagine. But have you ever seen the skull as the canvas for the art?
Peter Deligdisch specializes in patterns that weave in and out to create a scattered but unified appearance, which his calls doodles. And his favorite canvas? Skulls of dead animals.


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LED Emergency Light
We have developed three circuits under Automatic LED Emergency Light. Two of them are designed by Mr. Seetharaman, a very valuable and important contributor of this website. We have listed the circuits here for your ease of reading. If you have any doubts; please comment with circuit name or circuit number.
1. Simple Emergency Light using LED
2. Automatic Emergency Light using LM317 IC
3. Modified Version of Automatic LED Emergency Lamp using LM 317
1. Simple Emergency Light Circuit
This is one of the most cost effective (cheap) and simple emergency light circuit developed for CircuitsToday – This is an automatic emergency lamp with day light sensing, means it senses darkness/night and turns ON automatically. Similarly it senses day light and turns OFF automatically.
A simple emergency lamp which does not require any special equipment; even a multimeter to assemble and use. Any individual who can do a good quality soldering must be able to build this circuit successfully. This can be easily accommodated in the defunct two 6 watt tube National Emergency Lamp or any PL tube type emergency lamp. The difference will be in the working; it will work non stop for more than 8 hours. Deep discharge is taken care by the LED characteristic and over charge protection is taken care by the fixed voltage regulator.This uses a simple 3Pin fixed regulator which has a built in current limiting circuit. The only required adjustment is the preset which has to be set to ensure the LEDs just light up (it should be left at that position). The 5mm LDR is just mounted on top of the emergency light as shown in the photograph. LDR is used to avoid it lighting up during day time or when the room lights are ON. 2 LEDs are used in series; the dropping resistance is avoided and 2 LEDs light up with current that is required for a single LED, by which energy is saved to a great extent.
Note: This circuit is developed by Mr.Seetharaman for readers of CircuitsToday. This particular circuit has been kept so simple for people who has limited access to components or in other words this is an emergency light that you can build with minimum components. In addition to circuit diagram, He has shared photographs of the prototype he made in National emergency light and a PCB design.
Simple Emergency Light Circuit Diagram:
Photographs of prototype made in National Emergency Light:
Emergency Light Circuit PCB Design:
2. Automatic LED Emergency Light
NOTE: Considering the doubts raised by many of our valuable readers in our Comments section, this circuit has been modified by Mr.Seetharaman, one of our valuable contributors. You can see his modified circuit here: Automatic LED Emergency Light Modified.
This is the circuit diagram of a low cost emergency light based on white LED.The white LED provide very bright light which turns on when the mains supply is not there.The circuit has an automatic charger which stops charging when the battery is fully charged.
The IC LM 317 produces a regulated 7 V for the charging of Battery.Transistor BD 140 drives the out put.Transistor BC 548 and Zener diode controls the charging of the battery.
It is always better to connect a heat sink with BD 140.Before using the circuit out put of LM317 must be set to 7V by adjusting the potentiometer.
Automatic LED Emergency Circuit Diagram:
Note: R3 to R14 are all 100 ohms
We have more interesting Lighting circuits for you,please take a look:
1. LED Ramping Circuit – An interesting LED application with help of a ramping circuit.
2. Flashing LED Unit – A circuit application to flash many LED's.
3. Puff to OFF LED circuit – A simple,hobby and more of a fun circuit where you can turn OFF an LED with a puff.
4. Street Light Circuit – Want to build a street light application? This is the one you are looking for.
5. Light Activated Switch – A circuit application to make a switch activated when light falls upon (and vice versa).
If you are interested in knowing How an LED works ? Take a look at our article:- How an LED Works


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Library >> Browse Articles
Browse Eye Diseases and Disorders Articles
Age-Related Macular Degenerationh4. What is age-related macular degeneration? Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision. Central vision is needed for seeing objects clearly and for common daily tasks such as reading and driving. AMD affects the macula, the part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail. AMD causes no pain. In ...